8. " O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people " (ver. 7). His going forth is perceived, when He appeareth in His works. But He appeareth not to all men, but to them that know how to spy out His works. For I do not now speak of those works which are conspicuous to all men, Heaven and earth and sea and all things that in them are; but the works whereby He leadeth forth men fettered in strength, likewise men provoking that dwell in the tombs, and maketh them of one manner to dwell in a house. Thus He goeth forth before His people, that is, before those that do perceive this His Grace. Lastly, there followeth, " When Thou wentest by in the desert, the earth was moved" (ver. 8). A desert were the nations, which knew not God: a desert they were, where by God Himself no law had been given, where no Prophet had dwelled, and foretold the Lord to come. "When," then, "Thou wentest by in the desert," when Thou wast preached in the nations; " the earth was moved," to the faith earthly men were stirred up. But whence was it moved? " For the heavens dropped from the face of God." Perchance here some one calleth to mind that time, when in the desert God was going over before His people, before the sons of Israel, by day in the pillar of cloud, "by night in the brightness of fire; " and determineth that thus it is that " the heavens dropped from the face of God," for manna He rained upon His people: " that the same thing also is that which 6 Ecclus. xvii. 28. 9 Johr. tu ^j. 12 Lxud. xvi. 15.
7 Prov. xviii. 3. 10 Ps. Ixviu. 6.
8 Luke xiii. 16. 11 Exod. xiii. ai.
[Psalm LXVIII.
followeth, " Mount Sina from the face of the God of Israel," ' " with voluntary rain severing God to Thine inheritance" (ver. 9), namely, the God that on Mount Sina spake to Moses, when He gave the Law, so that the manna is the voluntary rain, which God severed for His inheritance, that is, for His people; because them alone He so fed, not the other nations also: so that what next he saith, "and it was weakened," is understood of the inheritance being itself weakened; for they murmuring, fastidiously loathed the manna, longing for victuals of flesh, and those things on which they had been accustomed to live in Egypt.2...Lastly, all those men in the desert were stricken down, nor were any of them except two found worthy to go into the land of promise.3 Although even if in the sons of them that inheritance be said to have been perfected, we ought more readily to hold to a spiritual sense. For all those things in a figure did happen to them; 4 until the day should break, and the shadows should be removed.5 9. May then the Lord open to us that knock; and may the secret things of His mysteries, as far as Himself vouchsafeth, be disclosed. For in order that the earth might be moved to the Truth when into the desert of the Gentiles the Gospel was passing, " the Heavens dropped from the face of God." These are the Heavens, whereof in another Psalm is sung, " The Heavens are telling forth the glory of God." 6...So here also, " the Heavens dropped; " but " from the face of God." For even these very persons have been " saved through faith, and this not of themselves, but God's gift it is, not of works, lest perchance any man should be lifted up. For of Himself we are the workmanship," » " that maketh men of one mood to dwell in a house." 8 10. But what is that which followeth, " Mount Sina from the face of the God of Israel "? Must there be understood " dropped; " so that what he hath called by the name of Heavens, the same he hath willed to be understood under the name of Mount Sina also; just as we said that those are called mountains, which were called Heavens? Nor in this sense ought it to move us that He saith " mountain," not mountains, while in that place they were called " Heavens," not Heaven: for in another Psalm also after it had been said, " The Heavens are telling forth the glory of God: " 6 after the manner of Scripture repeating the same sense in different words, subsequently there is said, "And the firmament telleth the works of His hands." 6 First he said " Heavens," not " Heaven: " and yet afterwards not " firmaments," but " firma- * Numb. xi. 5, 6. 3 Sot. Song ii. 17. 8 Pi. Ixviii. 6.
