Gregory the Dialogist — Commentary on Scripture

Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

In quarrels the very light of the soul, the light of good intent, is blocked. Whence the psalmist says, “My eye is troubled because of anger.”

There are many things that are allowed and legitimate, and yet we are to some extent defiled in the doing of them; as often we attack faults with anger and disturb the tranquility of our own mind. And, though what is done is right, yet it is not to be approved that the mind is therein disturbed. For instance, he had been angry against the vices of transgressors who said, “My eye is disturbed because of anger.” For, since the mind cannot, unless it is tranquil, lift itself up to the light of contemplation, he grieved that his eye was disturbed in anger, because, though assailing evil doings from above, he still could not help being confused and disturbed from contemplation of the highest things. And therefore his anger against vice is laudable, and yet it troubles him, because he felt that he had incurred some guilt in being disturbed.

Psalms 8:1

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Concerning this solemnity it is said through the Psalmist, "Your magnificence is exalted above the heavens."

Psalms 19:5

Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

Do you wish, dearest brothers, to recognize His very leaps? From heaven He came into the womb, from the womb He came into the manger, from the manger He came to the cross, from the cross He came into the tomb, from the tomb He returned to heaven. Behold, so that He might make us run after Him, the Truth made manifest through the flesh made certain leaps for us, because "He rejoiced as a giant to run His course," so that we might say to Him from the heart, "Draw us after You; we will run in the fragrance of Your ointments."

Psalms 22:15 · 2 passages

My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Concerning which earthen vessel of His body, Wisdom Himself says: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd." For because a potsherd is hardened in fire, His strength dried up like a potsherd, because He strengthened the flesh He had assumed unto the glory of resurrection through the tribulation of His passion.

And so fire cooked the meats of our Lamb, because the very power of His passion rendered Him stronger for resurrection and strengthened Him for incorruption. For He who recovered from death—clearly His flesh was hardened by fire. Hence also through the Psalmist He says: "My strength has dried up like a potsherd." For what is a potsherd before fire except soft clay? But it is subjected to fire so that it may become solid. Therefore the strength of His humanity dried up like a potsherd, because from the fire of passion it grew into the power of incorruption.

Psalms 24:7

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Gabriel, who is called the strength of God, is also sent to Mary. For he came to announce him who deigned to appear humble to conquer the powers of the air. Of whom it is said through the Psalmist: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." And again: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Therefore, he who was the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle, coming to wage war against the powers of the air, was to be announced through the strength of God.

Psalms 24:8

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Gabriel, who is called the strength of God, is also sent to Mary. For he came to announce him who deigned to appear humble to conquer the powers of the air. Of whom it is said through the Psalmist: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." And again: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Therefore, he who was the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle, coming to wage war against the powers of the air, was to be announced through the strength of God.

Psalms 24:10

Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Gabriel, who is called the strength of God, is also sent to Mary. For he came to announce him who deigned to appear humble to conquer the powers of the air. Of whom it is said through the Psalmist: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." And again: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Therefore, he who was the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle, coming to wage war against the powers of the air, was to be announced through the strength of God.

Psalms 26:2

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

It follows: "And thus shall you eat it. You shall gird your loins." What is understood by the loins except the delight of the flesh? Hence the Psalmist also asks, saying: "Burn my loins." For if he had not known that the pleasure of lust resides in the loins, he would by no means have asked that they be burned. Hence, because the power of the devil has prevailed over the human race especially through lust, it is said of him by the voice of the Lord: "His power is in his loins." Therefore he who eats the Passover ought to have his loins girded, so that he who celebrates the solemnity of resurrection and incorruption may no longer be subject to corruption through any vices, may subdue pleasures, and may restrain the flesh from lust.

Psalms 33:6

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Concerning this Spirit it is written: "His Spirit has adorned the heavens." For the ornaments of the heavens are the virtues of those who preach. Paul enumerates these ornaments, saying: "To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith in the same Spirit, to another the grace of healing in one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of speeches. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." Therefore, as many as are the gifts of those who preach, so many are the ornaments of the heavens. Hence it is written again: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established." For the Word of the Lord is the Son of the Father. But concerning these same heavens, namely the holy apostles, so that the entire holy Trinity might be shown to have worked together, it is suddenly added concerning the divinity of the Holy Spirit…

Concerning this Spirit it is written: "His Spirit has adorned the heavens." For the ornaments of the heavens are the virtues of those who preach. Paul enumerates these ornaments, saying: "To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith in the same Spirit, to another the grace of healing in one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of speeches. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." Therefore, as many as are the gifts of those who preach, so many are the ornaments of the heavens. Hence it is written again: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established." For the Word of the Lord is the Son of the Father. But concerning these same heavens, namely the holy apostles, so that the entire holy Trinity might be shown to have worked together, it is suddenly added concerning the divinity of the Holy Spirit: "And by the breath of His mouth is all their power." Therefore the power of the heavens was received from the Spirit, because they would not have presumed to oppose the powers of this world unless the strength of the Holy Spirit had made them firm.

