Conversations on the Psalms

“Conversations on Psalms” (60 conversations) were presumably written in 394-397. St. John Chrysostom touches on topics such as: - sin and repentance (Ps. 3:6); - vices and virtues (Ps. 4,11,48,119,131,139,142); - prayer (Ps. 4,7,9,122,129,133,140,141,142); - Church of Christ (Ps. 5:44,116,128); - home singing of psalms and hymns (Ps. 41,134,150); - Divine providence for the world and man (Ps. 8,12,45,47,113,114,120,126,135,138,144,146); - Judgment and wrath of God (Ps. 9:49,108); - hope and trust in God (Ps. 10,124,125,130,141,145); - love for God (Ps. 41,43,111,115); - gratitude and praise to God (Ps. 110,112,115,117,147,149); - about earthly and heavenly Jerusalem (Ps. 121,136,147); - struggle with passions (Ps. 123.143); - patient enduring of passions (Ps. 124,125,127); - God's mercy (Ps. 137); - love is the queen of virtues (Ps. 132). In conversations there is polemic with the Arians, Manichaeans and followers of Paul of Samosata (Ps. 8:46,109,148). Unlike his other Old Testament interpretations, in this St. John quotes the Holy Scriptures not only in the LXX translation, but also draws on the translations of Symmachus, Aquila and Theodotion (see: Ps. 4,9,53,55, etc.). Conversation 1 on Psalm 3 Conversation 2 on Psalm 4 Conversation 3 on Psalm 5 Conversation 4 on Psalm 6 Conversation 5 on Psalm 7 Conversation 6 on Psalm 8 Conversation 7 on Psalm 9 Conversation 8 on Psalm 10 Conversation 9 on Psalm 11 Conversation 10 on Psalm 12 Conversation 11 to Psalm 41 Conversation 12 to Psalm 43 Conversation 13 to Psalm 44 Conversation 14 to Psalm 45 Conversation 15 to Psalm 46 Conversation 16 to Psalm 47 Conversation 17 to Psalm 48 Conversation 18 to Psalm 49 Conversation 19 to Psalm 108 Conversation 20 on Psalm 109 Conversation 21 on Psalm 110 Conversation 22 on Psalm 111 Conversation 23 on Psalm 112 Conversation 24 on Psalm 113 Conversation 25 on Psalm 114 Conversation 26 on Psalm 115 Conversation 27 on Psalm 116 Conversation 28 on Psalm 117 Conversation 29 on Psalm 119 Conversation 30 on Psalm 120 Conversation 31 on Psalm 121 Conversation 32 on Psalm 122 Conversation 33 on Psalm 123 Conversation 34 on Psalm 124 Conversation 35 on Psalm 125 Conversation 36 on Psalm 126 Conversation 37 on Psalm 127 Conversation 38 on Psalm 128 Conversation 39 on Psalm 129 Conversation 40 on Psalm 130 Conversation 41 on Psalm 131 Conversation 42 on Psalm 132 Conversation 43 on Psalm 133 Conversation 44 on Psalm 134 Conversation 45 on Psalm 135 Conversation 46 on Psalm 136 Conversation 47 on Psalm 137 Conversation 48 on Psalm 138 Conversation 49 on Psalm 139 Conversation 50 on Psalm 140 Conversation 51 on Psalm 141 Conversation 52 on Psalm 142 Conversation 53 on Psalm 143 Conversation 54 on Psalm 144 Conversation 55 on Psalm 145 Conversation 56 on Psalm 146 Conversation 57 on Psalm 147 Conversation 58 on Psalm 148 Conversation 59 on Psalm 149 Conversation 60 on Psalm 150 Preface to the Conversations on Psalms 1 150 psalms composed by David, which were performed by his assistants on musical instruments. The idea that not all psalms were composed by David is erroneous. After Moses and his successor Joshua, after the so-called judges of Israel and after Saul accepted kingship over the Israelites and was rejected, God raised up for them a virtuous, righteous and prophet king, who compiled a book of 150 psalms, inspired by the Holy Spirit, (written) in measured speech, characteristic of his native language, and sung euphoniously with variety in the voice, with various musical instruments, with rejoicing and choruses. He himself used the psalter and had under his control various choirs of minor prophets; This is how he called the men who treated the prophets, and sometimes he called them sons of the prophets. They had various musical instruments, one - cymbals, another - flutes, one - tympanums, this one - trumpets, another psaltery and harp, another - the so-called shepherd's pipes. Moreover, each choir had a leader, of whom one was called Asaph, another Idithum, others - the sons of Korah, another - Etham the Israelite, another - (in the name of) Moses the man of God. Thus, when David was inspired in spirit to preach either about the captivity of the people, or about their return, or about moral teaching, or about the providence of God, or about the Lord Christ, he composed a psalm in measured speech, so that each corresponded to its content - that is why there are small and large psalms - and gave it to some choir. If he indicated to stop in the middle of the psalm and transfer the next part of the psalm to another choir, then such a succession of psalmody was called a “change of tone” (διάψαλμα). So, when in the middle of the psalm he wanted to convey it to the so-called shepherd's pipes (ὠδοῖς βουκολίοις), it was called ὠδὴ διαψάλματος, because the pipes successively began to sing the rest of the psalm ( Ps.9:17). Anyone who wants to can learn about this from the books of Chronicles, in which it is written: and “caused” David to sing this song by the hand of Asaph the prophet (1 Chronicles 16:7). After the first choir transmitted the psalm to the other, the following choirs, sometimes each separately, sometimes all together, with pleasantness and agreement, one on some, and the other on other musical instruments, alternately and with jubilation sang the psalm in honor and glory of God. And this can be concluded from the fact that David himself, having returned the ark from the foreigners, rejoiced before him and, when his own wife, Michal, reproached him, answered: “I will play and dance before the Lord” (2 Samuel 6:21); he not only did not stop, but also expressed his intention to do it with even greater zeal. Some, without delving into the order and essence of the matter and not wanting to learn this from those who knew, turned to allegories, and even began to assert that not all the psalms belonged to David, but also belonged to those persons who received the psalms from him, whose names are clearly indicated. Meanwhile, neither the Lord nor the apostles anywhere mention any other writer of any psalm except David. So, so that the listener has a clear idea of ​​the structure, let us imagine David sitting, and in front of him to the right and left are the choirs. Then we will talk about those psalms that he was honored to prophesy about the economy of the Lord, His suffering and resurrection for humanity - psalms that represent diversity in the type of composition and forms of expression. In the same way he declared that He, the Lord, is eternal in Godhead, that He is the creator of the universe and the renewer of the whole world, and that He is the purpose of all inspired Scripture. The choir of Idithum, the choir of the sons of Korah, the choir of Etham the Israelite, the choir of Asaph, and the choir of Moses the man of God - these were the choirs of the prophets who were under his direction, who, playing on various musical instruments, sang with rejoicing to the glory of God 150 psalms inspired by the Holy Spirit. This text is classified as Dubia in Min's edition. You might be interested in: