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COMMENTARY ON PSALM 146 Alleluia. F HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH" occurs in some copies; but I did not find it in the Hebrew, nor the other translators nor did I find it in the Septuagint in the HexapIa . This psalm bids them sing the praises of the God of all, as the title also indicates:! Alleluia means, "Praise the Lord," as we often have said. (2) Praise the Lord, my soul (v. 1). The grace of the Spirit urges us all to bestir ourselves to giving glory to God. I shall praise the Lord in my life, I shall sing to my God while I live (v. 2). In the sixth psalm he said, "Because in death there is no one to remember you; in Hades who will confess to yoU?"2 For this reason we are taught to sing God's praises all life long until we come to the end of this life. (3) [1976] Do not trust in rulers (v. 3). Good advice: far from ruling forever, rulers have temporary authority, nor do all rulers esteem righteousness. To touch on both points, it was necessary to have regard of the impermanence of [human] nature ; he addsjust that, In sons ofhuman beings, in whom there is no salvation: look at [human] nature, and place no trust in its power ; "a human being has become like futility," and "man is like grass all his days."3 His breath will depart, and he will return to his earth (v. 4). He calls soul here breath; when it departs, the body retires to its own kind, according to the divine saying, "Because you are earth, and to earth you will return."4 On that day all his plans will perish with the soul parting company and the body disI . Perhaps not yet conscious that all the remaining psalms begin with an Alleluia , Theodoret takes the word as part of the title, not the opening of the body of the psalm. 2.Ps6·5· 3·Cf.PsI44·4,103·15· 4· Gen 3. 19. 357 358 THEODORET OF CYRUS solving into dust, the figment of the imagination is shown to be in vain. The Lord also taught us this in a parable: introducing the rich man whose property was prosperous and who was planning to demolish his barns and build bigger ones, he added, "Fool, tonight they require your soul of you, and to whom will belong what you have acquired?"5 With other people, too, some dream of government and influence, some of holdings of land and buildings, while others have thoughts of victories in war, and others plot overthrow of their foes; but death unexpectedly intervenes and leaves their dreams [a matter of] imagination. (4) After thus showing the futility of hope in human beings, he gives evidence of the usefulness of trust in God. Blessed is the one whose help is the God ofJacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God (v. 5). It was not without purpose that he used the name God ofJacob , instead, to remind us how great a providenceJacob enjoyed with hope in God, and how many and how great the fruits [were which] he reaped from that hope, he urges [us] to hope in that man's God, calls him Lord and God, and proclaims his power through both. Then, from the creation of the works he teaches his goodness and power. ~o made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them (v. 6). He concisely included in words the whole of creation, visible and invisible: he mentioned not only heaven, earth and sea, but also everything in them. In heaven are angels, naturally invisible things, sun and moon, and the multitude of the stars; on earth and sea are human beings and the kinds of brute beasts-such, he is saying, is the power of the Maker of all things. Consequently, you will notice the difference between corruptible rulers and the Creator of [1977] all things. (5) After thus showing in person the Creator of all things, he shows him also exercising providence over what he made. ~o protects truth forever, deliveringjudgment in favor ofthe wronged, givingfood to the needy (vv. 6-7): he is reliable in his promises, and as a lover of truth he fulfills his promises. He also defends the wronged, judgesjustly, and as well provides appropriate food to 5. Luke 12.20. The psalm does not invite historical reference, and Theodoret can apply it generally; but...

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