Admonition concerning the Following Fragments on the Song of Songs

IX. These expositions are in many places deficient, because the copyists did not transcribe everything, but brought forward fewer things than the codices of Athanasius contained. It rarely happens that foreign interpretations bear the name of Athanasius; this we have noted in the margin insofar as our ability allowed. And indeed, it is very easy to discern the style of Athanasius in these, both because in the argument he generally places before the eyes a sort of synopsis of the whole psalm, and one akin to the interpretation he is about to offer, so that by this token it is easy to distinguish the true from the false; and because Athanasius is so perspicuous, so brief, and concise in these that he can be distinguished from others in this respect as well. In these, moreover, he generally sets forth the meaning, as they call it, spiritual, so that Nicetas in his catena cites Theodoret for the literal, and Athanasius almost for the spiritual. Yet it is not rare for him to touch upon the letter, and indeed most correctly toward the end of the Prophet, so that no one will fail to appreciate him. The arguments of the psalms are of the highest value, where he also often touches upon the literal mind aptly and acutely before he approaches the spiritual. Many readings from Aquila and Symmachus are present here, hitherto unobserved by Drusius and others. There is a place in Psalm LXVII, which we consider alien, and it smacks of invention, namely that concerning the reed at verse 17; it is said that the Son, when He was entreating the Father, spoke these words: *Let this cup pass from me*, not in hypocrisy, not to snare and deceive Satan, not because He was exalting the will of the world as His own. This is openly refuted by the explanation which exists in the book *On the Passion of the Lord* in Volume IV, which we have not unjustly relegated among the suspect. The Argument of Psalm LXX mentions the ruin of Jerusalem under the Romans for the first time, because the second was likewise inflicted by the Romans under Hadrian. These things concerning the expositions on the Psalms are sufficient.

After this admonition was written, I received letters from the illustrious Anthony Muratori, who with his own hand transcribed for me into the aforementioned commentary on the *Canticle of Mary, sister of Moses*, a very few things, as you see. Here, then, is a specimen of our commentary on the *Canticle of Deuteronomy*.

It signifies also the falling away of the Jews themselves and the goodness of God, which He provided to them, and the admission of the nations. *Give ear, O heaven, and I will speak, and,* etc. Since the transgression of the Jews was great, and witnesses were not found in heaven, God calls to witness, through the prophet, heaven and earth, the great elements. *Let it be awaited.* For the word of God is great as rain, and profitable, being held fast. *And let it come down.* With gentleness and quietness, that is, as dew upon grass, and as snow.

After two other verses, it is added: The rest are missing, and here the Athanasian expositions have their end.

From the aforementioned commentary on the Psalms, the praised man sent us some very brief clauses, quite unlike our own, so that because of their brevity, a judgment cannot be formed as to whether they are the same as our expositions or not. Whatever the case may be, since our own are very frequently praised by authors under the name of Athanasius, it is concluded from this that they are not indeed other than genuine expositions of Athanasius.

ADMONITION

An excellent Argument on the Psalms comes forth from an eleventh-century parchment codex of the Ambrosian library, of the best quality, whose every word argues the judgment and skill of the writer. Athanasius begins, however, from the order of the Psalms, the confused series of which he thinks to have arisen from the carelessness and negligence of the Jews. For once the paternal laws were despised, and their mind was inclined to the worship of idols, they destroyed the books and the writers who were the interpreters of the ancient religion, so that many things were scattered here and there and nearly consumed by age, and a great part even perished entirely. Under these circumstances, however, when they were worn down by many disasters in punishment for their crimes, and had migrated to Babylon by the command of the victors, a certain prophet among them undertook the task of collecting the sacred books: these he arranged as they were given to him, and in the individual parts as they first occurred to him, and not in their natural order. Hence arises that confusion of the Psalms, hence the perturbation of the series. But Athanasius seems to have borrowed these things from Eusebius, whose words he also for the most part transcribes. In this, however, he varies slightly, in that he assigns the work of restoring the Scripture, which Eusebius says was undertaken by Ezra, to one of the prophets, with no one mentioned in particular.

The matters subsequently mentioned concerning the authors of the Psalms are indeed proposed accurately and learnedly, and have great affinity with Origen's short work, which we shall soon edit (a). Furthermore, Athanasius concludes his argument with a most beautiful admonition, where he discourses excellently, albeit briefly, on the frame of mind with which the Psalms should be read, addressing the ascetics. We transcribed the Supplements to the Expositions on the Psalms from an Ambrosian codex while we were in Milan. That codex is recent, taken from an older Scorialensis. For, as we warned in the edition of Athanasius which we prepared not long ago (above, col. 53), those Expositions of Athanasius are not complete in all their parts and details, but have been truncated and abridged here and there by the boldness of copyists: some have even been extracted from catenae. I pay no heed to the modern writer who rashly pronounced that those Expositions on the Psalms are not by Athanasius, but without providing any reason for the denial. He cared nothing about this, or rather, he chose to ignore the fact that the work is attributed to Athanasius in all the centuries after Athanasius, and is mentioned by the majority of writers, mostly in the places where they exist in the modern Commentary: the affinity of style, the frequent words of Athanasian usage, and the antiquity of the codices from which they came did not move him—all of which a careful critic should have seriously examined before passing judgment. But he thought he was playing the part of a discerning critic when, having dismissed the labor of investigating and inquiring with ill-timed eagerness, he pronounced unhesitatingly: "They are not Athanasius's." To whom we answer with equal ease: "They are Athanasius's"; and you have exempted us from having to prove this anew, since you offer nothing to overthrow so many testimonies of writers and so many other arguments. Certainly, let no one accuse us of having presented as genuine and confirmed, works that are spurious or doubtful out of affection or preconceived opinion: for we have done our utmost, and as the requirements of fairness demanded, we have prefaced each work with notes; and although we leave it to the judgment of everyone to hold an opposing opinion, if anyone should undertake this task, let them occupy the role of judge and critic only by thoroughly examining the arguments and notes which we, according to our ability, have prefaced to each individual treatise. It is helpful to warn the reader that another Commentary on the title of Athanasius is kept in the Justinian library in Venice and in the Ambrosian in Milan, which is entirely different from the published one, beginning: "The prophecy is fulfilled in regard to Joseph of Arimathea." But since it is mentioned by no writers, it is either the work of another of our people, or it falsely claims to be that of the great Athanasius.

SAINT ATHANASIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA, ARGUMENT ON THE PSALMS.

In the Hebrew book of the Psalms, all the psalms are inscribed without the addition of numbering, and in various ways. For some are joined together, while others are divided. Indeed, immediately at the beginning, the first and second are joined in the Hebrew text; but on the contrary, the ninth, which is joined in our version, is divided into two in the Hebrew text. Moreover, the whole book of the Psalms is distributed into five parts. It must be noted, however, that the order of the psalms by no means follows the sequence and rationale of history and the times; rather, the order of the times is often changed, as the Book of Kings demonstrates. For when the Jewish people were exceedingly addicted to the worship of idols, they came to a complete oblivion of their ancestral Scriptures, to such an extent that not even the book of the Law of Moses appeared, nor did anything of the piety of the fathers remain among them. Therefore, when they killed the prophets who were convicting them of their impieties, and were for this reason delivered into the captivity of the Assyrians, under these circumstances a certain prophet, who was diligently caring for their Synagogue, gathered the book of the Psalms along with other Scriptures: not that he found all the psalms at one and the same time, but at diverse times; and he placed in the beginning those which were first found: which resulted in the fact that not even all the psalms of David himself are placed in order, and the psalms of the sons of Korah, and of Asaph, and of Solomon, and of Moses, and of Ethan the Israelite, and of Heman, and again of David, are found mixed in

^A the book; not according to the times in which they were spoken, but according to the times in which they were found. You may find the same thing having occurred in the pericopes of the prophets.

As for the psalms after the first and up to the twelfth that are without a title, and those that have a title but do not declare whose they are, the Hebrews say they belong to those whose names are written in the titles preceding the untitled ones. However, I believe that the first and second, being one ^B both together, belong to David, because all those that follow in the first part of the Psalms are his. From the third, indeed, up to the fortieth, all are inscribed as David’s; wherefore it seems to me that the first and the second also belong to him. The book of the Acts of the Apostles confirms this argument, in which it is said: "Master, you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them; who by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said: 'Why did the nations rage, and the peoples meditate vain things?'" For by these words he clearly said that the second psalm is David's. ^C It is likely that the title "of David" was omitted in that psalm because it contains a naked and open prophecy concerning the Lord, where it is said: "Against the Lord and against His Christ." Consistently with this, he adds from the very person of Christ: "The Lord said to me, You are my Son."

All the psalms, therefore, are one hundred and fifty. Some, however, think that all belong to the blessed David; yet this is not indicated by any mark. For while all are referred to David, it is shown in the titles whose psalm each one has become. For four leaders of the songs were chosen, with two hundred and eighty-eight attendants. ^D There are psalms placed under the four leaders, as the titles also demonstrate. For when it says: "A psalm to the sons of Korah, Ethan, Asaph, and Heman," the sons of Korah, Ethan, Asaph, and Heman themselves sing it. When it says "A psalm of Asaph," Asaph himself spoke it; when it says "A psalm of Idithum," Idithum himself chants it; whenever it says "of David," David himself was the one speaking; but when it says "to David," the psalm is recited by others for David.

There are indeed one hundred and fifty in all, of which seventy-two are of David, nine to David, twelve of Asaph, twelve to the sons of Korah, one of Idithum, one of Ethan, one of Heman, one of Solomon, two of Haggai and Zechariah, thirty-nine untitled, and one of Moses: all one hundred and fifty.

We must, therefore, consider this mystery: for what reason, while there are different singers and not all the psalms are David's, is the Psalter referred to David? We shall not pass over this. It was inscribed thus because he himself was the cause of these being published; for he himself chose the singers. He, therefore, having been the cause, was deemed worthy of this honor, so that all things that the singers said might be reckoned as David's.

Since David was a prophet, and held his interior eyes opened, and knew that the evil spirits rejoice in the fall of men, and conversely grieve when they are defeated by the repentance and amendment of men, he offered prayers against them in an intelligible and spiritual manner, using the visible enemies as a metaphor. For if we do not interpret the aim of the prophets in this way, we shall not only receive no profit for our soul from their words toward the acquisition of gentleness, but we shall even slip into a certain harshness of mind, contrary to evangelical doctrine, from the frequent prayers against enemies, and far from loving them. For David says a hundred times ^B: Let all my enemies be ashamed and confounded, and let me not be confounded. We must not believe that the prophets and friends of God spoke such things in any other manner than that which we have explained above. For thus the diligent and studious man should understand, whenever he finds the prophet praying [curse-like], that the transfer has been made from the perceptible enemies to the intelligible ones. Finally, the ascetic must be free for the understanding of individual words.

SAINT ATHANASIUS ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA EXPOSITIONS ON THE PSALMS

PSALM I. Argument.

David offers the beginning of the prophecy to Christ, who was to be born from him according to the flesh. Wherefore in the first place he calls happy those who hope in Him. ^C [He calls happy those who have not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the pestilent. For there were three orders among the Jews rising up against the Savior, namely, the Scribes, the Pharisees, and the lawyers, who are rightly and deservedly called ungodly, sinners, and pestilent. The way is called this life, because those who are born progress toward the end.]

1. *Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly.* The counsel of the ungodly can be called the assembly and gathering of the wicked. And since it is harmful to mix oneself with the assemblies of the ungodly, he declares him happy who does not approach their company even in the slightest. Such was Joseph of Arimathea, who buried the body of the Lord and God. For it was said of him that he did not consent to the counsel of those who betrayed Jesus. *And has not sat in the seat of the pestilent.* By the seat...

^A he signifies doctrine, as he himself says: "Upon the seat of Moses." The seat of the pestilent, therefore, is the doctrine of the wicked.

*Day and night.* This signifies intensity; for one must not meditate on the law of the Lord negligently. [But his will is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he will meditate day and night. By "the law," he clearly means the angelic law. It signifies intensity; for one must not meditate on the law of the Lord negligently. For one must not meditate on it at one time and not at another, but one must be fixed upon the divine oracles always and continuously; for this is what "day and night" signifies. The reward of such an achievement is good; for he who occupies himself with the divine law is watered by the streams flowing from it. And Christ also called his own doctrine water, when ^B he said: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." He is compared to a tree planted by the waters, which always flourishes, always abounds with timely fruits. For the athletes of virtue receive the fruits of their labors in the future; yet they are shaded by good hope, appearing like leaves, and they steal away the weight of their labors through such recreation. For such a man everything will prosper. For he will perform nothing contrary to the divine laws, conforming his will to the will of the Law; having first forbidden all forms of wickedness, and having demonstrated the perfection of the divine laws, he thus adds: "All that he does shall prosper."]

His adjicit Dan. Barbarus: By "day" he meditates who progresses in virtues, but by "night," he who, when perturbations arise, preserves the immovable generosity of his soul.

*And he shall be like the tree planted by the outgoings of the waters.* ^C In confession, or rather in parable, Christ is recorded as the tree in the divinely inspired Scripture, according to what is said: "It is a tree of life to all who lay hold of it." He says, therefore, that those who have believed in Christ will be his body; for he will change the body of our humility so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory. He calls the divine Scriptures the outgoings of the waters, in which it is possible everywhere to find Christ being preached. [The tree of life is Christ; the branches are the apostles; the fruit is the blood and water flowing from his side; of which the one is for the image of martyrdom, the other for baptism. The leaves are his words; the fruit of the tree you shall understand to be right faith; its leaves, the fulfillment of the commandments. The fruit also are those who are saved; the root, baptism; the husbandman, the Father.] *He shall give his fruit in his season.* You shall understand the fruit of the tree to be right faith; its leaves, the fulfillment of the commandments. *And its leaf shall not fall off, nor shall it fade. And all things whatsoever he does shall prosper.* For there is no act of those done according to God that is without profit. [The time of giving is the suitability of the recipient.]

*For this reason the ungodly shall not rise in judgment.* ^D For this reason, that they have no root, but are like dust

blown about by the wind of the earth. By the wind, you should understand the threat of God, which says: *Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire.* Those who hear this same voice will justly fall, for they have not stood in Christ, who is the support and foundation of those who believe. For when He says "in judgment," he means it is not for interrogation. ^A *In the council of the just,* he says; for He will separate the just from the sinners.

*6. For the Lord knows the way of the just.* "Knows," here, is used for "honors," according to what was said by God to Moses: *I know you above all,* as if to say: I honor you, and you have found grace before me.

PSALM II: To David; it is without inscription among the Hebrews.

Argument.

After he had in the first psalm called the princes of the Jewish nation ungodly, sinners, and pestilent, in this one he again reviews their deeds, using these same names which are most fitting to them. [Having concluded the first psalm with the memory of the ungodly, he began the second with the mention of these same people, ^B teaching that the end of those ungodly men mentioned above will be received by those who have acted with fury against the Savior.]

*1. Why did the nations boast, etc.* He calls "boasting" a brutish ferocity. But the word "why" is used in common, so that it may be understood as: Why did the peoples meditate on vain things? And who, I ask, would not agree that such meditation was empty for them, inasmuch as they did not receive the Savior of their race? [What, he says, is the cause of such great hatred that nations and peoples concur for the same purpose? For "they boasted" signifies that they were so proud that, with swelling and arrogance, they stirred up crowds and made tumult. ^C This manner of speaking is transferred from the brute impulse of horses, which observes no order—which is what happened to the Jews who rose up against Christ. What is the cause that nations and peoples concur for the same purpose? For he calls the Israelites nations and peoples, or he mentions Herod and Pilate as gentiles, and the Jews as peoples.]

[*The kings of the earth stood.* As if he were saying: The kings, namely Herod and Pontius Pilate, set themselves to this business of their own accord. ^D Thus also the holy apostles interpreted it in the Acts.]

*And the rulers gathered together ^D against the same.* These are the aforementioned ranks: namely, the scribes, the Pharisees, and the lawyers. *Against the Lord and against His Christ.* For the plots prepared against Christ recoil upon the Father Himself. For if the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father, how could an insult against them not be one and the same?

Daniel Barbarus adds: For the two prepositions and the two articles introduce two persons as well: namely the Father and the Son, according to that which was said by Christ: *He who receives me, receives Him who sent me; and he who rejects me, rejects both.*

^A *Let us break their bonds asunder.* Something is missing, namely, "saying," so that the sense may be this: They gathered against the Lord and against His Christ, saying: *Let us break their bonds asunder.* For they did not wish to be within the sacred net, of which it is written: *The kingdom of heaven is like a net* (Matt. 13:47). *And let us cast away their yoke from us.* The burden of the Law, concerning which He said: *For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light* (Matt. 11:47). [The yoke of them: For the treachery against Christ recoils also upon the Father Himself. For if the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father, how then would the insult offered to them not be a single one?]

*He who dwells in the heavens shall laugh at them.* As those who counsel foolishly; for He who was nailed to the cross by them and delivered to death, being in the heavens and containing all things, shows their counsels to be empty and vain. And the Father of Him, and Lord of all, shall exact the penalty worthy of this deed. *And the Lord shall deride them.* For He will consign them to nothing, he says, and will hate and turn away from them. [He shall laugh: that is, He will hate and turn away from them. But He who is higher than the conspirators, he says, shall laugh at them, or rather shall declare their conspiracy worthy of laughter, inasmuch as they have laid their hands to a foolish business. For a "derision" (subsannatio) is a breath emitted through the nostrils in contempt of those who make a great clamor. And the fact that these things are spoken with the prepositions adds more intensity to the laughter. And not only this, he says, but they shall also experience wrath.]

*Then He shall speak to them in His wrath.* Then; when, if not when they said: *Let us break their bonds asunder?* But what is it that is spoken by Him in wrath? It is that: *Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees* (Matt. 23:13); and that: *And unto you, O lawyers, woe* (Luke 11:46). [For the Roman army led them into captivity. But furor (fury) differs from ira (wrath), in that fury is as it were wrath boiling and still inflamed, while wrath is the appetite for vengeance. Furor is therefore more imperfect than wrath, and wrath is as it were its completion. And the end of events makes manifest the interpretation of words of this kind. For the Roman army, invading them, devastated the city and burned the temple, and destroyed a great part of them by slaughter; but those who escaped death, being taken, were handed over to slavery. I would wish every faithful man to observe that He mentions two persons in succession; first indeed the Lord Christ; for He says, *against the Lord, and against His Christ*; and then, of Him who dwells in the heavens and is Lord: *He who dwells in the heavens shall laugh at them, and the Lord shall deride them*; and again in like manner He proceeds continuously and consequently.]

*But I have been appointed king by Him upon Sion.* As if the people from Israel had been cast off, ^D the faith that has come to the nations is declared to them by Him; and by Sion is revealed the Church.

^A [The Lord said to me, You are my Son, etc., as if saying: The very nature of the Father declared me to be Son—not that this was accomplished by any command, but that the essence itself showed me forth as the image of the Father’s substance. For it is well added, "you are," to declare the generation before the ages, for He was always Son. But He added that, "Today I have begotten you," so that He might demonstrate the generation according to the flesh; for "today" indicates time, and therefore it is placed in reference to the temporal generation. And consistent with the human, the words that follow, "I have begotten you," are also added. See how the Father makes the generation of the only-begotten Christ according to the flesh His own.] And your possession to the ends of the earth. You shall rule them with a rod of iron. That is, in the cross, the material of which is wood, while its strength is iron. Some, however, indicate the empire of the Romans. ^B Dan. Barbarus adds: A potter breaks a vessel which falls from his hands: not destroying it, but reforming it—no other clay than the old, only adding water, which is what Christ also did.

10. And now, kings, understand. That is, take note; turn to repentance. Be instructed, all you who judge the earth. By the former, "be instructed," He signifies progress; by the latter, "Lay hold of discipline," He signifies perfection. Dan. Barbarus: Concerning the just way, from which those who wander fall from the way.

12. Lay hold of discipline. Of the Gospel, obviously. And lest you perish from the just way. Of Him who said: I am the way.

PSALM of David when he fled from the face of Absalom his son. III. Argumentum. The proposed inscription of the psalm stands thus. For this is what the psalm declares, that the chorus of the prophets is vexed by the Jewish people. For David signifies "the desired one," which in truth befits the chorus of the prophets. ^C As therefore Absalom attempted to stir up rebellion against his own father, that is David, so also the Jews rose up against their fathers, the prophets, not receiving the commandments of God, but indeed resisting them.

O Lord, why are those who afflict me multiplied? That "why" ^D signifies "exceedingly."

3. There is no salvation for him in his God. He says that God will not save him; for they were looking only at the sin which he had committed, being ignorant of his repentance. This makes it manifest that the psalm was spoken concerning David. For "to rise up" is properly said of those who were previously in the condition of subjects, but later stirred up war.

4. But you, O Lord, are my supporter, my glory. Since it has already been said that this psalm is proclaimed from the person of the Lord, it must now be said that his glory is also raised

^A head, which is God, when his divinity is clearly demonstrated to the faithful.

[You, O Lord, are my supporter. This voice is most fitting for the faith of the Prophet, who bore such circumstances with a firm and intrepid spirit, and trusted that he would by no means be abandoned; nay, that not only would help come, but that he would also be raised up and receive the kingdom: for some say this is what "raising the head" signifies. Therefore, God is the glory of the just man, in whom he has placed his hope: and whose glory is God, his head is raised.]

"With my voice I have cried to the Lord." The discourse teaches that in times of trouble one must turn to no one other than God alone.

"With my voice I have cried to the Lord." He first puts forth the prayer, and then, after the *diapsalma*, the thanksgiving, upon having obtained what he asked. But now he turns his face toward us and narrates how, having prayed, he was heard, and says: "With my voice I have cried to the Lord." By "voice" one must understand the prayer of the mind—which is above the intellect—directed to the God of all; for he does not speak of a cry, but of the silent prayer of the mind.

"And he heard me from out of his holy mount." ^B This is said according to the prevailing opinion. For it was thought that he dwelt in the Tabernacle, because from there the oracles were given to the priests. Or by "holy mount," he means "from heaven," as in the verse: "In thy holy mount," and "Approach the eternal mountains." The holy mount of God can be that from which God, his Only-begotten, hears those who pray, concerning whom it is said: "The mount of the Lord shall be conspicuous in the last days." This statement signifies his manifestation, which was to take place at his coming at the consummation of the ages; or "from his holy mount" means from heaven. The holy mount of God is his supernatural knowledge.

The *diapsalma* is used when there is a change of musical melody, or a shifting in the thought and force of the discourse.

"I arose," implies that, having enjoyed the divine change, I became superior to the evils that had befallen me.

"I have slept and taken my rest." He speaks of the sleep of the mind, through which one falls into sin.

[Verse 8. "For you have struck all who are hostile to me." Strike, crush, or you shall strike. He urges God to rise up against his enemies, that is, for his revenge. He has enemies without cause, who gave no matter for hatred. And by the "teeth" of sinners, he means either the power of those sinning against God, or the words spoken against him, or blasphemous remarks. Or else the teeth of sinners are irrational thoughts which occur to us against nature. For ^D our adversaries, using these thoughts as teeth, often approach us to eat our flesh—that is, the things born of the flesh.]

9. *Domini est salus.* Save me, he says, O Lord. I pray also that this may be extended to the whole people. It must be known that the entire psalm has reference to the human race, which, having sinned and for that very reason been delivered to spiritual enemies, cries out in tribulation and is heard by God; and it has obtained salvation because Christ has risen from the dead and struck down our enemies—the demons, that is. For He is the One who has broken the molars of the lions, ^A the Lord. And of Him—or from Him—is salvation.

[*Domini est salus.* There is no hope for me, he says, in man: but I await salvation from Thee, as does Thy people who are attacked in war with me.]

IN FINEM PSALM OF THE ODE FOR DAVID. IV. Argument.

He dedicates this psalm to the victor after the victory has been reported.

[For *in finem*, Aquila and Theodotion interpreted it *to the victor*; Symmachus, however, *Epinicium*, or *song of victory*.]

2. *Cum invocarem exaudivit me Deus justitiae meae.* It is similar to that: *While you are still speaking, He will say: Behold, I am here.* ^B *In tribulatione dilatasti mihi.* Not only, he says, did You free me from the hardships that befell me, but You also prepared me to stand in great breadth and liberty. [Siba and Berzel offered much food and carpets to David, when, fleeing Absalom, he was living in desert places and on the mountains, like the three children in the furnace, and Daniel with the lions. When we understand the reason for tribulations and temptations, then above all we are broadened. There is also another way in which breadth can be explained.] *Miserere mei, et exaudi orationem meam.* Since he had said that he was heard because of his righteousness, for this reason he takes refuge in the mercy of God.

3. *Filii hominum, usquequo gravi corde.* These things are said to those who trusted that, by the help of a great army, the just man could be oppressed. But this hope, he says, is both vain and false.

4. *Et scitote quoniam mirificavit Dominus sanctum suum.* That is, know, you who trust in a multitude, ^C that God has shown him who trusts in Him to be wonderful. *Dominus exaudiet me cum clamavero.* Time is taken for time: for instead of *He has heard*, he said *will hear*.

5. *Irascimini et nolite peccare.* These things he says essentially to his own [people], as well as to all men. *Quae dicitis in cordibus vestris in cubilibus vestris compungimini.* ^D

Daniel Barbarus: Condemn your internal thoughts in the night; for compunction is a certain sense, like a stimulus or goad of the soul, and in the night counsels are purer. ^A

*Sacrifice a sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord.* He teaches how we shall prevail over our enemies. How shall we prevail? By producing good works, which we offer to God as a sacrifice. *Many say: Who will show us good things?* These are the words of those who neglect ministries pertaining to God. ^B

*The light of thy countenance, O Lord, is marked upon us.* Christ is the light of the world, who has also taught us true goods, through which we have acquired spiritual gladness in mind and heart.

PSALM V

[*For I will pray unto thee.* In the enjoyment, he says, of the intelligible light, I will pray to thee; therefore I also trust that I shall be heard.]

*Give ear to my words, O Lord.* *In the morning I will stand before thee.* A great glory of contention, ^C [a great boasting of purity] is to stand before God from one's very bed and to anticipate the sun in thanksgiving. For so, he says, shall I behold thy divine and holy mysteries which thou hast prepared for those who love thee. *For thou art not a God that wills iniquity.* Therefore, he says, I trust that I shall be heard, because I have had no concern for things of this kind which thou hatest. These indeed are iniquity, and wickedness, and transgression, and falsehood, and envy, and deceit.

*Thou hatest all that work iniquity; thou wilt destroy all that speak falsehood.* He called those who stumble in their conduct workers of iniquity; these God hates. But the heterodox who have fallen from the truth, he termed speakers of falsehood, whom God will destroy. And mark the difference between *Thou hast hated* and *thou wilt destroy*. ^D First, whether *thou wilt destroy* is worse than *thou hast hated*; and second, what the reason is that the former lies in the past tense, while the latter in the future.

[Speaking falsehood, and those calling idols gods, and the demons themselves, who in idols speak lies and devious things and oracles.]

*The Lord abominates the man of blood and the deceitful man.* For God hates such a man and turns away.

^A But I in the multitude of your mercy ^A will enter into your house. He speaks of the heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of the firstborn. *I will worship toward your holy temple in your fear.* The temple is the state of a holy soul, flourishing in virtue, which those who possess act with confidence. Yet Christ, as Son, will rest in his house, of which house we are. For, enjoying your clemency and protected by your right hand, I follow you with constant adoration in the holy temple of your glory, says the holy and pure soul; for since I bear your fear everywhere around me, I shall never suffer to lose it, trusting in your clemency. *Direct my way in your sight because of my enemies.* Namely, the spiritual ones. *Their heart is vain.* That is, the heart of the wise men of this age, or even of the heretics. For they do not know the word of truth. *Their throat is an open sepulchre; they dealt deceitfully with their tongues.* They smooth their tongue, and belch forth deadly dogmas. 12. *Cast them off from their counsels.* For these, he says, are all the counsels they formed against me, being opposed to my progress according to God. [According to the multitude of their impieties cast them out, making them pious. For they who persecute the soul that produces works pleasing to God, exasperate God and openly attack him in war.] 13. *And you will dwell in them.* For he himself will come, and the Father, and they will make their abode with him. 14. *And those who love your name will glory in you, because you will bless the just, O Lord.* For by your blessing and providence granted to your servants, who have committed themselves to the love of your name, they will be magnificently aware of your care for them, which they will declare as your power. Thus also the blessed ^C Paul says: *He who glories, let him glory in the Lord* [1 Cor. X, 17]. *You have crowned us with the shield of your good will.* A crown, he says, you will give for our labors at the end, with which as with a shield you will protect us.

Unto the end, in hymns, for the octave, PSALM of David. VI. Argument.

^D Could the octave be anything else than the day of Christ's resurrection, on which we are to receive the fruits of our labors; with our enemies, of course, driven back with shame and perturbation? He sings this psalm, moreover, as one who had spent a long time in the repentance which he offered for sin. 2. *Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger.* He does not refuse rebuke, but that which is with anger; nor does he refuse correction, but that which is done with wrath. 3. *Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak.* For no soul falls into sin before it has lost something of its strength. [He hints at the weakness which arises from despondency and tears.] 4. *And my soul is troubled exceedingly.* The powers of the soul, clearly. *And you, O Lord, how long?* The word of long-term repentance...

^A which arises from despondency and tears. 5. *Convert, O Lord, deliver my soul.* As though He were turned away, clearly, because of sin. *Save me for your mercy’s sake.* For every aspect of our salvation is to be ascribed to the mercy of God. 6. *For in death there is no one who remembers you.* Because the time for repentance is long, he says, I fear lest death anticipate your mercy, where there will be no place for confession. For this reason, I ask that you hasten your mercy. 7. *I laboured in my groaning.* Let us hear what kind of repentance the King demonstrated. He did not simply labour, but he laboured while groaning; he did not simply shed tears, but he washed his bed, and that every night. And he does not look only ^B to what is past, but he even promises the same for time to come throughout his whole life; and even if many people devote time to praise, he devotes this time to confession. *I will wash my bed every night.* Instead of one night, he says, in which I committed the sin, I have spent many nights wetting my couch with tears. 8. *My eye is troubled by anger.* By eye he means the mind, since the mind is the eye of the soul. *I have grown old among all my enemies.* Here he declares the time of his affliction. [Which he also counts in the order of good deeds, because it was long.] 9. *For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.* As one who has already been heard, he joins together a long discourse against his enemies. And this is no small path toward virtue: to flee and to repel the company of the wicked. For this is the fruit of repentance and the gain ^C of tears. Or perhaps this was said by ellipsis, so that it may be understood: Grant us to say to the adversaries who rush upon us: "Depart, for I have been heard, for I have been received, I who had been cast out on account of sin."

PSALM OF DAVID, WHICH HE SANG TO THE LORD CONCERNING THE WORDS OF CUSI, THE SON OF IEMINI. VII. Argument.

The closest friend of David was Cusi, who is sent by David to Abessalom so that he might oppose Achitophel, the author of counsels against David. And when he had departed, and was feigning treachery, ^D upon a counsel being requested by Abessalom from Cusi and Achitophel—and with Achitophel giving counsel to pursue David, but Cusi advising otherwise, namely that it was not right, nor would it be to his advantage, to pursue a man skilled in war—by this word he saved David. David, as if saved not by human assistance, offers this canticle to God in thanksgiving, ascribing the whole thing to His grace, and to no man.

2. *O Lord my God, in you I have hoped.* Since, he says, I do not trust in men for salvation, even if the words of Cusi are good, save me also from the present enemies, but most of all from the spiritual lion who lies in wait for my soul.

^A 5. *If I have rendered evil to those who render evil to me.* He sets forth his freedom from resentment, calling upon God through it for mercy. *May I then fall from my enemies empty.* The righteous man, having conquered, departs full and laden with spoils from his enemies; but the wicked man, when he is defeated, falls away from them empty, having no store of provisions.

6. *Let the enemy pursue my soul.* What he says is of this kind: May I fall into the hands of the devil if I have committed any of the things mentioned above; if I have done this or that, may I not be delivered from sin before death. *Arise in the ends of my enemies.* That is, in the strongholds of my enemies; for "ends" signifies the extremities.

7. *And arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which Thou hast commanded.* Clearly, he evangelizes here about the theophany of the Savior. *And a congregation of peoples shall surround Thee.* Clearly, he declares by these present words the faith of the Church in Him.

8. *And for this sake return on high.* That is, for the sake of this congregation. And the "on high" hints either at the precious cross, to which He brought our sins, or at the return to heaven. For He went away to present Himself before the face of the Father for our sake.

9. *Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness.* He asks again to be rescued from his enemies, ^B provoking mercy from the evils inflicted upon him. Daniel Barbarus: *My righteous help is from the Lord.* Just things are to be requested, so that by the very force and nature of the petition, we may easily incline towards ourselves the impulse of Him who saves the upright in heart.

11. *Who saves the upright in heart.* Since Thou knowest, he says, the thoughts of our heart, for this reason I implore Thy help.

12. *God is a just judge, strong and long-suffering.* Clearly by such words he presents the long-suffering of God, who has a postponement of our punishment, but not a total pardon.

14. *He has fashioned His arrows for those who are burning.* He calls punishment "arrows," and "burning" are those deserving of fire.

15. *Behold, he has travailed with injustice.* The enemy of our life. *He has conceived pain and brought forth lawlessness.* That is, he has both deliberated and brought to effect his schemes.

16. *He has opened a pit and dug it, etc.* Having prepared death against the Savior Christ, he himself is delivered up to death.

PSALM VIII

faithful are called branches. But if the Jew contends that the psalm is spoken of man in a general sense, even so, let it be known that for this reason all things were subjected to him, because he was made to the image of God who was about to assume flesh.]

^A 2. O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth! He is struck with wonder at the knowledge of the name of God given to mankind; for God is no longer known only to those who are in Judæa.

3. Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise. Namely, of those who are infants toward God in terms of malice. This is also clearly recorded in the Gospels to have been said by the Savior, when the Pharisees were silencing the children who were praising Him. Because of thy enemies, that thou mayest destroy the enemy and the avenger. He speaks either of the sensible or the intelligible enemy, or of the Jewish people; for they drove away Christ as an enemy, but pretended that they were doing this with the intention of avenging the Father. For this reason, stripping them of this defense ^B both above and below, He said: He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. By enemy and avenger, He means the devil, who, after having compelled them to accomplish the sin, also inflicts punishment upon those who sin, setting the gravity of the sin before their eyes. Or he means the people of the Jews, an enemy indeed of the truth, but an avenger in that they seemed to be defending the law.

For I shall behold the heavens, the works of thy fingers. Those men are indignant at the infants who are perfecting praise; but I contemplate that which is so great and beautiful, namely the heavens, as a small work of Thy creation. ^C

What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou hast made him a little less than the angels. Since Paul clearly refers these words to our Savior, it suffices to be satisfied with that explanation.

8. Thou hast subjected all things under his feet. ^D After God said, Let us make man to our image and likeness, He added: And let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and He goes through the rest in detail, to which He adds: Increase and multiply and fill the earth, and have dominion over it; for He bestowed the authority over all things upon a rational nature, inasmuch as it was fashioned in the likeness of God. And man, having received the power of the divine image, even as God is king of all, so was he established as prince of all things on earth. But if it is said generally, And thou hast set him over the works of thy hands, and it states in another place, And the heavens are the works of thy hands; it is plain that He has set him over the heavens, and perhaps He secretly signifies the sojourn in the heavens of those who are translated thither from the earth, when they are about to inherit the kingdom of heaven, as it has been promised. Paul also says: heirs of...

^A God, and joint-heirs with Christ. In this way also, the passage, "You have put all things under his feet," is to be understood. Now, indeed, the animals; but because an angelic life is laid up for men in heaven, when he is established there over the works of his hands, he will be a spectator of the heavens and of all things in them. And the blessed Paul applied this also to the Savior as something to come to pass in the age to come. Wherefore the Father says to him: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." "Sheep and all oxen." By these he shadows forth those who have believed out of Israel. "Furthermore, and the beasts of the field." By these he signifies the nations. "The birds of the heaven," those who in their life are lofty and proud, those who think high thoughts, men who are altogether senseless. ^B

10. "O Lord our Lord, how admirable is your name in all the earth!" Repeating it, he doubles the wonder, being struck with astonishment, as I have said, at the knowledge of God that has been given to men.

Unto the end, for the hidden things of the son, a Psalm of David. IX. Argument.

By this psalm he declares the things which were done hiddenly by the Savior. For many were those things done in secret: namely, the birth according to the flesh from the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit; the stupendous virtues and those renowned for miracles; death itself and the descent into hell, and finally the resurrection from the dead. For all these things were performed by him in secret. For he hid them even from the princes of this world. On behalf of these hidden things, the Prophet, taking the guise of human nature, enters, giving thanks and saying: "I will confess to you, O Lord." The revelation, moreover, of those hidden things is death ^C and the things which were done in hell: likewise the resurrection and the ascension.

"I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart..." "When my enemy is turned backward," etc. He declares concerning what the confession is. He says that his enemy is death, which is turned backward—that is, into non-existence.

"They shall be weakened and perish from your face." Since, he says, death is turned backward, then indeed shall every opposing power be brought to naught; for if the last enemy of all, death, is destroyed, it is manifest that the opposing powers were destroyed beforehand. ^D

"For you have executed my judgment and my cause," refers to the cause of the thanksgiving; but this, "You sat upon the throne," indicates the inspection of God in judging.

"You have rebuked the heathen, and the wicked one has perished." The intelligible enemies, clearly. "You have wiped out their name for ever." He says the intelligible dragon, who is the devil.

"You have rebuked the heathen, and the wicked one has perished." He speaks of the dragon, or the devil; since rebuke signifies also correction. One might say, corrected by the apostles

^A by the Gentiles, the wicked one has perished, his altar-fumes having been utterly extinguished and brought to an end. For when the nations were rebuked and turned to the Lord, the devil who was working in them, as they were sons of disobedience, perished along with the temples of their idols, which like cities held those who looked toward impiety. And thus they perished, so that not even a trace was left behind. One may take this also as referring to the final judgment; for then, when the sinners are rebuked, the devil, who is truly the wicked one, is caused to vanish. The cities, with the impiety that once lived within them having been destroyed, received the building up of piety.]

7. The swords of the enemy have failed to the end. He calls the opposing powers the "swords" of the devil, by which he was strong. [The "cities" are the opposing powers, which, like strongly fortified cities, took captive and held those who had been deceived by them through error. And what cities does he mean, pray tell, if not those of which it is said elsewhere: "You have reduced strong cities to dust, so that their foundations might fall"? Which, as has been shown, are the opposing powers.] Their memorial has perished with a sound. [So that their destruction became heard everywhere. Or he speaks of their total ruin, or the overwhelming nature of their evils, and the conspicuousness of their destruction.] For their destruction became heard abroad. ^B And the Lord became a refuge for the poor. [He frequently calls himself poor and a beggar, even though he might be in a palace. For he knew that all human things are more fragile than shadows. He calls the time of tribulation an "opportunity"; for we are always in need of help, even in prosperity, but we feel the need for assistance more acutely in tribulations.] He speaks to the beggar, to the spiritual people. A helper in opportunities in tribulations. As it is said: "In an acceptable time I have heard you." ^C

Sing to the Lord who dwells in Sion. To the heavenly Jerusalem, he says. Proclaim among the nations his pursuits. He says these things as to the apostles and the heralds of the Gospels. And he indicates what those pursuits are in what follows.

Since he who requires their blood has remembered. "The blood," he says, "that was poured out for him, he will require, deeming it worthy of vengeance." [He has not forgotten the cry of the poor. Again, he calls those "poor" who are begging for his sake, who are constantly making supplications to him and asking for vengeance for the injustices done against them by the demons.] ^D You who lift me up from the gates of death. For this reason you raise me from the earth of humiliation, so that I may dance in the heavenly Sion. [At the gates of the daughter of Sion. In the heavenly Jerusalem. That expression, "I will declare," you should understand as, "I will sing constantly."]

The Lord is known by doing judgments. For the judgment is truly just, that those who have prepared for man The next page begins with: "death in himself, might be encompassed by it. Perhaps because to those also to whom the judgment comes, they will know that..."

^A a death in it may be caught. Perhaps, because they too who are to be judged will recognize the Judge in the time of judgment.

18. Daniel Barbarus: Let the sinners be turned into hell. That is to say, the demons, and whoever has served them. All nations that forget God. Greeks, heretics, Jews.

20. For "Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail." He prays ^B that the Only-Begotten might shine forth upon those on earth, so that that proud devil, whom he here calls "man," may not lift up his eyebrows any further. "Let the nations be judged in thy sight." He prays, hastening the calling of the nations that has come to pass for their salvation.

21. "Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them." And who is that lawgiver, if not he who brought in the law of the New Testament for us? "Let the nations know that they are men." By the vast delusion of ^C the demons, they had been transformed into the manner of beasts, so that it might be said of them: "He was compared to senseless beasts, and made like unto them."

PSALM X

1. "Why, O Lord, hast thou stood afar off?" He prays for the calling of the nations, which was to take place after a short time, to be accelerated. This is brought about by the pride of the devil.

2. "While the ungodly is proud, the poor is set on fire." The pride, he says, of the wicked becomes a burning to thy poor people. "They are caught in the counsels which they imagine." That is, they shall be caught. For "thou art," he says, "he who catches the wise in their own craftiness."

3. "For the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul." So great, he says, has been his forbearance ^D that, because the impious remained unpunished, eventually their life was accepted and praised among certain more foolish men.

4. "The sinner has provoked the Lord." He has provoked him indeed by mocking his words concerning providence and judgment. For many, when they hear anything of this sort, immediately laugh. But this is added: "According to the multitude of his wrath." So that the whole sentiment stands thus: The sinner, he says, has provoked the Lord, treasuring up for himself a multitude of wrath. For that word "his" must be understood as referring to the one who provokes. Then what is said, "He will not seek," should be read with a pause, so that it may be understood thus: Does that man provoke God, kindling for himself a magnitude of wrath, and will God not seek? It should therefore be read with a pause, that the meaning may be this: Shall God not seek? Shall he not render unto him according to the wrath which he has treasured up for himself in the day of his wrath?

5. "God is not before his eyes." The beginning of every wicked act is not to consider God as a judge. "Thy judgments are taken away from before his face." For he who does not know that God exists, does not know either that he is a judge. "He shall have dominion over all his enemies." Similar is that: "I will grasp the whole world in my hand like a nest." For he said in his heart: "I shall not be shaken," etc.

that is: I shall not be led into error, I shall not be overturned for a generation, I shall not be in evils. The Dan. Barb. edition adds: For whoever is a partaker of vice thinks that he will suffer nothing grave. ^A [Non-existent is God before him.] ^B Having cast out the fear of God from his soul, he persists always in malice. The beginning of every evil action is not to consider God as judge. "Thy judgments are taken away from before his face." He does not want to acknowledge that You are a just judge; for he who does not know that there is a God, neither does he know that there is a judge. "He shall have dominion over all his enemies." Temptations are presented, some to the soul, some to the body, others to things which surround the body. Those which are offered to the soul are called impure thoughts, which generate sins and false dogmas; those which are applied to the body are the causes of blows, tortures, persecutions, imprisonments, and deaths; the temptations which surround the body, moreover, are the loss of money and possessions, and the depriving of children and wives. It is therefore evident from the aforementioned, that Satan in some way has had dominion over all just men by these types of temptations; for Christ alone did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. (1 Pet. 2:22) "Whose mouth is full of cursing." He thinks, he says, that he will possess prosperity, and for this reason his mouth is full of bitterness and deceit; and he lies in wait for the poor in order to kill them with his own snares. And as for "with the wealthy," what else could be meant than those who are wealthy in evils? For they, with the devil their father, prepare schemes against the poor. ^C "He sits in ambush with the wealthy." Sitting in gatherings and councils, he prepares certain snares and devices against the innocent. "He will bow down and fall." When the devil says: "I have conquered," then, having fallen, he is put to shame. For he said in his heart: "God has forgotten." The devil says these things not because the matter is so, but wishing to deceive us, that we might be tripped up, thinking that God neglects human affairs. "Arise, O Lord my God." He prays that the patience and kindness of God might be moved; for when the hand of God is not raised against the folly of the impious, they become more insolent. ^D [Let Your hand be lifted up.] Raise Your hand, and teach them that You exercise care for those who are suffering injustice; and as if rising from sleep, show that Your vengeance is superior to their designs. And correct them, but show mercy to the one suffering injustice, being vehemently moved and incited by their outrages and blasphemous words. "Wherefore," he says, "hath the impious provoked God?" For he said in his heart: "He will not search out." This is the cause both of his being exalted and of his fall.

14. You see, for you perceive labor and sorrow. You, he says, O Lord, know all things, and nothing of what is done escapes you, nor even of what comes into the mind and into thought. Moreover, you accurately know the labors of men, and the fury and indignation of those who cause distress. Since you consider the thoughts of all, and you are the one who searches hearts and reins. And seeing these things, you are nevertheless long-suffering, knowing that all are under your hand, and that no one can flee anywhere. To you the poor is left; you have been a helper to the orphan. That is to say, he awaits help from you. ^A

15. Break the arm of the sinner and the evil man. That is, the power of the enemy. His sin will be sought and will not be found. That is to say, on account of the sin itself. The whole sentence is as follows: If you seek, he says, the sin of the evil man, it will not be found; that is, the evil man will perish on account of it.

[Those who obtain salvation from God are found, according to the saying: I have found David my servant, and the lost drachma was found; and if it had not been found, it would have perished. Those who perish will not be found forever; for the Judge remains, and reigns forever in the future and new age.] ^B

16. The Lord shall reign forever. In the future and new age.

Daniel Barbarus. He says these things to show his present and future kingdom. But if the Lord’s kingdom lacks an end, because there is no end to his kingdom, the just who are partakers of it will obtain a perpetual possession of the kingdom.

You shall perish, O nations, from his earth. For in the time of his kingdom they will be cast into the eternal fire. ^C

[He calls the unjust nations, as those who do not live according to the law, but follow a pagan and barbarian ferocity. He asks for them to be eradicated, saying, You shall perish, and threatening them with total destruction; so that both these might have relief, and those might return to a better state of life.]

17. You have heard the desire of the poor, O Lord. For this was their desire, and this passion, to be deemed worthy of the good things to come. Your ear has attended to the preparation of their heart. For to this they were prepared, and were ready in heart to endure all things. ^D

[Preparation of the heart is as it were a promise made by the motions and affections of the soul for rendering obedience to God.]

18. To judge for the orphan and the humble; that he may no more boast, etc. When, he says, he shall take vengeance for the poor, then man shall no more boast.

Unto the end, a PSALM for David. X. Argument.

He sings this psalm also after he had overcome his enemies. It presents a pious sentiment and mind.

^A In the Lord I trust; how say ye to my soul? How say ye to me, he says, to flee into the mountains like a sparrow, although I trust in God? Migrate to the mountains like a sparrow. Transfer yourselves, move, flee to the mountains, that is, to the virtues. For behold the sinners have bent their bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver. With these words they incited him to flight, saying that if he did not flee, he would be pierced through by the sinners with arrows. He declares, therefore, that evil thoughts are the weapons of the evil one. That they may shoot in the dark at the upright in heart, as if to say, secretly. For such are the weapons of spiritual enemies. ^B For what thou hast perfected, they have destroyed. The enemy, he says, has cast man down into corruption, although he was fashioned for incorruption. But what did the righteous one do? Even if, he says, the enemies have done such things, yet the Lord, who has heaven as his temple, having made an examination of the righteous and the ungodly, to some He bestows good things, but others He sends into eternal punishments. The Lord is in His holy temple. [For what thou hast perfected, they have destroyed. Instead of: they hasten to destroy thy works through me; for they strive to annul the king whom thou hast anointed, arming themselves against thy decree. And this they do having cast out from themselves the upright thoughts which are according to nature, which He had indeed perfected.] ^C His eyes look upon the poor. This signifies God’s infallible knowledge; and by eyes he means His beneficent inspection. His eyelids examine the sons of men. He calls His eyelids His providential judgment which explores all things.

Unto the end, for the octave, a PSALM for David. XI. Argument. It has been spoken concerning the octave in the sixth psalm. Furthermore, he prays to be delivered from a wicked generation. And this generation would be that which was in the time of our Savior Jesus Christ; concerning which He Himself said: The men of Nineveh shall rise up and shall condemn this generation. Save me, O Lord, for the holy man has failed, for truths have been diminished from the sons of men. ^D He gathers into one the snares prepared against the Savior. For having abandoned the truth, the Jews devised falsehood against Christ. 3. Deceitful lips in the heart. That is, while they were calling Him teacher and good, they were devising other things against Him. 4. The Lord shall destroy all deceitful lips, the tongue that speaketh great things. For how is that tongue not boastful which dared to say to the Savior: By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? Those who said: We will magnify our tongue.

^A Our lips are our own. Who is our Lord? As if they were reasoning this out, that they have the power to say anything they desire against the Savior. This, "Who is our Lord?" is similar to that saying: "As for this fellow, we know not from whence he is." [6. For the misery of the needy, etc.] He understands the needy and poor according to the spirit, whose groaning he heard, and says: I will arise. I will set him in safety, I will deal boldly in him. That is, I will make the salvation plain to all, which I will also provide to be spoken of everywhere. For it was preached to all the earth. [7. The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in the fire.] True, he says, are the words spoken and promised concerning the Savior, just like silver often put into a crucible. ^B But the term "sevenfold" he uses for "many times," for this is the custom of divine Scripture. [8. Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us.] On this account, he says, you will keep us, because the ungodly surround us, plotting against our salvation. These would be the opposing and wicked powers. [9. According to thy height, thou hast multiplied the sons of men.] By height he means power; by multiplication, he means duration in time. So that this is the meaning: Through your strength and power, you have given us duration of time and eternal life. For after the saving ascension, our life extends into infinite ages. Or he speaks of height because you made men like yourself, as far as their capacity allows; or because you had great care for them.

To the end, A PSALM of David. XII. Argument.

so also the devil is said to be exalted in our destruction. "Lighten mine eyes." He indicates the eyes of the mind. For enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge.

"But I have hoped in Thy mercy." I am confident, he says, that I shall receive remission of sins, fixing my attention upon Thy mercy, through which Thou hast also given salvation to all men; which salvation will cause my heart, which once grieved by reason of sin, to exult.

To the end, A PSALM of David. XIII. Argument.

He declares explicitly in the present psalm the impiety and iniquity of men in all their pursuits and acts, that he may proclaim the necessity of the coming of Christ.

"The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God." Since, he says, they did not consider that there is a God who looks upon human affairs and judges with righteous judgment, they committed every kind of lawless act. For this very reason the Lord looked down ^B from heaven. For this clearly signifies the Lord's coming to men. "There is none that doeth goodness, there is not even one." When the Lord came, he says, He found not one worker of goodness, but rather every man liable for every wicked deed. "Their throat is an open sepulchre." For the demons held man in their own throat as if he were food, not considering that God cannot ever forget His own creature.

"Shall not all they know that work iniquity?" This is to be read with a pause, and the word "Lord" is to be taken from without; so that the meaning is this: And all, he says, have turned aside, and they have done this. They are not about to know the Lord. "They who devour my people as a morsel of bread, have not called upon the Lord." For they were devouring His people, persuading them to worship the creature rather than the Creator. And these, he says, having become the authors of evils to others, shall not call upon the Lord. For so it must be read, the future instead of the past.

"There they trembled with fear, where there was no fear." The law of Moses, he says, brought punishment; but the fear of Christ is chaste; for it prepared us to fear Him as sons fear a Father. At that time, ^C he says, that is, when the manifestation comes, they shall fear with a fear where there is no fear. Not, clearly, from the threat of the law, but rather with the reverence befitting the free.

"For the Lord is in the generation of the righteous." Of those who are justified through His coming. "The counsel of the poor man is put to shame." This He says to those who persevere in unbelief and persecute those who have believed in Christ.

"Who shall give from Sion the salvation of Israel?" This contains a double prophecy; for he does not only declare the salvation that came to those who were besieged at that time, but also the saving manifestation of our Savior which occurred from thence many ages later. "Jacob shall exult." He understands by this the holy patriarchs and prophets, who shall be exceedingly joyful when

the promises previously made to them have been fulfilled by Christ. These were the ones signifying the salvation of all the nations.

In finem, PSALM of David. XIV.

Argument.

2-5. "Qui incedit sine macula," etc. He teaches by what ways we shall attain that blessed end; first indeed, if we walk the spotless way, which is Christ himself; next, if we work justice; third, if we make our heart a house of truth; fourth, if we do not possess a deceitful tongue; fifth, not to do evil to a neighbor; sixth, not to reproach a neighbor while acting proudly; seventh, not to accept a person; eighth, not to violate the faith of an oath; ninth, not to commit usury; tenth, which is the fulfillment of every good, not to be susceptible to bribes. He who has thoroughly learned the rectitude and merit of these shall obtain a firm and immoveable gift of good things.

Inscription of the title, of David. XV.

Argument.

"Conserva me, Domine, quoniam speravi in te." As if he had assumed the person of the human race, he addresses these words to God the Father. And not for himself alone, but also for us and on our behalf, inasmuch as through the economy and the incarnation he was made one of us. Therefore he calls the Father "Lord," because he was in the form of a servant. He asks to be preserved for the sake of the Church, which is his flesh. For his flesh is the

^A Church; and he asks for it to be preserved. With good reason, therefore, is this preservation referred to his own person.

2. *I said to the Lord, You are my God.* Here again he makes his request according to the form of a servant; at the same time, he manifests justice which is imparted through confession in faith. *For you have no need of my good things.* By "good things," he says, he means the sacrifices offered according to the law; for the word of faith eliminates that, as he says: *Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?*

3. *To the saints who are in his land he has made all his will wonderful in them.* He calls those "saints" who have been sanctified in the Spirit; he calls the Church the land of Christ. "He has made wonderful" stands for "he has taught." "His," that is, the Father's; so that the whole meaning is understood thus: he has made the Father's will known to those sanctified in faith: wherefore he is called the Angel of ^B Great Counsel.

[To the saints in the land God has made his will wonderful. He made known the Father’s will to those sanctified in faith—in them, that is, who were in the land of God, or the Church; or to some who dwell in the holy land; or because the saints, having their citizenship in heaven, dwell on his land, even if they still remain on this earth for now. The wills of God are the virtues of every kind, which God makes wonderful in his saints, who have a greater capacity for exercising virtue than other men. For the fortitude of apostles and martyrs is not the same as that whereby others act manfully in a different way, nor is the continence of Joseph like that of others. And thus, once someone has been made wonderful, he senses his own infirmity, such that he falls far short of divine power and greatness. For when the infirmities of the righteous are multiplied, they approach God moved by repentance.]

*Their infirmities have been multiplied;* when they worshipped idols. *After that they made haste.* Even if they were weak, he says, being previously in sins, yet upon hearing the preaching, they obeyed straightway. For this is what *After that they made haste* signifies, clearly, that they made haste to obey the preaching. *I will not assemble their assemblies of blood.* When I assemble, he says, the synagogues from the nations, I will not assemble them by means of blood, that is, I will not see to it that they approach me through the legal cult, but rather by praise ^D and by the unbloody sacrifice. *Nor will I be mindful of their names with my lips.* They shall no longer be called, he says, idolaters and atheists, but called and elect. Formerly, he says, they were given names worthy of their deeds, called idolaters and polytheists; but now I shall no longer remember those names, calling them instead pious, holy, called, and elect.

^A *Their infirmities were multiplied, when they worshipped idols.* Even if they are multiplied, they do not persist; for they only persisted up to the point of perception and experience, because the righteous are strong through Christ who strengthens them. Or perhaps he seems to be speaking of the apostles and those who believed through them, in whom divine miracles were manifest, as they kept all the divine commandments. But "their infirmities were multiplied," or as it is read in another way, their "labors," with many peoples, orators, generals, and kings rising up against them; having overcome all of these, they finished their course. Or [the verse] implies the shortness and temporary nature of these tribulations in contrast to the infinite age. *I will not assemble their assemblies.* They hastened to obey the preaching; it is necessary that those who are to be gathered by Christ be clean from murders and blood. I will gather, he says, assemblies from the Gentiles; I will not gather them through blood and murders, nor will I prepare for them to approach me through the legal cult, but rather with praises and the unbloody sacrifice.

^B *The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup, etc.* As if he were speaking more clearly: My Father has gifted the nations to me as my lot and portion, to whom I also became obedient unto death. For the cup signifies death, according to what was said: "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me."

^C *The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup.* He calls the kingdom of the nations an inheritance. And of my Church, which is my inheritance, the Lord the Father is the portion; and He is also the portion of my cup, that is to say, of my death. And the Church inherited the Father, having fulfilled His commandments; and my very death inherited the Father, according to the words: "Heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ."

*Lines have fallen to me in the most excellent places; for my inheritance is most excellent to me.* He speaks of the bonds of love which he had toward the Church, which is also most excellent, that is to say, pleasing to him.

*I will bless the Lord who has given me understanding.* The interpretation of this saying lies in the Acts of the Apostles. ^D *Moreover, even until night my reins instructed me.* It is the custom of the God-inspired Scripture to call the hidden and deeply-seated thoughts "reins," and "night" that which is obscure.

*I foresaw the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, that I might not be shaken.* Insofar as He is understood to be God, He is the one who strengthens and sustains all things; but insofar as He became man, it is fitting for Him to say that He had the Lord at His right hand, so that he would not be shaken. For everywhere He is fashioned...

according to the measures and limits of human nature, and because of the economy or incarnation, He is not ashamed of those things which pertain to evacuation and humility. See, therefore, how illustrious our nature has become in Christ. We who were cast out through the transgression of Adam have certainly been brought and offered into the presence of the Father, and we have had Him as our defender and patron. ^A

[[A dextris est mihi.]] He clearly refutes the stupidity of the Jews. For Peter, the chief of the apostles, attributes these things to Christ in the Acts. For as far as He is God, He is Himself the one who sustains and holds all things; but as far as He is man, it is fitting for Him to have the Lord standing at His right hand, so that he may not be shaken.

[[Non derelinques animam meam.]] Although He is life and bestows life, He is said to be vivified by the Father because of the economy. ^B [Thou hast made known to me the ways of life,] he who wears the person of humanity, as one having been made according to us, utters words to us rather than to Himself, as far as He is understood as God, they being appropriate.

10. *Delight in thy right hand even to the end.* This signifies that the saints will be in delights and joys after they have returned to life at the time of the resurrection. And they say that this delight and joy, which is incorruption, we are to receive from Christ, who is in us and is the right hand of the Father. And that the word is true is evident from the saying: ^C *Who shall transform the body of our humility, conformed to the body of his glory.*

Prayer of David. XVI. Argument.

1. This psalm is sung in the person of the one who is perfect according to God.

*Hear, O Lord, my justice.* The discourse is full of great confidence; for that he here mentions his own justice, he does not speak thus as one boasting, nor as one declaring himself to be just; but as if he were saying: Hear the one justly imploring Thy help, and asking to be delivered from the injuries brought upon him by the persecuting Saul, and grant what is requested.

*Hearken to my prayer, not with deceitful lips.* ^D For God gives ear not to prayer offered with deceitful lips, but to that offered with a pure tongue and one accustomed to meditating on the divine oracles.

2. *Let my judgment come forth from thy presence.* He clearly prays for the Only-begotten to be appointed as his judge. *Let thy eyes behold inequities.* He asks for the just judgment of the Son, by which He has judged concerning us.

3. *Thou hast tested my heart, thou hast visited it by night, thou hast tried me with fire, and iniquity was not found in me.* Divine Scripture is accustomed to call blasphemy against God "iniquity": *For they have spoken iniquity in the height,* it says.

4. *That my mouth may not speak the works*

of men. He teaches that this, too, must be guarded against, so as to utter nothing mortal or human. *By the words of thy lips I have kept hard ways.* On account of thy commandments, he says, I have entered by the narrow and strait gate.

5. *Order my steps in thy paths,* etc. The Word teaches that one should not rely on oneself, but lean upon God. ^A [The paths of the Lord are the observances of the commandments.]

6. *I cried, because thou hast heard me, O God.* The phrase "hast heard" is used in place of "thou shalt hear." I have not used these words in vain, but I have experience of thy loving-kindness; for thou hast often heard me when I prayed. *Incline thine ear unto me.* God is all ear, inasmuch as he hears all things. [Ego clamavi, etc.] I do not cry in vain, but because thou hast often heard me, I ask that I may be heard now also. And this "cry" is an intense thought directed toward God. [Adipem suum concluserunt.] By "fat" is meant the greatest prosperity of the enemies.

11. *They have set their eyes to decline in the earth.* One goal, he says, has become theirs: as if to bring everything down to earth, and persuade men to think only of things that concern the flesh.

14. *Thy sword from the enemies of thy hand.* Every soul of the just, and especially of those who turn back sinners from impiety to piety, is as it were a sword sharpened against the spirits of wickedness. This sword, therefore, O Master, which thou thyself hast sharpened against thine own enemies, deliver from the enemies of thy hand. But who could be the enemies of the hand of God ^B if not those who stand against the faith in his Only-begotten, who is himself his hand?

*O Lord, from a few from the earth divide them.* He prays that the impious may be separated from the few, which is as if they were to be divided. And who are these "few," if not those of whom it is said: *Many are called, but few are chosen?*

Daniel Barbarus: Prepared for them, he says, is a hidden punishment which will penetrate even to the vitals, according to that which was said of Judas: *And the curse entered like water into his inward parts, and like oil into his bones.*

*And thy hidden things their belly is filled.* They have possessed all precious things, he says, and for that reason they have so kicked against the goads that they have transgressed. ^C Or in another way: *Of thy hidden things,* as if he were to say, the punishments which thou knowest in secret, (and) of which I am ignorant, with these fill their bellies; which is said by periphrasis for "themselves."

*They are satisfied with children, and have left remnants to their little ones.* They have been filled with every iniquity, and have transmitted it even to their children. [And they have left it to the little ones of their children, that is, even unto their great-grandchildren.]

15. *But I shall appear in righteousness in thy sight.*

I shall not be like them, nor shall I be satisfied with the same things as they, he says; but I shall be filled with thy glory through good works.

1. *Unto the end, to the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke unto the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him ^A from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he said. PSALM XVII.*

*Argument.* The psalm contains the irruption of enemies and the imploring of God’s aid; the descent of the Only-begotten, and his assumption; and after the assumption, what was done against the demons, and the casting out of Israel, and the calling of the nations. That phrase, "from the hand of his enemies, and from the hand of Saul," can be referred to spiritual enemies and their prince.

2. *I will love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my firmament and my refuge.* Perceiving the benefits of God, which is the greatest of all gifts, he offers him his love—the very thing which the Savior placed first among the commandments.

3. *Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies.* Here we are taught to offer thanks for the blessings we have received, and again to pray for what is lacking. Then he describes the manifold irruptions of his enemies.

5. *The sorrows of death surrounded me.* He says that here he makes mention of no mortal war, but of invisible powers ^B surrounding his soul from within. *And torrents of iniquity troubled me. The sorrows of hell encompassed me; the snares of death prevented me.* The "torrents of iniquity" are evil thoughts; these themselves are called "sorrows" when they persist in us for a long time, and again "snares," because they kill us through actual sin.

8. *And the earth was shaken and trembled.* He recounts what happened then at the descent of the Lord; for all who dwelt upon the earth were moved, and the whole region was filled with the report concerning him. *And the foundations of the mountains were troubled.* The "mountains" are the evil powers that rose up ^C against the glory of God. By their "foundations" he means their deep-seated thoughts. *And they were shaken, because God was angry with them.* Because for a long period of time they deceived those upon the earth through the superstitious worship of many gods.

9. *Smoke went up in his anger.* Being angry, he says, he extinguished their fire by which they once burned men; and he places the smoke as a symbol of this. *And a fire shall be kindled from his face.* For the Son of God works these things secretly against the opposing powers, extinguishing their fire with another, better and more powerful fire. [For the demons, seeing the Lord, burned in his presence from his face.] ^D *Coals were kindled by him.* Those, namely, who have been illuminated by participation in the divine fire.

^A 10. *He bowed the heavens, and came down.* Most clearly he prophesies the descent of the Lord; and this seems to signify: *He humbled himself unto death*. *And gloom was under his feet.* He denotes the hidden character of his coming in the economy, or incarnation, and the invisibility of God, so that we might not be drawn by his words toward thoughts of corporeal things.

