Commentary on the Psalms 61

Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.

Praise Him, all His angels.

Such is the custom of the saints, out of their great gratitude: whenever they are about to give thanks to God, to call many to share in the praise, and to invite them to join in laying hold with them of this goodly service.

This the three young men also did, when they were in the furnace, calling all creation to the praise for the benefit bestowed upon them, and to the hymning of God.

This too he does here, calling upon each world, the world above and the world below, the world perceived by sense and the world perceived by the mind.

This the prophet Isaiah also does, as when he says:

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, for God has had mercy on His people.

And this same prophet again, when he says:

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a barbarous people, the mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like the young of the flock.

And again in another place Isaiah:

Let the clouds rain down righteousness.

For since they are not sufficient by themselves for the praise of the Master, they go about to take all as sharers in the hymning.

And this above all he does continually, as when he says, 'And let all the angels of God worship Him.'

And again, 'Mighty in strength, that do His word.'

And yet another point he establishes from these things.

What then is this? That none of the more irrational sort should suppose there to be two creators.

For since the creatures are diverse, and stand apart from one another in their essences—the one being perceptible to the senses, the other intelligible—

the one visible, the other invisible—

the one is filled with bodies, while the other is bodiless—lest anyone, from the diversity of the works, should introduce diverse creators, he sets up a single choir, leading up from all of them one melody unto Him, and saying that the same God ought to be praised both by the world above and by the world below, thereby also showing that the Creator of both is one.

And first he begins from above, saying:

'Praise Him, all His angels;'

'praise Him, all His hosts.'

Another version: 'All His armies;'

meaning the Cherubim, the Seraphim, the Dominions, the Principalities, the Powers.

This belongs to a soul exceedingly ablaze, this to a love set on fire—to rouse all men to the praise of the One who is longed for;

this belongs to a mind that continually delights itself in the thought of God, that is amazed and marvels at His glory, and is wholly devoted to Him.

'Praise Him, sun and moon;'

'praise Him, all you stars and light.'

'Praise Him, you heavens of heavens;'

'and let the waters that are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord.'

'For He spoke, and they came into being;'

'He commanded, and they were created.'

'He established them for the age, and for the age of the age.'

Another version: 'He established them to abide eternally.'

'He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.'

Why, having said little concerning the heavenly powers,

did he quickly leap away from there, and, having brought his discourse to the things that are seen, here draw it out at length, going through each one in detail, the things above and the things below? Because these were clearer to those who were then listening, being visible and lying before their eyes.

Therefore Moses too, when beginning the account of creation, and having discoursed nothing about the things above—neither small nor great—makes his beginning from heaven and earth, and then passes on through sun and moon, and herbs, and creatures that swim, and four-footed beasts, and brings his account to a close with man.

But in saying here 'heavens of heavens,' he does not indicate a multitude, but calls the same one 'heaven of heaven.'

For in the language of the Hebrews it is customary to call heaven 'heavens';

just as also elsewhere it says:

'The heaven of heaven is the Lord's;'

'but the earth He has given to the sons of men.'

'And the water that is above the heavens.'

You heard Moses also saying that, of the waters, some He let remain below, while others He caused to be borne aloft above the backs of the heavens, fixing the firmament in the midst of the abyss, and leaving the waters to remain above its backs.

And how do these things praise Him—one might perhaps ask—seeing they have no voice, no tongue, no soul, no reasoning, no mind, no organ of speech, no understanding? Because there are two modes of glorifying:

one, that which is through words; another, that which is through the sight of them; and a third besides these, that which is through life and works.

For indeed, from men not only when they speak, but even when they are silent, glory is offered up to God;

just as Christ also says:

'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'

And again, 'Those who glorify Me I will glorify.'

There is also a glorifying through the tongue, as Moses too gave glory together with Miriam, saying:

There is also the praise that comes through creation itself, as this very one says:

'The heavens declare the glory of God;'

'and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands.'

So here too creation praises Him by its beauty, its arrangement, its magnitude, its nature, its usefulness, its service, its permanence, and by the benefit that arises from these things.

