Prooemia in Psalmos

Prooemia in Psalmos. After Moses and his successor Joshua son of Nun, and those called judges in Israel, when Saul had taken up the kingship of Israel and been rejected, God raised up for them a virtuous king, righteous and a prophet, who composed the book of 150 Psalms, moved by the Holy Spirit, metrically according to the meter proper to his own language, melodiously with rhythm and various instruments and dances and songs singing them. For this man held a kithara, and he had various choruses under him of minor prophets—for so he called those who attended the prophets; often he also named them sons of prophets, having various instruments, one cymbals, another flutes, another drums, another trumpets, another psalterion and kithara, another singers called boukolioi. Each chorus had a leader, of whom one was called Asaph, another Idithoum, another the sons of Kore, another Aitham the Israelite, another of Moses the man of God. Whenever, then, he was moved by the Spirit to foretell, either about the captivity of the people, or about their return, or about ethical teachings, or about providence, or about the Lord Christ, he composed metrically each psalm tending toward one subject (for this reason there are both short and long psalms), and he delivered it to one chorus. But if again he judged it fitting in the middle of the psalm to deliver the remainder of the psalm to another chorus, then this succession of the psalm was called Diapsalma.

Thus also, when they wished to hand over to the so-called singers, or herdsmen, in the middle of the psalm, it was then called the song of the diapsalma; since the singers received in succession the remainder of the psalm to sing. It is possible for one who wishes to learn about this from what is written in the Chronicles of the Kings as follows: "And he sang this song in the hand of Asaph the prophet." After this one first delivered the psalm, then each chorus, both individually and together with delight and rhythm, some with these instruments, others with those, sang the psalm antiphonally with dancing, for the glory and praise of God. It is possible again to learn about this, that David himself, when he recovered the ark from the foreigners, danced before it, and when reproached by his own wife Michal, said: "I will play and laugh before the Lord." For not only did he not cease, but he even promised to intensify such things. Some, however, not having attended to the order and precision, nor wishing to be taught by those who know these things, turned to allegories, declaring that not all the psalms are by David, but that those clearly from his successors are spoken; which the Lord or an apostle never mentioned concerning any other psalm except that of David. Therefore we depict him seated, and the choruses before him on the right and left, so that one may know even the spectacle of that arrangement.

After these things, speaking also of the psalms which he himself was deemed worthy to foretell concerning the economy of the Lord, he varied them in composition and changed them in form in diverse ways concerning the passion and resurrection of his humanity. Likewise also that he is eternal in divinity and creator of all things and renewer of the universe, toward whom the whole purpose of the divinely inspired Scripture looks. The choir of Idithum, the choir of the sons of Core, the choir of Aetham the Israelite, the choir of Asaph, the choir of Moses the man of God. These are the choirs of the prophets under him, singing and playing and dancing with various instruments to the glory of God the one hundred fifty psalms produced from the Holy Spirit. Protheoria on the Psalms. 1. All the divine Scriptures are holy; but the Psalms have something more: for example, concerning temperance immediately, or rather before all things, concerning not associating with the wicked, from the very beginning of the book. For on account of this the blessed David began from there, saying: "Blessed is the man who did not go in the counsel of the impious." And when he says "blessedness," he means the summit of all goods. And concerning associating with the good, concerning controlling the belly, concerning restraining the hands, concerning licentiousness, concerning not being greedy, that wealth is nothing, nor glory, and all such things. And concerning being temperate you will hear him saying: "For my loins were filled with mockeries"; and again: "You have destroyed all who fornicate from you." And concerning the need to control the belly: "And he killed," he says, "among the majority of them, while the food was still in their mouth." And that one must abstain from gifts.

If wealth flows, do not set your heart upon it. And do not desire glory; his glory will not follow after him. Do not envy the wicked; do not be jealous of those who do evil. Consider nothing the powers; I saw the impious man exalted and raised up, like the cedars of Lebanon; and they passed away, and behold, he was not. Consider nothing the present things; they called the people blessed to whom these things belong; blessed is the people whose Lord is their God. That we do not sin without consequence, but there is retribution, he says; for you will repay each according to his works. But why does he not repay daily? God is a just and strong and patient judge. That humility is good; Lord, my heart was not exalted, he says. And that pride is evil; therefore pride seized them to the end. And again, the Lord opposes the proud. That almsgiving is good; he scattered, he gave to the poor, his righteousness remains forever and ever. That mercy is praiseworthy; a good man is one who pities and lends. That one must not speak ill; they drove out the one who slanders his neighbor in secret. And you will find many more such philosophical teachings here. For it speaks not only of present things, but also of future things, and of visible things, and of the invisible creation. And do you wish to learn about heaven, whether it remains as it is or changes? It clearly answers you and will say, The heavens will grow old like a garment, and like a cloak you will roll them up, O God, and they will be changed.

