Excerpta in Psalmos

ORIGEN'S SELECTIONS ON THE PSALMS 17.105 PSALM 9. Verse 8. He has prepared his throne for judgment. Verse 9. And he will judge the world in righteousness. He will judge peoples in uprightness. Therefore, one must fear such a judge, fleeing blameworthy actions and an impious mindset. But you will understand "the world" as the Church, inhabited by both the Father and the Son, according to: "I and my Father will come, and we will make our home with him;" and "peoples" as the rest outside the Church. Verse 12. Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. And otherwise: God dwells in every soul that is a Zion and a watchtower. But he seeks the blood of the nations that killed them, and he remembers them, having raised them up. Therefore, the phrase, "Their memorial has perished with a sound," will be referred to the swords. But he remembers those for whom he became a refuge. Verse 33. Arise, O Lord my God; let your hand be lifted up; do not forget your poor forever. But the prophet, 17.108 being distressed by these impious words, prays again saying these things, asking God to show by experience that he has not forgotten the poor. And he reminded of the blasphemy of the impious one, saying: Verse 38. You have heard the desire of the poor, O Lord; your ear has attended to the preparation of their heart. For they desired the arm of the sinner to be broken, and to be freed from his tyranny; which indeed also happened. For the desire of a good mind is an effective prayer. Which the knower of hearts, seeing, fulfilled. For they had a heart ready to be saved, and to obtain the promised kingdom. PSALM 13. Verse 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there is anyone who understands, or who seeks God. Whatever is said corporeally about God, who is incorporeal, must be heard in a manner befitting God. For example, he is said to dwell in the heavens, as if using the divine powers in heaven as a temple. For they are called by the same name as the places in which they are; just as men are also called "earth." As in: "Let all the earth worship you," and: "All the earth cries out with gladness." And he dwells in the heavens while also being in men, those who bear the image of the heavenly one. But also as one who is in all creation by reason of creation and providence. This is shown from the most beautiful parts; both in "Our Father who art in heaven," and, "God is in heaven above." But also in many places of divine instruction the appellation of "heaven" signifies the intelligible substance, in which it is most fitting to seek God. For "The heaven of heaven is the Lord's." From this he symbolically oversees those of a lower state, "To see if there is anyone who is prudent, seeking God;" so that if he finds one, he may obtain the gifts from him. But this happens when wickedness along with impiety prevails, so that it is said: "There is no mercy, nor truth, nor knowledge of God upon the earth," and the things that follow. Thus when men were harmed, how was it not necessary for the good Savior to look upon them, so that, finding some occasion for understanding, he might increase it, and manifest himself to those who seek him? For he is manifested to those who do not disbelieve him. Verse 3. They have all turned aside; together they have become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one. He prophesies a change of the nations to gentleness and piety. Therefore he also asks, "When the Lord has come, will they not cease from their bestial life, and come to know the Lord?" For Isaiah also says: "They to whom it was not announced concerning him shall see; and they who have not heard shall understand." Verses 5, . There they were in great fear, where there was no fear; for the Lord is in the generation of the righteous. For it will be, he says, when the aforementioned will fear the Lord, among whom there was not

