Fragments on the Psalms · §12 · Origen of Alexandria

Psalm 4:3 — sons of men, how long heavy-hearted; evil is a heavy nature

“Sons of men, how long heavy-hearted?” (Psalm 4:2). “Sons of men,” someone will suppose, has been said by periphrasis, as it is also the custom of Greeks to use such a figure, saying “sons of the Achaeans” and the like.

Here we know that evil is of a heavy nature; therefore the Lord, coming into Egypt, is said to sit upon a light cloud. And a light cloud is a rational nature, filled with every virtue and knowledge.

Greek

4.3 Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ε ως πότε βαρυ κάρδιοι; Τό· υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ὁ μέν τις οἰήσεται περιφραστικῶς εἰρῆσθαι, ὡς καὶ Ελλησιν ε θος τῷ τοιούτῳ χρῆσθαι σχηματισμῷ λέ γουσιν· υι ες ̓Αχαίων, καὶ τὰ ο μοια. – ̓Εν-ταῦθα γινώσκομεν ο τι βαρείας φύσεώς ἐστιν ἡ κακία, διόπερ ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὴν Αι γυπτον Κύριος, ἐπὶ νεφέλης λέγεται καθέ ζεσθαι κούφης. Νεφέλη δὲ κούφη ἐστὶ φύσις λογικὴ, πάσης ἀρετῆς πληρωμένη καὶ γνώ σεως.

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About this text

Origen's verse-by-verse notes on Psalms 1 to 22, read as words about Christ and as steps in the soul's progress from shunning evil to doing good.

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254) was a Christian teacher in Alexandria and later at Caesarea. This English is the Greek fragments of his comments on the Psalms.

The sections follow the Psalms in order, beginning with Psalm 1 and running through Psalm 22. He reads them as prophecies of Christ and as a picture of the soul's progress. These fragments are not Didymus the Blind's commentary on the Psalms, and they are not Didymus's separate book of fragments on the Psalms.

A reader meets the opening psalms, including the tree and the water of Psalm 1 and the king of Psalm 2, then the psalms that follow. Psalms are cited by the Septuagint numbering.

Fresh English from PG 12 Greek of Fragmenta in Psalmos, Psalms 1–22.3.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 12 Fragmenta in Psalmos (Greek)

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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