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Doubtful Fragments on the Psalms

Hippolytus

Section 3

About this work

Author: Hippolytus

3. Let us inquire, further, why there are

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

one

hundred

and

fifty

psalms

.

That

the

number

fifty

is

sacred

,

is

manifest

from

the

days

of

the

celebrated

festival

of

Pentecost

,

which

indicates

release

from

labours

,

and

(

the

possession

of

)

joy

.

For

which

reason

neither

fasting

nor

bending

the

knee

is

decreed

for

those

days

.

For

this

is

a

symbol

of

the

great

assembly

that

is

reserved

for

future

times

.

Of

which

times

there

was

a

shadow

in

the

land

of

Israel

in

the

year

called

among

the

Hebrews

“

Jobel

”

(

Jubilee

)

,

which

is

the

fiftieth

year

in

number

,

and

brings

with

it

liberty

for

the

slave

,

and

release

from

debt

,

and

the

like

.

And

the

holy

Gospel

knows

also

the

remission

of

the

number

fifty

,

and

of

that

number

which

is

cognate

with

it

,

and

stands

by

it

,

viz

.

,

five

hundred

;

for

it

is

not

without

a

purpose

that

we

have

given

us

there

the

remission

of

fifty

pence

and

of

five

hundred

.

Thus

,

then

,

it

was

also

meet

that

the

hymns

to

God

on

account

of

the

destruction

of

enemies

,

and

in

thanksgiving

for

the

goodness

of

God

,

should

contain

not

simply

one

set

of

fifty

,

but

three

such

,

for

the

name

of

Father

,

and

Son

,

and

Holy

Spirit

.

Notes

3
[See vol. iii. pp. 94, 103.]
4
Luke vii. 41. [Dan. viii. 13, (Margin.) “Palmoni,” etc.]