Diodorus of Tarsus

“It is also necessary to indicate the difference between the term diapsalma and the song of the diapsalma, or in short what their meaning is. While diapsalma means a change of tune and alteration of rhythm, then, and not a shift in thought, as some commentators believed, so does song of the diapsalma, since frequently singers changed the tunes according to the availability of instruments. So it indicates alternation in styles and rhythms, not change in ideas. It is, in fact, ridiculous to mention anything else, though some commentators have come up with extraordinary notions, like the Spirit coming on the author at one time and withdrawing at another, which did not happen—perish the thought. I mean, the Holy Spirit did not grant the authors the grace of addressing the text in the manner the demons do to those unaware of what they are saying; rather, he implanted in their mind complete understanding, and on receiving this knowledge they gave voice to it to the extent of their capability, not uttering what they did not understand in the manner of the seers but having complete knowledge of the force of their words. As I said, therefore, the occurrences of diapsalma and songs of diapsalma are changes in rhythms and styles, not alterations in ideas. The movement of thought also reveals this: after the reference diapsalma you never find the following thought in opposition to what precedes, being instead sequential and consistent. Hence it is clear that the occurrence midstream of diapsalma involved no interruption to the thought of the text, instead perhaps altering the rhythm in keeping with the norms of music and rhythm applying at the time.”

“There are therefore two forms of tribulation: we either inflict tribulations and sufferings on ourselves as a result of mismanagement, or we fall foul of them despite our best intentions. The former tribulation requires us to show endurance and patience, the sufferers being aware that there is nothing harmful in what comes from God, and it is they themselves who reap the thorns they personally sow. The righteous request, by contrast, is a case of the latter tribulation of which we fall foul despite our best intention, when as often happens we are the victim of brigands, we suffer shipwreck or we come close to death by illness, in all of which cases the righteous request brings joy. It is in regard to them that David confirms that often when he was involved involuntarily in distress and begged God's assistance, he was not only rescued but even was vouchsafed more generous providence—the sense of given space, since though tribulation constricts and depresses the soul, relief and joy expand and elate it.”

“Their deceit, in fact, was in claiming God does not exercise providence, and their futile thinking was the conviction that the judge does not exercise surveillance. This thought constantly overtakes sinners: they think they will not pay the penalty, rejecting the judge's role along with his providence. This is not so, however, he is saying, not so!”

“When you are angry, do not sin further by thinking there is no divine providence. Instead, realize that much of what happens surpasses your understanding, and it is better to submit to the one who is aware and capable of everything. After all, if we allow surgeons to burn and cut the sick person on account of their skill, and do not get upset at their art despite the pain of the operation, how much more when we fall foul of more grievous and trying events that God, like a skillful surgeon, either applies to us or allows, like burning or the knife, do we not submit to such great skill by convincing ourselves that he does everything for our benefit, especially since nothing but good was likely to happen? So "Are you angry?" he asks; "do not sin."”

“The forms of your providence are inscribed and indelibly etched, as it were, on each person's heart; after all, who is the provider and who the supplier of what is needed from without for life? In fact, perhaps it was for this reason also that you put us in a state of need, so that we might not forget the provider of what we need and receive. After all, you were capable first of making us feel no need, and then of giving us some nourishment sufficient for several days; you were not prepared to do this, however, causing us instead to look for it each day so that you might have the opportunity for supply, and those receiving it daily might not forget you as the giver. So who will set at nought, he asks, the manifest signs of your providence, or prove totally unmindful of it?”

“If long-suffering were not associated with his justice, there would have been nothing to stop him punishing day in day out, since sinners always provide grounds for just punishment. Sinners, however, should not for this reason be disposed to indifference: those of right mind rightly respect long-suffering as a threat and take delay in wrath as an aggravation of punishment; this should also be the attitude of those on whom the imposition of judgment does not fall promptly.”

“Since he said that the Lord's sayings are pure and unmixed with falsehood, he goes on to say that as silver brought into contact with fire is found to be purified of every defilement, so also such commands of God emerge sincere and unaffected by falsehood. The phrase "seven times" means repeatedly, his meaning being that it is exceedingly pure and untainted with falsehood.”

