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Commentaries on the Psalms

23.66 OF EUSEBIUS ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS. AN INTERPRETATION OF SOME IN ABRIDGMENT.

The psalms are one hundred fifty, the number 50 being sacred; in days making Pentecost, and in years what is called among the Hebrews the Jubilee. Among the Hebrews the psaltery is called a nabla, which alone of musical instruments is most upright, and does not produce its sound from its lower parts, but has the resounding brass above. Psalms, then, are those played on the instrument alone without the voice; a song is that which is by a melodious voice; a song of a psalm is to bring the voice in harmony with the instrument; a psalm of a song is the reverse, with the sound of the strings preceding. And by the law of allegory, a psalm is a harmonious movement of the body toward good work, even if contemplation does not quite follow; a song is the apprehension of truth without action, when the soul is enlightened concerning God and His oracles. A song of a psalm is knowledge that precedes action; according to that: ‘If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will grant it to you.’ A psalm of a song is action guided by knowledge, concerning how and when one must act; wherefore also the inscriptions of the psalms come first; for the holy one does not begin from contemplation, but in faith runs to all actions. And at the end there are many songs; and where there are ascents, there is nowhere a psalm, neither by itself, nor in combination. But they are all songs by themselves; for the ascent looks to contemplation alone. But Diapsalma is not found in Aquila and the Hebrew; but instead of it is ‘forever’.

INTRODUCTION OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILI.

This would be the division of the book of Psalms, as the accurate manuscripts and the Hebrew itself contain it. Not all the psalms are David's, as one might suppose, but also of other prophets prophesying in song. Wherefore the whole scripture of the psalms among the Hebrews is not inscribed as of David; but is called indeterminately the book of psalms. The children of the Hebrews divide the whole book of Psalms into five parts: first, those from 1 to 40; second, those from 41 to 72; third, those from 73 to 88; fourth, those from 89 to 105; fifth, those from 100 to the end. And there are 19 uninscribed psalms, and 131 inscribed. And of the 23.68 inscribed, the divisions are as follows: of David 72, of the sons of Korah 11, of Asaph 12, of Ethan the Israelite one, of Solomon 2, of Moses one, anonymous 17, of those for the Alleluia 15. And those are anonymous which have inscriptions, but do not declare whose they are.

INTRODUCTIONS OF THE SAME EUSEBIUS TO THE PSALMS.

1. An exhortation to piety and a turning away from the contrary. 2. A prophecy concerning Christ and the calling of the gentiles. 3. A prophecy of good things to come for David. 4. A prophecy to David concerning what he has suffered. 5. A prayer from the person of the Church. 6. A teaching of confession. 7. To David, a confession and a teaching of a call

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Commentaria in Psalmos

23.66 ΕΥΣΕΒΙΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΑΣ ΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΨΑΛΜΩΝ. ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑ ΤΙΝΩΝ ΚΑΤ' ΕΠΙΤΟΜΗΝ.

Ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα τυγχάνουσιν οἱ ψαλμοὶ, ἱεροῦ τοῦ νʹ τυγχάνοντος ἀριθμοῦ·

