Fragments (from the Catenae on the Old Testament)

I will send you from my Father the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from my Father, he will testify concerning me (e), he shows whom he would send, and from whom he would send him. However, to believe and to confess that God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Paraclete Spirit, of one substance and of his triple substance of divinity, must exist is both pious and salutary. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (f). The Son of God is not the son of man, but the Son of man is the Son of God. He who is the Son of God is not the son of man; for he is the only-begotten God. But he who is the Son of man is the first-begotten, and on account of his adopter, the only-begotten God, he himself is also called only-begotten, because the only-begotten is in him. Finally, concerning the first-begotten, the apostle Paul says thus: Who is the first-begotten from the dead among many brethren (g); because through him they have believed. Therefore, the nature of the only-begotten is not the first-begotten, but through the fellowship of the only-begotten God he is only-begotten. But the nature of the first-begotten is first-begotten, not from the cause ^A of fellowship; because no one from the dead has risen to immortality unless he himself was the first, and he gave the example of resurrection to all who follow. Therefore the apostle Paul said: Who is the first-begotten from the dead. The same also says again to the Romans: That he might be the first-begotten holding supremacy among many brethren (h). Because the only-begotten and the first-begotten are two natures, divine and human, but one person. For the diversity of these natures is shown in the wording of the Gospels. Therefore, it does not befit our faith that Jesus Christ should lie, because he himself is the truth. Since, therefore, it is so, he says of himself: He who sent me is with me, and does not forsake me (i); and in another place: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (j)? Because God had taken on man, and through the death of the cross he was to be forsaken by God until the resurrection. Therefore, it befits our faith that man should say to his God: Why have you forsaken me? But the only-begotten God, who is inseparable from God the Father, should say: He who sent me is with me, and does not forsake me.

BEFORE THE YEAR 394. DIODORUS BISHOP OF TARSUS. NOTITIA

Diodorus, or Theodorus, from being a monk and presbyter at Antioch, was appointed bishop of Tarsus and metropolitan of Cilicia by Meletius after the death of Valens, in the year of Christ 378 ^C; not long after, he took part in the Antiochene council towards the end of the year 379, and the ecumenical one at Constantinople in 381, where he ordained Nectarius as bishop. While still a presbyter, he earned the greatest praise for constancy, zeal, and industry against both pagans and heretics; for his episcopate fell within the times of peace for the Church under Theodosius the Great. Praised by St. Chrysostom when he was a presbyter, when Diodorus as bishop had visited Antioch around 387, and had praised Chrysostom in a sermon. There is a double encomium of Chrysostom on Diodorus in Facundus IV, 2 (b), of which one was edited in Greek and Latin by Emericus Bigotius at the end of Palladius' Life of Chrysostom, Paris 1680, 4, pp. 229-235 (c). Also extant is a letter of St. Epiphanius to him, in which he dedicated to him the book On Gems. He died full of days before the year 394, when his successor Phalerius subscribed to the Constantinopolitan synod, and perhaps already in the year 392.

^A Having demonstrated that Christ is from all eternity, and that in the last days He assumed human nature, and accomplished the salvation of men. The rest of the writings of Diodorus fell to Theodorus the Reader, as Tillemont, who treats accurately of this Diodorus in volume VIII of his Memoirs [p. 558 sq. Notes sur le Diodore de Tarse, p. 802 sq. ed. Paris.], was persuaded. There are sometimes those who confuse him with other Diodoruses or Theodoruses, such as Diodorus of Tyre (a) and Theodorus of Mopsuestia, from whom he must be diligently distinguished (b). But now it is useful to recount his writings briefly.

1. Books, or chapters, *Against Fate*, and those asserting that astronomers and astrologers and heretics, Bardesanes and others [are wrong]. From this work, which Theodorus the Reader also mentions in Suidas under *Diodorus*, and which exists to this day in Syriac, as Hebed Jesu the author attests, there are ample excerpts extant in Photius, cod. CCXXIII (c). What Diodorus wrote in this work on page 358, "that the race of Christians had its beginning four hundred years ago, and had suddenly taken the whole inhabited world"—that Christians began four hundred years ago, and have occupied the whole earth—is to be accepted not precisely, but with some latitude.

2. A singular work against the heathens and their idols, as Tillemont gathers from the epistle of the Emperor Julian to Photinus, a great part of which, translated into Latin, is reported by Facundus IV, 2, p. 522, where, among other things, concerning Diodorus, whom the Nazarene calls a great blasphemer: "For this one," he says, "sailing to Athens for the sake of common utility and philosophizing recklessly, shared in the system of the musicians, and with the fabrications of a rhetorician armed his hateful tongue against the celestial gods, to such an extent that he was ignorant of the mysteries of the pagans, and imbibed everyone's error—as they say—of the degenerate and ignorant theologians." This seems to be what Theodorus the Reader mentions in Suidas, *Against Plato concerning God and the Gods*. It is strange, however, that Jerome in his *Catalogue*, cap. 119, objects to Diodorus his ignorance of secular literature.

