THE HARP OF PROPHECY
Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity Series Gregory E. Sterling, Series Editor Volume 20 The University of Notre Dame Press gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Jack and Joan Conroy of Naples, Florida, in the publication of titles in this series.
THE HARP OF PROPHECY Early Christian Interpretation of the Psalms E D I T E D B Y B R I A N E. D A L E Y, S.J., A N D PAU L R. K O L B E T University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, Indiana
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F O R Ralph and Rosa Kolbet A N D John and Florence Daley, who taught us to bless the Lord.
For as the different strings of the harp or lyre, each of which gives forth a sound of its own seemingly unlike that of any other, are thought by the unmusical who do not understand the theory of harmony to be discordant because the sounds are dissimilar, so are they who have not ears to detect the harmony of God in the holy scriptures.... But if a reader comes who has been instructed in God s music, one who is wise in word and deed, and for this reason may be called David which is interpreted skillful player he will produce the sound of God s music.... For he knows that the whole scripture is the one, perfect, harmonious instrument of God, which blends the different sounds, for those who wish to learn, into one harmonious song of salvation. Origen of Alexandria, Commentary on Matthew 2 in Philocalia 6.2 A psalm is the blessing of the people, the praise of God, the acclaim of the masses, the applause of all, the universal speech, the voice of the church, the melodious confession of faith, devotion full of authority, the joy of liberty, the cry of delight, and resounding happiness. A psalm soothes anger, banishes anxiety, and alleviates grief. It is protection at night, instruction by day, a shield in fear, a feast in holiness, the image of tranquillity, the guarantee of peace and harmony, which produces one song from various and sundry voices in the manner of a harp. Ambrose of Milan, Explanatio super Psalmos XII 1.9
C H R I S T I A N I T Y A N D J U D A I S M I N A N T I Q U I T Y S E R I E S ( C J A S ) The Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity Program at the University of Notre Dame came into existence during the afterglow of the Second Vati can Council. The doctoral program combines the distinct academic dis ci plines of the Hebrew Bible, Judaism, the New Testament, and the Early Church in an effort to explore the religion of the ancient Hebrews, the diverse forms of Second Temple Judaism, and its offspring into religions of Rabbinic Judaism and the multiple incarnations of early Christianity. While the scope of the program thus extends from the late Bronze and Early Iron Ages to the late antique world, the fulcrum lies in the Second Temple and Early Christian periods. Each religion is explored in its own right, although the program cultivates a History-of-Religions approach that examines their reciprocally illuminating interrelationships and their place in the larger context of the ancient world. During the 1970s a monograph series was launched to reflect and promote the orientation of the program. Initially known as Studies in Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity, the series was published under the auspices of the Center of the Study of Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity. Six volumes appeared from 1975 to 1986. In 1988 the series name became Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity as the editorship passed to Charles Kannengiesser, who over - saw the release of nine volumes. Professor Kannengiesser s departure from Notre Dame necessitated the appointment of a new editor. At the same time, the historic connection between the series and the CJA doctoral program was strengthened by the appointment of all CJA faculty to the editorial board. Throughout these institutional permutations, the purpose of the series has continued to be the promotion of research into the origins of Judaism and Christianity with the hope that a better grasp of the common ancestry and relationship of the two world s religions will illuminate not only the ancient world but the modern world as well. Gregory E. Sterling, Series Editor
C O N T E N T S Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations xi xiii Introduction 1 Paul R. Kolbet ONE Finding the Right Key: The Aims and Strategies of Early Christian Interpretation of the Psalms 11 Brian E. Daley, S.J. TWO King David and the Psalms of Imprecation 29 Gary A. Anderson THREE Restringing Origen s Broken Harp: Some Suggestions Concerning the Prologue to the Caesarean Commentary on the Psalms 47 Ronald E. Heine FOUR Athanasius, the Psalms, and the Reformation of the Self 75 Paul R. Kolbet FIVE Evagrius Ponticus: The Psalter as a Handbook for the Christian Contemplative 97 Luke Dysinger, O.S.B. SIX Gender Allegories in Basil of Caesarea s Homily on Psalm 45 127 Nonna Verna Harrison
x Contents SEVEN The Virgin, the Bride, and the Church: Reading Psalm 45 in Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine 149 David G. Hunter EIGHT A Sharp Pen versus Fragrant Myrrh: Comparing the Commentaries of Cyril of Alexandria and Theodore of Mopsuestia on Psalm 45 175 Ronald R. Cox NINE Theodoret s Unique Contribution to the Antiochene Exegetical Tradition: Questioning Traditional Scholarly Categories 191 John J. O Keefe TEN The Emergence of Totus Christus as Hermeneutical Center in Augustine s Enarrationes in Psalmos 205 Michael Cameron ELEVEN An Ecclesiology of Groaning: Augustine, the Psalms, and the Making of Church 227 Michael C. McCarthy, S.J. TWELVE A Psalm Unto the End : Eschatology and Anthropology in Maximus the Confessor s Commentary on Psalm 59 257 Paul M. Blowers Aid to Numbering Psalms in Early Christian Sources 285 Bibliography 287 List of Contributors 315 Scripture Index 319 General Index 326