ment." For God called the firmament Heaven,9 as in Genesis hath been written. Thus then Heavens and Heaven, mountains and mountain, are not a different thing, but the very same thing: just as Churches many, and the One Church, are not a different thing, but the very same thing. Why then " Mount Sina, which gendereth unto bondage "?,0 as saith the Apostle.. Is perchance the Law itself to be understood in Mount Sina, as that which " the Heavens dropped from the face of God," in order that the earth might be moved? And is this the very moving of the earth, when men are troubled, because the Law they cannot fulfil? But if so it is, this is the voluntary rain, whereof in confirmation he saith, " Voluntary rain God severing to Thine inheritance: " because " He hath not done so to any nation, and His judgment He hath not manifested to them." " God therefore set apart this voluntary rain to His inheritance because He gave the Law. And " there was made weak," either the Law, or the inheritance. The Law may be understood to have been made weak, because it was not fulfilled; not that of itself it is weak, but because it maketh men weak, by threatening punishment, and not aiding through grace. For also the very word the Apostle hath used, where he saith, " For that which was impossible of the Law, wherein it was made weak through the flesh: " '2 willing to intimate that through the Spirit it is fulfilled: nevertheless, itself he hath said is made weak, because by weak men it cannot be fulfilled. But the inheritance, that is, the people, without any doubt is understood to have been made weak by the giving to them of the Law. For " the Law came in, that transgression might abound.",3 But that which followeth, " But Thou hast made it perfect," to the Law is thus referred, forasmuch as it is made perfect, that is, is fulfilled after that which the Lord saith in the Gospel, " I have not come to annul the Law, but to fulfil." '4...There is in these words yet another sense: which seemeth to me more to approve itself. For much more in accordance with the context, grace itself is understood to be the voluntary rain,,5 because with no preceding merits of works it is given gratis.,b " For if grace, no longer of works: otherwise grace no longer is grace." 'I..."But to humble men He giveth grace.",8 And it was made weak, but Thou hast made it perfect: " because " virtue in weakness is perfected." '9 Some copies indeed, both Latin and Greek, have not " Mount Sina; " but, " from the face of the God of Sina, from the face of the God of Israel." That is, "The Heavens dropped from the face 9 Gen. i. 8. IO Gal. iv. 24. " Ps cxlvii. 10.
13 Jas. iv. 6. lJ 2 Cor. xii. 9.
Psalm lxviii.]
of God: " and, as if enquiry were made of what God, " from the face of the God," he saith, " of Sina, from the face of the God of Israel," that is, from the face of the God that gave the Law to the people of Israel. Why then " the Heavens dropped from the face of God," from the face of this God, but because thus was fulfilled that which had been foretold, " Blessing He shall give that hath given the Law "? ' The Law whereby to terrify a man that relieth on human powers; blessing, whereby He delivereth a man that hopeth in God. Thou then, O God, hast made perfect Thine inheritance; because it is made weak in itself, in order that it may be made perfect by Thee.
11." Thine animals shall dwell therein " (ver. 10). " Thine," not their own; to Thee subject, not for themselves free; for Thee needy, not for themselves sufficient. Lastly, he continueth, " Thou hast prepared in Thine own sweetness for the needy, O God." " In Thine own sweetness," not in his meetness. For the needy he is, for he hath been made weak, in order that he may be made perfect: he hath acknowledged himself indigent, that he may be replenished. This is that sweetness, whereof in another place is said, " The Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her fruit: " 2 in order that a good work may be done not for fear, but for love; not for dread of punishment, but for love of righteousness. For this is true and sound freedom. But the Lord hath prepared this for one wanting, not for one abounding, whose reproach is that poverty: of which sort in another place is said, " Reproach to these men that abound, and contempt to proud men." 3 For those he hath called proud, whom he hath called them that abound.
12. "The Lord shall give the Word" (ver. 11): to wit, food for His animals which shall dwell therein. But what shall these animals work to whom He shall give the word? What but that which followeth? " To them preaching the Gospel in much virtue." With what virtue, but with that strength wherein He leadeth forth men fettered? Perchance also here he speaketh of that virtue, wherewith in preaching the Gospel they wrought wondrous signs. Who then " shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue "? " The King," he saith, "of the virtues of the Beloved" (ver. 12). The Father therefore is King of the virtues of the Son. For the Beloved, when there is not specified any person that is beloved, by a substitution of name, of the Only Son is understood. Is not the Son Himself King of His virtues, to wit of the virtues serving Himself? Because with much virtue the King of Virtues shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel, of Whom 1 Ps. Ixxxiv. 6 {at. lxxxiii. 8). Vulgate nearly so.
it hath been said, "The Lord of Virtues, He is the King of Glory? " 4 But his not having said King of Virtues, but " King of the Virtues of the beloved," is a most usual expression in the Scriptures, if any one observe: which thing chiefly appeareth in those cases where even the person's own name is already expressed, so that it cannot at all be doubted that it is the same person of whom something is said. Of which sort also is that which in the Pentateuch in many passages is found: " And Moses did it, as the Lord commanded Moses." He said not that which is usual in our expressions, And Moses did, as the Lord commanded him; but, " Moses did as the Lord commanded Moses," as if one person were the Moses whom He commanded, and another person the Moses who did, whereas it is the very same. In the New Testament such expressions are most difficult to find.5...
