{"slug":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-argumentum-in-psalmos","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-argumentum-in-psalmos","title":"Argumentum in Psalmos","title_source":"Argumentum in Psalmos","author":"Athanasius the Great of Alexandria","genre":"commentary","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:32:52Z","cost_usd":0.002678},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-argumentum-in-psalmos","work_id":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-argumentum-in-psalmos","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/Argumentum%20in%20Psalmos.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":982,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":3959,"commentary_units":23,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":6,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-argumentum-in-psalmos","abstract":"The 'Argumentum in Psalmos' (Greek: Ὑπόθεσις) is a preface to the Psalter attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria. Rather than a verse-by-verse commentary, it instructs readers on spiritual interpretation, emphasizing how each psalm can be applied to the soul. The text survives in multiple Greek manuscript families, often appended to psalters, and was widely copied in Byzantine monastic contexts. Its attribution to Athanasius is traditional but disputed; dating is uncertain, likely 4th century, though some scholars place it in the 5th–6th centuries. The work shaped Eastern Christian psalmody and was translated into Syriac, Latin, and Slavic.","historical_context":"The work is traditionally placed in 4th-century Alexandria, a major center of Christian theology and exegesis. Athanasius (c. 296–373) was a key figure in the Arian controversy and a prolific writer. The 'Argumentum' reflects the Alexandrian allegorical tradition, akin to Origen's approach, and was likely composed for monastic or catechetical use. The text's genre—a hypothesis or prefatory summary—was standard in patristic commentaries. However, no external witness before the 9th century confirms Athanasian authorship, and stylistic features have led some scholars to date it to the 5th–6th centuries. The work circulated widely in Byzantine psalters, influencing lectio divina, and was translated into Syriac, Latin, and Old Church Slavonic, indicating its enduring liturgical and spiritual importance across Eastern and Western traditions.","significance":"The 'Argumentum' is a key witness to early Christian hermeneutics, particularly the spiritual and moral interpretation of the Psalms. It shaped monastic prayer and psalmody in both Eastern and Western Christianity, influencing figures like John Cassian and the Rule of Benedict. Its disputed authorship highlights the challenges of attributing patristic works and the fluidity of the manuscript tradition.","timeline":[{"date":"4th c.","event":"Traditional composition by Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373)."},{"date":"5th–6th c.","event":"Alternative dating proposed by some scholars based on stylistic analysis."},{"date":"9th c.","event":"Earliest external manuscript witnesses appear; no earlier confirmation of Athanasian authorship."},{"date":"Byzantine period","event":"Widely copied in Greek psalters; used in monastic lectio divina."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Translated into Syriac, Latin, and Old Church Slavonic, influencing Eastern and Western psalmody."}],"relations":[{"work":"Psalms (Septuagint)","relation":"Subject of the preface; the Argumentum provides interpretive guidance for the Psalter.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Athanasius, 'Life of Antony'","relation":"Attributed to same author; both reflect Alexandrian ascetic and exegetical traditions.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Origen, 'Homilies on the Psalms'","relation":"Precedent for allegorical psalm interpretation; the Argumentum continues this tradition.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"John Cassian, 'Conferences'","relation":"Influenced by the spiritual reading of Psalms promoted in the Argumentum.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Rule of Benedict","relation":"Reflects similar monastic psalmody practices shaped by the Argumentum's approach.