The Odes of Solomon

(Text Courtesy of the Gnostic Society Library at wwwdotgnosisdotorg)

Commentary by John Munter

It is miraculous that The Odes of Solomon have survived in any form and that enough fragments have been found to piece it together over the centuries.  That it has survived is most probably due to it not being understood.  In recent decades there has been a resurgence of appreciation for it among Evangelicals who have enjoyed its Old Testament hymnic form and personal piety.  That it was not included in the Nag Hammadi Codices was, perhaps, due to its publication in the second century but more likely due to the fact that the sophisticated monks of Egypt who collected the Nag Hammadi Codices did understand it and were frightened by its toxic and dangerous view of the Roman Church.
But, historical developments as they may be, the author would have seen herself squarely in the middle of the Samaritan, Jewish, Egyptian, and Syrian Adoptionist view of Jesus being over-shadowed by the ‘Son of Man’ that was  common in the second century.  In addition she viewed the Holy Spirit in a female personification.  This came naturally from the Sophia or Wisdom personification of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament as well as from ‘ruach’ which means ‘spirit’ and has a feminine gender.  The word ‘spirit’ is also in the feminine gender in Syriac as well.  The Odes stands squarely in the Bridal Chamber Christianity lineage with the disclosure of its use of mirrors in Ode 13 and overt mention of the Bridal Chamber imagery in Ode 42.  In addition, it contains veiled descriptions of Paul and his Church as being the “Corruptor” in Odes 33 and 38.
The Odes of Solomon was probably published after Rome imposed itself into Edessa after 113 C.E. and Syrians began to feel culturally threatened and sometime before the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt of the mid-130’s when Judaism was severely repressed with the center of it shifting to Babylon and when publishing in Hebraic format would have been intimidating in Palestine, Syria, and Osrhoene.  The predominance of scholarly thinking is that it was first published in Syriac or Aramaic. 
Scholars have pointed out the root meaning of ‘Solomon’ has ‘peace’ or ‘rest’ as its root meaning so this redounds to a central focus of the Odes which is ‘rest’ in the Lord.  The ‘rest’ is also a signature word one finds among ‘gnostic gospels’.  The name of Solomon also has connotations of divine Wisdom—another important theme for the Odes.  It is not believable that the author could harbor any pretensions to believe someone would think King Solomon actually wrote this—or even channeled it.  It has to be a title cluing people to the point that there is much meaning lying just under the surface of the Odes.
Ode 1
1. The Lord is on my head like a crown, and I shall never be without Him.
2. Plaited for me is the crown of truth, and it caused Your branches to blossom in me.
3. For it is not like a parched crown that blossoms not;
4. For You live upon my head, and have blossomed upon me.
5. Your fruits are full and complete; they are full of Your salvation....
Though written in Hebraic fashion the Odes are highly mystical in reflecting use of something like the Bridal Chamber sacrament and betray a Christian Trinitarian theology.  Ode 1 is a good example in affirming inner knowledge that then “blossoms”.  Yet, the imagery of: “Plaited for me is the crown of truth” is a type of the “Crown of Thorns” of renunciate import.  The Gospel of Thomas uses similar imagery in the ‘mustard seed’ of L 20 and “five trees for you in paradise” in L 19 as well as other books in the Nag Hammadi Library.  They all have to do with mystical awareness and are not a “parched crown” of sheer self-abnegation for no reason.

Ode 2
[There is no extant copy of Ode 2]

Ode 3
1. ... I am putting on the love of the Lord.
2. And His members are with Him, and I am dependent on them; and He loves me.
3. For I should not have known how to love the Lord, if He had not continuously loved me.
4. Who is able to distinguish love, except him who is loved?
5. I love the Beloved and I myself love Him, and where His rest is, there also am I.
6. And I shall be no stranger, because there is no jealousy with the Lord Most High and Merciful.
7. I have been united to Him, because the lover has found the Beloved, because I love Him that is the Son, I shall become a son.
8. Indeed he who is joined to Him who is immortal, truly shall be immortal.
9. And he who delights in the Life will become living.
10. This is the Spirit of the Lord, which is not false, which teaches the sons of men to know His ways.
11. Be wise and understanding and awakened.
Hallelujah.
Ode 3 speaks of the “members of the Lord” as if referring to something like the gnostic Pleroma, the four archangels, and the various levels of Sophia.  Here again a mystical love is affirmed as well as a gnostic or mystic unity in “where his rest is, there also am I” and “I have been united to Him”.  In “there is no jealousy with the Lord Most High and Merciful” the author is rejecting the “I am a jealous God” demiurge notion of the Old Testament.  The Trinitarian “Son” pops up as well.  The “I shall become a son” is pretty foreign to Judaism.  Honi the Circle Drawer was stoned for making a similar reference prior to the era of the Baptist.  Verse 11 refers to the gnostic knowledge of Sophia.
Ode 4
1. No man can pervert Your holy place, O my God; nor can he change it, and put it in another place.
2. Because he has no power over it; for Your sanctuary You designed before You made special places.
3. The ancient one shall not be perverted by those which are inferior to it. You have given Your heart, O Lord, to Your believers.
4. Never will You be idle, nor will You be without fruits;
5. For one hour of Your faith is more excellent than all days and years.
6. For who shall put on Your grace and be rejected?
7. Because Your seal is known; and Your creatures are known to it.
8. And Your hosts possess it, and the elect archangels are clothed with it.
9. You have given to us Your fellowship, not that You were in need of us, but that we are always in need of You.
10. Shower upon us Your gentle rain, and open Your bountiful springs which abundantly supply us with milk and honey.
11. For there is no regret with You; that You should regret anything which You have promised;
12. Since the result was manifest to You.
13. For that which You gave, You gave freely, so that no longer will You draw back and take them again.
14. For all was manifest to You as God, and was set in order from the beginning before You.
15. And You, O Lord, have made all.
Hallelujah.
Ode 4 is referring to the lower demiurge which has no power in higher realms—the consciousness of which is more memorable than “all days and years”.  Verse 6 is reminiscent of saying 1 in the Gospel of Thomas: “Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death” in affirming free agency finding grace that will not be rejected.  Verse 7 refers to a “seal” which could be the sacrament called the ‘Bridal Chamber’.  In Verse 10 “Your bountiful springs” is a water image referring to higher dimensional energy. The “milk” is used in Ode 19 to probably refer to spiritual light.  “Honey” could refer to divine love.  The “regret” in Verse 11 refers to God having regretted his creations and causing the Biblical Flood.  However, the author would have attributed this destruction to the demiurge most likely and not her Lord.  Verse 12-14 refers to God being outside time and space and therefor seeing the result the same time as the cause.

Ode 5
1. I praise You, O Lord, because I love You.
2. O Most High, forsake me not, for You are my hope.
3. Freely did I receive Your grace, may I live by it.
4. My persecutors will come but let them not see me.
5. Let a cloud of darkness fall upon their eyes; and let an air of thick darkness obscure them.
6. And let them have no light to see, so that they cannot seize me.
7. Let their designs become hardened, so that whatever they have conspired shall return upon their own heads.
8. For they have devised a plan, but it was not for them.
9. They prepared themselves maliciously, but they were found to be impotent.
10. Indeed my confidence is upon the Lord, and I will not fear.
11. And because the Lord is my salvation, I will not fear.
12. And He is as a woven crown upon my head, and I shall not be shaken.
13. Even if everything should be shaken, I shall stand firm.
14. And though all things visible should perish, I shall not die;
15. Because the Lord is with me, and I with Him.
Hallelujah.
This ode could be spoken in the voice of Jesus since it refers to the “woven crown”.  In any regard its prayer echoes the voice of Jesus in the last part of ‘The Dialogue of the Savior’ :”For do they see (you?  Do they see) those who receive (you)?  Now behold!  A (true) Word is coming forth from the Father (to the Abyss), in silence with a (flash of lightening, giving birth.  Do they see it or (overpower) it.  But you are even more aware of (the path), this one, (before) either angel or authority…”   Verse 14 refers to the higher self that is outside of time and space.
Ode 6
1. As the wind glides through the harp and the strings speak,
2. So the Spirit of the Lord speaks through my members, and I speak through His love.
3. For He destroys whatever is alien, and everything is of the Lord.
4. For thus it was from the beginning, and will be until the end.
5. So that nothing shall be contrary, and nothing shall rise up against Him.
6. The Lord has multiplied his knowledge, and He was zealous that those things should be known which through His grace have been given to us.
7. And His praise He gave us on account of His name, our spirits praise His Holy Spirit.
8. For there went forth a stream, and it became a river great and broad; indeed it carried away everything, and it shattered and brought it to the Temple.
