Commentary on the Psalms 35

To you I have lifted up my eyes, to the One who dwells in heaven.

Do you see how everywhere the gain of the captivity shines forth?

For those who had ever been nailed to the things of this life, and who had put their confidence in Assyrians and Egyptians, and in the circuit of walls, and in abundance of riches—having torn themselves away from all those things, they flee for refuge to the invincible hand, and hang upon that hope, and acquire a lofty mind; and being separated from the earth, and from being occupied about the temple—since they had overthrown their temple—they now call upon God from heaven.

But He is said to dwell in heaven, not as being enclosed by a place—far be it;

but rather as resting upon the powers that are there;

since He is also said to dwell among men.

'For I will dwell in them, and walk among them.'

Finding themselves, then, in the land of the barbarians, they were schooled in no small teachings:

both to be wholly separated from the affairs of this life, and to know clearly that God, wherever he is called upon, readily inclines his ear.

For since the ray of the new commonwealth was now about to rise, the Prophet begins to strike a foretaste of the things to come, quietly and by way of riddles undoing the observance of particular places.

'Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their masters,'

'as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hands',

'so our eyes look toward the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.'

Observe here again the intensity of their reverence;

for they do not hope only for a little while, but are continually riveted and gazing with open mouth.

It is for this very reason that they brought the illustration into the midst, hinting at this same thing: that from no other quarter is there for them any hope of help, nor of alliance, nor do they look to anything else; since both the maidservant and the household slave have this one resource for their sustenance and clothing and the rest of their livelihood—namely, to look to their masters.

And the servant does not withdraw, but remains until he receives; and even when he has received, he remains grateful.

and this is their continual occupation.

Wishing, therefore, to make this plain—that they look to him, and do this continually, and have no other hope, and that they are riveted to the expectation that comes from that alliance, and that all that is theirs is his—he made mention of the maidservant and of the slaves.

Observe how those who formerly, when urged to run to God, were queasy and sinking back, have now through calamity become so much the better, that they are unwilling to depart from him, but rather to remain and to serve, and to seek the things that come from him, 'until he have mercy upon us.'

He did not say, 'until he pay the wage,' nor, 'until he render the recompense,' but, 'until he have mercy.'

You too, then, O man, remain continually, whether you receive or do not receive;

and if you do not receive, do not withdraw, and you will assuredly receive.

For if the perseverance of the widow bent that cruel judge, what pardon can you have who thus so quickly leap away, and grow weary,

and become numb? Do you not see how the maidservants hang upon their masters, letting neither mind nor eye wander astray outside? So do you also;

follow God alone, and forsaking all else, become his, and you will assuredly receive whatever you ask that is profitable for you.

'Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.'

'Our soul is exceedingly filled.'

Do you see the contrite mind? They ask to be saved out of mercy;

and not even out of mercy according to desert;

but because they have paid a heavy penalty, just as Daniel also says, 'We are brought low above all the nations upon the earth;'

this very thing these also declare through the words by which they make supplication;

'We have endured the uttermost tragedy;'

'we have fallen from our homeland, from our freedom;'

'we have become slaves of barbarians; we have been continually reproached; we have been worn down by famine and hardship and thirst; being spat upon and trampled underfoot, we have consumed all our time.'

'for these reasons, then, relent toward us and have mercy.'

But what does it mean, 'Our soul is exceedingly filled'? 'Our very soul,' he says, 'has been unstrung, has been pickled by the greatness of our miseries.'

For it is possible that many should indeed suffer terrible things, yet bear them nobly.

'But we,' he says, 'have lost even this; we are distraught, worn out with misery, we are stricken.'

For since they did not use their honours as they ought, God corrects them by the opposite things; and one may see him doing this everywhere.

Thus also Adam: since he did not use the dwelling of Paradise to his profit, he corrected him by casting him out;

and the woman, who through equality of honour had become the worse, he made better by servitude and subjection.

And these very Jews, who through freedom and through the security they enjoyed in their own land had become worse, and had kicked away and gone astray in their manner of life, he corrects by the opposite things.

These, then, imploring to obtain mercy, say to God:

'Our soul is exceedingly filled.'

'reproach to those who prosper, and contempt to the proud.'

Another renders it: 'Our soul was filled to the full with the mockery of those who prosper, with the contempt of the proud.'

Another: 'With the scorn of those who exalt themselves.'

Another: 'With the contempt of those who prosper.'

These, then, hold to one and the same meaning;

for they set forth the misery in tragic tones by saying that 'Our soul, the soul of those who are despised, was filled to the full';

but the Seventy say something different, namely that

'May these things pass over onto those men, and may they reap the very things which they have done, and may their swelling pride and their inflammation be brought low.'

And indeed one may often see this very thing come to pass;

for God is accustomed to do this continually, putting down those who breathe great swellings of pride, and humbling those who are inflamed with arrogance;

so that they may be delivered from the road that leads to wickedness.

For there is nothing worse than pride.

For this reason there are temptations and afflictions, and a mortal body, and the many changing circumstances of life;

for this reason there are sufferings and diseases, that ten thousand bridles may be set upon the soul, which is so easily lifted up and exalted into swollen conceit.

Therefore do not be dismayed, beloved, when you are tempted, but calling to mind the Prophet who says, 'It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me, that I might learn Thy statutes,' receive your misfortune as a medicine, and put the temptation to its proper use, and you shall be able to obtain a greater relief;

of which may it be granted to us all to be counted worthy, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages.