FROM THE VOLUME ON THE FIRST PSALM.^[26]

1. The divine words say that the divine Scriptures have been closed up and sealed with the key of David, and perhaps with the seal which is described as “the stamp of a seal, a hallowed offering to the Lord” ^[147]—that is, with the power of God who gave the Scriptures, the [power] being indicated by the seal. John expounds on the closing up and sealing in the Apocalypse, when he says: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and none shall shut, and that shutteth, and none openeth: I know thy works: behold I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut” ^[148]. And a little farther on: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and without, close sealed with seven seals. And I saw another, a strong angel, proclaiming with a great voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?’ And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon. And I wept because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon: and one of the elders saith unto me, ‘Weep not: behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and the seven seals thereof’” ^[149].

2. As regards the sealing up only, Isaiah speaks in this way: “And all these sayings shall be to you as the words of this book which is sealed, which men deliver to the man who understands letters, saying, ‘Read this:’ and he will say, ‘I cannot read it, for it is sealed:’ and the book shall be delivered into the hands of a man who does not understand letters, saying, ‘Read this:’ and he will say, ‘I do not understand letters’” ^[150]. For we must consider these things to be said not only concerning the Apocalypse of John and Isaiah, but also concerning all divine Scripture, which is commonly admitted by those with even a modest ability to perceive divine words to have been filled with riddles, parables, dark sayings, and various other forms of obscurities which are difficult for human nature to grasp.^[27] This was what the Savior wished to teach us when He said that, though the key was with the Scribes and Pharisees, yet they were not struggling to find the way to open [the Scriptures], “Woe to you lawyers! for you took away the key of knowledge; you yourselves have not entered, and you have not allowed those entering to enter” ^[151].

*We have said these things by way of introduction, as we have descended into a great struggle, and one that is admittedly beyond us and our condition, with the things required by your great love of learning, and the things importuned [on us] by your kindness and elegance, O holy Ambrose. And I have hesitated for so long, because of understanding the danger, not only of speaking about holy things, but also of writing in such abundance, to leave behind to those after us—yet having prevailed upon [me] in all kinds of ways in a friendly fashion, you have led me to this by a process of advancement to divinity. You will be my witness to God who, along with [my] whole life, also examines those things dictated, as to the sort of purpose^[28] by which this has come about. Sometimes we hit on [something true], and sometimes we are pressing [a meaning] that is more forced, or we seem to say something [definite], but we have examined the meaning of what is written, not despising what is appropriately said, “When you speak concerning God, you will be judged by God” (Sext. 22),^[29] and, “There is no small danger to say what is true concerning God” (Sext. 352). We request, then, since nothing good is able to exist apart from God, and this is especially the case with the understanding of the God-breathed Scriptures, that approaching the Father God of all, through our Savior and High priest begotten of God, you would ask that we would first be given the [ability] to inquire well, for there exists a promise of finding for those who seek, but probably [this does not apply] to those who begin their searching and are reckoned by God as proceeding by a way not [leading] to it.*^[30]

And a little farther on.

3. As we are about to begin our interpretation of the Psalms, let us preface [our remarks] with a very pleasing tradition concerning all divine Scripture in general, which has been handed down to us by the Hebrew. He said that the whole of God-breathed Scripture was, on account of its obscurity, like many locked-up rooms in one house, and with each room a key was placed, but not the one belonging to it; and so the keys were dispersed all around the rooms, in each case not fitting the rooms with which they were placed. It is a most difficult work to find the keys and match them to the [appropriate] rooms, which they are able to open. To understand the Scriptures which are unclear, then, there is no other way than to take the occasions for understanding [that come] from other [passages] that have the explanation scattered in them. The Apostle, I think, suggested such a method for understanding the divine words when he said, “Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” ^[152].

