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Commentaries on the Psalms

1 We have a conception of God both from scripture and from common understanding that he is immutable, that he is unchangeable; for he who is not at all subject to quality does not turn, is not altered; for alteration is nothing other than change in quality. Not every change is an alteration, but the one according to quality. There are indeed other changes, since there are also other movements. That which comes into being changes, but this movement is not an alteration. That which grows changes, but this is not an alteration; for such a movement is an addition and an increase of quantity. But when someone becomes virtuous from being wicked, or wicked from being virtuous, he has been altered according to quality, just as when one goes from sickness to health and vice versa. But we understand the words in relation to the meaning of the thing about which they are said. God is not composed of members, since he is not composite; therefore, sitting down, standing up, walking about, turning of the face, enlightenment of the face are superfluous for him. But in these things ordained concerning him, to preserve the faith, one must interpret them in a manner befitting God. For some subordinate the things signified to the words and their coarseness. For instance, some have dared to rush into such folly or impiety, as to consider God to be anthropomorphic on account of the things written in this manner. And they say that God has hands, limbs, and feet, and a surface, and the rest. But if we always know this, about whom these things are said and also from whom, we are able to bring the matters to what is signified, to what is being made clear. If we do not interpret them in a manner befitting God, we cannot have a pious conception of them according to one of the twelve prophets. For he says in a certain place: "Are not his words good with him, and have they not walked uprightly?" If they are not with him, with his meaning, they are not good. If you hear, for example, of sleep and wakefulness and repentance and do not take such things with his meaning, the things said about him have not walked uprightly with him. But when you take such things with him, the words that walk uprightly with him, filled with spirit, have nothing awkward or rash. This indeed the Savior said in the gospel: "You are mistaken, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God." You are mistaken, saying that he does not make existing things out of non-existence; for this they say: "making is later than being; for some underlying substrate must exist. The dead are without a share in the resurrection." Since, therefore, they do not receive them with the power of God, for this reason they stumble. God is able to bring things from non-existence into existence and to alter corruptible bodies. He says this 2 to the