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Attribution to Athanasius is traditional but not universally accepted; no external witness before the 9th century confirms it.","Dating is uncertain: likely 4th century, but some scholars place it in the 5th–6th centuries due to stylistic features.","The edition (khazarzar) provides no critical apparatus or manuscript sigla, so the Greek base text and variant readings cannot be verified.","The work's claim about the ninth psalm being divided in Hebrew is not universally attested in extant Hebrew manuscripts."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000515,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:32:52Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/Argumentum%20in%20Psalmos.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-argumentum-in-psalmos","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":23,"english_words":982,"source_letters":3948,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a preface to the Psalms, not a verse-by-verse commentary. It instructs readers on spiritual interpretation, especially how to apply each psalm to one's own soul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in multiple Greek manuscript families, often appended to psalters. Its attribution to Athanasius is traditional but not universally accepted by modern scholars.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Widely copied in Byzantine psalters, the Argumentum shaped monastic lectio divina. It was translated into Syriac, Latin, and later into Slavic, influencing Eastern Christian psalmody.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Dating is uncertain; likely 4th century, but some scholars place it later (5th–6th c.) due to stylistic features. No external witness before the 9th century confirms Athanasian authorship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition (khazarzar) provides no critical apparatus or manuscript sigla. Readers cannot verify the Greek base text or assess variant readings across the tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: commentary in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 4 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣ ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΨΑΛ ΜΟΥΣ.\n\nἘν τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ βίβλῳ τῶν Ψαλμῶν ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ προσθήκης ἀνεγράφησαν οἱ πάντες καὶ διαφόρως· οἱ μέν εἰσι συνημμένοι, οἱ δὲ διῃρημένοι. Αὐ τίκα γοῦν ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ δεύτερος κατὰ τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν συνημμένοι· καὶ πάλιν ὁ ἔνατος, συνημμένος παρ' ἡμῖν, ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ διῄρηται εἰς δύο. Καὶ πᾶσα δὲ ἡ τῶν Ψαλμῶν βίβλος εἰς μέρη πέντε διῄρηται. Παρατηρητέον δὲ, ὅτι μὴ κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν τῶν τῆς ἱστορίας χρόνων ἡ τῶν Ψαλμῶν σύγκειται τάξις· ἐνήλλακται δὲ παρὰ πολλοῖς τοῖς χρόνοις, ὡς ἡ βίβλος τῶν Βασιλειῶν δηλοῖ. Πολλῆς γὰρ εἰδωλολατρείας κατα κρατησάσης τοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, λήθην αὐτοὺς πεποιῆσθαι τῶν πατρικῶν Γραφῶν, ὡς μηδὲ φαίνεσθαι βίβλον τοῦ Μωσέως νόμου, μηδὲ μὴν τῆς τῶν πατέ ρων εὐσεβείας τι σώζεσθαι παρ' αὐτοῖς. Ὅτε γοῦν καὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἀνῄρουν, διελέγχοντας αὐτῶν τὰς δυσσεβείας, καὶ τούτων ἕνεκα τὸ πρῶτον τῇ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων παρεδόθησαν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτά τινα τῶν προφητῶν, περὶ τῆς συναγωγῆς αὐτῶν ἐσπουδακότα, μετά γε τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ τὴν βίβλον τῶν Ψαλμῶν συναγηοχέναι· οὐκ ἀθρόως εὑρόντα τοὺς πάντας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ διαφόρους χρόνους· κατατάττειν δὲ ἐν πρώτοις τοὺς πρώτους εὑρισκομένους· διὸ μηδὲ τοῦ Δαυῒδ ἐφεξῆς εὑρίσκεσθαι τοὺς πάντας, ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Κορὲ, καὶ τοῦ Ἀσὰφ, καὶ Σολο μῶντος, καὶ Μωσέως, Αἰθάμ τε τοῦ Ἰσραηλίτου, καὶ Αἰμὰν, καὶ πάλιν τοῦ Δαυῒδ, εὑρίσκεσθαι ἀναμὶξ ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τεταγμένους· οὐ καθ' οὓς ἐλέχθησαν χρό νους, ἀλλὰ καθ' οὓς εὕραντο.","english":"Of Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, Argumentum in Psalmos.