9. And the barriers which were built by men were not able to restrain it, nor even the arts of them who habitually restrain water.
10. For it spread over the surface of all the earth, and it filled everything.
11. Then all the thirsty upon the earth drank, and thirst was relieved and quenched;
12. For from the Most High the drink was given.
13. Blessed, therefore, are the ministers of that drink, who have been entrusted with His water.
14. They have refreshed the parched lips, and have aroused the paralyzed will.
15. Even living persons who were about to expire, they have held back from death.
16. And limbs which have collapsed, they have restored and set up.
17. They gave strength for their coming, and light for their eyes.
18. Because everyone recognized them as the Lord's, and lived by the living water of eternity.
Hallelujah.
The speaker would seem to be Jesus who speaks through his “members” from the Father.  The ode speaks of any duality being temporary with the waters of Baptism and Communion covering the earth and sweeping that away.
Ode 7
1. As is the course of anger over wickedness, so is the course of joy over the Beloved; and brings in of its fruits unhindered.
2. My joy is the Lord and my course is towards Him, this path of mine is beautiful.
3. For there is a Helper for me, the Lord. He has generously shown Himself to me in His simplicity, because His kindness has diminished His dreadfulness.
4. He became like me, that I might receive Him. In form He was considered like me, that I might put Him on.
5. And I trembled not when I saw Him, because He was gracious to me.
6. Like my nature He became, that I might understand Him. And like my form, that I might not turn away from Him.
7. The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge.
8. He who created wisdom is wiser than His works.
9. And He who created me when yet I was not knew what I would do when I came into being.
10. On account of this He was gracious to me in His abundant grace, and allowed me to ask from Him and to benefit from His sacrifice.
11. For He it is who is incorrupt, the perfection of the worlds and their Father.
12. He has allowed Him to appear to them that are His own; in order that they may recognize Him that made them, and not suppose that they came of themselves.
13. For towards knowledge He has set His way, he has widened it and lengthened it and brought it to complete perfection.
14. And has set over it the traces of His light, and it proceeded from the beginning until the end.
15. For by Him He was served, and He was pleased by the Son.
16. And because of his salvation He will possess everything. And the Most High will be known by His holy ones:
17. To announce to those who have songs of the coming of the Lord, that they may go forth to meet Him and may sing to Him, with joy and with the harp of many tones.
18. The Seers shall go before Him, and they shall be seen before Him.
19. And they shall praise the Lord in His love, because He is near and does see.
20. And hatred shall be removed from the earth, and with jealousy it shall be drowned.
21. For ignorance was destroyed upon it, because the knowledge of the Lord arrived upon it.
22. Let the singers sing the grace of the Lord Most High, and let them bring their songs.
23. And let their heart be like the day, and their gentle voices like the majestic beauty of the Lord.
24. And let there not be anyone who breathes that is without knowledge or voice.
25. For He gave a mouth to His creation: to open the voice of the mouth towards Him, and to praise Him.
26. Confess His power and declare His grace.
Hallelujah.
Ode 7 is extraordinary in its optimism of speaking about knowledge as in Verse 7: “the Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge” who is the “perfection of the worlds” in Verse 11 and where “hatred shall be removed from the earth, and with jealousy it shall be drowned” in Verse 20.  It all resonates with the Sophia Mythos and an ascendant movement as in Verse 24: “Let there not be anyone who breathes that is without knowledge or voice.” It reflects a great deal of self-discipline in focusing only the Father and the Son in appealing to the wider Roman world. The Odes could have been written over the space of decades by the same person.
Ode 8
1. Open, open your hearts to the exultation of the Lord, and let your love abound from the heart to the lips.
2. In order to bring forth fruits to the Lord, a holy life; and to talk with watchfulness in His light.
3. Rise up and stand erect, you who sometimes were brought low.
4. You who were in silence, speak, for your mouth has been opened.
5. You who were despised, from henceforth be lifted up, for your Righteousness has been lifted up;
6. For the right hand of the Lord is with you, and He will be your Helper.
7. And peace was prepared for you, before what may be your war.
8. Hear the word of truth, and receive the knowledge of the Most High.
9. Your flesh may not understand that which I am about to say to you; nor your garment that which I am about to show you.
10. Keep my mystery, you who are kept by it; keep my faith, you who are kept by it.
11. And understand my knowledge, you who know me in truth; love me with affection, you who love;
12. For I turn not my face from my own, because I know them.
13. And before they had existed, I recognized them; and imprinted a seal on their faces.
14. I fashioned their members, and my own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink my holy milk and live by it.
15. I am pleased by them, and am not ashamed by them.
16. For my workmanship are they, and the strength of my thoughts.
17. Therefore who can stand against my work? Or who is not subject to them?
18. I willed and fashioned mind and heart, and they are my own. And upon my right hand I have set my elect ones.
19. And my righteousness goes before them, and they shall not be deprived of my name; for it is with them.
20. Pray and increase, and abide in the love of the Lord;
21. And you who were loved in the Beloved, and you who are kept in Him who lives, and you who are saved in Him who was saved.
22. And you shall be found incorrupt in all ages, on account of the name of your Father.
Hallelujah.
Ode 8 is speaking to the elect in the movement who are on the “right hand” who have been “despised” or “brought low” who should recognize that “I recognized them and imprinted a seal upon their faces”.  This would refer to us being a reflection of the higher self, the image of God.  They are not only being kept by God but “my own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink my holy milk and live by it.”  Verse 19 revisits this imagery talking about two breasts which might refer to the Father and the Son with the milk referring to light.  Verse 22 caps everything off with “you shall be found incorrupt in all ages, on account of the name of your Father” which refers to being outside the time stream in the higher self—much as the Gospel of Thomas is referring is referring to seeing mountains rise and fall outside the time stream in L 48 and L 106.
Ode 9
1. Open your ears, and I shall speak to you.
2. Give me yourself, so that I may also give you myself.
3. The word of the Lord and His desires, the holy thought which He has thought concerning His Messiah.
4. For in the will of the Lord is your life, and His purpose is eternal life, and your perfection is incorruptible.
5. Be enriched in God the Father; and receive the purpose of the Most High. Be strong and redeemed by His grace.
6. For I announce peace to you, His holy ones, so that none of those who hear shall fall in the war.
7. And also that those who have known Him may not perish, and so that those who received Him may not be ashamed.
8. An everlasting crown is Truth; blessed are they who set it on their head.
9. It is a precious stone, for the wars were on account of the crown.
10. But Righteousness has taken it, and has given it to you.
11. Put on the crown in the true covenant of the Lord, and all those who have conquered will be inscribed in His book.
12. For their book is the reward of victory which is for you, and she sees you before her and wills that you shall be saved.
Hallelujah.
This is a very difficult ode to interpret but very illuminating to ponder.  The reference to “the war” could very well refer to the Jewish Bar-Kockba revolt of 132-136 CE so this could date the Odes to the mid-130’s.  The “crown” would refer to the ‘Crown of Thorns’ of Jesus previously mentioned which would refer to a pacifist stance.  After 136 CE the Romans so repressed Judaism so as to make it unlikely that an Old Testament-type Odes would have been published.
The “she” reference in Verse 12 is really a head-turner in seeming to have no previous reference.  However, “she” has to refer to the Holy Spirit.  The “book” would have to refer to the whole constellation of “knowledge”, “thought”, and “wisdom” which are the province of Sophia-Wisdom-Holy Spirit.  The Ode is an appeal to say that the Holy Spirit of Judaism is not behind the current war.
Ode 10
1. The Lord has directed my mouth by His Word, and has opened my heart by His Light.
2. And He has caused to dwell in me His immortal life, and permitted me to proclaim the fruit of His peace.
3. To convert the lives of those who desire to come to Him, and to lead those who are captive into freedom.
4. I took courage and became strong and captured the world, and the captivity became mine for the glory of the Most High, and of God my Father.
5. And the Gentiles who had been dispersed were gathered together, but I was not defiled by my love for them, because they had praised me in high places.
6. And the traces of light were set upon their heart, and they walked according to my life and were saved, and they became my people for ever and ever.
Hallelujah.
Ode 10 is talking in the voice of Jesus and seems to be defending the Jewish sense of monotheism to a Jewish audience as well as the conversion of the Gentiles to the same audience.  One thing that is striking is that Verse 1 makes a distinction between Jesus and “His Word” reflecting early theology that Jesus was a man overshadowed by the Son that would be reflected in one of the sermons in the Dialogue of the Savior.  This also seems implied in Verse 2.
