Homily 7, on Psalm 67
Latin source: Germanus Morin (ed.), Sancti Hieronymi Presbyteri Tractatus sive Homiliae in Psalmos , Anecdota Maredsolana III (Maredsoli, 1897) — public domain. Psalm numbering follows the Septuagint/Vulgate (Morin).
Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered. This psalm is understood both in a special sense and in a general sense. In the special sense, of the Lord himself, that he should rise from the dead and scatter his enemies — that is, the devil and his army, or the Jews. But in the general sense, whenever we are in tribulation and distress, and we say, "Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord? and help us"; just as the apostles too, in the little boat, wake the Lord who was sleeping, saying: "Master, save us, we perish." And let those who hate him flee from before his face. He did not say, let them perish, but, let them flee: because sinners cannot stand in the sight of God. As smoke fails, let them fail: not that they should be reduced to nothing, but that they should rest from their sins. As wax flows away before the face of fire. Just as wax is melted, and does not lose its nature, but grows soft: so let these too not perish, but lay aside their hardness, and thus turn to repentance, and be saved. So let sinners perish from before the face of God: because sinners are not worthy to see God. And let the just feast. Those who remain in their righteousness, who have no vices, let them be delighted in the Lord. Let them exult in the sight of God, and let them be delighted with gladness. It is great confidence, to exult in the sight of the Lord. Just as a steward who has badly handled and lost the substance entrusted to him by his master fears his master's presence; so also he who has managed it well exults in his master's presence. Sing to God, sing a psalm to his name. "Sing" — in Scripture this always signifies contemplation (theoria): that is, consider the mysteries and the meaning of divine Scripture. But "to make melody" (psallere) Scripture signifies as a good work: for example, that the hearing should furnish its own work, and likewise the mouth, and the eyes, and the hands, and all the members should as it were agree, and thus strike the psaltery in the virtues. Make a way for him who ascends above the sunset: the Lord is his name. If the sun of iniquity does not set for us, the sun of righteousness cannot rise for us, whose healing is in his wings.
God is in his holy place. God always dwells in his holy ones: wherever holiness is, there is the dwelling-place of God. God makes those of one manner to dwell in a house: those who are of one manner, and are not changed. Since indeed the just man is not changed, because once for all he has resolved to remain in righteousness. But the sinner is changed: "for the fool shall be changed like the moon." In the Hebrew, however, it has "The Lord makes monks to dwell in a house": that is, in those in whom sin does not dwell alongside. Who leads out the bound ones in strength. God himself by his own power leads out those who are bound by the devil in sins: like that woman in the Gospel, who had been bound eighteen years by the devil. Likewise those who provoke him, who dwell in the tombs. God is by nature sweet: but those who lead him to bitterness are sinners, and they make God bitter for themselves. He does not change his own nature, but the sinners themselves make God bitter for themselves. Who dwell in the tombs. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, for you are like whitewashed tombs." Just as the holy man is a temple of God, so the sinner makes himself a tomb.
O God, when you went out in the sight of your people. This is according to the history, when God went before his people as they went out of Egypt. When you passed through in the desert. God does not linger in the desert, but passes through. The earth was moved, for the heavens dripped down from before the face of the God of Sinai. The heavens dripped down: that is, the manna. Sinai is interpreted as "temptation." Therefore God dwells in those who are tempted and overcome; but in those who are among delights, he does not dwell. You will set apart a voluntary rain, O God, for your inheritance. He speaks of the law, which was given through Moses. And it was weakened, but you have perfected it. The law was weakened, because no one was able to fulfill it except the Lord, who said: "I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it." And according to the apostle: "For what was impossible for the law, in that it was weakened, God sent his own Son," and the rest. Your animals dwell in it; that is, in the inheritance. But by "animals" he meant those who live in God, that is, the holy ones. You have prepared in your sweetness for the poor man, O God. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." You have prepared the rain, that is, the law. The Lord will give the word to those who preach the gospel with great power. In the Hebrew it has "the women who preach the gospel"; that is, to those women who were made evangelists to the apostles, where he says "Go, tell my brothers," and the rest. Or else it signifies the souls which have believed in Christ. But according to the Seventy translators he speaks to the apostles, because the Lord gave them the power to preach the gospel.