“The psalm's theme, in fact, is clear: it is uttered on the part of David himself when he suffered the effects of the sin with Bathsheba. On falling foul of every harsh, grievous and painful incident on that account, remember, he then identified the sin as the cause, especially on hearing that "the Lord has taken away your sin." You see, while he received the gift as coming from a loving Lord, he thought it behooved him not to forget the sin but instead to advance in virtue with the degree of determination he required to be preserved from committing such a sin against so good a lord. But on being caught up in the events involving Absalom in particular, he believed the outcome was God's abandoning him and realized the sin was most of all to blame. He therefore asks God to be completely reconciled to him and not forsake him but to lift the weight of misfortune that was proving too heavy for the strength of the sufferer.”

“Such people will never learn from experience what a harsh thing it is to do wrong to the Lord's people, so bitter are they toward us as to wish to treat us like a meal of bread.… Since they are ready to swallow us raw, then, and do not have the Lord before their eyes, fear will overtake them from a quarter where they do not expect it.”

“Whoever abhors the wicked, even if they are very rich, while "honoring those who fear the Lord," even if they are very lowly and poor, will live in honor and respect. There is therefore need to consider how in the apparent reply of God complete instruction in virtue emerges, the intention being for a person first to attend to piety and righteousness, then to keep one's distance from all wicked behavior, and after this not to admire the deportment of the rich if piety does not accompany wealth.… One should have especial regard for the poor provided they did not have a change of heart for the worse as a result of poverty but rather continued to be devoted to a godly way of life.”

“Blessed Peter in the Acts of the Apostles took these words as applied to the Lord.… He did not, however, take the words as though he were undermining their factual basis, but as more applicable to the Lord than to those of whom they were said, especially since it was also in the case of the Lord that the outcome of the events more appropriately brought out these words than in the case of those who live for a while but later are consigned to death—the Israelites themselves, I mean. Nothing therefore prevents either the factual basis being preserved or these words being understood of the Lord.”

“This psalm has a title consistent with the theme, as can be found also in [2 Samuel]. Blessed David uttered it in thanksgiving, in fact, toward the end of his life when reminding himself of all the favors he had been granted by God throughout his life. It is typical of pious people, you see, to keep constantly in mind God's kindnesses done to them, and especially at the time of death it seems right to them to number them, both out of gratitude and also to teach those coming later how great is God's providence and lovingkindness toward those hoping in him.”

“The phrase "I shall love" does not mean I shall love you from this point on since you always provided me with many things; rather, the tense has been changed, and the meaning is, my love and affection for you, my master, were always right and proper. I felt benevolence and longing for God, in fact, for he proved to be everything to me in time of need—strength in war, steadfastness in endurance, refuge in misfortune, rescuer from all the schemers. So while even the opening of the psalm sufficed as a perfect hymn of praise, anyone with love for God repeatedly adopts the same sentiments as an intense form of thanksgiving when occupied in recalling God's graces. In a range of texts, in fact, he seems to recite and go over the same sentiments in the process of recalling every event from childhood to old age in which God provided him with help and support.”

“Having made his introduction to this point, from now on he recounts more descriptively how many dangers he encountered and how God against the odds rendered him always superior to the schemers. He also recounts the dangers in a very figurative manner, as also the help of God, the greater the difficulties, the greater the lovingkindness rescuing him from such awful dangers.”

“He presents him as a general come to the aid of his own man, mentioning as arrows all the missiles indiscriminately—hail, coals, things that are naturally used as missiles.… In fear of the one appearing and the missiles and lightning flashes, the earth bared itself in all directions so as even to reveal its hidden secrets, springs, and anything else hidden in its depths. "At your rebuke, Lord." The exclamatory remark emphasized nicely that creation has no one else to dread in this way except the author of creation himself.”