Much farther on, comparing the beatitudes occurring in the singular with those said in the plural, he says:

4. If “the words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace, approved in the whole earth, purified seven times” ^[153], and the Holy Spirit has dictated them, through the ministers of the Word ^[154], with the most scrupulous accuracy, lest the parallel meaning which the wisdom of God had constantly in view over the whole range of inspired Scripture, even to the mere letter, should escape us. And perhaps this is why the Savior says, “One jot or one tittle shall not pass away from the law, until all things have come to pass” ^[155]. For if we study creation we see that the divine skill is shown not only in heaven, in the sun, moon, and stars, being everywhere evidenced in those bodies, but also upon earth no less in matter that is more commonplace: so that the bodies of the smallest living creatures are not scornfully treated by the Creator, much less the souls existing in them, each having some peculiar gift, something to ensure the safety of the irrational creature. And as for plants, neither are they overlooked, for the Creator is immanent in every one, as regards roots, and leaves, appropriate fruits, and varying qualities. So, too, we conceive of all that has been recorded by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, believing that the sacred Providence has through the Scriptures supplied superhuman wisdom to the race of man, having, so to speak, sown the seeds of saving truths, traces of the wisdom of God, in every letter as far as possible.

5. In truth, anyone who has once accepted these Scriptures as coming from the Creator of the world, must be convinced that whatever difficulties confront those who investigate the story of creation, similar difficulties will also be found in the study of the Scriptures. There are, I say, in creation as well as in Scripture, certain problems which are difficult for human nature to solve, or even not at all; and we must not therefore blame the Maker of the universe because, say, we cannot discover why basilisks and other venomous creatures were created. In the contemplation of nature it is an act of piety if a man who is conscious of human weakness, and recognizes the impossibility of understanding the principles of the Divine skill, though pondered with all diligence, will ascribe to God the knowledge of these things. He will hereafter, should we be deemed worthy, reveal to us all the mysteries which now engage our reverent attention. Similarly, we should see that the Divine Scriptures also contain many mysteries of which it is hard for us to give an account. Anyway, let those who, after forsaking the Creator of the world and betaking themselves to a god of their own invention, make these professions, solve the difficulties we put before them; or, at least, after such strange impiety, let them see how they can with a good conscience uphold their speculations on the matters under investigation and the problems presented to them. For if the problems no less remain, though our opponents have forsaken the Godhead, would it not be far greater piety to be content with our conception of God, the Creator being contemplated through the works of creation, and to refrain from uttering godless and unholy opinions respecting so great a God?

From the same volume on the 1st Psalm.

As we are dealing with numbers, and every number has among real existences a certain significance, of which the Creator of the universe made full use as well in the general scheme as in the arrangement of the details, we must give good heed, and with the help of the Scriptures trace their meaning, and the meaning of each of them. Nor must we fail to observe that not without reason the canonical books are twenty- two, according to the Hebrew tradition, the same in number as the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. For as the twenty-two letters may be regarded as an introduction to the wisdom and the Divine doctrines given to men in those Characters, so the twenty-two inspired books are an alphabet of the wisdom of God and an introduction to the knowledge of existing things.^[31]

These are the 22 books according to the Hebrews: the book entitled Genesis with us, but with the Hebrews Bresith, from the beginning of the book, which is, “In the beginning;” Exodus, Oualesmoth, which is “These are the names;” Leviticus, Ouikra, “And he called;” Numbers, Ammesfekodeim; Deuteronomy, Elle addebarim, “These are the words”; Jesus son of Nave, Joshua ben Nun; Judges, Ruth, which for them are in one book, Sophetim. First and Second Kingdoms, which for them are one, Samuel, the “called of God”; Third and Fourth Kingdoms, in one, Ouammelech of David, which is “Reigns of David”; First and Second Paraleipomenon in one, Dibre aiamim, which is, “Words of days”; First and Second Esdras in one, Ezra, which is “Helper”; the book of Psalms, Sepher thillim; Proverbs of Solomon, Misloth; Ecclesiastes, Koeleth; Song of Songs, Sir assirim; Esaias, Isaia; Jeremias, with Lamentations and the Epistle in one, Ieremia; Daniel, Daniel; Ezekiel, Ieezkel; Job, Iov; Esther, Esther. Beyond these there are the [books] of the Maccabees, which are entitled Sarbeth Sarbane el.