ἐν μὲν ἡμέραις ποιῶν τὴν Πεντηκοστὴν, ἐν δὲ ἐνιαυτοῖς τὸν παρ' Ἑβραίοις καλούμενον Ἰωήλ. Νάβλα δὲ παρ' Ἑβραίοις λέγεται τὸ ψαλτήριον, ὃ δὴ μόνον τῶν μουσικῶν ὀργάνων ὀρθότατον, καὶ μὴ συνεργούμενον εἰς ἦχον ἐκ τῶν κατωτάτω μερῶν, ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν ἔχειν τὸν ὑπηχοῦντα χαλκόν. Ψαλμοὶ μὲν οὖν οἱ διὰ μόνου τοῦ ὀργάνου χωρὶς φωνῆς ἀνακρουόμενοι· ᾠδὴ δὲ οἱ διὰ φωνῆς ἐμμελοῦς· ᾠδὴ δὲ ψαλμοῦ τὸ τῷ ὀργάνῳ σύμφωνον ἐπάγειν φωνήν· ψαλμὸς δὲ ᾠδῆς ἀνάπαλιν, προηγουμένης τῆς τῶν κρουσμάτων φωνῆς. Ἀλληγορίας δὲ νόμῳ, ψαλμὸς μὲν σώματος κίνησις ἐναρμόνιος εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀγαθὴν, κἂν μὴ πάνυ τις ἐπακολουθῇ θεωρία· ᾠδὴ δὲ χωρὶς πράξεως ἀληθείας κατάληψις, φωτιζομένης ψυχῆς περὶ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν λογίων αὐτοῦ. Ὠδὴ δὲ ψαλμοῦ, προαγούσης πράξεως γνώσεως· κατὰ τό· Ἐπιθυμήσας σοφίας διατήρησον ἐντολὰς, καὶ Κύριος χορηγήσει σοι αὐτήν. Ψαλμὸς δὲ ᾠδῆς πρᾶξις ὑπὸ γνώσεως ὁδηγουμένη, περὶ τοῦ πῶς καὶ πότε πρακτέον· διὸ καὶ πρῶται τῶν ψαλμῶν αἱ ἐπιγραφαί· οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ θεωρίας ὁ ἅγιος ἄρχεται, ἀλλ' ἅπαν πίστει ταῖς πράξεσιν ἐπιτρέχει. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ τέλει πολλαὶ αἱ ᾠδαί· καὶ ὅπου ἀναβαθμοὶ, οὐδαμοῦ ψαλμὸς, οὔτε καθ' ἑαυτὸν, οὔτε μετ' ἐπιπλοκῆς. Ὠδαὶ δὲ πάντα καθ' ἑαυτάς· ἡ γὰρ ἀνάβασις πρὸς μόνην ὁρᾷ θεωρίαν. ∆ιάψαλμα δὲ παρὰ μὲν Ἀκύλᾳ καὶ τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ οὐ κεῖται· ἀντὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀεί.

ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΜΦΙΛΟΥ.

Τῆς βίβλου τῶν Ψαλμῶν ἥδε ἂν εἴη ἡ διαίρεσις, ὡς τὰ ἀκριβῆ τῶν ἀντιγράφων αὐτό τε τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν περιέχει. Οὐχ ὡς ἄν τις ὑπολάβοι πάντες εἰσὶ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ οἱ ψαλμοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρων προφητῶν ἐν τῷ ψάλλειν προφητευόντων. ∆ιόπερ ἡ πᾶσα γραφὴ παρ' Ἑβραίοις τῶν ψαλμῶν οὐ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἐπιγράφει· ἀλλ' ἀδιορίστως βίβλος ψαλμῶν ὀνομάζεται. Εἰς πέντε δὲ μέρη τὴν πᾶσαν τῶν Ψαλμῶν βίβλον παῖδες Ἑβραίων διαιροῦσι· πρῶτον εἰς τοὺς ἀπὸ αʹ μέχρι μʹ· δεύτερον εἰς τοὺς ἀπὸ μαʹ μέχρις οβʹ· τρίτον εἰς τοὺς ἀπὸ ογʹ μέχρις πηʹ· τέταρτον εἰς τοὺς ἀπὸ πθʹ μέχρις ρεʹ· πέμπτον εἰς τοὺς ἀπὸ ρʹ μέχρι τέλους. Ἀνεπίγραφοι δέ εἰσι ψαλμοὶ ιθʹ, ἐπιγεγραμμένοι ρλαʹ. Τῶν ἐπι 23.68 γεγραμμένων δέ εἰσιν οὕτως αἱ διαιρέσεις· τοῦ μὲν ∆αυῒδ οβʹ, τῶν υἱῶν Κορὲ ιαʹ, τοῦ Ἀσὰφ ιβʹ, Αἰθὰμ τοῦ Ἰσραηλίτου εἷς, Σολομῶντος βʹ, Μωϋσέως εἷς, ἀνώνυμοι ιζʹ, τῶν εἰς τὸ Ἀλληλούϊα ιεʹ. Εἰσὶ δὲ ἀνώνυμοι ὅσοι ἐπιγραφὰς μὲν ἔχουσιν, οὐ μὴν δηλοῦσι τίνος εἰσίν.

ΥΠΟΘΕΣΕΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΨΑΛΜΟΥΣ.

αʹ. Προτροπὴ θεοσεβείας καὶ ἀποτροπὴ τοῦ ἐναν τίου. βʹ. Προφητεία περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ κλήσεως ἐθνῶν. γʹ. Προφητεία γενησομένων ἀγαθῶν τῷ ∆αυΐδ. δʹ. Προφητεία τῷ ∆αυῒδ περὶ ὧν πέπονθεν. εʹ. Ἐκ προσώπου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προσευχή. ʹ. ∆ιδασκαλία ἐξομολογήσεως. ζʹ. Τῷ ∆αυῒδ ἐξομολόγησις καὶ διδασκαλία κλή σεως