FROM THE [COMMENTARY] OF ORIGEN ON THE PSALMS

(“Concerning the wine-presses”)

The three psalms that have been given the superscription “concerning the wine-presses”—the 8th, the 80th, and the 83rd psalms— seem to me to indicate the gathered assembly of the Church and the multitude of the synods together, for indeed from the many there is one prayer and one hymnology that happens to be sent up to God in the Churches, just as in the wine-presses the one mixture of wine is completed from many and diverse vines. Of old, then, there was one particular “wine-press” in the sole location of Jerusalem, where they came together to offer up their prayers. Isaiah mentioned this when he said, “And I built a tower, and I dug a wine vat in it” ^[95]. “Tower” means the temple, and “wine vat” means the altar. But since he threatened to destroy [it], and did destroy it in fact, he constituted a multitude of wine-presses instead of the one, [namely], the Churches throughout the whole inhabited world. This is why it speaks in this way in the 8th psalm, “O Lord, our Lord, how marvelous is your name in all the earth!” ^[96]. He clearly presented the wine-presses of God throughout the whole inhabited world.

The 80th psalm, which also relates to the wine-press, directs all the nations to offer a hymn to the God of the prophets, and it says, then, “Rejoice in God our helper; shout aloud to the God of Jacob” ^[97]. Then, further down in the text, he indicates the rejection of the first people when he says, “And my people did not hear my voice, and Israel did not attend to me. So I dispatched them according to the pursuits of their hearts” ^[98]. And the 83rd psalm which has the same title, presents that there is not one dwelling, nor one altar in Jerusalem, but many dwellings and many altars. So, because there are many wine-presses, with the dwellings and altars related to these, it was entitled “concerning the wine-presses” and it says, then, “How lovely are your dwellings, O Lord of powers! My soul yearns for and faints for the courts of the Lord” ^[99], and it refers to, “Your altars, O Lord of powers” ^[100], and again uses the plural when it says, “Our protector, behold O God, and look unto the face of your Christ, for better is one day in your courts than thousands” ^[101]. Here you will observe, how it mentioned the name of Christ.

(“Concerning the eighth”)

I consider the two psalms^[12] that are given the superscription “concerning the eighth” to be enigmatically referring to the salvific day of the Lord’s resurrection. When David committed the sin unto death, he supplicated for six days that he might not be tested with either the wrath or the anger of God, but rather to attain mercy and healing for his soul. He predicts that this will happen when he says, “Turn back, O Lord, to deliver my soul; save me for the sake of your mercy, for in death there is no one who remembers you, and in hades who will confess you?” ^[102], well-nigh supplicating the Lord himself that his soul might be delivered from death. Going on, he indicates the things that he has attained through [his] prayers when he says, “The Lord hearkened to the voice of my weeping; the Lord hearkened to my petition, the Lord accepted my prayer” ^[103]. He was enigmatically describing through these things his reviving that came about with the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

In the same way, the 11th psalm was given the superscription “concerning the eighth,” which involves a petition similar to what David said, “Save me, O Lord; for the pious man has fainted” ^[104]. He then asserts something that is not at all concealed, but is rather conspicuous, when he says, “Now I will arise, says the Lord; I will set myself in salvation” ^[105]. Because the resurrection of Christ happened on the day after the Sabbath—that is, the Eighth—as a type of new life, I think the psalm was deemed worthy of this title.

(“Concerning those things that will be changed”)

There are four [psalms]^[13] in all that have been given the superscription “concerning those things that will be changed.” Of these the 59th psalm seems to me to signify the change of the nations which they experienced when they came over from the error of demonic superstition to the pious devotion to the God of all. He says, then, “God spoke in his holiness: ‘I will be glad and I will divide Sikima, and the valley of the tents I will distribute in portions. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is the strength of my head; Judah is my king, Moab the basin of my hope. I will extend my sandal over Idumea; the Philistines have been subjected to me’” ^[106]. Along with the Israelite tribes he has included Moab, Idumea, and the Philistines.

