Selected Comments on the Psalms 1587–1603

is blessed.

"In your statutes I will meditate," etc. One meditates on the statutes of God not with little words and phrases, but by understanding them and doing them. For it is not the hearers of the statutes of God who are righteous before God, but the doers of them, who meditate on them by their works; and from meditating on them in this way they will never forget the words of God.

"Repay your servant; I shall live and keep your words," etc. Let whoever has done all that leads to the knowledge of God say to the Lord: "Repay your servant."

Of the same. He repays one who gives, as he repaid Isaac to Abraham, and as the master who had given the ten minas repaid the one who brought them.

"Unveil my eyes, and I shall perceive the wonders of your law," etc. The law needs unveiling; for the commandment of the Lord is far-shining. Here he has named the history of Scripture, allegorized spiritually, "law"; which Paul too did in the letter to the Galatians, writing: "Tell me, you who wish to be under the law, do you not read the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman"; and he leads the history up for all, allegorizing it spiritually, to the Jerusalem above.

"My soul has longed to desire your judgments at all times," etc. He did not desire; he longed to desire, and to desire at all times.

"You rebuked the proud; cursed are those who turn aside from your commandments," etc. Whoever opposes the proud also rebukes the proud. The Lord opposes the proud; therefore the Lord also rebukes the proud.

"Rulers sat and spoke against me; but your servant meditated on your statutes," etc. So they gather against the righteous man, considering how to plot against him; but he does not cease speaking of the statutes of God, for he utters nothing merely human.

Of the same. Continual converse with something and occupation with it is called "meditation."

"My soul has cleaved to the ground; give me life according to your word," etc. The souls of sinners cleave to the ground, minding earthly things; but those of the righteous [cleave to it] either as bound to bodies or as remaining in them for a dispensation.

Of the same. Now the soul has cleaved to the ground and become flesh; but in the resurrection the flesh will cleave to the soul, and the soul that has cleaved to the Lord in the universal resurrection becomes one spirit, and the body becomes spiritual. Similar

to: "You brought me down into the dust of death"; and to: "Our soul was humbled into the dust"; and to: "the body of our humiliation"; and to: "Who will rescue me from the body of this death?" Through these words he showed the extreme of humiliation. So too in the forty-third psalm: "For our soul was humbled into the dust, our belly has cleaved to the earth."

"Make me understand the way of your statutes, and I will meditate on your wonders," etc. For when I have received understanding of the mysteries in them, and have travelled this way, I shall be able to converse and speak about the wonders in them.

"My soul has slumbered from listlessness; strengthen me in your words," etc. Listlessness is a long-lasting movement of anger and desire at the same time: the one angry at what is present, the other longing for what is not present. Slumber is a rational soul's neglect of the virtues and of the knowledge of God; sleep is a rational soul's voluntary separation from the true life. That is why the wise Solomon advises not to give sleep to the eyes nor slumber to the eyelids.

"Remove from me the way of injustice, and by your law have mercy on me," etc. He does not say, "Remove me from the way of injustice," but "remove it from me," as something already present in us, which needs us for its expulsion, but above all needs the help that comes from God, so that we may receive mercy by the law of God. It is like saying to a physician: By the art of medicine bring me to health, even if there is need of cutting and burning, or of anything else that knows how to cause pain. Of this law there is not even a beginning for those not yet visited [by God], but still given up to dishonourable passions, or to a reprobate [mind], or to some other state of those not yet obtaining correction and healing. For as long as the way of injustice does not depart from us, so long we do not even have the beginning of receiving mercy by the law of God.

"I ran the way of your commandments, when you enlarged my heart," etc. The principles of the commandments, by enlarging the heart, make the way of the practical life easy for it.

Of the same. "Narrow and afflicted is the way that leads to life"; but broad and spacious is the holy heart, enlarged by the Word, which will see God and runs the good course of the way of the commandments of God. So the broad and spacious way leads to destruction; while the narrow heart, which has no room within itself for the dwelling of the Father and the Son, because of its narrowness separates from God the person who has made it such by his own vice.

"Set before me as law, Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will seek it out continually," etc. The one he asks of God; the other he promises to contribute from himself. For you, he says, Lord, give me the way of your statutes as law;

and I will give the whole time of my life to searching it out.

"Give me understanding, and I will search out your law, and keep it with my whole heart," etc. We need understanding to understand the law; for it is not plain, nor to be despised. It needs God's cooperation and our own zeal, so that we may receive from him the use and the grasp of both practical and contemplative things; for so, doubting nothing, I shall keep it with my whole heart. And if the searching needs understanding, how much more does finding its end?