“Since by the Holy Spirit he understood that God's promises were not confined to him alone but would pass also to his offspring, so he spoke in this way here with particular reference to Christ's life. The outcome, in fact, showed that David's offspring, blessing and sanctifying the nations, referred to no one other than the Lord of all. The blessing affected the offspring without restriction, after all, and following David, remember, there were many famous descendants of his in each generation (Christ himself thought to be the one proven to be famous and great)—first Solomon, then Uzziah, then Hezekiah, then Josiah—yet none emerged as more precisely realizing the force of the promise than Christ alone, and after him there was no one, nor is there anyone to whom the blessing of the promises would be thought to refer. After all, with Judah in captivity and the tribes intermingled, and no clarity as to who was descended from whom, it is now obvious that the fulfillment of the promise rested with Jesus himself, to whom in this case as well both the prayer and the prophecy allude, "To David and his offspring forever." I mean, those of the company of Hezekiah, even if they seemed to enjoy some grace from God, did not do so forever, death befalling each one with the result that they were not the subject of blessing forever.”

“This nineteenth psalm is doctrinal: just as the fourth, also being doctrinal, censures those claiming that existing things do not benefit from providence, so too the present psalm levels an accusation against those who claim … that existing things were made by no one, instead coming to be by themselves. Necessarily following on this is the view that these things also do not merit providence: with no admission of the Creator, the provider is also not acknowledged by them, either.”

“Now, where there is order there is also proof of the one determining order, and there too denial of being self-made, since what is not done by anyone cannot show order. All these visible things surely illustrate order. So he is saying, "They announce some pattern and cry aloud the order of the orderer and the folly of the notion of being self-made."”

“Having given instruction in regard to devotion, at this point he proceeds to speak of the sins in respect of human beings and puts people on the alert so as to realize what is an involuntary sin and what voluntary, and how they differ from each other, and further into how many types involuntary sin is divided. He employs an admirable division, first dividing sin into two, voluntary and involuntary. After this he divides the involuntary sin into three, since for example we fall when compelled, or through weakness or when mislead; or we do something when an incident occurs that is more influential than good intentions, or we prove too weak to overcome the power of lust and fall into sin, or in many cases we make a judgment with the best of intentions but by some deception we are inveigled into doing the opposite.”

“He did well to focus his attention on providence in general, asking … "Who is the one who shaped me in the womb, who is the one who brought me from the womb, who is the one who nourished me at maternal breasts and brought me to this stage of life?" Having anticipated my needs and provided me with such benefits when I contributed nothing, then, will you now cut me adrift when I both perceive your kindness and am able to give thanks? What, then? "Do not keep your distance from me, because tribulation is nigh, because there is no one to help me": as you provided all these benefits … therefore, now too, when they all advance against me with intrigues and you are the only one left for my salvation, lend help.”

“He mentions what is typical of people worried and distressed: since all worry affects the heart, he did well to add "my heart was melted like wax," my mind having no stability or composure or sound hope; instead, under pressure from the threats and depressing expectations my thoughts dissolved like wax. Next, as happens also with those in distress, "my strength was dried up like a potsherd": all my condition left me, depression reducing me to great dryness.”

“By "youthful sin" he refers to the people's sins in Egypt, where they committed idolatry, remember. So now, he is saying, remember not those sins but your lovingkindness, by which even then you were kind to them in their ignorance and had mercy on them of your own accord even without being asked; and so now, too, exercise such care and lovingkindness for your own sake.”

“How is it, if God is naturally loving and merciful, that he allowed some people to be subjected to punishments? David added "and upright" to bring out that justice accompanies goodness. He goes on, in fact, "Hence he will legislate for sinners in the way": for this reason, that justice also is an attribute of his, "he will legislate for sinners in the way," that is, he will correct sinners so as to bring them to uprightness. In regard to sinners, he is saying, God gives evidence of justice, whereas in regard to others it is goodness.… Nevertheless, whether people are punished or enjoy happy outcomes, they find everything happening to their own benefit, provided the mind is set on God and does not waver.”

“Having referred to the victory in the introduction, he states these two clauses by way of narrative; lest he seem to be giving thanks needlessly, he introduces as well the reason for thanksgiving in the words "When some enemies assembled against me who were so fierce and unrelenting as even to take a piece of me, as it were, then in particular I clearly sensed God's help, with their fall and our conquest."”

“He says "my lot" in the sense of all my relief and all my tribulation. Since everyone has times when they are distressed and times when they are also made happy, he means, "my lot," the times allotted to me for being made glad and for being distressed, all these are "in your hands" and capable of being changed as you wish.”