11. *He mounted upon the cherubim and flew; he flew upon the wings of the wind.* By these he indicates his assumption. He calls the cloud "cherubim" and "wings of the wind" [which received him: either the swiftness of Christ’s advent is signified, or the speed of his presence and aid]. Concerning which it is written in the Acts: *And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up, and a cloud received him out of their sight*.

12. *And he set darkness as his hiding-place.* That is, the unseen and hidden sojourn of the Savior with men. *In his circuit is his tabernacle.* By "tabernacle" he signifies the holy Church, in which he promised that he would dwell. *In his circuit*, he says, according to that which was said: *Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them*. *Dark water in the clouds of the air.* He says this because those things which the prophets foretold concerning him lie concealed in obscurity; those prophets who were also called clouds.

13. *From the brightness before him, the clouds passed.* The light, he says, of his epiphany made the prophecies manifest. [But because threats are also contained in the prophetic words, he shadowed these forth through hail and coals. Or in this way: the apostles, passing before his presence by the radiance of his preaching, watered the world like clouds. But hailstones are a kind of punishment, avenging the unbelievers.] *Hail and coals of fire.* By these he signifies things that happened to his enemies after his assumption—to the intelligible ones, I mean. For just as when he was delivering Israel from the Egyptians he rained down hail and fire, so also when he was delivering all nations from the servitude of demons, he rained down hail and coals of fire. And these would be the avenging powers by which he destroyed those intelligible Egyptian powers.

14. *And the fountains of the waters appeared*, etc. After the enemies were removed, the fountains of the waters appeared; that is to say, the saving word of the Gospel, which also became the foundation of the world; for we have been built upon it. Or in this way: understand the holy prophets to be the fountains, inasmuch as they gush forth the saving discourse. For so it is written concerning them: *And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the Savior*. And take the "foundations of the world" to be the Scripture of Moses the most wise; for in it we have found the base of faith and divine knowledge laid down first, carrying in a figure the mystery of Christ, along with the prophets. *Appeared*, therefore, as if you were to say, *were manifested*. Or, understand fountains and foundations... (the rest of this page is clipped in the source).

world as the salutary baptism.

From your rebuke, O Lord. One must understand: *the aforementioned enemies have been destroyed*. From the inspiration of the spirit of your wrath. God does not immediately punish those who sin; for if this were done, they would perish entirely. He announces the punishments of his wrath long before he strikes. For he says: *I will instruct them in the wrath of their tribulation*. And this is what it means for Him to breathe the spirit of His wrath.

Daniel Barbarus: *He sent from on high, and took me*. He truly saved the human race, sending down to us the gift of the Holy Spirit from heaven. Theodotion: *He granted me salvation from heaven*.

*He took me from many waters*. By waters he means temptations.

[From many waters. By waters he calls temptations. David says: *He took me*, that is, the human nature; for there were baptized on the day of Pentecost about three thousand souls by the apostles.]

*He will deliver me from my strong enemies, and from those who hate me*. He moves to narrating the things he did on account of sin and repentance. And what he says is of this sort: Already, having heard my confession, the Lord has become a support for me, when I was on the point of turning aside and suffering a great fall, had I, after the sin, fallen into complete apostasy. But he will deliver me entirely, granting forgiveness of sin according to the time of His advent foretold by the prophets. And this the Lord will do, granting me the benefit: *Because He delighted in me*. For if He had not delighted in me, He would not have sent His prophet to me.

*And the Lord will recompense me*. I am persuaded, he says, that at the time of His righteous judgment, not remembering my sins, He will recompense me according to my righteousness. For weighing my other actions performed in righteousness as in a balance ^B and setting them against my sin, He will find them greatly exceeding the sin I committed. And the word teaches that he who has slipped through some weakness is able to raise himself up through subsequent good deeds.

[He calls righteousness the virtue as a whole; the purity of hands, the *practical* activities, the actions having become undefiled, performed from the best habit.]

Daniel Barbarus: Furthermore, he who speaks these things attributes nothing to himself; wherefore they say these things are referred to the Savior, saying that this psalm is dictated from His person: *Tested in all things according to the likeness, apart from sin*. Truly, he calls righteousness the virtuous activity in general; and the purity of hands, the active faculties and actions immune to uncleanness, and proceeding from a best habit. Furthermore, he attributes the causes of his good deeds to God, alien to all boasting. By ways, he understands the commandments. And he does not act impiously who properly and correctly explains the dogmas and assertions of the truth. ^{C D}

^A [For all his judgments, etc. Those who have slipped must raise themselves up through second achievements. Even if his judgments are unsearchable and like an abyss because they are incomprehensible, yet they are all before the eyes of one who loves God.]

23. Daniel Barbarus: For all his judgments are in my sight. He who is a man according to God, having divine fear continually before his eyes, acts before God with confidence and freedom. If the judgments of God are inquired into, they are inscrutable and a deep abyss, because they cannot be comprehended on account of their obscurity. Yet it cannot be that he who has the judgments of God before his eyes should find fault with God’s providence and the belief that all things are ordered by God’s judgment: for it is known from the very name of judgment that a judgment is just, for it renders what is right. Or perhaps he calls it justice, since all judgments which are done without justice are called by that addition, being termed not judgments, but perverted judgments. Therefore it is said, Let a perverted judgment go forth. And his justices I have not pushed away from me. I cling, he says, to the justices of God. For they depart from them who do not embrace them. Justices are called, in this place, those which are established for the sake of justice and by the law of equity, as in the passage: If you buy a Hebrew slave, and the rest; for he had said before: These are the judgments which you shall set before them. But when he names justices together with judgments, these justices can signify the purified and proven words of God. Which words, when they are judged, can neither be refuted nor perverted, and are called judgments. The thoughts of the just, also, being carefully weighed and proven, since they are like a balance, can merit being called judgments.

Daniel Barbarus: And his justifications have not departed from me. By justifications he understands the commandments, and they depart from those who do not accept them.

26. With the holy you will be holy. You have deemed me worthy of your benefits with good reason: for since you are holy, you know how to be sanctified with the holy. For if I had persisted in sin and fallen utterly into ruin, I know that you, being the great Judge, would have pronounced a just judgment regarding my sin. But since I have guarded your ways, for this reason you, who are holy with the holy and innocent with the innocent, have not disposed the matter according to that pernicious state in which I was involved at a certain time, but according to the life that followed thereafter, and the life spent in righteousness, you will grant me the deserved retribution in that tribunal of yours.

28. For you will save the humble people. He sends this to the choir of the apostles. And you will humble the eyes of the proud. This tends toward the Scribes and Pharisees.

29. For you will light my lamp, O Lord. By this he means the mind. My God, you will light my darkness; my ignorance, he says, you will scatter.

30. For in you I will be delivered from temptation, and in my God I will overleap a wall. For my enemies, he says, have surrounded me, that they might enclose me. [He also calls temptation pleasure, and the wall the devil.]

31. My God, his way is blameless, etc. Here, he says, he reproves the ingratitude, perfidy, disobedient mind, and hardness of heart of the ungrateful and wicked Jews. Since they reproached our Savior Christ, as if he were acting against the divine law. For they attacked his sayings, as if they were blasphemous, with reproaches and calumnies, mutually

^B saying: “This man blasphemes: for who can forgive sins?” From an evil conscience and bad logic they thought these things against the Lord and God of all, and reasoned as they reasoned.

[Thy words are refined. And His words pertaining to this matter of which we are speaking, like silver refined by fire, are free from all blame, tested, and proved.]

^C 32. “For who is God, but the Lord? or who is God, besides our God?” For the Word of God is the only true God, and for this reason He is the Only-begotten, because He is God alone as the Father is. But having spoken concerning Christ as God by nature, he now says, “Or who is God?” mentioning only the Father in his own person. For to us there is one God, the Father; for there is no other God, that one might grant a request to this person, and another to that one. Perhaps he also brought forward these two verses in parallel: thus, he says, is He the true God, in whom I trusted, who girded me ^D with power in attaining victory and set for me a path secure for my practical deeds.]

“God who girded me with power.” Similar to what is said: “Until you are clothed with power from on high.” “And He made my path blameless.” That is, through the evangelical commandments He prepared it to be a blameless path for me to run.

“And setting me upon the high places.” That is, He teaches me to think of heavenly things.

[“Who makes my feet like the deer’s.” For the saints also consume poisonous passions; for they have received power against intellectual serpents, and for this reason they are compared to deer; for these also are consumers of ^B visible serpents, even as the deer: for ^C they had received power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.]

“Teaching my hands for war.” For by extending them in prayer I prevail over my adversaries. “And You have made my arms a bronze bow.” Having prepared the powers of the soul as masculine in the manner of a bronze bow. By the bronze He shows firmness and imperviousness, and by the bow He indicates that the arrows are launched symbolically by our arms.

[“Teaching my hands for war.” Teaching that one must be effective in the fight, and positioning the arms as a bow, as if making them bronze ^D in regard to strength. Or he says that He prepared the powers of the soul in a masculine way like a bronze bow. Bronze is a symbol of practical virtue: “He corrupted your bronze,” says Ezekiel to Jerusalem.]

Daniel Barbarus: My arms. Hands and arms are virtues, which launch arrows at and overcome intellectual foes. But the greatest hand is almsgiving, which makes lovers of the poor stronger than all matter: for the arms of the merciful one are never weakened.

“And You gave me the protection of salvation.” You protected me, he says, through Your salvation. And this signifies the arrival of the economy, or the incarnation.

^A “And Your discipline has trained me.” He refers to the evangelical discipline, or the discipline taught by the Law; as if to say, “In all things, while bestowing benefits upon me, You have also given me laws through which I might be trained as is fitting.” For learning from these that one ought not to commit injustice, I abstained from it. But that I might not be harmed again due to such moderation, You bring sufficient aid and provided a widening, or he calls the discipline the instructive teaching, according to the words, “Take hold of discipline”; or the laborious manner of life, according to the words, “Do not despise the discipline of the Lord.” “And Your right hand has taken hold of me.” The right hand of the Father is the Son. “And Your discipline has trained me to the end.” Clearly [this refers to] the evangelical teaching. “And Your discipline, it shall teach me.” The phrase, “And Your discipline, it shall teach me,” belongs to Theodotion, in place of what the Septuagint has: “And Your discipline has trained me to the end.”

Daniel Barbarus: This, moreover, is the arrival of providence and of the dispensation, by which You raised me up when I had fallen, and showed how great an evil sin is, and made me worthy of salvation. Now, the “Salvation” and the “Saviour” is Christ, whom the Father sent to fight for us.

And Your right hand has taken hold of me. The right hand of the Father is the Son. ^B And Your discipline has trained me to the end. That is to say, the evangelical doctrine. And Your discipline, it shall teach me. The passage, “And Your discipline, it shall teach me,” is from Theodotion; in place of which the Septuagint has: “And Your discipline has trained me to the end.”

37. “You have enlarged my steps,” etc. For You have set my feet upon a rock, which is our faith. And my footsteps have not weakened. For having removed the stumbling blocks and snares which the enemies had prepared, He has fortified our way and our approach.

[“You have enlarged my steps.” He says, having removed the stumbling blocks and snares which the enemies had crafted, You have made the way free and open for me. He calls them “steps” in the sense that one passes from wickedness to virtue, which indeed at the beginning is laborious and harsh for those walking on the narrow way; but in progress, it is enlarged. For because I am about to attain rest after the labors of virtue, it certainly confirms my footprints; for He has set our feet upon the rock.] ^C

38. “I will pursue my enemies.” As one adorned by divine grace for the race, he is confident regarding the victory.

39. “I will crush them, and they shall not be able to stand.” Pathlessness [apatheia] brings about the crushing of the enemies.

40. “And You have girded me with strength.” Again, he attributes the entirety of the victory to the One who gave the strength.

41. “And You have given my enemies their back.” That is, You have put them to flight. For it is characteristic of those fleeing to give their back. And our enemies, the demons, give their back when they are no longer able to cast passionate thoughts into the soul. “And You have destroyed those who hate me.” Saul, Ahithophel, Absalom, and thousands of others. ^D

42. “They cried out, and there was none to save,” etc. He says these things regarding the sensible enemies, as if from the person of the Lord. For neither did the foreigners, calling upon their own gods for help, enjoy their providence and care; nor did Saul and Absalom and Shimei...

^A and the other enemies of the Israelites have God as an ally. And I will beat them small as the dust. They will be vanished, he says, completely, with your grace working with me. Rescue me from the contradictions of the people. The Lord is still turning away his face on account of the disobedience of the Jews, while requesting the nations for his inheritance. You will set me as the head of the nations. But we do not know of David reigning over the nations; therefore, the prophecy is fulfilled through Him who was born of him according to the flesh. For He who was born of David according to the flesh, and who is himself called David according to the divine Ezekiel—I mean the Master, Christ—reigned over all the nations; always as God ruling over all, but after the incarnation and the voluntary submission to the servitude ^B of those who have believed in him. A people whom I have not known served me. [Of Christ himself; for, turning away from the disobedient Jews, he asks for the nations as his inheritance.] This is not to be understood as ignorance, for he knows all things as God; but that those who, throughout various times, did not obtain intimacy with me, would be aliens and foreigners and far removed from my intimacy. Foreign sons have lied to me. He who was called firstborn son, Israel, was called an alien son on account of unbelief. Foreign sons have grown old. Everything that grows old is near to destruction. The Lord lives, and blessed be my God. He cried out, "The Lord lives," at an opportune time. Since he had recalled the contradiction of the people, where they were shouting saying, ^C "Away, away, crucify him." And let the God of my salvation be exalted. Even if he humbled himself, he says, having taken the form of a servant, yet he is high. Similar to what has been said is the [text], "God exalted him, and granted him a name which is above every name." The God who gives me vengeance. From the unbelieving people of the Jews, clearly. And setting peoples under me. The nations, he says, were subjected to Christ. My deliverer from my enemies. Referring to the rulers of the people from Israel. From those who rise up against me. He speaks of Judas. [My deliverer from my angry enemies. From the unbelieving people. The angry enemies are the Jewish people, who were reviling him as that Samaritan. But the unjust man is Judas, or Pilate, who punished him without cause. Therefore, or on account of your benefits toward me, I will give you thanks among all, whether Jews or nations, and with hymns I will sing your name.] Therefore I will confess to you among the nations, O Lord. Since you have brought these things to pass, I, the prophet says, when you yourself, O Lord, call the nations,

could also say, "I will confess to you among them as they sing the hymns I have composed." And not only will this be, but the prophet says, "I will magnify the salvations of their king"—that is, of the nations—the salvation which he wrought in the midst of the earth. "I will magnify," that is, I will proclaim it clearly to all. For since he has also wrought this, he says, "showing mercy to his anointed people," for we have been anointed into a royal priesthood. And in showing mercy to the people, you will grant that the mercy you have shown to me, David, also reaches my seed. For the people from the nations are also the seed of David, since they have become children of him who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. ^A

To the End, A Psalm of David. XVIII. Argument.

The present psalm contains an introductory teaching from the person of the apostles to the nations. For this reason, it says that the heaven, the sun, and the other elements—which they used to imagine were great gods—praise their Maker. "The heavens declare the glory of God." This is similar to what is said: "For his invisible realities from the creation of the world are seen being understood through the things that have been made, even his eternal power and divinity." ^B

"Day unto day pours out speech, and night..." The day, he says, and the night, by withdrawing their courses to one another in an orderly and harmonious manner, through the things themselves, proclaim their Creator.

"There are no speeches nor words." The reading should be punctuated by a stop. For on the contrary, an interrogative distinguishes the clause; that which is opposed by way of interrogation is this: "And is it not true that they do not speak?" Wherefore he says: "Are there not certain things which, although they emit no voice, proclaim the artisan?" For indeed, the skill of a shipwright is evident from a beautifully adorned ship; and it is the same with other things. Therefore, the aforementioned works proclaim the Maker by their size, beauty, and harmony, so that their proclamation runs throughout the whole world. ^C

"In the sun he set his tabernacle." In the sun, he says, he set his tabernacle, that is, his house. And where did he set it but in the aforementioned heaven and firmament? This house he also called a bridal chamber. Just as day and night proclaim the Creator with that orderly harmony, so also the sun, by performing its course with a certain harmony, shows the power of the one who commands it. ^D

"The law of the Lord is blameless, converting souls." That is to say, the evangelical law. For as those from the nations, having already been instructed by the aforementioned elements that there is one Creator, are then taught the evangelical law, so that the souls of all the nations might be converted to the truth. "The testimony of the Lord is faithful, making wise the simple." This is the testimony which the Only-Begotten bore concerning himself: "I have come as a light into the world"; and, "I came forth from the Father, and have come"; and, "I am the life."

^A [Which gives wisdom to little ones, confirming the apostles; or by "little ones" he means those who have become infants in Christ, and simple-minded, and people devoid of wisdom.]

Daniel Barbarus: This testimony instructs imperfect children and the unrefined, and makes them wise.

The justifications of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. That is, the justification which came about in our judgment. For when he judged our judgment, he cast out the prince of this world, giving us joy in the heart. The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes. He means the eyes of the understanding, sending forth its radiance from afar.

Daniel Barbarus: Of the mind, certainly, teaching how God should be served by all.

^B The fear of the Lord is pure, remaining for ever and ever. Compared to the legal fear, it is such as this: for that one was punitive. Our purity is abstention from sins. Therefore the fear is called "pure," because it makes people pure; for by the fear of the Lord, he says, one turns away from evil. And since the fear is eternal, it makes those whom it enters eternal as well.

In the keeping of them there is great reward. For "reward" for keeping them becomes that which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which has not ascended into the heart of man. For even thy servant keeps them. ^C The new people initiated into the evangelical law, saying also that they keep the true judgments, sends up a prayer to be found pure in the thoughts of the mind, and similarly to be delivered from external demons.

To the end. A Psalm of David. XIX [XX].

Argument. This psalm is spoken as if from the person of those around David, wishing well to David himself as he offers sacrifice. It is also referred to the person of the apostles, as though it were spoken on the day on which the Lord was fastened to the cross.

May the Lord hear you in the day of tribulation. May he add to you: May he shelter you, may he keep you. May he send you help from heaven, and may he defend you from Sion. These things one might say for the comfort of him who is despondent, whether it be the Word that dwells in the soul, or the Holy Spirit. For he who is afflicted has need of prayer, and of not letting go of his hopes; for thus God becomes ^D favorable.

We will exult in thy salvation. The salvation of the Father in the world is the Son; the salvation of the Son in the world is the cross.

[We will exult in thy salvation. The salvation, he says, which thou hast given to the human race, thou hast made manifest to all through thy resurrection. Thus Daniel Barbarus.]

^A *May the Lord fulfill all thy petitions.* What were the petitions, if not, "Holy Father, keep them from the world"? It is plain that this is spoken of those who believe in him. [Either he speaks of David or Hezekiah; in the time of priests and kings, or because of the economy of the Lord according to the flesh, and because of the resurrection; or because, when we have obtained salvation, he himself is said to obtain salvation, he who will also have care of this, since we are one body. Wherefore he now says: In the present, indeed, we recognize that Christ has obtained salvation, because from there we receive the pledge of our own salvation. *Thou hast saved us by the strength of thy right hand.* He called [his] works, great virtues, and help "the right hand": or he predicts the divine wonders to be brought forth by Christ.] *Now I have known that the Lord has saved his Christ,* being now enlightened by the Holy Spirit regarding those things which pertain to the resurrection. ^B

*In the mighty acts of the salvation of his right hand.* He says that he brought salvation to us by performing great virtues. For here he signifies by "works" the fact that he extends the virtues of the right hand to those who approach. [Those, he says, trusting in these, fell; but we, armed in the name of the Lord, have obtained salvation.] Here also, speaking in a human manner, he calls the divine operation "the right hand."

*These in chariots, and these in horses.* Just as when he rescued Israel from the sensible Egyptians, he cast the chariots of Pharaoh and his power into the sea: so, when he was liberating the whole race of men from the spiritual Egyptians, he crushed the chariots. ^C

*Lord, save the king.* Therefore, having enjoyed such protection, we beseech thee, O Master, that we ourselves and our king may enjoy this continually.

To the end, PSALM of David. XX. Argument.

This psalm also the aforementioned friends of the king offer, as if he himself were already rejoicing that a Savior of the world had arisen from his seed. For this was what he desired with his soul, and what he most fervently supplicated to be given to him. When this was granted, it became for him a kind of crown made of precious stone, with which he might adorn his head. For David is celebrated with praises among all nations along with his Lord and son according to the flesh. ^D Nor was this salvation merely a crown for him; it was also life, and length of days, glory, magnificence, gladness, joy, hope, and mercy that never wavers.

*Lord, in thy strength shall the king rejoice.*

*For thou shalt give him blessing for ever and ever.* In all generations, he says, he shall be famous and widely renowned, having obtained such boldness from thee. For the phrase "with thy countenance," Symmachus renders as "before thy countenance." Therefore, he says, gladness and

^A continuous joy of countenance, that is, obtaining thy benevolence, he shall have. The cause of these things for him has been that he trusted in thee. "Thou shalt make him glad with joy, with thy countenance." The countenance of the Father is the Son. "He who has seen me," he says, "has seen the Father." We, as followers of the bridegroom, are destined to rejoice in heaven with him. "For the king trusteth in the Lord, and in the mercy," etc. He is superior to his enemies, having obtained thy grace. He enjoys this, trusting in no man, but using hope in thee alone. "Let thy hand be found among all thine enemies." This word seems to pertain to the Lord himself, because of the evils inflicted upon him by the Jewish people. [He says that he will hunt down those who have sinned. For if in him who keeps the commandments the love of God is perfected, it is clear that he who does not keep them hates God, and he is said to go to perdition.] "Thou shalt put them as a furnace of fire in the time of thy countenance." Instead of: Thou shalt show them to be partakers of fire. For they have stored this up for themselves for thy second appearing, ^B when thou shalt render to each according to his works. "The Lord in his wrath shall trouble them, and fire shall devour them." By wrath he means the punishment that shall befall them because of the insult offered to him. "Their fruit thou shalt destroy from the earth." The evil words and the thoughts. These are the plots made by them, which have been abolished by the resurrection. [The teachings and ungodly dogmas, which, after their death, God, as being good, hands over to destruction.] "And their seed from the sons of men." It is a benefit to fall away from sins and evil thoughts. For the seed of sin is an evil thought. "For thou shalt put them as a back." ^C But Symmachus interpreted it thus: For thou shalt put them as turned away, that is, backward and as an appendage of the nations. "In thy remnants thou shall prepare their countenance." Thou hast left them, he says, a time of return for repentance. And this is the calling and conversion after the fullness of the nations. [Thou shalt make the unbelieving Jews.] But those whom God turns away, he puts as a back, because they are not able to be a countenance, so that by contemplating the hinder parts through his works they might again be brought back to him. For those who are not able to see the countenance, because they do not have a pure heart, he offers his hinder parts to be contemplated, that is, the works of creation which are after him; so that, by contemplating created things, they may obtain a conception ^D of him, and by approaching their God, may see the countenance of God. The remnants of God are those things which are above created, sensible things. "Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy strength." Similar to: "Thy kingdom come." But the second...

^A light, he prays that his advent may be accelerated: "We will sing and chant thy powers." For then every soul of the righteous, established in the supernal mansions, performs spiritual worship.]

To the end, for the morning protection, PSALM of David. XXI. Argument.

The present psalm is sung for the morning protection, that is, because the only-begotten Word of God, shining forth from on high as it is written, has delivered us from the night and diabolic darkness. Or, he calls the time of the Savior's resurrection the morning protection. For he rose at early dawn, and paved for the nature of men the way to incorruption. Christ sings this psalm from the person of humanity. He narrates clearly, moreover, those things which were inflicted upon him by the Jews at the time of the cross.

^B 2. "O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me?" He asks for the divine oversight from the Father, transferring our condition to himself, so that he might abolish [for we were those who had been forsaken before, but now have been taken up and saved. He says these things that he might abolish, etc.] the curse, and bring the countenance of the Father toward us. For we are those who had become an object of aversion and abandonment because of the transgression in Adam. "Far from my salvation are the words of my offenses." Observe for me again the person of humanity in Christ, asking to be delivered from lapses or offenses, and from the words pertaining to them. It is clear that each person's appropriate justice is being requested.

[O God, my God. These things the Savior says from the person of humanity, as if to say: My God, my God, in the vocative case, that is.]

3. "O my God, I cry by day, and thou wilt not hear, and by night, and not to my folly." It must be read with a pause. It signifies to us that the fruit of prayer is not useless. For he says: "Not to my folly." That is, I know clearly that while I cry, he himself will hear. Because, dwelling in the saints who have their mind fixed on thee, thou become their praise and glory.

4. "But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel." ^C Thou who art praised by Israel; or thou who art the praise itself.

5. "In thee have our fathers hoped, they hoped and thou didst deliver them." By fathers he means his own according to the flesh, the patriarchs and the prophets. He also sets forth the gain of hope.

[In thee have our fathers hoped. But also those who were before me according to the flesh, that is, the prophets, were hoping in thee, awaiting my illumination, and they were not disappointed of their hope; likewise also the patriarchs.]

7. "But I am a worm, and not a man." ^D

^A it teaches one to be humble, and especially those drawing near to God. "A reproach of men, and an outcast of the people." The evangelist clearly recounts that these things were done to Him at the time of the cross, when those passing by wagged their heads and uttered blasphemous words of this sort against Him: "If you are the Son of God, save yourself." ^B 10. "For you are He who drew me out from the womb." He says this because He became man according to the good pleasure of the Father. For, he says, "when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman." Indeed, it is written that He had hope in the Father; and he says this insofar as He is man, because God drew Christ alone out of Mary, whereas other men are not "drawn out" but "come forth." For, he says, "Esau came out, whose skin was hairy." 11. "On You I was cast from the womb," etc. He prays again as if from the person of humanity. For the choir of disciples had abandoned Him. Hence he predicts the types of future calamity. 13. "Many bulls have surrounded Me." He means the rulers of the Jews. 14. "I have been poured out like water, and all My bones have been scattered." He calls the holy initiators of His mysteries His bones; for if the Church is His body, those who administer it might rightly be thought of as the bones. We have heard the evangelist narrating that, when He was seized by the cohort of soldiers, the disciples were scattered. And in another way: the bones of Wisdom are the holy dogmas of the Church, which it was ordained by law for the Jews not to break during the Passover. For it says: "You shall not break a bone of it." ^C "My heart has become like wax melting." The saying is peculiar to grief; for it is written: "He began to be sorrowful and troubled." Christ grieved for the ruin of the nation of the Jews and of the traitor, because they were being seized by perdition on account of their impiety toward Him. [And all My bones have been scattered. They are dispersed, he says, and scattered—those who, in the rank of bones, were fulfilling the order around the Teacher; for having abandoned Him, the disciples fled, mimicking water being poured out upon a plain.] 15. "My strength has dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue has stuck to My throat." By these things He signifies the thirst that occurred to Him upon the precious cross, when, even for one asking to drink, they offered Him vinegar mixed with gall. [Therefore He says: "And My tongue has stuck to My throat."] 16. "And You have brought Me down into the dust of death." For by the grace of God He tasted death on behalf of all. For Christ was not brought down into death, but into the dust of death; for His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ^D 17. "For many dogs have surrounded Me." Again, He signifies the rulers. "They have pierced My hands and My feet." He says this on account of the nails on the cross.

^A 18. "They have numbered all My bones." ^B By probing, as is likely, His whole body, and measuring out each of the bones, that they might see where to fix the nails. "But they considered and looked upon Me." That is, they mocked Me. This He says on account of the scarlet cloak, the crown of thorns, and the reed given instead of a scepter.

19. "They divided My garments among themselves." This has been clearly explained in the Gospels.

20. "But You, O Lord, do not remove Your help from Me." He changes the discourse into a prayer. [You, He says, assisting and supporting, when I have risen after three days, I will show their plot to be vain.] And there is for us an example, in what way it is necessary to call upon God in temptations, and not to fall into anguish and hopelessness of counsel, nor to be broken by calamities.

21. "Rescue My soul from the sword, O Lord." He signifies by these the malice and insanity of the Jews, through the sword, and the hand of the dog, and the lion, and the horns of the unicorns. "And from the hand of the dog, My only one." He calls those things the hand which were done through this dog; and he calls the dog himself: "For it is not good," He says, "to take the bread of the children and cast it to the dogs."

[But the sword would also be the devil, who always attempts to sting and pierce. And He calls His soul "the only one," because it was left alone, and separated from other souls: for all those indeed knew sin, but that one did not; and because it alone always has union with God the Word according to hypostasis, with the flesh. For Christ is one, consisting of two opposites, perfect God and perfect man. But to those others He comes down at intervals. Perhaps He also calls the Church standing beside Him "the only one," because it has no spot or wrinkle, being completed according to progress by those blameless sixty queens and eighty concubines.]

22. "Save Me from the mouth of the lion, and [from the horns of the unicorns] My humility." "I will declare Your name to My brothers, in the midst of the Church I will praise You." For He taught us Him who is by nature and in truth God, and His consubstantial Father. Again, as man, He is united through the Church.

23. "You who fear the Lord, praise Him; all the seed of Jacob, glorify Him." Since, indeed, the Church consists of both Gentiles and Jews, He rouses both these and those to sing the hymn. The former He calls by their forefather Jacob and Israel, and the latter by the name of virtue, which indeed has the power to adorn men in place of lineage. Thus it was the custom to call Jews those from among the Gentiles who approached the law. And this the history of the Acts teaches us: for when the blessed Apostle was speaking to the people, he said thus: "Men, Israelites, and those among you who fear the Lord."

^A "That He has not despised." The Only-Begotten clearly teaches what He has accomplished for us through Himself. "From Thee is my praise." He calls the glorification 'praise'; and we see this brought about by the Father when the voice was heard from above saying: "And I have glorified, and will glorify again." [Or because, just as I made Thee manifest to men, in the same way Thou wilt procure for Me equal honor; sometimes saying, "This is My Son," sometimes revealing the very same thing to Peter and the others.] "I will render My vows." In divine Scripture, a vow is called a promise. Therefore, the fulfillment of the obedience rendered by the Son to the Father even unto death might likewise be understood, the vow having been rendered by Him to the Father. [A vow is indeed called a promise in divine Scripture; therefore, the fulfillment of obedience which was brought about by the Son to the Father, and this unto the death of the flesh, might likewise be understood as the vow having been rendered by Him to the Father.]

Daniel Barbarus: "My vows." A prayer or vow is the promise of one of those things which are consecrated to religion. Supplication, however, is a humble request for good things from God. The discourse teaches that we should not ask anything from God before we offer a gift for the grace to be received. To pray, that is, to vow, must come before supplication, just as sowing precedes the gathering of fruits. For it is necessary to first cast the seeds of a promise, and thus bear fruit from them.

"The poor shall eat, and shall be filled." The calling of the Gentiles is signified by these words.

^B "And all the families of the Gentiles shall worship before Him." He is said to reign on earth, although He is King of all things insofar as He is God, because He converts the nations from the error of demons to His own faith, and to gratitude and justice.

"For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He is the Master of the Gentiles." For God is not the God of the Jews only, as they think, but the Maker of the entire human nature. The Apostle also says this: "Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, also of the Gentiles. Since there is one God, who will justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith."

"All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and worshipped." Meaning, the spiritual food. And he calls them "fat" on account of the richness of the divine oracles.

"Before Him shall fall all who go down to the earth." He says this because the faithful are wont to bend their knees to Him. But these were formerly believers. Those who "go down to the earth," that is, those who have fallen into destruction and corruption because they did not know the Lord.

"And my soul lives for Him, and my seed shall serve Him." For holy and blameless was the life of Christ, which He lived in the flesh upon the earth. For He alone did no sin, even though He was made in our likeness, and took upon Himself the flesh which is by itself subject to sin. And they might be understood as the "seed of God" who have been called through Him by faith. "The generation to come shall be announced to the Lord." And He signifies these things also concerning the Gentiles.

PSALM XXII. ARGUMENT.

The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing. They who are shepherded by Him think magnificently of the Lord.

