The Tree By the Waters

Καὶ ἔσται ὡς τὸ ξύλον τὸ πεφυτευμένον παρὰ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὑδάτων.  Ἐξομολογήσεως, ἤτοι παραβολῆς ξύλον ὁ Χριστὸς ἀναγέγραπται ἐν τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ Γραφῇ, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον·  Ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις αὐτῆς.  Λέγει οὖν, ὅτι οἱ πιστεύσαντες τῷ Χριστῷ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἔσονται·  μετασχηματίσει γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ.  Διεξόδους δὲ τῶν ὑδάτων τὰς θείας φησὶ Γραφάς·  ἐν αἷς ἁπανταχοῦ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν Χριστὸν κηρυσσόμενον.  Ξύλον ζωῆς ὁ Χριστὸς, κλάδοι οἱ ἀπόστολοι, καρπὸς αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς πλευρᾶς· ὧν τὸ μὲν εἰς ὑποτύπωσιν μαρτυρίου, τὸ δὲ βαπτίσματος.  Φύλλα οἱ λόγοι·  καρπὸν τοῦ ξύλου νοήσεις τὴν ὀρθὴν πίστιν·  φύλλα δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν πλήρωσιν τῶν ἐντολῶν. Καρπὸς καὶ οἱ σωζόμενοι, ῥίζα τὸ βάπτισμα· γεωργὸς ὁ Πατήρ. Ὃ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ δώσει ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ. Καρπὸν τοῦ ξύλου νοήσεις τὴν πίστιν· φύλλα δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν πλήρωσιν τῶν ἐντολῶν. Καὶ τὸ φύλλον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀποῤῥυήσεται, οὐκ ἀποπεσεῖται. Καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἂν ποιῇ κατευοδωθήσεται. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι πρᾶξις τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν γινομένων ἀνωφελής. Καιρὸς τοῦ διδόναι ἡ τοῦ λαμβάνοντος ἐπιτηδειότης ἐστίν. Ψευδό Ἀθανάσιος, Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμος Α',

'And he shall be like a tree planted by flowing waters' 1 Truly Christ is described as a tree in the divinely inspired Scriptures, that is: 'A tree of life to all those who embrace it.' 2 It says therefore that those who have believed in Christ shall be his body, for He shall transform our body of humility, shaping it into his own glorious body. The 'flowing waters' the Divine Scriptures speak of everywhere Christ is reported preaching. The tree of life is Christ, the Apostles the branches, the fruit his blood and the water from his side, of which he is as a form and example of martyrdom, and even of baptism. Leaves are the words, the fruit of the tree one should understand as correct faith; the same leaves are observance of precepts, the fruits the consequence of them; the root, baptism; the planter, the Father. 'And it's fruit it shall give in its time.' The fruit understand as faith, the leaves as fulfillment of the commandments. 'And his leaf shall not fall away,' That is, he does not fall. 'And everything which he does he prospers.' For action in harmony with God is never profitless. The time of giving is the opportunity of receiving.   Pseudo Athanasius, Expositions of the Psalms, Psalm 1, 1 Ps 1.3 2 Prov 3.18