詩篇註釋 第 55 章 第 1/2 段

O Lord, hearken to my prayer.

Prayer is indeed the supplication made through words, but it is also the vow of promise.

For this reason a certain wise man also exhorts, saying:

Do not repeat a word in your prayer.

He does not exhort and counsel this in order that we should not say the same things twice, entreating God and beseeching him—away with such a notion!

for indeed we are commanded to persevere in our prayers;

but rather that we should not delay whenever we have promised something to God, but should hasten to fulfil it.

Do not tarry to render your prayer.

For either sickness, or unexpected pressures of affairs, falling upon you, have hindered.

should it come upon you and cut you off, you have no excuse.

Here, however, by 'prayer' he means the supplication and the entreaty.

Wherefore he added this very thing, making it plain: Give ear to my supplication in your truth.

Another version has: In your steadfastness.

That is: Give assent to my petition, and bring it to accomplishment, confirming it by your truth;

employ your power to fulfil the very things I ask.

But let us see what manner of supplication it is.

In the case of human beings, when someone presents a petition, those who receive it consider this: whether it has justice and lawfulness on its side, and if so, it is heard.

But among human beings the petition is made concerning dignities and money, and often too concerning the prevention of some injustice;

and some even make requests for things that exceed the power of those who judge.

But we, for our sins, beg for pardon, and we come to supplication precisely when the judge within us does not acquit us—I mean the conscience that is seated within us.

For it does not have authority to forgive.

And just as no one dares to approach a king over a torn garment, nor over ten obols that have been taken away,

so also you—rather, being even far more reverent—do not approach God over cheap and trifling matters, such as if someone has wronged you in money, or even has insulted you;

but in those matters wherein the devil wrongs you—there, most of all, is there need of help from above.

But have you no one to stand for you and to bring in your petition? When the king comes forth, call out, and seek a fitting occasion.

When, then, does the King come forth? Always and continually.

And when is the occasion fitting? Whenever you will it, whenever you have made yourself worthy.

Now the Jews were commanded to stand above the foot of the mountain when appearing before God, and to have their garments white, and not to approach a woman;

but you, instead of your garments, scour clean your soul, and approach with self-control and forbearance, and with much unhurried leisure, and journey to the King, if you wish to accomplish anything fittingly.

The journey requires no great expenses;

And where does this King dwell? Near to those who are crushed in heart.

'The Lord,' it says, 'is near to all who call upon Him in truth.'

There you will find Him; there you will meet with Him.

He is near to those who break their bread for the hungry and who work deeds of mercy.

If you come by this road, you will find Him ready, assenting to your request.

'For while you are still speaking, I will say,'

and you will not need a mediator, but through your own self you will present your supplication.

'Hear me in Your righteousness.'

What are you doing, O man? As you go on, you are about to say, 'Enter not into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight shall no living man be justified';

and yet here you ask to be heard according to what is just? What, then, is the meaning of what is said? Here he calls righteousness God's loving-kindness; and in many places of Scripture one may see righteousness taken in this sense, and very fittingly so;

for among men what is just is stripped of mercy, but with God it is not so; rather, mercy is mingled with what is just, and to such a degree that righteousness itself is called loving-kindness.

Consider, at any rate, in the case of the flood, how great was the mercy, and how great the justice.

For even though those who lived then were punished for sinning, yet they did not pay the penalty that was deserved.

For do not fix your gaze on the mass of the waters, nor on the multitude of days over which that shipwreck was prolonged, nor on the inhabited world becoming an abyss.

For what is this to those who perished? For these things could indeed inspire enormous fear, but they bring no torment to those who had died.

For those who did not perceive what was happening—how were they being punished? For them the work of destruction came about in a brief moment of time, and they endured a swift and most painless death, easier and more free from grief than fire, sword, hanging, and tortures. So that what happened was rather the appearance of punishment than the actual experience of it.

Throughout the whole span of time, right up to their extreme old age, having behaved in such ways—

having transgressed the law, they paid the penalty in a brief moment of time—if indeed one ought to call the debt owed to nature a penalty.

Do you see how great the loving-kindness is? Would you also behold it from another side? He did not immediately bring it upon them, but foretold it once, and twice, and many times.

For indeed, through the ark itself He was conversing with them;

yet not even so did they yield—and indeed their transgression needed no such warning.

But neither did nature itself instruct them; rather, like swine—nay, more grievously than swine—corrupting one another among themselves in every way, tearing up the very laws of nature from their foundations, yielding to no exhortation nor to any counsel, and reaping no benefit from their nearness to the righteous one, they paid the penalty in but a brief moment of time; or rather, they were released from corruption and set free from judgment.