2. In a place of pasture, there He has made me dwell. He speaks of spiritual grass, in the beauty of the greensward He has caused me to dwell, meaning the intelligible grass. By the water of rest He has nurtured me. The water of rest might be understood as the holy baptism, inasmuch as it effaces the burden of sins. [These things, he says, grant to me, having first cared for my soul, and having turned me from the pathless way, that I may walk the straight path.]

3. He has converted my soul. Turning my soul to Himself from the captivity of the devil, He has led it according to His commandments from death to life. [As one who had formerly failed, neglecting his own soul, and having been recreated by the aforementioned food, turned away and led off from death, he says: He has converted my soul to tracks of justice; he speaks of the evangelical dogmas. If I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, as if addressing the Father. But he calls Christ Himself the rod of power, and the glorious rod, and the rod of majesty. Just as a rod corrects, so also the faculty of acting teaches us how we may bear evils with temperance.] He indicates the evangelical dogmas.

4. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me. He says it is Christ. And that: The Lord shall send forth to thee the rod of power out of Zion. And a glorious rod, and a greatest rod. The rod is the power of teaching; the staff is the support provided in consolation. ^C

5. Thou hast anointed my head with oil. And this is the mystical chrism. And thy cup which inebriates me. Again he speaks of mystical joy. And thy mercy shall follow me all the days. For those who have obtained all the aforementioned things shall be forever in the mercy of God; and indeed they shall dwell in His house. [Thou hast prepared a table before me. He speaks of the mystical table, and by the oil he signifies the mystical chrism, and he mentions the cup in the same place.]

PSALM XXIII. ARGUMENT.

EXPOSITION ON PSALM XXIII

This Psalm ought to have been placed after the twenty-second in sequence; for it was made for the consolation of those who were being led into the Babylonian captivity, whereas the former was addressed to those who were being brought back from it. However (as we said at the beginning), the Psalms are not arranged in order, but as they were found. When, therefore, the blessed David saw them grievously afflicted as they were led off as captives, abandonning their native soil and their own temple, he comforts them at length, saying: Do not take the Babylonian exile amiss; for if you live honestly and with virtue, and diligently seek out good habits of life, you will find God there also, ^A since all things are His, and in His hand are all the ends of the earth.

*Domini est terra et plenitudo ejus.* By these words, he proclaims the kingdom of the only-begotten Word of God over all nations.

*Aὐτός ἐπὶ θαλασσῶν ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτήν.* Lest any of the adversaries should think that the earth belongs to Satan, and that Christ now reigns over it, he therefore declares Christ to be its Maker, and at the same time shows His power, by which He established so great a mass of earth upon the waters. *Καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμῶν ἡτοίμασεν αὐτήν.* That is, He ordered it. [For then the Church receives stability, when, with billows and storms assailing, she remains unshaken in the faith, *And upon the rivers*; so that even the rivers find their outlets without hindrance, and mountains and forests are allotted to living creatures, and fields and plains are set aside for human dwellings and agriculture.]

*Τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου;* After having set forth the faith, he now explains the doctrine of works, so that as many of us as hear and obey may, through both, attain to the true inheritance.

*Ἀθῶος χερσὶ καὶ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ.* Concerning this, it was spoken in the fourteenth Psalm: *Who hath not received his soul in vain.* By "vanity" he means pride. *Καὶ οὐκ ὤμοσεν ἐπὶ δόλῳ τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ.*

*Οὗτος λήψεται εὐλογίαν.* He promises that such a man, who has become innocent in hands and pure in heart, and has not sworn in guile, shall receive gifts from God, namely, blessing and mercy.

*Αὕτη ἡ γενεὰ ζητούντων τὸν Κύριον.* That is, the generation which has kept the things previously mentioned.

*Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν.* The angels who act as ministers ^C to the Savior on earth, at the time of His ascension, signal to the heavenly powers to open the gates.

[*Κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατός.* The powers are struck with astonishment when they see Him in the flesh together with an intellectual soul endowed with the power of understanding; which is the reason they ask.]

*Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης;* The powers above ask this, astonished at the paradox of the dispensation. *Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης.* The angels who ascended with Him enlighten those above regarding the mystery, that He who trampled upon the spiritual ^D enemies is Himself the Lord of powers.

(S) Ambrose adds: It is spoken of these in the fourteenth Psalm.

PSALM XXV.

*To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.* They speak as those already turned away from idolatry.

*3. Neither let my enemies laugh at me.* That is to say, the intelligible ones, and the devil with the demons and the ungodly men. Perhaps he also foresees the incarnation of the Savior, after which even the mockery of the enemies has ceased. [I have been made among the lawless as a lawless man. For this lawlessness did not occur in vain.]

For *all that wait on thee shall not be ashamed*. From the example of those who have already trusted in God and become illustrious—because he has the confidence of obtaining [what is sought] in prayer—he argues strongly. *Let those who act lawlessly in vain be ashamed.* He says these things concerning those who are still held fast in the worship of idols. [Let those who act lawlessly be ashamed, from the example of those who have already trusted in God and become illustrious, because of having the confidence to obtain what is sought in prayer. Those who act lawlessly persist in vain. These things are said concerning those who are still held fast in the worship of idols.]

*4. Show me thy ways, O Lord.* He means the evangelical dogmas.

*5. Guide me into thy truth.* He says this as one who has not yet arrived at the truth. *And teach me, for thou art God my Saviour.* When the prophet prays in such a way, as if he had not yet known the ways of the Lord, nor learned to walk in his paths, and had not yet been guided to the truth of God, nor taught concerning God as Savior; who would not be apprehensive of that [word]: *Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight?* ^C

*7. Remember not the sins of my youth and my ignorances.* He calls folly youth. And clear folly is the time of their idolatry. Alternatively, he understands by the sins of youth those which were perpetrated in Egypt; for they served idols there also. Therefore, remember not those sins now, but [remember] the philanthropy, through which you showed kindness and had mercy on them even then, when they were ignorant. *For thy goodness' sake, O Lord.* For I do not entreat to obtain this because of my own worthiness, but because of thy philanthropy.

*8. Therefore he will give a law to them that sin in the way.* He will enlighten sinners; he will show them the way.

*10. All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth.* For those who are continuously nurtured by divine words learn accurately through them that all the dispensations of our Savior Christ, God, are mingled with mercy and truth.

^A For to those who repent of the sins they have committed, He offers mercy and pardon; but He proclaims the undefeated athletes of virtue as victors, crowning them while passing judgment with truth and equity. Indeed, He brings punishments according to the definitions of truth upon those who have lived in transgression and have not availed themselves of repentance.

[13. And his seed shall inherit the earth. The deeds, he says, that become for him the means of inheriting the intelligible earth ^B shall be the seed of good men, by whom he refers to those who are born according to God. Look upon me. For it is not necessary to be lazy and slothful, trusting in the mercy of God, but we must also contribute the labor done through works.]

Daniel Barbarus: His soul shall dwell in goods. Those actions that have acted as mediators for inheriting the intellectual earth shall become the seeds of the earth for those men who will be renewed according to God. His seed, he says, shall inherit the earth; for the blessing, he says, shall reach even unto his descendants.

Firmament is the Lord for those who fear Him; and His covenant shall make them manifest. To wit, the evangelical [covenant], or the way of salvation. For every law of God, he says, looks to this: to cause the good to enjoy what they have chosen. For this is what he says: He shall reveal it to them, in place of, He shall establish them in the enjoyment of what they have chosen.

My heart's afflictions have been multiplied. I am surrounded ^B by many painful things on all sides, he says. Therefore, compare this humiliation and misery of mine with my transgressions, and grant me remission and forgiveness. Deliver me from my necessities, that is, from those that oppress me continuously.

Look upon my humiliation and my labor. For it is not necessary to be lazy and slothful, trusting in the mercy of God; but we must rather contribute the labor done through works.

Look upon my enemies, for they have been multiplied. And from the injustice of his enemies, he invokes God to mercy.

Innocent and upright ones adhered to me. And this is a property of virtue: to flee from the company of the wicked, and to have as intimates and friends those who honor justice and practice uprightness; for the Prophet says that he had done this, inasmuch as he considered that this was serving the Master.

To the end, A PSALM of David, XXV

Argument

Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence. He calls "innocence" not participating in the wickedness and the madness of the Jews. And in the Lord...

trusting, I will not be weakened. I will have, he says, a firm standing, having recorded my hopes of salvation in Thee. ^A

9. *Prove me, O Lord, and try me.* If you examine, he says, the depths of my soul, you will find that I rely for all the labor of my mind upon Thy mercy alone. In doing this, I shall be acceptable to Thee, having loved Thy truth.

Daniel Barbarus: *Burn my reins.* As if to say, kindle and examine the innermost thoughts of my mind, and search whether I am as I say. Yet this burning of the Lord, which the Prophet desires, is different from that which is caused by the burning arrows of the wicked. For the Lord consumes the worse things and purges the reins and hearts; but the wicked one stirs up passions and desires; for this reason the fire that was in the bush did not burn, whereas that which is in the judges is said to burn from the bramble.

4. *I have not sat with the council of vanity.* Clearly, before Him who knows how to examine hearts, he denies and rejects the council of the most lawless rulers of the Jewish nation. ^B

6. *I will wash my hands among the innocent.* I will be, he says, pure from their murderous deeds. *And I will encompass Thy altar, O Lord.* Plainly, he proclaims in these words the rational worship.

8. *O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house.* [I desire, he says, to see the divine house, which shines with Thy grace.] The beauty of the house are those who live gracefully and religiously in the Church.

9. *Destroy not my soul with the ungodly.* He prays to be outside the punishment prepared for the Jews. ^C

10. *In whose hands are iniquities, their right hand is filled with gifts.* Either because they themselves perverted justice with gifts, or because with gifts they had bribed the traitor; or because they seized lawlessness, for this reason they filled their right hand with gifts.

1. *A Psalm of David before he was anointed. XXVI.*

Argumentment.

Daniel Barbarus adds: The twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, and twenty-ninth psalms have the same argument. Since they are spoken regarding the Assyrians in the person of the blessed Hezekiah, David foretelling and calling back the person of the Prophet to this argument, so that he may proclaim the same words and show the same affections. Moreover, these psalms have a certain imitation and difference: for the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh are songs of victory only for the destruction of the Assyrians; but the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth make mention of the preservation and health of Hezekiah restored.

*The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?* He despises the opposing powers, because he trusts in the illumination of the Lord. By Thee, he says, being illuminated, I despise all my enemies at once. ^D

Daniel Barbarus: *The Lord is the protector of my life.* Who will be so powerful in snares, as God is powerful to bring aid?

^A *When the wicked draw near against me.* They approached, he says, wishing to destroy me, but they have suffered what they hoped to bring upon others. *To dwell in the house of the Lord.* For indeed, the request was holy and proper, and worthy to be granted by God. *That I may see the pleasure of the Lord.* In this, he says, I pray to dwell always, in which I have obtained salvation. *He raised me up on a rock.* Clearly Paul asserts that the rock is Christ. *I will sing and chant to the Lord.* Clearly he proclaims the worship of the "Holy, holy, holy." *Hear, O Lord, my voice.* Instead of, I give you thanks for the past, I will pray for what follows. *Set me a law, O Lord, in your way.* He asks to be made known the evangelical law; for it is itself also the straight path. *And iniquity lied to itself.* That is, the iniquity directed against us grew weak. *I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.* He means the Jerusalem above.

PSALM of David. XXVII. Argument

^A And the protector of the salvations of Christ. Here he calls the people who have been anointed a royal priesthood, for they have been anointed. He says, therefore, that the Lord Himself protects in order to save the people anointed by Him and for Him.

9. And feed them, and lift them up unto eternity. For He Himself shall feed us, having sent to us in His stead and as Himself the Paraclete. And furthermore He also lifts them up, that is, He reveals them as exalted into the coming and endless ages.

PSALM of David, of the departure of the Tabernacle. XXVIII. Argument.

1, 2. Bring to the Lord, O ye sons of God. He calls the holy apostles "sons of God," for He taught them to say: "Our Father who art in heaven." Bring to the Lord the sons of rams. By "sons of rams" He signifies those called through them from the nation of the Jews to the faith in the Lord; or also those who have believed from the nations, inasmuch as they have been born from irrational fathers. Bring to the Lord glory and honor. Someone brings glory to the Lord by doing ^B good works, according to what was said: "That they may see your good works, and glorify your Father." And honor, again, by practicing good deeds, according to what was said: "Honor the Lord with thy righteous labors."

Adore the Lord in His holy court. By these words He clearly commands us that it is not fitting to adore outside of the Church. He says this on account of the assemblies of the heterodox. [Adoration should not be performed outside the Church, but in that very court of God. Do not, He says, devise for Me your own courts and synagogues; one is the holy court of God.] We can also, with the mind raised on high, understand by the "court" the heavenly dwelling.

3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. He calls the multitudes who are saved through these things "waters." The holy ones are waters, because "rivers shall flow out of their belly," that is, spiritual doctrine, by which they irrigate those who hear. The Lord is therefore upon such ^C waters. But as regards history, Elijah, after the drought, heard the voice of many waters. He says this is the voice of the Lord sent forth in the Jordan by God and the Father, saying: "This is my beloved Son," which He also likens to thunder.

5. The voice of the Lord breaking the cedars. By "cedars" in this passage He means the opposing powers. And, "The Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus." He calls the lofty men of the Jewish people the "cedars of Libanus," because Libanus is often called Jerusalem in the divine Scripture.

6. And shall crush them like the calf of Libanus. The "calf" signifies the altar. And the "beloved" as the son of unicorns. The "beloved,"

^A says, has become a son of the unicorns; the unicorns are the holy prophets and patriarchs, whose children are the holy apostles, because they had their horn and strength in God alone.

Voice of the Lord cutting through the flame of fire. This signifies the promise which He made to the saints, saying, "And if you pass through the midst of fire, the fire shall not burn you."

Voice of the Lord shaking the desert. To "shake" here is said again of that which is heard, as in, "When Jesus entered, the whole city was shaken." By "desert," he means the Church of the nations, which was formerly destitute of the knowledge of God. "And the Lord will shake the desert of Cades." Cades is interpreted as "holy." And the Church of Christ is understood as holy.

Voice of the Lord preparing the deer, and He shall uncover the thickets. The deer are the saints; and "preparing" is used for "adorning." For He Himself having adorned the holy apostles, sent them forth, according to the word, "Go, teach all nations." He calls the Church "thickets," because it was formerly the mother of unfruitful trees. ^B

[And in His temple everyone says glory. The Lord, having adorned the holy apostles, sent them forth so that they might drive away the demons and bring the nations into the knowledge of God.]

The Lord will inhabit the flood. By "flood," he means the multitude of those who believe, according to that which was said, that "The whole earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water as covers the sea." And "The Lord shall sit as king forever"; similar to the statement, "That to Him every knee shall bow."

The Lord will give strength to His people. Similar to: "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." The Lord will bless His people in peace. Similar to: "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you." ^C

Daniel Barbarus adds at the end: He will reform the land desolated by the Assyrians and make it habitable.

PSALM of the dedication of the house, for the end, for David. XXIX.

The dedication of the house is either of the Church, or when our outer man is decaying, the inner is renewed.

Argument.

^D He sings this psalm after being delivered from sin, his soul being as if renewed through repentance, or as it was formerly a house of the Holy Spirit. He sings also for the forgiveness granted, offering thanks, and praying that he may remain secure regarding future things, and providing instruction to others that, if ever anything of the sort should happen, they should offer prayers to God.

"I will exalt you, Lord, for you have taken me up..... You saved me from those going down into the pit." He calls hell the pit.

4. *And confess to the memory of his holiness.* It is fitting, he says, to multiply hymns, mindful of God's loving-kindness. 6. *For wrath is in his anger.* This does not result from His own will, but rather each person brings it upon himself through sin. For His will is life. *In the evening weeping will lodge.* The ease with which repentance is achieved is signified by these words. ^A For there is no multitude of sins so great that repentance does not quickly turn it into exultation. 7. *But I said in my prosperity: I shall not be moved forever.* He explains the cause of his fall. Because I waxed great, he says, in prosperity, I have been puffed with pride; for this reason I am disturbed. This has happened to me, not because You thrust me away, but only because You turned away Your face. Since, therefore, we are unable even to stand without Your strength, do You, in fulfilling Your will again, make the beauty of my soul shine forth. ^B This is what Adam also hoped for while living in paradise before he was led into deceit, and what Hezekiah hoped for after he had defeated the Assyrian; and the book of Chronicles clearly teaches this, saying that the heart of King Hezekiah was lifted up. 9. *To you, O Lord, I will cry... 10. What profit is there in my blood, when I descend into corruption?* I pray, he says, to be led up from the pit, because dust will not confess to You. But if I descend into corruption, there will be no profit either for me or for others. For I am deprived of the life obtained from You, and others have in no way ^C attained salvation through me. But when You hear my voice, and turn my mourning into joy, and gird me with gladness, no small profit will accrue to me. For having recovered my former glory, I shall speak to You through it, and not with an evil conscience; for this is what is meant by: *I shall not be stung.* 12. *You have torn my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.* By sackcloth he means mourning, since it is the custom for those in mourning to use sackcloth. For the sackcloth signifies wickedness and ignorance, since sackcloth is made from the hair of kids, which kids stand on the left, and likewise from the hair of that scapegoat.

To the end, A PSALM of David for ecstasy. XXX. Argument.

The present psalm is sung as if he were still in repentance on account of sin, and asking to be delivered from it. ^D Furthermore, as one already heard, he offers thanksgiving, and also recounts what happened to him during the time of repentance. But the words, "for ecstasy," signify nothing else than sin itself, through which the soul departed from its right mind, as it were; and as one who no longer hoped to be taken up, he clearly said: *But I said in my ecstasy: I am cast away from the presence of your eyes.*

2, 3. *In you, O Lord, I have hoped... Incline your ear to me.* When our cry cannot reach to the height, incline your ear to...

me, by descending toward me.

You will bring me out of this trap which they have hidden for me. For they laid wait for his soul, and caught him. In what? In sin. You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth. As though already heard, he says such things.

You have hated those who observe vanities in vain. By "vanities," he means the distractions of this present life; by engaging in which, we labor in vain. "In vain" follows, regarding him who indeed observes vanities.

I will rejoice and be glad. Having trampled down grief and the remaining passions.

And you did not shut me up into the hands of enemies. That is to say, you did not hand me over. You set my feet in a wide place. After you freed me from affliction, you established me in a state of rest and spaciousness.

My eye, my soul, and my belly were troubled in anger. As he calls the mind the eye of the soul, so he calls the memory the belly of the soul; in which, as in a belly, we store up rational nourishment. My soul and my belly. I turned away my eye from the Jewish people in fury and great wrath.

For my life has failed in pain. This indicates a tension of the mind. And my years in groanings. I passed my time, he says, groaning because of the violence of evils. My strength has been weakened in poverty. Having become poor, he says, of the help from you because of sin, I was weakened. And my bones were troubled. By bones, he means the faculties of the soul.

[For my life has failed in pain. The lack of necessary things, he says, wasted away my body, because Siba and Bercellai brought to David wheat and barley, and flour, and beans, and lentils, and honey, and certain other things; and also rugs and coverings; and they offered these to the people along with other foods, because they said that the people were suffering from hunger and had become faint from thirst in the desert.]

I have become a reproach before all my enemies. [A man is dead in heart who is deprived of virtues.] And my enemies, he says, were heaping reproaches upon me, and my acquaintances feared me, and those who saw me fled because of the magnitude of the repentance I was showing; for I was exhausted by sackcloth and ashes, and weeping day and night. Wherefore, as they fled, I was forgotten, and seemed to be dead, so that I was like a ruined vessel. But "above all," he does not mean "more than everyone else," but rather "before all," which is to say, I was loaded with reproach by the enemies. For thus also Aquila has it: *I have become a reproach before all my enemies.*

For I heard the slander of many dwelling round about. By slander, he means the conspiracy. He says that the enemies were circling about and conspiring. They took counsel to take my soul. But I relied on you, O Lord.

For they take the heart through the soul; for through anger and desire they slay the mind.]

^A **16. In your hands are my lots.** Even if the enemies plot, plotting to take my soul, yet my lots are kept in your hands, which you will return to me at the proper time, because I place my hope in you. Therefore I also beseech you to be rescued from my enemies in the present life. Those men, having gathered, weave my death; but I know you, O God, as my judge and protector. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue me. "Flee from evil," says the Apostle; even if evil pursues, it also pursues—that is, fornication, and greed, and anger, and rage; the rest were lacking.

**17. Make your face shine upon your servant; save me in your mercy.** For when your brightness happens to me, all sad things will immediately vanish. This, he says, is the only way of salvation for me, if you cause your face to shine.

**18. O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I have called upon you.** From this we learn that there is a great difference between sin and impiety. Therefore, great David requests that he be freed from the shame generated by sin, while those who live in impiety be dismissed to death with shame.

**19. Let lying lips become voiceless.** I pray, he says, that the enemies be made deaf; but this will happen if you show your face.

^B **20. How great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord!** Being already enlightened by the Spirit, he offers thanksgiving for things to come. It is the habit of David often to take the word "how," out of admiration, to mean "very much." How great is your sweetness, which you store up and keep for us; for "you have hidden" means "you have kept," as also that: "He hid me in his tabernacle." He uses the word "you have hidden" for "you have kept," because what is hidden is kept. "You have perfected it for those who hope in you." As if to say, you have perfected it at the fitting time.

^C **21. You will hide them in the secret place of your face.** Your face, he says, becomes a shelter for those who hope in you. "From the confusion of men you will shelter them in your tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues." As a shelter, he says, you will shelter them, so that they may not be overcome either by those attempting to harm them with words or by those fighting against them with deeds.

**22. Blessed be the Lord, for he has made his mercy wonderful in a fortified city.** Through me, he says, God was glorified; because, while myriads of enemies stood around me and tried to lay siege to my soul like a great city, my watcher, casting a hedge about me, showed his mercy to be wonderful.

^D **23. But I said in my trance: I am cast out.** When, he says, I humbled myself in my...

affliction, [at the time] when my eye was troubled in wrath, I was wearing myself out as one rejected because of my sin. But I was saying these things, he says, yet you, being kind, did not cast away your servant.

24. Diligite Dominum, omnes sancti ejus. He turns his speech to the exhortation of others, calling upon those by whom he was benefited to confess. And he repays abundantly those who act with pride. For the Lord is longsuffering toward the proud, but toward those who act with pride in excess, he also repays them.

PSALM 31, of David, an instruction

Argument. Setting forth the many sorrows and calamities which David endured in doing penance, he declares blessed those who have obtained forgiveness through the laver of regeneration. But the psalm is inscribed "an instruction," because people are greatly in need of this: for while they indulge their passions beyond what is right, they have become like horses and mules.

1. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Iniquities are forgiven through baptism, but sins are covered through bitter repentance.

2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin, nor is there guile in his mouth. For he is truly blessed who approaches holy baptism with his whole heart. [For he who is baptized with guile, besides failing to obtain forgiveness, will also have judgment.] ^C The following part, "for," should be connected with the voice "they waxed old," so that the meaning is: "For my bones waxed old, from my crying all the day." I kept silent, no longer able to utter a voice. And what did he cry, but begging for the forgiveness of sin?

4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me. You are good, he says, since you chastised me harshly through discipline, in order to lead me to salvation. I was turned into misery while the thorn was fastened in me. He calls sin a thorn. And this is the meaning: Since, he says, sin was fastened into my soul, I was in misery.

5. I made known my iniquity. He indicates the manner of confession. "I said, I will confess against myself my iniquity." A just man is his own accuser at the beginning of his speech. And you, he says, be the first to tell your sins.

6. For this shall every holy one pray unto you. For this sin of mine which has been forgiven, he says, every one of the holy ones shall pray to you. By these words he signifies two things: either that I shall be an example of repentance to all, or, more prophetically, because it would come to pass that all nations in their own times would confess for his sin from the very person of David. (That is, by reciting this psalm.) But in a flood of many waters they shall not come near unto him. A multitude of temptations, he says, shall not overwhelm the one who is repenting.

^A Since he has spoken these things concerning sin, he entreats to be delivered from the evils brought upon him through it. And he does indeed obtain the answer; for the benevolent Lord says to him: "I will instruct you and teach you in this way." To one asking for liberation from enemies, God responds, promising to be his guide in the straight path.

9. "Do not become like horse and mule, which have no understanding." He counsels those who are sinning not to surrender themselves to irrational passions. "With bit and bridle you will constrain their jaws." The address is as though to the Lord. And what he says is this: Those who do not wish to repent, turn them toward yourself with a bridle, as it were.

PSALM of David, which lacks a title among the Hebrews. XXXII. Argument.

In the present psalm, he teaches those who have already believed in Christ to praise their Master, at the same time showing them the excellence of His power; because He is the redeemer of all things, He is Lord, He is the one who brings the wicked to nothing, and He scatters their plans, but saves those who hope in Him.

1. "Exult, you righteous, in the Lord... sing to Him on a ten-stringed psaltery." He calls the body a ten-stringed psaltery, in that it is endowed with five senses, and the soul has five operations; for through each sense, each particular operation is excited.

3. "Sing to Him a new song." He clearly says that the law through Moses has had its end.

4. "For the word of the Lord is upright." That is, the evangelical word. "And all His works are in faith." One must believe, he says, in those things which were accomplished by Him in a manner befitting God.

5. "The Lord loves mercy and judgment." This, he says, He requires of those who believe in Him. "The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord." He begins to show that He Himself is the Creator of all created things, and indeed says first that the earth is filled by His mercy; for it would not have consisted otherwise, unless it were filled with it. And certainly neither would the heavens have ever stood firm, had they not been established by His word, and likewise their powers—namely, the divine and rational ones.

^D [Therefore He loves mercy toward those who repent; but He loves judgment toward those who do not cease to sin. Something of this sort Isaias also says to God: "For Your mercy is according to measure." For he too represents mercy as being with judgment, bestowing it in weight and number according to the merit of each.]

6. "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established." Here too there is a declaration of the holy Trinity. "And by the spirit of His mouth all their power." He calls the Holy Spirit the mouth of God; for the prophets, speaking when He breathed upon them, said: "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things."

7. "Gathering as into a wineskin the waters of the sea." Placing them...

^A in the clouds, as he says in another place: "Who calls forth the water of the sea, and pours it out upon the face of all the earth." And again: "Bringing up the clouds from the end of the earth; placing the abysses in storehouses." He seals the abysses, he says, as if in storehouses, lest they gush forth and inundate the dry land.

8. "Let all the earth fear the Lord." Let the earth, he says, no longer offer worship to demons. "From him, let all who inhabit the world be moved." Let the men who inhabit the world, who were previously given to idols, hearing his name, be moved and obey their own Creator.

9. "For he spoke and they were created, he commanded and they were founded." ^B The "becoming" denotes the substantial existence of rational beings; but "creation" implies a change from a worse state to a better one. "For if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation."

10. "The Lord scatters the counsels of nations." Of the intelligible nations, that is. "But he rejects the reasonings of the peoples, and he rejects the counsels of princes." ^C For he rendered the snares of all the Jews ineffective, rising again on the third day. For this is what he wills, and this abides for eternity, the counsel of the Lord.

11. "The counsels of his heart are to generation and generation." The dogmas, he says, which have been decreed, both in the present age and in the future; the counsels of God are the fitting arrangements; the heart is the hidden part of the substance.

12. "Blessed is the nation whose Lord is its God." He calls those who believe in Christ blessed in these words.

[13. "From heaven the Lord looked down." He says, "He looked down," lest anyone think he is ignorant of the things dared by men.]

[14. "From his prepared habitation." That is, prepared and adorned. For heaven is ordained as if it were the dwelling place of God.]

15. "He who fashioned their hearts individually." God alone, he says, knows the hearts of men. Wherefore the Savior said to the Jews: "Why do you think evil in your hearts?"

18. "Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him." The eyes of the Lord are his all-seeing power; ^D or often the Son and the Spirit, so that the Father of lights is in the midst of the two lights.

19. "And to feed them in famine." In the time, he says, of persecution, if spiritual foods are not present, the Lord himself will feed them through the Holy Spirit.

20. "Our soul waits for the Lord." As they have already shown the confidence they have toward him, they now openly declare it.

PSALM of David when he changed his countenance before Abimelech, and he let him go, and he departed. XXXIII.

Argument. When David was fleeing from Saul, he came to Abimelech.

^A and, being asked by him the reason for his departure, he denied the flight, but said he had been sent by Saul to request the sword of Goliath. Since, therefore, he said one thing but thought another, it is written that he "changed his countenance." He sings this psalm, moreover, to the new people, introducing the teaching of spiritual and evangelical worship.

2. *I will bless the Lord at all times... In the Lord my soul shall be praised.* Even if I am worthy of praise because some good is found in my actions, this is to be attributed not to me, but to God: He has both made me illustrious and will make me renowned. *Let the meek hear and rejoice.* Any righteous person who hears of the salvation granted to me by the Lord will rejoice. And because ^B He truly saves those who hope in Him, He does not permit him to utter the hymn alone, but makes those who are partakers of the Lord’s mercy partakers also of the canticle.

3. *Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.* As if he himself were not enough to proclaim the magnificence of God, he requests the labor and help of others in this matter.

5. *Come to him and be enlightened.* Having received confidence from the gifts he obtained, he invites others also to this.

6. *This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.* Learn, he says, from the things that have happened to me, to have confidence in the Lord of the universe. For although I was vile and abject and a shepherd of sheep, He deigned to favor me with His own providence ^C and showed me to be superior to those who were fighting against me.

7. *The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him, and shall deliver them.* This is in harmony with the words of the Apostle; for about the angels he says: *Are they not all ministering spirits sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?* Thus also the blessed Jacob, praying, says: *The angel that delivereth me from all my evils.* In the same way, the patriarch Abraham said to his admirable servant: *The Lord God will send his angel before thy face, and thou shalt take a wife for my son Isaac from thence.* Thus also the blessed Zacharias says: *The angel that spoke in me.*

8. *Taste and see that the Lord is sweet.* Taste, he says, of the true bread, which descended from heaven. *Blessed is the man that hopeth in him*; for he shall obtain the life to come.

10. *The rich have wanted and have suffered hunger.* Clearly, the people of the Jews. *But they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.* He speaks of the other, the people of the Gentiles.

11. *Come, children, hearken to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord... and thy lips from speaking guile.* He sets forth a teaching for the nations, of which he says the first is the fear of God: the second is not to speak evil of a brother;

the third, to restrain the lips from every deceitful word; the fourth, to abstain from every evil and to make it one's care to do good in all things. In addition to all these, to pursue peace and to hold fast to it. And the peace is Christ. He says that the diligent practice of these things is life and good days. ^A

*Decline from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it.* That which says, "decline from evil," is taught by fear, but "do good" is taught by love. Wherefore, he who loves is greater than he who fears.

*The eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers.* He gives a great reward for the pursuit of virtue: namely, to have God as one’s inspector and guardian.

*The Lord keepeth all their bones.* By "bones" he means the powers of the soul. These are justice, perseverance, piety, and, so to speak, every virtue. ^B

*The death of sinners is evil.* He speaks of the death of the soul, which will be followed by eternal fire, outer darkness, the undying worm, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. For Gehenna and darkness shall overtake them.

PSALM XXXIV. Argument

*From the person of him who trusts in God and is warred against by the invisible powers are the things set forth spoken, or perhaps from the person of the choir of the apostles. The person of Christ is also introduced, recounting the evils brought upon Him by the Jews at the time of the Passion, for the encouragement of patience and perseverance in those who are warred against for the sake of God.* ^C

*Judge, O Lord, them that wrong me: fight against them that fight against me.* This petition befits the person of the apostles. He refers to the Jews, who, not having peace within themselves, have wars and war against Christ, who is our peace.

*Take hold of arms and shield, and rise up to my help.* "Arms and shield and sword" implies the avenging powers, which are sent forth by the Lord for the succor of the righteous.

*Say to my soul: I am thy salvation.* This, he says, you bid me say to my soul, that you will be her helper. ^D

*Let them be turned backward.* Those who proceed from virtue toward wickedness are benefited if they are turned backward.

*Let the snare come upon him which he knoweth not, and let the trap which he hath hidden catch him, and into the snare let him fall.* For the snare was turned upon the heads of the wicked. For having hunted, they were themselves hunted into death and are delivered to death.

