Commentary on the Psalms 36

'Unless it were that the Lord was among us.'

What I have said many times, this I say now also, and I shall not cease from saying it: great is the fruit that comes from captivity, and it is able to lead those who give heed to the love of wisdom.

For behold, those who ran to idols, and despised God, and were shipwrecked upon impiety—see what they say now after the captivity, and how they ascribe their own salvation to God. And the Prophet too, like an excellent choir-leader, continually urges them to say the very same things.

At any rate, after speaking first himself, he charges them also, as a teacher charges his disciples, to say:

'Let Israel now say, Unless it were that the Lord was among us, when men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us up alive.'

For indeed they were unarmed and naked, captives and slaves, and only just now delivered from their evils, having a city without walls—or rather not even a city—and after their return they lay ready as easy prey to all;

but in place of wall and tower God became their defense.

This let us too now say:

'Unless it were that the Lord was among us, then would they have swallowed us up alive.'

For what would our enemy the devil not have done, unless the Lord were among us? Hear what Christ says to Simon:

'Simon, Simon, how often did Satan seek to sift you as wheat, and I made supplication for you, that your faith might not fail?' For the beast is wicked and insatiable, and unless it were continually bridled, it would overturn and confound all things.

For if in the case of the blessed Job, receiving but some small permission, he tore up his house by the roots, mangled his body, wrought so great a tragedy, destroyed his substance, buried his children, made worms to seethe up in his flesh, set his wife against him, prepared his friends, his enemies, and his servants to say such things—if he had not been held back by ten thousand bridles, how would he not have ruined them all? For this reason this man too says:

'Unless it were that the Lord was among us.'

For indeed they were exceedingly few, and of no account, and many fell upon them when they returned.

And in this very thing God's wisdom was displayed, in that He did not give them their security all at once, but gently and little by little.

This He did in order to keep them in the knowledge of God, and not to let the amendment that had come to them from the captivity slip away.

For since the deliverance from evils is wont to make men more careless, even in the very bestowal of good things He allows them to be continually tried, that they may have in their temptations a perpetual exercise of the love of wisdom.

He neither leaves men always in calamities, lest they grow weary, nor always in ease, lest they become more careless, but by these alternations He gives variety to their salvation.

'Then would they have swallowed us up alive.'

Do you see how he sets forth the beastlike ferocity of the assailants? For there are indeed men of such a kind, displaying the savagery of wild beasts—or rather using their own kinsmen even more cruelly than the beasts do.

For the beast, having once made its onset, spends its fury and withdraws, or once repulsed comes on no more;

but men, though they have often failed, often renew the attack, longing to taste of their very flesh.

Such is wrath, which has no reasoning;

so does the passion boil up and seethe over.

How then might the disease be quenched? If we reflect upon our own condition; if we bear death in mind, and those who depart this life each day; if we consider our very nature, that we are earth and ashes.

But if the beauty of the countenance still deceives your mind, go to the tombs and the sepulchres of your fathers, and behold those who lie there, how they have been dissolved into dust; and from that sight you will receive much occasion for restraining yourself.

But do not condemn the words as too severe.

For just as those sick with fever, once they have been freed from their maladies, have need of pure air,

so too those who rage with the passions, if they come to the tombs, as though laying hold of some health-giving place, cast out many of their maladies.

For the mere sight of the coffin is enough to bring down even the man who is utterly beside himself.

From these things send your mind onward to that fearful day to come, to those torments and the reckonings, to the punishments that have no consolation, where none shall stand beside you;

with all these things charm away the passions.

Consider also those among men who in this present life fall from wealth into poverty, from glory into dishonor;

and if you wish to be angry, be angry not with your kinsman, but with the wicked demon;

you have where to expend your passion.

With him be never reconciled; upon him expend your wrath and spend it out; against him set a snare; never be sated with warring against him.

'When their fury was enraged against us, then the water would have drowned us.'

'Our soul passed through the torrent';

'then our soul passed through the water that cannot be withstood.'

By 'torrent' here and 'water' he means the unspeakable multitude of the enemies;

for water is that which is borne along in disorder, and with great rush and violence sweeps away whatever it meets.

And he speaks here not of the onrush of the evils only, but also of their passing away.

Let us not therefore fall down when terrors come upon us.

Whatever it be, it is a torrent; it is a cloud passing by.

Whatever grievous thing you may name, it has an end;

whatever terrible thing you may name, it comes to a limit.