3. *Against Photinus* [v. supra, p. 226], Malchion, Sabellius, and Marcellus of Ancyra, concerning whom Theodoret writes in book II of his *Heretical Fables*, last chapter: "The divine Diodorus, who governed the metropolis of the Cilicians, wrote against these four, demonstrating that God is the Word, ^B who has shown Christ to be from all eternity, and in the last days having become man, and having accomplished the salvation of men."

4. *Cronicon*, correcting the error of Eusebius of Pamphilus concerning the times, by which the errors admitted by Eusebius in his book on the times are amended. [V. supra, vol. VII, p. 444.]

5. *On that which is one God in the Trinity*. Against the Arians, or Eunomians, against whom Diodorus's work is attested to exist among the Syrians by Hebed Jesu in his *Catalogue of Chaldean Writers*.

6. *Against the Melchisedecians*, heretics who followed Theodotus of Byzantium and Hierax, claiming Melchisedech was the Holy Spirit. From the author of *Praedestinatus*, cap. 34, we know that Dionysius, Bishop of Jerusalem, also wrote against the Melchisedecians, just as it is certain from Photius, cod. CC, that they were also opposed by Diadochus, Bishop of Photice [on whom more was noted a little earlier].

7. *Against the Jews*. This also is among those writings of Diodorus which Hebed Jesu wrote existed in Syriac. [V. supra, vol. VI, p. 747.]

8. *On the Resurrection of the Dead*.

9. *On the Soul, against various heretical opinions concerning it*.

10. *Chapters to the Emperor Gratian*. The edict of this Gratian, Valentinian, and the elder Theodosius, by which they permit those alone to hold churches who are in communion with Nectarius of Constantinople, Timothy of Alexandria, Pelagius of Laodicea, and Diodorus of Tarsus, and the whole council (*koinou*), established under the Vicar of Asia, is in Facundus IV, 2.

11. *On the sphere and five zones and the contrary motion of the stars*.

12. *On the Sphere of Hipparchus the Bithynian*, who, as Pliny says (II, 26), dared— ^{C D} [alt-version omitted]

even to perform a work displeasing to God: to number the stars for posterity and to mark them by name, having devised instruments by which he might record the location and magnitude of each. Abedjesu wrote that a book by Diodorus, which he calls *Of Politics*, still survives among the Syrians. See Richard Simon's letters, published in French, III, 19, p. 111. 14. *On Nature and Matter*, in which writing he treats of that which is just. 15. *On God and Matter* (wrongly called *On God and False Greek Matter*), *which was fashioned by the Greeks*. 16. *That invisible natures were not created from the elements, but were brought into existence from nothing at the same time as the elements.* 17. *To Euphronius the philosopher, by way of interrogation and response.* I do not know if this is the book written by Diodorus, while he was still a presbyter, in which St. Basil, in Epistle 167, says he misses the charm of the Platonic dialogues. Facundus (IV, 2, p. 513) also mentions this letter of Basil to Diodorus. 18. *Against Aristotle on the celestial body, and how the sun is hot, and against those who say the heavens are a living being.* 19. *On how the Creator is always, but his works are not always.* 20. *On how to will and not to will exists in the eternal God.* 21. *Against Porphyry, on animals and sacrifices.* 22. *Against the Manichaeans and Addas*, the Manichaean, twenty-five books. Phot. cod. LXXXV. Theodoret also mentions Diodorus among the adversaries of the Manichaeans (Book I of *Haeretical Fabulae*, last chapter). And Abedjesu testified that a work of Diodorus against the Manichaeans existed among the Syrians. [Conf. supra, vol. VII, p. 326, and infra, vol. IX, p. 402, old edition, concerning Photius cod. LXXXV.] 23. *On the Holy Spirit, various arguments*, as it seems, opposed to the Macedonians (a). Photius (cod. CII) notes that Diodorus foreshadowed Nestorius in these works, and he read them in the same volume in which the book of Gelasius of Caesarea against the Eunomians was carried. That these two great men, Diodorus of Tarsus and Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia, fought against the Arians, Macedonius, and Apollinaris is also attested by Leontius in *De sectis*, p. 448. ^A 24. *Against the Synusiasts*, which title—as Sirmond notes (ad Facundum VIII, 4, tom. II, Opp., p. 655)—was prefixed to the writings against the Apollinarists of our Diodorus, as well as Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodotus of Antioch, and Cyril of Alexandria. Fragments of Diodorus’s first book against the Synusiasts are read in Leontius of Byzantium (Book against the Nestorians and Eutychians, tom. IX, Biblioth. Patrum, edit. Lugd., p. 704). See also Garnier on *Marius Mercator*, tom. II, pp. 317, 318. Because of these books, which the Syrians still possess (if the Catalog of Abedjesu is to be trusted), it seems Diodorus especially was ill-spoken of after his death ^B by the Nestorians who appealed to him; Cyriil, in his epistle to Succensus and Acacius, lashed out at him in a detailed work, which does not survive today, in which he took it upon himself to attack the passages of Diodorus and Theodore, which Theodoret in turn tried to defend in another work, likewise lost. As Facundus strenuously defended Diodorus and Theodore in many works. Furthermore, although Photius (cod. XVIII) writes that both Diodorus of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia were condemned in the fifth synod, this is not found in the acts of the synod. 25. *Against the Contentious one* (I know not whom), a book which Abedjesu notes exists among the Syrians; furthermore, he testifies that Diodorus composed sixty books, which the Arians burned. 26. Diodorus's main labor was interpreting the books of Holy Scripture, in which he imitated Eusebius of Emesa (c), and he himself preceded John Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuestia, in such a way that he pursued the literal sense and history rather than the allegories that were accepted by most others in those times, "giving heed to the mere letter of the divine Scriptures and avoiding their spiritual meanings (theoriae)," as is found in Socrates (VI, 3), or, as Sozomen (VIII, 2) says, "having made ^C exegeses according to the literal sense of the words, avoiding the spiritual meanings." His *Commentaries* on the Pentateuch are specifically mentioned (Suidas on *Diodoros*, from Theodore the Lector). On the *Psalms*; on the four books of *Kings*; *On the Questions of Chronicles*. On *Proverbs*, to which he added a dissertation *On the difference between theoria and allegory, or the mystical sense versus the allegorical and moral*. "What is the difference between theoria and allegory?" (Suidas). On *Ecclesiastes*; on the *Song of Songs*; on the *Prophets*; on the four *Gospels*; on the *Acts of the Apostles* (the same Suidas). *Commentaries on the Apostle* (Hieron. cap. 119, *On Ecclesiastical Writers*). On the first *Epistle of John* (Suidas on *Diodoros*). ^D Fragments of these commentaries are frequent in the catenae of the Greek Fathers on the sacred books, in which the name of Diodorus is most frequent, but it is also not rarely confused with that of Theodore of Mopsuestia.