*But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord.* Those, therefore, who have prepared the snare, and have devised the plot of destruction against Christ, the Savior of us all, shall pay the penalties for the outrage against Him, in the ways we have recently described. But

my soul, he says, shall be free from all evil forever; that is, it shall have unending rejoicing in God, and delight exceedingly in His salvation. ^A Daniel Barbarus: All my bones, that is, all men.

10, 11. False witnesses rose up; they asked me of things that I knew not. Hence the person of Christ is introduced, brought falsely before the tribunal of the chief priests.

They rewarded me evil for good, and childlessness for my soul. He says this because they were seen as unworthy to be called sons of God, which he testified to most of all, according to the text: How often would I have gathered thy children!

12. But I, when they were troublesome to me, was clothed in sackcloth. For he grieved for their destruction, so as to be pained, to be vehemently distressed, to weep, and to pray for their sin.

13. And I humbled my soul with fasting. Confirming the incarnation, he did not abstain from fasting. And my prayer shall return into my own bosom. This perhaps implies that they persisted in sin. For, he says, my prayer profited them nothing, which, because of their vast ignorance, they caused to reflect back upon me, as it were.

14. As a neighbor and as our brother, so I pleased them. As a brother, he says, and a friend, so I strove to win them over with benefits, wishing to restore them to health: wherefore I mourned for them.

15. And they rejoiced against me and gathered together. These, he says, were the wages they paid me for the pain I felt on their behalf. Scourges were gathered together against me, and I knew not. For I could find no cause why they should strike me with scourges.

16. They were divided, and were not pricked. For the multitude was divided, as the Evangelist says, some saying He was good, and others that He was evil. And yet, when these things took place, they were not pricked, nor did they understand against whom they were committing such acts. He says this not to accuse, but desiring help to be given to him. When, he says, wilt Thou appear and avenge him who is wronged?

17. Restore my soul from their malignancy. Whatever He suffers or speaks, He does for our salvation, because He Himself, that is, Christ, came down and was incarnate for us. From the lions my only one. He calls the lions either the evil and opposing powers, which all but roared against Christ, or perhaps even the leaders of the Jews themselves. For thus he commemorates them, saying through the voice of Jeremiah: My heritage is become as a lion in the forest; wherefore I have hated it. He calls his own soul his "only one," putting "only one" for "beloved." For there is usually great love for an only-begotten.

^A "They that hate me without a cause and wink with their eyes." That is to say, they devise deceits.

"For they spoke to me peaceable words, but in anger they devised deceits." This refers to their saying, "Good Master," and, "We know that you teach the truth and do not regard the person of man."

"And they opened their mouth wide against me." He says this of the blasphemies that took place upon the cross. They said, "Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it." As if their desire had reached its end, that he should be hung upon the tree. And they do this who also exult in the affliction of the just man.

"You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent; O Lord, do not depart from me." The only-begotten Word of God, having become man, without losing his being God, asks the Father, who has become judge on account of the injustice brought upon us by the demons, to scatter the insolence of the proud. For so, he says, some shall be turned to shame, ^B while others shall exult, offering thanks for their salvation.

*To the end, to the servant of the Lord, David.*

PSALM XXXV

Argument

"The unjust man says that he may sin in himself." He thinks, he says, he who is nurtured in malice, that no one sees the hidden counsels of his soul. For the word "says," he says, is put in the place of "thinks" or "supposes." The cause of such insensibility is not fearing the Master who looks upon all things. "There is no fear of God before his eyes." Once he has purposed, he says, to act lawlessly, he removes the fear of God from before his eyes. For by the fear of the Lord everyone declines from evil.

"For he has dealt deceitfully before Him." He has this ignorance willingly, not wishing to consider the things done, nor to hate what has been committed wickedly. "To find out his iniquity and to hate it." Neither does he consider this, he says, that God finds his sin, and having found it, hates both it and him.

"The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit." Iniquity, because of the insults they brought upon Christ; and deceit, because even while wishing to ensnare Him, they approached with pleasant words. "He would not understand that he might do good." Willingly, he says, he thrust himself away from acting well.

"He has meditated iniquity on his bed; he has set himself in every way not good." Their sleeplessness, he says, signifies their vigilance in preparing schemes against Christ.

"And he has not abhorred malice." That is to say, he has not hated malice. ^B

5. "O Lord, thy mercy is in the heaven." He shows that even heavenly things, that is, the rational powers, consist by his mercy. "And thy truth is even unto the clouds."

6. "Thy righteousness is as the mountains of God." Thou hast shown, he says, that the promises of the prophets are true and firm; for the prophets are clouds. Thou hast shown these to be true, bestowing such a multitude of righteousness that it may be compared to the mountains of God. "Thy judgments are a deep abyss." Having such great truth and righteousness, I am ignorant of the reason why thou art so long-suffering; for thy judgments imitate the invisible depth of an abyss. For just as its depth is invisible to men, so is the understanding of thy judgments inaccessible.

7. "Thou shalt save men and beasts, O Lord." Having spoken concerning the two peoples, the Apostle says: "God has shut up all in unbelief, that he might save all," and added: "How unsearchable are his judgments!" There is a similar point here: for since he was about to narrate the salvation of the two peoples, who are also signified by men and beasts—men, indeed, those from Israel, as being instructed from the Law and understanding excellence; but beasts, as those more irrational, namely those from the nations—for those from the Jews, having been instructed in the mystery through the law and prophets, have fallen away; whereas the others, those from the nations who had never heard it, have been taken in; for this cause he has said beforehand: "Thy judgments are a deep abyss." Again, he calls those who have preserved their rational dignity "men," but "beasts" those who incline downwards to the earth and graze on earthly thoughts. Not only, therefore, did he call the just, but also the sinners, to salvation.

8. "But the children of men shall put their trust in the covert of thy wings." That is, they shall have thee as a protector and helper of the evangelical word, he says.

9, 10. "They shall be inebriated with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure," etc. The torrent of pleasure is Christ, according to that which is said: "I will decline toward them as a torrent overflowing the glory of the nations." He is also the fountain of life and light from light.

12. "Let not the foot of pride come to me." He asks to be outside of the passion. "And let not the hand of the sinner move me." That is, let no perverse action move me from standing by thee.

PSALM XXXVI

2. "Be not emulous of evildoers, nor envy..."

those who do iniquity." ^A He exhorts one to flee from wickedness, teaching that its end is a falling away from every good thing.

"And dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed on its wealth." He calls the divinely inspired Scripture "land," in which the riches of the saints, that is, the promises, are situated. He exhorts us to hold fast to the divine oracles always, led by love for the good things that are laid up in them for the saints.

5. "Reveal thy way unto the Lord, and hope in him, and he shall do it." ^B Thou shalt be, he says, clearly walking in the way that is pleasing to Him.

"And he shall bring forth thy justice as the light." For it is manifest that in the age to come, as the Lord Himself has said, the just shall shine forth as the sun. And the light of justice is knowledge, since justice also is the rule of virtues. "And thy judgment as the noonday." Instead of: He shall judge thee to be worthy of the light.

"And he shall do it." When thou hast hoped in Him, he says, then He also shall do it. And what He shall do he shows by adding: "And he shall bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." Then he shall bring forth, he says, that is, he shall make it manifest and display it as if it were conspicuous, not allowing the beauty and comeliness of a virtuous life to remain hidden. For thy justice shall be manifest to all, shining forth like light, even midday light. Now, the term "noonday" is given to the middle of the day. ^C He not only justifies the one who confesses and confers upon him a judgment of kindness, but he also brings his justice forth into the light; that is, he makes it known to all that he has indeed justified him. Of such a kind was the thief, whose judgment Jesus brought forth in the noonday, that is, in the middle of the day, while hanging on the cross, and brought his justice into the light, that is, into the knowledge of all. For that express voice of His, "Amen, amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise," became clear to the world, and indeed a light to the whole earth, and to all who repent and do penance it was a certain exhortation. Not, he says, shall the brightness of his justice be hidden, as it is now, but conspicuous as the sun at noonday, just as the Lord says: "Then the just shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

"Be subject to the Lord and entreat him." He himself, he says, shall show you to be worthy of the light in the age to come; but you, be subject here. ^D "Be not emulous of him who prospers in his way." Do not be emulous, he says, of happiness built upon iniquity.

[Do not be amazed if you see an iniquitous man prospering, nor be emulous of happiness acquired through injustice, nor be provoked to do similar things; but even if everything goes for him according to his desire and of its own accord, do not grieve nor bear it with resentment, as though the wicked were not paying the penalty but were living in prosperity, as if no one were exacting retribution or punishment.

"Better is a little to the just"; instead of, greater is...]

the little mercy of the Lord than all the wealth of the world.]]

8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not look upon their prosperity, but wait for the end, and you will see destruction. For anger is a desire for vengeance, and vengeance is the retribution for evil. Do not emulate them so that you do evil. Know well that those who have entrusted themselves to divine hope and have chosen a sober life, live in tranquility and peace and pleasure, obtaining a firm purity of conscience; but those who trust in temporary prosperity will meet with a swift change and will be delivered over to utter oblivion.

10. And you will seek his place and will not find it. Similar to this saying: ^B "But the wicked shall perish root and branch."

11. But the meek shall inherit the earth. Those will inherit the earth who have breathed out/cast off the destructive affection of anger. For anger destroys even the prudent, since it hinders them from conducting themselves honestly. For the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. Furthermore, he is secure from the anger and fury of God who abstains from those things which stir up anger and fury.

And they shall delight in the multitude of peace. The delight of the just man is total peace; it is a kind of soul's imperturbability with the true knowledge of things.

12. The sinner will watch the just man. This can specifically be understood of the devil, and through these things he offers consolation to those who are wronged. For he displays the transgressor as pained and raging against those who have embraced a quiet life, but the just man as a judge mocking his attempt, inasmuch as he clearly foresees his swift end.

13. But the Lord will laugh at him. He laughs, he says, at the traps of the sinner against the just, knowing that He has established a day in which He will render eternal life to the one, but eternal punishment to the other.

14. The sinners have drawn the sword... their sword shall enter into their own hearts. These things, he says, the evil demons have suffered, which they plotted to inflict upon the saints.

18. The Lord knows the ways of the blameless. Instead of: He accepts and honors them. And their inheritance shall be forever. For the rewards of the saints are incorruptible and eternal.

19. They shall not be put to shame in an evil time. In the times of persecutions, he says, when the teachers are failing, the Lord Himself by His own Spirit will nourish those who have believed in Him.

[They shall not be put to shame in an evil time. An evil time is that of the wrath against the impious, in which ^D some shall experience the righteous judgment of God; but the just shall receive glory and honor, and incorruption, and eternal life.]

21. The sinner borrows, and will not pay back. The sinner, he says, does not render thanks for the benefits conferred upon him by God. But the just man has mercy, and gives. He renders mercy in place of repayment, imitating his own Master.

^A "For those who bless Him shall inherit the earth." Similar is that which was said to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse." "The steps of a man are directed by the Lord." He accepts, he says, the practical path which one walks in this life. "When he falls, he shall not be cast down." Even if, he says, it happens that the just man stumbles a little, he shall not be wronged, having God to support him. "Nor his seed seeking bread." He means the intelligible, which are the divine words. "And dwell forever and ever." And you shall inherit, he says, the eternal tabernacles. "But the just shall inherit the earth." In many places he has mentioned the earth being given to the meek, encouraging a desire for it. "The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom." It is fitting, he says, to carry the divine oracles around, whether in the tongue or in the mind, and to make their study constant; for thus, learning what must be done, the lover of virtue shall remain tranquil and unshaken, prevailing over those who attempt to overthrow him. These things he also said in the first Psalm: "But his will is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he shall meditate day and night," and the rest. "And his tongue shall speak judgment." Not judicial judgment, but that which arises from an unerring and sound tribunal. "The law of God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be tripped." "The sinner watches the just man. But the Lord, etc." He says the same things in different ways, preparing a more stable memory through greater meditation. He says: The Lord will not neglect the just man when he is beset by the snares of the wicked, nor will He cast a vote with those who dare such things; but He will provide that he might leap over their nets. Abraham enjoyed this providence when Sarah was twice snatched away; Isaac, having suffered this very same thing; Jacob, being envied by his brother and his father-in-law; and Joseph, having been warred against by envy and slander. And why is it necessary to recount everything? For it is easy for those who love learning both to collect the things of old and to observe the new. "Nor will He condemn him when he is judged." That is, when sentence is passed upon him. "When sinners have perished, you shall see it." You shall see, he says, the sinners being cut off. "I saw the impious one being exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon." According to that which was said: "Our life is a shadow." "And I passed by, and lo, he was not." Having seen, he says, wicked men prospering, I was considering how they had attained this; then, reasoning these things and turning other thoughts over in my mind, I could no longer see them; indeed, I could not even find the place where they seemed to have stood. "Keep innocence, and observe uprightness, for there is..."

^A a remnant for the man of peace." And the punishment, he says, of the wicked, and the remnant—that is, the inheritance of the righteous—let it persuade you to pursue simplicity and innocence.

PSALM XXXVII: A Psalm of David, for a memorial regarding the Sabbath.

Argument

2. *O Lord, rebuke me not in thy fury, nor chastise me in thy wrath.* [Demons, who are deputed for inflicting punishments, and avenging powers, are called the wrath and fury of God. He prays therefore not to be rebuked by malevolent powers, nor to be chastised by the sending of cruel angels, but by salutary words.] The Lord chastises us, leading us to a remembrance of virtue. But the saint does not reject rebuke or correction, but that which is joined with wrath and fury.

3. *For thy arrows are fastened in me.* He calls the avenging powers arrows. *And thou hast fastened thy hand upon me.* Your hand, he says, has touched me, chastising me on account of sin.

4. *There is no health in my flesh from the face of thy wrath.* Through your wrath coming upon me, my flesh has been weakened. *And there is no peace in my bones from the face of my sins.* ^B The strength of my soul, he says, has been weakened; and the cause of the feebleness is sin.

5. *For my iniquities have gone over my head.* The heavy burden of sin, he says, has bowed me down. The stench of those putrid wounds also causes me pain, which I received when, having cast off prudence and having become a slave to folly, I fell into them. On account of which, being deprived of all delight, I am distressed and languish continually, and I find no way of turning aside from my sadness. *As a heavy burden they are become heavy upon me.* He speaks of the heaviness of conscience which pushes one vehemently toward desperation.

6. *My sores have been putrefied and corrupted from the face of my foolishness.* For every sin is foul and putrid; for if the soul does not fall into folly, it would not endure to commit sin. ^C From this we know the nature of sin. What is it? Certainly, sin is nothing but the offspring of our own foolishness.

7. *I walked about sorrowful all the day long.* This must be spoken to those who laugh much and take pleasure.

[I have become miserable, etc. It indicates the heaviness of conscience, which pushes one as it were into desperation. For, he says, I saw my enemies mocking me; he means the intelligible enemies.]

9. *I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly.* From that desire, he says, I have reaped ^D

^A into the earth, and I ceaselessly lament on account of the bitter pains of my heart. For this reason, having changed the operation of that desire, I have established it as a servant of the divine will. For he adds: *I have roared from the groaning of my heart.* By chastising my conscience, I caused my heart to utter groans. 10. *And my groaning is not hidden from Thee.* He says: Let the desire of repentance stand before Thee, the desire with which I have, wishing to be saved. And what is the desire of Christ? To fulfill the Passover for our sake. ^B 11. *My heart was troubled, my strength forsook me.* He calls the rational power of the soul the heart. *And the light of my eyes, even it is not with me.* By light of the eyes he refers to the Spirit shining light upon the eyes of his understanding. 12. *My friends and my neighbors drew near and stood over against me.* In the time when I was stricken, he says, they stood against me. He says these things regarding Absalom and Ahithophel. *And my neighbors stood afar off.* For the angels who were ministering to him abandoned him on account of the sin. Perhaps also the holy powers withdraw in a time of temptation for the testing and trial of the one being tempted, or perhaps for punishment. ^C 13. *And they who were seeking my soul used violence.* With good reason, since the angels had abandoned him, the demons attacked more fiercely. *And they who were seeking my evils spoke vanities.* They were speaking, he says, among themselves, preparing a conspiracy against me. 14. *But I, as a deaf man, did not hear,* and the rest. These things, he says, while they were speaking, I seemed neither to hear nor to speak, my boldness having been taken away through sin. 16. *Because in Thee, O Lord, I have hoped... for I said: Lest my enemies rejoice over me.* Of so many evils occurring, he says, I have one hope of salvation: the help that will come to me from Thee. 17. *And when my feet were shaken, they spoke boastfully against me.* It has given them, he says, great pride against me that sin has shaken my feet. 18. *For I am ready for scourges, and my pain is before me continually.* He says that he gladly receives the chastisement that leads to conversion. 19. *For I will declare my iniquity, and I will be troubled for my sin.* For this very reason I become my own accuser, and I will take every care for my health. 20. *But my enemies live, and are strengthened over me.* Although, he says, I am not without awareness of my sin, but am continually anxious about it, I see my enemies growing stronger. And these enemies, having suffered nothing unjust from me, reproach me for my sin, and making it a pretext for

of war against me, pursuing me and boasting that they are doing so with justice and right. Therefore, I have become as one dead and abominable in their eyes; wherefore I beseech you, O Lord, not to depart from me, but to hasten rather to bring us aid.

21. “*Do not forsake me, O Lord my God*,” etc. Daniel Barbarus says: Men are driven by the poverty of their nature to appease God; they pray for themselves. But Christ, if He has the Father with Him, seeks the salvation of men as His own, and He Himself attributes to Himself this petition, in accordance with the humanity joined to His divinity, as if it were His own. This truly was what was combined with flesh, and was subject to affections, while otherwise He possessed the divinity with Him which would make His petition valid.

PSALM XXXVIII. To the end, an ode of Idithum for David. Argument.

Since the holy singer Idithum was crowned with prophetic grace, he delivers an ode, introducing the person of David himself confessing his sin.

2. “*I said, I will guard my ways*.” A clear proof of a fixed heart. “*I set a guard on my mouth when the sinner stood against me.*” For the spiritual enemies standing by him were reproaching him for his sin.

3. “*I was dumb, and humbled, and held my peace from goods.*” Being reproached, he says, I did not reproach back, seeing that I had fallen from good things. “*And my pain was renewed.*” Instead of speaking to those reproaching me, I reminded myself of my sin. And the memory of my sin became like fire in my heart.

4. “*And in my meditation fire shall be kindled.*” By my remembering the sin, he says, I was burned with fire.

5. “*I spoke with my tongue; make me to know, O Lord, my end.*” “*With my tongue*,” that is, quietly and whispering, and not bringing the word forth to many. But the word was an inquiry concerning the days that remained to him. He was asking, desiring to know if the remainder of his days would be sufficient for him for repentance.

6. “*Behold, you have set my days as measurable, and my substance is as nothing before you.*” If, he says, life extends in length for me, it will be reckoned as nothing before you. For if a thousand years in your eyes are as one day, what would the time of one man be? Symmachus again interpreted this as follows: “*Behold, you have made my days as a span, and my life is as nothing before you.*” For you are without beginning and without end; but our life is measured by certain spans and palms. By this he manifested the short-lived nature of human life.

7. “*Nevertheless, all is vanity, every man living. Yet surely man passes in an image, but he is troubled in vain.*” If, he says, man walks in an image and not in truth, he rightly premised vanity; since we do not live a true life, but in a certain image, nor are we driven by a zeal for true goods, wherefore we are troubled in vain. The life of those who dwell on earth, he says, inasmuch as it is turned about in worldly cares, might rightly be judged vanity. Or thus: All the life

of our days is a vapor ^A in thy sight; for instead of vanity, Symmachus published "vapor." He storeth up, and knoweth not for whom he shall gather them. Since we do not live the true life now, but one as if in an image; nor do we apply our diligence to things that are truly good; therefore we are troubled in vain, being turned about in worldly desires, and gathering treasures of whose heirs we are ignorant.

And now what is my expectation? Is it not the Lord? With reason he says he has his hope set in the Lord, inasmuch as he judges those things in life to be distractions. And my substance is with thee. That is, my expectation, or patience. ^B Thou hast given me up to the reproach of the foolish. Do not give me up, he says, to reproach, because it is thou who art being reviled in me. I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth, because thou hast made it. Being reviled, he says, I was silent, knowing accurately regarding it, that thou art the one who, for the sake of punishment or instruction, has assigned me to be reproached for this very thing.

Remove thy scourges from me. He speaks of the punishments coming to him from the demons, God not permitting them to stay. He says that the punishments coming to him from the demons are from God, as if He permitted him to suffer on account of sin. For I failed by the strength of thy hand. We have already mentioned many times that the punishing power is called the hand of God. When He scourges them strongly, he who is being chastised fails, inasmuch as he is such a one, that is to say, infirm and not able to endure the scourges for long. ^C [Nevertheless, they are troubled in vain. He who lives in iniquity, so as to need such instruction.]

In rebukes thou hast chastened man for iniquity. Rebuke me, he says, for my sin, and thou hast chastened me. Give ear to my prayer. Instead of, Hearken, and forgive the sin before the end. [For this signifies: Because I am a sojourner.] Forgive me, that I may be refreshed. Before my end, he says, grant forgiveness of sins, that I may go to Hades with confidence. And I shall be no more. I shall no longer be such as I might become from the relief granted to me from thee. And the relief of God is the tranquility of the soul with a true knowledge of things that are. ^D

To the end, A PSALM of David. XLIX. Argument.

The song is referred to the person of the new people brought back from the pit of misery. Then the person of Christ is introduced, teaching those who give thanks the manner of the economy; then again the person of the believers from Israel is introduced, asking that the sin of their unbelief be forgiven them, and at the same time recounting the evils that befell them because of their unbelief.

With patience I waited for the Lord, and he gave heed to me. Similar to: In your patience possess ye your souls.

^A *And brought me up out of a pit of misery.* And what did he provide for you? Having heard, he said: He brought me out from the depth of sin, and from the pleasure of the muddy body, or from the gates of death, and from the corruption existing therein, or from the distractions of the world. *And from the mire of the clay.* From the depth of sins which, like mire, stain those caught in them. For a pit of misery is malice and ignorance. *And he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps.* The apostle Paul says [1 Cor. x, 4] that the rock was Christ; for I have learned to walk the path well-pleasing to God, that is, through active practice and right doctrines. ^B *And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.* The evangelical law; for after we are freed from passions, we sing a new song, our house having been renewed. *Many shall see, and shall fear, and shall hope in the Lord.* For the preaching has gone forth into the whole world. *Blessed is the man whose hope is the name of the Lord, and who hath not looked upon vanities and lying frenzies.* He says that only he is blessed who has inscribed his hope in God, not he who is distracted by worldly anxieties, which are both frenzy and lying. ^C [*His hope. Then he also adds by way of exhortation: Blessed, he says, truly, is he who has had God alone as his hope, and has not looked to the anxieties regarding the present life, which are vanities and lying frenzies, and cares admitted in vain. But the wise frenzy is the condition of the present life, on account of which the prophets seemed even to many to be out of their senses, about which the righteous man also boasts and says: I said in my trance [Ps. cxvi, 11].] *Thou hast done many things, O Lord my God, thy wonderful works.* What you have done, he says, in the time of the economy, are many and wonderful; which I have also announced to others. The proclamation, he says, has run through the whole world under heaven, so that those who believed have become more numerous than could be numbered. ^D *Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body thou hast fitted to me.* Hence the person of Christ himself, addressing the Father, is introduced. Since, he says, you did not want sacrifice and offering, nor did burnt offerings according to the law please you; I come, having accepted the body which you yourself fitted for me. For the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High overshadowed the holy Virgin. I come, moreover, that I may do your will. For what was the will of the Father, if not that which the Lord himself explained, saying: *This is the will of him who sent me, that of all that he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up in the last day [John vi, 40]?* And the phrase, *in the head of the book*, has this interpretation. The Hebrews call the scroll a "head." But Isaiah [speaks of] the mystery of the incarnation of the Only-begotten...

^A instructed, heard: *Take a new scroll, and write in it with the style of a man.* It happens that the precepts of the new law are described not on stone tablets, but on fleshy ones: just as he says through Jeremiah the prophet: *I will give my laws into their mind, and on their heart I will write them*; meant to declare that it is destined for the Church to receive the new law in the innermost and intelligible receptacles of the heart, and to love the commandments ardently.

*I have proclaimed righteousness in the great Church.* The great Church is every soul that has believed in the Savior through all nations, which is also justified, having Him who justifies the ungodly. *I have not hidden thy righteousness in my heart.* He understands by righteousness that which was preached by Him, which is above the law and the shadow; but *thou hast known*, is instead of, "thou hast made it thine own." *I have declared thy truth and thy salvation.* I have not been silent, he says, nor have I held back thy truth within myself. And he calls the evangelical preaching "truth." Nor did I hide thy salvation, that is, the way of salvation given by thee, or rather the grace which is obtained through faith. By the "great council" (or congregation), he refers to the Church gathered from Israel and the nations. For Christ reveals to the rational nature the words concerning mercy and truth, and the words concerning salvation. And a man will find the words concerning truth in contemplation, but those concerning salvation in action.

^C *But do thou, O Lord, remove not thy mercies from me.* After Christ had taught the mystery of the Economy, he introduces the person of Israel, who remained in disbelief. For just as he who had disobeyed the mercy of God, and because of this was disregarded, and had fallen into every evil, comes to his senses toward repentance and begs to be pitied. It signifies, however, their calling which is to happen at the final time. *Let thy mercy and thy truth always uphold me.* We confess, he says, that thou art the One who formerly saved us and was our protection. And the Church of God, having obtained salvation, asks again for God’s providence and help against the manifold attacks of men and demons, of which he makes mention in what follows. ^D *For evils have encompassed me without number.* He recounts the evils which befell them after their unbelief toward Christ. *They are multiplied above the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me.* It is like saying: I have become equal to those who have no mind or heart; for the people have become foolish, and not wise.

*Let them be turned backward and be ashamed that desire evils against me.* Either they cry out against the spiritual enemies, or against the Scribes and Pharisees, who were plotting against the salvation of His soul, saying concerning Christ at one time: *He does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul*; and at another time: *Thou hast a demon; who seeks to kill thee?*

^A *But I am poor and needy; the Lord will take thought of me.* That very bold Israel, having turned to repentance, calls himself poor and needy. And moreover, he claims that he has the Lord as his own hope. *Thou art my helper and my protector, O my God; do not delay.* 12 Daniel Barbarus says of this outcome: The Church will have this end, such that she, who was formerly poor and seriously oppressed by want in the world, is at last enriched by Thy power and rendered glorious by Thy aid; and what she asks for is not drawn out for a long time, nor will He delay anything on account of her petition, according to what is said: *Coming he shall come and shall not delay.*

TO THE END. A PSALM OF DAVID. 40.

Argument. (By an uncertain author.)

2. *Blessed is he who understands concerning the needy and the poor.* He calls Christ needy and poor, according to that which was said: *Though He was rich, He became poor for our sakes.* ^B He prefaced the prophecy with moral teaching here, wishing the psalm to be profitable in both regards. And whom does he call blessed? Him who understands concerning the needy and the poor—that is, him who considers that, for the sake of this, Christ, though He was rich, became poor, so that we too might have mercy on the poor as brothers of our Creator and Judge. And what is the gain of love for the poor? *The Lord will deliver him in an evil day.* He indicates the day of judgment, which will bring pains and labors upon sinners. The Lord, who is the light, will deliver the lovers of the poor. For He is a debtor to them for kindness, inasmuch as He Himself has borrowed alms from them; and He spoke through Solomon: *He who has mercy on the poor lends to God* ^C; and with His own mouth: *As long as you did it to one of these least ones, you did it to Me.* *The Lord will deliver him in an evil day.* He calls an evil day the onset of temptations and the persecutions of enemies. But I think He also hints at the day of judgment, which is truly terrible and the avenger of the wicked. He promises the pure knowledge of that poverty, which will deliver him from the evils of that terrible day. ^D [Blessed is that man who thinks as is fitting about the poor; as if to say, "He who is able to understand the poverty which Christ took upon Himself for our sake."]

3. *The Lord keep him and give him life, and make him blessed on the earth, and do not deliver him into the hands of his enemies.* Spiritual enemies, that is to say.

4. *You did turn all his couch in his infirmity.* That is to say, toward better things, He says, and he will have a change toward health...

For it is the custom of divine Scripture to use "turning" instead of "change," as in that passage: *You have turned my mourning into joy for me.* ^A

5. *I said, O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul.* And David prays for his own sin, as one who recognizes in himself one of those who "understand over the needy and the poor." Again, He who suffers for men calls the sins of men His own, and for these He asks mercy for us in His own person, dissolving the contempt of those who are ignorant of Him, while manifesting His glory; in Himself indeed by His own power, but in us according to the grace of Christ.

6. *My enemies have said evil things against me.* From this point the person of Christ is introduced, recounting the evils that have been brought upon Him by the Jews. Up to the present verse, one must suppose the prophet has been speaking about the whole Catholic Church, in such a way that it suited every one of the devout rather than the Lord’s own humanity. ^B For he does not, as some have supposed, say what is said of Him and Him alone; for he did not say it with the article: "Blessed is the one who understands [the case of/over] the needy and the poor." But this, said without the article, signifies some particular individual. After these things, he passes from the other members of the Church to that Lord Himself, clearly Christ, who says: *My enemies,* and so forth. *When shall he die, and his name perish? He is grievous to us even to look upon.*

7. *And if he came in to see, he spoke in vain.* He says these things about Judas. But what he says is this: Since he had access to me, because he was established in the number of the disciples, he was double-tongued and a schemer; for he spoke in vain, that is, he was not truthful. *His heart gathered iniquity to itself.* He had decided, he says, to deliver me to those who were envious. *He went out, and spoke to the same purpose*—that is, namely: *What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you?*

8. *All my enemies whispered against me.* He signifies the mockeries of the Jews against Him, the plots of the Jews against Him, and the hidden schemes, indicating the high priests who were in agreement with Judas, who whispered, deciding the price for Jesus in concert with Judas. ^C They whispered—for they did not dare to do these things openly, fearing the multitude.

9. *They laid a wicked word against me.* That is, *Away, away, crucify him.* But that this was wicked is plain from what has been said: *You shall not kill the innocent and the just.* *Shall he who sleeps, not add that he shall rise again?* He mocks the schemes of the Jews as if they imagined that through death they could break Him as one of us. But He says: How do you imagine you can encompass Life with death? For sleep... ^D

is death; necessarily, therefore, resurrection shall follow death. ^A

10. *For even the man of my peace, in whom I hoped, who ate my bread, enlarged his supplantation against me.* He means mockery, treacherous plotting, deceit. He calls Judas a man of peace, because he appeared to be numbered among His well-wishers and friends, and had been chosen as a disciple.

11. *But You, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up, and I will repay them.* He speaks after the manner of men because of His humiliation before His own Father, even though He Himself is the mercy of God and the Father, and the resurrection and the life.

12. *In this I knew that You wished me well.* Again, He speaks as a man, so that He might commend Himself to God and the Father. *That my enemy may not rejoice over me.* If Christ says these things in the person of humanity, the enemy would be understood as he who prepared death for us; but if as from Christ Himself, He means the rulers of the Jews. For that they were grieved is clear from their slandering His resurrection.

13. *But me, because of my innocence, You have upheld.* He says that He who is the defense of all has attained a defense; not that He Himself, in so far as He is understood to be God, is in need of this, but having become man, He speaks on behalf of humanity.

14. *Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from age to age.* Even now He seals the present song in thanksgiving. From the present, He says, unto the future. Therefore, the blessing offered by us to God begins from the present, and is completed in the future; *for we know in part, and we prophesy in part,* and for this reason we bless in part. *But when that which is perfect has come,* says Paul, *that which is in part shall be done away.* For as progress is made toward better things, what is in part ceases. Therefore the Psalmist added, *Let it be, let it be,* and doubles the prayer. It is blessed, ^C indeed, to begin the blessing to God through faith and the fulfillment of other good works from here, and so to crown it in the age to come, whereas the impious and the faithless are not permitted to praise God there. It should be known, however, that some divide this psalm-prophecy into five books, and consider this psalm to be the end of the first, because at the end it possesses a blessing to God as a crown. Hence they likewise divide the subsequent four.

PSALM XLI

^A confessing to Christ through repentance, which they shall perform at the consummation of the ages.

