Advice On Flight

Ἐπὶ τῷ Kυρίῳ πέποιθα πῶς ἐρεῖτε τῇ ψυχῇ μου μεταναστεύου ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη ὡς στρουθίον ... ̓Ιδοὺ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐνέτειναν τόξον, ἡτοίμασαν βέλη εἰς φαρέτραν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς;  Ἐφ' οἷς εἰρημένοις παρορμᾷ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ μετεωρισθῆναι δίκην στρουθίου πτεροῖς ἀρετῆς, ἵνα περάσας ἐπὶ τὰ ὕψος ἔχοντα ὄρη πνευματικὰ ἀβλαβὴς διαμείνῃ. Ὅπως δ' ἄν ἔχῃ τὰ τῆς διαστολῆς τοῦ ἀναγνώσματος, πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ Kύριον προσήκει. Κατὰ θεωρίαν δέ· πολλῶν σοφιστικῶς παρεσκευασμένων ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν ὡς ἤδη τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἔχειν τεταμένον, δι' ἑτοιμασίαν τόξῳ ἐντεταμένῳ ἐοικός, ἀλλὰ καὶ βέλη ἔτοιμα, λόγοι δὲ πειθανοὶ ταῦτα, πρὸς τὸ κατατοξεῦσαί σε, ἔχεις διατριβὴν ἐν ὑψηλοῖς ὄρεσιν, ἐνθα γεναμένη οὐ τρωθήσει. Eἴρηται δὲ ὡς τὰ θειότερα τῶν Γραφῶν νοήματα τῇ τῶν ὀρῶν προσηγορίᾳ σημαίνεται· πρὸς τούτοις καὶ οἱ σοφοὶ διδάσκαλοι ἀπόστολοι καὶ προφῆται. Δυνατὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος εἰρημένον ἐκλαβεῖν τὸ Μετανάστευε ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη ὡς στρουθίον, προτρεπομένου ἀναχωρεῖν τὸν διαδράναι θέλοντα τὴν ἰοβόλον τρῶσιν τῶν τοξοτῶν. Eἰ δὲ καὶ ἀόρατοι δυνάμεις αἱ αὐταὶ οὖσαι ἤ συγγενεῖς τοῖς τοξόταις λέγοιεν τὸ Μετανάστευε ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη ὡς στρουθίον, χλευαστικῶς αὐτὸ εἰρημένον ἐκληψόμεθα, ὑποδειλῶσαι θελόντων τοὺς ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ ἐπὶ θεὸν πεποιθότας. Eἴτ' ἐπεὶ σκότους υἱοὶ καὶ νυκτός εἰσιν οἱ πρὸς τὸ οὔτω σοφιστεύειν παρεσκευασμένοι τοξόται, ἐν ἀφεγγεῖ νυκτὶ κατατοξεύειν προτέθεινται τοὺς εὐθείαν καρδίαν ἔχοντας. Δυδύμος του Ἀλεξανδρέως, Εἰς Ψαλμοὺς, Ψαλμός Ι’ Source: Migne PG 39.1208b-d

In The Lord I trust, how do you say to my soul, fly off to the mountains like a sparrow ... Behold sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their shafts in the quiver... 1 Because of whom the soul is exhorted to take itself off like a sparrow on the wings of the virtues, so that in passing over to the spiritual mountains it be preserved unharmed. And though there are different readings of this passage, certainly trust in the Lord is fitting. According to the spiritual sense as much as visible enemies are cleverly prepared so it is with invisible foes, who here they have wills stretched taut with intent like a bow that has been bent in preparation to shoot, and even the shafts are ready, that is, their words of perusasion, for your piercing. But you have a safe place in the heights of the mountains, and there set you shall not be harmed. It has been said, however, that the meaning of the name of the mountains in Scripture is more divine than this, and they are the wise teachers who are the Apostles and the prophets. It is possible to understand, 'Fly off to the mountains like a sparrow,' to be spoken by the Spirit, who exhorts us to withdraw the soul, because of His wish for us to escape the wounding shafts of the bows. Because if perhaps the invisible powers, and those similar to them, say, 'Fly off to the mountains like a sparrow,' we shall have to think that they say it mockingly, wishing to signify the cowardice of those who have full hearted confidence in God. And they are the sons of darkness and night, who with this sort of sophistical speech are like archers at the ready, who in the gloom of the night have set themselves to launch shafts against men who have upright hearts. Didymus the Blind, Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 10 1 Ps 10.2-3