"Behold, I have desired your commandments; in your righteousness give me life," etc. He asks as his reward the righteous and virtuous life, not only as one who has kept the commandments, but as one who is lovingly disposed toward them, and fulfils them for no other reason than for themselves. And since the Son is the righteousness of the Father, the one who wishes to live in the Son says this.

"And I will answer a word to those who reproach me, for I have hoped in your words," etc. For I will say that one who holds such doctrines does not deserve reproach. The things that strangers to the faith laugh at as foolish, I will show to be full of understanding and wisdom. And I will answer a word, since I have hoped in your words.

"And do not take the word of truth out of my mouth," etc. And do not take true knowledge out of my heart.

"And I walked in a broad place, for I sought out your commandments," etc. He walks in a broad place, even if he is afflicted, who says: "In affliction you enlarged me"; and again: "Afflicted in every way, but not crushed." For he has the spaciousness that comes from the Word, which one who sins does not have. That is why Paul says to the Corinthians about himself, "You are not restricted by us," but about them, "You are restricted in your own affections." For the works of vice confine the base man within himself.

Of the same. Love toward God makes room in the souls of men; for love, it says, is not restricted. And love toward God is the seeking and accomplishing of his commandments; for the Lord says: "If you love me, keep my commandments." So rightly the one who seeks the commandments of God walks in a broad place, that is, lives in spaciousness; since the one who loves the Lord bears all things, endures all things, and naturally suffers no restriction.

"And I spoke of your testimonies before kings, and was not ashamed," etc. And Paul says: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel; for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and to the Greek."

"And I meditated on your commandments, which I loved,"

[Ps 118 LXX / 119, continued] etc. The goal of meditating on the commandments of God is activity according to the commandments. And "I meditated on your commandments, which I loved," seems rightly placed first. For after meditating on the principle of the commandments and taking it up, it is good to lift one's hands to the deeds that accord with the commandments, without rendering the work out of grief or necessity.

"Remember your words to your servant, in which you made me hope," etc. And what is the word he asks him to remember, but to be with them, according to the promise he gave them, which also became their comfort in persecutions?

"This comforted me in my humiliation, for your saying gave me life," etc. Hope by its nature comforts the soul in temptations, supplying the expectation of good things.

Of the same. One thing only, he says, can console us in our sufferings: to have the promise of true life. Fulfil this, then, for us. For if in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied, because we suffer now and not in hope of a life to come. And the life to come is a return to life, inasmuch as we learn that the soul's own life is not even true life, since the soul is not the man. For if in its life by itself it had the truth of living, the dead man would not need a return to life. That is why the Lord too said that the dead live to God, as not yet having life, except so far as they have it in the power of God who gives life; and he says that they have perished if they do not attain the resurrection.

"The proud transgressed exceedingly, but I did not turn aside from your law," etc. For I lived by it, guarding my ruling faculty, so that no hidden word in my heart might become a transgression. For while they transgressed greatly, I did not transgress the law even a little.

"Dejection seized me because of the sinners who forsake your law," etc. Among sinners some sin without law, through never having had any experience of laws at all; others sin in the law, by transgressing it.

"Your statutes were songs to me in the place of my sojourning," etc. He calls the present life the place of sojourning, according to: "having confessed that they are strangers and sojourners on the earth." So, singing your statutes, I rejoiced, and my desire for the commandment gave no room even to sleep.

"I remembered your name in the night," etc. At all times we need the remembrance of the sayings of God, but especially when "darkness is around me and the walls cover me," when impure desire comes in and troubles the ruling faculty. For then

it is necessary to remember the sayings of God, so that we may keep the law of God concerning temperance.

"This has become mine," etc. He means the divinely inspired Scripture. For to the righteous man it is not only spoken, but comes to be his, since he adds accomplishment to meditation. That is why he is said to seek out the statutes, as one who does not meditate on them in passing. So the other translators write "I kept" instead of "I sought out."

"You are my portion, Lord; I said that I would keep your law," etc. As folly is the portion of the fool, so prudence is the portion of the prudent, and righteousness of the righteous.

"I entreated your face with my whole heart; have mercy on me according to your saying," etc. The face of God is the stamp of his substance, as has often been said. So whoever longs for the Lord with his whole heart, so that, when it has become pure, he may behold him and receive mercy from gazing on him, could say the verses before us, according to the word of the teaching. And see how great is the one who will see the face of God: let Jesus teach you, saying: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

"I considered your ways, and turned my feet to your testimonies," etc. What he says is this: I never spoke rashly without first considering whether I should speak or be silent; I never did anything rashly without considering whether the act was fitting; for our ways lie in our thoughts and in our actions. So he says: I did everything with circumspection, and therefore, as I walked, I turned my feet to your testimonies, so that I might not walk outside the testimonies of God, having devoted my whole purpose to your commandments.