Therefore, when he says, 'Praise the Lord, you angels, you powers, you heavens, moon, sun, stars, and the waters that are above the heavens,' he means this: that each of the things that have been made is worthy of the wisdom of the One who made it, and is full of great wonder;

which Moses too said briefly at the very beginning:

'And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good;'

so good that it glorifies the One who made it, and leads the beholder into the praise of its Fashioner.

This praise, then, he speaks of: the beauty of the things that have come into being, giving birth to a hymn of praise to their Maker.

'For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.'

And this prophet too, having spoken of the creatures and having left it to the sight of those who behold them to learn their beauty and their magnitude and their usefulness, himself sets forth another cause, saying that 'He spoke, and they came into being;'

'He commanded, and they were created.'

'He established them for ever, and unto ages of ages.'

'He set a decree, and it shall not pass away.'

That they are indeed beautiful and marvellous, the very sight of them makes plain;

but that they also have a Maker, and that these things are neither self-originated nor uncreated—this too can sufficiently be discerned even from the interpretation of creation itself.

But if anyone should be in doubt, let him learn from me that it has a Maker and Fashioner, a Provider and Guardian.

For here he sets down two things, or rather three;

and if anyone should examine closely, even four:

that He made them, and made them out of things that were not, and made them with ease, and that He upholds them once they have come into being.

For the saying, 'He spoke,' makes plain the ease;

as Paul also said, making it plain:

'Of Him who gives life to the dead, and calls the things',

by the word 'calling' hinting to us at the ease of it.

And that He also upholds the things that have come into being, the prophet himself again shows by adding, 'He established them for ever, and unto ages of ages.'

'He set a decree, and it shall not pass away.'

Observe here again how he intimated the authority, the sovereign power, not only by their standing firm, but also by the word 'decree,' hinting at His working through human expressions.

For just as it is easy for you to speak, and simple to give an order,

so for God it is easy to make things that were not, and to uphold them once they have come into being;

or rather, not so, but much more so.

For it is not even possible to convey the surpassing ease with which He made these things.

And what is truly marvellous is not only that He upholds them, nor merely that the laws of nature stand unmoved, but that they do so over so boundless a stretch of time.

Consider, then, how great an age has passed, and yet nothing of what exists has fallen into confusion;

the sea has not flooded the land, the sun has not scorched this visible world, the heaven has not been shaken, the bounds of night and of day have not been confused, nor the turnings of the seasons, nor any other such thing;

but each thing, both of those below and of those above, has stood with all exactness, preserving for Him the bounds that were once appointed from the beginning.

Having spoken, then, concerning the creation above and the things in heaven, he comes down to the earth.

And what he did with the things above—beginning from those above the heavens and descending to the heavenly things—this he does here also, leaping from the heavenly things to the earth.

For since there are some who say that the things in heaven are worthy of God's craftsmanship, but who find fault with the things upon earth—alleging that in it there are scorpions, vipers, serpents, and the rest of the tribe of wild beasts, and the unfruitful trees—against these, as though making a defence, he handles the argument in yet another way.

Leaving aside the things acknowledged to be good—sheep and oxen, whose usefulness experience itself demonstrates, asses, camels, and whatever is serviceable for the transport of our goods—he turns his discourse to the things that seem useless, bringing forward serpents, and the unnavigable part of the deep, and the things that seem to cause distress, such as fire, hail, snow, and ice;

then the unfruitful trees, the mountains;

And again, leaving the plains behind—those level tracts suited to farming and to the bearing of cultivated crops—he passes on to the mountains and the hills and the more desolate regions, and he makes mention of all the creeping things.

In order, then, that we may learn these things more clearly, it is worth while to give heed to the very words themselves.

For after saying, 'He hath set a decree, and it shall not pass away,' he went on to add:

'Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps;'

'fire, hail; snow, ice, stormy wind—which fulfil his word.'

'The mountains and all the hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars;'

'the wild beasts and all cattle; creeping things and winged fowl.'

For what reason does he handle his discourse in this way? To display out of the very abundance of things the providence of God.