For to do such things is far more grievous than to be overwhelmed by the flood.

Is this then, tell me, a punishment—to deliver from so great a plague those who were being corrupted by wickedness, defiling one another lawlessly, and putting others to shame while being themselves put to shame? Then, shall we not say that a physician who cuts away the rotting parts is torturing the body, but shall receive him as one who loves mankind?

Shall we not then be far more astounded at God, both for His wisdom and for His loving-kindness, in thus chastening His own? Assuredly, then, we ought always to marvel at Him and to glorify Him;

and on account of this very theme let us never cease being astounded at His providential care, nor let us cease praising Him even for these things: that He gave a swift excision, and cut off the spreading gangrene, and applied a painless healing.

Let not this then trouble you, that all were drowned together at once.

For how does this differ from perishing little by little? What does dying by oneself profit the one who has departed, or what harm is it to die along with all the rest? 'Hear me in Your righteousness'—that is, in Your loving-kindness.

For to show that this is what it signifies, he went on to add:

And enter not into judgment with Thy servant.

This also Job asks, being so righteous, and true, and God-fearing, and abstaining from every evil thing.

Would that there were one to arbitrate and to plead between us both, saying:

but when God appeared, 'I will lay my hand upon my mouth';

and yet God challenging him and saying:

Nay, but gird up thy loins like a man.

And this He upbraids the Jews with, saying:

What iniquity did your fathers find in Me, that your rulers transgressed against Me? And He does this, not wishing to make the sentence heavier, but to bring them to a sense and confession of their own sins, and then to grant them pardon, so that they may thus see the greatness of the benefit.

Therefore He says, Declare thou thy transgressions first;

not, That thou mayest be condemned, but, That thou mayest be justified.

For this very reason He does not Himself speak them, but prepares the other to do so.

For if He wished to punish, He would Himself have accused;

but now, since He wills to show mercy, He yields the place to the one who has sinned, so that he may receive a crown of candour, and through his confession may draw down mercy upon himself.

What could be equal to this loving-kindness? Nothing.

Speak, He says, and I seek nothing more;

confess, and it suffices Me;

Enter not into judgment with Thy servant.

This has been rightly attained by many from the prospect of God's coming to judgment.

For the well-disposed know this even before that;

but the ill-disposed, from the prophets' constantly saying, 'The Lord has a controversy with His people, and He will reason with Israel';

and again, 'Hear, O ravines and foundations of the earth';

and, 'Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth.'

So from His being continually said to hold judgment, even among the insensible right conduct was accomplished.

For indeed some of the Jews used to say:

Wherefore have we fasted, and Thou sawest not? and, Everyone that does evil is good in the sight of the Lord;

and, They that work iniquities are built up, and we count strangers blessed;

and, The way of the Lord is not straight.

And blessed Job too, when he fell into that trial, did so not from such a mind as the Jews had, nor did he utter such things—God forbid;

Would that there were a mediator, both arbitrating and reproving between us both.

Let Him remove His rod from me, and let not His terror trouble me.

And I will question thee, and do thou answer Me.

Then, when he was struck with awe, and said:

Why do I still contend, being admonished, and reprove the Lord? and again, I had heard of Thee before by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eyes have seen Thee;

therefore I have made myself vile, and I have melted away;

and I have counted myself earth and ashes;

I will lay my hand upon my mouth;

He says to him, Nay, but gird up thy loins like a man—all but reminding him of his own words and saying:

Since thou didst wish to enter into judgment with Me, behold, I am present to plead the cause.

Sawest thou God's unspeakable loving-kindness? Sawest thou goodness that has no limit? For this very reason the three children too said:

We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

For since many senseless people lay their own sins upon God, this being a device of the devil, God, tearing up this habit by the very roots, continually says that He enters into judgment with them.

Something of this sort, indeed, was the very sin of the first-formed man.

'The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.'

And the Jews too were guilty of many such sins.

'For in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.'

'And why do I speak of myself, and of this man and that man?' he says.

'There is not a man upon the earth who, when judged against the things enjoined by Thee, is able to be justified.'

Thus, and abundantly so, the victory belongs to Thee.

'For the enemy hath pursued my soul.'

It is possible to understand this as spoken also on account of Saul, who was an enemy and was at that time persecuting him;

but it is also possible, by way of a higher interpretation, to call the enemy the devil;

for he never ceases from pursuing those who belong to God.

How then might we be delivered from being pursued? If we could find a place into which he cannot enter.

