The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

²⁶ And because He leads that chariot unto the end, He continues and says, “A prosperous journey there shall make for us the God of our healths, our God, the God of making men safe”. Highly is grace here commended. For who would be safe, unless He Himself should make whole? But that it might not occur to the mind, Why then do we die, if through His grace we have been made safe? Immediately he added below, “and the Lord's is the outgoing of death:” as though he were saying, Why are thou indignant, O lot of humanity, that you have the outgoing of death? Even your Lord's outgoing was no other than that of death. Rather therefore be comforted than be indignant: for even “the Lord's is the outgoing of death.” “For by hope we have been saved: but if that which we see not we hope for, through patience we wait for it.” Patiently therefore even death itself let us suffer, by the example of Him, who though by no sin He was debtor to death, and was the Lord, from whom no one could take away life, but Himself laid it down of Himself, yet had Himself the outgoing of death.

27. “Nevertheless, God shall break in pieces the heads of His enemies, the scalp of hair of men walking on in their transgressions”: that is, too much exalting themselves, being too proud in their transgressions: wherein at least they ought to be humble, saying, “O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” But He shall break in pieces their heads: for he that exalts himself shall be humbled. And thus though even of the Lord be the outgoing of death: nevertheless the same Lord, because He was God, and died after the flesh of His own will, not of necessity, “shall break in pieces the heads of His enemies:” not only of those who mocked and crucified Him, and wagged their heads, and said, “If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross;” but also of all men lifting up themselves against His doctrine, and deriding His death as though it were of a man. For that very same One of whom has been said, “Others He saved, Himself He cannot save,” is the “God of our healths,” and is the “God of saving men:” but for an example of humility and of patience, and to efface the handwriting of our sins, He even willed that the outgoing of death should be His own, that we might not fear that death, but rather this from which He has delivered us through that. Nevertheless, though mocked and dead, “He shall break in pieces the heads of His enemies,” of whom He says, “Raise me up, and I shall render to them:” whether it be good things for evil things, while to Himself He subdues the heads of them believing, or whether just things for unjust things, while He punishes the heads of them proud. For in either way are shattered and broken the heads of enemies, when from pride they are thrown down, whether by humility being amended, or whether unto the lowest depths of hell being hurled.

28. “The Lord has said, Out of Basan I will be turned”: or, as some copies have, “Out of Basan I will turn.” For He turns that we may be safe, of whom above has been said, “God of our healths, and God of saving men.” For to Him elsewhere also is said, “O God of virtues, turn Thou us, and show Your face, and safe we shall be.” Also in another place, “Turn us, O God of our healths.” But he has said, “Out of Basan I will turn.” Basan is interpreted confusion. What is then, I will turn out of confusion, but that there is confounded because of his sins, he that is praying of the mercy of God that they may be put away? Thence it is that the Publican dared not even to lift up his eyes to Heaven: so, on considering himself, was he confounded; but he went down justified, because “the Lord has said, Out of Basan I will turn.” Basan is also interpreted drought: and rightly the Lord is understood to turn out of drought, that is, out of scarcity. For they that think themselves to be in plenty, though they be famished; and full, though they be altogether empty; are not turned....“I will turn unto the deep of the sea.” If, “I will turn,” why, “unto the deep of the sea”? Unto Himself indeed the Lord turns, when savingly He turns, and He is not surely Himself the deep of the sea. Does perchance the Latin expression deceive us, and has there been put “unto the deep,” for a translation of what signifies “deeply”? For He does not turn Himself: but He turns those that in the deep of this world lie sunk down with the weight of sins, in that place where one that is turned says, “From the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.” But if it is not, “I will turn,” but, “I will be turned unto the deep of the sea;” our Lord is understood to have said, how by His own mercy He was turned even unto the deep of the sea, to deliver even those that were sinners in most desperate case. Though in one Greek copy I have found, not, “unto the deep,” but “in the depths,” that is, ἐ ν βυθοῖς: which strengthens the former sense, because even there God turns to Himself men crying from the depths. And even if He be understood Himself there to be turned, to deliver such sort also, it is not beside the purpose: and so then He turns, or else to deliver them is so turned, that His foot is stained in blood. Which to the Lord Himself the Prophet speaks: “That Your foot may be stained in blood”: that is, in order that they themselves who are turned to You, or to deliver whom You are turned, though in the deep of the sea by the burden of iniquity they may have been sunk, may make so great proficiency by Your Grace (for where there has abounded sin, there has superabounded grace), that they may become Your foot among Your members, to preach Your Gospel, and for Your name's sake drawing out a long martyrdom, even unto blood they may contend. For thus, as I judge, more meetly is perceived His foot stained in blood.