by name. See FABRICIUS, *Conf.* above, vol. VII, p. 640 sq., 645 sq., etc., and the codices noted there, among others. In the Coislinian Library mss. of Montfaucon, in which fragments of Diodorus of Tarsus are interwoven, references are made on pages 41, 42, 187, 244, 245, 247; in particular, note must be made of page 137 of codex LXXX, which contains Theodoret’s interpretation of the Psalms, with scholia added in the margin, excerpted from various Fathers, including Diodorus of Tarsus, since he is occasionally called a heretic. HARL.

That the writings of Diodorus and Theodore of Mopsuestia were translated by the Nestorians into the Armenian, Persian, and Syriac languages is asserted by Liberatus, chap. 10 of his *Breviarium*.

Theodoret in his *Historia*, book II, chap. 24, refers the use of antiphons in the Church to Diodorus and Flavian of Antioch as their authors; on this subject see Jo. Bona, *De divina psalmodia*, chap. 16, § 10, page 513.

Among those whose liturgies are circulated among the Orientals, Diodorus is also numbered by Abraham Ecchellensis, in his *Catalogus Hebed-Jesu*, p. 134. ^B One should note, however, that it is not Diodorus of Tarsus who is meant, but Theodore of Mopsuestia. Those liturgies, translated from Greek into Syriac, are possessed by the Maronites; and he who testified that he had translated them into Latin, Richard Simon, in vol. II of his *Bibliotheca selecta*, page 173, intended to publish them. Most recently, Eusebius Renaudotus published these liturgies in Latin from his own translation in the later volume of his *Collection of Oriental Liturgies*, Paris 1716, 4°, where, among others, the liturgy of Theodore of Mopsuestia is also to be read.

Christianus Lupus, in his dissertation on the Council of Ephesus, chapter 1, has no doubt that Diodorus was a precursor of Nestorius, just as he was of Pelagius; but the book against the dogma of original sin, read by Photius in codex CLXXVII, which is the chief argument Lupus uses, is not by Diodorus of Tarsus, but by Theodore of Mopsuestia, as Rigbertius or Gerberonius noted in his notes to Marius Mercator, page 102.

He determined that at the final judgment only the just are to be exempted from the living. See Elmenhorst’s notes to Gennadius, *De ecclesiasticis dogmatibus*, chap. 8.

SECOND NOTICE

Theodore of Tarsus (who to others is Diodorus [a]) ^C cast into exile, like some rock, they broke the surging waves; and having taken up the care of the flock, they both resisted the wolves with their own strength and wisdom, and applied the appropriate healing to the sheep. And when they were driven from the roots of the mountain to which they had retreated, they pastured the sheep by the banks of a nearby river. But when the enemy of Christ would not allow that assembly of those praising God to gather even in that place, those two admirable shepherds, having gathered the divine sheep as if into a military gymnasium, demonstrated spiritual fodder. And Diodorus, a man most wise and most brave, just like a very deep and clear river, both irrigated their spirits with streams of fortitude and completely overwhelmed the blasphemies of the opponents with the waves of pure doctrine; he, considering the splendor of his birth as nothing, willingly endured hardships for the defense of the faith. Flavian, indeed, although born of patrician stock, nonetheless counted only piety in the place of nobility and, like a master of the wrestling school, anointed the great Diodorus as an athlete most exercised in every kind of struggle. And at length, when the people had agreed upon the opinion, he was created bishop of Tarsus by Meletius, and he took upon himself the care of the Cilicians. More [fragments] on the same [subject] from the holy Fathers Athanasius, Peter, and Timothy of Alexandria and John of Caesarea, whose fragments we have produced in *Nov. bibl. PP.*, vol. IV. And likewise elsewhere. A. M.

