Hesychius: Fragments on the Psalms

^A of his ways are beautiful, and all his paths are peaceful. It is a tree of life to those who lay hold of it, and blessed is he who keeps it. My son, hear the instruction of your father, that is, of God, and do not depart from the law of your mother, that is, of wisdom. For he will give your head a wreath of graces, that is Christ: and let a golden necklace be around your neck, that is, the Holy Spirit: To whom is glory forever and ever. Amen.

THE FRAGMENTS OF THE SAME HESYCHIUS OF JERUSALEM

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS

^B

PSALM I

VERS. 4. *And he shall be like the tree.* The Jews were scattered by the wind when the powerful spirit of the apostles' preaching blew, and they were dissolved into nothing, like dust. For having no city, no sacred worship, nor anything else of their former life, they have been dispersed across the whole world, like dust, shamed in their faces.

PSALM VI

*Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.* He says his own bones are troubled, and

^A should one perhaps understand the powers of the soul accessible to reason, which also hold it up to an intellectual strength. Such as continence, prudence, the courage that is according to God, temperance, and justice, and in short, every kind of virtue; when these are not in us without confusion (that is, with proper ornament and order), it is necessary for the soul, not possessing its own strength, to be disturbed by those inordinate passions which are within it.

Vers. 9. *Depart from me all ye*. You see how, when we depart from the workers of iniquity (whether they be men or thoughts), then God readily accepts our petitions and our prayer.

PSALM VII

Vers. 7. *Arise, O Lord, in thy anger*. He exhorts that Christ be exalted on the cross, for the sake of the destruction and annihilation of the demons. *For when I am lifted up*, he says, *I will draw all things to myself*. For this was the end and the dissolution of the power of the spiritual enemies ^B.

PSALM VIII

Vers. 2. *O Lord, our Lord*. The Church says, *O Lord, our Lord*. For after the recognition of Christ, having been liberated from the servitude of idols, she began to call the true God and Lord her own Lord. ^C For always indeed has the whole earth been truly filled with the wondrous works of God's creation, but much more so from the time when his name, namely that of Christ, became marvelous among all nations and barbarian peoples through faith in him.

Vers. 8. *Thou hast subjected all things under his feet*. He calls "birds of the air" those who are occupied with theology, searching into high and sublime dogmas; but "fish of the sea," those who swim in the affairs of this life as if in a wave. Yet salvation is also reserved for these, when they travel paths no longer of the sea, but of the seas, moving through baptism and repentance. ^D For all sensible things were by the law of creation subject to him—cattle, and oxen, and sheep. We find that the "sheep" in an intellectual sense are men living in innocence, subject to Christ; the "oxen" are observers of the commandments, concerning whom the lawgiver Moses said: *Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn*. Whence the Psalmist has set forth not simply oxen, but all oxen. For God is found by those exercising any virtue whatsoever. He calls sinners "cattle," since they are created looking down with their faces to the earth. But even these, if they have repented and been subjected, will be saved, when they have received Christ as their rider through the evangelical way of life. *For thou shalt save men and cattle, O Lord*.

PSALM IX.

PSALM XII.

PSALM XIV.

Even if they are weak, even if they are poor, even if they are barbarians, even if they are foreigners. For he who despises the wicked, but glorifies those who fear the Lord, turns many away from wickedness and exhorts them toward piety.

PSALM XV

VERS. 2. «Thou art my Lord.» You see the gratitude of the Church; for she confessed at once both her own poverty and the riches of the bridegroom. I have said, she says, to the Lord (that is, to Christ): Thou art my Lord. You are not, she says, merely a man, but Lord: for you have taken a servant as a wife and partner, and you have joined to yourself one who was cast away.

VERS. 5. «The Lord is the portion of my heritage and of my cup.» Of my heritage, he says, that is, of this mystery. For the Church possesses no heritage in this present age, except God alone. He who prepares for her the future inheritance, for this reason it is rightly added in the following verse: «Thou art he who restores my heritage.»

VERS. 7. «I will bless the Lord.» The Church blesses God, as one who has received from Him the understanding of the mysteries and has turned aside from the error of the Jews.

VERS. 8. «I beheld the Lord always before my face.» Do ^B you see the equal dignity of the Son and the Father? For sometimes the Son is said to stand at the right hand, or to sit; but now He attributes the place on the right to the Father, that you may learn that the power of the Begotten and of the Begetter is one, even if He now speaks humbly because of the flesh.

PSALM XVI

VERS. 7. «Make thy mercies wonderful, thou that savest them that hope in thee.» What are the steps that the Prophet prays may be perfected in the paths of God, and what are those that should not be shaken? We hold that the steps are the first movements of the soul, and he prays that these be perfected, that is, confirmed in the paths of God, clearly in the divine commandments. ^C For these being perfected, our other steps—that is, our actions—do not waver; for sin cannot unsettle them.

VERS. 9. «My enemies have encompassed my soul.» For the demons encompass our soul, and like wild beasts, each one tries to ensnare it. But the fat of the demons, and their rich food, are sinners, whom they entice with pleasures so that they can no longer escape, and they hem them in. And what is this pride? It is apostasy and falling away from God, the disbelief in what is to come, and the denial of the judgment. For those who set their minds to sin exhort those who are deceived to do these things.

VERS. 13. «Arise, O Lord.» He calls the justice of God a sword, like a blade cutting down the entire battle-lines of the demons.

VERS. 14. «They are satisfied with children.»

^A It is not, as some believe, that the Psalmist is here criticizing the sons' food (for that which enters into the mouth does not defile a man); rather, he reproves these men as being extremely senseless because, when they had received extensive offspring from God, they bequeathed to them not virtue, but the remnants of their own wickedness as an inheritance.

PSALM XVII

PSALM XXXII

PSALM XXXIII

PSALM XXXIV

^A Ver. 1. ‹Judica, Domine.› He means the guilty Jews, and the demons who attack us; they who, for our sake, attacked Christ. He desires for these to be defeated—that is to say, to be rendered ineffective.

Ver. 8. ‹Veniat illi laqueus quem ignorat.› This is said against Judas the traitor, but indeed also against the people of the Jews, and moreover against the devil himself. For Judas fell into the snare of the noose; the people of the Jews, thinking to set a snare, are themselves ensnared, having been caught in their own trap. Similarly, the devil, having devised the snare of the cross, fell through that very cross from his own kingdom.

Ver. 12. ‹Retribuebant mihi mala.› For, as Lord of the house and as the husbandman, He was reckoning to Himself the barrenness of the Jews.

Ver. 14. ‹Quasi proximum, et quasi fratrem.› He shows his affection for Judas, in that he entrusted even the moneybag to him, and permitted him alone to dip his hand into the dish with Him, as a brother and a neighbor. A "brother who is pleasing," that is, one who is agreeable to Him, and whom He treated well in all things.

Ver. 16. ‹Tentaverunt me, subsannaverunt me subsannatione.› Perhaps they even gnashed their teeth out of cruelty, wishing to devour Jesus, as it were. However, the gnashing of teeth is also a term used for the malice of words. Therefore, He wished the Father to be a witness against those who blasphemed against Him. Whence He adds: "Lord, when will you look?"

PSALM XXXV

Ver. 2. ‹Dixit injustus ut delinquat.› The Psalm does not propose a simple transgressor, but a hypocrite and a deceitful man—the one, specifically, who harbors deep within his soul the mire of lawlessness, and for this reason says within himself that he resolves to transgress. But why does it say "within himself"? Because he turns over in his mind those things which he is either afraid or ashamed to speak aloud.

Ver. 9. ‹Inebriabuntur ab ubertate domus.› The house of God is His body; the abundance is the blood and water which flowed from His side, from which all we faithful have been inebriated with a saving intoxication. For the torrent of delight was the passion of Christ. A torrent, indeed, because it happened in the midwinter of our sins, when every virtue, and especially love for God, had grown cold and had been extinguished; so that the prophet Zechariah says concerning the day of the cross: "In that day there shall be no light; there shall be cold and frost; it is a great day." But it was rightly called of "delight." For Christ truly took delight in the sufferings He endured for us, as He mocked the devil and rejoiced in the salvation of men. He mystically gives us this torrent of delight to drink: for the passion of the Lord has become a testimony for His servants.

PSALM XXXVI

PSALM XXXVII

PSALM XXXVIII

VERS. 3. ^C *I was dumb, and was humbled.* You see how he was first made dumb through disobedience, and when he was dumb, he was humbled. For nothing so humbles a man as the stupor of the senses, and then disobedience. Or perhaps he was silent because he ceased from good things, that is, from the meditation of the Law, which is the teacher of the good. Whence not undeservedly the pain of sin was renewed; for the wound inflicted by sin is more grievous when we withdraw ourselves from the meditation of the Law. The ulcer also becomes festering, as though no medicine from divine precepts had been applied. And therefore he did not remain in silence, but when he had recovered himself, he cast it off, as a thing bringing destruction to the soul. Showing this, therefore, he added: *My heart grew hot.*

PSALM XXXIX

PSALM XL

^A [In finem.] Although the Prophet often inscribed these psalms "for the end," one must think, however, that he does not append this title to each of the psalms without purpose. But what is the reason for this here? Because he discourses upon matters pertaining to the end of the dispensation of Christ, whom not only this prophet called David, but another did as well—namely Hosea, who said, "After these things, the children of Israel shall return, and shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king." And this, although David had died many generations before this prophet; for he uttered this prophecy in the days of King Hezekiah. But he means the new David, to whom those who were saved returned.

^B [VERS. 4. Dominus opem ferat illi.]

The truth of this prophetic promise can be found frequently even up to the present time. For many who are afflicted and suffer grievously, when they have poured out their wealth upon the poor and needy, are immediately changed for the better. For if in the future day mercy triumphs over judgment, what is to be wondered at if, even here, abundant mercy averts the death we expect and restores strength? Furthermore, there is also the infirmity of the soul, which is taken according to the inner man, by which it has relaxed hands, that is, the powers of acting. Also, the knees are found to be paralyzed, and for this reason, they are not able to walk the way that leads to life. For then, when the soul is held fast by a grievous disease of sloth, and through this is being hurried toward the death of sin, almsgiving bestowed upon the poor heals and restores it. Wherefore he immediately added, "I said: Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee."

^C [VERS. 11. Tu autem, Domine, miserere mei.]

He does not say this because he desires to visit punishment upon them for having suffered death at their hands (for he himself said at the time of the cross, "Father, forgive them their sin"); but because he saw the impartial and just judgment of the Father decreed against those murderers, for this reason, as one who works in unity with God and the Father, he said: "And I will recompense them," in order to show that the operation in both is one. For the Son cannot do anything of Himself, he says; for what He sees the Father doing, these things the Son also does in like manner, thereby confirming the identity of will and operation of both.

PSALM XLI

[VERS. 1. In finem, in intellectum filiis Core.]

These also were chanters, borrowing the psalms that the prophet David had composed. But perhaps the psalm is inscribed "for understanding" because their ancestor, Korah, had been a lawless man, who rose up against Moses with Dathan and Abiram. But these men by no means emulated their ancestor, nor did those of—

^A their fathers; whence, when the entire council of Korah was destroyed, they, having distanced themselves from the wickedness of Korah, as is likely, were saved. For Moses had commanded the rest of the people at that time so that they would not all perish together. But the Psalm is inscribed "Unto the end, for understanding" far more truly, for it foreshadows baptism, which was instituted at the end, after the Jewish purifications. And to come to this [baptism] is truly for wisdom and understanding to exist.

PSALM XLIV

PSALM XLIX

^A For this reason He commanded them also to assemble, so that they might be taught this.

*“I will not reprove you for your sacrifices.”* Perhaps the children of the Jews, hearing these things, doubted whether they could ever come to pass at all, but now the word has been seen to be an action; for the sacrifices of the temple no longer function, as the temple has been destroyed, the altar has fallen, and their entire political system has been corrupted, and indeed the city itself, where it was necessary for the sacrifices according to the Law to be performed. “I do not need,” He says, “irrational sacrifices, for what prevents the beasts and cattle from being offered?” Perhaps by wild beasts and cattle He means the Gentiles; by oxen He refers to those of the people of the Jews who have believed, whose offering having been acquired, He no longer accepts those from the people of the Jews as superfluous; for the following things are said concerning them.

By birds of the air, understand those who philosophize about virginity ^B or continence; since, being above around the heaven, they fly, philosophizing like the angels.

He calls the Church herself the beauty of the field, that is to say, of the world; for she became comely by the grace of baptism; whence He did not say, “is with Me,” but, “is with Me,” as a bride with a bridegroom; for the Church is considered to be his—that is, Christ’s.

*“Sacrifice to God a sacrifice of praise.”* Be, He says, equal to the angels; imitate the Seraphim in glorification; declare the glory of God as the heavens do; sacrifice the sacrifice which all creation offers, praising [Him] continuously. Perhaps by a sacrifice of praise He also refers to the virtues, through which God is praised, that is to say, celebrated and glorified; especially since He said to the apostles: “Let your light shine ^C before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. v, 16).

By tribulation, understand the temptation which arises from men or from Satan. If, therefore, we call upon God at that time, He will deliver us, just as He once delivered Susanna; and rightly we proclaim Him wonderful in the things ordained for us.

*“Understand these things, you who forget.”* He describes the day of death, in which everyone, being called, is snatched away with speed. Therefore, one must perceive and provide for those things pertaining to the blotting out of sins, as long as opportunity for repentance is offered to us.

*“A sacrifice of praise will honor Me.”* What is this, and what kind of way is it? It is the communion ^D of the Lord’s body and blood, which He Himself first initiated and showed to us in Sion. Since, therefore, it is given to those who receive it for the redemption of sins, it is rightly the salvation of God; and rightly, too, it is shown to be the way showing to those who pray in the manner they ought, how they must journey into heaven.

PSALM L.

He asks that his iniquity be blotted out, so that not only is the wound healed, but that not even a scar is left behind. Wherefore he also puts forward the multitude of mercies: for not by one mercy—that is, by the forgiveness of a single fault—can a sinner be saved, but there is need of many mercies for many sins, so that we may escape the threats and the punishment.

He asked not simply to be washed, but *more* [abundantly], requesting that the purification correspond to the crime or fall. For just as a garment that is only slightly soiled is easily washed and cleaned; but one that has contracted much and frequent filth requires more zealous and laborious washing; so also the soul, which has sinned once and in small things, is purged by moderate repentance: but when it has entangled itself in many and grave sins, it needs not a light and negligent, but a laborious and severe repentance, with the works of many good deeds. For with such repentance God washes away our sins. He rightly called sin *iniquity*, wishing to show that it was not permitted even for him, although he was a king, to transgress the law: for he had offended the King of all, most high.

^B VERS. 5. *For I acknowledge my iniquity.* It is a blessed thing when someone understands his own sin, and continually has his faults before his eyes. For he who acknowledges, and remembers, and with the eyes of the soul considers ^C the wounds of his own sins, blushes, suffused with red; and by the remembrance he pricks his soul, and compelled by shame, he hastens to repentance. But he whom forgetfulness of his passions seizes, is led to other sins again (as if nothing evil had been done by him).

VERS. 6. *To thee only have I sinned.* Not that it was hidden from all men, as some suppose: for it could not have escaped even Bathsheba herself, who had committed the adultery; nor even those who had summoned her in the king's name could the business of the adultery be hidden. Joab also knew that he had rendered his service to the king in carrying out the murder. But ^D not even he, when he had authority over the sin on account of his kingship

^A he considered it. For this was indeed unworthy of a prophet and a king who rightfully happened to be pious. But "against you alone I have sinned," he said, since it is the concern of God alone, as Creator, not to let us sin, sparing his own creature. ^B Perhaps also the words, "And I have done evil before you," since everyone else, as for a king, was showing him favor and concealing the sin in silence, God sent Nathan and rebuked the action, which was wicked; and the following verses show why he did this.

"For behold, I was conceived in iniquities." This is said not only because of the filth derived from Adam; for we know that we are considered defiled on his account, so that even before we come to an age capable of discerning good and evil, we require purification as if contaminated by our parents. For we shall find this statement also in Job: "Who," he says, "will boast that he is pure from filth? Not even an infant, even if his life be but one day." Moreover, holy Scripture is accustomed to call desire the mother of sin. And again, James testifies that death is the offspring of both, saying: "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is finished brings forth death." So that when we sin, we are conceived in sins.

"You shall sprinkle me with hyssop." Just as we, in the gift of baptism, are washed with water, but are brightened by the Spirit.

"You shall make me hear gladness." The bones of the soul, that is to say the powers, are indeed humbled by sin and crushed; but having been saved by repentance, it flourishes again and returns to its ancient joy.

"Turn away your face." For if he does not overlook our misdeeds, we cannot be saved. But how is this accomplished? When we exercise good works and virtues, so that we may turn the eye of the Judge toward them; for in this way we can turn him away from the sight of our sins.

"And blot out all my iniquities." Not one, but all; for even one is enough to send [a person] to hell. Let us not, therefore, neglect any sin, however small. For if our garment is found stained with any filth whatsoever, we cannot enter the king's bridal chamber or tread upon the court. Paul, confirming this, said: "Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor the effeminate, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor plunderers will inherit the kingdom of God."

"Create a clean heart in me." Not that he changes the nature (for it possessed nothing evil); but that he clears and washes the reasoning of the soul.

rendered filthy by the pleasures and counsels of the devil; for in Holy Scripture, "to create" is often said to mean to correct. ^A

• "And renew a right spirit." You see how the prophet prays that nature should not be changed, but that grace should arrive, so that he might offer aid to a nature that is laboring and has grown old under sin. For he does not call the vital spirit that is in us a "right spirit," but the Spirit of God Himself, of whom he sang in another psalm: "Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the right land." He wishes this to be renewed in the inward parts—that is, in the necessary and most vital parts of the soul—inasmuch as it did not dwell in us perfectly before, nor did it rest upon us because of our weakness, through which we were not able to receive the perfect grace. ^B Therefore, he prays that it be renewed, so that it may be completely fulfilled in us; for the house that is filled and adorned is thereby made new.

It is a grievous thing if a servant offends the countenance of his master; likewise, if a son offends his father, or a soldier his king; for such a one is found to be an exile. But if anyone does this against God, he prepares destruction for himself. For God is not only Father and Lord and King to us, but is everything you could name of those things which can contribute to our life, security, and salvation. Wherefore, when He turns His face away from us, we immediately lose the Holy Spirit, in whom all the provision of our good things suffers loss and ruin. ^C Wherefore, instead of being able to say, "Do not take away the Spirit," he put, "Do not take [it] away again." For those who keep God’s commandments have once experienced the efficacy of the Spirit, which was in us before the disobedience of Adam—whether through prophetic grace or through strength of character. Whence he deservedly prayed that the Spirit not be taken from him a second time, lest he experience its loss again.

