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Dhammapada · narration sample

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The Forgotten Books of Eden · 214 of 293

Odes of Solomon: Ode 22

Like the Psalms of David in their exultation because of freedom.

1.He who brought me down from on high, also brought me up from the regions below; 2 And He who gathers together the things that are betwixt is He also who cast me down: 3 He who scattered my enemies had existed from ancient and my adversaries: 4 He who gave me authority over bonds that I might loose them; 5 He that overthrew by my hands the dragon with seven heads: and thou hast set me over his roots that I might destroy his seed. 6 Thou wast there and didst help me, and in every place thy name was a rampart me 7 Thy right hand destroyed his wicked poison; and thy hand levelled the way for those who believe in thee. 8 And thou didst choose them from the graves and didst separate them from the dead. 9 Thou didst take dead bones and didst cover them with bodies. 10 They were motionless, and thou didst give them energy for life. 11 Thy way was without corruption, and thy face; thou didst bring thy world to corruption: that everything might be dissolved, and then renewed, 12 And that the foundation for everything might be thy rock: and on it thou didst build thy kingdom; and it became the dwelling place of the saints. Hallelujah.

Asked of Guide

Why does the speaker credit God with both casting down and raising up?

The speaker portrays God as sovereign over highs and lows, saying “He who brought me down from on high, also brought me up,” so every reversal is presented as God’s action. The poem treats falling and rising as instruments in God’s work: casting down enemies, raising the faithful, and renewing creation so “the foundation for everything might be thy rock.”

This chapter links personal deliverance to cosmic ordering: God gives authority to “loose” bonds, destroys the dragon’s seed, and transforms dead bones into living bodies. That double action—judgment and restoration—echoes themes in Psalms and in Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones, where divine power both punishes and renews.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.