For if the things that seem to be useless, and even hostile to the human race, are yet so good, so serviceable, that they too render up a hymn to God and give Him glory through their own making,

then, if it seems good, let us go through each one of the things that have been named.

'Dragons,' he says, 'and all deeps.'

By 'dragons' here he means the sea-monsters, as also elsewhere, when he says, 'This dragon, whom thou hast formed to play therein.'

And in many places one may see this creature so named.

'And how does this praise its Maker?' someone asks.

And how does it not praise Him? For when you behold its size, the compact framing of its body—which the Scripture in the book of Job recounts with fuller clarity—

how will you not marvel at the Creator, at how vast a creature He brought forth? And not merely because of

its size alone, but also because He allotted to it as its dwelling that unnavigable part of the sea.

And it is worthy of wonder how it does not overstep its own bounds, being a wild creature and exceedingly huge, but remains keeping to its own places as its abode; and not only does it not come out onto the land, nor toward the inhabited region, but it does not even ravage that part of the sea that is fit for navigation.

It does not devour the kinds of fishes, but dwells within its own region.

And it is not these things alone that are worthy of wonder, but also the deep, how great it is in depth.

And what holds true concerning the beast, this same thing may be seen concerning the sea as well.

For it too, though unbearable under the violence of the winds and holding so vast a multitude of waters, does not burst forth from its own bounds, nor flood the neighboring land, but it also is fettered with immovable bonds;

and yet the nature of waters is disorderly.

But when there is so great a multitude of them, and it is driven by so many winds, consider what a great wonder it is that the sea, neither by reason of its disorder, nor its mass, nor its violence, falls out of its own region, but preserves all order amid such disorder.

Reflecting on these things, therefore, you will be able even from them to weave a hymn to God, and to marvel at His power, His wisdom, His might, His authority.

And there are also other reasons, hidden beyond these, which He who made them knows Himself.

Do not say, 'Why is this? To what end is this?' For all things came into being for His use.

'Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy wind—which fulfil his word.'

Here he adds yet another thing along with the things already mentioned.

For in the former psalm he marveled at this, that in a brief moment of time the snow overspreads the whole earth, that the ice congeals, that it is transformed, that it passes over into its opposites;

but here he marvels that they came into being out of non-being, and that once brought into being they endure, and that while enduring they fulfil the rank of servants—although they are without reason—and carry out His command into action with much obedience.

Nay rather, one single command has often accomplished even things contrary to nature, as in the case of the Babylonian furnace, where the fire was shown to be doing both things at once—both burning and bedewing.

'Is this, then,' he says, 'worthy of thanksgiving?' Aye, and of much thanksgiving indeed.

For we must praise God alike, both when He chastises and when He relaxes from chastisement.

For both are the work of His tender care, both are of His goodness.

For men do the one out of goodness, but the other out of malice and wrath;

but God does both out of love toward mankind.

We ought, therefore, to praise Him alike, both because He set Adam in paradise, and because He cast him out; and to give thanks not only for the kingdom, but also for hell.

For this too He both made and threatened, in order to deliver men from wickedness.

Just, then, as we marvel at a physician who not only nourishes, but also throttles with fasting; who not only leads out into the market-place, but also shuts up somewhere within doors; who not only anoints, but also cauterizes and cuts;

For even if the things that come to pass are contrary to one another, yet they all look toward one single end.

So too it is fitting to praise God above all things, and much more so, in the measure that the one is God, while the other is but man.

And this too: that men's affairs often turn out to the very opposite of their purpose, whereas the works of God are wrought with becoming wisdom and providential care.

Hail and fire do not only inflict punishment, but they have also delivered from punishment, halted wars, and beaten back advancing enemies.

Or do you not know how many wonders were worked in Egypt through these elements, both in the days of the Jews and in our own generation? And so great is the power of Him who commands, that the very things which He wrought through angels—those intelligent and mighty powers—these He often worked as miracles through the elements as well, so that when an angel also should perform them, none of the more foolish sort might reckon the deed to the angel, but to Him who gave the command.

Did an angel then halt a war? Hail, too, has halted one.

Did an angel slay the firstborn? A storm of the sea, too, destroyed a whole people.

