Homily 48, on Psalm 136
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).
Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus, cum recordaremur Sion — "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion." If someone is not sick, he does not know how much health is worth. And again, a lame man does not know how much he is worth who is sound of foot. Likewise the blind man does not know the one who sees. All this has been said because the psalm says: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion." Babylon is interpreted as "confusion": therefore Babylon is this world. So the sinner who fell from paradise, and came into the valley of tears — that is, into Babylon, into this world — says (or rather the prophet, in the person of the one who fell, says): "By the rivers of Babylon." Now, the rivers of Babylon. When you see someone who is beautiful for a moment, and being sick he loses his beauty, and his flower withers — this passes like a river, and the waters that follow one another, coming and receding, perish, and again others rise up, and these too perish: so also in this world, because for a moment or for some short time we are either enriched, or we are strong, or we are beautiful, and after a little while it passes like water, and perishes. There, then, we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion. Granted that it was indeed by our own fault that we fell from paradise, nevertheless we call to mind our former happiness, and we do not forget it. And that man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho — which is interpreted "moon," that is, that which is always changing (and this is understood to mean this world) — fell among robbers, and the Samaritan takes him up, and heals him with oil and wine, mingling severity with mercy.
In salicibus in medio eius suspendimus organa nostra — "On the willows in the midst of it we hung up our instruments." The willow has such a nature: it is indeed a barren tree, and it is said that if anyone takes a drink from it or eats of it, he does not beget children. There, then, we hung up our instruments. Now the instrument is the body of man. For just as an instrument is put together out of many pipes, yet sends forth one melody by its tuning, so too we have our instrument, the sense of touch: through it, that is, through works, we render back to God melody and song and hymn. Likewise through hearing, and through smell, and through taste, and through sight, and through all these faculties, as though from one instrument, we render back hymn and song to the Lord. It is said, again, that the willow has no root; but if a branch is cut off, and is planted beside the water, it at once grows green. So too the sinner, although he has sinned, although he has fallen: nevertheless, if he is beside the waters — that is, if he reads the holy Scriptures, and hears the divine word from a holy man — his soul grows green, and is turned to repentance.
Quia illic interrogaverunt nos qui captivos duxerunt nos verba canticorum — "For there they that led us away captive asked of us the words of songs." The demons, who deceived us and led us away captive, now, as though mocking us and boasting, say to us: "Give us back a word about your faith, and just as when you were in Jerusalem, sing a hymn to God."
Quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena? — "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" They answer, those who have sinned and been deceived, and they say: "How shall we sing you the Lord's song in a strange land, set as we are in our sins, we who have fallen from Jerusalem into Babylon?" Therefore no one can praise the Lord unless he is holy. For the sinner ought not to sing to the Lord, but to mourn his sins.
Si oblitus fuero tui Hierusalem, oblivioni detur dextera mea — "If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand be given over to forgetfulness." Therefore, because he has sinned and fallen, he calls to mind his former way of life and Jerusalem, and he sets before himself this resolve: that unless I shall always be mindful of you, and always hold you in mind, let my right hand be given over to forgetfulness — that is, my works. He did not say the left hand, but the right: for the left hand is always in forgetfulness. Do you wish, then, always to be in remembrance of the Lord? Do works of the right hand.
Adhaereat lingua mea faucibus meis, si non meminero tui — "Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember you." That is, let me have neither works nor speech, if the memory of you is not continually turned over in my heart.
Memor esto Domine filiorum Edom, in diem Hierusalem — "Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem." Edom is interpreted as "earthly" and "bloody." Who then is this, if not the devil? See, then, what he says. This is spoken in the person of Adam: "Lord, remember how the serpent, the devil — who is understood to be Nebuchadnezzar — deceived me and dragged me off, and cast me out of paradise. Remember and repay him, and let him feel the punishment which he by his own malice brought upon me, dragging me and leading me into Babylon and to the Assyrians."
Filia Babylonis misera — "Wretched daughter of Babylon." The daughter of Babylon is the soul which is always in motion and in confusion, and has no stability, but is in vices and in sins — which is truly wretched. "Blessed is he who shall repay you your recompense which you have repaid to us." Blessed is he who shall repay her what she herself has done. For example: she cast me out of paradise; I, through abstinence, bring her back there. She deceived me into fornication; I, through chastity, bring her back into Jerusalem, and out of vices into virtue. Therefore I do this not as an enemy, but as a friend.
Beatus qui tenebit, et allidet parvulos tuos ad petram — "Blessed is he who shall take hold of and dash your little ones against the rock." The "little ones" are said to be thoughts. For example: I have seen a woman, I have desired her: at once, if I do not cut off that desire, and, as it were, take it by the foot and dash it against the rock while the desire is small, it cannot afterwards be cut off when it has grown. Blessed, then, is he who cuts it off at once, and dashes it against the rock. And the Rock is Christ.