VERS. 15. "I will teach transgressors Thy ways." He had indeed taught the ways of the Lord before, but perhaps he had not taught transgressors, nor did he value teaching in prayer so highly before he sinned; but he did so especially when, having fallen into crime, he repented. ^D For just as he who has been ill himself and has made trial of the medicine is believed most of all when speaking about the healing of diseases, so too those who have been saved by repentance are found to be a door of conversion and salvation for other sinners; so that Paul might shout with confidence: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first." If you do not have faith, he says, in the preaching that announces the salvation of sinners, learn from me who preach it, that when I was a persecutor, I was entrusted with the ministry of the Gospel.

VERS. 17. "O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips." Do you see that David’s lips had been closed on account of sin, but are opened again through repentance and God’s [grace]?

^A And to declare the praise of God. He begins the head of the hymns, having within it the conversion of the sinner.

The Spirit sets forth that humility is a sacrifice pleasing to God: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matth. v, 3). But in what way are we to crush our spirit through humility? Truly, when we do not puff ourselves up on account of our right actions, but keep a perpetual memory of our own transgressions.

By "good pleasure" (eudokia), he denotes the incarnation of the Only-begotten. This is clear from what Paul wrote to the Ephesians; for he says thus: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, for the dispensation of the fullness of times" (Ephes. i, 9). By this good pleasure, then, Sion is enriched with blessings, both on account of the mystery of the divine supper which was performed in it, and on account of the miracles which were wrought therein.

PSALM LI

VERS. 3. "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief?"

This prologue is as it were that of one wondering and struck with amazement; namely, that some have arrived at such a degree of malice that they boast of those things for which they ought rather to lament. For whereas the history contains Doeg, the Psalmist insinuates Judas the traitor, who became ^B truly powerful in malice, to the extent that he betrayed his benefactor, his educator, and his master, and respected neither the constant rebukes nor the admonitions.

VERS. 4. "Iniquity the whole day."

When Judas said to the Pharisees, "What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver him to you?" they assigned him thirty pieces of silver; and from then on he sought an opportunity to deliver him (Matth. xxvi, 15, 16). Thus, he spent the whole day contemplating the sin of his betrayal, until night came on, during which he committed that deed.

"Thy tongue hath devised injustice."

"As a sharp razor," that is, cutting insensibly. For what was sharper than that guile which his treacherous tongue devised for those who were to seize Jesus: "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, hold him fast" (Matth. xxvi, 48).

VERS. 5. "Thou hast loved malice more than goodness."

Malice is the devil, as he desires all evils for all men. Goodness, however, is Christ, for He is by nature the goodness of God. Having therefore abandoned his own Christ, Judas loved Satan; ^C nay, he even chose iniquity rather than to speak righteousness. It was possible for him to receive true righteousness and to preach the Gospel with the other apostles; yet he cast himself into the iniquity of betrayal. The same thing happens to everyone who rejoices in accusation and calumniates his brother, loving iniquity more—that is to say, ^D

^A that which is false, and keeping silent about justice, that is to say, the virtue which his neighbor possesses.

Verse 7. *Propterea Deus destruet te.* These things are said to every deceitful man, but much more to the traitor. For God destroyed him in the end, and transferred him from the tabernacle—that is, from the place of discipleship—and rooted him out like the root of a thorny plant from the land of the living, from the husbandry of the apostles.

*Speravi in misericordia Dei.* These words also befit Peter, who was coming into the memory of his own denial. Just as a fruit-bearing olive tree in the house of God—that is, always standing firm in the faith—although he endured for a short time the heat of his denial, nevertheless he did not wither. For he watered the root with the tears of repentance. Therefore he says: *Confitebor tibi, quia fecisti.* What have You done? Mercy, kindness, compassion. Because You made him who had denied You a herald of the mysteries; You strengthened ^B the stumbling column, and you made him who had gone astray a shepherd of the lambs. It is "good," not to Jews, nor to those laboring with the disease of idolatry, but in the sight of the saints who have been justified through grace and joy. For in them His name is good. For what is more sweet than the name of Jesus? "I shall wait"—but for what? For "he who shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved."

PSALM LII

Verse 2. *Corrupti sunt et abominabiles facti.* The disease which is spread through the slanderer makes others also to be corrupted in iniquities, and to become abominable to their Creator, laboring under such a defect of virtue that they work no good at all. Moreover, by "the fool," he insinuates the madness of idolaters. For saying in their heart that there is no God, they fashioned images of wooden and stony gods. And by "iniquity," which is the transgression of the Law, he insinuates the Jews, whom, being corrupted by unbelief, God has held in abomination. ^D

Verse 3. *Deus de cœlo prospexit.* For God is so desirous of truth that, although He knows all our affairs exactly, He nevertheless, through His condescension toward us, looks down as if through a small window, wishing to know human affairs accurately. At any rate, He clearly signifies the advent of Christ, who

^A while remaining above in the bosom of the Father, through His operation comes down below; in the same way, Christ, while remaining in the bosom of the Father, made His advent to the earth through the flesh. For what purpose? To see if there is any who understands, or seeks after God. Therefore, He did not come down to examine the actions of men so much as to see if they possess any knowledge of God at all, if they seek after God in faith.

« Will not all know? » ^B All who do injustice to the poor and plunder the things of their neighbor are deservedly said to devour the people of God with a meal of bread; for they have injustice as the food of their own greed, which they exercise upon them. You will think that this is said especially of the teachers of the Jews. For since they seemed to be defending the law out of ignorance, but by the insult to the Lawgiver were practicing iniquity, these men were devouring the people of God with a meal of bread, on account of their surfeit and gluttony, showing partiality, and violating the law in their teaching.

He speaks concerning the Jews; for they did not call upon Christ, who is truly God, and they feared with a groundless fear, where there was no fear, when they said to one another: « If we let this man alone, the Romans will come and take away our place and nation. » And yet this would not have happened if they had kept their faith in Him. In like manner also, all men who are slothful in calling upon God do not fear the fear that they ought, due to their unbelief in God; ^C but they fear in vain the threats of men and the power of their enemies, not knowing that these things do not harm us at all when we have the favor of God. He speaks of those who are men-pleasers: for they always want to please men rather than God, of whom God has scattered their bones, that is, their tribes. « They were put to shame. » For they are harassed by Him whom they call dead. And the same things happen to any who are men-pleasers; for their bones, that is, their wealth and glory, are scattered by God.

Why does the Prophet pray for salvation from Sion, and not from heaven, ^D not from the temple, not from the ark, not from the saints? Because it is there that Christ restored to us the ancient inbreathing. Which He clearly added: « When the Lord restores. » For Satan had taken captive through deception our participation in the Spirit; but Christ restored it in Sion through the inbreathing of the apostles. And why will Jacob rejoice first, and then Israel be glad, when it is one and the same person? Because Jacob is interpreted as "supplanter," but Israel as "mind seeing God." We must first become supplanters, that is, of the devil, and then our perspicacious mind rejoices in the contemplation of God according to the power of God.

PSALM LIII

^A VERS. 3. ‹O God, in thy name.› Not on account of my works, he says—for I possess nothing worthy of any value—nor on account of the nobility of my ancestors (for one cannot save another), but in thy name. For this salvation stands perpetual and inviolable. If, falling in with robbers or barbarians, some people escape dangers by producing the names of princes as if they were their kin, how much more shall we be delivered from all the snares of the demons in the name of God?

‹And in thy power judge me.› He desires judgment, not that we be condemned, but that we be delivered from the oppressor; wherefore he petitioned to be judged in power, so that the adversary, whether sensible or spiritual, being subdued by the power of God, we might be freed from our ensnarers. ^B

VERS. 4. ‹O God, hear my prayer.› For we have no stronger weapon against our enemies than prayer, provided we have asked things worthy of God. Conscious of this himself, the Prophet desires that God lend an ear to the words of his mouth, so that, knowing he seeks nothing human, He may accept the sacrifice of prayer.

VERS. 5. ‹For strangers have risen up against me.› Strangers are all those who do not understand the things that are of God, however much they may be relatives, friends, or brothers. Therefore, they are often not ashamed to plot against us as strangers do against strangers, ^C even though they are kin. For those who have made themselves strangers to God, how much more do they become strangers to the law of nature? He calls them "strong" who are powerful in malice, who labor under such a vehement and implacable depravity that they plot against the soul itself, contriving not only sensible death for us, but spiritual as well.

VERS. 8. ‹I will confess to thy name.› For God does not accept an involuntary sacrifice; since He does not attribute the offering to the one who offers, but to the one who compels. Knowing this, the apostle Paul also said: *Not of sorrow, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.* ^D As for you, consider also the readiness of the will according to the time. For often, when we fall into affliction, we become more pious than ourselves. But it is necessary that we conduct ourselves similarly even when the affliction ceases.

Having seen the destruction of his enemies, he called the confession "giving thanks." For it is a good thing that is rightly practiced therein; for he who gives thanks to his benefactor renders him more ready in the future; and the deliverance from the sins he has and from future ones procures for him closeness to God, the hope of future blessings, and liberation from all affliction, so that the life of such a one is transformed into blessedness.

PSALM LIV

To the end, for the psalms of understanding of David.

VERS. 2.

Hear, O God, my prayer.

VERS. 3.

Contristatus sum in exercitatione mea.

VERS. 6.

Timor et tremor venerunt super me.

VERS. 7.

And I said: Who will give me wings?

^A he desires his wings, that is, to be filled with the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. But the particle “who” is not here that of one hesitating, but rather of one desiring and urging.

VERS. 9. ‹I waited for Him who saved me from the pusillanimity of spirit and the tempest. ›

He calls slander "pusillanimity," and "tempest" the intensity of temptation, and its force and vehemence; from both of which help must be sought from God. Christ does not pray this as for Himself, but for the apostles, whose spirit was failing in the time of the passion; so that, rebuking them, He said: “So? Could you not watch one hour with me? Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” But if conspiracy in evil is a bad thing, then conversely, the breaking up of those conspiring in evil is a great good. Therefore, those who had agreed on the building of the tower, when they had one voice and one lip, were all hindered, confounded by the greatest impiety, so that they no longer had agreement of voice.

When malice is divided against itself, we who are attacked by it are safe: for its plots are no longer trusted. For while Christ was working miracles, the tongues of the Jews were divided; and some indeed said: “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said: “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a schism ^B among them.

VERS. 10. ‹For I have seen iniquity and contradiction. ›

While Christ was being judged iniquitously, there was a contradiction of those judging, that is, of Pilate and the Jewish high priests: the former saying, “I find no cause in this man”; but the latter: “We have a law, and we know that according to our law he ought to die.”

VERS. 11. ‹Day and night it will surround it upon its walls, iniquity and labor in its midst. ›

By “day,” that is, at the time of the cross; by “night,” that is, at the time of the betrayal; “upon the walls,” that is, upon the priests; for they are the walls of the people: strong indeed, while they live according to the law of the priesthood; but rotten and ruined, when they deal in things alien to their dignity. And he calls “iniquity and labor in its midst” and injustice ^C the servitude of the letter: iniquity, because they did not keep the law spiritually; injustice, because, having been affected by such great benefits from the Father, they delivered their physician and nourisher to the cross. “And usury and deceit did not depart from its streets.” Perhaps he even censures the avarice of the Jews; who, while the law forbade them to lend at interest, deceitfully extorted usury through other artifices. But the usury of deception is hypocrisy: this together with deceit never departed from the streets of Jerusalem; for they prided themselves in these as if they were virtues. Nevertheless, let us also take care, lest by day

or by night we allow iniquity or any contradiction at all to persist upon our walls—that is to say, our virtues—nor let us have usury or deceit in our streets. For streets are broad ways, in which transgressions lead not to life, but to destruction.

^A VERS. 13. *Quoniam si inimicus exprobrasset me.* Things brought upon us by manifest enemies are considered tolerable for this reason, because it is easy to guard against them; but those who, while appearing to be friends, plot hostile things, are intolerable; for mixing poison with honey in secret, they bring about death. Christ rebuked Judas for this also through the present prophecy. In order to set these things forth more clearly, the Prophet added the following:

VERS. 14. *Tu vero homo unanimis.* "Unanimous," because of the love which the Lord showed toward His own disciples, so as to say to the Father: *Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me; that they may be one, as also we.* Ruler, because, carrying the money box, he perhaps held the power of administration. Known, because He had revealed all things to him as a disciple. *Who didst take sweet food together with me.* For he alone dipped his hand into the dish with Jesus. *We walked in the house of God with consent.* He calls Zion the house of God; for there, with consent, Christ completed the Supper of the Passover with His disciples; yet Judas did not keep the mystery of the supper; for having gone out from there, he committed the betrayal. ^B Thus, the Spirit of God uttered these things many generations before, rebuking the traitor.

VERS. 16. *Veniat mors super illos.* This was fulfilled in the case of Judas; for the noose followed his betrayal. It was fulfilled also in the case of the other Jews; for having Christ, the true life, and acting impiously toward Him, they incurred the terrible curse of death. Human life is called a "sojourning." For we cannot dwell here for a long time, but as sojourners, when the master of the house gives the order, we are cast out immediately. But because the Prophet said "many tabernacles" instead of one, he hints at the many differences of men in this life. ^C For some, for instance, are engaged in poverty, others in agriculture, others in the service of divine worship. But in all these things the children of the Jews acted wickedly; for not only the common people, but also those who were preeminent among them, be they princes or priests, having taken wickedness as it were into their midst, practiced it.

VERS. 17. *Ego ad Deum clamavi.* Christ says these things also; for He cried out to God His own Father, and the Lord heard Him. Whether you mean the Spirit (for the Lord is the Spirit), or the Lord Himself hearing Himself, ^D

^A from this it is manifest that Christ prays, desiring to observe the law of humanity, but nevertheless He hears Himself; for He Himself fulfills His own prayer, accomplishing as God the very things which He would pray for as man.

VERS. 18. « Vespere, et mane, et meridie. » He declares the mysteries performed at the stated times. In the evening, when Joseph buried Him and Nicodemus cared for Him; and again, when with the doors of Zion closed, He entered a second time. In the morning, when He was brought to Pilate's praetorium, and when, having risen from the dead, He manifested Himself to the women. At midday, when He was crucified and shook the earth, desiring not to destroy it, but to renew and rectify it. And why did He promise to recount these things? Because they contained the rest of the miracles of the Only-Begotten. Whence he also asserts that His Father will hear this voice, rejoicing in the commemoration of the aforementioned mysteries.

VERS. 19. « Redimet in pace animam meam. » Either from the soldiers who surrounded His tomb; or from the false witnesses who, accusing Him, stood around Him at the time of the judgment; or from the powers in Hades, who were at once astonished at Him and yet stood guard ^B so that He might not lead forth the entire captivity of the dead.

VERS. 21. « Extendit manum suam in retribuendo. » The accuracy of this prophecy is worthy of admiration. For this is found to be fulfilled in the very events concerning Judas, when, wishing to return the silver—the price of the betrayal—to the chief priests, he necessarily stretched out his hand.

VERS. 22. « Molliti sunt sermones ejus super oleum. » The Jews, he says, had words so smooth that they seemed to surpass all kindness, while in them they were testing the wisdom of God; just as sailors test the sea with a sounding lead; but they did not reach it. For what can a lead do in the abyss? But the abyss is the wisdom of God, concerning which Paul also said: « O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! » ^C And this very Prophet himself says: « Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are a great abyss. » But some copies have, « His words were smoothed. » So that the prophecy is referred to Judas; for he smoothed his own words through pretenses, while sometimes pretending to care for the poor so that he might steal from the money-box; at other times by a kiss and salutation mocking Christ.

VERS. 23. « Jacta super Dominum curam tuam. » We believe these things also to be spoken to us; for if ^D

^A we cast our cares upon God, we shall find Him to be both our nourisher and our support, so that we may in no way be shaken. But it seems to me that the Prophet, having made mention of Judas, of necessity also hinted at Peter, so that he might indicate the difference between an involuntary lapse and a voluntary transgression. For in encouraging Peter after the lapse of his denial, and urging him toward repentance, he prompts him to cast upon God the care for these things, for He is able to nourish the disciple through forgiveness, and will not permit the just man to remain in eternal fluctuation; but if he has endured it for a time, He is ready to lead him immediately into tranquility.

« Ego autem sperabo in te, Domine. » Let the faithful say this; for hope in God grants the liberation from evils and the abundance of all good things.

PSALM LV

VERS. 1. « In finem, pro populo qui a sanctis longe factus est, » etc. The words of the title seem in a way to be contradictory. For David indeed arrived in Gath when he was fleeing from Saul; yet the foreigners did not detain the prophet, but rather drove him out, because he feigned madness and insanity in the gates by playing the zither and spitting saliva from his mouth, as the Book of Kings 40 declares. Furthermore, if we seek according to history, we shall not easily find the people “made remote from the saints” for whom David wrote this psalm. Therefore, it is necessary ^C that these things be accepted spiritually, just as they were written by the Holy Spirit. For the Prophet wrote this psalm for the people from the nations, who had been made far from the saints; for they had no communion with the patriarchs and prophets. Nevertheless, those who were “far off,” as Paul says 41, became “near” when the foreigners seized the new David in Gath, that is, in the wine-press (for Gath is interpreted as “wine-press”). And the Church is also called a wine-press because of God, who performed the mystery in it as in a wine-press; just as it is found to have been exclaimed through that prophecy of Isaiah: “I have trodden the wine-press alone,” 42 so that the heavenly Virtues, in a manner of questioning, might say to Him: “Why are thy garments red, and thy vestments like ^D those of one who has trodden the wine-press and is fully trampled?”

VERS. 2. « Miserere mei, Deus, quoniam conculcavit me. » Often indeed our human nature also sustains this difficult war, being besieged all the day by Satan, and trampled by him. For even if this psalm makes mention of a man, it nonetheless hints at Satan himself, who is frequently called by this name in Divine Scripture, or at some leader subordinated to him. Indeed, it is fitting that the people of the nations also sing these things in response; as they were for a long time deceived by Satan, and had remained under his war through the snares of demons

which he hints at more clearly in what follows. ^A

VERS. 3. *They have trampled upon me, my enemies.* He does not mean one day, but the whole span of time that has passed, during which our spiritual enemies, warring against us from on high, have not ceased to trample upon us. And how did they trample? By means of idolatry and pleasures, tripping up others, and afterwards insulting those who had fallen. Therefore, let us by no means be cast down to the ground—that is, to earthly things—and no one will be able to trample upon us. Nor let us allow our enemies to become superior to us; rather, ascending the ladder of virtues, let us make those who plot against us inferior to ourselves.

VERS. 4. *I shall not fear the day.* For if, he says, we walk in the light and in the day, as Paul says, walking honestly, we rightly fear none of those who plot against us, using as armor against them faith in God and hope.