'And what,' someone says, 'is this place?' And what else could it be but heaven? But how is it possible to ascend into heaven? Hear Paul saying and showing that even while still entangled with the flesh we are able to dwell there:

'For set your minds on the things above,' he says, 'where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.'

'And our citizenship is in heaven.'

'He hath brought my life down to the ground.'

The word 'humiliation' signifies many things.

For there is also a humility that belongs to virtue, as when it says:

'A broken and a humbled heart God will not despise.'

There is also a lowliness that comes from misfortunes;

here, however, he is speaking of the lowliness that comes from misfortunes.

Wherefore he also added this to make it clear:

'He hath brought my life down to the ground.'

There is also a humbling that comes from pride, as when it says, 'He that exalteth himself shall be humbled.'

There is yet another lowliness, the one that comes from insatiable greed.

For what is more lowly than those who bury themselves in wealth and power and glories? For such men are lowly in a double sense: both because they grovel upon the ground, and because they reckon these things to be great, just as little children count knucklebones and balls and such playthings to be great.

But this is not a sign that those things are great, but rather that the understanding of those who marvel at them is immature and lowly.

But in the one case it is a defect of age and of nature, while in the other it is a fault of deliberate choice.

For being a man, and come to full stature, he reckons tables and harlots and luxury to be great things;

than which what could be more lowly? And yet many call such men high-souled;

but these men are in turn far lowlier than those.

Learn therefore what is true loftiness, and what it is that produces worthlessness.

For nothing so exalts a man as to despise these things.

Now then the prophet is speaking of the lowliness that comes from misfortunes:

'He hath set me in dark places, as those that have been long dead.'

He speaks of the misfortune as twofold: both that it is in dark places, and that it is as those long dead, hinting through both at the captivity of that time.

For since it is possible even for one who is in darkness to do something by kindling a lamp, wishing with added emphasis to show the excess of the evils, he swelled the tragedy with the name of the dead.

Such also are those who live in sins.

For like dead men in the darkness, so are they.

Though therefore they carry about a thousand bright lights, though they gaze at the sun, though they be made resplendent by their garments and all their other adornment, they are in no better condition than those who have once for all been slain and lie in darkness; nay, they are far worse off, inasmuch as the one thing is a matter of nature, but the other a charge against the will.

The time to come is also a darkness, concerning which He says, 'Take him, and cast him into the outer darkness.'

There is also the darkness of wickedness.

'Those who sit in darkness,' he says, 'and in the shadow of death.'

And Paul: 'We are not sons of darkness.'

And again: 'They became vain in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened.'

For this very reason, just as those in darkness do not know the true nature of things, and just as those who live in sins are blinded and do not discern the things that appear, but run after shadows as though they were the truth—pursuing wealth and luxuries and dominions—and they know not enemies and know not friends, trusting their enemies as friends, but clashing with their friends as though they were foes.

Do you not see, every single day, the poor crying out, in anguish, and no one hearing them? Why then do men not hear? Because the devil has seated them in dark places, like the dead of the age.

For what darkness and deadness are to others, that same thing inhumanity is to these men.

It belongs to those who sit in darkness not to see the evils that are coming upon them.

This these men also suffer: not seeing the calamities that lie almost at their very side, and being carried down into pits and over precipices.

It belongs to those who sit in darkness to dare shameful deeds with utter impunity.

This too those who live in wickedness do: as though sitting in darkness, and as though there were no man to behold what is done, so with all impunity they dare everything, transgressing the law in the midst of cities as though in a wilderness.

Those who sit in darkness are in perpetual fear.

For no covetous and rapacious man is free from dread, though he boast ten thousand times, and appear radiant on the outside.

For such is the nature of conscience.

Even before, then, these men were deprived of all pardon; but far more so now, because, though the Sun of Righteousness has shone, they still sit in darkness.

And how is it that, though the Sun has shone, they still sit in darkness? Because of the weakness of their own eyes.

For, burying themselves in the caverns or dens or crevices of wickedness, they cannot look up toward the ray, because of the weakness of their eyes.

'And my spirit was in anguish within me.'

'My heart within me was troubled.'

Another version: 'And my soul was wrapped about within me.'

He shows the great excess of his affliction through the tumult of his mind.

And what does 'within me' mean? 'I had no means,' he says, 'even of pouring it forth to others and receiving some consolation.'

Such are the souls of wicked men:

there is no time when they are not troubled, not only when terrors are present, but also when they are merely expected.

With them there is never calm, there is no freedom from fear for the soul, but they are shattered more violently than any sea;

neither night nor day grants them any respite from the storm, but they are driven from every side; even when there is no one to trouble them, they have war for their housemate, and they do not enjoy what they have already seized, being worn down and worried by cares for the things not yet acquired, anxious over the affairs of all men, ...