[a] I have myself seen him called now Diodorus, now Theodore, in mss., especially those translated from Greek into Syriac; and indeed sometimes in them even ^D

^A of the prelates, of Basil of Caesarea, of John of Constantinople, of Epiphanius of Cyprus, of the Egyptian bishops who had been relegated into exile by the Emperor Valens, and of the council of 150 priests who had gathered with this same Diodorus at Byzantium against Macedonius, Facundus of Hermiane collected the praises in book IV, ch. 2.

He wrote much on the sacred Bible. Sozomen, book VIII, ch. 2, speaking of John Chrysostom: "He had as teachers of this philosophy those who at that time presided over the famous monasteries there, namely Carterius and this Diodorus, who eventually became prelate of the Church of Tarsus, whom I myself heard had left behind many volumes of his own commentaries: for he had directed his interpretations to the letter of sacred Scripture, rejecting all speculations (allegories)." Socrates, book VI, ch. 3: "These men, therefore, inflamed with great zeal for virtue at that time, learned the monastic discipline from Diodorus and Carterius, who then presided over the monastery: later one of them, namely Diodorus, having been appointed bishop of Tarsus, wrote many books, attending only to the bare letter of the divine Scriptures, and thoroughly fleeing their more abstruse (allegorical) meaning." Theodoret and Nicephorus Callistus have the same. You will find his expositions here and there everywhere in the chains composed for the exposition of the Bibles.

Suidas has preserved for us a most accurate catalogue of other writings from Theodorus the Reader: ^B "Diodorus, a monk in the times of Julian and Valens, bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia, wrote various things, as Theodorus the Reader mentions in his Ecclesiastical History, which are: interpretation of the entire Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, and the rest; on the Psalms (a), on the four books of Kings, on the more difficult passages of Paralipomena (b), on Proverbs, On what is the difference between contemplation and allegory, on Ecclesiastes, on the Song of Songs, on the prophets, a Chronicle in which he corrects the error of Eusebius Pamphili concerning the times, on the four Gospels, on the Acts of the Apostles, on the Epistle of John the Evangelist, That God is one in the Trinity, Against the Melchisedecians, Against the Jews on the resurrection of the dead, On the soul against the various sects concerning it, chapters to Gratian, Against astronomers and astrologers and fate, On the sphere and the seven zones, and concerning the contrary course of the stars, On the sphere of Hipparchus, On providence against Plato, On God and the gods, On nature and matter, in which he treats what is just, On God and the false matter of the Greeks, That things which do not fall under the aspect are made not from elements, but together with the elements from nothing, To Euphronius the philosopher by question and answer, Against Aristotle on the celestial body, How the sun is hot, Against those who say the heaven is an animal, On how the creator is always, but the works of creation are not always, How willing and not willing ^C exist in the eternal God, Against Porphyry on animals and sacrifices." The "questions," or "inquiries," [d] ^D and following it, and on the Psalms, and on the four books of Kings, on the difficulties of the Paralipomena, on Proverbs, on the difference between contemplation and allegory, on Ecclesiastes, on the Song of songs, on the prophets, a Chronicle correcting the error of Eusebius of Caesarea concerning the times, on the four Gospels, on the Acts of the Apostles, on the Epistle of John the Evangelist, On the fact that there is one God in the Trinity, Against the Melchisedecians, Against the Jews, On the resurrection of the dead, On the soul according to its various heresies, chapters to Gratian, Against astronomers and astrologers and fate, On the sphere and the seven zones, and the contrary path of the stars, On the sphere of Hipparchus, On providence according to Plato, On God and the gods, On nature and matter, in which [he asks] what justice is, On God and the straying of Greek matter, that invisible natures were not created from the elements, but from nothing with the elements, To Euphronius the philosopher by question and answer, Against Aristotle concerning a heavenly body, How the sun is hot, Against those who say the heaven is an animal, On the fact that the creator is always, but the created things are not always, How willing and not willing exist in the eternal God, Against Porphyry concerning animals and sacrifices. The questions, or inquiries,

^A regarding the Holy Spirit and various arguments of Diodorus of Tarsus are contained in the same book, in which he also shows himself to have been already infected with the pestilence of Nestorius.

Hebediesu, Bishop of Soba and Armenia, cap. 18: "Diodorus Tarsensis composed sixty books, which the Arians burned; there remain those which I am about to commemorate. A book on the Dispensation, a book of the dissolution of astrology. Likewise another against the Eunomians: another against heretics; and also another against the Jews; and against the Manichaeans; and against Apollinaris. Finally, an exposition on a part of Matthew."

Photius, cod. ccxxiii, read his eight books against Fate, divided into fifty-three chapters, and from them translated the more worthy parts into his *Bibliotheca* very copiously. Let us hear what he says at the beginning of the excerpts concerning the study and talent of so great a man:

"The work of Diodorus, Bishop of Tarsus, against Fate was read, distinguished into eight books and fifty-three chapters, in which books this writer is indeed pious, and does not stray into that sect concerning the Son of God which the impious rabies of Nestorius dismembered. But in his arguments, although he employs some things quite rightly and cleverly while he opposes the praisers of fate, he sometimes does not pursue the dogma of his adversaries clearly or accurately enough, and attempts to oppose those things which only bear the appearance of a dogma; so that consequently he often seems to fight not with those against whom he undertook the contest, but rather with some others. Yet a fair-minded judge would not wish to blame him for the fact that he handles this matter less successfully in some places, since at least honor and thanks are deservedly due to him for the fact that he endeavors, not without merit in many respects, to suppress the harmful error concerning fate."