VERS. 5. *In God I will praise.* Since every word possessing the knowledge of God is worthy of praise and celebration, let us, he says, offer praise to Him as the Author, and whatever we speak in Him, He directs well and rightly establishes as worthy of reward. Furthermore, we shall often find that "flesh" refers to carnal passions and pleasures—as when Paul says, "For I know that there dwells not in me," that is, in my flesh, "good"—but often it also refers to man, as David also said: *To you all flesh shall come*. Therefore, the hope of God both bridles pleasure and restrains the hostile man, and renders us fearless in both respects. ^{B C}

VERS. 6. *All the day [they were] my words.* He refers openly also to the Jews; for they have always loathed the words of the faithful, as containing a refutation of their own unbelief. Indeed, from morning until evening, when Paul was speaking to them, they loathed the truth of the word, dissenting, as Luke says. *All their thoughts were against me for evil.* For the children of the Jews think nothing good concerning the nations (since every evil man brings forth what is evil), and they try in every way to deceive us.

Nothing is certainly more manifest than this prophecy. For the children of the Jews, having been cast out of Jerusalem because of the sin against Christ, and having become inhabitants of the whole world, when asked the cause [of this dispersion], conceal it, and while remaining silent about their own crime against Christ, they allege other sins. Certainly, they neither worship idols now nor slay the prophets. But why do they conceal it? So that their confession might not become a confirmation of our faith. *They will observe my heel*, he says. For the Jews investigate even any slightest fault of ours; and thus you will understand what God said to the serpent: *He shall observe thy head, and thou shalt observe his* ^D

calcaneum.* ^A We, however, are commanded to observe his head—namely, idolatry—before all else, yet at the same time to guard against the remaining sins, however minimal they may be, however light they may seem, so that they are reckoned as the calcaneum; since the enemy observes these things, wishing to bring us, even for any trifling thing, before the Judge. Therefore, this verse ought to be interpreted as applying not only to the Jews, but to the demons who are truly the enemies; to which the following also harmonizes as a corollary.

VER. 9. *Thou hast put my tears in thy sight.*

Blessed are they whose tears God accepts; for He consoles their passions, just as He promised through His own promise. And what is this promise? *Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.* ^B

PSALM LXIV

VER. 12. *Thou shalt bless the crown of the year.*

It should be known that some writers have said that after the return from Babylon there was a year of plenty, with a multitude of rains and the rushing of the Jordan—which they said was called the river of God; yet even though they had been in the greatest poverty, as Esdras taught, and even though the calling of the nations was approaching, the remainder of the psalm must be adapted to this. But others say fabulously that these things will be after the calling of the Jews in the last times, with the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

PSALM LXV

VER. 3. *Say unto God: How terrible.*

For by the magnitude of the things performed by You, You rendered those who were near You so illustrious that many even of the adversaries pretended to be your servants, lying about it; and this happened when many of the adversaries allowed themselves to be circumcised, pretending Judaism. ^C And Josephus is witness to this in the eleventh book of the *Antiquities*, recounting the acts of Mordecai and speaking in this manner: "The couriers, therefore, who were carrying these letters, set out immediately and finished the intended journey; but Mordecai, donning the royal robe and the golden crown and putting on the torque, went forth. And the Jews who were in Susa, seeing him so honored by the king, thought that this good fortune was common to them." And an immense joy, as if a new light of salvation had arisen, seized all the Jews, as many as inhabited either the city or the region, when the royal letters were displayed; so much so that many of the other nations, for fear of the Jews, circumcised their private parts, securing safety for themselves in this way.

VER. 10. *For thou hast proved us, O God.*

For, in wishing to show to all the genuineness of our piety, You permitted us to suffer these things.

PSALM LXVI

VER. 2. *God be merciful unto us.* ^D

^A He asks that the manifestation of the Savior, which he had foreseen, might quickly come to pass, so that we might reap the blessing from it. For the face of the Creator of all appears, who fills us with blessing and mercies, when the figure of his substance appears to us, showing himself to those who are worthy; for since he is the image of the invisible God, he who approaches him with a pure mind sees the Father. For he says, *He who has seen me, has seen the Father.* Then he has mercy on those who have been benefited, and *blesses* them *with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.* For when your face illuminates us, the way that leads to the Father is known, as he says: *I am the way: and no man comes to the Father, but by me.* The same shall also be salvation among all nations, when that which is written is fulfilled: *All flesh shall see the salvation of God.* You might also say that the way is his commandments, according to that: *I have run the way of your commandments;* and consequently the salvation, which he came to present, so that your salvation toward us might be manifest to all.

PSALM LXVII VERS. 3. *As smoke vanishes.* Easy is the fall of sinners, even if they seem to themselves to be very confident. For what is more fragile than smoke, that it should be dissolved? Or what, indeed, than wax, when it is warmed by a more violent fire? With these things the Prophet compared sinners; for when the fire of hell shall be kindled, all the fancy that surrounds them immediately vanishes. ^B VERS. 5. *Sing to God.* Indeed, Christ is accustomed to being called the Orient in the prophets: *Behold the man, whose name is the Orient:* and below him he shall rise. And again: *To you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall rise: and healing in his wings.* But although he exists as the Orient by reason of his own light, nevertheless he ascended upon the setting, making the sinners who return to him his own chariot; to whom he said: *Take up my yoke upon you, for it is sweet, and my burden, for it is light.* These, David exhorts to prepare a way for God through repentance: for in his sight they shall not only obtain pardon, but also, having been made members of his household, they shall rejoice. ^C VERS. 27. *Bless God in the churches.* A domestic congregation of the pious is also called an Ecclesia; just as Paul also says: *Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with their domestic Ecclesia.* Furthermore, he desires that the Lord and God be praised from the fountains of Israel, that is, the prophets and apostles; so that in the way in which they expounded, we might in that same way celebrate God. ^D VERS. 36. *The God of Israel himself will give power.*

The God of Israel is Christ; for of Him Isaiah says: "For You are our God, and we knew it not; the God of Israel is the Savior." ^A He bestows strength and power upon the people of the nations, so that they may recoil from error and turn to Him; and these, as His people, are called Christians because of Christ.

PSALM LXVIII

VERS. 3. *I have come into the depths of the sea.* How is it that one hoping in God fails in his eyes, and does not rather become emboldened and stronger? But He calls the apostles His eyes; concerning whom He says in the Canticles: "Your eyes are as doves," upon the fullness of the waters, alluding to the gift of baptism; for there the Spirit provided participation to those who believe. Thus, at the time of the passion, they failed and were scattered, seeing Christ hoping in God ^B His Father, and saying: "Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani"; for they did not know that God had withdrawn His own power, so that an opportunity might be given for suffering.

VERS. 5. *They are multiplied beyond the hairs of my head.* He calls the faithful His hairs. For just as the head is glorified in its hairs, so also is Christ in the faithful.

VERS. 9. *I have become a stranger.* He became a stranger at the time of the passion, when all His disciples abandoned Him and fled. But by "mother" you will understand the Synagogue of the Jews, and all their kinship ^C according to the flesh, of those who are of the circumcision; and by the "sons" of this [mother], those who denied Him and said: "As for this man, we do not know whence He is." Again, they deemed Him a stranger, saying: "Do we not say well that You are a Samaritan, and have a demon?" Thus He became a stranger to the sons of His mother.

VERS. 12. *And I put on sackcloth as my garment.* For He truly put on the harsh sackcloth of our sin.

VERS. 13. *They spoke against me.* He means the Jewish leaders. For it was the custom ^D for the council of the Jews to sit in the gate, as we shall find in the history of Ruth and Boaz.

VERS. 15. *And those who drank sang songs about me.* What wine? The mystical. For they did not murmur, but sang; indeed, composing prophetic hymns about God, Christ.

He further speaks of the Jews, who hated Him as one who rebuked their hypocrisy to their face; yet in the deep they harbored the water of malice, so that they would sometimes call Him "Rabbi," and at other times "true and a man sent from God," while concealing their wickedness in the depth of their heart.

^A VERS. 17. ‹Exaudite me, Domine.› And what need has the Only-Begotten to be heard, seeing He is equal to the Father and shares the same honor? He Himself gives the reason: "For thy mercy is kind." That is to say: For this reason I need to be heard, because for the sake of thy loving-kindness I have become man, and being God, I justly take these things upon Myself for all men. VERS. 19. ‹Intende animae meae.› What is "attend"? Look, He says, upon it, that it is not only man's, but also of the incarnate God; for He did not take on sufferings for His own sake, but for our common liberty. "I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." Yet I pray for it at the same time because of the subjection of the flesh. For I have sustained these things not for Myself, but for the whole human nature, the sins of which I bear, and therefore I have necessarily suffered the shame caused by them. ^B VERS. 22. ‹Et dederunt in escam meam fel.› We shall find this also fulfilled at the time of the cross; for then the Jews offered Him vinegar and gall. VERS. 29. ‹Deleantur de libro viventium.› For even if they were first written down, He says, because of their fathers who live with God (whence also the promises were made to them), yet since they have dared to commit such things, let them be erased; and do not, let Him say, let them be written down with the elect just, and those who are worthy of life with Him, inasmuch as they have rejected the author of salvation. ^C VERS. 30. ‹Pauper et dolens sum ego.› He calls "praise" that laudation which is offered to Him by the whole of creation, praising Him by natural motions. The Church, therefore, promises not only to offer that praise which is common with creation, but to celebrate it with a song—that is, to offer spiritual and intellectual hymnody. For this is, properly speaking, to sing to God. VERS. 31. ‹Laudabo nomen Dei cum cantico.› For rational praise is more pleasing to God than legal worship.

PSALM LXIX

^A are therefore put to shame when they see us far superior to their snares and acting rightly.

VERS. 4. “Let them be turned back immediately.”

Immediately, that is, straightway and without delay. But whom does he want to be put to shame quickly? Those who say, “Aha, aha!”—that is, the mockers, the flatterers, the deceivers, those who accept as good things that are harmful and deadly. However, he prays that the spiritual enemies be merely put to shame and turned back, but that the sensible ones be turned back in haste; for the latter are more slippery, being brothers by nature, of the same lineage, and of the same tribe.

VERS. 5. “Let them exult and be glad.” ^B

Christ is called the Salvation (or Savior) of the Father; for in Him the salvation of the human race has been accomplished. Whence also Simeon, taking Christ into his arms, said: “Now you dismiss your servant, O Lord, according to your word, in peace; because my eyes have seen your Salvation.” Those, therefore, who love this salvation constantly magnify—that is, glorify—God; because, having abandoned idols, they have loved God, who truly saves and redeems.

VERS. 7. “You are my helper and my deliverer.” ^C

For when we have failed of all human help, then we shall find God in place of all things. Perhaps, too, he speaks these things in the person of the people of the nations, for whom also this whole psalm is appropriate, entreating Christ to hasten His help and praying that the spiritual enemies—that is, the demons, who have tyrannized over us for a long time—be put to shame. This people is needy and poor: needy because of sin, poor because of impiety.

Helper, as a strong deliverer, as one who Himself was given for a short time to death as a pledge on our behalf, so that He might redeem our captivity. Do not delay. For those who are sick have been given up by all physicians. Therefore also Habakkuk said: “Yet a little while, he who is coming will come, and will not delay,” hastening the arrival of the Savior.

PSALM LXX. ^D

VERS. 2. “In your justice deliver me.”

He rightly adds, to “let me not be put to shame,” “in your justice.” For even if I have sinned against you, yet you will justly deliver me from them; because they have no knowledge of your power, and they wrongfully do us injury.

“Incline your ear to me.”

That is, condescend as if to one who is weak. Incline your ear as if to a sinner, and one unable to pray with confidence; or, which is truer, draw near. For we are not able to draw near to God unless He, who is present everywhere, becomes near to us through compassion.

^A VERS. 3. *Be to me a protecting God.* He calls the devil a wicked and unjust sinner; and it is from his hand (namely, from sin, which lies in the snares of pleasures) that he asks to be delivered. But if he also asks to be delivered from human sinners, this is also blessed. For if the sinner is an enemy, he shows no mercy; but if he is a friend, he is burdensome nonetheless; for what he himself invents, he advises his friends to do as well. Therefore, let us also pray to be delivered from the sinner, whether enemy or friend; since the latter harms us through friendship, and the former through power or violence, but both harm us wickedly and unjustly.

VERS. 8. *Let my mouth be filled with praise.* No one can praise God or the things of God unless he has been filled by Him with wisdom and praise. What then does he desire to praise? The glory and magnificence of God; that is, the great works of God and the greatly glorified miracles, concerning which He said: *How magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom Thou hast made them all.*

*That I may sing Your glory.* He calls the Spirit "magnificence"; for in Him the great miracles and accomplishments of God are wrought. And he calls "all day" this life of ours.

VERS. 10. *For my enemies have spoken against me.* The demons guard our souls, not for good, but for evil, observing them so that they might ensnare us by lying in wait; for these, when they have laid traps for us through sin and see us weak unto doing good, as if we were forsaken by God, not only wish to pursue us in a concerted conspiracy, but also strive ^C to overtake us; for they imagine that there is no one to deliver us.

VERS. 12. *O God, do not be far from me.* And how can God, who is above all and in all, be far off, unless we have acted in a way unworthy of His presence? As He said to the Jews through the prophetic tongue: *Your sins divide between you and God.*

VERS. 21. *You have multiplied Your magnificence over me.* The magnificence of God is His condescension toward us; for as the Greatest, He remains great, and descends to the lowly. But how did He multiply His condescension toward us? Namely, when He became man, and in so doing, by turning us back from error, He did not terrify us as servants, but comforted us as sons.

VERS. 22. *For I too will confess to You.* This is not so much in sensible instruments as in a clean heart, and a temperate tongue, which utters nothing alien to holiness. For these are justly called truly vessels of the psalm.

PSALM LXXI.

VERS. 6. *He shall descend like rain upon the fleece.* He speaks of the emptying of the Only-Begotten into the Theotokos Virgin: he justly called her womb the fleece; because the coming of the Word of God [happened] quietly and without noise, not

^A unlike how the fleece received the rain. And you will say the same regarding the droplets.

VERS. 9. ‹ Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down. › Now indeed they [do so] willingly, but in the future age they shall [do so] even unwillingly. For not yet, according to the Apostle, do we see all things subjected to him. But then ^B every knee of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth shall bow to him. And his enemies shall lick the dust, those who honor the sensual pleasures of the flesh.

VERS. 14. ‹ Out of usury and iniquity. › He will persuade, therefore, he says, those who take pleasure in injustice and greed to make use of mercy and philanthropy. And this was what the Scripture of the Gospel indicated by saying: Jesus chose these twelve, whom he also named apostles.

‹ And their name is honorable. › What name? Christ, from whom we are called Christians. For so honorable has his name become in the sight of those who have been saved and have believed through him, that some have despised wealth, others honors, and others even life itself, in order not to endure denying the name of Christians.

‹ And they shall pray for him. › For not only in churches, but also in marketplaces and in houses, the blessing of Christ—that is, the doxology—is continuously proclaimed by those who have believed in him.

VERS. 17. ‹ And all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed in him. › For all tribes, all tongues and countries, which previously were living in error, now concordantly ^C have received the blessing; wherefore they also call him blessed: and what beatitude, if not altogether that which is found in the Gospels: "Blessed is the womb which bore you, and the breasts which you sucked"?

VERS. 18. ‹ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. › And why does he double the "Let it be"? Wishing to hasten our freedom and the hope of the just. For when the earth is filled with the glory of Christ, then the present world will be brought to an end, and the kingdom of heaven will appear.

PSALM LXXII

VERS. 4. ‹ For there is no regard in death. › For there is no regard from the death of sin. But clearly, they suffer that which is spoken in Proverbs: "A wicked man falling into the depths of evils, disregards." Nor do human sufferings...

^A endure them. You perceive how much even a single word added to the matter contributes to clarity. For instead of saying, "They are not in labors," he added, "in the labors of men." By "man" here, understand him who guards the dignity of the rational part and is endowed with virtues, or him who, when he has erred, is corrected through the repentance brought about by God. Sinners are not in these labors of men, nor are they scourged with men; that is, they do not toil and work alongside the righteous, concerning whom it is also said: "Each will receive his own reward according to his own labor." Nor are they scourged alongside those who have slipped yet retain the hope of salvation, concerning whom it is written: "Whom the Lord loves, He chastens; and He scourges every son whom He receives."

VERS. 6. ‹ They are clothed with iniquity. › Those things of which they ought to be ashamed, in these they glory, so as to use them as coverings and a shade for their offenses. And he well conjoined these offenses to one another; for men for the most part fall from pride into iniquity and into avarice.

Nor can the words of heretics or the blasphemous prevail for long; but they pass over the earth, having wounded some few individuals in their transit. The faithful, understanding this, even if they have been seduced, return: concerning whom the Psalmist sang what follows. ^C

VERS. 13. ‹ And I said: Therefore in vain have I justified. › That is, Therefore in vain have I purified my thoughts, in vain my actions; and I have justified my heart, thinking nothing unjust within it; but I have washed my hands among the innocent, in good actions, that is, those which do not have a life derived from sin: that is, I considered it no loss; since sin is truly a loss for the soul, harming the friendship of God, which is the most excellent of goods.

VERS. 14. ‹ And I have been scourged. › For he who scourges himself for his offenses, and places his own rebuke in the mornings, that is to say, in the light and not in darkness, he exists pure in thoughts and actions. ^D But he is rebuked in the light who grants freedom to those who reprove him, observing that wise oracle which is said in Proverbs: "Reprove a wise man, and he will love you." But he who flees those who admonish him dwells in darkness; to whom the other verse of the proverb applies: "Reprove a fool, and he will add to hate you."

VERS. 21. ‹ Because my heart was inflamed. › I myself, he says, am even reduced to nothing; that is, I have become fragile; since my heart was inflamed with avarice, it is also manifest that my reins have been transformed; understand this as meaning toward lust. For when someone, by the prosperity of sinners,

^A being deceived, is incited to their imitation, he is immediately reduced to nothing and is depraved, falling from his own dignity. And very fittingly he added this, "And I did not know," because most people are ignorant of the vileness which comes to them from sins; some, indeed, as priests, and others as princes, being deceived by the outward appearance.

"I have become as a beast before thee." ^B For it is the property of a beast to wander, and again to be recalled from error either by a rod or by a bridle. But he added "before thee" and "with thee," confirming the statement; since there are some who follow the devil like foolish beasts: concerning whom it is said, "He is compared to foolish beasts, and is become like to them." But how can he who once had an entirely temporal or evil affection be with God always? Whence it is manifest that he did not sin by the determination of his mind, but suffered this through deception; wherefore, being checked by the bridle of the law, he immediately recoiled.