And if you wish to hear about its form, you will hear again: "He who stretches out the heaven like a tent." If you desire to know something more about its back, he will tell you again: "He who roofs his upper chambers with waters." And he does not stop there, but he also speaks to you about its breadth and height, showing them to be equal: "For as far as the east is from the west," he says, "he has removed our lawlessnesses from us. According to the height of the heaven from the earth, the Lord has strengthened his mercy upon those who fear him." And if you examine the foundations of the earth, he will not hide these from you either, but you will hear him saying that "He has founded it upon seas." And if you wish to learn about earthquakes, whence they come, he will free you from all perplexity, speaking thus: "He who looks upon the earth and makes it tremble." If you seek the use of the night, you will learn this from him as well, that "In it all the beasts of the forest will pass through." And the mountains, where they are useful, he will tell you: "The high mountains for the deer." And why the

Rocks," he says to you: "A rock is a refuge for hares." Why are there fruitless trees? Learn: "There sparrows will nest." Why are there springs in deserts? "Upon them the birds of the sky will alight, and the beasts of the field." Why wine? Not that you may drink only, since the nature of water would suffice, but that you may be gladdened and rejoice: "For wine gladdens the heart of man." Having learned this, you will know even to what extent you ought to use wine. Whence the birds and wild beasts are nourished, you will hear him saying: "All things look to you, to give their food in due season." And if you say, why the cattle? He answers you, that these also are for you: "For he who causes the grass to spring up," he says, "for the cattle, and verdure for the service of men." What is the use of the moon? Hear him saying: "He made the moon for seasons." That all visible and invisible things are created, this also he clearly taught: "He," it says, "spoke, and they came to be; he commanded, and they were created." And that there will be a release from death, he teaches, saying: "My God will ransom my soul from the hand of Hades, when he takes me." Whence our body came, and whither it returns again, he says: "He remembered that we are dust, and it will return to its dust." Why all these things? For you: "For with glory and honor you crowned him, and you set him over the works of your hands." Do we have something in common with the angels, we humans? And this he says: "You made him a little less than angels." And concerning the love of God, he says: "As a father pities his sons, so the Lord pitied those who fear him.

Concerning those who will succeed us after these things, and that undisturbed repose: "Return, my soul, to your rest." Why is the heaven so great? It will say: "The heavens declare the glory of God." Why night and day? Not only that they may shine and give rest, but also that they may instruct. For they are not speeches, nor words, whose voices are not heard. How the sea lies around the earth, an abyss like a garment, its covering. For thus the Hebrew text has it. And taking a beginning from what has been said, you will know all the rest: the things concerning Christ, the things concerning resurrection, the things concerning the future life, the things concerning repose, the things concerning punishment, the things pertaining to moral discourse, all the things concerning doctrines, and you will find the book filled with countless good things. And if you fall into trials, you will receive much comfort from this source; and if into sin, you will find countless remedies lying here; if into poverty, if into affliction, you will see many havens. And if you are righteous, you will reap much benefit from there; and if a sinner, much consolation. For if you are righteous and suffer terrible things, you will hear: "Because of you we are put to death all the day long; we were counted as sheep for slaughter. All these things came upon us, and we did not forget you." If your achievements exalt you, it says to you: "Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no living person will be justified before you"; and immediately you will be humbled. If you are a sinner and have despaired of yourself, you will hear it constantly chanting: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation"; and it will quickly raise you up.

Even if you have a diadem upon your head, you will learn that "A king is not saved by great might, and a giant will not be saved by the abundance of his strength"; and you will be able to practice moderation. If you are rich and renowned, you will again hear: "Woe to those who trust in their power and boast in the abundance of their wealth!" and that "Man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he will bloom; and you will consider nothing great among the things on earth." For when the most brilliant of all—glory and dominion—is so cheap, what other thing on earth would be worthy of account? But have you fallen into despondency? Say: "Why are you so grieved, my soul, and why do you disturb me? Hope in God, for I will confess to him." But do you see those who are esteemed beyond their worth? Hear the one saying that "Like grass, they will quickly wither, and like garden herbs, they will quickly fall away." Do you see the righteous and the sinners being punished? See that the cause is not the same: "For many," it says, "are the scourges of the sinner"; but concerning the righteous it is not so, but "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, and from all of them the Lord will deliver them"; and again: "The death of sinners is evil," and "The death of his holy ones is honorable before the Lord." Say these things continually; from them discipline yourself. For each of these sayings is a vast sea of thoughts; we have merely run through them in a simple manner. But if you should wish to examine what has been said with precision, you will see great wealth both from them and from the other Scriptures similarly. 2. But since reading involves toil and much that is burdensome, let us for now dwell upon what has been said.

so that at the same time you may delight the soul by singing and steal away the toil. Let the mouth, then, sing, and let the mind be instructed; this itself is not a small thing. For when it does not allow you to envy, to grieve and be despondent unseasonably, nor to consider wealth, distress, poverty, or even life itself as anything, it frees you from all passions. Moreover, if we train the tongue to sing, the soul will be ashamed when it wishes the opposite while the tongue is singing. We need, therefore, the cithara of David, so that we may chant to the soul the divine incantations, both those from here and those from good deeds. If we do only one of these, and while hearing the song we war against the one who chants these things through our deeds, the remedy will become a judgment for us, and the madness of the devil will become more savage. For before hearing, the evil demon fears that we might, upon hearing, succeed; but when we remain the same after hearing, this fear is removed. Let us, then, sing the song that comes from deeds, so that we may cast out the more grievous sin of the demon and draw down the grace of the Spirit. For nothing, nothing so raises up the soul, gives it wings, frees it from the earth, releases it from the bonds of the body, makes it philosophize, and causes it to laugh at all worldly things, as the melody from the psalms and a song composed with rhythm.

