詩篇註釋 第 17 章

'To the end, for the sons of Korah, concerning the hidden things.'

Another, 'To the giver of victory, of the sons of Korah.'

Another, 'A song concerning youths.'

'Our God is a refuge and strength, a helper in the afflictions that have found us exceedingly.'

Another, 'Being found in afflictions.'

'Therefore we will not fear when the earth is shaken and the mountains are removed into the hearts of the seas.'

The prophet employs his customary philosophy, leading the hearer away from the affairs of this life and raising him up to the hope from above.

For do not speak to me, he says, of arms and walls and trenches, nor of abundance of wealth and experience in warfare and a multitude of horses, nor of bows and arrows and breastplates, nor of throngs of allies and phalanxes of soldiers, nor of bodily strength and experience of enemies.

All these things are feebler than a spider's web and a shadow.

But if you wish to behold the invincible power, the refuge that cannot be overcome, the fortress that gives sanctuary, the tower that cannot be shaken, flee to God, and draw to yourself that strength.

And well did he say, 'Our God is a refuge and strength';

showing that at times we conquer by fleeing, and at other times by standing firm and doing battle.

For indeed we must do both these things—both close with the foe and turn aside.

This Paul also did, at one time withdrawing, at another time pressing upon those who set themselves against the word of the truth.

This Christ also did, teaching us;

to act, and to know with exactness the fitness of occasions, and indeed to pray not to enter into temptation, according to that Gospel saying;

but when it has come upon us, not to grow soft, but to stand nobly.

'A helper in the afflictions that have found us exceedingly.'

What I have often said, I say now also.

He does not prevent the afflictions from coming upon us, but stands by us when they have come, rendering us useful and approved.

And the word 'exceedingly' is to be attached to 'helper.'

For He does not help in a merely ordinary way, but with abundance beyond measure, supplying a consolation from His alliance greater than the pain that comes from our afflictions.

For He does not grant us aid only in the measure that the nature of our dangers demands, but far more abundantly.

For this reason, he says, we will not be afraid, though the earth be shaken.

Do you see how He supplies aid in greater measure, and out of great abundance? For he did not say, 'We shall not only not be taken captive, nor fall,' but 'We shall not even suffer that which is common to our nature—namely, to be afraid and to tremble.'

And whence does this come about? From the fact that His alliance comes upon us out of abundance.

By 'earth' here, and 'mountains,' and 'the heart of the seas,' he does not mean the physical elements, but under these names he hints at unbearable dangers.

Even if we should see all things thrown into confusion, he says, and an unbearable turmoil, and things happening that have never happened before—even, as one might say, creation itself bursting asunder against itself, and the bounds of nature dislodged, and everything torn up from its foundations, and the primal elements confounded, and so great a turmoil arising—yet we shall not only not be taken captive, but we shall not even be afraid.

And the reason is that the Master of all these things helps us, and stretches out His hand, and stands beside us.

But if, when these things happen, we would not give way nor be enfeebled,

how much more so when enemies advance, and when foes are marshalled in battle-array.

Their waters roared and were troubled.

The mountains were troubled by His might.

While the waters roared and were made turbid, and the mountains shook in His glorious majesty.

Having said that we shall not be afraid though all things burst asunder, he then goes on to discourse concerning His power—that His might is invincible.

And with good reason he says, 'We have not been afraid'; and what He always does, He does now also: at one time He proclaims His might from creation, at another from the things that befall men—this too He does here.

And what he means is this:

He shakes all things, He makes them quake, He removes them, whenever He wills;

so easy and effortless are all things to Him.

But it seems to me that here he hints at the multitudes of the valiant, and the lofty ones among the foes, and the countless host of the adversaries.

For so great is His power, he says, that with a mere nod all these things come to pass.

How then can we be afraid, having such a Master? Selah.

They make glad the city of God;

the Most High has hallowed His tabernacle.

Another translator says, 'The holy place of the dwelling of the Most High.'

God is in the midst of her, and she shall not be moved.

God will help her early, at the dawning of the morning.

Another says, 'About daybreak.'

Having spoken of His power and might, and that all things are easy for Him, he transfers his discourse to the theme of the providential care shown to the Jews, setting forth in a few words the good things granted to them.

For this One—so powerful, so mighty and awesome, who leads and carries all things, who shakes and moves all things, who transfers and removes them—filled our city with countless good things.

For the 'river' here represents the lavishness of the supply of gifts from above, and their unhindered and outpoured abundance, as though he were saying:

As from fountains, all good things flow to us.

For just as a river, dividing into countless branches, waters the land that lies beneath it;

so the providence of God flows in from every side, borne along lavishly, rushing on with a roar, and filling all things.

And He grants us not only this, nor an unbreakable help alone, but also spiritual joy;

The Most High has hallowed His tabernacle.

And this too is no small part of His beneficence—that He called the place His tabernacle.

And not without purpose has he added the words, 'The Most High.'

He, then, who is so exalted, who is contained by no place, the ineffable Being, deigned to call our city His tabernacle, and holds it together on every side.

For this is what 'in the midst of her' means, as he says also elsewhere:

He holds her firmly together on every side.

Therefore he will not only suffer nothing dreadful, but he will not even be shaken.

And the reason is that he enjoys the swiftest alliance, one that is ready and prepared;

not tardy, nor slow, but ever fresh and vigorous, and at the fitting moment.

'The Most High gave forth His voice, the earth was shaken.'

Here he displays the power of His help.

For it was not against ordinary assailants, but against kings, with nations gathering from every side, encircling and besieging a single city, that he not only suffered nothing dreadful at their hands, but even prevailed, gained the mastery, and overthrew those who assailed him.

