Didymus the Blind — Commentary on Scripture

Psalms 1:1

The devil himself may be called the way of sinners. Let the one who stands in this way be warned lest he tarry there. Recall what the Scripture says: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” For the one who will not stand in the devil’s way will come to the Lord, who says, “I am the way.” Truly the one who follows this way, traveling the way to the end, will receive a reward.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 1:1

Psalms 1:3

The tree is the wisdom of God; its fruit the mystical and spiritual sense of the Scriptures; the leaves covering its fruits are external words, which besides protecting the fruits display appropriate behavior, and they become the nourishment of good people, who are called beasts of burden on account of their own simplicity.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 1:3

Psalms 2:8

The words, therefore, “Ask of me, and I will give to you,” are spoken for our sake, not for the Son’s. They indicate that something is given not to the Son but to the peoples who belong to him.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 2:8

Psalms 3:1-2

He who offers no grounds for hate and enmity may have enemies for no reason. Such are all who endure persecution because they live righteously for Jesus Christ. To these the Savior says, “Blessed are you when people revile you and when liars speak evil against you on account of me.” This is what happened when David had many enemies for no reason such as Saul and Absalom and those who accompanied them. For they attacked without cause him who was a righteous man and had often shown them much goodness and gentleness.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 3:8

Psalms 3:3

Since the psalm is spoken from the person of the Lord, it must be said that even the head of him who is lifted up is of God, since really his deity is made manifest to the faithful through external demonstration. The word head in this place indicates “chief.” Christ, therefore, the chief of holy people, deservedly is their king, and it is his head that is lifted up.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 3:4

Psalms 3:8

What is the blessing to people who overcome unless it is the will of the Father concerning the coming of his Son into the world?

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 3:9

Psalms 4:1

Instead of allaying the disaster or restraining evil deeds, God sometimes offers courage for bravely bearing the disaster.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 4:2

Psalms 4:6

Many individuals read it in this way: “A certain one will show us good things.” For it is not that the many show good things but that the One shows good things; that is, the only begotten Son of God. To those who understand it this way, the word who indicates a provider of a certain distinguished nature, an individual and a being singular in number. They use this witness: “A certain noble man.” For in this passage the word certain denotes someone who is especially distinguished.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 4:7

Psalms 4:8

I will lie down and rest as I await the future age and the reward of a right life, and as I have been made secure beyond every disturbance because of my hope.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 4:9-10

Psalms 5:1-12

Because of grace this hymn is sung, in behalf of the individual spirit or for the church called out for the divine inheritance, not a natural one but a spiritual one.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 5:1

Psalms 5:3

Think about the one on whom the sun of righteousness has arisen, expressing praise because of his grateful spirit to the author of the light. “In the morning,” he says, “you will hear my voice.” For to whom is it necessary to have gratitude for so much good, unless to you, Lord, who has brought the light to me, which is the source for the greatest illumination to me?

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 5:4

Psalms 5:4

It is true that evil is not from God, as is the opinion of some who say that evil has a substantial reality. For from the mouth of the Most High, the one willing there only be good, good and evil do not go forth.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 5:6

Psalms 6:4

We may understand the word turn in two ways. Sometimes the sense is this: Since you have turned your face away from me, I ask that now you return that mercy and show it to me. Sometimes the significance is this: Since my spirit has turned away into evil, may you, returning and calling that soul back to you (as “You have turned who are given to turning away”) redeem my soul from repeated sins and from the powers causing these evils.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 6:4, 5

Psalms 6:5

The saints are not only mindful of God as they hold on to this life but even more so when they are separated from this perishable body. What, therefore, does he say? No one who is mindful of you falls into that death that sin brings forth, that is, that death that separates the sinning spirit from a life of virtue. I desire to be mindful of you by turning toward your kindness. Save me, lest I be consumed in death when my prevailing weakness has turned against me and my spirit is thoroughly distraught. For it is also said, he is not mindful of you who dies; but he who is mindful of you does not fall into that death about which the Savior said: “He who hears my word will not see death in eternity.”

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 6:6

Psalms 7:2

Who is that one except he who says, “There is no one who can save except me,” the one who has come to seek and to save that which has been lost and to give his soul as a ransom for many? These things show that God the Father saves through God the Son. Through this the deity of the Father and the Son must not be distinguished by the words above and must not be seen as different from one another.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 7:2

Psalms 7:6

So, it is spoken: He asks that God on high appear at the borders of his enemies. Then, he says, their iniquities that make them my enemies will end. Perhaps the boundaries of the enemies refer to the “pride” in which they have rejoiced. They think they are going to dwell with stability in the furthermost boundaries.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 7:6

Psalms 7:8

There is an important difference between human righteousness and that of God; the Psalmist wishes to be judged according to the righteousness of the Lord, knowing for sure that this will mean salvation for him.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 7:9

Psalms 7:15

Truly, he sins first against himself, then he injures another; since sin is harmful and ruinous, foremost it harms and roughly handles the one sinning.… “If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit”. In this saying it must be realized that teachers and students become blinded by foolishness and wantonness.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 7:15

Psalms 9:8

These words warn that we must withdraw from evil and impiety and pursue excellence and righteousness. For who being prudent, if he believes this, would not fear that he might fall into the hands of judgment and rightly and properly so on account of his own blameworthy conduct and wicked thoughts? Indeed, under such judgment he will not avoid the curse.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 9:8

Psalms 9:10

Those who have a perfect knowledge of your name trust in no other thing. They are not abandoned by God. This word must be understood with wisdom and reverence, considering that one should not think that the person who lives rightly in his daily affairs is abandoned by God. One who thinks thus is deceived. Indeed, several of the impious have thus believed. Some say that Abel, who was killed, was abandoned, as also the prophets and apostles, for these individuals were afflicted continuously, and many of them even murdered by people. With this distinction made, we say that the person who is with God up to his last breath is not abandoned, even if he suffers innumerable wounds from his enemies.

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS 9:11