Ode 11
1. My heart was pruned and its flower appeared, then grace sprang up in it, and my heart produced fruits for the Lord.
2. For the Most High circumcised me by His Holy Spirit, then He uncovered my inward being towards Him, and filled me with His love.
3. And His circumcising became my salvation, and I ran in the Way, in His peace, in the way of truth.
4. From the beginning until the end I received His knowledge.
5. And I was established upon the rock of truth, where He had set me.
6. And speaking waters touched my lips from the fountain of the Lord generously.
7. And so I drank and became intoxicated, from the living water that does not die.
8. And my intoxication did not cause ignorance, but I abandoned vanity,
9. And turned toward the Most High, my God, and was enriched by His favors.
10. And I rejected the folly cast upon the earth, and stripped it off and cast it from me.
11. And the Lord renewed me with His garment, and possessed me by His light.
12. And from above He gave me immortal rest, and I became like the land that blossoms and rejoices in its fruits.
13. And the Lord is like the sun upon the face of the land.
14. My eyes were enlightened, and my face received the dew;
15. And my breath was refreshed by the pleasant fragrance of the Lord.
16. And He took me to His Paradise, wherein is the wealth of the Lord's pleasure.
I beheld blooming and fruit-bearing trees,
And self-grown was their crown.
Their branches were sprouting and their fruits were shining.
From an immortal land were their roots.
And a river of gladness was irrigating them,
And round about them in the land of eternal life.
17. Then I worshipped the Lord because of His magnificence.
18. And I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they who are planted in Your land, and who have a place in Your Paradise;
19. And who grow in the growth of Your trees, and have passed from darkness into light.
20. Behold, all Your laborers are fair, they who work good works, and turn from wickedness to your pleasantness.
21. For the pungent odor of the trees is changed in Your land,
22. And everything becomes a remnant of Yourself. Blessed are the workers of Your waters, and eternal memorials of Your faithful servants.
23. Indeed, there is much room in Your Paradise. And there is nothing in it which is barren, but everything is filled with fruit.
24. Glory be to You, O God, the delight of Paradise for ever.
Hallelujah.
Ode 11 revisits themes from the Gospel of Thomas. One of the most striking is “circumcised me by His Holy Spirit in Verse 2 which can be seen in L 53 of Thomas: “the true circumcision is spirit has become completely profitable”.  Verse 4: “From the beginning to the end I received his knowledge” refers to being outside of time and space on the “rock” in Verse 5 which is the irreducible higher self.  The intoxication from the “living water” in Verse 7 can be found in the L 12 of Thomas: “Jesus said, ‘I am not your master.  Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out.”  The abandonment of “vanity” that is from the intoxication of the living water is reflected in L 108 in Thomas: “Jesus said, ‘He who will drink from my mouth will become like me.  I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him.’”  The many verses regarding trees in Paradise expand upon L 19 of Thomas: “there are five trees for you in Paradise which remain undisturbed summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall.  Whoever becomes acquainted with them will not experience death.”

Ode 12
1. He has filled me with words of truth, that I may proclaim Him.
2. And like the flowing of waters, truth flows from my mouth, and my lips declare His fruits.
3. And He has caused His knowledge to abound in me, because the mouth of the Lord is the true Word, and the entrance of His light.
4. And the Most High has given Him to His generations, which are the interpreters of His beauty,
And the narrators of His glory,
And the confessors of His purpose,
And the preachers of His mind,
And the teachers of His works.
5. For the subtlety of the Word is inexpressible, and like His utterance so also is His swiftness and His acuteness, for limitless is His progression.
6. He never falls but remains standing, and one cannot comprehend His descent or His way.
7. For as His work is, so is His expectation, for He is the light and dawning of thought.
8. And by Him the generations spoke to one another, and those that were silent acquired speech.
9. And from Him came love and equality, and they spoke one to another that which was theirs.
10. And they were stimulated by the Word, and knew Him who made them, because they were in harmony.
11. For the mouth of the Most High spoke to them, and His exposition prospered through Him.
12. For the dwelling place of the Word is man, and His truth is love.
13. Blessed are they who by means of Him have perceived everything, and have known the Lord in His truth.
Hallelujah.
The “remains standing” of verse 6 refers to the image of a person in prayer and of the angels standing in prayer before God.  The ‘Standing One’ concept in the first century came to refer to the Primal Adam or messiah for many different but related groups.  And, once again, we have the “drink from my mouth” images from Thomas, L 108.
Ode 13
1. Behold, the Lord is our mirror. Open your eyes and see them in Him.
2. And learn the manner of your face, then declare praises to His Spirit.
3. And wipe the paint from your face, and love His holiness and put it on.
4. Then you will be unblemished at all times with Him.
Hallelujah.
It is clear from the Gospel of Philip (“Sermon on the Mirrored Bridal Chamber”) and other early sources that early Christians used a mirror in the sacrament known as the ‘Bridal Chamber’ as a meditative device called in Greek cultures the ‘psychomantium’ to acquire visionary states of mind.  Learning “the manner of your face” refers to experiencing one’s higher self which is ‘above’ the astral body.  Ode 13 is calling the listener to use the mirrors to see one’s higher self in the Lord, then to remove the vanity from the lower self to live in holiness.
Ode 14
1. As the eyes of a son upon his father, so are my eyes, O Lord, at all times towards You.
2. Because my breasts and my pleasure are with You.
3. Turn not aside Your mercies from me, O Lord; and take not Your kindness from me.
4. Stretch out to me, my Lord, at all times, Your right hand, and be to me a guide till the end according to Your will.
5. Let me be pleasing before You, because of Your glory, and because of Your name let me be saved from the Evil One.
6. And let Your gentleness, O Lord, abide with me, and the fruits of Your love.
7. Teach me the odes of Your truth, that I may produce fruits in You.
8. And open to me the harp of Your Holy Spirit, so that with every note I may praise You, O Lord.
9. And according to the multitude of Your mercies, so grant unto me, and hasten to grant our petitions.
10. For You are sufficient for all our needs.
Hallelujah.
Verse 2 is an indication that the author may be a woman.
Ode 15
1. As the sun is the joy of them who seek its daybreak, so is my joy the Lord;
2. Because He is my Sun, and His rays have lifted me up; and His light has dismissed all darkness from my face.
3. Eyes I have obtained in Him, and have seen His holy day.
4. Ears I have acquired, and have heard His truth.
5. The thought of knowledge I have acquired, and have enjoyed delight fully through Him.
6. I repudiated the way of error, and went towards Him and received salvation from Him abundantly.
7. And according to His generosity He gave to me, and according to His excellent beauty He made me.
8. I put on immortality through His name, and took off corruption by His grace.
9. Death has been destroyed before my face, and Sheol has been vanquished by my word.
10. And eternal life has arisen in the Lord's land, and it has been declared to His faithful ones, and has been given without limit to all that trust in Him.
Hallelujah.
The “holy day” of Verse 3 is how the Gospel of Philip ends: “This is the way it is: it is revealed to him alone, not hidden in the darkness and the night, but hidden in a perfect day and a holy light.”  Both works make the point that what they are doing is not just hiding away in the dark but living in the light of a holy day.  Verse 6 may be referring to becoming celibate and releasing the attachments of earth which tend to make one wander in the astral planes of “Sheol” after death.

 

Ode 16
1. As the occupation of the ploughman is the ploughshare, and the occupation of the helmsman is the steering of the ship, so also my occupation is the psalm of the Lord by His hymns.
2. My art and my service are in His hymns, because His love has nourished my heart, and His fruits He poured unto my lips.
3. For my love is the Lord; hence I will sing unto Him.
4. For I am strengthened by His praises, and I have faith in Him.
5. I will open my mouth, and His Spirit will speak through me the glory of the Lord and His beauty,
6. The work of His hands, and the labor of His fingers;
7. For the multitude of His mercies, and the strength of His Word.
8. For the Word of the Lord investigates that which is invisible, and reveals His thought.
9. For the eye sees His works, and the ear hears His thought.
10. It is He who made the earth broad, and placed the waters in the sea.
11. He expanded the heaven, and fixed the stars.
12. And He fixed the creation and set it up, then He rested from His works.
13. And created things run according to their courses, and work their works, for they can never cease nor fail.
14. And the hosts are subject to His Word.
15. The reservoir of light is the sun, and the reservoir of darkness is the night.
16. For He made the sun for the day so that it will be light; but night brings darkness over the face of the earth.
17. And by their portion one from another they complete the beauty of God.
18. And there is nothing outside of the Lord, because He was before anything came to be.
19. And the worlds are by His Word, and by the thought of His heart.
20. Praise and honor to His name.
Hallelujah.