"Just as 14 the hart desires the fountains of waters, so my soul desires You, O God." Rational harts, failing because of sins regarding the intelligible fountain, lamented their own destruction night and day.

"When shall I come and appear before the face of God?" The face of God is the Word. It signifies their intense desire to reach the time when their calling will occur, so that they too might appear before the face of God and the Father. And this is the same as the Son.

"In the voice of exultation and confession ^B of one keeping festival." He brings the good news to himself that he will, in his own time, obtain salvation and life through Christ, and will dwell in the divine courts together with the other saints.

"Why are you sorrowful, my soul, and why do you trouble me?" He rebukes his sorrows, fortified by hope in Christ [14']. If a time is kept, he says, O my soul, in which our calling through faith brings us in with those keeping festival into the tabernacle, why are you sorrowful, and why are you worn down by sorrows?

"Therefore I will remember You from the land of Jordan ^C and Hermoniim from the little mountain." Since my soul was troubled, he says, while I recalled Your wonders—both those You showed us at the Jordan and those at Mount Hermon—I will comfort myself. Or in this way: Having been at the Jordan, he says, that is, having been deemed worthy of holy baptism, I will then remember You through the words of confession. I will also remember Hermoniim; and Hermoniim is interpreted as "way of a lamp," as holy baptism opens the way of illumination to them.

"Deep calls to deep at the voice of Your cataracts." They recall other wonders to themselves. For when the foreigners ^D waged war against them, by a sacrifice offered on their behalf by Samuel, there was brought down upon the enemies such hail that almost all the enemies, with no man fighting against them, fell. He calls therefore the rush of hail "deep calling to deep." And "calls" is put for "invokes." By the voices of the cataracts, you should understand the gushes of hail. But in another place, the prophets of God are called cataracts. "All Your high things and Your waves have passed over me." He reminds himself of another wonder. For they passed through the sea, escaping the wickedness of Pharaoh. And the heights of the waves, he says, seemed...

^A to fall upon them; but they did no harm, for the waters were curdled like a wall.

[Abyss calls to abyss. Abyss is the Father, abyss is the Son. The abyss of sins calls to the abyss of the compassion of God, that he himself might break sin and its authors, and likewise corruption; as if to say, "It is your custom to be moved in spirit toward sinners who beseech you. And why do you look past us as we fall before you?"]

9. *By day the Lord will command his mercy, and by night his song.* He mentions another miracle. For Rabshakeh, having besieged Jerusalem, threatened that not even God could snatch them from the hand of the Assyrians; but God made a promise in these words: *I will protect this city.* ^B And afterwards, fulfilling his promise, in one night he slew one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians. And this is what he says: *By day the Lord will command his mercy. A prayer to the God of my life.* As one who has now believed, he brings forth words appropriate for those who believe, ascribing his own life to Him.

11. *I will say to God, You are my protector.* The people who are doing penance renew their supplication, calling upon God more and more for mercy.

PSALM XLII: A Psalm of David, which among the Hebrews lacks an inscription.

*Judge me, O God, and discern,* etc. This psalm ^C is of the same argument as the former. For again the Israelites approach, requesting the salvation brought through Christ. Therefore he says: *Send forth your light and your truth.* For he himself was to lead them into the holy mountain, that is, into heaven and into the supernal mansions—which he names tabernacles—and to the spiritual altar; likewise he was to gladden their youth. He calls joy "youth," which also restores their soul. Therefore they promise to offer confession to him on the harp. We have often advised that by the name of harp we should understand the body.

PSALM XLIII: To the end, for the sons of Korah, for understanding.

Argument.

This psalm also persists in the same argument; it is of men who recount ancient benefits and ask to be accepted because they have established the Lord himself as their hope and make confession in his name. *Our soul is humiliated in the dust.* So speak those who, having been thrust away from the sense of those things which are of Christ, have fallen into a carnal state. ^D

*O God, we have heard with our ears.* *But now you have refused, and put us to shame. And you will not go out, O God, in our powers.* You used to fight along with us, he says, in times past. But now not only do you not go out

^A with us to the battle; but you have also turned us back, so that we have even become a plundering for those who hate us. This the prophetic choir says, taking to itself the calamities of the people.

And those who hate us plundered for themselves. By shoutings, he says, you have delivered us unto dishonor.

And there was no multitude in our shoutings. A "shouting" is a song of victory. The meaning is this: In this way, he says, you have cast us off, so that we are even defeated by a few, and those who shout against us are but a small number.

You have made us a reproach to our neighbors. All that they did against Christ has been repaid to them: they reproached, and were reproached; they mocked, and were mocked in return; they shook their heads at him, and others shook their heads ^B at them.

All the day my dishonor is before me. Long-lasting, he says, and continuous has our shame become.

All these things have come upon us, and we have not forgotten you. We have already said that the prophets are those who offer up the supplication from the person of the people, taking upon themselves the evils that happen because of their own sins.

And you have turned our paths from your way. They say this because, having acted impiously toward Christ, they were thrust away from offering the sacrifice according to the Law.

Because you have humbled us in a place of affliction. He says this because they were no longer able to think on high things; and you have rebuked us, having sinned in the world. And the shadow of death has covered us. He signifies the darkness that has been cast about the hearts ^C of the unbelieving.

If we have forgotten the name of our God. They say this because, after their final fall, they no longer practiced idolatry, or it is again from the person of the prophets.

Because for your sake we are put to death all the day long. Similar to what is said: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they died by the slaughter of the sword. But just as they take upon themselves the sins of the people, so also do they refer their own good things to the person of the people, as if the whole were one body. Or also in this way: Because of the unbelief that has happened among us toward you, he says, we have come into such great evil that we are like men carrying the sentence of death, and like sheep led ^D to the slaughter.

Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord? They compare the great forbearance of God, which he exercised because of their sins, to sleep. Arise, and do not cast us off forever. Arise, he says, not so that he might change his form—for the divine is without form—but so that he might stir up his own power for our assistance. And do not cast us off forever, neither those who do the evils, nor those who suffer them, so that neither those who suffer, as if abandoned entirely to the temptations, may slip, nor those who bring on the evils for a long time

^A emboldened by the forbearance of the Judge, increase their iniquity. They pray that this grace be granted to them: that Christ may arrive in the last times, so that they may not be deprived of His life.

25. *Our belly is cleaved to the earth.* They say this because, having turned away from the sense and thought of those things which pertain to Christ, they fell into carnal reasoning.

26. *Arise, O Lord, help us.* Bring help, He says, to us, and grant favor and time for conversion to those who confess the true faith in You. ^B

*To the end, for those who shall be changed, to the sons of Core, for understanding, a song for the Beloved. XLIV.*

Argument

2. *My heart has poured forth a good word.* The Father says this concerning the Son; for He is born God from God. *I speak my works to the king.* Insofar as He is king, being God, He is said to have entered upon His reign through the incarnation; just so, those things which He knows naturally as God, He is again said to hear by a certain dispensation on account of his ^C humanity. *My tongue is the pen of a quick-writing scribe.* The word He previously mentioned, He now calls His tongue. And he is called a pen of a quick-writing scribe, because whatever He says and commands is immediately brought to pass, as in that saying: "I will, be clean," and immediately he was cleansed; and, "Young man, I say to you, arise," and immediately he arose. But also that: "A shortened word will the Lord make in all the world."

3. *Beautiful in grace above the sons of men.* It is possible to see the comparison of the good Spirit from those things which John says: *The law was given through Moses; but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.* For the pen of Moses, too, is good; for he wrote for us a law as a pedagogue, ^D but not such a one as also wrote our names in the heavens. *Grace is poured out upon your lips.* For our Lord is sweet-speaking, who says: *I came that they might have life, and might have it more abundantly*; and, *I am the bread which came down from heaven; and, who gives life to the world.*

4. *Gird your sword upon your thigh, O Mighty One.* He stirs up the Only-Begotten to join battle for our sake. Then, since He has given Him a military habit, having mentioned the sword, He further mentions the thigh. For the sword belongs to Him, as being God, nor is it brought from outside; for He is powerful, that is, of the powers

and this befits His nature. He is also beautiful to those who have recognized His advent, and who are able to discern that beauty which surpasses the whole world. He has girt the sword on His thigh to threaten the unbelievers and the phalanxes of the adversaries. Concerning the disobedient, therefore, the psalm says: "If you do not turn, He will whet His sword."

*By Thy comeliness and Thy beauty.* The comeliness and beauty of Him who has gone forth to war is His Godhead, and the excellence by which He surpasses all things. *And bend, and prosper, and reign.* "Bend thy bow," He says; "and prosper," meaning, make those whom You have justified, and over whom You reign after delivering them from the tyrant, to proceed prosperously. He shows that the victory is spiritual, for having mentioned weapons, He also mentions meekness. It is the mark of a meek person to forgive those who wrong Him. *And Thy right hand shall lead Thee wonderfully.* Since He mentioned the sword, it follows consistently that He makes mention of the right hand. His right hand denotes the right counsels, by using which ^B He did not accept the assault of sin.

*Thy arrows are sharpened, O mighty One.* By arrows He means the holy apostles, who have inflicted fatal wounds in the hearts of the enemies of the King of those who reign. These arrows, having pierced the spiritual enemies in the heart, had the power to bring the world under the feet of Christ, and to subject it to the yokes of His kingdom. The verses are to be taken by way of hyperbaton, to read as follows: "Thy arrows are sharpened, O mighty One, in the hearts of the enemies of the King."

*Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.* Those called through the apostles, confessing the Godhead of the Only-Begotten, say: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." *A rod of uprightness is the rod of Thy kingdom.* In divine Scripture, uprightness signifies justice. He says, therefore, that those who are reigned over by Christ should learn to walk in the way of justice.

*Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity.* Since human nature, having undergone change, abandoned justice and loved iniquity, for this reason the Only-Begotten became man, ^C correcting in Himself human nature so as to love justice and hate iniquity; and this is the cause of the incarnation. Wherefore He says: "Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee." What is meant by "Therefore"? It is that those who have become participants in You might exult, inasmuch as they have obtained through Your mercy the ability to love justice and hate iniquity. "Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee." Indeed, He says, "God, Thy God, has anointed Thee"; for the word "anointed" is interpreted as "has anointed." The interpretation of this passage is connected back to the words: "Thou hast loved justice."

*Myrrh and stacte and cassia from Thy garments.* The garments of the Only-Begotten may be understood as the ^D virtues, having

become for us a sweet odor ^A of fragrance, and appearing, as it were, in the order of every incense, according to what is said elsewhere: *Thy name is as ointment poured forth*, and: *I will run in the odor of Thy ointments.* Stacte is the most delicate kind of myrrh. For when the spice is crushed, whatever is fluid in it is separated into stacte—or "drop"—while the coarser residue is called myrrh. Cassia, moreover, is a very thin and fragrant bark that covers woody shoots. *From the ivory palaces whereby they have gladdened thee.* By palaces are meant splendid and magnificently constructed houses, that is, temples. He calls them ivory, signifying they are skillfully crafted and most beautiful. By kings, he refers to the holy apostles, who also reign together with Christ. By their daughters, he denotes the souls who, through their labor, have been regenerated to the knowledge of God, and who prepare their own hearts as most beautiful temples, gladdening God for His honor. It is, therefore, as if he were saying: "Thou shalt be gladdened, O Lord, by the ivory palaces which the daughters of kings have adorned for Thy honor." *The queen stood on Thy right hand in gilded clothing.* The queen is the Church, as having been wedded to the great King. Her placement at the right signifies the honor ^B which she will enjoy in the future age. Her precious clothing is faith, hope, and charity. But she has also another, more splendid garment—Christ Himself. *For as many of you as have been baptized unto Christ,* says the Apostle, *have put on Christ.*

11. *Hear, O daughter, and see.* This discourse is again addressed to the Church. *And forget thy people and thy father's house.* For no one approaches the faith of Christ pure, unless he entirely blots out the memory of his past evils. The people of the Church were formerly idolaters. Her father's house are the wise of this age, in whom Satan dwells as in a home. *And the daughter of Tyre with gifts.* By the one nation of the Tyrians, he signifies the calling of the nations. He mentioned the Tyrians because they were, of all, the most hostile to the devout way of life.

13. *The rich of the people shall entreat thy face.* This, the Gospel says, preaching to kings and to those in high places: "Worship the Church, or rather, worship her Lord." *All the glory of the daughter of the king is from within, in golden borders.* By "from within," it signifies piety; for the adornment of the Church is spiritual. By borders, he speaks of virtues manifold in type.

15. *Virgins shall be brought to the king after her.* This is similar to the passage: *We shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.* Again, by the virgin he indicates the Church; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin...

to Christ. ^A *Her neighbors shall be brought unto thee.* For continence is close to virginity. Therefore, as many souls as contain themselves from evil acts, they too shall be led along together. And those who are led along happen to find joy and everlasting exultation. *They shall be brought into the temple of the King.* He means the heavenly one.

*Instead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee.* Since He said to her, "Forget thy father," He says that instead of thy fathers of old, that is, instead of the teachers, sons shall be thine. By sons, He means the holy apostles, according to what was said by the Lord: *By whom do your sons cast them out?* Or also those leaders of the Churches, who have become sons of the Church, and have been appointed by the Lord Jesus as princes over all the earth, according to that which was said: *Go therefore, teach all nations.* Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth; *they shall be mindful of thy name in every generation and generation.* By means of the divine scriptures, clearly; for in the sacred syllables the name of God is commemorated.

*Therefore shall peoples confess to thee for ever.* This is by means of the preaching; and the discourse is as to Christ. Because they themselves commemorate through the Scriptures the wonders of God which He did from ancient generations, and teach the generations to come.

*Unto the end, for the sons of Core, for the hidden things.*

PSALM XLV

Argument

*God is our refuge and strength.* He says these things on account of the persecutions which rose up against them from both spiritual and sensible enemies. *Therefore will we not fear when the earth is troubled.* Because we have Thee, He says, as a helper, we shall despise every commotion rising up against us. ^B For the whole earth was being troubled, as the preaching was beginning, when those who remained in unbelief were rising up against those who had believed in the preaching. *And the mountains shall be transferred into the heart of the seas.* By "heart of the seas," He means the abysses; by "mountains," the opposing powers. ^C Since, therefore, the demons were about to be cast into the abyss, they were stirring up the war against them. But we shall not fear such as these, they say.

*A helper in tribulations.* Because we have Thee, He says, as a helper, we shall despise every commotion rising up against us.

^A He calls the demons mountains, who were once high and conspicuous, and for this reason likened to mountains.

4. *The waters roared and were troubled.* By waters he denotes the multitudes, which the novelty of the proclamation disturbed. *The mountains were troubled by His strength.* The power, he says, of Him who was proclaimed shook the impure demons, who were once high and conspicuous, and for this reason likened to mountains.

5. *The streams of the river make glad the city of God.* He calls the evangelical word a river, which also makes glad the Church. *The Most High has sanctified His tabernacle.* For He is holy, resting in the holy ones, dwelling in the holy ones, that is, in the Church. ^B

6. *God is in the midst of her, and she shall not be shaken,* the Church, that is. *God shall help her when the morning appears.* He says this because the morning declines toward the early hour. But the phrase, *He shall help her*, looks to the person of the Church, whom the apostles here represent, and those who are her leaders by succession, whom He strenuously strengthens so that they may be able to devote themselves to the proclamation.

7. *Nations were troubled, kingdoms were shaken.* The nations, he says, did indeed fight against the Church; but yet their kings were humbled, that is, they were defeated and turned their backs; but at last they themselves also bowed their necks to Christ. For he says, that you shall quickly be built up by those who had torn you down. For they exalted the Church, offering gifts in a most beautiful manner. ^C *The Most High uttered His voice, and the earth was shaken.* Christ, that is, on the cross. By *His voice* he means the evangelical message. For if a rational soul hears the voice of the Lord, it is shaken, passing from wickedness to virtue, and from ignorance to the knowledge of God.

8. *The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our helper.* He attributes the victory won against spiritual enemies to the Lord Himself. And the mention of Jacob is timely, on account of the struggle he had with Him.

9. *Come and see the works of God, which He has made prodigies on the earth.* He signifies the peace brought about by the proclamation, when he says that all war on earth has come to an end. By *prodigies*, however, he means the cessations and suppressions; for He made every war to cease. ^D

10. *He shall break the bow, and shatter the weapon, and burn the shields with fire.* The bow now, and the weapon, and the shield signify a most wretched state, and evil thoughts.

11. *Be still, and know that I am God.* For unless someone casts away every worldly care, he cannot know God. For leisure is necessary to know God. *I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.* He promises them the victory of the proclamation against all nations.

^A Our God of Jacob. Those who have believed in Christ double their thanksgivings.

PSALM XLVI.

Argument.

PSALM of a canticle for the sons of Core, on the second day of the Sabbath. XLVII.

Argument.

2. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain. It is no longer, he says, in Judea alone, but in his holy mountain. He calls the Church the mountain here, on account of the sublime doctrine concerning God.

3. It is founded with the exultation of all the earth. He stretched forth, he says, the exultation over all the earth; for the exultation of his manifestation has pervaded all the earth, and he has spread abroad his grace. The mountains of Sion are the sides of the north. Jerusalem is situated to the south, but the nations are in the north. Since the Jews, as the only ones dwelling on Mount Sion, thought highly of themselves, it is shown here that Sion refers to the nations who have accepted the evangelical word. For the foundation of Sion is the region of the north, which region is signified by the sides of the north; for instead of saying the region of the north, he said the sides of the north. And originally, indeed, Paul was of the sides of the north, from whom all evils were fanned into flames throughout the world; but now he has become the mountains of Sion, having within himself the Christ who speaks, who "came out of Sion, and turned away ungodliness from Jacob." ^B The city of the great king. These sides of the north, he says—or the nations—may rightly be called a city, in which God is understood to champion them and rescue them from temptations.

4. God is known in her houses, when he takes her up. The houses are those who are great and more excellent in the city of God.

5-7. For lo, the kings of the earth were assembled. The war waged against the apostles on account of the preaching of Christ, either by the visible kings of the nations, or by the invisible demons who formerly reigned, has been suppressed and taken away. They, seeing this, were amazed. They were struck with ^C stupor, he says, and were astonished, seeing the aid granted by God to the saints. They were troubled, they were moved, trembling took hold of them. For the exceeding greatness of the power of him who prepared salvation for them cast them into admiration and stupor.

8. In a violent spirit you shall shatter the ships of Tharsis. By the ships of Tharsis, as something precious and laden with vast merchandise, he compares the kings. But by the violent spirit, through which he shattered them, you should understand certain powers by which he warred against the enemies of the apostles.

9. As we have heard, so have we seen. The salvation, he says, which you promised to us, O Lord, we have seen through our deeds. In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. He signifies the place where they saw the promise fulfilled. ^D And where, if not in the Church,

which is the city of God? ^A God has established it forever. This is similar to the word spoken by the Lord: "Upon this rock I will build my Church."

10. We have received, O God, thy mercy in the midst of thy temple. Meaning, as if to say, we have observed and have waited for the name of God to be glorified throughout the whole earth, conjecturing that because of the mercy of God, those who were outside of Israel would not be despised; but, established in both the place and the temple, we have hoped for thy mercy for the whole world, knowing thy name to be universal and present in all things.

11. According to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise. He says this because He has given grace to all simply and without respect of persons, according to what is said: "In Christ Jesus there is neither bond nor free." ^B

Let Mount Zion rejoice. Mount Zion, that is, the Church. And let the daughters of Judah be glad. He says that the daughters of Judah are the souls of the holy apostles, for they were descended from the Jews. Because of thy judgments, O Lord. Having judged the case of the nations, thou hast driven away the war of the demons excited against them.

Compass Zion, and encompass her. The Holy Spirit commands the apostles to do this, that they might be as a wall for Zion, that is, for the religious polity. Tell of her in her towers. And what could the towers of the Church be but those who lead her at various times, and the just men to whom the apostles relate the great works ^C of God?

[The Holy Spirit speaks to the divine powers which guard the Church and the religious polity, and to the holy angels, saying: Encompass the towers. For those things in the city that are more excellent are committed in number to the guards, so that they may defend them.]

Set your hearts upon her power. The power of the Church, again, are the words that support her, which He commands the holy apostles to urge with all their heart. And distribute her houses. Each one, He says, let him rule over a portion of the nations. For the twelve, He says, divided the world among themselves. That you may tell it to another generation. For the apostles also relate to the generations after them, through whom they have left behind writings concerning Christ.

For this is God our God forever. He declares the cause of the distribution. For this reason, teach and distribute, so that it may be known also to the generations that will follow thereafter, that He who has justly pastured the people (He speaks of the Lord) this is He who is also to pasture them for the coming and ^D unending ages.

To the end, for the sons of Core. Psalm XLVIII. Argument

^A Things pertaining to the divine tribunal are proclaimed to all men in this psalm, as well as that day upon which God shall bring all created things to judgment. Perhaps the sons of Core may represent the person of the apostles, who initiated the world into the mysteries.

2. Hear these things, all nations, ponder them with your ears, all you who inhabit the world. Just as the word calls the whole human race to salvation, in the same manner it summons all men together to the doctrine of the divine judgment.

3. Both the earth-born and the sons of men. He calls the cruder men and barbarians, who live in deserts and are not reared in laws, "earth-born"; but he calls those "sons of men" who pursue a more civilized way of life and are governed by laws.

4. My mouth shall speak wisdom. Just as he divides the listeners into many ranks, so too he divides his doctrine into various modes. ^B The apostolic choir is that which speaks these things, and it holds in its mouth Christ, who is the wisdom of the Father. Since, therefore, they bore Christ in their mouth and were always revolving Him in their mind, they obtained understanding. And their mind was so sharpened and readied for understanding that they could even grasp the parables of the Savior recorded in the Gospels. Wherefore, when Christ said: "Have you understood all these things?" they said to Him: "Yes."

5. I will incline my ear to a parable. I myself, he says, after I have sharpened my own mind to the understanding of the Savior's parables, have been able to attain the meaning contained within them. ^C But for those who are unable to do this on account of their infancy, I will open things that are closed, and I will explain the problems and the parables. And I will do this through my own psalter—that is to say, my body—which rings out like an instrument, and by which my soul is turned to singing a hymn, being moved most skillfully through every sense, and through every limb and part.

6. Why shall I fear in an evil day? From here he begins, having discoursed on the first part of the doctrine as if in a prologue. He begins with a question, so that he may receive an answer. And this is the question: "Why shall I fear?" For one must put a ^D stop at the word "fear," so that the meaning is this: If anyone asks, he says, "Why shall I fear?" wishing to learn from me the cause of the affliction by which I am occupied, let him hear with confidence that there is an evil day, which I, struck with fear, tremble at. I tremble, because in that day the iniquity of my heel shall surround me, that is to say, the deviation from the divine path, which I have made in the course of my life, having transgressed the divine law through the distraction and deceit of this life. This impiety, therefore, he says, shall surround me; as if to say: The evil deeds which I have committed shall stand around me,

and conclude me on every side, and not allow me to escape the punishment. He calls the day of judgment "evil," as it is indeed evil for those being punished. The Apostle also called it "the day of wrath," having said: *Thou treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath.*

7. *They that trust in their power.* He speaks this in common: "Hear these things, all ye that trust in riches and power." But what is it that they ought to hear, if not that which signifies that riches will bring them no benefit in that day? For they will not redeem them from the wrath and vengeance rendered to them on account of sin. Therefore, neither can a brother, so to speak—even if he is religious—nor any other man, redeem anyone in that day. And if a brother cannot, and he a religious one at that, much less will riches be able to do so.

*[Frater non redimit, fratrem religiosum et honorabilem virum dicit.]*

9. *And the price of the redemption of his soul.* After he has taught that riches will be of no profit in the day of judgment, he teaches what will be of profit. And what is this, if not to lead a life full of labors? For these will be found worthy of the promised life in the coming age. He who labors through the practical life shall live unto the end through knowledge; he shall rest for the age, and shall live unto victory. *And he labored for ever, and shall live yet unto the end.*

10. *He shall not see destruction, when he seeth ^C wise men dying.* For they shall be so far removed from the ungodly that they shall not even approach their destruction. But who are these "wise men dying," if not those concerning whom it has been said: *I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will set aside the understanding of the prudent?* For the present Scripture teaches through all this that, in the day of judgment, neither will the rich man redeem himself, nor he who is accounted wise. Only he will attain to eternal life who has mortified himself in the present life. *The fool and the senseless shall likewise perish.* Together, he says, the wise and the fools shall be delivered over to destruction; for they differ in nothing from one another, being equally given over to a form of idolatry. *And they shall leave their riches to others.* For they did not desire to make them their own through deeds of charity towards the needy.

12. *And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever.* By the sepulchres he signifies the mortality with which they have clothed their souls, in no way thinking ^D anything upright or straight concerning God. *Their tabernacles are from generation to generation.* The tabernacles, he says, in which they lived while they were alive, shall pass from others to others in succession through various generations; for this is what he said above, that they shall leave their riches to others. *They called their names upon the earth.* It was right, he says, through faith and a brilliant conduct, to have ensured that their names were written in the heavens; but they called them upon the earth, when they constructed cities named after themselves.

^A And man being in honor did not understand. He states the cause of their having fallen into thinking highly of themselves: it is the desires of the flesh. This means that they did not understand their own honor, namely that they were made according to the image of God. And in the likeness of the senseless cattle, they chose to inhabit the earth instead of the heavenly tabernacles, and preferred graves to the life granted by God.

14. This is the way of theirs as a stumbling block to them. Divine Scripture is accustomed to call the life of every person, and the time of each one's life, a "way." This way, then, he says, they prepared to be rough and hostile for themselves, since they had not thought anything righteous. But when they were progressing in it, they did not even perceive the stumbling blocks. But later they shall take pleasure ^B in their mouths—that is to say, they shall confess, having repented that they walked in such a path, when there will no longer be a time for repentance.

15. As sheep they are placed in Hades. Since they did not wish to be under the good Shepherd, but having rejected their honor, they were corrupted in body just like cattle; therefore they became the flocks of Hades, so that finally their shepherd will lead them away to his own pastures—some into the eternal fire, others to where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, and others into the outer darkness.

Daniel Barbarus adds: Moreover, according to Symmachus: This way of theirs is a stumbling block to them, but those who come after them will approve their speech. For it was not enough for the first to walk the way of madness, unless they also left for those who came after them a pernicious example of their action, to arouse a desire for their imitation, so that those who came after might also take pleasure in the way of their customs, and follow them by imitation.

And the righteous shall have dominion over them in the morning. Not ^C anymore, as when they were in this life, do they rise up against the pious; but on the contrary, those who have been deemed worthy of the morning time and of the new light will have dominion over the impious. *And their help shall grow old in Hades*, etc. Every help of theirs, he says, namely the strength which they possessed from glory, shall be dissolved by death. For "shall grow old" is put for "shall be dissolved."

16. But God will redeem my soul from the hand of Hades, when He receives me. As for me, he says, God will redeem the soul of him who says these things, so that it might not be carried off and abandoned with the sheep of Hades.

17. *Do not fear when a man has become rich.* Having learned, he says, what the end of the impious will be, do not call them blessed who are rich and opulent in this life, nor fear as though shut off from all hope, nor be disheartened as though deprived of the great goods of the present life. ^D Know well that redemption from death and eternal life await you; but he who is acclaimed by many for wealth and glory, and for that falsely-named wisdom, will have nothing more; for, stripped of all things, he will be led away from the goods of life.

18. *For when he dies, he shall not take all.* This alone, he says, as a gain from riches, do they seem

to have, ^A that their soul is blessed in this mortal and temporary life. For those who praise them and call them fortunate for the goods they seemed to possess. Nor shall his glory descend with him. Because all things are temporary, he says, such a man will then render thanks to You, the Creator, when You have increased his resources. 19. *He shall enter even unto the generation of his fathers.* He will imitate, he says, the zeal of his fathers, and since he is descended from the wicked, he will succeed to their wickedness. *He shall not see the light for ever.* For all those who think in this way have become blind in their souls, neither being enlightened in this mortal life by the light of knowledge, nor being deemed worthy of the eternal light in the future.

PSALM XLIX (L). Argument

Asaph sings the psalm, introducing the person of the Lawgiver, who overturns the ancient sacrifices and brings in those which pertain to the New Testament, namely, the offerings made through praise. ^B [The first of the Jews, neglecting virtue, thought that religion consisted in reciting and proclaiming the laws and in offering sacrifices. But the reading of the law and the oblation of sacrifices ought to be the fruit of the virtue existing within; and if this is wanting, to perform these alone is like someone who oils himself for the wrestling school but cares nothing for the contests themselves, by which the crown is obtained. Therefore, the blessed David makes a refutation of those who are so disposed, introducing God as upbraiding and declaring that, if virtue is lacking, He abhors the sacrifices, which he also said through Isaiah: *The wicked man who sacrifices a calf to me is as one who strikes a man*, etc. In a likeness, therefore, he characterizes the Word and introduces God coming down from heaven, and taking His seat in judgment, and judging the rulers of the Jews, *God of gods has spoken*. ^C]

*God of gods, the Lord, has spoken, and called the earth.* The holy ones are gods before God: *I have given thee for a god to Pharaoh*; and, *I said, Ye are gods*. When then are they called so by God, if not when He became incarnate and spoke, and called the whole earth? And what did He speak, if not: *Go, disciple all the nations*; and that: *This Gospel must be preached in all the world*?

*Out of Sion is the beauty of His excellence.* For from the Sion above He will also make His second coming.

*Out of Sion is the beauty of His excellence. God shall come manifestly.* The expression *out of Sion* denotes His first coming; but the expression *manifestly* denotes the second. For indeed, at the time of His first coming and His glorious manifestation, He kept silence while being judged by men, and did not show His own divinity clearly; but when He arrives for the second time, He will come manifestly, and will not keep silent, but will refute the sin of the world. For if God is to come manifestly, and Christ is God

^A that has been said, manifestly, then, He declares the flesh.

3. *God shall come manifestly*. For He will not come as in His first advent, unnoticed; but, as He Himself says, like lightning that fills everything from the east to the west. *Our God, and He will not keep silent*. He says He will not be silent towards the ungodly, as He was before, so will it be then. *Fire shall burn in His presence*. Fire, so that He may deliver those who deserve it for their impiety. And similar to this is: "A river of fire was drawn before Him." The blessed Daniel beheld these things very clearly. For he says, "A river of fire was drawn before Him; His throne was a flame of fire; His wheels were burning fire." Now the fire signifies either the light emanating from Him; for spiritual light, the figure of which is the pillar of fire that led Israel by night, precedes the knowledge of Christ; or it indicates that we, who are cold to every kind of sin, are ignited by the Savior toward the pursuit of every good. But that fire, as spiritual, introduces the participation of the Holy Spirit. For He said: "I came to cast fire upon the earth." ^B Indeed, we who have been deemed worthy of such grace have been made living by the Spirit. Wherefore, in every grace of the Spirit, a manifestation of fire is brought in along with it; for we are baptized in Christ, according to the voice of John, in the Holy Spirit and in fire. A certain prophet also said: "He Himself goes forth as a refiner’s fire, and as the herb of fullers; and He will sit refining and purifying as silver and gold." For the power of the Holy Spirit melts away every stain within us. But it profited the Synagogue of the Jews nothing, because they did not accept the grace, concerning whom God says in Jeremiah: "The refiner has failed from the fire, the lead has failed. The silversmith tries the silver in vain; their wickedness has not been melted away."

4. *He shall call the heaven from above.* Formerly, those who dwelt on the earth were portions of foxes, as it is ^C said somewhere in the Psalms, worshipping unclean spirits, and thinking in each place that what appeared was God. But when the Savior appeared, He shone upon us with the light of true knowledge of God, brought back that which had wandered, bound up that which was ailing, and, as the good shepherd, drove the wild beasts away from the fold of the sheep; He sanctified by the Spirit, fortified with angelic powers, and established all those who were on earth as holy initiators of the mysteries. He will therefore call, He says, the angels who are in heaven, and those who have been chosen on earth for the apostolate, so that they may discern His people. For the apostles offered those who obeyed to God, but those who were unbelieving they consigned to Satan, all but saying: ^D Depart, therefore, to the light of your fire and to the flame which you have kindled. To the unbelieving Jews, therefore, they say: "It was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles." And that angels assist the dispensers of the mysteries and their disciples, Paul declares

^A saying: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" This the ladder also revealed, which Jacob saw reaching from earth to heaven, upon which the Lord was firmly established, with angels running up and down. Of this kind also is that: "The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him, and deliver them"; by which they work together, and they themselves also judge the people.