“Being human, we are all irked by the prosperity of the affluent, especially when they are dishonest. So from the outset he immediately gives this exhortation: Do not imitate evildoers, even if they are rich, nor lawbreakers, even if from their wickedness they amass wealth. Why not? Because … though flourishing for a time, such people have a rapid end. He did well to compare them with flowers: they also delight the eye for a time but are unable to bear the heat and dry up at once.”

“The wicked not only grows rich but even plots against the righteous, God's permission causing both developments to go ahead; but let it not alarm you. God in his foreknowledge [is] aware of the fate of the wicked and [sees] the righteous person's endurance.… God looks ahead to [the wicked person's] fate and mocks his threats and his frenzy, aware as he is of the future. Thus in many cases when the wicked think they have gotten the better of the righteous, then it is that sudden ruin overtakes them when unexpected punishment is inflicted on them by God.”

“"I said" [has] the sense, "I determined," his meaning being, I determined within myself not to sin against my oppressor simply in action but also not to say anything against him by word of mouth, especially since what is initially verbal abuse turns to physical abuse, and the person who is determined not to do physical harm ought not have recourse to verbal abuse.”

“By "evil day" he refers not to it as naturally evil—a day not being evil by nature, since if it were, the day would transfer the responsibility to its creator. Instead, by "evil day" he refers to the one on which a person is enveloped in distress, affliction and pain or falls victim to illness or some other hazard. So he means, when such a day comes, God, who lends help, is not asleep.”

“The one who shared the same table with me and the same food proved to be a foe the more threatening the more he concealed his malice under his close relationship. The Lord also suffered this in the case of Judas: in that case, too, it was not someone from the outer group of disciples who concocted plots but one who gave the impression of being closely related and sharing with him table and food.”

“You notice that he hints more clearly at the repayment here in his mentioning, not vengeance by the wronged but personal disappointment by the frustrated, which resulted in their punishing themselves on seeing the one they envied held in high esteem. His meaning here is, in fact, Show, Lord, how you care for me by their not rejoicing in the vile hopes they have for me.”

“His meaning is, direct well-aimed words, like arrows, at the hearts of the listeners, and as a result all peoples will be subjected to you as well (using a metaphor of people wounding with arrows and subjecting the wounded). He means, your arrows are so effective that not only will they subject disciples but also fall on enemies and bring them into subjection.”

“Since he had said "king," he went on to say, not only ours but of "all the earth": the one responsible for some people conquering and others being conquered, as he wishes, no matter from what quarter they mount their charge, how could he not be confessed as king of all? The phrase "sing with understanding" means with a sense of what has been done and keeping in mind the achievements.”

“All wisdom comes to be known by reflection and dissemination. So his meaning is, I deliberate on some wise ideas, and with the intention of disseminating them I want you all to be hearers of what is said by me. Hence his reference to "pondering," for each person to realize that far from coming to instruction by accident, they are brought to learn by deep pondering and much practical experience.”

“He presents his whole discourse as if God personally were present and judging, thus his addition of "he will not keep silence," that is, he will choose to judge the judges in no other way than by personal inspection and as though by his very presence. Then, to bring out that he arrives in retribution and as a cause of deep fear, attended by sanctions like bodyguards, he goes on, "A fire will burn in his presence, with a severe storm around him": just as the rulers of the earth have heralds going ahead to inspire submission with their shouting, so too God comes in person with fire going ahead and a severe storm to inspire fear in those due to be judged. By "storm" he refers to a power capable of drawing down to hades.”

“On arriving in an obvious manner, then, with fire and storm as his bodyguards, God will summon everyone from all quarters as if to appoint those present as witnesses of the judgment. So whom does he summon? The heavenly powers from on high (the sense of "above") and the whole "earth" from below, and he will hold court on them.”

“Adam was a type of Christ not with respect to his sin or his righteousness—in this respect the two men were opposites—but with respect to the effects of what he did. For just as Adam's sin spread to all men, so Christ's life also spread to all men. Adam was also a type of Christ in another respect. For just as he was the head of Eve, in that he was her husband, so also Christ, being its bridegroom, is the head of the church.”

“At first sight it may seem that this verse contradicts what Paul said [in verse 12] above, for there he spoke of death having come to all humanity, whereas here he says only that many have died. In fact there is no contradiction, because death, although it came upon all because we have all sinned, came only to test and to try everyone. Death does not destroy all sinners automatically but only those who persist in their sins. By saying that "many died" Paul shows merely that many turned out to be unrepentant in their sins.”

