Salmos 50
John Chrysostom · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Salmos 50:2
His charm, in fact, was evident from [Zion] even in the Old Testament. I mean, the temple, the Holy of Holies, all the worship and the living of the old legislation, the multitude of priests, sacrifices, whole burnt offerings, sacred hymns and psalmody and everything stemming from it—the type of things to come from this was sketched out ahead of time. But when the reality arrived, it took its beginning from there as well. From there shone out the cross.… There occurred the resurrection, there the ascension, there the prelude and commencement of our salvation, there the ineffable teachings began to be proclaimed. There the Father was first revealed, the Only-begotten known and the wonderful grace of the Spirit given. And there the apostles took the first steps of preaching about spiritual matters, about the gifts, the powers, the promise of good things to come. Considering all this, the inspired author calls it his maturity. God's beautiful maturity, you see, is his goodness and lovingkindness and his beneficence to all people. — COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 50:1
Salmos 50:8
On this score the other inspired authors leveled their accusations, remember, that they had bypassed the more important element of virtue and were resting their hope of salvation in these things.… Yet many are the words spoken about sacrifices, whereas the law about them was passed not because his wish was preeminently for such things but because he was showing considerateness for their limitations.… God should be worshiped, after all, not with fumes and smells but with an impeccable lifestyle, not bodily but of the mind. The demons of the foreigners were not inclined this way, however; rather, they even looked for these things. A poet of the Greeks even seems to be suggesting as much in saying, "It is by the will of the gods, you see, we obtain this portion." But our God is not like that: whereas those gods thirsted for human blood and in their desire to lead them into this bloodguiltiness constantly made such demands, our God by contrast wanted to remove them gradually even from the slaughter of brute beasts and so employed this considerateness in allowing sacrifices so as to abolish sacrifices. — COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 50:4
Salmos 50:12
Though I am Lord and Master of everything, I am ready to accept from you what is mine so as to win you over to love of me. — COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 50:4
Salmos 50:14
Praise, in fact, is nothing other than commendation, glory and blessing. So let your life be of such a kind as to bless your Master, and you have performed the perfect sacrifice. — COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 50:5
Salmos 50:17
Not only do you not show any benefit from the teaching of the law, but even what you have by nature you have mutilated. The reasoning for what should be done and should not be done is set within us by nature, but you rejected it and had no recollection of it. — COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 50:7
Salmos 50:18
Most people, after all, do not simply give a verdict on their behavior from their own judgment but are also corrupted by the support of others. If sinners see everyone opposed, they believe they have committed some great crime; but if they see them not only showing no anger or irritation but exhibiting tolerance and joining forces with them, the tribunal of their conscience is then corrupted because the verdict of the majority supports their corrupt attitude. So what crime will they not attempt? When, on the contrary, will they condemn themselves and give up sinning unscrupulously? Thus it is essential that, in the case of people committing sin, they condemn themselves (this, you see, being the path to refraining from wickedness), and even if not practicing good, commend the good. The path to performance, after all, is willingness. Yet in this case, since there have been accomplices in crime, it is appropriate to apply the goad with great severity. After all, if evil flourishes to this extent even when reproved, and virtue, even when commended, has difficulty summoning its practitioners to the effort required, what would happen if these conditions did not apply? — COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 50:7
Salmos 50:20
But you suffered wrong at his hands: why, then, do wrong to yourself? Those who take revenge, after all, strike themselves with a sword. I mean, if you want to do yourself a favor and have revenge on him, speak well of the wrongdoer; in this way you will turn many people into accusers in your place and earn yourself a great reward, whereas if you speak ill of him, you will not be believed, being suspected of bias. And so the results of your exertion go in the opposite direction: whereas you are anxious to undermine his reputation, the opposite happens; it is by commendation, not accusation, that this happens, you see. You bring yourself into disrepute, while your shafts in his direction are wide of the mark. Bias in fact is the impression on the mind of the listeners, not allowing your words to gain entry to their ears. The same thing happens as in judicial objections: when someone raises an objection to evidence in court, the whole process is put on hold. Exactly so, in this instance, suspicion of bias prevents the case becoming admissible. Do not speak ill, accordingly, in case the black mark attaches to you, and instead of preparing mud with clay and bricks, you weave for him wreaths from roses, violets and other flowers. And do not bear dung in your mouth, like beetles (this is what slanderers do, you know: they are the first to be affected by the stench), but bear flowers, like the bees, and make honeycombs like them, and be gentle to everybody. Everyone feels revulsion for slanderers like a bad smell, as if they were some bloodsucker, fed on others' problems like a beetle on dung; with the person bearing a word of commendation, on the other hand, everyone associates like a member of their own body, their own brother, their son, their father. — COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 50:10