The Forgotten Books of Eden · 234 of 293

Odes of Solomon: Ode 42

The Odes of Solomon, the Son of David, are ended with the following exquisite verses.

Context

The closing Ode is also the most dramatic — it sings the descent of Christ into Sheol and the harrowing of the dead. The doctrine has roots in 1 Peter 3:19 (he went and preached unto the spirits in prison) and 1 Peter 4:6 (the gospel preached to them that are dead), gets its first full narrative in the Gospel of Nicodemus (also called the Acts of Pilate, found later in this same Forgotten Books volume), and becomes a fixed article of the Apostles’ Creed: he descended into hell. The Eastern liturgy makes the harrowing the image of Easter — every Orthodox Anastasis icon shows Christ pulling Adam and Eve out of broken gates. The Ode you are reading is one of the very earliest Christian witnesses to the picture. It is the right way to close the collection: the Odist’s risen Lord goes down to gather everyone in.

1.I stretched out my hands and approached my Lord: 2 For the stretching of my hands is His sign: 3 My expansion is the outspread tree which was set up on the way of the Righteous One. 4 And I became of no account to those who did not take hold of me; and I shall be with those who love me. 5 All my persecutors are dead; and they sought after me who hoped in me, because I was alive: 6 And I rose up and am with them; and I will speak by their mouths. 7 For they have despised those who persecuted them; 8 And I lifted up over them the yoke of my love; 9 Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride, 10 So was my yoke over those that know me: 11 And as the couch that is spread in the house of the bridegroom and bride, 12 So is my love over those that believe in me. 13 And I was not rejected though I was reckoned to be so. 14 I did not perish, though they devised it against me. 15 Sheol saw me and was made miserable: 16 Death cast me up, and many along with me. 17 I had gall and bitterness, and I went down with him to the utmost of his depth: 18 And the feet and the head he let go, for they were not able to endure my face: 19 And I made a congregation of living men amongst his dead men, and I spake with them by living lips: 20 Because my word shall not be void: 21 And those who had died ran towards me: and they cried and said, Son of God, have pity on us, and do with us according to thy kindness, 22 And bring us out from the bonds of darkness: and open to us the door by which we shall come out to thee. 23 For we see that our death has not touched thee. 24 Let us also be redeemed with thee: for thou art our Redeemer. 25 And I heard their voice; and my name I sealed upon their heads: 26 For they are free men and they are mine. Hallelujah.