The king of the powers of the beloved. "King," the Father; "of the powers," that is, of the holy ones; "of the beloved," of the Son. "Behold my beloved Son, hear him." "Of the beloved." If anyone loves someone, he always has him on his lips: therefore the Holy Spirit, because of the love which he has for the Son, frequently makes mention of him. And to the beauty of the house to divide the spoils. The apostles themselves divide in the churches the spoils, which they have taken from the idols.
If you sleep among the midst of the lots (cleri): that is, if you rest between the New and the Old Testament. The individual books too are called "lots" (cleri): that is, Genesis, Exodus, Judges, the Gospels, the Apostle. The wings of the dove covered with silver. You will find in the two Testaments the grace of the Holy Spirit. "Covered with silver": it signifies the clear word of divine Scripture. And the hinder parts of its back in the paleness of gold: that is, in the inner things the mysteries are understood spiritually.
While the heavenly one distinguishes kings over her. By "kings" he meant the holy ones, who reign over their own passions. These holy ones, then, are divided among the churches: for example, Paul among the Gentiles, Peter among the circumcision. They shall be made white as snow in Selmon. This is what he says: although they are holy, yet nevertheless in this world they are as it were a shadow, knowing in part. For Selmon is interpreted "shadow."
The mountain of God, a rich mountain. This is the mountain which in Ezekiel wounds the prince of Tyre. And by "mountain" they mean the Lord himself. Why do you suppose the curdled mountains? This he says to the Jews, who think that Moses and the prophets are like the Savior. The mountain in which it is well pleasing to God to dwell. It signifies the fleshly presence of the Savior, that the deity dwelt in a body: for in no other did the Holy Spirit dwell continuously, except in the Savior, John saying, "He upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, this is he." For indeed the Lord shall dwell unto the end: in the body which he took from holy Mary.
The chariot of God is ten thousandfold manifold. Hyperbolically he speaks of the ministering powers and spirits, that they are innumerable, as he said in Daniel: "Thousands of thousands ministered." And in Ezekiel he describes the cherubim as having four wings in four corners, four faces, whose charioteer is God. And "cherubim" is interpreted "multitude of knowledge." And it signifies the face of the lion, the kingly, that is, to reign over the passions; the face of the man, the rational; the face of the calf, in work; the face of the eagle, in contemplation, that is, in theoria, which exalts us in the virtues. But that we may say all at once: the throne of God is in the holy ones. The Lord is among them in Sina, in the holy place: that is, God is in the holy ones when they are tempted, and after the temptation holiness follows. For it is impossible for anyone, however holy he may be, to pass through this world without temptation, according to Job: "The life of man upon the earth is a temptation."
You have ascended on high, you have taken captivity captive. You have ascended into the heavens: you have taken us captive, we who were held captive by the devil. You have received gifts among men. He said it well, "you have received." From the Father he received: he receives as man, he gives as God; and what he received, he received for men, that he might give. For he himself is full, and lacks nothing. For indeed those who do not believe that the Lord dwells. And these too you have saved, who did not believe that it is possible for God to dwell in a man, that is, for the Savior to take flesh. The Lord God blessed. These who before did not believe that it is possible for God to dwell in a man, they themselves, believing, say: The Lord God be blessed.
Blessed be the Lord day by day. He who makes progress can bless God daily. For what does it profit me, if I blessed yesterday, and today I cannot bless? The God of our salvations will make our journey prosperous. Be secure, O sinner, do not doubt that you can daily bless God: for behold, he says, God will make our journey prosperous. Therefore God helps us, and works together with us. Of our salvations. He said it well in the plural, "of salvations": because however many sins we have committed, so many salvations also do we have. Diapsalma. In the Hebrew it has "sela," that is, "always and continually": therefore God always helps us.
Our God is the God of saving, and the outcomes of death belong to the Lord: because he himself rose from the dead, and made us rise together with him. Otherwise, the devil is the entrance of death: but the Lord leads out. But nevertheless God will shatter the heads of his enemies: of the devil, and all his powers. "You have shattered the heads of the dragon in the water." As many as the sins are, so many heads does the devil have. The crown of the hair of those who walk in their own trespasses. For his head is so shattered, that there does not remain in him any power by which he may goad those who sin. The topmost of the head is the hair, and the crown of the hair: therefore he says this, that there should not remain in the devil even the least thing that is not shattered.
