Fragments on the Psalms · §78 · Origen of Alexandria

Psalm 17:41 — you gave me my enemies' back; they fled

“And my enemies you gave me the back” (Psalm 18:40).

That is: you turned them to flight. For it is proper to those fleeing to give their backs.

Greek

17.41 Καὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ε δωκάς μοι νῶτον. ̓Αντὶ τοῦ· εἰς φυγὴν ε τρεψας. Ιδιον γὰρ φευγόντων τὸ διδόναι τὰ νῶτα.

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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