Ambrose of Milan: What a delightfully apt beginning! Those who wish for a grand display and a great celebration to add glory to the games generally promise a prize. They make much of the honor of the crown to be conferred. All this is to make the contestants more eager to take part and to strain every nerve in order to win. This is what our Lord Jesus does. He promises us the glory of a heavenly kingdom, the sweetness of everlasting rest, the happiness of eternal life. — COMMENTARY ON TWELVE Psalms 1:13 Ambrose of Milan: (Vers. 1) "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked." How fitting, how opportune a beginning! For just as those who have undertaken some solemnity of a contest usually propose a prize to be displayed, boast of the honor of the crown, so that they may gather with greater enthusiasm for the competition and strive with more determined effort: in the same way, our Lord Jesus has set forth the glory of the heavenly kingdom, the grace of perpetual rest, the blessedness of eternal life as incentives for human virtue. Moreover, when the emperor advances to war, he promises a donative to the soldiers, as well as promotions in military ranks, so that the hope of rewards may assuage their labors and conceal the fear of danger. Like a herald, therefore, of a great emperor, the holy David exhorts the soldiers, calling them athletes and expressing the reward, saying: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. He begins with the reward, in order to elevate the weight of the future contest; he sends forth the reward, so that each person, leaping over the anxieties and labors of present affairs in their heart, may eagerly strive to obtain the blessedness of the future. Blessed, he said, is the man. What more could be given to a man, than that nothing more could be given to God by Apostolic authority (I Tim. VI, 15 and 16)? For blessed indeed, and the only one powerful, and king of kings, and lord of lords, God is called. He alone is powerful, he alone is king of kings, he alone is lord of lords, yet he does not exceed the power of blessedness. He has given us a common partnership in his name, which is considered worthy of divine honor. Let us now consider in what manner the Blessed man spoke, and not only the Blessed men: since both sexes are called to grace. Did he exclude women from the fellowship of beatitude because he called only the man blessed? Far be it; for God did not exclude females from the fellowship of creation, because he created the man first. For God said: Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness... And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27). In man, both are represented: in man, the sex is expressed. But just as when the word "man" is used, both are included: so when the word "man" is mentioned, the woman of whom that man is the husband is understood. Furthermore, She shall be called Woman, for she was taken out of Man (Genesis 2:23). Also, it is added that when the nature of two things is the same, their actions cannot be distinct: and when their work is equal, surely their reward is equal as well. Therefore, Scripture does not omit the partner of the union when it speaks of man, for it also does not remain silent about the partner of nature when it speaks of human. Therefore, just as there we read of man being made, and although there is one nature, we cannot deny that the principal sex was created first: so here, when we read of man, we also recognize the female sex as the principal part. Therefore, the studies of virtue are equal, because the prerogative of creation is equal. But why do you debate about gender, when it is not the struggles of the body, but of the soul, that require attention, which do not have a gender? Therefore, do not discern honor there, do not distribute rewards, where gender is not discerned. However, do not be careless if the one who was first called to exercise was the one who fell last. The one who started poorly should follow, not lead; so that she may be more modest after the experience. Eve deviated from the order of nature, she should have waited for the one who came before. The clever serpent began from behind; therefore the Prophet turns back to the higher one, assuredly one who would not have fallen unless he had followed from behind. Finally, he called us back from falling before he challenged us to the palm of victory. Blessed, he said, is the man who has not gone in the counsel of the wicked. See where you are called blessed, O man: not in wealth, not in power and honors, not in noble birth, or in beauty and attractiveness, not in bodily health, in which there is no good of nature; finally, they not only have an easy change into opposites, but also serve as a means of sin for those who do not know how to use them. For who is righteous for the sake of money? Who is humble in positions of power? Who is merciful for the sake of nobility? Who is pure for the sake of appearance? These allurements are more for sin than fruitful for the progress of virtue. What does he then want to say that he preferred to say: He did not leave, and he did not stand, as if from the past; when he could say: Blessed is the man who does not go in the counsel of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the seat of the pestilent? See the doctrine; for he is not immediately blessed who is not wicked or a sinner, because of the uncertainty of the outcome. For it is not written in vain: Before death do not praise anyone (Ecclus. 11:30). Therefore, as long as someone is in this life, they cannot be praised with a definite statement, since they can still fall into error; however, the person who concludes life without stumbling is rightly considered blessed, as they enjoy the company of the blessed. But perhaps you will say: By what reason, then, did he elsewhere say: Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor (Ps. XL, 1)? For he did not say blessed is he that understands, but that one who understands; because those who do good, in the very work and by which they are tested, find the reward of their work in that same work. Indeed, the blessed fruit is the good deed of conscience. However, those who restrain themselves from evil are not immediately blessed if they have deviated from fault once or twice, but if they are able to avoid the contagion of sin throughout their whole life. Now it occurs, why he prefers to say 'blessed' not he who has fulfilled some duty of piety, but he who has restrained himself from the plan of the impious. For it seems that he is more praiseworthy who has fulfilled the duty of virtue than he who has escaped sin. For neither an ox, nor a horse, nor a stone have been accustomed to be in sin, or to sit on the throne of pestilence. But those things do not have the fruit of blessedness, which do not have the sense of virtue. But how do they reach the reward of the law, who do not have the intention of following the law? Therefore, I see the proposed opinion concerning rational beings, that is, concerning us. But for us, the beginning of goods is the abstaining from sins; for we read: Turn away from evil, and do good (Psalms 36, 27). For this is the order of discipline, that you strive from lower things to more perfect ones; lest you be frightened by the weight of greater things, which you should be provoked to from the beginning of lighter things. The Scripture teaches us that the ladder is like a scale of piety (Gen. XXVIII, 12), through which holy Jacob, a man of discipline, saw the angels of the Lord ascending and descending. He was presented to us as an example, so that we may know that we should gradually advance in virtue through him, and thus be able to strive from the lowest to the highest, if we progress step by step from small things to those that appear higher in the human nature. Always keep these scales in front of you. Do not be afraid, oh man, to climb these steps of discipline. The first step is close to the ground, the next is similar to the previous one. Thus, one ascends to the highest through equal steps. Do not despise, oh man, that first step as if it were the lowest. That first ascent separates you from the earth; you tread the air where you have lifted your foot from the ground. Placed in virtue, you rise when you leave the earth; you leave the earth if you turn away from sin. Therefore, the beginning of the journey to virtue is to abstain from sin. But so that we may know that this teaching is of doctrine, listen to the Law saying: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder (Exodus XX, 14 and 15); for these precepts seemed to be appropriate for the imperfect. Finally, the Lord Jesus himself, knowing the imperfect, answered him who asked by what works one might attain eternal life: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, etc. (Matthew XIX, 18). Then, to the one who said that he had done all these things, He added more perfect things, saying: Sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven (Ibid., 21). And He taught that there is such a difference between avoiding evil and imitating good, that he rejected the latter, who considered the former easy for himself. But because he had not yet attained the former, he was unable to adapt himself to the latter. For if he had loved his neighbor, he could have provided assistance to the poor out of his own inheritance. Therefore, ascend the first step of the Law, so that you may reach the celestial summit of the Gospel. Hence, I believe that, as if placed under the Law, the holy Prophet warns more against following the customs of the Law in the first psalm rather than proposing to follow them. However, in the fortieth psalm (Psalms 40:1 et seq.), which is written from the perspective of the Savior, the exhortation is more about virtue rather than the suppression of error; for it speaks of the passion of the Savior (Ibid., 6 et seq.). And therefore, as we can understand, the dispenser of the Gospel also, when we heard Him say, 'Blessed are the merciful' (Matthew 5:7); and in the psalm of His own passion, and in the Gospel, He crowned mercy. But let us now adore the explanation of the psalm, and let us examine the prophetic power. "Blessed is the man, he says, who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the pestilence." We can say that there are three kinds of sins, which are here thought to be expressed, thought, action, and persistence; and that he is called blessed who has not even thought what is evil. For how can he be blessed, who is to be condemned on the day of judgment by his accusing thoughts? Even if he deceived a man, escaped the witness, evaded the accuser, he will not be able to avoid being his own accuser, whom he should fear the most; because he will have both the accuser and the confessing defendant. Therefore, blessed is he who has not even thought of what is evil, and has not committed sin (for sometimes we sin without even thinking; for we do not escape sin by much speaking), and has not persisted in sin. Or like this: blessed is he who has not even thought of what would be an error, or has not remained in that thought, or certainly has not persisted in those thoughts that he has recognized as full of error. But whether these things are rightly understood, whoever reads them will judge. For someone who has once thought evil, should not have remained in it, nor persisted. But even if he did not persist, he could not be blessed; because he stayed in what he thought wickedly. Even if he did not stay, nevertheless, by the very fact that he thought evil, whether he has the fruit of blessedness, he should seek a compassionate interpreter. Finally, because no one can say that he has a pure heart, even if the thought is venial, is the action of sins venial? Finally, if someone has a venerable station, is it also full of blessedness because they did not persist in crime? Then, how could someone who did not even think about wicked things, continue to sin or persist? In order for someone to be blessed, they must rightly observe these three things, but the order is different. First, they must not persist in sin; second, they must not stand in it; third, they must not think that it is an error. For someone who did not persist, they could still stand; for someone who did not stand, they could still think; but for someone who did not even think, they are truly blessed. Therefore, I also thought that another tradition should not be neglected, in which we assert that three degrees are made in a straight line: that one who wants to be blessed should not go in the counsel of the wicked, that is, should not walk in their thoughts; secondly, should not stand in the way of sinners; thirdly, should not sit in the seat of pestilence. Therefore, you who have become a Christian in the Church, or who strive for grace, abstain from the counsels of the wicked, so that you can say: Do not destroy my soul with the wicked, O God, and my life with bloodthirsty men (Psalms 25:9). And do not think about wicked things. What are those things, except those that are conceived against God's will? First, our duty is towards God; second, towards our parents. Indeed, the enemy often inserts different thoughts in our minds, and therefore the Prophet wisely believed that thoughts, rather than sudden inspirations, should be held accountable for wrongdoing. So, have you refrained from the counsels of the wicked? Rightly so, but you are not immediately blessed. Also, be careful not to stand in the path of sinners. How often are the words of divine Scripture set forth? Indeed, because we are all under sin, it is not required of you beyond nature that you do not sin; for even an infant of one day is not without sin; but that you do not remain in sin in a certain prolonged state. Not all are wicked; therefore you are called back from all impious thoughts and associations; but all are sinners; therefore you are admonished to stop sinning. If there has been a lapse of youth, the process of maturity should correct it. Therefore, do not have involvement in more serious matters, do not stand in lighter matters. You have this also said by the Lord in Isaiah: Go out of Babylon, fleeing from the Chaldeans (Isaiah 48:20): this means: And if you entered into the confusion of vices, go out. It was not necessary to enter; but you entered, compelled by the law of the flesh, and being captivated by the law of sin, go out, leave or rather, free yourself from heavy servitude. You could not refrain from entering into sin due to your weakness: sobriety to exit from sin is given to you. Therefore, leave Babylon, fleeing from the Chaldeans. Babylon is confusion, which does not maintain the order of virtues; for, confused by allurements, we commit sins. The Chaldeans are those who, with a vain zeal for superstition, explore the courses of the stars and sow the errors of wicked paganism. Flee from them, lest they capture you, lest they ensnare you with the heavy noose of captivity. Abraham was a Chaldean, but he fled from the Chaldeans and before the Law; you were born under the Law, flee from the wicked. He rejected the inheritance of his fathers, in order to possess the inheritance of faith; you abandon the succession of the body, acquire the inheritance of devotion. But if you do not remain in sin, you are not blessed in this way; you still have something that you should lack. There are many temptations, many deviations from virtue: the heavy allurements of pleasures, the heavy fuel of avarice, the desire for power, the ambition for honor, which, like a certain poison, corrupt the minds of men and contaminate their souls with the poisonous decay of vices. This is the seat of pestilence on which the Scribes and Pharisees sat, who impose heavy burdens on men, but they themselves do not want to move them with their finger. He expelled from the temple of the Savior their chairs those who boasted of their honor, sought for primacy in honor; those who used priesthood or the honor of primacy for profit; those who, indulging in gluttony, did not observe the proper restraint of abstinence. This is the true pestilence. Finally, the sons of Eli were sons of pestilence. In this certain seat of vices, Scripture prohibits us from bending our neck and reclining the strength of the whole body. Therefore, pay attention to the characteristics. "And he did not stand in the way of sinners, and he did not sit in the seat of the pestilence." The path of this life, the course, is not in doubt; for the Scripture itself says: In the way in which I walked, they hid a snare for me (Psalms 141:4) . And: Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way (Matthew 5:25) . Indeed, since we run the course of this life, we have a path on which we walk daily, until we reach the end. Although we do not appear to go bodily, we are progressing. For just as those who are sleeping in ships are carried by the winds into port; although there is no sensation of sailing for those who are resting, nonetheless the course urges them to the end and impels them unknowingly: so as the span of our life flows by, each one is led by the hidden course to his own end. Hence it is said: Rise, you who sleep (Ephesians 5:14); for you are sleeping, and your time is passing: and see lest while you sleep for a long time, time may pass by. Therefore, even if you sleep, your heart remains awake, your heart does not strike. If your heart is not idle, your time is not idle. You are on a journey, oh man, walk so that you may arrive; lest the night overtake you on the way, lest the days of life be consumed before you hasten the progress of virtue. You are a traveler of this life; everything passes, everything happens after you. You see everything on this path, and you pass by. You have seen the beauty of trees, the greenness of plants, the purity of springs, and whatever else delights the eyes; it was pleasant to behold, it delighted to pay attention for a while; while you paid attention, you passed by. Again while you walk, you came across a rocky and rugged path, hollows of cliffs, steep mountains, dense forests. You grew tired, yet you continued on. Such is life, in which neither the prosperous moments last, nor the adversities endure. Therefore, do not let the favorable circumstances lift you up, or the adversities break you, or the pleasing things delay you, or the sad things hold you back. Always hurry towards the end, hurry so that you may arrive. However, choose the path before you run. There are two ways: one of the righteous, the other of sinners; one of equity, the other of iniquity, of which the Prophet said: And see if there be in me the way of iniquity (Psalms 138:24). Therefore, not only is our life a way, but even in our very life there is either the way of virtue or the way of iniquity. Beware, therefore, that greed does not place its steps in you, and that you become a path of crime; that neither dishonesty, nor lust, become a path worn down by those who travel the way of iniquity and vices. It is allowed for you to choose whom you will follow, either the just or the unjust. The path of the just is narrower, the path of the unjust wider: the former is narrower in its sobriety, the latter wider in its drunkenness, so as to be able to contain those who are wavering; the latter has the allurements of this world, the former has the rewards of the future. In the former, the fruits are more immediate, in the latter, hope is slower; for those things which are sweet do not delay long expectation, but have an immediate fulfillment; but that which is serious is sought through labor, because it is scarcely grasped by a blessed thought; for no eye has seen, nor ear heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him. We often find it difficult to believe things we cannot see: and so the soul is restless, and it turns its thoughts here and there like eyes. Then there occur to it various kinds of things, and they overwhelm it. If it aims at eternal things, it chooses virtue; if at present things, it sets pleasure before everything. A grievous and unjust struggle against the pleasures of the present; here is liberty in one's desires, there slavery in wrongs, doing what you do not wish, and refraining from what you desire; here feasting, there fasting; here intemperance in joys, there perseverance in tears; here dancing, there prayer; here sweet songs, there mournful groanings. Indeed it is written: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:5-6). But few hear these words, and even fewer follow them. People are more attracted to the sweet sin that gratifies the desires of the hearer in the present, than to the sad virtue that encompasses the hope of faith, as if wrapped in a bitter shell of toil. Blessed and marvelous, therefore, is he who, situated in the choice of such paths, has not been swayed by the allurements of pleasure; so that he may establish his step above treacherous and perverse ways. It is not said to him: Woe to you who have forsaken the straight paths, by going on the ways of darkness! (Eccl. VIII, 16)! Therefore, we know what the path of sin is, in which the Prophet warns us not to stand; but also Ecclesiastes teaches, who says: Do not stand in evil speech, that is, do not persist in evil words, likewise in disapproved actions. As for how to stand in good, the same holy Prophet instructs, saying: Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. (Psalms 122:2) Standing is required in Jerusalem, fleeing from Babylon. And to Moses it is said: But you stand with me (Deut. V, 31), who fled from Egypt, and stood with the Lord. And in the Gospel (Matt. XX, 9), those who stood until the eleventh hour received equal pay for their work. And the virgins who stood until the arrival of the bridegroom deserved to enter together into the wedding feast; but those who left and returned afterwards are excluded by the authority of the Lord's sentence (Matt. XXV, 10). Therefore, we have learned not to stand in the path of sinners, but to stand in the duty of virtue; for it is written: But you stand by faith (Rom. XI, 20). Now let us consider what it is: And he did not sit on the chair of pestilence. And indeed, we have stated that not a simple assembly in such a throne as is used, should be criticized. For what fault would envy have? But since the eyes of the Lord are always upon the faithful of the earth; placed as if under the sight of an emperor, and like being placed in a certain ministry, we ought to stand. A soldier stands in readiness, he does not sit; a soldier in arms does not turn back, but rather rouses and raises up. And so it is said to the soldiers of Christ: Behold now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord (Ps. 133:1). But on the contrary, wickedness sits on a leaden weight, because it is fixed in sin and cannot separate itself from it. Indeed, those who are deeply rooted in error and eagerly cling to vices are said to sit, because they do not want to rise or listen to the one who says: Arise, after thou hast sat down (Ps. 126:2). Finally, this Prophet himself elsewhere says: 'Princes sat and spoke against me' (Psalms 119:23). Do we not know that such a powerful force is the long-standing habit of sinning, that it excludes nature, which although it is curable for salvation, is found to be incurable by the passage of time with unhealed wounds? Therefore, let us not remain in vice; but let each person, even if they were, leap away from sin, as it is written (Proverbs 5:3) about the woman of the streets. Do not fix your gaze on it, but leap away, do not delay; may they find you leaping when the years of youth pass by. But, what is more serious, many are not ashamed of indulging in bodily pleasure even in old age, and they have led a spotted life up to the age of senility. For the disease of lust is conceived in the innermost viscera, and with the passing of time it accumulates. Therefore, beware of the wicked counsels, do not let such thoughts penetrate your mind; lest it be said of you: Has anyone put fire into their bosom, and their clothes were not burned (Prov. VI, 2)? For surely he who once kindles the flame of a burning crime in the bosom of his mind will quickly set fire to the clothing of his own body. And just as a fire, leaping onto a pile of straw, clings and remains until it consumes everything it has seized, so too a tiny spark of sin, if it has been ignited by the fuel of vices, stirs up a great conflagration. Therefore, do not remain in sin. Finally, you have placed your foot above the abyss of guilt, quickly remove it; lest pollution rise above your sole and, being easily deceived by a fall, you remain in the mud. Therefore, vices must first be avoided, lest they then give way to more serious ones. For just as those who roll in mud, the more they roll, the more they become dirty; so too, those who once besmear themselves with the filth of wickedness, unless they quickly leap out, bring upon themselves a heavier cloud of disgrace with each passing day of their muddy conversation. And so, a foul odor from that land and a destructive whirlpool contracts a certain pestilence of souls, and with the breath of healthy thoughts corrupted, a pitiable plague of boiling passions rages. Hence a deadly virus infects the minds, hence sickness creeps upon the bodies, weakness upon the souls. For there is an evil weakness, the weakness of error, the weakness of greed, the weakness of insatiable desire. These are the riches, as Ecclesiastes says: There is an evil weakness that I have seen under the sun, that riches are kept to the harm of those who possess them (Ecclesiastes 5:12). Tell me, O Ecclesiastes, what is the cause of this evil weakness? He will answer, because greedy hope devours many. Insatiable greed is the voracity of desire. He who desires silver does not know satisfaction. Wealth stretches, but does not fill. And even if someone is satiated with riches, there is no one to allow him to sleep. Indeed, all his days are in darkness, sorrow, anger, weakness, and rage. How can one sleep, who is preoccupied with guarding gold? Who frets about profit, calculates interest, and counts his money? Therefore, illness is an evil that takes away the good tranquility of the mind. Illness is a bad thing, luxury, lust, desire, pleasure, secular ambition, which quickly corrupts the health of sobriety. Ultimately, all the corruption in this world is a pestilence. Therefore, do not touch it, do not defile it. It is a plague, it contaminates; it is a disease, it pollutes. Do not taste the things that are all for corruption through their very use, as the Apostle said (Colossians 2:21-22), who also proclaims elsewhere: The root of all evil is greed (1 Timothy 6:10); it causes illnesses, it inserts pains. Finally, those who desire it, subject themselves to many pains (Ibid.). This is a pestilence, which often makes warm things neither warm nor cold, but rather lukewarm, which Jesus will vomit out of his mouth because of their serious sins. This is what provokes not only some, but all sicknesses. Every head in pain, every heart in sadness (Isaiah 1:5-6). From head to toe, ulcers of sins. Every head is in pain, when those who are wise are valued here, they are tormented by greed; for the mind of the wise is in their head. This can also be applied to the leaders of the Church: Every heart is in sorrow, when we understand earthly things, and we bury the sharpness of our heart in bodily pleasures. Hence the Lord says (Ezekiel 11:19) to those like this, that He will give them a heart of flesh. A vile disease of diseases creeps from the feet to the head, when they suffer from contagion, when they share with others, if anyone is deprived of the fulfillment of desire, a widow cannot conquer her modesty, invade her land; and everyone with difficulty transfers their illnesses to one another. How often do the elderly groan because they cannot drink for a long time? How often do they grieve because they have ceased to be prostitutes, when they have the desire to be prostitutes? How often are virtues of drunken people a disgrace in stories, sins praised, chastity mocked, continence laughed at, mercy made a mockery! These are the diseases that spread their evils to many. From a few corrupt individuals, it reaches everyone. They sit in councils, undermining the sober ones, belching out their drunkenness; they sit in taverns, fighting over drunkenness. Among them is a harlot, full of wine, smiling at one, burning another, and inflaming everyone with the fire of lust. If a modest person passes by, they blush and criticize them; if someone is immoral, they are praised by everyone and, like a disease, they pass into the souls of individuals. For he who is notorious in wickedness, leads many into the imitation of error. So while they imitate another's sin, they commit their own evil. Do not sit among those whom the holy Prophet fled. Imitate him, fleeing for sure, not sitting, who says: I do not sit in the council of the wicked, and I will not enter with those who do evil (Psalms 26:4). By what reason did you flee from them, David, explain to us. Show us these parts, so that we too can flee from them, lest we become infected by their contagion: They are corrupt, he says, and have become abominable. There is none who does good, not even one (Psalms 14:1). Therefore, generally speaking, this can be referred to all those who are wicked; specifically, it can be referred to those who mock good things, which Aquila called τίς trashtalkers, because these people are truly sick, who by mocking the good, cause a great deal of confusion in the minds and corrupt the souls. How many things the blessed man said that one should abstain from! And he even adds more. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms Augustine of Hippo: "Blessed is the man that hath not gone away in the counsel of the ungodly" (ver. 1). This is to be understood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Man. "Blessed is the man that hath not gone away in the counsel of the ungodly," as "the man of earth did," who consented to his wife deceived by the serpent, to the transgressing the commandment of God. "Nor stood in the way of sinners." For He came indeed in the way of sinners, by being born as sinners are; but He "stood" not therein, for that the enticements of the world held Him not. "And hath not sat in the seat of pestilence." He willed not an earthly kingdom, with pride, which is well taken for "the seat of pestilence;" for that there is hardly any one who is free from the love of rule, and craves not human glory. For a "pestilence" is disease widely spread, and involving all or nearly all. Yet "the seat of pestilence" may be more appropriately understood of hurtful doctrine; "whose word spreadeth as a canker." The order too of the words must be considered: "went away, stood, sat." For he "went away," when he drew back from God. He "stood," when he took pleasure in sin. He "sat," when, confirmed in his pride, he could not go back, unless set free by Him, who neither "hath gone away in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of pestilence." — On the Psalms, Psalms 1 Basil of Caesarea: Like the foundation in a house, the keel in a ship and the heart in a body, so is [Psalms 1 as a] brief introduction to the whole structure of the Psalms. For when David intended to propose in the course of his speech to the combatants of true religion many painful tasks involving unmeasured sweats and toils, he showed first the happy end, that in the hope of the blessings reserved for us we might endure without grief the sufferings of this life. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 10:3 (Psalms 1) Basil of Caesarea: What is truly good is principally and primarily the most blessed. And that is God.… For truly blessed is Goodness itself toward which all things look, which all things desire, an unchangeable nature, lordly dignity, calm existence; a happy way of life, in which there is no alteration, which no change touches; a flowing fount, abundant grace, inexhaustible treasure. But stupid and worldly people, ignorant of the nature of good itself, frequently bless things worth nothing, riches, health, renown; not one of which is in its nature good, not only because they easily change to the opposite but also because they are unable to make their possessors good. What person is just because of his possessions? What person is self-controlled because of his health? On the contrary, in fact, each of these possessions frequently becomes the servant of sin for those who use them badly. Blessed is the one, then, who possesses that which is esteemed of the greatest value, who shares in the goods that cannot be taken away. How shall we recognize that person? "He who has not walked in the council of the ungodly." — HOMILIES ON Psalms 10:3 (Psalms 1) Basil of Caesarea: Why, you say, does the prophet single out only man and proclaim him happy? Does he not exclude women from happiness? By no means. For the virtue of man and woman is the same, since creation is equally honored in both; therefore, there is the same reward for both. Listen to Genesis: "God created humankind," it says, "In the image of God he created him. Male and female he created them." They whose nature is alike have the same reward. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 10:3 (Psalms 1) Basil of Caesarea: He put before us three acts that must be guarded against.… In accordance with the nature of things, he set up this order by his words. First, we take counsel with ourselves; next, we strengthen our resolution; then, we continue unchanged in what has been determined. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 10:4 (Psalms 1) Basil of Caesarea: The "chair" here refers to steady and lasting persistence in the choice of evil. This we must guard against because the practice of assiduously occupying ourselves with sins engenders in our soul a certain condition that can scarcely be removed. An inveterate condition of the soul and the exercise of evil strengthened by time are hard to heal or even entirely incurable, since, for the most part, custom is changed into nature. Indeed, not to attach ourselves to evil is a request worth praying for. But there remains a second way: immediately after the temptation to flee it as if it were a venomous sting, according to words of Solomon concerning the wicked woman: "Do not set your eye on her, but leap back; do not delay." Now, I know that some in their youth have sunk down into the passions of the flesh and have remained in their sins until their old age because of the habit of evil. As the swine rolling about in the mire always smear more muck on themselves, so these bring on themselves more and more each day the shame of pleasure. Blessed is it, therefore, not to have had evil in your mind; but, if through the deceit of the enemy, you have received in your soul the counsels of impiety, do not stay in your sin. And, if you have experienced this, do not become established in evil. So then, "do not sit in the chair of pestilence." — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 10:6 (Psalms 1) Cassiodorus: It is important to pay close attention to the order of the text, especially how all of it is directed against Adam. He departed when he abandoned the Lord's commandment; he stood when he delighted in sin, that is, when he erroneously estimated that he would acquire the knowledge of good and evil. But he sat on the chair of pestilence when he left to his descendants the precedents of a dangerous teaching. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 1:1 Cassiodorus: "Blessed is the man." This is a very beautiful and apt beginning. As a result, it seems to take its beginning from blessedness, because the Holy Spirit was warning the weakness of the human race. Consequently, he invites the souls of the fearful so that the delicate hearts of mortals would not withdraw. For who would not be stirred up to some difficult tasks, when happy blessedness is mentioned in advance? Therefore, he is called a blessed man, just as the authority of our forebears have handed down to us, as is most fitting for a man who is pursued by all his desires. But the prophet reminds us in the 143rd psalm that this man is said to be blessed in two ways when he says, "They said that the people are blessed who have these things," and again appends, "Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord." Therefore, the blessed man of the world is he who, as he thinks, is supported by very great security and perseveres in constant joy and worldly abundance. But he excellently applied "man" to that blessed man who is not removed from his plan by any adversity, for he is called a man (vir) from his strength (viribus), who does not know how to fail in his endurance or to boast in some elation in prosperous times, but firmly planted with a stable mind and confirmed in the contemplation of heavenly matters, he always remains dauntless. — EXPOSITIONS OF THE Psalms 1:1 Clement of Alexandria: And "the chair of pestilences" will be the theaters and tribunals, or rather the compliance with wicked and deadly powers and complicity with their deeds. — The Stromata Book 2 Didymus the Blind: The devil himself may be called the way of sinners. Let the one who stands in this way be warned lest he tarry there. Recall what the Scripture says: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." For the one who will not stand in the devil's way will come to the Lord, who says, "I am the way." Truly the one who follows this way, traveling the way to the end, will receive a reward. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 1:1 Eusebius of Caesarea: Our Savior, who made many blessed, offers happiness in abundance. He is the first of them who rightly are called blessed. The first psalm, therefore, must refer to him inasmuch as he is the husband of his bride the church. Which, it seems, the Hebrew word for "man" indicates when it is written with the article added. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 1:1 Eusebius of Caesarea: The first are the people who are saturated with well-known false reasoning, wicked people who grasp nothing firmly and with stability; they are swayed through their own will with no testing of their oppressive thought. The second are people who time after time fall into sin after the understanding of truth. The third group includes morally corrupt people who labor in no measure of grief, but they will thoroughly fill others with corrupt doctrine, either by their thinking, or by their behavior or by both. These are people who are grounded in evil, while the second group continues in sin and the first walks the way of error. The one who is called blessed is freed and delivered from all of these. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 1:1 Gregory of Nyssa: The goal of the virtuous life is blessedness.… This is the summation and object of everything conceived in relation to the good. What is truly and properly contemplated and apprehended in this sublime concept, then, would reasonably be called the divine nature. For so the great Paul designated God when he put "blessed" before all the other words about God in one of his letters. He wrote in the following words, "The blessed and only ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and rule forever." All these sublime concepts about the divine would, then, in my opinion, constitute a definition of blessedness. For if someone were asked what beatitude is, he would give a properly pious answer if he followed Paul's statement and said that the nature that transcends everything is first and properly called blessed. Among humans, however, that beatitude, which is the nature of the one participated in, occurs to a certain extent and is specified by participation in true being. Likeness to God, therefore, is a definition of human blessedness. — ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE Psalms 1:1.5-6 Hilary of Poitiers: The Prophet recites five kinds of caution as continually present in the mind of the happy man: the first, not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, the second, not to stand in the way of sinners, the third, not to sit in the seat of pestilence, next, to set his will in the Law of the Lord, and lastly, to meditate therein by day and by night. There must, therefore, be a distinction between the ungodly and the sinner, between the sinner and the pestilent; chiefly because here the ungodly has a counsel, the sinner a way, the pestilent a seat, and again, because the question is of walking, not standing, in the counsel of the ungodly; of standing, not walking, in the way of the sinner. Now if we would understand the reason of these facts, we must note the precise difference between the sinner and the undutiful , that so it may become clear why to the sinner is assigned a way, and to the undutiful a counsel; next, why the question is of standing in the way, and of walking in the counsel, whereas men are accustomed to connect standing with a counsel, and walking with a way. Not every man that is a sinner is also undutiful: but the undutiful man cannot fail to be a sinner. Let us take an instance from general experience. Sons, though they be drunken and profligate and spendthrift, can yet love their fathers; and with all these vices, and, therefore, not free from guilt, may yet be free from undutifulness. But the undutiful, though they may be models of continence and frugality, are, by the mere fact of despising the parent, worse transgressors than if they were guilty of every sin that lies outside the category of undutifulness. — Homily on Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: And so, since these words are understood to be inapplicable to the divinity of the Only-begotten Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, we must suppose him, who is here extolled as happy by the Prophet, to be the man who strives to conform himself to that body which the Lord assumed and in which He was born as man, by zeal for justice and perfect fulfilment of all righteousness. That this is the necessary interpretation will be shewn as the exposition of the Psalm proceeds. — Homily on Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: General opinion agrees to call those men ungodly who scorn to search for the knowledge of God, who in their irreverent mind take for granted that there is no Creator of the world, who assert that it arrived at the order and beauty which we see by chance movements, who, in order to deprive their Creator of all power to pass judgment on a life lived rightly or in sin, will have it that man comes into being and passes out of it again by the simple operation of a law of nature. Thus, all the counsel of these men is wavering, unsteady, and vague, and wanders about in the same familiar paths and over the same familiar ground, never finding a resting-place, for it fails to reach any definite decision. They have never in their system risen to the doctrine of a Creator of the world, for instead of answering our questions as to the cause, beginning, and duration of the world, whether the world is for man, or man for the world, the reason of death, its extent and nature, they press in ceaseless motion round the circle of this godless argument and find no rest in these imaginings. There are, besides, other counsels of the ungodly, i.e., of those who have fallen into heresy, unrestrained by the laws of either the New Testament or the Old. Their reasoning ever takes the course of a vicious circle; without grasp or foothold to stay them they tread their interminable round of endless indecision. Their ungodliness consists in measuring God, not by His own revelation, but by a standard of their choosing; they forget that it is as godless to make a God as to deny Him; if you ask them what effect these opinions have on their faith and hope, they are perplexed and confused, they wander from the point and wilfully avoid the real issue of the debate. Happy is the man then who hath not walked in this kind of counsel of the ungodly, nay, who has not even entertained the wish to walk therein, for it is a sin even to think for a moment of things that are ungodly. — Homily on Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: The next condition is, that the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly shall not stand in the way of sinners. For there are many whose confession concerning God, while it acquits them of ungodliness, yet does not set them free from sin; those, for example, who abide in the Church but do not observe her laws; such are the greedy, the drunken, the brawlers, the wanton, the proud, hypocrites, liars, plunderers. No doubt we are urged towards these sins by the promptings of our natural instincts; but it is good for us to withdraw from the path into which we are being hurried and not to stand therein, seeing that we are offered so easy a way of escape. It is for this reason that the man who has not stood in the way of sinners is happy, for while nature carries him into that way, religious belief draws him back. — Homily on Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: Now the third condition for gaining happiness is not to sit in the seat of pestilence. The Pharisees sat as teachers in Moses' seat, and Pilate sat in the seat of judgment: of what seat then are we to consider the occupation pestilential? Not surely of that of Moses, for it is the occupants of the seat and not the occupation of it that the Lord condemns when He says: The Scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; whatsoever they bid you do, that do; but do not ye after their work. The occupation of that seat is not pestilential, to which obedience is enjoined by the Lord's own word. That then must be really pestilential, the infection of which Pilate sought to avoid by washing his hands. For many, even God-fearing men, are led astray by the canvassing for worldly honours; and desire to administer the law of the courts, though they are bound by those of the Church. But although they bring to the discharge of their duties a religious intention, as is shewn by their merciful and upright demeanour, still they cannot escape a certain contagious infection arising from the business in which their life is spent. For the conduct of civil cases does not suffer them to be true to the holy principles of the Church's law, even though they wish it. And without abandoning their pious purpose they are compelled, against their will, by the necessary conditions of the seat they have won, to use, at one time invective, at another, insult, at another, punishment; and their very position makes them authors as well as victims of the necessity which constrains them, their system being as it were impregnated with the infection. Hence this title, the seat of pestilence, by which the Prophet describes their seat, because by its infection it poisons the very will of the religiously minded. — Homily on Psalms 1 Hippolytus of Rome: 1. The book of Psalms contains new doctrine after the law which was given by Moses; and thus it is the second book of doctrine after the Scripture of Moses. After the death, then of Moses and Joshua, and after the judges, David arose, one deemed worthy to be called the father of the Saviour, and he was the first to give the Hebrews a new style of psalmody, by which he did away with the ordinances established by Moses with respect to sacrifice, and introduced a new mode of the worship of God by hymns and acclamations; and many other things also beyond the law of Moses he taught through his whole ministry. And this is the sacredness of the book, and its utility. And the account to be given of its inscription is this: (for) as most of the brethren who believe in Christ think that this hook is David's, and inscribe it "Psalms of David," we must state what has reached us with respect to it. The Hebrews give the book the title "Sephra Thelim," and in the "Acts of the Apostles" it is called the "Book of Psalms" (the words are these, "as it is written in the Book of Psalms"), but the name (of the author) in the inscription of the book is not found there. And the reason of that is, that the words written there are not the words of one man, but those of several together; Esdra, as tradition says, having collected in one volume, after the captivity, the psalms of several, or rather their words, as they are not all psalms. Thus the name of David is prefixed in the case of some, and that of Solomon in others, and that of Asaph in others. There are some also that belong to Idithum (Jeduthun); and besides these there are others that belong to the sons of Core (Korah), and even to Moses. As they are therefore. the words of so many thus collected together, they could not be said by any one who understands the matter to be by David alone. 2. As regards those which have no inscription, we must also inquire to whom we ought to ascribe them. For why is it that even the simplest inscription is wanting in them-such as the one which runs thus, "A psalm of David," or "Of David," without any addition? Now, my idea is, that wherever this inscription occurs alone, what is written is neither a psalm nor a song, but some sort of utterance under guidance of the Holy Spirit, recorded for the behoof of him who is able to understand it. But the opinion of a certain Hebrew on these last matters has reached me, who held that, when there were many without any inscription, but preceded by one with the inscription "Of David," all these should be reckoned also to be by David. And if this be the case, it follows that those without any inscription are by those (writers) who are rightly reckoned, according to the titles, to be the authors of the psalms preceding these. This book of Psalms before us has also been called by the prophet the "Psalter," because, as they say, the psaltery alone among musical instruments gives back the sound from above when the brass is struck, and not from beneath, after the manner of others. In order, therefore, that those who understand it may be zealous to carry out the analogy of such an appellation, and may also look above, from which direction its melody comes-for this reason he has styled it the Psalter. For it is entirely the voice and utterance of the most Holy Spirit. 3. Let us inquire, further, why there are one hundred and fifty psalms. That the number fifty is sacred, is manifest from the days of the celebrated festival of Pentecost, which indicates release from labours, and (the possession of) joy. For which reason neither fasting nor bending the knee is decreed for those days. For this is a symbol of the great assembly that is reserved for future times. Of which times there was a shadow in the land of Israel in the year called among the Hebrews "Jobel" (Jubilee). which is the fiftieth year in number, and brings with it liberty for the slave, and release from debt, and the like. And the holy Gospel knows also the remission of the number fifty, and of that number which is cognate with it, and stands by it, viz., five hundred; for it is not without a purpose that we have given us there the remission of fifty pence and of five hundred. Thus, then, it was also meet that the hymns to God on account of the destruction of enemies, and in thanksgiving for the goodness of God, should contain not simply one set of fifty, but three such, for the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. 4. The number fifty, moreover, contains seven sevens, or a Sabbath of Sabbaths; and also over and above these full Sabbaths, a new beginning, in the eight, of a really new rest that remains above the Sabbaths. And let any one who is able, observe this (as it is carried out) in the Psalms with more, indeed, than human accuracy, so as to find out the reasons in each case, as we shall set them forth. Thus, for instance, it is not without a purpose that the eighth psalm has the inscription, "On the wine-presses," as it comprehends the perfection of fruits in the eight; for the time for the enjoyment of the fruits of the true vine could not be before the eight. And again, the second psalm inscribed" On the wine-presses," is the eightieth, containing another eighth number, viz., in the tenth multiple. The eighty-third, again, is made up by the union of two holy numbers, viz., the eight in the tenth multiple, and the three in the first multiple. And the fiftieth psalm is a prayer for the remission of sins, and a confession. For as, according to the Gospel, the fiftieth obtained remission, confirming thereby that understanding of the jubilee, so he who offers up such petitions in full confession hopes to gain remission in no other number than the fiftieth. And again, there are also certain others which are called "Songs of degrees," in number fifteen, as was also the number of the steps of the temple, and which show thereby, perhaps, that the "steps" (or "degrees") are comprehended within the number seven and the number eight. And these songs of degrees begin after the one hundred and twentieth psalm, which is called simply "a psalm," as the more accurate copies give it. And this is the number of the perfection of the life of man. And the hundredth psalm, which begins thus, "I will sing of mercy and judgment, O Lord," embraces the life of the saint in fellowship with God. And the one hundred and fiftieth ends with these words," Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord." 5. But since, as we have already said, to do this in the case of each, and to find out the reasons, is very difficult, and too much for human nature to accomplish, we shall content ourselves with these things by way of an outline. Only let us add this, that the psalms which deal with historical matter are not found in regular historical order. And the only reason for this is to be found in the numbers according to which the psalms are arranged. For instance, the history in the fifty-first is antecedent to the history in the fiftieth. For everybody acknowledges that the matter of Doeg the Idumean calumniating David to Saul is antecedent to the sin with the wife of Urias; yet it is not without good reason that the history which should be second is placed first, since, as we have before said, the place regarding remission has an affinity with the number fifty. He, therefore, who is not worthy of remission, passes the number fifty, as Doeg the Idumean. For the fifty-first is the psalm that treats of him. And, moreover, the third is in the same position, since it was written when David fled from the face of Absalom his son; and thus, as all know who read the books of Kings, it should come properly after the fifty-first and the fiftieth. And if any one desires to give further attention to these and such like matters, he will find more exact explanations of the history for himself, as well as of the inscriptions and the order of the psalms. 6. It is likely, also, that a similar account is to be given of the fact, that David alone of the prophets prophesied with an instrument, called by the Greeks the "psaltery," and by the Hebrews the "nabla," which is the only musical instrument that is quite straight, and has no curve. And the sound does not come from the lower parts, as is the case with the lute and certain other instruments, but from the upper. For in the lute and the lyre the brass when struck gives back the sound from beneath. But this psaltery has the source of its musical numbers above, in order that we, too, may practise seeking things above, and not suffer ourselves to be borne down by the pleasure of melody to the passions of the flesh. And I think that this truth, too, was signified deeply and clearly to us in a prophetic way in the construction of the instrument, viz., that those who have souls well ordered and trained, have the way ready to things above. And again, an instrument having the source of its melodious sound in its upper parts, may be taken as like the body of Christ and His saints-the only instrument that maintains rectitude; "for He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." This is indeed an instrument, harmonious, melodious, well-ordered, that took in no human discord, and did nothing out of measure, but maintained in all things, as it were, harmony towards the Father; for, as He says: "He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven, testifies of what He has seen and heard." 7. As there are "psalms," and "songs," and "psalms of song," and "songs of psalmody," it remains that we discuss the difference between these. We think, then, that the "psalms" are those which are simply played to an instrument, without the accompaniment of the voice, and (which are composed) for the musical melody of the instrument; and that those are called "songs" which are rendered by the voice in concert with the music; and that they are called "psalms of song" when the voice takes the lead, while the appropriate sound is also made to accompany it, rendered harmoniously by the instruments; and "songs of psalmody," when the instrument takes the lead, while the voice has the second place, and accompanies the music of the strings. And thus much as to the letter of what is signified by these terms. But as to the mystical interpretation, it would be a "psalm" when, by smiting the instrument, viz. the body, with good deeds we succeed in good action though not wholly proficient in speculation; and a "song," when, by revolving the mysteries of the truth, apart from the practical, and assenting fully to them, we have the noblest thoughts of God and His oracles, while knowledge enlightens us, and wisdom shines brightly in our souls; and a "song of psalmody," when, while good action takes the lead, according to the word, "If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee," we understand wisdom at the same time, and are deemed worthy by God to know the truth of things, till now kept hid from us; and a "psalm of song," when, by revolving with the light of wisdom some of the more abstruse questions pertaining to morals, we first become prudent in action, and then also able to tell what, and when, and how action is to be taken. And perhaps this is the reason why the first inscriptions nowhere contain the word "songs," but only "psalm" or "psalms; "for the saint does not begin with speculation; but when he has become in a simpleway a believer, according to orthodoxy, he devotes himself to the actions that are to be done. For this reason, also, are there many "songs" at the end; and wherever there is the word "degrees," there we do not find the word "psalm," whether by itself alone or with any addition, but only "songs." For in the "degrees" (or "ascents"), the saints will be engaged in nothing but in speculation alone. And let the account which we have offered, following the indications given in the interpretation of the Seventy, suffice for this subject in general. 8. But again, as we found in the Seventy, and in Theodotion, and in Symmachus, in some psalms, and these not a few, the word διάψαλμα inserted, we endeavoured to make out whether those who placed it there meant to mark a change at those places in rhythm or melody, or any alteration in the mode of instruction, or in thought, or in force of language. It is found, however, neither in Aquila nor in the Hebrew; but there, instead of διάψαλμα (= an intervening musical symphony), we find the word ἀεί (= ever). And further, let not this fact escape thee, O man of learning, that the Hebrews also divided the Psalter into five books, so that it might be another Pentateuch. For from Ps. i. to xl. they reckoned one book; and from xli. to lxxi. they reckoned a second; and from lxxii. to lxxxviii. they counted a third book; and from lxxxix. to cv. a fourth; and from cvi. to cl. they made up the fifth. For they judged that each psalm closing with the words, "Blessed be the Lord, Amen, amen," formed the conclusion of a book. And in them we have "prayer," viz., supplication offered to God for anything requisite; and the "vow," i.e., engagement; and the "hymn," which is the song of blessing to God for benefits enjoyed; and "praise" or "extolling," which is the laudation of the wonders of God. For laudation is nothing else but just the superlative of praise. 9. However it may be with the "time when and the manner" in which this idea of the Psalms has hit upon by the inspired David, he at least seems to have been the first, and indeed the only one, concerned in it, and that, too, at the earliest period, when he taught his fingers to tune the psaltery. For if any other before him showed the use of the psaltery and lute, it was at any rate in a very different way that such an one did it, only putting together some rude and clumsy contrivance, or simply employing the instrument, without singing either to melody or to words, but only amusing himself with a rude sort of pleasure. But after such he was the first to reduce the affair to rhythm, and order, and art, and also to wed the singing of the song with the melody. And, what is of greater importance, this most inspired of men sang to God, or of God, beginning in this wise even at the period when he was among the shepherds and youths in a simpler and humbler style, and afterwards when he became a man and a king, attempting something loftier and of more public interest. And he is said to have made this advance, especially after he had brought back the ark into the city. At that time he often danced before the ark, and often sang songs of thanksgiving and songs to celebrate its recovery. And then by and by, allocating the whole tribe of the Levites to the duty, be appointed four leaders of the choirs, viz. Asaph, Aman (Heman), Ethan, and Idithum (Jeduthun), inasmuch as there are also in all things visible four primal principles. And he then formed choirs of men, selected from the rest. And he fixed their number at seventy-two, having respect, I think, to the number of the tongues that were confused, or rather divided, at the time of the building of the tower. And what was typified by this, but that hereafter all tongues shall again unite in one common confession, when the Word takes possession of the whole world? — Fragments from Commentaries on Various Books of Scripture - On the Psalms This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/ Ambrose of Milan: (Verse 2.) "But in the law of the Lord was his will, and in his law he shall meditate day and night"; that is, blessed is he who does these things with counsel, reason, prudence; for even a small child can abstain from those things which have been said, not by virtue, but by impossibility and ignorance of sinning. Even an irrational beast can comply, to which there is no power of counsel, no sense of error. Therefore, this is the fourth thing that follows, in which the definition of a blessed man is distinguished from a beast; because a wise man is subject to the law by will, not by necessity. For it matters greatly; because in willingness, there is the reward of fruit; in necessity, there is the obedience of dispensation. For thus the Apostle taught us, saying: If I do this willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of stewardship is entrusted to me (I Cor. IX, 17). But the proper order is that you should first love the law, and secondly meditate upon it. Whoever loves, fulfills the commandments of the law willingly; whoever fears, observes them against their will. We have also received this teaching of God's justice in the Law. For it is written: Hear, O Israel: The Lord thy God is one God (Deut. VI, 4). And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt speak of them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, and lying down, and rising up. And thou shalt bind them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets before thy eyes: and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates (Ibid., 5-9). And below: And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to love the Lord your God and walk in all his ways (Deut. 10:12)? Wisdom also says: Desire therefore my words, love them, and you will have discipline (Wis. 6:12). Wisdom is clear and never fades, and it is easily seen by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. Therefore, we are lawfully taught by the holy Prophet to have the will in the Law and meditation according to the Law. The will in the Law is present not only in intention, but also in action. The first is the will, the second is the operation. Finally, the Lord responded to the one who said to Him: 'If you wish, you can make me clean', 'I will, be clean' (Matthew 8:2-3), in order to demonstrate that our actions should be preceded by a prior will. Ultimately, the law seeks volunteers because the law of the Lord is blameless, converting the soul. However, no one turns unless they turn by their own will. But the volunteer hides and steals the meaning of work. Therefore, day and night he meditates on the Law; in which the intention of reading is not so much required as the affection for keeping the Law. For he fully meditates who is his own law, having the Law written in his heart. However, the eagle set the day only, not the night. Not so much differing from others, as referring to something else; because whoever meditates on the Law is always in the light, he does not have night. For the work of whomsoever shines, he cannot certainly walk in darkness; because his justice shines like light. Let our life meditate on the Law, let our conversation meditate, let our actions meditate, let our understanding meditate on the mysteries of heaven. For the Law is an example and a shadow of heavenly things, a shadow of future goods, which he who believes in the Law recognizes in the Gospel. Let him meditate in darkness and in light, that is, in adversity and in prosperity. For the law commands that you love your Lord. Whoever loves, in every state, must keep the affection of lasting love. A father loves his son, he loves him even when he rebukes him, he loves him even when he beats him with a stick; for whoever spares his stick, hates his son. The Lord also chastises us, and loves us. Therefore, even when we commit worthy discipline, he still loves us, for he also receives the offender. For the Lord chastises every son he receives. And when you are chastised, love; for you are chastised so that you may be received. For what great thing is it, if you then love the Lord your God, when you have abundance of all things, when you enjoy your desires, when you rejoice in honors, riches, and children. And we are accustomed to show gratitude to the person from whom we have received a favor. Finally, when Job was praised by heavenly judgment, the devil said this (Job, 1, 10 and 11): It is not surprising if he is grateful to God, to whom so great prosperity is present; but it is to be proved then, if he loses all these and performs the duty of a pious worshiper. Therefore, the first virtue is that you are not broken by adversity, nor are you elated by success. The Law teaches you not to relax your purpose in affliction, nor to assume despair; you should not say, 'My strength and my power have brought me this' (Deuteronomy 8:17), but rather recognize that everything is to be attributed to divine mercy. Isaiah cries out: The one who is in distress will not be put to shame until the time comes (Isaiah VIII, 22). Drink this first (Isaiah IX, 1). What is this, drink this first? Let us separate the mystical, pursue the moral teachings that the letter instructs. Because of serious errors, serious contritions and vexations of the people are said to come; and it is necessary for them to precede, so that mercy may follow. So drink first the tribulation; for through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God; drink, so that the sense of tribulation may be poured into your innermost being: drink with patient affection, mourning the pain. For when you have turned in lamentation, then will you reconcile the offended Lord to yourself. Therefore, drink this first, that you may be in sorrow and distress. Quickly, joy pours forth error. The people, having become fat and thickened, rise up to play, and they turn away from the Lord. It profits you to have a contrite heart. Drink this first, that your sacrifice may be accepted by the Lord. Let the Apostle teach you what this is: Drink this first, that is, the cup of tribulation. For tribulation produces patience. (Rom. 5:3-4) There cannot be patience unless there was first tribulation. Tribulation, it is said, produces patience, and patience produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint. Drink first from the cup of tribulation, so that afterwards the drinks of many virtues may be served to you. And to show you that tribulation is drunk, you heard the Prophet say today: You have given us to drink the wine of compunction. (Psalms 59:5). And in the following he says: And you will give us drink with tears, in measure (Psalms 79:6). In measure he seeks drink, not beyond measure, lest he be unable to bear it. Finally, with what great affection he prayed for this, he approved by his own example, who mingled his drink with weeping (Psalms 101:10), so that the mercy of the Lord might incline towards him. Therefore, drink this first, so that you may drink the second (for this is the time to insert the mystical). Drink the first Old Testament, so that you may drink the New Testament. Unless you drink the first, you will not be able to drink the second. Drink the first, so that you may quench your thirst; drink the second, so that you may obtain the satisfaction of drinking. In the Old Testament there is compunction, in the New there is joy. See how the Lord has opposed the arts of the devil for his servants. He deceived one with the food of deceit, in order to deceive all in one; but Jesus, with the food of salvation, redeemed all, in order to reform even him who had been deceived. He devised the golden cup of Babylon so that whoever drank more would thirst more; and because the drink could not be pleasing, he lured them to drink with a price of gold. He served his own wine, for which he also sought the approval of metals. But truly the Lord Jesus poured out water from a rock, and all drank. Those who drank in a figure were satisfied; those who drank in truth were intoxicated. Good drunkenness, which would pour forth joy, not bring confusion; good drunkenness, which would establish the step of a sober mind; good drunkenness, which would bestow the gift of eternal life. Therefore, drink this cup of which the Prophet said: 'And thy cup which inebriateth, how goodly is it!' (Psalms 22:5) And let it not trouble you that the golden cup belongs to Babylon; for you also drink the cup of wisdom, which is more precious than gold and silver. Therefore, drink both the cup of the Old and the New Testament; for in both you drink Christ. Drink Christ, for He is the vine; drink Christ, for He is the rock that gushed forth water; drink Christ, for He is the fountain of life; drink Christ, for He is the river, whose torrents gladden the city of God; drink Christ, for He is peace; drink Christ, for from His womb flow rivers of living water; drink Christ, that you may drink the blood by which you were redeemed; drink Christ, that you may drink His words; His words are the Old Testament, His words are the New Testament. The divine Scripture is drunk, and the divine Scripture is devoured when the juice of the eternal word descends into the veins of the mind and the powers of the soul. Finally, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Drink this word, but drink in its proper order. First, drink in the Old Testament: quickly drink, and then in the New Testament. And as he himself hastens, he says: Galilee of the Gentiles and parts of Judea, people who walk in darkness, see a great light; you who dwell in the region of death, a light will shine upon you (Isaiah 9:1-2). So drink quickly, so that a great light may shine upon you; not an everyday light, nor a light of the day, nor of the sun, nor of the moon; but that light which excludes the shadow of death. For those who are in the shadow of death cannot see the light of the sun and the day. And as if to someone inquiring from you about such great splendor, such great grace, it responds: For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us (Isaiah, 6). The child, because he has been born of a Virgin; the son, because he has been born of God, is the author of such a great light. A child is born to us. To us who believe; not to the Jews who did not believe; to us, not to the heretics; to us, not to the Manicheans; he is born to us, because the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; he is born to us, because he took flesh from the Virgin, because a man is born from Mary. Flesh is born to us, the Word is given. What is ours is born among us: what is above us is given to us. We have strayed far enough, as we think, but not without purpose; to show that even in troubles we must love the Lord and not turn away from Him, since often tribulation follows joy, and joy follows tribulation. Finally, blessed is the one who is not broken by tribulation and follows the law. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms Arnobius the Younger: The memory of the law of God overtakes [the blessed person's] own will. And day and night he models his behavior through meditation on divine law so that the life that Adam destroyed by his contempt, he himself may find by guarding it, remaining deep in the flowing water of the law, taking hold of the everlasting tree of life; so, finally, whatever he does will prosper. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 1 Athanasius of Alexandria: The splendid brilliance of God's grace never suffers an eclipse. No, it is always at hand to enlighten the inner thoughts of those who really want it. Great good comes to people who, enlightened by the grace of God, make it their habit to apply the truths of holy Scripture to their lives. They receive just such a blessing as the psalmist describes.… Those blessings come because the person who accepts God's grace is not illumined by mere physical light from the sun, the moon or even the whole host of stars. Rather, he glows all over with the radiant brilliance of God. — FESTAL LETTERS 5:1 Augustine of Hippo: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law will he meditate by day and by night (ver. 2). The law is not made for a righteous man," says the Apostle. But it is one thing to be in the law, another under the law. Whoso is in the law, acteth according to the law; whoso is under the law, is acted upon according to the law: the one therefore is free, the other a slave. Again, the law, which is written and imposed upon the servant, is one thing; the law, which is mentally discerned by him who needeth not its "letter," is another thing. "He will meditate by day and by night," is to be understood either as without ceasing; or "by day" in joy, "by night" in tribulations. For it is said, "Abraham saw my day, and was glad:" and of tribulation it is said, "my reins also have instructed me, even unto the night." — On the Psalms, Psalms 1 Augustine of Hippo: Yet, for my part, "I meditate in the law of the Lord," if not "day and night," at least such short times as I can; and I commit my meditations to writing, lest they should escape me through forgetfulness; hoping by the mercy of God that He will make me hold steadfastly all truths of which I feel certain; "but if in anything I be otherwise minded, that He will himself reveal even this to me," whether through secret inspiration and admonition, or through His own plain utterances, or through the reasonings of my brethren. This I pray for, and this my trust and desire I commit to Him, who is sufficiently able to keep those things which He has given me, and to render those which He has promised. — ON THE TRINITY 1:3.5 Caesarius of Arles: When we sing, "Blessed is the one who shall meditate on the law of the Lord day and night," let us reject useless occupations, stinging jests, idle and wicked conversations, as the poison of the devil. Let us frequently read over and over again the divine lessons, or, if we cannot read them ourselves, let us often and eagerly listen to others read them. — SERMON 75:3 Hilary of Poitiers: There is no doubt then that, as this instance proves, the undutiful (or ungodly) must be distinguished from the sinner. And, indeed, general opinion agrees to call those men ungodly who scorn to search for the knowledge of God, who in their irreverent mind take for granted that there is no Creator of the world, who assert that it arrived at the order and beauty which we see by chance movements, who, in order to deprive their Creator of all power to pass judgment on a life lived rightly or in sin, will have it that man comes into being and passes out of it again by the simple operation of a law of nature. Thus, all the counsel of these men is wavering, unsteady, and vague, and wanders about in the same familiar paths and over the same familiar ground, never finding a resting-place, for it fails to reach any definite decision. They have never in their system risen to the doctrine of a Creator of the world, for instead of answering our questions as to the cause, beginning, and duration of the world, whether the world is for man, or man for the world, the reason of death, its extent and nature, they press in ceaseless motion round the circle of this godless argument and find no rest in these imaginings. There are, besides, other counsels of the ungodly, i.e., of those who have fallen into heresy, unrestrained by the laws of either the New Testament or the Old. Their reasoning ever takes the course of a vicious circle; without grasp or foothold to stay them they tread their interminable round of endless indecision. Their ungodliness consists in measuring God, not by His own revelation, but by a standard of their choosing; they forget that it is as godless to make a God as to deny Him; if you ask them what effect these opinions have on their faith and hope, they are perplexed and confused, they wander from the point and wilfully avoid the real issue of the debate. Happy is the man then who has not walked in this kind of counsel of the ungodly, nay, who has not even entertained the wish to walk therein, for it is a sin even to think for a moment of things that are ungodly. The next condition is, that the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly shall not stand in the way of sinners. For there are many whose confession concerning God, while it acquits them of ungodliness, yet does not set them free from sin; those, for example, who abide in the Church but do not observe her laws; such are the greedy, the drunken, the brawlers, the wanton, the proud, hypocrites, liars, plunderers. No doubt we are urged towards these sins by the promptings of our natural instincts; but it is good for us to withdraw from the path into which we are being hurried and not to stand therein, seeing that we are offered so easy a way of escape. It is for this reason that the man who has not stood in the way of sinners is happy, for while nature carries him into that way, religious belief draws him back. Now the third condition for gaining happiness is not to sit in the seat of pestilence. The Pharisees sat as teachers in Moses' seat, and Pilate sat in the seat of judgment: of what seat then are we to consider the occupation pestilential? Not surely of that of Moses, for it is the occupants of the seat and not the occupation of it that the Lord condemns when He says: The Scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; whatsoever they bid you do, that do; but do not ye after their work. Matthew 23:2 The occupation of that seat is not pestilential, to which obedience is enjoined by the Lord's own word. That then must be really pestilential, the infection of which Pilate sought to avoid by washing his hands. For many, even God-fearing men, are led astray by the canvassing for worldly honours; and desire to administer the law of the courts, though they are bound by those of the Church. But although they bring to the discharge of their duties a religious intention, as is shown by their merciful and upright demeanour, still they cannot escape a certain contagious infection arising from the business in which their life is spent. For the conduct of civil cases does not suffer them to be true to the holy principles of the Church's law, even though they wish it. And without abandoning their pious purpose they are compelled, against their will, by the necessary conditions of the seat they have won, to use, at one time invective, at another, insult, at another, punishment; and their very position makes them authors as well as victims of the necessity which constrains them, their system being as it were impregnated with the infection. Hence this title, the seat of pestilence, by which the Prophet describes their seat, because by its infection it poisons the very will of the religiously minded. But the fact that he has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of pestilence, does not constitute the perfection of the man's happiness. For the belief that one God is the Creator of the world, the avoidance of sin by the pursuit of unassuming goodness, the preference of the tranquil leisure of private life to the grandeur of public position— all this may be found even in a pagan. But here the Prophet, in portraying in the likeness of God the man that is perfect— one who may serve as a noble example of eternal happiness— points to the exercise by him of no commonplace virtues, and to the words, But his will has been in the Law of the Lord, for the attainment of perfect happiness. To refrain from what has gone before is useless unless his mind be set on what follows, But his will has been in the Law of the Lord. The Prophet does not look for fear. The majority of men are kept within the bounds of Law by fear; the few are brought under the Law by will: for it is the mark of fear not to dare to omit what it is afraid of, but of perfect piety to be ready to obey commands. This is why that man is happy whose will, not whose fear, is in the Law of God. — Homily on Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: But then sometimes the will needs supplementing; and the mere desire for perfect happiness does not win it, unless performance wait upon intention. The Psalm, you remember, goes on: And in His Law will he meditate day and night. The man achieves the perfection of happiness by unbroken and unwearied meditation in the Law. Now it may be objected that this is impossible owing to the conditions of human infirmity, which require time for repose, for sleep, for food: so that our bodily circumstances preclude us from the hope of attaining happiness, inasmuch as we are distracted by the interruption of our bodily needs from our meditation by day and night. Parallel to this passage are the words of the Apostle, Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) As though we were bound to set at naught our bodily requirements and to continue praying without any interruption! Meditation in the Law, therefore, does not lie in reading its words, but in pious performance of its injunctions; not in a mere perusal of the books and writings, but in a practical meditation and exercise in their respective contents, and in a fulfilment of the Law by the works we do by night and day, as the Apostle says: Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31) The way to secure uninterrupted prayer is for every devout man to make his life one long prayer by works acceptable to God and always done to His glory: thus a life lived according to the Law by night and day will in itself become a nightly and daily meditation in the Law. But now that the man has found perfect happiness by keeping aloof from the counsel of the ungodly and the way of sinners and the seat of pestilence, and by gladly meditating in the Law of God by day and by night, we are next to be shown the rich fruit that this happiness he has won will yield him. Now the anticipation of happiness contains the germ of future happiness. For the next verse runs: And he shall be like a tree planted beside the rills of water, which shall yield its fruit in its own season, whose leaf also shall not fall off. This may perhaps be deemed an absurd and inappropriate comparison, in which are extolled a planted tree, rills of water, the yielding of fruit, its own time, and the leaf that falls not. All this may appear trivial enough to the judgment of the world. But let us examine the teaching of the Prophet and see the beauty that lies in the objects and words used to illustrate happiness. — Homily on Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: Now the words which stand at the beginning of the Psalm are quite unsuited to the Person and Dignity of the Son, while the whole contents are in themselves a condemnation of the careless haste that would use them to extol Him. For when it is said, and his will has been in the Law of the Lord, how (seeing that the Law was given by the Son of God) can a happiness which depends on his will being in the Law of the Lord be attributed to Him Who is Himself Lord of the Law? That the Law is His He Himself declares in the seventy-seventh Psalm, where He says: Hear My Law, O My people: incline your ears unto the words of My mouth. I will open My mouth in a parable. And the Evangelist Matthew further asserts that these words were spoken by the Son, when he says For this cause spoke He in parables that the saying might be fulfilled: I will open My mouth in parables. Matthew 13:35 The Lord then gave fulfilment in act to His own prophecy, speaking in the parables in which He had promised that He would speak. But how can the sentence, and he shall be like a tree planted by the rills of water,— wherein growth in happiness is set forth in a figure— be possibly applied to His Person, and a tree be said to be more happy than the Son of God, and the cause of His happiness, which would be the case if an analogy were established between Him and it in respect of growth towards happiness? Again, since according to Wisdom Proverbs 8:22 and the Apostle, He is both before the ages and before times eternal, and is the First-born of every creature; and since in Him and through Him all things were created, how can He be happy by becoming like objects created by Himself? For neither does the power of the Creator need for its exaltation comparison with any creature, nor does the immemorial age of the First-born allow of a comparison involving unsuitable conditions of time, as would be the case if He were compared to a tree. For that which shall be at some point of future time cannot be looked upon as having either previously existed or as now existing anywhere. But whatsoever already is does not need any extension of time to begin existence, because it already possesses continuous existence from the date of its beginning up till the present. — Homily on Psalms 1 Jerome: And in his law he shall meditate day and night. He named three things which he ought not to do: not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, and not to stand in the way of sinners, and not to sit in the seat of pestilence. He named three things which we ought not to do: he names two things which we ought to do. For it is not enough for us to flee evils, unless we attain to goods. But his will is in the law of the Lord. He did not say "fear," but "will": for many act out of fear, but the fear of the one acting has no reward. But his will is in the law of the Lord, that he may wish to do what the Lord has commanded. And in his law he shall meditate day and night. Speech cannot unfold how much the mind conceives. But his will is in the law of the Lord. Someone may say: Behold, I wish to do the law of God, therefore I am blessed because I wish it. But see what follows: it is not enough to will the law of God, but to meditate in his law day and night. He shall meditate day and night. Someone may say: This human nature does not bear; for one must walk, and drink, and eat, and sleep, and the things necessary for life must be procured. How then shall he meditate on the law of God day and night, especially since the apostle says: 'Praying without ceasing'? Can I pray at the time when I am sleeping? Meditation on the law, then, is not in reading, but in doing. Indeed it is said in another place: 'Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord.' If I hold out alms, I meditate on the law of God: if I visit the sick, my feet meditate on the law of God: if I do the things that are commanded, what others meditate with the mouth, I meditate with the body. The Jews, therefore, meditate with the mouth: our meditation is work. He named, then, three things which we ought not to do, he named two things which we ought to do: he who has done this, of what reward is he worthy? — Homily 1, on Psalms 1 Nicetas of Remesiana: Meditation during the day is, of course, good, but that at night is better. During the day, there is the clamor of our many cares, the mental distraction of our occupations. A double preoccupation divides our attention. The quiet and solitude of the night make it a favorable time for prayer and most suitable for those who watch. With worldly occupations put aside and the attention undivided, the whole person, at night, stands in the divine presence. — VIGILS OF THE SAINTS 8 Origen of Alexandria: [The blessed person] meditates on the law of the Lord day and night, not as one who entrusts the words of the law to his memory without works, but as one who by meditating performs works consistent with it, until through the disciplined meditation of the works that the law instructs, he is prepared for excelling in all the things that apply for living perfectly according to the law. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 1:2 Origen of Alexandria: Certainly, even if I shall not have been able to understand everything, if I am, nevertheless, busily engaged in the divine Scriptures and "I meditate on the law of God day and night" and at no time at all do I desist inquiring, discussing, investigating, and certainly, what is greatest, praying God and asking for understanding from him who "teaches humankind knowledge," I shall appear to dwell "at the well of vision." … You too, therefore, if you shall always search the prophetic visions, if you always inquire, always desire to learn, if you meditate on these things, if you remain in them, you too will receive a blessing from the Lord and dwell "at the well of vision." For the Lord Jesus will appear to you also, "in the way," and will open the Scriptures to you so that you may say, "Was not our heart burning within us when he opened to us the Scriptures?" But he appears to those who think about him and meditate on him and live "in his law day and night." — HOMILIES ON Psalms 11:3 Sahdona the Syrian: Let us too do this, meditating continuously on the things of God, and by means of the Lord's law, let our wills be grafted on to him. — BOOK OF PERFECTION 61 Theodore of Mopsuestia: One learns to be bound by the law through continuous meditation so that one shapes himself by it. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 1:2 Ambrose of Milan: (Verse 3.) And it shall be like a tree that is planted by the courses of water, which will yield its fruit in its season. And its leaf shall not wither, and whatever it does, it shall prosper. What is this blessedness that is compared to the tree, unless we understand it to be in paradise, that blessed place, the tree of life produced from the earth in the midst of other trees? Among many trees that were beautiful to behold and good for food, even this tree was produced from the earth, and it was in the midst of paradise, so that the other trees flourished with its greenness. What we call this wood, except by which salvation comes to us? And rightly this earth produced it, because the Virgin gave birth to him, who was earth according to the Author's sentence, which was spoken to him: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen. III, 19). It is also beautifully read among other woods; either because it was among the apostles who were learning, or because it was in the midst of the mind and heart, as he himself said: There is one among you whom you do not know (John I, 26). And elsewhere he says: 'But I am in your midst' (Luke 22:27). Finally, he also said about Solomon himself: 'The tree of life is for all who grasp it' (Proverbs 3:18). Therefore, blessed is the one who imitates the Lord Jesus, who is the tree of life, the tree of wisdom, planted in the womb of the Virgin by the will of the Father. It is planted by him to remain forever, in order to bear fruit in its season. For this plantation, which had the richness of spiritual grace within itself, could not wither. Finally, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. These are the waters that are spoken of in the Gospel: 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive. (John 7:38). There is also another tradition, because there are waters which Jeremiah prohibits us from drinking, saying: What have you to do with the way of Egypt, that you may drink the water of Geon (Jeremiah II, 18)? There is also the Tigris river flowing past the Assyrians. There is also the Euphrates flowing into Babylon. There is also the Phison, which in Latin interpretation is called commutation of mouths, encircling the land of Evilath, where there is gold, and the gold of that land is good; and the carbuncle stone, and the green stone. Deservedly there, the exchange was made, so that the faithfulness of promises is not held; but deceit is in their mouth, where there is good gold; for greed breaks faith, and does not hold the simplicity of words. Precious ornaments also change the mind and soul; so that there is one thing in the heart, another in speech. In those regions, the Jews were captives of the rivers, taken to Egypt, and to the Assyrians, and to the Babylonians, where they sat upon the banks of the river Babylon, and wept for their sorrow; and as the Prophet himself testifies (Psal. CXXXVI, 1 et seq.); there they hung up their instruments, and cast away all joy, where they endured more severe things. Finally, the remaining ten tribes were led to the Assyrians; however, the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, because of a more serious crime, went to Babylon. For the daughter of the priest who committed adultery was punished more severely than the others, for she stained the honor of the priestly lineage with shameful disgrace. Just as they were in very serious temptations, so our Savior subjected Himself to many temptations, so that He would not pass over any of our struggles. Therefore, it is rightly said that He was planted beside the course of these rivers, not in their courses, so that you might understand that He was near, not immersed. This was His first encounter with flesh and blood. Finally, He says: Father, remove this cup from Me; yet not what I want, but what You want (Matthew 26:39). There was the temptation of riches, when all the kingdoms of the earth offered themselves as enemies if the Lord would worship him by bowing down. There are the courses of two rivers, the Gihon and the Pison. He struggled against the princes of the world: there was in his very passion a contest against the tempters, whom the Hebrew interpretation calls Persians, who presented false testimonies. Against those who said, 'Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him' (Mark 15:32), which the devil suggested. You have the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. However, the Apostle also includes that there is a fourfold struggle for us, saying: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world's rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens (Ephesians 6:12). These are the rivers that flow out of paradise. Therefore, I believe that anyone who desires to return to paradise must cross these courses of water. The same holy Prophet expressed this not idly, demonstrating that those who would undergo all temptations should already owe themselves the rest of paradise. Thus he says: My eyes descended because of the course of waters (Psalm CXVIII, 136). For just as there is a fiery sword at the entrance to paradise, so that whoever returns may return through fire, burning his sins, testing his gold: so the one who returns, returns through these courses. And the saints rightly say: We passed through fire and water (Psalm LXV, 12). Regarding those journeys, Isaiah says: 'If you pass through water, the rivers will not overwhelm you' (Isaiah 43:2). Which rivers? Listen to David speaking about those who hasten to paradise: 'Perhaps our soul would have passed through intolerable water' (Psalms 124:5). Although some interpret these four temptations as follows: You shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk, and you shall trample upon the lion and the dragon (Psalms 90:13). That He walked in His incarnation, trampled in His passion, or may trample in the handing over of the kingdom, which He will hand over to the Father, when He will have emptied all principality. But the Eagle beautifully said that which has been transplanted, that is, transferred, because He was first planted in the Virgin, then transferred to paradise; just as He said to the thief: Amen, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise (Luke 23:43). Therefore, this tree will bear fruit in its season. Earthly trees are said to not bear fruit, but to bear; but the tree of life and wisdom bears fruit, that is, it bestows and gives. Again, this comes to mind: If the tree is wisdom, why will it bear fruit in its season, and not always? So that it may not be burdensome for us to think this of Christ; but you, who have read that the Lord will set a faithful and prudent steward (Luke XII, 42) over His household, to give them their measure of wheat in due season, in due season, not always, surely should not be disturbed. Wisdom can always bear fruit; but because it is wisdom, it should give wisely, distributing prudently, if ever we are deserving or able to receive full measure. Just as in this final time it will bear fruit, so too will it provide good fruit among the nations; so that we may be able to attain and preserve fellowship in his resurrection. Now we are unable, we cannot endure this hateful age. For here there is corruption, and we must be cautious not to corrupt the good fruit that the tree of life would bring; because now we are corrupt, but there we will be incorruptible: when the dead, he says, will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed. For it is necessary that this corruptible be clothed with incorruption, and this mortal be clothed with immortality (1 Cor. XV, 52 and 53). Therefore, what profit is it for someone who is dying to receive what death will take away from him? Therefore, wisdom knows at what time it should give to whom, which never loses a leaf of its own tree. And so, let us consider what the fruit of wisdom is, that we may contemplate its leaf. The fruit is internal; the leaf by which the fruit is either protected from the heat of the sun or from the cold. The fruit appears to be faith, peace, doctrine, the excellence of true knowledge, good intention, the reasoning of mysteries. A good life preserves these fruits: even if it perceives evil, it loses them. But God said to the sinner: 'Why do you declare my justices?' (Psalms 49:16) In the mystical sense, the fruit is, in the moral sense, the leaf through the contemplation of heavenly mysteries. For virtues without faith are like leaves; they may appear green, but they cannot be of any benefit. They are blown by the wind because they have no foundation. As much as the Gentiles possess mercy, they possess sobriety; but they do not have fruit because they do not have faith! Leaves quickly fall when the wind blows. And some Jews have chastity, practice reading diligently, and have great diligence; but they are without fruit and are like leaves. These are perhaps the leaves that Jesus found on that fig tree, but he did not find any fruit (Matthew 21:19). The mystical [sacraments] save and free [us] from death; however, moral virtues are ornaments of beauty, not aids to redemption. Moreover, the Lord Himself teaches that mystical [sacraments] excel moral virtues in His Gospel, saying about Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His word, while Martha was busy with her service and complained that her sister did not help her in serving at the table: Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41-42). If she who served at the table of Christ did not contribute to hearing the word she eagerly desired, to whom can we contribute our diligent efforts to attain eternal knowledge? And yet, let neither our faith lack in her service, nor our knowledge lack in operation like Mary's, so that neither the leaves are without fruit, nor the fruit is unprotected by natural safeguards, and be exposed to harm. We can also understand this, that Adam and Eve clothed themselves with leaves, seeking earthly garments, because the resurrection of the Lord's body was being prophesied; for the flesh, which had previously been accustomed to perish instead of the leaves, would not perish in Christ; and all the righteous, who, according to the Gospel, were born of the Virgin to imitate the tree of wisdom in their lives and actions. For the Greek says, 'Will he not give his fruit?' which can be translated as 'Will the blessed one not give fruit?', in Greek; but in Latin it is said thus: because the blessed one will give fruit, namely in his resurrection, when he is able to give perpetually. And so it may be understood, that the fruit of it shall be above the wood, referring to the cross, upon which all things shall prosper. In which there is clear evidence that this is said about the Savior. For only His actions can be praised in all things and have prosperous outcomes. But the eagle shall be guided, He says: which also seems to refer to any man whom the Lord directs with heavenly favor. For the steps of a man are directed by the Lord, and the prophet David requested that his prayer be directed in the sight of God (Psalms 140:2). But the Lord himself directed his works so that they were not bent by any twist of error. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms Augustine of Hippo: "And he shall be like a tree planted hard by the running streams of waters" [Psalms 1:3]; that is either Very "Wisdom," [Proverbs viii] which vouchsafed to assume man's nature for our salvation; that as man He might be "the tree planted hard by the running streams of waters;" for in this sense can that too be taken which is said in another Psalm, "the river of God is full of water." Or by the Holy Ghost, of whom it is said, "He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost;" [Matthew 3:11] and again, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink;" [John 7:37] and again, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that asks water of you, you would have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water, of which whoso drinks shall never thirst, but it shall be made in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Or, "by the running streams of waters" may be by the sins of the people, because first the waters are called "peoples" in the Apocalypse; [Revelation 17:15] and again, by "running stream" is not unreasonably understood "fall," which has relation to sin. That "tree" then, that is, our Lord, from the running streams of water, that is, from the sinful people's drawing them by the way into the roots of His discipline, will "bring forth fruit," that is, will establish Churches; "in His season," that is, after He has been glorified by His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven. For then, by the sending of the Holy Ghost to the Apostles, and by the confirming of their faith in Him, and their mission to the world, He made the Churches to "bring forth fruit." "His leaf also shall not fall," that is, His Word shall not be in vain. For, "all flesh is grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass; the grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord abides for ever. [Isaiah 40:6-8] And whatsoever He does shall prosper" that is, whatsoever that tree shall bear; which all must be taken of fruit and leaves, that is, deeds and words. — Exposition on Psalms 1 Augustine of Hippo: What do you want? To have temporal things and to pass away together with time or not to love the world and to live forever with God? The river of temporal things carries [us] along, but like a tree growing near a river is our Lord Jesus Christ. He assumed flesh, died, rose again, ascended into heaven. He wanted, so to speak, to plant himself near the river of temporal things. Are you being swept headlong? Take hold of the wood. Does love of the world whirl you about? Take hold of Christ. For your sake was the temporal made that you may become eternal. — HOMILIES ON 1 John 2:10.2 Caesarius of Arles: O blessed cross, which makes people blessed! O cross, from which such great and wonderful fruits are gathered! The fruit of the cross is a glorious resurrection. This fruit of the wood is truly planted "near running water," for baptism is always joined to the cross. However, this wood produced "its fruit in due season," at the Lord's resurrection. It will do so again when he appears from heaven, "is seen on earth," and with dazzling sign of the cross preceding him, comes from above. — SERMON 112:4 Didymus the Blind: The tree is the wisdom of God; its fruit the mystical and spiritual sense of the Scriptures; the leaves covering its fruits are external words, which besides protecting the fruits display appropriate behavior, and they become the nourishment of good people, who are called beasts of burden on account of their own simplicity. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 1:3 Hilary of Poitiers: In the book of Genesis, it is stated that there stands in the midst of the garden a tree of life and a tree of the knowledge of good and evil; next, that the garden is watered by a stream that afterwards divides into four heads. The prophet Solomon teaches us what this tree of life is in his exhortation concerning Wisdom: "She is a tree of life to all those that lay hold on her and lean on her." This tree, then, is living; and not only living, but, furthermore, guided by reason; guided by reason, that is, insofar as to yield fruit in its own season. And this tree is planted beside the rills of water in the domain of the kingdom of God, that is, of course, in paradise, and in the place where the stream as it issues forth is divided into four heads.