in Hippolytus Werke, vol. 1, pp. 137-40

VII. This is the purpose and benefit of the book, but such is the reason for the title. Because many of those who believed on Christ from the gentiles, thinking that this book was of David, entitled it “Psalms of David,” we must recount the things that have come to us concerning this matter. The Hebrews entitled the book Sephra theleim,^[50] and in the Acts of the Apostles it is said to be “Book of Psalms.” The text runs as follows: “as it is written in the book of Psalms” ^[197]. There is no name occurring here in the title of the book, and the reason for this is that the words recorded [in the book] do not come from one [person], but have been collected from many, with Ezra, as the traditions say, after the captivity gathering together psalms of many—or even discourses that are not in fact psalms—into one [book]. The name of David was put at the front of certain [psalms], but for others “of Solomon” and for yet others “of Asaph.” There are some that are “of Idithoum,” and beyond these, others are “of the sons of Korah,” as also “of Moses.” Seeing as the words of so many figures have been gathered together into one place, one who is in the know would not say that they are only of David. We must also inquire about the [psalms] that have no superscription, as to whom one should consider that they belong. For what is the reason that the simpler inscription would not be provided to them, which runs in this way “A Psalm of David” or “Of David” without any addition? We have surmised that when only this simple inscription is used, that what is said is neither a psalm nor an ode, but a certain word from the Holy Spirit that has been recorded for the sake of the benefit of one who is able to understand.

A tradition has come to me from a certain Hebrew concerning the endings. For when there are many [psalms] that are without superscriptions, and the one before these [psalms] without superscriptions has the superscription “Of David,” he said that those are supposed to be considered as taking the [attribution] to David in common with them. And if such is the case, it is appropriate that the psalms [without superscriptions] be reckoned according to the superscription in the psalms before them when it happens that [psalms] without superscriptions follow those [psalms with superscriptions]. ^[138]

VIII. The prophet named the present book of Psalms a “Psalter,” since, they say, the bronze that effects the resonance/echo is applied only to the musical instruments above and not from those [instruments] below similar to the others. So that those who have learned the analogy of this term, might be eager to preserve it and might look to those things above, whence it receives resonance, for this reason it was termed a “psalter.” For the resonance of the all-holy Spirit is complete and distinct.

IX. Origen on the 150 psalms.

Let us examine why it is that there are 150 psalms. That the number 50 is sacred as relates to days is clear from the well-known [Feast of] Pentecost, which signifies joy and loosing of labors. Wherefore it has been judged that during those [days] there should be neither fasting nor kneeling, for these things are symbols of the great feast that is in store in the future, of which that which pertained to Israel on earth was a shadow. In the cycles of times Pentecost ^[50] in number, which is called Jubilee by the Hebrews, was a cycle of time that involved the liberation of slaves and cancelling of debts, and an abatement from farming and all earthly labor in the ocean, with fields and houses from fathers which became the property of others because of certain necessities of life being restored to the race [to which they belong] … The holy Gospel is also aware of a forgiveness of 50-fold and of the use of the related number 500 ^[198]. For it is not an empty matter that the forgiveness that was given was for 50 and 500 denarii. In the same way, then, ^[139] it was necessary that the hymns offered to God for the destruction of enemies and for giving thanks to God for His benefactions should involve not one set of 50, but three, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost also involves seven sets of seven, a sabbath of sabbaths beginning at the end of the last sabbath beyond the sabbaths in the Eighth [involving] truly a new rest.

Indeed, let him who is able to keep this about the psalms, something greater than it is possible for man to discover the reasons about all these things? As we have set out. for example that it is not in vain that the Eighth psalm was given the superscription “concerning the winepresses,” involving the completion of fruits in the eighth. For there cannot yet be the season for the enjoyment of fruits of the true vine in the [psalms] numbered before the eighth. The second [psalm] that has “concerning the winepresses” is the 80th, which involves another ogdoad, this time in tens. The 83rd psalm, with two holy numbers interwoven, has the ogdoad in tens and the three in ones. The 50th psalm is one that involves the confession and request for the forgiveness of sins. For as the 50 pertains to forgiveness according to the Gospel, witnessing to the conception involved with the Jubilee, so in the same way the person who hopes to receive forgiveness prays such things for [his] confession in no other psalm than that which is in [the psalm] numbered 50.

Again, there are certain odes of ascents in [the book], 15 in number. Inasmuch as there are that many [stages of] ascents to the temple, perhaps it means that these ascents are involved in the number 7 and 8. The beginning of the ascents is from the psalm which is referred to more simply as 120th,^[51] since it has the precise [words] of the copies. This is the number of completeness for the life of man ^[199]. And the 100th psalm, which begins, “I will sing of mercy and judgment to you, O Lord” ^[200], involves the life of a saint who has been made a communicant by God, while the 150th finishes with, “Let every breath praise the Lord” ^[201].

But, as we said before, seeing as to do this for each [number] individually and to find the causes is something exceedingly difficult and hard for the ^[140] nature of men, we have satisfied ourselves with these [remarks], adding only for the sake of a sketch that the psalms that have superscriptions that seem to depend on the history do not actually follow the order of the writing of the history. And there is no other cause for this than the numbers, by which the psalms were set in order, as for example the history of the 51st psalm is prior to the history of the 50th psalm. For everyone agrees that what pertains to Doeg the Idumean accusing David to Saul happened prior to the sin with the [wife] of Uriah. But it is not at all unreasonable that that which comes second in the history is placed before what happens prior in the history, since as we have said previously, the topic of forgiveness is correlate to the number 50, and he who is not worthy of forgiveness exceeds the number 50, such as Doeg the Idumean. For the 51st psalm is the one that announces the things concerning him. Yet in fact the 3rd psalm, since it is said “when David fled from the face of Absalom his son” ^[202], is clear to those who have read the [books of] Kingdoms, that it is after the 51st and the 50th psalms.

And should someone who spends much more time on this observe such matters, he will find the reasons for the order of the psalms in more precise relation to the history and the superscriptions.

It is appropriate that a relationship obtains and that David alone among the prophets has prophesied with an instrument, by what is called a “psaltery” by the Greeks, and a nabla by the Hebrews,^[52] which alone is more straight of musical instruments, having nothing curved. And in fact it does not cooperate for a sound from the portions below, as it occurs with the lyre and certain other [instruments], but from above.