Fragments on the Psalms · §48 · Origen of Alexandria

Psalm 9:30-32 — he lies in wait in secret as a lion in his fold; he will stoop and fall

“He lies in wait in secret, as a lion in his fold; he lies in wait to seize the poor, to seize the poor in drawing him in his snare; he will humble him, he will stoop, and he will fall in his dominating the poor” (Psalm 10:9-10).

Just as the lion transfers the eye here and there, seeking prey, so night and day he devises a device of seizure and greed; but nevertheless he will stoop, and he will fall. He draws through reasoning, but seizes through sin in act.

Greek

9.30-32 ̓Ενεδρεύει ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ, ὡς λέων ἐν τῇ μάνδρᾳ αὐτοῦ· ἐνεδρεύει τοῦ ἁρ πάσαι πτωχὸν, ἁρπάσαι πτωχὸν ἐν τῷ ἑλ κύσαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ παγίδι αὐτοῦ· ταπεινώσει αὐτὸν, κύψει, καὶ πεσεῖται ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν κα τακυριεῦσαι τῶν πενήτων. Καθάπερ ὁ λέων τῇδε κἀκεῖσε μεταφέρει τὸ ο μμα, θήραν ἐπιζητῶν, ου τως νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ἁρπαγῆς καὶ πλεονεξίας ἐπινοεῖ μηχανήν· ἀλλ' ὁμῶς κύψει, καὶ πεσ εῖται. Ελκει μὲν διὰ τοῦ λογισμοῦ, ἁρπάζει δὲ διὰ τῆς κατ' ἐνεργίαν ἁμαρτίας.

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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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