The voice of the Lord is John the Baptist upon the waters
Basil has just explained that the voice of the Lord is an impression made directly on the mind, not a physical striking of air, and now he applies this to Psalm 28's 'voice of the Lord upon the waters,' identifying it with John the Baptist at the Jordan.
For in that case too, the perception of what was said did not enter through the hearing after the air outside was struck. Rather, the mind itself received the thoughts, and they naturally remain in the memory of those who have seen them. So a voice came to Abraham, because he had ears able to hear the commands of God, as the divine will sounded to him invisibly. But to the people the voice became visible—that is, recognizable and intelligible to all. It was not, of course, colored by some pigment or given an outline so that the spoken voice could be perceived by the eyes. Rather, the people saw the voice because the command of the Lord is far-shining and gives light to the eyes, with no obscurity surrounding what was spoken. And to Isaiah a voice came commanding, “Cry out” (Isaiah 40:6)—that is, the prophet’s mind was stamped by the power that came to him from God.
“The voice of the Lord is upon the waters” (Psalm 28:3 LXX). What voice? Upon what waters? Let us take the saying as prophecy. Remember John, who, when asked by the Jews, “Who are you? What answer shall we give to those who sent us?” replied, “I am the voice of the Lord crying in the desert” (John 1:22-23). So John is the voice of the Lord, an angel sent from God before the face of the Lord, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people. This voice, then, was upon the waters—upon the Jordan, in which he baptized, preaching the baptism of repentance. And not only in the Jordan, but also in Aenon near Salim, because there were many waters there. So “the voice of the Lord upon the waters” is John at the baptism.
There also the God of glory thundered. For a voice came from heaven saying, “This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Then also the Lord was upon many waters, when he deemed it worthy to come down to John’s baptism, in order to fulfill all righteousness that is in the law (Matthew 3:15).
“The voice of the Lord in strength” (Psalm 28:4 LXX). For it takes away the weaknesses of the people through the baptism of repentance, since through it he baptizes in water for repentance. “In strength” means the voice that says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near” (Matthew 3:2), and “Produce fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). Or perhaps the voice is “in strength” because John bears witness to the one who truly is the strong Lord, saying, “I baptize in water; but the one coming after me is stronger than I.” So this voice bore witness to his strength.
“The voice of the Lord in majesty” (Psalm 28:4 LXX). John speaks the great mysteries about Jesus, saying, “I saw the Holy Spirit as a dove coming down and remaining upon him” (John 1:32), and again, “From his fullness we all received, and grace in place of grace” (John 1:16). For these waters are high and display the greatness of the glory surrounding the Only-Begotten. Therefore, “the voice of the Lord in majesty.” And it is also majestic to say, “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known” (John 1:18). And he clearly speaks many things majestically about the Lord when he says, “A man cannot receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven” (John 3:27).
Greek
Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ, οὐχὶ τοῦ ἔξωθεν ἀέρος πληγέντος, εἰσέπεσε διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς τῶν λεγομένων ἡ αἴσθησις, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἡγεμονι κοῦ παραδεξαμένου τὰ νοήματα, τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν θεασαμένων πέφυκε παραμένειν. Ἐγένετο οὖν πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ φωνὴ, διότι εἶχεν ὦτα ἀκούειν δυνά μενα τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸ ἀφανὲς ἐν ηχοῦντος αὐτῷ τοῦ θείου βουλήματος. Πρὸς δὲ τὸν λαὸν ἡ φωνὴ γινομένη ὁρατὴ ἦν· τουτέστιν εὔγνωστος, συνετὴ πᾶσιν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ὑπὸ χρώματός τινος ἐχρώννυτο καὶ περιεγράφετο, ὥστε αἰσθητὴ ὀφθαλ μοῖς γενέσθαι ἡ λαλουμένη φωνὴ, ἀλλ' ἑώρα ὁ λαὸς τὴν φωνήν· διότι ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Κυρίου τηλαυγὴς φωτίζουσα ὀφθαλμοὺς, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀσαφείας περικειμένης τοῖς λαλουμένοις. Καὶ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ δὲ φωνὴ ἐγίνετο προστάσσουσα· Βόησον· ἀντὶ τοῦ, τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν τοῦ προφήτου ἀπὸ τῆς ἐγγινομένης αὐτῷ παρὰ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως ἐτυποῦτο. Φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων. Ποία φωνή; ἐπὶ ποίων ὑδάτων; Ὡς προφητείαν λάβωμεν τὸ ῥητόν. Μνήσθητι τοῦ Ἰωάννου, ὃς, ἐρωτηθεὶς παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, Τίς εἶ σύ; τίνα ἀπόκρισιν δῶμεν τοῖς ἀποστείλασιν ἡμᾶς; ἀπεκρίνατο· Ἐγὼ φωνὴ Κυρίου βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Οὐκοῦν φωνὴ Κυρίου ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἄγγελος ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἀπεσταλμένος πρὸ προσώπου Κυρίου, τοῦ ἑτοιμάσαι Κυρίῳ λαὸν κατεσκευασμένον. Αὕτη οὖν ἡ φωνὴ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων ἦν, ἐπὶ τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ, ἐν ᾧ ἐβάπτισε κηρύσσων τὸ τῆς μετανοίας βάπτισμα· καὶ οὐκ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἐνὼν ἐγγὺς τοῦ Σαλὴμ, ὅτι ὕδατα πολλὰ ἦν ἐκεῖ. Οὐκοῦν φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων, ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος. Ἐκεῖ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς δόξης ἐβρόντησεν. Ἦλθε γὰρ φωνὴ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ λέγουσα· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα. Τότε καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων πολλῶν, καταξιώσας καταβῆναι ἐπὶ τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτισμα, ἵνα πληρώσῃ πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ. Φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐν ἰσχύϊ. Ἀφαιρεῖ γὰρ τὰς ἀσθε νείας τοῦ λαοῦ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος τῆς μετανοίας, δι' αὐτοῦ βαπτίζων ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν. Τὸ, Ἐν ἰσχύϊ, ἡ φωνὴ ἡ λέγουσα· Μετανοεῖτε, ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ, Ποιήσατε καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας. Ἢ μήποτε ἐν ἰσχύϊ ἡ φωνὴ, διότι μαρτυρεῖ τῷ ὄντι τῷ ἰσχυρῷ Κυρίῳ ὁ Ἰωάννης, λέγων· Ἐγὼ βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι· ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἰσχυρότερός μού ἐστιν. Ἡ φωνὴ οὖν αὕτη ἐμαρτύρει τῇ ἰσχύϊ. Φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐν μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ· τὰ μεγάλα περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ διαλεγομένου μυστήρια τοῦ Ἰωάννου, λέγοντος· Εἶδον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὡς περιστερὰν καταβαῖνον καὶ μέ νον ἐπ' αὐτόν· καὶ πάλιν· Ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώμα τος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος. Ὑψηλὰ γὰρ τὰ ὕδατα καὶ τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς δόξης τῆς περὶ τὸν Μονογενῆ παραστατικά. Διὸ Φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐν μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ. Μεγαλοπρεπὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ λέγειν· Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς, ὁ ὢν ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο. Καὶ πολλὰ μεγαλοπρεπῶς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου φαίνεται διηγούμενος, ἐν τῷ λέγειν· Οὐ δύναται ἄνθρωπος λαμβάνειν οὐδὲν, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.