Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho

Then Trypho said, “We know that you quoted these because we asked you. But it does not appear to me that this Psalm which you quoted last from the words of David refers to any other than the Father and Maker of the heavens and earth. You, however, asserted that it referred to Him who suffered, whom you also are eagerly endeavouring to prove to be Christ.”

And I answered, “Attend to me, I beseech you, while I speak of the statement which the Holy Spirit gave utterance to in this Psalm; and you shall know that I speak not sinfully, and that we278 In text, “you.” Maranus suggests, as far better, “we.” are not really bewitched; for so you shall be enabled of yourselves to understand many other statements made by the Holy Spirit. ‘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, His wonderful works among all people.’ He bids the inhabitants of all the earth, who have known the mystery of this salvation, i.e., the suffering of Christ, by which He saved them, sing and give praises to God the Father of all things, and recognise that He is to be praised and feared, and that He is the Maker of heaven and earth, who effected this salvation in behalf of the human race, who also was crucified and was dead, and who was deemed worthy by Him (God) to reign over all the earth. As [is clearly seen279 Something is here wanting; the suggested reading of Maranus has been adopted. [As to omissions between this chapter and the next, critics are not agreed. The Benedictine editors see no proofs of them.] ] also by the land into which [He said] He would bring [your fathers]; [for He thus speaks]:280 Deut. xxxi. 16–18. ‘This people [shall go a whoring after other gods], and shall forsake Me, and shall break my covenant which I made with them in that day; and I will forsake them, and will turn away My face from them; and they shall be devoured,281 Literally, “for food.” and many evils and afflictions shall find them out; and they shall say in that day, Because the Lord my God is not amongst us, these misfortunes have found us out. And I shall certainly turn away My face from them in that day, on account of all the evils which they have committed, in that they have turned to other gods.’282 The first conference seems to have ended hereabout. [It occupied two days. But the student must consult the learned note of Kaye (Justin Martyr, p. 20. Rivingtons, London. 1853).]

[74] Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων ἔφη: Ὅτι δι' ἡμᾶς ἀξιώσαντας ἀνιστόρησας αὐτάς, ἐπιστάμεθα. περὶ δὲ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τούτου, ὃν τελευταῖον ἔφης ἀπὸ τῶν Δαυεὶδ λόγων, οὐ δοκεῖ μοι εἰς ἄλλον τινὰ εἰρῆσθαι ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν πατέρα, τὸν καὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν ποιήσαντα: σὺ δ' αὐτὸν φῂς εἰς τὸν παθητὸν τοῦτον, ὃν καὶ Χριστὸν εἶναι σπουδάζεις ἀποδεικνύναι, εἰρῆσθαι. Καὶ ἀπεκρινάμην: Διὰ λέξεως, ἣν τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ψαλμῷ ἀνεφθέγξατο, νοήσατε λέγοντός μου, παρακαλῶ, καὶ γνώσεσθε οὔτε κακῶς με λέγειν οὐθ' ὑμᾶς ὄντως κεκλῆσθαι: οὕτως γὰρ ἂν καὶ πολλὰ ἄλλα νοῆσαι τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος εἰρημένων καθ' ἑαυτοὺς γενόμενοι δυνήσεσθε. 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, ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λαοῖς τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ. ὡς τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ τῶν ὅλων ᾄδοντας καὶ ψάλλοντας τοὺς ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς γῆς γνόντας τὸ σωτήριον τοῦτο μυστήριον, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ πάθος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ τούτους ἔσωσεν, ἐνδιάγοντας κελεύει, ἐπιγνόντας ὅτι καὶ αἰνετὸς καὶ φοβερὸς καὶ ποιητὴς τοῦ τε οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ τοῦτο τὸ σωτήριον ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου γένους ποιήσας, τὸν καὶ μετὰ τὸ σταυρωθῆναι ἀποθνήσκοντα καὶ βασιλεύειν πάσης τῆς γῆς κατηξιωμένον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὡς καὶ διὰ ... ... τῆς γῆς, εἰς ἣν οὗτος εἰσπορεύεται εἰς αὐτήν, καὶ ἐγκαταλείψουσί με, καὶ διασκεδάσουσι τὴν διαθήκην μου, ἣν διεθέμην αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. καὶ καταλείψω αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀποστρέψω τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἀπ' αὐτῶν: καὶ ἔσται κατάβρωμα, καὶ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτὸν κακὰ πολλὰ καὶ θλίψεις. καὶ ἐρεῖ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ: διότι οὐκ ἔστι κύριος ὁ θεός μου ἐν ἡμῖν, εὕροσάν με τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα. ἐγὼ δὲ ἀποστροφῇ ἀποστρέψω τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, διὰ πάσας τὰς κακίας ἃς ἐποίησαν, ὅτι ἐπέστρεψαν ἐπὶ θεοὺς ἀλλοτρίους.