Inheriting The Earth

Οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν. Οἱ ἀπὸ Οὐαλεντίνου καὶ τινων ἑτέρων, οἰόμενοι τὸν Σωτῆρα λέγειν τὰ μὴ εἰρημένα ἐν τοῖς παλαιοῖς Γράμμασιν, ἐντεῦθεν ἐλεγχέσθωσαν, ἀκούοντες, ὅτι Μακάριοι πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν. Εἴρητο μὲν καὶ πρότερον διὰ Δαβιδ ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πνεύματος. Οἰκονομικώτερον δὲ λίαν ὁ Δαβὶδ ἀντιπαρεξάγει ταῖς τῶν παρανόμων κολάσεσι τὰ τῶν ἁγίων γέρα. Ἀκονᾷ δὲ διὰ τούτων αὐτοὺς εἰς ἔφεσιν εὐανδρίας πνευματικῆς, δι' ἧς ἂν γένοιτο κατορθοῦν πάντα τρόπον ἀρετῆς. Ταύτῃ τοί φησιν· Οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, τὴν ἄνω δηλαδή. Εἰ γὰρ ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς κατὰ Παῦλον Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ Σιὼν ὄρος ἀκόλουθον καὶ γῆν νοεῖν, ἥν κληρονομήσουσιν οἱ νενικηκότες πάθος ὀλέθριον, τὴν ὀργὴν, ἥτις καὶ φρονίμους ἀπόλλυσι. Κατ' ἀρετὴν γὰρ ἐνεργεῖν ἐμποδίζονται. Κατὰ διάμετρον δέ εἰσιν ἀλλήλοις πραότης καὶ ὀργή. Ὅπου γὰρ ὀργὴ, οὐδαμῶς πραότης· καὶ ὅπου πραότης, οὐδαμῶς ἐκεῖ ὀργή. Ὠριγένης, Ἐκλογαί Εἰς Ψαλμους, Ψαλμος ΛϚ' Source: Migne PG 17.125c-128a

And the meek shall inherit the earth... 1 The Valentinians and certain others, who think that the Saviour spoke of nothing which is to found in the Old Testament, are here refuted, hearing that 'blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.' 2 For David said this before in the Holy Spirit. Very acutely David contrasts the torments of the wicked and the rewards of the saints. He points exactly by the latter that the former should desire a noble spirit, by which every way of virtue may be set right. Because of this he says that 'The meek shall inherit the earth.' Clearly that which is above. For if, as Paul says, Jerusalem and Mount Sion are in heaven, 3 it follows that the earth we should think on is there, which they inherit who have conquered every destructive passion, certainly anger which ruins even the prudent, who acting against virtue hinder themselves. Meekness and anger are utterly opposed to one another. For where there is anger, there can be no meekness, and where there is meekness, there is no anger at all. Origen, Excerpta On the Psalms, from Psalm 36 1 Ps 36.11 2 Mt 5.5 3 Galat 4.25-26