As for the 68th psalm, which was given a similar superscription, it pertains to the change and alteration of Him who for our sakes descended into the depths of the noetic sea ^[107], and that which concerns His Passion, which things in fact it indicates through, “They gave gall for my food, and they gave me vinegar for me to drink” ^[108].^[14] There is also the turn for the worst for the conspirators, which he himself presents when he says, “Let their eyes be darkened so as not to see, and bend down their back continually” ^[109], etc.

The 44th psalm, which is “of the sons of Korah,” and has been given the superscription “concerning those who will be changed, for the sake of the Beloved,” pertains similarly to the change in the case of the Beloved of God, including in it an account of his Divinity [τὴν θεολογίαν αὐτοῦ],^[15] and indicating the conversion of the Church from the nations to him through, “Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear” ^[110], etc.

The 79th psalm, which is of Asaph, and has been given a similar superscription, again concerns the former people’s turn for the worst, when it says, “You have removed a vine from Egypt” ^[111], etc. It also seems that, since the beauty and sweetness was changed more quickly than the blooms and lilies from the earth, for this reason the Hebrew text reads “Concerning the lilies, or, Concerning the blooms.” Wherefore, instead of “of those who will be changed,” Aquila translated “for the lilies,” and Symmachus “concerning the blooms.”

(“Concerning the hidden things”)

The [psalms]^[16] given the superscription “Concerning the hidden things” pertain to a certain hidden and unobserved war, and the victory of our Savior against the invisible and noetic enemies. The 9th psalm says, then, “When my enemy was turned back to things behind” ^[112], and what it refers to in what follows, signifies the calling of the nations, “Sing to the Lord who dwells in Sion; announce among the nations His pursuits” ^[113]. And that these things were imperceptibly completed at the time of the Passion, it indicates by what occurs at the heading of the psalm, for it was given the superscription, “Concerning the hidden things of the Son” ^[114], instead of which Symmachus rendered, “Concerning the death of the Son,” while Aquila has,“Concerning the youth,” with which things agrees also the matters regarding his returning to life from the dead, which are signified through the psalm which [says], “He who exalts me from the gates of death” ^[115].

The 45th psalm which speaks similarly about “hidden things,” presents the invisible and noetic war when it says, “The nations were troubled, kingdoms turned away” ^[116], etc. Then, after bringing down the rulers who trampled down the nations as of old, and having caused the nations to be subject to himself, he next says, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” ^[117].

(“For a memorial inscription”)

The psalms that are given the superscription “for a memorial inscription”^[17] involve words of moderation and humility. Wherefore Aquila, instead of “memorial inscription,” translated “a perfect humble [person],” while Symmachus has “humble-minded and blameless.” For whether David, who was king and ruler of all Israel, provided such expressions that are moderate and humble-minded, or the Christ of God prophesied such things of humble-mindedness, just as when he teaches through the passage, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart” ^[118], the words would be worthy of a memorial monument, and of remembrance for all ages—which is what is presented through the term “memorial inscription.” You may understand what is said from the 55th psalm, which was given the superscription, “memorial inscription,” or “of a humble perfect [person],” or “of a [person] humble-minded and blameless,” in which it was said, “Have mercy on me, O God, for a man has trampled me down the whole day” ^[119], etc. And the 56th psalm, which has the same superscription, again mentions those who are trampling him down when it says, “He gave to reproach those who are trampling me down” ^[120], and passing over the others that have the same superscription, you will find they have the same meaning.

(“For remembrance”)

Those [psalms] given the superscription “for remembrance of David” seem to bring to mind his sin against Uriah.^[18] The 37th psalm, which is given the superscription in this way, asserts, “There is no peace in my bones from the face of my sins” ^[121], etc., and through the whole psalm it signifies the state about the sin that was practiced. In the same way the 69th psalm, given the superscription “for remembrance,” petitions to attain the help of God.

(“A prayer”)

Those [psalms]^[19] given the superscription “a prayer,” perhaps they are not psalms, nor odes, nor hymns, but are this very thing—simple prayers which are suited to the disposition of those who pray, to the state pertaining to them and to all those who are said to be in the same disposition.

