Odes of Solomon

Harris1911 source page 154

I 10 THE ODES OF SOLOMON Ode 14. In this Psalm the canonical Psalter is somewhat more closely imitated than is generally the case with our collection. The opening sentences recall Ps. cxxiii. 2, 'As the eyes of servants to the hands of their masters, and as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to the Lord our God.* The prayer that the Lord will be 'my guide even to the end,' recalls Ps. xlviii. 14, 'This God is our Ciod for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.' Hut the Psalm is by no means a cento from the canonical Psalter, even though it does not contain anything that could, at the first reading, be definitely labelled as Christian. ODK 15. V\.s the sun is the joy to them that seek for its daybreak', so is my joy the Lord ; ^ because He is my Sun and His rays have lifted me up^; and His light hath dispelled all darkness from my face. ^In Him I have acquired eyes and have seen His holy day: *ears have become mine and I have heard His truth. ^The thought of knowledge hath been mine, and I have been delighted through Him. ^The way of error I have left, and have walked towards Him and have received salvation from Him, without grudging. ''And according to His bounty He hath given to me, and according to His excellent beaut)'^ He hath made me. ^I have put on incorruption through His name : and have put off corruption bj' His grace. ^ Death hath been destroyed before my face: and Sheol hath been abolished by my word : ^°and there hath gone up deathless life in the Lord's land, "and it hath been made known to His faithful ones, and hath been given without stint to all those that trust in Him. Hallelujah. Odk 15. This beautiful Psalm, like so many others in the collection, opens with a similitude: these openings are characteristic of the book, and betray a single writer. This does not mean that they do not sometimes imitate the opening of the canonical Psalms. In the present case the 130th Psalm seems to have furnished the key-note, viz. the watchers for the nifjrning. It is an experimental Psalm of the first order: the Sun has risen upon the soul of the writer. Eyes, ears and heart have all been opened. .Salvation has been realized : the comeliness of the Lord has been j-ut upon him: death has lost its terrors, the grave its power. ' Cf. r.s. cxxx. f>. - Or, made me ri.se up. ' =Gk. fityaXoirp^irua.