45

INTERPRETATION OF THE 21ST PSALM. 1. "To the end. For the morning aid, a psalm of David."

This psalm foretells the passion of the Lord Christ, and the resurrection, and the calling of the gentiles, and the salvation of the world. And the inscription also shows this. [For "to the end, for the morning aid": "to the end" is placed so that you might understand the dispensation 80.1009 which was brought about by him at the consummation of the ages.] For the morning aid is the appearance of our Savior, which, like the dawn, shone upon those sitting in darkness. For the Lord is true light. And the rising light makes the dawn, at whose appearance the darkness was dispelled, [and the diabolical mist. For evil is often understood in Scripture enigmatically through darkness. But some say the morning aid is the time of the Savior's resurrection.] Therefore, the psalm is spoken of him. For one must rather believe the holy apostles, and the Savior himself who clearly used the opening of the psalm, than those who attempt to misinterpret it. 2. "O God, my God, attend to me: why have you forsaken me?" But nailed to the scaffold, the Lord uttered this cry, using the very Hebrew tongue, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? How then is it possible to disregard the testimony of the Truth himself? But he says he was forsaken, since though no sin had been committed by him, yet death had prevailed, which had received power over those who had sinned. Therefore he calls it forsaking, not the separation of the united divinity, as some have supposed, but the permission that was given for the passion. For the divinity was present even with the suffering form of the servant, and permitted it to suffer, contriving salvation for the whole nature. This, however, did not receive suffering from that; for how was it possible for the impassible nature to suffer? But the Lord Christ says these things as a man, and since he was the first-fruits of human nature, he speaks the following words on behalf of the whole nature: "Far from my salvation are the words of my trespasses." But it should be known that none of the other interpreters mentioned "of my trespasses"; but Aquila has, "of my roaring," Symmachus, "of my lamentations," and Theodotion, "of my crying." But so that we may not seem, by using other interpreters here, to be maliciously refuting those who have interpreted the psalm differently, we shall use the interpretation of the Seventy. For they, having paid attention to this saying, said that the psalm does not fit the Lord. For how, it says, 80.1012 was it possible for one who had not sinned to say, "far from my salvation are the words of my trespasses"? Let them then hear the renowned John crying out: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." And of the divine Paul saying: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." And again: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." Therefore, just as being the source of righteousness, he took up our sin, and being an ocean of blessing, he received the curse lying upon us, and endured a cross, despising its shame; so also he made his words on our behalf. For if he willingly underwent the chastisement appointed for you; "for the chastisement of our peace was upon him," as the prophet says; much more did he use words on our behalf instead of us, and cries out, "Far from my salvation are the words of my trespasses." Do not look, he says, upon the faults of the nature; but grant salvation through my sufferings. And since, managing the passion in a human way, he often prayed around the time of the passion; "Father," he said, "if it is possible, let this cup pass from me;" and being disheartened he said: "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death;"

45

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΚΑʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος. Ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀντιλήψεως τῆς ἑω θινῆς ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ."

Οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς τοῦ ∆ε σπότου Χριστοῦ προαγορεύει τὰ τοῦ πάθους, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν κλῆσιν, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὴν σωτηρίαν. Καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ δὲ τοῦτο δηλοῖ. [Εἰς τὸ τέλος γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑωθινῆς ἀντιλήψεως· τὸ μὲν εἰς τὸ τέλος, κεῖται, ἵνα τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἐννοῇς τὴν ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων γε 80.1009 γενημένην παρ' αὐτοῦ.] Ἀντίληψις γὰρ ἑωθινὴ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφάνεια, ἡ δίκην ὄρθρου τοῖς ἐν σκότῳ καθημένοις ἐπιλάμψασα. Φῶς γὰρ ἀληθινὸν ὁ ∆εσπότης. Ἀνίσχον δὲ τὸ φῶς, τὸν ὄρθρον ἀποτελεῖ, οὗ φανέντος ἐλύθη τὸ σκότος, [καὶ ἡ δια βολικὴ ἀχλύς. Ἡ γὰρ κακία πολλαχοῦ τῆς Γραφῆς διὰ τοῦ σκότους ἐν αἰνίγματι νοεῖται. Τινὲς δὲ ἀντί ληψιν ἑωθινὴν λέγουσι τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σω τῆρος καιρόν.] Εἰς αὐτὸν τοίνυν εἴρηται ὁ ψαλμός. Μᾶλλον γὰρ πιστευτέον τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἀποστόλοις, καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ Σωτῆρι χρωμένῳ σαφῶς τῷ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ προοιμίῳ, ἢ τοῖς παρερμηνεύειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν. βʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου, πρόσχες μοι· ἵνα τί ἐγ κατέλιπές με;" Τῷ ἰκρίῳ δὲ προσηλωμένος ταύ την ὁ ∆εσπότης προήκατο τὴν φωνὴν, αὐτῇ χρη σάμενος τῇ Ἑβραίων φωνῇ, ἡλὶ, ἡλὶ, λεμὰ σα βαχθανί; Πῶς τοίνυν οἷόν τε τῆς αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας παραγράψασθαι μαρτυρίαν; Ἐγκαταλελεῖφθαι δὲ λέγει, ὡς ἁμαρτίας μὲν οὐδεμιᾶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενο μένης, τοῦ δὲ θανάτου κεκρατηκότος, ὃς κατὰ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐδέδεκτο. Ἐγκατά λειψιν τοίνυν καλεῖ, οὐ τὸν τῆς ἡνωμένης θεότητος χωρισμὸν, ὥς τινες ὑπειλήφασιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν γεγενη μένην τοῦ πάθους συγχώρησιν. Παρῆν γὰρ ἡ θεό της καὶ πασχούσῃ τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ, καὶ συν εχώρησε παθεῖν, πάσῃ τῇ φύσει μηχανωμένη τὴν σωτηρίαν. Αὕτη μέντοι πάθος ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ εἰσεδέχετο· πῶς γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν τὴν ἀπαθῆ φύσιν παθεῖν; Λέγει δὲ ταῦτα ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς ὡς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀπαρχὴ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως ἦν, ὑπὲρ ἁπάσης τῆς φύσεως ἐν τοῖς ἐπαγομένοις ποιεῖται τοὺς λόγους· "Μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μου οἱ λόγοι τῶν παραπτωμάτων μου." Ἰστέον δὲ, ὡς τῶν παραπτωμάτων οὐδεὶς τῶν ἄλλων ἑρμηνευτῶν ἐμνημόνευσεν· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, βρυχήματός μου, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, ὀδυρμῶν μου, ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων, βοήσεώς μου. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ δόξωμεν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἑρ μηνευταῖς ἐνταῦθα κεχρημένοι, ἐκ περινοίας τοὺς ἑτέρους τὸν ψαλμὸν ἑρμηνευκότας ἐλέγχειν, τῇ τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα ἑρμηνείᾳ χρησόμεθα. Ταύτῃ γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι τῇ ῥήσει προσεσχηκότες οὐκ ἔφασαν ἁρμόττειν τὸν ψαλμὸν τῷ Κυρίῳ. Πῶς γὰρ, φησὶν, 80.1012 οἷόν τε ἦν τὸν οὐχ ἡμαρτηκότα λέγειν, μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μου οἱ λόγοι τῶν παραπτωμάτων μου; Ἀκουσάτωσαν τοίνυν Ἰωάννου τοῦ πάνυ βοῶντος· "Ἴδε ὁ Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου." Τοῦ δὲ θεσπεσίου Παύλου λέγοντος· "Τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη ἐν αὐτῷ." Καὶ πάλιν· "Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατά ρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα." Τοιγαροῦν ὥσπερ δικαιοσύνης ὑπάρχων πηγὴ, τὴν ἡμετέραν ἁμαρτίαν ἀνέλαβε, καὶ εὐλογίας ὢν πέλα γος, τὴν ἐπικειμένην ἡμῖν ἐδέξατο κατάραν, καὶ σταυρὸν ὑπέμεινεν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας· οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐποιήσατο λόγους. Εἰ γὰρ τὴν ὡρισμένην ὑμῖν παιδείαν ὑπῆλθεν ἑκών· "Παιδεία γὰρ εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ' αὐτὸν," ᾗ φησιν ὁ προφήτης· πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῖς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀνθ' ἡμῶν ἐχρήσατο λόγοις, καὶ βοᾷ "Μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μου οἱ λόγοι τῶν παραπτωμάτων μου." Μὴ ἀποβλέψῃς, φησὶν, εἰς τὰ τῆς φύσεως πλημμελήματα· ἀλλὰ δὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν διὰ τὰ ἐμὰ παθήματα. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ πάθος ἀνθρωπίνως οἰκονομῶν πολλάκις προσηύ ξατο παρὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρόν· "Πάτερ, λέγων, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπ' ἐμοῦ·" καὶ ἀθυμῶν ἔλεγε· "Περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου·"