\n\nIn the Hebrew book of the Psalms, all were inscribed without the addition of a number and in a varied manner: some are joined together, others are divided. For instance, the first and second are joined together according to the Hebrew; and again, the ninth, which is joined together among us, is divided into two in the Hebrew. And the entire book of the Psalms is divided into five parts. It must be observed that the order of the Psalms is not arranged according to the sequence of the times of history; it is altered with respect to many times, as the book of Kings makes clear. For when much idolatry had prevailed over the nation of the Jews, they had fallen into forgetfulness of the ancestral Scriptures, so that neither the book of the law of Moses appeared, nor was any of the piety of the fathers preserved among them. When, therefore, they also killed the prophets, who were refuting their impieties, and because of these things they were first delivered into the captivity of the Assyrians; but after this, some of the prophets, being zealous for their collection, together with the rest also gathered the book of the Psalms, not finding all at once, but at different times; and they placed first those found first. For this reason, not all the psalms of David are found in sequence, but in between, those of the sons of Kore, and of Asaph, and Solomon, and Moses, and Aetham the Israelite, and Heman, and again of David, are found arranged intermixed in the book, not according to the times in which they were spoken, but according to the times in which they were found.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ","severity":"info","text":"The Greek title 'ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ' (hypothesis) denotes a prefatory summary or argument, a standard genre in patristic biblical commentaries.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"συνημμένοι","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius notes that Psalms 1 and 2 are joined in the Hebrew tradition, reflecting a known textual variation in the Hebrew Bible where some psalms were combined.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"εἰς μέρη πέντε","severity":"info","text":"The division of the Psalter into five books is a standard structural feature, paralleling the Pentateuch, and is attested in both Hebrew and Greek traditions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐ κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius argues that the psalms are not arranged chronologically but by order of discovery, a view that explains the non-historical sequence of superscriptions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τῶν υἱῶν Κορὲ","severity":"info","text":"The mention of the sons of Kore (Korah), Asaph, Solomon, Moses, Aetham, and Heman reflects the traditional ascriptions in the Psalter, which Athanasius accepts as authentic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐν τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ βίβλῳ","severity":"caution","text":"Athanasius refers to the Hebrew book, but his knowledge may be mediated through the Septuagint; the claim about the ninth psalm being divided in Hebrew is not universally attested in extant Hebrew manuscripts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'prophets' who collected the psalms is unspecified; Athanasius may refer to Ezra or later figures, but the text does not name them."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Τὸ δ' αὐτὸ εὕροις γεγενημένον καὶ ἐν ταῖς τῶν προφητῶν περικοπαῖς. Τοὺς δὲ μετὰ τὸν πρῶτον καὶ δωδέκατον ἀνεπιγρά φους ψαλμοὺς, καὶ τοὺς ἐπιγραφὴν ἔχοντας, οὐ δηλοῦντας τίνος εἰσὶν, ἐκείνων εἶναι παῖδες Ἑβραίων φασὶ, ὧν τοὔνομα φέρεται ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀνεπιγράφων προτεταγμέναις. Τὸν δὲ πρῶτον καὶ δεύτερον, ἕνα ὄντας ἄμφω, τοῦ Δαυῒδ ὑπάρχειν ἡγοῦμαι, διὰ τὸ πάν τας τοὺς ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ μέρει τῶν Ψαλμῶν ἐφεξῆς αὐτοῦ εἶναι. Ἀπὸ γοῦν τοῦ τρίτου μέχρι τοῦ μʹ τοῦ Δαυῒδ ἐπιγράφονται οἱ πάντες· διό μοι δοκοῦσιν ὑπάρ χειν τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὅ τε πρῶτος καὶ ὁ δεύτερος. Πιστοῦ ται δὲ λόγον ἡ τῶν Πράξεων τῶν ἀποστόλων βίβλος, ἐν ᾗ εἴρηται· Δέσποτα, σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν διὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου στόματος παιδός σου Δαυῒδ εἰπών· Ἵνα τί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη, καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά; Σα φῶς γὰρ διὰ τούτων τὸν βʹ ψαλμὸν τοῦ Δαυῒδ ἔφησεν εἶναι. Ἀποσεσιωπῆσθαι δὲ εἰκὸς ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὴν τοῦ Δαυῒδ προγραφὴν, διὰ τὸ γυμνὴν ἔχειν περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου προφητείαν, ἐν ᾗ εἴρηται· Κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ. Οἷς ἀκολούθως ἐπιλέγει ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ Χριστοῦ τό· Κύριος εἶπε πρὸς μέ· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ. Φέρονται τοίνυν ψαλμοὶ οἱ πάντες ρνʹ. Τινὲς δὲ νομίζουσι τοὺς πάντας εἶναι τοῦ μακαρίου Δαυΐδ· οὐ σημαίνεται δὲ τοῦτο. