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COMMENTARY ON PSALM 62 To the end. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. ymmachus, on the other hand, rendered it thus: “A triumphal song to David, by Jeduthun.” So he indicates that the psalm was blessed David’s but sung by Jeduthun: in his capacity as leader of a choir he sings to the God of all in the divine Temple, as the book of Chronicles says.1 Now, the psalm prophesies the Macedonian invasions and the stratagems of Antiochus Epiphanes against the Maccabees, and teaches the practitioners of piety the kind of thinking they should employ in the time of adversity. (2) Will not my soul be subject to God? (v. 1). Under pressure to transgress the divine Law, sacrifice to idols, and eat pork, they arouse their own thinking in the direction of piety and heighten their enthusiasm for piety. Do you not prize the service of God, O soul, ahead of everything else? Then he teaches the advantage coming from this. From him comes my salvation; being my God and my savior, he is my support, I shall no longer be moved (vv. 1–2): this service brings you salvation, O soul: God it is who is both provider of good things and capable of supporting those who are confused. Accordingly, by calling on his assistance I shall be rid of those trying to upset me. (3) Having thus enkindled their thinking in regard to piety, they direct their words to their adversaries. How long will you beset a person, will all of you seek their ruin, as though a tottering wall or toppled fence? (v. 3). Now, the meaning of this verse is hyperbolic; it is this: What degree of cruelty do you use against us, giving no 353 1. Cf. 1 Chron 9.16, 16.41–42. As his comment on the title to Ps 39 suggests (see note 1 there), Theodoret resists any suggestion that the Psalms are not all David’s, conceding to Jeduthun only his musical role—without, however, coming round to see other items in the title as liturgical directions . consideration to our natural commonality, but instead striving to overthrow us and bring us low, like some tottering wall and fence in danger of being toppled by the wind, with such murderous thoughts in your mind? In other words, do not belabor us so severely, as though we were without strength: we have the God of all as our helper. Yet they plotted to spurn my dignity (v. 4). They [1332] have one end in view, he is saying, to deprive me of God’s providence, on which I base all my status and good name. It is the dignity of godly people, you see, to serve God; hence the divinely inspired Paul everywhere classes himself as slave of Christ. They pursued their course thirstily: this scheme of theirs is no pastime; rather, acting entirely from zeal, they are thirsting to hurl me into the depths of impiety.2 Now, he mentions what kind of wiles they employ: They blessed with their mouth, but cursed in their heart: they use a mere patter in an attempt to deceive, but they have destruction hidden within. (4) Having thus revealed the others’ schemes, they urge each other in turn to be staunch and await divine aid. But be subject to God, my soul, because my endurance is from him (v. 5): do not forsake the service of God, O soul, but since your strength has come from the aid provided by him, put up with the shafts of adversity. Because he is my God, my savior, my support; I shall not wander far (v. 6): knowing him to be both true God and source of salvation, I shall not bring myself to alter my contract and betake myself to a different allegiance. He put wander far to mean “transfer”; I shall not become a wanderer, he is saying, in thrall to impiety. In God is my salvation and my glory; God is my help, and my hope is in God (v. 7). Lo, once again the inspired message gives us a clearer glimpse of the persons of the Trinity, undivided, illumining, and everlasting—not to imply three Gods (perish the thought), as “God,” “King,” “Creator,” and “All-powerful” apply to the persons , as we have often said.3 This is surely the reason they often use the same words—God, Savior, glory, and help—to speak of the God of all, for the...

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