… This tree is planted in that place wither the Lord, who is Wisdom, leads the thief who confessed him to the Lord, saying, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." … The blessed person, then, will become like this tree when he or she shall be transplanted as the thief was, into the garden and set to grow beside the rills of water; and this planting will be that happy new planting that cannot be uprooted, to which the Lord refers in the Gospels when he curses the other kind of planting and says, "Every planting that my Father has not planted shall be rooted up." This tree, therefore, will yield its fruits. — HOMILY ON Psalms 1:14-15 Hilary of Poitiers: Now what, you ask, is this fruit that is to be dispensed? That assuredly of which this same apostle is speaking when he says, "And he will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like his glorious body." Thus he will give us those fruits of his that he has already brought to perfection in that one whom he has chosen to himself, who is portrayed under the image of a tree, whose mortality he has utterly done away and has raised him to share in his own immortality. — HOMILY ON Psalms 1:15 Jerome: And he shall be like the tree which is planted beside the running waters, which shall give its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall off. Many interpret it simply, and say thus: Just as a tree, if it is planted next to the waters, must needs be green, and is not dried up, because its roots have moisture whereby they live: so whoever meditates on the law of God, the meditation on the law itself makes greenness and life for him. This they interpret simply: but we, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, and reading that in paradise was planted the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and that this tree of life was planted in paradise, and that from paradise itself goes forth a fountain which is divided into four heads... We read also in Solomon, if it please anyone to receive the book, for there he speaks of wisdom (Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God): therefore where Solomon says 'It is a tree of life to all who lay hold of her,' there it is said of wisdom. But if wisdom is the tree of life, and wisdom itself is Christ: you see, then, that he who is the blessed and holy man is compared to this tree, that is, to wisdom. You see, then, that this just and blessed man, who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, who did not do those things, and did these things, shall be like the tree which is planted beside the running waters, that is, he shall be like Christ; since indeed 'he has made us sit together in the heavens, and reign together.' You see, then, that we shall reign with Christ in heaven. You see that this tree is planted in paradise, and we all are planted together with him. And he shall be like the tree which is planted beside the running waters. For from that fountain proceed all the rivers. Which shall give its fruit in its season. This tree does not give fruit at every time, but in its season. This tree does not give in the present age, but in the future, that is, on the day of judgment. This tree now has flowers, this tree now buds, and promises fruits to come. This tree has two things: it has both fruits, and it has leaves. The fruit has the meaning in the Scriptures; the leaves, the simple words. The fruit is in the meaning, the leaves indeed are in the words. Whoever, then, reads the holy Scriptures, if he reads according to the Jews, he understands only the leaves; but if he understands spiritually, he takes the fruit. And its leaf shall not fall off. Nevertheless the leaves also of this tree are useful. Indeed if anyone understands even according to the history, he has profit for his soul. We read in the Apocalypse of John (that the book is not received in these provinces, yet we ought to know that in all the West, and in the other Phoenician provinces, and in Egypt, the book is received, and is ecclesiastical: for the ancient ecclesiastical men also, among whom are Irenaeus, and Polycarp, and Dionysius, and the other Roman interpreters, among whom is also holy Cyprian, receive the book and interpret it) — we read there, then: 'And behold,' he says, 'I saw a throne set, and one lamb, and a tree,' he says, 'beside the river, and on each part of the bank the tree itself': that is, it was on this part, and it was on that part. 'And it had,' he says, 'fruits, that tree, and in the year, in each single month, it brought forth fruit twelve times. And it had,' he says, 'leaves, and its leaves were for the healing of the nations.' I saw, he says, one throne set. For although we believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and there is a Trinity, nevertheless the kingdom is one. I saw, he says, one throne set. And I saw, he says, in the sight of the throne one lamb standing. It is said of the Savior's assumption of a body. 'Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.' And there went forth, he says, a fountain from beneath the midst of the throne. You see, then, that from the midst of the throne goes forth a fountain of graces. Nevertheless that fountain does not go forth from the throne, unless the lamb has stood over against it: for unless we believe the incorporation of Christ, we do not receive these graces. And a tree, he says, one lofty tree was set. He did not say trees, but one tree. If it is one tree, how is it on this part of the bank, and on that part of the bank? For if he had said, I saw trees, it could be that some were on one part, and others on another. But now one tree is said to be on each part. One river goes forth from the throne of God, that is the grace of the Holy Spirit; and this grace of the Holy Spirit is in the holy Scriptures, that is, in that river of the Scriptures. Nevertheless that river has two banks, both the old and the new testament; and on each part the planted tree is Christ. This tree, then, in the year, that is, in each single month, brought forth fruit twelve times. For we cannot receive fruits from that tree, except through the apostles. If anyone, then, comes to the tree through the apostles, he must needs receive fruits, reap fruit from the holy Scriptures, that is, the divine meaning dwelling in the letter. If anyone, then, comes to that tree through the apostles, as we have said, he takes its fruit; but if anyone has not been able to, he is still weaker, and is not yet a disciple, but is of the crowd, but is from outside, is of the nations. This man, because he cannot take the fruit, let him take the words, that is, the leaves for the healing of the nations; for it is written, And its leaves for the healing of the nations. If anyone is still of the nations, if anyone is not a disciple, and is still of the crowd, let this man receive its leaves, that is, let him receive the simple words as a medicine. Indeed it is written, And its leaves for the healing of the nations, that is, for medicine. Why have we said all this, and digressed to the Apocalypse? Because it is written, Which shall give its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall off, and all things whatsoever he shall do shall prosper. — Homily 1, on Psalms 1 John Damascene: The soul watered by sacred Scripture grows fat and bears fruit in due season, which is the orthodox faith, and so is it adorned with its evergreen leaves, with actions pleasing to God, I mean. And thus we are disposed to virtuous action and untroubled contemplation by the sacred Scriptures. — ORTHODOX FAITH 4:17 Methodius of Olympus: "A tree planted by the waterside, that will bring forth his fruit in due season"; that is, learning and charity and discretion are imparted in due time to those who come to the waters of redemption. — BANQUET OF THE TEN VIRGINS 9:3 Origen of Alexandria: But from the fig tree learn a parable: for when its branch has now become tender and puts forth leaves, know that summer is near; so also you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, at the door. Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass away, until all things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. How the comparison of the things that have been said can be understood from the fig tree, we shall expound according to our ability: lest perhaps this whole world and its consummation be likened to a fig tree, and each one of those setting out toward the blessed life, so as to see in himself the glorious and perfect coming of Christ's word, be held to be like a fig tree. For just as the fig tree in the time of winter indeed has in itself the life-giving power, but has it hidden and not sufficiently manifest, and afterward, when that very life-giving power begins to come forth into manifestation as the winter passes, out of its own vigor the branch is made tender, and it puts forth also leaves; and just as the tree in that very power has leaves and fruits, and first indeed there is the bud, then little by little it advances, and last of all also by the actual effect: so also the world and each one of those who are saved, at the end before the coming of Christ (as it were in winter) has in himself the life-giving power hidden, but with Christ breathing upon them, those branches which are tender and not hard-hearted, and the things that were hidden in them, advance into leaves as the summer draws on and show forth manifest fruits, which he who beholds them in Christ already sees. So too it is related in a certain parable of the Shepherd, if it please anyone to read that book also, that "the present age is winter for the just", who appear like their neighbors by nature, namely like the other dry trees, but in the opportune time appear in their fruits. But if in the first Psalm also there be some such thing, which is said concerning that blessed man, that "he shall be as the tree which is planted beside the running waters, which shall give its fruit in its time, and its leaf shall not fall off, and all things whatsoever he shall do shall prosper", do you also consider what is written. "The winter has passed, it has gone its way, the flowers have appeared in the land", as is written in the Song of Songs, from the time that Christ came, who introduced the mild season and made the wintry blasts to cease. And the fig tree, that is, the world, has now indeed made the tender branch, that is, the Church, to put forth leaves, while summer is at hand yet has not yet come; but when summer has come, it will more fully render fruits perfect and ripe for Christ, when according to Jeremiah the good figs are very good, gathered into baskets of good figs, from which Christ wishes to take and, as it were, to eat their sweetness. But far be it from us that, when Jesus comes to us and wishes to eat of the fig tree, no fruit should be found in it. For if no fruit be found in it, he will say to it at his coming, to the tree that has not shown fruits: "Never from you shall anyone eat fruit". And that fig tree can be understood as the people of the circumcision, to whom the Lord came hungering, and when he had not found "fruit in it" but only the appearance of life, he said: "Never from you shall anyone eat fruit". Wherefore at his coming "that fig tree was straightway withered", that is, that people; but that other fig tree, which (as regards the earlier times) was barren, which was already to be cut down because it had had no diligence applied to it by its own digger, when dung has begun to be put around it, will put forth fruits; the tree which had once drained the ground, but now will bring forth more abundant fruits even in return for the time gone by in which it was barren. And each one of us, after the winters of temptations and after the sorrow of dangers past, hastens to summer, putting forth the tender branch — not that hard but the soft heart for believing God; and our advances put forth leaves meanwhile and the flowers of works, that afterward we may also exhibit the most perfect fruits "when that which is perfect has come", in Christ. Moreover, those very ones who are saved have in themselves the true vine (him who said: "I am the true vine") and, according to the reckoning of the vine, also the true fig tree the Holy Spirit offering salutary fruits, where "each one rests" according to the spiritual promise of God "under" his "vine" and "under his fig tree". And that vine indeed in those who make progress flowers and gives its fragrance, but the fig tree also puts forth its fruits, that after worthy progress their fruits may be made worthy of the heavenly winepresses, and of the baskets of very good figs of that fig tree, which brought forth tender and good fruits before the heat; whose fruits, even when languishing, provided they are not slothful to pray, are healed, as is written concerning King Hezekiah in Isaiah, who was saved through figs, that he might not die; but also the sun upon him in the degrees showed his day made greater and brighter. Great therefore is the hope in the fig tree, which out of God's words first indeed made its tender branch, and afterward the leaves being born. For such as these summer is near, and near, at the door, is the glorious coming of Christ in the clouds, and the coming of the glory of the word of God, and "near" for men of this kind is "the kingdom of God". — COMMENTARY ON Matthew 53 Theodoret of Cyrus: The streams from the divine Spirit resemble watering by rivers: just as they cause trees planted near them to flourish, so the spiritual streams are the cause of bearing divine fruit. For this very reason Christ the Lord called his own teaching water.… Appropriately, then, blessed David compared the person devoted to the divine sayings with trees growing on riverbanks, ever green, bearing fruit in season. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 1:7-8 Ambrose of Milan: (Verse 4.) It follows: Not so the wicked, not so; but like dust which the wind drives away from the face of the earth; this is, not so as the blessed man, who is blessed because he has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of scoffers, desiring to corrupt by either believing or living wrongly; who has delight in the Law and meditates on it; or, as the eagle set forth, he will resound in the Law: so that he may resound the precepts of the Law in his life, and his behavior may be like theirs, whose sound has gone out into all the earth. Perhaps here the sound of human teaching may go out; but there, where it is given to be seen face to face, a fuller expression of the word is seemingly made. Therefore, not like that blessed one who will do these things, who will be like a planted tree, all his deeds will prosper, so will the wicked be. Therefore, he repeated, either the one who wrote, or the one who added afterwards (as some think), by repeating the sentence he may become more confirmed, saying: Not so the wicked, not so, who will be like dust; for they are earthly, and just as dust is thrown away by the wind, so will they be thrown away and scattered by the Holy Spirit, who breathes upon the fertile and fruitful soul like the southern wind used to do. It is said of this wind in the Song of Songs: Come, O south wind (Cant. IV, 16), that the tenderness of the softer air may relax the fields of our hearts, which were closed by the harsh winter frost and denied the embrace of welcoming seeds. It is good for us that this wind may blow, which may safely guide the ships carrying the necessary provisions for Solomon to his temple into the harbor. But this wind blows only when that heavy wind, the north wind, ceases to blow. Therefore, either the Church or the pious soul says: Arise, north wind, and come, south wind (ibid.); this means: You, north wind, withdraw, and you, south wind, come: blow upon my garden that the flowers may not be scattered but preserved. Therefore, the soul full of the flowers of piety has a garden, or itself is the garden, which bears fruit; the soul that is open to impiety has dust, which is barren of fruit. Indeed, the Lord made that one fruitful; but it gathered for itself the dust of impiety. Why do you boast, oh full of impiety? Is it because you are powerful in honors and abundant in wealth? Don't you realize that you are dust, and you will be scattered and dispersed? I have seen, he says, the wicked man exalted and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon; and I passed by, and behold, he was no more (Psal. XXXVI, 35 and 36). Why do you glory in the fact that many services surround you, many friends cover your sides, and numerous horses follow you, of which you explain to us the lineage, as if it were the race of your ancestors. You prefer wealth, because you feed your companions at feasts. I wish you would feed the needy; I wish you were not ministers of jokes, but supporters of wishes. You boast that you immediately yield to someone who is promising, and people avoid you like a wild animal or a beast. Do you think these things are anything? Don't you hear that they pass by everyone like a shadow? What use are consular robes, or triumphal cloaks shining with gold? You will leave naked: no one will recognize you as a consul there. What use are countless possessions? They are public, not yours. Today you hold them, tomorrow another does. When you leave, another enters. Hardly have you moved your foot, another puts in a step. How many were there before you, how many will rule after you, and do you think this to be private? Whom have riches ever redeemed from death? Nay, whom have riches not compelled to death? Whom have wealth recalled from the underworld? Whom has power excused from punishment? Dust is wickedness, as the dust is the power of the wicked: it brings darkness, it cannot give salvation. As soon as a strong wind begins to blow, it scatters and dissolves it: it disturbs the air, it lays bare the ground; as dust is thrown, it vanishes like smoke, it melts like wax. Hence many have raised the question, whether divine Scripture seems to assert that nature will perish; especially because elsewhere it says: I will crush them like dust before the wind, and like mud on the streets I will wipe them out (Psalms 17:43); and elsewhere: Behold, all adversaries will be put to shame and will be ashamed; for they will be as if they were not (Isaiah 41:11). Therefore, first I ask, do they think impiety is according to nature or beyond nature? If they claim to follow nature, it is certain that their opinion is wrong. After all, let them say whether sin is in accordance with nature or not. But it is certain that to sin is to deviate from what is according to nature. What, therefore, is so absurd as to say that it seems less wicked to be a sinner than impious; when it is most bitter of all, whatever seems to be an offense against God? But if to act impiously is not contrary to nature, then to live impiously according to nature is not to be considered a sin, nor worthy of reproach; for no one is reproached who acts according to nature. Therefore it is concluded that impiety is beyond nature. So how does scripture bring about the destruction of customs, of natures that will be destroyed, that is, perishable natures, when impiety is not natural but beyond nature? For what does not have something, does not lose it: nor can that substance perish, which was not. For even a disturbed dust is either transformed into the substance of water, or into air, or into fire, that is, it often seems to transition into another nature. Therefore, it does not perish into nothingness, but it transitions into something else. What therefore prevents that even he who is crushed by the power and reason of the word, like dust, is not dissipated into nothingness, but transformed for the better; so that he becomes a spiritual man from the earthly, and so that the clay of the streets is erased in such a way that whatever is rough and dirty is removed, and whatever is smooth and clean remains? And what he says about the adversaries of Jerusalem: They are as if they are not; surely he could have said: They will not be. But when he says: They will be confounded and they will reverence; surely you understand that they will exist in substance, and in the progress of conversion, but they will not be adversaries as they were. And so, due to the lack of wickedness, they will not be, they will be changed with faith and devotion. Furthermore, elsewhere it is said from the perspective of a sinner: 'And I will bear the wrath of God, because I have sinned, until he justifies my judgment' (Micah 7:9). For God, desiring to convert the sinner, punishes and burns them in order to purify them. Hence it is said: 'And he will bring me into the light' (ibid.). For even fire burns and melts wax, in order to purify it; and we are tested by fire; and smoke is purified when all material is consumed, and it does not pass through its nature. And so, the soul, purified from every stain, aims at what is lacking, not at what is not. Hence Balaam says: 'Let my soul die the death of the just' (Numbers 23:10), meaning that his fall and certain wicked uses should die, and that he should become accustomed to the life of the just; for God desires all things to be saved. Thus Solomon also says: 'God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living' (Wisdom 1:13). He made the soul to exist; he created man for incorruption, whom he made in his own image. But men, deviating from the gift of nature, have rendered themselves subject to death, so that they may be corrupted like earthly beings. But God compels through tribulations to repentance, so that through repentance that evil accident of wickedness may be burned up and consumed, and perish; and that place of the soul, which was the possession of the accident of impiety, may be open for the reception of virtue and grace. It is certain, however, that the nature of the soul is precious, which, made in the likeness of God, admits the reception of all virtue; since it is not deprived of the fellowship of heavenly knowledge. Now we think that what is constantly in everyone's mouth is left over, through which reason God, by whose will not even the most worthless sparrow falls, and before whom the hairs of the head are numbered, said through Isaiah: Thus all nations will be like a drop from a bucket, and like a speck of dust on the scales, and they will be valued like spit (Isaiah 40:15). So all nations will perish like a drop from a bucket, and like spit they will perish, and they will be of no use. But you, who know that our God did not consider the nations worthless, as he said to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you (Gen. XII, 3); and as he spoke to the Son through David: I will give you the nations as your inheritance (Psal. II, 8); and further: All nations will serve him (Psal. LXXI, 11); you who have read that God offered his Son for the salvation of all nations, in order to save sinners (Rom. VIII, 32); you should consider the power of divine sentiment in this passage. For through the contemplation of the celestial creatures, which are many (just as the sky, which is many times greater than the earth, is considered by most to be a mere point in comparison to the sky), the nations were estimated as drops from a bucket, of which the whole fullness belongs. From that heavenly fullness, therefore, the nations are estimated as drops falling down. For how could they seem great, when the very earth in which the nations exist is a small part of the world, and the incline of the scales, by which God has worked all things, is so slight that the nations are like a small portion? At the same time, recognize through this scale that God has created all things with justice, and in the very nations there is naturally something in which justice seems to have even a small amount, and that the spit itself exists as an inner portion of the universality of the whole body. Therefore, here mercy is preached more, because the one who comes to seek what was lost did not despise that drop of water as insignificant, and he lifted the moment of the scale; and giving him the substance of a good body with his spit, he deigned that all nations be gathered into one body of the Church. However, among the nations and Israel, it can by no means be said that they are devoid of God's divine justice; for Moses himself said of Israel: Behold, a wise people, and tenacious of discipline, a great nation (Deut. IV, 6). And so that you may know that above our merit God's goodness has overflowed, the Apostle, interpreting this prophetic passage, said: God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all (Rom. 11:32-33). And he added: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? (Rom. 11:34-35). But the Prophet, introducing this passage, says: Thus all nations have been esteemed as a drop from a bucket (Is. 40:15), and the rest, so that you may know that this understanding agrees with the Apostolic interpretation. But what is more evident than this, that it does not seem to bring about perishable natures, since the holy Prophet himself has subjected: For the wicked do not rise again in judgment. For he did not say: They do not rise again; but he says: They do rise again, but not in judgment. However, whoever rises again, is indeed and remains; but because he did not believe in Christ, he has already been judged; and therefore he does not come into judgment, whom the punishment of judgment already completed remains. And concerning the resurrection, there are indeed many testimonies in the divine Scriptures, which we have not overlooked in the books of consolation and resurrection. But regarding what it says: The wicked do not rise again in judgment; according to the Gospel, this is an absolute statement, because not everyone will be judged. However, the Apostle says: For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10). Many people think that these things are contradictory; and they do not realize that the Savior spoke about the faithless and impious, those who did not believe in the Lord Jesus. For He said: 'Whoever believes in me will not be judged, but whoever does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.' This is the judgment, because the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light; for their deeds were evil. (John 3:18, 19). Therefore it is clear about whom it has been said, that is, about those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus. The Apostle, though he said 'all', certainly spoke about those who have believed, but they will render an account of their own actions on the day of judgment. Moreover, he himself elsewhere says (Rom. II, 15) that the testimony of our conscience will be revealed on the day of judgment, when our thoughts will either accuse or defend ourselves, as it is written, and the hidden secrets of the heart will be revealed. But what is clearer than this, which he says elsewhere: 'We shall all rise again, but we shall not all be changed.' (I Cor. XV, 15) For the just shall be changed into incorruption, while the truth of the body remains. Daniel also says: 'Judgment has sat, and the books have been opened.' (Dan. VII, 10) He therefore shows that there will be future judgment, especially when elsewhere he says the same: 'Many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some unto life eternal, and others unto everlasting reproach and confusion; and they that understand shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and many of the just as the stars forever and ever.' (Dan. XII, 2 and 3) What is this judgment of sitting judges, and what is it but the open book of our conscience, containing the series of our sins? Although it is despicable to consider this as if it were a judgment similar to human judgment. Christ's judgment is different, where conscience itself reveals itself, which cannot hide from the judge of hidden things: where thoughts shine forth before Him, who still says to those who think: Why do you think evil in your hearts (Matthew 9:4)? When he was speaking to the Jews, he used to say to everyone, lest anyone should think that hidden things could deceive him, lest anyone should think that a witness of hidden error could escape with closed walls. And so the Evangelist also testifies, saying: But Jesus knew their thoughts. How then does he say: The books are open? Surely not written in ink, but by the traces of sins, and the contamination of crimes. The book of your conscience will be opened, the book of your heart will be opened, our fault will be recited. There is a book where there is a tablet; rather, there are books inscribed where there are inscribed tablets, which are inscribed by the Holy Spirit with the Apostolic teaching, as we read, with Paul saying: You are our epistle... inscribed not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God: not on stone tablets, but on fleshy tablets of the heart (II Cor. III, 2 and 3). Therefore, these tablets of the heart, inscribed with the Holy Spirit, will be recited. If you do well, Scripture will remain. See that you do not take away the grace of the Holy Spirit; see that you do not erase, and write down your crimes with ink, lest the day of judgment come, and the Judge say: Let the books be read, let the tablets of his deeds be read; and let Him say to you: I wrote your tablets, why did you destroy my marks? I wrote my gifts, how did you destroy my offerings and write down your insults? Have you not read that I write? Have I not said to you through the mouth of my Prophet: My tongue is the pen of a swift scribe (Psalms 44:2); but judgment belongs to the Word. Therefore, many who have slept in the tomb will rise from the earth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29). What Daniel says, 'to eternal life,' the Savior says, 'to the resurrection of life.' Likewise, what Daniel says, 'to shame and everlasting contempt,' the Savior says, 'to the resurrection of judgment.' Therefore, it is not profitable for us to come to judgment, nor is it profitable not to come; lest we appear to be condemned or bear the weight of judgment in this contamination of vices. The prophet asks that the Lord not enter into judgment with his servant (Psalms 142:2); how much more should we fear the judgment of the Lord? Consider that the merciful Lord will forgive: how much will be revealed that I thought was hidden? What shame, what embarrassment will there be for me, when the one whom I claimed to teach others, I myself am found guilty in that very thing in which I was accusing others? And therefore, since both the Savior and John in the Apocalypse spoke of two kinds of resurrection, and John said, 'Blessed is he who has a part in the first resurrection' (Rev. 20:6), these indeed come to grace without judgment. But those who do not come to the first resurrection, but are reserved for the second, will be burned until they fulfill the time between the first and second resurrection, or if they do not fulfill it, they will remain longer in punishment. Therefore, let us pray that in the first resurrection we may deserve to have a share. There are those who rose in the passion of Christ; and these are clearly blessed, who received the grace of Christ and heard His voice, of which it is written: The hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live (John 5:25). And: They entered the holy city (Matthew 27:53). I think that it signifies more the heavenly city than this earthly Jerusalem, which He left, reproached, because they have entered into this one by foot, but into that heavenly one by merits. But let us also beware that we rise from this earthly tomb. There are those who, while alive, are surrounded and filled with the dead, whose throat is a grave, not the words of life, but of death. If we rise here from the dead, we will also rise there. If we are not dry bones here, but have received the dew of the Word, the moisture of the Holy Spirit, we shall live there. Thus, Jesus will raise us here with His mighty voice, as He raised Lazarus, and through His disciples He will loose us from the chains of death and lead us into Bethany, where Lazarus was, that is, the house of obedience. And He will invite us to His banquet here, and there we shall recline with Him, and there we shall always feast with Him, and there the perfume, which only the betrayer lamented being wasted, will be fragrant to us. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms Augustine of Hippo: "The ungodly are not so," they are not so, "but are like the dust which the wind casts forth from the face of the earth" [Psalms 1:4]. "The earth" is here to be taken as that steadfastness in God, with a view to which it is said, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, yea, I have a goodly heritage." With a view to this it is said, "Wait on the Lord and keep His ways, and He shall exalt you to inherit the earth." With a view to this it is said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." [Matthew 5:5] A comparison too is derived hence, for as this visible earth supports and contains the outer man, so that earth invisible the inner man. "From the face of" which "earth the wind casts forth the ungodly," that is, pride, in that it puffs him up. On his guard against which he, who was inebriated by the richness of the house of the Lord, and drunken of the torrent stream of its pleasures, says, "Let not the foot of pride come against me." From this earth pride cast forth him who said, "I will place my seat in the north, and I will be like the Most High." [Isaiah 14:13-14] From the face of the earth it cast forth him also who, after that he had consented and tasted of the forbidden tree that he might be as God, hid himself from the Face of God. [Genesis 3:8] That his earth has reference to the inner man, and that man is cast forth thence by pride, may be particularly seen in that which is written, "Why is earth and ashes proud? Because, in his life, he cast forth his bowels." [Sirach 10:9] For, whence he has been cast forth, he is not unreasonably said to have cast forth himself. — Exposition on Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: The ungodly have no possible hope of having the image of the happy tree applied to them. The only lot that awaits them is one of wandering and winnowing, crushing, dispersion and unrest; shaken out of the solid framework of their bodily condition, they must be swept away to punishment in dust, a plaything of the wind. They shall not be dissolved into nothing, for punishment must find in them some stuff to work on, but ground into particles imponderable, unsubstantial, dry, they shall be tossed to and fro and make sport for the punishment that gives them no rest. Their punishment is recorded by the same prophet in another place where he says, "I will beat them small as the dust before the wind; like the mire of the streets I will destroy them." — HOMILY ON Psalms 1:19 Jerome: We have spoken of the blessedness of the just man, we have spoken of his reward, that he who has not done three things, and has done two things, is compared to the tree of paradise, that is, to Christ the wisdom. We have spoken, then, of the holy man; now on the contrary let us see what is said of the sinner and of the ungodly. Not so the ungodly. All those kinds of rewards, which we have said of the just, the ungodly shall not receive. Not so the ungodly. He did not say, not so the sinners: for if he had said "of sinners," we were all estranged. Not so the ungodly. Between the ungodly and the sinner there is this difference: he who is ungodly denies God; he who is a sinner confesses and sins. Not so the ungodly. In some copies it is read a second time, Not so the ungodly, not so: but let us know that in the Hebrew it is set down once. We have spoken of the holy man and of his comparison, And he shall be like the tree which is planted beside the running waters. Now on the contrary it is said of the ungodly. Just as the just man is compared to a tree; so the ungodly is compared to dust. He who is just is compared to the tree of paradise; but he who is ungodly is compared to dust, which the wind casts forth from the face of the earth. Dust, although it is of the earth, nevertheless has ceased to be earth. But like the dust which the wind casts forth from the face of the earth. See what is said: so wretched will the ungodly be, that he is not even earthly dust. He seems indeed not to have substance, but he has his own substance. He has nothing solid; but what he has, he has for punishment. He is scattered hither and thither, he is never in one place; wherever the wind has dragged him, thither his rush is directed: so also the ungodly man who has once denied God, wherever the breeze of the devil has dragged him, thither he is led by error. — Homily 1, on Psalms 1 John Chrysostom: Hear then how the prophet intimates both these particulars. "The ungodly," saith he, "are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth." For even as chaff lies exposed to the gusts of wind, and is easily caught up and swept along, so is also the sinner driven about by every temptation; for whilst he is at war with himself, and bears the warfare about with him, what hope of safety does he possess; betrayed as he is at home, and carrying with him that conscience, which is a constant enemy? — HOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 8:4 Ambrose of Milan: (Verse 5.) Therefore the wicked do not rise in judgment. That is, they do not rise to share in the fate of those who will be judged; nor do sinners rise in the council of the righteous. You see that the wicked arise, but they do not rise in the judgment of the righteous, because sinners, though they do not rise in the council of the righteous, do rise in judgment. Hence, those who have believed well and have also put their faith into action will not be judged, but will rise in the council of the righteous. But sinners who cannot rise among the righteous will rise in judgment. You have two orders. The third remains for the impious, since they did not believe and have already been judged; and therefore they do not arise in judgment, but for punishment: for they loved darkness more than light (John 3:19); and therefore their judgment is punishment, and perhaps the punishment of darkness. And it could indeed be understood that those who have evil deeds, believing nevertheless in Christ, desiring indeed to live rightly; but being overcome by the allurements of sin, they loved darkness more than light: that is, they loved both, but darkness more. But because he warned about those who did not believe, I think that it should be understood that they loved darkness, and not light; for light is Christ. Therefore, those who did not believe in the light are absurd to be believed to have loved the light, which they did not know. For they did not know, nor did they understand, they walk in darkness, as it is written (Psalms 81:5). — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms Aphrahat the Persian Sage: And even as the righteous who are perfected in good works shall not come into the judgment to be judged, so of the wicked also whose sins are many, and the measure of whose offenses is overflowing, it shall not be required that they should draw near to the judgment, but when they have risen again they shall turn back to Sheol.… All the nations that know not God their Maker are esteemed by God as nothingness and shall not come near to judgment, but as soon as they have risen shall turn back to Sheol. — DEMONSTRATIONS 22:17 Augustine of Hippo: "Therefore the ungodly rise not in the judgment" (ver. 5): "therefore," namely, because "as dust they are cast forth from the face of the earth." And well did he say that this should be taken away from them, which in their pride they court, namely, that they may judge; so that this same idea is more clearly expressed in the following sentence, "nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous." For it is usual for what goes before, to be thus repeated more clearly. So that by "sinners" should be understood the "ungodly;" what is before "in the judgment," should be here "in the counsel of the righteous." Or if indeed the ungodly are one thing, and sinners another, so that although every ungodly man is a sinner, yet every sinner is not ungodly; "The ungodly rise not in the judgment," that is, they shall rise indeed, but not that they should be judged, for they are already appointed to most certain punishment. But "sinners" do not rise "in counsel of the just," that is, that they may judge, but peradventure that they may be judged; so as of these it were said, "The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall then suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." — On the Psalms, Psalms 1 Cyril of Jerusalem: They shall rise, though not to be judged, but to be sentenced. For God needs no lengthy scrutiny, but as soon as the wicked rise again, their punishment forthwith follows. — Catechetical Lecture 18:14 Hilary of Poitiers: And the Prophet, seeing that the change of their solid substance into dust will deprive them of all share in the boon of fruit to be bestowed upon the happy man in season by the tree, has accordingly added: Therefore the ungodly shall not rise again in the Judgment. The fact that they shall not rise again does not convey sentence of annihilation upon these men, for indeed they will exist as dust; it is the resurrection to Judgment that is denied them. Non-existence will not enable them to miss the pain of punishment; for while that which will be non-existent would escape punishment, they, on the other hand, will exist to be punished, for they will be dust. Now to become dust, whether by being dried to dust or ground to dust, involves not loss of the state of existence, but a change of state. But the fact that they will not rise again to Judgment makes it clear that they have lost, not the power to rise, but the privilege of rising to Judgment. Now what we are to understand by the privilege of rising again and being judged is declared by the Lord in the Gospels where He says: He that believes in Me is not judged: he that believes not has been judged already. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light John 3:18-19 . The terms of this utterance of the Lord are disturbing to inattentive hearers and careless, hasty readers. For by saying: He that believes in Me shall not be judged, He exempts believers, and by adding: But he that believes not has been judged already, He excludes unbelievers, from judgment. If, then, He has thus exempted believers and debarred unbelievers, allowing the chance of judgment neither to one class nor the other, how can He be considered consistent when he adds thirdly: And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light? For there can apparently be no place left for judgment, since neither believers nor unbelievers are to be judged. Such no doubt will be the conclusion drawn by inattentive hearers and hasty readers. The utterance, however, has an appropriate meaning and a rational interpretation of its own. He that believes, says Christ, is not judged. And is there any need to judge a believer? Judgment arises out of ambiguity, and where ambiguity ceases, there is no call for trial and judgment. Hence not even unbelievers need be judged, because there is no doubt about their being unbelievers; but after exempting believers and unbelievers alike from judgment, the Lord added a case for judgment and human agents upon whom it must be exercised. For some there are who stand midway between the godly and the ungodly, having affinities to both, but strictly belonging to neither class, because they have come to be what they are by a combination of the two. They may not be assigned to the ranks of belief, because there is in them a certain infusion of unbelief; they may not be ranged with unbelief, because they are not without a certain portion of belief. For many are kept within the pale of the church by the fear of God; yet they are tempted all the while to worldly faults by the allurements of the world. They pray, because they are afraid; they sin, because it is their will. The fair hope of future life makes them call themselves Christians; the allurements of present pleasure make them act like heathen. They do not abide in ungodliness, because they hold the name of God in honour; they are not godly because they follow after things contrary to godliness. And they cannot help loving those things best which can never enable them to be what they call themselves, because their desire to do such works is stronger than their desire to be true to their name. And this is why the Lord, after saying that believers would not be judged and that unbelievers had been judged already, added that This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light. These, then, are they whom the judgment awaits which unbelievers have already had passed upon them and believers do not need: because they have loved darkness more than light; not that they did not love the light too, but because their love of darkness is the more active. For when two loves are matched in rivalry, one always wins the preference; and their judgment arises from the fact that, though they loved Christ, they yet loved darkness more. These then will be judged; they are neither exempted from judgment like the godly, nor have they already been judged like the ungodly; but judgment awaits them for the love which they have deliberately preferred. — Homily on Psalms 1 Jerome: Since we have said what the just man is, to whom he is compared; what the ungodly man is, to whom he is compared, and we have spoken of the present age: now we ought to learn of the future and eternal. Therefore the ungodly do not rise again in judgment, nor sinners in the counsel of the just. We read in the Gospel according to John: 'Whoever believes in me shall not be judged; whoever does not believe in me is already judged.' Who then is to be judged, if both he who believes shall not be judged, and he who does not believe is already judged? Who shall be judged on the day of judgment? Let us seek, then, a middle one between the believer and the unbeliever, who is to be judged. He who believes shall not be judged. He who believes does not sin, he who truly believes does not sin, he who has true faith does not sin. Indeed when we sin, our mind wavers in faith; at that time when we sin, when we grow angry, when we disparage, when we commit murders, when we fornicate, where is faith? Therefore what he says, He who believes in me, shall not be judged; for he has no need to be judged, he is already blessed. But he who does not believe, is already judged; for he is already prejudged unto punishment. Who then is judged? He who believes indeed, but is overcome by sins: he who has good things, has also evil things: he who at the time when he believes does well, and at the time when he does not believe does ill. Let us see then now what is said. Therefore the ungodly do not rise again in judgment. They do not rise again to be judged, because they are already judged: For he who does not believe in me, is already judged. Nor sinners in the counsel of the just. He did not say, sinners do not rise again; but, they do not rise again in the counsel of the just. They do not deserve to rise again with those who are not to be judged. If they believed in me, they would rise again with those who are not to be judged. — Homily 1, on Psalms 1 Ambrose of Milan: (Verse 6.) It follows: For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish. Pay attention to the meaning: The wicked do not rise in judgment, for the Lord knows the way of the righteous. Certainly He knows their ways, whose steps are directed by the Lord. They are the steps of men who are guided by the Lord. They are guided by the Lord and the ways of man. The Lord knows these ways, which are straight and tend toward that life of which it is said: I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). This is the good way: but the way of the world is crooked. It does not deign to know that way. For it recognizes those who are its own, who do its works: but to those who do wickedness, the Lord says: Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, I do not know you (Luke 13:27). They are not unknown due to ignorance, but because they are unworthy of the knowledge of God. However, he said beautifully: 'And the way of the wicked shall perish.' Latinus separated 'iter' to mean 'way' and as if distinguished 'iter' from 'via'; but the Greek said 'via' in both cases. However, Latinus did not speak in vain, for the Lord said: 'I am the way,' he did not say: 'I am the journey.' But he said the 'way' of the wicked shall perish, not the wicked themselves. He preserves the substance of those who, if they convert, will lose only the way of wickedness, which neither was nor will be from the beginning. Therefore, what is accidental perishes: what is substantial remains. But the wicked perish in such a way as it is said: The soul that sins, it shall die (Ezekiel XVIII, 4); so that by the sting of sin, they do not perish by the dissolution of their entire substance. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms Augustine of Hippo: "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous" (ver. 6). As it is said, medicine knows health, but knows not disease, and yet disease is recognised by the art of medicine. In like manner can it be said that "the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous," but the way of the ungodly He knoweth not. Not that the Lord is ignorant of anything, and yet He says to sinners, "I never knew you." "But the way of the ungodly shall perish;" is the same as if it were said, the way of the ungodly the Lord knoweth not. But it is expressed more plainly that this should be not to be known of the Lord, namely, to "perish;" and this to be known of the Lord, namely, to "abide;" so as that to be should appertain to the knowledge of God, but to His not knowing not to be. For the Lord saith, "I Am that I Am," and, "I Am hath sent me." — On the Psalms, Psalms 1 Hilary of Poitiers: It is precisely the scheme and system thus laid down in the Gospel that the Prophet has followed, when he says: Therefore the ungodly shall not rise again in the Judgement, nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous. He leaves no judgment for the ungodly, because they have been judged already; on the other hand, he has refused to sinners, who as we showed in our former discourse are to be distinguished from the ungodly, the counsel of the righteous, because they are to be judged. For ungodliness causes the former to be judged beforehand, but sin keeps the latter to be judged hereafter. Thus ungodliness having already been judged is not admitted to the judgment of sinners, while again sinners, who, are yet to be judged, are deemed unworthy of enjoying the counsel of the righteous, who will not be judged. The source of this distinction lies in the following words: For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Sinners do not come near the counsel of the righteous for this reason, that the Lord knows the way of the righteous. Now He knows, not by an advance from ignorance to knowledge, but because He condescends to know. For there is no play of human emotions in God that He should know or not know anything. The blessed Apostle Paul declared how we were known of God when he said: If any man among you is a prophet or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are of the Lord: but if any man does not know, he is not known 1 Corinthians 14:37 . Thus he shows that those are known of God who know the things of God: they are to come to be known when they know, that is, when they attain to the honour of being known through the merit of their known godliness, in order that the knowledge may be seen to be a growth on the part of him who is known, and not a growth on the part of one who knows not. Now God shows clearly in the cases of Adam and Abraham that He does not know sinners, but does know believers. For it was said to Adam when he had sinned: Adam, where are you Genesis 3:9 ? Not because God knew not that the man whom He still had in the garden was there still, but to show, by his being asked where he was, that he was unworthy of God's knowledge by the fact of having sinned. But Abraham, after being for a long time unknown— the word of God came to him when he was seventy years of age— was, upon his proving himself faithful to the Lord, admitted to intimacy with God by the following act of high condescension: Now I know that you fear the Lord your God, and for My sake you have not spared your dearly loved son. God certainly was not ignorant of the faith of Abraham, which He had already reckoned to him for righteousness when he believed about the birth of Isaac: but now because he had given a signal instance of his fear in offering his son, he is at last known, approved, rendered worthy of being not unknown. It is in this way then that God both knows and knows not— Adam the sinner is not known, and Abraham the faithful is known, is worthy, that is, of being known by God Who surely knows all things. The way of the righteous, therefore, who are not to be judged is known by God: and this is why sinners, who are to be judged, are set far from their counsel; while the ungodly shall not rise again to judgment, because their way has perished, and they have already been judged by Him Who said: The Father judges no man, but has given all judgment unto the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed for ever and ever. Amen. — Homily on Psalms 1 Jerome: For the Lord knows the way of the just, and the way of the ungodly shall perish. For the Lord knows the way of the just. And what is so great, if the Lord knows the way of the just? But God is said to know those whom he deigns to know. Indeed it is said of sinners: 'Depart from me, workers of iniquity, I do not know you.' The apostle says: 'If anyone knows, he is known.' For the Lord knows the way of the just. He who is a sinner, the Lord does not know him; he who is just, is known by God. We read in Genesis, at the time when Adam transgressed, at the time when he listened more to the serpent than to God, when he hid himself from the face of God, God came after the meal into paradise, and was walking about. See what is said. God seeks Adam, not at midday, but toward evening; for now Adam had lost the sun, because he had no midday. Toward evening, that is δείλινον, evening (deilinon), and he was walking. For God does not stand still for the sinner, but walks. For he knew that he was in paradise, and he was not ignorant of what had been done; but because Adam had sinned, God does not know him. And God said: Adam, where are you? We have spoken of this, how the sinner is not known by God: on the contrary we ought to know how the just man is known by God. God says to Abraham: 'Go forth from your land and from your kindred.' He came into Palestine, was in Abramium, was in Gerara a long time. When a son, Isaac, had been born to him, and he had received the promise 'That in your seed all the nations shall be blessed,' he took Isaac, and offered him to God, and a voice from heaven was heard, Spare your son. And immediately it is written there, at the time when he had offered his son, what does God say to Abraham? 'Now I have known that you fear the Lord your God.' You who had spoken for so long a time, have you now come to know Abraham? But because great faith had been shown in offering his son, therefore now for the first time God began to know him. Why have we said all this? Because it is written, For the Lord knows the way of the just. Let us speak also in another way. The way and the life and the truth is Christ: let us walk, then, in Christ, and God the Father knows our way. And the way of the ungodly shall perish. He did not say, the ungodly shall perish; but if they do penance, they too shall be saved. At the time when the apostle Paul persecuted Christ and his churches, he was ungodly. For if the ungodly shall perish, no place is given for penance. But he did not say, and the ungodly shall perish; but, the way of the ungodly shall perish: that is, the ungodliness shall perish, the ungodly man shall not perish, but the ungodliness itself; the man who was ungodly shall not perish, but, the man doing penance, the ungodliness shall perish. May God, then, grant us this, that we do not do the three things, and that we do the two: that we may be compared to the tree of life, that we may not be ungodly, who are compared to dust: that we may not be sinners, since sinners do not rise again in the counsel of the just, so that the evil way may perish: and let us bless God, to whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen. — Homily 1, on Psalms 1 Origen of Alexandria: God is ignorant of evil deeds, not because he is unable to understand everything or to grasp it with his own intelligence (for it is wrong to think this way about God) but because those deeds are unworthy of his contemplation.… God is ignorant of the way of the wicked, and he knows the way of the righteous. Further, who is the way of the righteous except the one who said, "I am the way" whom the Father knows? "No one has known the Son except the Father." The distinction between the knowledge and ignorance of God is referred to in the prophets as "the memory and forgetfulness" of God. Often it is said in prayer: "Be mindful of me" and "Why have you forgotten our poverty?" Just as God removes sinners from his own memory, so does he again receive the repentant and become mindful of them. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 1:6 Augustine of Hippo: "Why do the heathen rage, and the people meditate vain things?" [Psalms 2:1]. "The kings of the earth have stood up, and the rulers taken counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Christ" [Psalms 2:2]. It is said, "why?" as if it were said, in vain. For what they wished, namely, Christ's destruction, they accomplished not; for this is spoken of our Lord's persecutors, of whom also mention is made in the Acts of the Apostles. [Acts 4:26] — Exposition on Psalms 2 Eusebius of Caesarea: The leaders of the nations throughout the whole world and the kings of the earth who have held dominion at various times have all been drawn into this impious alliance together, holding on to whatever insult or for whatever reason, or having suffered whatever offense, so that they devise treacheries, they enter into the wicked counsel against the Lord of the universe and God the King and against his anointed one. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 2:2 Gregory of Nyssa: The first psalm lacks an inscription. For the aim of what is said in it is obvious to the readers, namely, that it is an introduction to philosophy in that it advises separation from evil, coming to be in the good and becoming like God so far as possible.… The second psalm, which predicts the mystery of the gospel, is then appended, that we might be without impiety. Consequently, in a sense, the first psalm is an inscription of the second, for the latter speaks of the one who through flesh was begotten today because of us. (Now "today" is a division of time, but because the Son is always from the Father and in the Father, he is also God.) It also speaks of those not ruled by a king, who had been listed among the Gentiles because they did not serve God. These lived under their own laws, or rather without laws, since they did not accept the divine law but cast the yoke from themselves. (Now by "yoke" he means the commandment.) But when the kingdom that excels everything comes on them, those who once were without a master become the inheritance of God through faith in the one who was begotten today. I mean this one who was appointed king over them. And when they themselves have been begotten, they too become kings. When the rod of iron, that is, the unchangeable power, smashed that which was made of earth and clay, it transformed them into the undefiled nature, having taught them that trusting in him alone is blessed. Although this is the meaning that we have expounded of this psalm, one who wishes can test our opinion by means of the divine words themselves to see if what we have said fits with the inspired Scripture. — ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE Psalms 2:8.74-75 Hippolytus of Rome: When he came into the world, He was manifested as God and man. And it is easy to perceive the man in Him, when He hungers and shows exhaustion, and is weary and thirsty, and withdraws in fear, and is in prayer and in grief, and sleeps on a boat's pillow, and entreats the removal of the cup of suffering, and sweats in an agony, and is strengthened by an angel, and betrayed by a Judas, and mocked by Caiaphas, and set at nought by Herod, and scourged by Pilate, and derided by the soldiers, and nailed to the tree by the Jews, and with a cry commits His spirit to His Father, and drops His head and gives up the ghost, and has His side pierced with a spear, and is wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb, and is raised by the Father on the third day. And the divine in Him, on the other hand, is equally manifest, when He is worshipped by angels, and seen by shepherds, and waited for by Simeon, and testified of by Anna, and inquired after by wise men, and pointed out by a star, and at a marriage makes wine of water, and chides the sea when tossed by the violence of winds, and walks upon the deep, and makes one see who was blind from birth, and raises Lazarus when dead for four days, and works many wonders, and forgives sins, and grants power to His disciples. — Fragments from Commentaries on Various Books of Scripture - On Psalm II Origen of Alexandria: They rage, therefore, and dwell on worthless ideas and have gathered themselves and stand united together. Not only by their appearance have they moved the crowds against Christ, but whatever has been done by them is counted as if they had assailed the Father. So, it is said that these had turned against the Lord and his anointed. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 2.1-2 Theodoret of Cyrus: Having concluded the first psalm with a reference to the ungodly, he opened the second in turn with this same reference so as to teach us that the aforementioned end of the ungodly lies in wait for both kings and rulers, Jews and Gentiles, who rage against the Savior. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 2:1 Theodoret of Cyrus: [The words of the psalm] come from someone deploring and censuring folly.… Despite their conspiring together and hatching a tawdry plot for the murder of the Lord, their schemes all came to nothing, as they were unable to consign to oblivion the one crucified by them: on the third day he rose again and took possession of the world. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 2:1 Origen of Alexandria: But taking such counsel against him, the chief priests of the cult of the letter that kills, and the elders of the ministry of condemnation, bound Jesus, who looses men from their bonds and "says to those who are in bonds: come forth", and who looses those who are fettered and says: "let us break their bonds asunder, and let us cast their yoke from us", and who had loosed from her bonds "the daughter of Abraham" bound by Satan "for eighteen years", so that she who "before could not at all look upward" should now be no longer bent down. And they bound him who willed it, and who, in the very fact that he was bound, was laying an ambush against those very bonds and breaking them, so that now the chief priests and elders of the Jews should have no bonds against men, the Lord evidently breaking them in himself. But if anyone requires of me a Scripture showing these things concerning the breaking of the bonds with which the chief priests and elders bound Jesus, let him understand that for this very reason Jesus himself says through the prophet: "let us break their bonds asunder", as if he were speaking of the chief priests and elders, or much more of those rulers who wrought in them, and of the kings of the earth, those who "stood up", and of the princes who "came together as one against the Lord and against his Christ", whose "yoke also let us cast from us". But he will satisfy you still further, so that you may accept that, even though those who took counsel against him led Jesus away bound, nevertheless Jesus broke the bonds, if you consider the things that are written concerning Samson, who was frequently bound and broke the bonds of the foreigners, because he had been a Nazarite of God and had hair full of strength. If therefore that man, on account of the strength of the hair which he had on his head, was able to break the bonds of the foreigners with which they had frequently bound him, how much more Christ, who after so many wonders and mighty works which he did, willingly delivered himself over to bonds (lulling to sleep within himself the power of his divinity and consenting to be bound), without doubt broke the bonds surrounding him! Of which bonds the bonds of Samson were the mysteries. — COMMENTARY ON Matthew 115 Augustine of Hippo: "Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yoke from us" [Psalms 2:3]. Although it admits of another acceptation, yet is it more fitly understood as in the person of those who are said to "meditate vain things." So that "let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yoke from us," may be, let us do our endeavour, that the Christian religion do not bind us, nor be imposed upon us. — Exposition on Psalms 2 Augustine of Hippo: "He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord shall have them in derision" [Psalms 2:4]. The sentence is repeated; for "He who dwelleth in the heavens," is afterwards put, "the Lord;" and for "shall laugh them to scorn," is afterwards put, "shall have them in derision." Nothing of this however must be taken in a carnal sort, as if God either laugheth with cheek, or derideth with nostril; but it is to be understood of that power which He giveth to His saints, that they seeing things to come, namely, that the Name and rule of Christ is to pervade posterity and possess all nations, should understand that those men "meditate a vain thing." For this power whereby these things are foreknown is God's "laughter" and "derision." "He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn." If by "heavens" we understand holy souls, by these God, as foreknowing what is to come, will "laugh them to scorn, and have them in derision." — Exposition on Psalms 2 Augustine of Hippo: "Then He shall speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure" [Psalms 2:5]. For showing more clearly how He will "speak unto them," he added, He will "vex them;" so that "in His wrath," is, "in His sore displeasure." But by the "wrath and sore displeasure" of the Lord God must not be understood any mental perturbation; but the might whereby He most justly avenges, by the subjection of all creation to His service. For that is to be observed and remembered which is written in the Wisdom of Solomon, "But You, Lord of power, judgest with tranquillity, and with great favour orders us." [Wisdom 12:18] The "wrath" of God then is an emotion which is produced in the soul which knows the law of God, when it sees this same law transgressed by the sinner. For by this emotion of righteous souls many things are avenged. Although the "wrath" of God can be well understood of that darkening of the mind, which overtakes those who transgress the law of God. — Exposition on Psalms 2 Cassiodorus: God judges without getting upset, and he causes distress for others while maintaining his affection for them. He does not become enraged when some emotion rises within him against the wicked, but he withholds from them the influence of his grace. Since the blessed Godhead, which always remains the same, eternal and immovable, does not experience emotions, therefore the wrath of God refers to God's retribution against sinners. But such a change of emotion is characteristic of human weakness so that someone becomes sad after being happy, irritated after being at peace, offended after being of good intentions. The phrase "then he will say" indicates the time when he will come to judge the world. Therefore the text speaks appropriately about wrath and rage since obstinate sinners will receive all that they deserve. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 2:6 Origen of Alexandria: These are words of destruction that are pronounced in anger. Moreover, the evils that God had said he was going to inflict, he promises that he will withdraw if the listeners will become penitent. God in his anger spoke through Jonah to the Ninevites, and since they repented in ash and sackcloth, they endured nothing of those things about which they had heard. Actually, God knew beforehand when he sent Jonah that they were going to repent if he sent Jonah for their deliverance. Right now he also is speaking deliverance to those sinners who are in his wrath. For it did not say, "He will punish those in his wrath even if they will repent." — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 2:5 Augustine of Hippo: "Yet am I set by Him as King upon Sion, His holy hill, preaching His decree" [Psalms 2:6]. This is clearly spoken in the Person of the very Lord our Saviour Christ. But if Sion signify, as some interpret, beholding, we must not understand it of anything rather than of the Church, where daily is the desire raised of beholding the bright glory of God, according to that of the Apostle, "but we with open face beholding the glory of the Lord." [2 Corinthians 3:18] Therefore the meaning of this is, Yet I am set by Him as King over His holy Church; which for its eminence and stability He calls a mountain. "Yet I am set by Him as King." I, that is, whose "bands" they were meditating "to break asunder," and whose "yoke" to "cast away." "Preaching His decree." Who does not see the meaning of this, seeing it is daily practised? — Exposition on Psalms 2 Jerome: The first four verses are spoken by a prophet or an angel wondering why human rashness had risen up against the Son of God. From the fifth verse, though, the Lord himself responds, exhorting the Gentiles and all the people from the Jews who are going to believe in him, so that they may loosen the binding chains and cast off the heavy burden of the law that their own ancestors were unable to carry, so they may follow him whose yoke is easy, and burden light. — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 2 Origen of Alexandria: There is no other reason for Christ's death (nor was there) than that he was king of the Jews, concerning which he also spoke, saying: "but I have been appointed king by him over Zion, his holy mountain". The chief of the priests indeed, according to the letter of the law, bore upon his head the shape of a sign, "the sanctification of the Lord" written on the plate, but the true chief of the priests and king, Jesus, on the cross indeed has written: this is the king of the Jews, yet ascending to the Father and receiving the Father into himself, in place of letters and in place of a name he has him who is named, and he has him as a crown. — COMMENTARY ON Matthew 130 Theodore of Mopsuestia: Truly, God did not establish the Word as King at that time, whose power did not just begin at a point but who was and always is powerful, who as in his nature had power to create whatever he wished; so also in his nature he had power rightly so to rule over all things that were made by him. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 2:6 Theodoret of Cyrus: [This] verse … is expressed in human fashion: as God he possesses his kingship by nature, as human he receives it by election. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 2:7 Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord has said unto me, You are My Son, today have I begotten You" [Psalms 2:7]. Although that day may also seem to be prophetically spoken of, on which Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh; and in eternity there is nothing past as if it had ceased to be, nor future as if it were not yet, but present only, since whatever is eternal, always is; yet as "today" intimates presentiality, a divine interpretation is given to that expression, "Today have I begotten You," whereby the uncorrupt and Catholic faith proclaims the eternal generation of the power and Wisdom of God, who is the Only-begotten Son. — Exposition on Psalms 2 Augustine of Hippo: Begotten from the eternal Father, begotten from eternity, begotten in eternity, with no beginning, with no ending, with no space of extension, because he is what is, because he himself is who is. — HOMILIES ON 1 John 2:5 Cassiodorus: "I have begotten you" refers to the birth about which Isaiah speaks, "Who will tell about his generation?" He is Light from Light, Almighty from Almighty, true God from true God, from whom, and through whom, and in whom all things exist. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 2:8 Cosmas Indicopleustes: Paul when he was discoursing in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia spoke thus: And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers, how that God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Paul here, by Christ's having been begotten, understands his resurrection, and he too has decided that the second psalm has been spoken concerning him, as all the Apostles also have affirmed. — The Christian Topography, Book 5 Cyril of Alexandria: The word today indicates the present time in which he was made in the flesh—he who nevertheless in his own nature was the Lord of everything. John testifies to this, that he came among his own, calling the world his own. Having been called into a kingdom in accordance with his accustomed glory, he said, "I have been made king by him," that is, by God the Father. Furthermore, he fulfilled this by being made the Son in his humanity even if then he was the Son in his own nature. He smoothed the way for human nature to participate in adoption, and he called to himself people oppressed by the tyranny of sin. Just as we, since we are weighted down by curse and death, have received the evils of the transgressions of Adam like a certain inheritance handed across the generations to the whole universe from the ancestors, so also the splendid gifts of Christ flow down to the generations of humankind into the whole universe. The Only Begotten receives them not wholly for himself but for us. He is fully God as to his nature, nor does he lack anything whatever. He himself becomes richer than all creation with good things from above. — EXPOSITION OF THE Psalms 2:7 Methodius of Olympus: He willed that he who existed before the ages in heaven should be begotten on the earth—that is, that he who was before unknown should be made known. Now, certainly, Christ has never yet been born in those people who have never perceived the manifold wisdom of God—that is, has never been known, has never been manifested, has never appeared to them. But if these also should perceive the mystery of grace, then in them too, when they were converted and believed, he would be born in knowledge and understanding. — BANQUET OF THE TEN VIRGINS 8:9 Origen of Alexandria: There is no evening of God possible and, I think, no morning, but the time, if I may put it this way, which is coextensive with his unoriginated and eternal life, is today for him, the day in which the Son has been begotten. Consequently neither the beginning nor the day of his generation is to be found. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 1:204 Theodoret of Cyrus: To be sure, God the Word had the name "only-begotten Son" before the ages as connatural with his condition, yet while still possessing the title of the Son as God, he also receives it as human being. Hence in the present psalm he added the words [of this verse]. Now no one who believes the teaching of the divine Spirit would apply this verse to the divinity of Christ the Lord. In fact, let us listen in this regard to the God of all speaking through David, "From the womb before the morning star I begot you." So as man he both receives this verse and hears what follows. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 2:7 Augustine of Hippo: "Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance" [Psalms 2:8]. This has at once a temporal sense with reference to the Manhood which He took on Himself, who offered up Himself as a Sacrifice in the stead of all sacrifices, who also maketh intercession for us; so that the words, "ask of Me," may be referred to all this temporal dispensation, which has been instituted for mankind, namely, that the "nations" should be joined to the Name of Christ, and so be redeemed from death, and possessed by God. "I shall give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance," which so possess them for their salvation, and to bear unto Thee spiritual fruit. "And the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession." The same repeated, "The uttermost parts of the earth," is put for "the nations;" but more clearly, that we might understand all the nations. And "Thy possession" stands for "Thine inheritance." — Exposition on Psalms 2 Didymus the Blind: The words, therefore, "Ask of me, and I will give to you," are spoken for our sake, not for the Son's. They indicate that something is given not to the Son but to the peoples who belong to him. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 2:8 Leo the Great: Therefore, let us rejoice in the day of our salvation, dearly beloved. We have been taken up through the new covenant into participation with him who was told by the Father through a prophet, "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. Ask it of me, and I will give you the of the earth for your possession." Let us glory, therefore, in the mercy of the one adopting us. — SERMON 29:3 Origen of Alexandria: It may perhaps be a dogma of some kind that no one receives a divine gift who does not request it. The Father, indeed, through the psalm, urges the Savior to ask that it may be given to him, as the Son teaches us when he says, "The Lord said to me, You are my son; ask from me, and I will give you the Gentiles as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession." And the Savior says, "Ask and it will be given to you … for everyone who asks receives." — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 13:5 Theodoret of Cyrus: Now it is possible to discover an appropriate fulfillment for this prophecy, too: the number of the Jews who came to faith was not only the 12 apostles but was as well the 70 disciples, the 120 whom blessed Peter addressed in assembly, the 500 to whom he appeared on one occasion after the resurrection according to the statement of the divinely inspired Paul, the 3, and the 5, that the chief of the apostles made his catch through addressing them and the many myriads of whom the mighty James exclaimed, "You see, brother, what countless numbers of Jewish believers there are." These, to be sure, and in addition to them those of the Jews throughout the whole world who have come to faith he declares a holy people, and through them he takes possession of all the nations, thus fulfilling the prophecy in the words "Rejoice, nations, with his people." In addition to this, however, he fulfills also his own prophecy, which he made in regard to the Jews in the words, "Now, I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. Those, too, I must gather; they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd." This, too, he says in the present psalm. But it occurs to me to lament the faithlessness of the [unbelieving] Jews, who though hearing the prophecy that made specific mention of the ends of the earth, and realizing that none of their kings had had such sway, but only Christ the Lord, David's offspring in the flesh, blind the eyes of their mind according to the prophecy that says, "They grope about, as blind people do for the wall, and not as they will do who have the benefit of eyesight." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 2:9-10 Augustine of Hippo: Remember the rod of correction and discipline, and do not get conceited and proud when you have been filled with the good things of God's gifts and start grumbling against him; because in his anger he will shatter you with it like a potter's vessel. — SERMON 366:6 Augustine of Hippo: "You shall rule them with a rod of iron," with inflexible justice, and "You shall break them like a potter's vessel" [Psalms 2:9]; that is, "You shall break" in them earthly lusts, and the filthy doings of the old man, and whatsoever has been derived and inured from the sinful clay. — Exposition on Psalms 2 Cosmas Indicopleustes: And these things have been said about his humanity, for it is about his deity that in this very psalm it has been said: Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron; as a potters vessel shalt thou dash them in pieces; as if at the same time making known the force and might of his divinity, and indicating the renovation or regeneration of the human race—for the potter's vessel, though dashed to pieces, provided it has not as yet been subjected to the furnace, admits of being refashioned. — The Christian Topography, Book 5 Origen of Alexandria: It is necessary to consider how the Father gave the nations to the Son as an inheritance and the ends of the earth as a possession. He says to him, "You will break them like a clay pot." For who gives an inheritance so that it may be broken by the heir? It must be demonstrated from Scripture, therefore, how the contrition of certain people proved so beneficial. We find in the fiftieth psalm, "Having brought a spiritual sacrifice to God, a contrite and humble heart God will not despise." And it is said in another prophecy as instruction, "You will wail for the brokenness of your spirit." There is a spirit within us, therefore, that it is necessary to destroy in order that it may become a contrite sacrifice to God. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 2:9 Theodore of Mopsuestia: Are not, therefore, those words that were spoken by blessed David appropriately applied to the Lord whose kingdom extends to the farthest outposts of the earth and the whole world? [It is he] who, like the rod, threatens and punishes the broken condition of the nations and of the Jews, not in order to destroy them but in order to bring them back together and reshape them, as when the old man is put off and the new man takes his place through the sacrament of baptism. David really said this: "just like a pot of clay you will break them," showing the parallel, since by their contrition there had been no destruction, but a renewal was about to follow. This is likened to the intention of every potter: that the vases, if they do not follow the will and hand of the one making them, while they are yet new and not hardened by the kiln, the potter breaks them and puts them back on the wheel to be re-formed. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 2:9 Augustine of Hippo: And there was as yet no sign of that which is spoken a little later in the same psalm: "Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." How then are kings to serve the Lord with fear, except by preventing and chastising with religious severity all those acts which are done in opposition to the commandments of the Lord? For a man serves God in one way in that he is man, in another way in that he is also king. In that he is man, he serves Him by living faithfully; but in that he is also king, he serves Him by enforcing with suitable rigor such laws as ordain what is righteous, and punish what is the reverse. Even as Hezekiah served Him, by destroying the groves and the temples of the idols, and the high places which had been built in violation of the commandments of God; or even as Josiah served Him, by doing the same things in his turn; or as the king of the Ninevites served Him, by compelling all the men of his city to make satisfaction to the Lord; or as Darius served Him, by giving the idol into the power of Daniel to be broken, and by casting his enemies into the den of lions; or as Nebuchadnezzar served Him, of whom I have spoken before, by issuing a terrible law to prevent any of his subjects from blaspheming God. In this way, therefore, kings can serve the Lord, even in so far as they are kings, when they do in His service what they could not do were they not kings. — A Treatise Concerning the Correction of the Donatists (Letter 185), 19 Augustine of Hippo: "And now understand, you kings" [Psalms 2:10]. "And now;" that is, being now renewed, your covering of clay worn out, that is, the carnal vessels of error which belong to your past life, "now understand," you who now are "kings;" that is, able now to govern all that is servile and brutish in you, able now too to fight, not as "they who beat the air, but chastening your bodies, and bringing them into subjection." [1 Corinthians 9:26-27] "Be instructed, all you who judge the earth." This again is a repetition; "Be instructed" is instead of "understand;" and "you who judge the earth" instead of "you kings." For He signifies the spiritual by "those who judge the earth." For whatsoever we judge, is below us; and whatsoever is below the spiritual man, is with good reason called "the earth;" because it is defiled with earthly corruption. — Exposition on Psalms 2 Apostolic Constitutions: Even your very rejoicings therefore ought to be done with fear and trembling, for a Christian who is faithful ought to repeat neither a heathen hymn nor an obscene song, because he will be obliged by that hymn to make mention of the idolatrous names of demons; and instead of the Holy Spirit, the wicked one will enter into him. — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 5:2.10 Augustine of Hippo: "Serve the Lord with fear;" lest what is said, "You kings and judges of the earth," turn into pride: "And rejoice with trembling" [Psalms 2:11]. Very excellently is "rejoice" added, lest "serve the Lord with fear" should seem to tend to misery. But again, lest this same rejoicing should run on to unrestrained inconsiderateness, there is added "with trembling," that it might avail for a warning, and for the careful guarding of holiness. It can also be taken thus, "And now you kings understand;" that is, And now that I am set as King, be not sad, kings of the earth, as if your excellency were taken from you, but rather "understand and be instructed." For it is expedient for you, that you should be under Him, by whom understanding and instruction are given you. And this is expedient for you, that you lord it not with rashness, but that you "serve the Lord" of all "with fear," and "rejoice" in bliss most sure and most pure, with all caution and carefulness, lest you fall therefrom into pride. — Exposition on Psalms 2 Evagrius Ponticus: If you remember the Judge only when you are in difficulties as one who inspires fear and who is incorruptibly honest, then you have not as yet learned to "serve the Lord in fear and to rejoice in him with trembling." For understand this point well: one is to worship him even in spiritual relaxations and in times of good cheer with even more piety and reverence. — CHAPTERS ON PRAYER 143 Peter Chrysologus: He who remains in the fear of God remains in holiness. — SERMON 80 Theodore of Mopsuestia: He wants devotion, not coercion … because to obey is more sublime than to yield simply to duty. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 2:11 Augustine of Hippo: "Lay hold of discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the righteous way" [Psalms 2:12]. This is the same as, "understand," and, "be instructed." For to understand and be instructed, this is to lay hold of discipline. Still in that it is said, "lay hold of," it is plainly enough intimated that there is some protection and defence against all things which might do hurt unless with so great carefulness it be laid hold of. "Lest at any time the Lord be angry," is expressed with a doubt, not as regards the vision of the prophet to whom it is certain, but as regards those who are warned; for they, to whom it is not openly revealed, are wont to think with doubt of the anger of God. This then they ought to say to themselves, let us "lay hold of discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and we perish from the righteous way." Now, how "the Lord be angry" is to be taken, has been said above. And "you perish from the righteous way." This is a great punishment, and dreaded by those who have had any perception of the sweetness of righteousness; for he who perishes from the way of righteousness, in much misery will wander through the ways of unrighteousness. "When His anger shall be shortly kindled, blessed are all they who put their trust in Him;" that is, when the vengeance shall come which is prepared for the ungodly and for sinners, not only will it not light on those "who put their trust in" the Lord, but it will even avail for the foundation and exaltation of a kingdom for them. For he said not, "When His anger shall be shortly kindled," safe "are all they who put their trust in Him," as though they should have this only thereby, to be exempt from punishment; but he said, "blessed;" in which there is the sum and accumulation of all good things. Now the meaning of "shortly" I suppose to be this, that it will be something sudden, while sinners will deem it far off and long to come. — Exposition on Psalms 2 Asterius of Cappadocia: It is shown in various statements and examples of holy Scripture that God has used domestic disputes, rebellion and multiple disasters in the punishment of sin. The purpose of David was to chastise and to edify life through the psalm, so that no one would do evil, or violate the law of God or experience what befalls a sinner. David was fleeing his son because he had acted unchastely; he was fleeing his son because he had violated purity in marriage; he was fleeing his son because he had departed from the law of God, which says, "You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery." … Many today wage wars in their homes; one is opposed by his wife, another is besieged by his son; one is ruled by a brother, and another by a slave; and each one is in anguish and afflicted. He fights, wages war and is harassed by war, and no one can understand why. But if he had not planted the seeds of sin, it would have never happened that thorny plants and prickly bushes would grow up in his home; if he had not hidden the glare of his sins, his home would not burn. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 3:2 Augustine of Hippo: "O Lord, how are they multiplied that trouble me!" [Psalms 3:1]. So multiplied indeed were they, that one even from the number of His disciples was not wanting, who was added to the number of His persecutors. — Exposition on Psalms 3 Didymus the Blind: He who offers no grounds for hate and enmity may have enemies for no reason. Such are all who endure persecution because they live righteously for Jesus Christ. To these the Savior says, "Blessed are you when people revile you and when liars speak evil against you on account of me." This is what happened when David had many enemies for no reason such as Saul and Absalom and those who accompanied them. For they attacked without cause him who was a righteous man and had often shown them much goodness and gentleness. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 3:8 Diodorus of Tarsus: It is also necessary to indicate the difference between the term diapsalma and the song of the diapsalma, or in short what their meaning is. While diapsalma means a change of tune and alteration of rhythm, then, and not a shift in thought, as some commentators believed, so does song of the diapsalma, since frequently singers changed the tunes according to the availability of instruments. So it indicates alternation in styles and rhythms, not change in ideas. It is, in fact, ridiculous to mention anything else, though some commentators have come up with extraordinary notions, like the Spirit coming on the author at one time and withdrawing at another, which did not happen—perish the thought. I mean, the Holy Spirit did not grant the authors the grace of addressing the text in the manner the demons do to those unaware of what they are saying; rather, he implanted in their mind complete understanding, and on receiving this knowledge they gave voice to it to the extent of their capability, not uttering what they did not understand in the manner of the seers but having complete knowledge of the force of their words. As I said, therefore, the occurrences of diapsalma and songs of diapsalma are changes in rhythms and styles, not alterations in ideas. The movement of thought also reveals this: after the reference diapsalma you never find the following thought in opposition to what precedes, being instead sequential and consistent. Hence it is clear that the occurrence midstream of diapsalma involved no interruption to the thought of the text, instead perhaps altering the rhythm in keeping with the norms of music and rhythm applying at the time. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3 Gregory of Nyssa: When the great David served as interpreter for the Spirit, he related in his song the things that he had previously learned, and if he was taught something additional while he was speaking, he submitted to the Spirit who was making the hearing of his soul resound and stopped the music, and when he was filled with these thoughts he related these matters, again entwining the words with the melody. One who has comprehended the term in a definition might say, then, that diapsalma is a pause that occurs suddenly in the midst of the singing of a psalm in order to receive an additional thought that is being introduced from God. Or, one might rather define it as follows. diapsalma is a teaching from the Spirit that occurs in a mysterious manner in the soul, when the attention given to this new thought impedes the continuity of the song.… In the third psalm he spoke first about the distress and hardship that occurred when his enemies "rose up against" him. Then he separated that part with the diapsalma and put his trust in the one who was causing that sound of salvation to resound mysteriously in him and said, "But you, Lord, are my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head." Again, when he has stopped the music, saying, in accordance with that gracious voice that he has made his own, "I cried to the Lord with my voice, and he heard me from his holy mountain," he is taught what the solution is for the hardship that is common to human ills. And after he has been taught the mystery related to the passion of the Lord in the sudden illumination of the Spirit, he assumes the character of the Lord and says, "I lay down and slept, and I was raised, because the Lord will help me." — ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE Psalms 2:10.115-16, 121-22 Jerome: This psalm can pertain to David or to Christ, and through him to all the saints. — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3 Augustine of Hippo: So multiplied indeed were they, that one even from the number of His disciples was not wanting, who was added to the number of His persecutors. "Many rise up against me; many say unto my soul, There is no salvation for him in his God" [Psalms 3:2]. It is clear that if they had had any idea that He would rise again, assuredly they would not have slain Him. To this end are those speeches, "Let Him come down from the cross, if He be the Son of God;" and again, "He saved others, Himself He cannot save." Therefore, neither would Judas have betrayed Him, if he had not been of the number of those who despised Christ, saying, "There is no salvation for Him in His God." — Exposition on Psalms 3 Origen of Alexandria: We readily accept this psalm as spoken from the person of David, as we have noted in its title. According to history, certain men were hurting David, many of whom as their number increased were joining themselves to Absalom.… Those who were oppressing the Savior were Jews who were shouting, "Away with him; away with him!" Judas the betrayer and Caiphas rose up against him. The ones who said that there was no deliverance of his life were the same ones passing by him at the time of his suffering who said, "Come down from the cross and we will believe you." … But, one may also understand this passage in this way: all the rulers and teachers of subjects that are foreign to the decrees of Christ who have come against him. The people who cling to them and follow their teaching cause him trial. Finally, they who, neither teaching contrary matters nor instructed by false teaching, believe that there is no divine nature in the teaching of Christ, they say there is no salvation of the soul in God. They say that there is not anything that promises salvation either in the word of his teaching or the historical signs that he relates concerning his advent. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 3.2-3 Augustine of Hippo: "But You, O Lord, art my taker." It is said to God in the nature of man, for the taking of man is, the Word made Flesh. "My glory." Even He calls God his glory, whom the Word of God so took, that God became one with Him. Let the proud learn, who unwillingly hear, when it is said to them, "For what have you that you did not receive? Now if you received it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?" [1 Corinthians 4:7] "And the lifter up of my head" [Psalms 3:3]. I think that this should be here taken of the human mind, which is not unreasonably called the head of the soul; which so inhered in, and in a sort coalesced with, the supereminent excellency of the Word taking man, that it was not laid aside by so great humiliation of the Passion. — Exposition on Psalms 3 Didymus the Blind: Since the psalm is spoken from the person of the Lord, it must be said that even the head of him who is lifted up is of God, since really his deity is made manifest to the faithful through external demonstration. The word head in this place indicates "chief." Christ, therefore, the chief of holy people, deservedly is their king, and it is his head that is lifted up. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 3:4 Origen of Alexandria: Certainly, people place their glory in various places, some in their country, some in family line, some in beauty, some in the strength of their bodies and in their skill of competing in the contest, being very elated they have overcome these people or those by their physical struggling. And why is it necessary to recount all the things through which those unknown gods are glorified, "whose glory is in their shame," as the apostle said? God is the glory of the saint who trusts him, glory, I say, not blindly credited but credited through faith that is reckoned as righteousness, through which one is enabled to see the signs of a present God and participate in his strength. So, God was the glory of Moses who loved the prophet so much that he revealed himself to the point of showing his face both before all the Hebrew people and before the Egyptians. God was the glory of the prophet Elijah, who revived the son of the widow and begged for the rain to be held back, and who continually was heard. God was speaking truth, therefore, when he said, "I will only honor them honoring me." God is the glory of them who are magnified in their strength, which no one other than the Father places in them, who hand themselves over to him for sustaining their souls. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 3:4 Theodore of Mopsuestia: The strength of a stable spirit that is greatly tested in adversity must be considered because, since it possesses hope, even amidst the greatest anguish it does not yield. Those, I say, who mock me say such things to increase my grief. I will not stop hoping in what I have believed because you, Lord, help me as I labor. You guard my step from the danger of evil. You restore my honor and worth. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:4 Theodoret of Cyrus: Many, in fact, are the enemies of every kind who assail me from all sides, but more numerous are those who trouble me by their mockery and their claims that I am bereft of your providence. Yet I know that you would not persist in ignoring me, despite my many failings. On the contrary, you will raise up the one who now humbles himself for the sin he committed and make him appear stronger than his foes.… I have confidence neither in kingship nor in sovereignty; instead, I trust in you to be my glory, and I expect to be quickly raised up by your right hand. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 3:2 Augustine of Hippo: "With my voice have I cried unto the Lord" [Psalms 3:4]; that is, not with the voice of the body, which is drawn out with the sound of the reverberation of the air; but with the voice of the heart, which to men speaks not, but with God sounds as a cry. By this voice Susanna was heard; and with this voice the Lord Himself commanded that prayer should be made in closets, that is, in the recesses of the heart noiselessly. Nor would one easily say that prayer is not made with this voice, if no sound of words is uttered from the body; since even when in silence we pray within the heart, if thoughts interpose alien from the mind of one praying, it cannot yet be said, "With my voice have I cried unto the Lord." Nor is this rightly said, save when the soul alone, taking to itself nothing of the flesh, and nothing of the aims of the flesh, in prayer, speaks to God, where He only hears. But even this is called a cry by reason of the strength of its intention. "And He heard me out of His holy mountain." We have the Lord Himself called a mountain by the Prophet, as it is written, "The stone that was cut out without hands grew to the size of a mountain." But this cannot be taken of His Person, unless peradventure He would speak thus, out of myself, as of His holy mountain He heard me, when He dwelt in me, that is, in this very mountain. But it is more plain and unembarrassed, if we understand that God out of His justice heard. For it was just that He should raise again from the dead the Innocent who was slain, and to whom evil had been recompensed for good, and that He should render to the persecutor a meet reward, who repaid Him evil for good. For we read, "Thy justice is as the mountains of God." — Exposition on Psalms 3 Eusebius of Caesarea: The preceding psalm calls to mind this mountain when it says, "I have installed my king on mount Zion, my holy mountain." Christ was the one he was speaking of, and now David bears witness that he must be heard plainly by Christ from his holy mountain. Further, he says who is going to hear him except the Lord who has been installed as king upon Zion his holy mountain? Through this statement he [David], now alone, believed that he would be forgiven, that his glory would return and that his head would be lifted up. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:5 Theodore of Mopsuestia: It is the greatest faith that allows no hesitation for seeking the help of God for himself and that approaches with confidence of his demand. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:5 Augustine of Hippo: The words, "I slept, and took rest; and rose, for the Lord will take me up," [Psalms 3:5] lead us to believe that this Psalm is to be understood as in the Person of Christ; for they sound more applicable to the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord, than to that history in which David's flight is described from the face of his rebellious son. And, since it is written of Christ's disciples, "The sons of the bridegroom fast not as long as the bridegroom is with them;" [Matthew 9:15] it is no wonder if by his undutiful son be here meant that undutiful disciple who betrayed Him. From whose face although it may be understood historically that He fled, when on his departure He withdrew with the rest to the mountain; yet in a spiritual sense, when the Son of God, that is the Power and Wisdom of God, abandoned the mind of Judas; when the Devil wholly occupied him; as it is written, "The Devil entered into his heart," [John 13:27] may it be well understood that Christ fled from his face; not that Christ gave place to the Devil, but that on Christ's departure the Devil took possession. Which departure, I suppose, is called a flight in this Psalm, because of its quickness; which is indicated also by the word of our Lord, saying, "That you do, do quickly." [John 13:27] So even in common conversation we say of anything that does not come to mind, it has fled from me; and of a man of much learning we say, nothing flies from him. Wherefore truth fled from the mind of Judas, when it ceased to enlighten him. But Absalom, as some interpret, in the Latin tongue signifies, Patris pax, a father's peace. And it may seem strange, whether in the history of the kings, when Absalom carried on war against his father; or in the history of the New Testament, when Judas was the betrayer of our Lord; how "father's peace" can be understood. But both in the former place they who read carefully, see that David in that war was at peace with his son, who even with sore grief lamented his death, saying, "O Absalom, my son, would God I had died for you!" [2 Samuel 18:33] And in the history of the New Testament by that so great and so wonderful forbearance of our Lord; in that He bore so long with him as if good, when He was not ignorant of his thoughts; in that He admitted him to the Supper in which He committed and delivered to His disciples the figure of His Body and Blood; finally, in that He received the kiss of peace at the very time of His betrayal; it is easily understood how Christ showed peace to His betrayer, although he was laid waste by the intestine war of so abominable a device. And therefore is Absalom called "father's peace," because his father had the peace, which he had not. — Exposition on Psalms 3 Augustine of Hippo: The prophetic psalms are by no means silent on the subject of [Christ's] resurrection.… What other meaning can be taken from these words in Psalms 3, sung in the person of Christ?… For, unless one sees in this sleep the death, and in this awaking the resurrection of Christ thus prophesied, one is reduced to the silly supposition that the prophet wished to communicate to us the really remarkable news that he himself fell asleep and later on woke up! — City of God 17.18 Augustine of Hippo: Do not let these words, where he says, "since the Lord took me up," strike your minds as meaning that Christ himself did not raise up his own body. The Father raised him up, and he also raised himself up. How shall we prove to you that he raised himself up? Call to mind what he said to the Jews: "Pull down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." — SERMON 305:3 Eusebius of Caesarea: As in the previous psalm so here the future is prophesied.… "I lie down, and I sleep" is spoken prophetically, namely, I will lie down, I will sleep, I will rise up, because you, Oh Lord, are my sustainer, my glory and the lifter of my head.… For "sleep" indicates death, concerning which the future is prophesied for us. It refers to the time of the life of the Savior, which when it was finished, prophecy came to an end; when, namely, the Son of man Christ descended even to hell and the Savior was clearly shown to the captives who were awaiting destruction; so as in the time of his resurrection from death many bodies of the saints who had been sleeping will live again with him, in whom was the likeness of the spirit of David. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:6 Augustine of Hippo: "I will not fear the thousands of people that surround me" [Psalms 3:6]. It is written in the Gospels how great a multitude stood around Him as He was suffering, and on the cross. — Exposition on Psalms 3 Cassiodorus: He could not fear a death that he foreknew would last only three days and would benefit the world. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 3:7 Eusebius of Caesarea: He predicts that there are going to be many thousands of adversaries who will wish to hinder the resurrection of the saints because they are jealous of their salvation: which ones I will regard as nothing, he said. I have trusted my defender, the victor over death, who, after the bronze gates were torn down and the iron bolts thoroughly broken, opened the gates of death that had been closed for ages, and with those people known to him, from which number was David, he prepared for the resurrection life. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:7 Origen of Alexandria: The verse clearly teaches that the one who comes to the greatest virtue, to very great security, comes on account of faith in God.… The Savior, recognizing that thousands of the people of the circumcision were going to demand that he be crucified and knowing his own spirit of fearlessness (I say these things speaking in terms of the flesh), is able to say even these words. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 3:7 Theodore of Mopsuestia: In this verse the psalmist is not moved by his own trials to the point of despairing of the help of God, nor is he dissuaded from a position of faith by words of reproach. He, having learned by experience the fullness of previous help, cries out most confidently after the kindnesses of God toward him through which he is freed from all of the entangling of his troubles: "I will not fear ten thousands surrounding me." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:7 Ammonius of Alexandria: He has struck his adversaries, he has broken the teeth of sinners; indeed, so that he may heal them again: "I will strike [he said], and again I will heal." He has broken the teeth of sinners, or, in other words, the wicked words and carnal actions, because he desires to destroy them in the inmost parts. Perhaps he has called those same ones adversaries and sinners: since he has broken the teeth of all sinners who turned against Christ, but especially the Jews on account of unfaithfulness; those teeth about which in another psalm he says, "Those who devour my people as bread, and they do not call on the Lord." He broke these teeth … when he arose from the dead. — FRAGMENTS ON Psalms 3:8 Augustine of Hippo: "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God" [Psalms 3:7]. It is not said to God, "Arise," as if asleep or lying down, but it is usual in holy Scripture to attribute to God what He does in us; not indeed universally, but where it can be done suitably; as when He is said to speak, when by His gift Prophets speak, and Apostles, or whatsoever messengers of the truth. Hence that text, "Would you have proof of Christ, who speaks in me?" [2 Corinthians 13:3] For he does not say, of Christ, by whose enlightening or order I speak; but he attributes at once the speaking itself to Him, by whose gift he spoke. "Since You have smitten all who oppose me without a cause." It is not to be pointed as if it were one sentence, "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God; since You have smitten all who oppose me without a cause." For He did not therefore save Him, because He smote His enemies; but rather He being saved, He smote them. Therefore it belongs to what follows, so that the sense is this; "Since You have smitten all who oppose me without a cause, You have broken the teeth of the sinners;" that is, thereby have You broken the teeth of the sinners, since You have smitten all who oppose me. It is forsooth the punishment of the opposers, whereby their teeth have been broken, that is, the words of sinners rending with their cursing the Son of God, brought to nought, as it were to dust; so that we may understand "teeth" thus, as words of cursing. Of which teeth the Apostle speaks, "If you bite one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another." [Galatians 5:15] The teeth of sinners can also be taken as the chiefs of sinners; by whose authority each one is cut off from the fellowship of godly livers, and as it were incorporated with evil livers. To these teeth are opposed the Church's teeth, by whose authority believers are cut off from the error of the Gentiles and various opinions, and are translated into that fellowship which is the body of Christ. With these teeth Peter was told to eat the animals when they had been killed, that is, by killing in the Gentiles what they were, and changing them into what he was himself. Of these teeth too of the Church it is said, "Your teeth are as a flock of shorn sheep, coming up from the bath, whereof every one bears twins, and there is not one barren among them." These are they who prescribe rightly, and as they prescribe, live; who do what is written, "Let your works shine before men, that they may bless your Father which is in heaven." [Matthew 5:16] For moved by their authority, they believe God who speaks and works through these men; and separated from the world, to which they were once conformed, they pass over into the members of the Church. And rightly therefore are they, through whom such things are done, called teeth like to shorn sheep; for they have laid aside the burdens of earthly cares, and coming up from the bath, from the washing away of the filth of the world by the Sacrament of Baptism, every one bears twins. For they fulfil the two commandments, of which it is said, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets;" [Matthew 22:40] loving God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and their neighbour as themselves. "There is not one barren among them," for much fruit they render unto God. According to this sense then it is to be thus understood, "You have broken the teeth of the sinners," that is, You have brought the chiefs of the sinners to nought, by smiting all who oppose Me without a cause. For the chiefs according to the Gospel history persecuted Him, while the lower people honoured Him. — Exposition on Psalms 3 Cassiodorus: It is not that God is awakened while sleeping or lying down for rest, but it is common for the divine Scriptures to express a matter through a metaphor, to say something about God using what is familiar to us. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 3:8 Eusebius of Caesarea: When he foresees his deliverance after death, he has faith that he has been saved by grace and that kindness has been granted. He is certain that this faith of some in the resurrection of the Savior is able to come to him, and consequently he prays that the resurrection of the Lord be hastened so that through it he himself will experience salvation.… Now, he says, you have broken the teeth of sinners; that is, their conversations and blasphemous words hurled against me you have stripped away. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:8 Evagrius Ponticus: The teeth of sinners are thoughts foreign to reason coming to us on account of our nature by which our enemies approach us, just like using their teeth time after time again to devour our flesh. That is, those [are] things that spring forth from the flesh: "Manifest are the works of the flesh," as the apostle says. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 3:8 Theodoret of Cyrus: The phrase "breaking the teeth of sinners," that is to say, depriving them of all strength, is by comparison with wild beasts, which when bereft of their teeth are quite undaunting and open to attack. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 3:4 Augustine of Hippo: "Salvation is of the Lord; and upon Your people be Your blessing" [Psalms 3:8]. In one sentence the Psalmist has enjoined men what to believe, and has prayed for believers. For when it is said, "Salvation is of the Lord," the words are addressed to men. Nor does it follow, "And upon Your people" be "Your blessing," in such wise as that the whole is spoken to men, but there is a change into prayer addressed to God Himself, for the very people to whom it was said, "Salvation is of the Lord." What else then does he say but this? Let no man presume on himself, seeing that it is of the Lord to save from the death of sin; for, "Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 7:24-25] But bless, O Lord, Your people, who look for salvation from You. — Exposition on Psalms 3 Augustine of Hippo: And so the Holy Spirit is not only the Spirit of the Father and of the Son who gave Him, but He is also called ours, who have received Him: as "The salvation of the Lord," who gives salvation, is said also to be our salvation, who have received it. Therefore, the Spirit is both the Spirit of God who gave Him, and ours who have received Him. — ON THE TRINITY 5:14.15 Cassiodorus: In a single sentence he both commands us what to believe and promises what we can receive from him. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 3:9 Didymus the Blind: What is the blessing to people who overcome unless it is the will of the Father concerning the coming of his Son into the world? — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 3:9 Theodore of Mopsuestia: What is this blessing of the Lord? Without a doubt it is peace, just as Scripture says in many places: "Peace be over Israel." Through these words he wishes to show that in the place of blessing peace is conferred on the people. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 3:9 Asterius of Cappadocia: "You have made room for me in distress." God has made room for [the psalmist] in two ways; one, because he heard his prayer, and two, because he heard quickly. It is a double grace not just to be heard but to be heard quickly. To be heard quickly and immediately in calamity is what he called "room," "In distress you made room for me." An unexpected calm disrupts the surge of calamity; the foaming sea is turned into a lake; the storms and tempests are changed into dew; enemies are made friends; and suppliants become givers of praise. "In distress you have made room for me." No longer as an infant do I open my mouth, for the providence of God, just like a mother, gives me food. "In distress you have made room for me." When I was longing for food, he filled me from the fruit of the earth of grain, wine and oil, so that not I alone but all those subordinate to me could enjoy them. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 5:13 Augustine of Hippo: "When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me" [Psalms 4:1]. When I called, God heard me, the Psalmist says, of whom is my righteousness. "In tribulation You have enlarged me." You have led me from the straits of sadness into the broad ways of joy. For, "tribulation and straitness is on every soul of man that does evil." [Romans 2:9] But he who says, "We rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works patience;" up to that where he says, "Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us;" he has no straits of heart, they be heaped on him outwardly by them that persecute him. Now the change of person, for that from the third person, where he says, "He heard," he passes at once to the second, where he says, "You have enlarged me;" if it be not done for the sake of variety and grace, it is strange why the Psalmist should first wish to declare to men that he had been heard, and afterwards address Him who heard him. Unless perchance, when he had declared how he was heard, in this very enlargement of heart he preferred to speak with God; that he might even in this way show what it is to be enlarged in heart, that is, to have God already shed abroad in the heart, with whom he might hold converse interiorly. Which is rightly understood as spoken in the person of him who, believing on Christ, has been enlightened; but in that of the very Lord Man, whom the Wisdom of God took, I do not see how this can be suitable. For He was never deserted by It. But as His very prayer against trouble is a sign rather of our infirmity, so also of that sudden enlargement of heart the same Lord may speak for His faithful ones, whom He has personated also when He said, "I was an hungered, and you gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink," [Matthew 25:42] and so forth. Wherefore here also He can say, "You have enlarged me," for one of the least of His, holding converse with God, whose "love" he has "shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." [Romans 5:5] "Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer." Why does he again ask, when already he declared that he had been heard and enlarged? It is for our sakes, of whom it is said, "But if we hope for that we see not, we wait in patience;" [Romans 8:25] or is it, that in him who has believed that which is begun may be perfected? — Exposition on Psalms 4 Desert Fathers: [Syncletica] also said, 'When the devil does not use the goad of poverty to tempt us, he uses wealth for the same purpose. When he cannot win by scorn and mockery, he tries praise and flattery. If he cannot win by giving health, he tries illness. If he cannot win by comfort, he tries to ruin the soul by vexations that lead us to act against our monastic vows. He inflicts severe sicknesses on people whom he wants to tempt and so makes them weak, and thereby shakes the love they feel towards God. But although the body is shattered and running a high temperature and thirsting unbearably, yet you, who endure all this, are a sinner; you should therefore remember the punishments of the next world, the everlasting fire, the torments of judgement. Then you will not fail in the sufferings of this present time, indeed you should rejoice because God has visited you. Keep saying the famous text: "The Lord hath chastened and corrected me: but he hath not given me over unto death" (Ps. 118:18). Iron is cleaned of rust by fire. If you are righteous and suffer, you grow to a higher sanctity. Gold is tested by fire. When a messenger from Satan is given to you to be a thorn in your flesh, lift up your heart, for you have received a gift like that of St Paul. If you suffer from fever and cold, remember the text of Scripture, "We went through fire and water," and "thou broughtest us out into a place of rest" (Ps. 66:12). If you have overcome suffering, you may expect rest, provided you are following what is good. Cry aloud the prophet's words, "I am poor and destitute and in misery" (Ps. 66:29). Threefold suffering like this shall make you perfect. He said also, "Thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble" (Ps. 4:1). So let this kind of self-discipline test our souls, for our enemy is always in sight.' — The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks Didymus the Blind: Instead of allaying the disaster or restraining evil deeds, God sometimes offers courage for bravely bearing the disaster. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 4:2 Diodorus of Tarsus: There are therefore two forms of tribulation: we either inflict tribulations and sufferings on ourselves as a result of mismanagement, or we fall foul of them despite our best intentions. The former tribulation requires us to show endurance and patience, the sufferers being aware that there is nothing harmful in what comes from God, and it is they themselves who reap the thorns they personally sow. The righteous request, by contrast, is a case of the latter tribulation of which we fall foul despite our best intention, when as often happens we are the victim of brigands, we suffer shipwreck or we come close to death by illness, in all of which cases the righteous request brings joy. It is in regard to them that David confirms that often when he was involved involuntarily in distress and begged God's assistance, he was not only rescued but even was vouchsafed more generous providence—the sense of given space, since though tribulation constricts and depresses the soul, relief and joy expand and elate it. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4 Evagrius Ponticus: Whenever we realize the reasons why we suffer and are tested, then our minds are greatly opened. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 4.2 John Chrysostom: Prayer is no small bond of love for God, developing in us the habit of converse with him and encouraging the pursuit of wisdom.… We are, however, not as aware as we should be of the benefit of prayer, for the reason that we neither apply ourselves to it with assiduity nor have recourse to it in accord with God's laws. Typically, when we converse with people of a class above us, we make sure that our appearance and gait and attire are as they should be and dialogue with them accordingly. When we approach God, by contrast, we yawn, scratch ourselves, look this way and that, pay little attention, loll on the ground, do the shopping. If on the contrary we were to approach him with due reverence and prepare ourselves to converse with him as God, then we would know even before receiving what we asked how much benefit we gain.… [In receiving prayer] God, after all, looks not for beauty of utterance or turn of phrase but for freshness of spirit; even if we say what just comes into our mind, we go away with our entreaties successful.… Often we do not even need a voice. I mean, even if you speak in your heart and call on him as you should, he will readily incline toward you even then. In this way was Moses also heard, in this way also Hannah. No soldier stands by to scare people away, no bodyguard to cut short the proper moment; he is not the one to say, "Now is not a good time to make your approach, come back later." Rather, when you come, he stands listening, even if it is lunchtime, even if dinnertime, even if the worst of times, even if in the marketplace, even if on a journey, even if at sea, even if inside the courtroom before a judge, and you call on him, there is no obstacle to his yielding to your entreaty as long as you call on him as you should … being of sober mind and contrite spirit, approaching him in a flood of tears, seeking nothing of this life, longing for things to come, making petition for spiritual goods, not calling down curses on our enemies, bearing no grudges, banishing all disquiet from the soul, making our approach with heart broken, being humble, practicing great meekness, directing our tongues to good report, abstaining from any wicked enterprise, having nothing in common with the common enemy of the world—I mean the devil, of course.… This is the way you should be righteous; and being righteous you will be heard, since you have such an advocate. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:2-3 John Chrysostom: The inventiveness and resourcefulness of God are demonstrated particularly in this, not only in his bringing on tribulations but also in providing great relief from it while they linger. This also demonstrates God's power; it renders the sufferers more resigned when there is space for consoling the distressed spirit; the distress is not relieved, stiffening as it does the lax spirit and ridding it of indifference. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:3 Origen of Alexandria: Invocation is not a matter of the voice, but it is posited … in solid faith. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 4:1 Origen of Alexandria: The one who calls on the Lord must have true righteousness. Since Christ is righteous, the just person, the partaker of righteousness, must be a partaker of Christ. Lest saying "God of my righteousness" should give birth to pride, we can say this also: He has been made wisdom and righteousness for us, and he is our Redeemer. Consequently, to say "God of my righteousness" would be as if you said, "God of my Lord." — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 4:1 Origen of Alexandria: The sense of joy and good cheer that comes to us in critical times from God by the cooperation and presence of the Word of God, who encourages and saves us, is called "room." — ON PRAYER 30:1 Theodore of Mopsuestia: One who seeks mercy from God shows clearly that he does not demand the fruit of his own merit and the debt of his own zeal but that he wishes to benefit from the patience and kindness of God. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4:2 Theodoret of Cyrus: Righteous people never have enough of prayer; instead, being in need and taking advantage of goodwill, they reap the fruit of prayer and continue offering supplication, realizing as they do the benefit coming from it. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:2 Asterius of Cappadocia: Let us flee from lying, brothers, as if it were a sword to the soul.… And just as in war allies are distinguished from enemies by the watch word, so also in the war of human affairs the friends of God are recognized by truthfulness and by not spreading falsehood; the liars slaughter themselves with the sword of their own tongue. The mouth that does not perjure or lie surely is pleasing to God in its speech. For if we respect the friend and family member who does not lie, and when he asks for something, we grant it, how much more God who has no respect for lying grants benefit to him. When he sees a pure and spotless truthful tongue, he receives his words just like a gift on a tray.… As purple and a crown befit the king, so not lying befits the Christian. So those close to him respect him, friends, neighbors and business associates: the demons fear him, the angels love him, and as they rejoice they open the gates of the kingdom of heaven to him. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 5:24 Augustine of Hippo: "O you sons of men, how long heavy in heart" [Psalms 4:2]. Let your error, says he, have lasted at least up to the coming of the Son of God; why then any longer are you heavy in heart? When will you make an end of crafty wiles, if now when the truth is present ye make it not? "Why do ye love vanity, and seek a lie?" Why would ye be blessed by the lowest things? Truth alone, from which all things are true, makes blessed. For, "vanity is of deceivers, and all is vanity." [Ecclesiastes 1:2] "What profit has a man of all his labour, wherewith he labours under the sun?" Why then are you held back by the love of things temporal? Why follow ye after the last things, as though the first, which is vanity and a lie? For you would have them abide with you, which all pass away, as does a shadow. — Exposition on Psalms 4 Augustine of Hippo: What are the lies you are seeking? I will tell you right away. You all want to be happy, I know. Find me someone, let him be a robber, a villain, a fornicator, a sorcerer, sacrilegious, defiled by every imaginable vice, up to his neck in misdeeds and crimes of all sorts, who does not want to live a happy life? I know you all want to live happy lives. But what is it that makes a person's life happy? That is something you are not all seeking after. You are seeking gold, because you imagine you will be happy with gold; but gold does not make one happy. Why seek after lies? Why do you want to get to the top in this world? Because you imagine you will be happy with honor from people and worldly triumphs; but worldly triumphs do not make one happy. Why seek after lies? And whatever else you may seek after here, when you seek it in a worldly way, when you seek it by loving earth, when you seek it by licking the dust of the earth, the reason you are seeking it is in order to be happy; but nothing at all that is of the earth will make you happy.… What you are seeking is deceptive; what you are seeking is lies. — SERMON 231:4 Augustine of Hippo: Do you want to be happy? If you like, I will show you what will put it in your power to be happy. Continue with that text: "How long with a heavy heart? Why do you love futility, and seek after lies? Know." Know what? "That the Lord has magnified his holy one." Christ has come to our miseries; he was hungry, he was thirsty, he was tired, he slept, he performed wonders, he suffered evils, he was scourged, crowned with thorns, smeared with spittle, slapped around and beaten, nailed to a tree, wounded with a lance, laid in a tomb; but on the third day he rose again, all toil at an end, death dead. There you are, fix your eyes on his resurrection. Because hasn't the Lord magnified his holy one, to the extent of raising him from the dead and giving him the honor of sitting at his right hand in heaven? He has shown you what you should savor, if you really wish to be happy. Here, you see, you simply cannot be. In this life you cannot be happy. Nobody can.… But [Christ] came down and … he took your bad things.… He promised us his life, but what … he did is even more unbelievable; he paid us his death in advance. As though to say, "I am inviting you to my life, where nobody dies, where life is truly happy, where food does not go bad, where it provides nourishment and undergoes no diminishment. There you are, that is where I am inviting you, to the region of the angels, to the friendship of the Father and the Holy Spirit, to the everlasting supper, to be my brothers and sisters, to be, in a word, myself. I am inviting you to my life.… So now, while we are living in this perishable flesh, by a change of habits let us die with Christ, by a love of being just let us live with Christ. We are only going to receive the happy, blessed life, when we come to him who came to us and when we begin to be with him who died for us. — SERMON 231:5 Diodorus of Tarsus: Their deceit, in fact, was in claiming God does not exercise providence, and their futile thinking was the conviction that the judge does not exercise surveillance. This thought constantly overtakes sinners: they think they will not pay the penalty, rejecting the judge's role along with his providence. This is not so, however, he is saying, not so! — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4 Eusebius of Caesarea: David seems to be speaking here of those who, when being tested and put through various trials, would rather do anything than find refuge in God. Why is it necessary, he asks, to be disturbed and upset at the conditions of the times? What makes you hand yourselves over to vanity, you heavy-hearted people? Why do you seek lies and leave the truth behind? Rather than being informed by these things, know that the Lord God is the one who watches and controls everything, the one who never ever deserts his own righteous ones but always does miraculous things for them. You yourselves, as the upright, know that the Lord is going to be near to you and me whenever you will call out to him. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4:3 John Chrysostom: "Futile" is the word used of that thing that is empty, when there is something in name but nothing in substance. The Greeks have many names for their gods but not a trace of substance; so too in many other matters: wealth has a name but not a trace of substance; glory has a name but not a trace of substance; power has a name, and the name remains unsupported by fact. So who would be so heedless as to go in search of bare names of things and pursue hollow things that one ought avoid? Are not the pleasures and prosperity of life things of that kind? Do they not all mislead and deceive? Even if you cite glory and wealth and power, they are all futility. Hence Ecclesiastes also said, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." This is the very reason the inspired author is distressed, seeing such absurdity in life. I mean, it is like this: if you saw someone avoiding the light to seek out darkness, you would say, "Why are you doing this strange thing?" So too the inspired author: "Why do you love futility and seek falsehood?" — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:6 Asterius of Cappadocia: In the preceding psalm [David] suffered persecution from Absalom. He was ashamed because he was fleeing from his son, and he did not have the inner strength to make war. Now comes the prayer that hangs the tyrant and protects the one oppressed by his tyranny. Should you ask how he will overcome Absalom, how he will cast him down like Goliath, he responds, "Armed with prayer." "When I called on him, the God of my righteousness heard me." His prayer is uttered, and the tyrant hangs in the tree. In the same way when I sin, God arouses himself against me, but when I repent, he offers himself stretched out and trampled for my correction. Likewise, when we sin, God will arouse enemies against us. But, in our fight, the only thing we have to do is to seek the reasons for the conflict, and if we have sinned, correct it. If we do that, we will see the enemies fall before our eyes. It is, therefore, a rule for us that we do not avenge our enemies, because God will always stir them up against us on account of our sins. Do you wish to see the destruction of those opposing you: repent from your sins, and the enemies will fall. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 5:8 Augustine of Hippo: "And know ye that the Lord has magnified his Holy One" [Psalms 4:3]. Whom but Him, whom He raised up from below, and placed in heaven at His right hand? Therefore does he chide mankind, that they would turn at length from the love of this world to Him. But if the addition of the conjunction (for he says, "and know ye") is to any a difficulty, he may easily observe in Scripture that this manner of speech is usual in that language, in which the Prophets spoke. For you often find this beginning, "And" the Lord said unto him, "And" the word of the Lord came to him. Which joining by a conjunction, when no sentence has gone before, to which the following one may be annexed, perhaps admirably conveys to us, that the utterance of the truth in words is connected with that vision which goes on in the heart. Although in this place it may be said, that the former sentence, "Why do ye love vanity, and seek a lie?" is as if it were written, Do not love vanity, and seek a lie. And being thus read, it follows in the most direct construction, "and know ye that the Lord has magnified His Holy One." But the interposition of the Diapsalma forbids our joining this sentence with the preceding one. For whether this be a Hebrew word, as some would have it, which means, so be it; or a Greek word, which marks a pause in the psalmody (so as that Psalma should be what is sung in psalmody, but Diapsalma an interval of silence in the psalmody; that as the coupling of voices in singing is called Sympsalma, so their separation Diapsalma, where a certain pause of interrupted continuity is marked): whether I say it be the former, or the latter, or something else, this at least is probable, that the sense cannot rightly be continued and joined, where the Diapsalma intervenes. "The Lord will hear me, when I cry unto Him." I believe that we are here warned, that with great earnestness of heart, that is, with an inward and incorporeal cry, we should implore help of God. For as we must give thanks for enlightenment in this life, so must we pray for rest after this life. Wherefore in the person, either of the faithful preacher of the Gospel, or of our Lord Himself, it may be taken, as if it were written, the Lord will hear you, when you cry unto Him. — Exposition on Psalms 4 John Chrysostom: So, why is it, you ask, that many people are not heard? On account of the inappropriate requests they make. You see, in this case not to be heard is better than to be heard. So even if we were heard, we would not be happy about it; whereas even in the cases we were not heard, we would give praise even on that account. In other words, on the one hand, when we make inappropriate requests, we are better off for not getting them; on the other, when our asking is indifferent, God beguiles us into entreating him by delaying the response, which is no little gain.… So let us not desist when we are not heard, nor be distraught nor become numb, but persist with entreaty and request. God, after all, does everything for the best. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:7 Origen of Alexandria: Here is the great cry that reaches up to God. It is not that cry people make resulting from some intense release of air, but it is the pure and untouched outpouring of the words of the inner mind, which extend even to God. It must be realized there is a certain voice in the innermost heart which is not used as an organ of the body, but which a person, after he has entered his bedchamber and settled himself, cries out beyond his own body from the hidden gate of his feelings to him who alone is able to hear a voice of this type. Even if we do not read that Moses cried out with an audible voice, nevertheless it is said by God in Exodus: "Why do you cry to me?" It is the voice of every exile who cries to God about having earthly and ever-changing affairs. The Savior excludes this cry for approaching the Father when he says: "Seek great things, and the small things will be added to you. Seek the heavenly, and the earthly will be added to you." — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 4:4 Theodore of Mopsuestia: When there is a burdensome care, however many times I call out to God, he does not delay to hear me: this establishes, therefore, as an example to me and others, his providence. However, it is the custom of those who are bound by their miseries, who are pushed into the folly of bitterness, to complain against God and to say that he shows no concern for the affairs of mortals, nor does he govern human life with reason. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4:4 Theodoret of Cyrus: You see, he will not simply free me from the troubles that befall me but will also render me conspicuous and distinguished in victory; this, you see is the meaning of "made an object of wonder." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:3 Ambrose of Milan: He is not commanding us to be angry but making allowances for human nature. The anger that we cannot help feeling we can at least moderate. So, even if we are angry, our emotions may be stirred in accordance with nature, but we must not sin, contrary to nature. If someone cannot govern himself, it is intolerable that he should undertake to govern others. — LETTER 63:60 Ambrose of Milan: Let there be a door to your mouth, that it may be shut when need arises, and let it be carefully barred, that none may rouse your voice to anger, and you pay back abuse with abuse. You have heard it read today: "Be angry, and sin not." Therefore although we are angry (this arising from the motions of our nature, not of our will), let us not utter with our mouth one evil word, lest we fall into sin; but let there be a yoke and a balance to your words, that is, humility and moderation, that your tongue may be subject to your mind. Let it be held in check with a tight rein; let it have its own means of restraint, whereby it can be recalled to moderation; let it utter words tried by the scales of justice, that there may be seriousness in our meaning, weight in our speech and due measure in our words. — On the Duties of the Clergy 1.3.13 Ambrose of Milan: It is said that the greatest of the philosophers granted immunity from punishment to those crimes that had been committed through anger, but the divine Scripture says better: "Be angry, and sin not." It preferred rather to cut off sin than to excuse it. It is better to find praise for mercy in an occasion for indignation than to be incited by wrath toward vengeance. — ON THE DEATH OF THEODOSIUS 14 Augustine of Hippo: "Be angry, and sin not" [Psalms 4:4]. For the thought occurred, Who is worthy to be heard? Or how shall the sinner not cry in vain unto the Lord? Therefore, "Be angry," says he, "and sin not." Which may be taken two ways: either, even if you be angry, do not sin; that is, even if there arise an emotion in the soul, which now by reason of the punishment of sin is not in our power, at least let not the reason and the mind, which is after God regenerated within, that with the mind we should serve the law of God, although with the flesh we as yet serve the law of sin, [Romans 7:25] consent thereunto; or, repent ye, that is, be ye angry with yourselves for your past sins, and henceforth cease to sin. "What you say in your hearts:" there is understood, "say ye:" so that the complete sentence is, "What ye say in your hearts, that say ye;" that is, be ye not the people of whom it is said, "with their lips they honour Me, but their heart is far from Me. [Isaiah 29:13] In your chambers be ye pricked." This is what has been expressed already "in heart." For this is the chamber, of which our Lord warns us, that we should pray within, with closed doors. [Matthew 6:6] But, "be ye pricked," refers either to the pain of repentance, that the soul in punishment should prick itself, that it be not condemned and tormented in God's judgment; or, to arousing, that we should awake to behold the light of Christ, as if pricks were made use of. But some say that not, "be ye pricked," but, "be ye opened," is the better reading; because in the Greek Psalter it is κατανύγητε, which refers to that enlargement of the heart, in order that the shedding abroad of love by the Holy Ghost may be received. — Exposition on Psalms 4 Basil of Caesarea: When the day's work is ended, thanksgiving should be offered for what has been granted us or for what we have done rightly therein and confession made of our omissions, whether voluntary or involuntary, or of a secret fault, if we chance to have committed any in words or deeds, or in the heart itself; for by prayer we propitiate God for all our misdemeanors. The examination of our past actions is a great help toward not falling into like faults again; wherefore the psalmist says, "The things you say in your ears, be sorry for them on your beds." — THE LONG RULES, Q 37 Cassiodorus: Anger that does not lead to deeds motivated by anger is easily forgiven, as Scripture says: "He that conquers his anger is better than he who captures a city." For this reason, the command to manage anger is given so that, if we are already angry, we may not sin through an act of indiscreet rashness. Because of our human brokenness we are not able to get complete control of our hot emotions, but with God's help, we contain them by the power of reason that we are taught. So the blessed prophet permitted what is typical behavior, but forbade what incurs guilt. For if we should become angry and not restrain ourselves through our consciousness of the Lord, but instead should be kept from our wish by some obstacle we cannot avoid, then we must certainly bear the guilt for the action, even if are unable to carry out what we wanted. Another interpretation that finds favor with some is this: we ought to be angry at our past sins, so that we can escape evil in the present. For we cannot turn away new sins unless we condemn old ones with a curse that is truly worthy of praise. For what is repentance but being angry at oneself, so that one is horrified at what he has done and torments oneself, so that the angry judge may not be the one to do it. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 4:5 Desert Fathers: This story was told: There were three friends, serious men, who became monks. One of them chose to make peace between men who were at odds, as it is written, 'Blessed are the peacemakers' (Matt. 5:9). The second chose to visit the sick. The third chose to go away to be quiet in solitude. Now the first, toiling among contentions, was not able to settle all quarrels and, overcome with weariness, he went to him who tended the sick, and found him also failing in spirit and unable to carry out his purpose. So the two went away to see him who had withdrawn into the desert, and they told him their troubles. They asked him to tell them how he himself had fared. He was silent for a while, and then poured water into a vessel and said, 'Look at the water,' and it was murky. After a little while he said again, 'See now, how clear the water has become.' As they looked into the water they saw their own faces, as in a mirror. Then he said to them, 'So it is with anyone who lives in a crowd; because of the turbulence, he does not see his sins: but when he has been quiet, above all in solitude, then he recognizes his own faults.' — The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks Diodorus of Tarsus: When you are angry, do not sin further by thinking there is no divine providence. Instead, realize that much of what happens surpasses your understanding, and it is better to submit to the one who is aware and capable of everything. After all, if we allow surgeons to burn and cut the sick person on account of their skill, and do not get upset at their art despite the pain of the operation, how much more when we fall foul of more grievous and trying events that God, like a skillful surgeon, either applies to us or allows, like burning or the knife, do we not submit to such great skill by convincing ourselves that he does everything for our benefit, especially since nothing but good was likely to happen? So "Are you angry?" he asks; "do not sin." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4 Jerome: To be angry is human; to put an end to one's anger is Christian. — LETTER 130.13 John Cassian: Whatever you think of in your hearts when sudden and nervous excitements rush in on you, correct and amend with wholesome sorrow, lying as it were on a bed of rest, and removing by the moderating influence of counsel all noise and disturbance of wrath. — INSTITUTES 8:9 John Chrysostom: He does not dismiss anger, note, for it is useful, nor does he eliminate wrath, this too proving helpful, after all, in dealing with wrongdoers and the negligent. Instead, he speaks of wrongful anger, irrational wrath.… In other words, it is all right to be angry for good reason, as Paul too was angry with Elymas, and Peter with Sapphira. Yet I would not class that as anger pure and simple but as right thinking, solicitude, good management. A father too is angry with his son, but out of care for him. In the former case the one settling scores gives way to anger rashly, whereas in the latter case the one who sets at right anothers' behavior is the mildest person of all. Because God, too, whenever he is said to be angry, is angry not to take personal vengeance but to correct us. Let us also, accordingly, imitate this. Taking action against people in this way, after all, is divine, whereas the other way is human. God differs from us, however, not only in being angry for good reason but in the fact that anger in God is not a passion.So let us too not be angry rashly. Anger, you see, has been instilled in us for a reason, not for sinning but for checking others in their sin, not for it to become a passion and an affliction but for it to prove a remedy for passions.… This is the kind of thing anger is, a useful instrument for stirring up our tardy spirits, for imparting energy to the soul, for rendering us more concerned in our reaction to the fate of the wronged, for moving us to action against conspirators. This is precisely the reason he says, "Be angry, and do not sin." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:7-8 Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius: When he enjoined us to be angry and yet not to sin, it is plain that he did not tear up anger by the roots but restrained it, that in every correction we might preserve moderation and justice.… For he has enjoined those things that are just and useful for the interests of society. — TREATISE ON THE ANGER OF GOD 21 Origen of Alexandria: By these words he seems to teach that anyone lying on his bed ought to seek the reason within himself for those things that he has done throughout the day, and in light of those acts he has done against reason he ought to expose them and disapprove of them and feel their sting, for if this is done correctly from his bed he will not be drawn away from honest deeds. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 4:5 Theodore of Mopsuestia: After he said, "Be angry," he added, "And sin not." I propose it in the form of a question, as if he had said, "Are you angry? Sin not." Although one struggles confused and trapped in the offense of a disturbed spirit because of present affairs, although there seem to be so many causes for indignation, nevertheless do not think that it is true what reason and discipline hand over to us, but the spirit disturbed by wrath presses on us. It is the greatest testimony that your own opinion lacks truth because those things that you know, that you speak, have not come from reason but from your experience. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4:5 Augustine of Hippo: "Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord" [Psalms 4:5]. He says the same in another Psalm, "the sacrifice for God is a troubled spirit." Wherefore that this is the sacrifice of righteousness which is offered through repentance it is not unreasonably here understood. For what more righteous, than that each one should be angry with his own sins, rather than those of others, and that in self-punishment he should sacrifice himself unto God? Or are righteous works after repentance the sacrifice of righteousness? For the interposition of Diapsalma not unreasonably perhaps intimates even a transition from the old life to the new life: that on the old man being destroyed or weakened by repentance, the sacrifice of righteousness, according to the regeneration of the new man, may be offered to God; when the soul now cleansed offers and places itself on the altar of faith, to be encompassed by heavenly fire, that is, by the Holy Ghost. So that this may be the meaning, "Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord;" that is, live uprightly, and hope for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that the truth, in which you have believed, may shine upon you. — Exposition on Psalms 4 Cassiodorus: If Christ himself was sacrificed for us, how much more fitting is it that we present ourselves to him as a sacrifice, so that we can find joy in imitating our king! — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 4:6 John Chrysostom: Seek after righteousness, make an offering of righteousness: this is the greatest gift to God, this an acceptable sacrifice, this an offering of great appeal, not sacrificing sheep and calves but doing righteous things.… This sacrifice requires no money, no sword, no altar, no fire; it does not dissolve into smoke and ashes and smells; rather, the intention of the offerer suffices. Poverty is no impediment to it nor indigence a problem, nor the place nor anything else like that; instead, wherever you are, you are fit to offer sacrifice, you are priest, and altar, and sword and victim. This, you see, is what things of the mind and spirit are like. They enjoy greater facility; they have no need of outside prompting.… Whom is there left to fear if you have God as your ally? No one. Now, this is no little virtue, having confidence in him, putting trust in him. But along with righteousness he also asks this virtue of us, to put our trust in him to hope in him, to place no confidence in things of this life but rather detach ourselves from everything and fix our minds on him. After all, the things of the present life are like dreams and shadows and have even less substance than they do, appearing and departing at the same time; when present they cause their possessors awful worry. Hope in God, [by contrast], is immortal, unchangeable, immovable; it is subject to no alteration, stands firm and steady and renders unassailable the one who professes it in all diligence and with a proper disposition. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:9 Origen of Alexandria: If you wish to explain what it is to hope in everything, we are going to say that it is nothing other than to become an heir of the kingdom of heaven, to receive comfort, to be called the children of God, to see God, to be satisfied by the righteousness for which one hungers and thirsts, to enjoy his abundant mercy and to live in all the things which the true God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ promised. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 4:5 Augustine of Hippo: But yet, "hope in the Lord," is as yet expressed without explanation. Now what is hoped for, but good things? But since each one would obtain from God that good, which he loves; and they are not easy to be found who love interior goods, that is, which belong to the inward man, which alone should be loved, but the rest are to be used for necessity, not to be enjoyed for pleasure; excellently did he subjoin, when he had said, "hope in the Lord" [Psalms 4:6], "Many say, Who shows us good things?" This is the speech, and this the daily inquiry of all the foolish and unrighteous; whether of those who long for the peace and quiet of a worldly life, and from the frowardness of mankind find it not; who even in their blindness dare to find fault with the order of events, when involved in their own deservings they deem the times worse than these which are past: or, of those who doubt and despair of that future life, which is promised us; who are often saying, Who knows if it's true? Or, who ever came from below, to tell us this? Very exquisitely then, and briefly, he shows (to those, that is, who have interior sight), what good things are to be sought; answering their question, who say, "Who shows us good things?" "The light of Your countenance," says he, "is stamped on us, O Lord." This light is the whole and true good of man, which is seen not with the eye, but with the mind. But he says, "stamped on us," as a penny is stamped with the king's image. For man was made after the image and likeness of God, [Genesis 1:26] which he defaced by sin: therefore it is his true and eternal good, if by a new birth he be stamped. And I believe this to be the bearing of that which some understand skilfully; I mean, what the Lord said on seeing Caesar's tribute money, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." [Matthew 22:21] As if He had said, In like manner as Caesar exacts from you the impression of his image, so also does God: that as the tribute money is rendered to him, so should the soul to God, illumined and stamped with the light of His countenance. — Exposition on Psalms 4 Bede: But because a human being lost this radiance of the divine countenance by sinning, it pleased God to assume the condition of a human countenance by being born in the flesh, in order that he might thereby teach us that we ought to be reborn in the Spirit. It pleased him to appear without sin in the likeness of sinful flesh so that he might cleanse us thoroughly from every sin and form again in us the distinctness of his image. — Homilies on the Gospels 1:6 Didymus the Blind: Many individuals read it in this way: "A certain one will show us good things." For it is not that the many show good things but that the One shows good things; that is, the only begotten Son of God. To those who understand it this way, the word who indicates a provider of a certain distinguished nature, an individual and a being singular in number. They use this witness: "A certain noble man." For in this passage the word certain denotes someone who is especially distinguished. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 4:7 John Chrysostom: The speakers are those who, in some cases, distort the providence of God; in other cases they are people given over to pleasure, indulgence and luxury, notoriety and naked power. In their lives of such things as these they ask, Where are the good things from God? I am in poverty, and illness and hardship, at death's door, the victim of contumely and abuse, while my neighbor enjoys the good life, luxury, influence, reputation and money. Some people look only for these things, bypassing things really worthwhile, as I say, virtue and a love of wisdom, whereas others, as I mentioned above, on those grounds distort the providence of God in asking, Where is God's providence? Our lives are in such a mess, most of us are in need and poverty and at the end of our tether. What evidence is there of loving care? Those saying this, you see, behave exactly like someone struggling to see the sun in the unwavering brightness of midday and calling the light in question. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:9 Origen of Alexandria: Indeed, in the same way the rays of the sun touch the face of one who looks at it, and in fact it is impossible for one who stands near to the sun not to feel it, so also it must be understood that the individual who is fully a partaker of God is the one who has meditated on the law of the holy word and who has surrendered his mind to understanding God. Which, I believe, the prophet indicates in this place when he says, "The light of your countenance is manifested toward us, O Lord." The representation of the light that shines in your countenance is imprinted on us as it comes to us, and that very light is the expression of your countenance, so that one who is able to see the sign of the divine light that is manifested, immediately recognizes that God's light is made in us. I think that this mystery is also declared in Exodus when the face of Moses, as he is speaking intimately with God, is glorified to the point that the people of Israel are not able to turn toward his glory, and after he puts on a veil the servant of God makes a speech to the people. Thus every spirit that is drawn totally to God and that yields to his truth that is unknown to many is made a partaker of his divine nature; he advances beyond the comprehension of many so that as he puts on the veil he guides the less knowledgeable by offering to them the things that are for their understanding. Moreover, it is obvious from the words of Psalm 66 that the face of God, about which is spoken and that illumines the mind of the one who is able to receive its rays, is the reason for our understanding: "God have mercy on us, and bless us and let your face shine over us, so that we may know your way in the land, the salvation among all nations." — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 4:7 Augustine of Hippo: [Psalms 4:7] "You have put gladness into my heart." Gladness then is not to be sought without by them, who, being still heavy in heart, "love vanity, and seek a lie;" but within, where the light of God's countenance is stamped. For Christ dwells in the inner man, [Ephesians 3:16-17] as the Apostle says; for to Him does it appertain to see truth, since He has said, "I am the truth." [John 14:6] And again, when He spoke in the Apostle, saying, "Would you receive a proof of Christ, who speaks in me?" [2 Corinthians 13:3] He spoke not of course from without to him, but in his very heart, that is, in that chamber where we are to pray. — Exposition on Psalms 4 Cosmas Indicopleustes: And elsewhere he thus speaks concerning our most necessary food, which the summer tropic perfects, and continues to give us for three months successively: They have been increased with their corn and wine and oil —here again in a remarkable way, in the giving of thanks, observing the order in nature and mentioning first corn, then wine, and thirdly oil, in accordance with the order, in which by the blessing of God, they are produced during the three summer months, by the agency of the rational orders, namely, angels and men — The Christian Topography, Book 8 Diodorus of Tarsus: The forms of your providence are inscribed and indelibly etched, as it were, on each person's heart; after all, who is the provider and who the supplier of what is needed from without for life? In fact, perhaps it was for this reason also that you put us in a state of need, so that we might not forget the provider of what we need and receive. After all, you were capable first of making us feel no need, and then of giving us some nourishment sufficient for several days; you were not prepared to do this, however, causing us instead to look for it each day so that you might have the opportunity for supply, and those receiving it daily might not forget you as the giver. So who will set at nought, he asks, the manifest signs of your providence, or prove totally unmindful of it? — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4 John Chrysostom: He did not say simply, "You have made me the gift of joy" but "of heart," suggesting that the joy is not in external things, not in … gold or silver, not in clothing or groaning tables, not in the extent of sovereignty or the size of one's house. Such joy is not of heart but of eyes only. Many people with these possessions, at any rate, think life not worth living; they carry around with them in their soul a furnace of despondency, exhausted by the multitude of concerns and oppressed by unceasing apprehension.… If present realities give you joy, and you learn God's providence from them, gain a greater and deeper learning from future realities, for the reason that they are better, more stable and permanent. You see, if you believe God's providence takes the form of you being in wealth and prosperity, let your having wealth in heaven bring you much more to this conviction. If, however, you inquire, "Why is it that these things are kept in store in hope and are not immediately obvious?" I should give this reply, that we believers regard the objects of hope to be more obvious than those that are obvious; such, after all, is the certainty of faith. But if you were to inquire again, "Why is it that we do not gain rewards here and now?" I should give this reply, that the present is the time for struggles and contests, the future is the time for wreaths and laurels. And this is an effect of God's providence, the gathering together of difficulties and sweat in this brief and passing life, on the one hand, and on the other the continuance of laurels and wreaths throughout an everlasting and ageless eternity. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:10 Origen of Alexandria: The meaning of this little verse is consistent with the verses that precede it. For what else is the light of the countenance of the Lord over his righteous ones than a heart full of joy? That very thing which we feel through the sensation of joy becomes a partaker of his divinity when it contemplates God. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 4:7 Augustine of Hippo: But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after things temporal, know not to say anything else, than, "Who shows us good things?" when the true and certain good within their very selves they cannot see. Of these accordingly is most justly said, what he adds next: "From the time of His grain, of wine, and oil, they have been multiplied." For the addition of His, is not superfluous. For the grain is God's: inasmuch as He is "the living bread which came down from heaven." [John 6:51] The wine too is God's: for, "they shall be inebriated," he says, "with the fatness of your house." The oil too is God's: of which it is said, "You have fattened my head with oil." But those many, who say, "Who shows us good things?" and who see not that the kingdom of heaven is within them: these, "from the time of His grain, of wine, and oil, are multiplied." For multiplication does not always betoken plentifulness, and not, generally, scantiness: when the soul, given up to temporal pleasures, burns ever with desire, and cannot be satisfied; and, distracted with manifold and anxious thought, is not permitted to see the simple good. Such is the soul of which it is said, "For the corruptible body presses down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weighs down the mind that muses on many things." [Wisdom 9:15] A soul like this, by the departure and succession of temporal goods, that is, "from the time of His grain, wine, and oil," filled with numberless idle fancies, is so multiplied, that it cannot do that which is commanded, "Think on the Lord in goodness, and in simplicity of heart seek Him." [Wisdom 1:1] For this multiplicity is strongly opposed to that simplicity. And therefore leaving these, who are many, multiplied, that is, by the desire of things temporal, and who say, "Who shows us good things?" which are to be sought not with the eyes without, but with simplicity of heart within, the faithful man rejoices and says, "In peace, together, I will sleep, and take rest" [Psalms 4:8]. For such men justly hope for all manner of estrangement of mind from things mortal, and forgetfulness of this world's miseries; which is beautifully and prophetically signified under the name of sleep and rest, where the most perfect peace cannot be interrupted by any tumult. But this is not had now in this life, but is to be hoped for after this life. This even the words themselves, which are in the future tense, show us. For it is not said, either, I have slept, and taken rest; or, I do sleep, and take rest; but, "I will sleep, and take rest." Then shall "this corruptible put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality; then shall death be swallowed up in victory." [1 Corinthians 15:54] Hence it is said, "But if we hope for that we see not, we wait in patience." [Romans 8:25] Wherefore, consistently with this, he adds the last words, and says, "Since You, O Lord, in singleness hast made me dwell in hope." Here he does not say, wilt make; but, "hast made." In whom then this hope now is, there will be assuredly that which is hoped for. And well does he say, "in singleness." For this may refer in opposition to those many, who being multiplied from the time of His grain, of wine, and oil, say, "Who shows us good things?" For this multiplicity perishes, and singleness is observed among the saints: of whom it is said in the Acts of the Apostles, "and of the multitude of them that believed, there was one soul, and one heart." [Acts 4:32] In singleness, then, and simplicity, removed, that is, from the multitude and crowd of things, that are born and die, we ought to be lovers of eternity, and unity, if we desire to cleave to the one God and our Lord. — Exposition on Psalms 4 Didymus the Blind: I will lie down and rest as I await the future age and the reward of a right life, and as I have been made secure beyond every disturbance because of my hope. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 4:9-10 Eusebius of Caesarea: Even if grief, calamities, temptations, disasters are not lacking to me in this present life, nevertheless there is a future time for me in which I will depart from the body and sleep in peace. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 4:9-10 John Chrysostom: Nothing, you see, is so calculated to bring peace as knowledge of God and possession of virtue, banishing afar conflict of the passions and not allowing one to be at odds with oneself. Unless … you enjoy this kind of peace, then no matter if you are at peace abroad and no enemy assaults you, you are more miserable than the most embattled people in the world. You see, neither Scythians, nor Thracians, nor Indians, nor Moors nor any other hostile races are capable of mounting such a conflict as an uneasy conscience gnawing at your soul, as untamed desire, as love of money, lust for power, addiction to mundane affairs.… Jealous, slanderous, greedy and rapacious people, you see, carry around with them everywhere this warfare, bearing within them enemies lying in ambush. No matter where they retreat to, they cannot avoid conflict; even if they stay at home and go to bed, they are under attack from clouds of arrows, disturbances more violent than pounding seas, massacres and uproar and lamentation and other calamities more disastrous than those occurring in battle. Righteous persons, on the contrary, are not in this predicament; rather, in their waking hours they enjoy life, and in nighttime they take their rest with great satisfaction. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 4:11-12 Asterius of Cappadocia: From the start God examines all the words that you speak, whether they are shameful, blasphemous or lying words; whether malicious, harmful or deceitful; or whether they are words of degradation, which through their deceit are able to overwhelm the one whom the lie injures. "You have loved words of destruction, a deceitful tongue." … "Every careless word that people speak will return to them judgment." How much more when you speak hurtful words do they become a hindrance and destruction to your spirit! God judges your cry: whether you have cried out against anyone unjustly, whether you have trumpeted unjust anger with your cry or whether you, overcome with such wrath, have called for the striking down of the innocent, like those who stoned Stephen: "Shouting with a loud voice, they covered their ears and in one spirit united against him they rushed him." And their shout became a vehicle of murder. God, therefore, tests your words.… Therefore, since God will measure our words, let us give to him spiritual songs and canticles, hymns and psalms, becoming a sweet smell not by running to bars but by hastening to the church; not sunk in our drunkenness but adorned with sobriety; not dancing and being wanton like the Jews but glorifying the way of life of the apostles.… No one may walk into the royal dwelling leaping about; no one may stand before the king drunk. If such caution is followed on earth, how much more caution is there for the heavenly state and the kingdom that exists there? Let us live lives worthy of that kingdom, rejoicing and happy in the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom there is glory and power from now to infinite ages of ages. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 9:2 Augustine of Hippo: "Hear my words, O Lord" [Psalms 5:1]. Being called she calls upon the Lord; that the same Lord being her helper, she may pass through the wickedness of this world, and attain unto Him. "Understand my cry." The Psalmist well shows what this cry is; how from within, from the chamber of the heart, without the body's utterance, it reaches unto God: for the bodily voice is heard, but the spiritual is understood. Although this too may be God's hearing, not with carnal ear, but in the omnipresence of His Majesty. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Didymus the Blind: Because of grace this hymn is sung, in behalf of the individual spirit or for the church called out for the divine inheritance, not a natural one but a spiritual one. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 5:1 Jerome: The fifth psalm is headed with this title: Unto the end, for her who obtains the inheritance, a psalm of David. Many think that the titles do not belong to the psalms, and by what reasoning they judge this, they do not know. If indeed these titles were not found in the Hebrew and Greek and Latin volumes, they would rightly think so; but now, since they are found in the Hebrew books — and especially this title which is set at the head of the fifth psalm — I am astonished that they should wish to say this, that there is anything in Scripture without a reason. For if 'one iota and one tittle shall not pass from the law,' how much more such words or even syllables? — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: Unto the end, for her who obtains the inheritance, a psalm of David. Our inheritance is not promised at the beginning, but at the end of the world. The Jews thought they had obtained it at the beginning; we obtain it at the end. Whence the apostle John also says: 'Little children, it is the last hour.' Therefore in the last hour there is the end; at the end, the inheritance. Unto the end, for her who obtains the inheritance. Who is this who obtains the inheritance? It seems to me that it is the Church; for she is the one who obtains the inheritance. A psalm of David. He sings at the beginning what the Church receives at the end. Therefore the fifth psalm is spoken in the person of the Church. Others interpret it in many ways: many speak according to the history concerning the people of Israel, that it wished to return from Babylon into Judea. This they interpret: they have not interpreted Unto the end, nor For her who obtains the inheritance. We therefore, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, shall strive by your prayers to expound this psalm in the person of the Church. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: Give ear to my words, O Lord. No one has this confidence except the Church. He who is a sinner has not dared to say, Give ear to my words, O Lord. He who is angry and curses has not dared to say, Give ear to my words, O Lord; but he wishes rather that God would close His ears. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: Understand my cry. A cry in the Scriptures is not of the voice, but of the heart. Thus to Moses it is said, 'Why criest thou to me?' though Moses had not cried out before. Understand my cry. And the apostle: 'Crying in our hearts, Abba, Father.' Surely he who cries out does not cry in the heart, but cries with the tongue. And how does the apostle say, Crying in our hearts? When therefore our groaning and our conscience make supplication, God understands that cry. Whence Jeremiah also says: 'Let not the pupil of my eye be silent.' See what he says, Let not the pupil of my eye be silent. And sometimes the pupil of the eye cries out to God. Surely if it cries, the tongue cries, not the pupil of the eye. But just as we cry in our hearts when we entreat the Lord with groaning, so when we pour out tears to God, at that time the pupil of our eye cries out to the Lord. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 John Chrysostom: If you say, "Give ear to my words," utter those words that come from a gentle and loving person, containing nothing of the devil.… A supplicant, in fact, does not employ the language of an accuser. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:2-3 Theodoret of Cyrus: On all sides the church of God is buffeted by many huge waves, as likewise is each soul that embraces the devout life, but each survives and breasts the billows by constantly invoking the divine aid. This in fact is what the inspired Word also teaches, instructing us how it behooves us both to entreat and implore the God and King of all. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:2 Asterius of Cappadocia: If one grants that indeed each animal recognizes the cry of its own offspring in the largest and most crowded flocks, that though a thousand calves may cry, the mother knows the cry of her own young, that though a thousand lambs may bleat, the female runs to the voice of her own and it does not fall, how much more among a thousand sinners crying out does God know the cry of the just and recognize him as the pure voice of his own child? — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 10:5 Augustine of Hippo: "Attend Thou to the voice of my supplication;" that is, to that voice, which he maketh request that God would understand: of which what the nature is, he hath already intimated, when he said, "Understand my cry. Attend Thou to the voice of my supplication, my King, and my God" (ver. 2). Although both the Son is God, and the Father God, and the Father and the Son together One God; and if asked of the Holy Ghost, we must give no other answer than that He is God; and when the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are mentioned together, we must understand nothing else, than One God; nevertheless Scripture is wont to give the appellation of King to the Son. According then to that which is said, "By Me man cometh to the Father," rightly is it first, "my King;" and then, "my God." And yet has not the Psalmist said, Attend Ye; but, "Attend Thou." For the Catholic faith preaches not two or three Gods, but the Very Trinity, One God. Not that the same Trinity can be together, now the Father, now the Son, now the Holy Ghost, as Sabellius believed: but that the Father must be none but the Father, and the Son none but the Son, and the Holy Ghost none but the Holy Ghost, and this Trinity but One God. Hence when the Apostle had said, "Of whom are all things, by whom are all things, in whom are all things," he is believed to have conveyed an intimation of the Very Trinity; and yet he did not add, to Them be glory; but, "to Him be glory." — Exposition on Psalms 5 Jerome: My King and my God. He has truly dared to say, My King and my God, in whom sin does not reign in his mortal body. My King and my God. Because Thou reignest in me, and sin does not reign, therefore Thou art my God. Thou art my God, because the belly is not my god, because gold is not my god, because lust is not my god. Since Thou art virtue, and I desire to have virtues, therefore Thou art my God, that is, my virtue. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "Because I will pray unto You [Psalms 5:3]. O Lord, in the morning You will hear my voice." What does that, which he said above, "Hear Thou," mean, as if he desired to be heard immediately? But now he says, "in the morning You will hear;" not, hear Thou: and, "I will pray unto You;" not, I do pray unto You: and, as follows, "in the morning I will stand by You, and will see;" not, I do stand by You, and do see. Unless perhaps his former prayer marks the invocation itself: but being in darkness amidst the storms of this world, he perceives that he does not see what he desires, and yet does not cease to hope, "For hope that is seen, is not hope." [Romans 8:24] Nevertheless, he understands why he does not see, because the night is not yet past, that is, the darkness which our sins have merited. He says therefore, "Because I will pray unto You, O Lord;" that is, because You are so mighty to whom I shall make my prayer, "in the morning You will hear my voice." You are not He, he says, that can be seen by those, from whose eyes the night of sins is not yet withdrawn: when the night then of my error is past, and the darkness gone, which by my sins I have brought upon myself, then "You will hear my voice." Why then did he say above not, "You will hear," but "hear Thou"? Is it that after the Church cried out, "hear Thou," and was not heard, she perceived what must needs pass away to enable her to be heard? Or is it that she was heard above, but does not yet understand that she was heard, because she does not yet see by whom she has been heard; and what she now says, "In the morning You will hear," she would have thus taken, In the morning I shall understand that I have been heard? Such is that expression, "Arise, O Lord," that is, make me arise. But this latter is taken of Christ's resurrection: but at all events that Scripture, "The Lord your God proves you, that He may know whether ye love Him," [Deuteronomy 13:3] cannot be taken in any other sense, than, that you by Him may know, and that it may be made evident to yourselves, what progress you have made in His love. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "In the morning I will stand by You, and will see" [Psalms 5:3]. What is, "I will stand," but "I will not lie down"? Now what else is, to lie down, but to take rest on the earth, which is a seeking happiness in earthly pleasures? "I will stand by," he says, "and will see." We must not then cleave to things earthly, if we would see God, who is beheld by a clean heart. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Bede: When the night of this world is over, the morning of the world to come will begin to shine.… Then we shall no longer have any need of light from books, for the true Light of the world will appear and enlighten us. — On the Tabernacle 3:27.21 Didymus the Blind: Think about the one on whom the sun of righteousness has arisen, expressing praise because of his grateful spirit to the author of the light. "In the morning," he says, "you will hear my voice." For to whom is it necessary to have gratitude for so much good, unless to you, Lord, who has brought the light to me, which is the source for the greatest illumination to me? — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 5:4 Eusebius of Caesarea: The person "who inherits" (as in the title of the psalm) is consecrated by prayers and by service to God as the first fruits of his daily deeds. Moreover, it is a token of his innocence to go forth from his chamber cleansed by his pure prayers and to be able to say to God, "Early in the morning I will wait on you, and I will look up." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 5:1-5 Jerome: After the shadows recede from my heart and the light of the true Sun has arisen, then you will hear me, and I will be able to stand before you as a servant. — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 5 Jerome: In the morning Thou shalt hear my voice. Some interpret it more simply, thus: I rise up at dawn to pray, and I entreat Thee. This interpretation too is valid. What then? Does He hear us in the morning, but not hear us in the evening? Will God not hear us in the middle of the night? But see what he says: As long as I am in the darkness of error, Thou dost not hear me; but when the sun of righteousness has come into my heart, then Thou hearest me. In the morning Thou shalt hear my voice. He did not say, at the third hour, he did not say, at the sixth hour, he did not say, in full light; but see what he says: In the morning, as soon as the darkness has begun to flee, Thou hearest; immediately, at the beginning of a good work, Thou hearest me, Thou dost not require the finishing of it. For to will is mine, to bring to completion is Thine. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: In the morning I shall stand before Thee, and I shall see. See the order. In the morning, not in the evening, not in darkness, but in the morning. In the morning I shall stand before Thee: I shall stand firmly, and I shall imitate Moses. In the morning I shall stand before Thee: before Thee I shall stand, not before another. But when it is morning, and I have stood, and I have stood before Thee, then I shall deserve to see Thee. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: And I shall see. Understood: I shall see Thee. Many read it badly, and say καὶ ἐπόψῃ με ('and Thou shalt look upon me'), but let us know that this is an error: it is rather said καὶ ἐπόψομαι, that is, 'I shall see,' so that the order may be as we have said: as the light of the virtues begins to rise in my soul, when I have begun to stand before Thee, not to sit, not to lie, but to stand, and Thou hast set my steps upon the rock, then through those steps I shall deserve to see Thee. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 John Chrysostom: Let those heed this who come to prayer only after countless activities.… "One must precede sunrise in giving you thanks," Scripture says, remember, "and entreat you before the dawning of the day." Now, you would not tolerate someone inferior to you preceding you in giving homage to the emperor; in this case, however, while the soul pays homage you are asleep, and you yield pride of place to creatures and do not anticipate the whole of creation that is made for you. You do not give him thanks; instead, when you get up, you wash your face and hands but ignore the fact your soul is uncleansed. Do you not realize that as the body is cleansed with water, so the soul is with prayer? So wash your soul before your body. Many evil stains besmirch it; expunge them by prayer. If, in fact, we hedged our mouth around in this fashion, we should lay a fine foundation for daily life. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:3 Augustine of Hippo: "The malignant man shall not dwell near You:" [Psalms 5:4] that is, he shall not so see, as to cleave to You. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "For You are not a God who hast pleasure in iniquity. The malignant man shall not dwell near You, nor shall the unrighteous abide before Your eyes. You have hated all that work iniquity, You will destroy all that speak a lie. The man of blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will abominate" [Psalms 5:4-6]. Iniquity, malignity, lying, homicide, craft, and all the like, are the night of which we speak: on the passing away of which, the morning dawns, that God may be seen. He has unfolded the reason, then, why he will stand by in the morning, and see: "For," he says, "You are not a God who hast pleasure in iniquity." For if He were a God who had pleasure in iniquity, He could be seen even by the iniquitous, so that He would not be seen in the morning, that is, when the night of iniquity is over. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Didymus the Blind: It is true that evil is not from God, as is the opinion of some who say that evil has a substantial reality. For from the mouth of the Most High, the one willing there only be good, good and evil do not go forth. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 5:6 Jerome: For Thou art not a God that willest iniquity. Therefore Thou wilt not hear me in full light, but in the morning; because Thou dost not will iniquity, O God. For when I have begun to withdraw from iniquity, immediately I shall deserve to be heard by Thee. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: Neither shall the malignant one dwell beside Thee. When someone who is evil withdraws from us, let us rejoice: this happens in us which happens also in the Lord. For see what the Holy Spirit says. Neither shall the malignant one dwell beside Thee. See what he says, the malignant one shall not dwell beside Thee. 'For what communion has light with darkness? what agreement has Christ with Belial?' When therefore some withdraw from us, let us also say: 'They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would surely have remained with us.' It is said to God: The malignant one shall not dwell beside Thee. For if God is fire, and a consuming fire, whoever is stubble, whoever is wood, flees from the fire, lest he be consumed by the fire. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "You have hated all that work iniquity." [Psalms 5:5] God's hatred may be understood from that form of expression, by which every sinner hates the truth. For it seems that she too hates those, whom she suffers not to abide in her. Now they do not abide, who cannot bear the truth. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "Nor shall the unrighteous abide before Your eyes." [Psalms 5:5] For their eyes, that is, their mind is beaten back by the light of truth, because of the darkness of their sins; by the habitual practice of which they are not able to sustain the brightness of right understanding. Therefore even they who see sometimes, that is, who understand the truth, are yet still unrighteous, they abide not therein through love of those things, which turn away from the truth. For they carry about with them their night, that is, not only the habit, but even the love, of sinning. But if this night shall pass away, that is, if they shall cease to sin, and this love and habit thereof be put to flight, the morning dawns, so that they not only understand, but also cleave to the truth. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Jerome: Neither shall the unjust remain before Thine eyes. When it is said, Neither shall they remain, it is shown that at one time they did remain. For the unjust did at one time remain before the eyes of God, they remained while God awaited their repentance; but since they remained unjust, therefore they did not remain before the eyes of God. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: Thou hatest all who work iniquity. Unhappy is he whom God hates. Who is that one whom God hates? He who works iniquity. If therefore we all sin, and whoever sins is held in hatred by God, then we are held in hatred by the Lord. But if we are held in hatred by the Lord, how have we been saved by grace? Thou hatest all who work iniquity. He did not say, who have worked iniquity; but, who work iniquity. Those who persevere in sin, they are held in hatred by the Lord: but those who have forsaken it, they are loved by the Lord. Thou hatest all who work iniquity. This is said of sinners, who persevere in their sins. Let us see what else follows. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "The man of blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will abominate." What he said above, "Thou hast hated all that work iniquity, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie," may well seem to be repeated here: so that one may refer "the man of blood" to "the worker of iniquity," and "the crafty man" to the "lie." For it is craft, when one thing is done, another pretended. He used an apt word too, when he said, "will abominate." For the disinherited are usually called abominated. Now this Psalm is, "for her who receiveth the inheritance." — Exposition on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie." For this is the opposite to truth. But lest any one should suppose that any substance or nature is opposite to truth, let him understand that "a lie" has relation to that which is not, not to that which is. For if that which is be spoken, truth is spoken: but if that which is not be spoken, it is a lie. Therefore saith he, "Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie;" because drawing back from that which is, they turn aside to that which is not. Many lies indeed seem to be for some one's safety or advantage, spoken not in malice, but in kindness: such was that of those midwives in Exodus, who gave a false report to Pharaoh, to the end that the infants of the children of Israel might not be slain. But even these are praised not for the fact, but for the disposition shown; since those who only lie in this way, will attain in time to a freedom from all lying. For in those that are perfect, not even these lies are found. For to these it is said, "Let there be in your mouth, yea, yea; nay, nay; whatsoever is more, is of evil." Nor is it without reason written in another place, "The mouth that lieth slayeth the soul:" lest any should imagine that the perfect and spiritual man ought to lie for this temporal life, in the death of which no soul is slain, neither his own, nor another's. But since it is one thing to lie, another to conceal the truth (if indeed it be one thing to say what is false, another not to say what is true), if haply one does not wish to give a man up even to this visible death, he should be prepared to conceal what is true, not to say what is false; so that he may neither give him up, nor yet lie, lest he slay his own soul for another's body. But if he cannot yet do this, let him at all events admit only lies of such necessity, that he may attain to be freed even from these, if they alone remain, and receive the strength of the Holy Ghost, whereby he may despise all that must be suffered for the truth's sake. In fine, there are two kinds of lies, in which there is no great fault, and yet they are not without fault, either when we are in jest, or when we lie that we may do good. That first kind, in jest, is for this reason not very hurtful, because there is no deception. For he to whom it is said knows that it is said for the sake of the jest. But the second kind is for this reason the more inoffensive, because it carries with it some kindly intention. And to say truth, that which has no duplicity, cannot even be called a lie. As if, for example, a sword be intrusted to any one, and he promises to return it, when he who intrusted it to him shall demand it: if he chance to require his sword when in a fit of madness, it is clear it must not be returned then, lest he kill either himself or others, until soundness of mind be restored to him. Here then is no duplicity, because he, to whom the sword was intrusted, when he promised that he would return it at the other's demand, did not imagine that he could require it when in a fit of madness. But even the Lord concealed the truth, when He said to the disciples, not yet strong enough, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now:" and the Apostle Paul when he said, "I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal." Whence it is clear that it is not blamable, sometimes not to speak what is true. But to say what is false is not found to have been allowed to the perfect. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Jerome: Thou wilt destroy all who speak a lie. I see a new thing. He who works evil is held in hatred; he who lies, perishes. Let us see which is more, to be held in hatred by the Lord, or to perish. He who is held in hatred by God is indeed unhappy, because he is held in hatred by the Lord: but he still lives. But he who speaks a lie and perishes, has already ceased to be. Therefore he who speaks a lie is more unhappy than he who works iniquity: for he who works iniquity is held in hatred; but he who speaks a lie, perishes. 'For the mouth that lies kills the soul.' And how is it written, 'That God may be truthful, but every man a liar'? But if whoever speaks a lie already perishes, and kills his own soul, and yet we all lie, then shall we all perish? Therefore, from what he says here, Thou wilt destroy all who speak a lie, and from what follows in the psalm, and from the very order, we can understand that he is speaking of heretics. For he who works iniquity kills only his own soul; but he who is a heretic, and speaks a lie, kills as many men as he has led astray. Thou wilt destroy all who speak a lie. Let us see who these are who speak a lie. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: The man of blood and the deceitful the Lord shall abhor. Every heretic is a man of blood; for daily he sheds the blood of souls. The man of blood and the deceitful. He rightly said, the deceitful: he is both a murderer, and deceitful. Why is he deceitful? He falsely fashions his own words into the words of the Lord. The man of blood and the deceitful the Lord shall abhor. See what a heretic is: the Lord shall abhor him. Of sinners he says, Thou hatest all who work iniquity; of false teachers, The Lord shall abhor them. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "But I, in the multitude of Your mercy, will enter into Your house." "In the multitude of mercy:" perhaps he means in the multitude of perfected and blessed men, of whom that city shall consist, of which the Church is now in travail, and is bearing few by few. Now that many men regenerated and perfected, are rightly called the multitude of God's mercy, who can deny; when it is most truly said, "What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You visit him? I will enter into Your house:" as a stone into a building, I suppose, is the meaning. For what else is the house of God than the Temple of God, of which it is said, "for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are"? Of which building He is the cornerstone, whom the Power and Wisdom of God coeternal with the Father assumed. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Evagrius Ponticus: The holy temple of God is Christ, concerning which "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." In the fear of God each one turns away from evil; in fear he worships in the temple of the Lord that is Christ. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 5:8 Jerome: But I, in the multitude of Thy mercy, will enter into Thy house. They in their iniquity go out from Thy house: I in Thy mercy enter into Thy house. I will enter into Thy house, which is the Church. I will worship toward Thy holy temple in Thy fear. That is the house which is also the temple. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 John Chrysostom: Since, you see, the church has been gathered together out of such people—pagans, soothsayers, murderers, sorcerers, liars, cheats—it said, "you hate and abhor," indicating that it was not due to its righteousness and good deeds but to God's lovingkindness that it had been rescued from them and led into the precincts. So [the church] added, "I, on the contrary, in the abundance of your mercy, shall enter your house." I mean, in case someone should say, "So how is it that you, who are guilty of this and that, are saved?" it mentioned the manner of salvation: it was due to God's wonderful lovingkindness, to his ineffable goodness. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:4 Origen of Alexandria: Since evil and iniquity may not dwell with you, nor may they remain in your sight, I will enter into your house by your mercy. Then I will be able to say, "Early in the morning I will stand before you, and you will see me." And since I enter into your house by no other way than by your mercy, with great reverence that is called your fear [i.e., the fear of God], I will worship you, having walked in spirit and truth. — SELECTIONS FROM the Psalms 5. 8-9 Augustine of Hippo: "Direct in Your sight my way." [Psalms 5:8] Nothing is clearer, than that he here sets forth that time, in which he is journeying onward. For this is a way which is traversed not in any regions of the earth, but in the affections of the heart. "In Your sight," he says, "direct my way:" that is, where no man sees; who are not to be trusted in their praise or blame. For they can in no wise judge of another man's conscience, wherein the way toward God is traversed. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Jerome: Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness because of my enemies. I indeed desire to enter into Thy house, and I wish to enter by Thy straight way: but since my enemies set stumbling-blocks continuously along the paths, and lay snares in the road for me who desire to go into Thy house; therefore I ask Thee, that Thou wouldst direct my feet even unto the end in Thy way. It is mine to set my feet in Thy way: it is Thine to correct my steps. Because of my enemies direct Thy way in my sight: that is, make Thy way straight because of my enemies, who lie in wait for me. But what is this way? The reading of the Scriptures, that is, that I may not fall in Thy Scriptures, through which I desire to enter into Thy Church. For everyone who understands the Scriptures badly falls in the way of God. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 John Chrysostom: There is … a human righteousness that depends on external laws, but it is inferior, possessing nothing perfect and complete, arising from human deliberation. It is your righteousness, on the contrary, that I seek, that has come down from you and leads up to heaven.… The present life, you see, is a way on which guidance from on high is required. I mean, if we want to enter a city, we need someone to show us the way; much more if we are to travel to heaven do we have need of grace from above to point out and determine the way and guide us on it. There are many paths to lead us astray, after all. Hence let us hold God's right hand. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:4-5 Origen of Alexandria: One who wishes to know and to act rightly has many adversaries. There are people and demons full of envy whom the good deeds of those acting uprightly torment. The prophet, when he understood this, did not allow himself to fight by his own strength against those who rose up against him, but he called on God to extend his hand by which he could escape unharmed from so many enemies, saying, "You, O Lord, lead me in your righteousness; then it will happen that my path may be directed in your sight." — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 5:11 Philoxenus of Mabbug: Whosoever feareth sleepeth not, and if he sleepeth, he seeth in his dream the cause of his fear; he eateth not, and he drinketh not, and if the force of natural craving compel him, fear is mingled with his meat and drink. Everything which attacketh the man who is filled with the fear of God abideth outside him, for fear keepeth fast hold upon the place of his understanding, and upon all the places of ingoing and outgoing of the city of his soul. Like the watchmen who stand by the gates of the city, even so doth fear keep fast hold upon the places of ingoing and outgoing of the soul, and it permitteth no act or thought to enter in or to go forth which it examineth not; for it neither permitteth any internal thought whatsoever to go forth, nor any external act that is not seemly to go in. And moreover this Prophet maketh known in other places the fear of God; "My flesh contracteth through fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy judgments." And again he saith, "I am like a wine skin in ice, but I have not forgotten Thy commandments." And again he saith, "Sorrow is in my heart all the day long. How long, O Lord, wilt thou turn Thy face from me? How long wilt Thou forget me, for ever? How long wilt Thou set trouble in my soul?" And again he saith, "Heal me, O Lord, for my bones tremble, and my soul is greatly moved. I am weary with my groaning; every night make I my bed to swim; and I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye hath become sick because of Thine anger"; now it is evident that all these things arose from [his] fear of God. And again he saith, "I roared by reason of the groaning of my heart"; and again he saith, "Lead me, O Lord, in Thy fear and righteousness"; and again he saith, "There is no soundness in my flesh before the fear of Thee, and there is no health in my bones in the presence of my sins. For my iniquities have gone over my head; and [they are] as a heavy burden heavy upon me. My wounds stink and are corrupt, and in the presence of my iniquities I tremble greatly. All the day long I walk in sadness. For my ankles are filled with trembling. I am much moved, and I am brought to great misery." And again he saith, "My heart is turned back, and my strength hath forsaken me; and the light of my eyes is no longer with me." And again he saith, "I kept silent, and I was sorrowful, and I was afflicted even from good; And my sickness was stirred. My heart became hot within me; and in my body the fire kindled." And again he saith, "I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth; because Thou didst it. I have come to an end because of [Thy] rebuke of my sins." — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 7 -- Second Discourse on the Fear of God Philoxenus of Mabbug: And again he saith, "Lead me, O Lord, in Thy fear and righteousness", and because he knew what the profit of the fear of God was, he asked it as a gift from God. For all the conversation of the soul which the fear of God leadeth standeth in righteousness. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 7 -- Second Discourse on the Fear of God Augustine of Hippo: "For truth is not in their mouth" (ver. 9). To whose judgment of course then there is no trusting, and therefore must we fly within to conscience, and the sight of God. "Their heart is vain." How then can truth be in their mouth, whose heart is deceived by sin, and the punishment of sin? Whence men are called back by that voice, "Wherefore do ye love vanity, and seek a lie?" "Their throat is an open sepulchre." It may be referred to signify gluttony, for the sake of which men very often lie by flattery. And admirably has he said, "an open sepulchre:" for this gluttony is ever gaping with open mouth, not as sepulchres, which, on the reception of corpses, are closed up. This also may be understood hereby, that with lying and blind flattery men draw to themselves those whom they entice to sin; and as it were devour them, when they turn them to their own way of living. And when this happens to them, since by sin they die, those by whom they are led along, are rightly called open sepulchres: for themselves too are in a manner lifeless, being destitute of the life of truth; and they take in to themselves dead men, whom having slain by lying words and a vain heart, they turn unto themselves. "With their own tongues they dealt craftily:" that is, with evil tongues. For this seems to be signified, when he says "their own." For the evil have evil tongues, that is, they speak evil, when they speak craftily. To whom the Lord saith, "How can ye, being evil, speak good things?" — Exposition on Psalms 5 Caesarius of Arles: Truly, those jaws are like those of a dead person, for they never or only with difficulty deign to speak God's praises. — SERMON 68:2 Eusebius of Caesarea: Vain is the heart of the philosophers of alien ideas, about whom it is said, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain"; from their throats they spew out death-bearing dogmas as they teach the Word of God is not alive, and they bring forth lies and words of death. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 5:10-11 Jerome: For there is no truth in their mouth. The heretics are described; the man of blood and deceit is described, whom the Lord shall abhor. There is no truth in their mouth: they do not have Christ the truth in their mouth, because neither do they have Him in their heart. Their heart is vain. It reads better in the Hebrew: 'Their heart is ἐπίβουλον (treacherous).' For the heart of the heretics truly lies in wait for all whom it deceives. Their throat is an open sepulchre. The heretics are unhappy, who are whitewashed sepulchres, full of the bones of the dead. Their throat is an open sepulchre. Arius, Eunomius, and the other heretics have tongues for arrows, they have their jaws for a sepulchre. Their throat is an open sepulchre. Excellently he said, open: for whenever some deceived person wishes to enter, the heretic is ready, and receives him. Never do the heretics close their mouth, but they always open it. Their throat is an open sepulchre. With their tongues they acted deceitfully. One thing they held in the heart, another thing they promised in speech: they spoke piety, and concealed impiety: they speak of Christ, and hide the Antichrist: for they know that no one can be led on, if they bring forth the Antichrist. They bring forth light, in order to conceal the darkness, in order through the light to lead to the darkness. With their tongues they acted deceitfully. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 John Chrysostom: Make sure your mouth is not a grave but a treasury. Treasuries, you know, differ markedly from graves: the latter corrupt what they receive; the former preserve it. Accordingly, keep for yourself the wealth that lasts forever, the search for wisdom, nothing fetid or rotting. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:5 Theodoret of Cyrus: When graves are filled in they keep the stench within, but when opened they release the awful smell. These people are like that, … spewing out words redolent of utter impiety and evil smells. Now, … these words … suggest blasphemy against God and lewd and licentious speech. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:7 Augustine of Hippo: "Judge them, O God: let them fall from their own thoughts" [Psalms 5:10]. It is a prophecy, not a curse. For he does not wish that it should come to pass; but he perceives what will come to pass. For this happens to them, not because he appears to have wished for it, but because they are such as to deserve that it should happen. For so also what he says afterwards, "Let all that hope in You rejoice," he says by way of prophecy; since he perceives that they will rejoice. Likewise is it said prophetically, "Stir up Your strength, and come:" for he saw that He would come. Although the words, "Let them fall from their own thoughts," may be taken thus also, that it may rather be believed to be a wish for their good by the Psalmist, while they fall from their evil thoughts, that is, that they may no more think evil. But what follows, "drive them out," forbids this interpretation. For it can in no way be taken in a favourable sense, that one is driven out by God. Wherefore it is understood to be said prophetically, and not of ill will; when this is said, which must necessarily happen to such as chose to persevere in those sins, which have been mentioned. "Let them," therefore, "fall from their own thoughts," is, let them fall by their self-accusing thoughts, "their own conscience also bearing witness," as the Apostle says, "and their thoughts accusing or excusing, in the revelation of the just judgment of God." [Romans 2:15-16] "According to the multitude of their ungodlinesses drive them out:" [Psalms 5:10] that is, drive them out far away. For this is "according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses," that they should be driven out far away. The ungodly then are driven out from that inheritance, which is possessed by knowing and seeing God: as diseased eyes are driven out from the shining of the light, when what is gladness to others is pain to them. Therefore these shall not stand in the morning, and see. And that expression is as great a punishment, as that which is said, "But for me it is good to cleave to the Lord," is a great reward. To this punishment is opposed, "Enter into the joy of Your Lord;" [Matthew 25:21] for similar to this expulsion is, "Cast him into outer darkness." [Matthew 25:30] "Since they have embittered You, O Lord" [Psalms 5:10] "I am," says He, "the Bread which came down from heaven;" [John 6:51] again, "Labour for the meat which wasts not;" [John 6:27] again, "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet." But to sinners the bread of truth is bitter. Whence they hate the mouth of him that speaks the truth. These then have embittered God, who by sin have fallen into such a state of sickliness, that the food of truth, in which healthy souls delight, as if it were bitter as gall, they cannot bear. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Jerome: Judge them, O God. Let them know that Thou art the judge, let them know that Thou dost regard human affairs: Thou who art to judge at the end, judge also in the present: Thou who art to judge in general, judge now in part: let those who are unwilling to feel Thee as Father feel Thee as judge. Judge them, O God. Why? for what cause? It follows: Let them fall from their thoughts. For if in the present Thou wilt render to them what they deserve, they will begin to withdraw from their evil thoughts. As long as they do not feel Thee as judge, they do not fear. Let them fall from their thoughts. Excellently he said, from their thoughts: for daily the heretics change their doctrines. In short, if a man of the Church, learned in the Scriptures, contends against them, and refutes them from the holy Scriptures, immediately they seek out some other new doctrine to devise. They do not seek how they may be saved, but how they may prevail. Therefore he said now, Let them fall from their thoughts: let them fall from their many thoughts, and let them have Thee as their one thought. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: According to the multitude of their impieties cast them out. He did not say from where He should cast them out: whether He should cast them out from heaven, whether He should cast them out from the earth: from where He should cast them out, the Scripture does not say; but it is a ὑπερβατόν (a transposition) and a ὕστερον πρότερον (a putting of the latter first). We ought therefore to read, According to the multitude of their impieties cast them out. What he says is this: cast them out from their many impieties for the sake of Thy mercy, that is, let them not be in their many impieties. It can also be interpreted otherwise: since they have been most impious, and have been unwilling to fall from their thoughts, and heap impieties upon impieties, and daily gather them, and have more impieties, therefore cast them out. From where? From her who obtains the inheritance, that is, the Church, which obtains Thy inheritance. Do Thou cast them out from there, so that, since they do not have the faith of the Church, they may not dwell in the Church either. For they have provoked Thee, O Lord. Thou, O Lord, by nature art sweet; but whoever are sinners and heretics turn the nature of Thy sweetness into bitterness by their own vice. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Augustine of Hippo: "And let all rejoice that hope in You;" those of course to whose taste the Lord is sweet. "They will exult for evermore, and You will dwell in them" [Psalms 5:11]. This will be the exultation for evermore, when the just become the Temple of God, and He, their Indweller, will be their joy. "And all that love Your name shall glory in You:" as when what they love is present for them to enjoy. And well is it said, "in You," as if in possession of the inheritance, of which the title of the Psalm speaks: when they too are His inheritance, which is intimated by, "You will dwell in them." From which good they are kept back, whom God, according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses, drives out. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Eusebius of Caesarea: It is the goal of good people to receive the inheritance promised to them, to follow the Lord, to have him living within as a companion, in accordance with those things that were promised, saying, "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 5:12 Jerome: And let all rejoice who hope in Thee. Let those perish, let those of the Church rejoice. They shall exult forever. Here, forever, we ought not to speak of the present age, but of the age to come. In short, he did not say, they exult in this age; but, they shall exult, it is said of the future. For here there is sadness, but there is joy there. The heretics laugh in the present, but they shall mourn in the future: we, however, mourn in the present, that we may laugh in the future. They shall exult forever. What will be the exultation of the holy men? And Thou shalt dwell in them. Happy will they be, who shall deserve to have Christ as their guest. And Thou shalt dwell in them. Happy are they who shall be the tabernacle of Christ. And all who love Thy name shall glory in Thee. Whoever loves the Lord shall glory in the Lord. See what he says. All who love Thy name shall glory in Thee. Who love: he did not say, who fear, but, who love. For wherever there is fear, there is no love: 'for perfect love casts out fear.' For whoever love the name of the Lord, they shall glory. They shall glory: our blessedness is in the future; all that is promised is of the future. Let others reign, let others possess, let others glory: we are here wretched, that afterward we may be happy. Let us follow Christ our Lord. He who says that he believes in Christ, let him also walk as Christ walked. Christ the Son of God came not to be ministered unto, but to minister: He came not to command, but to serve: He came not that His feet should be washed, but that He might wash the feet of the disciples: He came not to strike, but to be struck: He gave not a blow, but received one; He crucified not, but was crucified: He killed not others, but Himself suffered: He was poor, that He might make us rich: He received the stroke for us, that we, being scourged, might not feel pain. As often as we are struck, let us offer the cheek, let us present the back, let us imitate Christ. He who is struck imitates Christ: he who strikes, the Antichrist. Why do I say all this? That in the present age we may glorify the name of Christ for what we endure for Christ's sake. While we speak, while we walk, we are suddenly snatched away. I myself, who speak to you today, know not what shall become of me tomorrow. If a slight little fever comes, where is that voice? where is the pride? suddenly it is turned into ash. 'Why doth earth and ash boast?' We are earth and ash. 