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ πάντες ἀναφέρονται τοῦ Δαυΐδ· ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἐπιγραφαῖς δείκνυται τίς τίνος ψαλμὸς γεγένηται. Τέσσαρες γὰρ ἄρχοντες ᾠδῶν ἐξελέγησαν, σπηʹ ἀκόλουθοι.","english":"You would find the same thing occurring in the sections of the prophets. As for the psalms after the first and the twelfth which are without inscription, and those which have an inscription but do not indicate whose they are, the children of the Hebrews say they belong to those whose name is borne in the inscriptions placed before the uninscribed ones. But I consider the first and the second, being both one, to belong to David, because all the psalms in the first part of the Psalter in order are his. At any rate, from the third up to the fortieth, all are inscribed as David's; therefore it seems to me that both the first and the second belong to the same author. The book of the Acts of the Apostles confirms this reasoning, in which it is said: \"Master, you made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and all things in them; your servant David, the mouth of our father through the Holy Spirit, saying: 'Why did the nations rage, and the peoples devise vain things?'\" For clearly through these words it declared the second psalm to be David's. It is likely that the superscription of David was passed over in silence for it, because it contains a prophecy concerning the Lord in plain terms, in which it is said: \"Against the Lord and against his Christ.\" In accordance with this, it adds from the very person of Christ: \"The Lord said to me, 'You are my Son.'\" So there are in all 150 psalms. Some think that all are by the blessed David, but this is not indicated. For all are referred to David, but in the inscriptions it is shown whose psalm each one is. For four leaders of odes were chosen, with 288 followers.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Τὸ δ' αὐτὸ εὕροις γεγενημένον καὶ ἐν ταῖς τῶν προφητῶν περικοπαῖς","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius extends his earlier observation about the Psalms to the prophetic books, noting similar textual variations in the arrangement of pericopes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δέσποτα, σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν διὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου στόματος παιδός σου Δαυῒδ εἰπών· Ἵ","severity":"info","text":"This is a quotation from Acts 4:24-25, where the apostles cite Psalm 2 (LXX) as Davidic. Athanasius uses it to argue that the second psalm is David's.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Acts 4:24-25"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Psalm 2:2 (LXX), which speaks of rebellion against the Lord and his anointed. Athanasius notes that the explicit messianic content may explain the omission of David's name.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Psalm 2:2 (LXX)"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κύριος εἶπε πρὸς μέ· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ","severity":"info","text":"This is a citation of Psalm 2:7 (LXX), where the speaker is understood as Christ. Athanasius reads it as a direct utterance from Christ's person.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Psalm 2:7 (LXX)"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Τέσσαρες γὰρ ἄρχοντες ᾠδῶν ἐξελέγησαν, σπηʹ ἀκόλουθοι","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius refers to a tradition of four leaders of odes with 288 followers, likely a reference to the organization of temple musicians or a liturgical schema, though the exact source is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"σπηʹ ἀκόλουθοι","severity":"caution","text":"The number 288 (σπηʹ) is unusual and may be a scribal error or a specific tradition. The text does not clarify the basis for this figure, and it is not corroborated by other early sources.