On the Psalms

St Basil the Great

THE PSALMS ARE THE SOUL’S INTIMATE PRAYER

“A Psalm is the work of angels, a heavenly institution, a spiritual incense.”

When Saint Basil the Great received the gift of theology from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he entered into the meaning of the Holy Scriptures with unparalleled intimacy and insight. Contrasted with his fiery polemical works by which he defeated the heretics who perverted the dogmas of the Orthodox Church, his thirteen homilies comprising On the Psalms are composed of melodious phrases overflowing with grace and peace, inspiring the soul to prayer in a similar manner as the psalms themselves. While explaining the historical meanings of the Prophet’s entreaties to God, Saint Basil delves deeper into the spiritual messages contained within each of the psalms. A timeless patristic commentary on Holy Scripture, On the Psalms inspires the reader to enter more intimately into King David’s majestical hymns.