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COMMENTARY ON PSALM 103 A psalm for David. [I 685J HIS PSALM SEEMS TO CONFORM to the previous one and to deal with the same theme: for in that one those lamenting the calamities in Babylon begged God to grant them return, while here they have gained what they asked and sing the praises of the benefactor. Yet I believe the hymn singing is relevant to all people freed from even harsher servitude and accorded greater freedom. The sense of the words will reveal that the latter theme is more relevant than the former.! (2) Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me his holy name (V. 1). Those feeling grateful for the divine graces bestir themselves to hymn singing, repaying the benefactor to the extent possible. It is always possible to sing his praises and to carry about a fresh recollection of the favors. These people also consecrate all that is within, and direct their whole thinking to the divine hymn; by within, in fact, he referred to thinking, pondering , and all the movements of the soul. Bless the Lord, my soul, and do notforget all his rewards (v. 2 ). Again the soul is instructed to bestir itself, expel the cloud of forgetfulness, and renew the recollection of the favors. For the rewards Symmachus, by contrast , said kindnesses. (3) Then he outlines these individually. Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases (v. 3): he has granted you the pardon for sins, he has granted you the healing of sufferings. The palsied man benefited from this: he heard at one and the same time, "Your sins are forgiven," and "Take up your bed and 1. It is rare (otherwise unknown?) for Theodoret formally to relegate the psalm's supposed historical associations to second place in order of relevance, despite his disclaimer in the preface. He proceeds to develop the psalm's spiri· tual meaning. 155 156 THEODORET OF CYRUS go home."2 Likewise the sinful woman attained forgiveness,3 likewise the brigand,4 likewise the tax collectors,5 likewise all who believed. Who redeems your life from decay (v. 4): while he freed those taken off as captives in Babylon from slavery, he did not free them from life's corruption. To us, on the contrary, he has granted the hope of resurrection, given the pledge of the Spirit, and clad us in the robe of incorruption.6 Who crowns you with mercy and compassion: "by grace you have been saved," as the divine Apostle says, and, "this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, so that no one may boast"; and again, 'Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost . But the reason I received mercy was that in me as the foremost ChristJesus might give evidence of his utter long-suffering as an example to those who would believe [1688] in him for eternal life."7 Accordingly, it is a crown of grace and lovingkindness . Likewise the divinely inspired Isaiah also cries out in the person of the bride, "Let my soul rejoice in the Lord, for he clad me in a garment of salvation, and clad me in a robe ofjoy; he invested me with a garland like a bridegroom, and adorned me with adornments like a bride"; and a little later, "You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God."8 All these are the groom's [wedding ] presents and gifts: the bride brought faith alone. (4) Who satisfies your desire with good things (v. 5). Since desire is culpable, and the divine Law forbids it, it was good for him to add with good things: the Lord fulfills our good desires, saying, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and [the door] will be opened for you: whoever asks receives, 2. Matt 9.2,6. 3. Cf. Luke 7-47-48. 4· Cf. Luke 23.43. 5. Cf. Luke 19.1-10. The degree of Scriptural documentation is an index of his relish for developing the psalm's spiritual meaning. In fact, his familiarity with the Gospels, at least in general outline, leads us to wonder why he seems not to have reached on a Gospel commentary, unless it was out of respect for his predecessors, heedingJerome's advice to Augustine when he contemplated a commentary on...

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