Verse 4 reveals a key theme of this ode and why angels sing: “I am strengthened by His praises”.
Ode 17
1. Then I was crowned by my God, and my crown was living.
2. And I was justified by my Lord, for my salvation is incorruptible.
3. I have been freed from vanities, and am not condemned.
4. My chains were cut off by His hands, I received the face and likeness of a new person, and I walked in Him and was saved.
5. And the thought of truth led me, and I went after it and wandered not.
6. And all who saw me were amazed, and I seemed to them like a stranger.
7. And He who knew and exalted me, is the Most High in all His perfection.
8. And He glorified me by His kindness, and raised my understanding to the height of truth.
9. And from there He gave me the way of His steps, and I opened the doors which were closed.
10. And I shattered the bars of iron, for my own shackles had grown hot and melted before me.
11. And nothing appeared closed to me, because I was the opening of everything.
12. And I went towards all my bound ones in order to loose them; that I might not leave anyone bound or binding.
13. And I gave my knowledge generously, and my resurrection through my love.
14. And I sowed my fruits in hearts, and transformed them through myself.
15. Then they received my blessing and lived, and they were gathered to me and were saved;
16. Because they became my members, and I was their Head.
17. Glory to You, our Head, O Lord Messiah.
Hallelujah.
Ode 17 is spoken in the voice of Jesus from references to “I went towards all my bound ones to loose them” and “I gave my knowledge generously, and my resurrection through my love”.  The “knowledge” reference portrays Jesus as a mystery school teacher.  Another oddity are the earlier references such as “I received the face and likeness of a new person; and I walked in him and was saved” and “all who saw me were amazed, and I seemed to them like a new person”.  These references lend themselves to the early theology that Jesus was a man who channeled Christ/the Son of Man/Seth/the Primal Adam, or the higher self.
Ode 18
1. My heart was lifted up and enriched in the love of the Most High, so that I might praise Him with my name.
2. My members were strengthened, that they may not fall from His power.
3. Infirmities fled from my body, and it stood firm for the Lord by His will; because His kingdom is firm.
4. O Lord, for the sake of those who are in need, do not dismiss Your Word from me.
5. Nor, for the sake of their works, withhold Your perfection from me.
6. Let not light be conquered by darkness, nor let truth flee from falsehood.
7. Let Your right hand set our salvation to victory, and let it receive from every region, and preserve it on the side of everyone who is besieged by misfortunes.
8. You are my God, falsehood and death are not in Your mouth; only perfection is Your will.
9. And vanity You know not, because neither does it know You.
10. And You know not error; because neither does it know You.
11. And ignorance appeared like dust, and like the foam of the sea.
12. And vain people thought that it was great, and they became like its type and were impoverished.
13. But those who knew understood and contemplated, and were not polluted by their thoughts;
14. Because they were in the mind of the Most High, and mocked those who were walking in error.
15. Then they spoke the truth, from the breath which the Most High breathed into them.
16. Praise and great honor to His name.
Hallelujah.
Clement of Alexandria considered evil to be ‘chaff in the wind’ that blows away similar to “ignorance appeared like dust, and like the foam of the sea” in Verse 11.  This is why God doesn’t get angry but laughs through them in Verse 14.
Ode 19
1. A cup of milk was offered to me, and I drank it in the sweetness of the Lord's kindness.
2. The Son is the cup, and the Father is He who was milked; and the Holy Spirit is She who milked Him;
3. Because His breasts were full, and it was undesirable that His milk should be ineffectually released.
4. The Holy Spirit opened Her bosom, and mixed the milk of the two breasts of the Father.
5. Then She gave the mixture to the generation without their knowing, and those who have received it are in the perfection of the right hand.
6. The womb of the Virgin took it, and she received conception and gave birth.
7. So the Virgin became a mother with great mercies.
8. And she labored and bore the Son but without pain, because it did not occur without purpose.
9. And she did not require a midwife, because He caused her to give life.
10. She brought forth like a strong man with desire, and she bore according to the manifestation, and she acquired according to the Great Power.
11. And she loved with redemption, and guarded with kindness, and declared with grandeur.
Hallelujah.
Ode 19 is one of most extraordinary.  It clearly is Trinitarian and identifies the Holy Spirit in the feminine gender.  The “milk” would most clearly be referring to light.  The “two breasts of the Father” could be referring to the Son and the Father.  Alternately, the “two breasts” could be referring to the Samaritans and the Jews.  The fact that the Samaritans had so much to do with Christianity was hidden from “the generation without their knowing”.  The Jews had a focus upon the Father and the Samaritans had a focus upon the ‘Son of Man (Adam)’ or Seth.
The “Virgin” could be referring to the Holy Spirit rather than the Virgin Mary and who “acquired according to the Great Power” and who “loved with redemption”.   The entire ode can be seen as a paeon to the Mother/ the Holy Spirit which is consciously over-writing the legends of the Virgin Mary in the Roman Church.
Ode 20
1. I am a priest of the Lord, and Him I serve as a priest;
2. And to Him I offer the offering of His thought.
3. For His thought is not like the world, nor like the flesh, nor like them who worship according to the flesh.
4. The offering of the Lord is righteousness, and purity of heart and lips.
5. Offer your inward being faultlessly; and let not your compassion oppress compassion; and let not yourself oppress a self.
6. You should not purchase a stranger because he is like yourself, nor seek to deceive your neighbor, nor deprive him of the covering for his nakedness.
7. But put on the grace of the Lord generously, and come to His Paradise, and make for yourself a garland from His tree.
8. Then put it on your head and be joyful, and recline upon His rest.
9. For His glory will go before you; and you shall receive of His kindness and of His grace; and you shall be anointed in truth with the praise of His holiness.
10. Praise and honor to His name.
Hallelujah.
Ode 20 is clearly contrasting true worship with false holiness.  The false worshippers are clearly wealthy enough to have slaves and oppress in some way.  This could be the Roman Church made up of Paul’s Herodian ‘tax-collectors’ friends and relatives.  Verse 7 probably refers to utilizing the Bridal Chamber sacrament.  The garland would represent the renunciate idea of the ‘Crown of Thorns’ leading to “rest”.
Ode 21
1. I lifted up my arms on high on account of the compassion of the Lord.
2. Because He cast off my bonds from me, and my Helper lifted me up according to His compassion and His salvation.
3. And I put off darkness, and put on light.
4. And even I myself acquired members. In them there was no sickness or affliction or suffering.
5. And abundantly helpful to me was the thought of the Lord, and His everlasting fellowship.
6. And I was lifted up in the light, and I passed before Him.
7. And I was constantly near Him, while praising and confessing Him.
8. He caused my heart to overflow, and it was found in my mouth; and it sprang forth unto my lips.
9. Then upon my face increased the exultation of the Lord and His praise.
Hallelujah.
Ode 21 outlines the worship process.  The hands are raised up which would represent the out-raised arms of Jesus on the Cross.  The author steals the ‘Helper’ verbiage from the Gospel of John which represents the Holy Spirit there and applies it to Jesus instead.  Alternately, the speaker could be Jesus talking about the ‘Son of Man’ as his “Helper”.
Ode 22
1. He who caused me to descend from on high, and to ascend from the regions below;
2. And He who gathers what is in the Middle, and throws them to me;
3. He who scattered my enemies, and my adversaries;
4. He who gave me authority over bonds, so that I might unbind them;
5. He who overthrew by my hands the dragon with seven heads, and set me at his roots that I might destroy his seed;
6. You were there and helped me, and in every place Your name surrounded me.
7. Your right hand destroyed his evil venom, and Your hand leveled the Way for those who believe in You.
8. And It chose them from the graves, and separated them from the dead ones.
9. It took dead bones and covered them with flesh.
10. But they were motionless, so It gave them energy for life.
11. Incorruptible was Your way and Your face; You have brought Your world to corruption, that everything might be resolved and renewed.
12. And the foundation of everything is Your rock. And upon it You have built Your kingdom, and it became the dwelling-place of the holy ones.
Hallelujah.
The speaker is clearly Jesus.  The “Middle” are the astral planes of our dream states which the Gospel of Philip warns against after a paragraph speaking about desires of the flesh: “And so he dwells either in this world or in the resurrection or in the middle place.  God forbid that I be found there!  In this world there is good and evil. Its good things are not good, and its evil things not evil.  But there is evil after this world which is truly evil—what is called ‘the middle’.  It is death.  While we are in this world it is fitting for us to acquire the resurrection, so that when we strip off the flesh we may be found in rest and not walk in the middle.  For many go astray on the way.  For, it is good to come forth from the flesh before one has sinned.”