Excerpta in Psalmos

ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΚΛΟΓΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΨΑΛΜΟΥΣ 17.105 ΨΑΛ. Θʹ. Στίχ. ηʹ. Ἡτοίμασεν ἐν κρίσει τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. θʹ. Καὶ αὐτὸς κρινεῖ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δι καιοσύνῃ. Κρινεῖ λαοὺς ἐν εὐθύτητι. Φοβητέον ἄρα τὸν τοιοῦτον κριτὴν, ψεκτάς τε πρά ξεις καὶ ἀσεβὲς φεύγοντα φρόνημα. Οἰκουμένην δὲ νοήσεις τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οἰκουμένην ὑπό τε Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ, κατὰ τό· Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ἐλευσό μεθα, καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα· λαοὺς δὲ τοὺς λοιποὺς παρὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Ψάλατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῷ κατοικοῦντι ἐν Σιών. Καὶ ἄλλως δέ· ἐν πάσῃ ψυχῇ Σιὼν οὔσῃ καὶ σκο πευτηρίῳ Θεὸς κατοικεῖ. Ἐκζητεῖ δὲ τὰ αἵματα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀποκτεινάντων αὐτὰ, καὶ μιμνήσκεται αὐτῶν ἀναστὰς αὐτά. Οὐκοῦν τό· Ἀπώλετο τὸ μνημόσυ νον αὐτῶν μετ' ἤχου, ἐπὶ τὰς ῥομφαίας ἀνενεχθή σεται. Ἐκείνων δὲ μέμνηται, ὧν ἐγένετο καταφυγή. Στίχ. λγʹ. Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου· ὑψωθήτω ἡ χείρ σου· μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ τῶν πενήτων σου εἰς τέλος. Ἐκ δὲ τῶν δυσσεβῶν τούτων ῥημάτων ἀνιαθεὶς ὁ 17.108 προφήτης, πάλιν εὔχεται λέγων ταῦτα, δεῖξαι τῇ πείρᾳ τὸν Θεὸν αἰτῶν, ὡς οὐκέτι λέλησται τῶν πτω χῶν. Καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς δὲ βλασφημίας ὑπέμνησε λέγων· Στίχ. ληʹ. Τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῶν πενήτων εἰσήκου σας, Κύριε· τῇ ἑτοιμασίᾳ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν πρόσεχε τὸ οὖς σου. Ἐπεθύμουν γὰρ συντριβῆναι τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ τὸν βραχίονα, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ τυραννίδος ἐλευθερωθῆναι· ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονεν. Ἐπιθυμία δὲ διανοίας ἀγαθῆς ἐνεργής ἐστι προσευχή. Ἣν ἰδὼν ὁ καρδιογνώστης, ἐπλήρωσεν. Ἑτοίμην γὰρ εἶχον πρὸς τὸ σωθῆναι καρ δίαν, καὶ τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης βασιλείας τυχεῖν. ΨΑΛ. ΙΓʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν, ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν. Ὅσα σωματικῶς ἀσωμάτου τυγχάνοντος λέγοιτο περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, θεοπρεπῶς ἀκουστέον. Οἷον, ἐν οὐ ρανοῖς λέγεται κατοικεῖν, ὡς ναῷ χρώμενος ταῖς θείαις δυνάμεσι, ταῖς ἐν οὐρανῷ. Καλοῦνται γὰρ ὁμωνύμως τοῖς ἐν οἷς εἰσι τόποις· ὡς καὶ ἄνθρωποι γῆ χρηματίζοντες. Ὡς ἐν τῷ· Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυ νησάτωσάν σοι, καί· Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ βοᾷ μετ' εὐφρο σύνης. Ἐν οὐρανοῖς δὲ οἰκεῖ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὢν, τοῖς φοροῦσι τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς δημιουργίας λόγῳ καὶ προνοίας ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει τυγχάνοντος. Ἐκ τῶν καλλίστων τοῦτο δηλοῦ ται μερῶν· ἔν τε τῷ, Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρα νοῖς· καὶ, Θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πολ λαχοῦ τῆς θείας παιδεύσεως ἡ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ προσηγο ρία δηλοῖ τὴν νοητὴν οὐσίαν, ἐν ᾗ μάλιστα Θεὸν προσ ήκει ζητεῖν. Ὁ οὐρανὸς γὰρ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἐκ τούτου συμβατικῶς ἐπισκοπεῖ τοὺς τῆς ὑποδεεστέρας καταστάσεως, Τοῦ ἰδεῖν, εἴ τίς ἐστι συνετὸς, ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν· ὡς ἂν εὑρὼν τύχοι τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ δωρεῶν. Γίνεται δὲ τοῦτο, κακίας σὺν ἀσεβείᾳ κρατούσης, ὡς λεχθῆναι· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἔλεος, οὐδὲ ἀλήθεια, οὐδὲ ἐπίγνωσις Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Οὕτω τῶν ἀνθρώπων βλαβέντων, πῶς οὐκ ἔδει τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐπιβλέψαι Σω τῆρα, ὡς ἂν, ἀφορμήν τινα συνέσεως εὑρὼν, ταύτην πληθύνῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν ἐμφανίσειεν ἑαυτόν; Ἐμφανίζεται γὰρ τοῖς μὴ ἀπιστοῦσιν αὐτῷ. Στίχ. γʹ. Πάντες ἐξέκλιναν· ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν. Οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός. Προφητεύει μεταβολὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς ἡμερότητα καὶ εὐσέβειαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐρωτᾷ, Μὴ, τοῦ Κυρίου ἐλ θόντος, οὐ παύσονται τοῦ θηριώδους βίου, καὶ ἐπι γνώσονται τὸν Κύριον; Λέγει γὰρ καὶ Ἡσαΐας· Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται· οἳ οὐκ ἀκη κόασι συνήσουσιν. Στίχ. εʹ, ʹ. Ἐκεῖ ἐδειλίασαν φόβῳ, οὗ οὐκ ἦν φόβος· ὅτι Κύριος ἐν γενεᾷ δικαίων. Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτε οἱ προῤῥηθέντες φοβηθή σονται Κύριον, παρ' οἷς οὐκ