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COMMENTARY ON PSALM 55 To the end. In hymns. Of understanding for David. hough blessed david spoke this psalm when pursued by Saul, turned fugitive, and forced to live in the wilderness,1 at the same time he also forecasts the Jews’ plots against the Savior, and in himself foreshadows the Lord’s sufferings. I mean, in his own person he was driven out by Saul, a beneficiary of his favors, and was betrayed by some acquaintances , and with the eyes of the Spirit he foresaw the Lord suffering the same thing, betrayed by those who had been well treated, and crucified. This is surely the reason the title also refers casual readers “To the end,” and exhorts them to pay attention “with understanding” to the words, as the inspired meaning is hidden and reaches its fulfillment after a time. In addition to this, however, the psalm is included among the hymns,2 containing as it does some premonition of the Lord’s sufferings: it is always right to sing the praises of the one who did not shrink from suffering for the salvation of human beings. (2) But let no one who takes note of the lowliness of the words consider this unworthy of the Incarnation of Christ the 314 1. We have noted Theodoret’s inclination, despite protestations in his preface, to look for a historical basis for psalms. In some cases, as with the preceding Ps 54, the LXX and (later) Hebrew text had acquired titles making some such connection, but none occurs in this case. Perhaps a local tradition had made it for him, as also in the many other such cases; Weiser remarks even of Ps 54 that the Syriac version relates it to an episode in David’s life different from the one nominated in the title, so communities differed. Of course, misunderstanding of key terms in the title encourages him to adopt such an approach, as he goes on to reveal. 2. Theodoret seems to suggest that his church had a collection of hymns of praise for their liturgy, whether or not all biblical, and that for its Christological reference this psalm was admitted to the group (perhaps Psalms of the Righteous Sufferer). Savior. Consider rather that he who did not shrink from gall, vinegar, nails, thorns, spittle, blows, and all kinds of drunken violence , and accepted death at the end would not have spurned lowliness of expression; after all, the terms should reflect the reality .3 Now, his is the statement, “Learn from me because [1269] I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”;4 and again, “I accepted a command as to what to say and what to speak, and I do nothing of my own”;5 and, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”6 These and similar remarks he uttered in human fashion, both giving a glimpse of his human nature and shoring up the limitations of the Jews. So in this case the divine David both teaches the abuse committed against himself and foreshadows the abuse coming to the Lord Christ our God, congratulating himself on the sharing of sufferings, and as it were crying aloud with Paul, “I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body.”7 Not only the inspired author, however, but also all who share in his sufferings for his name’s sake will be glorified, as the divine Paul says, “If in fact we suffer with him so as also to be glorified with him.”8 (3) While this is the force of the title and almost all the present psalm, the inspired author began by speaking this way: Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not despise my petition. Heed me, and hearken to me (v. 1). He offers various prayers, begging that all be accepted: Do not despise my laments, he is saying, but kindly heed me and supply help. I am annoyed by my idle talk and troubled by words of a foe and tribulation from a sinner (vv. 2–3). Suffering reCOMMENTARY ON PSALM 55 315 3. Here Theodoret shows his Antiochene approach both to Christology and to Scripture, and the relation between them—something more frequent in Chrysostom’s Commentary. Thanks to his Christological “realism” he is in touch with the mysteries of Jesus’ life, including those that seem to impugn divine transcendence, and likewise—and correlatively—sensitive to the inadequacies of human language to...

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