The “dragon with seven heads” refers to the demiurge sometimes described as a lion-headed serpent who rules over seven archons or archontic races.  Jesus destroys their “seed” by freeing their prisoners who feared the venom of death and energized them “for life”.  The word “resolved” in Verse 11 is another code word meaning ‘resolved back to the root’ or going back to one’s higher self.  Verse 12 refers to the higher self/image of God as a “rock” which would be true in the sense of a totally integrated dew drop of Gods consciousness outside of time and space as we know it, but kind of a funny analogy otherwise.

Ode 23
1. Joy is for the holy ones. And who shall put it on but they alone?
2. Grace is for the elect ones. And who shall receive it but they who trusted in it from the beginning?
3. Love is for the elect ones. And who shall put it on but they who possessed it from the beginning?
4. Walk in the knowledge of the Lord, and you will know the grace of the Lord generously; both for His exultation and for the perfection of His knowledge.
5. And His thought was like a letter, and His will descended from on high.
6. And it was sent like an arrow which from a bow has been forcibly shot.
7. And many hands rushed to the letter, in order to catch it, then take and read it.
8. But it escaped from their fingers; and they were afraid of it and of the seal which was upon it.
9. Because they were not allowed to loosen its seal; for the power which was over the seal was greater than they.
10. But those who saw the letter went after it; that they might learn where it would land, and who should read it, and who should hear it.
11. But a wheel received it, and it came over it.
12. And a sign was with it, of the kingdom and of providence.
13. And everything which was disturbing the wheel, it mowed and cut down.
14. And it restrained a multitude of adversaries; and bridged rivers.
15. And it crossed over and uprooted many forests, and made an open way.
16. The head went down to the feet, because unto the feet ran the wheel, and whatever had come upon it.
17. The letter was one of command, and hence all regions were gathered together.
18. And there was seen at its head, the head which was revealed, even the Son of Truth from the Most High Father.
19. And He inherited and possessed everything, and then the scheming of the many ceased.
20. Then all the seducers became headstrong and fled, and the persecutors became extinct and were blotted out.
21. And the letter became a large volume, which was entirely written by the finger of God.
22. And the name of the Father was upon it; and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, to rule for ever and ever.
Hallelujah.
Ode 23 is reminiscent of the book of Ezekiel prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem and visualizing a new Temple.  The “wheel” that “came over” the letter in Verse 11 may relate to the four wheels in God’s chariot in Ezekiel where each one was described as a ‘wheel within a wheel’.  That the rims had eyes around it may relate to Verse 16: “the head went down to the feet”.
Verses 1-3 key the idea the author is claiming the original and superior spiritual tradition.  Verse 4 plays off Christ as the Word of God with the “letter”.  Verse 7-9 are probably referring to the Roman Christian communities being afraid to partake of the Bridal Chamber sacrament that is being referred to as the “seal”.  Nevertheless, the Roman communities burden and bother the Syrian communities about that sacrament in Verse 10.  The “wheel” in Verse 11 could be referring to the Syrian communities referring to themselves as a vehicle of the divine after the Ezekiel imagery and managing access to the Bridal Chamber such as only allowing it for celibates as we see in the Gospel of Philip.  The “sign” in Verse 12 is defined in Ode 27 as a worship position with hands outstretched—which lends evidence the “wheel” is the worshipping community.  Verses 13-15 could be describing how the Bridal Chamber became the central, defining feature of their communities and how its use spread geographically.  In Verse 16: “The head went down to the feet”-- aside from the Ezekiel verbiage that the wheel rims were circled with eyes-- is interesting imagery in light of a Primal Adam belief of the first century among the Ebionites and Elchasites that the Primal Adam or ‘Standing One’ was actually ninety-six miles high.  This would relate to the spiritual experience of going through an elevator-like tunnel of light in ascending or descending from the higher self.  Verse 21 that “the letter became a large volume, which was entirely written by the finger of God” is very interesting in inferring divinization for the community rather than singling out Christ, for example, as the author of the “volume”.

Ode 24
1. The dove fluttered over the head of our Lord Messiah, because He was her head.
2. And she sang over Him, and her voice was heard.
3. Then the inhabitants were afraid, and the foreigners were disturbed.
4. The bird began to fly, and every creeping thing died in its hole.
5. And the chasms were opened and closed; and they were seeking the Lord as those who are about to give birth.
6. But He was not given to them for nourishment, because He did not belong to them.
7. But the chasms were submerged in the seal of the Lord, and they perished in the thought with which they had remained from the beginning.
8. For they were in labor from the beginning, and the end of their travail was life.
9. And all of them who were lacking perished, because they were not able to express the word so that they might remain.
10. And the Lord destroyed the devices, of all those who had not the truth with them.
11. For they were lacking in wisdom, they who exalted themselves in their mind.
12. So they were rejected, because the truth was not with them.
13. For the Lord revealed His way, and spread widely His grace.
14. And those who understood it knew His holiness.
Hallelujah.
Ostensibly, Verses 1-2 are referring to the Holy Spirit at the baptism of Christ.  However, verse 3 registers the disquiet Samaritans and Jews felt when he began channeling the Holy Spirit, the higher self, and the Primal Adam.  Verse 4 begins discussing the spiritual process in general where “the bird began to fly” represents the dismissal of extraneous thoughts and “every creeping thing died in its hole” represents the death of the animal nature in higher pursuits.  The Gospel of Thomas in L 86—right before the one saying “wretched is the body dependent upon a body”—quotes Jesus: “(The foxes have their holes) and the birds have their nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head and rest”.  Verse 5 clearly speaks of the spiritual process of the Bridal Chamber: “the chasms were opened and closed”.  Verse 6 references the Roman Christians and their difficulties: “He was not given to them for nourishment, because he did not belong to them.”  If there is any confusion about whether Verse 5 was talking about physical chasms it is cleared up in Verse 7: “the chasms were submerged in the seal of the Lord”—referring to the Bridal Chamber.  The Roman Christians “perished in the thought with which they had remained from the beginning.”  Verse 9 means “all those who were lacking (fullness of the Holy Spirit) perished.  Verse 11 helps verify this with its “wisdom” reference..
Ode 25
1. I was rescued from my chains, and I fled unto You, O my God.
2. Because You are the right hand of salvation, and my Helper.
3. You have restrained those who rise up against me, and no more were they seen.
4. Because Your face was with me, which saved me by Your grace.
5. But I was despised and rejected in the eyes of many, and I was in their eyes like lead.
6. And I acquired strength from You, and help.
7. A lamp You set for me both on my right and on my left, so that there might not be in me anything that is not light.
8. And I was covered with the covering of Your Spirit, and I removed from me my garments of skin.
9. Because Your right hand exalted me, and caused sickness to pass from me.
10. And I became mighty in Your truth, and holy in Your righteousness.
11. And all my adversaries were afraid of me, and I became the Lord's by the name of the Lord.
12. And I was justified by His kindness, and His rest is for ever and ever.
Hallelujah.
The speaker would be the author rather than Jesus since there was success against adversaries.  Once again the “Helper” would not be the Holy Spirit as in John but probably the Son: “You are the right hand of salvation”.  A striking sentence is “I removed from me my garments of skin” in signifying spiritual travel but also seems to indicate an experience of the higher self since the dream or astral states have a similitude of the body.
Ode 26
1. I poured out praise to the Lord, because I am His own.
2. And I will recite His holy ode, because my heart is with Him.
3. For His harp is in my hand, and the odes of His rest shall not be silent.
4. I will call unto Him with all my heart, I will praise and exalt Him with all my members.
5. For from the East and unto the West is His praise;
6. Also from the South and unto the North is His thanksgiving.
7. Even from the crest of the summits and unto their extremity is His perfection.
8. Who can write the odes of the Lord, or who can read them?
9. Or who can train himself for life, so that he himself may be saved?
10. Or who can press upon the Most High, so that He would recite from His mouth?
11. Who can interpret the wonders of the Lord? Though he who interprets will be destroyed, yet that which was interpreted will remain.
12. For it suffices to perceive and be satisfied, for the odists stand in serenity;
13. Like a river which has an increasingly gushing spring, and flows to the relief of them that seek it.
Hallelujah.
Ode 26 demonstrates one of the disciplines of ecstasy beginning with “the odes of His rest shall not be silent” and ending with “the odists stand in serenity; like a river which has an increasingly gushing stream” as in L 13 of the Gospel of Thomas: “I am not your master.  Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out.”
