Mercy And Judgement

τῷ Δαυιδ ψαλμός ἔλεος καὶ κρίσιν ᾄσομαί σοι Κύριε ̔Ο νῦν ᾄδων πραΰνει καὶ καταστέλλει τὰ ἤθη τῶν ἀκροατῶν, διὰ τῆς ᾠδῆς κριτὴν τὸν θεὸν τῶν πραττομένων ἀνθρώποις ὑμνῶν· εἴτ' ἐπεὶ ἀκριβής ἐστιν αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις οὐ τὰ φανερὰ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας ἐξετάζουσα, σὺν χρηστῇ προθέσει ἐπάγει αὐτήν. Εἰ γάρ τοι πρὸς ἀξίαν τῶν ἔργων καὶ λόγων καὶ ἐνθυμημάτων ἡμῶν σκοπήσαι, ἄρδην ἀπολώμεθα· ἴν' οὔν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως ἐλεεῖ· ̓Εὰν γὰρ ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, Κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ παρὰ σοὶ ὁ ἱλασμός ἐστιν, πηγὴ γὰρ τυγχάνεις ἀγαθότητος καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, θαρροῦμεν ὅτι ἐλέῳ καὶ κρίσει ἐξετάζοντός σου τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς σωτηρίας τευξόμεθα. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμος Ρ' Source: Migne PG 39.1645b-c

A Psalm of David: I shall sing of mercy and judgement to you, O Lord. 1 He now sings to soothe and put in order the nature of those who attend, celebrating in song the Divine judgement of the deeds of men, and since the strict judgment of God seeks out not only the apparent things but the hidden things of the heart, he commends the compassion of God. Because if for merit He considered our works and words and thoughts, we would all be ruined. That this not be, he places mercy before judgement, for 'If you looked upon our iniquities, O Lord, who would stand?' 2 Since, then, 'propitiation is with you,' 3 for you are the fount of kindness and mercy, we hope that, having looked into us with mercy and judgement, salvation follows. Didymus the Blind, Commentary on The Psalms, Psalm 100 1 Ps 100.1 2 Ps 129.3 3 Ps 129.4