"For what have I in heaven?" "My heart and my flesh have failed," meaning from worldly and human affairs. For when it fails from thence, that is, when it withdraws and ceases from them, then he shall have God as his portion for ever; and his heart's possession becomes excellent, so that God is called his own because of the possession and the indwelling.

PSALM LXXIII

"As in a thicket of wood." ^C You shall understand the blasphemous tongues of the Jews as axes, and the same as also a hatchet and a chisel; and this is nothing wonderful, for elsewhere he called them a "sharp sword." These, therefore, he says, have cut down and broken into pieces its doors, namely, the entrances of faith to Christ.

The name of the Father is the Son, as He who manifests the Father, and is made known through Him. This tabernacle (by which he means the dispensation) they defiled on earth with sufferings; for in heaven it remained glorious even at the time of the passion.

"They said in their heart." ^D What festivals, then? It is clear that they are those which were hoped for after the coming of the Savior, such as the healing of infirmities, the driving away of error, and the accession of knowledge of God. For these are truly the festivals of God, which cause man to rejoice without end and to celebrate a continuous festival. These, therefore, they figured they would take away through the plots they had constructed against Him.

"Thou hast confirmed in thy power." He calls every opposing power "a dragon" in general: partly because it contains deadly poison; and partly in remembrance of that which was done in paradise, when the enemy, entering the serpent, deceived the first-formed man. Christ crushed the heads of these in the water, and He Himself

when he himself was baptized, and delivered baptism to men. But the head of the spiritual dragons is sin. VERS. 15. *You have broken up the fountains and the torrents.* Just as He Himself infuses graces through the Holy Spirit, so does He dry up and take away errors, which He rightly and deservedly called the rivers of Etham. For Etham is interpreted as "brier" or "thorn," and this plant is rebuked in the divine Scripture on account of its bad fruit. VERS. 16. *Yours is the day, and Yours is the night.* ^B He makes the Creator mindful of His creature—not that He has forgotten it, but wishing it to confess in all things that it is His creature, since it possesses such a manifold and varied order, that day succeeds night, and spring gives way to summer, and the earth is bounded by limits, although it seems immense due to its magnitude. Each of these manifests its Creator, God, who has wisely arranged them. VERS. 19. *Do not deliver to the beasts.* He calls sinners "poor," those who have no riches of justice, but have devoured all their paternal substance; God is thought, as is right, to have forgotten them, while He uses long-suffering and puts off their punishment.

PSALM LXXIV

PSALM LXXVI

^A contemplation; in this, therefore, he exercised himself, being busy about contemplative movements. For we have already shown that "meditation" in the present context is used in this sense. But now he was "hoeing" his spirit; that is, he was struggling because he was not yet able to grasp these things. This present life is night on account of ignorance, in which, he says, I did not "give myself over to sleep" like some others (for those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who are drunk, are drunk at night); but being sober, I discoursed with the Law concerning things that must be done. For having learned that present things are temporal and will have an end, I grasped the evils that encompassed me. In the manner of agriculture, I was hoeing my own spirit, so that having sown in it, I might reap eternal life. For "he who sows in the spirit, from the spirit will reap eternal life." Above, he called the soul "spirit"; but here, the spirit of the man which is in him, with which the soul hoes and meditates—for surely it is not the body that does this with the soul. Therefore, the soul of the man strictly meditates with the mind, and hoes the spirit joined to the mind. "For I will pray with the spirit, I will pray also with the" ^B mind.

« This is the change of the right hand of the Most High. » The right hand of the Father is the Unigenized One himself, who changed us for the better.

« I have remembered the works of the Lord. » There are many wonderful things of God concerning the creation and other matters; but this is preeminent, that, taking dust, He established a rational animal, and set it as His own image. These are the wonders of God from the beginning concerning us, which He wrought for our sake; for it appears that He planted a paradise, then again shut it off, bringing a flood, through which He both punishes and saves, confusing the languages of the tower-builders. But he appears also for our sake, having found the written law beyond the natural law, and after this, prophecy. For these are the undertakings of God, contriving to save our race; in which the prophet meditates, in these seeking and pondering for a long time as to what among the things mentioned saves man. But having found something else besides these, he immediately added:

« Who is great as our God? » He does not say this by way of comparison (for He who is of infinite greatness does not admit comparison), but by praising and admiring; since He is truly great in power, and great in condescension, great in sovereignty, and great in loving-kindness, as what follows shows. ^D

« Thou hast led Thy people like sheep. » Not in vain did he use here the image of sheep; but because they are directed by the rod of the shepherds, just as we also are pastured by Christ via the cross. Whence he also made mention of Moses, and furthermore of Aaron, who carried the rod as a type of the cross, the mother of so many miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness. Just as

those used the rod against the enemies for the benefit of Israel, so also Christ ^A has used the cross against the demons for the sake of our conversion.

PSALM LXXVII

VERS. 5. *And He raised up a testimony in Jacob.* The tabernacle of testimony was called the testimony, in which was deposited the ark of the covenant, and in the ark the law, and the Cherubim, and the propitiatory, and the candelabrum, and the table, and the proposition of the loaves.

VERS. 6. *That the generation to come might know.* You see that he speaks of the Gentiles; for these were not yet born unto piety, since they were to be begotten through baptism; whence they were deservedly called the children who shall be born. This is truly the knowledge of God: to make others also partakers of the knowledge, and to render others sons through the instruction of the commandments; which those who believed in Christ have clearly done. For they envied no one the divine knowledge, nor did they wish, as those who went before, to shut the entrance to others; but they exhort them to place their hope in God.

VERS. 7. *That they might set their hope in God.* These things are preached to all, ^B both domestic and foreign, in the Church, in which Paul cries out to all: *My little children, of whom I am in labour again, until Christ be formed in you.* (Gal. IV, 19)

VERS. 8. *And his spirit was not trusted with God.* For they had proclaimed the faith entirely with the tongue alone, and not with their whole heart and a pure spirit.

VERS. 15. *He broke the rock in the wilderness.* Perhaps some might think that the prophet has expounded the same sign twice; but the matter is not so, but Moses brought forth water for them from a rock a second time: once indeed in the desert of Horeb, but the second time at Kadesh, where Miriam was buried after she died. Both were given for ^C satiety, so that it might even be said to be like a great deep—since it was sufficient not for one stream, but for very many [people] to have water supplied. For this was a confirmation that those miracles had happened to them in reality, not through imagination.

He put forth a harsh rebuke of the people of the Jews: for, having received such great miracles, when they ought to have abstained from their former sins, they added others likewise upon them, not simply sinning, but [sinning] against Him—that is, offending against Him who ^D had provided these signs.

VERS. 21. *And wrath ascended upon Israel.* For the Lord was angry against them, because He saw they never had a faithful mind toward Him, but were always ungrateful for the gifts given, and full of doubt regarding those not given. Therefore he says, *And they hoped not in His salvation*, meaning Christ: whom many of the prophets named their salvation; and

clearly Simeon, when he took Him in his arms, so named Him. ^A

VERS. 23. And He commanded the clouds from above.

VERS. 27. And He rained upon them flesh as dust.

VERS. 30. And while their food was in their mouths.

VERS. 36. And they loved Him with their mouth.

VERS. 42. And they did not remember His hand.

VERS. 49. Sending of evil angels.

VERS. 53. And He led them in hope.

For He says to Abraham: "Know, you shall know, that your seed shall be a stranger in a land not its own, and they shall enslave them, and they shall humble and afflict them for four hundred years; but the nation to whom they shall be enslaved I will judge, and they shall come out from here with great substance." ^A Led, therefore, by this hope, they did not fear while they crossed the Red Sea on foot, which covered their enemies, and the water, rushing upon the Egyptians, became a grave.

VERS. 63. *Their young men the fire devoured.* By young men, he means those who were powerful in the law, such as the scribes and the Pharisees, who were confident in the power of the letter; these the fire devoured—the fire being the zeal on our behalf, when they saw that we are justified without the yoke of the law. Wherefore Isaiah also said to them: "Zeal shall seize an uninstructed people; and now fire shall eat the adversaries."

VERS. 65. *As a mighty man surfeited with wine.* But what kind of surfeit? That which comes from wine, which is fitting for the powerful; who, after wine, arise more impetuous. Thus we also hope that God, after ^B long-suffering, will become more vehement against those who have not discerned His patience: which, indeed, He has even just now done.

VERS. 68. *And He chose the tribe of Judah.* And yet, this Sion and ancient Jerusalem were not of the tribe of Judah, but of Benjamin. But he calls Judah the one who confesses (for this is what Judah signifies); the Church is his tribe; for through repentance and confession, Mount Sion—which indeed He also loved—is preserved by her. For everyone who looks upon God is called Sion, since Sion is interpreted as "watchtower."

^C You will surely say: If he were remembering the mysteries of the Church, for what reason did he bring forward David, who was much older than these? Because, certainly, he was the father and the image of Christ. Whence he was taken from the flocks of sheep, not from the flock. For Christ has many flocks: some of men, others of angels, and others of other rational and invisible powers, which also "bring forth," that is, they are pregnant; for He does not have a barren flock, but all [of them] conceive through fear of Him and bring forth salvation. Wherefore ^D Isaiah also said: "From Thy fear, O Lord, we conceived in the womb, and travailed, and brought forth the spirit of Thy salvation, which we have wrought upon the earth."

VERS. 71. *To shepherd Jacob His servant.* That is, the people from the nations. For this is Jacob, because, having supplanted the Jews, he received their birthright; and furthermore, he is Israel, for he beholds God at the time of the mysteries as if face to face. But that God shepherds, hear David saying: "The Lord shepherds me, and nothing shall I lack." Hear also Christ: "I am the good shepherd."

PSALM LXXVIII

^AVER. 1. "They set Jerusalem as a fruit-store." Why as a fruit-store? Because having taken away the spirit of the law and the prophets, they left only the fruit of the letter for themselves to guard. This, however, was not from men, but from God, who willed that the proofs of our faith should be preserved by the enemies. The letter is deservedly called "fruit," because it contains no solid food, but only temporary nourishment.

VER. 3. "They poured out their blood." Their blood is their psychic transgressions, in whose blood the vengeance occurs: these were poured out like water, so that they could no longer be taken back, just as water cannot be after being poured out. "In the circuit of Jerusalem;" that is, upon it, and those who are from it. For their blood is upon them, and upon their children, just as they themselves said when slandering Christ. "And there was no one to bury them." Why? Because they themselves, being as dead, were not able to bury one another; but the Church does not know how to bury them, that is, to cover their sins. And what is the hindrance? The decision of Christ which says: "Let the dead bury their own dead." Why? Because those who attempt to cover sinners make their own actions more exposed, and render them abominable to all.

^CVER. 8. "Do not remember our ancient iniquities." For from where shall we be able to suffice for both ancient and new evils? Perhaps the prophet calls "ancient iniquities" those which occurred in the desert, since God set many and various threats upon them; therefore he piously recalls their memory. Nothing reveals a man to be so poor as sins; and he becomes more impoverished when impiety is added to sin. Therefore they prayed that the mercies of God might be hastened to them, lest by excessive poverty they should despair and perish; thus, therefore, grant thy help.

VER. 9. "Help us, O God, our Savior." This is prayed to Christ; for he himself is not only God, but is also explicitly named Savior; he is also the glory of the name of God, that is to say, of the Father; whence also Paul called him the radiance of the glory of the Father. And for what reason? "For the name," he says, "of God," that is to say, of Christ, who is therefore called a propitiation; he granted propitiation for the sins of the Jews, when, nailed to the cross, he said to the Father: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do." For what reason does he want the vengeance to become known to the nations? Because it was about to happen against the demons, who had corrupted the blood (that is to say, the souls) of the servants of God (he says, of the Jews) through idolatry. And what was this vengeance? Verily, the destruction of idols, the burning of diabolical temples.

^A VERSE 12. « Render to our neighbors sevenfold. » He did not now address men as neighbors; for he would not have prayed that sevenfold be rendered to them, knowing that the Judge would not admit this. Or how could he have chanted to Him: « For You will render to everyone according to his works »? Doubtless, therefore, he speaks of the demons; for these justly receive sevenfold, inasmuch as, though they were of a nature superior to ours, they were cast down from heaven, and yet did not become wiser. Rather, they disturb the earth with their machinations, and not only do they sin themselves, but they induce us to sin, and furthermore—seeing that His image has fallen—they provoke God in a certain manner. By « neighbors » he refers to all humanity. For, setting us in opposition to the demons who were cast down from above, he calls man the people of God and the sheep of His pasture. And why sheep of His pasture? Because we, the faithful, are fed by Him when we partake of the sacraments.

^B PSALM LXXIX. VERSE 2. « You who shepherd Israel, give heed. » This shepherd of Israel is none other than He who says: « I am the good shepherd, » leading those who have a mind that sees God.

VERSE 5. « Excite Your power, and come. » In continuing, the prophet made this statement more manifest, declaring how and for what cause Christ was to come. For it is we who are the cause of His advent, that He might convert us and set us right. And the mode of that manifestation is clear, so that we may see Him face to face, for we could not otherwise be saved unless this face were made manifest to us.

^C VERS. 7. « You have set us for a contradiction to our neighbors. » He persists in the same prayer, that he might demonstrate how great its necessity is; and at the same time, he instructs us not to lose heart when we do not obtain that which we seek; but rather to persevere, for we shall certainly obtain it.

VERSE 15. « O God of hosts, turn back. » For since neither the law nor the prophets converted Israel, he necessarily beseeches Christ Himself to return.

« And visit this vine. » Since he had compared the Synagogue of the Jews to a vine, he necessarily divides his discourse, referring now to the image, and now to those for whose sake he took up the imagery. The Jews' vine—that is to say, the Synagogue of the Jews—was therefore set on fire by that fire of which Christ said: « I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled? » For this reason the fire was cast, and it was dug up, so that upon its being dug up, the foundation hidden within it might be revealed, concerning which Isaiah said: « Behold, I place in the foundations of Zion a precious, elect, corner stone, honorable; and he that believeth in... »

him shall not be confounded. » ^A

VERS. 19. « And thou shalt quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. »

Thou shall quicken us, he says, with the living water of baptism; for then we called upon his name, being called Christians from Christ.

PSALM LXXX.

VERS. 9-10. « Israel, if thou wilt hear me, there shall be no new god in thee. »

He added "if thou wilt hear" for this reason, that he might show that while he had foreseen their disobedience, this did not take away from them the capacity for repentance; for they could have, if they had wished. Nor does the foreknowledge of God hinder repentance, since he also foreknows this, that it is possible for sinners to change their ways if they wish. Christ was not a "new" God, nor a stranger; for he himself was the one who led them out of the land of Egypt; he was from the beginning, he is the same even after these things; just as he signified through the prophecy of Isaiah; for he says: ^B "I am the first God, and to those that are to come I am." And again: "I am God, and there is no other just one besides me, and there is no Saviour besides me." But the Saviour who became incarnate, in order that he might save our race, is indisputably the One understood here.

VERS. 12. « And my people did not hear my voice. »

For they could not endure to listen to him teaching, nor preaching the gospel, nor were they willing to pay attention to him working miracles; but they made their own ears heavy, that they might not hear the commandments of the Lord; and they closed their eyes, as Isaiah said, that they might not behold the signs. What, then, they suffered on account of these things, what follows declares.

VERS. 13. « And I gave them up unto their own hearts' affections. » ^C

By the "affections of their hearts" he refers to the varied thoughts and the machinations of the councils which the people of the Jews used when they were plotting against the Lord, saying: "What shall we do? for this man doeth many signs; if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation." According, therefore, to this machination, and according to this counsel, they were "given up," and they went forth; for the Romans captured both their place and their city; and they themselves were led away as captives. ^D

VERS. 17. « And he fed them with honey out of the rock. »

By "honey out of the rock" he means the prophets; since they obtain the prophecy from Christ, who is called the Rock, with which God fed them; not one prophet or a second, but having bestowed many upon them, and in many generations.

PSALM LXXXI.

VERS. 3. « Judge for the orphan and the poor. »

He does not say, Judge for the just man, nor for the prophet, nor for...

the priest; for whom He takes such great care in other places, and bids that no injury be inflicted upon them, saying: ^A *Touch not my christs, and do my prophets no harm*; but *for the orphan and the needy, the humble and the poor*. For what end? Because for the former it is expedient to suffer injury; but for these, it is unbearable to be injured on account of the pressing weakness of their age or poverty; hence the Lawgiver more strongly champions them.

VERS. 4. « Rescue the poor and the needy. » He discourses as if of wild beasts gaping after injustice or greed. Therefore, he who saves the poor receives the dignity and reward of a shepherd, namely of Him who, in giving Himself up for us, liberated us from spiritual wild beasts. But he who plunders is already, as a madman, reckoned among the beasts.

VERS. 7. « But you die as men. » Insinuating the devil; for he had obtained the power of a prince among the angels. Wherefore Paul says: *Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers*. Being lifted up, ^B and desiring greater things, he fell.

VERS. 8. « Arise, O God, judge the earth. » The Prophet therefore does not suggest the present inheritance, but the future; whence he asks God to arise and judge the earth, that is, man; so that, after He has arisen, He may assign the inheritance to all the nations: for He assigns to all a convenient lot, to one the humble, to another the temperate, ^C to another the merciful, to another the proud, and to another the greedy. For in the present life, He called "nations" not a diversity of languages, but a diversity of lives.

PSALM LXXXII.

VERS. 2. « O God, do not keep silent, and do not be still. » That is: Do not be long-suffering for a long time. For he called the silence of the Judge His long-suffering toward sinners.

VERS. 9. « They have come to the aid of the sons of Lot. » That is, they rushed to their assistance. Observe, therefore, the interior enemies: for they arm even the exterior ones; and do not trust in kinship; ^D since this too, for the most part, is converted into enmity. But consider also the curse which he inflicted upon them, proposing a *diapsalma*, since he transferred the discourse into a prayer, saying:

VERS. 14. « O my God, make them like a wheel. » He asks that they may stand nowhere, but that their status may be abolished everywhere, dissipated by the force of one who throws.

VERS. 16. « So shall You pursue them in Your tempest. » He calls "tempest" the sudden and most vehement movement of God against sinners, by which He desires them to be pursued and confounded.

^A

PSALM LXXXIII

^B

PSALM LXXXV

^C

PSALM LXXXVII

^D

PSALM LXXXVIII

dom of his, and he shall build a house to my name, and I will establish his kingdom forever. I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a son.

^A VERS. 10. *You rule the power of the sea.* Truth, he says, is with those who surround you; but we who are far from you, seeing your magnificence from your providence over the earth and the sea, confess that you are powerful, and your truth is in your circuit. For you so mitigate the sea, placing gates and boundaries around it, and as if serving the Lord, it roars, curved, and is troubled in itself, that it might not flood the whole earth.