Ode 27
1. I extended my hands and hallowed my Lord,
2. For the expansion of my hands is His sign.
3. And my extension is the upright cross.
Hallelujah.
L 55 of the Gospel of Thomas also speaks in this manner: “whoever does not hate his brothers and sisters and take up his cross in my way will not be worthy of me” First all “hate” means ‘put aside’.  Notice also “in my way”.  Thomas typically defines L 55 by the following one in L 56: “Jesus said: ‘Whoever has come to understand the world has found only a corpse, and whoever has found only a corpse is superior to the world.’”
Ode 28
1. As the wings of doves over their nestlings, and the mouths of their nestlings towards their mouths, so also are the wings of the Spirit over my heart.
2. My heart continually refreshes itself and leaps for joy, like the babe who leaps for joy in his mother's womb.
3. I trusted, consequently I was at rest; because trustful is He in whom I trusted.
4. He has greatly blessed me, and my head is with Him.
5. And the dagger shall not divide me from Him, nor the sword;
6. Because I am ready before destruction comes, and have been set on His immortal side.
7. And immortal life embraced me, and kissed me.
8. And from that life is the Spirit which is within me. And it cannot die because it is life.
9. Those who saw me were amazed, because I was persecuted.
10. And they thought that I had been swallowed up, because I seemed to them as one of the lost.
11. But my injustice became my salvation.
12. And I became their abomination, because there was no jealousy in me.
13. Because I continually did good to every man I was hated.
14. And they surrounded me like mad dogs, those who in stupidity attack their masters.
15. Because their thought is depraved, and their mind is perverted.
16. But I was carrying water in my right hand, and their bitterness I endured by my sweetness.
17. And I did not perish, because I was not their brother, nor was my birth like theirs.
18. And they sought my death but did not find it possible, because I was older than their memory; and in vain did they cast lots against me.
19. And those who were after me sought in vain to destroy the memorial of Him who was before them.
20. Because the thought of the Most High cannot be prepossessed; and His heart is superior to all wisdom.
Hallelujah.
It is clear this ode is speaking in the voice of Jesus since we read in Verse 18: “they cast lots against me”, yet the early verses read very much like the speaker could be any human such as “I trusted, consequently I was at rest”, immortal life embraced me and kissed me”, and “life is the spirit which is within me”.
Verse 16 is very interesting: “But I was carrying water in my right hand”.  The Gospel of Thomas makes similar references: “I have cast fire upon the world” in L 10, “the bubbling spring which I have measured out” in L 13, and “he who will drink from my mouth will become like me.”  In L 63, Jesus in Thomas says: “Do not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing” which referred to not blabbing to the fundamentalists about his initiations of Herodians like Salome in L 61.
Verse 17 is maybe referring to the Adoptionist theology of Jewish Christians, Ebionites, gnostics, and others where Jesus was ‘adopted’ by Christ at his Baptism.
Verse 19 is particularly interesting in asserting that the opponents of Jesus tried to destroy the memory of him.  This could represent the bitterness of Syrian Christians accusing the Herodian-Roman Church of covering of covering up the Samaritan origins of Jesus and refusing using of the Bridal Chamber ascent methodology.
Ode 29
1. The Lord is my hope, I shall not be ashamed of Him.
2. For according to His praise He made me, and according to His grace even so He gave to me.
3. And according to His mercies He exalted me, and according to His great honor He lifted me up.
4. And he caused me to ascend from the depths of Sheol, and from the mouth of death He drew me.
5. And I humbled my enemies, and He justified me by His grace.
6. For I believed in the Lord's Messiah, and considered that He is the Lord.
7. And He revealed to me His sign, and He led me by His light.
8. And He gave me the scepter of His power, that I might subdue the devices of the people, and humble the power of the mighty.
9. To make war by His Word, and to take victory by His power.
10. And the Lord overthrew my enemy by His Word, and he became like the dust which a breeze carries off.
11. And I gave praise to the Most High, because He has magnified His servant and the son of His maidservant.
Hallelujah.
Ode 29, once again, is obscurely written—one has to assume on purpose.  The speaker could be in the voice of Jesus—or not.  One reads phrases like “exalted me”, “lifted me up”, “I humbled my enemies”, and “He has magnified his servant and the son of His maidservant” which would make one assume Jesus is speaking.  The “servant and the son of his maidservant” could be just Hebrew repetition in referring to the son of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
On the other hand, one sees Verse 6: “I believed in the Lord’s Messiah” who “revealed to me His sign, and led me by his light” which would tend to deny the speaker is Jesus since the “sign” would be the upraised arms in the Crucifixion.  However, in the Adoptionist theology the speaker still could be Jesus if he is referring to the Son of Man, the Christ who revealed to him his coming Passion.  In this case in the last verse “servant” would refer to Jesus and “son of His maidservant” could refer discreetly to the “Son of Man” who over-shadowed Jesus and was the ‘son’ of Sophia, the Holy Spirit whose role was replaced in Roman theology by the physical mother of Jesus.
Clement of Alexandria a half century later uses the same imagery as Verse 10 that speaks of the Lord’s enemies as “dust which a breeze carries off”.
Ode 30
1. Fill for yourselves water from the living fountain of the Lord, because it has been opened for you.
2. And come all you thirsty and take a drink, and rest beside the fountain of the Lord.
3. Because it is pleasing and sparkling, and perpetually refreshes the self.
4. For much sweeter is its water than honey, and the honeycomb of bees is not to be compared with it;
5. Because it flowed from the lips of the Lord, and it named from the heart of the Lord.
6. And it came boundless and invisible, and until it was set in the middle they knew it not.
7. Blessed are they who have drunk from it, and have refreshed themselves by it.
Hallelujah.
Ode 30 seems to read as a commentary on L 13 of Thomas: “Because you have drunk you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out”.  L 13 also infers there are a number of scandalous perceptions considered sacrilegious involved with this bubbling spring.  Verse 5 keys this in relating directly to L 108 of Thomas: “He who will drink from my mouth will become like me.  I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden shall be revealed to him”.  In this context of there being no real difference at the highest level between a person and Jesus, Verse 1 takes on interest: “Fill for yourselves water…”—maybe, Fill  for/from your higher self, water…”  Divinization is the secret scandal.
Ode 31
1. Chasms vanished before the Lord, and darkness dissipated before His appearance.
2. Error erred and perished on account of Him; and contempt received no path, for it was submerged by the truth of the Lord.
3. He opened His mouth and spoke grace and joy; and recited a new chant to His name.
4. Then He lifted his voice towards the Most High, and offered to Him those that had become sons through Him.
5. And His face was justified, because thus His Holy Father had given to Him.
6. Come forth, you who have been afflicted, and receive joy.
7. And possess yourselves through grace, and take unto you immortal life.
8. And they condemned me when I stood up, me who had not been condemned.
9. Then they divided my spoil, though nothing was owed them.
10. But I endured and held my peace and was silent, that I might not be disturbed by them.
11. But I stood undisturbed like a solid rock, which is continuously pounded by columns of waves and endures.
12. And I bore their bitterness because of humility; that I might redeem my nation and instruct it.
13. And that I might not nullify the promises to the patriarchs, to whom I was promised for the salvation of their offspring.
Hallelujah.
The oddity of Ode 31 is that the first five verses are spoken in the third person, Verses 6-7 are spoken in the second person, and Verses 8-13 are spoken in the first person.  They all can be read to be about and from Jesus very clearly.  Since the Odes in general seem to be purposely designed to deliver subtle and hidden messages it can be conjectured that Verses 1-5 refer to the Son of Man whereas Verses 8-13 refer only the man, Jesus.  Verses 6-7 are the bridge of unity revealing that the design of Ode 31 was very conscious and purposeful.
Ode 32
1. To the blessed ones the joy is from their heart, and light from Him who dwells in them;
2. And the Word of truth who is self-originate,
3. Because He has been strengthened by the Holy Power of the Most High; and He is unshaken for ever and ever.
Hallelujah.
Ode 32 is spoken to cultures dependent upon outer messiahs, outer rules like the Jewish Law, and outer Scriptures.  Its brevity is used to make and comment upon one powerful point that the Kingdom of Heaven is within.
