Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol I:
JUSTIN MARTYR: Chapter LXXIV.—The beginning of Ps....

Chapter LXXIV.—The beginning of Ps. xcvi. is attributed to the Father [by Trypho]. But [it refers] to Christ by these words: “Tell ye among the nations that the Lord,” etc.

Then Trypho said, “We know that you quoted these because we asked you. But it does not appear to me that this Psalm which you quoted last from the words of David refers to any other than the Father and Maker of the heavens and earth. You, however, asserted that it referred to Him who suffered, whom you also are eagerly endeavouring to prove to be Christ.”

And I answered, “Attend to me, I beseech you, while I speak of the statement which the Holy Spirit gave utterance to in this Psalm; and you shall know that I speak not sinfully, and that we 2225 are not really bewitched; for so you shall be enabled of yourselves to understand many other statements made by the Holy Spirit. ‘Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth: sing unto the Lord, and bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day, His wonderful works among all people.’ He bids the inhabitants of all the earth, who have known the mystery of this salvation, i.e., the suffering of Christ, by which He saved them, sing and give praises to God the Father of all things, and recognise that He is to be praised and feared, and that He is the Maker of heaven and earth, who effected this salvation in behalf of the human race, who also was crucified and was dead, and who was deemed worthy by Him (God) to reign over all the earth. As [is clearly seen 2226 ] also by the land into which [He said] He would p. 236 bring [your fathers]; [for He thus speaks]: 2227 ‘This people [shall go a whoring after other gods], and shall forsake Me, and shall break my covenant which I made with them in that day; and I will forsake them, and will turn away My face from them; and they shall be devoured, 2228 and many evils and afflictions shall find them out; and they shall say in that day, Because the Lord my God is not amongst us, these misfortunes have found us out. And I shall certainly turn away My face from them in that day, on account of all the evils which they have committed, in that they have turned to other gods.’ 2229

Footnotes

In text, “you.” Maranus suggests, as far better, “we.”

Something is here wanting; the suggested reading of Maranus has been adopted. [As to omissions between this Chapter and the next, critics are not agreed. The Benedictine editors see no proofs of them.]

Deut. xxxi. 16-18.

Literally, “for food.”

The first conference seems to have ended hereabout. [It occupied two days. But the student must consult the learned note of Kaye (Justin Martyr, p. 20. Rivingtons, London. 1853).]