" The King," therefore, " of the virtues of the Beloved," thus may be understood, as if it were to be said, the King of His virtues, because both King of Virtues is Christ, and the Beloved is the very same Christ. However, this sense hath not so great urgency, as that no other can be accepted: because the Father also may be understood as King of the virtues of His Beloved Son, to whom the Beloved Himself saith, " All Mine are Thine, and Thine Mine."6 But if perchance it is asked, whether God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ can be called King also, I know not whether any one would dare to withhold this name from Him in the passage where the Apostle saith, " But to the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God." 1 Because even if this be said of the Trinity itself, therein is also God the Father. But if we do not carnally understand, " O God, Thy Judgment to the King give Thou, and Thy justice to the Son of the King: " 8 I know not whether anything else hath been said than, " to Thy Son." King therefore is the Father also. Whence that verse of this Psalm, " King of the virtues of the Beloved,-" in either way may be understood. When therefore he had said, " The Lord shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue: " because virtue itself by Him is ruled, and serveth Him by whom it is given; the Lord Himself, he saith, who shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue, is the King of the virtues of the Beloved.
13. In the next place there followeth, " Of the Beloved, and of the beauty of the House to divide the spoils." The repetition belongeth to eulogy. 9...But whether it be repeated, or 9 He adds: This repetition all the copies have not, and the more careful mark it with a star put before it, which marks are called asterisks, whereby they would have to be noted, that there are not in the Septuagint Version, but there are in the Hebrew, those words which are distinguished by such marks."
[Psalm LXVIII.
whether it be received as spoken once, the word which hath been set down, namely, " Beloved," ' I suppose that thus must be understood that which followeth, " and of the beauty of a house to divide the spoils; " as if there were said, " Chosen even to divide the spoils of the beauty of a house," that is, Chosen even for dividing the spoils. For beautiful Christ hath made His House, that is, the Church, by dividing to Her spoils: in the same manner as the Body is beautiful in the distribution of the members. " Spoils " moreover those are called that are stripped off from conquered foes. What this is the Gospel adviseth us in the passage where we read, " No one goeth into the house of a strong man to spoil his vessels, unless first he shall have bound the strong man." 2 Christ therefore hath bound the devil with spiritual bonds, by overcoming death, and by ascending from Hell above the Heavens: He hath bound him by the Sacrament of His Incarnation, because though finding nothing in Him deserving of death, yet he was permitted to kill: and from him so bound He took away his vessels as though they were spoils. For he was working in the sons of disobedience,' of whose unbelief he made use to work his own will. These vessels the Lord cleansing by the remission of sins, sanctifying these spoils wrested from' the foe laid prostrate and bound, these He hath divided to the beauty of His House; making some apostles, some prophets, some pastors and doctors,4 for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the Body of Christ. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and though all the members of the body are many, the body is one: so also is Christ.* " Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all Powers? Have all the gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" 5 " But all these things worketh one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one his own gifts, as He willeth." 1 And such is the beauty of the house, whereto the spoils are divided, that a lover thereof with this fairness being enkindled, crieth out, " O Lord, I have loved the grace of Thy House." 8 14. Now in that which followeth, he turneth himself to address the members themselves, whereof the beauty of the Housa is composed, saying, " If ye sleep in the midst of the lots,9 wings of a dove silvered, and between the shoulders thereof in the freshness of gold " (ver. 13). First, we must here examine the order of the words, in what manner the sentence is ended; which certainly awaiteth, when there is said, " If ye sleep: " secondly, in that which 1 Dilecti, which signifies a love of choice.
3 Matt. xii. 39. 3 Eph. ii. 3. * Eph. iv. ti.
• Pi. xxvi. 8.