“Paul wants to say that it was because of Adam's sin, although it was only one, that God condemned many, on account of the fact that they copied Adam. But the grace of the Lord was measured not according to that one sin but according to the many sins which all had committed. Thus Christ transformed many sins into righteousness.”

“What was Adam's sin? Disobedience. What was Christ's righteousness? Obedience, by which he obeyed the Father in his incarnation and in his suffering for mankind, as the apostle says: "Being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." Thus obedience overcame disobedience and the worse was condemned by the better.”

“Paul is saying that if Christ had died for sinners two or three times, there would be no danger in going back to our old sinful ways. But as he only died once, we who have been buried and risen again with him will not die to sin again. There will be no second baptism, no second death of Christ. Therefore we must be careful to stay alive.”

“It is clear from Romans [2:14] that even without the law the Gentiles knew what was required of them. It must therefore be accepted that they knew, though they did not know everything. For there are things which some Gentiles regard as good and proper while others reject them as bad and unlawful. Therefore the giving of the law was necessary to define for us what should and should not be done, outlining for us and showing us what the behavior of a righteous person is.”

“If sin "revived" it is clear that it must have been alive at some earlier point and then died. When was that? It was when the devil deceived and defeated Adam, who had received the commandment and knew what transgression meant. Cain too knew that he was sinning, having been commanded not to murder his brother. It was after that that there was no commandment and no law, and so sin was knocked out by the ignorance of those who committed it.”

“Having already mentioned the Spirit of Christ, Paul refers to him once more, calling him "the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead." By saying that the Spirit of Christ is also the Spirit of the Father, Paul teaches clearly that the Spirit of the Son partakes of the Father's divinity and that their power is one, because they share the same essence as the Father.”

“Here "suffer with him" does not mean that we should sympathize and come to the aid of the sufferer, as it usually does in everyday parlance. Christ did not suffer in order to get attention, nor did he undergo weakness in order to gain the sympathy of those who felt sorry for him. To suffer with Christ means to endure the same sufferings that he was forced to suffer by the Jews because he preached the gospel.… If we suffer with him we shall be worthy to be glorified with him as well. This glory is the reward of our sufferings and is not to be regarded as a free gift. The free gift is that we have received remission of our former sins.”

“This text does not take away our free will. It uses the word foreknew before predestined. Now it is clear that "foreknowledge" does not by itself impose any particular kind of behavior. What is said here would be clearer if we started from the end and worked backwards. Whom did God glorify? Those whom he justified. Whom did he predestine? Those whom he foreknew, who were called according to his plan, i.e., who demonstrated that they were worthy to be called by his plan and made conformable to Christ.”

“Because the promises which had been given to the Jews had been transferred to the Gentiles, Paul wanted to avoid the charge that God had lied about his promises, and so he shows how God remains faithful. The Scriptures make it clear that it was not those who were Israelites according to the flesh but those who by their godliness showed that they were worthy to be Israelites who were called children of Abraham.”

“Do not dare to condemn God or imagine that he showed mercy on one and hardened another by accident, for it was according to the power of his foreknowledge that he gave each one his due. Nor is he guilty because he knew in advance what would happen, but rather each of those who was foreknown in this way is responsible for his own actions, whether good or evil.”

“What does it mean to say that "all Israel will be saved?" Just as we say that the whole world and all the nations are being saved because everywhere and among all nations there are those who are coming to faith, so also "all Israel will be saved" does not mean that every one of them will be but that either those who were understood by Elijah or those who are scattered all over the world will one day come to faith.”

“Paul uses the word wrath to describe God's punishment, not because it is some kind of passion in God but because men would find it difficult to understand God's judgment if they did not hear it compared to wrath. For since men respond to those who sin against them in wrath and anger, Scripture uses the same words to describe God's reaction, because then the average person can hear and understand it.”

“When we realized what the advantages of good works are, the message of salvation became easier to understand than it was when we first believed. For when we believed in Christ we did not immediately acquire an exact understanding of what we should be doing, nor was it clear to us what we should stop doing and what we should continue doing.”