Fragments on the Psalms · §115 · Didymus the Blind

Spiritual Sacrifices and the Soul's Trials

ruling the age and unto the age and still; for thus ruling the age without limit, he masters it with the dominion of his connate kingdom.

To burn and to move the soul hotly, it is called fire; but by another thought, it is called water because of its drowning and suffocating those who do not bear these things bravely. This, having been passed through by the cooperation of God, comes forth for the refreshment of life, hoping for rewards upon them. And since the beginnings and the progress belong to our practical efforts, while the ends belong to the gift of God—giving to themselves the passing through fire and water, while writing the cause of the end to God—what are the circumstances of fire and water? It is shown by the prophet Isaiah saying from the face of God: 'Fear not, for I am with you; and if you pass through fire, flame shall not burn you; and if you pass through water, rivers shall not overwhelm you' (Isa 43:2). 'I will enter into your house with burnt offerings, and I will pay my vows' (Psalm 66:13-14; LXX 65:13-14). Before the arrival of the Savior, the sacrifices according to the law were offered; but entering into the house of God (which is the church) spiritually, one performs perfect and complete virtues through burnt offerings, giving to this burnt offering compatible virtues and paying the vows his lips sent.

The previously interpreted spiritual burnt offerings are found to be flourishing and marrow-filled, which are offered up not for the sake of another but for God. These things, indeed, are offered up in the manner that is necessary, with supplications; and this is signified by the very name of incense. 'Let my prayer be directed as incense before you' (Ps 141:2). And the offering is not made by incense alone, but also by rams. The rams are movements and impulses, having their origin from the irascible part of the soul. Along with the marrow-filled burnt offerings, of the incense and of the rams, he promises to offer up oxen with goats, with the one offering his own body as a living sacrifice to God perhaps ministering as an ox; for the animal is a tiller of the earth, whence it has an analogy to the body, which has its formation from earth. And the goats are the works and words of repentance; for the goat is offered concerning sin. 'Without a tongue, and without its offering, I exalted him according to what is kept silent in the mind' (Psalm 66:17; LXX 65:17). And it is possible to take the verse with such an understanding: 'If I regarded iniquity in my heart, let the Lord not hear' (Psalm 66:18; LXX 65:18). [...]