9 ['Eap <co(«*)fl»JTf avattiaov ru>v n\rtp<av, K.T.A., Sept.; si dormiatis inter medio* cieros, Vulgate; Inter medio* terminus, Jerome. — C.J he saith, namely, " wings of dove silvered," whether in the singular number it must be understood as being, "of this wing" lo thereof, or in the plural as, " these wings." " But the singular number the Greek excludeth, where always in the plural we read it written. But still it is uncertain whether it be these wings; or whether, "O ye wings," so as that he may seem to speak to the wings themselves. Whether therefore by the words which have preceded, that sentence be ended, so that the order is, " The Lord shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue, if ye sleep in the midst of the lots, O ye wings of a dove silvered: " or by these which follow, so that the order is, " If ye sleep in the midst of the lots, the wings of a dove silvered with snow shall be whitened in Selmon; " that is, the wings themselves shall be whitened, if ye sleep in the midst " of the lots: " so that he may be understood to say this to them that are divided to the beauty of the House, as it were spoils; that is, if ye sleep in the " midst of the lots," O ye that are divided to the beauty of the House, " through the manifestation of the Spirit unto profit,",2 so that " to one indeed is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge," etc., if then ye sleep in the midst of the lots, then the wings of a dove silvered with snow shall be whitened in Selmon. It may also be thus: " If ye being the wings of a dove silvered, sleep in the midst of the lots, with snow they shall be whitened in Selmon," so as that those men be understood who through grace receive remission of sins. Whence also of the Church Herself, is said in the Song of Songs, " Who is She that goeth up whitened? " For this promise of God is held out through the Prophet, saying, "If your sins shall have been like scarlet, like snow I will whiten them." It may also thus be understood, so that in that which hath been said, " wings of a dove silvered," there be understood, ye shall be, so that this is the sense, O ye that like as it were spoils to the beauty of the house are divided, if ye sleep in the " midst of the lots," wings of a dove silvered ye shall be: that is, into higher places ye shall be lifted up, adhering however to the bond of the Church. For I think no other dove silvered can be better perceived here, than that whereof hath been said, " One is My dove." 'J But silvered She is because with divine sayings she hath been instructed: for the sayings of the Lord in another place are called " silver with fire refined, purged sevenfold." '4 Some great good thing therefore it is, to sleep in the midst of the lots, which so'me would have to be the Two Testaments, so that to " sleep in the midst of the 10 Hufus penna. 1 ' Song of Sol. vi. 9. M Ps. xii. 6.
11 Ha penna.
12 1 Cor. xii. 7.
Psalm IJCVIII.]
lots "! is to rest on the authority of those Testaments, that is, to acquiesce in the testimony of either Testament: so that whenever anything out of them is produced and proved, all strife is ended in peaceful acquiescence...
15. " Between the shoulders," however. This is indeed a part of the body, it is a part about the region of the heart, at the hinder parts however, that is, at the back: which part of that dove silvered he saith is " in the greenness of gold," that is, in the vigour of wisdom, which vigour I think cannot be better understood than by love. But why on the back, and not on the breast? Although I wonder in what sense this word is put in another Psalm, where there is said, " Between His shoulders He shall overshadow thee, and under His wings thou shalt hope: " 2 forasmuch as under wings there cannot be overshadowed anything but what shall be under the breast. And in Latin, indeed, " between the shoulders," perchance in some degree of both parts may be understood, both before and behind, that we may take shoulders to be the parts which have the head betwixt them; and in Hebrew perchance the word is ambiguous, which may in this manner also be understood: but the word that is in the Greek, /xcra^ptra, signifieth not anything but at the back, which is " between the shoulders." Is there for this reason there the greenness of gold, that is, wisdom and love, because in that place there are in a manner the roots of the wings? or because in that place is carried that light burden? For what are even the wings themselves, but the two commandments of love, whereon hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets? 3 what is that same light burden, but that same love 4 which in these two commandments is fulfilled? For whatever thing is difficult in a commandment, is a light thing to a lover. Nor on any other account is rightly understood the saying, " My burden is light," s but because He giveth the Holy Spirit, whereby love is shed abroad in our hearts,6 in order that in love we may do freely that which he that doeth in fear doeth slavishly; nor is he a lover of what is right, when he would prefer, if so be it were possible, that what is right should not be commanded.
16. It may also be required, when it hath not been said, if ye sleep in the lots, but " in the midst of the lots; " what this is, " in the midst of the lots." Which expression indeed, if more exactly it were translated from the Greek, would signify, " in the midst between the lots," » which is in no one of the interpreters I have read: therefore I suppose, that what hath been said 2 Ps xci. 4. J Matt, xi 30.
1 tnter medics cleros.