VERS. 16. *Blessed is the people that knows jubilation.* He pronounces his holy apostles blessed, because indeed in his name and by his power they performed whatever miracles they performed.

VERS. 20. *Then you spoke in a vision to your sons.* When the Word, being God, was born according to the flesh from a woman, and came forth as man, remaining as he was God; then, receiving the anointing for your sake, he was named Christ. For the Word, being God, and existing as King before the ages, appropriated our things to himself, so that we might also obtain his things.

VERS. 27. *He shall call upon me, You are my Father.* Again here, by the dispensation, the incarnate one calls God his Father, saying: *I go to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.* For the prophet, prophesying concerning him, said of the child destined to be born that he was the mighty God, the Father of the age to come.

^B VERS. 34. *Nor will I do injustice in my truth.* Once he calls upon the certainty of the decree, as not admitting change. That text however, *I swore in my holy one*, that is, I swore by my holiness. For since he had nothing greater by which to swear, he swore by his own holiness.

VERS. 40. *You have profaned his sanctuary to the ground.* You have stripped him of all security: for the walls of the cities in which he trusted being overthrown, losing confidence, he has fallen into pusillanimity.

VERS. 47. *How long, O Lord, do you turn away to the end?* Remember, say those who speak these things, since we are mutable by nature, being endowed with free will, lest we wander into impiety. You could also speak of nature, ^C and such a nature, according to which one might be able to endure some trouble.

PSALM XC

VERS. 2. *My God, I will hope in him.* Do you see how much confidence he has before God? For having as it were dedicated his whole self to him, he has all the hope of being saved in him. But thrice-blessed is whoever is of this kind; and he will be full of every happiness. The blessed David sings, therefore, and says: *O Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who hopes in you.*

^A VERS. 5. *Scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus.* He who bears all these things generously, says the same as Job: If we have received good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not bear the evil? As it pleased the Lord, so it came to pass. He who is found in such accomplishments, therefore, does not fear the devil transformed into an angel of light, being a noonday demon, and proclaiming a fervent light through philosophy and empty deceit. This whole thing is the noonday demon. Nor is he alone, but his ministers also, transformed into ministers of righteousness, are noonday demons. But even if each of these pretends to be noonday, they do not remain such as they pretend to be, when the lamp of the ungodly is extinguished; when Christ comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart.

*There shall fall on your side a thousand.* Ten thousands laid snares as if from the right hand, as being more powerful and stronger. But there are more who fall because they seem to be on the right, than those who sin openly. For the majority of men, while setting forth certain righteous deeds, are pierced through by sins.

PSALM XCVII

VERS. 3. *He has remembered his mercy toward Jacob.* Because, having said Jacob, it was not enough for him, but he added also the house of Israel, so that he might clearly declare that he who had done the things now prophesied, was the same who had also named Jacob as Israel; because he had wrestled with him; wishing through this to prefigure the mystery of the incarnation; for it is proper to flesh to wrestle and to be embraced. He remembered, therefore, the promises made to Jacob and to Israel, and through grace fulfilled the mystery toward him. For he came to the Jews as a Jew; but since they closed their eyes (for they closed them, says Isaiah, their eyes lest they might see), in their stead the ends of the earth (that is to say, all the nations) beheld the salvation of God, although they did not see it before.

VERS. 4. *Shout to God, all the earth.*

^A And with good reason, since the goods are common. For it is no longer the mystery of one region, for example of Judea, or of one nation, but the mystery that is being accomplished concerns the whole of human nature, for which He also wishes us to shout, as those who have conquered a common war. For he called the whole of the human race "the earth." Therefore, it is not his intention to speak about the dry element, but about human beings; for this reason, he addresses himself to the multitude. He commands them first to sing, and after that to exult; then he adds "to psalm," so that we might have the glorification of Him as the beginning and the end of divine joy.

*VERS. 5. Psallite Domino in cithara.* (Sing to the Lord on the harp.) He calls the Old Testament a harp, for in it psalmody was prescribed. But he calls the Gospels trumpets, in which we are rightly commanded to shout in the sight of the King, that is, of Christ, as those who have conquered spiritual enemies through the evangelical way of life. He mentions both many trumpets and one because, while the Gospel is one in power, it has been made fourfold for the sake of those who expound it.

*VERS. 8. Flumina plaudent manu.* (The rivers will clap their hands.) You may say these are the powers of the Spirit, which, as if gathered into one at the time of Christ’s advent, are said to clap their hands, of which He says: *He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.* ^B Or indeed, you may say that the sensible rivers clapped their hands and danced when the Jordan received Christ to be baptized; for this joy was common to the rivers and the waters.

*VERS. 9. Montes exsultabunt.* (The mountains shall exult.) We have said that the mountains are the prophets on account of the sublimity of their contemplation: these rightly exult at the advent of Christ, since their prophecy is coming into effect. For the righteous rejoice when the Judge approaches, because of the rewards they expect from Him.

PSALM XCVIII

*VERS. 3. Confiteantur omnes nomini tuo.* (Let all confess your name.) For what is the work of judgment? To acquit the innocent and to manifest the guilty. Therefore, the honor of the King (that is, His sovereignty and power) loves judgment. Whence the rest of the translators have rendered the term for "honor" as "strength" or "power."

*VERS. 4. Tu parasti directiones.* (You have prepared directions.) How did He prepare them? By sending forth the law beforehand, in which He set down the commandments as directions. For he who walks according to those can keep the path of life straight. For the law which was in Jacob (he understands by this the race of

^A Israel), he brought upon those who sin for judgment their condemnation, and to those living well he showed forth the justice according to which one must conduct one’s life.

« And worship at the footstool of his feet. »

And for what reason does he exhort us to worship not rather at the throne of God, but at the footstool? And what sort of footstool is this, pray? Is it the earth? For "Heaven," says he, "is my throne, and the earth is my footstool of my feet." But it is not permitted for us to worship elements. He refers, therefore, to that place which he set forth more clearly in another psalm: "Let us worship in the place where his feet have stood." He refers to Golgotha. For that is truly the place which, at the time of the crucifixion, was beneath the feet of his flesh. ^B

« O Lord our God, you heard them. »

Our God. Whose? Those who through faith serve as his soldiers, and who have acquired the God of all as their own through the adoption of baptism. For that God is called in a special sense the God of those who have believed in him, Thomas himself will teach: for when he believed having touched Christ, he said to him, "My Lord and my God," calling his own Lord and God him who is over all, and crying out.

« Exalt the Lord our God. »

And what need has he who is exalted to be exalted? And how will he who is in the heavens be exalted by men? But, he says, think of noble things concerning him. The exaltation of the Word of God, therefore, is his worship in the holy mountain. ^C For just as trophies in war are glory to a king, so also is the perfection through sufferings to Christ, which took place in the holy mountain that received the cross. He does not call the mountain holy of itself, but from the arrival of the crucified one.

PSALM XCIX

« Know that the Lord himself is God. »

Whose sheep are we? Learn from the Only-Begotten who says: "My sheep hear my voice." We are also his people, who by the prophetic tongue said to us: "And you shall be to me for a people, and I will be to you for a God." Assuredly, the Lord himself is God. For the Son is named both equally as the ^D Father.

« Confess to him. »

For as he is sweet, that is, as he is compassionate and philanthropic, he gave mercy in the present age, so that even if we should be led astray through sloth, we might nevertheless, through his own philanthropy, return to him. For the truth of God, beginning from this generation, is made manifest in the coming generation, when he shall render to each according to his works. For this is the truth that cannot be conquered or deceived.

^A

PSALM C

VERS. 2. ‹ I will sing and understand in a blameless way. › It is a blessed thing to await the arrival of God, and to make ourselves ready for him as one who is to come to us; and he will come to us when we keep his commandments. For Christ says: *If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.*

VERS. 4. ‹ A perverse heart has not cleaved to me. › For what is straight cannot be joined to what is crooked. And just as a crooked rod cannot be glued to a straight one, so those who have a perverse heart do not cleave to one living in innocence.

‹ I did not know the one who turned aside from me, the wicked one. › For he who slanders another to us will not refrain from slandering us to others. And such a person is rightly to be driven away as a common enemy, as one who imitates the dragon in paradise, who, slandering God, supplanted Eve.

VERS. 5. ^B ‹ With a proud eye. › I would not, he says, strike a pact of friendship with them. For the table is for the most part accepted as a pledge of love. He reasonably joined the insatiable in heart—that is, the covetous man—with the proud one. For no one will be able to have such a person as a friend, since the arrogant and covetous man is a lover of himself.

VERS. 6. ‹ My eyes are upon the faithful of the earth. › He says not only that he turns away from the wicked, but also that the good please him so much that he fixes his eyes upon them; which is characteristic of lovers towards their beloved.

VERS. 8. ‹ In the mornings I destroyed all. › The city of God is that in which the saints dwell, to whom it is advantageous that sinners be removed from the midst, whether by being abolished or destroyed, that they may not be harmed in any way by their company.

^C

PSALM CI

Vers. 4. ‹ And my bones were dried up like a potsherd. › What a potsherd is, Symmachus has clarified; for he rendered it, "a burning." As, therefore, that which has been burned, if it does not happen to be quickly extinguished, is easily crumbled; so the soul, burning with worldly passions, if it does not attain to God quenching the conflagration with His philanthropy, is easily corrupted; and for this reason it prayed to be quickly heard. Now the bread of our soul is the Word of God. For just as earthly bread nourishes the body, so the Word from heaven nourishes the essence of the soul. And for these reasons Christ, delivering the prayer to the apostles, said: ^A *Give us this day our daily bread.* Whoever, therefore, forgets to eat this, that is, to work (for the eating of the intellectual bread consists in action; the Lord Himself declares this to the apostles, saying, *Work not for the food which perishes, but for that which abides unto eternal life*), his heart, struck like grass, withers. As grass is struck and withers when rain is rare upon it; so also the heart, when it suffers from a lack of the divine Word, then it is struck and withers, unable to cause the flower of virtue to bloom.

‹ From the voice of my groaning. › That is, all the fat and health of the body melted away. For the true groaning, which also has a voice that is heard, melts the body and works the mortification of the flesh; since by as much as the outer man is corrupted, by so much is the inner man renewed.

‹ I have been likened unto a pelican of the wilderness. › He has shown us a wonderful fruit of vigilance; for it makes us like a sparrow living alone on a roof; which, while it seems to some to be ^B contemptible, nevertheless possesses an elect and blessed way of life. For one who lives alone does not care for food or clothing like the sparrow, nor does he fear treachery; for he lives on a roof and is higher than those who lie in wait. And you will certainly understand that roof to be the one mentioned by the Psalmist, which the Lord also spoke of when describing the consummation; for He says: *He that is upon the house-top, let him not come down to take his garment.*

‹ All the day they reproached me. › That is, those who seemed to be friends were acting worse than enemies; for they were changing their praises into oaths against me, or setting certain agreements as a conspiracy against me, and were so averse to my humility that they ^C would invoke curses that they might not become like me, nor that such things as befell me might happen to them.

‹ And I was dried up like grass. › Let us not, therefore, be puffed up by worldly matters; for this reason the Prophet called us a shadow and grass, that we might not trust in any of the present things, ^D known for their frailty and their temporal nature. From us, however, the discourse directs itself to the Lord…

knowing their fragile and temporary condition. He has, however, transferred the discourse to the Lord, since He partook of mortal flesh, which is as corruptible as grass; nevertheless, by the very act of becoming incarnate, as God, He remained incorruptible and immortal. ^A

VERS. 14. *Thou arising shalt have mercy on Sion.* Arising: from where? Manifestly, from the dead. But how does He have mercy on Sion? Clearly, by changing the threat issued against it. And what was that? *Sion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a keeper's lodge.* And while the curse is common, its reversal is by no means common. And you see how Jerusalem indeed lies desolate even now, while Sion stands in glory, Christ having had mercy upon it at the proper time, that is, opportunely. But what is this opportunity? The setting forth of the mysteries that are in it. ^B

VERS. 16. *And the Gentiles shall fear thy name.* The cause of these things is the preaching which is to be proclaimed from Sion to the whole world. He correctly said "shall fear." For at that time the Gentiles did not yet possess the fear of Him; but from the time He commanded the apostles: *Teach all nations*, indeed even the kings of the earth, not some, but all. Wherefore you shall say that the righteous are recounted along with the kings; for they are, so to speak, self-consecrated, or rather, deemed kings by God, because they master their pleasures and keep the royal image within themselves inviolate. ^C

VERS. 17. *For the Lord shall build up Sion.* You see how the building up of Sion is the cause of the subjection of kings and the acknowledgment of the Gentiles; yet He did not build it up with stones, but with miracles and spiritual graces and glorious mysteries.

VERS. 18. *He hath looked upon the prayer of the humble.* He clearly calls those humble who are lowly of mind; concerning whom the Lord Himself said: *Upon whom shall I look, but upon him that is humble and quiet, and trembleth at my words?* so that He implies the apostles. ^D

VERS. 19. *Let these things be written for another generation.* These things: what things? Sion for another generation, that of the Gentiles. For since the Jews rejected it, because they did not receive the mystery within it, it has deservedly been inscribed as the mother of the Gentiles, to whom the things that follow befit.

*And the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord.* For the people from the Gentiles has been created, having received a different beginning of generation through the laver of regeneration; for it is the custom of divine Scripture to call such a renewal a creation. Paul is a witness to this fact when he says concerning Christ: *That he might create the two*

in himself into one new man, making peace.* ^A

*“For he has peered down from his holy height.”* ^B

He clearly makes mention of the advent of the Savior; for thus is he said to have peered down from the height at the time of the incarnation, as having remained above and appeared below. For this is characteristic of those who peer down from on high. He peered down, then, that he might look upon the earth. But you will ask, when did he not look upon it? But now his inspection was greater; for it happened for the sake of the dispensation which is mentioned in what follows.

*“To hear the groaning of those who are shackled.”* ^C

All were found to be bound by sin, each one being strangled by the chains of his own transgressions; Isaiah hinted at their conversion when he said: *And the captives shall follow you, and they shall pray to you, and they shall worship you.* These same ones are also the sons of those who were slain, who underwent the heavy and bitter death of idolatry. These, then, were groaning, desiring to be released from their bonds; wherefore, God having heard them, himself came down to the earth and looked upon them.

*“To declare in Zion.”* ^D

Not so that the praise of God or the proclamation—that is, the Gospel—might halt there, but so that, starting from there, it might be spread to the whole earth. For *the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and he shall judge between many nations.*

*“When peoples are gathered together into one.”*

It is set forth not concerning one people, but concerning many that have been gathered together. And through the multitude, the nations are hinted at.

*“He answered him in the way of his strength.”*

Declaring something similar, Christ says: *The hour has come that the Son of man should be glorified,* hinting at the time of the cross; which he necessarily called the way of strength. For the strength and true power of the cross is the resurrection from the dead, which the mystery of the cross paved the way for.

*“Do not remove me in the middle of my days.”* ^A

He calls a departure from here a removal. For this is the ascent of the soul. He prays, therefore, not to depart from here while imperfect in virtue, considering that life to be whole which is perfect in virtue, while that which lacks perfection and fullness is but half.

He again turned his speech to the Lord; for his years, which he spent in the flesh, endure through the generation of generations, as having a finished and whole way of life. Whence also Paul, wishing to present those who are in perfection, said: *Until we all attain to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.*

*“They themselves will perish, but you remain.”* ^B

^A Well did he assign the person of God to creation, so that it might not perish utterly; since they are the handiwork of God, they indeed grow old as things entirely created, but they are changed as things founded by God. But how do they grow old as a garment and as a covering? Namely, by reason of continuous use.

PSALM CII

*Vers. 3. Who propitiates all iniquities.* He delivers us from both the present and the future corruption: for now there weighs upon us the corruption of pleasures, but hereafter that of punishments is stored up, from both of which He will deliver those who come to Him.

*Vers. 4. Who crowns thee in mercy.* For if you have been compassionate toward your neighbor, He will grant you the kingdom of heaven as a crown, saying: *Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink,* and the words that follow. By this mercy, He says: *Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.*

^B *Vers. 5. Who satisfies in good things.* And what is our desire? To be called gods: for when Adam desired this, he tasted of the forbidden fruit. This desire of ours, therefore, the Lord has fulfilled with good things, making us conformed to Him through the gift of baptism, so that for this reason we are even called gods by grace.

*Renewed as the eagle’s.* For when this bird has grown old after a long time, it returns again to vigor: and it is said to be even strong after old age. However, our youth is renewed for regeneration when we become like a high-flying eagle, no longer minding the things on the earth, but the things that are above; just as Paul also instructed us. And what kind of eagle? Certainly Christ, about whom Moses, singing thus, hinted: *As an eagle covers its nest, and fluttered over its young.* And who this was, he added: *The Lord alone led them, and there was no strange God with them.*

^{C D} *Vers. 7. He made His ways known to Moses.* Of old, he says, He will execute judgment for those who have suffered wrong. But the law is signified, in which He made His ways, that is to say, His commandments, known to Moses, and through him, His will to the children of Israel. For the will of God is that we should not commit adultery, nor murder, nor theft, nor bear false witness; since it is through these that we are saved.

*Vers. 8. The Lord is compassionate and merciful.*

^A Therefore, He will not be wrathful "to the end" (for that is what these words mean), nor will He perpetually bestow mercy upon the unworthy; for otherwise, how could God be judge, and just, and strong, and long-suffering? How would He "render to each according to his works"? He tempers, therefore, His wrath with mercy, when it is the time for mercy, setting it forth; but when it is the time for wrath, He brings it upon them in the day of wrath and of just judgment; in which, Paul says, He will "render to each according to his works." Wherefore, he says, He will not be angry "to the age"—that is, the present age; for He has reserved the judgment and the wrath for the age to come.

*Vers. 13. As a father has compassion upon his children.* For men who find themselves in sins are in darkness ^B and in bonds; but being delivered from their offenses, they are, clearly, translated into light. Thus, he has fittingly called the liberation from sins a translation from the west to the east; desiring at the same time to teach us what the difference is between sin and righteousness.

*Vers. 14. For He Himself knows our frame.* Fittingly, he says, He is kind to us; for He knows the weakness of our frame: first, because He Himself fashioned us; and then, because He became incarnate and was made man as we are.

*Vers. 15. Man is as grass.* By these words, He has at once shown our fragile and temporary condition.

*Vers. 16. But the mercy of the Lord is from of old.* Rightly is the law of God called a testament, that we who keep it may hope for the inheritance.

*Vers. 19. The Lord has prepared in heaven.* For He is King of all, whether they are unwilling or willing; but blessed is he who ^C submits of his own will; for such a one receives the reward for this voluntary servitude to be that he shall reign with the Lord.

*Vers. 22. Bless the Lord, all His works.* With natural motions, clearly. But if all things work to bless God, how much more should we, who have received more and greater things from Him, and who have received the Word from Him as an instrument for blessing?