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'children of the Hebrews' is not specified; they may be a Jewish source or a Christian group claiming Hebrew tradition.","The number 288 (σπηʹ) for followers is obscure and may be corrupt or based on a lost tradition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Τῶν οὖν τεσσάρων ἀρχόντων παράκεινται ψαλμοὶ, ὡς καὶ αἱ ἐπιγραφαὶ διδάσκουσιν. Ὁπόταν γὰρ λέγῃ· Ψαλμὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ, Αἰθὰν, Ἀσὰφ, καὶ Αἰμάν· αὐτοὶ ψάλλουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ Κορὲ, Αἰθὰν, Ἀσὰφ, καὶ Αἰμάν. Ὅταν εἴπῃ, Ψαλμὸς τοῦ Ἀσὰφ, αὐτὸς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀσάφ· ὅταν εἴπῃ, Ψαλμὸς τοῦ Ἰδιθοὺμ, αὐτὸς ψάλλει Ἰδιθούμ· ὁπόταν εἴπῃ, τοῦ Δαυῒδ, αὐτὸς λέγων ἦν Δαυΐδ· ἐπὰν δὲ λέγῃ, τῷ Δαυῒδ, ὑφ' ἑτέρων λέγεται εἰς τὸν Δαυΐδ.\n\nΕἰσὶ μὲν οἱ πάντες ρνʹ, ὧν οβʹ εἰσὶ τοῦ Δαυῒδ, θʹ δὲ τῷ Δαυῒδ, ιβʹ τοῦ Ἀσὰφ, ιβʹ τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ, εἷς τοῦ Ἰδιθοὺμ, εἷς τοῦ Αἰθὰμ, εἷς τοῦ Αἰμὰν, εἷς τοῦ Σαλομὼν, δύο Ἀγγαίου καὶ Ζαχαρίου, ἀνεπίγραφοι λθʹ καὶ εἷς Μωσέως· πάντες ρνʹ. Δεῖ τοίνυν θεωρῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τίνι λόγῳ, διαφόρων ᾠδῶν ὑπαρχόντων, καὶ μὴ πάντων τῶν ψαλμῶν ὄντων Δαυῒδ, ἀναφέρεται εἰς τὸν Δαυΐδ· καὶ τοῦτο οὐ παραδραμούμεθα. Τούτου γὰρ χάριν ἐπεγράφη, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸς αἴτιος γεγένηται τοῦ εἶναι ταῦτα· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐξέλεξε τοὺς ᾠδούς. Αὐτὸς τοίνυν αἴτιος γενόμενος ἠξιώθη τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης, ἵνα πάντες ὅσα εἶπαν οἱ ᾠδοὶ εἰς τὸν Δαυῒδ καταλογισθῇ. Ὅτι προφήτης ὑπάρχων ὁ Δαυῒδ, καὶ ἠνεῳγμένους ἔχων τοὺς ἔνδον ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ εἰδὼς, ὅτι χαίρουσι τῇ πτώσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ πονηρὰ πνεύματα, καὶ πάλιν ἀντιλυποῦνται ἡττώμενα ἐπὶ τῇ διορθώσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πάντως ὅτι νοητῶς τὰς κατ' αὐτῶν προσευχὰς ἐποιεῖτο, ἐκ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐχθρῶν πρὸς αὐτὰ μεταβαλλόμενος.","english":"Of the four leaders, then, psalms are placed, as the inscriptions also teach. For when it says, \"Psalm for the sons of Kore, Aithan, Asaph, and Aiman,\" the sons of Kore, Aithan, Asaph, and Aiman themselves sing. When it says, \"Psalm of Asaph,\" Asaph himself spoke; when it says, \"Psalm of Idithoum,\" Idithoum himself sings; when it says, \"of David,\" David himself was speaking; but when it says, \"to David,\" it is spoken by others to David.\n\nThere are in total 150, of which 72 are of David, 9 to David, 12 of Asaph, 12 for the sons of Kore, one of Idithoum, one of Aitham, one of Aiman, one of Salomon, two of Aggaios and Zacharias, 39 without inscription, and one of Moses: in all 150. It is necessary, then, to consider the mystery by what reasoning, since there are various odes and not all the psalms are David's, they are attributed to David; and this we shall not pass over. For this reason it was inscribed, since he himself became the cause of their existence; for he himself selected the singers. He himself, then, having become the cause, was deemed worthy of this honor, that all that the singers said should be credited to David. Because David, being a prophet and having his inner eyes opened, and knowing that evil spirits rejoice at the fall of men and in turn are grieved when defeated by the correction of men, certainly made his prayers against them spiritually, turning from perceptible enemies to them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Ψαλμὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ, Αἰθὰν, Ἀσὰφ, καὶ Αἰμάν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Psalm for the sons of Kore, Aithan, Asaph, and Aiman' indicates a performance attribution, where the named groups or individuals are the singers, not necessarily the authors.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"τῷ Δαυῒδ","severity":"info","text":"The dative 'τῷ Δαυῒδ' (to David) is distinguished from the genitive 'τοῦ Δαυῒδ' (of David), marking a grammatical distinction that Athanasius uses to argue that some psalms are addressed to David, not composed by him.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀνεπίγραφοι λθʹ","severity":"info","text":"The 39 psalms 'without inscription' (ἀνεπίγραφοι) are those lacking a superscript attribution; Athanasius here enumerates them as part of the total 150, reflecting a canonical count.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"μυστήριον","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius calls the attribution of all psalms to David a 'mystery' (μυστήριον), explaining it by David's role as prophet and selector of singers, a theological justification for the Psalter's Davidic ascription.