The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^34. Even David himself knew this. Consider his words; “You have rejected and brought him down to nothing.” Where then is Your promise? “You have put off Your Anointed.” This expression cheers us, among much that is sorrowful: for the promise of God is still valid; for You have put off Your Anointed, not taken Him away. See then what was the fate of that David, in whom the ignorant hoped for the fulfilment of the promises of God, in order that those promises might be more firmly relied upon for their fulfilment in another. “You have put off Your Anointed: You have overthrown the testament of Your servant.” For where is the Old Testament of the Jews? Where that land of promise, in which they sinned while they dwelt in it, on the overthrow of which they wandered afar? Ask you for the kingdom of the Jews; it exists not: you ask for the altar of the Jews; it is not: you ask for the sacrifice of the Jews; it is not: you ask for the priesthood of the Jews; it is not. “You have overthrown the testament of Your servant, and profaned his holiness on the earth.” You have shown that what they thought holy, was earthly. “You have broken down all his hedges,” with which You have entrenched him: for how could he have been spoiled unless his hedges had been broken down? “You have made his strongholds a terror.” Why terror? That it should be said to the sinners, “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not you.”

“All they that go by the way have spoiled him:” that is, all the heathen that go by the way, meaning, all who pass through this life, have spoiled Israel, have spoiled David. First of all, see his fragments in all nations: for it is of the Jews that it is said, “They shall be a portion for foxes.” For the Scripture calls wicked, crafty, and cowardly kings, whom another's virtue terrifies, foxes. Thus when our Lord Himself was speaking of the threatening Herod, He said, “Go, and tell that fox.” The king who fears no man, is not a fox: like that Lion of Judah, of whom it is said, “Stooping down You rose up, and slept as a lion.” At Your will You stooped down, at Your will rose; because You would, You slept. And thus in another Psalm he says, “I slept.” Was not the sentence complete, “I slept, and took rest, and rose up again, because the Lord shall uphold Me”? Why is the word ego added? And thus with a strong emphasis on the word I, they raged against Me, they troubled Me: but had I not willed, I had not slept. Those then concerning whom it was declared that they should be a portion for foxes, are now spoken of as follows; “All they that go by have spoiled him: and he has become a reproach to his neighbours”. “You have set up the right hand of his enemies, and made all his adversaries to rejoice”. Look at the Jews, and see all things fulfilled that were predicted. “You have turned away the help of his sword.” How they were used to fight few in number, and to strike down many. “You have turned away the help of his sword, and You give him not victory in the battle”. Naturally then is he conquered, naturally taken prisoner, naturally made an outcast from his kingdom, naturally scattered abroad: for he lost that land, for which he slew the Lord. “You have loosed him from cleansing”. What is this? Amongst all the evils, this is a matter for great fear; for howsoever God may beat, howsoever He may be angry, howsoever He may flog and scourge, yet let Him scourge him bound, whom He is to cleanse, not “loose him from cleansing.” For if He loose him from being purified, he becomes incapable of cleansing, and must be an outcast. From what cleansing then is the Jew loosed? From faith; for by faith we live: and it is said of faith, “purifying their hearts by faith:” and as it is only the faith of Christ that cleanses; by disbelief in Christ, they are loosed from purification. “You have loosed him from cleansing, and cast his throne down to the ground.” And so You have broken it. “The days of his seat have You shortened”. They imagined that they should reign for ever. “And covered him with confusion.” All these things happened to the Jews, Christ yet not being taken away, but His advent deferred.