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Doubtful Fragments on the Psalms

Hippolytus

Section 4

About this work

Author: Hippolytus

4. The number fifty, moreover, contains seven sevens

‹ Section 3 Section 5 ›

,

or

a

Sabbath

of

Sabbaths

;

and

also

over

and

above

these

full

Sabbaths

,

a

new

beginning

,

in

the

eight

,

of

a

really

new

rest

that

remains

above

the

Sabbaths

.

And

let

any

one

who

is

able

,

observe

this

(

as

it

is

carried

out

)

in

the

Psalms

with

more

,

indeed

,

than

human

accuracy

,

so

as

to

find

out

the

reasons

in

each

case

,

as

we

shall

set

them

forth

.

Thus

,

for

instance

,

it

is

not

without

a

purpose

that

the

eighth

psalm

has

the

inscription

,

“

On

the

wine

-

presses

,

”

as

it

comprehends

the

perfection

of

fruits

in

the

eight

;

for

the

time

for

the

enjoyment

of

the

fruits

of

the

true

vine

could

not

be

before

the

eight

.

And

again

,

the

second

psalm

inscribed

“

On

the

wine

-

presses

,

”

is

the

eightieth

,

containing

another

eighth

number

,

viz

.

,

in

the

tenth

multiple

.

The

eighty

-

third

,

again

,

is

made

up

by

the

union

of

two

holy

numbers

,

viz

.

,

the

eight

in

the

tenth

multiple

,

and

the

three

in

the

first

multiple

.

And

the

fiftieth

psalm

is

a

prayer

for

the

remission

of

sins

,

and

a

confession

.

For

as

,

according

to

the

Gospel

,

the

fiftieth

obtained

remission

,

confirming

thereby

that

understanding

of

the

jubilee

,

so

he

who

offers

up

such

petitions

in

full

confession

hopes

to

gain

remission

in

no

other

number

than

the

fiftieth

.

And

again

,

there

are

also

certain

others

which

are

called

“

Songs

of

degrees

,

”

in

number

fifteen

,

as

was

also

the

number

of

the

steps

of

the

temple

,

and

which

show

thereby

,

perhaps

,

that

the

“

steps

”

(

or

“

degrees

”

)

are

comprehended

within

the

number

seven

and

the

number

eight

.

And

these

songs

of

degrees

begin

after

the

one

hundred

and

twentieth

psalm

,

which

is

called

simply

“

a

psalm

,

”

as

the

more

accurate

copies

give

it

.

And

this

is

the

number

of

the

perfection

of

the

life

of

man

.

And

the

hundredth

psalm

,

which

begins

thus

,

“

I

will

sing

of

mercy

and

judgment

,

O

Lord

,

”

embraces

the

life

of

the

saint

in

fellowship

with

God

.

And

the

one

hundred

and

fiftieth

ends

with

these

words

,

“

Let

every

thing

that

hath

breath

praise

the

Lord

.

”

Notes

5
Gen. vi. 3.
6
i.e., in our version the 101st.