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COMMENTARY ON PSALM III Alleluia. MMONITES, MOABITES, and Idumeans, having assembled a very numerous force, at some former time waged war on the tribe of Judah. At that time Jehoshaphat was king of that [tribe], a man celebrated for piety, of the family of David. Thus on learning of the enemies' great numbers, with all the people he made an approach to God, asking for his invincible support, and in fact obtained his request: the God of all urged them to take heart against the enemies because he was their leader. At break of day, then, the enemies advanced on one another and slew one another as though [they were in] opposition, with the result that not a single one escaped the destruction. When the army of the Jews perceived this from a kind of lookout, they gave chase as though after prey at hand, despoiled the enemies and returned with great booty. As the story of the Chronicles teaches,I they entered the divine Temple with musical instruments, singing the praises of the provider of the victory. Foreseeing this, the inspired author composed this psalm as a hymn offered by the pious Jehoshaphat . There is also a title to the hymn: Alleluia, as we have already remarked, means "Praise the Lord" in the Greek language , Allelu "Praise," and ia "Lord," or "the one who is."2 (2) I shall confess to you, 0 Lord, with all my heart (v. 1): with all my mind, 0 Lord, I offer the hymn of thanksgiving. In a council and congregation ofupright people: I am not alone; rather, the assembly of the pious is also with me. At that time, in fact, the people were freed from the error of the idols, the king instructI . 2 Chron 20 tells of the campaign and the celebration; their relation to this psalm seems a matter ofwhim. 2. The term has occurred many times previously; only now does Theodoret give its etymology (a late discovery for him, too? See note 2 on Ps 113). 214 COMMENTARY ON PSALM III 215 ing everyone in piety. Consequently, he calls the body of the pious a council ofupright people. Great are the works of the Lord (v. 2): really marvelous and remarkable what was worked by his power. Exquisite in all [1777] his wishes: he does whatever he wishes, and everything that happens is marked by wisdom and invites praise by all. Confession and magnificence his work (v. 3): all things done by him--creation and its management-are great by nature and surpass nature, and deserve hymn singing by all people . By confession here he means thanksgiving. His righteousness endures forever: nothing of what is done is unjust; everything is marked byjustice, as he ever employs it in governing all things. (3) He achieved remembrance ofhis marvels (v. 4) since he obviously effected the destruction of the enemies. He did the same thing in the case of the forebears, at one time removing the Egyptians from sight, at another time cutting down the Amalekites with the extending of Moses' hands, and overcoming Canaanites, Hittites, and the other nations through Joshua son of Nun. He called the punishment of the enemies memory of the marvels, that is to say, your celebrated wonder workings, classed as false by the unbelieving, you showed to be true by the new wonder working, and you reminded us of what you performed in the case of our forebears. (4) The Lord is merciful and compassionate. He gave food to those who fear him (vv. 4-5). The other translators render food as "prey." Both are correct: they made haste for the enemies' wealth like prey at hand, and procured adequate food from that source. He will ever be mindful of his covenant. Symmachus, on the other hand, put it this way, "He gave prey to those who fear him, remembering his eternal covenant": he has an indelible remembrance of the promises made to the fathers, and on its account he gives us a share in the good things. He announced the force of his works to his people so as to give them an inheritance of nations (v. 6): in a quite manifest way he showed us his characteristic power in granting us the wealth of the foes; he not only freed us from dishonor at their hands but also transferred their affluence into our houses. (5) Truth and judgment [are] works ofhis hands (v. 7): far from his being unjust, he even acted...

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