Therefore give thanks for all things to the God who loves mankind.

All you hills, fruitful trees and all cedars;

the wild beasts and all cattle, creeping things, and winged birds.

See how He rather delights to dwell among the more useless things—mountains and glens, and hills, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and unfruitful trees.

For the fruit-bearing things have their usefulness plain of themselves, just as do the level plains and the tame animals;

but the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the mountains, and the unfruitful trees—what use do they accomplish? one asks.

Much indeed, and exceedingly great, a use that sustains our very life.

For toward building, mountains and hills and unfruitful trees are exceedingly serviceable to us; and if we did not enjoy the use of these, nothing would hinder our race from perishing.

Just as, then, we have need of the cultivated lands for our nourishment, so too we have need of the unfruitful trees and of stones for building houses, and for constructing countless other things from them.

But the serpents, one says, and the scorpions, and the dragons, and the lions—what usefulness do they bring into life? And what is the gain from them? Great and unspeakable, and no less than that of the tame animals.

For the one sort is serviceable for the body's need;

but these others set up a wall of fear for you, and dispose you to sober-mindedness, and keep you on your guard, and remind you of the forefather's sin in paradise, and show you how many evils disobedience is the cause of.

For the wild beasts were not such before this—fearsome and to be fled from by man—but were tame and easily handled.

At any rate God brought them to Adam, and he himself set names upon them.

The serpent converses with the woman, and Eve does not spring away.

But when the commandment was transgressed, and God was disobeyed, the prerogatives of that honor were cut off.

Whenever, then, you see a lion, whenever you see a serpent, call to mind the narratives, and these things will furnish you with no small ground for reflection.

And call to mind Daniel too—how, when he had returned to the ancient image, the fearsome beasts were things to be despised by him;

and from this you will reap no small earnestness and care for the soul.

And along with these, from yet another side one may marvel at God's economy concerning them and His ordering of them.

And what is this? That for these creatures too He set apart regions remote from the cities—the deserts;

and so, though they are fearsome, they do not delight to dwell in the cities, nor do they run down those who live within, but they cherish and love the wilderness—God having from above allotted this to them, that they should have a fitting place and a portion for their dwelling.

For whenever you are asleep, then those creatures come out into the wilderness.

This the prophet also shows in another place, speaking thus:

You appointed darkness, and it became night;

in it all the beasts of the forest go abroad.

Do you see how even now there remain to you the traces of your dominion—maimed though they be, yet still holding a hint of the ancient honor? For like slaves they have been banished both in time and in place;

and unless you go out against them, they do not come out, but make their abode in the deserts.

But if you are downcast and vexed as to why wild beasts came to be, you are being exceedingly senseless.

For if you well order your own affairs, you will suffer no harm from this quarter;

but if you do receive harm from wild beasts, consider that from men also you have often received harm more grievous.

For a man too can be more grievous than a wild beast.

For the beast has its ferocity plain to see, but this man hides his wickedness under the mask of fair-seeming gentleness, whence he is often hard to guard against.

But if you are watchful, neither beast nor man will be able to work you any harm; rather, they will even confer upon you the greatest benefits.

And why do I speak of beast and man, when the devil himself not only did Job no harm, but even became for him the occasion of countless crowns? Why do I speak of beast and man, when even by the very elements that lie within you, if you grow slothful, you will suffer things far more grievous—as, for instance, from bile or phlegm, if by some lack of measure you overlook

the excess of these? Thus on every side there is need of a watchful mind.

But just as, being slothful, you would from this incur the greatest harm, so, being watchful and awake, you will in turn reap no ordinary benefit;

for the whole matter rests upon your own resolve.

What snow is in the universe, and fire and wind, that also in the body are phlegm, and blood, and bile.

And these must be governed with the best of reason, so as to reap some profit from them and not be harmed.

And why do I speak concerning the body, when the soul too has certain things which, if you let them run out into excess, become diseases, but when chastened, become helps? For anger, indeed, if you use it as you ought, becomes for you a medicine of salvation;

but if used without measure, it becomes an occasion of destruction.

