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Theodoret of Cyrus

Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 1,374 passages across 50 books

Commentary

1,101–1,120 of 1,374
Psalms 38:14

Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

History teaches this more clearly. Even when Absalom mounted a case against his father and drew to his side those who had lost cases in judgment, blessed David was long-suffering. When Shimei berated him with voice and hand upraised, he took the abuse in silence; and he forbade Abishai to try to exact justice against the culprit in the words, “Let him curse me because the Lord bade him curse David.”

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 38:6

Psalms 38:17

For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

Sin made me deserve whipping, he is saying; thus I submit myself to punishment. I long for treatment at your hands, pricked as I am by the pangs of sin.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 38:7

Psalms 40:3

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

In place of the impious worship of the idols I was taught to sing the praises of the true God and offer a song—not an old one but a new one, suited to the new favors. I no longer make supplication in dirges, you see; instead, I sing of the favors. So this is related, as I said, to the sufferings of David as a type and to the favors done to him. And it is related in particular to the human race sunken to the very depths of sin and consigned to death but retrieved through the incarnation of our Savior and given the hope of resurrection.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 40:3

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.

The wonders performed by your power, he is saying, defy counting and all description: there is no one who can do the like. While your creation is great and beautiful, what you arrange time after time in your providence surpasses human praise—in Egypt, in the wilderness, in the case of Moses, in the case of Joshua, in the case of Samuel, and earlier instances than those, having to do with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the royalty Joseph gained through slavery, not to mention all the other cases individually.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 40:4

Psalms 40:7

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

The apostolic exhortation sings a similar note to this, “I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, the worship according to reason.” In place of the rites of the Law, the Lord required us to consecrate our limbs. Now, seeing your grace, he says, I offered myself to you in the words “Here I am.” This statement, of course, blessed Paul applies to Christ the Lord, and rightly so: he is our nature’s first fruits, and it is fitting for him in the first place to speak for us and in himself to prefigure in type what is appropriate in our case.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 40:5

Psalms 40:9

I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

Blessed David promises to preach God’s righteousness, the truth of inspired composition, the admirable salvation and immeasurable mercy in a great assembly gathered by divine grace throughout the whole world. And redeemed nature itself promises to give this response to its salvation by flocking to church, moving its lips in hymn singing, proclaiming God’s righteous judgment, recounting his ineffable care and giving a glimpse of the truth of the inspired promises.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 40:7

Psalms 40:12

For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

The church of God, buffeted by billows from the godless, in its struggles is not carried away but attributes developments to sins and failings and begs to enjoy assistance from the Savior. In a particular way, the church of God is not composed completely of perfect people; instead, it numbers also those addicted to sloth and inclined to the careless life, who choose to serve pleasure. Since it is one body, both features are displayed as in the case of one person.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 40:8

Psalms 41:1

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

Though having lordship of visible and invisible things, he had nowhere to lay his head, was born of a virgin and through lack of bed was laid in a manger. Consequently, the inspired Word declares blessed the one able to understand this poverty and filled with zeal to sing the praises as far as possible of the one who accepted it.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 41:2

Psalms 41:4

I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

I am the one who is poor, he is saying, who embraced voluntary poverty, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, who makes my own the sufferings of human beings, who though having committed no sin offers the prayer for human nature as nature’s firstfruits. It should be noted, however, that Symmachus said not “because I sinned against you” but “even if I sinned against you.”

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 41:4

Psalms 41:6

And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

Now, the outcome of events testifies to these things: furtively they conversed together and looked for the way to implement the plot. Then they made a charge of overthrow, saying to Pilate, “He makes himself king and forbids us paying tribute to Caesar,” which is what the prophecy says: “They set up a lawless plan against me.” That is, they leveled a charge of lawlessness against me.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 41:5

Psalms 41:11

By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

All this was said on the part of the nature assumed, which was involved also in the passion.… Since, then, the assumed nature remained free of all wickedness, it was right for him to say, “But you supported me for my innocence and confirmed me in your presence forever”: I received a stable unity, the combining was indivisible, the glory everlasting.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 41:7

Psalms 42:1

To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

I am longing and thirsting for the worship of my living God, he is saying. “To see the face of God” means worshiping him according to the Law, and such worship was confined to Jerusalem.… very appropriately do they name God “strong and living” as they take note of the lifeless and immobile idols of the Babylonians.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 42:2

Psalms 42:4

When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

After the sad events, therefore, he proclaims pleasant ones and ahead of time teaches that they will quickly secure their recall, and with the guidance of God’s grace, they will return to the land of their desire and will rebuild God’s house, will celebrate the customary festivals and welcome into their ears the festive sound and spiritual melody.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 42:3

Psalms 42:11

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Do not despair of salvation, O soul, he is saying: you have God as Savior; in him you gain sound hope. Quench your discouragement and receive consolation.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 42:7

Psalms 43:1

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

The psalm is without a title in the Hebrew for the reason of having a similar meaning to the preceding one.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 43:1

Psalms 43:5

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

From this it is clear that both psalms have the same meaning. Those using them encourage themselves to have stronger hope, overcome the feeling of discouragement and await the salvation from God that will doubtless be given them.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 43:5

Psalms 44:2

How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

You, O Lord, he is saying, drove out from here the Canaanites along with the other nations, settling our ancestors in their place: it was not by trusting in strength or depending on armor that they emerged stronger that such people, but led by your grace they felled some and took others into slavery, since you accorded them a special relationship with you—the meaning of “you took delight in them.”

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 44:2

Psalms 44:4

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

You are the same even now, Lord, he is saying, ruling in similar fashion, overpowering in a similar fashion, exercising the same force, your nature undergoing no change. For you simply a word suffices for salvation: give the nod, and the people will enjoy it.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 44:3

Psalms 44:26

Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

Now, all this the grace of the Spirit foretold, teaching those who would experience those troubles to bear nobly what befell them and request relief from them from the God of all. Those remarkable people did exactly that: with their words they appeased God, led by him they routed the enemy, and they recovered their former freedom for their fellow citizens.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 44:10

Psalms 45:3

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

After describing his charm and wisdom, he gives us a glimpse of both his power and his accouterments, which he used to wipe out his adversaries, teaching us the baffling character of it all.

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 45:4

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