(“Do not destroy”)

There are three psalms given the superscription, “Do not destroy, of David,” in succession,^[20] of which the 56th psalm is said “when he fled from the presence of Saul to the cave” ^[122]. And perhaps inasmuch as, when David was hiding in the cave, Saul went in not knowing that he was within, and with the friends of David desiring to destroy him, David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy” him, clearly meaning Saul. For this reason, since he accepted the voice of God, involving a summit of forbearance, it was received by way of memory with the psalms which were given superscriptions in this way. The 58th psalm, which contains, “Do not destroy, when Saul sent, and he guarded his house to kill him” ^[123], seems to involve a command of God who does not allow those who are dispatched by Saul for the sake of destroying David. Perhaps the 74th psalm has the same meaning, having been given the superscription in a similar way, “by Asaph.”

(“For the Sabbath”)

The 91st psalm, which has the superscription, “for the Sabbath,” contains an exhortation to diligently attend to the gatherings of meditation on the divine lessons, and the worship after these. It says, then, “To announce your mercy in the morning, and your truth by night” ^[124]. And again, “Those who have been planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God they will blossom forth” ^[125].

(“For confession”)

The 99th psalm which has the superscription “for confession” teaches when it says, “He made us and not we ourselves” ^[126], to present the power of confession, that we have acquired nothing from ourselves, but that whatever good there might be with us, he himself has caused it.

(“by David, when he changed his face before Abimelech”)

The 33rd psalm, which has the superscription, “by David, when he changed his face before Abimelech” ^[127], seems to call “Abimelech” him who is named “Ahimelech” in the first book of Kingdoms ^[128], as the letters for the Hebrews—I mean kaph and beth—keep a great similarity, since there is nothing that distinguishes them except only a short stroke. The history runs in this way, “And David comes to Nomman to Abimelech the priest, and Abimelech was amazed at meeting him, and said to him, Why are you alone, and nobody is with you? And David said to the priest, The king commanded me a word today, and said to me, Let no one know the matter for which I am sending you, and concerning which I have commanded you: and I have been attested by my servants in the place that is called, The faithfulness of God, Philmoni Almoni. And now if there are under your hand five loaves, give into my hand what is found. And the high priest answered, and said, There are no profane loaves under my hand, but [only] holy loaves: if the young men have been kept from women, then they may eat. And David answered the priest, and said to him, Yes, we have been kept from women for three days: when I came forth on the way all the young men were purified; yet this way is profane, wherefore it shall be sanctified this day because of the vessels. So Abimelech the priest gave him the bread of the prothesis; for there was no bread there, but only the bread of the presence which had been removed from the presence of the Lord, in order that hot bread should be set on, on the day on which he took them” ^[129].

Such is the history. But instead of “in the place called ‘faithfulness of God,’ Philmoni Almoni,” Aquila says, “To a certain place of such and such,” or “a certain anonymous [place],” while Symmachus, “to such and such a place.” The title of psalm seems to signal the change of David’s word to the priest when it says, “When he changed his face before Abimelech,” or the change of the face. Wherefore it says in Symmachus, “When he transfigured his face before Abimelech,” and in Aquila, “When he changed his taste.” So proceeding in the psalm, as it seems, he speaks about the sacred food in an enigmatic way, “Taste, and see that the Lord is good” ^[130]. Perhaps, then, exhorting to taste of Christ himself he refers enigmatically to his body through these things, in which also there is a symbol of the law, with the eucharistic body of Christ referring to the bread of the prothesis. There is also another change of David, according to which he changed his face before Achish king of Gath the Philistine, when he feigned madness ^[131], but the psalm does not seem to signify this alteration at the present.