"He shall call the heaven from above." The just, he says, who pursue a heavenly way of life, he will gather into the mansions above. "And the earth, to judge his people." He means to gather the sinners, and all who dwell upon the earth, for the purpose of separating the just from those who are not such.

"Gather unto him his holy ones." The word is directed to the angels, according to that which was said by the Lord: "And he shall send his angels, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds of the earth." "Those who have made a covenant with him by sacrifice." By sacrifices he means spiritual sacrifices.

“And the heavens shall declare his righteousness.” The heavens will glorify God, he says, because he has deemed even men worthy of heavenly dwellings. ^B (Corderius.) He desires that the holy men of the former people, before the coming judgment, should put an end to the sacrifice accustomed to be performed through the slaughter of irrational animals, and take up that which is offered according to knowledge and understanding. Concerning these things, the heavenly powers sing praises to the Judge, because he begins from the holy ones, and the heavens declare his righteousness, rejoicing together in their salvation. But the earthly habitation shall be left to the order of those who have not been deemed worthy of the heavenly calling. "For God is judge." Here he manifestly calls Christ God; for the Father has given all judgment to the Son. And if the Father has given all judgment to the Son, and God is judge, then Christ is God.

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak to thee.” Introducing a new legislation, lest anyone should suspect the word to be human, or to proceed from some angelic power, he prefaces: “I am God, thy God.” And this is the meaning: Do not think ^C me to be someone else because I am ordaining other laws today; but I am the very same one who gave the law concerning sacrifices through Moses. I bear witness to you, so that you will not be blamed if you have transgressed the laws that were given through Moses. For I am the same who then ordained those things for my servant for his benefit, and now I testify these things to you, that there is no necessity for you to keep the legal precepts concerning sacrifices. For even if you do not offer them, they are nonetheless offered; for your burnt offerings are in my sight always, even if they are not offered. But if you are entirely anxious to bring these as if they were some precious and necessary ^D things, hear with boldness that I will receive nothing of them from you. Superfluous

indeed are all things to me. Since the animals grazing in the fields, the oxen and the cattle, and the birds of the air, and the beauty of the field, all are mine, and I am in need of nothing. ^A And if there were ever any need of food for me, I am not so needy as to ask for such things from you: For the world is mine. But what sacrifices will you offer that are pleasing to me? Praise, the hymn, and theology. And when you have fulfilled these, then, as if you had fulfilled the divine law, you shall receive as a reward that, when you call upon me, you shall be heard. And showing to what people he is speaking, he added: Israel, and I will testify to you. Then he shows his own lordship: I am God, your God, who delivered you from Egyptian servitude, who gave you the sea as a path, who fed you in the desert, who gave that law to you. For do not think me to be another lawgiver, seeing the difference in the laws. ^B [God, your God. That is, he who from the beginning until now has shown great miracles to your race.]

8. *I will not reprove you for your sacrifices.* I do not accuse you, he says, of negligence in offering sacrifices; for you offer these continually; but I command you not to limit righteousness to these.

16. *But to the sinner God said: Why do you recount my righteousnesses?* In this place he calls the promulgator of the divine Scriptures a sinner. It is similar to the saying: *Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner.* ^C For if he transgresses all the commandments, and is eager for every wickedness, and uses a deceitful tongue, why does he subsequently have the divine Scriptures in his mouth?

21. *You thought wickedly that I would be like you.* Long ago, he says, I was longsuffering, but not so now; for I will bring forward your sins for the purpose of reproving you—sins which you thought no longer existed and would not come into the memory of anyone. But I, as God, will bring them to light, and they shall be set before your face. I will not hide them as you do, nor will I be like you. I will bring them forward, so that, by making them manifest, I may put you to shame. I will reprove you, and set your sins against your face. ^D

22. *Understand these things, you who forget God.* As one who loves mankind, after the reproof he adds an exhortation, giving room for repentance. Understand, that I am not longsuffering because I rejoice in the things done by you, but because I am giving time for repentance. For if not, the lawless one, or rather iniquity, snatches us away, with no one to deliver us. For I deliver those who understand and desist from evils, and say: We have acted unjustly, we have committed iniquity, we have acted impiously. For he who is still occupied in evils cannot confess. *Lest at any time he snatch, and there be none to deliver.* Lest at any time, he says, death should take away the soul, repent; for there is none who delivers those who are shut up in Hades because of their sins.

^A For the soul is snatched away, as having fallen altogether from God.

"Sacrifice of praise shall honor me." He repeats what has been said, commanding that a rational sacrifice be performed. After the heavy and great accusation, he points out the remedy for sin, namely the enjoyment of the mysteries. For that is truly the sacrifice of praise that honors God. Since then we sing praises with the angels and stand with the creation. And there, "the path in which I will show him my salvation." In the sacrifice, he says, of praise is the way to the salvation prepared by God.

To the end, A PSALM of a canticle by David, 50. When Nathan the prophet came to him, when he went in to Bersabee.

Argument

He sings this psalm containing a confession of two crimes: the murder of Uriah and the adultery with Bersabee. ^B [He also points out to all men that repentance is the way of salvation, as a kind of art for attaining constant victory against the enemy. For he who always reflects upon this and successfully practices it constantly becomes a victor against the one who is always wrestling. He also introduces the redemption which is brought about through holy baptism, saying, "Thou shalt sprinkle me." And furthermore he teaches that the gift of prophecy has been preserved for him. For he does not ask as if he were deprived of it, but supplicates that it not be taken away, saying, "Do not take it away."] He also introduces the prophecy of the redemption from all sins which would later take place through holy baptism, and the instruction regarding the worship in the Spirit. Throughout, you will find him pleading for the expiation of the two transgressions.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy." Being fallen into a great crime, he begs to obtain the great mercy of God. "And according to the multitude of thy mercies, blot out my iniquity." For it belongs to the mercies of God alone to wash the hands of murder. [Making the meaning clearer, he says, "Wash me more." Even here he sought an abundance of cleansing, so as to show that the offense was great; or, because he had heard the forgiveness from Nathan, and various calamities were diminishing the power of his sin, he now says: I have need of purifications and washings, so that the filth, now liquefied and dried, may be completely scraped away.]

"Wash me more from my iniquity," he says, that which was done in the murder. "And cleanse me from my sin," that of the adultery. "For I know my iniquity." And this he said concerning the murder. "And my sin is before me always." ^C He turns over the memory of his sin ^D of the adultery, back and forth, as though it were not allowing him to depart, nor leaving him, but was always present with him and troubling him.

^A *Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea, et a peccato meo munda me.* He calls the adultery "sin." It must be known, however, that sin is a falling away from the good, whereas iniquity is a transgression against the divine law: these are the principles of both. But they meet in this, that the sinner has strayed from the goal which is according to nature and in nature. For this goal is set for human nature: to live according to reason, with those things that are opposed to reason being removed and placed far away. Similarly, he who acts iniquitously transgresses against the law given in nature, conducting himself intemperately. Therefore, it is fitting that the apostle and disciple of Christ, John, joined both into one, saying: "Everyone who commits sin also commits iniquity"; as if he were to say: sin is consistent with iniquity. For whoever acts iniquitously, sins; yet not everyone who sins acts iniquitously. It can also be said from the opposite, namely: "Everyone who commits sin, also commits iniquity."

6. *Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil before thee.* This is as if to say: "Although by sinning I escaped the eyes of all, I was not hidden from yours alone." Therefore he says: *And done this evil before thee.* Having been affected by you with many good things, I repaid you with the opposites. Nor does he speak thus because he thinks that he did not injure Uriah—for how could that be?—but because the greatest iniquity is turned against God himself, who had elevated him from a shepherd to a king: or because, when he escaped the eyes of all, he did not escape the sight of God, but was reprimanded through the prophet: or as a king he was not subject to the law of men, but as a religious man, he was subject to God alone: or because no one was reprimanding him, but God alone was correcting him. ^B *Against thee, he says, only have I sinned.* *That thou mightest be justified in thy words.* "You have proved me," he says, "to have transgressed through the prophet. And you, indeed, being just, after you always delivered me from my enemies and adorned me with kingship and prophecy; while I am profane and a murderer." *And mightest overcome when thou art judged.* A declaration or confession of sins.

7. *For behold I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me.* Since the prior goal of God was that we should not be born through marriage and corruption, but the transgression of the commandment introduced marriage on account of the iniquity of Adam, that is, that he had held in contempt the law given to him by God. Therefore, all who arise from Adam are conceived in iniquities, having collapsed into the condemnation of their forefather. Moreover, that which follows: *And in sins did my mother conceive me,* signifies that Eve, the mother of us all, as if swelling with pleasure, conceived sin. Therefore, we, having fallen into the condemnation of our mother, are said to be conceived in iniquities. ^D He declares in what way from the beginning the nature of men fell under sin due to the transgression of Eve, and that its birth was under a curse. He begins his discourse from a higher point, wishing to show the magnitude of the divine gift.

^A 8. "Behold, Thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of Thy wisdom Thou hast made manifest to me." The meaning is this: You, He says, O Lord, who are truth and love truth, wishing us to live in truth, will cleanse us from ancient sin; and thus You will cleanse us with hyssop, so that we may be made whiter than snow. He compares the power of the Holy Spirit to hyssop, as being warm and scouring away all the filth that is in us. [The cleansing shall be performed by hyssop, that is, by the Holy Spirit. For hyssop is a plant endowed with a cleansing power.] The phrase, "The uncertain and hidden things of Thy wisdom Thou hast made manifest to me," indicates that all future things which God set in His own wisdom were revealed to him through the Holy Spirit.

"Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed." Having said that You have given divine laws and ordinances, he says something greater, that You have granted certain cleansings in the law, even by the sprinkling of hyssop; according to this purpose, therefore, do You grant similar things to us now, being Yourself the same God. Or it seems that some mystery is here hinted at. For since Moses in Egypt commanded that the blood of the sheep be sprinkled upon the doorposts with hyssop, we have been redeemed by a more precious blood. Since therefore that blood was a protection and a safeguard, so that those who dwelt in any house would not be harmed by the destroyer, ^B rightly does David, making a secret commemoration of that blood, say, "Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop," and what follows, hinting at the cleansing for all that was to come through the blood of the true lamb, Christ, and desiring to obtain that which alone is able to cleanse perfectly and to make one whiter than snow.

"Thou shalt make me to hear of joy and gladness." That you will cause me to hear, he says, preparing me again through the Spirit for the joy and gladness that will be in the last times. And what could this be but that knowledge concerning the resurrection, which he taught by saying, "The bones that have been humbled shall exult"? When, however, shall our putrefied bones exult, if not at the time of the resurrection, at which, as another prophet says, "Our bones shall sprout like grass"? "The bones that have been humbled shall exult." The strength of my soul shall exult, because it was previously weak under sin.

"Turn Thy face away from my sins." ^D He returns again to confession.

"Create a clean heart in me, O God." Renew, he says, my soul, which has been aged and corrupted by sin. "And renew a right spirit in my inward parts." That is, steadfast; as if he were to say: Strengthen and fortify my mind so that it may no longer be easy to fall into sin.

"And do not take Thy Holy Spirit away from me." (19) He prays again that the prophetic spirit may come to him. For it had left him because of his sin.

^A Rede mihi lætitiam salutaris tui. This refers to the whole human race. By the "joy of salvation," he means the advent of the Lord, according to that which was said by Simeon: "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation." He prays also that he himself might share in it. "And with a princely spirit confirm me." The spirit which he called "upright" above, he here calls "princely."

15. Docebo iniquos vias tuas. Since, he says, you have freed me from sin, immediately grant me your Holy Spirit once again. Then, indeed, I shall teach transgressors to walk in your ways.

16. Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus Deus salutis meæ. He offers this supplication again for the murder of Uriah, so that he might in some way be freed from the pollution of it; or rather, "from bloods," that is, from sacrifices made by blood, as the things that follow in the psalm indicate, where it says: "For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would have given it," (20) and the rest. "And my tongue shall exult in thy righteousness." Symmachus interpreted this as follows: "My tongue shall speak of thy mercy"; for I shall by no means keep silent once I have obtained forgiveness, but will continue to praise you and recount your benefits. Since, he says, you have rejected legal sacrifices, for they cannot wash away sins, I have offered to you what you love. Now this is what is offered through repentance and a contrite heart.

20. Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion. Sion here denotes the Church. For when it pleased God the Father to restore all things in his Son, then he also promised good things to his Church. "And let the walls of Jerusalem be built." By the walls of Jerusalem, he refers to the holy ministers who fortify his Church.

21. Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiæ. When, he says, you treat Sion kindly and the walls of Jerusalem are built, then indeed sacrifices will be brought—not those of blood, but those involving righteousness, that is, of praise. "Oblation and holocausts," he means those of righteousness and of the unbloody sacrifice. "Then they shall offer bullocks upon thine altar." And these (bullocks) are of righteousness, so that everything may be of righteousness—sacrifices, oblations, holocausts, and bullocks of righteousness.

Hic desinit Daniel Barbarus.

In finem, intellectus David. Cum venit Doec Idumæus et nuntiavit Sauli: Venit David in domum Abimelech. LI.

Argumentum. Quando fugit David a facie Saulis in domum Abimelech, ac de panibus sacerdotum comedit, accepitque Goliæ gladium, abscedens quispiam rem nuntiavit Sauli. Erat autem is Doec Syrus qui...

^A so exasperated the mind of Saul that he sent to kill the entire city of priests, and did not even spare the beasts of burden. When David had heard these things, he speaks these words looking to the person of the Syrian. These things are likewise referred to the person of the people of the Jews, and of Judah. It also embraces the promise of future goods, and the constant dwelling of the saints of God in his house, inasmuch as he says: But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God. Wherefore the psalm is also inscribed as to the understanding, and for the end. For there is need of much intelligence, so that the mystery of the economy of him who is David according to the flesh may be known.

EXPOSITION ON PSALM LI

"Why do you glory in malice, you who are mighty?" He directs this speech to the Syrian himself, or to the devil who instigated him.

"You have wrought guile like a sharpened razor." He says this because he, as it were, shaved off and cut down the entire city of priests.

"You have loved malice more than goodness." For he acted unjustly by slandering the priest and all the others with him, and recounting things against him that had not actually happened; for to say that he (Ahimelech) had inquired of God concerning David was a lie, and not true.

"You have loved all words of rushing [sinking/overthrowing], a deceitful tongue." He accomplished everything out of ambush, envy, and [the desire for] the death of the priest and all the others who were slaughtered with him; wherefore the words of "rushing" are called the lies of Doeg. For he cast the entire city of priests down into the deep, as it were, with his words. These things might also be justly said of the rulers of the Jews, and of Judas himself.

"May he root you out and transplant you from your tabernacle." For they were removed from their sacred tabernacle, having become captives on account of the cross against the Lord. "And your root from the land of the living." Similar to that: "Let them be blotted out from the book of the living."

^D[Therefore God shall destroy you in the end. These things may be rightly said of the rulers of the Jews and of Judas himself, because they loved things that were harmful even to the end, that is to say, forever. Therefore he shall destroy you, as one not rightly built, he who overthrows the proud, and as one badly planted, he shall root you out, transplant you, or uproot you, and from your dwelling, that is, from dwelling with him, he shall cast you out.]

"The just shall see, and shall fear." For when the impious are being put to death, the just become fearful. And you, he says, endure these things; but the just, that is, your people, having beheld your destruction, shall be overcome with fear. For the punishment taken from you is sufficient to terrify them, even though [they may be expecting to suffer such things from you, because of your kindness]

^A Behold the man who did not set God as his helper, but trusted in the multitude of his riches. For the traitor preferred to take gold rather than to have Jesus as his helper. And he was strengthened in his vanity; which is to say: He was able to fill his vain heart, and not being led to repentance, he did not put an end to his impiety.

[But he trusted in the multitude of his riches. He rightly called riches and power vanity, according to the true nature of the thing: for they profited neither Doeg, nor the Assyrians, when the coming of one angel destroyed them, and they lay unburied.]

10. But I am like a fruitful olive tree. For the glory of those who believe in Christ is ever-flourishing. [The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and so forth. Having this fruit in himself, therefore, the holy man said: "But I am like a fruitful olive tree." He compares himself to a fruitful olive, because since mercy dwelt and reigned in him, the other virtues consequently followed. In exactly the same way, they spoke of Job as manly, and Joseph as temperate, and the rest, naming them by the virtue that prevailed in them.] I have trusted in the mercy of God for ever and ever. The divine Scriptures call the Lord the mercy of God, because it is through Him that mercy has been granted to us; for He gathered together in Himself all things, and restored them. ^B

11. And I will wait upon thy name, for it is good in the sight of thy saints. In thy name, he says, I will have confidence, and I will proclaim this in the sight of all thy saints. For that thing will be pleasant and good to me.

Unto the end, for Machalath, a teaching of David. LII. Argument.

He sings this psalm in honor of the choir of the apostles, who also believed in Christ; who were exultant and joyful. ^C Machalath is interpreted as a choir, or dancing. He necessarily speaks of the things that preceded the coming of the Lord, so that he may declare how great is the profit of His coming. It must be noted that the whole thirteenth psalm contains the same meaning, and consists of almost the same words, so that those who seek the interpretation of this one may openly borrow it from that one.

2. The fool has said in his heart: There is no God... God looked down from heaven upon the sons of men. Because they did not think of God as one who watches over human affairs, who judges with just judgment, and who restrains every wicked work, for this reason God looked down from heaven. For this clearly signifies the passage of the Lord to men. ^D

4. They have all gone aside, they have together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not even one. These things have not been said hyperbolically; for nothing in Scripture is said hyperbolically, but rather all things are said with truth. They all

^A have turned aside; all the Jews have turned aside from the way which says: "I am the way." Whence they have also become useless, not wishing to accept it, since no one does what is good. For they all happened to be in ignorance of Him, blinded by the legal letter.

To the end, in hymns, a psalm of instruction by David. When the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "Does not David hide with us?" LIII.

Argument.

"O God, in thy name save me." He asks to be saved by no other thing but by His name. ^C [Since, he says, I call upon your name, in this very thing grant me my salvation. "And in thy power, that is, in your Son, judge me"; as if to say: Do not hand me over to other judges, but to your power for examination.] "And in thy power, judge me." For having judged their case, He handed some over to destruction, but others He saved from the enemies. "O God, hear my prayer." Accept my supplications with favor. "Give ear to the words of my mouth." Similar to that: "And now, Lord, look upon their threats."

To the end, in hymns, a psalm of instruction by David. LIV.

Argument.

offers supplications, asking that they be admitted. Do not despise, he says, me as I supplicate, but look upon me with a benevolent spirit, and extend thy help.

3. *I am grieved in my meditation, and troubled.* For he was filled with helplessness, seeing the iniquity taking place against the Saviour, which he also teaches subsequently, saying: *At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner.* The whole sense of the statement is this: Look, I pray, how I am grieved, how I am troubled, how I am filled with meditation: and having accepted these things, hearken to me. 4-7. *Because iniquities have declined upon me.* For every event that happened against the Saviour he refers to his own person. [They did these things to me on account of rancour, born of irrational anger. Persistent anger is called wrath. For this reason, I became fearful and troubled, as if death were already standing over me, and such agony and fear came upon me, that I did not even seem to see the ray of light, but was in darkness; and I reckoned that flight was the best of all things, and I prayed that wings might be given to me for the sake of flying away, that I might find rest elsewhere.] ^B *My heart is troubled within me, and the fear of death is fallen upon me.* Behold my heart, he says, has overturned all my inner parts; and moreover, the fear of death is fallen upon me. Doubtless he says this regarding the Saviour's death, for which the Prophet was filled with fear, moved by human reasoning; or concerning the death of souls, which were going to perish because of such crimes. But also fear and trembling fell upon the Prophet as he beheld the beloved (21) of God suffering such things at the hands of the impious, and darkness covered him, as things worthy of darkness were wrought against the Saviour. Then, as if left in the midst of those who were doing these things, and having no way of escape, nor any place to turn aside to be outside of such evils, he prays to be lifted on high, and becoming winged to flee through the air.

*I was expecting God who keeps me, from faintness of spirit and from a storm.* He calls the grief that befell him through the passion a storm.

*Because I saw iniquity and contradiction in the city.* He sets forth the causes for which he also poured forth the prayer.

13-15. *For if an enemy had reviled me, I would have endured it.* These things may justly be referred to the person of the traitor. *But thou, O man of like mind, my guide and my acquaintance.* As if he said: Thou wert appointed a guide by me, Judas, that is to say. *Who didst consume sweet food with me.* It is as if he said: Thou wert often a sharer of the same table. *In the house of God we walked with consent.* This he says because he had often gone into the temple with him. ^C

16. *Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell.* Since they did not wish to receive thee who art the Life, therefore death shall overtake them. And that which is said: *Let them go down alive into hell, because*—namely, knowing—

that you are the heir, they said: *Come, let us kill him*; for they had set ^A knowledge against life.

17. *But I cried unto God, and the Lord heard me. I cried unto God.* And why did he cry? Was it not that his soul might be delivered from those who sought to destroy it? Wherefore also he was heard.

18. *In the evening, and morning, and at noon, I shall declare.* That is, I shall not cease to declare, since you, having heard me, have redeemed my soul.

19. *For there were many with me.* Because the multitude gathered against me, wishing to take away my life.

*For there is no commutation for them.* They shall be humbled, he says, because they have no commutation for their own souls. For once having denied ^B the precious blood of Christ, which was accepted as a commutation for the life of the world, they no longer possess the means of ransom.

*He hath stretched forth his hand in the recompense.* He indeed stretched forth his hand—the hand that distributes good things—so that they might partake of the blessing; but they not only did not receive it, but even defiled the covenant, namely, the evangelical one.

*They have been divided from the anger of his countenance.* Because they were evildoers toward their benefactor, for this reason he scattered them into every wind.

*And their hearts drew near.* Again, he directs his word concerning Judas. *In the heart*, he says, *he accepted the plan of betraying Christ.* And indeed, he brought forth words that were soft and smooth, but they were full of malice. And what words were these, if not the *Hail, Rabbi*, spoken in betrayal? ^C

*Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall nourish thee.* Similar to the text: *Be not anxious what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, or with what you shall be clothed.*

*He shall not give stumbling to the just for ever.* That is, He shall draw the just out of every attack of the enemy at all times.

24. *But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction.* Meaning those who rose up and delivered him to the cross. For he calls hell the pit of destruction.

*Men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days.* He calls those men of blood who killed the Prince of life, who also did not fill out their own span of life, being surrendered to the Roman sword. ^D

To the end, for the people who were far removed from the holy ones, to David for an inscription, when the foreigners held him in Geth. LV.

Argument.

to the person of the Church, which was indeed formerly situated far from the saints, at which time it was given over to idolatry and served demons. But it was snatched from spiritual enemies by Him who came forth from the seed of David according to the flesh, who waged war for us and, as if on a monument, wrote out the victory gained for us. For then the foreigners also deemed Him worthy of honor, that is, those who from the number of the Gentiles believed in Him.

2. Have mercy on me, O God, for man has trampled upon me. David speaks this concerning Saul, or indeed any holy man, on account of the tribulations which they have in this world. But it often happens that our own individual ^B man undergoes this most grievous battle, being attacked all the day long by Satan and trampled by him. For even though the psalm mentions a man, nevertheless it often suggests Satan himself, who is named in Holy Scripture, or some one of those who campaign there. Moreover, it is reasonable that these things should be sung in response by the very people of the Gentiles, who for a long time were deceived and circumvented by Satan, and endured his war through the stratagems of demons, whom he suggests more openly in what follows. They have trampled upon me, my enemies, all the day long. He knew that Saul plotted against him, being goaded by invisible demons. Or it also indicates what is said: We have no wrestling against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. For many are they that war against me from on high. Even if they rise up, he says, I will defeat them all, trusting in Thee. For this hope ^C gave me such strength that I do not in the least fear those who were formerly my enemies.

5. In God will I praise my words. Being attacked by enemies, he says, I arm myself so as to suffer no harm, turning all my words into hymns and offering them to God, and placing my hope in Him; wherefore I cast out the fear of all flesh.

6. All the day long they abhorred my words. I, he says, was offering my words to God all the day long; but they did not cease all the day long to compose their zeal against me for evil. They will dwell and hide themselves, they will watch my heel. The word dwell is put for they shall be gathered together. The meaning is this: Thus, he says, all the day long they were exerting themselves to stir up words against me, and all their thoughts were turned against me, so that they sought to come together to one place and secretly contrive a conspiracy against me; and they did not stop even there, but were even meticulously watching my heel, that is, ^D the conduct of my life, to see if they could overthrow me. And they kept watch on my footsteps, wherever I might walk, so that they might seize me.

^A And these things, indeed, they did against me in vain, pursuing me; but do thou, O Lord, my hope, deliver me from their unjust conspiracy, and, attacking them with thy wrath, throw them into confusion.

"O God, I have declared my life to thee." Speaking with boldness, he says, and not being ashamed of my life, I have declared it all to thee. But thou, accepting it, didst not reject my tears; but thou hast placed them before thine eyes, confirming thy promise which says: "While thou art yet speaking, I will say: Behold, I am here." Wherefore it came to pass, that when I was heard, my enemies turned back; whence I say: "In what day soever I shall call upon thee."

^B "My enemies shall be turned back." By the works themselves, he says, I have grasped and known accurately that my hope is not in vain; but that I have acquired God as my helper.

"In me, O God, are vows, which I will render of praise to thee." Since thou hast counted us worthy of thy dispensation, he says, and hast saved us, what shall we render unto thee, but sacrifices of praise? "Because thou hast delivered my soul from death." From the intelligible death, he says, that is, the ignorance of God. "And my feet from falling." He speaks of sin, for this brings one down to death. "I will be well-pleasing before the Lord in the light of the living." For he who has been delivered from sin and has been made clean, he shall be well-pleasing to the Lord in the age to come in the land of the living. ^C But the fact that we are delivered from death and freed from sin, and have a share in the land of the living, the coming of the Lord has procured for us. Wherefore the title "On the pillar-inscription" is inscribed for David himself for the psalm.

"Unto the end, destroy not David, for a pillar-inscription, when he fled from the face of Saul into the cave." PSALM LVI.

Argument

David, fleeing from Saul who was pursuing him, came into a cave with four hundred men, when he also cut off the hem of Saul's robe. And then he sang this psalm. ^D It is also referred to the things which Christ accomplished for our sake, when in the last days, having appeared in the flesh upon the earth, he drove away our corruption.

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me." From the person of humanity he offered this hymn unto him. "For my soul trusteth in thee, and in the shadow of thy wings I will hope." It is a custom of the divine Scripture to call the watchful power of God "wings," according to that which is said: "How often I would have gathered thy children together as a hen gathers her own chicks under her wings."

In thy aid,

^A *I will cry to God the Most High, to God who has done good to me.* I will confess, he says, and I will offer thanks to you, my benefactor. *He sent from heaven and saved me.* He openly proclaims the coming of the Lord. *He gave over to reproach those who trample upon me.* The intelligible and opposing powers, clearly. [Grant, therefore, the benefit, that it may be mine to say with boldness that you looked down from heaven upon our affairs; and that you have amended our own, but have brought those of the enemies to reproach. Or he speaks of the salvation which he obtained in the cave, when he received his enemy into his power, whom he even spared. Which indeed turned into a reproach for him who escaped the danger, inasmuch as he was plotting against his savior.] *God sent his mercy and his truth.* The mercy and truth of the Father is the Son. *And he rescued my soul from the midst of the lion's whelps.* [Being left, clearly, in the midst of the whelps of the Gittites, that is, of the foreigners. Or, as far as it depended upon me, because of human impiety I slept troubled. But the Most High, having sent his Word, rescued my soul, so that it might be unharmed by the tumult of the lion's whelps. What are these wild beasts? They are the sons of men; whose teeth are weapons and counsels; that is, they are harmful in every way. For just as a sharp sword kills easily, so too a tongue that is whetted and sharp kills by means of calumnies.] Of the spiritual lion's whelps, clearly. *I slept troubled.* Since I was rescued, he says, from the ^B spiritual lion's whelps, for this reason I will also rest, even though I was formerly troubled by them. *Sons of men, their teeth are weapons and arrows.* Expressing by these things what happened to the Lord at the time of the passion, when the Jews were shouting to Pilate against Christ: "Take away, take away, crucify him," and that "if he were not a wrongdoer, we would not have handed him over to you." ^C *Be exalted above the heavens, O God, and let your glory be over all the earth.* Even if you humbled yourself, he says, for the sake of our salvation to a voluntary emptying and became obedient even unto death, yet ascend again to the heavens, because when you have ascended you will fill all the earth with your glory. *They prepared a snare for my feet.* You caused those who were overthrowing me, he says, to fall into the very pit which they had dug by means of their snares. Wherefore, having achieved these things, be exalted above the heavens. *My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.* He prays that the Holy Spirit might be given to him, whom the Only-Begotten promised, as he was ascending into heaven, that he would send, saying that his own heart was ready to receive him. *Arise, my glory.* He calls the prophetic Spirit his glory. *Arise, psaltery and harp.* By psaltery he means the soul, and he calls the body the harp. ^D *I will arise in the morning.* When, he says, I become aware of the intelligible light, I will arise to sing.

^A *I will confess to you among the peoples, O Lord; I will sing to you among the nations.* He proclaims the conversion of all the nations through these words of confession, since all nations sing hymns to Him. *For your mercy has been magnified even to the heavens.* Similar to this is: *For even the creation itself will be delivered from the corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.* *And your truth even to the clouds.* By the clouds, he says, you have proven the truths of your voices—that is, those of the prophets—through the events themselves.

[ *Even to the clouds your truth.* By the clouds, he says, you have declared the truth of the prophets, since they have demonstrated their voices through events. *Even to the heavens* is similar to: *For even the creation itself will be delivered from the corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.* ]

*To the end, do not destroy; a silent inscription for David. PSALM LVII. Argument.*

This psalm has the same theme as the preceding one, or rather, it clearly explains what the end was for those who rose up against the Savior.

^B 2, 3. *If you truly speak justice.* Because they were gathered against the Savior as if to avenge the law, the prophetic spirit rightly commands them that if they have any care for justice and equity, they should judge aright—that is, justly. But they did not judge justly, since they wished to kill the innocent and righteous One. *For you work iniquities in your heart upon the earth.* Even if, he says, their words seem gentle, under the pretext of defending the law, yet their heart is full of bitterness, and their deeds are likewise filled with iniquity.

4, 5. *Sinners are alienated from the womb.* He shows that they have had no cause for salvation at all. [For through the prophet Isaiah, God said to the Jews: *I know that you will wickedly deal wickedly, and you are a transgressor, and will be called wicked from the womb.* By womb, he calls the holy baptism.] *Their fury is according to the likeness of a serpent.* By fury ^C he means the soul, which he says is similar to that serpent who lived in paradise, who, by feigning words of friendship, brought in death. Since, therefore, these men likewise, by saying "Rabbi," and "Master," and "We know that you have come from God," and uttering words of this kind, were plotting the cross, for this reason they are compared to the serpent. *Like the deaf asp that closes its ears.* Not only, he says, could they be compared to the serpent, but also to an asp, having venom in its teeth, which does not wish to hear the charmers in order to settle its fury. He says these things because they, according to the voice of Isaiah, have made their ears heavy, so as not to hear the words of the Lord.

^D *God will crush their teeth in their mouth.* By teeth here he signifies the calumnies which they have devised against the Lord, and especially those concerning the resurrection; or he calls their power teeth.

^A They shall be brought to nothing like water running away. He says they will be held in contempt, similar to water which is scattered and entirely useless. He shall bend his bow until they are weakened. By "bow," he here indicates the sentence which he is about to render in the divine tribunal. Moreover, the word "until" is used instead of "and," so that the meaning is: "and they shall be weakened." Fire fell upon them and they did not see the sun. Having been cast, he says, into the eternal fire, they did not behold the sun of righteousness. Similar to this is that saying: "Let the impious one be taken away, that he may not see the glory of the Lord."

