The True Theology of Abraham
Many waters are brought forth in vain, through which the impious and godless contend. For they wish to imitate through them the one who said, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink, and whoever drinks of the water I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up to eternal life' (John 4:14). And indeed, in these things Jesus gives as if it were one water; this is the Spirit which those believing in him are to receive.
The waters of the heterodox, through which they imitate the quenching given by the Lord, are many, because they are diverse and discordant and do not lead to a single end; for both the ends and the beginnings of their mindsets are different. 'Send therefore,' says the Psalmist, 'your poetic and protective hand, to bring me out and to rescue me from many waters and from the hand of strange sons' (Ps 143:7). For the strange is commonly to be taken both in terms of sons and of waters. And it is possible to say that to be rescued from many waters means from the evil powers and from the devil, the king of all those in such waters; and to be rescued from the hand of strange sons means those working through men.
The ten-stringed psaltery is composed and joined by the energy of the ten commandments; for each of the ten commandments is a string musically composed in the whole instrument. 'And kings, he says, you shall perceive, and those who rule perceptibly the nations and the inhabited world' (Ps 143:10). For if a king is not saved by much power, the kings being saved by God possess the kingdom. And also it is said of giving salvation to kings. Since they always have it from the one being saved, he did not cease to give salvation, but always has given, and will give, and gives. And the same applies concerning the one redeeming and not having redeemed and the one about to redeem.
Be useful to those destined for the turning away of the world (Ps 143:12). For concerning the women of the church, Paul writes how they, praying with modesty and self-control, adorn themselves with the works of godliness, but not with the laying down of gold and pearls and elaborate hairstyles (1 Tim 2:9). Consider these things said and apply them to the heterodox. For their word is struck like swords.
Regarding the devouring and the stripping away of those who have not put on the armor of God. Those previously mentioned as speaking vanity, who are alien sons, use this evil sword. The divine thoughts may be their sons, having strength in youth but not in perfection, being like their daughters, whose words are beautified and trimmed with a smooth composition and the elegance of phrasing.
Therefore, they are a likeness of a temple but not a temple; for they do not have within themselves a divine mind like the words of the divine Scriptures; for a temple is where God is found in them who encounter them rightly. He exalts God, the one theologizing rightly and truly, uttering great and high things concerning God (Ps 144:1). He says regarding the faith set forth of him who became a child of Abraham through works and faith, that the God of all causes is not his God, but he confesses toward him, 'I am your God.' But he, having become a man of God by serving his God, fleeing every evil kingdom, is ruled by this God himself, and so he will be able to say, 'You are my king and my God.' Having the soul say immortal, he says, 'I will bless your name for ever and unto the age of ages.' And he blesses the name of God and his king, the one doing to wear it and saying and thinking the things belonging to the divine calling upon him, beginning to bless from the present age unto the doing of it as of the age; for if now, knowing in part and participating partially in the good, he blesses the name of the benefactor, much more he will bless when he approaches the perfect good and the face-to-face knowledge of God.
And it shall be said also concerning those from the circumcision and from the Gentiles who have believed: 'Generation and generation shall praise your works' (Ps 144:4), being rightly worthy of praise by his own word, just as he has seen the divine Creator with a divine gaze to be very beautiful. The holiness of God is not another of the Savior; for he himself is the sanctification who sanctifies those approaching God, to whom it is said, 'You shall be holy, as I am holy' (Lev 11:44). The glory of this holiness is majestic.
Greek