Ode 33
1. But again Grace was swift and dismissed the Corruptor, and descended upon him to renounce him.
2. And he caused utter destruction before him, and corrupted all his work.
3. And he stood on the peak of a summit and cried aloud from one end of the earth to the other.
4. Then he drew to him all those who obeyed him, for he did not appear as the Evil One.
5. However, the perfect Virgin stood, who was preaching and summoning and saying:
6. O you sons of men, return, and you their daughters, come.
7. And leave the ways of that Corruptor, and approach me.
8. And I will enter into you, and bring you forth from destruction, and make you wise in the ways of truth.
9. Be not corrupted nor perish.
10. Obey me and be saved, for I am proclaiming unto you the grace of God.
11. And through me you will be saved and become blessed. I am your judge;
12. And they who have put me on shall not be falsely accused, but they shall possess incorruption in the new world.
13. My elect ones have walked with me, and my ways I will make known to them who seek me; and I will promise them my name.
Hallelujah.
Ode 33 most logically depicts the struggle between Roman Christianity and the Syrian, Samaritan, and Egyptian Churches who adhered to Jesus and the Holy Spirit—who they regarded as Sophia/Wisdom/the Virgin/Barbelo.  The “Corruptor” would have to be Paul, the Apostle.  Verse 1 probably refers to the execution of Paul by an Emperor. Verse 2 would refer to Paul’s various heresies of abandoning the Law, Sophia as the Holy Spirit, the Bridal Chamber sacrament, and his associates of fabricating a false store-front Christianity in the Four Gospels.  Verse three refers to his prominence in the Roman Empire and irritating verbal theatrics.  Verse 4 refers to the ‘poor and humble put upon me’ depiction of Paul in his Letters.  Verse 5, of course refers to Sophia.  The “stood” refers to ‘standing before God and worshipping’—giving a monotheistic intonation and inferring her devotees were doing plenty of “preaching and summoning”.  The reference to “daughters” in Verse 6 was not accidental since women famously populated the Jesus movement in contradistinction to the Roman patriarchalism in the Roman Church.  Inner knowledge and holiness is profiled in Verse 8.  Verse 11 was an important rhetorical point: “I am your judge (in the Holy Spirit)” since the Jews and Roman Christians, no doubt, threw around the awfulness of the Last Judgment for all those who uplifted Wisdom or Spirit over the Old Testament vision of a ‘jealous God’.  The “falsely accused” in Verse 12 refers to being falsely accused after death by various and sundry ‘gatekeepers’.  How bold is L 33 to leave out reference to the Father and the Son and reflects the anger against the great heresy of the Roman Church to turn the Holy Spirit from a female to a male personification.
Ode 34
1. There is no hard way where there is a simple heart, nor barrier for upright thoughts,
2. Nor whirlwind in the depth of the enlightened thought.
3. Where one is surrounded on every side by pleasing country, there is nothing divided in him.
4. The likeness of that which is below is that which is above.
5. For everything is from above, and from below there is nothing, but it is believed to be by those in whom there is no understanding.
6. Grace has been revealed for your salvation. Believe and live and be saved.
Hallelujah.
Ode 34, once again, makes a powerful point with a short but revealing discussion of a currently famous expression: “As above, so below”.  The Gospel of Thomas deals with this subject in one of its most remarkable and central sayings in L 50 which first features a most remarkable ascent story but then goes on to end with “’What is the sign of your Father in you?’ say to them, ‘It is movement and repose’”—meaning the movement of the Spirit is present in you (as it would be in the “simple heart” and “upright thoughts” of Verse 1) and in the peace and rest of the Spirit (--As in Verse 2 where there is no “whirlwind in the depth of the enlightened thought”).
Ode 35
1. The gentle showers of the Lord overshadowed me with serenity, and they caused a cloud of peace to rise over my head;
2. That it might guard me at all times. And it became salvation to me.
3. Everyone was disturbed and afraid, and there came from them smoke and judgment.
4. But I was tranquil in the Lord's legion; more than shade was He to me, and more than foundation.
5. And I was carried like a child by its mother; and He gave me milk, the dew of the Lord.
6. And I was enriched by His favor, and rested in His perfection.
7. And I spread out my hands in the ascent of myself, and I directed myself towards the Most High, and I was redeemed towards Him.
Hallelujah.
The soul or higher self or image of God has been conceived at times as a dew drop of pure consciousness.  This could be what is referred to in Verse 5 as “the dew of the Lord”.  The “milk” could be the light which brings one to the “dew”.  The spreading of the arms in prayer in Verse 7 also simulates the roundedness of the dewdrop.  The “cloud of peace” of Verse 1 is a visualization in that direction as well.
Ode 36
1. I rested on the Spirit of the Lord, and She lifted me up to heaven;
2. And caused me to stand on my feet in the Lord's high place, before His perfection and His glory, where I continued glorifying Him by the composition of His Odes.
3. The Spirit brought me forth before the Lord's face, and because I was the Son of Man, I was named the Light, the Son of God;
4. Because I was the most glorified among the glorious ones, and the greatest among the great ones.
5. For according to the greatness of the Most High, so She made me; and according to His newness He renewed me.
6. And He anointed me with His perfection; and I became one of those who are near Him.
7. And my mouth was opened like a cloud of dew, and my heart gushed forth like a gusher of righteousness.
8. And my approach was in peace, and I was established in the Spirit of Providence.
Hallelujah.
Ode 36 seems to be identifying the real author of the Odes as the “Son of Man”. Instead of the Roman story where the Holy Spirit has a male personification and is sent by the Logos as a ‘Helper’ we have the ‘Son of Man’ referring to “she made me” and who was elevated to heaven by the Holy Spirit in a female personification.
In Verse 7 we have, again, a “cloud of dew” imagery where one can imagine souls are dew drops in His cloud.  The “gusher of righteousness” in the same verse recapitulates the “bubbling spring” in L 13 of Thomas and “drink from my mouth” in L 108.

Ode 37
1. I stretched out my hands towards the Lord, and towards the Most High I raised my voice.
2. And I spoke with the lips of my heart, and He heard me when my voice reached Him.
3. His Word came towards me, in order to give me the fruits of my labors;
4. And gave me rest by the grace of the Lord.
Hallelujah.
The second half of the Gospel of Thomas speaks of “rest” as a present possibility also in L 50 and 51.  The context would tell us it involves the ‘circumcision of spirit’ or living in the Spirit.  It is also mentioned in L 60 where the context would suggest we should be living in our higher selves since our bodies will die.  It is mentioned one last time in L 86 in the famous “The foxes have their holes and the birds of air have their nests but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head and rest”.  This is set in the sexual context of L 86: “Wretched is the body that is dependent upon a body, and wretched is the soul that is dependent upon these two.”
Ode 38
1. I went up into the light of Truth as into a chariot, and the Truth led me and caused me to come.
2. And caused me to pass over chasms and gulfs, and saved me from cliffs and valleys.
3. And became for me a haven of salvation, and set me on the place of immortal life.
4. And He went with me and caused me to rest and did not allow me to err; because He was and is the Truth.
5. And there was no danger for me because I constantly walked with Him; and I did not err in anything because I obeyed Him.
6. For Error fled from Him, and never met Him.
7. But Truth was proceeding on the upright way, and whatever I did not understand He exhibited to me:
8. All the poisons of error, and pains of death which are considered sweetness.
9. And the corrupting of the Corruptor, I saw when the bride who was corrupting was adorned, and the bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted.
10. And I asked the Truth, Who are these? And He said to me: This is the Deceiver and the Error.
11. And they imitate the Beloved and His Bride, and they cause the world to err and corrupt it.
12. And they invite many to the wedding feast, and allow them to drink the wine of their intoxication;
13. So they cause them to vomit up their wisdom and their knowledge, and prepare for them mindlessness.
14. Then they abandon them; and so they stumble about like mad and corrupted men.
15. Since there is no understanding in them, neither do they seek it.
16. But I have been made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the Deceivers, and I myself rejoiced because the Truth had gone with me.
17. For I was established and lived and was redeemed, and my foundations were laid on account of the Lord's hand; because He has planted me.
18. For He set the root, and watered it and endowed it and blessed it, and its fruits will be forever.
19. It penetrated deeply and sprang up and spread out, and it was full and was enlarged.
20. And the Lord alone was glorified, in His planting and in His cultivation;
21. In His care and in the blessing of His lips, in the beautiful planting of His right hand;
22. And in the attainment of His planting, and in the understanding of His mind.
Hallelujah.
The most logical protagonist for the community of the author would be the Pauline communities portrayed in Ode 33.  This is most clearly seen in Verse 11-13 where are the imitation “Beloved and His Bride” who “invite many to the wedding feast, and allow them to drink the wine of their intoxication” which results in causing “them to vomit up their wisdom and knowledge”.  The use of wine was a signature of the Roman Christians.  Verse 13 reflects the Roman rejection of the Bridal Chamber sacrament, the Holy Spirit as Sophia, and their esoteric Samaritan and mystery school past.  Verses 13-14 probably reflect Roman ecstatic and charismatic worship practices they used to replace the Bridal Chamber sacrament with like speaking in tongues.