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"εἷς τοῦ Αἰθὰμ, εἷς τοῦ Αἰμάν","severity":"caution","text":"The names 'Aitham' and 'Aiman' appear in variant spellings; the text lists them as distinct from 'Aithan' earlier, but the relationship is unclear—possibly scribal variation or separate individuals.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Aitham' and 'Aiman' relative to 'Aithan' is ambiguous; they may be variant names or different persons.","The phrase 'τῷ Δαυῒδ' could be interpreted as 'for David' or 'to David', affecting the understanding of authorship."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Εἰ γὰρ μὴ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐκλάβωμεν τὸν σκοπὸν τῶν προφητῶν, οὐ μόνον οὐδεμίαν οἰκοδομὴν ἐκ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς εἰρημένων πρὸς κτῆσιν πραότητος ἕξομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκληράν τινα καὶ ἐναντίαν τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας διάθεσιν ἀναληψόμεθα ἐκ τοῦ κατεύχεσθαι συχνῶς τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ μὴ ἀγαπᾷν· μυριοντάκις λέγοντος τοῦ Δαυῒδ, Αἰσχυνθείησαν καὶ ἐντραπείησαν πάντες οἱ ἐχθροί μου, καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθείην ἐγώ. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐκ ἂν πεισθείημεν οὕτως εἰρηκέναι ἄνδρας προφήτας καὶ φίλους Θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ τῷ προειρημένῳ τρόπῳ. Οὕτω γὰρ χρὴ νοεῖν τὸν φιλόπονον, ἔνθα ἂν ἐπαρώμενον εὕροι προφήτην, ἐπὶ τοὺς νοητοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν μεταβάλλοντα. Λοιπὸν δὴ κατασχολάζεσθαι τὸν ἀσκητὴν παντὸς ῥήματος τὴν κατανόησιν.","english":"If we do not understand the purpose of the prophets in this way, we will not only derive no edification from what is said by them for the acquisition of gentleness, but we will also adopt some harsh disposition contrary to evangelical teaching from frequently cursing enemies and not loving them, since David says countless times, \"Let all my enemies be put to shame and confounded, and may I not be put to shame.\" But we would not be persuaded that men who are prophets and friends of God have spoken thus, unless it be in the aforementioned manner. For in this way the diligent one must understand, wherever he finds a prophet cursing, as transferring from the sensible to the intelligible enemies. Henceforth, the ascetic must devote himself to the understanding of every word.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"σκοπὸν","severity":"info","text":"The Greek σκοπὸν (skopon) means 'purpose' or 'aim', not merely 'subject'. Athanasius insists that the reader must grasp the prophets' intended goal to avoid misreading curses as literal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Αἰσχυνθείησαν καὶ ἐντραπείησαν πάντες οἱ ἐχθροί μου","severity":"info","text":"This curse formula is not a direct quotation from the Septuagint Psalms but a composite echo of imprecatory language found in e.g. Ps 34(35):4, 82(83):18. Athanasius uses it to illustrate the danger of literal reading.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"νοητοὺς ἐχθροὺς","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'intelligible enemies' (νοητοὺς ἐχθροὺς) refers to spiritual adversaries such as passions or demons, as opposed to 'sensible enemies' (αἰσθητῶν), i.e. human foes. This allegorical move is central to Athanasius' hermeneutics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ἀσκητὴν","severity":"info","text":"The term 'ascetic' (ἀσκητὴν) reflects the monastic audience of Athanasius' letter. The work is addressed to Marcellinus, an ascetic, and the interpretive method is tailored to those pursuing spiritual discipline.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage became a key proof-text for the Alexandrian allegorical tradition, cited by later commentators to justify spiritual interpretation of the Psalter's violent language.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Λοιπὸν δὴ κατασχολάζεσθαι","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek phrase Λοιπὸν δὴ κατασχολάζεσθαι is ambiguous: it may mean 'henceforth one must devote oneself' or 'henceforth one must be at leisure for'. The English draft takes the former, which fits the ascetic context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise scriptural source of the curse formula is not given; it may be a composite. The phrase Λοιπὸν δὴ κατασχολάζεσθαι admits two readings: 'devote oneself' or 'be at leisure for'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}