And desire, when it is dispensed with measure, makes you a father;

and indeed it has become useful for the begetting of children;

but when let loose, it often casts you down into fornication and adultery.

Do not, then, blame circumstances, but in every case your own resolve; for if you neglect this, you will be harmed by yourself, and perish by your own body;

but if you take care of it, you will suffer nothing dire or unpleasant, neither from the demons, nor from the devil, much less from wild beasts.

Kings of the earth, and all peoples.

Rulers, and all judges of the earth.

Elders together with the younger. Another version: With the young.

Let them praise the name of the Lord.

Here again he sets in motion another kind of providence, that of rulers;

which Paul also lays down in his Epistle to the Romans, showing with much wisdom that it is the work of God's wisdom to have ordered this whole world into rulers and ruled.

'For he is God's minister to you for good,' he says.

But if you take this away, the whole is undone.

For if, even now when there are rulers, and many among them corrupt, the need of the institution is so great that even when they are ill-disposed much benefit accrues, consider—if those entrusted with authority administered it well—how great a prosperity the human race would enjoy.

But the framing of the authorities has been the work of God;

while that wicked men are brought to this office and do not use it as they ought, belongs to the wickedness of men.

He says, therefore, that both for the existence of kings and for the existence of judges, one must render great thanksgivings to God.

For, taking care of the good order of men, and that the multitude should not be disposed more irrationally than wild beasts, He granted rulership and kingship, just as He granted the arts of driving a chariot and of steering a ship.

If, then, you are a ruler, give thanks to the God who loves mankind, that you have received an occasion for such great care;

and if you are one of the ruled, give thanks again, that you have one who cares for you and does not leave you to be plotted against by the wicked.

And whether you come into old age, or whether you are young, give thanks to God.

For this above all is what this psalm establishes throughout: that one must praise Him on behalf of all things, whether you be a ruler, or whether you be of the people.

Wherefore, making this plain also, he said, 'And all peoples.'

'Whether you are young,' he says, 'or grown old, whether woman or man.'

For His name alone is exalted.

His confession is upon earth and heaven.

And He shall exalt the horn of His people.

A hymn for all His holy ones, for the children of Israel, a people drawing near to Him.

And what he says is of this sort:

I have shown, indeed, from all things visible, His care, His glory, His majesty;

but one must praise Him not on account of these things only, but even apart from them.

For indeed even before these things, and apart from these things, the height and the glory and the thanksgiving that comes from all men are allotted to Him together as His own.

The word 'of Him alone' he spoke by way of contrast with those who are not truly gods.

Then, leading the hearer up to a loftier conception, he draws him again from the earth to the heaven.

For just as, beginning from heaven, He came down to the earth, so from all things visible He leads him up again above the heaven, saying:

His confession is upon earth and heaven.

That is to say, even though the powers above, the invisible and spiritual ones, do not cease from giving thanks and singing hymns, yet nevertheless this God, so great and so exalted, deigned to name us also His people—and not only to name us, but even to raise us up and to exalt us.

'And He shall exalt the horn of His people,' by this again drawing them toward a greater service of Him, showing that it is not because He has need of the service that comes from them—for how could He who by nature has glory allotted to Him together and so great a creation set in subjection to Him?—but out of goodness alone He made them His own kin to Himself, and made them everywhere renowned and illustrious throughout the world.

Which very thing indeed, making it plain, he was saying:

A hymn for all His holy ones, for the sons of Israel, for a people that draws near to Him.

For lest by this again he should make them more slothful and more careless by his saying 'and His people,' and lest, taking confidence in this alone, they should neglect the virtue that pertains to the soul—

when he said 'a hymn for all,' he did not say simply 'for men,' but 'for His holy ones';

and again, having said 'for the sons of Israel,' he added, 'for a people that draws near to Him.'

But another translator, instead of 'a hymn,' said 'a praise.'

What then he means is of this sort:

if you are holy, if you draw near to Him, you shall enjoy much glory.

For all that is His is sufficient in itself, since He is so rich and possesses so great a glory.

But it is needful henceforth that the things which come from us should also follow, and then we too shall enjoy much of the splendor, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might, unto the ages of ages.