10. Before your thorns perceive the rhamnus. The rhamnus is a thorny plant. He speaks here of the crown of thorns. "Before," he says, "your thorns grow," that is your sins, "and become rhamnus," that is, instead of blossoming and bearing fruit, "divine wrath shall suddenly overtake you."

11, 12. The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. ^B The righteous, he says, seeing those wicked demons removed from their midst at the time of the just judgment, shall rejoice at the righteous decree of God; for they themselves have been found innocent of the punishment to be inflicted for the crime. For the expression, "he shall wash," must be understood of the innocent, according to the saying: "I will wash my hands among the innocent." Verily there is a God who judges them upon the earth. The word "verily" is used for "truly." "Verily there is a God who judges them." They confess, he says, that the judgment of God brought upon them is truly righteous.

1. In the end, do not destroy, for David, for the inscription ^C of the title, when Saul sent and guarded his house, to put him to death.

PSALM LVIII.

2. Deliver me from my enemies, O God. He prays to be delivered from both sensible and spiritual enemies. For the latter, performing wicked deeds, envied him.

5. Neither my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord. Similar to that: "Because he did not commit iniquity, nor was guile found in his mouth." ^D

6. Attend to visiting all the nations. He prays that the conversion of the idolaters to faith in Christ may take place, and the casting out of Israel because of their iniquity. Do not show mercy to all who work iniquity. They shall return at evening. He states the cause for which he prays that they not be shown mercy. The cause is that they will form a conspiracy against the Sal-

Savior at that time, when in the last of days He visited the world in the flesh. And they shall suffer famine as a dog; they shall suffer famine indeed because they will not accept the life-giving bread; he calls them dogs on account of the shamelessness of their soul. And the phrase: ^A *They shall circle the city*, means that, having fallen from their fatherland and being restrained from it by imperial decrees, they wander around it from the outside, barely able to behold it from afar.

*Behold, they shall speak with their mouth.* That is to say, they shall blaspheme. *And a sword is in their lips.* That is: "Away with him, away with him, crucify him." *And Thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them.* They were blaspheming, he says, and even prepared snares right up to the cross, saying that God would not behold their words and deeds. But even if they thought these things, You, O Lord—he says—shall see to it that they become objects of derision. They, indeed, dare these things, but You hear and see, and laugh at their vain rage. *Thou shalt bring to nothing all nations.* Namely, the spiritual ones, which stirred up war against the Lord. ^B Higher up he said: "Attend to visit all nations"; here, however: "Thou shalt bring to nothing all nations," using a very precise order of speech through the things mentioned in between. For by demonstrating that he does not simply ask that they be punished, he first asked God to weigh and examine the things that happened; then he related what manner of things they were doing, thinking there was no one who took thought for human affairs. And then he added the punishment, saying this: that for these reasons You will justly punish them, and by the punishment from You, You will render them as nothing.

*My strength toward Thee I will guard.* They, he says, have committed such acts of impiety against Thee, but I, the prophet who says these things, will keep my spiritual strength and my kingdom guarded ^C through Thee, because You truly take my part, and even before I prayed, You encompassed me with Your mercy, that I might even behold the ruin of my enemies.

*Slay them not, lest they forget Thy law.* He prays that the race of those who rose up against the Lord not be utterly destroyed from among men; he deems it better that they be scattered and live in captivity on account of the sin of their mouth and their pride.

*And they shall be declared in the consummation, out of [their] cursings and falsehood.* Let their consummation be made known, he says, because of the curses with which they curse Thee, slandering Thy glory. By "consummation" he does not mean the total destruction ^D of the nation, but the overthrow of their glory. Their glory is the worship according to the law, the divine temple, the prophets, the high priests, the teachers of the law, the apparition of angels—all of which were consumed at once after the murder of the Lord.

14. *And they shall know that God rules over Jacob and to the ends of the earth.* Stripped of all glory, he says, they shall know by deed that you are the Lord of Jacob, and you who have extended your Church to the ends of the earth. ^A

15. *They shall return at evening.* He repeats what was said before, making the prophecy against them more firm. [Since he said, *In the wrath of consumption, and they shall not be,* lest anyone think the prophet spoke contradictions by saying, *Disperse them in your power,* he rightly employs the tautology, *They shall return*; the verses possess some obscurity in their literal sense. For he wishes to express the example of dogs, which, when gathered at some food, devour one another before they can touch the meal; and so they are often divided, failing to obtain the food.] ^B

16. *They shall be scattered for food; if they are not satisfied, they will murmur.* Let them go about seeking the word of the Lord, and not find it. And if at any time they have grasped some sentence of the divine Scripture, and appear to enjoy it to satiety, even so will they murmur, seeing that they are always murmurers and speak against God.

17. *But I will sing of your power.* These, he says, in that way; but I—that is to say, the people converted from the nations—having recognized your power, will rejoice in your mercy which came in the light and on the day of your resurrection. ^C For through him you became a patron to us and a refuge in tribulation. Therefore, I send up psalms to you, O God, who have had mercy on me. *Because you have become my helper and my refuge.* For I have always enjoyed your assistance, and through your providence I have escaped the calamities that beset me. For which cause I recognize you alone as God, and call you the fountain of mercy and loving-kindness. These things the blessed David, seeing from afar with prophetic eyes, both foretold the calamities of the Jews and promised that he himself would always celebrate the Lord with praises; and he fulfills his promises, offering the song in the person of the pious.

*To the end. For those who are to be changed, unto an inscription,* ^D *for teaching, when he burned Mesopotamia of Syria and Syria of Sobal, and Joab turned back and struck the valley of Salt, twelve thousand.*

PSALM LIX.

*Argument.* Since the history is clear, because it has been accurately recorded in the second book of Kingdoms, we shall state what is useful in it: namely, that the person of David refers to the person of the Lord, who both brought about the change and newness of things in the last times, and struck the alien nations, that is to say, the spiritual ones. For this Scripture narrates for our teaching and instruction. We are taught, therefore, that at the time when he, who is of the seed of David according to the flesh, struck the enemies and made the nations his own, the Jewish people, when they felt the punishment for Christ (put to death), in a certain way and itself

^A became converted, requesting that grace be given to it through Christ. He laments first the ruin brought upon him because of his impiety toward Christ, wherefore he says: 3, 4. God, you have cast us off and destroyed us; you were angry and had pity on us. You took vengeance on us, he says, for the impiety committed against you. But you also had pity on us; for "had pity," he says, instead of "have pity," or in another way, "had pity" means you made us miserable, so that because of the calamities it is now time that mercy should be bestowed upon us. You shook the land and troubled it. He speaks of Jerusalem, because it was besieged and its temple leveled to the ground. Or he also speaks of their spiritual land, which for the aversion which befell them has been shaken. Heal its breaches, for it has been shaken. Again he narrates the things that have happened. 5, 6. You showed your people hard things. By the multitude of calamities, he says, as if by some wine, you have caused a stupor in us, and have filled our souls with grief. ^B You gave us wine of contrition to drink. Thus also Aquila interpreted it: "You gave us the wine of stupor to drink." "Wine of contrition" he calls the punishments mentioned in the divine Scriptures, announced to them beforehand because of their impiety toward Christ. For as they read and through experience learn what was predicted, their conscience is pricked. You gave to those who fear you a sign to flee from the face of the bow. The "sign" is the illumination by which one can have discernment of spirits, and of good and evil. For possessing this knowledge, we flee from things that are worse, keeping far away from an evil work and a wicked spirit. Of the same. We, he says, were punished for the impiety we committed; but those who fear you received a sign (and it is manifest that this is the sign by which we were sealed), so that they might be free from every punishing harassment. The type of this sign was the blood of lambs smeared on the doorposts in Egypt. 8. God has spoken in his holy one. Similar to: "In the last of these days he has spoken to us in his Son" ^C. For he himself is the holy one of God and the Father. What did he speak, and to whom did he speak? Since he had prayed in the preceding psalm saying: "Be exalted above the heavens, O God, and let your glory be over all the earth"; for this reason he replies that he will divide Shechem, that is, the kingdom of Israel; for it was in Shechem. For he has given it to foreign nations who believed in him. And I will measure out the valley of tabernacles. Divine Scripture calls the dwelling-place of all men "a valley." Therefore, he says, I will measure out this whole valley into tabernacles for myself; that is, I will make it most full of churches. Mine is Gilead, and mine is Manasseh. By Gilead and Manasseh he indicates that at his advent he will preach grace first to the Jews. Yea, even

^A Ephraim and Judah, the two royal tribes of Israel, will likewise receive grace. "The strength of my head" is used for "the strength of my principality." For the strength of his principality, that is of Israel, was Ephraim; for from him was the kingdom of Israel. "Moab is the pot of my hope." A pot is a vessel. He says that the Moabites, that is, the nation formerly without God, accept the hope in me. "Into Edom I will stretch out my shoe." I will walk, he says, even in Edom. Edom again was a nation of aliens. By these things it is signified to us that the nations will also accept the faith in him; wherefore he says: "Aliens have been made subject to me."

11, 12. "Who will lead me into the fortified city?" ^B Having heard through the Spirit that the nations would receive grace, the prophet says: "Who will lead me into the fortified city?" By the fortified city he means the Church, which is surrounded by the power of God. The prophet says these things as if from the person of the repenting people of the Jews, desiring to receive the faith in Christ. "Or who will conduct me even to Edom?" He declares what the fortified city is. What, then, is it, if not Edom? For by Edom he signifies all the nations that have received the faith. "Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off?" Who else, he says, would lead us into the fortified city but thou thyself, who also, because of our iniquities, didst cast us out from thy familiarity?

13. "Give us help from tribulation; for vain is the salvation of man." Not through human alliance, he says, do we hope to be delivered from the tribulations coming upon us, but only through thy aid. "And vain is the salvation of man." Whoever hopes for salvation from man proposes a vain hope to himself. Symmachus interpreted more clearly, adding the conjunction and saying: "Give us help from tribulation: for vain is the salvation of man."

14. "In God we will perform might." Help, he says, those who are faring ill. It is possible for thee alone to dissolve calamities. The aids of men, if thou dost not nod assent, are vain. We will therefore invoke his providence and trust in his power. For this alone suffices to dissolve all grievous things and to crush the power of those who war against us. ^D They speak to one another as if with mutual voices, saying that they have placed their hope in God alone. Wherefore he says: "When we shall have hoped to be strengthened by God alone, then we shall find our enemies to be nothing."

To the end, in hymns, of David. Psalm LX. Argument.

2, 3. "Hear, O God, my prayer." Because, looking upon the power and tyranny of the demons, I am filled with anxiety; for this reason I beseech, that having appeared, thou mayest deliver me from the hand of those who oppress me; for I am, O God, from the ends of the earth.

^A The phrase, "From the ends of the earth," signifies that he is offering supplications on behalf of the entire inhabited world. "From the ends of the earth have I cried unto thee." Since Babylon is situated many stages away from Palestine, those who were taken into captivity and ordered to inhabit that land thought they were dwelling at the extremities of the inhabited world. "Thou hast lifted me up upon a rock." He declares that he was heard immediately, in accordance with the saying: "While thou art yet speaking, I will say: Behold, I am here." Moreover, he clearly proclaims through whom salvation comes; for he says he was lifted up upon a rock. For we have become stronger and higher than the opposing demons through Christ, who has been named a rock by blessed Paul.

"Thou hast guided me, because thou hast become my hope." For if He Himself is the Way, and He Himself is the Door, it is clear that He will teach us to walk the good path, having prepared us to hope in Him. "A tower of strength from the face of the enemy." As if he were to say: Thou hast become a tower and a refuge for me, so that I might suffer nothing from those enemies who inflict harm. ^B "I will dwell in thy tabernacle unto the ages." From the good things he has already received, he hopes also for things to come; for having been brought into the tabernacles above, he will always be under His shelter. "Thou hast given an inheritance to those who fear thy name." And what is this inheritance if not the kingdom of heaven? For "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," and so on; so that they inherit the kingdom of God, and are called Christians upon the earth.

"Thou shalt add days to the days of the king." The discourse signifies that this, too, is a part of the inheritance: eternal life. For this is what it means to add days upon days to the years of the king. It signifies through the days certain times and ages. "He shall abide forever before God; who shall seek out his mercy and truth?" The wording is inverted, so that the meaning is as follows: If anyone seeks out His mercy and His truth, this person abides forever before God. ^C "So will I chant unto thy name unto the ages." So—how? By abiding before thee in the age to come? For having been deemed worthy of that blessed station, I shall unceasingly send up hymns. In this way, and no other, as a man offering glory and praise, he shall not cease unto the age from rendering vows to the Lord. For the faithful do not cease, day after day, from celebrating the divine mysteries.

Unto the end. Of Idithum, A PSALM of David. LXI.

Argument.

^A the economy of the Savior which is to come for the whole human race, and the overthrow of the invisible enemies; and he introduces an exhortation that turns men away from sin, suggesting to them the things regarding the judgment of God.

2, 3. *Shall not my soul be subject to God?* Even if you have been shaken, he says, O my soul, and have fallen from your state of virtue, yet be subject to the Lord. *For He will take hold of you and save you* from being shaken any further. *For He is my God.* And indeed He himself will provide salvation to the one injured by you, and he will completely deliver you from your wickedness.

4. *How long will you set upon a man?* He cries out against the adversarial powers: because they rush against the nature of man, which is prone to evil, and which by its natural infirmity is like a leaning wall and one ready to fall, and like a ruined partition.

5. *Nevertheless they counseled to cast away my honor.* For they barely refrained from depriving us of the very use of reason, forcing us to worship wood and stones, just as it is said of us: ^B *Man, being in honor, did not understand.* *They ran in thirst.* This, he says, is the course the adversarial powers were running, as if thirsty to deprive me of my honor. *With their mouth they were blessing, and in their heart they were cursing.* He says this because, by holding out things that are sweet and pleasant to us, they make us, through them, children of a curse.

7, 8. *Nevertheless, O my soul, be subject to God.* He speaks to his soul again, exhorting it to subjection toward God. He declares the magnitude of the temptations, and says what the Apostle says: *That He will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear.* *In God is my salvation and my glory.* I have placed the hope of salvation and glory in Him. That is, He Himself will both save me and make me glorious, having made me a victor over them.

[Nevertheless, O my soul, be subject to God. For they nearly deprived us of the very use of reason, when they forced upon us the necessity of worshipping wood and stones, so that it might be said of us: *Man, being in honor, did not understand.* But those ones, O my soul, are of such a kind; you, however, be subject to His servitude. ^C Then he adds: This very thing I hope to receive from Him—namely, that I shall obtain salvation by His patronage; for He will not allow me to be a deserter and a runaway from Him, nor to be transferred to another dominion. For from thence I expect salvation and the help that comes from Him, since I have placed my hope in Him.]

9. *Hope in Him, all the congregation of the peoples.* After he had first prepared in himself the course toward repentance, he exhorts others to the same, and at the same time, in a way more prophetic, he announces the calling of all the nations. *Pour out your hearts before Him.* It is much as if he were saying: Do not approach Him with a double heart; but as it is written: *You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind.* ^D

^A *10, 11. Nevertheless, vain are the children of men, etc.* Aware that all would receive the call of the Gospel, he declares those who would not believe to be wretched, especially the teachers of the Jews, who were also liars, inasmuch as they had been repulsed from the truth. They practiced injustice not only with balances and weights, but they also gathered themselves together for vanity; for vain indeed was their conspiracy against the Savior. *Do not hope in injustice, and do not covet plunder.* He says this to them because they conspired against Him for the sake of avarice, hoping to receive from Him the fruits derived from the Law.

*12. Once God has spoken, these two things have I heard: that power belongs to God.* God, he says, has declared a word concerning judgment, from which I have heard these two things: one, that to those who have sought anger through the magnitude of their sins, He will render anger; but to those who have performed works worthy of mercy, He will bestow mercy. For "power" signifies anger and the sternness that comes upon those who are worthy of it.

*To David when he was in the desert of Judea. PSALM LXII.*

Argument

*2, 3. O God, my God, I watch for Thee at dawn.* By this he signifies assiduity. To Thee, he says, rising at dawn, I look, that I may offer Thee hymns and prayers. *My soul has thirsted for Thee.* Not only, he says, is my soul filled with divine love, but my flesh as well. For it behoves us not only to cultivate piety, but also to please God with the body: for instance, through fasting, through constant prayer, through sleeping on the ground, and through the labor of the hands, in order to dispense to those in need. *In a desert and pathless land.* I have perceived no harm from the desert place, he says, but as if I were standing by Thy holy tabernacle, I offer up hymnody. For in saying "in the holy," he speaks of the tabernacle; for the divine temple had not yet been built. *So have I appeared to Thee in the sanctuary.* So—how, if not by thirsting and longing to be joined with Thee, who art holy? And who would that holy One be if not the Only-Begotten? ^D

*4, 5. For Thy mercy is better than lives.* Because those who have approached the mercy of God, that is, Christ, consider the life of this present world as nothing, they utter such a voice as this; saying that the mercy given to them through the Only-Begotten is more excellent than the length of the present life. *So will I bless Thee in my life.* And I shall continue doing this throughout my entire life, chanting hymns with my tongue, extending my hands, and asking for Thy loving-kindness. *In Thy name will I lift up my hands.* No longer, he says, as I did before, shall I extend my hands to a strange god, but to Thee.

and call upon Thy name in my prayers.

6. ^A *As with fat and fatness let my soul be filled.* He shows how great is the gain of those who have chosen to place their hopes in Him alone. *And with lips of exultation shall my mouth praise.* When, he says, I come into remembrance of Thy name, then, truly then, are my lips filled with joy.

7. *If I remembered Thee upon my bed.* "If I remembered" is put for "when I remember," so that the meaning is: when I remembered Thee, he says, I passed sleepless nights, occupied with Thy praises and receiving Thy bright gifts, which Thou bestowest on those who call upon Thee. *For Thou hast become my helper, and in the shelter of Thy wings will I exult.* Since Thou Thyself assistest me with the guard of Thy help, I receive gladness. For he calls the guard of His help the "shelter of wings." Protected, he says, by Thee, I shall rejoice with joy.

9. *My soul hath cleaved behind Thee.* Not even for a short while, he says, can I turn my mind away from the memory of Thee. But, kindled by the incentive of love, I am bound to Thee by longing, as if by some glue of memory. *Thy right hand hath upheld me.* And who would be the right hand of the Father, if not His only-begotten Son?

10. *But they in vain sought my soul.* He cries out at last against the opposing powers, accusing them of the violence offered to him, and praying that they be delivered to eternal punishments. ^C

12. *But the king shall be glad in God.* Having gone through the end of those who acted impiously against Christ, and having shown that the lowest parts of the earth shall be their portion and lot, he turns his discourse to another state and order of men, that is, those who have believed in Christ, who, since they have been deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven, are rightly called kings, according to that saying of the Apostle: *And would to God ye did reign.* This, then, was the reigning people, who rejoice with the spiritual gladness which God Himself has bestowed upon them. I, he says, who have received the kingdom from Thy help, do not rejoice in the death of those others. *All shall be praised who swear by Him.* Thus, he says, Christ shall be their glory—namely, of those who shall reign—so that they are rightly praised, because they establish Him as the God by whom they swear. For they shall swear by the true God, as it is written: *For the mouth of them that speak iniquities is stopped.* And who are these, but those who dared to say: *Take such an one from the earth, for it is not expedient that he should live?* Therefore, the mouth of these was stopped, after the Lord had trampled upon death and risen on the third day. And the mouth of the opposing powers themselves was also stopped, when sin was taken away by grace, as it is said elsewhere: *And all iniquity shall stop her mouth.* For it is God who justifies, and who is there who condemns?

TO THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID. LXIII.

^A

Argument.

^B *Hear, O God, my prayer when I pray to thee.* Receive, he says, O Lord, my supplication, and strengthen my mind so that I may not fear the attacks of the enemies. *Deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.* Similar to that: *And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant thy servants to speak thy word with confidence.*

*Who have whetted their tongues like a sword.* He says this because those who were blaspheming Him told the apostles: *We strictly charged you not to teach in this name.* — *They have bent their bow, a bitter thing.* He compares the deadly words of their tongue to the missile of a bow. For how could those things not be deadly which strive to persuade men that Jesus ought not to be believed to be God?

^C *Suddenly they will shoot at him, and will not fear.* Lying in wait, he says, they make a sudden attack, not fearing God who oversees them. *They have strengthened for themselves an evil discourse.* That is, asserting: The Lord has not risen from the dead. *They have talked to hide a snare.* Up and down, he says, they were counseling how to kill in secret the heralds of the evangelical doctrines. *They said, who will see them?* These things, he says, they were doing, thinking that God would not exact penalties from them for such great impiety.

*Man shall come, and a deep heart.* The lawless, he says, ceased not from plotting evils against the Lord; for this is what is meant by: *They have searched out iniquity.* But the man of God, who takes counsel with prudence (for this is what "a deep heart" signifies), as one who has accurately understood the mystery, using fitting hymns, will exalt God, according to that which is said elsewhere: *I will exalt thee, O Lord my God, my king.*

^D *The arrows of the simple have become their wounds.* Having spoken of their uprising against the holy heralds, he proceeds to describe their downfall. *And every man feared.* For who would not fear, seeing the visitation from God happening against the impious?

*The just man shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him.* Especially those who attend to the divine laws, being filled with joy, shall fashion a firm hope in God. *And all the upright in heart shall be praised.* And they shall reap the glory from men, those who are directed toward God and who do not endure to walk outside the path of righteousness.

1. To the end, A PSALM of David. A Canticle of Jeremiah and Ezekiel to the people of the transmigration, when they were about to go forth. LXIV.

Argument

2. To you a hymn is due, O God, in Zion. No longer, he says, do we sing hymns to those whom we formerly deemed gods, knowing that it is not fitting to sing praise to them, since they are wood and stone and demons; but to you alone is such an office most suitable. And to you a vow shall be rendered in ^B Jerusalem. He speaks either of the earthly Jerusalem, which is the Church, or of the heavenly one, to which, when we have arrived, we shall offer our praises.

3. Hear my prayer; to you all flesh shall come. By these words he proclaims the calling of all the Gentiles, according to what was said by Joel 7: "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh."

4. The words of the wicked have prevailed over us. He calls "the words of the wicked" the wisdom of the wise of this age, by which they were also weakened, having fallen from true knowledge. And you will be propitious to our impieties. They pray to be delivered from the impiety in which they once erred.

5. Blessed is he whom you have chosen and taken. They call blessed those who have been perfected in virtue, and who have attained to the prize of the upward calling. We shall be filled with the good things of your house. He calls the diverse gifts of the Spirit the "good things of the house." For to one, he says 8, is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge; and the rest of the gifts. Your temple is holy; either the heavenly one or the earthly one, according to that saying 9: "For the temple of God is holy, which you are."

[You who are full of sanctification (and that temple of yours), he instructs and teaches your justice through your oracles to those who approach.]

6. Hear us, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth. Hear us, therefore, and grant these things. In you, he says, the ends of the earth will hope, and those who dwell far from the sea. By these words he signifies the ends of the earth.

7. Preparing the mountains in his strength. By "mountains," he refers to the adversarial powers. And "preparing" implies for punishment; for he has prepared the abyss for them. This you will do, being powerful. You who disturb the depth of the sea. By "sea," he denotes the multitude of unclean spirits, which is disturbed by the coming of Christ. Wherefore, fearing, they said 10: "Have you come before the time to torment us?"

9. The nations shall be troubled, and they that inhabit the ends shall be afraid at your signs. When, he says, the nations, that is...

to say, the ^A hordes of the demons, shall be troubled, then, truly then, those who exist at the ends of the inhabited world shall fear you, having beheld the great signs. By signs he means those that were brought to pass during his presence. "You shall bring delight to the outgoings of the morning and evening." For when those who inhabit the earth have beheld the great signs, they shall fear with a godly fear; then, truly then, both for the morning and evening outgoings—that is to say, at every time—there shall be delight for them, as they exult over the things that your presence has successfully accomplished.

"You have visited the earth and inebriated it." He shows to whom among all the nations the delight belongs. And to whom does it belong? To those deemed worthy for the earth to be visited, and for it to be inebriated ^B by him, clearly with his gifts. "The river of God was filled with waters." By river here, he means the evangelical word; and he says it was filled with waters—with what, if not the divine promises which he promised to those worthy of the kingdom of heaven? These promises would be: "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and the rest of the beatitudes. "You have prepared their food." By food, he refers to spiritual food. And he says it was prepared because the mystery concerning Christ was ordained before the foundation of the world, he who is the bread that descended from heaven and gives life to the world.

"Inebriate its furrows, multiply its produce." By furrows, he means the depths of the hearts, and by produce, the pious thoughts. "In its drops ^C it shall rejoice as it springs up." Even those things that are small, he says, among the divine gifts bestowed upon it, cause it to rejoice and spring forth, clearly bringing forth the intelligible fruit. And you shall understand its drops from what was said concerning Christ: "He shall descend like rain upon a fleece, and as the drop that drips upon the earth."

"You shall bless the crown of the year of your kindness." By year, he means the time of the coming age, and he calls it a crown of kindness because the saints are crowned in it with great kindness. "And your fields shall be filled with fatness." By fields, again, he calls the souls of those who have believed in him. "The beautiful things of the desert shall grow fat." By mountains ^D he means the holy apostles and evangelists, who have become well-nourished with spiritual gifts; and he calls the Church from among the nations the desert, which was once desert of the knowledge of God. "And the hills shall be girded with exultation." By hills he means the presidents of the churches.

"The rams of the sheep have put on robes." By rams of the sheep he means the rulers of the peoples. And what will they put on, if not the garment of incorruptibility and the tunic of gladness? He also names the holy apostles rams of the sheep, as those who are able to charge down and gore their enemies, just as the Lord said: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves."

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And the valleys shall abound with corn. These, he says, the once most destitute and barren souls of the gentiles, shall be filled with spiritual fruits. They shall cry out; for they shall sing a hymn. Being brought to a better state, he says—the valleys, once filled with spiritual fruits—they shall fervently send up hymns to you. ^A

To the end, a psalm of the Resurrection. 65. Argument.

He signifies the calling of the gentiles through this present psalm, and announces the future resurrection of their souls, according to the saying: "Raising the needy from the earth." He also introduces the person of the apostles, describing how much they suffered for the sake of the evangelical preaching, and into what eternal joys they were brought through such tribulations. Furthermore, the rejection of the Jewish people is signified here. ^B

2-4. Shout to God, all the earth, sing a psalm to his name. A "shout" is a song of victory, which is sung when enemies are defeated. Since, therefore, the princes of this age have been slain by the advent of Christ, all the gentiles are commanded to modulate songs of victory. Say to God: How terrible are your works, O Lord! And what works are these, if not the divine signs, and the fact that the multitudes of unclean demons have been driven away? In the multitude of your power your enemies shall lie to you. He here reproves the stupor of the Jews, which did not allow them to obey the greatness of the miracles. ^C Let all the earth adore you and sing a psalm to you. For, he says, even though the Jews had beheld the great signs brought forth by you, they nevertheless lied to you. But in their place, the multitude of all the gentiles shall adore you.

5. Come and see the works of God. The person of the apostles is introduced here, teaching the gentiles that He who, in his coming according to the flesh, performed divine signs, is the same one who long ago dried up the Red Sea, and who divided the floods of the Jordan, so that the sons of Israel might cross over on foot.

6. Who turns the sea into dry land. And the proof of this is what has already happened, how he changed the sea into dry land. Symmachus says thus: "He changed the sea into dry land; they crossed the river on foot." For this, he says, is God, who granted us the return and gave us salvation: ^D who long ago divided both sea and river, and commanded our forefathers to cross over without danger. There we shall rejoice in him. The word "there" is indicative of time. He says, therefore, that at that time, when he shall reign in the new age, there we shall rejoice with him.

7. His eyes look upon the gentiles. He attends to all, and inspects and examines all that is done.

^A Let them who provoke not be exalted in themselves. And who might those be who provoke, if not those of whom it is said: "Son of man, go to the house that provokes me?" And indeed, "they provoked him in the desert," and again: "Do not harden your hearts as at the provocation." Bless, O nations, God. Having all become in one accord, rather praise and admire him. [9. Who has set my soul to life. I shall rejoice in such wonders, and in their Maker: who, as Lord and inspector of all, discerns and judges of earthly things, and surrounds unworthy men with punishments. He calls the apostles "eyes."] 10. For you have tested us, O God, you have burned us through, etc. The prophetic Spirit foretells the afflictions that are to befall the apostles on account of their preaching; and in their person, it recounts the snares, that is to say the prisons, and signifies the temptations through fire and water. 13. I will enter into your house with burnt offerings. The heavenly one, clearly; for they have dedicated themselves entirely to God in the order of burnt offerings. [With intellectual burnt offerings. But those things which are yours, O Lord, are of this kind; ours, however, are these: to enter into the temple and sacrifice to you thanksgiving—the same also signifies what they have distinguished (my lips) and spoken. These, he says, I have prayed for.] I will pay you my vows. I will pay you, he says, what I vowed while I was in tribulation. I vowed, moreover, that being delivered from the present distress, I would send up praises to you forever. 15. I will offer you fat burnt offerings. Whatever you have commanded to be offered to you, I will offer eagerly. He calls those that are "fat" in the Greek *medullata* (marrow-filled), for so the Law commanded to be offered those that were unblemished and entire. The prophet Malachi also curses those who have such things at hand, yet offer what is maimed. This very thing was also the beginning of those evils for Cain. We, too, are taught to offer to the Divinity the things that are most precious which we possess. I will offer you oxen with goats. All things are spiritual, as I have said, both the burnt offerings and the oxen and the goats, which he promises that he will pay. ^D 16. Come and listen, and I will recount. And what other things is he to recount than those which he has already explained: "For you have tested us, O God," and the rest? 18. If I watched iniquity in my heart, let not the Lord hear me. For I knew that if I were harboring iniquity, God would not tolerate hearing my prayer. Aquila: "Seeing what is useless in my heart, the Lord will not hear." But he wishes to say this: that when I offer petitions to God, I must take care of what is proper and decorous, aware that nothing of benefit will come to me from a petition, unless I do what is right. And another thing...

he offers a form that is outside all iniquity; therefore he trusts that he will be heard.

To the end, in hymns, a PSALM for David. LXVI.

Argument.

Again, here he introduces the person of the apostles, who imbue the nations with doctrine, and ask to be delivered from those who contradict their teaching. ^A [This psalm is consistent with the preceding one; for it deals properly with the blessing of the holy things, and almost the entire prayer lies in the book of Judges. And so, if it were to turn out that this happens, after he has prophesied the return, he proclaims the divine incarnation and advent, and the future salvation of the nations. It is inscribed, "In hymns," because it is for God to be celebrated with hymns, while it is for men to be adorned with praises.]

2. *God be merciful to us and bless us*, etc. We beseech your mercy, he says, O Lord, and ask that you reveal your countenance to us, so that we may be able to preach the way of your holy Gospel to all the nations. For he signifies "salvation" as his advent everywhere.

4. *Let the peoples confess to you, O God*. He prophesies that the confession to Christ will be sent forth by all nations. *Let the nations be glad and exult*. Since the prophetic Spirit is exceedingly delighted by the salvation of the world, he frequently repeats the same things, enjoying joy from the frequent narration.

6. *Let the peoples confess to you, O God, let the peoples all confess to you* (31). Not without cause does he repeat it, ^B but so that he may make his listeners more eager. *The earth gave its fruit*. The spiritual earth, clearly. Its fruits are progress in piety.

[Let the peoples confess to you, O God. Just as he twice stirred the nations to hymn-singing, so he asked for them the blessing twice: since, clearly, they had twice received that blessing. Or because, since those who are from it do not ignore the God who is above all, they offer to him the sweetest fruit of piety: which if we offer to you, that is, the diligent pursuit of virtue, we shall receive a blessing from you.]

[May God bless us. It should be known that humans, when blessing God, offer only words to him, but they are unable to benefit him in deed. But God, when he blesses, confirms his words by his deeds, and bestows a store of all good things upon those whom he blesses. Then he teaches how.]

To the end, a PSALM of the ode, for David. LXVII.

Argument.

In this psalm he signifies the advent of the Lord, and also the expulsion of spiritual enemies ^C and the release from spiritual captivity. Furthermore, he teaches concerning himself