(Orphan psalms)

Those psalms that have nothing for a superscription^[21]—I mean, neither ode, nor hymn, nor psalm, nor melody, nor praise, nor prayer, nor any such thing—seem to contain certain beneficial teachings, and exhortative and persuasive words for the acquisition of piety. For example, the 10th psalm,^[22] in which it was said, “I have trusted on the Lord; how will you say to my soul” ^[132], etc.; and the 13th psalm which speaks in similar fashion, “The fool says in his heart” ^[133]. The rest similarly provide certain words that are instructive and full of benefit. They are not recorded in psalms and hymns and in odes, as they do not preserve the same mode with the things mentioned, unless perhaps they themselves were also written so as to be recounted through a psaltery or through an ode, or as a certain one of the things mentioned. But it did not occur that they were recorded, so as to have a similar force in the psalms and odes, and the prayers, but they do not have superscription because they have not recounted it. Or perhaps certain [psalms] were not deemed worthy of a title because of the former reason, and certain others for the second. For the 51st psalm, which has none of the things mentioned, announces things concerning Doeg, saying, “Why do you boast in vice, O mighty one?” ^[134], etc., which because of its sullen character was not recorded in the manner of psalms, or odes, since the 52nd and this [psalm] do not involve grievous things. And the 54th psalm, which begins with, “Give ear, O God, to my prayer” ^[135], involves the figure of prayer, and the 26th psalm, “Lord is my light and my savior” ^[136], does not differ at all from prayer. Together, then, they were not deemed worthy of a title.^[23]

Because of the second reason, as probable, with the 71st psalm containing at the end of the prophecy, “The hymns of David, son of Jesse, have ceased” ^[137]: since there are some who suppose that the oracle signifies an end of the hymns of David, you should note that the sense of the Hebrew (text) does not indicate this. Instead of “The hymns of David have ceased,” Aquila supplied, “The prayers of David have been completed,” and Symmachus, “The prayers of David have been completed.” The Fifth edition also has, “The prayers of David have been recapitulated.”^[24] Through these things it is presented that the things said in the psalm are to be taken as things being prophesied concerning Christ, for the psalm was given the superscription, “for Solomon,” but the things in it are referred to Solomon himself, and his son that will be born from his seed. Wherefore it was said, “O God, give your judgment to the king, and your righteousness to the king’s son” ^[138]. Then, after these things, certain prophetic words are provided concerning the king’s son, clearly him who will be born from the seed of Solomon, which [words] cannot be harmonized with any other person than the Christ of God alone. For this, “He will have dominion from sea to sea, and from rivers to the ends of the inhabited world” ^[139], and things similar to these cannot be referred to either Solomon himself, nor to Rehoboam who received his rulership, nor to any other of his successors, but only to our Savior. Since, then, according to David the birth of Christ from his seed was brought to completion through a prayer, and the things prophesied about this [birth], in the things that are in the present psalm, as it is said at the end, “And all the nations will be blessed in him, and all the earth will be filled with his glory” ^[140], fittingly it is attached to these things according to Aquila, “The prayers of David have been completed,” and according to Symmachus, “The prayers of David have been completed,” and according to the Fifth edition, “The prayers of David have been recapitulated.”^[25] “They have been recapitulated” in this, when all the nations are blessed through the appearance of the Savior of all nations, who has been born from his seed.

(Diapsalma, Musicality, and Order of Psalms)

In the [places where] the diapsalmata occur, in these places Aquila used “Song” instead of diapsalma, and the Fifth edition has “continually.” According to the copies we have and according to Symmachus, the marginal note with diapsalma seems to pertain to when a change of a certain musical tune or rhythm takes place. On many occasions there is a change of meaning that happens with the diapsalmata, then also a change of person. Someone might suppose that all the psalms that have been given superscriptions were rendered through the playing of the musical instrument of the psaltery mentioned, but since according to Aquila through the whole book, in the places where it is given the superscription “psalm” according to the Septuagint, in these places it is supplied “melody,” while according to Symmachus it is “ode” or “song.” For this reason I would necessarily remark how someone should not suppose that all the psalms given superscriptions for us are recited through musical instrument. For there would be no reason, say, for the 50th [psalm] which was given the superscription, “for the end, a psalm by David,” to be recited through a psaltery; a musical account, then, is untimely in mourning. For how is it, for example, that things recorded about the terrible error of David, so that the irritation of God which was against him might not reach [him], and a threat through the prophet, [could be] completed by taking up a psaltery—a symbol of mirth and joy—as though in a time of cheerfulness?

