The God of Jacob as Helper and the Truth of His Promises
That which is called upon her, the disciples of Jesus do not understand, praying to others saying, 'Hallowed be thy name.' And all that flesh blesses his holy name; concerning this it is said, 'Hear my prayer; unto thee all flesh shall come' (Ps 145:1,2). And all flesh shall see his salvation. These things are not said concerning sensible flesh, but concerning the existing analogy to the fleshy hearts, concerning which God says, 'I will take away from them the stony hearts and I will put in them fleshy hearts,' in which the spiritual law has been inscribed, Paul saying about this, as it is not written on stone tablets but on fleshy heart tablets (2 Cor 3:3).
The hymn is not being sent up to God by those happening to be celebrating, but by the one who celebrates God through doing the necessary things and remembering him with proper and pious speech. For 'Angaios' is a feast, and 'the memory of God' are the interpretations of Zechariah. Everyone who does not work the practical virtues unceasingly, not even one but many feasts, is named Angaios in the Hebrew tongue; but also everyone who has suffered well through all things and has been benefited by the goodness of God, remembering him, is called Zechariah according to the Hebrew voice, interpreted as the memory, that is, of God.
Praise, O my soul, the Lord. But when will this happen and how will you always do it? How does the release from sins approach through virtue and the rectitude of the knowledge of truth? For praise is due to the upright, not to the beautiful word in the mouth of a sinner. I will praise the Lord in my life; for as long as I live (and I live always the eternal life), I will praise. It is shown through the things set forth that no one possessing death, every soul sinning, is able to praise the Lord. I will sing to God my God, as long as I exist. And it is often interpreted that to sing according to virtue means to act. Therefore, a harmonious practice is promised to the Praise. And the 'as long as I exist' means to submit the mind...
Such a thing is not possible: for as I possess a share in the one who says, 'I am the Being,' I sing with the one who has the desire for me, for no one can sing being separated from the existing God and not becoming a being.
It is also not possible to divide trust thus: 'Do not trust in rulers who are of this age, nor in other evil powers (for they are falling and do not have the beginning), nor even in the sons of men; for salvation is not for them, they do not become salvation for mortals; for they are not able to provide it, nor do they have salvation from where they are, but they receive it from God' Ps 145:3.' For the Savior alone is the cause of eternal salvation, saying, 'Salvation is not from me.'
But he is blessed not simply as God is a helper, but as 'God of Jacob is a helper' Ps 145:5-7b, being helped by the God who shakes the rulers and the authorities and the cosmic rulers of this darkness. For he who has the struggle against these, having shaken them regarding what has happened to them, is helped by the God of Jacob, the son of Jacob who is so called according to practice in his doing his works. Thus being helped, he has hope in the Lord God who in the beginning trusted the heaven and the earth, the sea and all things in them. For he did not only those things, but also all things in them he himself made. And if his works endure, much more he himself is enduring and powerful.
Therefore, take courage, for the truth of both his words and the promises in the holy letters is confirmed, and he preserves his own promises for the whole age, so that his word and promises do not fail, as he promised to his own people. And what is the truth of the word? It is the coming judgment and the vengeance for those being wronged in the present life. For do not think, he says, that the pious are overlooked, nor that the blood of God-beloved men goes unavenged. For he is truthful who, having promised to perform their vengeance.
Greek