And at the end of the excerpts: "He is moreover pure and clear in his expression, and in the forming of his enthymemes and epichiremes such as we have already indicated in part in these excerpts of his work."

The same Photius also read various arguments of the same author concerning the Holy Spirit, cod. cii. He mentions the twenty-five books of the same author against the Manichaeans, and explains the argument in cod. lxxxv.

^B And finally that Diodorus who contended against the Manichaeans in twenty-five books, of which in the first seven he thinks he is refuting the living Gospel of Manichaeus: but he does not attain it; while he overthrows not that, but what was written by Addas, which is called the *Modion*; then in the remaining books he purely explains and declares those passages of the Holy Scripture which the Manichaeans were wont to adapt to those things which they had conceived in their mind. And the tract of Diodorus is thus. Likewise Nicephorus Callistus, *Hist.* lib. vi, cap. 32: "Against this heresy, Titus [Bishop] of Bostra and Diodorus, who governed the metropolis of the Cilicians, fought vigorously with books they composed."

Leontius Byzantinus also makes mention of the same book against the Synusiasts, that is to say, the Apollinarists. There is no mention of these three in Suidas in that accurate catalogue of this man's works. Just as also of the commentaries of the same on the Apostle, which Jerome mentions in *De Scriptoribus*. Basil represented this man to us as most learned and absolute of all, for which reason he should be heard in his letter to the same [Diodorus], not yet a bishop.

To Diodorus, Presbyter of Antioch. "I received the books sent by your reverence; and I was greatly delighted by the second, not only because of its brevity—as was to be expected for one who is sluggish toward all things and otherwise weakly disposed—but because it is dense at the same time in its concepts, and the counter-arguments of the opponents and the replies to them exist in it clearly, and the simplicity and lack of artifice in the diction seemed to me befitting the purpose of a Christian writing not for display rather than for common profit. But the former, while having the same power in its subject matter, yet, because it is adorned with more luxurious diction, varied figures, and elegant dialogues, seemed to me to require much time for..."

^D (a) We have also recited this article of Hebediesu concerning Diodorus according to the better reading of Assemani, who corrected Ecchellensis. A. M.

to come forth, and requiring labor of mind not only to collect the thoughts, but also to retain them in one's memory; for the calumnies of opponents and the rebuttals of our own side which are inserted in the middle, even if they seem to introduce certain dialectical sweetness into the writing, nevertheless, by causing delay and distraction, they break up the continuity of the reasoning, and also weaken the tension of the vigorous argument. ^A To Diodorus the presbyter of Antioch. I have received the books which your reverence sent; and I was supremely delighted with the second one, not only on account of its brevity, as was naturally to be expected for one who is now sluggish and weakly disposed towards everything, but also because it is dense and at the same time full of thoughts, and has the objections of adversaries and the responses subordinate to them arranged not confusedly, but in right order. And furthermore, the unaffected and uncompounded simplicity of the diction seemed to me decorous and appropriate to the profession of a Christian man, whose aim is to write not for display so much as for public utility. The first volume, while indeed possessing the same ability in its subject matter, yet by its diction, its instruction, and various figures of speech, and by the charm of its dialogue, being more ornate, seemed to me at the time to demand ^B much labor both to read through and to understand, to the end that the senses might be gathered and committed to memory. For the calumnies of the adversaries and the defenses of our own party, being interspersed, although they seem to bring a certain dialectical sweetness to the commentary, yet because they generate so many delays, they confuse and undermine the intent of the mind, and render even the vigor of a strenuous discourse relaxed. Nor does Jerome deviate much from this in *De vir. illust.* cap. 119: "Diodorus of Tarsus," etc. His commentaries on the Apostle are extant, and many other things pertaining rather to the character of Eusebius of Emesa (a), whose sense he followed, but whose eloquence he could not imitate, on account of his ignorance of secular literature. You will read more about him in Facundus. Apollinaris, bishop of Laodicea, wrote several treatises against this Diodorus. In the *Ecloga* of orthodox doctrines, ^C his testimonies are praised from the book *Against Diodorus* (b): as also from another *To Heraclius against Diodorus* (c). And it is most likely that other Fathers also wrote against him. That he was condemned, however, in the fifth synod, Photius reports in *Bibl.* cod. CLXXVII: "The things concerning Diodorus of Tarsus, and Theodore of Mopsuestia, and they likewise were anathematized." Concerning Diodorus of Tarsus, and Theodore of Mopsuestia, who were themselves also similarly struck by anathema. And the seventh synod, act 6, concerning the fifth synod (loc. cit.): "Against these also, the holy synod of one hundred and sixty-five holy Fathers gathered at Constantinople under Justinian of divine memory, which anathematized Origen, who is also called Adamantius, Evagrius, Didymus, together with their Greek writings, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Theodore the instructor of Nestorius, Severus, etc." Furthermore, those things which met at Constantinople of one hundred and sixty-five holy Fathers ^D under Justinian of divine memory, which anathematized Origen, who is also called Adamantius, Evagrius, Didymus, together with their pagan writings, and Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Theodore the instructor of Nestorius, Severus, etc.

(b) In our edition of these extracts (which Allatius had in the manuscripts) *Script, vet.* t. VII, p. 17, 20. (c) *Tom. cit.* p. 16. A. M.

EXCERPT

Of the works of Diodorus, nothing survives of any consequence, except certain opinions in the Greek catenae, and also to be found in Mercator, Leontius, and in the fifth synod; but the catenae show us the flowers, others the poison; for the former introduce him as an interpreter of Scripture, the latter as the teacher of Theodore and Nestorius. Yet this man, so great as he was, when he had grown old, fell into error, while he pursued the heresy of Apollinaris inconsiderately; for he asserted no part of those blasphemies which Theodore and later Nestorius defended, so that he is deservedly called the parent of Theodore, and the grandfather of Nestorius. He taught that there were two sons of God in Christ: the one who is from Mary not being the Son except by adoption or grace; that the Word neither had two births, nor was born from Mary; that the Word is not Christ, but the Lord of Christ; that it could not be said that God suffered or was crucified. In which six propositions either wholly, or in great part, Nestorianism is contained. Such errors he sprinkled into the work which he wrote *Against the Synousiasts*, that is, against Apollinaris, who, while he fought against Photinus, who sinned as if by defect in explaining the union of the Word with the flesh, erred himself by excess, and confused and mixed the Word with the flesh just as the soul of a man, infused through the limbs, is mixed with the body, which it moves and informs. By that work Diodorus could have been recognized as to who he was, had not the appearance of piety almost bewitched the eyes of the world. Diodorus wrote against Apollinaris when he was already of quite advanced age. For he was an abbot of great renown when Chrysostom came to him, in the year 376, with the desire of cultivating the monastic life and of learning: made bishop of Tarsus from an abbot of monks by Meletius, being already old, in the year 378; he attended the second synod in the year 381; he was praised in a sermon while present at Antioch by Chrysostom, after the year 386, when he was already almost dead with old age. Yet he had not yet written at that age, or at least had not yet published the work in the year 392, in which year Jerome finished his book *On Ecclesiastical Writers*, otherwise he would have mentioned a work of such distinction. He perhaps died while composing this work, for in the year 394 Phalerius had succeeded to his see, as is understood from the acts of the Constantinopolitan synod, held under Nectarius in the same year.

Fragments of the Work of Diodorus of Tarsus

It is worthwhile to show these fragments; for thus the source of the Nestorian blasphemy, or at least a stream closer to the source, will be opened, and at the same time Cyril will be defended against Facundus of Hermiane, Diodorus' patron. But before they are produced, it will be helpful to advise that the excerpts which are read among the ancients from the books of Theodore in fact appertain to Diodorus, who inscribed his books as such, whereas Theodore made his own title of the same subject matter, *Against the Impious Apollinaris and the Apollinarists*. And indeed, the passages which Leontius, a most diligent author, attributes to Diodorus, others assign to Theodore, as will be manifest from the consequences. Although Leontius notes that Theodore was accustomed to borrow many things from others, and from the Samosatene himself, in the same words, which he would transfer into his own works, so that their books appear not so much written as copied (Lib. III *Against the Eutychians*, near the end).

*Diodorus, from the first book against the Synusiasts.* ^A We urge you to a diligent and cautious examination of dogmas; we labor on your behalf, lest we render an account to the Lord for our silence. The Son, perfect before the ages, assumed Him who is perfect, who is proved to be from David; the Son of God, the son of David. You will say to me: "Do you therefore preach two sons?" I do not speak of two sons of David, for I have not called God the Word the son of David; nor do I speak of two Sons of God by essence, for I do not say that there are two generated from the essence of God before the ages. I do say, however, that God the Word dwelt in Him who is proved to be from the seed of David (*Among Mercator, Book III*).

*The same, from the same book.* ^B If anyone wishes improperly to call the Son of God, God the Word, the "son of David," on account of the temple of the Word of God which is from David, let him do so; and let him address Him who is from the seed of David as "Son of God" by grace and not by nature, not being ignorant of natural fathers, nor subverting the order, nor saying that He who is incorporeal is also corporeal, and before the ages from God, and from David, and both having suffered and being impassible. The body is not incorporeal; what is below is not above; what is before the ages is not from the seed of David; what has suffered is not impassible; for these things are not turned to the same meaning: what belongs to the body does not belong to God the Word, and the body does not have what is proper to God the Word. Let us confess the natures; and let us not deny the dispensations (*In the Fifth Synod, Coll. 5; among Leont., Book against the Eutychians*).

