Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Psalms 22:15

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"My strength dried up as a potsherd" [Psalm 22:15]. My strength dried up by My Passion; not as hay, but a potsherd, which is made stronger by fire. "And My tongue cleaved to My jaws." And they, through whom I was soon to speak, kept My precepts in their hearts. "And You brought Me down to the dust of death." And to the ungodly appointed to death, whom the wind casts forth as dust from the face of the earth, You brought Me down.

Exposition on Psalm 22 ↗

Gregory the Dialogist

And so fire cooked the meats of our Lamb, because the very power of His passion rendered Him stronger for resurrection and strengthened Him for incorruption. For He who recovered from death—clearly His flesh was hardened by fire. Hence also through the Psalmist He says: "My strength has dried up like a potsherd." For what is a potsherd before fire except soft clay? But it is subjected to fire so that it may become solid. …

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 22 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

"It dried up." Here he shows that whatever was beautiful in Christ vanished. Three things seemed to flourish in Christ before the passion: the working of miracles, the eloquence of his teaching, and the fame and glory of the people. Regarding the first, Jn. 6: "A great multitude was following him, because they saw," etc. And this power dried up in the passion, according to their opinion; hence they cried out, "He saved others," etc. "It dried up," that is, it became worthless, "like," etc. …

Exposition on the Psalms of David ↗