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Doubtful Fragments on the Psalms

Hippolytus

Section 8

About this work

Author: Hippolytus

8. But again, as we found in the Seventy

‹ Section 7 Section 9 ›

,

and

in

Theodotion

,

and

in

Symmachus

,

in

some

psalms

,

and

these

not

a

few

,

the

word

διάψαλμα

inserted

,

we

endeavoured

to

make

out

whether

those

who

placed

it

there

meant

to

mark

a

change

at

those

places

in

rhythm

or

melody

,

or

any

alteration

in

the

mode

of

instruction

,

or

in

thought

,

or

in

force

of

language

.

It

is

found

,

however

,

neither

in

Aquila

nor

in

the

Hebrew

;

but

there

,

instead

of

διάψαλμα

(

=

an

intervening

musical

symphony

)

,

we

find

the

word

ἀεί

(

=

ever

)

.

And

further

,

let

not

this

fact

escape

thee

,

O

man

of

learning

,

that

the

Hebrews

also

divided

the

Psalter

into

five

books

,

so

that

it

might

be

another

Pentateuch

.

For

from

Ps

.

i

.

to

xl

.

they

reckoned

one

book

;

and

from

xli

.

to

lxxi

.

they

reckoned

a

second

;

and

from

lxxii

.

to

lxxxviii

.

they

counted

a

third

book

;

and

from

lxxxix

.

to

cv

.

a

fourth

;

and

from

cvi

.

to

cl

.

they

made

up

the

fifth

.

For

they

judged

that

each

psalm

closing

with

the

words

,

“

Blessed

be

the

Lord

,

Amen

,

amen

,

”

formed

the

conclusion

of

a

book

.

And

in

them

we

have

“

prayer

,

”

viz

.

,

supplication

offered

to

God

for

anything

requisite

;

and

the

“

vow

,

”

i

.

e

.

,

engagement

;

and

the

“

hymn

,

”

which

is

the

song

of

blessing

to

God

for

benefits

enjoyed

;

and

“

praise

”

or

“

extolling

,

”

which

is

the

laudation

of

the

wonders

of

God

.

For

laudation

is

nothing

else

but

just

the

superlative

of

praise

.

Notes

12
[Our author throws no great light on this vexed word, but the article Selah in Smith’s Dict. of the Bible is truly valuable.]