*The same, from the same book.* ^C The man from Mary is a Son by grace, but God the Word is Son by nature: the one by grace and not by nature, the other by nature and not by grace; let it suffice for the body which is from us to have sonship by grace, with glory and immortality, because it has become the temple of God the Word. Let it not be raised above nature, and let God the Word not be insulted in place of the thanksgiving owed to Him by us. And what is this insult, to compose Him with the body, and to think that He is in need of a body for perfect sonship? God the Word Himself does not even wish to be called the son of David, but His Lord; but that this body should be called the son of David, He not only did not begrudge, but even came for this very purpose. And it is fitting for those who look well at these things, since we are seeking natural fathers, neither to name God the Word the son of David or Abraham, but their Creator: nor to name the body as being from the Father before the ages, but as the seed of Abraham and David born from Mary.

*And after a few things.* And when there is a question concerning births according to nature, let not God the Word be suspected of being the son of Mary; for a mortal generates a mortal according to nature, and the body...

are, and a body similar to Himself. God the Word did not endure two births, one indeed before the ages, the other in later times: but He was begotten by nature from the Father, while the temple, which was born from Mary, He fashioned for Himself from that very womb. ^A

And a little later: When, however, the argument turns to the saving dispensation, He is called man, not because He became this, but because He assumed this; and He is called God-man, not as having become uncircumscribed, nor as existing everywhere; for even after the resurrection His body was palpable, and such it was received into heaven, and so it shall come, just as it was received.

*Of the same, from the same book.*

But if it was flesh, says Apollinaris, that was crucified, how did the sun turn away its rays, and darkness cover the whole earth, and there were earthquakes, and rocks were split, and the dead rose again? What then do they say regarding the darkness that occurred in Egypt in the times of Moses, not for three hours, but for three days? What, moreover, regarding the other miracles performed through Moses, and those through Joshua son of Nun, who made the sun stand still? What of the sun, which in the times of King Hezekiah, even against nature, turned backward? And of the relics of Elisha, which raised the dead? For if the things that happened on the cross demonstrate that the Word of God suffered, and they do not concede that these things were done for the sake of man, are not those which occurred in the times of Moses done for the sake of the race of Abraham, and those in the times of Joshua son of Nun, and those in the times of King Hezekiah? But if those were done miraculously for the sake of the people of the Jews, how much more those which were done on the cross for the sake of the temple of the Word of God? ^B

*Of the same, from the same book.*

The Son of God is Son for the sake of none; the flesh is Son for the sake of the Son, and what do I say, for the sake of the Son? The flesh is for our sake; and do not suppose the word to be blasphemous, but demand the proofs. If men had not sinned, there would have been no need of the law. For the law is not laid down for the just. If those who were under the law had not increased sin, there would have been no need of grace. Or because the law could not kill sin, did He not for our sake assume flesh, so that, being crucified and having died and risen, He might bring a remedy to death and the sentence of death? If the deception and the sentence of death had not advanced against us, what need was there for this economy of the Savior? What need was there to put on a body? Did He not accept flesh for our sake?

*Excerpts from the book of Diodorus of Tarsus, titled On Fate, are extant in Photius’ Bibliotheca, cod. CCXXIII, which see at the year 863.*

Fragments from the Catenae on Genesis

*From the Catena titled: A Chain of one hundred and fifty commentators on the Octateuch and the books of the Kings, now first published in print at the request of the most pious and serene ruler of all Ugro-Wallachia, Lord Lord Gregory Alexander Ghica; by the care of Nicephorus, Hieromonk of the Theotokos. In Leipzig of Saxony, at the printing house of Breitkopf. In the year 1772.*

Chap. 1, vers. 1. *In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.*

*Of Diodorus.* Of those barbarians who lived in the times of Moses, and especially those who wished to philosophize, regarding the heaven and the earth and all intermediate things as having causes, from which the poets of the Greeks also later took the starting points of their impiety, it was necessary for Moses, as he led the Israelites as far as possible from that impiety of theirs, to make the overturning of their erroneous starting point the beginning of his doctrines. For since they acknowledged that things had come into being, but were ignorant of the Creator, beginning immediately, *In the beginning, he says, God created* the heaven and the earth. ^C

Fragments on Genesis

^A Vers. 14. *And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years.*

Diodorus. We must inquire how the sun, moon, and stars were created for signs. Perhaps he says "for signs" because, for instance, the sun and moon stood still in the time of Joshua the son of Nun, and in the time of Hezekiah, they moved backward. A star also appeared to the Magi, heralding the birth of Jesus according to the flesh. One might also find that some of the stars, appearing at certain times, are indicators of evils or blessings.

Vers. 17. *And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth.*

Diodorus. Let no one, upon hearing *And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth*, imagine that the sun, moon, and stars are fixed in the heaven, as this would be introducing a pagan dogma into the Church, imagining that the heaven moves and carries along the lights that shine from it. For when God created Adam, he "set" him in Paradise, not by fixing him there, but by assigning him his dwelling and his place there. Whence one must understand that just as a man is upon the earth, so the luminaries are in the heaven—not fixed, but traveling their course above, so that they might shine upon those below, sending the light to us in its completeness.

Vers. 22. *And God blessed them, saying, Increase, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let the fowls multiply on the earth.*

Diodorus. Perhaps, since some things, even if they live, have an insensate life, while others possess a sensory and imaginative life that is hostile to others, through the voice *Increase and multiply*, he provided security for each, so that no race might become weaker and be consumed by a stronger one. And otherwise, since those which are closer to human beings in their bodily life needed to be more valued than grass and trees, those that eat are more valued than those that are eaten.