For if it had no end, human nature would not have been able to endure it.

'But it sweeps away many,' one may say.

But this is not owing to its own rush, but to those who are slothful and easily tripped up.

In order, then, that we may not be swept away, but may advance to its deeper places, let us examine its regions, let us lay hold of the sacred anchor, so that we may suffer no shipwreck.

For indeed the torrent is fearful for a time, and then again is abated beyond measure.

'Then the water would have drowned us.'

Another translator says, 'Then the waters would have washed us away, having passed over our soul like a ravine.'

'Then our soul passed through the water that cannot be withstood.'

Another says, 'Then the proud would have passed over our soul like the waters.'

Do you see how great is God's alliance? How, amid so many evils, He did not permit them to be submerged? For it is on this account that He allows the terrors to increase—not that He may sink us,

but that He may make us more approved, and may furnish a greater demonstration of His own power.

And by 'the proud' here he means the enemies, who, more violent than any torrent and than any unbearable flood of water,

assailing them, yet in no way harmed them.

And the cause was God's alliance, the aid from above, the succor that cannot be overcome.

For this reason too, having spoken of the deliverance from the evils, he speaks also of Him who furnished the deliverance, and does so with thanksgiving:

'Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us over as a prey to their teeth.'

'Our soul has been delivered like a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers.'

Do you see how he sets forth both his own weakness and their strength? For they came on like wild beasts and lions, ready to taste of their very flesh, and armed with power and with fury;

while they themselves were in a condition weaker than any sparrow.

For it is then above all that the wonders of God are made manifest, when the weak prevail over the mighty.

And the plot was intolerable not on this account alone, that the assailants were mighty and terrible, filled with much rage, and prepared to feast upon their flesh;

while the others were weak, and few, and easily attacked;

but also because they were caught in the very midst of the perils, having plunged into the very difficulties, with wars beset around them on every side;

yet He who is resourceful and able to deliver from every quarter, even after we had fallen into the perils, rescued us, He says, with great ease.

Wishing therefore to set this forth, he spoke thus:

Our soul is delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers.

The snare is broken, and we are delivered.

Then, showing also how, he added:

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Do you see the power of the Protector? Do you see His might? He took away the very occasions of the plot.

One might also take this in an anagogical sense, as referring to the devil and to the race of mankind.

For it shows how He snatched us away, how He undid his plots;

for this came to pass from the time when He said to the disciples:

Tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.

For the battle is no longer on equal terms, nor is the array a match, but he lies fallen flat on his face, while you stand upright, striking from above;

he is unnerved, while you are strong.

Whence then does he often conquer? From our sluggishness, from the slothfulness of those who sleep.

So that, if you were but willing to stand against him, he would not dare to draw up his line for battle.

But if he gains the upper hand over one who sleeps, this is not owing to his power, but to your negligence.

For who would not overpower a sleeping man, even if he were weaker than all? The strong man has been bound, his goods have been plundered, his power has been dissolved, his dwelling has been broken open, his swords have failed.

What more than this do you want? Why do you fear him? On what account are you afraid?

You have been commanded to trample upon one who is unnerved;

why then are you in anguish? Do you not consider what a Helper you have? For not only has the enemy become weaker, but your help has also become greater.

The leapings of the flesh have been quelled, the burden of sin has been done away, you have received the grace of the Spirit, the power of the anointing.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh.

He has made the flesh obedient, He has bestowed weapons upon you: a breastplate of righteousness, a belt of truth, a helmet of salvation, a shield of faith, a sword of the Spirit; He has given you a pledge, He nourishes you with His own body, He gives you drink with His own blood, He has placed the cross into your hand as a spear, a spear that is never bent;

He bound that one, He cast him down to the ground.

So that your defeat is henceforth without excuse, and you have no pardon if you are struck down.

For you have ten thousand occasions for victory.

The snare is broken, and we are delivered.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Do you see what a Commander you have? What a King? The Maker of this whole universe?

who by a word brought forth so many bodies, so great a mass, so great a magnitude? Do not fall down, stand nobly;

there is nothing to hinder your trophy from standing resplendent.

Knowing these things, therefore, beloved, let us be watchful, let us contend, let us not sleep, but scouring our weapons bright and stringing up our zeal, let us strike the foe without ceasing, that having borne off a resplendent victory, we may with much glory enjoy the kingdom of heaven;

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