Homily 31, on Psalm 104
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).
Confess to the Lord and call upon his name. Confess and say: because we are sinners, but you are merciful, and you have mercy on us. And call upon his name. So that we may not fashion idols in our hearts, but we will call upon our Lord, and he himself will be our redemption. Proclaim his works among the nations. Let the Jews blush, who say that only within Israel were his wonders and his works accomplished.
Sing to him and make music to him. He who understands the holy Scriptures, and meditates continually on the law of the Lord, and whose mind contemplates heavenly things, this man sings to God. But he who has within himself all the virtues — that is, is a worker of good work — this man, composing as it were a lyre out of the virtues, makes music to the Lord. Tell of all his wonders. In the one hundred and sixth psalm he says: 'Those who go down to the sea in ships, doing their work in many waters: they themselves have seen the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.' If we cross over in this bodily ship of ours unharmed, and nowhere does the storm overwhelm us, nor do we strike against a rock and shatter our ship, we are able to tell of the wonders of God. And truly it is a great miracle to pass through this world without stain.
Be praised in his holy name. This is a prophecy concerning the people of the gentiles: that is, that we should be and be called Christians from the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Let the monks be glad, for the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. If of those who seek, how much more of those who find him? For those who find him are unshaken.
Seek the Lord and be strengthened. Before we sought the Lord, we were weak; but now, seeking him, we are firm and strong. But if we also find him, how much more perfect shall we be? Seek his face always. To the Hebrews indeed it was written, that three times in the year they should appear before the Lord. And what righteousness was this? And what great thing did anyone do, to appear three times in the year in the sight of God? There he was speaking to little children; but here the prophet tells those who believe in God to seek him always, just as it is also written in the gospel, that we should pray without ceasing.
Remember his wonders which he did. In Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the desert.
The seed of Abraham, his servants: the sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. If someone is seed, he is not yet also a son, according to what is written in the gospel: 'If you were the sons of Abraham, you would do the works of your father.' Therefore, that in which they glory, they are not; and if they are seed, they are servants set under fear, not having the perfect love which casts out fear. We are the sons of Jacob, of him who supplanted his brother, and took away his birthright. 'But many are called, and few are chosen.'
And they passed from nation to nation. Many think that he speaks of the captivity of the Jews. It is not so. For he speaks of Abraham. He went out from the land of the Chaldeans, and came into Mesopotamia, and from Mesopotamia into the land of promise, and again into Egypt. And from a kingdom to another people. We pass through many kingdoms, in order to reach the land of promise.
He did not permit man to harm them. Pharaoh, that he should harm Abraham in the person of Sarah, nor Abimelech Isaac in the person of Rebecca. And he rebuked kings for their sake. He says the same thing, Pharaoh and Abimelech.
Touch not my anointed ones, and do no malice among my prophets. He speaks of the patriarchs themselves. Let the Jews therefore blush, who say that unless someone is anointed with royal ointment, he cannot be called anointed (christ). For they say this, that our Lord is not the Christ, because he is not anointed with royal ointment. Behold, before the law the patriarchs, not anointed with royal ointment, are called anointed ones (christs). But they are anointed ones (christs) who are anointed with the Holy Spirit. Therefore our Lord too is rightly called Christ. Which they deny, going against the Scriptures.
And he called famine upon the land. Very often it happens that those things which are thought to be adverse, these are brought about by the providence of God for our benefit. For unless the brothers of Joseph had been jealous of him, and had sold him, how would he have gone down into Egypt? If the famine had not come about, how would the patriarchs have gone down into Egypt, and been recognized by their brother? How would Pharaoh have been struck with ten plagues? How would they have gone out of Egypt? How would waters have come out of the rock in the wilderness? How would the mysteries which were done in the desert as a figure have come to be? For we understand them spiritually. If Judas had not betrayed the Lord, how would we have been saved? If the Jews had not crucified him, and had not been unbelieving, how would we have believed? Joseph therefore went into Egypt, to prepare lodging and food for his brothers.
He sent a man before them. He speaks of Joseph himself. Joseph was sold as a slave. A well-born and holy man is sold.
They humbled his feet in fetters. Because he refused to consent to the Egyptian mistress. They humbled his feet in fetters: but they could not humble his righteousness. For when he was sixteen years old, he was loved passionately by the mistress, and though set in such an age, which is more given over to pleasure, he refused to consent to iniquity, but rather feared the peril of his soul. The iron passed through his soul. By the iron he means sin itself, which slays the soul. In another sense: because he was in peril, accused by the mistress of such a crime. For the mistress burned for him, as it is written: 'All the adulterers, their hearts are like an oven.' Until his word should come. He speaks of the word of the Lord himself, who set him free.
The utterance of the Lord inflamed him. For unless he had been inflamed by the Holy Spirit, he could not have conquered lust. For the Spirit of the Lord inflamed him, and extinguished the fire of lust. The king sent, and loosed him. According to the letter, Pharaoh sent, and loosed him. In another sense: if anyone is tempted by lust, unless the Lord appears and looses him, he cannot escape sin.
And Jacob was a sojourner in the land of Ham. For the just man never dwells in the land, but is a sojourner of the earth.
And he increased his people exceedingly. For they went down into Egypt in seventy-five souls, and six hundred thousand went out of Egypt.