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COMMENTARY ON PSALM 73 1 A psalmfor Asaph. E HAVE ALREADY SAID that some claimed that this man was an author of the Psalms, some that he was a musician and conductor of the singers. Others, on the other hand, said David uttered these psalms, too, whereas Asaph wrote them down. Our view, however, as we have often said, is that blessed David wrote them all, which is in fact the truth of the matter.2 Still, let everyone take it as he pleases: no harm will come therefore from taking it this way or that. Under the guiding light of grace we shall make clear the psalm's meaning. (2) The people taken captive to Babylon were beset with many and varied calamities; but on seeing the Babylonians living a life of impiety and lawlessness, and enjoying great prosperity and good fortune while they themselves were in difficulty and hardship, they set to thinking about divine providence, reflecting and wondering why on earth godless people feel no effects of troubles but enjoy every good fortune, carried along by fair winds. [1444] The grace of the all-holy Spirit foresaw this from afar and, devising help for them and in fact for all human beings, wrote this psalm, giving clear articulation to their 1. In keeping with our remark at the close of Ps 72, whose concluding doxology Theodoret does not seem to take as an index of termination of a "Book Two" of the Psalter (an ancient division evidently unknown to him, though not to Eusebius), there is no sense here that he is introducing his reader to Book Three. The following block of eleven psalms associated with Asaph, however, raises an issue he addresses,just as it perhaps accounts for absence of commentary on them by Chrysostom. 2. Theodoret discussed the authorship of the Psalms in his preface. Aware of the role ofAsaph recorded by the Chronicler, he is quite flexible in allowing for divergent views--not as dogmatic as this sentence from the longer form of his text suggests (see Introduction, section 2, and note 8 to the next psalm). He requires only acknowledgment of the Spirit's guidance of the psalm's composer (as of the commentator), whom he sees not singing but speaking and writing. 3 4 THEODORET OF CYRUS thoughts and offering elucidation of their quandary. On the one hand, then, the teaching of the psalm is applicable to all those pondering or uttering such matters;3 on the other, it is expressed in the person of those returning and recounting their mental sufferings. (3) How good is the God of Israel (v. 1). He uses how not in a comparative sense but to show the high degree of goodness. Now, he says it is also the God of Israel who shows great care. To the upright of heart: yet not all know this, only those employing right and sound reasoning. After praising them in this way, he makes no secret of the tumult of his own thoughts: But my feet had come close to stumbling (v. 2): I had come close to losing my way. My steps had nearly slipped. Symmachus, on the other hand, put it this way, "My supports had almost fallen away": I was at risk, he is saying, of abandoning sound and supportive thoughts, and suffering an awful lapse; slipped suggests as much, like pouring out, coming apart, and running under. In figurative fashion he also calls his thoughts feet and stepS.4 (4) Then he cites the cause as well: Because my zeal was aroused at the lawless, on observing sinners' peace (v. 3): I became heated in seeing those living a life of impiety and iniquity, in peace and great good fortune. We see today, too, some people saying similar things against those living a life of impiety and avarice, and in their view exercising power through wealth and publicity. Because there is no denial in their dying (v. 4). Aquila, on the other hand, put it this way, 'There is no misfortune in their death," and Symmachus, 'They did not give much thought to their death." When undergoing the test of hazards, he is saying, in other words, they do not despair of their fate. Denial suggests 3. Theodoret, as we have noted, bishop though he is, does not often see it his role to acknowledge the generally pastoral application of the Psalms' sentiments , preferring historical and/or eschatological senses. But this psalm has a particular...

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