*Vers. 22. In every place of His dominion.* Even if you happen to be in the marketplace, or in the bath, or in prison, or in royal palaces, remembering that you are treading upon a place that is under the dominion of God, do not cease to bless the Creator, ^D so that every place may become for you a Church of God, and an assembly of angels, and a neighbor to heaven.

PSALM CIII

*Vers. 1. O Lord my God, Thou hast been exceedingly magnified!* Not that He received an increase in magnitude; for He always is, and He is the same; but he rightly speaks of His magnitude being magnified in its manifestation, which is

^A prior in terms of power, though later in terms of order. He says that He clothed Himself with this magnificence and confession, not as one intending to lay it aside again, but that it might be shown that, having become incarnate, He was not changed into a man, but both remains God and becomes man.

VERS. 2. « Clothed with light as with a garment. » He speaks of the very same incarnation, for John also called it light. He says thus: *And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.* But *as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.*

« Stretching out the heaven like a curtain. » ^B He clearly proclaimed the incarnate Creator, saying of Him the same things which John the Theologian wrote; for when he had spoken concerning God, *All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made,* he subsequently adds, saying: *The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.*

VERS. 3. « Who covereth his high places with waters. » For he showed the sublime mysteries which are declared in the waters of baptism.

« Who maketh the clouds his chariot. » This happened to the Only-begotten at the time of His ascension into heaven, when a cloud ^C received Him.

VERS. 4. « Who maketh his angels spirits. » He means the apostles; for these everywhere announced the Testament; these also became ministers of His commandments; He made them spirits, that is, spiritual beings, and indeed also a burning fire, through the bestowal of the Spirit which descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues.

VERS. 5. « Who setteth the earth upon its foundation. » He calls man the earth; He therefore founds him upon the foundation of faith, which shall not be shaken for ever and ever, that is to say, in the world to come. ^D

VERS. 6. « The waters shall stand upon the mountains. » He calls the prophets mountains because of the height of their contemplation; upon them stand the waters by which those who thirst for doctrine are watered.

VERS. 7. « At thy rebuke they shall flee. » At what rebuke? Specifically, that against the Jews; for another prophet declares this: *And I will give them not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but a hunger for hearing the word of the Lord.* For when God is angry, He makes the waters of the prophets rare; since they do not possess their abundance of themselves. But the voice of the thunder—

^A signifies the Gospel, which they do not flee, but rather the waters of the prophets revere, on account of the preeminence of the knowledge that is in it.

VERS. 8. *Ascendunt montes.* For the prophets ascend through divine discourse, but they descend by adapting themselves to the capacity of their hearers; and both are for the salvation of men. For God has established this place through prophecy.

VERS. 10. *Qui emittis fontes in convallibus.* Not only to the prophets, he says, who are as mountains, but also to humble men, who with good reason are called valleys, has God given the grace of teaching. Just as, therefore, the multitude of waters is gathered from a multitude of mountains, so the abundance of knowledge is gathered not from a single prophet, but from the entire prophetic system.

VERS. 11. *Potabunt omnes bestiae agri.* The beasts of the forest are called demons; but by the beasts of the field—that is, of the world—He calls sinners. Since, just as beasts that move in a field can be tamed, so also can sinners be changed; and for this reason they are also watered by the prophetic waters. He called those "wild donkeys" who no longer carry sin upon their backs, but have been freed from it; for this reason He has even brought them, as thirsting, to the spiritual waters. God alluded to these in Job: *Who is it that has sent the wild donkey out free? And who has loosed his bonds?* ^B

VERS. 13. *Rigans montes de superioribus suis.* For the prophets do not have the gift of the Spirit from themselves, but from the heavens, which God has set as the upper chambers of creation.

*De fructu operum suorum.* The works of God are not only created things, but also signs and miracles; the fruit of which is the Gospel, from which He has sated man with divine knowledge.

VERS. 14. *Ut educat panem de terra.* Of the Lord’s body, that is to say; for from thence He brought forth that mystical bread.

PSALM CIII. VERS. 15. *Et vinum laetificat cor hominis.* The mystical wine, it is evident; whence it gladdens not the body, but the heart. For it has the remission of sins, ^C by which the heart of men is most greatly refreshed, in the gift of the bestowal of the Spirit; for in it the faces of the faithful are cheered. Since the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy, just as Paul wrote. You see that he understands the mystical bread and wine; for which reason he wrote of both as food for the heart. And how does the mystical bread itself strengthen it, if not by providing it with confidence? For we also become the body of Christ through the partaking of the mystical body.

VERS. 16. *Saturabuntur ligna campi.* With what will they be sated? With divine knowledge, it is clear. And how are they sated? By the meditation of the word. Therefore,

^A he calls them "trees of the Lord," because those who meditate on the law day and night are called "a tree planted by the streams of waters." For even if they be from the Gentiles, of whom Lebanon is a symbol, yet having been planted by God through the adoption of baptism and meditating on the law, they too are sated with the knowledge of God. He calls "sparrows" the souls that have suffered persecution from the devil and his accomplices, but which have been able to escape his snares; concerning whom David has said: "Our soul has been delivered as a sparrow from the snare of the hunters."

VERS. 17. *The home of the heron is the leader of them.* You would not be mistaken if you called Peter the heron, since he followed Christ perpetually. For just as the heron is said not to wish to be separated from what it possesses, so too does it exist as the leader of the sparrows. For he shows them how it is necessary to leap over the snares of the hunters; since he himself, having been snared by his denial, escaped the snare through repentance. ^B

VERS. 18. *The rock is a refuge for the hedgehogs.* Symmachus rendered this as "rock badgers." Hedgehogs and rock badgers are reckoned among the unclean and weak animals. For Solomon says: "The rock badgers are a feeble folk, who have made their homes in the rocks." And Moses says: "The camel, and the swine, and the hare, that is, the dasypus, you shall not eat." By these things, David surely insinuates the nations; for they have the spiritual refuge, the rock—that is, the Church—for by it they are strengthened ^C and purified. But since deer are clean animals, they must necessarily be the souls of the just, who have kept the law.

VERS. 19. *He made the moon for seasons.* But he established not only the moon, but also the sun and the stars, and for days and months and seasons and years. But in this place, he understands by the moon the Synagogue of the Jews, which he established until the times of the law and the prophets; but the sun is Christ. For thus even Malachi called him: "Unto you who fear the Lord shall the Sun of righteousness arise, and healing shall be in his wings." He who knew his own sunset, knew the time when his passion was to be dispensed; so that, indeed, before it had arrived, he said: "My hour has not yet come," but when the opportune time for undergoing it arrived, he said: "The hour has come that the Son of man should be glorified." ^D

VERS. 20. *You have appointed darkness, and it became night.* He manifestly signifies the time of the cross, in which our sun set. For then, from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, there was darkness, which was accepted as a full night because of the mystery of the three-day resurrection.

*In it all the beasts of the forest will wander.*

^A By the beasts of the forest and the cubs of lions, he means the demons, who necessarily roared at the time of the Lord's passion, thinking that then they had a time for prey. For they saw Judas betraying, Peter denying, and the rest of the apostles scattered. They roared, therefore, wishing to snatch and demanding of God to claim the just for trials. Did not the devil also seek out Job? He also sought from Christ the apostles, such that the Lord said: Simon, Simon, how often has Satan demanded to sift you as wheat? But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

*The sun has risen, and they are gathered together.*

For when Christ rose, they withdrew. Therefore, Symmachus, instead of “they are gathered together,” wrote “they shall withdraw.” And where did they withdraw? Into their own dens; there they lie, hiding serpent-like. And most rightly so, since the resurrection of Christ has given confidence to those who are truly men, and has exhorted them until evening—that is, the consummation of this life—to work their own work, namely, virtue; for this God has given us for labor.

*How great are your works, O Lord.*

He is awestruck at the mysteries of God which have been brought about in great and abundant wisdom; which, as being transcendent and very hidden, none of the princes of this age has known. For if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, as Paul says.

*The earth is filled with your creation.*

That is, with restoration and renewal. For if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. And why the earth? Because it is toward it that He who bowed the heavens descended. And how did He create it, if not over the waters, just as He had produced it from the beginning? And it is clear that this is by the waters of baptism; for this is what follows indicates.

*This sea, the great and wide.*

Great is the grace of baptism, as containing great mysteries. And it is wide, as containing the entire operation of the Spirit. And understand the reptiles to be the sinners, because they creep upon earthly things; who, because of their multitude, are rightly said to be beyond number, or because it is fitting that only the just be numbered. For He says: But to me your friends, O God, have become very precious; I will number them, and they shall be multiplied more than the sand.

*Small animals with great.*

Those who are moderately just, and those who are exceedingly so. For baptism receives all these, and not only sinners but also the just have need of the laver of regeneration. Since unless one is born again of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

VERS. 27. *All wait upon thee.* ^A For all good things are contained by the hand of God, so that when He opens it, He fills and satisfies all things with goodness. But one must understand the opening of His hands as the stretching forth upon the cross; from which all things were filled with goodness, that is, with philanthropy, since every sin has been forgiven through the cross.

VERS. 30. *Thou shalt send forth thy spirit.* This could have been said regarding the resurrection of the dead, as if the human spirit were sent forth upon the earth so that human nature might be renewed, had the Prophet not said *thy Spirit*, clearly declaring the Holy Spirit of God; by whose mission all the earth—that is, all the nations—was created ^B and renewed, clearly through the preaching of the Apostles. For *their sound is gone out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.*

VERS. 32. *Who looketh upon the earth.* For such is the power of the Creator that His gaze alone is enough to shake the earth, which appears unshakable.

VERS. 33. *I will sing unto the Lord in my life.* A good promise, and one that bestows eternal life upon the one who fulfills it, namely by setting the praise of God as a certain goal of life. For such a person ascends to the order of angels.

VERS. 34. *Let my speech be pleasing unto him.* For when our prayers are pleasing to God, then we too justifiably rejoice in Him; because we have already received some ^C good things from Him, and others we await; and we can fulfill that word, *Rejoice in the Lord always.*

VERS. 35. *Let sinners be consumed from the earth.* He has placed a fitting end to the preface. For it was proper that one who was about to speak of such great mysteries should set the blessing of God as the beginning and the end of his discourse, to which we also should diligently attend. For constant blessing from God rightly disposes our life.

PSALM CIV.

VERS. 1. *Confess unto the Lord.* It is not without purpose that He commands us first to confess and then to call upon Him, but so that, ^D cleansed from our sins through confession, we may offer up a hymn from a holy temple and a pure vessel.

*Declare his works among the nations.* For what reason? Because, naturally, that proclamation could not profit the stubborn and disobedient people of the Jews. Therefore the Prophet here clearly predicts the passing of the law and the prophets unto the nations.

VERS. 3. *Let the heart of them that seek the Lord rejoice.* He desires that he who seeks the Lord should assume strength of soul through the restraint of pleasures.

^A nor does he speak of the substance (for no one shall see this, he says to Moses, and live), but the face of God is the knowledge of Him. VERS. 7. *He is the Lord our God.* For the law was given for Judea; but because it was destined for the nations that would receive it to pass over into the whole world, the Prophet hints at what happened, and shows that the same God, who then had given the law and the prophets to Judea alone, later manifested them to every land. VERS. 8. *He hath been mindful of his covenant for ever.* By "forever" and "a thousand generations" he means the present life; not that he counts a thousand generations, but because it is the way of the divine Scripture to understand the number of a thousand as denoting a multitude, as when Peter says: "One day with the Lord is as a thousand years." And again Daniel: "Thousands of thousands ministered to him." But understand the "covenant" here as the Old, and the word which he proclaimed in it regarding the patriarchs. VERS. 9. *Which he made with Abraham.* Another says: *Which he perfected with Abraham.* VERS. 13. *And they passed from nation to nation.* For they wandered through many nations, until they received the inheritance of the land promised to them. VERS. 14. *He suffered no man to do them harm.* You will say the same concerning Laban; for even to him, however much he desired it, he did not allow him to harm Jacob. VERS. 15. *Touch not mine anointed.* ^B But the patriarchs are "anointed," not anointed with oil, but by the participation of the Spirit, from whence they were also called prophets. For you have heard how God, in his words to Abimelech, called Abraham a prophet. VERS. 16. *And he broke every staff of bread.* That is, the Prophet recounted that every substance of food was broken. Another interpreter says "staff," that is to say, strength. VERS. 17. *He sent a man before them.* ^C He shows that the things which happen to the saints are of a certain admirable dispensation, which glorifies both God himself and those who suffer these things. For behold, even Joseph was sold into slavery, so that he might be sent before the rest of the race; that is, that he might anticipate and prepare for them the descent into Egypt, from which so many and such great miracles followed. *Joseph was sold for a slave.* He called the hardness and severity of the temptations "iron," which Joseph passed through by means of his endurance; and sad things became a passage for him through his long-suffering. ^D

^A VERS. 19. "Until his word came." That is, the word which God had established regarding His dispensation toward him. For since He dispenses all things by a word, He also defined by a certain word the release and end of our temptations; these things we are ignorant of at first, but later we learn them by the outcome itself. Indeed, the written law had not yet been given, but for each rational being, the natural law was an oracle from God, through which we also become rational.

VERS. 25. "He turned their heart." He turned, that is, He permitted them to turn. For Scripture is accustomed to speak in this way when He permits those things which He could have prevented, not however without a reason, but by dispensing other matters. ^B

VERS. 28. "And they did not embitter his words." That is, they did not violate their own promises, nor did they prove false the signs that had been announced. For what is more bitter than falsehood? Therefore, not to deceive, but to fulfill all the commanded miracles, is deservedly called not embittering. And it speaks of Moses and Aaron, as is manifest.

VERS. 29. "He turned their waters." He did not say water, but waters; since He transformed every gathering of water, not only that in rivers and pools, but also that in wood and stone, into blood: for which reason even the fish died when the nature of the waters was changed.

VERS. 30. "Their land brought forth frogs." For the frogs were crawling and running everywhere. Yet he mentions the royal chambers to declare the magnitude of the miracle; that neither the crowd of attendants nor the soldiers, who are accustomed to dwell in the palaces, were able in the least to ward off the frogs. He says, not only did He condense water by changing it into hail, but He also drew fire from it, or joined fire with it. For both demonstrate the great power of the miracle-worker over the elements. ^C

VERS. 36. "And He struck every firstborn." When He said every firstborn, He pointed to the two plagues that were inflicted upon the cattle and the men. And beautifully did he call the firstborn the "firstfruits" of all [their] labor. For even if this plague was later in time, yet they were struck most severely by it; and it stood as a sort of summary of the remaining scourges for them. Moreover, it is simultaneously insinuated that this plague was a certain retribution for the slaughter inflicted upon the Israelite infants, which Pharaoh displayed as the firstfruits of his treachery against the Jews. ^D

VERS. 37. "And He led them out in silver." Not doing an injury to the Egyptians (for it is unworthy of God to confer benefits upon some by the injury of others); but while He commanded the Jews to spoil them, He was exacting the wages which were owed to them for the making of bricks.

"And there was not one weak in their tribes."

^A This is clear proof that it was the hand of God which led Israel out of Egypt. For how, among so many myriads, was not one of them to be ill, even while they were suffering badly and being worn down by their labors day after day? * "Egypt rejoiced at their departing." God having granted such a change of conditions that those who previously held them by force were now urging and hastening their departure. Wherefore, when we have God as our defender, we should not worry about the power of our enemies at all.

* "They asked, and the quail came." He speaks of the manna not as coming from heaven itself, but as being brought from the air above our heads (which Divine Scripture often calls heaven), and at the same time it bore the image of that heavenly bread which was given to the Church in the mystery.

* "He clave the rock, and the waters gushed out." The blow of the rod and the splitting of the rock did not, therefore, produce the water that was in the rock; rather, the commands of God brought it to pass that the rock was split by the rod, and that water, which was not there before, flowed out. For the Prophet, testifying to this, exclaimed, "Rivers went through the dry places," implying by this the dryness, thirst, and sterility of water in that land. And for the sake of what was this miracle performed? "For He remembered His holy Word."

* "That they might keep His statutes." And seek out His law, meaning the Gospel. For why would they seek what they already possessed? Thus, he altogether hints at the second testament.

^B

PSALM CV

* "And He led them through the depths." For it was not the touch of the rod, but the command of God, that made the deep into dry land.

* "And He saved them from the hand of those who hated them." He does not say these things in vain, but wishing to lament the ingratitude of the Jews, that while receiving such benefits, they were nevertheless ungrateful toward their Benefactor, who had buried in the waters those who were afflicting and harassing them. As he adds: "The water overwhelmed their enemies."

* "They made haste, they forgot." This is characteristic of unbelieving and careless people, not to await the counsel of God when He has decreed to manage all things with long-suffering, but to despair, consigning past miracles to oblivion.

* "And they lusted a lust in the wilderness." He joined together two sins of the Jews: one, that they lusted after a carnal lust in the wilderness, ^D where they ought to have lived philosophically and abstained from all such lust; the second, that having prayed—

for water, they did not actually ask for it, but tempted Him. Yet God did not cease from performing miracles. For He did not delay, nor did He command them to migrate to another place so that they might find a supply of water, but He made the desert and thirsty land bring forth a fountain of water from the rock.

VERS. 17. ^A « The earth opened. » When they stood against Moses and Aaron, a chasm was formed, and they were swallowed up. And this kind of punishment occurred to them deservedly. For since they had mocked those who had crossed the Red Sea, they themselves perished, swallowed up by the earth.

VERS. 24. « And they set at naught the desirable land. » He means the promised land, when, having sent spies, and having heard many great praises of that land, they wished to return to Egypt.

VERS. 32. « And they provoked Him at the water. » These words declare their contempt of the land: « Hear me, you incredulous ones; shall we bring forth water for you from this rock? » He does not speak of a distinction in the lips as an ambiguity of words, which Moses endured while working the miracle from the rock, but he expounds what actually happened, as was fitting for the Jewish people; inasmuch as by being unceasingly disobedient and tempting him, they caused him to fall into contempt.

VERS. 35. « And they mingled themselves among the nations. » They not only spared the impious, but actually exercised an impious communion with them.

VERS. 39. ^B « And they committed fornication in their devices. » He therefore calls the defection from God fornication here.

VERS. 41. « And He delivered them into the hands of their enemies. » He simultaneously praised the clemency of God and tragically deplored their malice; for while He did not cease to bestow benefits upon them and to free them from sorrowful things, they, for their part, persisted in similarly provoking Him.