ου ν α ματαίως προφέρουσι καὶ ὑπὲρ ω ν ἀθέως καὶ ἀσεβῶς διάκεινται υ δατα τυγχάνει πολλά· μιμεῖσθαι γὰρ δι' ω ν διδάσκουσι βούλονται τὸν εἰπόντα Ει τις διψᾷ, ἐρχέσθω πρός με καὶ πινέτω, καὶ Ος α ν πίῃ ἐκ τοῦ υ δατος ου ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ γενήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πηγὴ υ δατος ἀλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Καὶ ο ρα γε ἐν τούτοις ὡς ἑνὸς ο ντος υ δατος ου δίδωσι ̓Ιησοῦς· τοῦτο δὲ η ν τὸ πνεῦμα ο η μελλον λαμβάνειν οἱ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτόν. τὰ υ δατα τῶν ἑτεροδόξων δι' ω ν μιμοῦνται τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ποτισμὸν πολλά ἐστι διὰ τὸ ποικίλα καὶ ἀσύμφωνα τυγχάνειν καὶ μὴ πρὸς ε ν ἀναφέρεσθαι τέλος· διάφορα γὰρ καὶ τὰ τέλη καὶ αἱ ἀρχαὶ τῶν φρονημάτων αὐτῶν. ̓Εξαπόστειλον τοίνυν, φησὶν ὁ ψαλμῳδός, τὴν ποιητικὴν καὶ φυλακτικὴν τῶν ο λων χεῖρα ἐπὶ τῷ ἐξελέσθαι καὶ ῥύσασθαί με ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν ὑδάτων καὶ τῆς χειρὸς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων υἱῶν· κατὰ κοινοῦ γὰρ τὸ ἀλλότριον ληπτέον κατά τε υἱῶν καὶ ὑδάτων. ∆υνατὸν δὲ τὸ ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν ῥυσθῆναι εἰπεῖν τῶν πονηρῶν δυνάμεων καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου τοῦ βασιλέως πάντων τῶν ἐν τοιούτοις υ δασιν, ἐξαιρεθῆναι δὲ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων υἱῶν τῶν ἐνεργουμένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. 1249 Ps 143,9b.10 Σύγκειται καὶ συνήρμοσται τὸ δεκάχορδον ψαλτήριον ἐξ ἐνεργείας τῆς δεκαλόγου· ἑκάστη γὰρ τῶν δέκα ἐντολῶν χορδή ἐστι μουσικῶς συντεθειμένη ἐν ο λῳ τῷ ὀργάνῳ. Βασιλεῖς δὲ νοήσεις, φησίν, καὶ τοὺς 266 αἰσθητῶς κρατοῦντας τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης. εἰ γὰρ οὐ σῴζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, οἱ σῳζόμενοι βασιλεῖς ἐκ θεοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ε χουσιν. ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι ∆ιδόντι σωτηρίαν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἀεὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ σῴζεσθαι ε χουσιν, οὐ δο * σωτηρίαν ἐπαύσατο, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ καὶ δέδωκε καὶ δώσει καὶ δίδωσι. τὰ δ' αὐτὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ λυτρουμένου καὶ οὐ λυτρωσαμένου καὶ αυ λυτρωσομένου. 1250 Ps 143,12 Χρηστέον τοῖς προκειμένοις πρὸς ἀποτροπὴν κόσμου. περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν γυναικῶν ὁ Παῦλος γράφει, ο πως μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφροσύνης προσευχόμεναι κοσμῶσιν ἑαυτὰς τοῖς τῆς θεοσεβείας ε ργοις ἀλλὰ μὴ περιθέσει χρυσίων καὶ μαργαριτῶν καὶ πλοκῇ τριχῶν περιέργων. Θεωρήσεις δὲ τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων. ὁ λόγος γὰρ αὐτῶν μαχαίρας δίκην ἠκόνηται ἐπὶ τρώσει καὶ ἀναιρήσαι τῶν μὴ ἐνδυσαμένων τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ θεοῦ. χρῶνται δὲ ταύτῃ τῇ πονηρᾷ ῥομφαίᾳ οἱ προειρημένοι τῷ ματαιότητα λαλεῖν ο ντες ἀλλότριοι υἱοί. δύνανται ει ναι υἱοὶ αὐτῶν αἱ θεῖαι νοήσεις α ς ε χουσι παραβαλλομένας νεοφύτοις ω ν τὸ ἰσχυρὸν ἐν νεότητι ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τελειότητι, θυγατέρων αὐτῶν τυγχανουσῶν ω ν προφέρονται λέξεων καλλωπιζομένων καὶ περικοσμουμένων λείᾳ συνθέσει καὶ τῷ ᾠδικῷ τῆς φράσεως. διὸ καὶ ὁμοίωμα ναοῦ ἀλλ' οὐ ναός εἰσιν· οὐ γὰρ ε χουσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς θεῖον νοῦν ω σπερ αἱ τῶν θείων γραφῶν λέξεις· ναὸς γὰρ αυ ται θεοῦ εὑρισκομένου ἐν αὐταῖς τοῖς ὀρθῶς ἐντυγχάνουσιν. 1251 Ps 144,1 ̔Υψοῖ δὲ τὸν θεὸν ὁ ὀρθῶς καὶ ἀληθῶς θεολογῶν, μεγάλα καὶ ὑψηλὰ περὶ θεοῦ διαλαμβάνων. λέγει δὲ τὴν αι νεσιν τὴν προκειμένην ὁ διὰ τὸ ἐξ ε ργων καὶ πίστεως γεγονὼς τοῦ ̓Αβραὰμ τέκνον, ου θεὸς ὁ πάντων αι τιος ει ναι ὁμολογεῖ φάσκων πρὸς αὐτὸν ̓Εγὼ θεὸς σός. ου τος δὲ θεοῦ α νθρωπος γεγονὼς τῷ τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῦ χρηματίζειν φυγὼν πᾶσαν βασιλείαν πονηρὰν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ βασιλεύεται, ο θεν καὶ εἰπεῖν δυνήσεται Σὺ ει αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεύς μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου. ε χοντος δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀθάνατον λέγειν ε στιν Εὐλογήσω τὸ ο νομά σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. εὐλογεῖ δὲ τὸ ο νομα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐν τῷ φορεῖν αὐτὸ πράττων καὶ λέγων καὶ φρονῶν τὰ οἰκεῖα τῇ ἐπικληθείσῃ ἐπ' αὐτὸν θεοῦ προσηγορίᾳ, ἀρξάμενος τοῦ εὐλογεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος ἐπὶ τῷ ποιεῖν αὐτὸ ε ως τοῦ αἰῶνος· εἰ γὰρ νῦν ἐκ μέρους γινώσκων καὶ μερικῶς τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μετέχων εὐλογεῖ τὸ ο νομα τοῦ εὐεργετοῦντος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον εὐλογήσει αὐτὸ ἐπιστάντος τοῦ τελείου ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τῆς πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ. 1252 Ps 144,4a ̔Ρηθείη δ' α ν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν πεπιστευκότων Γενεὰ καὶ γενεὰ ἐπαινέσει τὰ ε ργα σου, δεόντως ο ντα ἐπαινετὰ τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ποιητὴν θείῳ βλέμματι ἑωρακέναι ο τι καλὰ λίαν ἐστίν. 1253 Ps 144,5 ̔Η ἁγιωσύνη τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ α λλη η τοῦ σωτῆρός ἐστιν· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὁ ἁγιάζων τοὺς ἐγγίζοντας τῷ θεῷ, πρὸς ου ς λέγεται Αγιοι ε σεσθε, ο τι α γιος ἐγώ εἰμι. ταύτης τῆς ἁγιωσύνης ἡ δόξα μεγαλοπρεπής
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.