For this is what is meant by, 'Kingdoms were bowed down; He gave forth His voice, the Most High.'

As one might say, He took the cities at the first shout.

The expression is coarse, and what is said is rather too human.

For God does not conquer by voice and shouting, but by a mere nod and by His will.

Nevertheless, leading him up from the coarser conceptions, he devised an expression loftier than the rest.

For since he continually introduces Him as arming Himself, showing that all those things are spoken metaphorically, and rather figuratively, and by way of condescension—for God needs none of these things—he added, 'He gave forth His voice, and the earth was shaken';

showing that He shakes not only cities and nations and lands, but the very element itself.

He knows also how to call the multitudes 'earth,' as when he says:

'And the whole earth was of one lip'—that is, one language.

'The Lord of hosts is with us.'

'The God of Jacob is our helper.'

But the Hebrew, instead of 'of hosts,' said 'Sabaoth.'

See how he leads the discourse up from the earth to heaven, to the boundless multitudes of the angels, to the nations of the archangels, to the powers above.

'Why do you speak to me of armies, and barbarians, and perishing men?' he says.

Consider His might from His kingdom in the heavens—how many armies of the invisible powers He has arrayed under Himself.

And well did he call them 'powers,' indicating their might;

'Mighty in strength, performing His word.'

For indeed a single angel once went forth and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand.

'What then, if He is indeed mighty, but is unwilling to stretch out His hand to us?' 'But do not fear this either,' he says;

for this reason he added, 'our helper.'

Therefore He both wills and is able.

'What then, if we are unworthy?' 'But we have from Him a fatherly loving-kindness.'

Wherefore, adding this too, he said, 'the God of Jacob,' as though he were saying:

'This has always been His custom,' he says, 'from of old and from the beginning.'

'Come and see the works of God, the wonders which He has set upon the earth, putting an end to wars unto the ends of the earth.'

'He will shatter the bow and break the weapon in pieces'—another says, 'He broke them asunder'—'and He will burn up the shields in the fire.'

Another says, 'And He will burn the wagons in the fire.'

Having spoken about the earth, about the sea, about the mountains, about the spiritual supply that had come to them, about the alliance, he again extends the theme toward the spectators, calling them to the trophies out of much gladness and out of their disposition toward the Master, and proclaiming aloud the victories which He wrought on their behalf.

And well did he say 'wonders,' and did not say 'victories and trophies.'

For it did not come about in the ordinary course of events—

the things that took place; nor were the outcomes of the battle decided by weapons and bodily strength, but by the nod of God, the events themselves making clear that it was He who was the commander.

For since the weak overcame the strong, the few the many, the vanquished the victors, and matters turned out contrary to expectation, he fittingly calls them 'wonders,' inasmuch as they came to pass paradoxically and were extended everywhere throughout the earth.

One would not err in taking this also in an anagogical sense, and as applying to the present time.

For indeed He put an end to the grievous war of the demons, and throughout the whole inhabited world He extended peace, and He also overthrew their perceptible war along with it.

This is what Isaiah also declared when he said:

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; and nation shall not take up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

For before the coming of Christ all men took up arms, and no one was exempt from this service, and cities warred against cities, and the affairs of war were being stirred up throughout everything;

but now the greater part of the inhabited world is at peace, while all men pursue their crafts in security, tilling the land and sailing the sea;

and the soldiery, drawn up before all the rest, is but a small thing.

And even the need of this would have been abolished, if we did what befitted us, and did not require the reminder that comes from afflictions.

Here he calls His wrath 'fire,' and he speaks of a thing that came to pass, namely that they burned up their weapons, having conquered by main force, and the chariots too, which is what Ezekiel says:

and as many as are lovers of learning know the history.

Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Another renders it: Be healed, and know.

And the Hebrew says: 'Ouarphou ouadou.'

Here it seems to me that He is discoursing to the nations, all but saying this:

You have indeed come to know His strength, He says, and His power that is stretched out over every part of the inhabited world;

but you have need of stillness, you have need of a sound soul.

And the word 'Let be' signifies the same thing:

let go of your error, be delivered from your former manner of life, take breath from the mist of the wicked affairs that hold you fast, so that, being led by the hand through the teaching of the miracles and keeping your soul at rest, you may come to recognize the God of all things.

For the miracles alone do not suffice, unless the soul also be well-disposed.

Since among the Jews too miracles took place, and yet nothing more was accomplished toward their salvation.

For just as the rays of the sun do not suffice, unless the eye also be clean and healthy,

even so here also the miracles alone do not suffice.

Therefore, having discoursed concerning those things, He exhorts those who are about to reap the benefit from them to take breath from the evils that hold them fast, so as to learn the God who is over all things.

Be still, and know that I am God—not the idols, nor the carved images.

Be still, therefore, and I will furnish you with many proofs.

For this is the meaning of, 'I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth';

that is to say: Through My works I shall be shown to you to be great and lofty.

For that nature possesses its own proper height—that pure and inexpressible nature.

But since you do not perceive this, I will also demonstrate it to you through My works.

And not only in Palestine, nor only in Jerusalem, but also among you, the nations.

In this way indeed is He exalted, mastering them and prevailing over them, working miracles in Babylon, miracles in Egypt, miracles in the wilderness, miracles in every part of the inhabited world, so that from every quarter they might have instruction in the knowledge of Him.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our helper.

This God, then, who is everywhere great, everywhere lofty, this One stands ever with us.

Fear not, neither be troubled, since you have such an invincible Master;

to whom belongs all honour and glory, together with the Father who is without beginning, and His life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.