'Earth thou art, and unto earth thou shalt go.' And earth boasts against its Maker. It follows: For Thou wilt bless the just. Thou wilt bless, in the future: therefore blessedness is deferred. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 John Chrysostom: Other joys, at any rate, are no better than flowing steams, no sooner seen than gone by. The happiness that is from God, by contrast, remains steady and has firm roots, is both ample and lasting, interrupted by no unforeseen circumstance but rendered more elevated by the very obstacles themselves. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:5 John Chrysostom: Someone who takes pride in the things of this life is no different from people enjoying themselves in dreams. What human thing is it, after all, tell me, of such a kind as to permit one to boast? Strength of body? But that is not an achievement of our willing, and hence is no grounds for boasting, especially since the body weakens and collapses in a flash, and the strong person suffers from the effects of not using it properly. This can also be said of the bloom of youth and a shapely figure, of riches, of power, of luxury, and of all the things of this life. To boast in God, on the contrary, and in love for him, is a greater honor than all others and a distinction outshining diadems beyond telling, even if the one boasting is in prison. This honor is not interrupted by disease, by old age, by the pressure of affairs, by variety of seasons, by death itself, at which times instead it shines more brightly. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:5-6 Augustine of Hippo: "For You will bless the just man" [Psalms 5:12]. This is blessing, to glory in God, and to be inhabited by God. Such sanctification is given to the just. But that they may be justified, a calling goes before: which is not of merit, but of the grace of God. "For all have sinned, and want the glory of God." [Romans 3:23] "For whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified." [Romans 8:30] Since then calling is not of our merit, but of the goodness and mercy of God, he went on to say, "O Lord, as with the shield of Your good will You have crowned us." For God's good will goes before our good will, to call sinners to repentance. And these are the arms whereby the enemy is overcome, against whom it is said, "Who will bring accusation against God's elect?" Again, "if God be for us, who can be against us? Who spared not His Only Son, but delivered Him up for us all." "For if, when we were enemies, Christ died for us; much more being reconciled shall we be saved from wrath through Him." [Romans 5:10] This is that unconquerable shield, whereby the enemy is driven back, when he suggests despair of our salvation through the multitude of tribulations and temptations. — Exposition on Psalms 5 Cassiodorus: Let us consider how this psalm closes with such a sweet and fitting end, indicating with a single word the benefits of the Lord that even volumes cannot explain.… "Your good will": since the Lord's call precedes any merit, and he does not find anyone worthy, but makes him worthy, it is described as a gracious call; otherwise, it would have been called just. So this is his good will that calls us and draws us to God. We are not able to think or to do anything that is beneficial unless we receive this from the Author of goodness. Thus, as the Apostle says, "For we cannot think anything of ourselves, as if there is something originating from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 5:13 Jerome: Lord, Thou hast crowned us as with a shield of good will. In the world one thing is the shield, another the crown; but with God He Himself is the shield, He Himself is also the crown. As a shield He protects, as God He crowns: He Himself is our shield, He Himself is also our crown. And this is what he says, Lord, Thou hast crowned us as with a shield of Thy good will: Thou hast protected us with Thy shield, and Thy protection was our crown, that is, our crown was Thy shield, it was our victory. For the crown is interpreted as victory. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 Jerome: Let us give thanks to God, and let us entreat Him, that in His good will He Himself may be our shield and our crown, that we may never withdraw from Him, that we may follow Him, and may say with Jeremiah: 'And following after Thee I have not grown weary.' To whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen. — Homily 2, on Psalms 5 John Chrysostom: What harm, after all, could come to you from the mockery of human beings, even the whole world, when the Lord of the angels praises and extols you? Just as, consequently, should he not bless you, no matter if all the inhabitants of earth and sea sang your praises, it would do you no good. So make it the complete object of your attention that he extol you, that he bestow the crown. If this were the case, we should be the most exalted people of all, even if we were in poverty, if failing health, at death's door. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:6 John Chrysostom: This victory wreath is woven of mercy, as David says elsewhere, "Who crowns you with mercy and compassion." It is also woven of righteousness, as Paul says, "Hereafter there is set aside for me the wreath of righteousness." It is also a wreath of grace, as another author says, "She will defend you with a wreath of graces." Yet it is also a wreath of honor, as Isaiah says, "there will be the wreath of hope, woven of honor." The wreath, you see, has all these attributes—lovingkindness, righteousness, grace, honor, comeliness. The gift, after all, comes from God, offering a grace of many hues. It is also a wreath proof against corruption, as Paul says, "Whereas their purpose is to gain a corruptible wreath, ours is incorruptible." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 5:12 Augustine of Hippo: In fear of which condemnation the Church prays in this Psalm, and says, "Reprove me not, O Lord, in Your anger" [Psalms 6:1]. The Apostle too mentions the anger of the judgment; "You treasure up unto yourself," he says, "anger against the day of the anger of the just judgment of God." [Romans 2:5] In which he would not be reproved, whosoever longs to be healed in this life. "Nor in Your rage chasten me." "Chasten," seems rather too mild a word; for it avails toward amendment. For for him who is reproved, that is, accused, it is to be feared lest his end be condemnation. But since "rage" seems to be more than "anger," it may be a difficulty, why that which is milder, namely, chastening, is joined to that which is more severe, namely, rage. But I suppose that one and the same thing is signified by the two words. For in the Greek θυμὸς, which is in the first verse, means the same as ὀ ργὴ, which is in the second verse. But when the Latins themselves too wished to use two distinct words, they looked out for what was akin to "anger," and "rage" was used. Hence copies vary. For in some "anger" is found first, and then "rage:" in others, for "rage," "indignation" or "choler" is used. But whatever the reading, it is an emotion of the soul urging to the infliction of punishment. Yet this emotion must not be attributed to God, as if to a soul, of whom it is said, "but Thou, O Lord of power, judgest with tranquillity." [Wisdom 12:18] Now that which is tranquil, is not disturbed. Disturbance then does not attach to God as judge: but what is done by His ministers, in that it is done by His laws, is called His anger. In which anger, the soul, which now prays, would not only not be reproved, but not even chastened, that is, amended or instructed. For in the Greek it is, παιδεύσῃς, that is, instruct. Now in the day of judgment all are "reproved" that hold not the foundation, which is Christ. But they are amended, that is, purged, who "upon this foundation build wood, hay, stubble. For they shall suffer loss, but shall be saved, as by fire." What then does he pray, who would not be either reproved or amended in the anger of the Lord? What else but that he may be healed? For where sound health is, neither death is to be dreaded, nor the physician's hand with caustics or the knife. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Jerome: 'For her that obtaineth the inheritance' — since in the fifth psalm we discussed, interpreting that the psalm had been sung in the person of the Church, which has obtained the inheritance of Christ. But the sixth pertains properly to the resurrection of the Lord, which is the eighth day. For we have both a first day and an eighth day. For on the eighth day we received the kingdom of heaven. The eighth day is after the sabbath, the first at the beginning. It would take long, if we now wished to speak about the number eight: how there are eight beatitudes in Matthew; how in the hundred and eighteenth psalm each letter has eight verses; how there are fifteen psalms of degrees, how they are seven and eight; how Ecclesiastes too says, 'Give a portion to seven, and give a portion to eight'; how the eastern gate in Ezekiel has seven steps and eight steps. It would take long to tell how David too was the eighth of the sons of Jesse, who received the kingdom. This is what is now said, 'For the octave': for on the eighth we received the kingdom of heaven. Whence he says: 'O Lord, rebuke me not in thy fury, neither chastise me in thy wrath.' But since we cannot interpret both psalms equally together, it is enough for us to have discussed the title of the sixth psalm. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 John Cassian: We have heard some people trying to excuse this most pernicious disease of the soul [anger] in such a way as to endeavor to extenuate it by a rather shocking way of interpreting Scripture: as they say that it is not injurious if we are angry with the brethren who do wrong, since, say they, God is said to rage and to be angry with those who either will not know him or, knowing him, spurn him, as here: "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people"; or where the prophet prays and says, "O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, neither chasten me in your displeasure"; not understanding that while they want to open to people an excuse for a most pestilent sin, they are ascribing to the divine Infinity and Fountain of all purity a taint of human passion. — INSTITUTES 8:2 John Chrysostom: When you hear of anger and rage in God's case, do not get the idea of anything typical of human beings; the words, you see, arise from considerateness. The divine nature, after all, is free of all these passions. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:1 Origen of Alexandria: When we speak of God's wrath, we do not hold that it is an emotional reaction on his part but something that he uses in order to correct by stern methods those who have committed many terrible sins. That the so-called wrath of God and what is called his anger has a corrective purpose, and that this is the doctrine of the Bible is clear from the words of Psalm 6: "Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor correct me in your wrath." — AGAINST CELSUS 4:72 Theodoret of Cyrus: He does not beg to be uncensured but rather not to be censured in anger, nor does he plead to avoid discipline but not to suffer it with wrath. Discipline me like a father, he asks, not like a judge; like a physician, not like a torturer. Do not fit the punishment to the crime; instead, temper justice with lovingkindness. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 6:2 Augustine of Hippo: He proceeds accordingly to say, "Pity me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled" [Psalms 6:2], that is, the support of my soul, or strength: for this is the meaning of "bones." The soul therefore says, that her strength is troubled, when she speaks of bones. For it is not to be supposed, that the soul has bones, such as we see in the body. Wherefore, what follows tends to explain it, "and my soul is troubled exceedingly" [Psalms 6:3], lest because he mentioned bones, they should be understood as of the body. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Eusebius of Caesarea: Every fault arises from weakness because the spirit is always inclined to a wicked disposition, on account of which it flees to the Savior and Healer, namely, the Son of God. For when one comes to the word and reason of God, he gives up his unreasonable actions; as wisdom frees the spirit from foolishness, justice from injustice, truth from lying. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 6:2-4 Hesychius of Jerusalem: According to the spiritual meaning, the bones are the companion virtues of a reasonable spirit that will draw one to discernment. There are steadfastness, discretion and the temperance that is strength according to God, justice, and, in short, absolutely every type of excellence, which, when they are not found in us (that is, properly provided and in order), it is inevitable that the spirit, since it does not have fitting strength, is thoroughly stirred up with those inordinate passions that are in it. — LARGE COMMENTARY ON Psalms 6:2 John Chrysostom: He constantly invokes this word Lord as though adducing some claim to pardon and grace. This, after all, is our greatest hope, his lovingkindness beyond telling, and the fact that he is such a one as to be ready to pardon. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:5 Origen of Alexandria: Even if one turns to the lesser fragments of the body, one can discover their incorporeal correspondences in the soul. "… Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken." What bones of the prophet were shaken? The harmonious state of his soul and the strength of his mind were shattered, and therefore he asks God for the restoration of his bones. — DIALOGUE WITH HERACLIDES Philoxenus of Mabbug: Whosoever feareth sleepeth not, and if he sleepeth, he seeth in his dream the cause of his fear; he eateth not, and he drinketh not, and if the force of natural craving compel him, fear is mingled with his meat and drink. Everything which attacketh the man who is filled with the fear of God abideth outside him, for fear keepeth fast hold upon the place of his understanding, and upon all the places of ingoing and outgoing of the city of his soul. Like the watchmen who stand by the gates of the city, even so doth fear keep fast hold upon the places of ingoing and outgoing of the soul, and it permitteth no act or thought to enter in or to go forth which it examineth not; for it neither permitteth any internal thought whatsoever to go forth, nor any external act that is not seemly to go in. And moreover this Prophet maketh known in other places the fear of God; "My flesh contracteth through fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy judgments." And again he saith, "I am like a wine skin in ice, but I have not forgotten Thy commandments." And again he saith, "Sorrow is in my heart all the day long. How long, O Lord, wilt thou turn Thy face from me? How long wilt Thou forget me, for ever? How long wilt Thou set trouble in my soul?" And again he saith, "Heal me, O Lord, for my bones tremble, and my soul is greatly moved. I am weary with my groaning; every night make I my bed to swim; and I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye hath become sick because of Thine anger"; now it is evident that all these things arose from [his] fear of God. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 7 -- Second Discourse on the Fear of God Theodoret of Cyrus: Under the influence of weakness, sin overcomes. After all, if the reasoning faculty within us were not weak, the passions would not rebel; to put it another way, provided the charioteer is firm and steers and controls the horses skillfully, there is no occasion for bucking.… He calls reasoning bones, since bones are naturally rather dense and support the body; speaking figuratively he gave the name "bones" to reasoning, by which the living being is steered. Disturbance in that faculty, he is saying, ruffled and shook me. Hence I beg to be allowed to enjoy your lovingkindness so as to receive healing through it. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:3 Augustine of Hippo: "And my soul is troubled exceedingly" [Psalms 6:3]. "And Thou, O Lord, how long?" Who does not see represented here a soul struggling with her diseases; but long kept back by the physician, that she may be convinced what evils she has plunged herself into through sin? For what is easily healed, is not much avoided: but from the difficulty of the healing, there will be the more careful keeping of recovered health. God then, to whom it is said, "And Thou, O Lord, how long?" must not be deemed as if cruel: but as a kind convincer of the soul, what evil she hath procured for herself. For this soul does not yet pray so perfectly, as that it can be said to her, "Whilst thou art yet speaking I will say, Behold, here I am." [Isaiah 65:24] That she may at the same time also come to know, if they who do turn meet with so great difficulty, how great punishment is prepared for the ungodly, who will not turn to God: as it is written in another place, "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and ungodly appear?" [1 Peter 4:18] — On the Psalms, Psalms 6 Augustine of Hippo: "Turn, O Lord, and deliver my soul" [Psalms 6:4]. Turning herself she prays that God too would turn to her: as it is said, "Turn ye unto Me, and I will turn unto you, says the Lord." [Zechariah 1:3] Or is it to be understood according to that way of speaking, "Turn, O Lord," that is make me turn, since the soul in this her turning feels difficulty and toil? For our perfected turning finds God ready, as says the Prophet, "We shall find Him ready as the dawn." Since it was not His absence who is everywhere present, but our turning away that made us lose Him; "He was in this world," it is said, "and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." [John 1:10] If, then, He was in this world, and the world knew Him not, our impurity does not endure the sight of Him. But while we are turning ourselves, that is, by changing our old life are fashioning our spirit; we feel it hard and toilsome to be wrested back from the darkness of earthly lusts, to the serene and quiet and tranquillity of the divine light. And in such difficulty we say, "Turn, O Lord," that is, help us, that that turning may be perfected in us, which finds You ready, and offering Yourself for the fruition of them that love You. And hence after he said, "Turn, O Lord," he added, "and deliver my soul:" cleaving as it were to the entanglements of this world, and suffering, in the very act of turning, from the thorns, as it were, of rending and tearing desires. "Make me whole," he says, "for Your pity's sake." He knows that it is not of his own merits that he is healed: for to him sinning, and transgressing a given command, was just condemnation due. Heal me therefore, he says, not for my merit's sake, but for Your pity's sake. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Didymus the Blind: We may understand the word turn in two ways. Sometimes the sense is this: Since you have turned your face away from me, I ask that now you return that mercy and show it to me. Sometimes the significance is this: Since my spirit has turned away into evil, may you, returning and calling that soul back to you (as "You have turned who are given to turning away") redeem my soul from repeated sins and from the powers causing these evils. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 6:4, 5 Diodorus of Tarsus: Treat me lovingly, not because I am worthy but because it becomes you to grant me this, such as I am.… Let this happen completely and quickly, since it becomes you to grant such a thing, merciful as you are, and to be ever mindful of me as a recipient of your kindness. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 6 Jerome: Unless he converts my soul, he can not deliver it from danger. — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 6 Theodoret of Cyrus: Now, it was appropriate for him to add "for your mercy's sake": I am not trusting in myself, he is saying, nor do I attribute your help to my own righteousness; instead, I beg to be granted it on account of your mercy. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:4 Augustine of Hippo: "For in death there is no one that is mindful of You" [Psalms 6:5]. He knows too that now is the time for turning unto God: for when this life shall have passed away, there remains but a retribution of our deserts. "But in hell who shall confess to You?" [Luke xvi] That rich man, of whom the Lord speaks, who saw Lazarus in rest, but bewailed himself in torments, confessed in hell, yea so as to wish even to have his brethren warned, that they might keep themselves from sin, because of the punishment which is not believed to be in hell. Although therefore to no purpose, yet he confessed that those torments had deservedly lighted upon him; since he even wished his brethren to be instructed, lest they should fall into the same. What then is, "But in hell who will confess to You?" Is hell to be understood as that place, whither the ungodly will be cast down after the judgment, when by reason of that deeper darkness they will no more see any light of God, to whom they may confess anything? For as yet that rich man by raising his eyes, although a vast gulf lay between, could still see Lazarus established in rest: by comparing himself with whom, he was driven to a confession of his own deserts. It may be understood also, as if the Psalmist calls sin, that is committed in contempt of God's law, death: so as that we should give the name of death to the sting of death, because it procures death. "For the sting of death is sin." [1 Corinthians 15:56] In which death this is to be unmindful of God, to despise His law and commandments: so that by hell the Psalmist would mean that blindness of soul which overtakes and enwraps the sinner, that is, the dying. "As they did not think good," the Apostle says, "to retain God in" their "knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." [Romans 1:28] From this death, and this hell, the soul earnestly prays that she may be kept safe, while she strives to turn to God, and feels her difficulties. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Didymus the Blind: The saints are not only mindful of God as they hold on to this life but even more so when they are separated from this perishable body. What, therefore, does he say? No one who is mindful of you falls into that death that sin brings forth, that is, that death that separates the sinning spirit from a life of virtue. I desire to be mindful of you by turning toward your kindness. Save me, lest I be consumed in death when my prevailing weakness has turned against me and my spirit is thoroughly distraught. For it is also said, he is not mindful of you who dies; but he who is mindful of you does not fall into that death about which the Savior said: "He who hears my word will not see death in eternity." — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 6:6 Gregory of Nazianzus: It is better to be punished and cleansed now than to be transmitted to the torment to come, when it is the time of chastisement, not of cleansing. For as he who remembers God here is conqueror of death (as David has most excellently sung), so the departed have not in the grave confession and restoration; for God has confined life and action to this world, and to the future the scrutiny of what has been done. — ON HIS FATHER'S SILENCE, ORATION 16:7 Gregory of Nyssa: For he who has made the inheritance known has also mentioned the octave, which becomes both the boundary of the present time and the beginning of the age to come. Now the characteristic feature of the octave is that it no longer affords those who are in it opportunity to procure things good or bad, but one hands over instead the sheaves from whatever seeds he has sown for himself through his works. For this reason he prescribes here that the one who is exercised in the same victories effect repentance, as such zeal is idle in hades. — ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE Psalms 2:11.146-47 Jerome: While you are still in this world, I beg of you to repent. Confess and give thanks to the Lord, for in this world only is he merciful. Here, he is able to be compassionate to the repentant, but because there he is judge, he is not merciful. Here, he is compassionate kindness; there, he is judge. Here, he reaches out his hand to the falling; there, he presides as judge. — HOMILY ON Psalms 105[106] John Chrysostom: [When the psalmist says] "for in death there is no one to remember you," [he is] not implying that our existence lasts only as far as the present life: perish the thought! After all, he is aware of the doctrine of resurrection. Rather, it is that after our departure from here there would be no time for repentance. For the rich man praised God and repented, but in view of its lateness it did him no good. The virgins wanted to get some oil, but no one gave any to them. So this is what this man requests, too, for his sins to be washed away in this life so as to enjoy confidence at the tribunal of the fearsome judge. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:4 Theodoret of Cyrus: It is not in death but in life that one recalls God. Likewise, confession and reform do not come to the departed in hades. God confined life and action to this life; there, however, he conducts an evaluation of performance. And in any case this is proper to the eighth day, giving no longer opportunity for preparation by good or bad deeds to those who have arrived at it; instead, whatever works you have sown for yourself you will have occasion to reap. For this reason he obliges you to practice repentance here, there being no practice of this kind of effort in hades. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:5 Augustine of Hippo: Wherefore he goes on to say, "I have laboured in my groaning." And as if this availed but little, he adds, "I will wash each night my couch" [Psalms 6:6]. That is here called a couch, where the sick and weak soul rests, that is, in bodily gratification and in every worldly pleasure. Which pleasure, whoso endeavours to withdraw himself from it, washes with tears. For he sees that he already condemns carnal lusts; and yet his weakness is held by the pleasure, and willingly lies down therein, from whence none but the soul that is made whole can rise. As for what he says, "each night," he would perhaps have it taken thus: that he who, ready in spirit, perceives some light of truth, and yet, through weakness of the flesh, rests sometime in the pleasure of this world, is compelled to suffer as it were days and nights in an alternation of feeling: as when he says, "With the mind I serve the law of God," he feels as it were day; again when he says, "but with the flesh the law of sin," [Romans 7:25] he declines into night: until all night passes away, and that one day comes, of which it is said, "In the morning I will stand by You, and will see." For then he will stand, but now he lies down, when he is on his couch; which he will wash each night, that with so great abundance of tears he may obtain the most assured remedy from the mercy of God. "I will drench my bed with tears." It is a repetition. For when he says, "with tears," he shows with what meaning he said above, "I will wash." For we take "bed" here to be the same as "couch" above. Although, "I will drench," is something more than, "I will wash:" since anything may be washed superficially, but drenching penetrates to the more inward parts; which here signifies weeping to the very bottom of the heart. Now the variety of tenses which he uses; the past, when he said, "I have laboured in my groaning;" and the future, when he said, "I will wash each night my couch;" the future again, "I will drench my bed with tears;" this shows what every man ought to say to himself, when he labours in groaning to no purpose. As if he should say, It has not profited when I have done this, therefore I will do the other. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Caesarius of Arles: Perhaps someone thinks that he has committed such grievous sins that he is beyond God's mercy. Let this be far from the thoughts of all sinners. Whoever you are, O man, you look at the multitude of your sins and do not see the almighty power of the divine Physician. Although God would like to show mercy because he is good, and he can because he is omnipotent, a person closes the door of divine mercy to his soul when he believes that God is either unwilling or unable to have pity on him. He does not believe that God is good or almighty. No one should despair of divine mercy after a hundred sins, nor even after a thousand. Rather, he should show his confidence by hastening to regain God's favor without any delay.… David, who through divine mercy became both a king and a prophet, … was overtaken to such an extent that he committed both adultery and murder. However, he did not wait to take refuge in the healing of repentance in his old age. Immediately covering himself with a hairshirt and sprinkling his head with ashes, he repented with loud groaning and lamenting. Thus was fulfilled what he had said in the psalms: "Every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears." — SERMON 65:2 Isaac of Nineveh: Prayer offered up at night possesses a great power, more so than the prayer of the day-time. Therefore all the righteous prayed during the night, while combating the heaviness of the body and the sweetness of sleep and repelling corporeal nature.… And for every entreaty for which they urgently besought God, they armed themselves with the prayer of night vigil, and at once they received their request. — ASCETICAL HOMILIES 75 John Chrysostom: Let those who have beds of silver listen to what the bed of the king was like: not jewel-encrusted or gilt but washed with tears. His were not nights of repose but nights of mourning and lamenting. Many cares would beset him at night, a time that all people devote to rest but that he would devote to confession, lamenting the more earnestly then. You see, while it is always good to weep, it is particularly so at night, when no one resists this wonderful experience, but given good will one is able to give free rein to it. Those who have tried what I speak of know the great elation stemming from such a flood of tears. Tears like this can extinguish an unquenchable fire, can stem the flood sweeping us to our condemnation. Hence Paul too wept night and day for three years, correcting unnatural passions. Far from correcting our own, we give ourselves over to merriment and indulgence and bury the night in utter stupor. Some are sunk in a sleep resembling death, while others pass sleepless nights more dire than death, devising fraud and usury and other schemes at that time. Not so are sober people, tending their souls' welfare, applying their tears like a shower, promoting the growth of virtue. The bed that receives tears like that gives no access to any evil or licentiousness. The person who sheds such tears places no value on things of the earth and instead frees the soul from any siege, rendering the mind clearer than the sun. Do not think I am directing these remarks only to monks; in fact, the exhortation is for people in the world as well, and for them more than the others, they after all being in particular need of the remedy of repentance. The one uttering groans like this will rise with spirit in better condition than a calm haven, expelling every passion; such a one, filled with great joy, will approach the house of God in confidence, will converse with neighbors pleasantly, no anger lurking within, after all no lust inflamed, no hankering after possessions, no envy, nothing else of this kind. All these passions, you see, like savage beasts lurking in their dens, those groans and tears in the night succeeded in taming. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:4 John Damascene: So from all these and many other examples beyond count we learn the virtue of tears and repentance. Only the manner thereof must be noted—it must arise from a heart that hates sin and weeps, as the prophet David says.… Again the cleansing of sins will be wrought by the blood of Christ, in the greatness of his compassion and the multitude of the mercies of that God who says, "Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow." — BARLAAM AND JOSEPH 11:97-98 Leo the Great: In hell there is no amendment. No means of satisfaction can be given where no act of the will remains any longer, as David says in prophecy: "Since in death there is no one who remembers you, who will give you thanks in hell?" Let us flee harmful pleasures, dangerous joys and desires that perish right away. What fruit is there, what use is there, in wanting these things incessantly, things that we must abandon even if they do not abandon us? Let the love of ephemeral things be transferred to incorruptible ones. Let hearts called to lofty things find their enjoyment in heavenly delights. — SERMON 35:4 Paulinus of Nola: My heart of stone has no tears to summon.… Delicacies are my pleasure while my soul goes hungry. Who could furnish me with a spring for streams of tears, so that I might lament my deeds and days? For I need a river to lament the heavy strokes that I deserve for a life spent in sin. Break the stone that is my heart, saving Jesus, so that the inner me may be softened and a stream of devotion pour forth. — POEMS 31:407 Augustine of Hippo: "My eye is disordered by anger" [Psalms 6:7]: is it by his own, or God's anger, in which he makes petition that he might not be reproved, or chastened? But if anger in that place intimate the day of judgment, how can it be understood now? Is it a beginning of it, that men here suffer pains and torments, and above all the loss of the understanding of the truth; as I have already quoted that which is said, "God gave them over to a reprobate mind"? [Romans 1:28] For such is the blindness of the mind. Whosoever is given over thereunto, is shut out from the interior light of God: but not wholly as yet, while he is in this life. For there is "outer darkness," [Matthew 25:30] which is understood to belong rather to the day of judgment; that he should rather be wholly without God, whosoever while there is time refuses correction. Now to be wholly without God, what else is it, but to be in extreme blindness? If indeed God "dwell in inaccessible light," [1 Timothy 6:16] whereinto they enter, to whom it is said, "Enter into the joy of your Lord." It is then the beginning of this anger, which in this life every sinner suffers. In fear therefore of the day of judgment, he is in trial and grief; lest he be brought to that, the disastrous commencement of which he experiences now. And therefore he did not say, my eye is extinguished, but, "my eye is disordered by anger." But if he mean that his eye is disordered by his own anger, there is no wonder either in this. For hence perhaps it is said, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath;" [Ephesians 4:26] because the mind, which, from her own disorder, is not permitted to see God, supposes that the inner sun, that is, the wisdom of God, suffers as it were a setting in her. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Caesarius of Arles: Listen to the psalmist tell how anger clouds the eye of the heart: "My eyes are dimmed," he says, "with sorrow." — SERMON 148:2 Gregory the Dialogist: For in quarrels the very light of the soul, the light of good intent, is blocked. Whence the Psalmist says, "Mine eye is troubled because of anger." And what remains in us of well-doing, if we lose peace from the heart, without which we cannot see the Lord? — Register of Epistles, Book 11, Epistle 46 Gregory the Dialogist: For there are many things which are allowed and legitimate, and yet we are to some extent defiled in the doing of them; as often we attack faults with anger, and disturb the tranquillity of our own mind. And, though what is done is right, yet it is not to be approved that the mind is therein disturbed. For instance, he had been angry against the vices of transgressors who said, "Mine eye is disturbed because of anger." For, since the mind cannot, unless it be tranquil, lift itself up to the light of contemplation, he grieved that his eye was disturbed in anger, because, though assailing evil doings from above, he still could not help being confused and disturbed from contemplation of the highest things. And therefore his anger against vice is laudable, and yet it troubles him, because he felt that he had incurred some guilt in being disturbed. — Register of Epistles, Book 11, Epistle 64 John Chrysostom: Our life is a struggle, and our existence beset with countless foes who prove to be stronger when we fall into sin. Hence we should do everything to escape their clutches and never come to terms with them; this, after all, is the surest path to insecurity. Paul touches on the horde of those enemies in saying, "Our wrestling is not with flesh and blood but with the powers and the authorities and the cosmic rulers of darkness of this age." Since, then, the horde of enemies is of this kind, we must constantly be on the alert and avoid the assault of sin. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:5 Augustine of Hippo: Wherefore after the labour, and groaning, and very frequent showers of tears, since that cannot be ineffectual, which is asked so earnestly of Him, who is the Fountain of all mercies, and it is most truly said, "the Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart:" after difficulties so great, the pious soul, by which we may also understand the Church, intimating that she has been heard, see what she adds: "Depart from me, all you that work iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" [Psalms 6:8]. It is either spoken prophetically, since they will depart, that is, the ungodly will be separated from the righteous, when the day of judgment arrives, or, for this time present. For although both are equally found in the same assemblies, yet on the open floor the wheat is already separated from the chaff, though it be hid among the chaff. They can therefore be associated together, but cannot be carried away by the wind together. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Augustine of Hippo: "For the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping; The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord hath received my prayer" [Psalms 6:9]. The frequent repetition of the same sentiments shows not, so to say, the necessities of the narrator, but the warm feeling of his joy. For they that rejoice are wont so to speak, as that it is not enough for them to declare once for all the object of their joy. This is the fruit of that groaning in which there is labour, and those tears with which the couch is washed, and bed drenched: for, "he that sows in tears, shall reap in joy:" and, "blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." — On the Psalms, Psalms 6 Augustine of Hippo: "Let all mine enemies be ashamed and vexed" [Psalms 6:10]. He said above, "depart from me all you:" which can take place, as it has been explained, even in this life: but as to what he says, "let them be ashamed and vexed," I do not see how it can happen, save on that day when the rewards of the righteous and the punishments of the sinners shall be made manifest. For at present so far are the ungodly from being ashamed, that they do not cease to insult us. And for the most part their mockings are of such avail, that they make the weak to be ashamed of the name of Christ. Hence it is said, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me before men, of him will I be ashamed before My Father." But now whosoever would fulfil those sublime commands, to disperse, to give to the poor, that his righteousness may endure for ever; and selling all his earthly goods, and spending them on the needy, would follow Christ, saying, "We brought nothing into this world, and truly we can carry nothing out; having food and raiment, let us be therewith content;" [1 Timothy 6:7-8] incurs the profane raillery of those men, and by those who will not be made whole, is called mad; and often to avoid being so called by desperate men, he fears to do, and puts off that, which the most faithful and powerful of all physicians has ordered. It is not then at present that these can be ashamed, by whom we have to wish that we be not made ashamed, and so be either called back from our proposed journey, or hindered, or delayed. But the time will come when they shall be ashamed, saying as it is written, "These are they whom we had sometimes in derision, and a parable of reproach: we fools counted their life madness, and their end to be without honour: how are they numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints? Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness has not shined into us, nor the sun risen upon us: we have been filled with the way of wickedness and destruction, and have walked through rugged deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not known. What has pride profited us, or what has the vaunting of riches brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow." [Wisdom 5:3-9] But as to what he says, "Let them be turned and confounded," who would not judge it to be a most righteous punishment, that they should have a turning unto confusion, who would not have one unto salvation? After this he added, "exceeding quickly." For when the day of judgment shall have begun to be no longer looked for, when they shall have said, "Peace, then shall sudden destruction come upon them." [1 Thessalonians 5:3] Now whenever it come, that comes very quickly, of whose coming we give up all expectation; and nothing makes the length of this life be felt but the hope of living. For nothing seems more quick, than all that has already passed in it. When then the day of judgment shall come, then will sinners feel how that all the life which passes away is not long. Nor will that any way possibly seem to them to have come tardily, which shall have come without their desiring, or rather without their believing. Although it can too be taken in this place thus, that inasmuch as God has heard, so to say, her groans, and her long and frequent tears, she may be understood to be freed from her sins, and to have tamed every disordered impulse of carnal affection: as she says, "Depart from me, all you that work iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping:" and when she has had this happy issue, it is no marvel if she be already so perfect as to pray for her enemies. The words then, "Let all mine enemies be ashamed, and vexed," may have this meaning; that they should repent of their sins, which cannot be effected without confusion and vexation. There is then nothing to hinder us from taking what follows too in this sense, "let them be turned and ashamed," that is, let them be turned to God, and be ashamed that they sometime gloried in the former darkness of their sins; as the Apostle says, "For what glory had ye sometime in those things of which you are now ashamed?" [Romans 6:21] But as to what he added, "exceeding quickly," it must be referred either to the warm affection of her wish, or to the power of Christ; who converts to the faith of the Gospel in such quick time the nations, which in their idols' cause did persecute the Church. — Exposition on Psalms 6 Jerome: He prays not against his enemies but in their behalf so that they may be changed and may blush with shame at their sins; and they may blush not briefly but forcibly; not with delay but immediately. — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 6 John Chrysostom: It is as if we saw someone about to fall down a cliff and stopped him with the words, "Fellow, where are you heading? A cliff lies in front of you," just so does this author demand that the evil people reverse their course. Likewise, too, unless you were quick to restrain a galloping horse, it would soon be lost. Likewise, too, when as frequently happens the poison of some serpent spreads through the whole of the body, physicians very promptly stop its spreading further, canceling its harmful effect. In exactly the same way do we behave, very promptly checking the evil in us lest it develop further and aggravate the ailment. The wounds of sin, you see, get worse when neglected, and the effects of disease and ill health do not stop short at wounds but even bring about undying death; similarly, if we dealt with small beginnings at the outset, greater consequences would not develop.… Accordingly, let us not be indifferent to the slightest sins but suppress them with great severity. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:6 Theodoret of Cyrus: Let those who do not see their own iniquities and yet ridicule my failings mock me no longer. I won divine favor, in fact, and am confident that through my entreaties he will overlook my faults and make me a beneficiary of his pardon. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 6:8 Augustine of Hippo: "O Lord my God, in You have I hoped: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me" [Psalms 7:1]. As one to whom, already perfected, all the war and enmity of vice being overcome, there remains no enemy but the envious devil, he says, "Save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me [Psalms 7:2]: lest at any time he tear my soul as a lion." The Apostle says, "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour." [1 Peter 5:8] Therefore when the Psalmist said in the plural number, "Save me from all them that persecute me:" he afterwards introduced the singular, saying, "lest at any time he tear my soul as a lion." For he does not say, lest at any time they tear: he knew what enemy and violent adversary of the perfect soul remained. "Whilst there be none to redeem, nor to save:" that is, lest he tear me, while Thou redeemest not, nor savest. For, if God redeem not, nor save, he tears. — Exposition on Psalms 7 Diodorus of Tarsus: While my son trusts in numbers, weapons, horses and above all the audacity and frenzy of those with him, I hope in you alone, who are capable of saving me not only from him but also from all those conspiring with him against me. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 7 Gregory of Nyssa: That same adversary, Absalom, as if he has been born again from ourselves, prepares the war against us. Our sound judgment concerning the matter, or rather our alliance with God, turns him who is bloodthirsty against us back. For because he attributes the cause of the good things that have been accomplished for him through "the words of Cush" to God, he composes this thanksgiving.… It would be worthwhile to apply the figures of the story to the virtuous life, how the advice that saves us becomes the strangling of the adversary; and this saving advice has been recorded, on the one hand, in the history, and on the other, in the psalm. — INSCRIPTIONS OF THE Psalms 2:11.148-49 Jerome: Names are imposed on individual things, so that from the names the things themselves may be known: so too the psalms have been prefaced with titles, so that from the titles the psalms themselves may be understood. The fifth psalm is prefaced with this title: 'Unto the end, for her that obtaineth the inheritance.' The sixth psalm is prefaced with this title: 'Unto the end, in hymns, for the octave, a psalm of David.' In the fifth it is said, 'For her that obtaineth the inheritance'; in the sixth it is said, 'For the octave.' But in the seventh — since it too was sung under the alleluia, since on that other Lord's day the sixth psalm was read, and we were unable, on account of illness, to interpret it — but now the seventh psalm has been read. It has, moreover, a title of this sort: 'A psalm of David, which he sang to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini.' See the mysteries. Have these things, then, been written without a cause? In the fifth it is said, 'For her that obtaineth the inheritance'; in the sixth it is said, 'For the octave'; in the seventh it is said, 'For the words of Chusi the son of Jemini.' You see, then, how great are the mysteries woven together here. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Jerome: Now let us come to the beginning of the seventh, which begins thus: 'A psalm of David, which he sang to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini.' I know that many men, and certainly most learned ones, have interpreted this title in this way. At that time, they say, when Absalom rose up against David his father (I beg you to listen more patiently: for we wish to interpret the Scriptures, not to declaim) — at that time, therefore, when Absalom rose up against David, one of David's friends, by name Chusi, wished to go with David, but David sent him back to Absalom, that he might scatter the counsels of Ahithophel. At the time when Ahithophel gave counsel that Absalom should at once pursue David unprepared and kill him, Chusi then gave counsel and scattered the counsel of Ahithophel. And this Chusi himself sent a messenger to David, saying: Thus and thus is Absalom making ready; and David began to flee and to prepare himself. At the time when Chusi sent the words to David, David sang this psalm to the Lord, because the counsels of Ahithophel had been scattered. This they say, and indeed they have expounded it reasonably. But let us read the Scriptures carefully: for there it is written thus, that this Chusi is the son of Arachi. Then that Chusi is written with a different letter in Kingdoms: there Chusi is written with SAMECH, but here Chusi is written with the letter SIN. Then that Chusi is the son of Arachi; whence many of the Greeks, not knowing, read: 'Chusi the friend of David.' It is not so in the Hebrew, but it stands written thus: 'Chusi the son of Arachi, the friend of David.' You see, then, that the Greeks err even in the reading. It is therefore most manifest, according to the rule of the Scriptures, that that Chusi is the son of Arachi. But this Chusi is called Jemini. Since we said that that Chusi was the son of Arachi, who is this Jemini? And we ought, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, to find the rule of this name. Where do we find 'Jemini' in the Scriptures? It is doubtful to no one that there is one tribe of the twelve, by name Benjamin. Now Benjamin is interpreted 'son of the right hand.' For at the time when Rachel died in Ephrata (we see the tomb with our own eyes, we do not seek examples elsewhere); at that time, therefore, when Rachel was dying, 'She bore,' it says, 'an infant, and the women — or she herself who was dying — called his name Benoni, that is, son of my sorrow.' But on the contrary Jacob the father turned the mother's sorrow into glory, and does not call him Benoni, that is, son of my sorrow, but Benjamin, that is, son of the right hand, that is, of my strength. Benjamin, therefore, is a name composed of two parts, of 'son' and of 'right hand': for BEN means 'son,' JAMIN means 'right hand.' Let us know, therefore, that the tribe of Benjamin is always called Jemini. We read in the book of Kingdoms, at the time when it is written concerning Saul: 'And behold,' it says, 'a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by name Saul; the son,' it says, 'of Cis, son of Abiel, son of Jethra, son of Jether, son of Gera, son of Jemini.' And immediately there he is called a Jeminean man, that is, of the Jeminean tribe, that is, of the tribe of Benjamin. Let us give yet another testimony, lest we be able to doubt. That Shimei, who on the Mount of Olives at the time when David was fleeing his son Absalom — Scripture says this: 'And behold,' it says, 'Shimei of the kindred of Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin. And he threw,' it says, 'stones at David, and said: Get out, get out, thou man of blood.' At the time when one of his captains, by name Abishai, says, 'I will go,' he says, 'and kill him,' what does David say to him? 'What is there between me and you, sons of Zeruiah? Behold,' he says, 'he who came forth from my loins fights against me: and do you marvel that the son of Jemini, that is, of the tribe of Benjamin, of the tribe of Saul, who was my enemy?' Why have I said all this? To show that Jemini is the tribe of Benjamin. We have said who Benjamin is, we have said the name of the father: let us see who Chusi the son of Jemini is. Chus in the Hebrew tongue is interpreted 'Ethiopian,' that is, black and dark, who has such a soul as he has a body, of whom Jeremiah says: 'If the Ethiopian will change his skin, or the leopard his spots.' So this Chusi signifies his black and Ethiopian enemy, Saul. And he says this: As the Ethiopian cannot change his skin, so this man too cannot change his character. Twice he came into my hands, I could have killed him. Whose blood I could have shed, I wished rather to overcome him by kindness; but his malice cannot be conquered. For just as the Ethiopian's skin cannot be changed, so too his malice cannot be changed. Finally, what does he say? 'O Lord my God, if I have done this' — that is, if I have done him any evil. 'If there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rendered evils to them that repaid me.' See what he says: I rendered good things for evils, he evil things for good things. It is manifest, therefore, that the psalm is against Saul, and he gives thanks to God, and prays for his help, that he may not fall into the hands of Saul. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Jerome: 'O Lord my God, in thee have I hoped.' I have not hoped in my sword, I have not hoped in my strength: but I have hoped in thy help. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 John Chrysostom: David wrote the psalm, offering songs of thanksgiving to God.… Not in Hushai, nor in human wisdom, nor in that man's shrewdness nor in my advice but "in you have I hoped." Let us therefore act likewise: even if some achievement comes to us through human beings, let us give thanks for them to God, both for the benefits that fall to us through our own means as well as through others.… See the wonderful frame of mind with which he speaks, which was customary with him. He did not say, note, "O Lord God," but "O Lord my God"; and elsewhere, "O God, my God, I look for you at break of day." … This is the way God acts with righteous people, and being God of everyone equally he says he belongs to righteous people individually. "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 7:3 Didymus the Blind: Who is that one except he who says, "There is no one who can save except me," the one who has come to seek and to save that which has been lost and to give his soul as a ransom for many? These things show that God the Father saves through God the Son. Through this the deity of the Father and the Son must not be distinguished by the words above and must not be seen as different from one another. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 7:2 Jerome: 'Lest at any time he seize my soul like a lion.' This fits Saul, it does not fit Absalom. For how could he call Absalom a lion, of whom he says, 'Spare my boy Absalom'? If there he calls him a boy, and as it were a little child and one that knows nothing, how here does he proclaim him a lion? This, so far, according to the history. And there are many things that might be said, and the whole psalm can be interpreted historically in the person of Saul. But since it is our concern to interpret not only according to the history, but according to the spiritual understanding, we interpret this Chusi the Ethiopian as none other than the devil. It is asked how this Chusi is the son of Jemini, how the devil, an Ethiopian, is the son of the right hand. That he is an Ethiopian, is by his own fault; that he is the son of the right hand, is because he was created by God. Rightly is it said of him: 'Lest at any time he seize my soul like a lion.' 'Our adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may seize.' — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 John Chrysostom: For proof that the devil is called a lion in Scripture, listen to it saying, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a lion roaring and looking for someone to devour." And this inspired author himself says elsewhere, "You will tread on the lion and the serpent." This beast is wily, you see; but if we are on the alert, this lion and serpent will be less than dirt in importance, neither will it mount an assault against us directly, but if it does mount an assault, it will be trodden on. "Walk on snakes and scorpions," Scripture says, remember. He goes around in an awful rage, in fact, like a lion; but if he attacks those who have Christ, and his cross on their forehead, and the fire of the Spirit and the lamp that is never spent, he will not succeed even in looking them in the eye but will turn tail, not daring even to face about. And for you to learn that the words are not from and bubble, consider, pray, the example of Paul. I mean, he too was human, but this lion had a such a healthy respect for him as to shun his garments and his shadow. Rightly so: he could not bear the fragrance of Christ emanating and ascending from him and had not the strength to raise his eyes to the lamp of his virtue. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 7:3 John Chrysostom: To be sure, he had assembled an army and had a large number with him; so why does he say, "with no one to ransom or save me"? Because he considers not even the whole world as help should he not enjoy influence from on high, nor does he think of it as solitude if he is alone, as long as he shares in help from God. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 7:3 Pseudo-Athanasius: Cush is the one who went to Abasalom in the guise of a traitor, and brought to naught the counsel of Ahithophel and saved David from death. When David learned of these things, he knew that his Savior was not a man but God. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: And that it might be clear that the already perfect soul, which is to be on her guard against the most insidious snares of the devil only, says this, see what follows. "O Lord my God, if I have done this" [Psalms 7:3]. What is it that he calls "this"? Since he does not mention the sin by name, are we to understand sin generally? If this sense displease us, we may take that to be meant which follows: as if we had asked, what is this that you say, "this"? He answers, "If there be iniquity in my hands." Now then it is clear that it is said of all sin, "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil" [Psalms 7:4]. Which none can say with truth, but the perfect. For so the Lord says, "Be perfect, as your Father which is in heaven; who makes His sun to rise upon the good and the evil, and rains on the just and the unjust." [Matthew 5:43, 45] He then who repays not them that recompense evil, is perfect. When therefore the perfect soul prays "for the words of Chusi, the son of Jemini," that is, for the knowledge of that secret and silence, which the Lord, favourable to us and merciful, wrought for our salvation, so as to endure, and with all patience bear, the guiles of this betrayer: as if He should say to this perfect soul, explaining the design of this secret, For you ungodly and a sinner, that your iniquities might be washed away by My blood-shedding, in great silence and great patience I bore with My betrayer; will you not imitate me, that you too may not repay evil for evil? Considering then, and understanding what the Lord has done for him, and by His example going on to perfection, the Psalmist says, "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil:" that is, if I have not done what You have taught me by Your example: "may I therefore fall by mine enemies empty." And he says well, not, If I have repaid them that do me evil; but, who "recompense." For who so recompenses, had received somewhat already. Now it is an instance of greater patience, not even to repay him evil, who after receiving benefits returns evil for good, than if without receiving any previous benefit he had had a mind to injure. If therefore he says, "I have repaid them that recompense me evil:" that is, If I have not imitated You in that silence, that is, in Your patience, which You have wrought for me, "may I fall by mine enemies empty." For he is an empty boaster, who, being himself a man, desires to avenge himself on a man; and while he openly seeks to overcome a man, is secretly himself overcome by the devil, rendered empty by vain and proud joy, because he could not, as it were, be conquered. The Psalmist knows then where a greater victory may be obtained, and where "the Father which sees in secret will reward." [Matthew 6:6] Lest then he repay them that recompense evil, he overcomes his anger rather than another man, being instructed too by those writings, wherein it is written, "Better is he that overcomes his anger, than he that takes a city." [Proverbs 16:32] "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil, may I therefore fall by my enemies empty." He seems to swear by way of execration, which is the heaviest kind of oath, as when one says, If I have done so and so, may I suffer so and so. But swearing in a swearer's mouth is one thing, in a prophet's meaning another. For here he mentions what will really befall men who repay them that recompense evil; not what, as by an oath, he would imprecate on himself or any other. — Exposition on Psalms 7 Jerome: 'O Lord my God, if I have done this.' 'Behold, the prince of this world comes, and finds nothing in me.' 'If there be iniquity in my hands.' 'Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.' — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 John Chrysostom: This must everywhere be our concern, not simply to pray but to pray in such a way as to be heard. It is not sufficient that prayer effects what is intended, unless we so direct it as to appeal to God. For the Pharisee too prayed and achieved nothing, and again the Jews prayed but God turned away from them in their prayer. They did not pray, you see, as they should have prayed. Hence we were bidden to pray the prayer most likely to be heard.… Being heard happens in this fashion: first, of course, worthiness to receive something; then, praying in accordance with God's laws; third, persistence; fourth, asking nothing earthly; fifth, seeking things to our real benefit; sixth, contributing everything of our own. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 7:3 Jerome: 'If I have rendered evils to them that repaid me.' They say, 'Crucify, crucify such a one'; I say, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: "Let the enemy" therefore "persecute my soul and take it" (ver. 5). By again naming the enemy in the singular number, he more and more clearly points out him whom he spoke of above as a lion. For he persecutes the soul, and if he has deceived it, will take it. For the limit of men's rage is the destruction of the body; but the soul, after this visible death, they cannot keep in their power: whereas whatever souls the devil shall have taken by his persecutions, he will keep. "And let him tread my life upon the earth:" that is, by treading let him make my life earth, that is to say, his food. For he is not only called a lion, but a serpent too, to whom it was said, "Earth shalt thou eat." And to the sinner was it said, "Earth thou art, and into earth shalt thou go." "And let him bring down my glory to the dust." This is that dust which "the wind casteth forth from the face of the earth," to wit, vain and silly boasting of the proud, puffed up, not of solid weight, as a cloud of dust carried away by the wind. Justly then has he here spoken of the glory, which he would not have brought down to dust. For he would have it solidly established in conscience before God, where there is no boasting. "He that glorieth," saith the Apostle, "let him glory in the Lord." This solidity is brought down to the dust if one through pride despising the secrecy of conscience, where God only proves a man, desires to glory before men. Hence comes what the Psalmist elsewhere says, "God shall bruise the bones of them that please men." Now he that has well learnt or experienced the steps in overcoming vices, knows that this vice of empty glory is either alone, or more than all, to be shunned by the perfect. For that by which the soul first fell, she overcomes the last. "For the beginning of all sin is pride:" and again, "The beginning of man's pride is to depart from God." — Exposition on Psalms 7 Basil of Caesarea: The soul of the one who is just, severing itself from affection for the body, has its life hidden with Christ in God, so that it can say like the apostle: "It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live in faith." But the soul of the sinner and of one who lives according to the flesh and is defiled by the pleasures of the body is wrapped up in the passions of the flesh as in mud; and the enemy, trampling on this soul, strives to pollute it still more and, as it were, to bury it, treading on him who has fallen, and with his feet trampling him into the ground. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 11:3 (Psalms 7) Jerome: 'Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it.' 'The last enemy, death, is destroyed.' 'And let him tread down my life into the earth.' Life cannot be trodden down. 'And let him bring down my glory into the dust.' 'If,' he says, 'I have rendered evils to my enemies for evils, may I not rise again.' — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: "Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger" (ver. 6). Why yet does he, who we say is perfect, incite God to anger? Must we not see, whether he rather be not perfect, who, when he was being stoned, said, "O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge"? Or does the Psalmist pray thus not against men, but against the devil and his angels, whose possession sinners and the ungodly are? He then does not pray against him in wrath, but in mercy, whosoever prays that that possession may be taken from him by that Lord "who justifieth the ungodly." For when the ungodly is justified, from ungodly he is made just, and from being the possession of the devil he passes into the temple of God. And since it is a punishment that a possession, in which one longs to have rule, should be taken away from him: this punishment, that he should cease to possess those whom he now possesses, the Psalmist calls the anger of God against the devil. "Arise, O Lord; in Thine anger." "Arise" (he has used it as "appear"), in words, that is, human and obscure; as though God sleeps, when He is unrecognised and hidden in His secret workings. "Be exalted in the borders of mine enemies." He means by borders the possession itself, in which he wishes that God should be exalted, that is, be honoured and glorified, rather than the devil, while the ungodly are justified and praise God. "And arise, O Lord my God, in the commandment that Thou hast given:" that is, since Thou hast enjoined humility, appear in humility; and first fulfil what Thou hast enjoined; that men by Thy example overcoming pride may not be possessed of the devil, who against Thy commandments advised to pride, saying, "Eat, and your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods." — Exposition on Psalms 7 Didymus the Blind: So, it is spoken: He asks that God on high appear at the borders of his enemies. Then, he says, their iniquities that make them my enemies will end. Perhaps the boundaries of the enemies refer to the "pride" in which they have rejoiced. They think they are going to dwell with stability in the furthermost boundaries. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 7:6 Gregory of Nyssa: The mass of adversaries cannot otherwise be destroyed, if the Lord has not risen on our behalf, and death must by all means precede the resurrection. He, then, who has revealed the resurrection of the Lord has, at the same time, shown that which is bound up together with the resurrection, I mean, of course, the mystery related to the passion. For this reason, having been inspired by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he says, "Rise up, O Lord, in your anger; be exalted in the ends of my enemies." By "anger" he indicates the retributive power of the just judge, and by the rest he indicates the destruction of evil. For that which is perceived as contrary to the good, being only hostile by nature, is the evil whose end is destruction and a passing over into nonexistence. He, then, who said, "Be exalted in the ends of my enemies," predicts, through the evil of his enemies "being brought to an end," that the course to evil no longer remains in [his] life. — ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE Psalms 2:10.125-26 Jerome: 'Arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded, and a congregation of peoples shall surround thee.' This we say, this believing we speak. For the persons are always changing in the psalms. It would be a great matter now, if we wished to say in the psalms into how many and how great persons they change. 'Arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded.' This we say: For us thou hast suffered, for us thou hast been crucified; arise and save us. We seem to do violence to the Scripture; but the things that follow free us from this reproach. For what follows? 'And a congregation of peoples shall surround thee.' Therefore arise, that a very great multitude may believe in thee. For when thou hast arisen, what else do we pray? Return to the Father. 'And for her sake return on high.' For whose sake? For the congregation of peoples. That thou didst die, thou didst die for us; that thou didst rise again, thou didst rise for us; that thou didst ascend to the Father, ascend for us. 'And for her sake return on high.' 'No man ascends into heaven, save he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.' — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Jerome: 'Arise, O Lord, in thy wrath.' Since they did not perceive thee through kindnesses, let them perceive thee through anger. 'Be exalted in the borders of my enemies.' He prays for his enemies, that he may be exalted in the borders of his enemies. For when they have ceased to be enemies, then thou, O Lord, wilt be exalted in them. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Basil of Caesarea: "And a congregation of people shall surround you." It is evident that if one unjust person is chastened, many will be converted. Punish, therefore, the wickedness of this person, in order that a great congregation of people may surround you. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 11:4 (Psalms 7) Eusebius of Caesarea: "A great crowd of people will surround you" when you [Lord Jesus] root out your enemies, when the lie of the demons is destroyed, when the assembly of the elect is established and when it becomes the one who calls the nations. Then you, placed in the midst of it as if in a chorus, will bring a hymn to that church worthy of your Father, and so by you, O Lord, it is spoken: "I will tell your name to my brothers; I will praise you in the midst of the church." David prophesies all these things through the Holy Spirit, indicating a theophany of the Savior, things that are not to be passed over as for himself alone but for every race of humankind. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 7:7-8 Basil of Caesarea: These words seem to contain some boastfulness and to be very much like the prayer of the Pharisee who was exalting himself, but, if one considers them reasonably, the prophet will be seen to be far from such a disposition.… "According to my justice" [means] according to that attainable by people and possible for those living in the flesh. "And according to my innocence," [in this] he names his innocence as if it were simplicity and ignorance of things useful to know according to the saying in the Proverbs: "The innocent believes every word." Since, therefore, we people through ignorance fall unguardedly into many sins, he entreats God and asks to meet with pardon because of his innocence. From this it is evident that these words show the humility of the speaker rather than arrogance. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 11:6 (Psalms 7) Didymus the Blind: There is an important difference between human righteousness and that of God; the Psalmist wishes to be judged according to the righteousness of the Lord, knowing for sure that this will mean salvation for him. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 7:9 Jerome: 'Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to my innocence upon me.' This David cannot say; this fits properly the Saviour, who did not sin. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Theodoret of Cyrus: In these words the divine David has not left a testimony to his own righteousness: we hear him protesting the opposite, "because I acknowledge my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me"; and, "I said, 'I shall declare my lawlessness against myself to the Lord,' " but he calls it justice in the matter before us. I committed no wrong, in fact, he is saying, against Absalom, or Ahithophel or those arrayed in battle with them against me. So I beg to be judged in the light of this righteousness and innocence and not in the light of the faults previously committed by me. I ask for judgment on these current grounds and not for a payment of penalty at this time for other sins. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 7:5 Augustine of Hippo: "But let the wickedness of sinners be consummated" [Psalms 7:9]. He says, "be consummated," be completed, according to that in the Apocalypse, "Let the righteous become more righteous, and let the filthy be filthy still." [Revelation 22:11] For the wickedness of those men appears consummate, who crucified the Son of God; but greater is theirs who will not live uprightly, and hate the precepts of truth, for whom the Son of God was crucified. "Let the wickedness of sinners," then he says, "be consummated," that is, arrive at the height of wickedness, that just judgment may be able to come at once. But since it is not only said, "Let the filthy be filthy still;" but it is said also, "Let the righteous become more righteous;" he joins on the words, "And You shall direct the righteous, O God, who searches the hearts and reins." How then can the righteous be directed but in secret? When even by means of those things which, in the commencement of the Christian ages, when as yet the saints were oppressed by the persecution of the men of this world, appeared marvellous to men, now that the Christian name has begun to be in such high dignity, hypocrisy, that is pretence, has increased; of those, I mean, who by the Christian profession had rather please men than God. How then is the righteous man directed in so great confusion of pretence, save while God searches the hearts and reins; seeing all men's thoughts, which are meant by the word heart; and their delights, which are understood by the word reins? For the delight in things temporal and earthly is rightly ascribed to the reins; for that it is both the lower part of man, and that region where the pleasure of carnal generation dwells, through which man's nature is transferred into this life of care, and deceiving joy, by the succession of the race. God then, searching our heart, and perceiving that it is there where our treasure is, that is, in heaven; searching also the reins, and perceiving that we do not assent to flesh and blood, but delight ourselves in the Lord, directs the righteous man in his inward conscience before Him, where no man sees, but He alone who perceives what each man thinks, and what delights each. For delight is the end of care; because to this end does each man strive by care and thought, that he may attain to his delight. He therefore sees our cares, who searches the heart. He sees too the ends of cares, that is delights, who narrowly searches the reins; that when He shall find that our cares incline neither to the lust of the flesh, nor to the lust of the eyes, nor to the pride of life, [1 John 2:16] all which pass away as a shadow, but that they are raised upward to the joys of things eternal, which are spoilt by no change, He may direct the righteous, even He, the God who searches the hearts and reins. For our works, which we do in deeds and words, may be known unto men; but with what mind they are done, and to what end we would attain by means of them, He alone knows, the God who searches the hearts and reins. — Exposition on Psalms 7 Jerome: 'Let the wickedness of sinners be consummated, and thou shalt direct the just.' My justice cannot be directed, unless their iniquity — namely, of the Jews — be fulfilled. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: "My righteous help is from the Lord, who maketh whole the upright in heart" (ver. 10). The offices of medicine are twofold, on the curing infirmity, the other the preserving health. According to the first it was said in the preceding Psalm, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;" according to the second it is said in this Psalm, "If there be iniquity in my hands, if I have repaid them that recompense me evil, may I therefore fall by my enemies empty." For there the weak prays that he may be delivered, here one already whole that he may not change for the worse. According to the one it is there said, "Make me whole for Thy mercy's sake;" according to this other it is here said, "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness." For there he asks for a remedy to escape from disease; but here for protection from falling into disease. According to the former it is said, "Make me whole, O Lord, according to Thy mercy:" according to the latter it is said, "My righteous help is from the Lord, who maketh whole the upright in heart." Both the one and the other maketh men whole; but the former removes them from sickness into health, the latter preserves them in this health. Therefore there the help is merciful, because the sinner hath no desert, who as yet longeth to be justified, "believing on Him who justifieth the ungodly;" but here the help is righteous, because it is given to one already righteous. Let the sinner then who said, "I am weak," say in the first place, "Make me whole, O Lord, for Thy mercy's sake;" and here let the righteous man, who said, "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil," say, "My righteous help is from the Lord, who maketh whole the upright in heart." For if he sets forth the medicine, by which we may be healed when weak, how much more that by which we may be kept in health. For if "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, how much more being now justified shall we be kept whole from wrath through Him." — On the Psalms, Psalms 7 Basil of Caesarea: My help is not from wealth or from corporal resources or from my own power and strength nor from human ties of kinship, but "my help is from God." What assistance the Lord sends to those who fear him, we have learned elsewhere in a psalm that says, "The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him and shall deliver them." And in another place: "The angel who has delivered me." — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 11:7 (Psalms 7) Augustine of Hippo: "God the righteous judge, strong (in endurance) and long-suffering" (ver. 11). What God is judge, but the Lord, who judgeth the people? He is righteous; who "shall render to every man according to his works." He is strong (in endurance); who, being most powerful, for our salvation bore even with ungodly persecutors. He is long-suffering; who did not immediately, after His resurrection, hurry away to punishment, even those that persecuted Him, but bore with them, that they might at length turn from that ungodliness to salvation: and still He beareth with them, reserving the last penalty for the last judgment, and up to this present time inviting sinners to repentance. "Not bringing in anger every day." Perhaps "bringing in anger" is a more significant expression than being angry (and so we find it in the Greek copies); that the anger, whereby He punisheth, should not be in Him, but in the minds of those ministers who obey the commandments of truth through whom orders are given even to the lower ministries, who are called angels of wrath, to punish sin: whom even now the punishment of men delights not for justice' sake, in which they have no pleasure, but for malice' sake. God then doth not "bring in anger every day," that is, He doth not collect His ministers for vengeance every day. For now the patience of God inviteth to repentance: but in the last time, when men "through their hardness and impenitent heart shall have treasured up for themselves anger in the day of anger, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, then He will brandish His sword." — On the Psalms, Psalms 7 Basil of Caesarea: Do not be so poorly disposed toward God as to think that he is too weak to avenge, for he is also strong. What reason is there, then, that swift vengeance is not inflicted on the sinner? Because he is patient, "he is not angry every day." — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 11:7 (Psalms 7) Diodorus of Tarsus: If long-suffering were not associated with his justice, there would have been nothing to stop him punishing day in day out, since sinners always provide grounds for just punishment. Sinners, however, should not for this reason be disposed to indifference: those of right mind rightly respect long-suffering as a threat and take delay in wrath as an aggravation of punishment; this should also be the attitude of those on whom the imposition of judgment does not fall promptly. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 7 Eusebius of Caesarea: God alone is the just Judge, he alone is the one who sees hearts. He gives to each one according to his works. Truly, "man looks at the outward appearance," but the Lord is a judge of thoughts and the feelings of the spirit. There is no judgment hidden from him. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 7:10, 11 Theodoret of Cyrus: "God is a righteous judge, … who does not give free rein to his wrath every day." Instead, he also shows lovingkindness, by which he bears people's faults for a longer time. For whenever he sees people not reaping profit from it, he gives them further opportunity with the addition of threats, putting the punishments off; but if they scorn the opportunity and persist in sinning, he immediately brings on their ruin in keeping with justice. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 7:6 Augustine of Hippo: "Unless ye be converted," He says, "He will brandish His sword" [Psalms 7:12]. The Lord Man Himself may be taken to be God's double-edged sword, that is, His spear, which at His first coming He will not brandish, but hides as it were in the sheath of humiliation: but He will brandish it, when at the second coming to judge the quick and dead, in the manifest splendour of His glory, He shall flash light on His righteous ones, and terror on the ungodly. For in other copies, instead of, "He shall brandish His sword," it has been written, "He shall make bright His spear:" by which word I think the last coming of the Lord's glory most appropriately signified: seeing that is understood of His person, which another Psalm has, "Deliver, O Lord, my soul from the ungodly, Your spear from the enemies of Your hand. He has bent His bow, and made it ready." The tenses of the words must not be altogether overlooked, how he has spoken of "the sword" in the future, "He will brandish;" of "the bow" in the past, "He has bent:" and these words of the past tense follow after. — Exposition on Psalms 7 Basil of Caesarea: Just as men who are polishing up their arms indicate by this action the attack in war, so Scripture, wishing to bespeak a movement of God toward vengeance, says that he polishes his sword. "He has bent his bow." … There is no bowstring that stretches the bow of God, but a punitive power, now strained tight, again loosened. Scripture threatens the sinner that future punishments are prepared for him, if he remains in his sin. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 11:7 (Psalms 7) Evagrius Ponticus: The ones who are burning are those who have received the flaming arrows of the devil. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 7:14 Jerome: 'Unless ye be converted, he will brandish his sword.' This passage admits a twofold understanding. For many think it is said of God, so that, for example's sake, it is said to sinners. And what does it say? 'Unless ye be converted, he will brandish his sword': that is, unless ye do penance, the Lord will strike you with his sword. But let us see whether the things that follow can be fitted to the person of the Lord. 'He hath bent his bow, and made it ready.' This can be said of God. 'And in it he hath prepared the vessels of death.' This is difficult, for the Lord does not have vessels of death, but vessels of life; but this too can somehow be understood of the person of the Saviour. But that which follows, 'Behold, he hath been in labour with injustice, and hath conceived sorrow and brought forth iniquity, he hath opened a pit and dug it out,' cannot at all be taken of God. We are compelled, therefore, by necessity, on account of the things that follow which are harsher and more arrogant, not to understand of God, 'Unless ye be converted, he will brandish his sword.' — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Jerome: And so many say that this is said of the devil; that is, unless ye be converted, unless ye do penance, ye will be in his power. 'He hath bent his bow, and made it ready.' The devil always has his bow ready, he shoots arrows with which to strike us. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Theodoret of Cyrus: These are not words of punishment, note, but of threat: he said wield, not inflict; bent his bow, not fired the arrow. And to teach us against whom he will fire the arrows, he immediately attached the words "he made his arrows into flaming shafts," that is, those taking combustible material of sin, building with wood, hay and stubble, as the divine apostle says, will be struck with these fiery arrows. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 7:7 Augustine of Hippo: "And in it He has prepared the instruments of death: He has wrought His arrows for the burning" [Psalms 7:13]. That bow then I would readily take to be the Holy Scripture, in which by the strength of the New Testament, as by a sort of string, the hardness of the Old has been bent and subdued. From thence the Apostles are sent forth like arrows, or divine preachings are shot. Which arrows "He has wrought for the burning," arrows, that is, whereby being stricken they might be inflamed with heavenly love. For by what other arrows was she stricken, who says, "Bring me into the house of wine, place me among perfumes, crowd me among honey, for I have been wounded with love"? By what other arrows is he kindled, who, desirous of returning to God, and coming back from wandering, asks for help against crafty tongues, and to whom it is said, "What shall be given you, or what added to you against the crafty tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with devastating coals:" that is, coals, whereby, when you are stricken and set on fire, you may burn with so great love of the kingdom of heaven, as to despise the tongues of all that resist you, and would recall you from your purpose, and to deride their persecutions, saying, "Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded," he says, "that neither death, nor life, nor angel, nor principality, nor things present, not things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Thus for the burning has He wrought His arrows. For in the Greek copies it is found thus, "He has wrought His arrows for the burning." But most of the Latin copies have "burning arrows." But whether the arrows themselves burn, or make others burn, which of course they cannot do unless they burn themselves, the sense is complete. — Exposition on Psalms 7 Jerome: 'And in it he hath prepared the vessels of death.' They fit the person of the devil. 'He hath made his arrows for them that burn.' Beautifully he said, 'for them that burn': for those whose hearts burn with lust and passions, these have been conquered by the devil. 'He hath made his arrows for them that burn.' Beautifully he said 'for them that burn'; he did not say 'for those about to burn,' that is, those who are about to burn with his arrows; but whosoever's hearts he sees burning, those he strikes. The Apostle too says that the devil has burning arrows. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Jerome: 'Behold, he hath been in labour with injustice: he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity.' Such a mother, such a father is the devil: thus he conceives, thus he is in labour, thus he nurses, thus he exalts. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: "He hath opened a ditch, and digged it" (ver. 15). To open a ditch is, in earthly matters, that is, as it were in the earth, to prepare deceit, that another fall therein, whom the unrighteous man wishes to deceive. Now this ditch is opened when consent is given to the evil suggestion of earthly lusts: but it is digged when after consent we press on to actual work of deceit. But how can it be, that iniquity should rather hurt the righteous man against whom it proceeds, than the unrighteous heart whence it proceeds? Accordingly, the stealer of money, for instance, while he desires to inflict painful harm upon another, is himself maimed by the wound of avarice. Now who, even out of his right mind, sees not how great is the difference between these men, when one suffers the loss of money, the other of innocence? "He will fall" then "into the pit which he hath made." As it is said in another Psalm, "The Lord is known in executing judgments; the sinner is caught in the works of his own hands." — Exposition on Psalms 7 Basil of Caesarea: We do not find the name of "pit" ever assigned in the divine Scriptures in the case of something good or a "well" of water in the case of something bad. As to the reason for the pits being assigned among the worse things and the wells among the better, we think it is this. The water in the pit is something acquired, having fallen from the sky; but in the wells, streams of water, buried before the places were dug out, are revealed when the heaps of earth covering them and the material of any sort whatsoever, lying on them, which is also all earth, have been removed. Now, it is as if there were a pit in souls in which the better things, changed and debased, fall down, when a person, having resolved to have nothing good and noble of his own, puts to flight the thoughts of the good and noble that have slipped into it, twisting them to evildoing and to contradictions of truth. And again, there are wells, when a light and a stream of water unimpaired in word and in doctrines break forth after the baser materials that had been covering it are removed. Therefore, it is necessary for each one to prepare a well for himself, in order that he may guard the command mentioned previously, which says, "Drink water out of your own cistern and the streams of your own well. Thus we shall be called the sons of those who have dug the wells, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But a pit must not be dug lest we fall into the hole, as it is said in this place, and so fail to hear the words written in Jeremiah in reproach of sinners, for, God says concerning them what we have briefly mentioned before: "They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 11:8 (Psalms 7) Didymus the Blind: Truly, he sins first against himself, then he injures another; since sin is harmful and ruinous, foremost it harms and roughly handles the one sinning.… "If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit". In this saying it must be realized that teachers and students become blinded by foolishness and wantonness. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 7:15 Jerome: 'He hath opened a pit and dug it out, and he is fallen into the ditch which he made.' The pit is the devil's own, which is also the ditch. 'He hath opened a pit': but since it cannot hold water, according to Jeremiah, therefore his pit has been turned into a ditch. 'He hath opened a pit, and dug it out.' All the conventicles of heretics are ditches of the devil. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: "His toil shall be turned on his head, and his iniquity shall descend on his pate" [Psalms 7:16]. For he had no mind to escape sin: but was brought under sin as a slave, so to say, as the Lord says, "Whosoever sins is a slave." [John 8:34] His iniquity then will be upon him, when he is subject to his iniquity; for he could not say to the Lord, what the innocent and upright say, "My glory, and the lifter up of my head." He then will be in such wise below, as that his iniquity may be above, and descend on him; for that it weighs him down and burdens him, and suffers him not to fly back to the rest of the saints. This occurs, when in an ill regulated man reason is a slave, and lust has dominion. — Exposition on Psalms 7 Eusebius of Caesarea: These words seem to me to have been fulfilled literally in Ahithophel. At the time of the uprising of Cush, he was a man harboring envy, branded by disgrace, falling out as the watchman, who used his skill to be able to see ahead and predict future events that the affairs of Absalom would fail. Before he himself could be substituted by the men of David, he removed himself, and, withdrawing from the household, he hanged himself with a noose. While he gathered the seeds of evil in his thinking and devised against David whatever he had conceived in his thoughts, he brought forth the same seeds for his own destruction.… These words express the general opinion that as anyone plans evil in his spirit against his neighbor and wishes to harm others and builds a pit for their ruin, he does these things against himself, and his trouble will return on his own head. Each one will cause his own sentence on the day of judgment by his own deeds and will receive the fruits of his own labors. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 7:15-17 Jerome: 'His sorrow shall be turned upon his own head, and his iniquity shall come down upon his own crown.' Just as if someone throws a stone on high, and is not careful, and the stone comes down upon his head, he is wounded by his own wound; so too the devil is slain by his own pride, he exalts himself and falls in ruin. 'His sorrow shall be turned upon his own head.' The devil now wishes to lift up his head, but cannot. Why can he not lift up his head? Because his sorrow is turned upon his head, and presses him down. The devil (understand, O mystical reader, according to the rule of the Scriptures) is read in Genesis to be himself the snake, himself the serpent in paradise, himself the serpent who spoke to Eve, who reigns on the earth. He is called a snake, because he clings wholly to the earth. Other animals, though they walk on the earth, yet do not have their whole body lying on the earth; though they have feet on the earth, yet they have another part of the body upward. But the devil, that is, the serpent and the old snake, according to Isaiah, is wholly on the earth: he has both his head and the rest of his body level with the ground. Why do I say all this? Because other animals (understand, O prudent reader), though they cling to the earth, yet desire to withdraw from the earth: but the devil has his head and his tail and his whole middle part clinging to the earth. 'His sorrow shall be turned upon his own head, and his iniquity shall come down upon his own crown.' See what he says: both upon his head, and upon the crown of the head. But since iniquity presses both his head and his crown, where is the devil's repentance? This is the devil's end: 'His sorrow shall be turned upon his own head, and his iniquity shall come down upon his own crown.' Beautifully he said, 'shall come down': for the everlasting punishment will come to him from heaven. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: "I will confess to the Lord according to His justice" [Psalms 7:17]. This is not the sinner's confession: for he says this, who said above most truly, "If there be iniquity in my hands:" but it is a confession of God's justice, in which we speak thus, Verily, O Lord, You are just, in that You both so protect the just, that You enlighten them by Yourself; and so order sinners, that they be punished not by Your malice, but by their own. This confession so praises the Lord, that the blasphemies of the ungodly can avail nothing, who, willing to excuse their evil deeds, are unwilling to attribute to their own fault that they sin, that is, are unwilling to attribute their fault to their fault. Accordingly they find either fortune or fate to accuse, or the devil, to whom He who made us has willed that it should be in our power to refuse consent: or they bring in another nature, which is not of God: wretched waverers, and erring, rather than confessing to God, that He should pardon them. For it is not fit that any be pardoned, except he says, I have sinned. He, then, that sees the deserts of souls so ordered by God, that while each has his own given him, the fair beauty of the universe is in no part violated, in all things praises God: and this is not the confession of sinners, but of the righteous. For it is not the sinner's confession when the Lord says, "I confess to You, O Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise, and revealed them to babes." [Matthew 11:25] Likewise in Ecclesiasticus it is said, "Confess to the Lord in all His works: and in confession you shall say this, All the works of the Lord are exceeding good." Which can be seen in this Psalm, if any one with a pious mind, by the Lord's help, distinguish between the rewards of the righteous and the penalties of the sinners, how that in these two the whole creation, which God made and rules, is adorned with a beauty wondrous and known to few. Thus then he says, "I will confess to the Lord according to His justice," as one who saw that darkness was not made by God, but ordered nevertheless. For God said, "Let light be made, and light was made." [Genesis 1:3] He did not say, Let darkness be made, and darkness was made: and yet He ordered it. And therefore it is said, "God divided between the light, and the darkness: and God called the light day, and the darkness He called night." [Genesis 1:4-5] This is the distinction, He made the one and ordered it: but the other He made not, but yet He ordered this too. But now that sins are signified by darkness, so is it seen in the Prophet, who says, "And your darkness shall be as the noon day:" [Isaiah 58:10] and in the Apostle, who says, "He that hates his brother is in darkness:" [1 John 2:11] and above all that text, "Let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." [Romans 13:12] Not that there is any nature of darkness. For all nature, in so far as it is nature, is compelled to be. Now being belongs to light: not being to darkness. He then that leaves Him by whom he was made, and inclines to that whence he was made, that is, to nothing, is in this sin endarkened: and yet he does not utterly perish, but he is ordered among the lowest things. Therefore after the Psalmist said, "I will confess unto the Lord:" that we might not understand it of confession of sins, he adds lastly, "And I will sing to the name of the Lord most high." Now singing has relation to joy, but repentance of sins to sadness. — Exposition on Psalms 7 Eusebius of Caesarea: He has built traps for no one. He has dug a pit for no one. He has despised iniquity. Knowing the future destruction of the wicked at judgment, he said, "I will give thanks to the Lord according to his righteousness," my righteous works having been brought forth at the tribunal; and "I will sing to the name of the Lord most high," bound by the hope that I am going to be received into the choir of those who are going to follow after salvation through him, through his merit. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 7:18 Jerome: He shall be condemned in this way. But we who have believed in Christ, who received the inheritance in the fifth psalm; who in the octave, that is, on the day of resurrection, say, 'O Lord, rebuke me not in thy fury, neither chastise me in thy wrath'; since Chus, that is, our Ethiopian, is himself the lion of whom it was said, 'Lest at any time he seize my soul like a lion'; who bent his bow and made it ready, and in it prepared the vessels of death that he might slay us; since he conceived sorrow and brought forth iniquity, opened a pit and dug it out, and fell into the ditch which he made, and was cast into gehenna; therefore his sorrow shall be turned upon his own head, and his iniquity shall come down upon his own crown: since he has been thus punished according to his desert, let us say, 'I will confess to the Lord according to his justice, and I will sing to the name of the Lord most high.' Beautifully he said, 'most high': for as much as the devil has been humbled, so much the Lord has been exalted. — Homily 3, on Psalms 7 Augustine of Hippo: Accordingly it is said, "O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is Your Name in all the earth!" [Psalms 8:1]. I ask, how is His Name wonderful in all the earth? The answer is, "For Your glory has been raised above the heavens." So that the meaning is this, O Lord, who art our Lord, how do all that inhabit the earth admire You! For Your glory has been raised from earthly humiliation above the heavens. For hence it appeared who You were that descended, when it was by some seen, and by the rest believed, whither it was that You ascended. — Exposition on Psalms 8 Gregory of Nazianzus: The Majesty, or as holy David calls it, the Glory, is manifested among the creatures that it has produced and governs. These are the back parts of God, which he leaves behind him, as tokens of himself like the shadows and reflection of the sun in the water, which show the sun to our weak eyes, because we cannot look at the sun himself, for by his unmixed light he is too strong for our power of perception. — ON THEOLOGY, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 2(28).3 Gregory the Dialogist: But this, dearest brothers, we must greatly consider on this solemnity: that on this day the handwriting of our condemnation has been blotted out, the sentence of our corruption has been changed. For that nature to which it was said, "You are earth, and to earth you will go," today went to heaven. For on account of this very lifting up of our flesh, blessed Job figuratively calls the Lord a bird. For since he saw that Judea would not understand the mystery of His Ascension, he pronounced sentence on their unbelief, saying, "The bird knew not the path." For the Lord was rightly called a bird, because He raised His fleshly body to the heavens. Whoever did not believe that He ascended to heaven did not know the path of this bird. Concerning this solemnity it is said through the Psalmist, "Your magnificence is exalted above the heavens." — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 29 Hesychius of Jerusalem: The church says, "O Lord, our Lord." For after the recognition of Christ when one is freed from the slavery of idolatry, one begins to call on God and the Lord. Always the whole earth truly is full of the marvelous creations, the works of God. And even more marvelous the name of that One, namely, Christ, has been made wonderful among all the nations and foreign peoples through faith in him. — LARGE COMMENTARY ON Psalms 8:2 John Chrysostom: "How wonderful your name." Through this name, in fact, death was dissolved, demons imprisoned in bonds, heaven opened, gates of paradise thrown wide, the Spirit sent down, slaves made free, enemies become sons, strangers become heirs, human beings become angels. Why speak of angels? God became man, and man became God; heaven accepted the nature from earth, earth accepted the one seated on the cherubim along with the angelic host. The wall was removed, the partition dissolved, what were separate were united, darkness was banished, light shone, death was swallowed up. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 8:1 Augustine of Hippo: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast made perfect praise, because of Thine enemies" [Psalms 8:2]. I cannot take babes and sucklings to be any other than those to whom the Apostle says, "As unto babes in Christ I have given you milk to drink, not meat." [1 Corinthians 3:1-2] Who were meant by those who went before the Lord praising Him, of whom the Lord Himself used this testimony, when He answered the Jews who bade Him rebuke them, "Have ye not read, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast made perfect praise?" [Matthew 21:16] Now with good reason He says not, Thou hast made, but, "Thou hast made perfect praise." For there are in the Churches also those who now no more drink milk, but eat meat: whom the same Apostle points out, saying, "We speak wisdom among them that are perfect;" [1 Corinthians 2:6] but not by those only are the Churches perfected; for if there were only these, little consideration would be had of the human race. But consideration is had, when they too, who are not as yet capable of the knowledge of things spiritual and eternal, are nourished by the faith of the temporal history, which for our salvation after the Patriarchs and Prophets was administered by the most excellent Power and Wisdom of God, even in the Sacrament of the assumed Manhood, in which there is salvation for every one that believeth; to the end that moved by Its authority each one may obey Its precepts, whereby being purified and "rooted and grounded in love," he may be able to run with Saints, no more now a child in milk, but a young man in meat, "to comprehend the breadth, the length, the height, and depth, to know also the surpassing knowledge of the love of Christ." [Ephesians 3:17-19] — On the Psalms Cassiodorus: The meaning is this: you are worthy of praise not only from those who are perfect who know you fully, but you are proclaimed with the mouths of beginners in the faith and little children.… The psalmist professes that even infants proclaim God. By this he means those who have begun to come to the Lord in newness of faith, so that this wisdom might appear to have been conferred through God's intervention rather than to have been gleaned through human effort. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 8:3 Cosmas Indicopleustes: David composed the eighth psalm with reference to Christ, speaking of his divine nature in the first verses of it, as the Lord Christ himself also testifies of it in the Gospel, when they strewed his way with branches and praised him with shouts of welcome, saying: Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! And when the Jews, finding themselves powerless to rebuke the multitudes and the children, (for it was a marvellous spectacle—to see boys, babes and sucklings, and the disciples and the multitudes joining in shouts of applause, and with loud voices praising him in song), took in hand to throw questions at him, and said to him: Hearest thou not what these are saying? But another evangelist says: Some from among the crowd said to him: Rebuke thy disciples; as if they would say—Why dost thou blaspheme, accepting a hymn which can be suitably applied to God alone? each of the parties who addressed him having the same purpose in view. Unto them the Lord said—to the one party: Yea, have ye never read; Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained praise? clearly indicating that the eighth psalm had reference to him. — The Christian Topography, Book 5 Augustine of Hippo: "For I shall see Your heavens, the works of Your fingers" [Psalms 8:3]. We read that the law was written with the finger of God, and given through Moses, His holy servant: by which finger of God many understand the Holy Ghost. Wherefore if, by the fingers of God, we are right in understanding these same ministers filled with the Holy Ghost, by reason of this same Spirit which works in them, since by them all holy Scripture has been completed for us; we understand consistently with this, that, in this place, the books of both Testaments are called "the heavens." Now it is said too of Moses himself, by the magicians of king Pharaoh, when they were conquered by him, "This is the finger of God." [Exodus 8:19] And what is written, "The heavens shall be rolled up as a book." Although it be said of this æthereal heaven, yet naturally, according to the same image, the heavens of books are named by allegory. "For I shall see," he says, "the heavens, the works of Your fingers:" that is, I shall discern and understand the Scriptures, which You, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, hast written by Your ministers. — Exposition on Psalms 8 Clement of Alexandria: But how shall I tell what God makes? Behold the whole universe; it is His work: and the heaven, and the sun, and angels, and men, are the works of His fingers. How great is the power of God! His bare volition was the creation of the universe. For God alone made it, because He alone is truly God. By the bare exercise of volition He creates; His mere willing was followed by the springing into being of what He willed. Consequently the choir of philosophers are in error, who indeed most nobly confess that man was made for the contemplation of the heavens, but who worship the objects that appear in the heavens and are apprehended by sight. For if the heavenly bodies are not the works of men, they were certainly created for man. Let none of you worship the sun, but set his desires on the Maker of the sun; nor deify the universe, but seek after the Creator of the universe. — Exhortation to the Heathen Cyril of Jerusalem: Now this Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is not circumscribed to some place, nor is there heaven beyond him, but "the heavens are the work of his fingers," and "the whole earth is holden in the hollow of his hand." He is in everything, and yet nothing contains him. Do not imagine that God is smaller than the sun or that he is as large as the sun. For, as he made the sun, he must have been already incomparably greater than the sun and more resplendent with light. He knows what is to come, and nothing equals him in power. He knows everything and does as he wills. He is not subject to any law of sequence, or genesis, or fortune or fate. He is perfect by every measure. He possesses unchangeably every kind of virtue, never less and never more, but ever in the same degree and manner. — Catechetical Lecture 4:5 Eusebius of Caesarea: You are mindful of man, and you have concern for him because you did not make him as if he were a small and worthless animal, but he is worthy of so much honor that he is celebrated with hymns from the mouths of infants and sucklings. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 8:4-5 Gregory of Nazianzus: Our very eyes and the law of nature teach us that God exists and that he is the efficient and maintaining cause of all things: our eyes, because they fall on visible objects and see them in beautiful stability and progress, immovably moving and revolving, if I may so say; natural law, because through these visible things and their order it reasons back to their author. For how could this universe have come into being or been put together unless God had called it into existence and held it together? For everyone who sees a beautifully made lute and considers the skill with which it has been fitted together and arranged, or who hears its melody, would think of none but the lutemaker or the luteplayer, and would recur to him in mind, though he might not know him by sight. And thus to us also is manifested that which made and moves and preserves all created things, even though he is not comprehended by the mind. — ON THEOLOGY, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 2(28).6 Gregory of Nazianzus: Would that I might mortify my members that are on the earth! Would that I might spend all for the spirit, walking in the way that is narrow and trodden by few, not the way that is broad and easy! For what comes after this life is splendid and great, and our hope is greater than our worth. "What is man that you are mindful of him?" What is this new mystery concerning me? I am small and great, lowly and exalted, mortal and immortal, earthly and heavenly. I am connected with the world below, and likewise with God; I am connected with the flesh, and likewise with the spirit. I must be buried with Christ, rise with Christ, be joint heir with Christ, become the Son of God, even God himself. — ON HIS BROTHER ST. CAESARIUS, ORATION 7:23 Jerome: The psalmist is speaking here of the frailty of the body and of human weakness, and what does he say? If you consider his flesh, what is a person? If you consider his spirit, he is noble. Let us by no means scorn the flesh, but let us reject its works. Let us not despise the body that will reign in heaven with Christ. "Flesh and blood can obtain no part in the kingdom of God"; no, not flesh and blood of themselves, but the works of the flesh. "Flesh and blood can obtain no part in the kingdom of God." How, then, are they going to reign together with Christ; how shall we be seated together in heaven in Christ? — HOMILY ON Psalms 143 John Chrysostom: And why did he not say "your hands" instead of "your fingers"? To show that visible things are a work requiring the least power, and the extraordinary aspect of creation, namely, that the stars hang there without falling; at any rate, though the very nature of the foundations required, not that they be suspended above but lie below, still the excellent Architect and Creator produced a surprise in making most of the visible things surpass the logic of nature. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 8:6 John Chrysostom: "What is it about human beings?" … Taking full account of such marvelous care and such wonderful providence on God's part, and the arrangements he put in place for the salvation of the human race, [the psalmist] is struck with complete wonder and amazement as to why on earth God considered them worthy of attention. Consider, after all, that all the visible things were for their sake. For them the design implemented from the time of Adam up to his coming; for them paradise, commandments, punishments, miracles, retribution, kindnesses after the Law; for them the Son of God became human. What could anyone say of the future they are intended to enjoy? So all those things are going through his mind when he says, to be thought worthy of such wonderful privileges, what must the human being be? I mean, if you consider what was done and is being done for their sake, and what they will enjoy afterwards, you will be stricken with awe, and then you will see clearly how this being is an object of such attention on God's part. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 8:6-7 John Damascene: By saying "founded" he meant the stability and immutability of the order and succession given them by God. — ORTHODOX FAITH 2:7 Augustine of Hippo: "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" [Psalms 8:4]. It may be asked, what distinction there is between man and son of man. For if there were none, it would not be expressed thus, "man, or son of man," disjunctively. For if it were written thus, "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him, and son of man, that Thou visitest him?" it might appear to be a repetition of the word "man." But now when the expression is, "man or son of-man," a distinction is more clearly intimated. This is certainly to be remembered, that every son of man is a man; although every man cannot be taken to be a son of man. Adam, for instance, was a man, but not a son of man. Wherefore we may from hence consider and distinguish what is the difference in this place between man and son of man; namely, that they who bear the image of the earthy man, who is not a son of man, should be signified by the name of men; but that they who bear the image of the heavenly Man [1 Corinthians 15:49] should be rather called sons of men; for the former again is called the old man and the latter the new; but the new is born of the old, since spiritual regeneration is begun by a change of an earthy, and worldly life; and therefore the latter is called son of man. "Man" then in this place is earthy, but "son of man" heavenly; and the former is far removed from God, but the latter present with God; and therefore is He mindful of the former, as in far distance from Him; but the latter He visiteth, with whom being present He enlighteneth him with His countenance. For "salvation is far from sinners;" and, "The light of Thy countenance hath been stamped upon us, O Lord." So in another Psalm he saith, that men in conjunction with beasts are made whole together with these beasts, not by any present inward illumination, but by the multiplication of the mercy of God, whereby His goodness reacheth even to the lowest things; for the wholeness of carnal men is carnal, as of the beasts; but separating the sons of men from those whom being men he joined with cattle, he proclaims that they are made blessed, after a far more exalted method, by the enlightening of the truth itself, and by a certain inundation of the fountain of life. For he speaketh thus: "Men and beasts Thou wilt make whole, O Lord, as Thy mercy hath been multiplied, O God. But the sons of men shall put their trust in the covering of Thy wings. They shall be inebriated with the richness of Thine house, and of the torrent of Thy pleasures Thou shall make them drink. For with Thee is the fountain of life, and in Thy light shall we see light. Extend Thy mercy to them that know Thee." Through the multiplication of mercy then He is mindful of man, as of beasts; for that multiplied mercy reacheth even to them that are afar off; but He visiteth the son of man, over whom, placed under the covering of His wings, He extendeth mercy, and in His light giveth light, and maketh him drink of His pleasures, and inebriateth him with the richness of His house, to forget the sorrows and the wanderings of his former conversation. This son of man, that is, the new man, the repentance of the old man begets with pain and tears. He, though new, is nevertheless called yet carnal, whilst he is fed with milk; "I would not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal," says the Apostle. And to show that they were already regenerate, he says, "As unto babes in Christ, I have given you milk to drink, not meat." And when he relapses, as often happens, to the old life, he hears in reproof that he is a man; "Are ye not men," he says, "and walk as men?" — On the Psalms Cosmas Indicopleustes: How by his teaching regarding the form of a servant which he took upon him, did he deign to show mildly glimpses of his divinity, to receive accusations preferred against him by his own creatures, and to answer them, not with anger but with mildness and forbearance? O the excess of his long-suffering! as David was privileged still further to make such prophecies, for he speaks also concerning his human nature in the same psalm from the passage: What is man that thou art mindful of him? — The Christian Topography, Book 5 Augustine of Hippo: Therefore was the son of man first visited in the person of the very Lord Man, born of the Virgin Mary. Of whom, by reason of the very weakness of the flesh, which the Wisdom of God vouchsafed to bear, and the humiliation of the Passion, it is justly said, "You have lowered Him a little lower than the Angels" [Psalms 8:5]. — Exposition on Psalms 8 Cassiodorus: From here on the humility and glory of the Lord Savior is related. He was made less not because of any necessity inherent in his role as servant, but by his loving free wish; as the Apostle says, "He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant." The psalm continues with the words "a little less than angels," because Christ took up the cross to win the salvation of all, since it was for this reason that the Creator of angels was made less than angels. The words "a little less" are well stated, since he took on himself a mortal body, though he had no sin. He "was crowned with glory and honor" when, after his utterly miraculous resurrection, as God he was exalted in as much as he had been made man, and he received the trust of the whole world. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 8:6 John Chrysostom: He has made us "a little lower than the angels," I mean, by reason of death: but even that little we have now recovered. There is nothing therefore to hinder us from becoming nigh to the angels, if we will. Let us then will it, let us will it, and having exercised ourselves thoroughly, let us return honor to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, world without end, Amen. — Homily on Acts 32 Ambrose of Milan: The Father is not "among" all things, for to him it is confessed that "all things serve you." Nor is the Son reckoned "among" all things, for "all things were made by him," and "all things exist together in him, and he is above all the heavens." The Son, therefore, exists not "among" but above all things, being, indeed, after the flesh, of the people, of the Jews, but yet at the same time God over all, blessed forever, having a name that is above every name, it being said of him, "You have put all things in subjection under his feet." But in making all things subject to him, he left nothing that is not subject, even as the apostle has said. — Exposition of the Christian Faith 4.11.140 Ambrose of Milan: One who, by way of ignorance, pretended to the insensibility and lack of knowledge characteristic of a beast begins to be a human once he has been encompassed by the grace of God. Indeed, if he is capable of reason and of grace, he is proved human by that very fact, and thus he rejoices that he has been separated from the dumb animals and has been admitted into the company of humankind, which God visits and protects. For what are human beings except that the Lord is mindful of them and that they are visited by the Lord? — The Prayer of Job and David 4.9.26 Augustine of Hippo: But that glorifying is added, in which He rose and ascended up into heaven; "With glory," he says, "and with honour have You crowned Him; and hast set Him over the works of Your hands" [Psalms 8:6]. Since even Angels are the works of God's hands, even over Angels we understand the Only-begotten Son to have been set; whom we hear and believe, by the humiliation of the carnal generation and passion, to have been lowered a little lower than the Angels. — Exposition on Psalms 8 Bede: What the psalmist said of the Father concerning our Lord as he rose from the dead, "You have put all things under his feet," is surely the same as what our Lord himself said to his disciples as he rose, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Indeed, even before he rose from the dead, the angelic virtues in heaven knew that they were rightfully subject to the human nature they saw had been specifically assumed by their Maker. Blind human beings on earth, however, disdained to be brought into subjection to one they knew had put on mortality in common with themselves; they declined to understand the divine power in his miracles, since they discerned that there was human weakness present in his sufferings. — Homilies on the Gospels 2:8 Cassiodorus: "You have placed all things under his feet." … Just as nothing is independent of the work of the Lord, so nothing can be shown to be outside the power of Christ, since he is going to judge the world. For by saying "all things," the psalm seems to have omitted neither earthly nor heavenly things. This interpretation is in harmony with what the divine interpreter, the Apostle testifies: "In subjecting all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him." — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 8:7 Diodorus of Tarsus: There is no work of God that is exempt from the authority of the one appointed Lord. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 8 Eusebius of Caesarea: When it is says, "You have set him over the works of your hand," clearly the word reveals that he is set over the heavens, a man established by the God of the universe. How and when are these future things unless when the kingdom of heaven is received as an inheritance according to the promises made and according to the word of the apostle: "The heir of God and the coheirs of Christ"? So in this age, let the earthly creatures as oxen, cattle, beasts of burden, birds and fish, be subject to humankind. To humankind is reserved the life common to angels in the heavenly city of God, when people are received into the kingdom of heaven and appointed over the works of the hands of God, and they will be the rulers and protectors of all things of the heavens, the moon and stars and everything of the heavens above. The letter to the Hebrews considering this word treats the statement for the future age: "All things you have placed under his feet." For after the lower course of this life, whenever that new age comes in which the kingdom of heaven is awaited and following the glorious appearance of our Savior all things will be subjected, according to that witness that has been made by the promise from the Father to him: "Sit on my right, until I place your enemies a footstool under your feet." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 8:6 Prudentius: From his Providence, humanity has received All that he grasps with imperious hand: All that the sky and the earth and the sea Yields from the air and the waves and the fields, This he subjects to me, me to himself. — HYMNS FOR EVERY DAY 3:36-40 Theodoret of Cyrus: And this is a precise demonstration of your lovingkindness and power, he is saying, imbuing the lowly nature of human beings with wisdom so that they might have control over not only the land creatures but also those that fly and that swim and that do both, use their skills to hunt those in the heights and in the depths, and keep under control those that pass through the air and those hidden in the water.… Uncreated nature alone, you see, is separate from this subjection as something free. The nature that receives existence from it, however, is subject whatever it be—visible or invisible—to Christ the Lord, both as God and as man. Such is the honor human nature received from the God of all. Hence, as a conclusion he used the same verse as at the beginning: "O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth!" — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 8:6-7 Augustine of Hippo: "You have put," he says, "all things in subjection under His feet." When he says, "all things," he excepts nothing. And that he might not be allowed to understand it otherwise, the Apostle enjoins it to be believed thus, when he says, "He being excepted which put all things under Him." [1 Corinthians 15:27] And to the Hebrews he uses this very testimony from this Psalm, when he would have it to be understood that all things are in such sort put under our Lord Jesus Christ, as that nothing should be excepted. [Hebrews 2:8] And yet he does not seem, as it were, to subjoin any great thing, when he says, "All sheep and oxen, yea, moreover, the beasts of the field, birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, which walk through the paths of the sea" [Psalms 8:7]. For, leaving the heavenly excellencies and powers, and all the hosts of Angels, leaving even man himself, he seems to have put under Him the beasts merely; unless by sheep and oxen we understand holy souls, either yielding the fruit of innocence, or even working that the earth may bear fruit, that is, that earthly men may be regenerated unto spiritual richness. By these holy souls then we ought to understand not those of men only, but of all Angels too, if we would gather from hence that all things are put under our Lord Jesus Christ. For there will be no creature that will not be put under Him, under whom the pre-eminent spirits, that I may so speak, are put. But whence shall we prove that sheep can be interpreted even, not of men, but of the blessed spirits of the angelical creatures on high? May we from the Lord's saying that He had left ninety and nine sheep in the mountains, that is, in the higher regions, and had come down for one? For if we take the one lost sheep to be the human soul in Adam, since Eve even was made out of his side, [Genesis 2:21-22] for the spiritual handling and consideration of all which things this is not the time, it remains that, by the ninety and nine left in the mountains, spirits not human, but angelical, should be meant. For as regards the oxen, this sentence is easily dispatched; since men themselves are for no other reason called oxen, but because by preaching the Gospel of the word of God they imitate Angels, as where it is said, "You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain." How much more easily then do we take the Angels themselves, the messengers of truth, to be oxen, when Evangelists by the participation of their title are called oxen? "You have put under" therefore, he says, "all sheep and oxen," that is, all the holy spiritual creation; in which we include that of holy men, who are in the Church, in those wine-presses to wit, which are intimated under the other similitude of the moon and stars. — Exposition on Psalms 8 Augustine of Hippo: So, then, in accordance with the simile of the winepresses, not only the grapes but also the husks are trodden under his feet. This means not only sheep and cattle, that is to say, the holy souls of the faithful, either in the people or among the clergy, but, what is more, beasts of pleasure also and birds of pride and fish of inquisitiveness. All these types of sinners we see here and now in the churches mixed up with the good and the holy. Let God work, then, in his churches and separate wine from grapeskins. Let us cooperate with God so that we may be wine or sheep or cattle, rather than husks or beasts of the field or fish that weave their way through the pathways of the deep. This is not to say that these words can be understood and explained only in this way, but this is what the present context dictates. Somewhere else they may have a different meaning. This rule of thumb is to be upheld in every allegory, that what is expressed through a simile should be judged in the light of the immediate context. Such is the teaching of our Lord and the apostles. — EXPLANATIONS OF THE Psalms 8:13 Augustine of Hippo: "Yea moreover," says he, "the beasts of the field." The addition of "moreover" is by no means idle. First, because by beasts of the plain may be understood both sheep and oxen: so that, if goats are the beasts of rocky and mountainous regions, sheep may be well taken to be the beasts of the field. Accordingly had it been written even thus, "all sheep and oxen and beasts of the field;" it might be reasonably asked what beasts of the plain meant, since even sheep and oxen could be taken as such. But the addition of "moreover" besides, obliges us, beyond question, to recognise some difference or another. But under this word, "moreover," not only "beasts of the field," but also "birds of the air, and fish of the sea, which walk through the paths of the sea" [Psalms 8:8], are to be taken in. What is then this distinction? Call to mind the "wine-presses," holding husks and wine; and the threshing-floor, containing chaff and grain; and the nets, in which were enclosed good fish and bad; and the ark of Noah, in which were both unclean and clean animals: and you will see that the Churches for a while, now in this time, unto the last time of judgment, contain not only sheep and oxen, that is, holy laymen and holy ministers, but "moreover beasts of the field, birds of the air, and birds of the sea, that walk through the paths of the sea." For the beasts of the field were very fitly understood, as men rejoicing in the pleasure of the flesh where they mount up to nothing high, nothing laborious. For the field is also "the broad way, that leads to destruction:" [Matthew 7:13] and in a field is Abel slain. [Genesis 4:8] Wherefore there is cause to fear, lest one coming down from the mountains of God's righteousness ("for your righteousness," he says, "is as the mountains of God" ) making choice of the broad and easy paths of carnal pleasure, be slain by the devil. See now too "the birds of heaven," the proud, of whom it is said, "They have set their mouth against the heaven." See how they are carried on high by the wind, "who say, We will magnify our tongue, our lips are our own, who is our Lord?" Behold too the fish of the sea, that is, the curious; who walk through the paths of the sea, that is, search in the deep after the temporal things of this world: which, like paths in the sea, vanish and perish, as quickly as the water comes together again after it has given room, in their passage, to ships, or to whatsoever walks or swims. For he said not merely, who walk the paths of the sea; but "walk through," he said; showing the very determined earnestness of those who seek after vain and fleeting things. Now these three kinds of vice, namely, the pleasure of the flesh, and pride, and curiosity, include all sins. And they appear to me to be enumerated by the Apostle John, when he says, "Love not the world; for all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." [1 John 2:15-16] For through the eyes especially prevails curiosity. To what the rest indeed belong is clear. And that temptation of the Lord Man was threefold: by food, that is, by the lust of the flesh, where it is suggested, "command these stones that they be made bread:" [Matthew 4:3] by vain boasting, where, when stationed on a mountain, all the kingdoms of this earth are shown Him, and promised if He would worship: [Matthew 4:8-9] by curiosity, where, from the pinnacle of the temple, He is advised to cast Himself down, for the sake of trying whether He would be borne up by Angels. [Matthew 4:6] And accordingly after that the enemy could prevail with Him by none of these temptations, this is said of him, "When the devil had ended all his temptation." [Luke 4:13] With a reference then to the meaning of the wine-presses, not only the wine, but the husks too are put under His feet; to wit, not only sheep and oxen, that is, the holy souls of believers, either in the laity, or in the ministry; but moreover both beasts of pleasure, and birds of pride, and fish of curiosity. All which classes of sinners we see mingled now in the Churches with the good and holy. May He work then in His Churches, and separate the wine from the husks: let us give heed, that we be wine, and sheep or oxen; not husks, or beasts of the field, or birds of heaven, or fish of the sea, which walk through the paths of the sea. Not that these names can be understood and explained in this way only, but the explanation of them must be according to the place where they are found. For elsewhere they have other meanings. And this rule must be kept to in every allegory, that what is expressed by the similitude should be considered agreeably to the meaning of the particular place: for this is the manner of the Lord's and the Apostles' teaching. Let us repeat then the last verse, which is also put at the beginning of the Psalm, and let us praise God, saying, "O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is Your name in all the earth!" For fitly, after the matter of the discourse, is the return made to the heading, whither all that discourse must be referred. — Exposition on Psalms 8 Augustine of Hippo: "I will confess unto You, O Lord, with my whole heart" [Psalms 9:1]. He does not, with a whole heart, confess unto God, who doubts of His Providence in any particular: but he who sees already the hidden things of the wisdom of God, how great is His invisible reward, who says, "We rejoice in tribulations;" [Romans 5:3] and how all torments, which are inflicted on the body, are either for the exercising of those that are converted to God, or for warning that they be converted, or for just preparation of the obdurate unto their last damnation: and so now all things are referred to the governance of Divine Providence, which fools think done as it were by chance and at random, and without any Divine ordering. "I will tell all Your marvels." He tells all God's marvels, who sees them performed not only openly on the body, but invisibly indeed too in the soul, but far more sublimely and excellently. For men earthly, and led wholly by the eye, marvel more that the dead Lazarus rose again in the body, than that Paul the persecutor rose again in soul. But since the visible miracle calls the soul to the light, but the invisible enlightens the soul that comes when called, he tells all God's marvels, who, by believing the visible, passes on to the understanding of the invisible. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Jerome: Joshua the son of Nun was fighting in the desert, and as Moses prayed he kept prevailing: the one man fought, the other by his prayer conquered. So too do I, according to that which is written, 'Open your mouth, and I will fill it': I indeed seem to be the one speaking, but there are others by whose prayers I speak. The ninth psalm, which has been sung by you to the Lord, is great in its verses, great in its mysteries. Since, then, we cannot discuss everything, it is enough for the moment to speak about the title. Since we cannot enter into the house (for great is the king's palace, nor are we able to know all the mysteries of the king), for the moment, as it were standing at the title of the house, in the very vestibule, let us point out whose house it is. 'Unto the end, for the hidden things of the son, a psalm of David.' The phrase 'unto the end' does not pertain to the Jews, but to us who at the end have believed. They were the earlier son, we the latest. We therefore who are at the end ought to hear this psalm, because it pertains to those who are at the end. 'For the hidden things of the son.' What are these hidden things of the son? The mystery which throughout all past ages had been hidden has, at the end, been opened to us. 'For the hidden things of the son.' In the Hebrew it reads otherwise. For in the Hebrew it has ALAMOTH, which is translated 'for death': for AL is said for 'for,' MOTH is said for 'death.' Therefore it is said 'for death'; therefore 'for the death of the son' is what is written in the Hebrew. See, then, the Seventy translators: since they were translating for Ptolemy, a Gentile king, and it was harsh to say 'the death of the son,' they translated it 'the hidden thing.' They did not say 'for the death of the son': for they knew that it was being spoken of the Son of God. They saw that it was so written; and yet they were afraid to say that the Son of God would die. This much, for the moment, has been briefly discussed from the psalm, as to what was said, 'For the hidden things of the son.' And this was said in the Old Testament; for in the Old Testament it is spoken of the son in a hidden way. Now in the Gospel let us read openly of the open things of the son. — Homily 4, on Psalms 9 Theodoret of Cyrus: It is characteristic of the perfect to dedicate their whole heart to God and to consecrate their whole mind to him. "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart," Scripture says, "with your whole soul, with your whole strength and with your whole mind." Those who divide their thoughts between mammon and God, between Christ and gold, between the present and the future life, cannot truthfully say, "I shall confess to you, O Lord, with all my heart." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:2 Augustine of Hippo: "I will be glad and exult in Thee" (ver. 2). Not any more in this world, not in pleasure of bodily dalliance, not in relish of palate and tongue, not in sweetness of perfumes, not in joyousness of passing sounds, not in the variously coloured forms of figure, not in vanities of men's praise, not in wedlock and perishable offspring, not in superfluity of temporal wealth, not in this world's getting, whether it extend over place and space, or be prolonged in time's succession: but, "I will be glad and exult in Thee," namely, in the hidden things of the Son, where "the light of Thy countenance hath been stamped on us, O Lord:" for, "Thou wilt hide them," saith he, "in the hiding place of Thy countenance." He then will be glad and exult in Thee, who tells all Thy marvels. And He will tell all Thy marvels (since it is now spoken of prophetically), "who came not to do His own will, but the will of Him who sent Him." — Exposition on Psalms 9 John Chrysostom: This … is pleasure properly speaking; at least as far as all other things are concerned, they are pleasure in name only, bereft of substance. This lifts human beings above this world, this liberates the soul from the body, this gives it wings in heaven's direction, this elevates it above worldly things, this gives freedom from evil, and rightly so.… After all, people loving those other things are quickly if unwillingly brought to a point of oblivion since what they love perishes and wastes away. By contrast, this love is infinite, everlasting, possessing the greater pleasure and the greater gain; furthermore, the lover is encouraged by the fact that this will never be destroyed. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:2 John Chrysostom: This is a particular habit of a lover. Those in love, you know, sing songs to their beloved; even if they are not in sight, they comfort themselves with the song. That is just what the inspired author does. Since it is not possible to see God, he composes songs to him, holding converse with him in song, stirring up desire and gaining the impression of seeing him—or, rather, stirring up the desire of many people through the singing of hymns and songs. In other words, just as lovers recite the praises of their beloved and bandy their names about, exactly so does he. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:2 Augustine of Hippo: "They will be weakened, and perish from Your face" [Psalms 9:3]. Who will be weakened and perish, but the unrighteous and ungodly? "They will be weakened," while they shall avail nothing; "and they shall perish," because the ungodly will not be; "from the face" of God, that is, from the knowledge of God, as he perished who said, "But now I live not, but Christ lives in me." [Galatians 2:20] But why will the ungodly "be weakened and perish from your face?" "Because," he says, "You have made my judgment, and my cause:" that is, the judgment in which I seemed to be judged, You have made mine; and the cause in which men condemned me just and innocent, You have made mine. For such things served Him for our deliverance: as sailors too call the wind theirs, which they take advantage of for prosperous sailing. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Eusebius of Caesarea: These things, he said, I will assuredly do "when my enemies are turned back." But who is such an enemy unless it is death, the enemy of life about which it is said, "You knew the enemy death will be destroyed." Destruction will be Death's end when he is turned back. But "back" where, unless the return into the pristine condition when he did not exist? "For God did not make death, but through the envy of the devil, death entered into the world." When, therefore, as death is turned back, it will no longer be, then all the rest of the enemies will be enfeebled and the enemies of your Word will be destroyed before your face. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 9:3-4 John Chrysostom: Now, notice how he proclaims God's strength: "They will lose heart and perish before your face." Once more, on hearing "face," do not form an impression of anything bodily. At this point, in fact, he is suggesting God's power, his manifestation, the facility of his strength. Just as he says elsewhere, "He gazes on the earth and makes it tremble," so here too he says the same thing. His gaze, you see, is sufficient to destroy his enemies. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:3 Augustine of Hippo: "You sat on the throne Who judgest equity" [Psalms 9:4]. Whether the Son say this to the Father, who said also, "You could have no power against Me, except it were given you from above," [John 19:11] referring this very thing, that the Judge of men was judged for men's advantage, to the Father's equity and His own hidden things: or whether man say to God, "You sat on the throne Who judgest equity," giving the name of God's throne to his soul, so that his body may perhaps be the earth, which is called God's "footstool:" [Isaiah 66:1] for "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself:" [2 Corinthians 5:19] or whether the soul of the Church, perfect now and without spot and wrinkle, [Ephesians 5:27] worthy, that is, of the hidden things of the Son, in that "the King has brought her into His chamber," [Song of Songs 1:4] say to her spouse, "You sat upon the throne Who judgest equity," in that You have risen from the dead, and ascended up into heaven, and sittest at the right hand of the Father: whichsoever, I say, of those opinions, whereunto this verse may be referred, is preferred, it transgresses not the rule of faith. — Exposition on Psalms 9 John Chrysostom: He speaks in rather human terms by mentioning throne and seat, whereas the phrase "giving right judgment" is customary with God and expresses something remarkable of his essence. I mean, it is not something you can say in connection with human beings. They do not consistently give right judgments, you see, even if they are righteous over and over, ignorant as they are of what is righteous, sometimes from incompetence, sometimes from laziness. God, on the contrary, is free of all these impediments; knowing and willing a righteous verdict, he delivers it. So the phrase "you have sat on your throne" means God has judged, prosecuted, taken vengeance. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:3 Salvian the Presbyter: The same prophet showed elsewhere the difference between the present and future judgment of God. What did he say to the Lord about the verdict of the immediate trial? You have sat on the throne, you who judge justice. And what of God's future and everlasting judgment? "He shall judge the people in justice." By these words, he distinguished the time element between the present and the future judgments of God. To point to our present judgment, he wrote, "You judge," and to distinguish the future from the present he later added, "He shall judge." — THE GOVERNANCE OF GOD 2:6 Augustine of Hippo: "You have rebuked the heathen, and the ungodly has perished" [Psalms 9:5]. We take this to be more suitably said to the Lord Jesus Christ, than said by Him. For who else has rebuked the heathen, and the ungodly perished, save He, who after that He ascended up into heaven, sent the Holy Ghost, that, filled by Him, the Apostles should preach the word of God with boldness, and freely reprove men's sins? At which rebuke the ungodly perished; because the ungodly was justified and was made godly. You have effaced their name for the world, and for the world's world. The name of the ungodly has been effaced. For they are not called ungodly who believe in the true God. Now their name is effaced "for the world," that is, as long as the course of the temporal world endures. "And for the world's world." What is "the world's world," but that whose image and shadow, as it were, this world possesses? For the change of seasons succeeding one another, while the moon is on the wane, and again on the increase, while the sun each year returns to his quarter, while spring, or summer, or autumn, or winter passes away only to return, is in some sort an imitation of eternity. But this world's world is that which abides in immutable eternity. As a verse in the mind, and a verse in the voice, the former is understood, the latter heard; and the former fashions the latter; and hence the former works in art and abides, the latter sounds in the air and passes away. So the fashion of this changeable world is defined by that world unchangeable which is called the world's world. And hence the one abides in the art, that is, in the Wisdom and Power of God: but the other is made to pass in the governance of creation. If after all it be not a repetition, so that after it was said "for the world," lest it should be understood of this world that passes away, it were added "for the world's world." For in the Greek copies it is thus, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος Which the Latins have for the most rendered, not, "for the world, and for the world's world;" but, "for ever, and for the world's world," that in the words "for the world's world." the, words "for ever," should be explained. "The name," then, "of the ungodly You have effaced for ever," for from henceforth the ungodly shall never be. And if their name be not prolonged unto this world, much less unto the world's world. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Cassiodorus: From here on, the most sacred second advent of the Lord is explained, when unbelieving nations will be rebuked and the devil with his schemes will perish forever. For when the Lord is present, all things will be peaceful, and the devil's feisty depravity will no longer remain.… The word forever indicates the Lord's coming kingdom which will not end in any age or time.… Therefore let the heretics stop saying that at some point the devil and his followers can be summoned back to grace, since they hear so clearly that they will be condemned "forever and ever" so that not even a trace of their name is able to remain. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 9:6 John Chrysostom: You see how he has no need of weapons—sword, bows, arrows; rather, those things are mentioned in more human fashion. After all, God has only to censure, and those destined for punishment perish. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:3 Origen of Alexandria: The expression "you have rebuked" indicates correction: "You have blotted out his name." God blotted out the name Abram, making it Abraham, and Sarai, calling her Sarah, and Simon, naming him Peter. And thus it follows, the name of those are blotted out whom he has rebuked.… Observe, however, that it is not said, You have blotted out their names from the book of the living … but from the pledges that had been signed in the book of debtors or in the book of the dead among the household of the wicked; thus he inscribes the dead, and he registers their names on the earth. The Savior will inscribe the names of his disciples in the heavens. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 9:6 Anthony the Great ((as quoted by Athanasius, AD 373)): Once someone knocked at the door of my cell. And when I went out, I saw someone who seemed massive and tall. When I asked, "Who are you?" he said, "I am Satan." I said, "What are you doing here?" And he asked, "Why do the monks and all the other Christians censure me without cause? Why do they curse me every hour?" When I replied, "Why do you torment them?" he said, "I am not the one tormenting them, but they disturb themselves, for I have become weak. Haven't they read that 'the swords of the enemy have failed utterly, and that you have destroyed their cities'? I no longer have a place—no weapon, no city. There are Christians everywhere, and even the desert has filled with monks. Let them watch after themselves and stop censuring me for no reason!" Marveling then at the grace of the Lord, I said to him, "Even though you are always a liar and never tell the truth, nevertheless this time, even if you did not intend to, you have spoken truly. For Christ in his coming reduced you to weakness, and after throwing you down he left you defenseless." On hearing the Savior's name, and being unable to endure the scorching from it, he became invisible. Now if even the devil confesses that he is able to do nothing, then we ought to treat him and his demons with utter contempt. For his part, the enemy with his dogs has treacheries of the sort I have described, but we are able to scorn them, having learned of their weakness. Therefore let us not be plunged into despair in this way, or contemplate horrors in the soul or invent fears for ourselves.… Let us consider in our soul that the Lord is with us, he who routed them and reduced them to idleness. Let us likewise always understand and take it to heart that while the Lord is with us, the enemies will do nothing to us. — LIFE OF ANTHONY 41-42 Augustine of Hippo: "The swords of the enemy have failed at the end" [Psalms 9:6]. Not enemies in the plural, but this enemy in the singular. Now what enemy's swords have failed but the devil's? Now these are understood to be various erroneous opinions, whereby as with swords he destroys souls. In overcoming these swords, and in bringing them to failure, that sword is employed, of which it is said in the seventh Psalm, "If you be not converted, He will brandish His sword." And perhaps this is the end, against which the swords of the enemy fail; since up to it they are of some avail. Now it works secretly, but in the last judgment it will be brandished openly. By it the cities are destroyed. For so it follows, "The swords of the enemy have failed at the end: and You have destroyed the cities." Cities indeed wherein the devil rules, where crafty and deceitful counsels hold, as it were, the place of a court, on which supremacy attend as officers and ministers the services of all the members, the eyes for curiosity, the ears for lasciviousness, or for whatsoever else is gladly listened to that bears on evil, the hands for rapine or any other violence or pollution soever, and all the other members after this manner serving the tyrannical supremacy, that is, perverse counsels. Of this city the commonalty, as it were, are all soft affections and disturbing emotions of the mind, stirring up daily seditions in a man. So then where a king, where a court, where ministers, where commonalty are found, there is a city. Now again would such things be in bad cities, unless they were first in individual men, who are, as it were, the elements and seeds of cities. These cities He destroys, when on the prince being shut out thence, of whom it was said, "The prince of this world" has been "cast out," [John 12:31] these kingdoms are wasted by the word of truth, evil counsels are laid to sleep, vile affections tamed, the ministries of the members and senses taken captive, and transferred to the service of righteousness and good works: that as the Apostle says, "Sin should no more reign in" our "mortal body," [Romans 6:12] and so forth. Then is the soul at peace, and the man is disposed to receive rest and blessedness. "Their memorial has perished with uproar:" with the uproar, that is, of the ungodly. But it is said, "with uproar," either because when ungodliness is overturned, there is uproar made: for none passes to the highest place, where there is the deepest silence, but he who with much uproar shall first have warred with his own vices: or "with uproar," is said, that the memory of the ungodly should perish in the perishing even of the very uproar, in which ungodliness riots. — Exposition on Psalms 9 John Chrysostom: God's anger is like that, you see: it razes and destroys everything. Or what another translator teaches us in saying "deserts," implying that he razed not only their inhabited places but also their uninhabited places, and laid waste their cities. Such, in fact, is the way the righteous person waged war, such the way he put down his foes, not employing light and heavy weapons but enjoying grace from God. Hence for him the war was glorious and famous, and his victory overwhelming. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:3 John Damascene: From there by his grace [the apostles] were scattered abroad among all nations and preached the orthodox faith, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all the commandments of the Savior. So they gave light to the people that wandered in darkness and abolished the superstitious error of idolatry. Though the enemy chafes under his defeat and even now stirs up war against us, the faithful, persuading the fools and unwise to cling to the worship of idols, yet is his power grown feeble, and his swords have at last failed him by the power of Christ. — BARLAAM AND JOSEPH 7:55 Theodoret of Cyrus: [The godless one] was stripped of his own weapons, having no supporters of his godlessness; instead, those who appointed themselves his instruments have now changed sides and taken up the fight against him. With the overthrow of godlessness practiced in them in former times, the cities took on the building up of true religion; it would have been impossible for them to develop true religion had not they overthrown godlessness first. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:5 Augustine of Hippo: "And the Lord abideth for ever" (ver. 7). "Wherefore" then "have the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain things against the Lord, and against His anointed:" for "the Lord abideth for ever. He hath prepared His seat in judgment, and He shall judge the world in equity." He prepared His seat when He was judged. For by that patience Man purchased heaven, and God in Man profited believers. And this is the Son's hidden judgment. But seeing He is also to come openly and in the sight of all to judge the quick and the dead, He hath prepared His seat in the hidden judgment: and He shall also openly "judge the world in equity:" that is, He shall distribute gifts proportioned to desert, setting the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. "He shall judge the people with justice" (ver. 8). This is the same as was said above, "He shall judge the world in equity." Not as men judge who see not the heart, by whom very often worse men are acquitted than are condemned: but "in equity" and "with justice" shall the Lord judge, "conscience bearing witness, and thoughts accusing, or else excusing." — Exposition on Psalms 9 Didymus the Blind: These words warn that we must withdraw from evil and impiety and pursue excellence and righteousness. For who being prudent, if he believes this, would not fear that he might fall into the hands of judgment and rightly and properly so on account of his own blameworthy conduct and wicked thoughts? Indeed, under such judgment he will not avoid the curse. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 9:8 John Chrysostom: While the general judgment is reserved for that time, the particular is for this; after all, he puts many things into effect here and now lest the heedless form the impression that present realities do not fall under his providence. If, on the contrary, not everyone receives their crown in this life, do not be surprised. "He has prepared a day," remember, "on which he intends to judge the world," whereas for the present there is an arena, contest, struggles. Hence not everyone receives their just desserts; instead, rewards are reserved there for those who do well and punishments for those who fail. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:4 Augustine of Hippo: "And the Lord has become a refuge to the poor" [Psalms 9:9]. Whatsoever be the persecutions of that enemy, who has been turned behind, what harm shall he do to them whose refuge the Lord has become? But this will be, if in this world, in which that one has an office of power, they shall choose to be poor, by loving nothing which either here leaves a man while he lives and loves, or is left by him when he dies. For to such a poor man has the Lord become a refuge, "an Helper in due season, in tribulation." Lo, He makes poor, for "He scourges every son whom He receives." [Hebrews 12:6] For what "an Helper in due season" is, he explained by adding "in tribulation." For the soul is not turned to God, save when it is turned away from this world: nor is it more seasonably turned away from this world, except toils and pains be mingled with its trifling and hurtful and destructive pleasures. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Eusebius of Caesarea: The righteous who now seek you know that you are not going to abandon them in the time of judgment. Let them hope strongly in you, having patience in everything awaiting the prepared retribution. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 9:10, 11 John Chrysostom: He did not say, note, "My armies have proved your refuge, or money or ramparts"; instead, "the Lord has proved a refuge for the poor." He personally established me in safety, he is saying; nothing, in fact, is equal to that refuge on the score of ease and security. The other refuges may be subject to scheming and cannot be found promptly and readily, but they are obstructed by time and place and countless circumstances; this, by contrast, you find close at hand, provided only you search for it diligently. "Even while I am talking to you, lo, I am at hand," remember; and "I am a God close by, not a God far off." Consequently, there is no need of running around or traveling about; rather, those sitting at home can gain this refuge. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:5 Augustine of Hippo: "And let them who know Thy Name, hope in Thee" [Psalms 9:10], when they shall have ceased hoping in wealth, and in the other enticements of this world. For the soul indeed that seeketh where to fix her hope, when she is torn away from this world, the knowledge of God's Name seasonably receives. For the mere Name of God hath now been published everywhere: but the knowledge of the name is, when He is known whose name it is. For the name is not a name for its own sake, but for that which it signifies. Now it has been said, "The Lord is His Name." Wherefore whoso willingly submits himself to God as His servant, hath known this name. "And let them who know Thy Name hope in Thee" [Psalms 9:10]. Again, the Lord saith to Moses, "I am That I am; and Thou shalt say to the children of Israel, I Am, hath sent me." "Let them" then "who know Thy Name, hope in Thee;" that they may not hope in those things which flow by in time's quick revolution, having nothing but "will be" and "has been." For what in them is future, when it arrives, straightway becomes the past; it is awaited with eagerness, it is lost with pain. But in the nature of God nothing will be, as if it were not yet; or hath been, as if it were no longer: but there is only that which is, and this is eternity. Let them cease then to hope in and love things temporal, and let them apply themselves to hope eternal, who know His name who said, "I am That I am;" and of whom it was said, "I Am hath sent me." "For Thou hast not forsaken them that seek Thee, O Lord." Whoso seek Him, seek no more things transient and perishable; "For no man can serve two masters." — ON THE PSALMS, Psalms 9 Didymus the Blind: Those who have a perfect knowledge of your name trust in no other thing. They are not abandoned by God. This word must be understood with wisdom and reverence, considering that one should not think that the person who lives rightly in his daily affairs is abandoned by God. One who thinks thus is deceived. Indeed, several of the impious have thus believed. Some say that Abel, who was killed, was abandoned, as also the prophets and apostles, for these individuals were afflicted continuously, and many of them even murdered by people. With this distinction made, we say that the person who is with God up to his last breath is not abandoned, even if he suffers innumerable wounds from his enemies. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 9:11 John Chrysostom: Those who know you, he is saying, your support and assistance, have hope in you as sufficient anchor, sufficient assistance, impregnable tower, the one who not only promises relief from problems but also does not permit us to be alarmed by the problems even when present. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:5 John Chrysostom: So how can we seek God? When we earnestly direct our mind in that direction, when we free it from worldly interests. The seeker who drives out everything from the soul moves toward what is being sought. We must not simply seek but seek out. Those who seek out do not only take it on themselves to conduct the search but also enlist other aids to finding what is sought. But in the case of worldly things, we often do not find what we have sought for, whereas in the case of spiritual things this is impossible, as it is inevitable that the searcher makes the discovery. In fact, if we merely make the effort toward searching, God will not permit us to be rebuffed; hence he says, "Everyone who seeks finds." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:6 Augustine of Hippo: "Sing to the Lord, who dwells in Sion" [Psalms 9:11], is said to them, whom the Lord forsakes not as they seek Him. He dwells in Sion, which is interpreted watching, and which bears the likeness of the Church that now is; as Jerusalem bears the likeness of the Church that is to come, that is, the city of Saints already enjoying life angelical; for Jerusalem is by interpretation the vision of peace. Now watching goes before vision, as this Church goes before that one which is promised, the city immortal and eternal. But in time it goes before, not in dignity: because more honourable is that whither we are striving to arrive, than what we practise, that we may attain to arrive; now we practise watching, that we may arrive at vision. But again this same Church which now is, unless the Lord inhabit her, the most earnest watching might run into any sort of error. And to this Church it was said, "For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are:" [1 Corinthians 3:17] again, "that Christ may dwell in the inner man in your hearts by faith." [Ephesians 3:17] It is enjoined us then, that we sing to the Lord who dwells in Sion, that with one accord we praise the Lord, the Inhabitant of the Church. "Show forth His wonders among the heathen." It has both been done, and will not cease to be done. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Clement of Alexandria: Those who are wild in respect of faith and polluted in life, not purified by the righteousness that is according to the law, are called wild beasts. But changed from wild beasts by the faith of the Lord, they become people of God, advancing from the wish to change to the fact. For some the Lord exhorts, and to those who have already made the attempt he stretches forth his hand and draws them up. "For the Lord dreads not the face of anyone, nor will he regard greatness; for he has made small and great and cares alike for all." And David says, "For the heathen are fixed in the destruction they have caused; their foot is taken in the snare that they hid." "But the Lord was a refuge to the poor, a help in season also in affliction." Those, then, who were in affliction had the gospel seasonably proclaimed. And therefore it said, "Declare among the heathen his pursuits," that they may not be judged unjustly. — The Stromata Book 6 John Chrysostom: What do you mean? Does the one whose throne is heaven and his footstool earth, in whose hands are the bounds of the earth, dwell in Zion? Yes: he refers here to his dwelling, not for him to be circumscribed (his greatness, after all, is unbounded) but to indicate his affinity with the place and his feeling at home there with a view to winning the Jews over to him through this considerateness.… Now, in a spiritual sense Zion refers to the church: "You have approached Mount Zion," remember, "and church of the firstborn." Rightly is the church called a mountain on account of being firm, solid and unshakeable. You see, just as it is impossible to shake a mountain, so too the church of God. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:6 Theodoret of Cyrus: A drastic alteration of circumstances took place in reality: ancient enemies became friends, those distant became close, slaves became sons, those ignorant became knowledgeable, those in darkness came to be in light, the dead in hope of life the poor became heirs of the kingdom of heaven, Jews came to be far away and Gentiles close at hand, sons became dogs, dogs sons. In short, the Savior's devices took on a divine seemliness: the gift of immortality was given through mortality, life through death, honor through dishonor, blessing through curse, salvation through a cross—these are the devices, these the exploits of our God. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:8 Augustine of Hippo: "For requiring their blood He hath remembered" [Psalms 9:12]. As if they, who were sent to preach the Gospel, should make answer to that injunction which has been mentioned, "Show forth His wonders among the heathen," and should say, "O Lord, who hath believed our report?" and again, "For Thy sake we are killed all the day long;" the Psalmist suitably goes on to say, That Christians not without great reward of eternity will die in persecution, "for requiring their blood He hath remembered." But why did he choose to say, "their blood"? Was it, as if one of imperfect knowledge and less faith should ask, How will they "show them forth," seeing that the infidelity of the heathen will rage against them; and he should be answered, "For requiring their blood He hath remembered," that is, the last judgment will come, in which both the glory of the slain and the punishment of the slayers shall be made manifest? But let no one suppose "He hath remembered" to be so used, as though forgetfulness can attach to God; but since the judgment will be after a long interval, it is used in accordance with the feeling of weak men, who think God hath forgotten, because He doth not act so speedily as they wish. To such is said what follows also, "He hath not forgotten the cry of the poor:" that is, He hath not, as you suppose, forgotten. As if they should on hearing, "He hath remembered," say, Then He had forgotten; No, "He hath not forgotten," says the Psalmist, "the cry of the poor." — ON THE PSALMS, Psalms 9 Irenaeus: For He promised to confess before His Father those who should confess His name before men; but declared that He would deny those who should deny Him, and would be ashamed of those who should be ashamed to confess Him. And although these things are so, some of these men have proceeded to such a degree of temerity, that they even pour contempt upon the martyrs, and vituperate those who are slain on account of the confession of the Lord, and who suffer all things predicted by the Lord, and who in this respect strive to follow the footprints of the Lord's passion, having become martyrs of the suffering One; these we do also enrol with the martyrs themselves. For, when inquisition shall be made for their blood, and they shall attain to glory, then all shall be confounded by Christ, who have cast a slur upon their martyrdom. — AGAINST HERESIES 3:18.5 John Chrysostom: He also touches on an important truth here: there is no murder committed that goes unpunished and is not fully avenged. Moses indicates as much in Genesis in the words "I will avenge your blood." This is proof of God's boundless providence, of his intense care. Yet if he does not promptly take vengeance, do not be surprised: he gives the sinner the opportunity of repentance. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:6 Augustine of Hippo: But I ask, what is that cry of the poor, which God forgetteth not? Is it that cry, the words whereof are these, "Pity me, O Lord, see my humiliation at the hands of my enemies"? [Psalms 9:13]. Why then did he not say, Pity "us" O Lord, see our humiliation at the hands of "our" enemies, as if many poor were crying; but as if one, Pity "me," O Lord? Is it because One intercedeth for the Saints, "who" first "for our sakes became poor, though He was rich;" and it is He who saith, "Who exaltest me from the gates of death [Psalms 9:14], that I may declare all Thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion"? For man is exalted in Him, not that Man only which He beareth, which is the Head of the Church; but whichsoever one of us also is among the other members, and is exalted from all depraved desires; which are the gates of death, for that through them is the road to death. But the joy in the fruition is at once death itself, when one gains what he hath in abandoned wilfulness coveted: for "coveting is the root of all evil:" and therefore is the gate of death, for "the widow that liveth in pleasures is dead." At which pleasures we arrive through desires as it were through the gates of death. But all highest purposes are the gates of the daughter of Sion, through which we come to the vision of peace in the Holy Church. ...Or haply are the gates of death the bodily senses and eyes, which were opened when the man tasted of the forbidden tree, ... and are the gates of the daughter of Sion the sacraments and beginnings of faith, which are opened to them that knock, that they may arrive at the hidden things of the Son?... — ON THE PSALMS, Psalms 9 Didymus the Blind: For one who lives in this type of death and in the lusts of the world, with a depressed spirit, if he will perceive a sense of his own wrongdoing and the nature of divine goodness, let him say in the manner of a prayer: "Have mercy on me and see my humility," which I suffer from my enemies. They have humiliated me, drawing me down. You alone are able to lift me up from the gates of death because of your essential goodness. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 9:15 John Chrysostom: See him given constantly to prayer: though freed from troubles and made secure, he does not cease from praying again in the words "have pity on me" and implores God for future benefits. You see, we always stand in need of God's providence, but especially at a time of freedom from troubles. I mean, another battle follows that is more difficult than the former, that against indifference and obtuseness; then it is that the devil comes panting more aggressively. And so it is especially after being freed from troubles that we have need of that grace so as to cope with good times more easily. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:6 Pseudo-Athanasius: The Lord does not forget the cry of the poor, and especially of those who in the spirit ask of him vengeance for wrongs brought against them by demons. Those who pray that there may arise a Savior for those on earth in order to repress the second tyrannical man who waxed strong against us and to impose on us the spiritual law of the gospel, from which people who are rational may learn, no more to imitate senseless animals. They are also hastening to his coming, hoping for salvation. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 9 Bede: We need to direct our whole intention, dearly beloved brothers, to learning the mysteries of the faith, and we need to show that our works accord with our faith. With all vigilance we need to beware of the multifarious and subtle snares of the gates of hell, so that, in accordance with the word of the psalmist, we may be worthy to be snatched from these [snares] by the Lord's aid and to announce his praises at the gates of the daughter of Zion, that is, to enter into the joys of the heavenly city. And we should not think that it is sufficient for our salvation if either in our faith or our acts we [merely] come up to the level of the undiscerning and untaught crowd, for whom there is prescribed in the sacred literature only one rule of believing and of living. But as often as the examples of those who have gone astray are made known to us, let us immediately turn away the eyes of our mind so that they may not see vanity, and instead with attentive heart let us examine what truth itself discerns, following the example of blessed Peter. He rejected the false ideas of those who were in error, and with unhesitating words he delivered his confession of the hidden mystery of the faith he had come to recognize, and he kept [it] with unconquerable care in his heart. — Homilies on the Gospels 1:20 Cassiodorus: The salvation of the Father is Christ the Lord, his Strength and Wisdom, who has granted us eternal rest and salvation. Therefore the prophet rightly says that he rejoices in him in whom there is no end of joy. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 9:15 Didymus the Blind: The gates of the daughter of Zion, being opposed to the gates of death, are praiseworthy deeds and the contemplation on the works of God done according to excellence and wisdom. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 9:15 Eusebius of Caesarea: David, … prophesying in the person of Christ, says somewhere of his resurrection after death: … "You who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may tell all your praises." I consider that not even the most obtuse can look these things in the face [and disregard them]. — PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 3:2.101 John Chrysostom: "I will rejoice in your salvation." This is my crown, this my diadem, erecting a trophy thanks to you, enjoying salvation thanks to you. Let us too in this manner seek not to be saved at any price, not to be freed at any price and in any fashion but in God's way. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:7 Origen of Alexandria: In the Psalms the prophet gives thanks saying, "He who lifts me up from the gates of death that I may declare all your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion." And from this we learn that it is never possible for anyone to be fit to declare the praises of God, unless he has been lifted up from the gates of death and has come to the gates of Zion. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF Matthew 12:13 Augustine of Hippo: Then follows, "I will exult for Your salvation:" that is, with blessedness shall I be holden by Your salvation, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Power and Wisdom of God. Therefore says the Church, which is here in affliction and is saved by hope, as long as the hidden judgment of the Son is, in hope she says, "I will exult for Your salvation:" for now she is worn down either by the roar of violence around her, or by the errors of the heathen. "The heathen are fixed in the corruption, which they made" [Psalms 9:15]. Consider ye how punishment is reserved for the sinner, out of his own works; and how they that have wished to persecute the Church, have been fixed in that corruption, which they thought to inflict. For they were desiring to kill the body, while they themselves were dying in soul. "In that snare which they hid, has their foot been taken." The hidden snare is crafty devising. The foot of the soul is well understood to be its love: which, when depraved, is called coveting or lust; but when upright, love or charity....And the Apostle says, "That being rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to take in." [Ephesians 3:17-18] The foot then of sinners, that is, their love, is taken in the snare, which they hide: for when delight shall have followed on to deceitful dealing, when God shall have delivered them over to the lust of their heart; that delight at once binds them, that they dare not tear away their love thence and apply it to profitable objects; for when they shall make the attempt, they will be pained in heart, as if desiring to free their foot from a fetter: and giving way under this pain they refuse to withdraw from pernicious delights. "In the snare" then "which they have hid," that is, in deceitful counsel, "their foot has been taken," that is, their love, which through deceit attains to that vain joy whereby pain is purchased. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Cassiodorus: When he says that "the Gentiles got stuck," he means not those who are held by the fear of the Lord, but those who are so pinned down by the nails of their sins that they are not able to cast them off; unyielding bands appear to restrain them.… For we describe as captured those who are entangled by an intricate deceit. "Foot" here refers to the mental steps and the depraved desire which cause men to pursue vice. This is what Solomon says in Proverbs: "Their feet rush into evil and are quick to pour out blood." — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 9:16 Didymus the Blind: One is not held by the sin and unrighteousness of another; rather, each one will die in his own sin. The wicked, first harming themselves, strive deceitfully to drive others into the same curse. Secretly they build traps of deceit with their own plans and words, so they may seize someone unsuspecting. But by that very trap that they have hidden they are punished, for vindicators will keep those very ones they have caught. This punishment is done by the providence of God. For what other is the judgment of God than that the sinner is caught by his own deeds, because he holds the reason for his own condemnation for those who live unrighteously. This agrees with that which is said before: "He who has opened a pit for his neighbor will fall into it." — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 9:16 Eusebius of Caesarea: Whenever they desire to wipe out and abolish the race of the faithful, they themselves are lured into their own calamity; and in the very snares they have concealed for the people of God they are caught, and "their foot will fall." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 9:16-17 Jerome: We ought to understand the whole psalm as being about the death of the Savior. Finally, that you may know it is spoken of the Savior, it is said of the Jews: 'In this snare which they stretched out, their own foot has been caught.' — Homily 4, on Psalms 9 John Chrysostom: Nothing … is so destructive as vice. In fact, nothing is weaker than the wicked; they are undone by their own weapons, as iron is by rust and wool by a moth—so too is the wicked person by vice. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 9:15 Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord is known executing judgments" [Psalms 9:16]. These are God's judgments. Not from that tranquillity of His blessedness, nor from the secret places of wisdom, wherein blessed souls are received, is the sword, or fire, or wild beast, or any such thing brought forth, whereby sinners may be tormented: but how are they tormented, and how does the Lord do judgment? "In the works," he says, "of his own hands hath the sinner been caught." — ON THE PSALMS, Psalms 9 Augustine of Hippo: Here is interposed, "The song of the diapsalma" [Psalms 9:16]: as it were the hidden joy, as far as we can imagine, of the separation which is now made, not in place, but in the affections of the heart, between sinners and the righteous, as of the corn from the chaff, as yet on the floor. — ON THE PSALMS, Psalms 9 Cassiodorus: The truth of this judgment will be fulfilled when the Lord at last executes his judgments in plain sight, when sinners are handed over to eternal torment. Because they have the freedom to commit offenses in this life, some may think that these acts will escape punishment. But when that day of his appearance arrives and the Lord Savior sits upon his majestic throne, then all will acknowledge that his judgments are in effect, when the human race is separated by his judgment either to his right or to his left. For in order to make fair judgments one must determine the merits of each person without partiality. A plain explanation of this thought follows next. For it shows how one can know that the Lord makes fair judgments. His justice can be observed when a sinner becomes caught in his own tangled deeds, and he receives a punishment commensurate with his actions. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 9:16 Didymus the Blind: For if the whole psalm is called a song because of its tone and force, then the term "song" would be placed at the beginning of [the psalm], as it is in a number of psalms. But here it is otherwise, and after the diapsalma he begins the song; the title is placed between the diapsalma and song. It is reasonable, therefore, that the following has the sense of a psalm. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 9:16 John Chrysostom: "And great fear," it is said, "came on all them that heard these things." That man was punished, and others profited thereby. Not without cause. And yet, signs had been wrought before: true, but there was not such a sense of fear. So true is that saying, "The Lord is known by executing judgments." The same thing had occurred in the case of the Ark: Uzzah was punished and fear came upon the rest. But in that instance the king through fear removed from him the Ark; but here the disciples became more earnestly heedful. — Homily on Acts 12 Athanasius of Alexandria: When, by faith and knowledge, the Lord's people have embraced true life, they surely receive the joy of heaven. The wicked, however, since they do not care about the Lord's life, are rightly deprived of its blessings. For "let the wicked be taken away so that he shall not see the glory of the Lord." In the end they, like everyone else, shall hear the universal proclamation of the promise, "Awake, sleeper, and rise up from the dead." They shall rise and knock on the doors of heaven, saying, "Open to us." The Lord, however, will rebuke them for rejecting knowledge of him and will tell them, "I do not know you." And the Holy Spirit speaks against them, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God." — FESTAL LETTERS 7:2 Augustine of Hippo: "Let the sinners be turned into hell" [Psalms 9:17]: that is, let them be given into their own hands, when they are spared, and let them be ensnared in deadly delight. "All the nations that forget God." Because "when they did not think good to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." [Romans 1:28] — ON THE PSALMS, Psalms 9 Clement of Alexandria: And already clearly David, bearing testimony to the truth, sings, "Let sinners be turned into Hades, and all the nations that forget God." They forget, plainly, Him whom they formerly remembered, and dismiss Him whom they knew previous to forgetting Him. There was then a dim knowledge of God also among the nations. — The Stromata Book 6 Jerome: We ought to understand the whole psalm as being about the death of the Savior. Concerning the calling of the Gentiles: 'All the nations that forget God.' — Homily 4, on Psalms 9 Origen of Alexandria: They are shut off, he said, in that they, since they are turned in the opposite direction within, do not see the spirit of Jesus ascending and descending. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 9:18 Pachomius the Great: O what a terrible disgrace! In the world you went about praised as one of the elect, and when you arrive in the valley of Josaphat, the place of judgement, you are found naked, and all see your sins and ugliness laid bare to God and people. Woe to you at that moment! Where will you turn your face? Will you open your mouth? To say what? Your sins are etched into your soul, which is as black as a hair shirt. What will you do at that moment? Weep? There will be no one to accept your tears. Pray? No one to accept your prayers, for those to whom you are handed over are pitiless. How awful the moment when you hear the terrible, cutting voice, "Sinners, go to hell," and, "Depart from me, you damned, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels," and again, "I have detested those who transgress." "I must wipe out of the city of the Lord all who commit iniquities." — INSTRUCTIONS 1:33 Augustine of Hippo: "For there shall not be forgetfulness of the poor man to the end" [Psalms 9:18]; who now seems to be in forgetfulness, when sinners are thought to flourish in this world's happiness, and the righteous to be in travail: but "the patience," says He, "of the poor shall not perish for ever." Wherefore there is need of patience now to bear with the evil, who are already separated in will, till they be also separated at the last judgment. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Caesarius of Arles: All who are proud should realize that since the beginning of the world they have been, are and should be rebuked in all kinds of publications. However, in both the Old and New Testaments all the humble and mild have been, are and should be blessed, because God does not lie when he says, "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." — SERMON 49:2 Cassiodorus: If patience is lacking in any hardships, the soul is not able to be perfect. For patience is the act of giving thanks, maintained continuously in the fear of the Lord throughout the anxious trials of life to the point of death. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 9:19 Diodorus of Tarsus: Even if by some permission his people suffered and were humbled, yet God will not forget his own forever. "The perseverance of the needy will not be lost forever"; instead, he trains his own in perseverance, and when he sees them persevering properly, the patience he produces in them is not without purpose. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 9 Eusebius of Caesarea: In this life the wicked are raised up, in no sense comprehending their own wicked wrongdoing. But there will be a time of the judgment of God in which the crime that they have admitted will be overturned [in hades, when they are about to receive punishments; LXX]. Every person of God, however humbled in this life, whenever poor in spirit and however much he is trampled by the wicked so that it seems that God denies him by his forgetfulness, through it all is never rejected. "For the poor shall not be forgotten forever," and the patience that he brings to this life and his calm spirit will not follow the end without fruit. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 9:18-19 Leo the Great: Let Christian kindness overflow in you, dearly beloved. As you desire the recurring seasons of the year to be filled with fruit, so let your hearts be generous in feeding the poor. Assuredly, God … could produce the necessary materials for them, since all things are his. He could distribute so much goods to them that they would need nothing from your generosity. Much of the matter of virtue would be lacking to them and to you, if their want did not drive them to the crown of patience or your abundance lead you to the glory of compassion. Divine Providence has wonderfully arranged it that there should be in the church both holy poor and good rich people, who in turn benefit each other from their very diversity. In order for the eternal and incorruptible rewards to be gained, those receiving give thanks to God, and those distributing give thanks to God, for as it is written, … "the patience of the poor will not perish forever," and "God loves a cheerful giver." — SERMON 89:6. 1 Augustine of Hippo: "Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail" [Psalms 9:19]. The future judgment is prayed for: but before it come, "Let the heathen," says he, "be judged in Your sight:" that is, in secret; which is called in God's sight, with the knowledge of a few holy and righteous ones. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Cassiodorus: When the prophet was discussing the end of the world, through the illumination of his heart he foresaw the coming of the Antichrist. Terrified by the magnitude of the danger, he shouted out with a loud voice, "Arise, O Lord, let not humankind prevail." For the Antichrist is certainly the most wicked man and one which human nature is not able to withstand. He possess such great cunning and power that only the Lord's might is able to overcome his wickedness. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 9:20 Augustine of Hippo: "Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail" (ver. 19). The future judgment is prayed for: but before it come, "Let the heathen," saith he, "be judged in Thy sight:" that is, in secret; which is called in God's sight, with the knowledge of a few holy and righteous ones. "Place a lawgiver over them, O Lord" (ver. 20). He seems to me to point out Antichrist: of whom the Apostle says, "When the man of sin shall be revealed." "Let the heathen know that they are men." That they who will be set free by the Son of God, and belong to the Son of Man, and be sons of men, that is, new men, may serve man, that is, the old man the sinner, "for that they are men." And because it is believed that he is to arrive at so great a pitch of empty glory, and he will be permitted to do so great things, both against all men and against the Saints of God, that then some weak ones shall indeed think that God cares not for human affairs, the Psalmist interposing a diapsalma, adds as it were the voice of men groaning and asking why judgment is deferred. — Exposition on Psalms 9 Eusebius of Caesarea: He urges God by his tolerance and the strength of his mercy and patience that he grant a time of trials of long duration to the people harassing him. Before he had prayed that the nations be judged in the sight of God; now he asks that a lawgiver be appointed for the nations before the future judgment, so that they might learn they are people and not brute animals, for the law was hardly given to brutish animals. This law is not from Moses, who once had carried it from the midst of people; it is not about the law given to the Jews alone, nor does he wish that another law be awaited, as the law of the New Testament stretches over the whole earth. Indeed, Christ is the Lawgiver, and the Gospel message applies to the nations. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 9:20, 21 Augustine of Hippo: "Why, O Lord," says he, "have You withdrawn afar off?" Then he who thus inquired, as if all on a sudden he understood, or as if he asked, though he knew, that he might teach, adds, "You despise in due seasons, in tribulations:" that is, You despise seasonably, and causest tribulations to inflame men's minds with longing for Your coming. For that fountain of life is sweeter to them that have much thirst. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Cassiodorus: In his regard for the afflicted, he says to the Lord in the manner of human weakness, "Why have you withdrawn far away?" This does not mean that God leaves a place and moves to another location since he is completely present in every place. But God is thought to have withdrawn when he is slow to help.… For we think that we are being spurned if we are put off even for the shortest time. But God's presence is much more fruitful when he furnishes us with the consolations that come through great patience. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 10:22 Augustine of Hippo: Then he who thus inquired, as if all on a sudden he understood, or as if he asked, though he knew, that he might teach, adds, "You despise in due seasons, in tribulations:" that is, You despise seasonably, and causest tribulations to inflame men's minds with longing for Your coming. For that fountain of life is sweeter to them that have much thirst. Therefore he hints the reason of the delay, saying, "Whilst the ungodly vaunts himself, the poor man is inflamed" [Psalms 9:2]. Wondrous it is and true with what earnestness of good hope the little ones are inflamed unto an upright living by comparison with sinners. In which mystery it comes to pass, that even heresies are permitted to exist; not that heretics themselves wish this, but because Divine Providence works this result from their sins, which both makes and ordains the light; but orders only the darkness, that by comparison therewith the light may be more pleasant, as by comparison with heretics the discovery of truth is more sweet. For so, by this comparison, the approved, who are known to God, are made manifest among men. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Augustine of Hippo: "They are taken in their thoughts, which they think:" that is, their evil thoughts become chains to them. But how become they chains? "For the sinner is praised," saith he, "in the desires of his soul." The tongues of flatterers bind souls in sin. For there is pleasure in doing those things, in which not only is no reprover feared, but even an approver heard. "And he that does unrighteous deeds is blessed." Hence "are they taken in their thoughts, which they think." — Exposition on Psalms 10 Cassiodorus: When the evil person is praised, he becomes conceited; he does not give a thought to correcting his ways, provided that someone can always be found to praise him in spite of his faults. The exaltation of sin follows, so that the one known as an evildoer is blessed. Deceived by the insincerity of those who sing his praise, such a person lets himself get drawn into the excessive pride of tyranny. Strictly speaking, one ought to understand this passage as referring to the Antichrist; he is led to this point by the crowds of deceivers so that he proclaims himself not only as earthly king, but even as God of all things. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 10:24 Didymus the Blind: [The wicked] are chiefly of this type who lack wisdom and spiritual resources, nor do they hold to teachings of the faith correctly. They incur the judgment of wise providence when they praise the sinner indulging in his own desires. However, it becomes apparent enough that the sinner strives not for better things but for more pleasing and desirous ones. In addition to that mistake, they judge that they who have riches and human glory are taking part in blessing. Accordingly, they claim the wicked are blessed by God; but it is necessary to believe that blessing of God is granted to the religious. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 10:3 John Chrysostom: This is what the inspired author laments, that evil has so prevailed as to be something to be proud of and spoken openly about, and what is more regrettable, that it is shameless and not simply applauds itself for its achievements but also has others to applaud it. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:9 Martin of Braga: The disease of pride is acute; it poisons from either side, and it wounds when least expected. For some boast of themselves because they are good, others because they are bad. Of the good who boast it is said, "For God has scattered the bones of those who are pleased with themselves." Of the evil who boast it is said, "For the wicked person is praised in the desires of his soul, and the worker of injustice shall be blessed." — DRIVING AWAY VANITY 4 Augustine of Hippo: "The sinner has angered the Lord" [Psalms 10:4]. Let no one congratulate the man that prospers in his way, to whose sins no avenger is near, and an approver is by. This is the greater anger of the Lord. For the sinner has angered the Lord, that he should suffer these things, that is, should not suffer the scourging of correction. "The sinner has angered the Lord: according to the multitude of His anger He will not search it out." Great is His anger, when He searches not out, when He as it were forgets and marks not sin, and by fraud and wickedness man attains to riches and honours: which will especially be the case in that Antichrist, who will seem to man blessed to that degree, that he will even be thought God. But how great this anger of God is, we are taught by what follows. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Diodorus of Tarsus: In his wish to give vent to his anger and desires, [a wicked person] becomes so caught up in his passion as to be unaware that there is someone who has an eye to human affairs.… He acts as if God were not surveying what happens. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 10 John Chrysostom: Do you see the fruit of vice? Their light is extinguished, their thinking impaired, they are taken captive by wickedness. Just as the disabled person constantly falls into a pit, so too these people, since they do not have the fear of God before their eyes, are totally absorbed in vice—not a case of now in virtue and now in vice, but permanently in vice, mindful not of hell, or of the judgment to come or of accounts to be rendered. Instead, rejecting all these aids as though bridle and bit, they are like a ship without ballast that is at the mercy of winds and fierce billows with no one to guide their thinking. Do you see the wicked in the actual condition of vice having to give an account? After all, what is worse than an unbridled horse, a ship without ballast, a maimed individual? Yet more miserable than all these is the person living in vice, having extinguished the light coming from the fear of God and given over to captivity. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:9-10 Theodoret of Cyrus: The unbeliever and the sinner never keeps God before his eyes; instead, each day and at every moment he soils and sullies his paths, not believing there is any judgment. Well, what is the reason for this?… He completely despises your laws; he spends all his time in lawlessness. The unbeliever, in fact, belittles and vilifies the commands of God. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:2 Augustine of Hippo: "God is not in his sight, his ways are polluted in all time." He that knows what in the soul gives joy and gladness, knows how great an ill it is to be abandoned by the light of truth: since a great ill do men reckon the blindness of their bodily eyes, whereby this light is withdrawn. How great then the punishment he endures, who through the prosperous issue of his sins is brought to that pass, that God is not in his sight, and that his ways are polluted in all time, that is, his thoughts and counsels are unclean! "Thy judgments are taken away from his face." For the mind conscious of evil, whilst it seems to itself to suffer no punishment, believes that God doth not judge, and so are God's judgments taken away from its face; while this very thing is great condemnation. "And he shall have dominion over all his enemies." For so is it delivered, that he will overcome all kings, and alone obtain the kingdom; since too according to the Apostle, who preaches concerning him, "He shall sit in the temple of God, exalting himself above all that is worshipped and that is called God." — Exposition on Psalms 10 Didymus the Blind: This is the reason why the sinner provokes the Lord, because he does not keep him before his eyes, because he turns himself away from God. The one who sins conducts himself in this way. Concerning all of this, God says, "They have shown me their backs and not their faces." Cain, the offspring of this wickedness, "departed from the face of the Lord God." That is, he turned himself away from him. Inasmuch as these words are spoken about people being sinners, even more so do they speak about the devil. "His ways are profaned at all times." For of which people are the ways profaned for all time, since even the wicked often live with much honesty? He enters without permission to draw people to corrupt deeds and even to deny the providence of God. And so he persuades many to believe that the world is without the direction of God, and later he falls away from right ideas concerning the governing of God and the knowledge of judgment. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 10:5 John Chrysostom: Do you see the folly? Do you see the unutterable ruin? Do you see the destruction gradually increasing? Do you see the things prized by the mindless, in reality full of deep misery, and now they sink from sight? Those people are applauded in their sins, commended in their wrongdoing. This is the first pitfall, sufficient to trip up the unwary. Hence it is much more necessary to welcome those who censure and correct us than those who applaud and flatter us to the point of destruction. The latter, in fact, prove the ruination of the stupid and impel them to worse evil—as though even by puffing up these sinners they led them on the way to folly. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:10 Augustine of Hippo: And seeing that being delivered over to the lust of his own heart, and predestinated to extreme condemnation, he is to come, by wicked arts, to that vain and empty height and rule; therefore it follows, "For he has said in his heart, I shall not move from generation to generation without evil" [Psalms 10:6]: that is, my fame and my name will not pass from this generation to the generation of posterity, unless by evil arts I acquire so lofty a principality, that posterity cannot be silent concerning it. For a mind abandoned and void of good arts, and estranged from the light of righteousness, by bad arts devises a passage for itself to a fame so lasting, as is celebrated even in posterity. And they that cannot be known for good, desire that men should speak of them even for ill, provided that their name spread far and wide. And this I think is here meant, "I shall not move from generation to generation without evil." There is too another interpretation, if a mind vain and full of error supposes that it cannot come from the mortal generation to the generation of eternity, but by bad arts: which indeed was also reported of Simon, when he thought that he would gain heaven by wicked arts, and pass from the human generation to the generation divine by magic. [Acts 8:9] Where then is the wonder, if that man of sin too, who is to fill up all the wickedness and ungodliness, which all false prophets have begun, and to do such "great signs; that, if it were possible, he should deceive the very elect," [Matthew 24:24] shall say in his heart, "I shall not move from generation to generation without evil"? — Exposition on Psalms 10 Eusebius of Caesarea: So bold is the person who does not look on God or recognize his judgment that he does not consider within himself his own audacious wicked deeds, believing that he will rejoice forever in his prosperity. His mouth swells up with blasphemies and irreverence. At length, the arrogant one blares out with fierce confidence countless blasphemies and curses, asserting that there is no God, nor does he look down on us, nor will he judge. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 10:27-31 John Chrysostom: What could be more stupid than this attitude in a human being, subject to death, caught up in affairs of the moment, subject to countless changes, to come up with such fantasies? Now, where did this spring from? From stupidity. You see, whenever a heedless person enjoys great prosperity, prevails over his enemies, is praised and admired, he proves more to be pitied than anyone. In fact, by not expecting any change he does not even cope with prosperity sensibly; but on falling on hard times he is disturbed and upset, being out of practice and heedless.… These people … once corrupted, have no regard for human limitations but consider their state immovable on account of their success—the basis of ultimate folly and destruction and the occasion of utter ruin. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:10 Augustine of Hippo: "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness and deceit" [Psalms 10:7]. For it is a great curse to seek heaven by such abominable arts, and to get together such earnings for acquiring the eternal seat. But of this cursing his mouth is full. For this desire shall not take effect, but within his mouth only will avail to destroy him, who dared promise himself such things with bitterness and deceit, that is, with anger and insidiousness, whereby he is to bring over the multitude to his side. "Under his tongue is toil and grief." Nothing is more toilsome than unrighteousness and ungodliness: upon which toil follows grief; for that the toil is not only without fruit, but even unto destruction. Which toil and grief refer to that which he has said in his heart, "I shall not be moved from generation to generation without evil." And therefore, "under his tongue," not on his tongue, because he will devise these things in silence, and to men will speak other things, that he may appear good and just, and a son of God. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Cassiodorus: His wickedness is described as a two-fold corruption, for in his mouth he will have a blasphemous cursing when he makes the false claim that he is the Son of God. He will also have bitterness when he imposes the death penalty on those who resist him, and he will hand over to punishment whoever refuses to worship him as the deity. He will have these things in his mouth, which he will speak in public. But "under his tongue," as the psalmist says, indicates that he will have the most savage thoughts, so that since he himself is already destroyed he may hasten to destroy everything. — Explanation of the Psalms 10:28 Evagrius Ponticus: [By contrast] the righteous person praises God at all times. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 9[10].28-29 Augustine of Hippo: "He lies in ambush with the rich" [Psalms 10:8]. What rich, but those whom he will load with this world's gifts? And he is therefore said to lie in ambush with them, because he will display their false happiness to deceive men; who, when with a perverted will they desire to be such as they, and seek not the good things eternal, will fall into his snares. "That in the dark he may kill the innocent." "In the dark," I suppose, is said, where it is not easily understood what should be sought, or what avoided. Now to kill the innocent, is of an innocent to make one guilty. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Jerome: And lastly, against the devil: 'God is not before his eyes, he sits in ambush with the rich.' Unhappy the rich, with whom the devil sits. Finally, see what is said of the devil: 'He sits in ambush with the rich.' For whoever is rich, unless he has stripped the poor man, cannot be rich: for this reason he said, 'He sits in ambush with the rich.' Whenever the rich persecute Christians, let us say: 'The devil sits in ambush with the rich.' He lies in wait to seize the poor man, to seize the poor man while he draws him in: 'in his snare he will humble him.' This is the impious man, this is the devil. The poor man not only in riches, but also in spirit: 'for blessed are the poor in spirit.' 'In his snare he will humble.' Whom? The poor man is understood. See what is said. 'He will humble'; not, 'he will slay': but when he has humbled the poor man, the humbling of the poor man is the ruin of the devil. For what follows? 'He will bow himself down and fall, while he has dominion over the poor.' Does not the devil seem to you, in persecution, when he would kill Christians, when he would slay the martyrs, to be slain in the very act of slaying? 'He will bow himself down and fall, while he shall have dominion over the poor.' The martyr who is slain goes to heaven; that slayer is humbled and falls. — Homily 4, on Psalms 9 Augustine of Hippo: "His eyes look against the poor," for he is chiefly to persecute the righteous, of whom it is said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" [Matthew 5:3] [Psalms 10:9]. "He lies in wait in a secret place, as a lion in his den." By a lion in a den, he means one in whom both violence and deceit will work. For the first persecution of the Church was violent, when by proscriptions, by torments, by murders, the Christians were compelled to sacrifice: another persecution is crafty, which is now conducted by heretics of any kind and false brethren: there remains a third, which is to come by Antichrist, than which there is nothing more perilous; for it will be at once violent and crafty. Violence he will exert in empire, craft in miracles. To the violence, the word "lion" refers; to craft, the words "in his den." And these are again repeated with a change of order. "He lies in wait," he says, "that he may catch the poor;" this has reference to craft: but what follows, "To catch the poor while he draws him," is put to the score of violence. For "draws" means, he brings him to himself by violence, by whatever tortures he can. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Cassiodorus: In earlier times, the persecution of the church was merely violent, when Christians were being pressed by pagans through proscriptions, torture and beatings to sacrifice to idols. A second type of persecution is through deceit, which is currently being carried out by heretics and false Christians. A final form still remains, and it is predicted to come through the Antichrist. No form of persecution is more dangerous than this, since it will be extremely violent because of the power of this unique kingdom, and it will result in deception through miraculous signs. As a result, just as the Lord says in the Gospel, "it will deceive, if possible, even the elect." The word lion refers to the violence of this kingdom, and the phrase "in his den," predicts its deceit. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 10:29-30 Didymus the Blind: He lies in wait in secret, like a lion in his den or a savage lion in his cave so that he may drag off the poor by crafty speech and, equally often, by their deeds. After he has caught him in the trap he will draw him to apostasy. Wild beasts are threatening, and especially so the lion. Often, therefore, lying in wait, while he discusses fasting, he openly persuades them to greed; and addressing modesty, he introduces them to a certain appearance of luxury. Thus, he pushed Eve deceptively in the garden to commit transgression, saying she was going to be equal to God. Thus he lured Judas by greed. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 10:8 Augustine of Hippo: Again, the two which follow are the same. "In his snare he will humble him," is craft [Psalms 10:10]. "He shall decline and fall, while he shall have domination over the poor," is violence. For a "snare" naturally points to "lying in wait:" but domination most openly conveys the idea of terror. And well does he say, "He will humble him in his snare." For when he shall begin to do those signs, the more wonderful they shall appear to men, the more those Saints that shall be then will be despised, and, as it were, set at nought: he, whom they shall resist by righteousness and innocence, shall seem to overcome by the marvels that he does. But "he shall decline and fall, while he shall have domination over the poor;" that is, while he shall inflict whatsoever punishments he will upon the servants of God that resist him. — Exposition on Psalms 10 John Chrysostom: Just as the inspired author describes them as a wild beast, so he talks about them in those terms, making a show of their tricks, ambushes, schemes. What could be more pitiful than this, what could be more desperate, to feel the need of the possessions of the poor? So shall we call these people rich, tell me?… Do you see their moral bankruptcy and cruelty? Moral bankruptcy, because they lust after the goods of the poor; cruelty, because far from being moved by their plight they aggravate their penury when they should pity it and ameliorate it. Still, they do not get up to this with impunity: when they exert their power, when they seem to prevail, when they think they are unassailable, then it is they perish, so that the inventiveness of God, the patience of the poor, the errors of these miscreants and the forbearance of God's long-suffering may come to light. Hence it is that justice does not follow close on their heels, since God in his long-suffering summons them to repentance; but when they profit nothing from the long-suffering, then he admonishes them with retribution. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:10 Augustine of Hippo: But how shall he decline, and fall? "For he has said in his heart, God has forgotten; He turns away His face, that He see not unto the end." This is declining, and the most wretched fall, while the mind of a man prospers as it were in its iniquities, and thinks that it is spared; when it is being blinded, and kept for an extreme and timely vengeance. