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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 34

About this work

A literary dialogue in which Justin recounts his conversion to Christianity and debates Scripture, covenant, messianic prophecy, law, and the identity of God’s people with a Jewish interlocutor.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: Mid-2nd century
Origin: Rome
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter XXXIV.—Nor does Ps. lxxii. apply to Solomon, whose faults Christians shudder at.

“Further, to persuade you that you have

‹ Chapter 33 Chapter 35 ›

not

understood

anything

of

the

Scriptures

,

I

will

remind

you

of

another

psalm

,

dictated

to

David

by

the

Holy

Spirit

,

which

you

say

refers

to

Solomon

,

who

was

also

your

king

.

But

it

refers

also

to

our

Christ

.

But

you

deceive

yourselves

by

the

ambiguous

forms

of

speech

.

For

where

it

is

said

,

‘

The

law

of

the

Lord

is

perfect

,

’

you

do

not

understand

it

of

the

law

which

was

to

be

after

Moses

,

but

of

the

law

which

was

given

by

Moses

,

although

God

declared

that

He

would

establish

a

new

law

and

a

new

covenant

.

And

where

it

has

been

said

,

‘

O

God

,

give

Thy

judgment

to

the

king

,

’

since

Solomon

was

king

,

you

say

that

the

Psalm

refers

to

him

,

although

the

words

of

the

Psalm

expressly

proclaim

that

reference

is

made

to

the

everlasting

King

,

i

.

e

.

,

to

Christ

.

For

Christ

is

King

,

and

Priest

,

and

God

,

and

Lord

,

and

angel

,

and

man

,

and

captain

,

and

stone

,

and

a

Son

born

,

and

first

made

subject

to

suffering

,

then

returning

to

heaven

,

and

again

coming

with

glory

,

and

He

is

preached

as

having

the

everlasting

kingdom

:

so

I

prove

from

all

the

Scriptures

.

But

that

you

may

perceive

what

I

have

said

,

I

quote

the

words

of

the

Psalm

;

they

are

these

:

‘

O

God

,

give

Thy

judgment

to

the

king

,

and

Thy

righteousness

unto

the

king’s

son

,

to

judge

Thy

people

with

righteousness

,

and

Thy

poor

with

judgment

.

The

mountains

shall

take

up

peace

to

the

people

,

and

the

little

hills

righteousness

.

He

shall

judge

the

poor

of

the

people

,

and

shall

save

the

children

of

the

needy

,

and

shall

abase

the

slanderer

.

He

shall

co

-

endure

with

the

sun

,

and

before

the

moon

unto

all

generations

.

He

shall

come

down

like

rain

upon

the

fleece

,

as

drops

falling

on

the

earth

.

In

His

days

shall

righteousness

flourish

,

and

abundance

of

peace

until

the

moon

be

taken

away

.

And

He

shall

have

dominion

from

sea

to

sea

,

and

from

the

rivers

unto

the

ends

of

the

earth

.

Ethiopians

shall

fall

down

before

Him

,

and

His

enemies

shall

lick

the

dust

.

The

kings

of

Tarshish

and

the

isles

shall

offer

gifts

;

the

kings

of

Arabia

and

Seba

shall

offer

gifts

;

and

all

the

kings

of

the

earth

shall

worship

Him

,

and

all

the

nations

shall

serve

Him

:

for

He

has

delivered

the

poor

from

the

man

of

power

,

and

the

needy

that

hath

no

helper

.

He

shall

spare

the

poor

and

needy

,

and

shall

save

the

souls

of

the

needy

:

He

shall

redeem

their

souls

from

usury

and

injustice

,

and

His

name

shall

be

honourable

before

them

.

And

He

shall

live

,

and

to

Him

shall

be

given

of

the

gold

of

Arabia

,

and

they

shall

pray

continually

for

Him

:

they

shall

bless

Him

all

the

day

.

And

there

shall

be

a

foundation

on

the

earth

,

it

shall

be

exalted

on

the

tops

of

the

mountains

:

His

fruit

shall

be

on

Lebanon

,

and

they

of

the

city

shall

flourish

like

grass

of

the

earth

.

His

name

shall

be

blessed

for

ever

.

His

name

shall

endure

before

the

sun

;

and

all

tribes

of

the

earth

shall

be

blessed

in

Him

,

all

nations

shall

call

Him

blessed

.

Blessed

be

the

Lord

,

the

God

of

Israel

,

who

only

doeth

wondrous

things

;

and

blessed

be

His

glorious

name

for

ever

,

and

for

ever

and

ever

;

and

the

whole

earth

shall

be

filled

with

His

glory

.

Amen

,

amen

.

’

And

at

the

close

of

this

Psalm

which

I

have

quoted

,

it

is

written

,

‘

The

hymns

of

David

the

son

of

Jesse

are

ended

.

’

Moreover

,

that

Solomon

was

a

renowned

and

great

king

,

by

whom

the

temple

called

that

at

Jerusalem

was

built

,

I

know

;

but

that

none

of

those

things

mentioned

in

the

Psalm

happened

to

him

,

is

evident

.

For

neither

did

all

kings

worship

him

;

nor

did

he

reign

to

the

ends

of

the

earth

;

nor

did

his

enemies

,

falling

before

him

,

lick

the

dust

.

Nay

,

also

,

I

venture

to

repeat

what

is

written

in

the

book

of

Kings

as

committed

by

him

,

how

through

a

woman’s

influence

he

worshipped

the

idols

of

Sidon

,

which

those

of

the

Gentiles

who

know

God

,

the

Maker

of

all

things

through

Jesus

the

crucified

,

do

not

venture

to

do

,

but

abide

every

torture

and

vengeance

even

to

the

extremity

of

death

,

rather

than

worship

idols

,

or

eat

meat

offered

to

idols

.

”

Notes

86
Ps. lxxii.
87
[A striking passage in De Maistre (Œuvres, vol. vi. p. 275) is worthy of comparison.]