"I was ready and was not troubled, to keep your commandments," etc. Freedom from passion by nature keeps the heart untroubled; and it comes to us from right conduct and true doctrines.

"The cords of sinners have entangled me, and I have not forgotten your law," etc. Cords is said of sins following one upon another and woven together. For those who have set out to weave sin are compelled because of it to commit another as well: as David, because of his sexual immorality, added murder; Cain joined a lie to his fratricide. Yet even when these had entangled him, he says he did not altogether forget the law of God, because, looking to repentance and turning back, he broke the cord of sin.

"At midnight I rose to confess to you for the judgments of your righteousness," etc. This should be said to those who neglect prayers at night.

"Their heart was curdled like milk; but I meditated on your law," etc. As cheese

once was when it was not cheese, so the demons once were when they were not wicked. And if milk is older than cheese, clearly virtue too is older than vice; for David likened vice to cheese.

"It is good for me that you humbled me, that I may learn your statutes," etc. As if he said: [I am content] in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in distresses. I ask to be shown worthy of your statutes, which cannot be learned in any other way.

"Let the proud be put to shame, for they acted lawlessly against me without cause," etc. Shame by its nature brings the sinner to awareness.

"Let those who fear you turn to me, and those who know your testimonies," etc. He asks that such people turn to him and come to him, so that he may share with them the grace that is in him.

"Let my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame," etc. He asks as one who does not yet have it, as in "Create in me a pure heart, O God." And how will it be "blameless," or, as the other translators have it, "perfect"? He added: "in your statutes." And not being put to shame follows from this; for every sin deserves shame.

"My eyes have failed for your saying, saying: When will you comfort me?" etc. Comfort is the soul's rest from toils.

"For I have become like a wineskin in frost," etc. You will find in many places in Scripture that the body is figuratively called a wineskin. What the righteous man says, then, is this: I have put to death my members that are on earth; I have cooled the heat of the body by the divine word; I am no longer hot with appetite for the things of the belly or for bodily things; I have put to death and cooled my members that are on earth.

"How many are the days of your servant? When will you execute judgment on those who persecute me?" etc. For few are the days of men on earth, during which he prays that Satan may be quickly crushed under his feet.

Of the same. All the days of men are few. Since, then, I live only a short time on earth, I wish to see those who persecute me judged, and I beg you not to delay. And who are those on whom he prays that judgment may come? Those who persecute us: Satan and the spiritual forces of wickedness. Even when a man seems to persecute us, the one who persecutes first is not a man but the devil, whose imitator he is.

"Lawless men have told me idle tales, but not like your law," etc. He calls teachings either the old wives' tales of the Jews, or the commandments of men, and the nonsense of the wise of this age. For many attempt to interpret the divine Scriptures, both among those of the Church

and among those outside it, heretics and Jews, or Samaritans too; but not all of them speak well. For rare is the one who has grace from God for this; many profess to speak, but not well, and they live lawlessly. So if they say anything, it is idle talk and nonsense; for a vigorous, strong and saving word cannot be in the soul of a lawless man.

Of the same. This verse should be used against those who profess to teach about the knowledge of God from the wisdom outside.

"They almost made an end of me on the earth, but I did not forsake your commandments," etc. That is: I almost became earthly, when I was tempted by the enemies.

"According to your mercy give me life, and I will keep the testimonies of your mouth," etc. He asks not to be handed over to death into the hands of those who plot against him, asking not yet for eternal life but for the present one; and he asks for it not as an end, but as something that will help to bring about a good end. For if I live, he says, I will keep the ordinances of God, through which one can also gain eternal life.

Of the same. The mouth of God is the prophets, who ministered his testimonies, his commandments, his statutes.

"For ever, Lord, your word remains in heaven," etc. "In heaven" means among his holy powers. For since all things there are in order, there is no transgression of the word; and "heaven" is not the heaven that passes away, even though everything in it moves in order, but the one that is said to be the throne of God. On earth the word does not even remain; for it has no room where there is sexual immorality and impurity and the other passions: "For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?" He did not say "to the age of ages" or "of the age" (for after the age heaven and earth will pass away), but [the heaven] in which "the word remains." For it is possible for a perfect man to seem to be on earth, while having his citizenship in heaven. So truth is in him always.

