Theodoret of Cyrus — Commentary on Scripture

Psalms 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

[The psalm] instructs us first on creation and providence; in the middle, on the Law; and finally, on grace.

Psalms 20:7

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

They trusted in horses and chariots, he is saying, and enjoyed no benefit from them but were caught up in unseen entanglements and collapsed. We, by contrast, invoked divine assistance, and won salvation in visible manner and emerged superior to the adversaries.

Psalms 21:13

Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

Not for being lowly is God exalted, nor does he receive what he does not possess; instead, what he possesses he reveals … your exaltation is revealed in your ineffable power, which we shall continue to celebrate and sing, recounting your marvelous works.

Psalms 22:1

To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

Just as the one who was a fount of righteousness assumed our sin, and the one who was an ocean of blessing accepted a curse lying on us and scorning shame endured a cross, so too he uttered the words on our behalf.

Psalms 22:6

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

I am like a worm, he is saying, seen to be worthless and become a laughingstock. Now, some claimed that by “worm” is suggested also the birth from a virgin, as it is not by intercourse that it comes into existence; but I believe only lowliness is indicated here.

Psalms 22:12

Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

The psalm describes in advance the attacks of the chief priests, the scribes and the Pharisees, who in imitation of the audacity of bulls and the frenzy of lions hemmed in Christ the Lord.

Psalms 22:16

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

After the passion those former “dogs” took on the status of children through faith, whereas those who once had enjoyed the care shown to children received the name of dogs for raging against the Lord.… Blessed Paul cries out about them, “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evildoers. Beware of mutilation.”

Psalms 22:27

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

Not one nation or even two, but countless numbers of all those in the world will run to him, and will enthusiastically receive the rays of the knowledge of God.

Psalms 22:31

They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

We see none of this happening to David or to any of his successors. Only Christ the Lord, on the contrary, who is of David according to the flesh, God the Word who became man, who though of David’s line took the form of a slave; he filled all earth and sea with the knowledge of God, after all, and persuaded those who were once in error and offered adoration to idols to adore the true God instead of false gods.

Psalms 23:1

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Having said in the psalm before this, “The needy eat and will be filled, and those who seek him out will praise the Lord,” and again, “All the prosperous of the earth ate and adored him,” here he suggests the provider of such food and calls the feeder shepherd. This in fact is the name Christ the Lord also gave himself: “I am the good shepherd, I know my own, and I am known by my own.” It is also what he called himself through the prophet Ezekiel. So here, too, all who enjoyed the saving food cry out, “The Lord shepherds me, and nothing will be wanting for me”: this shepherd regales those shepherded by him with enjoyment of good things of all kinds.

Psalms 23:2

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He hints at the water of rebirth, in which the baptized person longs for grace and sheds the old age of sin and is made young instead of being old.

Psalms 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

“Your rod and your staff comforted me”: with one he supports my weakness, with the other he guides toward the right way. You would not be wrong, however, to apply this to the saving cross: by its seal and remembrance we are rid of the hostile demons and guided to the true path. This is the meaning of “your rod and your staff comforted me”: the cross is assembled from two rods, with the upright staff confirming and directing those who believe in him and strengthening those who are weak, and using the crossbar as a rod against the demons.

Psalms 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Providing these good things is your ineffable lovingkindness, not awaiting our request but closely following us like fugitives, anticipating our needs, giving us a share in salvation, providing residence in the divine dwellings, one in the present life, one in the future.

Psalms 24:1

A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

He is Lord of the whole world. He is its Lord, however, not by wresting authority or by depriving anyone else of lordship but by personally creating it and leading it from nonbeing into being.

Psalms 24:4

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

It is appropriate, he is saying, for him who desires to ascend that mountain both to purify his soul of idle thoughts and to keep his hands away from such pursuits. He put “hands” in place of pursuits, and by “heart” he implied desires: with the latter we form our intentions, and by the former we put them into action.

Psalms 24:5

He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Now, it was quite appropriate for him to associate mercy with blessing: even what are thought rewards are given to human beings only on account of divine lovingkindness. I mean, all the righteousness of human beings is not nearly sufficient for gifts bestowed by God and certainly not for those yet to come, which even surpass human imagining.

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.

Let no one wonder, I ask you, on hearing of the ignorance of the invisible powers: they have neither advance knowledge nor complete knowledge—only the divine nature has that knowledge. Angels and archangels, however, and the other companies of the invisible powers know as much as they are taught, for which reason the divine apostle also, speaking of them, said, “So that to the principalities and authorities in the heavenly places the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known through the church.” Now, if they came to learn the divine wisdom more precisely through the life of the church, there is nothing out of order for the powers on high to be ignorant even of the mystery of Christ’s ascension when they see the human nature and do not perceive the divinity concealed in it.… No human being had ever passed through [the eternal gates]; but when God the Word became human and took up our first fruits, he both led the way up to heaven and took his place at the right hand of majesty in the highest places, above every principality, authority, dominion and every name that is n…

Let no one wonder, I ask you, on hearing of the ignorance of the invisible powers: they have neither advance knowledge nor complete knowledge—only the divine nature has that knowledge. Angels and archangels, however, and the other companies of the invisible powers know as much as they are taught, for which reason the divine apostle also, speaking of them, said, “So that to the principalities and authorities in the heavenly places the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known through the church.” Now, if they came to learn the divine wisdom more precisely through the life of the church, there is nothing out of order for the powers on high to be ignorant even of the mystery of Christ’s ascension when they see the human nature and do not perceive the divinity concealed in it.… No human being had ever passed through [the eternal gates]; but when God the Word became human and took up our first fruits, he both led the way up to heaven and took his place at the right hand of majesty in the highest places, above every principality, authority, dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

Psalms 25:3

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

I have a sufficient basis for hope, he is saying, in those who already believe in you and enjoy your aid. You are in the habit of showing care for them, while confounding those given to lawlessness.

Psalms 25:7

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.

In those expressions what he was asking for was this: According to your great mercy, remember me; remember not my sin but me in loving fashion.

Psalms 25:10

All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Those constantly reared on the sacred Words have a precise knowledge from them that all the dispensations of God our Savior are tempered with mercy and truth: to some, who repent of sins committed, he extends mercy and pardon; others unconquered he proclaims and crowns as champions of virtue, giving his verdict with truth, while admittedly on those caught up in lawlessness and not taking advantage of repentance he inflicts punishments in terms of the standard of truth.