Книга пророка Даниила, Глава 3, стих 86. Толкования стиха

THE JUST PRAISE THE LORD. JOHN CASSIAN: But there are many also who while still living in this body are dead and incapable of praising God while lying in the grave. However, there are others of us who, although dead in the body, bless and praise God in the spirit, according to the words of the text, “Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous,” and “Let every living spirit praise the Lord.” And in the Apocalypse it is said that the spirits of those who have been killed not only praise God but also speak directly with him. CONFERENCES 1.1.14.

THE SCRIPTURE DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN SOUL AND SPIRIT. ORIGEN: Someone might ask, “If the soul of Elijah was not first in the Tishbite and then in John, what might that be in both which the Savior in both cases called Elijah?” I answer that Gabriel in his reply to Zachariah had already suggested that it was the same being that was in Elijah and John. He says, in fact, “He will lead back many sons of Israel to the Lord God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” For, note well: he did not say “in the soul of Elijah,” in which case, the doctrine of the transmigration of souls might have some ground, but “in the spirit and the power of Elijah.” The Scriptures clearly know the difference between “spirit” and “soul,” since the text, “May the God of peace sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and the other passage, “Blessed the Lord, you spirits and souls of the righteous,” as it is recorded in the book of Daniel (according to the version of the Seventy), which indicates the difference between soul and spirit. John therefore is called Elijah not because of the soul but because of the spirit and the power, and if these things existed before in Elijah and then in John, this is not at all in conflict with the teaching of the church. But “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,” not the souls of the prophets, which are not subject to the prophets. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.2.

SCRIPTURE INTERCHANGES PLURAL AND SINGULAR. FULGENTIUS OF RUSPE: We are not ignorant of the fact that through the grace of God it can happen that many people can be designated with a singular term such as in the passage . . . “the multitude of the believers had one heart and one soul,” where nevertheless it is spoken of a single soul in order to speak of the souls generally; of the faithful, of course, and not of the impious. The Lord spoke, in fact, to his faithful disciples, of whom he says, “By your perseverance you will save your souls.” Also the blessed Peter says to the faithful, “Believing, you rejoice with ineffable joy and a pervasiveness of glory, in attaining the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” And in the book of Wisdom it is said, “The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God.” We also know that the blessed apostle said to the Thessalonians that he recognized their election was from God: “May the God of peace perfectly sanctify you in all things; and may all your being: spirit, soul and body be guarded blameless for the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Also in the hymn of the three children, one also reads, “Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous.” We know through the grace of God that the holy church is designated as a single virgin, since the apostle says, “I have in fact betrothed you to Christ, your only spouse, in order to present you as a pure virgin,” but in that one virgin, a plural number of virgins are also designated. We read, in fact, “Virgins will be introduced to the king, after her.” LETTERS 14.7.