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Augustine of Hippo: Of which the Psalmist now speaks: "Arise, O Lord God, let Thine hand be exalted" (ver. 12): that is, let Thy power be made manifest. Now he had said above, "Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail, let the heathen be judged in Thy sight:" that is, in secret, where God alone seeth. This comes to pass when the ungodly have arrived at what seems great happiness to men: over whom is placed a lawgiver, such as they had deserved to have, of whom it is said, "Place a lawgiver over them, O Lord, let the heathen know that they are men." But now after that hidden punishment and vengeance it is said, "Arise, O Lord God, let Thine hand be exalted;" not of course in secret, but now in glory most manifest. "That Thou forget not the poor unto the end;" that is, as the ungodly think, who say, "God hath forgotten, He turneth away His face, that He should not see unto the end." Now they deny that God seeth unto the end, who say that He careth not for things human and earthly, for the earth is as it were the end of things; in that it is the last element, in which men labour in most orderly sort, but they cannot see the order of their labours, which specially belongs to the hidden things of the Son. The Church then labouring in such times, like a ship in great waves and tempests, awaketh the Lord as if He were sleeping, that He should command the winds, and calm should be restored. He says therefore, "Arise, O Lord God, let Thine hand be exalted, that Thou forget not the poor unto the end." — Exposition on Psalms 10 Eusebius of Caesarea: Through these words he asks that whenever the forbearance and kindness of God are being set in motion, and he is stirred to judgment against the wicked, in which judgment the uplifted hand of God, he will judge each one. With the figure of the lifted hand he indicates the power of divine judgment that seems to rest on and humble one until he sets in place justice against the wicked. When, however, he begins to exercise his power, giving to each one according to his merit, then he is said to be exalted. Wherefore you will not be forgetful of your poor who are poor in spirit, knowing that everything is under your hand and it is granted that none flee beyond it.… Do not yourselves seek revenge, O beloved, but give space to your wrath. "Vengeance is from me, I will repay, says the Lord." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 10:33-35 Augustine of Hippo: Accordingly understanding now the manifest judgment, and in exultation at it, they say, "Wherefore hath the ungodly angered God?" (ver. 13); that is, what hath it profited him to do so great evil? "For he said in his heart, He will not require it." — Exposition on Psalms 10 Augustine of Hippo: Then follows, "For You see toil and considerest anger, to deliver them into Your hands." This sentence looks for distinct explanation, wherein if there shall be error it becomes obscure. For thus has the ungodly said in his heart, God will not require it, as though God regarded toil and anger, to deliver them into His hands; that is, as though He feared toil and anger, and for this reason would spare them, lest their punishment be too burdensome to Him, or lest He should be disturbed by the storm of anger: as men generally act, excusing themselves of vengeance, to avoid toil or anger. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Cassiodorus: He will find that the one whom he had hoped had forgotten has remembered, and he will realize that the sins that he had believed to be too numerous to be remembered, even to the point of being immeasurable, are actually taken into account. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 10:34 Cassiodorus: When he says, "he is left to you as a poor man," he shows that the one who is left to him is not cheated of any advantage, for to be left to the devoted Prince is the same as to be handed over to all good things. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 10:35 Didymus the Blind: The poor abandon themselves to you. You will care for his deliverance so that you may make him rich in heavenly goods. So also, the orphan is helped, protected and nourished like a son. It is important to understand here that the orphan is one whose father is the devil because of iniquity but who has cast him out through the practice of repentance. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 10:12-15 John Chrysostom: What is the meaning of "up to the point of their being given into your hands"? It is a rather human expression, but what it means is this: You bide your time, you are forbearing, with the result that they are given over to the excess of wickedness. You are capable, of course, of destroying and subduing them from the outset; yet beyond telling is the ocean of your forbearance, observing them, not pursuing them but awaiting their movement to repentance. If, however, they prove unresponsive, then you will punish them when they profit nothing from your long-suffering. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:11 Theodoret of Cyrus: Even if those living in impiety claim countless times, he is saying, that you are not looking at human affairs, we know that you are studying and considering their crimes and requiring due penalty of them. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:6 Augustine of Hippo: "Break the arm of the sinner and of the malicious"; of him, namely, of whom it was said above, "He shall have dominion over all his enemies." He called his power then, his arm; to which Christ's power is opposed, of which it is said, "Arise, O Lord God, let Your hand be exalted. His fault shall be required, and he shall not be found because of it;" that is he shall be judged for his sins, and himself shall perish because of his sin. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Evagrius Ponticus: The sinner is the one who sins out of lust and weakness; the wicked one is he who follows after evil with a deliberated plan. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 9[10].36 John Chrysostom: Let no one be arrogant about the pinnacle of power or be puffed up; it is a precarious and risky position and topples the careless with great ease. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 10:11 Augustine of Hippo: After this, what wonder if there follow, "The Lord shall reign for ever and world without end; ye heathen shall perish out of His earth"? He uses heathen for sinners and ungodly. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Cassiodorus: After the universal calamity has been abolished, the psalmist turns to the new order of things. For after the Antichrist has been killed, the eternal, holy and benevolent kingdom of the Lord will come. Wicked evil is permitted to advance quite far in order that the longed-for kingdom of the Lord may be received with greater thanks. For in God's kingdom, the blessed are without worry and find rest, nor is there any more fear of the traps that the holy are compelled to endure in this world. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 10:37 Didymus the Blind: The land of God is the good heart; from this land the nations perish when they are driven by whatever destruction of mind and every evil thought.… No sinner is allowed to walk in this land, for the righteous alone possess it. It is said by a good man: "I believe I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 10:16 Gregory of Nyssa: We find that we are drawn round uninterruptedly and evenly, and that we are always following a circumference where there is nothing to grasp; we find the divine life returning upon itself in an unbroken continuity, where no end and no parts can be recognized. Of God's eternity we say that which we have heard from prophecy; namely, that God is a king "of old," and rules for ages, and for ever, and beyond. Therefore we define him to be earlier than any beginning, and exceeding any end. Entertaining, then, this idea of the Almighty, as one that is adequate, we express it by two titles; that is, "Ungenerate" and "Endless" represent this infinitude and continuity and everlastingness of the Deity. — AGAINST EUNOMIUS 1:42 Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord has heard the longing of the poor" [Psalms 10:17]: that longing wherewith they were burning, when in the straits and tribulations of this world they desired the day of the Lord. "Your ear has heard the preparation of their heart." This is the preparation of the heart, of which it is sung in another Psalm, "My heart is prepared, O God, my heart is prepared:" of which the Apostle says, "But if we hope for what we see not, we do with patience wait for it." [Romans 8:25] Now, by the ear of God, we ought, according to a general rule of interpretation, to understand not a bodily member, but the power whereby He hears; and so (not to repeat this often) by whatever members of His are mentioned, which in us are visible and bodily, must be understood powers of operation. For we must not suppose it anything bodily, in that the Lord God hears not the sound of the voice, but the preparation of the heart. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Cassiodorus: "Your ear has heard." We should regularly note that God does not have any physical members, but the the power by which he hears is called his ear, that by which he sees his eye, and that by which he acts his hand. These ideas should be committed to memory so that we may not seem to offend you by repeating them, because they often need to be repeated. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 10:38 Eusebius of Caesarea: The Lord has heard the desires of the poor.… They have suffered misfortune and endured affliction in this life, but he who is king of the ages and judge will vindicate them "lest people boast on the earth." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 10:38-39 Augustine of Hippo: "To judge for the orphan and the humble" [Psalms 10:18]: that is, not for him who is conformed to this world, nor for the proud. For it is one thing to judge the orphan, another to judge for the orphan. He judges the orphan even, who condemns him; but he judges for the orphan, who delivers sentence for him. "That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth." For they are men, of whom it was said, "Place a lawgiver over them, O Lord: let the heathen know that they are men." But he too, who in this same passage is understood to be placed over them, will be man, of whom it is now said, "That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth:" namely, when the Son of Man shall come to judge for the orphan, who has put off from himself the old man, and thus, as it were, buried his father. — Exposition on Psalms 10 Ambrose of Milan: The soul has wings by which it can raise itself free from the earth. But this movement of the wings is not of something constructed of feathers but a continuing series of good works, like those of the Lord of whom it is well said, "And in the shadow of your wings I shall take refuge." In the first place, the hands of our Lord fixed on the cross were extended like something in flight, and, second, the actions of God are like a refreshing shadow of eternal salvation that can regulate the conflagration raging in our world. — Concerning Virginity 18:116 Augustine of Hippo: This title does not require a fresh consideration: for the meaning of, "to the end," has already been sufficiently handled. Let us then look to the text itself of the Psalm, which to me appears to be sung against the heretics, who, by rehearsing and exaggerating the sins of many in the Church, as if either all or the majority among themselves were righteous, strive to turn and snatch us away from the breasts of the one True Mother Church: affirming that Christ is with them, and warning us as if with piety and earnestness, that by passing over to them we may go over to Christ, whom they falsely declare they have. Now it is known that in prophecy Christ, among the many names in which notice of Him is conveyed in allegory, is also called a mountain. We must accordingly answer these people, and say, "I trust in the Lord: how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow?" (ver. 1). I keep to one mountain wherein I trust, how say ye that I should pass over to you, as if there were many Christs? Or if through pride you say that you are mountains, I had indeed need to be a sparrow winged with the powers and commandments of God: but these very things hinder my flying to these mountains, and placing my trust in proud men. I have a house where I may rest, in that I trust in the Lord. For even "the sparrow hath found her a house," and, "The Lord hath become a refuge to the poor." Let us say then with all confidence, lest while we seek Christ among heretics we lose Him, "In the Lord I trust: how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow?" — Exposition on Psalms 11 Cassiodorus: In this passage, the psalmist speaks about those who are drawn off to earth's highest places by the most trivial desire. Those who turn to the most worthless proclamations because of the fickleness of their unsettled mind are rightly considered similar to them. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 11:2 Diodorus of Tarsus: Even if movement is necessary, he is saying, nevertheless let it be known that I do not hope to secure safety from those with whom I am constantly in opposition except by hoping in God, who can provide me with safety in every place. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 11 Jerome: What the phrase "unto the end" signifies — for which Symmachus rendered ἐπινίκιον (a song of victory), while Aquila and the sixth edition rendered τῷ νικοποιῷ (to the giver of victory) — has been discussed more fully above. Now let us return to the order of the tenth psalm: a number which is both an end and a beginning, in which every reckoning is rolled around, and to which the decalogue also — that is, the first law — is owed. The just man too, on account of the Lord's money doubled in the Gospel, received cities of this number to govern. And, to bring in something rather curious: from this the name of Jesus, that is, of the Savior, begins, and that ineffable name of four letters among the Hebrews takes its start from here, being written with ioth, he, vau, he; into which, through its tens, the hundredth number unrolls, and again the thousandth grows through ten hundreds, and as far as human reason can proceed, always this number is both an end and a beginning, according to that sense: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." In the Lord I trust; how do you say to my soul: Flee away to the mountains like a sparrow? Those who eat the raw flesh of the lamb and follow the letter that kills would have this psalm understood of the person of David, when he fled from the face of Saul and was compelled to dwell in the deserts of Judah. And they say that it is spoken by him thus: Although Saul and all his army do not permit me to dwell in my homeland, and I flit or run to and fro, here and there, wandering and roving after the manner of birds and beasts, yet I have God as my protector, in whom trusting I shall not fear your snares. And in truth, if only the beginning be read, their exposition does not appear frivolous. But what follows — "For they have destroyed the things which you have perfected" — and the rest down to the end does not agree with this exposition. Therefore the spiritual man, who judges all things and is himself judged by no one, says that this psalm was sung by our Lord and Savior according to a twofold understanding: either he was speaking to the angels who ministered to him, or to the adverse powers, which desired to mock and terrify him. If to the angels, this is the sense: Why do you exhort me to return to heavenly things, and, leaving behind earthly and lowly things, to dwell in my mountains, because of the snares of the devil and all his army, which you behold stirred up against me? Why do you wish that I take up the wings of my deity, and desert human converse, and dwell secure in the heavens, when I have come for this purpose: that in the Lord — that is, having confidence in my own divinity — I may overcome my exulting adversaries? But if his speech is to the adverse powers, it is to be understood thus: In vain do you think that I am to be terrified by your voices and by the wedge of battle drawn up against me, since I have come for this purpose: that I may fight, and by fighting overcome — as is also shown by the very title of the psalm, according to Aquila and Symmachus. Furthermore, another (since this psalm has nothing so special that it cannot also be understood under the person of any just man) will indeed accept the holy intention of those who refer the psalm to Christ, but will also assert that the whole context can be understood from the person of the prophet — that is, of the just man. In the Lord I trust; how do you say to my soul: Flee away to the mountains like a sparrow? The crafty adversary both tempted the Lord and Savior in the wilderness, and wishes all the saints to depart from the land of Judah and to dwell in the desert of the virtues, that there he may more easily strike them down. But even his very counsel is deceitful: for he does not exhort that one take the wings of the dove — a bird gentle, simple, and domestic, said to lack gall, and which is offered for the Lord in the temple — but the wings of a sparrow, a bird chattering and roving, which after the rearing of its young knows nothing of the fidelity of wedlock; although Aquila and Symmachus rendered "bird" generally in place of "sparrow." By the mountains, however, we can understand those of which it is said in another place, "Draw near to the eternal mountains," and in the second psalm of the steps, "I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains from whence help shall come to me": and to which, after the abomination of desolation shall stand in the holy place, we ought to migrate. — Homily 60, on Psalms 10 (Alternate Series) John Chrysostom: Those who trust in the things of this life are in no better situation than the sparrow, which relies on the wilderness and is prey to all. People who put their hope in money are like that. Just as the sparrow is snared by children with bird lime and trap and countless other devices, so too the wealthy by friend and foe. They are much more vulnerable than a sparrow, with many to set traps for them and, more immediately, evil tendencies of their own. They are migrants, constantly reacting to developments, fearful of the long arm of the law and the emperor's wrath, the wiles of flatterers and the deceit of friends. In time of war their fear is greater than anyone's, in time of peace they suspect treachery, their wealth never being secure of proof against loss. Hence they are always taking to flight and migrating, searching out wilderness and eyries, preferring the dark and looking for the black of night in noontime, adopting disguises to achieve it. Good people, on the contrary, are quite different. "The ways of their righteous shine like the sun," remember. I mean, far from opting for scheming and lawlessness, their souls are at rest.… How then is this darkness to be dissipated? By separating yourself from all these things and coming to depend on hope in God, sinner though you be ten times over.… This is remarkable, in fact, that even sinners who cling to this anchor are invincible. It is, you see, a particular mark of an option for God that though weighed down by such awful evils they are still buoyed up by his lovingkindness. In other words, as the one trusting in man is doubly cursed, so the one trusting in God is blessed. So tear yourself away from all these things, and cling to this anchor.… Let us come before him, and remain ever with our eyes on him. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 11:3 John Chrysostom: Great is the power of hope in the Lord, invincible citadel, unassailable rampart, insuperable reinforcement, tranquil haven, impregnable tower, irresistible weapon, unconquerable power capable of discovering a refuge where none seems possible. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 11:1 John Chrysostom: I have the Lord of the universe as my ally. The one who without difficulty created everything everywhere is my leader and support, and you would send me to the wilderness and provide for my safety in the desert? After all, surely the help from the desert does not surpass the one capable of anything with complete ease? — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 11:1 Augustine of Hippo: "For, lo, sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart" [Psalms 11:2]. These be the terrors of those who threaten us as touching sinners, that we may pass over to them as the righteous. "Lo," they say, "the sinners have bent the bow:" the Scriptures, I suppose, by carnal interpretation of which they emit envenomed sentences from them. "They have prepared their arrows in the quiver:" the same words, that is, which they will shoot out on the authority of Scripture, they have prepared in the secret place of the heart. "That they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart:" that when they see, from the Church's light being obscured by the multitude of the unlearned and the carnal, that they cannot be convicted, they may corrupt good manners by evil communications. [1 Corinthians 15:33] But against all these terrors we must say, "In the Lord I trust." — Exposition on Psalms 11 Cyril of Jerusalem: Though the enemy is unseen, we have our faith as a strong protection, according to the saying of the apostle: "In all things taking up the shield of faith, with which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked one." Oftentimes a fiery dart of desire of base indulgence is discharged by the devil; but faith, representing to us the Judgment and cooling the mind, extinguishes the dart. — Catechetical Lecture 5:4 Jerome: For behold, the sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may shoot in the dark the upright of heart. For which it is written in the Hebrew, "For behold, the impious have bent the bow, they have set the arrow upon the string, that they may strike in the dark the upright of heart." Therefore, he says, you wish me to migrate to the mountains, because the sinners, or the impious, burning, have prepared arrows, which must be repelled with the shield of faith. And in their quivers they have darts to strike the just, not in the day, not in the faintly-lit night, when the darkness is tempered by the solace of the moon, but when the night is full, and the darkness is palpable — that is, ψηλαφητὸν σκότος (touchable darkness, psēlaphēton skotos). Know that for this very reason I do not heed your counsels: because the adversaries are prepared for battle, and desire to wound not so much me, whom they cannot overcome, as my just ones; and since I have come from heaven for their salvation, I ought not to leave them orphans. For behold, as you say, they have set their arrow upon the string, and they wish to capture my boys, the sons of my ripening youth, my little young men, with the sweet enticements of pleasures. For all the strength of the devil is in the loin: for which cause also, when Jacob wrestled with me in the struggle, I made his γλαφυρόν (sinew, glaphyron) wither — that is, dry up. Since, therefore, they wish to strike the upright of heart in the darkness, let my just man speak and say: "Your word is a lamp to my feet, O Lord, and a light to my paths." But I, standing in the battle-line and placed in array, do not forsake the contest once begun, especially when you say that they have bent the bow, prepared arrows in the quiver, wish to wound my saints in the darkness, and yet have not yet been able to strike. For they have bent the bow, they have prepared arrows in the quiver, that they may shoot in the dark the upright of heart. Since, then, they are thus prepared, I will set myself in the midst, I will receive their arrows, that my servants may not grieve at my grief, may be healed by my wounds, may not suffer while I suffer, and may say: "O Lord, you have crowned us as with a shield of your good will." But it can also be understood otherwise: that the heretical or adverse powers, through the dogmas of the heretics, have aimed their blasphemies, and desire to deceive my just ones with varied fraud. For they are archers who, through the occasion of their darkness — which they understand as hidden mysteries — wish to strike the upright hearts of the just. Therefore I and my saints must migrate to the sublime testimonies of the Scriptures, as it is also written in the Gospel: "If he strike you on the right cheek, offer him the other also." He does not say, offer him the left, but the other — that is, the other right — because the just man has nothing left-handed in himself. If, he says, he confounds you in one testimony of the Scriptures, do you overcome him from another, and fulfill that which is written in another psalm: "Deep calls to deep at the voice of your cataracts": so that each Testament may be a defense to the other in turn, and in such a way the snare of the heretics may be broken by the opposing of the other right hand, and by migration to the mountains, and by the calling of deep to deep. — Homily 60, on Psalms 10 (Alternate Series) Augustine of Hippo: Let the Catholic soul then say, "In the Lord I trust; how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow? For, lo, the sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart:" and from them let her turn her speech to the Lord and say, "For they have destroyed what You have perfected" [Psalms 11:3]. And this let her say not against these only, but against all heretics. For they have all, as far as in them lies, destroyed the praise which God has perfected out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, when they disturb the little ones with vain and scrupulous questions, and suffer them not to be nourished with the milk of faith. As if then it were said to this soul, why do they say to you, "Remove into the mountains as a sparrow;" why do they frighten you with sinners, who "have bent the bow, to shoot in the obscure moon at the upright in heart"? She answers, Therefore it is they frighten me, "because they have destroyed what You have perfected." Where but in their conventicles, where they nourish not with milk, but kill with poison the babes and ignorant of the interior light. "But what has the Just done?" If Macarius, if Cæcilianus, offend you, what has Christ done to you, who said, "My peace I give unto you, My peace I leave with you;" [John 14:27] which you with your abominable dissensions have violated? What has Christ done to you? Who with such exceeding patience endured His betrayer, as to give to him, as to the other Apostles, the first Eucharist consecrated with His own hands, and blessed with His own mouth. What has Christ done to you? Who sent this same betrayer, whom He called a devil, [John 6:70] who before betraying the Lord could not show good faith even to the Lord's purse, [John 12:6] with the other disciples to preach the kingdom of heaven; [Matthew 10:5-7] that He might show that the gifts of God come to those that with faith receive them, though he, through whom they receive them, be such as Judas was. — Exposition on Psalms 11 Cassiodorus: Heretics … have destroyed the law of the Lord … by false interpretations, changes resulting in the death of some, while the Scriptures were intended to serve as the Lord's prophets for our salvation. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 11:4 Eusebius of Caesarea: That which you have framed they have pulled down. Those were the seeds of the best ideas grafted by nature, which God impresses on each person, placing within their spirit the knowledge that is called natural. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 11:4-6 Jerome: For they have destroyed the things which you have perfected. And this too those who above still speak either to any just man or to the Lord: Therefore you must return to the heavenly things, because both the adversaries are so bravely prepared for the fight, and whatever you build up, they demolish. For daily they undermine your precepts and the law written in the hearts of believers, and by persuading diverse things they overturn them. But what did the just man do? This is understood in various ways. Either concerning the person of the just man, in this manner: While they strive to destroy the laws of God, the just man has done nothing worthy of ruin, and in vain suffers their snares; or certainly, while they oppose and attempt to destroy God's commandments, the just man does this one thing only: that he implore the help of him who dwells in his holy temple, whose throne is in heaven, and whose eyes look upon the poor man, that he may rescue him from the snares prepared. But concerning the person of God in this manner: Although the adversaries are prepared for battle, and lie in wait in secret like a lion in his den, that in hidden places they may kill the innocent and destroy the temple of God, yet the Lord dwells in his holy temple, and never is either temple or throne wanting to him, because as some fall others rise. — Homily 60, on Psalms 10 (Alternate Series) Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord is in His holy temple" [Psalms 11:4], yea in such wise as the Apostle saith, "For the temple of God is holy, which" temple "ye are." [1 Corinthians 3:17] "Now if any man shall violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy." He violateth the temple of God, who violateth unity: for he "holdeth not the head, from which the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the working after the measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying of itself in love." The Lord is in this His holy temple; which consisteth of His many members, fulfilling each his own separate duties, by love built up into one building. Which temple he violateth, who for the sake of his own pre-eminence separateth himself from the Catholic society. "The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord, His seat is in heaven." If you take heaven to be the just man, as you take the earth to be the sinner, to whom it was said, "Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou go;" [Genesis 3:19] the words, "The Lord is in His holy temple" you will understand to be repeated, whilst it is said, "The Lord, His seat is in heaven." — Exposition on Psalms 11 Eusebius of Caesarea: He alone is judge of all, and the only true judge. What has the Lord done against the wicked who have drawn up a battle line against him, who rise up against the righteous? In his own temple, standing in the house of the heavens and sitting immovable on his royal throne, he overlooks nothing of the earthly creation with his gaze, and when he looks at the poor, he gives them the grace of his eyes. Those eyes are understood to be the merciful rewards of his gaze, through which he looks on the poor with generosity. His eyelids are the providence by which he judges, by which he discerns, by which he thoroughly searches deeds. Now since all stand in his judgment, it is said, "The Lord tries the just and unjust." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 11:4-6 Evagrius Ponticus: If the eyes of God look on the poor, let us be numbered among the poor, so that the eyes of the Lord may look down on us. If the rich do not become poor, very little will the eyes of the Lord look on them. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 10[11].4 Jerome: Whence in what follows it is written: The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's seat is in heaven. By the seat — that is, the throne of God — let us, according to the custom of the Scriptures, understand the kingdom, as in that place: "God shall give him the throne of David his father." And elsewhere: "With justice is the throne of dominion prepared." And: "When a just king shall sit upon the throne." The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's seat is in heaven. Before the bodily temple was built by Solomon, the prophet knows the spiritual temple of the Lord and his throne in heaven. Whereupon it is asked, how it is said elsewhere, "Heaven is my throne." When the throne of the Lord is in heaven, his throne is encompassed by heaven, and the throne of the Lord is in a part of heaven; when heaven is the throne of the Lord, the whole heaven is turned into the throne of the Lord. From which, according to the ἀναγωγήν (higher spiritual sense, anagōgē), the Lord dwelling in his holy temple — that is, in the soul of the believer — dwells either in a part of it or in the whole. When we are still imperfect, and there is in us both something good and something evil, God dwells only in a part of our soul, that is, in heaven. But when we are consummate and perfect, we are wholly turned into a dwelling-place of God, and we are made heaven, his throne. But the temple of God, properly, is understood either as our Lord and Savior, who says, "I am in the Father and the Father in me": or as that man who was assumed by the Savior, or generally the Church, or specially each one of the saints. His eyes look upon the poor man, his eyelids question the sons of men. Against those who understand the wrath and fury of God simply, let us set forth the eyelids and eyes of the Lord. For if they understand those things ἀνθρωποπαθῶς (after the manner of human passions, anthrōpopathōs), they will be compelled to take these things likewise. But if it is absurd to place eyes and eyelids in the almighty Lord, they will equally be compelled to seek some spiritual interpretation for wrath also and fury. For it is exceedingly unfitting not to understand both those and these alike, either spiritually or carnally. Whence in this place it is to be perceived that the just man does not dread the assault of the adversaries, having God as his helper, who beholds and sees all things, and does not permit his poor man to be deceived by their frauds and wounded by their darts. The poor man: that one of whom it is said above, "To you the poor man is left." And at the same time it is to be observed, that God opens his eyes, bringing an open judgment, to the lowly with help, though he be one and poor, and always watches over him with his regard. But where he is judge, and those who are judged are sons of men (for they do not deserve to be called sons of God), there he does not look with his eyes, but examines with his eyelids, in a manner half-closing them and dissembling, and unwilling to know what he knows. "For if you, Lord, will mark iniquity, who shall endure?" Varro relates that eyelids (palpebrae) are so called from the fact that they move and quiver (palpitent), that is, ὀνοματοποιῶς (by onomatopoeia, onomatopoiōs). — Homily 60, on Psalms 10 (Alternate Series) John Chrysostom: Do you see a ready ally, a well-prepared aid, present everywhere, seeing everything, gazing on all things, having as his particular role—even if no one requests it—to exercise providence and care, to pursue wrongdoers, to assist the wronged, to award recompense to the virtuous, to assign punishment to sinners? He is, therefore, ignorant of nothing; his eyes in fact look attentively on the whole world. He is not simply aware of things, however; he also wants to correct them.… If, in fact, he is righteous, he will not simply overlook these happenings. He rebuffs the wicked; he praises the righteous. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 11:2 Theodoret of Cyrus: So while they practice their evil ways against me, you, the righteous Judge, seated on your heavenly throne and making your own special appearance in the temple on earth, view the whole world, though sufficient for you is a mere glance of your eyes to learn about all human affairs. You know precisely the doings of the righteous and the unrighteous, and you measure out repayment for work done. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 11:3 Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord questions the righteous and ungodly" [Psalms 11:5]. Why then do we fear lest the ungodly should be any hurt to us, if so be they do with insincere heart share the sacraments with us, seeing that He "questions the righteous and the ungodly." "But whoso loves iniquity, hates his own soul:" that is, not him who believes God, and puts not his hope in man, but only his own soul does the lover of iniquity hurt. — Exposition on Psalms 11 Caesarius of Arles: I do not think that anyone who keeps precious garments locked up in a chest would agree to enclose within it either a live coal or any kind of spark. Why is this, brothers? Because he would be afraid that the clothing that he wears to a feast may be burned. I ask you, brothers, if a person does not want to put a spark of fire in his chest of clothes, why does he not fear to kindle the flame of wrath in his soul? We know clearly and plainly why this happens. We do not put fire into a chest of clothes because we love our garments; but we do not extinguish the fire of wrath because we not only fail to love our soul but even harbor hatred for it. This is according to what is written: "The lover of violence hates his own soul." — SERMON 227:5 Caesarius of Arles: If, then, you hate your own soul by loving iniquity, do you wonder that you hate the Word of God, which wishes well to your soul? — SERMONS 145:1 Evagrius Ponticus: If the one who values iniquity hates his own life, then the one who hates iniquity esteems his own life. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 10[11].5 Fulgentius of Ruspe: If a murderer is one who hates his brother, what is he who, loving iniquity, hates his own soul? And if the one who hates his brother does not have eternal life remaining in him, how will he who ends this life in the love of iniquity and hatred of his own soul be able to attain the forgiveness of sins through which one attains life? — ON THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS 2:7.1 Jerome: The Lord questions the just and the impious: but he who loves iniquity hates his own soul. For which it is better written in the Hebrew: "The Lord tests the just, but the impious and the one who loves iniquity — his soul hates him." So that the sense is joined with the foregoing: In vain are the adversaries prepared, that they may shoot in the dark the upright of heart, and so on; because the Lord is a just judge, and nothing can be hidden from him, and he does both: that he both prove his just ones by tempting them, and hate those who are impious. The impious and the one who loves iniquity — his soul hates him: that is, he hates them with his whole heart and his whole soul. But let us understand "soul" in accordance with the eyes and eyelids, according to that: "My soul hates your new moons and feast days and sabbaths." Furthermore, according to those who say, with the Septuagint, The Lord questions the just and the impious, the sense is far different: that he himself is the judge of the just and the impious, and that the impious are to be judged in this, that by loving iniquity they hate their own soul. And in a certain way the last part of a syllogism is knit together, which is called the conclusion. For although a man may deny that he hates his own soul, yet from the fact that he loves iniquity, he is convicted of hating it. As Solomon also says in the Proverbs: "He who rejects discipline hates himself." But if he who loves iniquity hates his own soul, contrariwise he who loves justice loves his own soul, according to that: "He who possesses prudence loves himself." Whence also the Savior says: "He who loves me keeps my commandments." For he himself is justice. Nor indeed is it to be thought, according to the Septuagint interpreters, that something contrary is now said — The Lord questions the just and the impious — to that which is written in the first psalm, "Therefore the impious shall not rise again in the judgment": because just as there is a difference among the just, so also among the impious; and just as the just, differing among themselves, possess mansions, so also the impious who are perfect in malice and iniquity and who fight with their whole mind against the Lord shall not rise again in the judgment; but other impious ones, who are sometimes understood as sinners, because they are of lesser malice, are reserved for God's judgment. — Homily 60, on Psalms 10 (Alternate Series) John Chrysostom: Wickedness, after all, is the soul's enemy, its foe and ruination, and so the wicked person pays the penalty even before punishment is imposed. Do you see how he shows on every score that his adversaries … are hoisted on their own weapons by which they protect themselves, consumed by them and damaging themselves? — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 11:2 Augustine of Hippo: "He shall rain snares upon the sinners" [Psalms 11:6]. If by clouds are understood prophets generally, whether good or bad, who are also called false prophets: false prophets are so ordered by the Lord God, that by them He may rain snares upon sinners. [Matthew 24:24] For no one, but the sinner, falls into a following of them, whether by way of preparation for the last punishment, if he shall choose to persevere in sin; or to dissuade from pride, if in time he shall come to seek God with a more sincere intent. But if by clouds are understood good and true prophets only; by these too it is clear that God rains snares upon sinners, although by them He waters also the godly unto fruitfulness. "To some," says the Apostle, "we are the savour of life unto life; to some the savour of death unto death." [2 Corinthians 2:16] For not prophets only, but all who with the word of God water souls, may be called clouds. Who when they are understood amiss, God rains snares upon sinners; but when they are understood aright, He makes the hearts of the godly and believing fruitful. As, for instance, the passage, "and they two shall be in one flesh," [Ephesians 5:31] if one interpret it with an eye to lust, He rains a snare upon the sinner. But if you understand it, as he who says, "But I speak concerning Christ and the Church," [Ephesians 5:32] He rains a shower on the fertile soil. Now both are effected by the same cloud, that is, holy Scripture. Again the Lord says, "Not that which goes into your mouth defiles you, but that which comes out." [Matthew 15:11] The sinner hears this, and makes ready his palate for gluttony: the righteous hears it, and is guarded against the superstitious distinction in meats. Here then also out of the same cloud of Scripture, according to the several desert of each, upon the sinner the rain of snares, upon the righteous the rain of fruitfulness, is poured. — Exposition on Psalms 11 Cassiodorus: "It rains" refers to the words of the preachers flowing down from heaven which are rain showers for the pious, but fiery snares for the ungodly. For the pious produce fruit based on their proper understanding of the words, but the ungodly suffocate their souls with the noose of their perversity by handling the words improperly. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 11:7 Didymus the Blind: Harsh punishments are often denoted in Scripture by the word cup.… So it follows that even in this place "cup" denotes the punishment to be poured out, especially, the fullness of this cup is fire, sulphur and a stormy wind, whose symbols were written in Genesis, the type of punishment inflicted by the Lord on Sodom and Gomorrah. Besides fire and sulphur, there is also in the cup the stormy wind. The fire indicates threatening flames; sulphur, the force by which more fire is burned; and, finally, the wind illustrates the certain whirlwind of temptations; chiefly we are able to learn this from the writing of Isaiah. … Let us flee impiety, so that there is no cup of this type for us, and we may live righteously; so that we may drink to drunkenness that which is the best. From which also it is said: "The Lord is my portion and my cup." Because the Lord is just and loves justice, he shows his face to the upright. — FRAGMENTS ON THE Psalms 11:7 Fulgentius of Ruspe: Eternal life will be given in the future only to the one to whom forgiveness of sins has been given in this world. Only he will receive the forgiveness of sins here who renounces his sins and hastens to the highest and true God with true conversion of heart. For that will not be a time of forgiveness but of retribution. There mercy will not justify the sinner, but justice will distinguish the just and the sinner. This is written in the psalm: "The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked." And, so that he might show that in iniquity lies the destruction, not the salvation, of the soul, he goes on the say, "He who loves iniquity hates his own soul." Lest they who persist in iniquity to the end of the present life promise themselves mercy, it is said subsequently concerning God: "On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulphur; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face." … Whoever, hearing these things, is unwilling to seek the mercy of God through conversion in the present time, will never be able to find it in the future life. — ON THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS 6:1-2 Jerome: He shall rain snares upon sinners. There is no doubt but that the Lord does this even for the sake of the sinners themselves, so that those who were badly abusing their liberty, being ensnared in the Lord's snares, may walk in the right path as if under his bridle, and may be able to advance through him who says, "I am the way." Whence also fishermen are sent, and hunters, in Jeremiah, that they may hold with their nets the fish that wander and toss about in the depths, and may capture unto salvation the beasts straying about on all the mountains and hills. Therefore it is not, as many suppose, punishments that are promised to sinners from this little verse and from those that follow, but remedies. Fire, brimstone, and the spirit of storms is the portion of their cup. It is said to Babylon: "You have coals of fire, you shall sit upon them, and they shall be for a help to you." The brimstone rouses the fire of these coals into a flame; which flame is fanned by the rushing wind, by the whirlwind of the tempest, so that whatever is filthy in our gold, and whatever — according to the prophecy of Ezekiel — consuming the silver in us, the bronze, the tin, and the lead, may reduce us into gold. Whence also it is written in Isaiah: "The Lord shall wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion, and shall cleanse the blood from their midst by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning." And in Malachi: "Behold, the Lord enters in like the fire of the smelting-furnace and like the herb of the fullers, and he shall sit smelting his people like gold and silver." The cup of sinners is full of fire, brimstone, and the spirit of tempest. "A cup of pure wine full of mixture," from which "all the sinners of the earth shall drink." I judge that from this cup of fire and brimstone Sodom had drunk, and therefore it is prophesied concerning her through Ezekiel: "Sodom shall be restored to her former state." And in the Gospel: "It shall be more tolerable for the land of the Sodomites." "For the Lord will not take vengeance twice upon the same thing." Whence also Lazarus, who had received his sins in his lifetime, and had drunk the cup of the Lord's fury, in the bosom of Abraham drinks that cup of which it is written: "I will take the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord." Jerusalem too had drunk the cup of punishments for her remedy; whence it is said to her: "Rise up, rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk the cup of ruin, the goblet of fury." And Jeremiah received this same cup of pure wine from the hand of the Lord, that he might give it to Jerusalem to drink, and to all the nations round about; who, drinking, vomit, and fall down, and, their pride broken, are laid low in repentance. — Homily 60, on Psalms 10 (Alternate Series) Apostolic Constitutions: As to the ungodly, if you give all the world to the poor, you will not benefit him at all. For to whom the Deity was an enemy while he was alive, it is certain he will be so also when he is departed; for there is no unrighteousness with him. For "the Lord is righteous and has loved righteousness." — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 8:4.43 Augustine of Hippo: "Fire and brimstone and the blast of the tempest is the portion of their cup." This is their punishment and end, by whom the name of God is blasphemed; that first they should be wasted by the fire of their own lusts, then by the ill savour of their evil deeds cast off from the company of the blessed, at last carried away and overwhelmed suffer penalties unspeakable. For this is the portion of their cup: as of the righteous, "Your cup inebriating how excellent is it! For they shall be inebriated with the richness of Your house." Now I suppose a cup is mentioned for this reason, that we should not suppose that anything is done by God's providence, even in the very punishments of sinners, beyond moderation and measure. And therefore as if he were giving a reason why this should be, he added, "For the Lord is righteous, and has loved righteousnesses" [Psalms 11:7]. The plural not without meaning, but only because he speaks of men, is as that righteousnesses be understood to be used for righteous men. For in many righteous men there seem, so to say, to be righteousnesses, whereas there is one only righteousness of God whereof they all participate. Like as when one face looks upon many mirrors, what in it is one only, is by those many mirrors reflected manifoldly. Wherefore he recurs to the singular, saying, "His face has seen equity." Perhaps, "His face has seen equity," is as if it were said, Equity has been seen in His face, that is, in knowledge of Him. For God's face is the power by which He is made known to them that are worthy. Or at least, "His face has seen equity," because He does not allow Himself to be known by the evil, but by the good; and this is equity. — Exposition on Psalms 11 Cassiodorus: He added: "his face beheld righteousness," namely, that righteousness that he himself graciously grants. For humanity does not have anything of worth on its own; it can only lay claim to what it has received from the Lord, the Granter of all good things. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 11:8 Jerome: For the Lord is just and has loved justices; his countenance has beheld equity. For which the Hebrew has: "For the Lord is just and loves justice; their faces shall behold equity." The Lord, he says, is just for the causes stated above: because he both, leaving the just man in the present age to temptations, does not punish but proves him, and his soul hates the impious man who loves injustice. For it is one thing to sin overcome by the necessity of the flesh, another to pass over into the disposition of the sinner. Whence also such men, whose heart is impenitent, the soul of God hates. And because he rains snares upon sinners, and gives them to drink the goblet of torments which they deserve, God himself, being just, loves justices. For just as there is one true God, even if there are many gods who are so called by participation in him, and there is one only-begotten Son of God, while others are called so by adoption; so also there is one true justice, as is written in the beginning of the Proverbs, but from communication of it the Lord loves many things called justices. But in that he says, His countenance — that is, God's — has beheld equity, so that the sense is, He judges the things that are right; in the Hebrew, according to that understanding, it is said: Those very ones who shall be judged, both the just and the impious and sinners, shall behold the justice of God, and their faces shall contemplate the equity of the Lord, and they shall say, "You are just, O Lord, and your judgment is right." — Homily 60, on Psalms 10 (Alternate Series) Origen of Alexandria: The ultimate justice itself is Christ, "who was made wisdom for us from God, and justice, and sanctification and redemption." The justice in each person, however, is formed from that justice, so that many justices come into existence in those who are saved; wherefore it has also been written, "The Lord is just and has loved justice." — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 6:40 Augustine of Hippo: "Save me, O Lord, for the holy has failed;" that is, is not found: as we speak when we say, Corn fails, or, Money fails. "For the truths have been minished from among the sons of men" [Psalms 12:1]. The truth is one, whereby holy souls are enlightened: but forasmuch as there are many souls, there may be said in them to be many truths: as in mirrors there are seen many reflections from one face. — Exposition on Psalms 12 Cassiodorus: Since he was observing that this world burdens souls, he asks the Lord to be saved. He knew that genuine medicine can only be found with God. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 12:2 Eusebius of Caesarea: There is no righteous one left anywhere, he said, who can become the author of my deliverance. Truly I lack a Savior, and since there is none, you yourself, Lord, be my Savior. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 12:2-3 Augustine of Hippo: "He has talked vanity each man to his neighbour" [Psalms 12:2]. By neighbour we must understand every man: for that there is no one with whom we should work evil; "and the love of our neighbour works no evil." [Romans 13:10] "Deceitful lips, with a heart and a heart they have spoken evil things." The repetition, "with a heart and a heart," signifies a double heart. — Exposition on Psalms 12 Augustine of Hippo: There is a double heart there, not a simple one; it is not what it has within itself that it utters outwardly. The double heart, once upon a time, received this damning judgment: "Deceitful lips in heart and heart have spoken evil." It should have been enough to say, "In the heart they have spoken evil." How are lips deceitful? What is deceit? When one thing is done openly, another covered up. Deceitful lips mean a not simple heart; and because it is not a simple heart, that is why "in heart and heart"; that is why "in heart" twice over; because it is a double heart. — SERMON 133:4 Evagrius Ponticus: First the righteous fail, then the truth is diminished. Not only is there no truth among the righteous, there is no holiness among honest people. Now, since the righteous have failed, truth is diminished. Perhaps the poverty of righteous people is the reason why so many heresies have shot up. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 11[12].2 Theodoret of Cyrus: Regard for truth is in danger of being snuffed out, with everyone, you might say, suffering from distrust in one another.… They pretend friendship and perform the actions of enemies.… Some use their lips to direct falsehood into their neighbor's heart; others return the compliment. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 12:2 Valerian of Cimiez: We shall take care to have nothing base spring from our hearts, nothing blasphemous fly from our lips, nothing harmful harbored in our thought. The prophet condemns not only what offends the ears but also the attitude that some people cherish in their minds. "With deceitful lips and with a double heart they have spoken evil things." Deliberations, too, then should be listed among the faults of an insolent tongue. Whatever you speak in your heart you are confessing to the Lord, because God is the Searcher of hearts. Since you cannot hide even your thought from him, can that which you shout aloud remain hidden from him or excused? Reflect on this. — HOMILY 5:7 Augustine of Hippo: "May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips" [Psalms 12:3]. He says "all," that no one may suppose himself excepted: as the Apostle says, "Upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and of the Greek." [Romans 2:9] "The tongue speaking great things:" the proud tongue. — Exposition on Psalms 12 Cassiodorus: Consider the piety of the speaker, for he does not direct his prayer against people, since many of them needed to be converted, but against the vices themselves. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 12:4 Clement of Rome: Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it. For [the Scripture] saith in a certain place, "This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." [Isaiah 29:13] And again: "They bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart." [Psalms 62:4] And again it saith, "They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant." [Psalms 78:36-37] "Let the deceitful lips become silent," [and "let the Lord destroy all the lying lips, ] and the boastful tongue of those who have said, Let us magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy, will I now arise, saith the Lord: I will place him in safety; I will deal confidently with him." [Psalms 12:3-5] — Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 15 John Chrysostom: Do you see the solicitude of the inspired author, how he prays for them? The remark is not against them, no, but on their behalf. He did not ask for them to be destroyed, note, but for the evil to be done away with. He did not say "the Lord will destroy them," note, but the "deceitful lips." Again, he asks for the destruction not of their being but of their tongue, their folly, their deceit, and for an end to be put to their arrogance. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 12:1-2 Origen of Alexandria: When the Lord wipes out those things that are base, he will destroy those very things, so that when those things that have come on a person unexpectedly have been destroyed, the foremost creation of God whom the baser things had overtaken may take up the higher things. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 12:4 Valerian of Cimiez: We find many who occasionally mix poison with sweet words in one and the same conversation and enter into conflicts by feigned persuasions to peace. What can be more unfortunate or dangerous than the case of those people who with all the ardor of their deceitful tongues plot against someone's life? Why do they fail to consider the prophet's psalm, which states, "May the Lord destroy sinful lips." Do you perceive under what a curse one lives who is contriving one plan in his heart and placing another on his tongue — HOMILIES 5:5 Augustine of Hippo: "Who have said, We will magnify our tongue, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?" [Psalms 12:4]. Proud hypocrites are meant, putting confidence in their speech to deceive men, and not submitting themselves to God. — Exposition on Psalms 12 John Chrysostom: "Our lips are our own; who is our master?" These are words of insane and deranged people. For this very reason Paul says the opposite to them in the words, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price," and bids them not to live for themselves. Your lips are not yours, he is saying, but the Lord's. He it was, in fact, who made them, who fitted you together, who breathed life into you. But you—what do you have? Not all that we have, by contrast, is ours; for even the possessions we have others have entrusted to us, and the land we lease others have given to us. Exactly so has God let these things out on lease to you, not for you to bear thorns but to convert the seed into something useful; not for you to make folly flourish by them, not for deceit but for humility, benediction and love. He gave you eyes, not to indulge in unrestrained gazing but to embellish them with temperance; and hands, not for striking but for giving alms. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 12:2 Theodoret of Cyrus: With mouths agape they heedlessly utter whatever occurs to them, scornful of divine long-suffering and giving no thought to their falling under the lordship of God. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 12:3 Augustine of Hippo: "Because of the wretchedness of the needy and the sighing of the poor, now I will arise, saith the Lord" [Psalms 12:5]. For so the Lord Himself in the Gospel pitied His people, because they had no ruler, when they could well obey. Whence too it is said in the Gospel, "The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few." [Matthew 9:37] But this must be taken as spoken in the person of God the Father, who, because of the needy and the poor, that is, who in need and poverty were lacking spiritual good things, vouchsafed to send His own Son. From thence begins His sermon on the mount to Matthew, where He says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:3] "I will place in salvation." He does not say what He would place: but, "in salvation," must be understood as, in Christ; according to that, "For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation." [Luke 2:30] And hence He is understood to have placed in Him what appertains to the taking away the wretchedness of the needy, and the comforting the sighing of the poor. "I will deal confidently in Him:" according to that in the Gospel, "For He taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes." [Matthew 7:29] — Exposition on Psalms 12 Cassiodorus: "I will arise" is a metaphor to indicate that the one who is not familiar with the human need to lie down out of weakness does in fact rise up. But he says I will arise, I will appear and be manifest in the Son. For the strength and majesty of the Father and of the Son are one and undivided. For the Father appears and is manifest in the Son, as Christ himself says in the Gospel: "He who sees me sees the Father also." — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 12:6 Athanasius of Alexandria: When Israel had left Egypt, God forbade the people to even touch the mountain where he was giving the Law, because they were far from being "on fire" for the Lord. He did, however, call the blessed Moses to that mountain. Moses was totally committed to him and clung to his grace, so God said, "Let Moses alone draw near." So Moses climbed up the mountain into the cloud, and although that mountain smoked with the heat and presence of the Lord, Moses was unharmed. Rather, through "the words of the Lord, which are pure silver refined in a furnace," he came down more pure than when he went up. — FESTAL LETTERS 3:4 Augustine of Hippo: "The words of the Lord" are "pure words" [Psalms 12:6]. This is in the person of the Prophet himself, "The words of the Lord" are "pure words." He says "pure," without the alloy of pretence. For many preach the truth impurely; [Philippians 1:16] for they sell it for the bribe of the advantages of this life. Of such the Apostle says, that they declared Christ not purely. "Silver tried by the fire for the earth." These words of the Lord by means of tribulations approved to sinners. "Purified seven times:" by the fear of God, by godliness, by knowledge, by might, by counsel, by understanding, by wisdom. [Isaiah 11:2] For seven steps also of beatitude there are, which the Lord goes over, according to Matthew, in the same sermon which He spake on the Mount, "Blessed" are "the poor in spirit, blessed the meek, blessed they that mourn, blessed they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, blessed the merciful, blessed the pure in heart, blessed the peacemakers." [Matthew 5:3-9] Of which seven sentences, it may be observed how all that long sermon was spoken. For the eighth where it is said, "Blessed" are "they which suffer persecution for righteousness' sake," [Matthew 5:10] denotes the fire itself, whereby the silver is proved seven times. And at the termination of this sermon it is said, "For He taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. [Matthew 7:29] Which refers to that which is said in this Psalm, "I deal confidently in Him." — Exposition on Psalms 12 Diodorus of Tarsus: Since he said that the Lord's sayings are pure and unmixed with falsehood, he goes on to say that as silver brought into contact with fire is found to be purified of every defilement, so also such commands of God emerge sincere and unaffected by falsehood. The phrase "seven times" means repeatedly, his meaning being that it is exceedingly pure and untainted with falsehood. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 12 Eusebius of Caesarea: In the same manner silver is purified by fire after it is drawn through the flame two or three times, nor is that enough, but again and again being purged thoroughly by the furnace, never will it have any false or foreign material, so also the words of the Lord genuinely spoken are full of truth, as pure and undefiled, including no falsehood. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 12:7 Origen of Alexandria: Although they may be beautiful, the words of those who stand apart from Christ are not pure but interspersed with innumerable lies; the words of the Lord alone are pure, in which there is no lie mixed, and they are true as silver purged and proven in the furnace. When anything is declared with them, it is never to be rejected in doubt. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 12:7 Augustine of Hippo: "You, O Lord, shall preserve us, and keep us from this generation to eternity" [Psalms 12:7]: here as needy and poor, there as wealthy and rich. — Exposition on Psalms 12 Cassiodorus: Here he consoles us in tribulations while [in heaven] he establishes us in the security of eternity. Here he helps us, but there he glorifies and crowns us. In this way, a most devoted Creator preserves us here in order that we may not perish and that he may bless us there so that we can no longer be miserable in any way. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 12:8 Diodorus of Tarsus: Even if the godless and demons and agitators surround us, even if they besiege us and cut us off, you will render us superior with your help. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 12 Theodoret of Cyrus: Guarded by your grace we shall not only escape the wiles of the present generation but shall also be provided with everlasting salvation. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 12:4 Augustine of Hippo: "The ungodly walk in a circle round about" [Psalms 12:8]: that is, in the desire of things temporal, which revolves as a wheel in a repeated circle of seven days; and therefore they do not arrive at the eighth, that is, at eternity, for which this Psalm is entitled. So too it is said by Solomon, "For the wise king is the winnower of the ungodly, and he bringeth on them the wheel of the wicked.-After Thine height Thou hast multiplied the sons of men." For there is in temporal things too a multiplication, which turns away from the unity of God. Hence "the corruptible body weigheth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle presseth down the mind that museth upon many things." [Wisdom 9:15] But the righteous are multiplied "after the height of God," when "they shall go from strength to strength." — Exposition on Psalms 12 Cassiodorus: "The wicked walk in a circle" so that they are never able to arrive at the right path, since crooked paths are always associated with bad character.… For this reason, they are not able to attain the rest of the eighth day, for they are always turning backward like wheels. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 12:9 Diodorus of Tarsus: When you care for us, even if we are abandoned among those guilty of hostility and scheming, we emerge superior on account of the care of the Most High. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 12 Augustine of Hippo: "For Christ is the end of the law to every one that believes." [Romans 10:4] "How long, O Lord, will You forget me unto the end?" [Psalms 13:1] that is, put me off as to spiritually understanding Christ, who is the Wisdom of God, and the true end of all the aim of the soul. "How long will You turn away Your face from me?" As God does not forget, so neither does He turn His face away: but Scripture speaks after our manner. Now God is said to turn away His face, when He does not give to the soul, which as yet has not the pure eye of the mind, the knowledge of Himself. — Exposition on Psalms 13 Cassiodorus: He asks for the appearance of Christ whom he already foresaw. For his face is what was capable of being seen with the eyes of the body, which that holy man with this general longing rightly desired to look upon. Such a face deemed it right to save the world by his heavenly appearance. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 13:1 Diodorus of Tarsus: The psalm's theme, in fact, is clear: it is uttered on the part of David himself when he suffered the effects of the sin with Bathsheba. On falling foul of every harsh, grievous and painful incident on that account, remember, he then identified the sin as the cause, especially on hearing that "the Lord has taken away your sin." You see, while he received the gift as coming from a loving Lord, he thought it behooved him not to forget the sin but instead to advance in virtue with the degree of determination he required to be preserved from committing such a sin against so good a lord. But on being caught up in the events involving Absalom in particular, he believed the outcome was God's abandoning him and realized the sin was most of all to blame. He therefore asks God to be completely reconciled to him and not forsake him but to lift the weight of misfortune that was proving too heavy for the strength of the sufferer. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 13 Hesychius of Jerusalem: The forgetfulness of God [would be] a very serious thing, even temporarily. It would mean death, the loss of immortality. — LARGE COMMENTARY ON Psalms 13:1 John Chrysostom: Whence comes his knowledge that God had forgotten him, does the text say? Since he knew also when he remembered him, and he was wise enough to know what forgetting meant and what remembering. Not like the majority of people, who, when they are wealthy, when they enjoy a good reputation with people, when everything goes favorably for them, when they better their foes, then think God remembers them. Hence neither do they understand when it is God forgets them. They do not recognize the sign of God's remembering, you see, nor do they grasp the sign of his forgetting.… Nothing, after all, brings remembrance by God so much as doing good, being sober and watchful, practicing virtue; likewise, nothing prompts forgetting so much as living in sin and giving oneself to greed and rapacity. So for your part, dearly beloved, when you are in trouble, do not say, "God has forgotten me," but when you are living in sin and everything is going favorably for you. After all, if you knew this, you would quickly abandon evil things. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:1 Philoxenus of Mabbug: Whosoever feareth sleepeth not, and if he sleepeth, he seeth in his dream the cause of his fear; he eateth not, and he drinketh not, and if the force of natural craving compel him, fear is mingled with his meat and drink. Everything which attacketh the man who is filled with the fear of God abideth outside him, for fear keepeth fast hold upon the place of his understanding, and upon all the places of ingoing and outgoing of the city of his soul. Like the watchmen who stand by the gates of the city, even so doth fear keep fast hold upon the places of ingoing and outgoing of the soul, and it permitteth no act or thought to enter in or to go forth which it examineth not; for it neither permitteth any internal thought whatsoever to go forth, nor any external act that is not seemly to go in. And moreover this Prophet maketh known in other places the fear of God; "My flesh contracteth through fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy judgments." And again he saith, "I am like a wine skin in ice, but I have not forgotten Thy commandments." And again he saith, "Sorrow is in my heart all the day long. How long, O Lord, wilt thou turn Thy face from me? How long wilt Thou forget me, for ever? How long wilt Thou set trouble in my soul?" And again he saith, "Heal me, O Lord, for my bones tremble, and my soul is greatly moved. I am weary with my groaning; every night make I my bed to swim; and I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye hath become sick because of Thine anger"; now it is evident that all these things arose from [his] fear of God. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 7 -- Second Discourse on the Fear of God Augustine of Hippo: "How long shall I place counsel in my soul?" [Psalms 13:2]. There is no need of counsel but in adversity. Therefore "How long shall I place counsel in my soul?" is as if it were said, How long shall I be in adversity? Or at least it is an answer, so that the meaning is this, So long, O Lord, will You forget me to the end, and so long turn away Your face from me, until I shall place counsel in my own soul: so that except a man place counsel in his own soul to work mercy perfectly, God will not direct him to the end, nor give him that full knowledge of Himself, which is "face to face." "Sorrow in my heart through the day?" How long shall I have, is understood. And "through the day" signifies continuance, so that day is taken for time: from which as each one longs to be free, he has sorrow in his heart, making entreaty to rise to things eternal, and not endure man's day. — Exposition on Psalms 13 John Chrysostom: Just as the sailor on leaving port wanders in every direction and the person deprived of light bumps into many things, so too the one who encounters God's forgetting is caught up constantly in worries and cares and sorrows. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:1 Origen of Alexandria: At first this one makes many plans in his soul, but in the end [see v. 5], he rests in the great plan of God for everyone, whose spirit is in the root of Jesse. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 13:2 Augustine of Hippo: "Look on me, and hear me, O Lord my God" [Psalms 13:3]. "Look on me," refers to what was said, "How long" dost "Thou turn away Your face from me." "Hear," refers to what was said, "How long will You forget me to the end? Lighten my eyes, that I sleep not in death." The eyes of the heart must be understood, that they be not closed by the pleasurable eclipse of sin. — Exposition on Psalms 13 Cassiodorus: The eyes of the heart … sleep in death when they are closed by the pleasure of the flesh and the light of faith is buried. This is the sort of sleep in which the enemy rejoices. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 13:4 Cyril of Alexandria: The right sight of the eyes hidden within is to be able to see plainly and subtly, insofar as is allowed, whatever considerations there may be concerning the words of God. "For we see through a mirror in an obscure manner and we know in part," but "he who discloses the recesses of the darkness" sends the light of truth to those who wish to gain a knowledge concerning him rightly. It is necessary therefore that we prostrate ourselves before God saying, "Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death," for to slip away from the rightness of holy doctrines would be nothing else except to sleep in death, and we depart from this rightness when we do not follow the divinely inspired Scriptures. — LETTER 55:3 Diodorus of Tarsus: Since the misfortunes and the tribulations render the sun, which is a source of pleasure to everyone, dim and faint to me, he is saying, free me from the misfortune so that I may see good things as they naturally are and not as the tribulations represent them. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 13 Eusebius of Caesarea: The face of God, full of light, is a certain power looking to confer gifts, by which each partaker will be enlightened, as if they were enjoying the rays of the sun. But if one has turned away, his spirit lives in the shadows without light; because the eyes within, namely, the thoughts of the mind, can see nothing. When one persists in sin, more and more shadows come, because deep within him the face of God remains turned away. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 13:3-5 Gregory of Nazianzus: If you are blind and unenlightened, lighten your eyes that you sleep not in death. In God's Light see light, and in the Spirit of God be enlightened by the Son, that threefold and undivided Light. — ON HOLY BAPTISM, ORATION 40:34 John Chrysostom: Just as when God defends us and stands by us, everything damaging is removed from us, so when he keeps his distance and forgets us, our soul is cut in two, our heart plunged in sorrow, those who do harm fall on us and life becomes craggy and precipitous. Now, this is allowed to happen for our advantage, so that through the whole of it those more indifferent people may be goaded into becoming more zealous and return to the condition from which they fell. "Your falling away will instruct you, after all," Scripture says, "and your wickedness censure you." And so even abandonment by God is a form of providence. You see, when the one who exercises providence and care is slighted, he ignores and abandons us to some extent so that at that point indifference may be expelled and the negligent may turn more zealous. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:1 Origen of Alexandria: Is God a light to enlighten the eyes of the body or the eyes of the intellect? The prophet says of the latter, "Enlighten my eyes lest I sleep in death." I think it is clear to everyone that we would not say that God performs the work of the sun and assigns to another the task of enlightening the eyes of those who will not sleep in death. God, therefore, enlightens the mind of those whom he judges to be worthy of personal enlightenment. But if God illuminates the mind according to the statement "The Lord is my light," then we must assume that he is apprehended by the intellect and is invisible and incorporeal, because he is the light of the mind. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 13:135-37 Origen of Alexandria: The outer man has eyes, and of the inner man too it is said that he has eyes: "Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death." This refers neither to these eyes of mine, nor to bodily sleep, nor to the death common to all. — DIALOGUE WITH HERACLIDES Theodoret of Cyrus: By night I am overwhelmed by my problems, in the grip of discouragement like a kind of sleep. But if the light of your assistance shines, it will disperse the darkness of trouble and put an end to the sleep of discouragement. If, however, you delay your help, I am afraid the sleep will turn into death, as the distress becomes stronger than my resolve. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:3 Augustine of Hippo: "Lest at any time mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him" [Psalms 13:4]. The devil's mockery is to be feared. "They that trouble me will exult, if I be moved;" the devil and his angels; who exulted not over that righteous man, Job, when they troubled him; because he was not moved, that is, did not draw back from the steadfastness of his faith. [Job 2:3] — Exposition on Psalms 13 Cassiodorus: If someone withdraws himself by a single mental step from the Lord's strength, then he inevitably steps into the devil's trap. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 13:5 Eusebius of Caesarea: As we sin, the adversary becomes haughty and domineering over us, and we are pressed down by our sin; this is really the nature of sin, to cast down and to oppress the spirit. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 13:1-4 John Chrysostom: What is the meaning of "I have prevailed over him"? That even if he is not absolutely strong, yet he has proved strong against me. Our defeat clothes him in strength, makes him look strong, powerful and invincible. Do you see that when we sin, not only do we shame and destroy ourselves and fall headlong into death, but also we declare to be strong and powerful the foes by whom we are defeated. And not only this: we also bring them to a state of joy and exultation. Bless me! What stupidity! What madness! To be of assistance ourselves to our enemies and make their soul rejoice and exult through the pain and distress they cause us! See how absurd it is. Whereas we should conquer the enemy ("His swords have finally failed," remember, "and the godless has been destroyed"), whereas we should conquer, we are beaten; and not only this, but we make him appear powerful and strong. Nor does the extent of our madness and extreme derangement stop at this point: We prove the cause of bringing him to a state of joy and exultation. Sin in reality is the height of madness and extreme evil.… Let us … give thought and expend effort lest we puff the enemy up, lest we show him to be strong, lest we give him joy; instead, let us do the opposite, make him humble, lowly, weak, dejected, gloomy. You see, if he were to see sinners reforming, all these things would happen together. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:1-2 Augustine of Hippo: "But I have hoped in Your mercy" [Psalms 13:5]. Because this very thing, that a man be not moved, and that he abide fixed in the Lord, he should not attribute to self: lest when he glories that he has not been moved, he be moved by this very pride. — Exposition on Psalms 13 Cassiodorus: The love of God is a spring shower of virtues under which a blessed desire begins to bud and holy action bears fruit. This love is patient under adversities in this life, temperate in prosperity, powerful in its humility, joyful in affliction, benevolent toward enemies, and overcomes the wicked by its goodness. From this source, even heavenly creatures are constantly ignited by God's love as a restoring flame, a growing desire for salvation. To summarize all of this with a phrase from the Apostle: "God himself is love." — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 13:1.13:1 John Chrysostom: Do you see a hope-filled soul? He asked, and before receiving he gives thanks as though having received, sings praise to God and achieves all that had been anticipated. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:2 Pseudo-Athanasius: In this I trust, that I shall receive forgiveness of my sin, in that I hope in your mercy through which you have worked salvation for all people. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 13 Theodoret of Cyrus: It is clear also from this that he uttered this psalm after the sin: he relies not on his righteousness but on mercy and says it is in this that he trusts. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:4 Augustine of Hippo: "My heart shall exult in Your salvation;" in Christ, in the Wisdom of God. "I will sing to the Lord who has given me good things;" spiritual good things, not belonging to man's day. "And I will chant to the name of the Lord most high" [Psalms 13:6]; that is, I give thanks with joy, and in most due order employ my body, which is the song of the spiritual soul. But if any distinction is to be marked here, "I will sing" with the heart, "I will chant" with my works; "to the Lord," that which He alone sees, but "to the name of the Lord," that which is known among men, which is serviceable not for Him, but for us. — Exposition on Psalms 13 John Chrysostom: Hope in God's mercy, have no doubts, and you will gain your request completely; once gained, however, do not prove ungrateful for the favor and unappreciative but make a record of the kindness and offer it as a thanksgiving song to the Lord. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 13:3 Asterius of Cappadocia: "There is no God." There is no foundation, then how does the building stand? There is no keel, then how does the ship stabilize? There is no captain, then how is the ship readied? There is no builder, then how is the house built? There is no architect, then who founded the city? There is no farmer, then how do the fields bear their bundles? There is no music, then how can there be the harmony on the lyre of the world? There is no one to foresee, then how does foreknowledge permeate everything? There is no charioteer, then how is the chariot of the four elements driven? There is no sculptor, then how are statues of people in the world crafted? There are no builders of arches, then who has built the arch of heaven for you? There is no gold worker, then who has placed the golden disc sun in heaven as on a table? There is none who brings a torch, then who gave the moon of the night to you as a silver torch? There is none who brings light, and who has given to you a light with clear splendor? There is none who alone makes great lights, then who has put the ascending lamps of the stars in the sky for you?… Is there no Creator about whom the creature testifies? — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 25:8 Asterius of Cappadocia: It was the fool who said through Pharoah, "I have not known this God"; and the depth of the sea became a tomb for him. The fool said through Sennecharib, "God is not able to snatch Hezekiah from my hands," and he was killed by his sons. The fool said through Nebuchadnezzar, "Who is this God who can snatch you from my hand? Who is the most powerful of men?" … Judas the denier of God was destroyed by a noose because he had deemed God as a man to be betrayed. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 25:17 Asterius of Cappadocia: They are corrupt—wounded and rotten, smelling rank, seeping foulness and poison, not seeking medicine. They become abominable like pigs rolling in the mud of sin; like dogs returning to vomit, they run with rage.… Because they have despised the thinking of God, pious people despise them. They are corrupt like worm-infested garments, as rusted iron, as those who have touched death and the ashes of dead bones.… "There is no one who does good, not one." Not Herod killing innocent babies, not the Jew who called Jesus Beelzebub when he cast out demons, not the one endeavoring to keep the law perfectly, not priests acting dishonorably, not scribes writing for naught, not Pharisees pressing and pushing rules, not Sadducees debating, not Judas selling him, not the master boxing the slave's ear, not Pilate condemning him, not the people shouting.… "There is no one who speaks good," when all the disciples fled as they abandoned him. John ran off naked. Peter denied him, the disciples fled, the spear of doubt pierced the soul of Mary. There was no one who showed the fruit of love in his suffering.… Even after his death, the soldier pierced his side.… Surely he has visited us and wants to save, but none desires to be shown the medicine. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 25:19 Athanasius of Alexandria: This statement [about fools] is directly followed by one pointing out that their actions correspond with their thoughts: "They are corrupt, and their behavior is evil." The unrighteous person corrupts his body in every possible way: stealing, committing adultery, cursing, getting drunk, and doing similar things.… Count on it: those who are fools in their thoughts will do wicked deeds. As the Lord said [to the Pharisees], "How can you speak good things when you are evil?" And they truly were evil, because their thoughts were wicked. — FESTAL LETTERS 9:8, 12:6 Augustine of Hippo: "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God" [Psalms 14:1]. For not even have certain sacrilegious and abominable philosophers, who entertain perverse and false notions of God, dared to say, "There is no God." Therefore it is, has said "in his heart;" for that no one dares to say it, even if he has dared to think it. "They are corrupt, and become abominable in their affections:" that is, while they love this world and love not God; these are the affections which corrupt the soul, and so blind it, that the fool can even say, "in his heart, There is no God. For as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." [Romans 1:28] "There is none that does goodness, no not up to one." "Up to one," can be understood either with that one, so that no man be understood: or besides one, that the Lord Christ may be excepted. As we say, This field is up to the sea; we do not of course reckon the sea together with the field. And this is the better interpretation, so that none be understood to have done goodness up to Christ; for that no man can do goodness, except He shall have shown it. And that is true; for until a man know the one God, he cannot do goodness. — Exposition on Psalms 14 Cassiodorus: "They are corrupt." By turning away from the sound thinking found in the Scriptures, they show that they have fallen into corrupt patterns of thought. The punishment for sin comes next. Defiled by their despicable unbelief, they become abominable to the Lord by their errors. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 14:1 Cassiodorus: We cannot do good unless we have come to Christ through God's mercy. For when we approach him and do not turn away from him, without a doubt every good is performed. This is the end that was promised in the heading of the psalm. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 14:1 Eusebius of Caesarea: Some have denied that there is a divine spirit altogether. They have openly professed that God is not the ruler of everything, that his name is nothing but empty and that he is of no substance. Others worship gods who do not exist, denying him who is God alone. Some suggest that indeed there is a God in name, but they contend that he does not oversee earthly matters or look on human affairs. In summary, therefore, all these people have come together into the single position of atheism (godlessness), believing that there is no God. Since they are not bold enough to announce this openly, they persuade themselves in their hearts, being foolish and senseless in the matter of truth, that God does not exist. (A natural understanding about God and the innate seeds of the instinct drive all of them to confess a recognition of God; they are not so bold to deny this fact with their lips, so they pretend to recognize him not as the only God but as an innumerable plurality.) … Their godless position is brought to light from their works (as indeed a tree is judged by its fruit), with their villainy and a way of living like it. They have poisoned their own spirit, betraying it to their bodies with whatever corruption, and as men act in madness with men and through whatever other monstrous and abominable acts, they defile their own selves. In this way it was shown that even if they mustered ten thousand gods, even if they blared out with their lips and confessed God governs all things, in their hearts, and really in their minds, there is not the least recognition of God. Such, therefore, was the life of these people before the advent of our Savior. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 14:1 John Damascene: The fact that God exists is not doubted by those who accept the sacred Scriptures—both the Old and New Testaments, I mean—or by the majority of the Greeks, for, as we have said, the knowledge of God's existence has been revealed to us through nature. However, since the wickedness of the evil one has so prevailed over people's nature as even to drag some of them down to the most unspeakable and extremely wicked abyss of perdition and to make them say that there is no God, … then the Lord's disciples and apostles, made wise by the all-Holy Spirit, did by his power and grace show signs from God and draw up those people alive in the net of their miracles from the depths of the ignorance of God to the light of his knowledge. — ORTHODOX FAITH 1:3 Theodoret of Cyrus: [Like the Assyrian army in the days of Hezekiah], all will come to know through experience the one fighting against them; fear will strike them from a source they did not expect. I mean, who would have thought they would be destroyed by an angel? That God cares for the Jews? Those who mocked the counsel of poor and lowly Hezekiah for trusting in God rather than arms will realize that the one who made himself dependent on God enjoyed a hope that was not disappointed. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 14:2 Asterius of Cappadocia: When you hear the Lord looks down from heaven, think not of his divine and incorporeal nature that he has bowed and bent down, or has bent his knee or nodded his head, but realize his visitation, forgiveness and kindness. Although he is said to have a head, ears, eyes, mouth and hands, and to sit and to rise, yet he is not altogether constituted of members and parts. So he does not literally look down but shows his own mercy. He looks down from heaven, not through fences and gates in the sky, but because from heaven he has visited humankind.… He sees them to serve them and to embrace them as a friend.… He appears to them who have faith in him in order that he may see who is sick and who needs the doctor and who is poor and who requires Christ, the storehouse of the Father.… Then after they see the Lord of the prophets has looked down from heaven so that he may see, … they say, "It is not enough, Lord, that you look down from heaven. Descend.… Come, … Son of the Father. Seek what is made in your image." — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 25:25 Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord from heaven looked out upon the sons of men, to see if there be one understanding, or seeking after God" [Psalms 14:2]. It may be interpreted, upon the Jews; as he may have given them the more honourable name of the sons of men, by reason of their worship of the One God, in comparison with the Gentiles; of whom I suppose it was said above, "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God," etc. Now the Lord looks out, that He may see, by His holy souls: which is the meaning of, "from heaven." For by Himself nothing is hid from Him. — Exposition on Psalms 14 Asterius of Cappadocia: Everywhere they all have turned to tyranny. They no longer cling to the prophets. Come, King, appear, and they will fear your authority. All have turned from the ways of the prophets. Come, O Way, and lead back those who have wandered away.… Humankind was created right by God, … but they have turned away by choice to evil.… They have turned away from their right nature.… "There is no one who does good, no, not one." From head to foot, from rich to poor, the whole world grows sick. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 25:27 Asterius of Cappadocia: What do they know? That God is an avenger. He is coming as judge of the living and the dead. They know that he is going to return to each one according to his works.… And what do they not know? That God looks down from heaven. What do they not know? That those who do evil displease him. What do they not know? They do not wish to know the ways of God.… And now there are wars, pestilence and volcanoes [earthquakes]. Many never come to their senses concerning their sins, and they are punished with threatening evils. What do they not know? The will of God, his good and celestial promises, his treasures, the delights of paradise, eternal life. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 25:33 Augustine of Hippo: "All have gone out of the way, they have together become useless:" that is, the Jews have become as the Gentiles, who were spoken of above. "There is none that does good, no not up to one" [Psalms 14:3], must be interpreted as above. "Their throat is an open sepulchre." Either the voracity of the ever open palate is signified: or allegorically those who slay, and as it were devour those they have slain, into whom they instil the disorder of their own conversation. Like to which with the contrary meaning is that which was said to Peter, "Kill and eat;" [Acts 10:13] that he should convert the Gentiles to his own faith and good conversation. "With their tongues they have dealt craftily." Flattery is the companion of the greedy and of all bad men. "The poison of asps is under their lips." By "poison," he means deceit; and "of asps," because they will not hear the precepts of the law, as asps "will not hear the voice of the charmer;" which is said more clearly in another Psalm. "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:" this is, "the poison of asps." "Their feet are swift to shed blood." He here shows forth the habit of ill doing. "Destruction and unhappiness" are "in their ways." For all the ways of evil men are full of toil and misery. Hence the Lord cries out, "Come unto Me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. For My yoke is easy and My burden light." [Matthew 11:28-30] "And the way of peace have they not known:" that way, namely, which the Lord, as I said, mentions, in the easy yoke and light burden. "There is no fear of God before their eyes." These do not say, "There is no God;" but yet they do not fear God. — Exposition on Psalms 14 Eusebius of Caesarea: It was right to show openly the magnitude of the disease that lingered with sinister purpose for all people before the advent of the Savior: as it was manifested to all, his sojourn on earth became straightforwardly necessary. As all have sinned, all lacked the glory of God, and now they are all justified by his grace. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 14:3 Augustine of Hippo: "Shall not all, who work iniquity, know?" [Psalms 14:4]. He threatens the judgment. "Who devour My people as the food of bread:" that is, daily. For the food of bread is daily food. Now they devour the people, who serve their own ends out of them, not referring their ministry to the glory of God, and the salvation of those over whom they are. — Exposition on Psalms 14 Augustine of Hippo: "They have not called upon the Lord." For he does not really call upon Him, who longs for such things as are displeasing to Him. "There they trembled for fear, where no fear was" [Psalms 14:5]: that is, for the loss of things temporal. For they said, "If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe in Him; and the Romans will come, and take away both our place and nation." [John 11:48] They feared to lose an earthly kingdom, where no fear was; and they lost the kingdom of heaven, which they ought to have feared. And this must be understood of all temporal goods, the loss of which when men fear, they come not to things eternal. — Exposition on Psalms 14 Diodorus of Tarsus: Such people will never learn from experience what a harsh thing it is to do wrong to the Lord's people, so bitter are they toward us as to wish to treat us like a meal of bread.… Since they are ready to swallow us raw, then, and do not have the Lord before their eyes, fear will overtake them from a quarter where they do not expect it. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 14 Asterius of Cappadocia: Like the general over the soldiers and the king over the senate, God is over the generation of the righteous.… If God is in the midst of two or three, how much more is he found in the generation of the righteous where there is a battle-free life, a lack of sadness, rest and inheritance and a kingdom without end. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 25:40 Augustine of Hippo: "For God is in the just generation." It refers to what went before, so that the sense is, "shall not all they that work iniquity know that the Lord is in the just generation;" that is, He is not in them who love the world. For it is unjust to leave the Maker of the worlds, and "serve the creature more than the Creator." [Romans 1:25] You have shamed the counsel of the poor, for the Lord is his hope [Psalms 14:6]: that is, you have despised the humble coming of the Son of God, because ye saw not in Him the pomp of the world: that they, whom he was calling, should put their hope in God alone, not in the things that pass away. — Exposition on Psalms 14 Eusebius of Caesarea: These words that are now put forth can be understood in my opinion in light of the Jews trying to upset the plan of the Savior, because they thought that he was lacking power. They did not consider carefully the treasure of his divinity. So they always contradicted his teaching, and the power of his miracles they misrepresented as not from divine power but as having been worked through some other source. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 14:6 Augustine of Hippo: "Who will give salvation to Israel out of Sion?" (ver. 7). Who but He whose humiliation ye have despised? is understood. For He will come in glory to the judgment of the quick and the dead, and the kingdom of the just: that, forasmuch as in that humble coming "blindness hath happened in part unto Israel, that the fulness of the Gentiles might enter in," in that other should happen what follows, "and so all Israel should be saved." For the Apostle too takes that testimony of Isaiah, where it is said, "There shall come out of Sion He who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:" for the Jews, as it is here, "Who shall give salvation to Israel out of Sion?" "When the Lord shall turn away the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." It is a repetition, as is usual: for I suppose, "Israel shall be glad," is the same as, "Jacob shall rejoice." — Exposition on Psalms 14 Arnobius the Younger: All the defiled approach the tabernacle of the Lord, and there they are made undefiled. Jesus alone, undefiled, having entered the uncorrupted tabernacle, has freed us from the defilement of the flesh and has given us holiness. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 15 Augustine of Hippo: Touching this title there is no question. "O Lord who shall sojourn in Your tabernacle?" [Psalms 15:1]. Although tabernacle be sometimes used even for an everlasting habitation: yet when tabernacle is taken in its proper meaning, it is a thing of war. Hence soldiers are called tent-fellows, as having their tents together. This sense is assisted by the words, "Who shall sojourn?" For we war with the devil for a time, and then we need a tabernacle wherein we may refresh ourselves. Which specially points out the faith of the temporal Dispensation, which was wrought for us in time through the Incarnation of the Lord. "And who shall rest in Your holy mountain?" Here perhaps he signifies at once the eternal habitation itself, [2 Corinthians 5:1-2] that we should understand by "mountain" the supereminence of the love of Christ in life eternal. — Exposition on Psalms 15 Cassiodorus: Unlike some of the psalms, this one is not shrouded in darkness, but here the Lord responds to the prophet's question following the pattern of the Decalogue, indicating that one reaches his blessed hall by ten virtues.… This is that divine Decalogue, a spiritual psaltery of ten strings. This is a number befitting of a crown, which only the one who destroyed the world's vices together with his Father was able to fulfill. Let us constantly ask for his almighty power so that we who are not able to fulfill what has been commanded may be able to do them once we have been enriched by his gift. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 15:1, 5 Jerome: The fourteenth psalm has been read at just the right moment; and it has come about in due order in such a way that it almost seems to have been read on purpose. The psalm was read in order: I think it has been brought about by God's dispensation that what was profitable to you should be recited today in the sequence of exposition. The fourteenth psalm has been read, which is titled A Psalm of David. But our David is Christ, as we have often said. Then we read in Exodus that on the fourteenth day the lamb is sacrificed. It is sacrificed on the fourteenth day, when the moon is full, when nothing is lacking to it of its light. See, therefore, that Christ is not sacrificed except in perfect and full light. Since, then, on the fourteenth day the lamb is to be sacrificed for you, now the prophet marvels, and asks: Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle? You, who wish to dwell in the Lord's tabernacle. Or who shall rest on your holy mountain? See what is said. Who shall dwell in your tabernacle, or who shall rest on your holy mountain? Not first on the mountain, and afterward in the tabernacle; but first in the tabernacle, and so then on the mountain. A tabernacle is not a firm house, a tabernacle has no foundation; but it is moved this way and that, and it migrates along with the one who journeys on. That is why it is called παροικία (a sojourning), not a dwelling. Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle? Because it is a tabernacle, therefore it is called παροικία (a sojourning). Let us see, then, what the tabernacle is, and what the mountain is. We have said that the tabernacle has no foundation, but is an uncertain house: whereas a firm house has foundations. The tabernacle seems to me to be the Church of this world. The churches you now see are tabernacles: for we do not remain here as dwellers, but we are going to migrate elsewhere. For if 'the fashion of this world passes away'; and it is said in another place that 'heaven and earth shall pass away': if heaven and earth shall pass away, how much more now also the very stones of the churches, which we see? Now, therefore, the churches are called tabernacles, since we are going to migrate from these to the holy mountain of God. Who is this holy mountain of the Lord? It is said in Ezekiel against the prince of Tyre: 'You have been wounded,' he says, 'from the mountain of the Lord.' And who shall rest on your holy mountain? Since, then, we are going to migrate from the tabernacles to the mountain, we ought to learn who these are who are going to migrate to the holy mountain of God. This that he said, Who shall dwell in your tabernacle, or who shall rest on your holy mountain, belongs to one who is asking. What, then, the prophet asked, the Holy Spirit now answers. And what does he say to him? Do you wish to know, O prophet, who shall dwell in my tabernacle, or who shall rest on my holy mountain? Hear what follows: if you do these things which follow, you shall dwell on my holy mountain. You, therefore, who wish to dwell in the tabernacle, and to ascend the holy mountain of God, need not listen to my words. Hear what the Lord answered the prophet; do this that the Lord commanded, and you shall ascend the holy mountain of God. — Homily 5, on Psalms 14 Theodoret of Cyrus: Since the psalm before this also prophesied salvation for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and forecast the return of those already made captive, it is right for him to introduce exhortation in this psalm and propose a way of life proper for them to live who are under God's command and enjoying such wonderful assistance. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 15:1 Ambrose of Milan: In everything, therefore, good faith is seemly, justice is pleasing, due measure in equity is delightful. But what shall I say about contracts, and especially about the sale of land, or agreements or covenants? Are there not rules just for the purpose of shutting out all false deceit and to make him whose deceit is found out liable to double punishment? Everywhere, then, does regard for what is virtuous take the lead; it shuts out deceit, it expels fraud. Wherefore the prophet David has rightly stated his judgment in general, saying, "He has done no evil to his neighbor." Fraud, then, ought to be wanting not only in contracts, in which the defects of those things that are for sale are ordered to be recorded (which contracts, unless the vendor has mentioned the defects, are rendered void by an action for fraud, although he has conveyed them fully to the purchaser), but it ought also to be absent in all else. Candor must be shown, the truth must be made known. — On the Duties of the Clergy 3.10.66 Augustine of Hippo: "He who walks without stain, and works righteousness" [Psalms 15:2]. Here he has laid down the proposition; in what follows he sets it forth in detail. — Exposition on Psalms 15 Augustine of Hippo: When the apostle says that in his opinion a person is justified through faith without the works of the Law, he does not intend by this decision to express contempt for the commandments and the works of justice by the profession of faith but to inform anyone that he can be justified by faith even if he has not previously fulfilled the works of the Law; for they follow when one has been justified and do not come before for one to be justified. — FAITH AND WORKS 14:21 Benedict of Nursia: Brothers, let us hear the Lord's answer to the question, an answer that shows the way to the heavenly tabernacle.… He who drives the tempter and his temptations far from his heart, defeats his malice and dashes his rising thoughts against the Rock Christ. He who fears the Lord without growing proud of his virtue and humbly acknowledges that what is good in him does not proceed from himself. He who gives God his due and with the prophet blesses the work of God in himself: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory." The apostle Paul found nothing of his own to boast of in his preaching: "By the grace of God [says he] I am what I am," and again, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." — RULE OF ST. BENEDICT, PROLOGUE Cassiodorus: The Lord Christ … entered the temple in Jerusalem free from all sin. For while others entered the house of God for purification, he alone entered in such a state that he might stand before the face of the Father without sin. He did not do this that the law might grant him something, but so that he, as the best legislator, might bestow something on the law by fulfilling it. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 15:2 Cassiodorus: He testifies in the Gospel that he always spoke without deceit when he says "Everything that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." What could be more pure or simple than that the unchangeable truth, without corruption by any addition or omission, might come to human ears in the purest possible integrity. "Nor did he commit any wrong against his neighbor." … [This virtue is] demonstrated in the life of the Lord: … Not only did Jesus hurt no one, he also endured all things patiently. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 15:3 Jerome: He who enters without stain, and works righteousness. That is why it is also said in the one hundred and eighteenth psalm: 'Blessed are the undefiled in the way.' At once, at the very beginning, it is said, Blessed are the undefiled in the way. As it is said there, undefiled in the way, so here too it is said, He who enters without stain. And he who enters is in the way. He who enters without stain. See what is commanded. He did not say, he who arrives at the end without stain; but he who is still on the journey, and has no stain. Someone could say: I have no stain, I have done no evil. It is not enough for us not to do evil, unless we also do good. Accordingly there follows, And works righteousness. See what he says, And works righteousness. He did not say, works chastity; he did not say, works wisdom, works fortitude. And these indeed are excellent virtues. For example, wisdom profits us, fortitude profits us, so that we may resist persecutions; then temperance and chastity profit us, that we may not lose our souls. Righteousness alone is a great virtue, and the mother of all. Let someone say: How is righteousness greater than the other virtues? The other virtues delight the one who has them: righteousness does not delight the one who has it, but others. If I am wise, wisdom delights me; if I am brave, my fortitude delights me; if I am chaste, my chastity is my joy: but righteousness does not profit the one who has it, but the other wretched ones who do not have it. Suppose some poor man has a quarrel with my brother; suppose my brother is powerful, and oppresses another — that is, one who is a stranger to me, a poor and wretched man — through his power: what does my wisdom profit the poor man? what does my fortitude profit the poor man? what does my chastity profit the poor man? Righteousness profits him, because I do not accept the person of my brother, but I judge for the truth. Righteousness does not know a brother, does not know a father, does not know a mother; it knows the truth, it does not accept the person, it imitates God. That is why he said And works righteousness, lest he should seem to have excluded the other virtues. He who is angry for another's relief, who does not delight in the miseries of others, this man is righteous. Let us speak also of the other things that follow. He who speaks the truth in his heart. Many speak the truth with their lips, but not in their heart; who seem to speak truly, but the heart does not agree with the lips. — Homily 5, on Psalms 14 Martin of Braga: The prophet David said that it was better for him to be corrected or advised by a just person than to be praised by any flatterer. It was right that he should denote the flatterer with the name of "sinner," since his is the greatest and most detestable crime in the sight of God—to hold one thing in his heart, speak another with his lips. Of such he also says in another psalm: "His words are smoother than oil, but they are drawn swords." Of the just person he says, "He speaks the truth in his heart and works not deceit with his tongue." Although in these ways any subtle remarks of people, even without the pleasing sensations of praise, may draw your credulous mind to agreement, turn rather to the deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and you will find that the Lord of lords left us to a great example of sacred humility amid the praises of people. Practice humility, then, take it for your mistress, set it as your guide when flatterers entice. Humility will tell you just how much of the things that people ascribe to you in praise is really yours and how long it will last. Humility does not let you be attentive to lies. — EXHORTATION TO HUMILITY 3 Theodoret of Cyrus: It is necessary, he is saying, for such a one to rid himself of evil and be free of all blame, and to practice every virtue studiously.… He must keep free of falsehood not only his tongue but also his mind, and be rid completely of the double deceit so that on their part no harm results to their neighbor. Now, it was very logical for him to make mention first of the heart, then of the tongue and then of the deed: word precedes action; and thinking, word. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 15:2 Augustine of Hippo: "Who speaks the truth in his heart." For some have truth on their lips, and not in their heart. As if one should deceitfully point out a road, knowing that there were robbers there, and should say, If you go this way, you will be safe from robbers; and it should turn out that in fact there were no robbers found there: he has spoken the truth, but not in his heart. For he supposed it to be otherwise, and spoke the truth in ignorance. Therefore it is not enough to speak the truth, unless it be so also in heart. "Who has practised no deceit in his tongue" [Psalms 15:3]. Deceit is practised with the tongue, when one thing is professed with the mouth, another concealed in the breast. "Nor done evil to his neighbour." It is well known that by "neighbour," every man should be understood. "And has not entertained slander against his neighbour," that is, has not readily or rashly given credence to an accuser. — Exposition on Psalms 15 Jerome: He who has practiced no deceit with his tongue: he who has uttered in speech what he has pondered in his mind. Nor has done evil to his neighbor. Some think that a neighbor is a brother, or a fellow townsman, or a kinsman, or a blood relation. But our Lord teaches in the Gospel in that parable, where a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho: a priest passed by, a Levite passed by, and had no pity: a Samaritan passed by, and had pity. And afterward the Lord asks, and says: Which of these was a neighbor? At once it is answered: He who did well. And the Lord adds: Go and do you likewise. All men, therefore, are neighbors to us, and we ought to do evil to none. But if we understand neighbors to be brothers and kinsmen, then are we permitted to do evil to strangers? But far be it to believe so. We are all men neighbors to men: for we have one Father. And has not accepted reproach against his neighbors. A great thing is said. Never, he says, has a neighbor murmured against him; never, he says, has he found any occasion to disparage him. This virtue exceeds the human condition, it is God's grace. — Homily 5, on Psalms 14 Augustine of Hippo: "The malicious one has been brought to nought in his sight" [Psalms 15:4]. This is perfection, that the malicious one have no force against a man; and that this be "in his sight;" that is, that he know most surely that the malicious is not, save when the mind turns itself away from the eternal and immutable form of her own Creator to the form of the creature, which was made out of nothing. "But those that fear the Lord, He glorifies:" the Lord Himself, that is. Now "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." As then the things above belong to the perfect, so what he is now going to say belongs to beginners. — Exposition on Psalms 15 Cassiodorus: When people swear an oath, they make a promise with God as their witness. But when God himself makes a promise, it is more appropriate to say that he has sworn. For "to swear" means "to speak justly" or "to speak truthfully." Now a person speaks truthfully when he promises those things which are fulfilled. Therefore God's swearing consists in making promises and fulfilling them, as it says elsewhere: "The Lord has sworn truthfulness to David, and he will not deceive him." — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 15:4 Diodorus of Tarsus: Whoever abhors the wicked, even if they are very rich, while "honoring those who fear the Lord," even if they are very lowly and poor, will live in honor and respect. There is therefore need to consider how in the apparent reply of God complete instruction in virtue emerges, the intention being for a person first to attend to piety and righteousness, then to keep one's distance from all wicked behavior, and after this not to admire the deportment of the rich if piety does not accompany wealth.… One should have especial regard for the poor provided they did not have a change of heart for the worse as a result of poverty but rather continued to be devoted to a godly way of life. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 15 Jerome: In his sight the malignant man is brought to nothing. See what he says. In his sight the malignant man is brought to nothing. Even if he is an emperor, even if he is a prefect, even if he is a bishop, even if he is a presbyter (for in the church these are the dignities), whoever is evil is counted for nothing in the sight of the holy man. And at once there follows, But he glorifies those who fear the Lord. This holy man, who enters without stain, who despises the powerful who are evil, if he sees anyone fearing God, though he be poor, yet him he glorifies. He who swears to his neighbor, and does not deceive. And here too we ought to understand "neighbor" as above. — Homily 5, on Psalms 14 Ambrose of Milan: What is more cruel than to lend money to one who has none and then to exact double the amount? If one cannot pay the simple amount, how will he pay double?… Nations have often failed because of usury, and this has been the cause of public calamity. — Letter 19: To Vigilius Augustine of Hippo: "Who sweareth unto his neighbour, and deceiveth him not." "Who hath not given his money upon usury, and hath not taken rewards against the innocent" (ver. 5). These are no great things: but he who is not able to do even this, much less able is he to speak the truth in his heart, and to practise no deceit in his tongue, but as the truth is in the heart, so to profess and have it in his mouth, "yea, yea; nay, nay;" and to do no evil to his neighbour, that is, to any man; and to entertain no slander against his neighbour: all which are the virtues of the perfect, in whose sight the malicious one hath been brought to nought. Yet he concludes even these lesser things thus, "Whoso doeth these things shall not be moved for ever:" that is, he shall attain unto those greater things, wherein is great and unshaken stability. For even the very tenses are, perhaps not without cause, so varied, as that in the conclusion above the past tense should be used, but in this the future. For there it was said, "The malicious one hath been brought to nought in his sight:" but here, "shall not be moved for ever." — Exposition on Psalms 15 Basil of Caesarea: We advise the poor … to persevere in their terrible situations rather than to accept the misfortunes that come from the payment of interest. But if you [who are rich] obey the Lord, what need is there of these words? What is the counsel of the Master? "Lend to those from whom you do not hope to receive in return." "And what sort of a loan is this," one might ask, "to which there is no hope of a return attached?" Consider the force of the Lord's statement, and you will admire the kindness of the Lawmaker. Whenever you have the intention of providing for a poor person for the Lord's sake, the same thing is both a gift and a loan, a gift because of the expectation of no repayment but a loan because of the great gift of the Master who pays in his place.… "He who has mercy on the poor lends to God." Do you not wish to have the Lord of the universe answerable to you for payment?… Give the money, since it is lying idle, without weighing it down with additional charges, and it will be good for both of you. There will be for you the assurance of its safety because of his custody; for him receiving it, the advantage from its use. And, if you are seeking additional payment, be satisfied with that from the Lord. He himself will pay the interest for the poor. Expect kindly acts from him who is truly kind. This interest, which you take, is full of extreme inhumanity. You make profit from misfortune, you collect money from tears, you strangle the naked, you beat the famished; nowhere is there mercy, no thought of relationship with the sufferer; and you call the profits from these things humane! Woe to you who say that the bitter is sweet and the sweet bitter, and who call inhumanity by the name of humanity. … "People do not gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles," or humanity from interest. Every "bad tree bears bad fruit." Some are collectors of a hundredfold and some collectors of tenfold, names horrible indeed to hear; monthly exactors, they attack the poor according to the cycles of the moon, like those demons that cause epileptic fits. It is wicked lending for both, for the giver and for the receiver, bringing loss to the one in money and to the other in soul.… It is not evident for whom you collect. It is indeed apparent who he is who weeps because of the interest, but it is doubtful who he is who is to enjoy the abundance that comes from it. In fact, it is uncertain whether you will not leave to others the gift of wealth, but the evil of injustice you have treasured up for yourself. "And from him who would borrow of you, do not turn away," and do not give your money at interest, in order that, having been taught what is good from the Old and the New Testament, you may depart to the Lord with good hope, receiving there the interest from your good deeds, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power forever. Amen. — HOMILIES ON THE Psalms 12:5 (Psalms 15) Cassiodorus: Money is clearly to be understood in two senses in the Holy Scriptures. The first is the metal money that we are completely forbidden to loan out for interest, because the vice of greed consists of the desire to demand back what you know that you have not lent. The Lord Christ certainly had this sort of money, which he entrusted to Judas to be distributed to the poor. He did not devote this type of money to making interest, but he gave it to those in need because of his merciful generosity in order to teach us. The other kind of money is the sort that we are persuaded by the gospel's teaching to give over to gain interest, namely, the most holy proclamations and divine instructions. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 15:5 Jerome: He who has not given his money at usury. There are many things that might be said, but the hour shuts us out. But since the day before yesterday we spoke about the beginning of the catechesis (κατήχησις), and, with God's favor, you came out of Chaldaea with Abraham, and you remember what we had said: how you came out of Chaldaea, and came into the land of promise — nay rather, the land of promise is promised to you. And indeed, after Abraham came into the land of promise, adversaries were on this side and that, enemies held the land. The Lord came, and led him outside, and set him on a mountain, and showed him the whole land, and said: 'All this I will give to you and to your seed.' To him he promised it, to us he will give it in return. — Homily 5, on Psalms 14 Leo the Great: The evil of usury must be shunned, and the profit that lacks all human kindness must be avoided. The means for unjust and grievous gain is increased, but the essence of the soul is worn down, since usury in money is the ruin of the soul. The holy prophet David showed what God thinks about the people of this kind when he says, "Lord, who will dwell in your tent, or who will rest on your holy mountain?" Those are taught by the reply of the divine voice, and those know that they have a part in eternal rest if, among the other rules of a holy life, "they do not give their own money at usury." They are shown to be strangers to the "tent" of God and foreign to his "holy mountain" if they seize a deceitful profit for their money by usury, and, while they want to be rich through another's loss, they are worthy to be punished by eternal penury. But you, dearly beloved, who have believed the promises of the Lord with your whole heart, flee the foul leprosy of avarice and make a holy and wise use of God's gifts. Since you enjoy his generosity, take care that you may be able to have companions of your joy. The things that are supplied to you are lacking to many, and in their need the material has been given to you for imitating the divine goodness, so that through you the divine goodness might pass over to others. As you give out your temporal goods well, you are acquiring eternal. — SERMON 17:3-4 Augustine of Hippo: Our King in this Psalm speaks in the character of the human nature He assumed, of whom the royal title at the time of His passion was eminently set forth. Now He saith as follows; "Preserve me, O Lord, for in Thee have I hoped" (ver. 1): "I have said to the Lord, Thou art my God, for Thou requirest not my goods" (ver. 2): for with my goods Thou dost not look to be made blessed. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Cassiodorus: The person of the Lord Savior is represented throughout the entire psalm. The first theme is undertaken from the perspective of his humanity in accordance with his custom. He speaks to the Father, asking to be saved because he has always placed his hope in him. In speaking this way, he does not minimize his own divinity in any way, but shows the nature of his humanity.… In the second theme, he returns thanks to the Father, who by appearing at his right hand, has overcome the iniquity of this age by the strength of his omnipotence. On this basis, he claims that his soul has been freed from hell, and he mentions that after the glory of the resurrection he has been placed among the delights at his right hand. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 16:1 Cassiodorus: Let us consider how this psalm teaches us about the tremdendous gift of salvation. In times of suffering, it conveys confidence and promises eternal glory in hope, so that by teaching us that our future will be prosperous we do not fear adversity in the present. This psalm is a heavenly school, a source of learning for life, a lecture hall filled with truth, and without doubt a unique teaching which occupies its students with fruitful meanings rather than with the flattery of empty words. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 16:11 Jerome: An inscription of a title, to David himself. In place of this the fifth edition put the Hebrew word itself, "MACTHAM David," which Aquila translated as "of the humble and simple David," and Symmachus as "of the humble and unstained David." And Aquila himself again, in the fifty-fifth psalm and in the rest as far as the fifty-ninth, rendered this very thing so as to say "of the humble and perfect David." From this we understand that one word signifies both "simple" and "unstained" and "perfect," yet in such a way that humility is always set before each of them; for among the Hebrews it is compounded of two whole words, so that, just as we say "almighty" (omnipotens), enclosing two words in one utterance, so also the word MACTHAM in the syllable which is called MAC shows humility without ambiguity, while in the following one which is called THAM it signifies the three things we mentioned above. Now there are six psalms, unless we are mistaken, which are headed by this title: the fifteenth psalm, and the fifty-fifth, and the fifty-sixth, and the fifty-seventh, and the fifty-eighth, and the fifty-ninth. All of these refer to the dispensation and passion of our Lord and Savior; and although in their headings they have among themselves certain things added, or removed, or varied, yet in this one phrase they agree, namely, in "the inscription of a title," which here stands alone by itself only in the fifteenth psalm. For in the remaining five certain historical notices too are prefixed, so that the prophecy concerning the Lord Savior might be shown not only in word but also in deed. And I think there are six psalms containing this mystery and headed with such a title for this reason, that the Savior, crucified for all on the sixth day of the world, dying and rising again, left us this as it were the title of his victory; so that we may inscribe upon our hearts these psalms which are marked with these headings, and press into them the words of God, and that our minds may be mindful of the Lord's death; so that, just as Jacob made a monument for Rachel and it remains to this day, so we may mark in our heart the memorial and remembrance of his passion. Nor indeed let that be thought contrary to our exposition which the Lord commanded in the Law: "You shall not make for yourself a monument, things which the Lord your God hates"; but to the singular number "a monument" he joined a plural of the neuter gender, saying, "things which the Lord your God hates," that is, you shall not do such works as remain for your condemnation forever. For these things the Lord your God hates. If perchance, through our negligence, he who oversows tares should erect such monuments in the land of promise, the clear-sighted ones (dioratikoi), namely the teachers, command the children of Israel to overthrow them and undermine them and banish them from the land that flows with milk and honey. Such a monument Absalom too built for himself, an empty tomb, which remains to this day for the disgrace and testimony of the parricide. Into such a monument Lot's wife too was turned, because she wished to look not at what lay ahead but behind her back. After this it is asked why the Seventy translators wished to translate otherwise than it stands in the Hebrew and in the other editions. This can be understood from many other passages too, but especially from the heading of the ninth psalm. For whereas among the Hebrews it is headed LAMANASSE ALMUTH LABEN, which Symmachus translates "the triumph of the youth of the son," but the fifth edition "the triumph of the flowering youth of the son," the Seventy translators, unwilling to disclose so openly to King Ptolemy and to the Gentiles the passion and resurrection of the Savior, translated "Unto the end, for the hidden things of the son"; and by the very title showing that certain hidden things lay concealed which they were unwilling to translate. So now too, because humility, simplicity, spotlessness, and perfection pointed not to a man (for there is no one who would dare to head himself with such a title) but to the Son of God, therefore they chose to translate "stelographia" (stēlographian), that is, a thing worthy to be marked with an inscription; so that we might understand one thing shut up in the title, and another uttered aloud in the word. Now a title is also placed for brave men upon their tombs in memory of their former courage, and for those who fell for their fatherland, and wherever there are trophies and victories, and where public laws are inscribed. The interpretation of all of which is easier when applied to the person of the Lord Savior. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Jerome: Preserve me, O Lord, for I have hoped in you; I said to the Lord: You are my God, for you have no need of my goods. If one apostle were to interpret this psalm, if two, the authority even of one and of two would be great. But now (a thing written of no other of the psalms) we have found concerning this in the Acts of the Apostles that Peter, together with the apostles of Christ—when Matthias had already been taken in as one of the twelve in place of Judas—expounding it lifted up his voice, and after many words said: "Men and brethren, let it be permitted to speak boldly to you concerning the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us to this very day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath that from the fruit of his loins one would sit upon his throne, foreseeing this he spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that he was neither left in hell, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we all are witnesses." Since then all the apostles alike have referred this psalm to the Lord Savior, we, who wish to be Christians, must surely follow their opinion. And no wonder that he who was equal to God and humbled himself, taking the form of a servant, now speaks with the words of a servant. Hence in the very title he is inscribed as humble and simple and unstained and perfect; because he who needed no one's help humbled himself so far as to entreat the Lord on our behalf, on behalf of the Church, that is, on behalf of his own body. And in very truth it is great humility—for God to pray for men, for the Lord to pray for servants, for the Holy One to pray for sinners: so that he not only says that he himself is clothed and given drink and visited in his servants, but even, when they have prayed and have been heard, confesses that he himself has prayed and been heard. Therefore, taking on a human body, he saw the hostile powers, he saw too the army of the devil, drawn up in a wedge-formation against him, doing battle; and therefore he now says: Preserve me, O Lord; for unless you preserve my body, the Church which hopes in you, they who guard her keep watch in vain. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Pseudo-Athanasius: The words in [this psalm] are sung as if by the person of Christ, who although he is noble as Lord by nature and has under his feet creation as a handmaid, yet he asks to be preserved by the Father as the head of the body of the church.… He made those sanctified by the Spirit a marvel in the land—in his church—teaching them the will of the Father as an angel of mighty counsel. They hastened to hear the preaching, not through blood [sacrifices] or practices of the law to please God, but through praise and bloodless sacrifice. Nor with names that befit their former works did he say, I shall call them, that is, idolaters and polytheists and atheists; but called and holy and pious, and who have a share in the Lord. Because the latter was obedient to the Father to death—which he calls a cup—for this reason he gave him as a portion and inheritance to the Gentiles. And he binds it to him with cords—fetters of spiritual life.… He is on [the Father's] right hand in that we gain through his hands his heavenly Father as helper, and like a rod of power he has supported our weakness. Therefore he also says to him: My flesh will reside in hope. The hope, then, is that his flesh will again assume the soul that was constituted. For his soul was not left in Sheol, nor did his body see the corruption of the grave.… For these things are granted us in him as the head and firstborn of the resurrection and because we have grown rich with his poverty. And again we shall be in unfading delights, which the saints will receive on the day of his manifestation from him who is the Father's right hand. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 16 Theodoret of Cyrus: The psalm is spoken in the person of the Savior but is spoken from the viewpoint of his humanity, as are also many other such statements that we find in the sacred Gospels.… In this psalm also he asks to be protected and is protected by himself: while he asks as a human being, as God he grants the request, his own Father of course being pleased and cooperating. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 16:2 Ambrose of Milan: Who has ever given him anything, since "from him, and through him and in him" are all things? The fount of life is that highest Good that bestows the substance of life on all, because it has life abiding in itself. It receives from no one as though it were needy; it lavishes goods on all and borrows from others nothing for itself, for it has no need of us. It says, too, in the person of humankind: "You do not need my goods." What is more lovely than to approach him and cling to him? What pleasure can be greater? What else can he desire who sees and tastes freely of this fount of living water? what realms? what powers? what riches? when he sees how pitiable are the conditions of kings, how changeable the status of their power, how short the span of this life, in how great bondage even sovereigns must live, since they live at the will of others and not their own. — Letter 29: To Irenaeus Augustine of Hippo: "I have said to the Lord, You are my God, for You require not my goods": for with my goods Thou dost not look to be made blessed. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Augustine of Hippo: What in any case are my goods, if not what I have been given by you? And how can the one by whom every good is given be in need of any good? — SERMON 331:2 Augustine of Hippo: It is man, not God, who benefits from the whole economy of worship. — City of God 10.5 Augustine of Hippo: God does not derive any benefit from our worship, but we do. When he reveals or teaches how he is to be worshiped, he does so in our own highest interest, with absolutely no need of anything for himself. All such sacrifices are symbolic; they are a representation of certain things by which our attention is aroused to study or understand or reflect on the realities represented by them. — LETTER 102:3 Cassiodorus: He points all things back to the one who has freely given them, not to himself who has received what was conferred on him. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 16:2 Jerome: But what follows—"I said to the Lord, You are my God"—he directs his speech to the apostles and to the disciples and to us, if indeed we deserve to be disciples, teaching what he has said to the Lord of the universe. What, then, does he say he has spoken to the Lord? "You are my Lord": that is, you who are the Lord of all have become peculiarly mine, that is, the Lord of my own. He was the Lord of all even in the Old Testament, since he had created all things; but he became peculiarly the Lord of the saints, saying: "I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." As, then, you are theirs, so you are now especially my Lord, because you deign to be the Lord of my own. And the reason why he is his Lord is added: For you have no need of my goods. For God almighty has no need of a man's goods, nor do our virtues contribute to God's advancement, since God receives no increase: but whatever we labor at and strive for, he receives and requires it of us for this reason, that he may restore to us what he has received. For that man too in the Gospel who from one mina had made ten minas not only received back what he had given, but was even granted the other mina, which another could not multiply. It is said also to Job: "What does it profit the Lord, if you make your way blameless?" Other masters, however powerful they may be, cannot yet say to their servants, "We have no need of your works": for indeed they make full use of their service. But God alone is a Lord who needs the service of his servants only for this, that he may have occasion to give more. And at the same time we are taught that if the Savior prays for us (for he did indeed pray also for the apostles in the Gospel, and therefore permitted those whom he had earlier urged to keep watch to sleep), we surely ought all the more to pray for ourselves: because, although we run, yet without him we cannot arrive at our goal, according to the interpretation of Symmachus and of the fifth edition, who said "My good is not apart from you"; so that this translation may be referred to that saying: "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guard the city, he keeps watch in vain who guards it." — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Theodoret of Cyrus: The abundance of good things, he is saying, comes to me from your grace. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 16:3 Augustine of Hippo: "To the saints who are on His earth" [Psalms 16:3]: to the saints who have placed their hope in the land of the living, the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, whose spiritual conversation is, by the anchor of hope, fixed in that country, which is rightly called God's earth; although as yet in this earth too they be conversant in the flesh. "He has wonderfully fulfilled all My wishes in them." To those saints then He has wonderfully fulfilled all My wishes in their advancement, whereby they have perceived, how both the humanity of My divinity has profited them that I might die, and the divinity of the humanity that I might rise again. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Jerome: To the saints who are in his land, he made all his wishes wonderful in them. In place of which it is written in the Hebrew: "To the saints who are in the land, and to my exalted ones, is all my will in them." These goods of which you have no need, O Father, my saints do need—the saints in whom I have made all my wishes to be wonderful. But I made my wishes wonderful not outside them, but in them: so that, while each one is corrected, and understands both who he was before and who he has now begun to be, my wonderful wishes may be brought about in them; yet only if, going out from Egypt and crossing the desert, they are able to enter the land of promise, which land is the beginning of the land of the living. Nor is this at once contrary to it—that wonders are said to be done only in the land of God—namely that in the field of Tanis, that is, in Egypt, wonders were done. For there is a great distance between the wonders done by Moses and those done by Jesus. There one flees from Egypt, here one enters into Judea; there lord Pharaoh is avoided, here those who are to serve are taken captive; there frogs and gnats and soot and hail and darkness are employed among the wonders, here command is given to the sun and to the moon; there God goes before the people in a pillar of cloud and of fire, here the Savior himself comes to meet them holding a sword and declaring that he will fight for his army. Do you see how the wonders that were in the land of promise are greater than those done in Egypt or in the desert? But we may understand the land of God as the Church, since to the saints who are in the Church all the wishes of God seem to be wonderful; for to those who are outside the Church nothing seems wonderful which by its own nature is wondrous. Let us therefore be in the land of God, and let us be transformed into the image of the Savior, and he will make all his wishes wonderful in us. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Augustine of Hippo: "Their infirmities have been multiplied" [Psalms 16:4]: their infirmities have been multiplied not for their destruction, but that they might long for the Physician. "Afterwards they made haste." Accordingly after infirmities multiplied they made haste, that they might be healed. "I will not gather together their assemblies by blood." For their assemblies shall not be carnal, nor will I gather them together as one propitiated by the blood of cattle. [Isaiah 1:11-12] "Nor will I be mindful of their names within My lips." But by a spiritual change what they have been shall be forgotten; nor by Me shall they be any more called either sinners, or enemies, or men; but righteous, and My brethren, and sons of God through My peace. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Jerome: Their infirmities have been multiplied; afterward they made haste. Whose infirmities have been multiplied? Surely those of the saints who above are recorded as being in the land of the Lord. When they were foolish, unbelieving, straying, and serving various desires and pleasures, passing their lives in greed and envy, their infirmities were being multiplied. But when they were washed and were sanctified and, turned to repentance, abandoned their past sins, then they made haste. I have read in the Epistle of Barnabas (if anyone is pleased to accept testimony from it) that God chose apostles who were more wicked than every sin. And surely, if they were more worthless than all sinners, their infirmities were nonetheless being multiplied in them; but see how quickly they afterward withdrew from them. To Peter and to his brother Andrew it is said: "Come and follow me." Likewise to James and John, who leave both their father and the boat and the net. Matthew rises up from the tax-booth, and at once is an apostle. Zacchaeus comes down from the tree, and is holy. Paul, persecuting the Church, suddenly believes, is washed, teaches, is subjected to persecutions, is beheaded. What is swifter than this conversion? The people of the Gentiles too, before they were converted to the Lord and heard through Isaiah, "Drink this first, do it quickly," was in all infirmities—or, as Symmachus translated, "hardships," or, as more fittingly Theodotion and the fifth edition, "idols." But when the cults of idols had been multiplied, believing at the first word of the apostles, it was quickly converted to the Lord. Which indeed Aquila too, translating "diaponēmata" (laborious things), according to his custom signifies as idols. For in the Hebrew it says ASABOTH, the very same word that is placed also there: "The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold." Further, in that he says "proikisamenōn," which the Seventy had rendered "they made haste," he seems to me to show a lofty meaning: namely that the apostles, or the people of the Gentiles, after they were converted to the faith of Christ, and the Lord had forgiven them their sins (for this is what "proikisamenōn" means, that as by a "proikia"—that is, as a free gift—their vices were reversed), their "diaponēmata," that is, their pains, were increased in them, since they knew in how great a sea's waters they had been and from what an abyss they had been freed; according to that which is written in Ecclesiastes: "He who adds knowledge, adds sorrow." And Paul: "I who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God." But it can also be discussed otherwise, since "strength is made perfect in weakness"; and when an apostle is weaker, then he is stronger. We too, if we wish to come quickly to the Lord, ought to multiply our infirmities, so that, made weak in the flesh, we may be stronger in the spirit. I will not gather their assemblies out of bloods. Clearly he who speaks is the Savior. For who else could say, "I will not gather their assemblies out of bloods"? But "their"—understand it either of the nations or of the apostles. If of the nations, this will be the meaning: Although they are guilty of blood, and have perpetrated many crimes, yet because after their infirmities they hastened to me, their assemblies will be pure and utterly foreign to blood. If of the apostles, this will be the meaning: They will by no means offer me victims as in the old Law, but there will be the spiritual religion of the New Testament. But according to a higher understanding, this must be said: That the Lord will abhor the man of bloods and the deceitful one; and the blood of the wicked is required from the hand of the watchman who has refused to preach the coming wrath of God; and whoever shall scandalize the least, he will slay him; and those whose hands are full of blood—it is certain that they cannot be gathered into the synagogues of the Lord, who must first be purged by the spirit of burning. As for "the synagogues of the Lord," let us understand either the churches in the present, or, as I think better, the various dwellings with the Father in the heavens, which he will not be able to enter who has been sprinkled with the gore of sins. Nor will I be mindful of their names through my lips. The saints, whose infirmities have been multiplied, and whose assemblies I will not gather out of bloods, because they hastened to me—I will by no means call them by their former names, but by new ones: that is, after I have washed them in my fountain, I will not call them, as before, sons of men, but sons of God. Or otherwise: I will change, he says, their names, and out of Simon I will make Peter, because upon his rock my Church is founded; out of the sons of Zebedee, sons of thunder, for I am about to entrust to them the sublime mysteries of my Gospel. And not only to these, but to Abraham too of old and to Sarah were their names changed; nor is it fitting that those whose life is different from their former manner of living should keep the same names. But another will interpret this—"Nor will I be mindful of their names through my lips"—thus: I will not name them lightly and as it were in passing, but I will hold them in the depth of my heart, I will keep them in my soul. So that, just as it is said to the unbelieving people, "This people honors me with its lips, but its heart is far from me," so, on the contrary, the Lord names his saints not with the lips only, but holds them with the inmost affection of his mind. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord is the portion of Mine inheritance, and of My cup" [Psalms 16:5]. For together with Me they shall possess the inheritance, the Lord Himself. Let others choose for themselves portions, earthly and temporal, to enjoy: the portion of the Saints is the Lord eternal. Let others drink of deadly pleasures, the portion of My cup is the Lord. In that I say, "Mine," I include the Church: for where the Head is, there is the body also. For into the inheritance will I gather together their assemblies, and by the inebriation of the cup I will forget their old names. "You are He who will restore to Me My inheritance:" that to these too, whom I free, may be known "the glory wherein I was with You before the world was made." [John 17:5] For You will not restore to Me that which I never lost, but You will restore to these, who have lost it, the knowledge of that glory: in whom because I am, You will restore to Me. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Augustine of Hippo: [The psalmist is saying] "O Lord, why give me some other inheritance? Whatever you give, it isn't worth much. You be my inheritance; I love you, I love you with all I am, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind I love you. What can it mean to me, anything you give me apart from yourself?" That is to love God freely, to hope in God for God, to hasten to be filled with God, to be satisfied with him. He, after all, is enough for you; apart from him, nothing is enough for you. — SERMON 334:3 Evagrius Ponticus: The inheritance is the contemplation of the present and future ages; the inheritance of Christ is the understanding of God. — NOTES ON THE PSALMS Jerome: He who in his own person is the Lord's portion, or has the Lord for his portion, must so bear himself as to possess the Lord and to be possessed by him. He who possesses the Lord and who says with the prophet, "The Lord is my portion," can hold to nothing beside the Lord. For if he holds to something beside the Lord, the Lord will not be his portion. — LETTER 52.5 Jerome: The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is you who will restore my inheritance to me. Our Savior in the Scriptures is called both high priest and king. High priest, in this: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." King, as in that place: "But I have been established as king by him over Zion, his holy mountain." According, then, to the fact that he is a priest, the Lord is his portion. For it is written in the Law: "To the sons of Levi you shall not give an inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel, for I am their portion, says the Lord." Hence from Jesus they received no portion in the land of Judah, but were dispersed throughout the tribes, that prophecy being fulfilled: "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel." But if the Levites had no portion except the Lord, how much more does this one who is high priest, and who dares to say "The Father abiding in me does his works," have the Father as his special and proper portion. But according to the fact that he is king, it is said to him: "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession." And note how elegantly the wording is measured in both cases. Of the Father it is said, "You are the portion of my inheritance." "You are," he says, not "you were": for the Son always remained in the Father, and the Father in the Son. But of the nations, "You," he says, "will restore to me my inheritance": for they ceased to be the Lord's inheritance when their infirmities were multiplied, and their assemblies were being gathered out of bloods. Although some think that the lower verse too should be referred to God the Father, so that the meaning is: Because I emptied myself, taking the form of a servant, and came down from my majesty to the earth, restore to me my inheritance; that is, yourself, in whom I always was, and glorify me with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. For you will not give me any new possession, but you will restore my inheritance, namely the divinity and nature of God, which I seemed not to have for the reason that I had taken the form of a man. Further, in that he says "and of my cup," it is doubtful to no one that in the Scriptures the cup is sometimes taken for a longed-for drink and joy, as in that place, "How excellent is your inebriating cup," and elsewhere, "I will take the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord." So that, just as our Savior is our food and drink (for indeed we feed on his flesh and drink of his blood), so of that man who was assumed by the Savior the food and cup is the Father, that is, the one common divinity with God the Father. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Leander of Seville: See, my blessed sister, how much you have achieved; see to what a high peak you have attained, how you have found the grace of many benefits in one and the same Christ. He is, indeed, your true Bridegroom, he is also your brother, he is likewise your friend, he is your inheritance, he is your reward, he is God and the Lord. You have in him a Bridegroom to love: "For he is fair in beauty above the sons of men." He is a true brother for you to hold, for by adoption you are the daughter of him whose natural Son Christ is. He is a friend of whom you need not doubt.… You have in him the inheritance that you may embrace, for he is himself the portion of your inheritance. You have in him the reward that you may recognize, for his blood is your redemption. You have in him God by whom you may be ruled, the Lord to fear and honor. — THE TRAINING OF NUNS, PROLOGUE Augustine of Hippo: "The lines have fallen to me in glorious places" (ver. 6). The boundaries of my possession have fallen in Thy glory as it were by lot, like as God is the possession of the Priests and Levites. "For Mine inheritance is glorious to Me." "For Mine inheritance is glorious," not to all, but to them that see; in whom because I am, "it is to Me." — Exposition on Psalms 16 Cassiodorus: According to an ancient custom, an inheritance used to be divided by roping off the lands, so that each person might obtain a portion of land by measurement, allotted by the size of the tract and the status of the individual. In this way, it says in the Old Testament that Moses commanded Joshua to distribute the inheritance of the promised land to the children of Israel through the use of cords. So he now rightly said "cords," because he spoke about the breadth and glory of his inheritance.… The inheritance of Christ is the predestined multitude of the saints. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 16:6 Evagrius Ponticus: If the line is measured, how is it written the Gospel of John: "For God gives the Spirit without measure" and "I will pour out my spirit on you." Perhaps by chance it is called "measure" not in terms of knowledge itself but on account of him who receives it, because its receptivity cannot be greater. The rain itself also may exceed the measure, yet it is measured in that vessel in which it is received. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 15[16].6 Jerome: The cords have fallen to me in excellent places: for indeed my inheritance is excellent to me. In place of that one people, I have possessed the whole world as my inheritance; and from the world, not just anyone, but the strong. For this is what "in excellent places" means, which in Greek is said "among the strong": according to that, "The Lord is my strength and my refuge and my deliverer," and in another place, "The Lord is my strength and my praise." If, then, anyone is excellent and strong, he is of the Lord's inheritance. Hence that Theophilus, "friend" or "lover of God," because he was such as to request that a Gospel be written to him, is called "kratistos," that is, excellent, strong: which was more simply translated by the Latins as "most excellent Theophilus." Further, the measuring-cord is used in the division of fields, and wherever possessions are distributed, or a census of earthly revenues is conducted, land is divided, as also in Joshua the son of Nun. An angel holding a measuring-cord is shown to the prophet who is about to build Jerusalem, so that first of all he may measure the extent of the city by reason and order, and thereafter build up what has been measured. And in the canticle of Deuteronomy we read: "The Lord's portion became his people Jacob, the cord of his inheritance Israel." In the second book of Kingdoms too, when David overcame the Moabites, the Scripture records two cords set apart for putting to death, and two for keeping alive. But what it means that of the Moabites some are set apart for death, others for life, Orpah shows, and Ruth: of whom the one, turned back to the idols and to her ancient homeland, is destined for death; the other, following her mother-in-law—whose name means "sweet"—says, "Your people is my people, and your God is my God." And so we too, if we wish to be of the Lord's inheritance and of his cord, let us be strong and robust, and let us say: "I can do all things in Christ who has strengthened me." Let there be nothing weak in us, nothing feeble, nothing that the heir would not deign to receive. Since indeed Christ glories in his saints, and says: For indeed my inheritance is excellent to me. Do you wish to know that the Savior's inheritance was excellent? Consider Peter, look at Paul, all the apostles and saints, since indeed they believed throughout the whole world, and you will see the inheritance of Christ, and an excellent one. In place of which Aquila translated: "For indeed my inheritance is most beautiful to me." So that it may be that which is said in the Song of Songs: "You are wholly beautiful, my love, and there is no spot in you." And again: "Behold, you are fair, my near one, behold, you are fair, your eyes are doves." You who are fair and strong, when you have become like him of whom it is sung, "In your beauty and your comeliness," you will hear from the Bridegroom: "Forget your people and your father's house, and the King will desire your beauty." — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Augustine of Hippo: "I will bless the Lord, who has given Me understanding" [Psalms 16:7]: whereby this inheritance may be seen and possessed. "Yea moreover too even unto night my reins have chastened Me." Yea besides understanding, even unto death, My inferior part, the assumption of flesh, has instructed Me, that I might experience the darkness of mortality, which that understanding has not. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Jerome: I will bless the Lord who has given me understanding: moreover even until night my reins have rebuked me. He who speaks below, "My flesh shall rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption," consistently now too says: I will bless the Lord who has given me understanding, moreover even until night my reins have rebuked me. For he who is Wisdom, how does he receive understanding? But because "Jesus advanced in age and wisdom and grace before God and men," the Son was instructed not so much by the Father as the man was instructed by his own divinity. Hence too, concerning him who flowered from the root of Jesse, there is the prophet's oracle: "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding." Which indeed, for beating back the madness of the Arian heresy, Aquila and Theodotion translated better, saying: "I will bless the Lord my counselor"; so that the Father did not so much give the Son wisdom and understanding which he did not have before, as join his own counsel to the Son's judgment. So that, just as in Proverbs Wisdom says that she was a counselor to God when he rejoiced in the completed world, and she rejoiced in herself daily; so also that same Wisdom, in the fact that he assumed a human body, that he died and rose again, shows that he was not without the Father's counsel, but according to that saying, "That I might do your will, my God, I willed it." But this too which follows, "Moreover even until night my reins have instructed me," must be taken thus, that we understand "reins" for hidden thoughts and deep affection, which is properly an idiom (idiōma) of the Scriptures. For as far as is in my memory, neither in any of the philosophers nor among the rhetoricians, nor among the poets, nor even among the physicians themselves, who promise a knowledge of the nature of bodies, do I recall ever having read that "reins" are put for the understanding and for deep thought. But Scripture uses this custom, so that when it wishes to indicate something secret and hidden or mystical, it says, "God who searches hearts and reins"; so that, since the heart is secret, the reins are the more secret parts of the heart. In Wisdom too, which is inscribed with the title of Solomon, I have found written: "God is the witness of his reins, and the true beholder of his heart, and the hearer of his tongue." In the book of the Patriarchs too, although it is counted among the apocrypha, I found it thus, that as the gall was created for anger, so the reins for cleverness and for shrewdness. But "panourgia," that is, cleverness, may be taken either in a good or in a bad sense: in a good sense, according to Proverbs, "That he may give," it says, "shrewdness to the innocent, and to the younger boy sense and understanding"; in a bad sense, as in the apostle, "But I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his shrewdness, your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." What he says, then, is this: my instruction and deep thought and the inner affection of the heart was not only with me in the heavenly places, but even while I dwelt in the night of this world and in darkness, it was engaged with me in the man, and instructed me, and was never absent from me, so that whatever the weakness of the flesh could not do, divine thought and power might accomplish. Or at least thus: my reins instructed me, who possess the inner wisdom of divinity, by which I was taught, when the passion was imminent, not to yield to human frailty through the terror of the cross. Moreover, what else does this declare (since the Savior's life is our example) but that he, not only waking but even sleeping, was free from every sin, and remained pure from every phantasm of the flesh: so that the saints too, who desire to be like their Lord and Master, may guard their heart with all watchfulness, and be overcome not only when waking, but not even in sleep—that is, not only by day, but not even by night. This too must be noted, that he said, "Moreover even until night my reins have rebuked me": to show that before night came, or before the Savior himself began to be in the night, he was always instructed by his own wisdom. There is another interpretation: because divine Scripture always speaks of God's powers after the likeness of human limbs—for example, when it says he has feet, eyes, ears, hands, and other things of this kind—that here "reins" should be taken for the places of the seed; so that, just as the beginning of men and the element of human flesh is founded in the seed, so our judgments too, and the beginnings of our thoughts, have their reins: so that, before we handle anything either in deed or in word, silent thought may hold this in its own movement and consider it within itself. So that the meaning is: our Lord and Savior could not sin—not only in deed and word, but not even in thought or in the beginnings of thoughts, which they call "propatheiai" (pre-passions)—he whom the Word of God was daily instructing. Not that God is one and the man another; but so that one and the same Son of Man and Son of God may now, as man, pray, now, as Lord, hear. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Augustine of Hippo: "I foresaw the Lord in My sight always" [Psalms 16:8]. But coming into things that pass away, I removed not My eye from Him who abides ever, foreseeing this, that to Him I should return after passing through the things temporal. "For He is on My right hand, that I should not be moved." For He favours Me, that I should abide fixedly in Him. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Cassiodorus: By explaining what he did, he passes on to us the unique remedy through which we can avoid sins. For the person who constantly keeps him in his mental line of sight does not turn toward transgressions in any way. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 16:8 Hesychius of Jerusalem: Do you see the equal worth of the Son with the Father? Sometimes the Son is said to stand or to sit on the right; now they grant the right to the Father, so that you may say that there is one power, that of the Father (the begetter) and that of the begotten (the Son), even if now he is humbled on account of the flesh. — Large COMMENTARY ON Psalms 16:7 Jerome: I foresaw the Lord in my sight always: for he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved. In place of what we read in Latin, "I foresaw," and what in Greek is written "proōrōmēn," it stands better in the Hebrew SEBETHI, which we may render "I set before myself." So that it means: I set the Lord before me always at my right hand, and I could be overthrown by no fraud of my enemies. And at the same time consider that it is in our power to set the Lord before our eyes. He who is just and is like the Savior places God at his right hand, and says, "Because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved." But he places him at the right hand for this reason, that he has before his eyes the one whom he follows as he goes before. But he who is a sinner casts the word of the Lord behind his back, and the Lord becomes for him at the left hand. And when the devil has looked at him on the left of the sinner, he at once moves to the sinner's right, so as to possess the place of God: and that is fulfilled which is written of Judas: "Let the devil stand at his right hand." Why this is put not as in narration but as in prayer belongs to another place to discuss. For the Lord Savior, then, or through the Lord for his saints, God always stands at the right hand. But the just man has no left hand, and wherever he turns, "the angel of the Lord encamps round about those who fear him, and will deliver them." Do you wish to know that the just man has no left hand? When Moses, in the type of the cross, lifted both his hands to heaven, it is not written, "Aaron was at his right and Hur at his left," but that on this side stood Aaron and on that side Hur. In the book of Judges too, that leader Ehud, whose mystery is manifold and great, who had a sword upon his thigh, and had cut off desires, and had also run through with his blade his very fat and gross adversary, is for that reason written "amphoterodexios," that is, having both hands as a right hand, whom in Latin we may call "ambidextrous." Someone may object: If the just man has no left hand, how is Wisdom written to have both a right hand and a left? A diligent reader will very easily judge how great is the difference between the right hand of Wisdom and the left, when he has noticed what things are said to be in her right and what in her left. For it is said: "Length of eternity and years of life are in her right hand, but in her left hand riches and glory." You see eternal time and perpetual life placed in Wisdom's right hand; but the carnal things which pass away, which flee off while they are thought to be held—that is, riches and glory—placed in her left hand, according to that, that on the day of judgment some will stand at the right, and others at the left: the lambs, that is, and the saints at his right, but the goats and the sinners at his left. But perhaps an inquisitive reader will object this too: how we can assert that God stands at the right of the just man, and the devil at the left of the sinner, when concerning our Lord it is read in Zechariah, "And the devil was standing at his right hand to oppose him." Let him, then, who objects this read also what follows: that when the devil was standing at his right hand, Jesus had filthy garments. Rightly did he who had taken up our sins and was bearing our offenses have the devil at his right hand, not so much for himself as for the filthy garments. And at the same time let him consider that it is not said, "The devil was standing as victor and triumphing," but as still set in the contest and in the battle-line and in doubt—indeed, when he had not yet begun to fight. For it follows, "That he might oppose him." But the devil was opposing him, as we said, because he had filthy garments from our sins. But after he heard, "May the Lord who chose Jerusalem rebuke you," he did not stand at the right, but went behind his back and under his feet, and at once Jesus the great priest receives the ankle-length robe (poderis), and is clothed in white vesture, and, royal dignity being joined to him—that is, Zerubbabel being coupled with him—builds the Church, and constructs the spiritual Jerusalem. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Athanasius of Alexandria: We die not by our own choice but by necessity of nature and against our will. However, the Lord, being himself immortal yet having mortal flesh, had power, as God, to separate from his body and to take it back again, when he would.… For it was fitting that the flesh, corruptible as it was, should no longer after its own nature remain mortal, but because of the Word who had put it on, should abide incorruptible. For as he, having come in our body, was conformed to our condition, so we, receiving him, partake of the immortality that is from him. — Discourses Against the Arians 3.28.57 Augustine of Hippo: "Wherefore My heart was glad, and My tongue exulted" [Psalms 16:9]. Wherefore both in My thoughts is gladness, and in my words exultation. "Moreover too My flesh shall rest in hope." Moreover too My flesh shall not fail unto destruction, but shall sleep in hope of the resurrection. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Cyril of Alexandria: Let us see [Jesus] … in his suffering as man but not suffering as God, and in his dying in the flesh but being greater than death, and in not remaining … in the tomb as we do and not being held fast by the gates of the underworld together with the other dead.… For he rose again, despoiling death and "saying to the prisoners: Come out, to those in darkness: Show yourselves," and he ascended to his Father above in the heavens to a position inaccessible to people, having taken on himself our sins and being the propitiation for them. — LETTER 41:13 Gregory of Nyssa: Yea, the prophet David also, according to the interpretation of the great Peter, said with foresight of Him, "Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption," while the Apostle Peter thus expounds the saying, that "His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption." For His Godhead, alike before taking flesh and in the flesh and after His Passion, is immutably the same, being at all times what It was by nature, and so continuing for ever. But in the suffering of His human nature the Godhead fulfilled the dispensation for our benefit by severing the soul for a season from the body, yet without being Itself separated from either of those elements to which it was once for all united, and by joining again the elements which had been thus parted, so as to give to all human nature a beginning and an example which it should follow of the resurrection from the dead, that all the corruptible may put on incorruption, and all the mortal may put on immortality, our first-fruits having been transformed to the Divine nature by its union with God … the Lord, reconciling the world to Himself by the Humanity of Christ, apportioned His work of benevolence to men between His soul and His body, willing through His soul and touching them through His body. — AGAINST EUNOMIUS 2:13 Jerome: Because of this my heart has been glad and my tongue has rejoiced. This that he says, "Because of this," must be joined to what precedes, so that he says the cause of his gladness, or exultation, was this, that he always had God before his eyes, and, with him standing at his right hand, was never moved; and so let the order be: My heart has been glad and my tongue has rejoiced, rendering a hymn to the Father for the salvation of men, because, while I stood and endured the death of the cross, the Lord was set at my right hand. This passage also tells against those who reckon that the members which are set forth in the Scriptures must always be understood bodily. For let them answer how a tongue by itself can rejoice, or how a tongue, as if perceiving and understanding, can have its own gladness. Since indeed he does not say, "the tongue rejoiced," but "my tongue rejoiced." Understand, then, of the tongue as of the other members too, namely that it has all its effects, according to that saying of Solomon: "In the hand of the tongue are death and life." But in place of what is read in the Acts of the Apostles and in the common edition, "My tongue rejoiced," it must be known that in the other editions, and among the Seventy themselves too, it is not "tongue" that is put, but "glory," which in Hebrew is called CHABOD. For "tongue" is called LASON. And I think that, because the glory of the orator is in the praise of his speech, just as the glory of the physician is in the industry of the medical art, and the athlete's glory is his strength, and the glory of the other arts is to fulfill what they know: therefore the tongue, through which what is felt is uttered, has been put for "glory." Or at least the glory of that man who was assumed by Christ must be understood, the one concerning whom it is said elsewhere, "My glory, and the lifter-up of my head." Or his glory must be understood as the apostles, because they glorified him in the whole world: just as we call an ample flock the glory of the shepherd, and learned disciples the glory of the master, and strong armies the glory of the general. Further, as to what John says, "We saw his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth," and what is written in another place, "Arise, my glory, arise": let us understand that to be the Savior's glory which the apostles saw in the humility of his flesh, so that they gazed with keener eyes not on what appeared, but on what lay hidden in the body. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Jerome: Moreover my flesh too shall rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption. It is superfluous to wish to treat of those things which have been explained by the apostles. We therefore say these things, which were passed over by them as being, as it were, of lesser importance: that he said, "My flesh shall dwell in hope," for this reason, that the Savior descended to the dead with the hope of rising again at once. And he did not say "shall dwell," or "shall rest," as is read in the Latin manuscripts, but "kataskēnōsei," that is, "shall sojourn," so that the meaning is: It will tarry there a little while, and will see the underworld in passing, and his soul too will not be left in hell. "For I have power to lay down my soul, and I have power to take it up again." Nor will it be granted by the Father to see corruption. But he said "to see" for "to suffer," according to that idiom (idiōma) of the Scriptures: "Who is the man that lives, and shall not see death?" And elsewhere: "He who, though he had not known sin, was made sin for us." And at the same time note that the Lord had both flesh and soul: the flesh which was laid in the tomb, and the soul which descended to the underworld. And as the flesh without the soul was perfect flesh, so also the soul without the flesh was a perfect soul, and lacked no function of its own nature which the human soul is wont to have apart from sin. This is against the new heresy. And at the same time, because some argue variously, from the fact that the Lord entered with the doors shut, that the same flesh did not rise which had died, let them hear what the Lord himself here recalls. Moreover my flesh too shall rest in hope. Surely, when the Savior had died and suffered, that flesh was laid in the tomb which had also been alive; that flesh, then, also rose again, which had lain lifeless and dead in the tomb. But if the same flesh rose, how do some argue that a certain spiritual and great flesh, and not our own, rose in the Lord? Nor do we say this in such a way as to deny that the body of Christ took on that glory which we believe that we saints too shall receive. For then this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. But as, before he suffered, when transformed and glorified on the mountain he had assuredly the same flesh which he had also had down below, though of another glory; so also after the resurrection there was in him flesh of the same nature which had been before the passion, but of a more glorified and more august appearance, that being fulfilled which Paul says: "And so from now on we know no one according to the flesh; and even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know him so." I am compelled in this place to say that word of the apostle: "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God: how unsearchable are his judgments and untraceable his ways!" God the Son, God the Word, so long as he was in the heavens, and men had not so sinned that he himself should descend to them, dwelt simple and uncompounded with the angels, thrones, dominions, and the other powers. But when he descended to men, namely those who were framed of soul and body, he too came compounded, lest the compounded ones should be unable to bear the simple. Again, because souls without bodies were being held in the underworld, souls which in their nature are simple, so, the flesh itself being left behind, it was not God the Word, not the compounded man, but the soul that descended to the underworld: so that, just as each place had need of him, he might so be perceived by the inhabitants of that region. I know that many, since the body of Christ is the Church, and we are its members, according to anagogy (anagōgēn) understand as the flesh of Christ those who are lower, and as the soul those who are more perfect; or at least as the flesh those who follow the literal history, as the soul those who ascend to spiritual understanding. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 John Damascene: The word destruction (phthora) has two meanings. [First], it means human sufferings such as hunger, thirst, weariness, piercing with nails, death—that is separation of the soul from the body—and the like. In this sense, we say that the Lord's body was destructible, because he endured all these things freely. Destruction, however, also means the complete dissolution of the body and its reduction to the elements of which it was composed. By many this is more generally called corruption (diaphthora). This the Lord's body did not experience, as the prophet David says [in this psalm].… Therefore, it is impious to say with the insane Julian and Gaianus that before the resurrection the Lord's body was indestructible in the first sense. For, if it was thus incorruptible, then it was not consubstantial with us, and the things such as the hunger, the thirst, the nails, the piercing of the side and death that the gospel says happened did not really happen but only seemed to. But if they only seemed to happen, then the mystery of the incarnation is a hoax and a stage trick; it was in appearance and not in truth that he was made man and in appearance and not in truth that we have been saved. But far be it, and let those who say this have no part in salvation. We, however, have gained and shall obtain the true salvation. Moreover, in the second sense of the word destruction, we confess that the Lord's body was indestructible, that is to say, incorruptible, even as has been handed down to us by the inspired fathers. — ORTHODOX FAITH 3:28 Origen of Alexandria: "My flesh will rest in hope." The Lord Jesus Christ says these words, whose flesh is the first to rest in hope. Crucified, made the first fruit of the dead and having been taken into heaven after the resurrection, he carried the earthly body with him so that even the heavenly powers were awestruck and terrified seeing the flesh ascending into heaven. Concerning Elijah it was written that he was taken up into heaven; and about Enoch, that he was translated. Now, however, it is said that Jesus ascended into heaven. Let him be offended who so wishes at our word. I, however, guard it will all faith because just as Christ is the first fruit from the dead, so also he is the first to carry his flesh to heaven. — SELECTIONS FROM THE Psalms 16:9 Augustine of Hippo: "For You will not leave My soul in hell." For You will neither give My soul for a possession to those parts below. "Neither will You grant Your Holy One to see corruption." Neither will You suffer that sanctified body, whereby others are to be also sanctified, to see corruption. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Augustine of Hippo: Who save him who rose on the third day was in a position to say that his flesh rested in hope, that his soul, not left in hell, would swifty return to reanimate his flesh, that his flesh would not undergo corruption as other corpses rot away? Surely, no one can maintain that all of this was verified in David, king and prophet! — City of God 17.18 Cassiodorus: Where are the false statements of the Apollinarians who say that the Lord Christ did not have a rational soul? Here he cries out and gives thanks to the Father because his soul is not abandoned to hell in the normal way, but is glorified by a swift resurrection and has passed to the realms of heaven. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 16:10 Diodorus of Tarsus: Blessed Peter in the Acts of the Apostles took these words as applied to the Lord.… He did not, however, take the words as though he were undermining their factual basis, but as more applicable to the Lord than to those of whom they were said, especially since it was also in the case of the Lord that the outcome of the events more appropriately brought out these words than in the case of those who live for a while but later are consigned to death—the Israelites themselves, I mean. Nothing therefore prevents either the factual basis being preserved or these words being understood of the Lord. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 16 Jerome: Moreover my flesh too shall rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption. It is superfluous to wish to treat of those things which have been explained by the apostles. We therefore say these things, which were passed over by them as being, as it were, of lesser importance: that he said, "My flesh shall dwell in hope," for this reason, that the Savior descended to the dead with the hope of rising again at once. And he did not say "shall dwell," or "shall rest," as is read in the Latin manuscripts, but "kataskēnōsei," that is, "shall sojourn," so that the meaning is: It will tarry there a little while, and will see the underworld in passing, and his soul too will not be left in hell. "For I have power to lay down my soul, and I have power to take it up again." Nor will it be granted by the Father to see corruption. But he said "to see" for "to suffer," according to that idiom (idiōma) of the Scriptures: "Who is the man that lives, and shall not see death?" And elsewhere: "He who, though he had not known sin, was made sin for us." And at the same time note that the Lord had both flesh and soul: the flesh which was laid in the tomb, and the soul which descended to the underworld. And as the flesh without the soul was perfect flesh, so also the soul without the flesh was a perfect soul, and lacked no function of its own nature which the human soul is wont to have apart from sin. This is against the new heresy. And at the same time, because some argue variously, from the fact that the Lord entered with the doors shut, that the same flesh did not rise which had died, let them hear what the Lord himself here recalls. Moreover my flesh too shall rest in hope. Surely, when the Savior had died and suffered, that flesh was laid in the tomb which had also been alive; that flesh, then, also rose again, which had lain lifeless and dead in the tomb. But if the same flesh rose, how do some argue that a certain spiritual and great flesh, and not our own, rose in the Lord? Nor do we say this in such a way as to deny that the body of Christ took on that glory which we believe that we saints too shall receive. For then this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. But as, before he suffered, when transformed and glorified on the mountain he had assuredly the same flesh which he had also had down below, though of another glory; so also after the resurrection there was in him flesh of the same nature which had been before the passion, but of a more glorified and more august appearance, that being fulfilled which Paul says: "And so from now on we know no one according to the flesh; and even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know him so." I am compelled in this place to say that word of the apostle: "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God: how unsearchable are his judgments and untraceable his ways!" God the Son, God the Word, so long as he was in the heavens, and men had not so sinned that he himself should descend to them, dwelt simple and uncompounded with the angels, thrones, dominions, and the other powers. But when he descended to men, namely those who were framed of soul and body, he too came compounded, lest the compounded ones should be unable to bear the simple. Again, because souls without bodies were being held in the underworld, souls which in their nature are simple, so, the flesh itself being left behind, it was not God the Word, not the compounded man, but the soul that descended to the underworld: so that, just as each place had need of him, he might so be perceived by the inhabitants of that region. I know that many, since the body of Christ is the Church, and we are its members, according to anagogy (anagōgēn) understand as the flesh of Christ those who are lower, and as the soul those who are more perfect; or at least as the flesh those who follow the literal history, as the soul those who ascend to spiritual understanding. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Origen of Alexandria: These three parts were divided at the time of the sufferings. These three parts were reunited at the time of the resurrection. At the time of the sufferings they were divided. In what way? The body in the tomb, the soul in hell, the spirit was given up to the Father. The soul in hell: "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." — DIALOGUE WITH HERACLIDES Origen of Alexandria: If, therefore, we have understood what it is to cry out with a loud voice and thus to give up the spirit, that is, to commend it "into the hands of God" (for so we expounded above, setting forth the exposition of the evangelist Luke), if we have understood what it is to bow the "head" and hand over the "spirit," let us hasten to keep our life such that at our departure we too may be able to cry out with a loud voice and thus to give up the spirit, or to bow the "head" and hand over the "spirit," like Jesus who "bowed his head" and, as it were, resting it upon the bosom of the Father, went forth—the Father who was able to cherish and strengthen it in his bosom. But if you wish to hear what it profited Christ to have cried out with a loud voice and thus to have given up the spirit, that is, to have commended the "spirit" "into the hands" of the Lord and thus to have given it up, or to have bowed the "head" upon the bosom of the Father and to have handed over the "spirit," hear what the prophet says: for "on this account" "he did not leave his soul in hell, nor did he give" him "to see corruption." If, therefore, we too conduct ourselves in such a way that we can commend our spirits into the hands of God, or bow our head upon the bosom of God and thus hand over our spirit, then without doubt he will neither leave our souls in hell nor give us to remain in corruption forever. But he who called him back from the dead after the third day will call us back too at the opportune time; and he who granted him that his flesh should not see "corruption" will grant to us—not indeed that our flesh should not see "corruption," but that it should be freed from corruption at the opportune time—since he indeed "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth," but we shall be just if at least at some time we depart from our sins. — COMMENTARY ON Matthew 138 Theodoret of Cyrus: So at this place, too, Christ the Lord in human fashion says, "Constantly supported by the divine nature, I am in the midst of my saving passion and find gladness in the hope of resurrection. My soul, you see, will not be abandoned in hades, nor will my flesh suffer natural corruption. I shall achieve a rapid resurrection and return to life, giving all people a glimpse of this path." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 16:7 Theodoret of Cyrus: This psalm refutes the folly of Arius, of Eunomius and of Apollinaris: the former ones said God the Word assumed a body without a soul, whereas Apollinaris called the body that was assumed ensouled though denying it a rational soul; I do not know where he found his doctrine of these two souls—the divine Scripture nowhere teaches it. Yet the all-Holy Spirit through blessed David made undisguised mention of a soul, thus giving clear refutation of each heresy. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 16:8 Augustine of Hippo: "You have made known to Me the paths of life." You have made known through Me the paths of humiliation, that men might return to life, from whence they fell through pride; in whom because I am, "You have made known to Me." "You will fill Me with joy with Your countenance." You will fill them with joy, that they should seek nothing further, when they shall see You "face to face;" in whom because I am, "You will fill Me." "Pleasure is at Your right hand even to the end." Pleasure is in Your favour and mercy in this life's journey, leading on even to the end of the glory of Your countenance. — Exposition on Psalms 16 Cassiodorus: To "fill up from full" means to make something more than full, and he who brings more pours into a container that is already full. That joy fills up in such a way that the vessel always remains full. This text also indicates that all the righteous are going to be filled with the joy of the Lord's face in that blessedness, and because it is the Lord who speaks, he testifies that he is able to be filled up among them. But we should consider more carefully what it means when he says here that he will be filled with delights at the right hand of the Father, although he said earlier "for he is at my right hand so that I may not be moved." Without a doubt, in this age after he assumed human flesh, he was whipped, bruised by slaps, and splattered with spittle. Since he was not overcome at all by any of these adversities, the Scripture rightly says that the Lord was always there at his right hand. For he overcame the opposition of the world because he did not depart at all from the contemplation of his Father. But after the glory of the resurrection, he can rightly say that he found delight at the right hand of the Father since by that time the opposition of the world had come to an end, his humanity had become filled by the glorification of his full majesty, and he now reigns united with the Word together with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and forever. "Even to the end" refers to perfection and eternity. His glory remains in his perfection and will not come to an end at any time. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 16:11 Jerome: You have made known to me the ways of life; you will fill me with gladness with your countenance: delights are at your right hand unto the end. Because his flesh did not see corruption, and his soul was not left in hell, now after the resurrection, ascending to the heavens as victor, in the person of that man who had risen, he says, "You have made known to me the ways of life": that is, I have learned how men are freed from the underworld, by what means they may attain eternal life. And at the same time consider that he who is the Way and the Life said that he had learned the ways of life, that is, how men may attain to him who said that he is the Way and the Life. And I think that, just as he himself is the Truth, and, speaking to the Jews, "If you abide in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," he speaks as it were of another truth; so, since he himself is the Life, he speaks as it were of another life, and since he himself is the Way, he says that other ways were shown to him—or, as it is read in the Hebrew, "the way": namely, that the flesh which he had taken, and in his flesh the whole race of men, might rejoice that those things which belonged to the divinity of the Son were made known to it. For which reason he says that he rejoices, and has exultation with the Father (for this is what "with your countenance" means, according to that, "You will make him glad with joy with your countenance"), and full and perfect gladness and ineffable delight, when he shall sit at the Father's right hand, and shall have fulfilled, "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." The Son sits at the Father's right hand in the majesty of one reigning; and because he had seen his first martyr Stephen battling against the Jews, he rose from his throne and stood at the Father's right hand, as if he too were fighting for the martyr. This is the delight, this the pleasure at the end of the dispensation, or of the victory: for in place of "end" Aquila and Theodotion and all the editions, except Symmachus and the Seventy, translated "victory"; because he suffered, and rose again, and as victor pierced through to the heavens, for this reason: that he might set man at the right hand of the Lord. It must also be noted that in this place where we read, "You will fill me with gladness," Theodotion said "Seven gladnesses," and "With your countenance is delight at your right hand. To the victor"; and Aquila and Symmachus translated "A fullness of gladnesses with your face," or "in your presence," and the rest. It is asked, then, why Theodotion said "seven" for "fullness." This indeed he will easily know who has at least a small acquaintance with the Hebrew tongue. For the word SABA, as we have also said in the book of Hebrew Questions, signifies four things: fullness and satiety, an oath, and seven. Since, therefore, it is ambiguous, Theodotion, knowing that there are diverse graces of the Spirit with God, thought that, for the fitness of the passage, "seven" ought rather to be translated than "fullness," "satiety," and "oath"; so as to show that with God there are the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the Spirit of knowledge and of piety, the Spirit of the fear of the Lord: which are truly the seven full gladnesses—not for others, but for him who has deserved to be delighted forever at the right hand of the Lord. For this reason some suppose that seven heavens were named by the philosophers, and seven wandering stars called. Further, Symmachus, where we read, "Delight is at your right hand unto the end," says, "Strength is at your right hand forever": showing that he who is full of virtues will remain continually with God. — Homily 61, on Psalms 15 Maximus of Turin: This is certainly said in the person of the Savior at the time of the resurrection. When after his death he returned to the heavenly heights from the lower regions, he began to make known the path of life, which was previously unknown. The path of life was unknown before Christ, since it was still untouched by the foot of anyone who rose from the dead. But when the Lord rose, once the path become known, it become well worn by the soles of many, about whom the Evangelist says: "The bodies of many holy people arose along with him and entered into the holy city." So too, since the Lord said at his own resurrection: "You have made known to me the paths of life," we are also now able to say to the Lord, "You have made known to us the paths of life." For he who showed us the way to life has himself made known to us the paths of life. He made known to me the paths of life when he taught me faith, mercy, righteousness and chastity. By journeying along these, one arrives at salvation. Even though the shadow of death encompasses us at the destruction of our body, still life does not forsake its steps; we walk quickly through the very midst of the decrees of hell by the power of Christ. For this reason, the holy prophet says: "Even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will not fear evils, for you are with me." The Lord says this same thing about the believer even more clearly: "He who believes in me will not die, and although he dies, he will live." — SERMON 14:1 Theodoret of Cyrus: He will be in unceasing joy, having become immune to suffering, to change, to death, even in his human nature. As God, you see, this was always the case, and of course even in his human nature once formed in the womb it was easy to provide him with this. But he allowed the nature he had assumed to travel through the sufferings so as by these means to loose the sway of sin, put a stop to the tyranny of the devil, undo the power of death and provide all people with the basis of a new life. So as man he assumes both incorruption and immortality. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 16:8 Augustine of Hippo: "Hear My righteousness, O God, consider My supplication." "Hearken unto My prayer, not in deceitful lips:" not going forth to You in deceitful lips. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Cassiodorus: Although some psalms contain prayers combined sporadically with other diverse material, this psalm is almost entirely a supplication in its composition. Therefore it is appropriately designated as such from the start, since its purpose is entirely focused on zeal for prayer. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 17:1 Eusebius of Caesarea: We speak fully and clearly when we use words taken from divine Scripture.… The righteous person alone cleanses his tongue, lips and the voice itself from using more common words, as one acquainted with that verse: "You will give an account of every careless word on the day of judgment." The ears of God do not hear words offered from lying lips, but they receive any word offered from a cleansed tongue accustomed to meditating on divine words. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 17:1 Augustine of Hippo: "Let My judgment from Your countenance go forth." From the enlightening of the knowledge of You, let Me judge truth. Or at least, let My judgment go forth, not in deceitful lips, from Your countenance, that is, that I may not in judging utter anything else than I understand in You. "Let My eyes see equity:" the eyes, of course, of the heart. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: "You have proved and visited Mine heart in the night-season" [Psalms 17:3]. For this Mine heart has been proved by the visitation of tribulation. "You have examined Me by fire, and iniquity has not been found in Me." Now not night only, in that it is wont to disturb, but fire also, in that it burns, is this tribulation to be called; whereby when I was examined I was found righteous. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Diodorus of Tarsus: Even before I make the request, my predicament does not escape you, nor are you ignorant of all the designs in my heart that I experience in the night and ponder by day. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 17 Eusebius of Caesarea: Who can with confidence say, "I am pure from sins"? Christ alone is truly and properly able to say these words.… When gold is tested by fire, it remains pure and shining. According to Isaiah, out of all people since the beginning of the age, Christ alone "did not sin, nor was there any deceit found in his mouth." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 17:3 Theodoret of Cyrus: Although many times [David had] Saul in his grasp, he refrained from doing away with him and instead rendered good for evil; hence he recalled even the night in which he did this, when by night he saved the sleeping Saul from death and allowed no one to deal him a lethal blow. Now, in a figurative manner he calls his disasters "nights" on account of the gloom of discouragement, as likewise he refers to the test as burning: "you examined me by fire," he says, "and no wrong was found in me." In other words, just as you would test gold of some sort, you found me unadulterated, O Lord; so far be it from me to harm the enemy that I even kept my tongue free of abuse against him, and what he continues to do I refrained from mentioning. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 17:2 Augustine of Hippo: "That My mouth may not speak the works of men" [Psalms 17:4]. That nothing may proceed out of My mouth, but what relates to Your glory and praise; not to the works of men, which they do beside Your will. "Because of the words of Your lips." Because of the words of Your peace, or of Your prophets. "I have kept hard ways." I have kept the toilsome ways of human mortality and suffering. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: What the Lord has commanded seems hard and harsh, that any who wish to follow him should deny themselves. But nothing can be hard and harsh that is commanded by one who helps us to do what he commands. You see, both these things are true, both what is said to him in the psalm: "Because of the words of your lips I have kept to hard ways"; and what he himself said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." The fact is, whatever is hard in the commandments is made easy by charity. — SERMON 96:1 Cassiodorus: When sins are avoided, the path is hard, and the ascent is always difficult. But when we slip toward vices, the road is easy and downhill. But the Lord Christ appeared before us in this world and demonstrated the laws of meekness and self-control. So he rightly says that through the commands of the Lord he walked the hard ways of people with undefiled feet. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 17:4 Augustine of Hippo: "To perfect My steps in Your paths" [Psalms 17:5]. That the love of the Church might be perfected in the strait ways, whereby she arrives at Your rest. "That My footsteps be not moved." That the signs of My way, which, like footsteps, have been imprinted on the Sacraments and Apostolical writings, be not moved, that they may mark them who would follow Me. Or at least, that I may still abide fixedly in eternity, after that I have accomplished the hard ways, and have finished My steps in the straits of Your paths. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Cassiodorus: "In the paths," that is, "in your commandments"; for if we are devoted followers on the ways that are truly the right ones, then we will obtain the rewards of our heavenly fatherland. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 17:5 Evagrius Ponticus: Even if now [the way] is full of pain and without joy, later it will bear the fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained in it. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 16[17].3, 4 John Cassian: Never by our sole diligence or zeal or by our most tireless efforts can we reach perfection. Human zeal is not enough to win the sublime rewards of blessedness. The Lord must be there to help us and to guide our hearts toward what is good. Every moment we must join in the prayer of David: "Direct my footsteps along your paths so that my feet do not move astray" and "He has settled my feet on a rock and guided my footsteps"—all this so that the invisible guide of the human spirit may direct back toward love of virtue our free will, which in its ignorance of the good and its obsession with passion is carried headlong into sin. — CONFERENCES 3:12 Augustine of Hippo: "I have cried out, for You have heard Me, O God" [Psalms 17:6]. With a free and strong effort have I directed My prayers unto You: for that I might have this power, You have heard Me when praying more weakly. "Incline Your ear to Me, and hear My words." Let not Your hearing forsake My humiliation. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Cassiodorus: Human weakness is not strong enough to reach the Father on its own. For when he hears, he graciously shows his indulgence, and he bestows his mercy in advance so that he is able to accept the prayers of those who implore him. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 17:6 Ambrose of Milan: It becomes Christians to pray for peace and quiet but not to abandon steadfast faith and truth even at the peril of death. For the Lord is our Leader, "who will save them that put their hope in him." — LETTER 20:14 Augustine of Hippo: "Make Your mercies marvellous" [Psalms 17:7]. Let not Your mercies be disesteemed, lest they be loved too little. "Who savest them that hope in You from such as resist Your right hand:" from such as resist the favour, whereby You favour Me. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Pseudo-Athanasius: He teaches us that even if we are virtuous, we should trust not in ourselves but in God, and that we should pray to him that like the pupil of the eye he protect the mind—our soul's eye—from evil of the opposing powers. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: "Keep Me, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye": which seems very little and minute: yet by it is the sight of the eye directed, whereby the light is distinguished from the darkness; as by Christ's humanity, the divinity of the Judgment distinguishing between the righteous and sinners. "In the covering of Your wings protect Me." In the defence of Your love and mercy protect Me. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Cassiodorus: The Father's protection is compared to wings. Mercy and love are, so to speak, the wings of the Father with which he asks to be protected. This comparison is drawn from the example of birds who guard their own dear offspring by spreading out their wings. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 17:8 John Chrysostom: The written words say that God has wings.… But we will not on that account say that God's spiritual and indestructible essence is winged.… What, then, are we to understand by the wings? The help, security, shelter, defense and unconquerable aid that God gives us. — AGAINST THE ANOMOEANS 8:4 Leo the Great: This should be the careful consideration of wise people, that since the days of this life are short and the time uncertain, death should never be unexpected for those who are to die. Those who know that they are mortal should not come to an unprepared end. Therefore this, which has been proclaimed by the voice of the prophet, should be taken up in the hearts of those praying, so that it may be said, not with the lips only but also with the heart.… For we are always in need of divine help. This is the unconquerable courage of human devotion, that we always have a protector without whom we are not able to be brave. — SERMON 90:4.1 Theodoret of Cyrus: His prayer is to enjoy such protection as does the apple of the eye, which has eyelids as a kind of rampart and eyelashes for a palisade; it also has eyebrows as mounds, conducting the stream of sweat to the temples and warding off from the faculty of sight any harm from that source. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 17:3 Augustine of Hippo: "Keep Me, O Lord, as the apple of Thine eye": which seems very little and minute: yet by it is the sight of the eye directed, whereby the light is distinguished from the darkness; as by Christ's humanity, the divinity of the Judgment distinguishing between the righteous and sinners. "In the covering of Thy wings protect Me." In the defence of Thy love and mercy protect Me. "From the face of the ungodly who have troubled Me." — Exposition on Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: "Mine enemies have compassed about My soul;" "they have shut up their own fat" [Psalms 17:10]. They have been covered with their own gross joy, after that their desire has been satiated with wickedness. "Their mouth has spoken pride." And therefore their mouth spoke pride, in saying, "Hail, King of the Jews," [Matthew 27:29] and other like words. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: "Casting Me forth they have now compassed Me about" [Psalms 17:11]. Casting Me forth outside the city, they have now compassed Me about on the Cross. "Their eyes they have determined to turn down on the earth." The bent of their heart they have determined to turn down on these earthly things: deeming Him, who was slain, to endure a mighty evil, and themselves, that slew Him, none. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: "As a lion ready for prey, have they taken Me" [Psalms 17:12]. They have taken Me, like that adversary who "walks about, seeking whom he may devour." [1 Peter 5:8] "And as a lion's cub dwelling in secret places." And as his cub, the people to whom it was said, "You are of your father the devil:" [John 8:44] meditating on the snares, whereby they might circumvent and destroy the just One. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Evagrius Ponticus: Through impure thoughts our adversary like a lion overcomes our mind. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 16[17].12 Hesychius of Jerusalem: The demons surround our mind and try to entangle it like a wild beast, … and the richest baits are sinners who themselves have been allured by desires. — LARGE COMMENTARY ON Psalms 17:9 Augustine of Hippo: "Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down" [Psalms 17:13]. Arise, O Lord, Thou whom they suppose to be asleep, and regardless of men's iniquities; be they blinded before by their own malice, that vengeance may prevent their deed; and so cast them down. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Eusebius of Caesarea: That sword will be the "word of God living and more active than any double edged sword," here in the place of a straight sword, which is entrusted to my spirit for driving out the enemies. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 17:13, 14 Pseudo-Athanasius: The soul of each of the righteous—clearly of those who pull sinners from impiety to piety—is as a sharpened sword against the spirits of evil. This sword, O our Lord, which you sharpened against your enemies, save from the enemies of your hand. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: "Deliver My soul from the ungodly." Deliver My soul, by restoring Me after the death, which the ungodly have inflicted on Me. "Thy weapon: from the enemies of Thine hand" (ver. 14). For My soul is Thy weapon, which Thy hand, that is, Thy eternal Power, hath taken to subdue thereby the kingdoms of iniquity, and divide the righteous from the ungodly. This weapon then "deliver from the enemies of Thine hand," that is of Thy Power that is from Mine enemies. "Destroy them, O Lord, from off the earth, scatter them in their life." O Lord, destroy them from off the earth, which they inhabit, scatter them throughout the world in this life, which only they think their life, who despair of life eternal. "And by Thy hidden things their belly hath been filled." Now not only this visible punishment shall overtake them, but also their memory hath been filled with sins, which as darkness are hidden from the light of Thy truth, that they should forget God. "They have been filled with swine's flesh." They have been filled with uncleanness, treading under foot the pearls of God's words. "And they have left the rest to their babes:" crying out, "This sin be upon us and upon our children." — Exposition on Psalms 17 Diodorus of Tarsus: Since I do not know how to ask for manifest punishment of them, whereas you are aware, having as you do hidden treasuries of wisdom, inflict on them the punishments you best know. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 17 Hesychius of Jerusalem: Here the psalmist is not criticizing the children's food, as some would think (for those things that enter the mouth do not make a person unclean), but he regards those to whom God has given many offspring unwise when they leave behind them not excellence but their evils as an inheritance. — LARGE COMMENTARY ON Psalms 17:14 Augustine of Hippo: "But I shall appear in Thy righteousness in Thy sight" (ver. 15). But I, Who have not appeared to them that, with their filthy and darkened heart, cannot see the light of wisdom, "I shall appear in Thy righteousness in Thy sight." "I shall be satiated, when Thy glory shall be manifested." And when they have been satiated with their uncleanness, that they could not know Me, I shall be satiated, when Thy glory shall be manifested, in them that know Me. In that verse indeed where it is said, "filled with swine's flesh," some copies have, "filled with children:" for from the ambiguity of the Greek a double interpretation has resulted. Now by "children" we understand works; and as by good children, good works, so by evil, evil. — Exposition on Psalms 17 Augustine of Hippo: For what are those treasures of wisdom and knowledge, what are those divine riches, unless they suffice for us? And what is that multitude of sweetness unless it satisfies us? Therefore, show us the Father, and it suffices for us. And in a certain psalm, one of us, or in us, or for us, says to Him: I shall be satisfied when Your glory is revealed. But He and the Father are one: and he who sees Him sees the Father. Therefore, the Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory. Turning to us, He will show us His face; and we shall be saved, and we shall be satisfied, and it will suffice for us. — Sermon 194 Augustine of Hippo: We thirst, we hunger, we need to be satisfied: but on the way there is hunger, in the homeland there is satiety. When will we be satisfied? I shall be satisfied when your glory is revealed. But now the glory of our God, the glory of our Christ, is hidden: and with him, ours is also hidden. But when Christ, your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. — Sermon 255 Augustine of Hippo: Holy and divine words, brothers, are recited to us continually, indeed daily, for our benefit, so that our souls may be nourished: and in the future age may be filled with eternal feasts; as the prophet says: I shall be satisfied when Your glory is revealed. But what this future glory is, with what riches it blossoms, and with what splendor it shines, we can praise, but we cannot explain. Why? Because we read: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him. If therefore such and so great are the eternal and heavenly goods which the Almighty Lord has prepared for His holy, catholic, and faithful people; what is God Himself, who has prepared such and so great things? What is, I say, Almighty God? What, except immeasurable, ineffable, incomprehensible, above all, beyond all, besides all? For He transcends all His creation, surpasses all His works, excelling all. For if you ask about greatness, He is greater; if beauty, more beautiful; if sweetness, sweeter; if splendor, more radiant; if justice, more just; if strength, stronger; if mercy, more merciful. For no reason permits that any creation should be equal to its creator, or a work be compared to its artist: as it is read in the prophet: He who made strong things is stronger; and He who made beautiful things is more beautiful than them. — Sermon 384 Bede: In the [present] life we need the light of the sacred Scriptures and the refreshment of the heavenly sacraments, but in the future we shall have no need of such aids. According to the word of the psalmist, whoever appears there will be fully satisfied with justice when the glory of the Lord is made manifest. — Homilies on the Gospels 2:25 Arnobius the Younger: Let us ask the Lord and say, "Who is he who loves you?" He will respond to us through his Gospel and say, "He who hears my words and does them, this is the one who loves me." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: Christ, then, and the Church, that is, whole Christ, the Head and the Body, says here, "I will love You, O Lord, My strength" [Psalms 18:1]. I will love You, O Lord, by whom I am strong. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: Take care not to let trust in your own strength steal on you, for you are human, and "cursed be everyone who puts his hope in man." But put your trust fully and with your whole heart in God, and he will be your strength; trust him lovingly and gratefully and say to him humbly and faithfully, "I will love you, O Lord, my strength," because that very charity of God, when it is perfected in us, "casts out fear." — LETTER 218 Diodorus of Tarsus: This psalm has a title consistent with the theme, as can be found also in [2 Samuel]. Blessed David uttered it in thanksgiving, in fact, toward the end of his life when reminding himself of all the favors he had been granted by God throughout his life. It is typical of pious people, you see, to keep constantly in mind God's kindnesses done to them, and especially at the time of death it seems right to them to number them, both out of gratitude and also to teach those coming later how great is God's providence and lovingkindness toward those hoping in him. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Diodorus of Tarsus: The phrase "I shall love" does not mean I shall love you from this point on since you always provided me with many things; rather, the tense has been changed, and the meaning is, my love and affection for you, my master, were always right and proper. I felt benevolence and longing for God, in fact, for he proved to be everything to me in time of need—strength in war, steadfastness in endurance, refuge in misfortune, rescuer from all the schemers. So while even the opening of the psalm sufficed as a perfect hymn of praise, anyone with love for God repeatedly adopts the same sentiments as an intense form of thanksgiving when occupied in recalling God's graces. In a range of texts, in fact, he seems to recite and go over the same sentiments in the process of recalling every event from childhood to old age in which God provided him with help and support. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: David has consecrated this hymn of triumph on the occasion of his victory over his enemies and opponents to the Author of all victories. David is called a victor, that is, "he is made a victor," because he achieved victories.… The psalm is inscribed "for the end" chiefly because it is proclaimed in the last years of his life and after all his deeds that were accomplished in history; or because it announces the prophecy of things that are going to happen in the future age; or, third, because the reader is told about those things that happened in the last part of this hymn, at the end of which is the call of the Gentiles and a prophecy about Christ. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:1 Augustine of Hippo: "O Lord, My stay, and My refuge, and My deliverer" [Psalms 18:2]. O Lord, who hast stayed Me, because I sought refuge with You: and I sought refuge, because You have delivered Me. "My God is My helper; and I will hope in Him." My God, who hast first afforded me the help of Your call, that I might be able to hope in You. "My defender, and the horn of My salvation, and My redeemer." My defender, because I have not leant upon Myself, lifting up as it were the horn of pride against You; but have found You a horn indeed, that is, the sure height of salvation: and that I might find it, You redeemed Me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: Christ is the rock. When David built his own house on the rock, he was like the wise man. … In such a way, he is made superior to all his enemies. He becomes faithful, not by hope or by training but by the help of God, established in all types of defenses and in the horn of salvation. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:2, 3 Jerome: Unless one has a horn with which to rout his enemies, he is not worthy to be offered to God. That is why the Lord is described as a horn to those who believe in him; and it was with the horns of the cross that he routed his enemies. On the cross he confounded the devil and his entire army. To be sure, Christ was crucified in his body, but on the cross, it was he who was crucifying there the devils. It was not a cross; it was a symbol of triumph, a banner of victory. His whole purpose in mounting the cross was to lift us up from earth. I think the cross of the Savior was the ladder that Jacob saw. On that ladder, angels were descending and ascending; on that ladder, that is, the cross, the Jews were descending and the Gentiles ascending.… Others may have many horns; I have only one. "But as for me, God forbid that I shall glory save in the cross of the Lord, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world." — HOMILY ON Psalms 91[92] Arnobius the Younger: He is my refuge, he is my liberator; as I praise and call on him I will be safe from my enemies. Let me say this in the present so that I may not doubt it in the future. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "With praise will I call upon the Lord, and I shall be safe from Mine enemies" [Psalms 18:3]. Seeking not My own but the Lord's glory, I will call upon Him, and there shall be no means whereby the errors of ungodliness can hurt Me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: There you have something you can do. Praising, call—but remember it is the Lord you praise and call on. Because if you praise yourself, you will not be saved from your enemies. Praising, call on the Lord, and you will be saved from your enemies. — SERMON 67:6 Nicetas of Remesiana: Praise issuing from a pure conscience delights the Lord, and so the same psalmist exhorts us, "Praise ye the Lord because a psalm is good; to our God be joyful and comely praise." With this in mind, aware of how pleasing to God is this ministry, the psalmist again declares, "Seven times a day I have given praise to you." To this he adds a further promise: "And my tongue shall meditate your justice, your praise all the day long." Without doubt, he had experience of the good to be derived from this work, for he reminds us [in the psalm before us]: "Praising I will call on the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies." It was with such a shield of praise to protect him that as a boy [David] destroyed the great power of the giant Goliath, and, in many other instances, came out victorious over the invaders. — LITURGICAL SINGING 8 Augustine of Hippo: "The pains of death," that is, of the flesh, have "compassed Me about. And the overflowings of ungodliness have troubled Me" [Psalms 18:4]. Ungodly troubles stirred up for a time, like torrents of rain which will soon subside, have come on to trouble Me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "The pains of hell compassed Me about" [Psalms 18:5]. Among those that compassed Me about to destroy Me, were pains of envy, which work death, and lead on to the hell of sin. "The snares of death prevented Me." They prevented Me, so that they wished to hurt Me first, which shall afterwards be recompensed unto them. Now they seize unto destruction such men as they have evilly persuaded by the boast of righteousness: in the name but not in the reality of which they glory against the Gentiles. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Arnobius the Younger: While the groans of death, the injustices, griefs, and snares, surround me, I called out to him in faith. He heard my voice from his holy temple, and my cry reached his ears. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And in Mine oppression I called upon the Lord, and cried unto My God. And He heard My voice from His holy temple" (ver. 6). He heard from My heart, wherein He dwelleth, My voice. "And My cry in His sight entered into His ears;" and My cry, which I utter, not in the ears of men, but inwardly before Him Himself, "entered into His ears." — Exposition on Psalms 18 Diodorus of Tarsus: Having made his introduction to this point, from now on he recounts more descriptively how many dangers he encountered and how God against the odds rendered him always superior to the schemers. He also recounts the dangers in a very figurative manner, as also the help of God, the greater the difficulties, the greater the lovingkindness rescuing him from such awful dangers. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: Stirred by the onrush of injustices and surrounded by the rest of the evils which are recounted above, when he realizes that he is beset by danger, he flees to the gate of his deliverance. He says, therefore, "In my distress I called on the Lord, and to my God I cried." Thereby he teaches that one wanders least from the path when he is full of such faith, for "hope does not disappoint." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:5-7 Augustine of Hippo: "And the earth was moved and trembled" [Psalms 18:7]. When the Son of Man was thus glorified, sinners were moved and trembled. "And the foundations of the mountains were troubled." And the hopes of the proud, which were in this life, were troubled. "And were moved, for God was angry with them." That is, that the hope of temporal goods might have now no more establishment in the hearts of men. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Diodorus of Tarsus: The effect of God's hearkening and being moved to wrath was that everything together was reduced to alarm and confusion, their common master being enraged. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: When the Son of God journeyed on the earth in the time of his incarnation, whoever worshiped the natural elements of this earth were shaken and trembled, and everywhere his reputation became familiar to the ears of Greeks and barbarians; and truly those things he called the foundations of the mountains have trembled and quaked.… The mountains were all the lofty thoughts that were directed against the knowledge of God, namely, certain adversarial powers that through the long span of the ages had led all who dwelled on the earth into error and the worship of multiple gods. "The foundations of the mountains," that is, loftier plans and thoughts, when they had realized the strength of the Lord, "were disturbed and shaken because he is angry with them." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:8 Augustine of Hippo: "There went up smoke in His wrath" [Psalms 18:8]. The tearful supplication of penitents went up, when they came to know God's threatenings against the ungodly. "And fire burns from His face." And the ardour of love after repentance burns by the knowledge of Him. "Coals were kindled from Him." They, who were already dead, abandoned by the fire of good desire and the light of righteousness, and who remained in coldness and darkness, re-enkindled and enlightened, have come to life again. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Pseudo-Athanasius: In this and the following verses, he posits as a sign the smoke, which in his descent from heaven he made as darkness under his feet; it indicates the incomprehensibility of his dispensation. And in his ascension, he flew on the wings of the Spirit, as on cherubim, that is, the cloud that received him. And because in his church, which is his tabernacle, he mysteriously dwells and operates, he says, "He set darkness as his hiding place." Again, because the remarks about him are made obscurely in the holy prophets, he writes, "Dark waters in the clouds of the airs," which he showed to be clear and obvious when he openly came to earth. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And He bowed the heaven, and came down" [Psalms 18:9]. And He humbled the just One, that He might descend to men's infirmity. "And darkness under His feet." And the ungodly, who savour of things earthly, in the darkness of their own malice, knew not Him: for the earth under His feet is as it were His footstool. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Jerome: Because we are little and lowly and unable to lift ourselves up to him, the Lord stoops down to us and in his compassionate kindness deigns to hear us. In fact, because we are people and cannot become gods, God became man and inclined himself, as it is written: "He inclined the heavens and came down." — HOMILY ON Psalms 114(116a) Augustine of Hippo: "And He mounted above the cherubim, and did fly" [Psalms 18:10]. And He was exalted above the fullness of knowledge, that no man should come to Him but by love: for "love is the fulfilling of the law." [Romans 13:10] And full soon He showed to His lovers that He is incomprehensible, lest they should suppose that He is comprehended by corporeal imaginations. "He flew above the wings of the winds." But that swiftness, whereby He showed Himself to be incomprehensible, is above the powers of souls, whereon as upon wings they raise themselves from earthly fears into the air of liberty. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: Secretly and with mysterious reckoning he represents his incarnation through [images of] darkness and thick clouds. At last he returns to the same place from whence he had set forth: and he ascends into the heavens with the cherubim and flies, although he had not descended with those cherubim, without the cherubim he himself bowed the heavens and descended. On his return it is said, "And he mounted on cherubs, and he flew," with the body he had assumed. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:11-13 Augustine of Hippo: "And has made darkness His hiding place" [Psalms 18:11]. And has settled the obscurity of the Sacraments, and the hidden hope in the heart of believers, where He may lie hidden, and not abandon them. In this darkness too, wherein "we yet walk by faith, and not by sight," [2 Corinthians 5:7] as long as "we hope for what we see not, and with patience wait for it." [Romans 8:25] "Round about Him is His tabernacle." Yet they that believe Him turn to Him and encircle Him; for that He is in the midst of them, since He is equally the friend of all, in whom as in a tabernacle He at this time dwells. "Dark water in clouds of air." Nor let any one on this account, if he understand the Scripture, imagine that he is already in that light, which will be when we shall have come out of faith into sight: for in the prophets and in all the preachers of the word of God there is obscure teaching. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: When God wished to appear visibly to people and desired also to teach them in person what he had first laid down in the law, he tempered the force, the power of the divine, by taking on the human and "made the darkness his cover round about him," when he concealed himself in the tent of the flesh. — SERMON 371:2 Jerome: [Daniel 2:22] "It is He who reveals deep and hidden things, and He knows what is placed in the darkness, and with Him is the light." A man to whom God makes profound revelations and who can say, "O the depth of the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of God!" (Romans 11:33), he it is who by the indwelling Spirit probes even into the deep things of God, and digs the deepest of wells in the depths of his soul. He is a man who has stirred up the whole earth, which is wont to conceal the deep waters, and he observes the command of God, saying: "Drink water from thy vessels and from the spring of thy wells" (Proverbs 5:15). As for the words which follow, "He knows what is placed in the darkness, and with Him is the light," the darkness signifies ignorance, and the light signifies knowledge and learning. Therefore as wrong cannot hide God away, so right encompasses and surrounds Him. Or else we should interpret the words to mean all the dark mysteries and deep things (concerning God), according to what we read in Proverbs: "He understands also the parable and the dark saying." (Proverbs 1:6, LXX) This in turn is equivalent to what we read in the Psalms: "Dark waters in the clouds of the sky" (Psalms 18:11). For one who ascends to the heights and forsakes the things of earth, and like the birds themselves seeks after the most rarified atmosphere and everything ethereal, he becomes like a cloud to which the truth of God penetrates and which habitually showers rain upon the saints. Replete with a plenitude of knowledge, he contains in his breast many dark waters enveloped with deep darkness, a darkness which only Moses can penetrate and speak with God face to face (Exodus 33:11), of Whom the Scripture says: "He hath made darkness His hiding-place" (Psalms 18:11). — St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER TWO Jerome: This verse suggests the ineffable dispensation of God and our inability to comprehend his wisdom. As with these eyes of ours we cannot look into an unfathomable depth, neither are we able to contemplate the majesty or the wisdom of God. — HOMILY ON Psalms 103[104] Jerome: There is no doubt but that the clouds and darkness round about him were the body that the Lord Savior deigned to assume.… He appeared just as he willed to appear and not in accordance with his divine nature. "He made darkness the cloak about him." If God is light, how is light able to dwell in darkness? In that passage, darkness represents our imperfect knowledge and our infirmity, for we cannot gaze on his majesty. If human eyes cannot, in fact, look on the rays of the sun of this world, a creature, our fellow slave, how much more are there shades and darkness round about the Sun of Justice that he may not be observed or looked on by us? — HOMILY ON Psalms 96[97] Origen of Alexandria: It is said of God in the eighteenth psalm that "God made darkness his hiding place." This is a Hebrew way of showing that the ideas of God that people understand in accordance with their merits are obscure and unknowable, since God hides himself as if in darkness from those who cannot bear the radiance of the knowledge of him and who cannot see him, partly because of the defilement of the mind that is bound to a human "body of humiliation," partly because of its restricted capacity to comprehend God.… Moreover, our Savior and Lord, the Logos of God, shows the depth of the knowledge of the Father, and that, although a derived knowledge is possessed by those whose minds are illuminated by the divine Logos himself, absolute understanding and knowledge of the Father is possessed by himself alone in accordance with his merits, when he says, "No one has known the Son save the Father, and no one has known the Father save the Son, and him to whom the Son will reveal him." Neither can anyone worthily know the uncreated and firstborn of all created nature in the way that the Father who begat him knows him; nor can anyone know the Father in the same way as the living Logos who is God's wisdom and truth. By participation in him who took away from the Father what is called darkness, which he made "his hiding place," and what is called his covering, "the great deep," thus revealing the Father, anyone whatever who has the capacity to know him may do so. — AGAINST CELSUS 6:17 Origen of Alexandria: The reasons of the divine dispensation and providence are most obscure. For "God made darkness his hiding place." Those desiring audaciously and rashly to examine this darkness and appropriating for themselves one thing from another have fallen headlong into the dense "darkness" of errors. — HOMILIES ON Psalms 4:7 Augustine of Hippo: "In respect of the brightness in His sight" [Psalms 18:12]: in comparison with the brightness, which is in the sight of His manifestation. "His clouds have passed over." The preachers of His word are not now bounded by the confines of Judæa, but have passed over to the Gentiles. "Hail and coals of fire." Reproofs are figured, whereby, as by hail, the hard hearts are bruised: but if a cultivated and genial soil, that is, a godly mind, receive them, the hail's hardness dissolves into water, that is, the terror of the lightning-charged, and as it were frozen, reproof dissolves into satisfying doctrine; and hearts kindled by the fire of love revive. All these things in His clouds have passed over to the Gentiles. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: He came down and then ascended with the cherubim after he thundered in the heaven.… Against the Egyptian sorcerers the Lord who flies on the cherubim sends forth hailstones and coals of fire. I think, also, that those vengeful acts against skillful wicked powers are called hailstones and coals of fire. Those acts, therefore, appointed for punishment and revenge and directed in the secret way of the will of God against the demons who had brought the superstition of multiple gods, were driving away all those demons. Therefore, all their oracles cease, their prophecies are denied, their temples are deserted, their sacred objects are robbed by invisible and hidden forces, as the Lord does all these things after his ascension into the heavens. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:14 Augustine of Hippo: "And the Lord has thundered from heaven" [Psalms 18:13]. And in confidence of the Gospel the Lord has sounded forth from the heart of the just One. "And the Highest gave His voice;" that we might entertain it, and in the depth of human things, might hear things heavenly. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them" [Psalms 18:14]. And He sent out Evangelists traversing straight paths on the wings of strength, not in their own power, but His by whom they were sent. And "He scattered them," to whom they were sent, that to some of them they should be "the savour of life unto life, to others the savour of death unto death." [2 Corinthians 2:16] "And He multiplied lightnings, and troubled them." And He multiplied miracles, and troubled them. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Evagrius Ponticus: When we compare spiritual things with spiritual things, we flash forth lightnings, indicating the knowledge advancing from them. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 17[18].15, 16 Augustine of Hippo: "And the fountains of water were seen. And the fountains of water springing up into everlasting life," which were made in the preachers, were seen. "And the foundations of the round world were revealed." And the Prophets, who were not understood, and upon whom was to be built the world of believers in the Lord, were revealed. "At Thy chiding, O Lord:" crying out, "The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." "At the blasting of the breath of Thy displeasure;" saying, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." — Exposition on Psalms 18 Diodorus of Tarsus: He presents him as a general come to the aid of his own man, mentioning as arrows all the missiles indiscriminately—hail, coals, things that are naturally used as missiles.… In fear of the one appearing and the missiles and lightning flashes, the earth bared itself in all directions so as even to reveal its hidden secrets, springs, and anything else hidden in its depths. "At your rebuke, Lord." The exclamatory remark emphasized nicely that creation has no one else to dread in this way except the author of creation himself. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: He has sent down from on high, and has fetched Me [Psalms 18:16]: by calling out of the Gentiles for an inheritance "a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle." [Ephesians 5:27] "He has taken Me out of the multitude of waters." He has taken Me out of the multitude of peoples. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "He has delivered Me from My strongest enemies" [Psalms 18:17]. He has delivered Me from Mine enemies, who prevailed to the afflicting and overturning of this temporal life of Mine. "And from them which hate Me; for they are too strong for Me:" as long as I am under them knowing not God. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "They have prevented Me in the day of My affliction" [Psalms 18:18]. They have first injured Me, in the time when I am bearing a mortal and toilsome body. "And the Lord has become My stay." And since the stay of earthly pleasure was disturbed and torn up by the bitterness of misery, the Lord has become My stay. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And has brought Me forth into a broad place" [Psalms 18:19]. And since I was enduring the straits of the flesh, He brought Me forth into the spiritual breadth of faith. "He has delivered Me, because He desired Me." Before that I desired Him, He delivered Me from My most powerful enemies (who were envious of Me when I once desired Him), and from them that hated Me, because I do desire Him. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: "He will deliver me because he has pleasure in me"; indeed, it was not that I had repented, or had been convicted concerning my sin or had a prophet sent to me, but it was because he took pleasure to deliver me. And I know and I am absolutely persuaded that in the day of his judgment of the righteous no mention will be made of my sin and the crimes that I committed in the day of my misery. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:20-21 Symeon the New Theologian: Now, if someone does not wish, whether like the sinful woman to embrace the feet of Christ [Luke 7:38], or like the prodigal son to run back to Him with burning repentance [Luke 15:11ff], or like the woman with a hemorrhage and bowed with infirmity [Luke 8:43 and 13:11] even to approach Him, why does he then make excuses for his sins by saying, "Those whom He foreknew, them also"-and them alone!-"He called"? One may perhaps reasonably reply to the person so disposed that "God, Who is before eternity and Who knows all things before creating them, also knew you beforehand, knew that you would not obey Him when He called, that you would not believe in His promises and in His words, yet still, even while knowing this, He "bowed the heavens and came down" (Psalms 18:19) and became man, and for your sake has come to the place where you lie prone. Indeed, visiting you many times every day, sometimes in His own Person and sometimes as well through His servants, He exhorts you to get up from the calamity in which you lie and to follow Him Who ascends to the Kingdom of Heaven and enter it together with Him. But you, you still refuse to do it. - "Second Ethical Discourse" Augustine of Hippo: "And the Lord shall reward Me according to My righteousness" [Psalms 18:20]. And the Lord shall reward Me according to the righteousness of My good will, who first showed mercy, before that I had the good will. "And according to the cleanness of My hands He will recompense Me." And according to the cleanness of My deeds He will recompense Me, who has given Me to do well by bringing Me forth into the broad place of faith. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "Because I have kept the ways of the Lord" [Psalms 18:21]. That the breadth of good works, that are by faith, and the long-suffering of perseverance should follow after. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "Nor have I walked impiously apart from My God." "For all His judgments are in My sight" [Psalms 18:22]. "For" with persevering contemplation I weigh "all His judgments," that is, the rewards of the righteous, and the punishments of the ungodly, and the scourges of such as are to be chastened, and the trials of such as are to be proved. "And I have not cast out His righteousness from Me:" as they do that faint under their burden of them, and return to their own vomit. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Arnobius the Younger: I will be blameless with him, with that very one who, himself blameless, suffered on the cross for our iniquities. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And I shall be undefiled with Him, and I shall keep Myself from Mine iniquity" [Psalms 18:23]. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: And the Lord shall reward Me according to My righteousness [Psalms 18:24]. Accordingly not only for the breadth of faith, which works by love; but also for the length of perseverance, will the Lord reward Me according to My righteousness. "And according to the cleanness of My hands in the sight of His eyes." Not as men see, but "in the sight of His eyes." For "the things that are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen are eternal:" [2 Corinthians 4:18] whereto the height of hope appertains. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Apostolic Constitutions: Therefore, O bishop, together with your subordinate clergy, endeavor rightly to divide the Word of truth. For the Lord says, "If you walk cross-grained to me, I will walk cross-grained to you." … Walk therefore in holiness, that you may rather appear worthy of praise from the Lord than of complaint from the adversary. — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2:6.43 Arnobius the Younger: We agree with common opinion, "He will be like the one with whom he is joined." Indeed, this statement is very true, but it does not apply to the interpretation of the present verse. In this verse, if you wish to make the plain sense of the hymn, you will remember what the Lord said through the prophet to the people: If you walk upright in my sight, I will walk upright with you; if you walk turned from my ways, I will be turned from you. The psalmist speaks to this statement: With the holy, you will be holy; with the innocent, innocent, and et cetera. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "With the holy You shall be holy" [Psalms 18:25]. There is a hidden depth also, wherein You are known to be holy with the holy, for that You make holy. "And with the harmless You shall be harmless." For Thou harmest no man, but each one is bound by the bands of his own sins. [Proverbs 5:22] — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And with the chosen You shall be chosen." [Psalms 18:26]. And by him whom You choose, You are chosen. "And with the froward You shall be froward." And with the froward Thou seemest froward: for they say, "The way of the Lord is not right:" [Ezekiel 18:25] and their way is not right. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Clement of Alexandria: By perverse, he means he will chastise sinners. For his natural uprightness … and his goodness toward those who believe obediently are immovable and unshakable.… Therefore, he treats them severely in the hope that perhaps he might curb their impulse toward death. — The Instructor Book 3 Augustine of Hippo: "For You will make whole the humble people" [Psalms 18:27]. Now this seems froward to the froward, that You will make whole those who confess their sins. "And You will humble the eyes of the proud." But them that are "ignorant of God's righteousness, and seek to establish their own," [Romans 10:3] You will humble. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Arnobius the Younger: Just as the eye is the lamp of the body, so the lamp of the soul is the mind, in which, unless Christ has poured the oil of his grace, there will not be light within. The prophet, therefore, proclaims that his lamp is lighted by the Lord. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "For Thou wilt light My candle, O Lord." For our light is not from ourselves; but "Thou wilt light my candle, O Lord. O my God, Thou wilt enlighten my darkness." For we through our sins are darkness; but "Thou, O my God, wilt enlighten my darkness." — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: So far as relates to man in himself, he is of earth, and speaks of the earth; and when he speaks some divine things, he is enlightened by God. For, were he not enlightened, he would be earth speaking of earth. God's grace is apart by itself, the nature of man apart by itself. Do but examine the nature of man: man is born and grows, he learns the customs of men. What does he know but earth, of earth? He speaks the things of men, knows the things of men, minds the things of men; carnal, he judges carnally, conjectures carnally: lo! it is man all over. Let the grace of God come, and enlighten his darkness, as it saith, "Thou wilt lighten my candle, O Lord; my God, enlighten my darkness;" let it take the mind of man, and turn it to its own light; immediately he begins to say, as the apostle says, "Yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me;" and, "Now I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." That is to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Thus John: as regards John, he is of the earth, and speaks of the earth; whatever that is divine thou hast heard from John, is of Him that enlightens, not of him that receives. — Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 14 Eusebius of Caesarea: "I will bring forth a horn to David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed." The lamp is prepared for Christ, having arisen from the seed of David, for who other could it be than the offspring who has come forth from the succession of David according to the flesh; in what way does Christ who came into the womb of David become the ray of his own excellence and the light shining brightly for all people? Why in the aforesaid words does David speak prophetically: "Because you will light my lamp, Lord"? He says, "You yourself, Lord, who are the true light, having been united with the lamp coming forth from me in a certain mysterious way, are going to light that very lamp. Even the shadows with which I was once covered you will scatter entirely so that their memory does not enter my mind. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:29, 30 Theodorus of Tabennese: Let us not allow what is according to the flesh to persecute what is according to the spirit; neither let us, using the body as a pretext, quench the lamp that has been lit in us. We must therefore not contradict to the point of thinking or of speaking contrary to the faith in the holy Scriptures. But "those whom he loves, God chastises"; he afflicts and puts them to the test in everything to see "whether they will keep his commandments or not." Yet, what God is looking for in us are "the fruits of the Holy Spirit"; we must not be negligent concerning them, for it is about them that we shall be questioned. — INSTRUCTIONS 3:40 Abba Poemen: A person's will is a brazen wall and a stone hurled between himself and God. If one puts it aside, he can say the words of the psalm: "In my God I shall go over a wall" and "as for my God, his way is undefiled." If righteousness assists the will, then a person does good. — SAYINGS OF THE FATHERS 10:60 Augustine of Hippo: "For by You shall I be delivered from temptation" [Psalms 18:29]. For not by myself, but by You, shall I be delivered from temptation. "And in my God shall I leap over the wall." And not in myself, but in my God shall I leap over the wall, which sin has raised between men and the heavenly Jerusalem. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Desert Fathers: He also said, 'The will of man is a wall of brass, and a stone barrier between himself and God. If he puts it aside, he can say the words of the psalm, "By the help of my God I shall leap over the wall" and, "as for my God, his way is undefiled" (Ps. 18:29–30). If good conduct helps the will, then a man will do good.' — The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks Eusebius of Caesarea: Truly I have known that I am going to cross over that heavenly wall built by your strength and power; and then situated in a safe place, I will receive salvation from you. Or, in this way: I, whom they try to close out by surrounding me in order to stop me, will cross and leap over all the fortifications of the enemies, both fence and wall. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:29-30 Augustine of Hippo: "My God, His way is undefiled" [Psalms 18:30]. My God comes not unto men, except they shall have purified the way of faith, whereby He may come to them; for that "His way is undefiled." "The words of the Lord have been proved by fire." The words of the Lord are tried by the fire of tribulation. "He is the Protector of them that hope in Him." And all that hope not in themselves, but in Him, are not consumed by that same tribulation. For hope follows faith. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: What, moreover, do those oracles tried in the fire of the Lord teach? That he himself is the protector of all the ones hoping in him and that there is no God except our Lord, and there is none strong except our God; and rightly is it said that he is the protector of all hoping in him since none is able to be found who is able to stand against such and so great a protector. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:31-32 Augustine of Hippo: "For who is God, but the Lord?" [Psalms 18:31] whom we serve. "And who God, but our God?" And who is God, but the Lord? Whom after good service we sons shall possess as the hoped-for inheritance. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "God, who has girded me with strength" [Psalms 18:32]. God, who has girded me that I might be strong, lest the loosely flowing folds of desire hinder my deeds and steps. "And has made my way undefiled." And has made the way of love, whereby I may come to Him, undefiled, as the way of faith is undefiled, whereby He comes to me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: He builds me up with his own strength and weapons, and he affirms by his grace my mortal and human strength; just like one having his limbs undergirded by his own strength, I will stand against my enemies. But as it is said above, "My God, his way is perfect," so also wishing me to be likened to his own image, he has made my way blameless by teaching, admonitions and discipline of whatever type he wishes, and he has refined and perfected my way or settled life. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:33-34 Augustine of Hippo: "Who hath made my feet perfect like harts' feet." Who hath made my love perfect to surmount the thorny and dark entanglements of this world. "And will set me up on high." And will fix my aim on the heavenly habitation, that "I may be filled with all the fulness of God." — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: The same deer is swift in course as are also the righteous of God who look heavenward, not earthward, who seek the sublime; and this from a single love of the celestial kingdom. David ascribes his likeness to that of the righteous, strengthened by the grace of God, when he adds "and setting me on high places." Although there are others who try to draw us into the valleys of iniquity and lead us away, our God, like an overseer of our struggles, when he has determined that we are good runners, stirs us to suitable excellence, and his grace fulfills that very thing. Not in our excellence are we established in our high places; but truly by its very nature the celestial is the abode for the soul; and those high places are not foreign but are peculiar to us. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:33-34 Augustine of Hippo: "Who teaches my hands for battle" [Psalms 18:34]. Who teaches me to work for the overthrow of mine enemies, who strive to shut the kingdom of heaven against us. "And You have made mine arms as a bow of steel." And You have made my earnest striving after good works unwearied. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And You have given me the defence of my salvation, and Your right hand has held me up" [Psalms 18:35]. And the favour of Your grace has held me up. "And Your discipline has directed me to the end." And Your correction, not suffering me to wander from the way, has directed me that whatsoever I do, I refer to that end, whereby I may cleave to You. "And this Your discipline, it shall teach me." And that same correction of Yours shall teach me to attain to that, whereunto it has directed me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Evagrius Ponticus: He who sits on the right of the Father corrects us with discipline, and accordingly he teaches us. For he directs the spirit with a right foundation; true understanding leads one into fullness. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 17[18].36 Augustine of Hippo: "You have enlarged my steps under me" [Psalms 18:36]. Nor shall the straits of the flesh hinder me; for You have enlarged my love, working in gladness even with these mortal things and members which are under me. "And my footsteps have not been weakened." And either my goings, or the marks which I have imprinted for the imitation of those that follow, have not been weakened. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: "You have made room for my steps under me," the steps, namely, by which I cross from iniquity to moral excellence, from things perceived by my senses to those perceived by my mind, from the present to the future age, the steps that from the beginning seemed arduous and narrow to me because I was walking in a crooked way; but having progressed beyond them, I took notice of the widened places. For one who advances with every step and attains the end, having been drawn to the wide space, will not feel that narrowness, labor and grief that he had known in his advance.… He who follows Jesus follows hard his footsteps because he progresses on the worn and oft traveled way from Jesus Christ. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:37 Arnobius the Younger: Not only do we avoid the ones pursuing us as we flee, but we pursue our enemies, and we seize them, and we do not turn back until they fail. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "I will follow up mine enemies, and seize them" [Psalms 18:37]. I will follow up my carnal affections, and will not be seized by them, but will seize them, so that they may be consumed. "And I will not turn, till they fail." And from this purpose I will not turn myself to rest, till they fail who make a tumult about me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: This is done for me through your grace, so that my feet are not ensnared nor am I cut off by the nets of my enemies or by the offenses that they had cast. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:38 Evagrius Ponticus: If you pray against your passions or the demons that assail you recall to mind [this verse].… You are to say this at the appropriate moment, thus arming yourself against your adversary with humility. — CHAPTERS ON PRAYER 135 Jerome: The mind must not through disbelief in the promised blessings give way to despair; and the soul once marked out for perdition must not refuse to apply remedies on the ground that its wounds are past curing.… Lo, I hear his promise: "I will pursue mine enemies and overtake them; neither will I turn again till they are consumed," so that I, who was once your enemy and a fugitive from you, shall be laid hold of by your hand. Cease not from pursuing me till my wickedness is consumed. — LETTER 122.1 Augustine of Hippo: "I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand" [Psalms 18:38]: and they shall not hold out against me. "They shall fall under my feet." When they are cast down, I will place before me the loves whereby I walk for evermore. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And You have girded me with strength to the war" [Psalms 18:39]. And the loose desires of my flesh have You bound up with strength, that in such a fight I may not be encumbered. "You have supplanted under me them that rose up against me." You have caused them to be deceived, who followed upon me, that they should be brought under me, who desired to be over me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Evagrius Ponticus: If fighters find themselves being assailed and assailing in return, and if the demons fight against us, then they too when they assail us will be assailed by us in return. Scripture says, "I will assail them, and they will not be able to stand"; and again, "Those who assail me and are my enemies, they have weakened and fallen." — PRAKTIKOS 72 Arnobius the Younger: We will see the backs of our enemies fleeing, not the faces of ones pursuing us. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And you have given mine enemies the back to me" [Psalms 18:40]. And you have turned mine enemies, and hast made them to be a back to me, that is, to follow me. "And You have destroyed them that hate me." But such other of them as have persisted in hatred, You have destroyed. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "They have cried out, and there was none to save them" [Psalms 18:41]. For who can save them, whom You would not save? "To the Lord, and He did not hear them." Nor did they cry out to any chance one, but to the Lord: and He did not judge them worthy of being heard, who depart not from their wickedness. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "And I will beat them as small as dust before the face of the wind" [Psalms 18:42]. And I will beat them small; for dry they are, receiving not the shower of God's mercy; that borne aloft and puffed up with pride they may be hurried along from firm and unshaken hope, and as it were from the earth's solidity and stability. "As the clay of the streets I will destroy them." In their wanton and loose course along the broad ways of perdition, which many walk, will I destroy them. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "Thou wilt deliver Me from the contradictions of the people." Thou wilt deliver Me from the contradictions of them who said, "If we send Him away, all the world will go after Him." "Thou shalt make Me the head of the Gentiles. A people whom I have not known have served Me." The people of the Gentiles, whom in bodily presence I have not visited, have served Me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: He truly sees with his mind's eye that all the peoples throughout the whole world of the human race, whether barbarians or Greek, or of whatever accent or language, carry David respectfully in their memory, and they all speak his name with honor, who lift up his words through all the churches of Christ; and does anyone not assert the truth in these very words, if he attentively considers the people gathered from the nations, known by no sign to David, as they perform their duties of service with Davidic hymns and canticles, and as they hear the song repeated and recite it, receiving the psalms entrusted by him that were written from the long ages back. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:44-46 Irenaeus: For [the word] "son," as one before me has observed, has a twofold meaning: one [is a son] in the order of nature, because he was born a son; the other, in that he was made so, is reputed a son, although there be a difference between being born so and being made so. For the first is indeed born from the person referred to; but the second is made so by him, whether as respects his creation or by the teaching of his doctrine. For when any person has been taught from the mouth of another, he is termed the son of him who instructs him, and the latter [is called] his father. According to nature, then -that is, according to creation, so to speak-we are all sons of God, because we have all been created by God. But with respect to obedience and doctrine we are not all the sons of God: those only are so who believe in Him and do His will. And those who do not believe, and do not obey His will, are sons and angels of the devil, because they do the works of the devil. And that such is the case He has declared in Isaiah: "I have begotten and brought up children, but they have rebelled against Me." And again, where He says that these children are aliens: "Strange children have lied unto Me." According to nature, then, they are [His] children, because they have been so created; but with regard to their works, they are not His children. — AGAINST HERESIES 4:41.2 Tertullian: "A people," he says.… But what is the "people" that was ignorant of God, but ours, who in days bygone knew not God? And who, in the hearing of the ear, gave heed to him, but we, who forsaking idols, have been converted to God? — AN ANSWER TO THE JEWS 3 Augustine of Hippo: "You shall make Me the head of the Gentiles. A people whom I have not known have served Me." The people of the Gentiles, whom in bodily presence I have not visited, have served Me. "At the hearing of the ear they have obeyed Me" [Psalms 18:44]. They have not seen Me with the eye: but, receiving my preachers, at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed Me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "The strange children have lied unto Me." Children, not to be called Mine, but rather strange children, to whom it is rightly said, "You are of your father the devil," [John 8:44] have lied unto Me. "The strange children have waxen old" [Psalms 18:45]. The strange children, to whom for their renovation I brought the new Testament, have remained in the old man. "And they have halted from their own paths." And like those that are weak in one foot, for holding the old they have rejected the new Testament, they have become halt, even in their old Law, rather following their own traditions, than God's. For they brought frivolous charges of unwashen hands, [Matthew 15:2] because such were the paths, which themselves had made and worn by long use, in wandering from the ways of God's commands. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "The Lord lives, and blessed be my God." "But to be carnally minded is death:" [Romans 8:6] for "the Lord lives, and blessed be my God. And let the God of my salvation be exalted" [Psalms 18:46]. And let me not think after an earthly fashion of the God of my salvation; nor look from Him for this earthly salvation, but that on high. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "O God, who givest Me vengeance, and subduest the people under Me" (ver. 47). O God, who avengest Me by subduing the people under Me. "My Deliverer from My angry enemies:" the Jews crying out, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him." — Exposition on Psalms 18 Arnobius the Younger: All these things will happen to us through him who placed his arms on the cross as a bow in the sky, and daily he intercedes for us. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "From them that rise up against Me You will exalt Me" [Psalms 18:48]. From the Jews that rise up against Me in My passion, You will exalt Me in My resurrection. "From the unjust man You will deliver Me." From their unjust rule You will deliver Me. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Eusebius of Caesarea: Just as David after the advent of our Savior is able to be presented just as if he were alive and living among people, and he sings praises to the God of the universe among all the peoples through his own writings, canticles and hymns, so also he who has come from his seed, to whom these words refer that we now explain, with like reasoning when he overcomes the ones lying in wait for him, he may rightly say, "You will exalt me above the ones rising against me." And he leaves them behind, and he shares his own truth and grace to all peoples; even now he himself, being present everywhere on the earth and in the midst of them resting their hope in him, is made known through his church. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18:50-51 Augustine of Hippo: "For this cause will I confess to You among the Gentiles, O Lord" [Psalms 18:49]. For this cause shall the Gentiles confess to You through Me, O Lord. "And I will sing unto Your Name." And You shall be more widely known by My good deeds. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Augustine of Hippo: "Magnifying the salvation of His King" [Psalms 18:50]. God, who magnifies, so as to make wonderful, the salvation, which His Son gives to believers. "And showing mercy to His Christ:" God, who shows mercy to His Christ: "To David and to His seed for evermore:" to the Deliverer Himself strong of hand, who has overcome this world; and to them whom, as believers in the Gospel, He has begotten for evermore. What things soever are spoken in this Psalm which cannot apply to the Lord Himself personally, that is to the Head of the Church, must be referred to the Church. For whole Christ speaks here, in whom are all His members. — Exposition on Psalms 18 Diodorus of Tarsus: Since by the Holy Spirit he understood that God's promises were not confined to him alone but would pass also to his offspring, so he spoke in this way here with particular reference to Christ's life. The outcome, in fact, showed that David's offspring, blessing and sanctifying the nations, referred to no one other than the Lord of all. The blessing affected the offspring without restriction, after all, and following David, remember, there were many famous descendants of his in each generation (Christ himself thought to be the one proven to be famous and great)—first Solomon, then Uzziah, then Hezekiah, then Josiah—yet none emerged as more precisely realizing the force of the promise than Christ alone, and after him there was no one, nor is there anyone to whom the blessing of the promises would be thought to refer. After all, with Judah in captivity and the tribes intermingled, and no clarity as to who was descended from whom, it is now obvious that the fulfillment of the promise rested with Jesus himself, to whom in this case as well both the prayer and the prophecy allude, "To David and his offspring forever." I mean, those of the company of Hezekiah, even if they seemed to enjoy some grace from God, did not do so forever, death befalling each one with the result that they were not the subject of blessing forever. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18 Ambrose of Milan: As heaven is lighted with the splendor of the stars, so do people shine with the light of their good works, and their deeds shine before their Father in heaven. The one is the firmament of heaven on high; the other is a similar firmament of which it is said, "On this rock I will build my church." The one is a firmament of the elements, the other of virtues, and this last is more excellent. — Letter 43: To Horontianus Athanasius of Alexandria: Creation … points to God as its Maker and Artificer, who reigns over creation and over all things, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; whom would-be philosophers turn from to worship and deify the creation that proceeded from him, which yet itself worships and confesses the Lord whom they deny on its account. For if people are awestruck at the parts of creation and think that they are gods, they might well be rebuked by the mutual dependence of those parts; which moreover makes known and witnesses to the Father of the Word, who is the Lord and Maker of these parts also, by the unbroken law of their obedience to him, as the divine law also says [in this verse of the psalm].… The proof of all this is not obscure but is clear enough in all conscience to those the eyes of whose understanding are not wholly disabled. — Against the Heathen 27:3-5 Augustine of Hippo: "The heavens tell out the glory of God" [Psalms 19:1]. The righteous Evangelists, in whom, as in the heavens, God dwells, set forth the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the glory wherewith the Son glorified the Father upon earth. "And the firmament shows forth the works of His hands." And the firmament shows forth the deeds of the Lord's power, that now made heaven by the assurance of the Holy Ghost, which before was earth by fear. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Diodorus of Tarsus: This nineteenth psalm is doctrinal: just as the fourth, also being doctrinal, censures those claiming that existing things do not benefit from providence, so too the present psalm levels an accusation against those who claim … that existing things were made by no one, instead coming to be by themselves. Necessarily following on this is the view that these things also do not merit providence: with no admission of the Creator, the provider is also not acknowledged by them, either. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19 Eusebius of Caesarea: This verse serves as a lesson on how the great work of God is declared. People who have been blinded in the eyes of their minds have expelled from the natural order the hidden and invisible divine essence, which is incorporeal and uncreated, and cannot be touched in any way or recognized with carnal eyes. With a godless and wicked mouth they say that there is no God, that nothing excellent of a corporeal nature exists beyond its temporary appearance, and that the whole universe came together in a certain momentary and accidental coalescence and gathering of parts that previously existed by chance and without purpose. Thus, it was necessary in the present work by means of a psalm that the writer should prove through plain demonstration God's omniscience and creative power. The nature of mortals is insignificant and fragile, the thoughts of people, foolish, and our reasoning uncertain. Therefore, we are no match for declaring the divine glory. For these worthy words and reflections about God cannot be proclaimed with human voices or with tongues or lips of flesh. If one who has the facility of a strong mind could hear that powerful and most worthy teaching that comes from the heavens, he would direct his mind and mount up to attend to those things, embracing them completely in himself, celebrating his Creator and the Maker of the universe with hymns and songs. For those heavens above us and those elements present in the firmament attest to a nature capable of being understood by and realized through the senses. They ascribe glory to God, not through any human language but through their adornment, by their very creation, through their ordered movement they teach his immeasurable majesty.… Whoever, therefore, thinks that such beauty and magnitude adorned itself or that the heavens created themselves, and then ascribes their harmonious and ordered motions to some process devoid of any divine power, is foolish and wicked. Therefore, those of sound mind confess that the part is a unified whole, and not only do they hear the cry of the heavens but also the proclamation from that very work together announcing glory to God, their Maker and Creator. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 18[19]: 2 John Chrysostom: This it was which the prophet signified when he said, "The heavens declare the glory of God." How then, tell me, do they declare it? Voice they have none; mouth they possess not; no tongue is theirs! how then do they declare? By means of the spectacle itself. For when thou seest the beauty, the breadth, the height, the position, the form, the stability thereof during so long a period; hearing as it were a voice, and being instructed by the spectacle, thou adorest Him who created a body so fair and strange! The heavens may be silent, but the sight of them emits a voice, that is louder than a trumpet's sound; instructing us not by the ear, but through the medium of the eyes; for the latter is a sense which is more sure and more distinct than the former. — HOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 9:4 John Chrysostom: … this whole world also is both wonderful and great, and a sure proof of the wisdom of God, and "the heavens declare the glory of God, and day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night declareth knowledge;" but nevertheless, many have stumbled at it and in contrary directions to one another. And some have admired it so much above its worth as to think it God; whilst others have been so insensible of its beauty as to assert it to be unworthy of God's creating hand, and to ascribe the greater share in it to a certain evil matter. And yet God provided for both points by making it beautiful and great that it might not be deemed alien from his wisdom; yet defective and not sufficient unto itself that it might not be suspected to be God. But nevertheless those who were blinded by their own reasonings fell away into contradictory notions, refuting one another, and becoming each the other's accuser, and vindicating the wisdom of God even by the very reasonings which led them astray. — HOMILIES ON 2 Corinthians 21:4 John Damascene: "The heavens show forth the glory of God" not by speaking in a voice audible to sensible ears but by manifesting to us through their own greatness the power of the Creator, and when we remark their beauty, we give glory to their Maker as the best of all artificers. — ORTHODOX FAITH 2:6 Leo the Great: All nature serves the Word of God for our instruction. Through all the turning points of the year, as if through the four Gospels, we learn from the unceasing trumpet both what we should preach and what we should do.… What is there through which the truth does not speak to us? Its voice is heard in the day, it is heard in the night, and the beauty of all things, established by the work of one God, does not cease to put into the ears of our hearts a ruling order, to let us see the "invisible things of God through those which have been made intelligible to us," and it is subject not to the creatures but to the Creator of all things. — SERMON 19:2 Origen of Alexandria: If someone, hypothetically, should seem to believe in Jesus but should not believe that the God of the law and of the gospel is one, whose glory the heavens declare, since they were made by him, and the work of whose hands the firmament proclaims, since it is their work, this person would be deficient in the greatest article of faith. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 32:190 Origen of Alexandria: Any who are perfect, who have been made heavenly or have become [part] of heaven, "declare the glory of God," as it says in the psalm. For this reason in brief also the apostles who were of heaven were sent to declare the glory of God and received the name of Boanerges, "which is the sons of thunder," that by the power of thunder we might believe them truly to be heavens. — HOMILIES ON Psalms 1:13 Theodoret of Cyrus: We learn three kinds of divine laws from blessed Paul. One unwritten kind he said was given to human beings in creation and nature: "From the creation of the world," he says, "his invisible attributes have been understood and seen in created things"; and again, "For when the Gentiles, who do not have the law, practice the obligations of the law instinctively, despite having no law they are a law to themselves." … Another law was provided in writing through the mighty Moses: "The Law was added because of transgressions," he says, "ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator." He knew also a third one imposed after these, the law of grace: "For the law of the Spirit of life," he says, "has set me free from the law of sin and death." Blessed David in this psalm teaches human beings the harmony between these, following the same order: first, the one the Creator preaches in creation; then the one given through Moses, instilling a greater knowledge of the Creator to those willing to attend; after that, the law of grace, perfectly purifying souls and freeing them from the present destruction. This in fact is the reason the psalm also refers us "to the end," naming the New Testament in the end. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 19:1 Theodoret of Cyrus: If you observe a most mighty and magnificent building, you admire the builder; and if you see a skillfully and beautifully designed ship, you think of the shipwright; and at the sight of a painting the painter comes to mind. Much more, to be sure, does the sight of creation lead the viewers to the Creator. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 19:2 Augustine of Hippo: "Day unto day utters word" [Psalms 19:2]. To the spiritual the Spirit gives out the fullness of the unchangeable Wisdom of God, the Word which in the beginning is God with God. [John 1:1] "And night unto night announces knowledge." And to the fleshly, as to those afar off, the mortality of the flesh, by conveying faith, announces future knowledge. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Diodorus of Tarsus: Now, where there is order there is also proof of the one determining order, and there too denial of being self-made, since what is not done by anyone cannot show order. All these visible things surely illustrate order. So he is saying, "They announce some pattern and cry aloud the order of the orderer and the folly of the notion of being self-made." — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19 Eusebius of Caesarea: The days and the nights teach those people who desire to be taught what ineffable wisdom, what incomprehensible power God has, who has measured out the intervals of time for them. If there were no one who would determine the space and the intervals for the seasons, but they existed in a thoughtless and unconsidered way by chance, it would happen that the days would not be ordered in equal spaces through the ages and there would be a confusion of things, and likewise the times of the nights would pass by chance or happenstance. Even the state of related matters would be disordered because of thoughtless chance, and confusion would follow the confused matter; but … reason rules the right order, and wisdom administers harmony and order. There are mutual changes and alterations; for the days, as the nights yield, are longer, and then the nights claim their space, rightfully due and given mutually, having been increased by winter and season. These things, I say, are not only voiced, but as they announce the knowledge of God to people they declare that most wise order of all things constituted by God. So the voices of the days and nights, by their very work being done, call out to them who are able to hear as their teaching reaches all ears. And the universe that is inhabited by people is replete with songs of this type and like choruses. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19:3 Theodoret of Cyrus: The ordained succession of night and day illustrates the boundaries set by the Creator … the visible things are inanimate, being a kind of mask that teaches everyone to be led from visible things to the invisible God and to offer singing to him … by putting forth neither words nor verbal expressions but the norm, and demonstrating their own order, they summon all land and sea to the divine singing. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 19:3 Augustine of Hippo: "There is no speech nor language, in which their voices are not heard" [Psalms 19:3]. In which the voices of the Evangelists have not been heard, seeing that the Gospel was preached in every tongue. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Gregory of Nyssa: The accord and affinity of all things with one another that is controlled in an orderly and sequential manner is the primal, archetypal, true music. It is this music that the conductor of the universe skillfully strikes up in the unspoken speech of wisdom through these ever-occurring movements. — ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE Psalms 1:3.21 Arnobius the Younger: The Lord placed his own tabernacle in the sun. Not in that sun that, by arranging the days, directs the measure of the hours according to the seasons, but "the sun of righteousness," which, having been brought forth from the virginal womb in the splendor of eternal life has shone the true light to minds, and he has stepped forth from the Virgin just like the bridegroom from the bridal chamber. He rejoiced as a strong man running his course, and in every way he walked blameless on the way in the law of the Lord, having stepped forth from the highest heaven. Not from the seed of people, but from the word of the Father, who is in the highest of the heavens, his course is also the highest, not from the rising in the east, or as from the highest to the lowest points, but from highest to the highest and from excellence to excellence, and from the highest to the highest there will not be one who may hide himself from his heat. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: "Their sound is gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world" [Psalms 19:4]. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: The sun's maker could only be seen by the sun's light, because he "set his tabernacle in the sun." He who was before the sun that he made, before the day star and all stars, before all angels, the true Creator (for all things were made by him, and without him was nothing made), that he might be seen by the eyes of flesh that see the sun, set his own tabernacle in the sun—showed his flesh in manifestation by this light. — HOMILIES ON 1 John 1:2 Diodorus of Tarsus: The voices of visible creation … are equally clear to everyone, both Greeks and barbarians, giving everyone the one message, that they were made by someone and do not exist of themselves. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19 Gregory of Nyssa: Yet how can such declaring and showing forth be other than words, and how is it that no voice addresses itself to the ear? Is the prophet contradicting himself, or is he stating an impossibility, when he speaks of words without sound, and declaration without language, and announcement without voice? or, is there not rather the very perfection of truth in his teaching, which tells us, in the words which I have quoted, that the declaration of the heavens, and the word shouted forth by the day, is no articulate voice nor language of the lips, but is a revelation of the power of God to those who are capable of hearing it, even though no voice be heard?… The very heavens, he says, in displaying the wisdom of Him Who made them, all but shout aloud with a voice, and, though without voice, proclaim the wisdom of their Creator. For we can hear as it were words teaching us: "O men, when ye gaze upon us and behold our beauty and magnitude, and this ceaseless revolution, with its well-ordered and harmonious motion, working in the same direction and in the same manner, turn your thoughts to Him Who presides over our system, and, by aid of the beauty which you see, imagine to yourselves the beauty of the invisible Archetype. For in us there is nothing without its Lord, nothing that moves of its own proper motion: but all that appears, or that is conceivable in respect to us, depends on a Power Who is inscrutable and sublime." This is not given in articulate speech, but by the things which are seen, and it instils into our minds the knowledge of Divine power more than if speech proclaimed it with a voice. — ANSWER TO EUNOMIUS' SECOND BOOK John Chrysostom: The providence of God is clearer than the sun and its rays. On every occasion and in every place you will see clear and abundant evidence of this providence—in the desert, on cultivated and uncultivated land, on land and sea, wherever you go. This evidence is old and new. Voices are raised from every side that sound more clearly than the voices of our reason, and they tell of God's care to one who wishes to hear.… Our tongue is known only to those who share our language, not to those of other tongues; but the voice of creation is audible to all peoples who dwell in the inhabited world. Those of good judgment regard as sufficient God's proclamation, without the demonstration of deeds. It reveals not only his providence but also his abundant love for us; for he does not merely take thought for us but is also our lover, and he loves us boundlessly with an inconceivable love. It is a love that knows no emotion, but it is most warm and intense, noble, insoluble, unquenchable. — ON PROVIDENCE 5:2 John Chrysostom: … the Scythian, and Barbarian, and Indian, and Egyptian, and every man that walks upon the earth, shall hear this voice; for not by means of the ears, but through the sight, it reaches our understanding. And of the things that are seen, there is one uniform perception; and there is no difference, as is the case with respect to languages. Upon this volume the unlearned, as well as the wise man, shall be alike able to look; the poor man as well as the rich man; and wherever any one may chance to come, there looking upwards towards the heavens, he will receive a sufficient lesson from the view of them: and the prophet himself intimated and indicated this fact, that the creation utters this voice so as to be intelligible to barbarians, and to Greeks, and to all mankind without exception, when he spoke on this wise; "There is no speech, nor language, where their voice is not heard." What he means is to this effect, that there is no nation or tongue which is unable to understand this language; but that such is their utterance, that it may be heard of all mankind. — HOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 9:5 Origen of Alexandria: See the greatness of the Lord: "into all the earth has the sound of his teaching gone out, and his words unto the ends of the world". Our Lord Jesus, because he is the power of God, has been poured out over the whole world, and at the present moment is with us according to that which is read in the Apostle: "when you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of the Lord Jesus". The power of the Lord and Savior is both with those who are separated from our world in Britain, and with those in Mauritania, and with all who under the sun have believed in his name. See, then, the greatness of the Savior, how it has been poured out over the whole world — and certainly I have not yet set forth his true greatness. — HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF Luke 6 Augustine of Hippo: "In the sun hath He set His tabernacle." Now that He might war against the powers of temporal error, the Lord, being about to send not peace but a sword on earth, in time, or in manifestation, set so to say His military dwelling, that is, the dispensation of His incarnation. "And He as a bridegroom coming forth out of His chamber" (ver. 5). And He, coming forth out of the Virgin's womb, where God was united to man's nature as a bridegroom to a bride. "Rejoiced as a giant to run His way." Rejoiced as One exceeding strong, and surpassing all other men in power incomparable, not to inhabit, but to run His way. For, "He stood not in the way of sinners." — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: But our very life came down to earth and bore our death, and killed death with the very abundance of his own life. And thundering, he called us to return to him into that secret place from which he came forth to us—coming first into the virginal womb, where the human creature, our mortal flesh, was joined to him that it might not be forever mortal—and came "as a bridegroom coming out his chamber, rejoicing as a strong man to run a race." For he did not delay but ran through the world, crying out by words, deeds, death, life, descent, ascension—crying aloud to us to return to him. And he departed from our sight that we might return to our hearts and find him there. For he left us, and behold, he is here. He could not be with us long, yet he did not leave us. He went back to the place that he had never left, for "the world was made by him." In this world he was, and into this world he came, to save sinners. To him my soul confesses, and he heals it, because it had sinned against him. O mortals, how long will you be so slow of heart? Even now after life itself has come down to you, will you not ascend and live? — Confessions 4.12.19 Augustine of Hippo: He came in the flesh intending to cleanse the vices of the flesh. He came, clothed in healing human clay, to cure our interior eyes that our outer earthy vesture had blinded, so that, with soundness of vision restored, we who had before been darkness might become a shining light in the Lord and so that the Light might no longer shine in darkness but might be clearly envisaged by those perceiving it. For this purpose, he came forth as a bridegroom from his chamber and "has rejoiced as an athlete to run the course." Comely as a bridegroom, strong as a giant; amiable and terrible, severe and serene; beautiful to the good, stern to the evil—remaining in the bosom of his Father, he took possession of the womb of his mother. In this bridal chamber, that is, in the womb of the Virgin, he united human to divine nature. The Word was made flesh for us so that coming forth from his mother, he might dwell among us, and so that, going forth to his Father, he might prepare a dwelling place for us. — SERMON 195:3 Cyril of Jerusalem: Consider the apt disposition of the sun, or rather of him whose ordering determined its course; how in summer it is higher in the heavens and makes the days longer, thereby giving people good time for their works, while in winter it contracts its course that the cold season might not be too long and that the nights, becoming longer, might serve as the repose of people and for the fruitfulness of the earth's products. See too how the days give way to each other in due order, lengthening in summer, growing shorter in winter, but in spring and autumn affording mutually equal intervals; and the nights likewise, so that the psalmist says, "Day pours out word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge." For to the heretics, who have no ears, they all but shout, and by their good order they say that there is no other God save their Creator, who fixed their bounds and laid out the universe. — Catechetical Lecture 9:6 Fulgentius of Ruspe: The only-begotten God … has joined and united the divine and human nature in the unity of his person in such a way that they cannot in any way be separated from him. For in the one person of the only-begotten God, who "like a bridegroom comes out from his wedding canopy," the union of each nature remains inseparable. — LETTER 14:11 Gregory the Dialogist: Hence in the voice of this same Church it is said through Solomon, "Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains and bounding over the hills." For she considered the heights of such great works and said, "Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains." For in coming for our redemption, He made certain leaps, so to speak. Do you wish, dearest brothers, to recognize His very leaps? From heaven He came into the womb, from the womb He came into the manger, from the manger He came to the cross, from the cross He came into the tomb, from the tomb He returned to heaven. Behold, so that He might make us run after Him, the Truth made manifest through the flesh made certain leaps for us, because "He rejoiced as a giant to run His course," so that we might say to Him from the heart, "Draw us after You; we will run in the fragrance of Your ointments." — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 29 John Chrysostom: The sun renders the day brighter, shedding its rays like flashing lights and day by day revealing its own beauty in full bloom: as soon as it appears at dawn, it awakes the whole human race to the discharge of their respective duties.… Do you see how [in the psalm] he revealed to us both the sun's beauty and its speed of movement? That is, in saying, "Its span extends from one corner of heaven right to the other corner of heaven," it indicated to us how in one moment of time it traverses the whole world and scatters its rays from end to end, making its great resources available. It not only supplies heat to the earth but also dries it up, and not only dries it up but enkindles it and supplies us with many different resources, so marvelous a body is it, quite beyond one's power to describe adequately. I mention this to you and sing the praises of this heavenly body so that you may not stop short there, dearly beloved, but proceed further and transfer your admiration to the Creator of the heavenly body. After all, the greater the sun is shown to be, so much the more marvelous is the revelation of the Creator. — HOMILIES ON Psalms 6:10-11 Novatian: He it is who "comes forth as a bridegroom from his bridal chamber." For he [returns] even to the height; "since no one has ascended into heaven except him who has descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven." He repeats this very same fact when he says, "Father, glorify me with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." If this Word descended from heaven as a bridegroom to take on our flesh, so that in taking flesh he might ascend again as Son of man to that place where, as Son of God, the Word had descended, then assuredly, because of a mutual bond, the flesh bears the Word of God, and the Son of God assumes the weakness of the flesh. He ascends with his spouse, the flesh, to the same place from which he had descended without the flesh and receives now that glory that he is shown to have had before the creation of the world. This proves, without the least doubt, that he is God. Nevertheless, since the world itself is said to have been created after him, it is evident that it was created through him. This fact itself gives proof of the glory and the authority of the divinity that is in him, through whom the world was made. — ON THE TRINITY 13:4-5 Ambrose of Milan: Christ fills his world with copious lights, since "his going out is from the end of heaven, and his circuit even to the end of it, and there is no one who can hide himself from his heat." Benignly he gives light to all, wishing not to repel the foolish but to correct them and desiring not to exclude the hard of heart from the church but to soften them. Hence … Christ in the Gospel invites them, saying, "Come to me, all you who labor, and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart." — On the Death of Satyrus 2.117 Augustine of Hippo: "His going forth is from the highest heaven" [Psalms 19:6]. From the Father is His going forth, not that in time, but from everlasting, whereby He was born of the Father. "And His meeting is even to the height of heaven." And in the fullness of the Godhead He meets even to an equality with the Father. "And there is none that may hide himself from His heat." But whereas, "the Word was even made flesh, and dwelt in us," [John 1:14] assuming our mortality, He permitted no man to excuse himself from the shadow of death; for the heat of the Word penetrated even it. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: Someone lights a lamp.… That lamp, as far as regards the little flame that shines there, that fire has light in itself.… When the lamp was not there, your eyes were inactive and saw nothing. Now they, too, have light, but not in themselves. Accordingly, if your eyes turn away from the lamp, they are darkened. If they turn toward it, they are enlightened. But that fire, as long as it exists, emits light; if you wish to take the light away from the fire, you extinguish it also at the same time; for without light it cannot remain in existence. But the light, Christ, is inextinguishable and co-eternal to the Father, always glowing, always shining, always burning; for if he did not burn, would it be said in the psalm, "There is no one who can hide from his heat"? — TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF John 22:10.1 Caesarius of Arles: As often as water is contracted by excessive cold, if the heat of the sun comes on it, it becomes melted; when the same sun departs, the water again becomes hard. Similarly the charity of many people freezes because of the excessive coldness of their sins, and they become as hard as ice; however, when the warmth of divine mercy comes on them again, they are melted. Surely that is the heat of which it is written, "Nothing escapes its heat." — SERMON 101:4 Cosmas Indicopleustes ((quoting Severianus of Gabala, Hexaemeron)): the sun is not said by them to ascend but to go out, for the scripture saith: The sun goeth out upon the earth, not goeth up; and again he says: From the end of heaven is his going forth, and at the end of heaven is his goal, Not a going up then—but if it is circular, it has not an end—for where are we to find an end of what is perfectly round? — The Christian Topography, Book 10 Eusebius of Caesarea: By heavenly power and co-operation, like a sun ray, the saving Word quickly illumined the whole earth. Straightway, in accordance with the divine Scripture, the voice of its inspired Evangelists and apostles "went forth to the whole earth and their words to the end of the world." And then in all the cities and villages, churches were quickly established, filled with multitudes of people, like a teeming threshing floor, and all those souls, bound through hereditary succession and original error by the ancient disease of idolatrous superstition, on being set free as it were from terrible masters and finding release from most difficult bondage by the power of Christ through both the teaching of his disciples and their wonderful works, rejected all demoniacal polytheism and confessed that there was one God alone, the Creator of all things, and this One they honored with the rites of true piety through inspired and rational worship that was implanted by our Savior in the life of people. — ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 2:3 Jerome: "And there is not one who may hide himself from his heat." Really there is none who does not have the seeds of the knowledge of God. — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: "The law of the Lord is undefiled, converting souls" (ver. 7). The law of the Lord, therefore, is Himself who came to fulfil the law, not to destroy it; an undefiled law, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth," not oppressing souls with the yoke of bondage, but converting them to imitate Him in liberty. "The testimony of the Lord is sure, giving wisdom to babes." "The testimony of the Lord is sure;" for, "no man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him," which things have been hidden from the wise and revealed to babes; for, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: The law cannot be fulfilled except by spiritual persons, and there cannot be such save by grace. The more one is assimilated to the spiritual law, the more one attains to a spiritual disposition, and the more one fulfills the law. The more one delights in it, the less one is afflicted by its burdensomeness and the more one is quickened by its light.… When grace forgives sins and infuses a spirit of charity, righteousness ceases to be hard and becomes even pleasant. — ON VARIOUS QEUSTIONS TO SIMPLICIAN 1:1.7 Diodorus of Tarsus: What the written law does by teaching its intentions to those with a knowledge of writing the law in nature does by teaching those with an understanding eye that there is a Creator of visible realities. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19 Theodoret of Cyrus: He calls the Mosaic law Law, testimony, judgments, command, decrees.… It is called Law in that it regulates and prescribes the best way of life; testimony in testifying against sinners and highlighting the punishment for transgression; judgments in teaching what is right, forbidding what is wrong and declaring virtuous people righteous; command in commanding what is to be done and giving orders authoritatively; decrees in revealing the divine verdicts and teaching what goods the observant will enjoy and to what punishments the transgressor will be consigned … the law of God, being free of every fault, corrects people's souls and makes them faultless; the testimony gives wisdom to the immature and simple by frightening them; the judgments gladden the heart by revealing the basis of judgment; the command gives light to the mind's eye, teaching what constitutes service to the God of all. While piety and the fear of God, in suggesting observance of these, procure enjoyment of the eternal good, it was right for him to speak of the fear of God as pure—that is, free from blame—for the reason that human fear is blameworthy, being synonymous with dread. Now, he called the decrees true and justified on account of their conferring on people both honors and warranted punishments. In conclusion, he said these are worth more than gold and precious stones and sweeter than honey—not to all human beings, however, but to those truly human, whose life is not comparable with the brute beasts. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 19:5-6 Augustine of Hippo: "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart" [Psalms 19:8]. All the statutes of the Lord are right in Him who taught not what He did not; that they who should imitate Him might rejoice in heart, in those things which they should do freely with love, not slavishly with fear. "The commandment of the Lord is lucid, enlightening the eyes." "The commandment of the Lord is lucid," with no veil of carnal observances, enlightening the sight of the inner man. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Cassiodorus: They are truly right, because he is known to have acted in the same say as he taught. In contrast, those whose words are not consistent with their works show that their version of justice is not right. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 19:9 Origen of Alexandria: "The commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes." By keeping the commandments of the Lord we do not become more sighted bodily, but by keeping the divine commandments we become more keen-sighted spiritually. — DIALOGUE WITH HERACLIDES Augustine of Hippo: "The fear of the Lord is chaste, enduring for ever" [Psalms 19:9]. "The fear of the Lord;" not that distressing fear under the law, dreading exceedingly the withdrawal of temporal goods, by the love of which the soul commits fornication; but that chaste fear wherewith the Church, the more ardently she loves her Spouse, the more carefully does she take heed of offending Him, and therefore, "perfect love casts" not "out" this "fear," [1 John 4:18] but it endures for ever. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: As for that fear that is holy, enduring forever, if it can exist in the world to come—and how else can we interpret "enduring forever"?—it will not be a fear deterring us from an evil that might befall us but a fear preserving us in a good that can never be lost. For in a state where love of possessed good is utterly unchangeable, there, if I may put it thus, fear of all evil will be perfectly at peace. What "holy fear" really means is a will so fixed that we shall necessarily refuse to sin and guard against it, not out of worry or weakness lest we fall, because our love is perfectly at peace. — City of God 14.9 Cassiodorus: The fear of God is not an anxious confusion but an undaunted perseverance, a state that is not altered by any change in this life, but remains focused on the same thing with a sincere conscience. For human fear changes with time and is not holy, because it cannot be productive. But the fear of God does not have anything to do with the passions. For although one appropriately fears his Maker, he knows without a doubt that the one who judges him is merciful to those who seek him in prayer. Therefore whoever is known both to fear and to love his Judge lives in complete holiness. When love is combined with awe, it is the fear of the Lord, what is called reverence in secular terms. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 19:10 Clement of Alexandria: He recognises a twofold [element in faith], both the activity of him who believes, and the excellence of that which is believed according to its worth; since also righteousness is twofold, that which is out of love, and that from fear. Accordingly it is said, "The fear of the Lord is pure, remaining for ever and ever." For those that from fear turn to faith and righteousness, remain for ever. Now fear works abstinence from what is evil; but love exhorts to the doing of good, by building up to the point of spontaneousness; that one may hear from the Lord, "I call you no longer servants, but friends," and may now with confidence apply himself to prayer. — The Stromata Book 7 Augustine of Hippo: "The judgments of the Lord are true, justified together." The judgments of Him, who "judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son," are justified in truth unchangeably. For neither in His threatenings nor His promises doth God deceive any man, nor can any withdraw either from the ungodly His punishment, or from the godly His reward. "To be desired more than gold, and much precious stone" (ver. 10). Whether it be "gold and stone itself much," or "much precious," or "much to be desired;" still, the judgments of God are to be desired more than the pomp of this world; by desire of which it is brought to pass that the judgments of God are not desired, but feared, or despised, or not believed. But if any be himself gold and precious stone, that he may not be consumed by fire, but received into the treasury of God, more than himself does he desire the judgments of God, whose will he preferreth to his own. "And sweeter than honey and the honey comb." And whether one be even now honey, who, disenthralled already from the chains of this life, is awaiting the day when he may come up to God's feast; or whether he be yet as the honey comb, wrapped about with this life as it were with wax, not mixed and become one with it, but filling it, needing some pressure of God's hand, not oppressing but expressing it, whereby from life temporal it may be strained out into life eternal: to such an one the judgments of God are sweeter than he himself is to himself, for that they are "sweeter than honey and the honey comb." — Exposition on Psalms 19 Basil of Caesarea: Renunciation [is] … the severance of the bonds of this material and transient life and freedom from human concerns, whereby we render ourselves more fit to set out on the road leading to God. It is the unhindered impulse toward the possession and enjoyment of inestimable goods, "more to be desired than gold and many precious stones." In short, it is the transference of the human heart to a heavenly mode of life, so that we can say, "But our conversation is in heaven." Also—and this is the chief point—it is the first step toward the likeness to Christ, who, being rich, became poor for our sake. Unless we attain to this likeness, it is impossible for us to achieve a way of life in accord with the gospel of Christ. — THE LONG RULES, Q.8 Cassiodorus: While honey and comb only taste good in the mouth, the judgments of the Lord offer a perfect sweetness for the mind. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 19:11 Clement of Alexandria: "Sweet is the Word that gives us light, precious above gold and gems; it is to be desired above honey and the honey-comb." For how can it be other than desirable, since it has filled with light the mind which had been buried in darkness, and given keenness to the "light-bringing eyes" of the soul? For just as, had the sun not been in existence, night would have brooded over the universe notwithstanding the other luminaries of heaven; so, had we not known the Word, and been illuminated by Him; we should have been nowise different from fowls that are being fed, fattened in darkness, and nourished for death. Let us then admit the light, that we may admit God; let us admit the light, and become disciples to the Lord. — Exhortation to the Heathen John Chrysostom: … hear the prophet speaking concerning them, and declaring this superiority; "More to be desired are they," he saith "than gold and much precious stone; sweeter are they also than honey and the honeycomb." But to those (only) who are in health; wherefore he has added, "For thy servant keepeth them." And again in another place calling them sweet he has added, "to my throat." For he saith, "How sweet are thy words unto my throat." And again he insisteth on the superiority, saying, "Above honey and the honeycomb to my mouth." For he was in very sound health. And let not us either come nigh to these while we are sick, but when we have healed our soul, so receive the food that is offered us. — HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF John 1 Arnobius the Younger: In the guarding of the precepts of God there is so much reward, that "the sufferings of this time are not worth (comparing) to the future glory that will be revealed to us." — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: "For Your servant keeps them" [Psalms 19:11]. For to him who keeps them not the day of the Lord is bitter. "In keeping them there is great reward." Not in any external benefit, but in the thing itself, that God's judgments are kept, is there great reward; great because one rejoices therein. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: "Who understands sins?" [Psalms 19:12.] But what sort of sweetness can there be in sins, where there is no understanding? For who can understand sins, which close the very eye, to which truth is pleasant, to which the judgments of God are desirable and sweet? Yea, as darkness closes the eye, so do sins the mind, and suffer it not to see either the light, or itself. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: However great a person's righteousness may be, he ought to reflect and think, lest there should be found something blameworthy that has escaped indeed his own notice, when that righteous King shall sit on his throne, whose cognizance no sins can possibly escape, not even those of which it is said, "Who understands his transgressions?" "When, therefore, the righteous King shall sit on his throne, who will boast that he has a pure heart? Or who will boldly say that he is pure from sin?" Except perhaps those who wish to boast of their own righteousness and not glory in the mercy of the Judge. — ON THE PERFECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTEOUSNESS 14:33 Augustine of Hippo: You must know then, dearly beloved, that God's testing is not aimed at his getting to know something he was ignorant of before but at bringing to light what was hidden in a person, by means of a test, which is a kind of interrogation. People are not as well known to themselves as they are to their Creator, nor do the sick know themselves as well as the doctor does. A person is sick; he is suffering, the doctor is not suffering, and the patient is waiting to hear what he is suffering from from the one who is not suffering. That is why a man cries out in a psalm, "From my hidden ones cleanse me, O Lord." There are things in a person that are hidden from the person in whom they are. And they will not come out, or be opened up or discovered, except through tests and trials and temptations. If God stops testing, it means the master has stopped teaching. — SERMON 2:3 Caesarius of Arles: Very often sins creep up on us through thoughts or desires or speech or action, as the result of necessity, through weakness or out of forgetfulness. If a person thinks only of serious sins and strives to resist only these but has little or no care about small sins, he incurs no less danger than if he committed more serious offenses. Therefore let us not think little of our sins because they are slight, but let us fear them because they are many. Drops of rain are small, but because they are very many, they fill rivers and submerge houses, and sometimes by their force they even carry off mountains. Concerning these it is written: "He who scorns little things will fall little by little"; and again: "Who can detect failings?" Who is there who guards his heart with such great vigilance that no idle word ever proceeds from his lips? However, an account must be rendered for this on the day of judgment. Who is there who does not lie?… Who is there from whose mouth an evil word does not sometimes issue?… Who could even count the sins that we consider small or almost nonexistent, even though sacred Scripture testifies that we are going to be severely punished for them? For this reason, with God's help and in accord with the text of Solomon, ["The just person falls seven times in a day and rises again,"] let us keep our hearts with all watchfulness. — SERMON 234:4 Cassiodorus: Although there are three ways to transgress through human errors—by thought, word and deed, by condensing that boundless sea of transgressions into an abbreviated form—he testifies that transgression flows from two sources. Hidden sin is what is termed "original," in which we are conceived, born and sin with a secret desire. This happens when we covet the property of our neighbor, or desire to carry out vengeance on our enemies, or want to become more prominent than others, or seek more palatable food or similar desires which swell and steal on us in such a way that they escape the notice of many people before they take effect. If these sins do not become known to anyone, … we must still realize that there are many sins of which we are completely unaware, whose origins and deceptions we are not able to perceive. Therefore the text ought to be understood to refer to all sins when it says "Who can understand his sins?" — Explanation of the Psalms 19:13 Cassiodorus: "Who can understand his sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults, O Lord." See, the door of the third section opens, in which the prophet implores that all his sins would be washed away until the eloquence of his mouth would be rendered acceptable in the sight of the Lord. But because transgressions occur by means of human errors in three manners—thought, word and deed—he attests that that immense sea of sins, condensed in brevity, originates from two sources. The "hidden" sin is that which is called "original," in which we are conceived, born and sin by a secret will, such as when we covet our neighbor's property, when we desire to take vengeance on our enemies, when we want to be exalted above others, when we seek after tastier foods, and do things similar to these things. They sprout up and quietly seize us in such a way that they seem to be hidden to many until the deed is done. But if these things should be rendered visible to someone—as Solomon warns, "Do not go after your evil desires"20—we nonetheless ought to notice that there are many sins which we altogether do not know, of which we are able to understand neither their origins nor their manners of snatching us away. One must understand the phrase "Who understands all his sins?" from this perspective, because when he will go on to say in Psalms 51, "My sin is always before me" and elsewhere, "I have made my sin known to you," how can it not be understood that whenever he sins he is compelled to confess? But if you add the word "all," then this objection is shown to be obviated. — EXPOSITIONS OF THE Psalms 18:13 Diodorus of Tarsus: Having given instruction in regard to devotion, at this point he proceeds to speak of the sins in respect of human beings and puts people on the alert so as to realize what is an involuntary sin and what voluntary, and how they differ from each other, and further into how many types involuntary sin is divided. He employs an admirable division, first dividing sin into two, voluntary and involuntary. After this he divides the involuntary sin into three, since for example we fall when compelled, or through weakness or when mislead; or we do something when an incident occurs that is more influential than good intentions, or we prove too weak to overcome the power of lust and fall into sin, or in many cases we make a judgment with the best of intentions but by some deception we are inveigled into doing the opposite. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19 Gregory of Nyssa: So wicked and hard to cure and strong are those things possessed in the depths of our souls that it is not possible to rub them out and to remove them through human efforts and virtue alone unless through prayer we take the power of the Spirit as an ally and, in this way, conquer the evil that is playing the tyrant within us, as the Spirit teaches us through the voice of David: "Cleanse me from my unknown faults." — ON THE CHRISTIAN MODE OF LIFE Jerome: It is not my will to conceive sin; I do not want to entertain bad thoughts, and yet I do; I do not want to entertain evil, and, like a captive against my will, I am drawn into evil reflections. Because it is not in my power either to think or not to think evil, that is why I declare, "Surely they are wanton sins that come into my heart," but since I cannot seem to avoid them, I plead, "Cleanse me from my unknown faults." Unprovoked they come, but because I harbor them, I beg the Lord, "From wanton sin especially restrain your servant." Why am I saying all this? Because the prophet said, "I shall please the Lord"; not "I please" but "I shall please," for no matter how much I strive here, I cannot be a perfect man, a just man. Consequently, the apostle also says, "We know in part, and we prophesy in part," and "We see now through a mirror in an obscure manner." — HOMILY ON Psalms 114[116A] Leo the Great: Although in any time there are many who lead an innocent life, and very many commend themselves to God by their habitual performance of good deeds, we should not however trust in the integrity of our conscience to such a point that we think that human weakness, living among scandals and temptations, can meet nothing that will harm it. The chief of prophets says, "Who will boast that they have pure hearts or that they are cleansed from sin?" [Here in this psalm] he says, "From my hidden faults cleanse me, O Lord, and from dangerous ones spare your servant." — SERMON 44:1 Augustine of Hippo: "Cleanse me, O Lord, from my secret faults." From the lusts which lie hidden in me, cleanse me, O Lord. "And from the" faults "of others preserve Your servant" [Psalms 19:13]. Let me not be led astray by others. For he is not a prey to the faults of others, who is cleansed from his own. Preserve therefore from the lusts of others, not the proud man, and him who would be his own master, but, Your servant. "If they get not the dominion over me, then shall I be undefiled." If neither my own secret sins, nor those of others, get the dominion over me, then shall I be undefiled. For there is no third source of sin, but one's own secret sin, by which the devil fell, and another's sin, by which man is seduced, so as by consenting to make it his own. "And I shall be cleansed from the great offense." What but pride? For there is none greater than apostasy from God, which is "the beginning of the pride of man." [Sirach 10:12] And he shall indeed be undefiled, who is free from this offense also; for this is the last to them who are returning to God, which was the first as they departed from Him. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Augustine of Hippo: "And the words of my mouth shall be pleasing, and the meditation of my heart is always in Your sight." The meditation of my heart is not after the vain glory of pleasing men, for now there is pride no more, but in Your sight always, who regardest a pure conscience. — Exposition on Psalms 19 Cassiodorus: He calls God his helper in good things and his redeemer from evil ones so that no one may attribute to his own merits what he has received through the generosity of heaven. — EXPOSITIONS OF THE Psalms 19:15 Jerome: The third division is one of praise that teaches the impossibility of the Law, and since through transgressing it more sin had appeared in the world, the grace of the gospel has been made complete; nor is anyone able to be freed from the filthiness of his thinking except through the advent of the Holy Spirit. — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 19 Theodoret of Cyrus: [The psalm] instructs us first on creation and providence; in the middle, on the Law; and finally, on grace. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 19:9