Chapter LXXIII.—[The words] “From the wood” have been cut out of Ps. xcvi.

“And from the ninety-fifth (ninety-sixth) Psalm they have taken away this short saying of the words of David: ‘From the wood.’275    These words were not taken away by the Jews, but added by some Christian.—Otto. [A statement not proved.] For when the passage said, ‘Tell ye among the nations, the Lord hath reigned from the wood,’ they have left, ‘Tell ye among the nations, the Lord hath reigned.’ Now no one of your people has ever been said to have reigned as God and Lord among the nations, with the exception of Him only who was crucified, of whom also the Holy Spirit affirms in the same Psalm that He was raised again, and freed from [the grave], declaring that there is none like Him among the gods of the nations: for they are idols of demons. But I shall repeat the whole Psalm to you, that you may perceive what has been said. It is thus: ‘Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, and bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all the gods. For all the gods of the nations are demons but the Lord made the heavens. Confession and beauty are in His presence; holiness and magnificence are in His sanctuary. Bring to the Lord, O ye countries of the nations, bring to the Lord glory and honour, bring to the Lord glory in His name. Take sacrifices, and go into His courts; worship the Lord in His holy temple. Let the whole earth be moved before Him: tell ye among the nations, the Lord hath reigned.276    It is strange that “from the wood” is not added; but the audacity of the copyists in such matters is well known.—Maranus. For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved; He shall judge the nations with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be glad; let the sea and its fulness shake. Let the fields and all therein be joyful. Let all the trees of the wood be glad before the Lord: for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.’ ”

Here Trypho remarked, “Whether [or not] the rulers of the people have erased any portion of the Scriptures, as you affirm, God knows; but it seems incredible.”

“Assuredly,” said I, “it does seem incredible. For it is more horrible than the calf which they made, when satisfied with manna on the earth; or than the sacrifice of children to demons; or than the slaying of the prophets. But,” said I, “you appear to me not to have heard the Scriptures which I said they had stolen away. For such as have been quoted are more than enough to prove the points in dispute, besides those which are retained by us,277    Many think, “you.” and shall yet be brought forward.”

[73] Καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐνενηκοστοῦ πέμπτου ψαλμοῦ τῶν διὰ Δαυεὶδ λεχθέντων λόγων λέξεις βραχείας ἀφείλοντο ταύτας: ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου. εἰρημένου γὰρ τοῦ λόγου: Εἴπατε τοῖς ἔθνεσιν: Ὁ κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, ἀφῆκαν: Εἴπατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν: Ὁ κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν. ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔθνεσι περὶ οὐδενὸς ὡς θεοῦ καὶ κυρίου ἐλέχθη ποτὲ ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ γένους ὑμῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅτι ἐβασίλευσεν, ἀλλ' ἢ περὶ τούτου μόνου τοῦ σταυρωθέντος, ὃν καὶ σεσῶσθαι ἀναστάντα ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ψαλμῷ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον λέγει, μηνύον ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὅμοιος τοῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν θεοῖς: ἐκεῖνα γὰρ εἴδωλά ἐστι δαιμονίων. ἀλλ' ὅπως τὸ λεγόμενον νοήσητε, τὸν πάντα ψαλμὸν ἀπαγγελῶ ὑμῖν. ἔστι δὲ οὗτος: Ἄισατε τῷ κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινόν, ᾄσατε τῷ κυρίῳ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. ᾄσατε τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ εὐλογήσατε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ: εὐαγγελίζεσθε ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ. ἀναγγείλατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λαοῖς τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ: ὅτι μέγας κύριος καὶ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα, φοβερός ἐστιν ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς θεούς: ὅτι πάντες οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμόνια, ὁ δὲ κύριος τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐποίησεν. ἐξομολόγησις καὶ ὡραιότης ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἁγιωσύνη καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια ἐν τῷ ἁγιάσματι αὐτοῦ. ἐνέγκατε τῷ κυρίῳ, αἱ πατριαὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἐνέγκατε τῷ κυρίῳ δόξαν καὶ τιμήν, ἐνέγκατε τῷ κυρίῳ δόξαν ἐν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. αἴρετε θυσίας καὶ εἰσπορεύεσθε εἰς τὰς αὐλὰς αὐτοῦ. προσκυνήσατε τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν αὐλῇ ἁγίᾳ αὐτοῦ. σαλευθήτω ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. εἴπατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν: Ὁ κύριος ἐβασίλευσε. καὶ γὰρ κατώρθωσε τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἥτις οὐ σαλευθήσεται: κρινεῖ λαοὺς ἐν εὐθύτητι. εὐφραινέσθωσαν οἱ οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ γῆ, σαλευθήσεται ἡ θάλασσα καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς. χαρήσεται τὰ πεδία καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἀγαλλιάσονται πάντα τὰ ξύλα τοῦ δρυμοῦ ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου, ὅτι ἔρχεται, ὅτι ἔρχεται κρῖναι τὴν γῆν. κρινεῖ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ λαοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων: Εἰ μέν, ὡς ἔφης, εἶπε, παρέγραψάν τι ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν οἱ ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ, θεὸς δύναται ἐπίστασθαι: ἀπίστῳ δὲ ἔοικε τὸ τοιοῦτον. Ναί, ἔφην, ἀπίστῳ ἔοικε: φοβερώτερον γάρ ἐστι τῆς μοσχοποιΐας, ἣν ἐποίησαν ἐπὶ γῆς μάννα πεπλησμένοι, καὶ τοῦ τὰ τέκνα θύειν τοῖς δαιμονίοις, ἢ τοῦ αὐτοὺς τοὺς προφήτας ἀνῃρηκέναι. ἀλλὰ δή, ἔφην, μοι νομίζεσθε μηδὲ ἀκηκοέναι ἃς εἶπον περικεκοφέναι αὐτοὺς γραφάς. ὑπὲρ αὐταρκείας γὰρ αἱ τοσαῦται προανιστορημέναι εἰσὶν εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τῶν ζητηθέντων μετὰ τῶν λεχθήσεσθαι μελλόντων παρ' ὑμῖν παραπεφυλαγμένων.