Expositio in Psalmos of Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, on the psalms.

Sacred words and a collection of divine teachings procure glorious benefit for those who have spoken them, For wisdom is better than precious stones, and nothing of value is worthy of it. I believe, therefore, one ought to labor very eagerly in things so beneficial, and that one who loves admirable things ought to be superior to hesitation and indolence; for the most excellent of achievements would not be attainable by those accustomed to sink into indolence, but by those willing to sweat for them. For this reason, I too have now been spurred on to the necessity of expounding, according to my ability, a few things on the book of Psalms, for I hold it in great admiration. Some have already written before me, but it is in no way lacking for us also to set forth this composition as a God-loving exercise.

All God-breathed scripture, then, abounds in what is beneficial, for it directs to what is pleasing to God, and works a precise knowledge of the excellent life; but especially the composition of melody all but intoxicates with the narratives concerning Christ, the savior of us all, and proclaims beforehand the mystery of the incarnation subtly and with refinement, omitting nothing at all of what has happened. For it narrates all things clearly: the teachings of the Savior and His very miracles, and in addition to these the drunken outrages of the Jews committed against him, the cross and the things on it, the reproaches and the mockery, the descent into Hades, the redemption of the spirits below, the resurrection from the dead, the return to the heavens, the apostasy of those of Israel, the disasters, the capture of Jerusalem, the turning away that has happened to the whole nation, the remnant that has been saved, the proclamation of the holy apostles, the spiritual ministry, the calling of the gentiles, the subsequent return of Israel through faith, the honors that will be for the saints in the future, the city above, the return of bodies from the earth to incorruptibility; and once and for all, its purpose is to narrate clearly and unerringly, as from the Holy Spirit, everything that contributes to the benefit and salvation of its readers. And it must be known that the divine David, being a prophet and knowing that God swore an oath to him to set one from the fruit of his loins upon his throne, as it is written, dwells upon the narratives concerning Christ. From this, I think, he came to the necessity of composing odes and melodies of praise. And this was not done out of keeping with the law. For He commanded this along with the other things, and at any rate He has legislated the manner for each sacrifice. And He also mentions a sacrifice of praise, which He also names of salvation, for it is written, I will take up the cup of salvation and I will call upon the name of the Lord. And God spoke thus to the hierophant Moses: This is the law of the sacrifice of salvation, which they shall offer to the Lord. If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened loaves of fine flour made with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and fine flour mixed with oil; with leavened loaves he shall offer his gifts with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of salvation. And yet in other places He clearly commanded that what is leavened is not to be offered to God; for He spoke thus, that You shall not offer any leaven or any honey to God. You shall offer them as a gift of firstfruits, but it shall not go up on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. How then is the sacrifice of salvation and of praise performed with leavened loaves? It has a mystical meaning;

Expositio in Psalmos Κυρίλλου Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας εἰς τοὺς ψαλμούς.

Ἱεροὶ μὲν λόγοι καὶ τῶν θείων ἄθροισις μαθημάτων εὐκλεᾶ τοῖς εἰρηκόσιν περιποιοῦσι τὴν ὄνησιν, Κρεῖσσον γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν, πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστιν. χρῆναι δὲ οἶμαι πονεῖν καὶ μάλα προθύμως ἔν γε δὴ τοῖς οὕτως ὀνησιφόροις, ὄκνου τε εἶναι καὶ ῥᾳθυμίας κρείττονα τὸν ἀξιαγάστων ἐρῶντα πραγμάτων· οὐ γὰρ τοῖς εἰωθόσιν ἀναπίπτειν εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἁλώσιμα γένοιτ' ἂν τὰ ἐξαίρετα τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἱδροῦν ἐθέλουσι περὶ αὐτῶν. ἔνθεν τοι κἀγὼ παρατέθηγμαι καὶ νῦν ἐπί γε τὸ δεῖν ὀλίγα ἄττα κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν ψαλμῶν ἀφηγήσασθαι βίβλον, σφόδρα γὰρ αὐτὴν θαυμάσας ἔχω. γεγράφασι μὲν ἤδη προφθάσαντές τινες, λείπει δὲ οὐδὲν γύμνασμα θεοφιλὲς καὶ ἡμῖν γε προβαλέσθαι τὴν συγγραφήν.