Greek

βασιλεύων τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ἐπ' αἰῶνα καὶ ε τι· ου τω γὰρ βασιλεύων τὸν αἰῶνα ἐπ' α πειρον δεσπόζει αὐτοῦ τῇ δυναστείᾳ τῆς συμφυοῦς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. 666a Ps 65,7b.ξ Εἰ δὲ καὶ πᾶσαν τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν δύναμιν παραπικραίνοντας ει ποις, οὐκ α ν ἁμάρτοις· ἠπείλουν γὰρ τοῖς ἀφισταμένοις ε θνεσιν. θάρσος τοίνυν καὶ εὐθυμίαν ἐμποιῶν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν, φόβον δὲ τοῖς ἀπειλοῦσιν αὐτοῖς, Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ ε θνη, φησίν, ἐπιβλέπουσιν, φρουροῦντες αὐτοὺς ἀβλαβεῖς· ο θεν Οἱ παραπικραινόμενοι μὴ ὑψούσθωσαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὡς δυνάμενοι ἀπολέσαι τοὺς τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ προσερχομένους. 667a Ps 65,9 Τίθεται εἰς ζωὴν ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ τέλος κομιζομένου τῆς πίστεως σωτηρίαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν πιστῇ προθέσει ̔Η ψυχή μου αὐτῷ ζῇ (δῆλον δὲ ο τι τῷ θεῷ). ζῇ δὲ ψυχὴ ἀρετὴν καὶ σοφίαν ε χουσα, ὡς ψυχὴ ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα ἀποθανεῖται, ὡς εἰπεῖν τῷ θεῷ ̓Εν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ζῆσόν με. Οὐ δίδονται εἰς σάλον οἱ πόδες τοῦ ε σω ἀνθρώπου, ο ταν τις ἱδρυνθῇ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀρραγῆ 125 καὶ ἰσχυρότατον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον, ὡς χαριστηρίως εἰπεῖν Εστησας ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας μου. 668a Ps 65,10 Πυροῦταί τις ὡς τὸ ἀργύριον φλεγούσαις περιστάσεσιν ὑποπίπτων· α ς γενναίως τις ἐνέγκων δόκιμος ἀναδείκνυται, οὐδὲν ε χων ψεκτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. εἰς τοῦτο λήψῃ Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ο ς ὑπομένει πειρασμόν, ο τι δόκιμος γενόμενος λήψεται τὸν στεφανὸν τῆς ζωῆς. 669a Ps 65,11b.12 ∆ιὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ̓Επεβίβασας ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ου ν θαρροῦμεν δι' ὑπομονῆς μετεωρίσαι αὐτάς, κατασπωμένων ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἐπικειμένων πολεμίων ἀνθρώπων. σημαίνει ἐνταῦθα τὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς ο νομα ὡς καὶ ἐν ἑτέραις γραφαῖς τὸ ἡγεμονικόν, ὡς ἐν τῷ Εὐλογίᾳ κυρίου ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν δικαίου, καὶ Τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ. Τῶν δ' ἐχθρῶν θλίβειν με θελόντων, ὀπίσω μου αὐτοὺς ε ρριψας, παρασκευάσας με συντόνως τρέχειν. διὸ καὶ σπεύδοντες καταλαμβάνειν με ὀπίσω μένουσιν ἀεί, ὀξέως μου τρέχοντος συνεργείᾳ σῇ· ο θεν ἐπὶ τοῦ νώτου ε χω τὰς θλίψεις, οὐδ' ο λως ἰδεῖν αὐτὰς βουλόμενος· οὐ γὰρ στρέφομαι πρὸς αὐτάς, πόνου η ὀλιγωρίας ἑλκυσάντων. ∆ιήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ υ δατος. ι να ει πῃ τὰ περιστατικὰ ἱκανὰ ο ντα πυρῶσαι καὶ θερμῶς κινῆσαι ψυχήν, ῥηθείη πῦρ, καθ' ἑτέραν δὲ ἐπίνοιαν καὶ υ δωρ λεγόμενα διὰ τὸ βυθίζειν καὶ ἀποπνίγειν τοὺς μὴ γενναίως αὐτὰ φέροντες. ὁ ταῦτα διεληλυθὼς συνεργείᾳ θεοῦ ἐξέρχεται εἰς ἀναψυχήν, ἐλπίζων τὰς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἀμοιβάς. Καὶ ἐπεὶ αἱ ἀρχαὶ καὶ αἱ προκοπαὶ τοῖς πρακτικοῖς ἡμετέραι, τὰ δὲ τέλη τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δωρεᾶς, τὸ μὲν διελθεῖν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ υ δατος ἑαυτοῖς δόντες, τοῦ δὲ τέλους τὴν αἰτίαν τῷ θεῷ ἐπιγράφουσιν. ο τι δὲ πῦρ καὶ υ δωρ τὰ περιστατικά, παρίσταται ἐκ τοῦ προφήτου ̔Ησαΐου λέγοντος ἐκ προσώπου θεοῦ Μὴ φοβοῦ, μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι· καὶ ἐὰν διέλθῃς διὰ πυρός, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε· καὶ ἐὰν διέλθῃς δι' υ δατος, ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλείσουσί σε. 670a Ps 65,13.14a Εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς τὸν οι κόν σου ἐν ὁλοκαυτώμασιν, ἀποδώσω σοι τὰς εὐχάς μου· η τοι τὰς κατὰ νόμον θυσίας πρὸ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίας η πνευματικὰς εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὸν οι κον τοῦ θεοῦ (ου τος δ' ἐστὶν ἡ ἐκκλησία) ἐν ὁλοκαυτώμασι τελείας καὶ ὁλοκλήρους ἀρετὰς ἐξ ο λων ἱερουργῶν, καταλλήλους ταύτῃ τῇ ὁλοκαυτώσει ἀποδιδοὺς καὶ α ς διέστειλεν τὰ χείλη αὐτοῦ εὐχάς. 671a Ps 65,15 Τὰ προερμηνευθέντα πνευματικὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα εὐτραφῆ καὶ μεμυαλωμένα τυγχάνει, ο τε μὴ α λλου του χάριν ἀλλὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναφέρεται. ταῦτα γοῦν, ο πως ο ν δεῖ τρόπον ἀνυσθῇ, μεθ' ἱκεσίας ἀναφέρεται· σημαίνεται δὲ αὐτῇ τῇ ὀνομασίᾳ τοῦ θυμιάματος. Κατευθυνθήτω γὰρ ἡ προσευχή μου ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν σου. καὶ οὐ μετὰ μόνου θυμιάματος ἡ προσφορὰ γίνεται ἀλλὰ καὶ κριῶν. εἰσὶν οἱ κριοὶ κινήσεις καὶ θυμία, ἀπὸ τοῦ θυμικοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρχὴν ε χουσαι. Σὺν τοῖς μεμυαλωμένοις ὁλοκαυτώμασι καὶ τοῦ θυμιάματος καὶ τῶν κριῶν ἀνοίσειν ἐπαγγέλλεται βόας μετὰ χιμάρων, ἱερουργοῦντος τάχα βοῦν τοῦ προσάγοντος θυσίαν ζῶσαν τῷ θεῷ τὸ ι διον σῶμα· γεωπόνον γὰρ τὸ ζῷον, ο θεν ἀναλογίαν ε χει τῷ σώματι ἐκ γῆς τὴν πλάσιν ε χοντι. οἱ χίμαροι δέ εἰσι τὰ μετανοίας ε ργα καὶ λόγοι· περὶ ἁμαρτίας γὰρ προσφέρεται ὁ χίμαρος. 672a Ps 65,17 Ανευ γλώττης καὶ προσφορᾶς αὐτῆς κατὰ τὸ σιωπώμενον ἐν διανοίᾳ υ ψωσα. 673a Ps 65,18 ∆υνατὸν δὲ τὸν στίχον ἐκλαβεῖν τῇ νοήσει τοιαύτῃ· εἰ τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἀδικίαν ἐθεώρουν, μὴ εἰσακουσάτω κύριος. εἰς

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About this text

Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.

Didymus the Blind (c. 313–c. 398) was a theologian in Alexandria, Egypt, who led the city's catechetical school after being appointed by Bishop Athanasius. Blind since childhood and a layman throughout his life, he wrote extensively on the Bible and opposed Arianism. His works were later condemned in 553 for teachings associated with Origen, so most were not copied in the Middle Ages and were lost.

This English is his fragments on the Psalms, from the text in Patrologia Graeca 39. It is not the papyrus commentary found at Tura, which is a different work. A reader follows the fragments section by section, in the order the source gives them.

The section titles indicate the themes Didymus develops, such as the tree of life, divine judgment, the return of the soul, the cry of the Gentiles, and the spiritual inheritance of the saints. Didymus quotes the Bible at length and interprets it allegorically, finding symbols throughout the text.

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We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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