Watering the Mountains

Psalm 103:13

Watering the mountains from your upper rooms; the earth shall be filled with the fruit of your works (Ps 103:13).

The King and Lord of the heavens instituted this law from eternity, that the gifts of his providence would come to lower things through mediators.

Hence, Dionysius says, in On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy: the most sacred divine law is such that by first things the middle things should be led to his most divine light (5). This law is found not only in spiritual things but also in bodily things. Hence Augustine says, in On the Trinity: therefore, in the way that the most base and lowly are ruled by more subtle and powerful in rank, so also all bodies are ruled by the rational spirit of life (3.1.4).

And, so, in this psalm the Lord proposed a law observed for imparting spiritual wisdom under metaphors of bodily things:

watering the mountains.

We even see by our senses that rains flow from the highest clouds by which the mountains and rivers are watered and send themselves on by which the nourished earth becomes fruitful.

In the same way, from the heights of divine wisdom the minds of teachers, signified by the mountains, are watered, by whose ministry the light of divine wisdom comes to the minds of those who hear them.

Therefore, this passage provides four items that should be considered, namely,

the heights of spiritual teaching,

the dignity of its teachers,

the condition of those who listen,

and the order of communication.

The Heights of Sacred Doctrine

The heights are shown in the words: from thy upper rooms. The Gloss reads: from high hidden chambers. (The Gloss mentioned here is a compilation of scriptural comments and well-known sayings mostly attributed to the Fathers. Early on, individual glosses were included sporadically in the margins or between the lines of Vulgate manuscripts, but over time certain authoritative comments appeared with more regularity. By the 12th century, more standardized gloss collections such as the Glossa Ordinaria were widely used. Thomas Aquinas produced his own gloss collection for the four gospels called the Glossa Continua super Evangelia or the Catena Aurea. The two glosses most frequently cited by St. Thomas are the Glossa Ordinaria and Peter Lombard's Magna Glossatura. Versions of these glosses can be found in Latin in the Patrologia Latina series, volumes 113, 114, and 192 respectively.)

In fact, sacred doctrine has its height from three things.

First, from its origin. For this is the wisdom described as being from the heights: the word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom (Sir 1:5; Jas 3:15).

Second, from the subtlety of its content: I dwelt in the highest places (Sir 24:7). Now, there are some heights of divine wisdom to which all come, although imperfectly, because the knowledge of the existence of God is naturally placed in everyone, as Damascene says, (John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith (PG 94), bk. 1, ch. 1.) and in the same way it is said in Job: all men see him, every one beholdeth afar off (Job 36:25). Truly, other things are higher, to which only the talent of the wise reaches, whose reasoning is great enough to lead to it. Hence: that which is known of God is manifest in them (Rom 1:19). Others are so high that they transcend all human reason, and these are spoken of in Job: wisdom is hidden from the eyes of all the living (Job 28:21), and in the psalm: he put on darkness as his covert (Ps 17:12). But holy teachers were taught by the Holy Spirit who searches even the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10) and handed it on in the text of Sacred Scripture; and these are the highest, in which this wisdom is said to live.

Third, from the sublimity of its end: because it has the highest of ends, namely, eternal life: but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31); and: seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God; mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth (Col 3:1–2).

The Dignity of Its Teachers

On account of the height of this doctrine, dignity is required of its teachers; hence, they are signified by the mountains, when it is said: watering the mountains,

and this on account of three things, namely:

first, on account of the height of the mountains, because they are raised about the earth and neighbor the sky. Hence, the holy teachers despise earthly things and desire only heavenly things: but our conversation is in heaven (Phil 3:20). Hence, about the teacher of teachers, namely Christ, it is said: it shall be lifted upon the hills and all nations shall flow into it (Isa 2:2).

Second, on account of their brilliance. First, because the mountains are lit by rays. And, similarly, the minds of the holy teachers are the first recipients of brilliance. For the sacred teachers are illuminated like mountains by the first rays of divine wisdom: you enlighten wonderfully from the everlasting hills; all the foolish in heart were troubled (Ps 75:5–6); that is, by teachers who are participating in eternity: among whom you shine as lights in the world (Phil 2:15).

Third, on account of the fortification of the mountains, because by mountains a country is defended from enemies. And in this way the teachers of the Church must defend the faith against errors. The sons of Israel do not trust in spear or arrow, but the mountains defend them. For that reason one is blamed: you have not gone up to face the enemy, nor have you set up a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in battle in the day of the Lord (Ezek 13:5).