VERS. 46. « And He gave them into mercies. » Do you see how great is the benevolence of God; inasmuch as He renders even our enemies placable toward us, and not just some, but all of them; and indeed those who had captured them as enemies now take on the paternal bowels of compassion toward the captives, so that it is clear that the former belongs to divine wrath, but the latter to benevolence; for we have need of both for our correction. ^{C D}

VERS. 47. « Save us, O Lord our God. » For this is truly to be saved: to be gathered out from the nations, and not to be stained with their error. For He now calls those « nations » who walk in the impiety which formerly occupied the nations.

^A VERS. 48. « Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. » The Hebrews define the fourth book of the Psalms up to this point; for dividing the entire prophecy of David into five books (as we have said before), they believe that every psalm to which this ending is attached—Amen, amen—is the completion of a single book.

PSALM CVI.

VERS. 8. « Let them confess to the Lord. » He called those things which belong to God his « mercies and wonders. » For whatever miracles He performed, He did not bring them forth for the sake of any show or desire for glory, but entirely for the sake of mercy and philanthropy toward those for whom the miracles were performed.

VERS. 9. « For he has satisfied the empty soul. » And indeed, by saying the same soul was hungry, he showed that some sinners are starving. For he has taken « empty » to mean « vain. »

VERS. 17. « He took them up from the way of iniquity. » He necessarily calls death the way of iniquity. For the cause of death was the transgression of the law given in Paradise. But nevertheless, Christ took us up from death, having become Life in the midst of the dead, so that He might dissolve the tyranny of death.

VERS. 18. « Their soul abhorred all food. » By food here, we understand rational sustenance; concerning which the Lord said to the apostles: « Labor not for the food which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eternal life. » Man abhorred every form of this. For they observed neither natural nor written law, and ^C because of this they approached even to the gates of death. The gates of death are the sins from which it was necessary for them to be far removed. For as much as they approached these, by so much were they necessarily made far from the gates of life. But Christ made those who were far off to be near through His own blood.

VERS. 19. « And they cried out to the Lord. » God counts as a cry not that which occurs through the voice, but that which is emitted by the disposition of the mind; since even when Moses was silent, He said: « Why do you cry to Me? »

VERS. 20. « He sent His Word. » What is clearer than this for the manifestation of the Savior's incarnation? For He understands the Word which was sent ^D

as the incarnate One, the One who says: « He who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me. » As He healed our race, He delivered us from destructions—that is to say, from sins. For sins are the destruction of every man, since ^A « if anyone ruins the temple of God, God will ruin him. »

VERS. 23. « Those who go down to the sea. » In this place, one must understand the sea to be our life, and the ships to be the Churches. Regarding these, God discourses to Job thus: « All who sail together shall not be able to carry one skin of his tail, and in the fishing-boats [is] his head. » He understands the devil, in that every human effort toward him is mocked, so that they are unable to carry or sustain even a skin of his tail; nevertheless, the apostles destroyed his head—that is, idolatry, which was the head of all his wickedness—within the ships of the Churches. These have performed their work in many waters, that is to say, in the multitude of people, having brought about salvation. They also saw the works of God, that is, the creations and the marvels; namely, the signs that He placed in the depth—that is, in the wisdom with which God manages our affairs—while dispensing our salvation. For the depth is the wisdom of God, on account of its incomprehensibility and immeasurability. By this He understands temptations (for human life teems with them); yet the spirit of the storm—that is, the adversary spirit—stirs them up, though not on his own private authority, but by God permitting this for the exercise and manifestation of the righteous. Moreover, God Himself declares this when He permitted the devil to tempt Job. He fittingly called temptations "waves," since, just as calm follows waves, so too ^C peace follows temptations.

VERS. 26. « They ascend up to the heavens. » By "evils" here, He does not mean vices, but afflictions. Hence Amos ^D says: « Shall there be evil in a city which the Lord has not made? »—understanding the castigations which the Lord inflicts upon men for correction. In these, the soul was necessarily wasting away. For what fire is to gold, that temptations are to souls, melting them—not so that they might be corrupted, but so that it might appear how much brilliance they possess. For temptations put the powers of men to the test. Therefore the Lord said: « Pray that you may not enter into temptation. » Indeed, even Peter was so troubled and shaken by the temptation of the denial that he said concerning the Lord: « I do not know this man. » For it is characteristic of one who is drunk not to know even one who is otherwise familiar. At that moment, his entire wisdom was swallowed up.

VERS. 28. « And they cried out to the Lord. » Therefore, just as sailors, when overcome by a storm and exceeding all their skill and ingenuity, are saved through the invocation of God; so too it is necessary that those who

^A are tempted should not trust in their own strength, but should rely solely on confidence in God.

« And they were glad, because they were silent. » Since, as we have said, the evangelical proclamation had been intimated, he necessarily signaled the Churches—not "the people," lest you think the Synagogue is understood, but he made mention of "peoples," that is, of the nations—in which there is also the chair of the elders, who praise God with teaching tongues, concerning whom Paul said: “Let the elders be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and doctrine.”

« He has turned rivers into a desert. » Here he hints at the wisdom of the Greeks. For the philosophers, and sophists, and rhetoricians used to pride themselves on rivers because of their flowing language; but, by reproving their falsehood and fiction as a desert, he turned their exits of words (for he called these things "waters" because of their violent impetus) into thirst. For, by invalidating their use, he has changed them.

« A fruitful land into salt fields. » This is clearly stated regarding the land of Judea, which was once fruitful because of the prophets and the righteous who originated from it, but which has been changed into salt fields ^B by the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees who lived in it, and of all who acted impiously toward Christ. For there is no longer a priest among them, nor a prophet; and not even any other fruit of the ancient commonwealth is found.

« He has turned a desert into pools of water. » Having said what was to befall the unbelieving Gentiles, and furthermore the Jews (for he saw these things with the eyes of the spirit), behold, now he explains the things pertaining to the Church in harmony with Isaiah; for he also says: “I will make the desert into marshes, and the thirsty land into water-channels.” ^C But here he understood by the pool of water the fonts of baptism, or baptisteries—just as Solomon also did in the Canticles, when he introduced Christ to his spouse, the Church, saying: “Thy eyes are like the pools in Heshbon, at the gates of the daughter of many”; understanding the Church as the daughter of many, since she became the daughter not only of the apostles, but also of the prophets. ^D But the Word of God was not in her before, yet now she possesses it to such an extent that its doctrines penetrate the entire world; in which it is blessed to be planted. For a tree is found there that produces fruit in its season and never drops its leaf, as is written in the beginnings of the Psalms.

« And they have established cities of habitation. » Not a city, but cities. For the people from the nations have diverse commonwealths, in which they possess [col. 1306, B] dwellings of virtues, which protect our inner man.

^A Ver. 37. « And they sowed fields. » The field is indeed that philosophy which leads to the kingdom of heaven. For the Lord says thus: « The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. » By the parable of the laborers hired for wages, He likewise shows it to be a vineyard; and it is clear that those who cultivate this philosophy in Christ, and plant virtues within it, bring forth the fruit of the harvest—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

Ver. 38. « And He blessed them, and they were multiplied. » For from twelve, or perhaps seventy, they progressed to three thousand, then to five thousand, and then to the many myriads that we see; these He rightly called the beasts of burden of the apostles, as they were instructed by them.

Ver. 40. « Contempt was poured upon their princes. » ^B Those, namely, who incited the martyrs to impiety. For as the latter stood firm in the zeal of the faith, the contempt of their princes—that is, their disparagement and lowliness—was poured out and abounded. The purpose of the impious princes was not a way; for they did not walk through Christ, who truly was the way, and the truth, and the life. Wherefore their path was impassable, for it was filled with the thorns and thistles of impiety, in which God caused them to go astray. ^C For supposing that by the slaughter of the martyrs they would cut down the faith which was already spreading and running, they erred; since the zeal of the martyrs served instead for the glory and increase of the mystery.

Ver. 41. « And He helped the poor out of poverty. » By the poor, he means the people who were suffering persecution. For they were poor, having no support among men; but out of this poverty He brought them aid. Since they had no favor from men, but all—peoples, kings, and princes alike—attacked them, God was their helper, ^D and by Him they overcame all their enemies.

« And He set the families as sheep. » He called these the congregations of the martyrs, since they were derived from various noble deeds or merits. He set them as sheep, accepting their death as a sacrifice.

Ver. 43. « Who is wise, and will keep these things? » When one wise man keeps these things, much knowledge and understanding comes about through him. Since you know, therefore, that He called the guardian of the Law wise, if you desire wisdom, practice the Law, for action is profitable to those who understand. Moreover, no small gain flows from this, since to the extent that you keep the Law, others will understand the mercies of the Lord.

PSALM CVII

^A VERS. 1. *A canticle of a psalm for David.* He calls a canticle of a psalm the glorification in understanding; for this will also be demonstrated by what follows.

VERS. 2. *My heart is ready, O God.* It is a blessed thing to prepare one’s heart for God; for he who prepares it will have Him as an indwelling guest. Since the Prophet has preserved the Word, we ought to offer Him a double preparation. And just as those who are about to receive a king prepare their house, first by cleansing it, and second by placing therein the vessels necessary for use, so we too need to prepare a double preparation for God: one, by cleansing the temple of the heart; and second, by bringing virtues and good deeds into it. For thus will God not only visit us, but also abide with us. The Prophet has called Christ his own glory, since by taking up our nature, He has made us conformed to the glory of His own. Therefore, he says that one should sing and play the psalms in Him, that is, glorify Him with praise. And what is it to glorify and play the psalms in Christ? Understand clearly, the mysteries concerning Him.

^B VERS. 3. *Arise, my glory.* Whence? From the humble mysteries of humanity, from the dead whom Christ visited when He descended; thence he wishes Him to arise, so that He may also ascend, just as He wills that we who are to be partakers with Him of the glory in the heavens should do. For not only did He raise us up with Him, but He also made us sit at His right hand in the heavenly places. He invokes here both the Old and New Testament to arise, for the sake of the testimonies concerning God, so that through them the resurrection of Christ might be believed. For the one predicts the times and the places, while the other shows in history that what was predicted has been fulfilled.

*I will arise early.* He introduced the response of Christ corresponding to the petition of the Prophet; for the one had entreated Him to arise, saying, *Arise, my glory.* But He also announced the time at which He was about to dispense this: *For I will arise,* He says, *early.* He uttered this in the very same words which Luke relates concerning the resurrection: *At early dawn the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared;* to which he also subjoined the rest concerning the resurrection of the Savior.

^D VERS. 5. *For it is great above the heavens.* Mercy and truth are the mystery of the dispensation of Christ; so that the Prophet says elsewhere: *Mercy and truth have met together.* For the divinity and humanity of Christ have come together into one by the incarnation of the Word. But mercy indeed befits the divinity of the incarnate Word (for He Himself had pity on His own handiwork), whereas truth...

^A has sprung from the earth; for God the Word has not become flesh according to imagination, as some of the heretics think, but in truth. For David said this again for the sake of explanation and confirmation, meaning by "truth" the humanity of the Lord; which has sprung up from our earth, that is to say, from human nature. The divinity of Christ, therefore, is great above the heavens on account of the glory by which He was glorified by His own powers; for on earth He was scarcely recognized, and was overshadowed by flesh.

« Exalt Yourself above the heavens, O God. » Do you see how David, predicting the ascension of Christ, made mention of the clouds beforehand? For behold, even now something similar is proposed, namely, that God, being celebrated, should be exalted above the heavens; although He always exists in the heights, as Isaiah says: "The Holy One, the Lord who dwells in the heights." And David likewise: "You alone are the Most High over all the earth." However, he calls the ascent of the Only-Begotten into heaven with the flesh an "exaltation above the heavens."

« That Your beloved ones may be delivered. » The "beloved of God" are those men who have been saved ^B through His love for our race, whom He, having been exalted into heaven, has delivered from the ancient captivity; just as Paul says: "Ascending on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." Nor would one err in understanding the "right hand of God" as the Holy Spirit; since He is also named the "finger of God," seeing that the Trinity possesses one substance and power and operation. The Prophet therefore asks that we may be saved and heard by the Spirit, so that we may become spiritual and partakers of the grace flowing down from there. For the things said are requested from the common person of humanity.

« God has spoken in His sanctuary. » Christ, namely, in the choir of the apostles, as is evident. The following verses declare this, in which he wrote that the Lord answered the Prophet's petition point by point. By these names He designates the gift of the Spirit: for it is a "valley of tabernacles," ^C meaning, clearly, the Churches; since they possess in this valley the gathering of spiritual waters—I mean of baptism—through the supplying grace of the Spirit; concerning which David says elsewhere, "And the valleys shall abound with grain," since this is the fruit of our salvation. Moreover, Shechem is interpreted as "bumeratio" [shouldering/shouldery], that is, excellence; for this is what "shoulder" denotes in Holy Scripture; whence it says of Saul, "Higher than his shoulder and upward." But what is higher than the Spirit? Or what kind of loftiness can be found equal or comparable to this gift, which Christ, having been exalted, distributes? But He also measures it, that is, He divides it by measure. "For to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

« Moab is the pot of My hope. »

By Moab He insinuates the nations; but He calls them the pot of hope, that is, those who warm and rekindle hope in Him. And how are they warming? By the intelligible fire of the working of the Holy Spirit. For you see the pot being warmed by fire.

« I will extend My shoe over Idumea. » ^A Christ shows how He made the Church of the nations subject to Himself before Israel, extending His shoe even unto them, that is, the Gospel; which John the Baptist, indicating, said, "He comes after me, the strap of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose." For the time had not yet arrived for the Gospel to be proclaimed. Thus, Paul also calls it such, for he says, "Having shod your feet in the preparation of the Gospel of peace." For this reason, therefore, Jesus subjected to Him the foreigners—that is, those from the nations—and gathered them as subjects into the inheritance of Israel. ^B

« Who will lead Me into the city of siege? »

He calls the Church the city of siege; for in this all the mysteries of Christ are contained; and the law and the prophets are included within the same polity. And the same He also calls Idumea. He established that it belongs to Christ alone to lead Israel to the Church, He who rejected the Jews as having not believed in Him; but not all of them; nor did He depart in their virtues—that is, He did not cast away those who were powerful among them, namely, the ones who did not believe, because of those who did believe. ^C

« Give us help from tribulation. »

He announces help from tribulation for the people of the Jews, namely, faith out of unbelief. But understand the "salvation of man" as that which is expected from human doctrine: such as was that doctrine of the Jews; for it was done according to their own pleasure.

PSALM CVIII

« To the end, a psalm of David. »

Necessarily He inscribed this present psalm "To the end"; for it contains everything that happened at the end of the incarnation of our Savior, that is, those things which took place at the very time of the Lord’s passion; for which reason He also sang this psalm. For we have said before that David bears the image of Christ. ^D

« O God, do not be silent regarding my praise. »

He insinuates Judas; for it is concerning him that the greatest part of the present psalm is written; whose mouth we shall find to have been opened first as a sinner, and secondly as a deceitful man against the Lord; for as a sinner and unlawful man he said to the Jews: "What do you wish to give me, and I will deliver Him to you?" As a deceitful man, he said "Hail, Rabbi" to Jesus, and kissed Him; having given as a pledge to those who were seizing Him the kiss as a sign of betrayal.

« They spoke against me with a tongue. »

^A For although they had no ground for enmity or hatred, they nevertheless hated Him, desiring to put Him to death; and they surrounded Him with words of hatred when, standing in the synedrium of the court of Caiaphas, they produced false witnesses. They spoke against Him with a deceitful tongue, when the high priest, rising, said to Him: "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God." For they did not ask such things as wishing to learn, but to fasten upon Him, as they thought, the crime of blasphemy.

« In return for my love they accused me. »

For it was just that they should love Him, because He had cured their diseases and had often fed them when they were hungry; yet those very pledges of kindness that He had shown them, they used to denounce Him before Pilate.

^B « Set a sinner over him. »

Just as God is called righteous and is said to delight in justice (For the Lord is righteous, and has loved righteousness), so is the devil a sinner, as one who loves sin; and not only does he sin himself, but he also acts as a guide to those who indulge in sin. This one he wishes to set over Judas, that he might rule over him just as he does over the demons; since the traitor became of his portion just as they were.

« And let the devil stand at his right hand. »

Not only, being a disciple, did he betray his teacher, but he could not even offer the excuse of a passion for money; for Christ, condescending to his infirmity, had entrusted the money box to him, so that the traitor was in no way suffering from a lack of money.

^C « Let his days be few. »

For since he had been inaugurated as an apostle for an age, just as the other apostles were, he kept his dignity for only a few days until the betrayal.

« Let them be shaken and removed. »

For being shaken from the knowledge of God, they became exiles from their ancient fatherland of Jerusalem; and they wander everywhere on earth, finding nowhere a place of habitation: which is the lot of beggars.

« And let there be none to show mercy. »

For when God, the merciful one, turned away from them and said: "How often I desired to gather your children, exactly as a hen gathers her own chicks under her wings, and you would not? Behold, your house is left to you desolate." Who then could have mercy on them, who could sympathize with them?

^D « And let him perish from the land. »

From what land? Certainly the land of the living: of which David himself said: "I believe to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

« Because he did not remember to perform mercy. »

To whom? It is evidently to himself; for he did not look to repentance, whence he could have obtained mercy and clemency. For he who has no pity on himself, how can he be pitied by the Judge?

^A « And he persecuted the needy man. » The Lord is needy and poor; for, being rich, He became poor for our sake; and He became poor not only in this sense, but because of the contumacy of the Jews He was reduced to such a state of destitution that He said: "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Which is a proof of extreme destitution.

« And him that was broken in heart. » The same One was broken in heart for our sake as well; wherefore He said: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death."

« And he loved cursing. » What kind of cursing did he hear, when the Only-begotten said to him as he was meditating treason: "The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born."

« And he would not have blessing. » By blessing he means that of the apostles, which Christ promised them: "Amen I say to you, that you, who have followed me, shall sit on twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

« And he put on cursing. » For these are the inward parts of man; so that we may understand the rational virtues to be the intestines, since the intestines do not retain the same food, but now receive it, and now cast it out; just as thoughts also do not persist in the same things, but are constantly changing. ^B But by the bones, as being firm, let us understand the practical virtues. Since water is appropriate for the intestines (as they are nourished by moisture), and oil is appropriate for the bones (for they rejoice greatly in the anointing with oil); he has rightly attributed water to the intestines, and oil to the bones, to show that cursings fit him, as he has pursued malice appropriate to himself.

« And Thou, O Lord, do with me. » It has been said often that humble things befit the person of Christ on account of His humanity; yet in this way also, the sublime is joined with the humble. ^C For when He said, "Do with me," He added "for thy name's sake," for the sake of my dignity. For the Son is the name of the Father; wherefore it is also said, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," as being equal and immutable regarding Him, and for this reason assuming the name of the Father. But if He is of such dignity, why does He pray? Because, He says, "Thy mercy is sweet." Again, He calls Himself the mercy of the Father; mercy, indeed, because through His presence we have obtained mercy; but mercy of the Father, because it is certainly by His will ^D

^A that I am so good, such that I even became man out of compassion for humans; act with me. For it is fitting for one having become incarnate in some way both to pray and to ask for help from God, and to take up the lowly things that befit humanity.