Sadducees. He who thinks he knows the scriptures is mistaken, when he is ignorant of the power of God about whom they speak and by whom they were spoken. For what reason these things have been said by me, I shall say, apart from the action that is about to take place. Our Savior and Lord is at once God and man; God always, but not always man; for before creation he was God, but not man. And he was about to take on this too for the sake of salvation. And his becoming man is for a reason, but his being God is not for a reason, but on account of his own existence and the substance of his generation; for so I have heard from my "I live because of the Father." He does not say this, that "the Father makes me live," as the Eunomians wish, but he says this, as if one were to say: "For this reason I am rational, because I have a rational father, and for this reason I am mortal, because I have a mortal father." And this is true; for "because" is a demonstrative cause. Since, therefore, he lives because of the Father, he is called life, not denominated from life, but as a source of life and as one who imparts it to all; for we say that the living one has life,

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Commentarii in Psalmos

1 Ἔχ̣ομ̣ε̣ν̣ περὶ θεοῦ διάλημψιν καὶ ἀπὸ τ̣ῆς γραφῆς καὶ τῆς κοινῆς ἐννοίας ὅτι ἄτρεπτός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἀναλλοίωτός ἐστιν· ὁ γὰρ ὅλως μὴ ὑποκείμενος ποιότη̣τι οὐ τρέπεται, οὐκ ἀλλοιοῦται· οὐδὲν γ̣α`̣ρ̣ ἕτερ̣ο´̣ν̣ ἐστιν ἀλλοίωσις ἢ κατὰ ποιὸν μεταβολή. οὐ πᾶσα μεταβολ̣ὴ ἀλλοίωσίς ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἡ κ̣ατὰ π̣οιότητα. εἰσίν γ̣ε̣ καὶ ἄλλαι μεταβολαί, ἐπεὶ καὶ κινήσεις εἰσὶν ἄλλαι. τὸ γ̣ι̣νόμενον μεταβάλλει, ἀλλ' οὔκ ἐστιν α᾿̣λ̣λοίω̣σι̣ς ἡ κίνη̣σις αὕτη. τὸ αὐξο´̣μ̣ενον μεταβάλλει, ἀλλ' οὔκ ἐστιν ἀλλοίωσις αὕτη· προσθήκη γὰρ καὶ αὔξησις̣ π̣οσ̣ου῀̣ ἐστιν ἡ τοιαύτη κίν̣η̣σις. ὁ´̣ταν δὲ ἐκ φα̣υ´̣λ̣ο̣υ σπου̣δα̣ι῀̣ος̣ ἠ`̣ ε᾿̣κ̣ σπουδαίου φαῦλος γένητ̣αί τ̣ι̣ς̣, η᾿̣λλοίωται κατ̣ὰ τ̣ὴν ποιότητα, ὡς αὖ ὅτε ἐκ νοσο̣ῦντος εἰς ὑγείαν ἔλθῃ καὶ ἔνπαλιν. ἀλλ̣α`̣ τὰς̣ λε´̣ξεις πρὸς τὴν ἔννοιαν τοῦ πρα´̣γματος, π̣ερὶ οὗ λέγονται, δ̣ι̣ανοούμεθα. ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἐκ μελω῀ν̣ συνέστηκεν, ε᾿̣π̣ε̣ι`̣ σ̣ύνθε̣τος̣ ο̣ὐ´̣κ̣ ἐστιν· ὅθ̣ε̣ν̣ παρέλκει ἐπ' αὐτοῦ κα´̣θ̣ι̣σις, α᾿̣ν̣άστασις, περ̣ίπατ̣ος, ἀποστροφὴ προσω´̣που, φωτισ̣μ̣ο`̣ς̣ προσω´̣π̣ου. α᾿̣λ̣λ̣' ε᾿̣ν̣ τ̣ο̣ύτοις περὶ αὐτοῦ τ̣ε̣τα̣γ̣με´̣νοις σῴζειν τὴν πίστιν, θεοπρεπῶς αὐτὰ ε᾿̣κλαμβάνειν δεῖ. ἔνιοι γ̣ὰρ̣ ταῖς λέξεσιν καὶ τῃ῀̣ α῾̣δρ̣ότη̣τ̣ι̣ α̣ὐτῶν ὑποβάλλουσιν τὰ σημαινο´̣μενα. αὐτίκα γοῦν τινες ἐτόλμησαν εἰς τ̣ο̣σα̣ύτην̣ ε̣ὐη´̣θειάν τι̣ν̣α ἢ ἀσέβειαν̣ εἰσελαύνειν, ὥστε ἀν̣θρω̣πο´̣μ̣ο̣ρ̣φον νομίσαι τ̣ο`̣ν̣ θεὸν διὰ τ̣α`̣ τρ̣όπῳ γεγραμμένα. καὶ λέγουσιν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς χεῖρα̣ς ἔχ̣ει μέλη καὶ πόδας καὶ ε᾿̣π̣ι̣φ̣α´̣ν̣ε̣ι̣α̣ν̣ κ̣αὶ τὰ ἄλλα. εἰ δὲ ἑκάστοτε τοῦτο ἴσμε̣ν̣, π̣ερὶ τ̣ι´̣ν̣ος τ̣α̣ῦτ̣α λέγεται καὶ ἔτι ε᾿̣κ τίνος, δυνάμεθα εἰς τὸ σημαινόμενον τὰ πράγματα ἀγαγεῖν, εἰς̣ τὸ δηλούμενον. ἐὰν̣ μὴ θεοπρεπῶς ἐκλαμβάνωμεν, οὐ δυνα´̣μεθα̣ περὶ αὐτω῀̣ν̣ ἔχειν̣ εὐσεβῆν ὑπ̣ο´̣λημψιν κ̣αθ' ἑ´̣ν̣α τῶν δώδεκα πρ̣ο̣φητῶν. οὗτος δε`̣ ἐ´̣ν̣ τινι τόπῳ λέγει· "οὐχ οἱ λόγοι αὐτοῦ καλοὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ὀρθοὶ πεπόρευνται"; ἐα`̣ν̣ μ̣η`̣ μετ' αὐτου῀̣ ὦσιν, μετ' ἐννοία̣ς αυ᾿̣τ̣ο̣υ῀̣, οὔκ ε̣ι᾿̣σ̣ι̣ν̣ καλοί. ἐὰν ἀκου´̣ῃ̣ς̣, φέρ̣ε, ὕπ̣ν̣ο̣ν καὶ ἐγρ̣η´̣γ̣ορσιν καὶ με̣τ̣α̣με´̣λ̣ειαν καὶ μὴ μετὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐννοίας λάβῃς τὰ τ̣οια̣ῦτα, οὐ τὰ λεγόμενα περὶ αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὀρθὰ π̣ε̣π̣όρευνται. ὅταν δὲ μετ' αὐτοῦ λάβ̣ῃς̣ τ̣α`̣ τοιαυ῀̣τ̣α̣, οἱ λόγοι πορευόμ̣ενοι ὀρθοὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ, πνεύματι πεπλ̣ηρ̣ωμένοι, οὐδὲν ἔχουσιν σ̣καιὸν ου᾿̣δὲ σ̣χ̣ε´̣διον. τοῦτό τ̣ο̣ι̣ ε᾿̣ν ε̣ὐαγγελίῳ ὁ σωτὴρ ἔλεγεν· "πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ". πλα̣νᾶσθε λέγοντε̣ς̣ ὁ´̣τ̣ι̣ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος ποιεῖ τὰ ὄντα· τοῦτ̣ο̣ γὰρ λέγουσιν ὅτι· "ὕστ̣ερόν ἐστιν τὸ ποιεῖν τοῦ εἶναι· δε̣ῖ γὰρ ὑπάρχειν τι ὑποκείμενον. ο̣ι῾̣ νε̣κ̣ρο̣ὶ ἀναστάσεώς εἰσ̣ιν ἄμοιροι". ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐ με̣τ̣α`̣ τ̣η῀̣ς̣ δυνάμ̣ε̣ως τοῦ θεοῦ λαμβάνουσιν αὐτά, διὰ τοῦτο προσκόπτουσιν. δύν̣ατα̣ι ὁ θεὸς ε᾿̣κ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἀγαγεῖν καὶ τὰ σώματ̣α τὰ φθαρτὰ ἀλλοιοῦν. λέγ̣ει με`ν̣ 2 πρὸς Σαδδουκ̣αι´̣ους̣. πλανᾶται ὁ τὰς γραφὰς νομίζων εἰδέναι, ὅταν ἀγνοῃ῀̣ τὴν θ̣εου῀̣ δύναμιν τὴν περὶ ο̣ὑ῀̣ λε´̣γ̣ο̣ν̣τ̣α̣ι̣ καὶ ὑφ' οὗ εἴρηνται. τίνος δὲ χάριν ταῦτα ἐμοὶ λέλεκται, ἔξω τῆς μελλούσης γίνεσθαι πρ̣άξεως ἐρῶ. ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν θεὸς ἅμα̣ καὶ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν· θεὸς μὲν ἀεί, οὐκ ἀεὶ δὲ ἄνθρωπος· πρὸ γὰρ τῆς κτίσεω̣ς θεὸς ἦν, ἄνθ̣ρωπος δὲ οὐχί. ἔμελλεν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὑφ̣ίσ̣τ̣ασθαι σωτηρίας ἕνεκα. καὶ τ̣ὸ μὲν ἄνθρ̣ωπος γενέσθ̣αι διά τι ἔχει, τὸ δὲ θεὸς ε̣ἶναι οὐ διά τι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ὕπα̣ρ̣ξιν̣ καὶ τὴν τοῦ γε̣ννήμα̣τος οὐσίαν· οὕτω γὰρ ἤκουσ̣α̣ τοῦ· "ζῶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα" μου. οὐ του῀̣το λ̣έγει, ὁ´̣τ̣ι ὁ π̣ατὴρ̣ ζ̣ω̣οπ̣οιεῖ μ̣ε̣, ω῾̣ς̣ β̣ο̣υ´̣λ̣ονται οἱ Εὐνομιανοί, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο λέγει, ω῾̣ς̣ ε̣ι᾿̣ λ̣ε´̣γ̣οι̣ τις̣· "διὰ τοῦτο λογικ̣ός εἰμι, ὅτ̣ι λογικὸν ἔχω πατέρα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θνητός εἰμι, ὅτ̣ι θ̣νη̣τὸν ἔχω π̣ατ̣ε´̣ρα". καὶ ἀληθ̣ές γε· το`̣ "ὅτι" ἐστι`̣ν̣ ἀποδεικτικὴ αἰτία. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ζῇ διὰ τὸν πατέρα, ε᾿̣σ̣τὶν̣ λεγ̣ο´̣μ̣ενος ζωὴ ο̣ὐ παρονομαζόμενος ἀπὸ ζωῆς, ἀλλ' ὡς πηγὴ ζωῆς κα̣ι`̣ ω῾̣ς μεταδιδοὺς̣ π̣α̣ν̣τί· λε´̣γ̣ο̣με̣ν̣ γ̣α`̣ρ τὸν ζῶντα ζωὴν ἔχειν,