Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
PsaLM LXXXIIL] ON THE PSALMS. 397, particularly who are unpredestined to eternal life ; and to the other, '' But ye shall die like men," etc., "and shall fall like one of the princes," people is more usually called The Church, in that it too is congregated.
2. The people of God, then, in this Psalm saith, "O God, who shall be like unto Thee?" in this way also distinguishing the gods; or whether He blames all together, in order to distinguish the obedient and those who received correction, "I said, Ye are gods, and ye are all the children of the Most High:" that is, to all of you I promised celestial happiness, '" but ye," through the infirmity of your flesh, "shall die like men," and through haughtiness of soul, "like one of the princes," that is, the devil, shall not be exalted, but '' shall fall.' As if He said: Though the days of your life are so few, that ye speedily die like men, this avails not to your correction: but like the devil, whose days are many in this world, because he dies not in the flesh, ye are lifted up so that ye fall. For by devilish pride it came to pass that the perverse and blind rulers of the Jews envied the glory of Christ: by this will it came to pass, and still does, that the lowliness of Christ crucified unto death is lightly esteemed in the eyes of them who love the excellence of this world.
(ver. 1). Which I suppose to be more fitly taken of Christ, because, being made in the likeness of men,? He was thought by those by whom He was despised to be comparable to other men: for He was even "reckoned among the unrighteous," 3 but for this purpose, that He might be judged. But when He shall come to judge, then shall be done what is here said, ''O
God, who is like unto Thee?" For if the Psalms did not use to speak to the Lord Christ, that too would not be spoken which not one of the faithful can doubt was spoken unto Christ. "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom." + To him therefore also now it is said, "'O God, who shall be like unto Thee?" For unto many Thou didst vouchsafe to be likened in Thy humiliation, even so far as to the robbers that were crucified with Thee: but when in glory Thou shalt come, "who shall be hkesuntomiheer saree. 3. " For lo Thine enemies have sounded, and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head"
5. And therefore that this vice may be cured, in the person of the Prophet himself it is said, " Arise, O God, and judge the earth" (ver. 8) ; for the earth swelled high when it crucified Thee : rise from the dead, and judge the earth. "For Thou shalt destroy among all nations.'"' What, but the earth? that is, destroying those who savour of earthly things, or destroying the feeling itself of earthly lust and pride in believers ; or separating those who do not believe, as earth to be trodden under foot and to perish. Thus by His members, whose conversation is in heaven, He judges the earth, and destroys it among all nations. But I must not omit to remark, that some copies have, "for Thou shalt inherit among all nations." This too may be understood agreeably to the sense, nor does anything prevent both meanings existing at once. His inheritance takes place by love, which in that He cultivates by His commands and: gracious mercy, He destroys earthly desires.
(ver. 2). He seems to me to signify the last days, when these things that are now repressed by fear are to break forth into free utterance, but quite irrational, so that it should rather be called a "sound," than speech or discourse. They will not, therefore, then begin to hate, but "they that hate Thee" will then "lift up the head." And not "heads," but " head ;"' since they are to come even to that point, that they shall have that head, which " is lifted up above all that is called God, and that is worshipped ;''5 so that in him especially is to be fulfilled, "' He that exalteth himself shall be abased ;''® and when He to whom it is said, " Keep not silence, nor grow mild, O God," shall "slay him with the breath of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." 7 'Upon Thy people they have malignantly taken counsel" (ver. 3). Or, as other copies have it, "They have cunningly devised counsel, and have devised against Thy saints." In scorn this is said. For how should they be able to hurt the nation or people of God, or His saints, who know how to say, "If God be for us, who shall be against us?"' ®
PSALM LXXXIII.'
1. Of this Psalm the title is, "A song of a Psalm of Asaph." We have already often said what is the interpretation of Asaph, that is, congregation. That man, therefore, who was called Asaph, is named in representation of the congregation of God's people in the titles of many Psalms. But in Greek, congregation is called synagogue, which has come to be held for a kind of proper name for the Jewish people, that it should be called The Synagogue; even as the Christian
4. "They have said, Come, and let us destroy them from a nation" (ver. 4). He has put the singular number for the plural: as it is said, "Whose is this cattle," even though the question be of a flock, and the meaning "these cattle." Lastly, other copies have " from nations," where 4 Ps. xlv. 6. 2 Phil. ii. 7.
3 Isa. lili. 12. 6 Luke xiv, 11, i 7 2 Thess. ii, 8, 5 2 Thess. ii. 4. 8 Rom, viii, 31.
1 Lat. LXXXII,