But what do the words contain that are proper to a psaltery? Certainly in the case of lamentation and weeping, which are appropriate with a certain mournful tune, these would not be recited with the instrument? You might say the same about the 3rd psalm, which is given the superscription “A Psalm by David, when he fled from the face of Absalom his son” ^[141]. For you will understand, if while he was in this situation, according to which he fell from the kingdom, and he was expelled by the son, that he spent time in music. He would have a reason, when sending up this supplication to God, to offer it up with a certain tune corresponding to the time; for which reason the rest [of the versions] used “Melody” and “Ode” in the title of these [psalms]. One may observe the rest of those [psalms] given a superscription in the same way are similar to the things mentioned. Such [psalms] as have been given the superscription, “in hymns,” Aquila has “in psalms” for them instead of “in hymns,” while Symmachus offered “through the psaltery,” so that by their translation these alone are to be chanted through musical instrument.

There is also a reason that the 4th psalm, which has the superscription “in hymns,” has been played through instrument. For since the 3rd [psalm] was spoken by David, when he fled from the face of Absalom his son, fittingly the 4th psalm, which involves the victories of the war with [his] son, has been given the superscription [that includes] both “for the end” and “in hymns.” Wherefore Symmachus rendered “victory-song” instead of “for the end,” while Aquila rendered it, “for the victory-giver.” It preserves the contemplation that was provided for the things asserted, in which it says, “When I call, the God of my righteousness heard me” ^[142], etc. These things, as though in victory- songs, are suited to being played with musical instruments. But the 3rd psalm is not given the superscription “for the end” for it was not yet a victory-song, but was spoken of a war not having received an end.

Do look also at the 6th psalm, perhaps since after the initial parts of the psalm he asserts in the end, saying, “The Lord heard the voice of my weeping, the Lord hearkened to my supplication; the Lord accepted my prayer” ^[143], fittingly it is given the superscription “victory- song” and “through the psaltery,” and by the Septuagint “for the end” and “in hymns.” But also the 53rd psalm—which was said by David before the sin against Uriah, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Behold, is David not hidden among us?” ^[144], as those who had accused him to Saul were not strong—is given the superscription “in hymns” for us, but for the rest “through the psaltery” and “in psalms,” and “for the victory-giver,” and “a victory-song.” You will observe this same mode in the rest, such [psalms] as were deemed worthy of the similar title.

By common admission the majority of the [psalms] after the 50th psalm were spoken long before the 50th psalm. Yet the 50th psalm itself was spoken before the time pertaining to the 3rd psalm, which is recorded by David, when he fled from the face of Absalom his son ^[145]. This was a time after the confession of the 50th psalm. Why, then, does [the psalter] not maintain such an [historical] order? Someone might say that each of the numbers has a certain force, to be contemplated according to the principles of numbers. For example, the number 7 has been honored in the divine Scripture on account of certain principles, for before the law the sabbath was esteemed in seven days, and Pentecost was in seven sevens; in months the seven; the seventh year in years, and in the multiplication of seven in years the Jubilee was fulfilled from seven periods of seven years.

On the other hand, the number 2 has been used for something unclean. It was said to Noah, then, “You will bring into the ark seven sevens of clean animals, but two twos of unclean ones” ^[146]. And the monad much before the first itself, and that in tens, and that in hundreds according to certain principles not at chance; as moreover again the triad, and the pentad, and heptad, and similarly with the rest of the numbers; according to this principle, then, the psalms are to be applied with each number proper [to them], so that the confession of David occurred in correspondence with the number 50, on account of the law concerning the 50 years, in which it was legislated that forgiveness of debts be made, as because of these things the order of the psalms follows not after the times, but with the force of the numbers.

Someone else might say that the book involves nothing elaborate, but has a simple gathering together in the same place, with odes and psalms, and the rest of the things recorded in scattered fashion; either Ezra remembered these things with the other Scriptures, or the ancient wise men among the Hebrews who collected by memory those [psalms] born about as it occurred to each, as it happened, their setting out having been explained as having been effected with a simpler meaning.