Therefore, all teachers of Sacred Scripture

should be lifted up by the eminence of their lives so that they may be fit to preach effectively; because as Gregory says in his Pastoral Care: he whose life is despised, his preaching is likewise necessarily despised. (Gregory the Great, Forty Gospel Homilies (CPL 1711), hom. 12.)

And: the words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in (Eccl 12:11).

For the heart cannot be goaded or fastened in fear of God if it is not focused on elevation of life.

They should be illuminated so that they may teach well by reading: to me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace, to preach among the gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all men, that they may see what is the dispensation of the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God (Eph 3:8–9).

They should be armed so that they may refute errors by argument: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay (Luke 21:15).

And, of these three offices, namely, to preach, to teach, and to argue, it is said: that he may be able to exhort, by way of preaching, in sound doctrine, by way of teaching, and to convince the gainsayers, by way of argument (Titus 1:9).

The Condition of Those Who Listen

Third, the condition of those who listen, who are shown under the likeness of earth; hence, it says: the earth shall be filled.

And this because the earth is lowest: the heaven above, and the earth beneath (Prov 25:3).

Likewise, it is stable and firm: but the earth stands forever (Eccl 1:4).

Again, it is fruitful: let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind (Gen 1:11).

Similarly, they must be low like the earth in humility: where humility is, there also is wisdom (Prov 11:2). (It is worth noting here that the Latin word for humble (humilis) is derived from the word for earth (humus). Hence, in Latin, 'humble' has the force of "of the earth.")

Again, firm with a sense of rectitude: that henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro (Eph 4:14).

Again, fruitful, so that the words of wisdom they receive may bear fruit in them: but that which fell on the good ground are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience (Luke 8:15).

Therefore, humility is required of them with regard to the teaching that comes from hearing: if you will incline your ear, you will receive instruction; and if you love to hear, you will be wise (Sir 6:34). Again, rectitude of the senses, with regard to the judgment of what is heard: does not the ear discern words? (Job 12:11). But fruitfulness with regard to discovery, by which from only a little heard the good listener reports much: give an occasion to a wise man, and wisdom will be added to him (Prov 9:9).

The Order of Its Generation

The order of its generation is mentioned here according to three things, namely, according to the order of communication, and according to the quantity and quality of the gift received.

First, according to the order of communicating: because not everything that is contained in divine wisdom can be grasped by the minds of teachers. Hence, it does not say: “flowing from higher mountains,” but watering from your upper rooms. Behold, these things are said in part (Job 26:14). And, similarly, not everything that the teachers understand is passed on to their listeners: he heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter (2 Cor 12:4). Hence, it does not say: “giving to the earth the fruit of the mountains,” but the earth shall be filled with the fruit of your works. And this is what Gregory says (Moral. 17) to explain that passage of Job: he binds up the waters in his clouds, so that they break not out and fall down together (Job 26:8): the teacher should not preach to the simple all that he knows, because he himself cannot know how many divine mysteries there are. (Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job (CCSL 143A), bk. 17, par. 37.)

Second, the order according to the way in which it is possessed is mentioned: because God has wisdom naturally. Hence, his heights are said to be natural to him: with him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding (Job 12:13). But teachers share greatly in his knowledge. Hence, they are said to be watered from on high: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow (Sir 24:42). But listeners participate in it sufficiently, and this is signified by the nourishment of the earth: I shall be satisfied when your glory shall appear (Ps 16:15).

Third, according to the power of the communicating: because God communicates wisdom by his own power. Hence, he is said to water the mountains by himself. But teachers do not communicate wisdom unless through ministry.

Hence, the fruit of the mountains are not theirs, but are attributed to divine works. The fruit, it says, of your works.

What then is Paul? And below: the minister of him whom you have believed (1 Cor 3:4–5). But who is worthy of this? (2 Cor 2:16).

For God requires:

innocent ministers: he that walks in the unstained way, he will serve me (Ps 100:6);

those with understanding: a wise servant is acceptable to the king (Prov 14:35);

those with zeal: you who make your angels spirits and your ministers a flaming fire (Ps 103:4);

finally, those who are obedient: you ministers of his that do his will (Ps 102:21).

But even though no one by himself, of himself, is sufficient for such ministry, he can hope to have sufficiency from God: not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God (2 Cor 3:5).

But he should ask God: if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men abundantly, and does not upbraid, and it will be given him (Jas 1:5). Let us pray. That Christ may grant it to us. Amen.