VERSE 22. "Deliver me, for I am poor and needy." He calls His own state voluntary—namely, [His] humiliation; and, conversely, [He calls] his own poverty the disobedience of the Jews. For since they were His own creation through the flesh taken from them, He necessarily considers their error to be His poverty.

VERSE 23. "As a shadow when it declines." When the sun verges toward setting, its shadow declines greatly; but when it sets, this too departs along with it. When, therefore, wickedness abounded, so that the human race raised its hands even against God Himself—that is, Christ—then Christ is removed from the midst, and He undergoes death, so that wickedness and sin might be mortified, as Paul says: "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him," and what follows.

VERSE 24. "My knees have become weak." Since Christ sat down weary from the journey, as John says, it is no wonder if His knees were also weakened by fasting; for to demonstrate the flesh which He had assumed, He endured human [frailties] without sin.

VERSE 25. "And I have become a reproach to them." Matthew has recorded that these things happened literally: "And they that passed by razed their heads, and said, Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days buildest it up, save thyself: If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross, that we may see and believe." ^C

VERSE 26. "Help me, O Lord, my God." He considers our aid and salvation as His own, as one who has become our mediator and high priest to the Father; wherefore He calls the Father his Lord and God, which also befits our persons. But this is proper to a mediator and high priest, to take upon himself the persons of those for whom he offers sacrifice and intercedes.

VERSE 27. "And let them know that this is thy hand." What hand, indeed, does He mean? Clearly, He signifies here the dispensation of the cross and the resurrection through the "hand." For since great miracles are wont to be called the "finger of God," He necessarily calls it the "hand" by comparison with the things mentioned, since the miracle of the cross and the resurrection was the greatest [of all]. And this is what He wishes men to know, ^D and that He Himself made it—that is, that it was done by His own will and good pleasure, so that by learning the agreement of the Father and the Son, they might perceive the mystery of the knowledge of God.

^A VERSE 28. "They shall curse, but You shall bless." He calls the cross a curse here, since it was written in the Law: "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." This is why they sought to take Him off in no other way than by the cross, wishing to afflict Him with the curse written in the Law; but the Father turned it into a blessing. For in no other way does He endure to be worshipped, or even believed in at all, except through the cross.

"Let those who rise up against me be ashamed." Let the Jews be ashamed, he says, seeing Him whom they crucified being worshipped by all. Yet He Himself rejoices, not so much because of the confusion of the Jews as because of the salvation of the world.

VERSE 29. "Let those who slander me be clothed with shame." He speaks of the shame of those Jews who slandered and blasphemed Christ, because they crucified Him who was of them according to the flesh, and who had come to save them. Nevertheless, they put on this shame; for they do not deny the deed, but even strongly claim for themselves the crime of the cross. They put on, therefore, the aforementioned shame as a double cloak; for beyond the crime of the cross, which is called a garment, they deny that He who raised the world through His own resurrection is He [who did it]. And this, as a double shame, becomes for them effectively and justly a covering of a double cloak. ^B

VERSE 30. "I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth." The Church is the mouth of Christ, since He Himself has necessarily been constituted its head: through her, therefore, He is said to give thanks to the Father. This is what the following words declare for clarity's sake.

"In the midst of the multitude I will praise Him." Therefore, He necessarily sets our glorification, which is our own confession—that is, thanksgiving—according to this word, as the shepherd of the flock, and as the first-fruits of the mass/lump.

VERSE 31. "For He stood at the right hand of the poor." For He caused Him who was laboring in poverty among the Jews because of their unbelief to abound among the Gentiles, standing at His right hand; which you might think is humble, but it is truly sublime, and can be said only of the Son as God and consubstantial. For just as the Son does not only sit at the right hand of the Father, ^C but also stands at the right hand (for Stephen says: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of power"); so too the Father is said to stand at the right hand of the Son, so that we may learn that the dignity of the Father and the Son is one and the same.

PSALM CIX. VERSE 1. "The Lord said to my Lord." In order that the equality of the Father and the Son in all things might be shown, and so that the Son might not be thought to snatch for Himself the dignity of the kingdom or of divinity (on account of which Paul says,

^A He did not think it robbery to be equal to God), but holds a kingdom equal to the Father by the good pleasure of the Father, who rejoices in the dignity of the Son. Furthermore, since this expression "at the right hand" is used on account of His condescension toward us (for if God had a right hand, He would also have a left), and since these things cannot be said appropriately of the indivisible, incorporeal, and all-filling One, but are said because we are currently unable to be instructed in any other way concerning the glory of the Father and the Son, He necessarily added: ^B *Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.* That is, until this present life is finished. For in the present life, the Father subjects [all things] to the Son, and the Son subjects humanity to the Father. But when this age has been brought to an end, and God has become all in all to those who are progressing, then, having ascended to a perfect contemplation and knowledge, we shall see the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Father. Wherefore the Lord also said that He would come then in the glory of the Father.

VERS. 2. *He will send out the rod of power.* The rod of power is the Savior; concerning whom He adds elsewhere: *You shall shepherd them with a rod of iron.* And since the rod possesses a double function—for it both chastises and leads—and the Cross also leads us and chastises the demons, it is necessarily called the "rod of power," as one that accomplishes such things. And from where did He send this out to Christ? "From Zion," He says. For there the Only-begotten sacrificed Himself; there He gave the beginning to the Passion; there, by Him, the mysteries were delivered in remembrance of the Passion.

VERS. 3. *With you is the origin in the day of your power.* By "origin" ^C here, He refers to the Cross of Christ, as in it the ruler and king of this world was defeated; and he rightly understands the "day of power" as the day of the Cross; and this is on account of the signs performed there, the shaking of the earth, the withdrawal of the sun, the darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour; then, because in it sin was shadowed over by the defeat of the devil. In this day, therefore, He had the origin—that is, the Cross—with Him, not only as being affixed to it, but also as carrying it upon His shoulders. For Isaiah, explaining this more clearly, said: *Whose government is upon his shoulder.*

VERS. 5. *The Lord is at your right hand.* Do you see that the phrase, *Sit at my right hand*, does not indicate a specific place, ^D but the unity of the Son with the Father, and His equality in all respects? For if the Son sits at the right hand, how, in turn, is the Father said to be at His right hand? "He who in the day of His wrath will shatter the kings of the earth, and the rulers who gathered together at the same place against the Lord and against His Christ"—calling Herod and Pilate, Annas and Caiaphas, and the kings who were with them.

^A VERSE 6. "He shall judge among the nations." He did not say, He shall judge the nations, but He shall judge (that is, He shall condemn) *among* the nations, namely the devil, about whom the Lord himself, when he was about to be crucified, said to the apostles: "The ruler of this world has been judged." He condemned him, therefore, by exposing his power among the nations; and He filled the ruins of the demons, for with him He also cast down his army. For when He was on earth, through His own death, and having brought death to nothing, He crushed the heads of the spiritual dragons.

PSALM CX

"Alleluia." The inscription of the psalm is indeed illustrious. For the word "Alleluia" is interpreted as "praise of God." But it has something else even more illustrious, that it is written in accordance with the elements of the Hebrew people; and therefore there are twenty-two verses in the psalm, as many as the Hebrew letters that have been handed down.

VERSE 1. "I will confess to Thee, O Lord." So that our part may not be to confess in one aspect, while in another part we incline toward sin from which we confess, nor that, having moved one foot of the soul toward justice, we should leave the other in the mire of sin; but let us offer the whole heart to Him who is the Creator and Maker of all, and who does not deign to accept a mutilated gift.

^B VERSE 3. "Confession and magnificence." Our salvation is the work of God. Concerning which Christ said to the Father: "I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work which Thou hast given Me to do." This work has a certain double structure, one part from our purpose, the other from the kindness of God. For it is ours to ask, but His to give; ours to knock, but His to open. Therefore, the confession is ours; for while we confess, we demonstrate a withdrawal from a wicked manner of life and a desire for a good life; but the magnificence is God’s. For it becomes a great Being to pity the small, to exalt the humble, and to receive those who have wandered. Thus, the work of God comes from both, namely, from His own magnificence and from our confession.

^C VERSE 6. "He hath declared to His people the power of His works." Relying on this power, the apostles went forth preaching to all nations, and they received the whole earth as an inheritance, converted by their words and labors.

VERSE 9. "He hath sent redemption to His people." Namely, the one which occurred through the Savior; about which even Zacharias, when Christ was already conceived, prophesying His birth, said: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and hath wrought redemption for His people." ^D

OF HESYCHIUS THE PRESBYTER

^A"Holy and terrible is His name." It is holy because He is called Christ. But the anointing of the Lord is the fulfillment of all holiness, respecting which John says: "And you have an anointing from the Holy One." It is terrible because He is also called Judge, for He says: "The Father judgeth no one, but hath given all judgment to the Son."

PSALM CXI

This Psalm also is written according to the alphabetical order. But the preceding one contains the elements of praise, while this one contains the elements of a life of conduct; thus the Hebrews necessarily adapted the alphabet to both of them.

VER. 1. "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord." Because he who fears God practices total abstinence from evils, is not subject to mammon, does not embrace friendship with the world, and possesses the Judge as if present before him. And he is rightly found blessed who directs his whole life with God as his guide.

VER. 2. "His seed shall be mighty upon the earth." The seed of the just are those who receive their teachings, whether they be their own according to the flesh, or strangers.

VER. 4. "Unto the upright there hath risen light in darkness." Why, however, to the upright? Because those who do evil hate the light, because they are reproved by it, and do not wish to offer their eyes to it.

VER. 5. "Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth." The Prophet rightly ^C set forth not one who simply lends, but one who is benign in his showing of mercy. For the former lends and gives in the hope of profit, but the latter does so by the law of compassion. Therefore, he clearly describes in this place a lover of the poor. Such a one lends to God, in showing mercy to the poor, as Solomon says in Proverbs.

VER. 7. "He shall be in everlasting remembrance." Since the memories of those who are wealthy in this life, or who are kings, or who have obtained any other prominence in life, are temporary, he made it clear that it is not so with the just, but that their memories are eternal.

"He shall not be afraid of evil hearing." Whether you speak of death, or the loss of kin or children, or the squandering of wealth, he says that he will fear nothing of these things. Job will testify to this, who said in all things: "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked I shall return thither," and so forth.

VER. 9. "He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor." In this place you may also understand the poor as those who labor under a lack of the divine Word, namely the nations, to whom the apostles, like farmers, scattered the spiritual word. For nothing prevents us from accepting this historically as well. He hints that almsgiving is a seed; and for this reason he says to disperse mercy, so that we may receive a harvest gathering corresponding to the seed. For he who sows in blessings, shall also reap in blessings. Whoever is

^A said to disperse, for his right hand liberally extends mercy. The horn of the righteous is trust in God; for with this we push away current insurgent enemies. This, even now, is sublime, but it escapes many. It is exalted, therefore, in glory, when indeed in the future age it will be made manifest of what great magnitude and glory it is.

VERS. 10. *Peccator videbit, et irascetur.* The devil gnashes with his teeth; for it is the property of the devil to gnash, as of a ferocious lion; but he himself shall also melt away in the fire of Gehenna, for which he is appointed to waste away. "There shall be the gnashing of teeth," as the Lord says.

PSALM CXII

VERS. 5. *Quis sicut Dominus Deus noster?* God dwells in the heights, not only on account of heaven which is high, and is called His habitation, but because He dwells in the saints. Moreover, these are also high, because they happen to pursue nothing earthly; concerning whom Isaiah says: "The Holy One, the Lord who dwells in the heights," ^B calling the saints high.

VERS. 9. *Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo.* Whether you speak of the whole of nature, or of the Church from the Gentiles, what is said corresponds to either, since they had become barren through idolatry. Therefore, He brought her, who was wandering outside, into His own house, namely the law, and showed her as a joyful mother of children adopted by God; whose person Isaiah introduced clearly in this way: "For you shall say," he says, "in your heart: Who has begotten these for me? And I was without children, and a widow, an exile and a captive. And who has raised these for me? But I was left alone; and these, where were they for me?"

PSALM CXIII

does not flee, but turns backward for those who confess, changing into the tears of repentance; since repentance is effected by the power of baptism, and no one repenting could derive any benefit unless he had first been baptized, or at least were being baptized at that very time of repentance. For this reason the Law provided for all cleansing of impurities through water. But also John, when he was preaching repentance, at the same time brought in baptism along with repentance.

^A VERS. 4. *The mountains skipped like rams.* For all the prophets rejoice, seeing the conversion of the one who confesses: of whom some are called mountains and rams, as being partakers of a greater grace; others, however, are called hills and lambs, as being partakers of a lesser grace, yet one of the same kind as that of the greater ones.

VERS. 5. *What is it to you, O sea, that you fled?* The Prophet wonders, foreseeing in the Spirit the mysteries that happened on the Cross, seeing the prophets rejoicing and skipping, who formerly had lamented the human condition and therefore had filled their prophecy with lamentations; but the Jordan [was] turned backward, that it might supply tears for repentance. But why does it turn backward? Because, of course, he who has sinned runs backward, abandoning his former course.

^{B C} VERS. 7. *At the presence of the Lord the earth was moved.* Here again he calls the commotion consternation, and the miracle ecstasy, so as to show the magnitude of the things that have occurred. Then, demonstrating how great is the virtue of one man, from the servant (I mean, Jacob) he called upon the Lord. Christ transformed himself into pools and fountains of water; for by opening his side with the lance, he brought forth from himself the pools of baptism, and furthermore the fountains of the mystery; since water and blood flowed forth, the former [being] a symbol of the mystery, the latter the character of baptism.

^D VERS. 9. *Not to us, O Lord, not to us.* For your mercy, he says; that is, in Christ. For that He is Truth, He Himself says: *I am the way, and the truth, and the life.* And that He is mercy, thus the Psalmist sang: *Show us, O Lord, your mercy.* Therefore, He gave glory to Himself in the incarnation of the Only-begotten, since He was glorified and manifested through Him. For this is what the Lord said in the Gospels: *Father, glorify your name on earth.* And how did He glorify [it]? By saving us.

VERS. 11. *But our God is in heaven.* But He is in heaven and on earth not only as filling all things, but also as one born on earth in the flesh, and not in a simple manner, but by subjecting the demons; by freeing the creature that was groaning, by manifesting his own glory, and before these things, by saving...

^A mankind. For this, as a lover of mankind, he desires above all things.

* "The Lord hath been mindful of us. » For when did God ever forget mankind? But this is what is hinted at by the words spoken. Since, being under the curse, we could not otherwise be released from it and receive a blessing, unless Christ, having been hung upon the wood, had borne our curse, he rightly says that the Lord first remembered us, and thus, finally, blessed us.

* "The heaven of heavens is the Lord's. » You see how the Creator divides the creation for our sake; and just as He Himself, being invisible, possesses the invisible heaven of heavens, so also He has distributed to us the visible creation.

PSALM CXIV

* "I have loved, because the Lord will hear. » He who formerly feared the Lord, once he has advanced from fear and crossed over to the love of God, would rightly say: "I have loved." But whom, if not the Lord God with all [my] heart, and strength, and soul, so that for His sake one might even struggle against death for the sake of the truth, and willingly endure every trial and every danger through love for God?

* "And in my days I will call upon him. » That is to say, throughout the entire time of my life I called upon Him; in my days, which have passed under the Sun of Righteousness, since I was always enlightened, I called upon Him.

* "I found trouble and sorrow. » He called repentance "trouble and sorrow"—trouble, because it contains the remembrance of sin; and sorrow, because of the labors with which it is wont to be perfected, for example, with sackcloth and ashes and watching. He who finds this, that is, he who runs to it, rightly and deservedly was calling upon the name of the Lord. For prayer is the substance of repentance.

* "The Lord is the keeper of little ones. » He did not say "Because He did not permit [me] to fall into dangers," but [rather], "after I had fallen, He saved me."

PSALM CXV

* "I will take the chalice of salvation. » For it is truly a chalice of salvation ^C to sing hymns to God, the Savior of all. In this God rejoices; this is the incense He accepts from us. For as Christ himself said: "God is a Spirit: and they that adore him, must adore him in spirit and in truth."

* "I will sacrifice to thee the sacrifice of praise. » Since Christ, by coming, put an end to the sacrifices of irrational animals, and He Himself, as the Word, introduced the rational sacrifice; the Prophet rightly promised to offer the sacrifice of praise, and to offer it in the name of the Lord, that is to say, in Christ. Since it is also enjoined upon the apostles to pray in this way: "If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you."

PSALM CXVI

PSALM CXVII

^A Israel was entering toward God. But now the gate is faith, through which we are more properly brought near, supported by the testimony of the law and the prophets.

VERS. 27. ‹God is the Lord, and he has shone upon us.› Here, therefore, the Prophet marvels at the incarnation, that being God and being Lord, and existing in that nature, he deigned to appear. Moreover, when he says, "He has shone," he means the dispensation, that he came into a virginal womb and conversed with men. Because of this, he says, "We have blessed you," because you have obtained such a gift. And Christ also said: "Many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

‹Appoint a feast in the thickets.› He has put "in the thickets" for "in the packed together"; for that which is thickened, even those who are strangers to our language call "condensed."

VERS. 28. ‹You are my God, and I will confess to you.› To whom, then, does he say these things, if not to the Lord declared above? To the one who delivered him from affliction, who also humbled his enemies, who exalted the stone which was rejected by the builders, and who prospered and saved those who believe in him.

VERS. 29. ‹Confess to the Lord, for he is good.› Whence the Prophet had begun the melody of the present psalm, from there he also placed the end for it, so that we might keep confession throughout our whole life.

PSALM CXVIII

VERS. 9. ‹In what shall the younger correct his way?› The younger is the people from the nations, who walked crookedly before the faith; in what shall he correct his way, if not by guarding the words of God? For the consideration of the divine law is the purging and preserving [power] of all. As for the phrase, "In what shall the younger correct his way?", Symmachus interpreted it in this manner: "In what shall a young man cleanse his way?" He taught, to be sure, that youth is full of many stains and filth; therefore it also stands in need of purification. Since, therefore, he inquired into this, he says he has found the way: "In guarding your words."

VERS. 22. ‹Because I have sought out your testimonies.› Therefore, do not judge me any longer worthy of reproach and contempt, for I have sought out your testimonies; concerning which I said, "Blessed are those who search out his testimonies."

VERS. 28. ‹My soul has nodded off.› Just as nodding off is the beginning of sleep, so also the soul, when it is once at the beginning of sins, is said to nod off, being drawn down as if into