Songs And Education

Εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ Ἰδιθοὺμ, Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαβίδ.   Δύο Ψαλμοὺς ἒγνωμεν Ὑπὲρ Ἰδιθοὺμ ἔχοντας τὴν ἐπιγραφήν· τόν τε τριακοστὸν ὄγδοον καὶ τὸν ἐν χερσὶ. Καὶ λογιζόμεωα μὲν Δαβὶδ εἶναι τὴν σύνταχιν τῆς πραγματείαης· τῷ μέντοι Ἰδιθοὺμ δεδόσθαι εἰς ὠφέλειαν αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ διορθώσει τῶν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ παθημάτων, καὶ εἰς μελῳδίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ· δι' ἧς καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐδοξὰζετο, καὶ οἱ ἀκούοντες τῆς ἁρμονίας ἐανωρθοῦντο τὰ ἤθη. Ἦν γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἰδιθοὺμ ἱεροψάλτης, ὡς μαρτυρεῖ ἡμῖν ἡ ἱστορία τῶν Παραλειπομένων, λέγουσα· Καὶ μετ' αὐτῶν Αἰμὰν καὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ, σάλπιγγές τε καὶ κύμβαλα τοῦ ἀναφωνεῖν, καὶ ὄργανα τῶν ᾠδῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ μετ' ολίγα φησί· Καὶ ἔστησε Δαβὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς τὰ ἔργα τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἀσὰφμ ςαὺ Αἰμὰν, καὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ, τοὺς ἀποφθεγγομένους ἐν κινύραις, καὶ ἐν νάβλαις, καὶ ἐν τυμπάνοις. Περὶ ὑπομονῆς, τοίνυν ἐκάτερος ψαλμὸς τὴν πλείστην ποιεῖται πραγματείαν, δι' ἧς καταστέλλεται μὲν τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ θυμούμενον, ὑπερηφανίας δὲ πάσης ἐξορισθείσης, κατορθοῦται τεπείνωσις. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ τὸν μὴ καταδεξάμενον τὸ πρὸς πάντας ὑποδεὲς καὶ ἔσχατον δυνηθῆναι ποτε ἢ λοιδορούμενον θυμοῦ κρατῆσαι, ἤ θλιβόμενον διὰ μακροθυμίας περιγενέσθαι τῶν πειρασμῶν. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν ἄκραν τεπαίνωσιν κατορθώσας, ἐν μὲν ταίς λοιδορίαις πλείονα ἑαυτοῦ προκαταγνοὺς τὴν εὐτέλειαν, οὐ κινηθήσεται τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων τῆς ἀτιμίας· ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὲν ακούσῃ πένης, οἶδεν ἑαυτὸν πτωχὸν ὄντα, καὶ πάντων ἐνδεῆ, καὶ τῆς καθ' ἡμέραν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου χορηγίας ἐπιδεόμενον· ἐὰν δὲ ἀκούσῃ δυσγενὴς καὶ ἐξ ἀφανῶν, προειλημμένον ἔχει ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ καρδίᾳ τὸ ἐκ πηλοῦ γεγενῆσθαι. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον ΞΑ' Ψαλμον  Source: Migne PG 29 469b-472a

To the end, for Idithum, a Psalm of David. 1 We know two Psalms which have the inscription, 'For Idithum,' the thirty eighth and this one we have before us. And we judge that this is a work composed by David but given to Idithum for his use, that the passions of the soul be corrected by a pleasing melody in the presence of the people, by which God is glorified and the manners of the people who hear the harmony are improved. For Idithum was a musican of the sacred Psalms, to which the history found in the Paralipomena bears witness, saying, 'And after them Heman and Idithum for the playing of the trumpet and cymbals and the instruments for the songs of God.' 2 And a little after it continues, 'King David and the princes of the army set apart the sons of Asaph and Heman and Idithum for the making of song on the cithar and harp and cymbals. 3 And both Psalms for the greater part speak of patience, by which the indignation of the soul is soothed, thus exterminating all pride, and correcting to humility. For it is not possible that he who does not wish to have the lowest and last place among all 4 is able either to control his passion while being abused, or in affliction is able to overcome temptation by endurance. He who comes to the height of humility, before he is abused already knows the greater part of his vileness, and so by ignominious words is not moved, but if he is called a beggar, he knows himself to be impoverished and unworthy of anything, even to have the daily work of God for his coin, if however he is called ignoble and obscure, before it is said he is conscious in his own heart that he was made from mud.  Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 61 1  Ps 61.1 2 1 Chron 16.41-42 3 1 Chron 25.1  4 Lk 14.10