"Your truth is to generation and generation. You founded the earth, and it remains," etc. By this truth the earth has been founded. For on this cornerstone, laid as a foundation, all who are saved from the earth are built; hence the earth too remains, having an unbreakable and secure base and foundation. And truth too, having lit up the day that it made, with God shining upon it, remains in the same order, unchanged.

"For all things are your servants," etc. If all things are the servants of God, how does Solomon in Proverbs say of the ant: "Though it has no farm, nor anyone compelling it, nor is it under a master, it prepares its food in summer"? God is called master in two ways: either as Creator, or as known. That is why Paul too

writes: "Set free from sin, you became slaves to God," that is, by virtue and knowledge. "You have your fruit for sanctification, and its end is eternal life." And if the ant has no share in such an end, it clearly has none in this slavery either. So the ant is rightly said not to be under a master, in respect of this mastery.

"Unless your law had been my meditation, I would have perished then in my humiliation," etc. Blessed indeed is it not to perish when one has come into a time of trial, such as martyrdom. Unless one has meditated on the law of God beforehand, he perishes.

"I have seen an end of all perfection; your commandment is exceedingly broad," etc. Above all words from outside, the words of the commandments of God enlarge the soul by purifying it.

"How I have loved your law, Lord! All the day it is my meditation," etc. The law is meditated on not only in words and sounds, but also in actions. For when someone reads, understanding what is said and doing it, not leaving it out in any action, but in everything doing what the law wills, he meditates on the law of God by speaking, reading, and doing. Here it is said, "All the day it is my meditation"; but in the first psalm he says that the one who is to be blessed must meditate on the law not only by day but also by night. Why did he leave out the night here? Because the life of men here is mixed; that is why we now have day and night. But when we become holy and blessed, night will not follow upon us, but we shall be in day alone. See, then, how the one who journeys here, that is, who is not perfect in his life (for conduct in the world is a journey), does not yet journey in purity, but is sometimes in day and sometimes in night: in day, when he does what the law requires; in night, when he does not yet do the law with his whole heart (even if he meditates on the law), or when he acts against what is required. So the beginner, or the one making progress, meditates on the law day and night; but the one who has been perfected is not in night, but in day, as Paul says: "The night is far gone, the day has drawn near; let us walk decently as in the day." And again: "So then we are no longer of night or of darkness, but we are children of light and of day."

"You have made me wiser than my enemies in your commandment, for it is mine for ever," etc. A mind stripped of the passions, which has come to share in knowledge, becomes more cunning than the demons, often saying the word of Paul: "For we are not ignorant of his designs."

Of the same. Here he calls enemies those who lay claim to the commandments and hate us, though we are not hostile to them. He means the Jews of the circumcision; for the Christian has been made wiser than these in the commandment of God, understanding and keeping the law spiritually.

For this reason I can understand more deeply what the Lord said: "Love your enemies." For those are our enemies who "have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge."

"I have understood more than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation," etc. The Scriptures were theirs first; "they were entrusted with the oracles of God." They profess to have become teachers, as the first to receive the law and the prophets. So we who are from the nations say: "I have understood more than all my teachers." Why? "For your testimonies are my meditation." I find new testimonies beside the testimonies often spoken. For my meditation is the testimonies of Jesus Christ; for I have received these testimonies, and for this reason I have understood more than all my teachers. The churchman called them enemies; he called them teachers; now he calls them elders too.

"I have understood more than the elders, for I have sought out your commandments," etc. I use this verse against the old men who think that length of time and freedom from passion produce the knowledge of God.

"I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep your words," etc. We walked evil ways, "being once foolish and disobedient, led astray, slaves to various desires and pleasures," and so on. Those were evil ways. This is the voice of a perfect churchman. For as long as we still sin, we cannot say these things; for it is by restraining our feet from every evil way that we shall keep the words of God. What words? Those in the law, when we understand them spiritually and recognize Jesus Christ, who is proclaimed through them. "I have restrained my feet" shows the freedom of choice; for he said this as one with whom it lay to move his feet to walk, or to restrain them.

"I have not turned aside from your judgments, for you have given me law," etc. I always remembered your judgment seat. In the ninth psalm he says: "Appoint a lawgiver over them; let the nations know that they are men." For Moses gave the laws of the letter to those who could not receive the coming of the New Covenant; but Jesus Christ, having come, gave me the Gospel as law, and showed me that the law of Moses is spiritual.

"How sweet are your sayings to my throat, more than honey to my mouth!" etc. The mind that delights in knowledge and is nourished on it is called the mouth.

"From your commandments I have gained understanding; therefore I have hated every way of injustice," etc. Having gained understanding in your commandments, which distinguish for me what I must do; and indeed I not only depart from every way of injustice, but have also come to hate it.