The Lord has said, From Basan I will turn back: that is, from the confusion of this world I will turn back the human race; that is, through my passion and cross, which these people think foolishness and confusion, I will turn back my people. Since indeed Basan is interpreted "confusion." I will turn back in the depths of the sea: that is, from the deep vices and sins of this world, from the commotion and the waves I will turn back my people. That your foot may be dipped in blood. Because his own foot was dipped in his own blood. "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the nations there was no man with me." And again: "Who is this who ascends from Edom? his garments red from Bosor." Edom is interpreted "blood," Bosor "flesh": it signifies our Lord himself crucified. The tongue of your dogs from the enemies, from him. By "dogs" he means the Jews themselves, who cried out: "Crucify, crucify such a one: we have no king but Caesar." And "from the enemies": prompted by the demons to deny the Savior, and to blaspheme him. Otherwise: because you yourself came of your own will and suffered, and of your own will you were crucified by the Jews.
They have seen your entrances, O God: because in the sight of five hundred men and all the apostles and the cherubim and all the angels you ascended into the heavens. The entrances of my God, of my king who is in the holy place. Because you who are the God of all and the Lord of those who rule and the King of kings, in a special way you are my God, just as also the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and the God of the Hebrews.
The princes went before, joined with those making melody. The apostles themselves went before, and those who through them believed followed: or certainly the churches. But he says "of the timbrel-players" because their body is dead to sin. And Miriam the sister of Moses and Aaron, holding a timbrel in Exodus, went before those making melody, and said: "Let us sing to the Lord, for gloriously has he been honored."
In the churches bless God. O you who glory in abstinence, do this in the churches, and do not defend heresy for your own selves. These things can be said to Tatian, who is the chief of the Encratites. The Lord from the fountains of Israel. The Manichaean cannot bless the Lord, because he does not bless from the fountains of Israel: that is, because he does not receive the Old Testament. From the fountains of Israel, not of Jacob: since indeed Jacob is interpreted "supplanter," and is still in the wrestling; but Israel is perfect, seeing God with the mind.
There is Benjamin the young lad in ecstasy of mind. He means holy Paul: "there," in the church: "the young lad," the last of all the apostles, of the tribe of Benjamin.
The princes of Judah their leaders. The apostles are the princes of Judah, that is, of the Lord, just as Jacob says: "Judah, may your brothers praise you." The princes of Zabulon, the princes of Nephthalim. Zabulon is interpreted "flowing of the night," Nephthalim "breadth": when we have been freed from the passion of lust, that is, from that flowing, then we begin the broad spaces of the virtues.
Confirm this, O God, which you have worked in us. This salvation, which you have granted us through your passion, confirm, and give aid; because we are men, and we cannot advance in the virtues, if we have not obtained your help. To you the kings shall bring gifts. He says "kings," those who reign over their own selves, according to what is written: "The heart of the king is in the hand of God." These shall bring gifts to God. The virtues of the holy ones are gifts to God.
Rebuke the wild beasts of the reed, that is, the heretics, who compose and write against you, so as to deceive us. "For there must also be heresies among us." For they are called "wild beasts" from the fact that they seize souls and kill them. But it can be understood also of the devil and his angels. The assembly of bulls among the cows of the peoples. It signifies the heretics themselves, because they can deceive no one, except the simpler ones and the little ones, that is, the lesser cows: for they cannot deceive the bulls, that is, the great ones. That they may shut out those who have been proved with silver. And for this reason they deceive the simpler ones, that is, the multitude, so as to come even to the holy ones, and shut them out from the kingdom of heaven.
Scatter the nations that desire wars: that is, scatter the heretics, who attack the church. Legates shall come out of Egypt. Egypt is interpreted "darkness": out of the darkness of this world. Ethiopia shall stretch out her hand before to God. Because we who were black with sins and passions went before the Israelite people, and believe in the Savior: just as she who had a flow of blood went before the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, and is healed.
Who ascends above the heaven of heaven to the east. Because above he said, Who ascends above the sunset; here he says, to the east. For when the passions and the sun of iniquity set for us, the sun of righteousness rises for us: that is, the Lord ascends over us, and dwells in us. Behold, he will give to his voice a voice of power. "Lazarus, come forth." Behold, he will give to his voice a voice of power; his magnificence is over Israel. The magnificence of God is in Israel, who sees God. And his power is in the clouds, that is, in the prophets and apostles. "I have commanded my clouds, that they rain no rain upon Israel." God is wonderful in his holy ones. In this God is wonderful, because he so loved the human race that he works signs through his holy ones. In these God is more wonderful than in the rest of the creatures.