Πᾶσα μὲν οὖν γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καταπλουτεῖ τὸ ἐπωφελές, ἀπευθύνει γὰρ εἰς τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, καὶ τῆς ἐξαιρέτου ζωῆς ἀκριβῆ τὴν εἴδησιν ἐνεργάζεται· ἐξαιρέτως γε μὴν ἡ τῆς μελῳδίας συγγραφὴ μονονουχὶ καὶ καταμεθύει τοῖς περὶ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ διηγήμασι, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως μυστήριον λεπτῶς τε καὶ κατερρινημένως προαναφωνεῖ παραλιμπάνουσα τῶν γεγονότων τὸ σύμπαν οὐδέν. πάντα γὰρ ἀφηγεῖται σαφῶς, τάς τε τοῦ Σωτῆρος διδασκαλίας καὶ αὐτὰς δὲ τὰς θεοσημείας, καὶ προσέτι τούτοις τὰς εἰς αὐτὸν γεγενημένας τῶν Ἰουδαίων παροινίας, τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, τοὺς ὀνειδισμοὺς καὶ τὸν μυκτηρισμόν, τὴν εἰς ᾅδου κάθοδον, τὴν λύτρωσιν τῶν κάτω πνευμάτων, τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν, τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναφοίτησιν, τὴν ἀπόστασιν τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, τὰς συμφοράς, τὴν ἅλωσιν τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, τὴν ἐπὶ παντὶ τῷ ἔθνει γεγενημένην ἀποστροφήν, τὸ κατάλειμμα τὸ περισεσω σμένον, τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων τὴν ἀνάρρησιν, τὴν πνευματικὴν ἱερουργίαν, τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν κλῆσιν, τὴν ἑπομένην μετὰ τοῦτο τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ διὰ πίστεως ἐπιστροφήν, τὰς εἰς ὕστερον τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐσομένας τιμάς, τὴν ἄνω πόλιν, τὴν εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν ἀναδρομὴν τῶν ἀπὸ γῆς σωμάτων· καὶ ἅπαξ ἁπλῶς πᾶν ὅπερ ἐστὶν εἰς ὄνησίν τε καὶ σωτηρίαν τελοῦν τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις, τοῦτο σαφῶς τε καὶ ἀπλανῶς καὶ ὡς ἐξ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀφηγεῖσθαι σκοπὸς αὐτῇ. Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι προφήτης ὑπάρχων ὁ θεσπέσιος ∆αυὶδ καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ὅρκῳ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ καθίσαι ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται, τοῖς περὶ Χριστοῦ διηγήμασιν ἐμφιλοχωρεῖ. ἐντεῦθεν οἶμαι παρελθεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ εἴς γε τὸ δεῖν ᾠδὰς συντιθέναι καὶ μέλη δοξολογίας. καὶ οὐκ ἀπᾳδόντως τῷ νόμῳ τὸ χρῆμα ἐπράττετο. προστέταχε δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο, καὶ γοῦν τὸν ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ θυσίᾳ τεθεσμοθέτηκε τρόπον. διαμέμνηται δὲ καὶ θυσίας αἰνέσεως, ἣν καὶ ὀνομάζει σωτηρίου, γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ποτήριον σωτηρίου λήψομαι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἐπικαλέσομαι. ἔφη δὲ οὕτω ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν ἱεροφάντην Μωϋσέα· Οὗτος ὁ νόμος θυσίας σωτηρίου, ἣν προσοίσουσι Κυρίῳ. ἐὰν μὲν περὶ αἰνέσεως προσφέρῃ αὐτήν, καὶ προσοίσει περὶ τῆς θυσίας τῆς αἰνέσεως ἄρτους ἐκ σεμιδάλεως ἀναπεποιημένους ἐν ἐλαίῳ καὶ λάχανα ἄζυμα κεχρισμένα ἐλαίῳ καὶ σεμίδαλιν πεφυραμένην ἐν ἐλαίῳ· ἐπ' ἄρτοις ζυμίταις προσοίσει τὰ δῶρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ θυσίᾳ αἰνέσεως σωτηρίου. καίτοι προστέταχεν ἐναργῶς ἐν ἑτέροις ἀπροσκόμιστον εἶναι τῷ Θεῷ τὸ ἐζυμωμένον· ἔφη γὰρ οὕτως, ὅτι Πᾶσαν ζύμην καὶ πᾶν μέλι οὐ προσοίσετε τῷ Θεῷ. δῶρον ἀπαρχῆς προσοίσετε αὐτά, ἐπὶ δὲ τὸ θυσιαστήριον οὐκ ἀναβήσεται εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας τῷ Κυρίῳ. εἶτα πῶς ἐπ' ἄρτοις ζυμίταις ἡ τοῦ σωτηρίου καὶ ἡ τῆς αἰνέσεως τελεῖται θυσία; μυστικὸν ἔχει τὸν λόγον·