...prying into everyone's abundance, calculating how they will persuade this man, frighten that one, flatter another, coerce yet another, court still another—unrolling within themselves the whole rubbish-heap of these evils: false accusations, purchases, sellings-off, wills, sureties, interest payments, capital sums.

And when their affairs go according to the stream of their wishes, then most of all are they thrown into turmoil.

See, at least, that rich man thrown into confusion when his land brought forth plentifully, at a loss, standing in perplexity, and saying:

'What shall I do? I will pull down my barns, and build greater ones.'

But the poor man suffers nothing of the kind.

'I meditated on all Your works.'

This is no small consolation—to know both the former things and the present.

For since, so to speak, God governs both the things of now and the things of former times by the same laws, the remembrance of things past is a very great consolation for present circumstances.

Wherefore also in another psalm he says:

'Will the Lord cast off for ever? Or will He cut off His mercy to the end?' And another: 'Look to the ancient generations, and see: who ever hoped in the Lord and was forsaken?' And Paul: 'Now all these things happened to them as types;

and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.'

And not by others' experiences only, but also by recalling our own again and again, we gain profit.

And this the Apostle also makes plain when he says:

'Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings.'

'What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?' And another wise man says, 'Remember thy last things, and thou shalt never sin unto eternity.'

For even though this is something yet to come, nevertheless the common death takes its beginning from what is past.

This also Paul does, drawing both from things to come and from things past, both when he must exhort and when he must bring to sobriety.

'I would not,' he says, 'that ye should be ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual food;'

'but with the greater part of them God was not well pleased.'

And at another time, from the things to come:

'Who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His might.'

'But the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.'

'For the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire.'

'For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.'

But these things he says when he must bring to sobriety;

and when he must exhort, he exhorts from both sides:

from things past, speaking thus:

'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of mercies and Father of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God;'

and from things to come, 'The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.'

For this reason this man also says, 'I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all Thy works.'

He did not simply say, 'I remembered,' but, 'I meditated;'

that is, 'I made it my labour and gave much study to it, myself unrolling within me the things that had befallen the men of old.'

For great comfort and true wisdom come to us from the history of the Scriptures.

'Through the patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we have hope.'

'All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction.'

And so this man too was even then comforted from this source, being in such tribulation and turmoil, by unrolling within himself the things of old, and by calling to remembrance the various dispensations of God that had come to pass.

Another translator accordingly says, 'And I meditated on all Thy deeds.'

'On the works of Thy hands I meditated.'

Another, 'The works of Thy hands I meditated on.'

By this he shows that, in doing these things, he reaped much comfort,

and became more intimate with God.

Wherefore he added this also, making it plain: 'I spread forth my hands unto Thee.'

He did not say, 'I stretched out,' but, 'I spread forth,' showing the great disposition of his heart, as of one whose soul was well-nigh straining to leap forth from the body and run up to Him.

Being therefore filled with inspiration by the memory of his good deeds, and considering all God's loving-kindness, and the instruction that comes from calamities, and the freedom that comes from deliverance, 'unto Thee again I fled for refuge.'

'My soul is unto Thee as a waterless land.'

Another translator, 'As a thirsty land toward Thee continually;'

for this is what 'Selah' means.

'Both in calamities and in prosperity, and in every difference of times, I showed the same earnestness,' he says.

And what is the meaning of 'as a waterless land unto Thee'? Just as thirsty land longs for the rain, so do I too long to be with Thee continually.

And it was the weight of his afflictions above all that intensified this longing;

wherefore God also permitted them to increase, thereby displaying His great providence.

For He did not merely make the creatures, but He also cares for them once they have come into being, both men and all the rest.

This, at any rate, Paul also knew when he said:

For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.

In Him all things hold together.

All wait upon Thee, to give them their food in due season.

When Thou givest it to them, they gather it up;

when Thou openest Thy hand, all things are filled with goodness;

but when Thou turnest away Thy face, they are troubled.

He who looks upon the earth, and makes it tremble.

He who holds fast the circle of the earth.

Except the Lord, it says, build the house, they labour in vain who build it.

He who settles the barren woman in a home, as a joyful mother of children.

For this reason too He shakes the earth, and makes the mountains smoke at His touch, thereby declaring His lordship.

And He darkens the sun, and causes it to fail, thereby again proclaiming His creative power.

And in the Scriptures too you see the sun retracing its course, and the moon standing still along with it, and many other wonders.