3 Matt. xxii. 40. * Charitas.
6 Rom. v. 5.
7 Inter medium clerorum. The other might mean, between or among the middlemost lots.
signifieth much the same, to wit the expression, " in the midst of the lots." Hence therefore what seemeth to me I will explain. Ofttimes this word is wont to be used for uniting and pacifying one thing and another, that they may not mutually disagree: as when God is establishing His covenant8 between Himself and His people, this word the Scripture useth; for instead of that expression which is in Latin between Me and you, the Greek hath, in the midst of Me and you. So also of the sign of Circumcision, when God speaketh to Abraham, He saith, " There shall be a testament between Me and thee and all thy seed: " 9 which the Greek hath, in the midst of Me and thee, and the midst of thy seed. Also when He was speaking to Noe of the bow in the clouds to establish a sign, '° this word very often He repeateth: and that which the Latin copies have, between Me and you-, or between Me and every living soul, and whatever suchlike expressions there are used, is found in the Greek to be, in the middle of Me and you, which is ava /ne'ow.
David also and Jonathan establish a sign between them, " that they may not disagree with a difference of thought: and that which in Latin is expressed, between both, in the middle of both, the Greek hath expressed in the same word, which is avb. /xecrov. But it was best that in this passage of the Psalms our translators said not, " among the lots," which expression is more suited to the Latin idiom; but, " in the midst of the lots," as though " in the midst between the lots," which rather is the reading in the Greek, and which is wont to be said in the case of those things which ought to have a mutual consent...But why in the " lots " " the Testaments should be perceived, though this word is Greek, and the Testament is not so named, the reason is, because through a testament is given inheritance, which in Greek is called KkripovofjLia, and an heir K\r)povo/j.os. Now kA^os in Greek is the term for lot, and lots according to the promise of God are called those parts of the inheritance which were distributed to the people. '3 Whence the tribe of Levi was commanded not to have lot among their brethren, because they were sustained by tithes from them. For, I think, they that have been ordained in the grades of the Ecclesiastical Ministry have been called both Clergy and Clerks, because Matthias by lot was chosen, who we read was the first that was ordained by the Apostles.'4 Henceforth, because of inheritance which is given by testament, as though by that which is made that which maketh, by the name of " lots " the Testaments themselves are signified.
10 Gen. ix. 12.
xi Numb, xviii. 30.
[Psalm LVXIII.
17. Nevertheless, to me here another sense also occurreth, if I mistake not, to be preferred; understanding by cleri the inheritances themselves: so that, whereas the inheritance of the Old Testament, although in a shadow significant of the future, is earthly felicity; but the inheritance of the New Testament is everlasting immortality; to " sleep in the midst of the lots" is not too earnestly now to seek the former, and still patiently to look for the latter...And because so well they have slept, on them, as it were on wings now flieth, and with praises is exalted, the Church: to wit, the Dove silvered, in order that by this fame of theirs, posterity having been invited to imitate them, while in like manner the rest also sleep, there may be added wings whereby even unto the end of the world sublimely she may be preached.
18. "While He that is above the heavens1 distinguisheth kings over Her, with snow they shall be made white in Selmon " (ver. 14). While He " above the heavens," He that ascended over all heavens that He might fulfil all things, " while He distinguisheth kings over Her," that is, over that same " Dove silvered." For the Apostle continueth and saith, and " He hath Himself given some for Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers." 2 For what other reason is there to distinguish kings over Her, save for the work of the Ministry, for the edification of the Body of Christ: when she is indeed Herself the Body of Christ? But they are called kings from ruling: and what more than the lusts of the flesh, that sin may not reign in their mortal body to obey the desires thereof, that they yield not their members instruments of iniquity unto sin, but yield themselves to God, as though from the dead living, and their members instruments of righteousness to God?3 For thus shall the kings be distinguished from foreigners, because they draw not the yoke with unbelievers: secondly, in a peaceful manner being distinguished from one another by their proper gifts.
For not all are Apostles, or all Prophets, or all Teachers, or all have gifts of healings, or all with tongues do speak, or all interpret.4 " But all these things worketh one and the same Spirit, dividing proper gifts to each one as He willeth." ' In giving which Spirit He that is above the Heavens distinguisheth kings over the Dove silvered. Of which Holy Spirit, when, sent to His Mother full of grace, the Angel was speaking, to her enquiring in what manner it could come to pass that she was announced as going to bear, seeing she knew not a man: 6...he saith, " The Holy Spirit shall come over upon thee, and the virtue of the Most Highest shall overshadow thee," that is, shall make a shadow for thee, " wherefore that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." 7 That " shadow " again is understood of a defence against the heat of carnal lusts: whence not in carnal concupiscence, but in spiritual belief, the Virgin conceived Christ. But the shadow consisteth of light and body: and further, The " Word " that " was in the beginning," 8 that true Light,9 in order that a noonday shadow might be made for us; " the Word," I say, " was made Flesh, and dwelled in us." IO...