κυρίου τὸ ἐπικληθὲν ἐπ' αὐτήν, περὶ ου μανθάνουσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ ̓Ιησοῦ πρὸς α λλοις εὐχόμενοι λέγειν ̔Αγιασθήτω τὸ ο νομά σου. Εὐλογεῖ δὲ τὸ ο νομα τὸ α γιον αὐτοῦ πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐκείνη, περὶ η ς λέγεται Εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου· πρὸς σὲ πᾶσα σὰρξ η ξει· ε τι μὴν Καὶ πᾶσα σὰρξ ο ψεται τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ. οὐ περὶ αἰσθητῆς δὲ σαρκὸς λέγεται ταῦτα ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐχούσης ἀναλογίαν πρὸς τὰς σαρκίνας καρδίας, περὶ ω ν ὁ θεός φησιν ̓Εξελῶ αὐτῶν τὰς καρδίας τὰς λιθίνας καὶ ἐνθήσω αὐτοῖς καρδίας σαρκίνας, ἐν αι ς καὶ ὁ πνευματικὸς κεχάρακται νόμος, τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος περὶ τούτου ὡς α ρα ἐν πλαξὶ λιθίναις οὐ γέγραπται ἀλλ' ἐν πλαξὶ καρδίαις σαρκίναις. 1264 Ps 145,1.2 ̔Ο υ μνος οὐχ ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων ἀναπεμπόμενος θεῷ ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ ἑορτάζοντος θεῷ ἐν τῷ τὰ δέοντα πράττειν καὶ μνημονεύειν αὐτοῦ κατ' ὀρθὴν καὶ εὐσεβῆ διάληψιν. ̓Αγγαῖος γὰρ ἑορτή, θεοῦ δὲ μνήμη Ζαχαρίας ἑρμηνεύονται. πᾶς ου ν ὁ κατὰ τὰς πρακτικὰς ἀρετὰς ἀδιαστάτως ἐνεργῶν οὐδὲ μίαν ἀλλὰ πολλὰς ἑορτὰς α γει, ̔Εβραίᾳ γλώττῃ ̓Αγγαῖος ὀνομαζόμενος· ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶς ὁ διὰ πάντων ω ν ευ πέπονθε καὶ εὐεργετήθη τῆς θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος μνημονεύων Ζαχαρίας καθ' ̔Εβραίων φωνὴν καλεῖται, ἑρμηνευόμενος μνήμη τουτέστι θεοῦ. Αι νει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν κύριον. πότε δὲ τοῦτο ἀ * καὶ ὡς ἀεὶ ποιήσεις· η ο τε ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγῇ * τῇ κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ γνῶσιν τῆς ἀληθείας εὐθύτητι προσέρχῃ· Τοῖς γὰρ εὐθέσι πρέπει αι νεσις, οὐχ ὡραίου ο ντος αι νου ἐν στόματι ἁμαρτωλοῦ. Αἰνέσω κύριον ἐν ζωῇ μου. ἐφ' ο σον γὰρ ζῶ (ζῶ δὲ ἀεὶ τὴν αἰώνιον ε χων ζωήν), αἰνέσω. δείκνυται διὰ τῶν προκειμένων ο τι οὐδεὶς ε χων θάνατον ο ν πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἁμαρτάνουσα ἀποθνῄσκει αἰνεῖν δύναται κύριον. Ψαλῶ τῷ θεῷ μου, ε ως ὑπάρχω. ἡρμήνευται δὲ πολλάκις ο τι τὸ ψάλλειν κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐνεργεῖν σημαίνει. ἁρμόνιον τοίνυν πρᾶξιν τῷ Αἰνῶ ἐπαγγέλλεται. τὸ δὲ Εως ὑπάρχω διάνοιαν ὑποβάλλει τοιαύτην· ε ως ὑπάρχω μετοχὴν ε χων τοῦ εἰπόντος ̓Εγώ εἰμι ὁ ω ν, ψαλῶ τῷ τὴν υ παρξίν μοι ὀρέγοντι, οὐδενὸς ψάλλειν δυναμένου κεχωρισμένου τοῦ ο ντος θεοῦ α τε μὴ ω ν τυγχάνων. 1265 Ps 145,3 ∆υνατὸν δὲ καὶ ου τω διελεῖν Μὴ πεποίθατε ἐπ' α ρχοντας τοὺς ο ντας τούτου τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ τὰς α λλας πονηρὰς δυνάμεις (μεταπτώτην γὰρ καὶ ου τοι τὴν ἀρχὴν ε χουσιν), ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ἐφ' υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων· οὐκ ε στι γὰρ αὐτοῖς σωτηρία θνητοῖς τυγχάνουσι· παρασχεῖν γὰρ οὐ δύνανται η ν οὐκ ε χουσι σωτηρίαν οι κοθεν, ἀλλὰ θεόθεν λαβοῦσι. μόνος γὰρ ὁ σωτὴρ αι τιος σωτηρίας αἰωνίου τυγχάνει, φάσκων Σῴζων οὐκ ε στι πάρεξ ἐμοῦ. 1266 Ps 145,5–7b Μακαρίζεται δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ου ὁ θεὸς βοηθὸς ἀλλ' Ου ὁ θεὸς τοῦ ̓Ιακὼβ βοηθός, βοηθουμένου ὑπὸ θεοῦ τοῦ πτερνίζοντος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας καὶ τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου. ὁ γὰρ τὴν πάλην ε χων πρὸς τούτους, πτερνίσας αὐτοὺς τῷ περιγεγονέναι αὐτῶν, βοηθεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ̓Ιακώβ, υἱὸς ̓Ιακὼβ ω ν κατὰ πρᾶξιν τῷ ποιεῖν αὐτοῦ τὰ ε ργα. Ου τω βοηθούμενος τὴν ἐλπίδα ε χει ἐπὶ κύριον τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἐν ἀρχῇ πεποιηκότα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς. οὐ μόνον γὰρ αὐτὰ ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν. εἰ δὲ τὰ ε ργα αὐτοῦ διαρκῆ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς καὶ διαρκὴς καὶ δυνατός. Θάρσησον τοίνυν ο τι καὶ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς γράμμασιν ἐπαγγελιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν πιστοῦται καὶ φυλάσσει εἰς τὸν σύμπαντα αἰῶνα τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ὑποσχέσεις, ὡς μὴ διαπίπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον καὶ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας α ς τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀνθρώποις ἐπηγγείλατο. τίς δὲ ἡ τοῦ λόγου ἀλήθεια; ἡ μέλλουσα γίνεσθαι κρίσις καὶ ἡ ἐκδίκησις τοῖς κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἀδικουμένοις. μὴ γὰρ νομίζετε, φησίν, παρορᾶσθαι τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς μηδὲ τὸ αι μα τῶν θεοφιλῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀνεκδίκητον. ἀψευδὴς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῶν ποιήσασθαι ἐπαγγειλάμενος
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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.