Psalms 34:8

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Spiritual delights, when not possessed, are treated with disgust, but when possessed they are desired; and the more they are hungered for by the one eating, the more they are also consumed by the one hungering. For spiritual delights increase desire in the mind while they satisfy, because the more their flavor is perceived, the more one recognizes what should be loved more eagerly. And therefore, when not possessed, they cannot be loved, because their flavor is unknown. For who is able to love what he does not know? Hence the Psalmist admonishes us, saying: "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet." As if he were saying openly: You do not know his sweetness if you do not taste it at all. But touch the food of life with the palate of your heart, so that by proving its sweetness you may be able to love it.

Psalms 38:6

I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

Well is it said of this our crookedness, as a type of the human race, through the Psalmist: I am bowed down and humiliated utterly. For having contemplated that man was created for gazing upon the heavenly light, but having been cast out on account of his sins, he carries the darkness of his own mind, does not seek heavenly things, attends to the lowest things, by no means desires celestial things, always turns earthly things over in his mind, and what he grieved concerning his race, he cried out in himself, saying: I am bowed down and humiliated utterly. For losing the contemplation of heavenly things, if man thought only of the necessities of the flesh, he would be bowed down and humiliated, but nevertheless not utterly. Therefore he whom not only necessity casts down from higher thoughts, but also illicit pleasure prostrates, is not only bowed down but utterly bowed down.

Psalms 40:5

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Hence through the Psalmist the Lord says: "I have declared and spoken, they have multiplied beyond number." For when the Lord calls, the faithful are multiplied beyond number, because sometimes even those come to faith who do not attain to the number of the elect. For here they are mingled with the faithful through confession, but because of their reprobate life they do not deserve to be numbered there in the lot of the faithful.

Psalms 42:2

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

First, therefore, he is sought without being found, so that afterward, when found, he may be held more tightly. For holy desires, as we have said, grow by delay. But if they fail by delay, they were not desires. With this love burned whoever was able to reach the truth. Hence David says: "My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?"

Psalms 45:7

Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

He was anointed above his fellows, because all we people first exist as sinners and afterwards are sanctified through the unction of the Holy Spirit. But he who, existing as God before the ages, was conceived as man through the Holy Spirit in the Virgin’s womb at the end of the ages was there anointed by the same Spirit, even where he was conceived. Nor was he first conceived and afterwards anointed; but to be conceived by the Holy Spirit of the flesh of the Virgin was itself to be anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 47:5

God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

Concerning this again he says, "God ascended with jubilation, and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet."

Psalms 50:16

But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

For often the tongue of preachers is restrained because of their own wickedness; but often indeed it happens through the fault of those subject to them that the word of preaching is withdrawn from those who are in charge. Indeed the tongue of preachers is restrained because of their own wickedness, as the Psalmist says: "But to the sinner God said: Why do you declare my justices?"

Psalms 55:19-23

God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

Moreover there is this by the great favor of almighty God; that among those who are divided from the doctrines of the holy church there is no unity, since every kingdom divided against itself shall not stand. And holy church is always more thoroughly equipped in its teaching when assaulted by the questionings of heretics; so that what was said by the psalmist concerning God against heretics is fulfilled, “They are divided from the wrath of his countenance, and his heart has drawn near.” For while they are divided in their wicked error, God brings his heart near to us, because, being taught by contradictions, we more thoroughly learn to understand him.

Psalms 56:12

Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

For before the eyes of God the hand is never empty of a gift, if the treasury of the heart has been filled with good will. Hence the Psalmist says: In me, O God, are your vows which I shall pay, praises to you. As if he were saying openly: Even if outwardly I do not have gifts to offer, yet within myself I find what I may place upon the altar of your praise, because you who are not fed by our giving are better pleased by the offering of the heart. For nothing richer than good will is offered to God.