For seeing that God beheld the majority of men to be rather indolent, and not gladly enduring the toil from that source, wishing to make the labor more desirable and to cut short the perception of the toil, He stirred the tongue of the blessed David to set in order these psalms, and to blend melody with prophecy, so that all, being charmed by the rhythm of the song, might with great eagerness send up holy hymns to Him. For our nature is so disposed and so pleased by songs and melodies, that even infants at the breast, when they are crying and fretful, are thus lulled to sleep. Indeed, nurses carrying them in their arms often go away, and singing some childish songs to them, thus close their eyelids in sleep. For this reason also travelers, often driving their beasts of burden at midday, do this by singing, consoling themselves for the hardship of the journey with those songs. And not only travelers, but also farmers treading the winepress, and gathering grapes, and tending vines, and doing some other work, often sing; and sailors plying the oars do this. And already women weaving at the loom and separating the tangled warp threads with the shuttle, often both each by herself, and often all together in harmony, sing some one melody. And women, farmers, and sailors do this, striving to console the toil from their labors with song; since the soul, if it hears a melody and a song, is able to bear all troublesome and laborious things more easily.

Since, then, our soul is naturally disposed toward this form of delight, in order that the demons, by introducing licentious songs, might not overturn everything, God built the psalms as a counterwork, so that the matter might be both pleasure and benefit. For from external songs come harm and ruin, and many terrible things would be introduced, the soul becoming more licentious and lawless through these songs, softer and weaker; but with spiritual songs, there is much gain, much benefit, much sanctification, and it would become a foundation for all philosophy, with the words purifying the soul and the Holy Spirit alighting upon the soul that sings such things. Let us therefore sing to the soul the psalms full of philosophy, so that little by little we may be led up to higher things. For when you have learned through the psalms, then you will know hymns, which are a more divine matter. For the psalms contain everything, but hymns again contain nothing human. For the higher powers hymn, they do not psalm; for, it says, a hymn is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner. Hence Paul also exhorts, saying: Singing in our hearts to the Lord, not merely with the mouth, but with attention. For this is to sing to God; that is to sing to the air, for the voice is simply dispersed. There is no need of place, no need of time, but in every place and at every time it is possible to psalm in thought. Whether you walk in the marketplace, whether you are on the roads, whether you sit with friends, it is possible to rouse the soul, it is possible to cry out in silence. Thus Moses cried out, and God heard.

Even if you are a manual laborer, sitting in your workshop and working, you will be able to chant. Even if you are a soldier, attending in a court of law, you will be able to do the same. For it is possible to chant even without a voice, with the mind resounding within. For we do not chant to a human being, but to God, who is able to hear the heart and to enter into the hidden recesses of our mind. But since spiritual men, those who possess the gifts of the Spirit, always pray for their neighbors and offer up supplications with compunction and groans to God, let us also do this, and let us daily intercede with God, both for ourselves and for our brethren. How then is it possible to intercede with God? By having a right life and a purified conscience. And these things cannot be accomplished from any other source than by meditating on the law of the Lord day and night. And let no one say to me, "Before the interpretation, I did not know the power of the psalms." For even before the interpretation, for anyone who wishes to pay attention at all, a single verse is sufficient to instill much philosophy, to correct doctrine, and to benefit life in the greatest degree. For when you say, "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord," and you are able to understand what it is that you are saying, you will emulate not the one who is in power, not the one who is wealthy, not the one who has splendid houses, not the one who moves in royal courts, not even the one who wears the diadem on his head, nor any other, but only the one who is in piety, the one in philosophy, the one who is in fear of God, not only because of future things, but also because of present things themselves.

For even here, this person is more powerful than that one. Let us therefore also practice how to approach God; let us learn how to make our entreaty. For God does not seek beauty of tongue, nor arrangement of words, but the season of the soul. And if that soul utters what is pleasing to him, it departs having accomplished everything. For if someone, when associating with a wonderful person, reaps many benefits from the intercourse, much more so does one who continually associates with God through earnest prayer. For even if someone is a sinner, if he prays with humility—which is a part of virtue—he will be able to accomplish great things. Just as also the tax collector (for he accomplished everything from a mere word), because his mind was well prepared. And how was it prepared? He lamented himself, beat his breast, and could not bear to look up to the sky. If you also pray in this way, you will make your soul lighter than a feather. Let your prayer, therefore, be gentle, calm, having a gracious and tender countenance with meekness, and not directed against enemies. This prayer is worthy of the heavens, this tongue is worthy of the angels. For in this way also

we shall be heard on our own behalf, when we offer supplication to God for those who wrong and abuse us. If we thus order our soul, we too shall be able to say with boldness to God: Have mercy on me, and hearken to my prayer; and he will readily assent, and will grant us the kingdom of the heavens. May it be that we all attain this, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.