For when the knowledge of Him had not yet been spread abroad, these things came to pass;

but now there is no need of such teaching, since the very events cry aloud and point to the Master.

Did you see the darkness in Egypt, and the changes of the elements? But if some should say that the eclipse happened by nature, and not at God's command, let them tell how it came about at the time of the crucifixion.

For it did not occur at the appointed time then, but precisely when it was not consistent, nor according to the course of nature, that it came to pass, the moon being on the fourteenth day and at the full;

but eclipses do not happen in this way.

But they could not [account for it]. So it is clear that, just as all other things happen at the Creator's command, so also do all eclipses.

Hear me speedily, O Lord; my spirit has failed.

What are you saying? Are you urging the physician on to the healing? By no means;

but this too is the habit of souls in affliction, just as with men who are sick, to entreat the physicians, even when the occasion does not require it, and to press them to bring the remedy quickly.

Wherefore the same man, adding the reason, said:

And yet, though God is able even to raise from the dead, much more is He able before death.

But, as I said before, the weakness of our nature is here exposed.

For he knew indeed that all things are easy for Him, yet he cannot bear the onslaught of these terrors.

Turn not away Thy face from me, lest I become like those who go down into the pit.

Another version: Hide not Thy face from me.

And whence does this turning away come? God Himself speaks through Isaiah:

Is My hand not strong enough? But your sins have made a separation between Me and you.

Whenever, then, we do something wicked, He turns away.

For Thine eye, it says, is pure, too pure to behold evil;

and Thou canst not look upon iniquities.

For this reason He turns away also from those who are reckless and despairing.

Upon whom shall I look, but upon the meek and

quiet one, who trembles at My words? Let us therefore pursue this virtue, that we may draw His face toward us, that we may not fall into the pits of wickedness, while great darkness holds sway.

It is possible even for those who have fallen to rise again.

Those who fall down, then, must not remain lying below.

And the pit that has cruel beasts and is full of darkness is the nature of sin.

Let us therefore loosen the ropes of the Scriptures, and give over to them our resolve;

and we shall quickly rise again, even if we should fall.

But how might the beginning of the way come about? If, having fallen, we do not despise ourselves nor despair, but chant to ourselves these prophetic words:

'Shall not he who falls rise again?' And again:

'Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation;'

and, binding ourselves fast with these considerations, let us draw ourselves up.

'Cause me to hear your mercy in the morning, for in you have I hoped.'

Another version: 'Cause me to hear your mercy at daybreak,' that is, quickly.

Do you see a soul afflicted and in turmoil? For before the trial he wishes to hear, so that he may be set upright by his hopes and by his expectation.

'Raise me up by the promise.'

Then he also adds the plea of justice by which he might obtain it, saying:

For God seeks nothing so much as that we should continually keep our mouth open toward him in longing.

'Make known to me, O Lord, the way in which I shall walk;'

'for to you have I lifted up my soul.'

What are you saying? Since nature possesses the law implanted in it from the beginning by God, and the Mosaic writings renew it, how do you deem it fitting to say again, 'Make known to me, O Lord, the way in which I shall walk'? Either, then, this is what it means to say:

Since my conscience has been buried under wickedness, I ask that it be renewed.

Or by 'way' he here means the many things unknown to human beings, just as Paul also shows, saying:

'For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.'

But if Paul is ignorant even after such great knowledge, why do you wonder if this man says these things? And observe how he seeks nothing perceptible here, but the way that leads to God, and how he furnishes the beginnings from himself.

'Make known to me, O Lord, the way that leads to you'—but on what ground? 'Because to you have I lifted up my soul;'

that is, 'Toward you have I opened my mouth in longing, toward you do I look.'

For by these things above all does God make himself known.

Wherefore concerning the Jews he said, when asked why he speaks to them in parables:

'Because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not.'

But the phrase 'I have lifted up' means 'I have transferred,' or 'I have set over toward you my soul.'

'Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to you have I fled for refuge.'

Observe how everywhere the grounds are brought forward even by the one who is entreating.

'Turn not away,' he says, 'your face from me, because I have hoped in you.'

'Make known to me the way, because to you have I lifted up my soul.'

'Deliver me from my enemies, because to you have I fled for refuge.'

'Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.'

He did not say simply, 'Teach me your will,' but, 'To do your will;'

that is, 'Set me firmly upon the works themselves.'

For there is need of the impulse from above, and of teaching from thence, so as to walk the way that leads to virtue;

not while we are idle, but while we too contribute what is from ourselves.

Do you see how spiritual his requests are? For not concerning riches and power and glory, but for doing the will of God, does he offer his petition;