Verse 1 reflects some awareness of the ancient Babylonian and Hebrew prayer practice of standing out under the stars and praying with a focus on the Big Dipper which was perceived as the throne or chariot of God with its distinctive shape and sense of eternality since it never dips below the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere.  Verse 2 with its reference to passing over chasms, gulfs, cliffs, and valleys recapitulates L 48 and 106 in the Gospel of Thomas which are doublets of each other: “When you make the two one, you will become sons of man, and when you say, ‘Mountain, move away,’ it will move away.”  This means not that it will literally move but that you will be outside time and space and can see it rise and fall.  Verses 4-9 about there being no danger or error probably reflect the need to assuage people’s fear of soul travel in the Bridal Chamber.
In Verse 9 the “bride who was corrupting was adorned” would refer to the wealth and power of the Roman Church as exemplified by the Herodian friends and relatives of Paul such as Epaphroditus who was the Secretary of Greek Letters for Nero, the ‘Littlest Herod’, and others.  The “Corruptor” can easily be seen as Paul, the purveyer of ‘cheap grace’.  The false ‘bridegroom’ would be the Greek god-man miracle worker depiction of Jesus in the Roman Gospels who only seemed to love sinners and tax collectors (The Herodians).
Verses 16-22 make the point that the spiritual life can be a long process and not just a certain date when you were ‘saved’.  The early and great Alexandrian theologians, Clement and Origen who lived in the embrace of the Roman Church—which was victorious in their survival long before Constantine-- were acutely aware that God was the great pedagogue or teacher where philosophy was given to the Greeks as preparation for Christ just as the Law was given to Hebrews as a preparation. They believed that spiritual growth happened after death as well.
Ode 39
1. Raging rivers are the power of the Lord; they send headlong those who despise Him.
2. And entangle their paths, and destroy their crossings.
3. And snatch their bodies, and corrupt their natures.
4. For they are more swift than lightnings, even more rapid.
5. But those who cross them in faith shall not be disturbed.
6. And those who walk on them faultlessly shall not be shaken.
7. Because the sign on them is the Lord, and the sign is the Way for those who cross in the name of the Lord.
8. Therefore, put on the name of the Most High and know Him, and you shall cross without danger; because rivers shall be obedient to you.
9. The Lord has bridged them by His Word, and He walked and crossed them on foot.
10. And His footsteps stand firm upon the waters, and were not destroyed; but they are like a beam of wood that is constructed on truth.
11. On this side and on that the waves were lifted up, but the footsteps of our Lord Messiah stand firm.
12. And they are neither blotted out, nor destroyed.
13. And the Way has been appointed for those who cross over after Him, and for those who adhere to the path of His faith; and who adore His name.
Hallelujah.
The author is speaking metaphorically about “Raging rivers”.  The Dialogue of the Savior, for example, counsels the letting go of all fear, anger, and envy:  “Truly, fear is (the power of destruction.)  So, if you are going to be afraid of what is going to come upon (you), it will engulf you. For there is not one among them who will spare you or show you mercy.”.  The DOS is referring to the archons or gatekeepers of lower dimensions who do not act with good will.  A little farther on the DOS in the voice of Jesus explains: “For the crossing place is fearful (before you).  But you, (with a) single mind, pass (it) by!  For its depth is great; (its) height is enormous…”  Verse 13 of the Ode makes clear a person has to do it themselves but “the Way has been appointed” in the “path of His faith”.
Ode 40
1. As honey drips from the honeycomb of bees, and milk flows from the woman who loves her children, so also is my hope upon You, O my God.
2. As a fountain gushes forth its water, so my heart gushes forth the praise of the Lord, and my lips bring forth praise to Him.
3. And my tongue becomes sweet by His anthems, and my members are anointed by His odes.
4. My face rejoices in His exultation, and my spirit exults in His love, and my nature shines in Him.
5. And he who is afraid shall trust in Him, and redemption shall be assured in Him.
6. And His possessions are immortal life, and those who receive it are incorruptible.
Hallelujah.
The author has not merely become the consumer of hope but drips and flows with it in Verse 1.  She gushes with praise in Verse 2, blessed by her singing in Verse 3, and radiant in His light in Verse 4.  These cast out fear in Verse 5 and lead to immortal and incorruptible life in Verse 6.
Ode 41
1. Let all the Lord's babes praise Him, and let us receive the truth of His faith.
2. And His children shall be acknowledged by Him, therefore let us sing by His love.
3. We live in the Lord by His grace, and life we receive by His Messiah.
4. For a great day has shined upon us, and wonderful is He who has given to us of His glory.
5. Let us, therefore, all of us agree in the name of the Lord, and let us honor Him in His goodness.
6. And let our faces shine in His light, and let our hearts meditate in His love, by night and by day.
7. Let us exult with the exultation of the Lord.
8. All those who see me will be amazed, because I am from another race.
9. For the Father of Truth remembered me; he who possessed me from the beginning.
10. For His riches begat me, and the thought of His heart.
11. And His Word is with us in all our way, the Savior who gives life and does not reject ourselves.
12. The Man who humbled Himself, but was exalted because of His own righteousness.
13. The Son of the Most High appeared in the perfection of His Father.
14. And light dawned from the Word that was before time in Him.
15. The Messiah in truth is one. And He was known before the foundations of the world, that He might give life to persons for ever by the truth of His name.
16. A new chant is for the Lord from them that love Him.
Hallelujah.
The Gospel of Thomas uses similar imagery as Verses 1-2 about being as a simple child nursing at the breast of the Holy Spirit—albeit in purposely obscured imagery—in L 4, 53, 102, and in L 22.
Verse 8 is interesting in “I am from another race”.  Though it could be a metaphor just referring to spiritual transformation, it resonates with a fully Christian but fully Sethian Samaritan book called ‘The Second Treatise of the Great Seth’ which is of interest because of the Samaritan roots of Christianity: “After we went forth from our home, and came down to this world in bodies, we were hated and persecuted, not only by those who are ignorant, but also by those who think that they are advancing the name of Christ, since they were unknowingly empty, not knowing who they are, like dumb animals.”
Ode 42
1. I extended my hands and approached my Lord, for the expansion of my hands is His sign.
2. And my extension is the upright cross, that was lifted up on the way of the Righteous One.
3. And I became useless to those who knew me not, because I shall hide myself from those who possessed me not.
4. And I will be with those who love me.
5. All my persecutors have died, and they sought me, they who declared against me, because I am living.
6. Then I arose and am with them, and will speak by their mouths.
7. For they have rejected those who persecute them; and I threw over them the yoke of my love.
8. Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride, so is my yoke over those who know me.
9. And as the bridal chamber is spread out by the bridal pair's home, so is my love by those who believe in me.
10. I was not rejected although I was considered to be so, and I did not perish although they thought it of me.
11. Sheol saw me and was shattered, and Death ejected me and many with me.
12. I have been vinegar and bitterness to it, and I went down with it as far as its depth.
13. Then the feet and the head it released, because it was not able to endure my face.
14. And I made a congregation of living among his dead; and I spoke with them by living lips; in order that my word may not be unprofitable.
15. And those who had died ran towards me; and they cried out and said, Son of God, have pity on us.
16. And deal with us according to Your kindness, and bring us out from the bonds of darkness.
17. And open for us the door by which we may come out to You; for we perceive that our death does not touch You.
18. May we also be saved with You, because You are our Savior.
19. Then I heard their voice, and placed their faith in my heart.
20. And I placed my name upon their head, because they are free and they are mine.
Hallelujah.
Ode 42 would seem to be a natural final ode in the series since it speaks in the voice of Jesus and gives a comprehensive recitation of his salvific history. The “Righteous One” reference, though, would seem to refer to the Son of Man who overshadowed Jesus since otherwise it would have to refer to Jesus speaking about himself in the third person or about God, the Father—neither of which seem natural.
Verse 5: “all my persecutors have died” reveals no conscious effort to delude the reader that the Odes were written earlier than at least late in the first century. The author argues that Jesus speaks through those over who he throws “the yoke of my love” through Verse 8.
Verse 9 uses bridal chamber imagery as a metaphor as if having no knowledge of the Bridal Chamber sacrament—which is not believable.  However, the bridal chamber is likened to the love of Jesus spread out next to one’s home—this is believable as subtle testament to the efficacy of the Bridal Chamber sacrament.

--Jan 29, 2012