Vers. 26. *And God said, Let us make man after our image and likeness.*

Diodorus. Some have thought that man is after the image of God according to the invisibility of the soul. They did not grasp that an angel is also invisible, and a demon is invisible. To whom it is necessary to say this much: that both the male among men and the female have received the same nature according to both body and soul. Why, then, does Paul call the man the image of God, but no longer the woman, if man is the image of God according to the reason of the soul? For he says, *For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man* (1 Cor. XI, 7). If, therefore, the one not needing to cover his head is the image of God, it is clear that she who is covered is not the image of God, despite possessing the same soul. How then is man the image of God? According to the ruling and authoritative [principle], and the voice of God itself is a witness to this, which says: *Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness*, and [concerning] the

way ^A in which it brings [them] forward, and *let them rule over the fish of the sea, and of the birds of heaven, and of the wild animals of the earth*, and the rest. Just as, then, God rules over all things, so also does man rule over earthly things. Why, then, does the woman not also rule over the aforementioned? But she has the man as head, while ruling over the others. For a man is not subject to the woman. For this reason, the blessed Paul rightly says that the man alone is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.

CAP. II, vers. 7. *And He breathed into his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.*

Diodorus. Some have wrongly supposed that the breath of God became the immortal soul, when Moses has not said that the breath became a soul, but that God breathed into his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul, as if the vital breath, having been breathed and inspired into the face of Adam, rendered the man a rational animal, ^B consisting of a mortal body and an immortal soul. For since the soul is spirit, an invisible nature, he says that it is a divine creative breath of it, just as in some places [he speaks] of the hand of God for visible things. For by the name of an invisible breath, Moses says the creation of the invisible took place. But by the designation of a visible limb, that is, of the hand, the prophets often say that visible things have been created. But one must not be ignorant that all other things are ordered to come into being from the earth, and have received generation from the earth. But for man, first the bodily organ was constructed, and after this, the craftsman having been created, it was introduced; and [the creator fashioned] the better thing second after the worse, so that it might not despise the flesh, nor think highly of the excellence of its own nature. Thus, man became a living soul.

Diodorus. For while it was given to the irrational animals to have life by the inhalation of the breath in the air, [it was given] to the other [man] from the immortal and distinct substance itself. For God breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living breath. And to those, it was commanded to serve and be ruled; but to him, to rule and to be master.

The same. He did not say that the flesh became a living soul, but that the man became a living soul, having used the name of man, which is common to both. And having said this, he indicated the whole compound. But by the division of the making, he distinguished the natures, and by "He fashioned" the dust from the earth, he indicated the flesh; but by "He breathed" the breath of life, he signified the soul; then, in common, he brought it forward again, and [said] *man became a living soul*.

Vers. 8. *And the Lord God planted a paradise in Eden toward the east, and put there the man whom He had formed.*

Diodorus. Some say that Eden is the paradise; others, that it is the whole place in which paradise also was, from whence also Adam was formed. And Adam was named from having been made in Eden from the earth. For "Edom" is the red [color], just as Esau also, having sold his birthright for a mess of red pottage, received the designation; and this is rather more true.

Vers. 23. *And Adam said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken from her man.*

Diodorus. *This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken from her man.* One can see from many things that Adam was full of much grace, but not least from these. For when the woman was being fashioned from him, he did not see it. For how [could he], being asleep? But having recognized her as she was brought to him by God, he spoke more prophetically, as if the woman will no longer be generated from a man in the same way, as Eve [was] from him. For this is what he says: *now, bone of my bones*. Only in this instance [did this occur] as having come to be, as also Symmachus and Theodotion interpreted. This was once [done] bone of my bones. For all other things are from [both] man and woman, and [by] the law of marriage. And why from the rib? So that they might not only prefer each other above all things considered good in life, but even above father and mother, being united into one flesh; however, [the phrase] *she shall be called woman, because she was taken from her man*, does not seem to preserve any sequence. For if, because Eve was a rib of Adam, for this reason [she is] woman, then the women after this are not [presumably] from men. But they say the error happened with the interpreters. For [perhaps] the Scripture did not say "woman" (*gyne*), but "man" (*anthropos*). For it names the human being with an intense pronunciation of the voice, and in the same way [it names] Eve from the man. And this, to me, seems to have more coherence.

CAP. III, vers. 2 (vulg. 1). *And the serpent was the most prudent of all the wild animals upon the earth, which the Lord God made.*

Diodorus. He does not here call "prudent" the intelligent [creature], but the instrument fit for deceit. Just as it is a good custom for us to call a man "good," and the Books of Kingdoms (1 Kings 18, 2) say that Saul was "good," not [referring to] his moral choice, but to the bodily size of his stature, having departed from the custom of the designation; so also Moses said the serpent was "prudent."

Ibid. *And the serpent said to the woman: Why did the Lord God say, you shall not eat of every tree which is in the paradise?*

Diodorus. The serpent being irrational, how did it discourse with Eve? It was itself an instrument of the enemy of truth. And the Lord has made this clear in the divine Gospels. For having said to the Jews, *You are of your...* [original-script column: see facsimile]

father the devil*, he added, *he was a murderer from the beginning* (John VIII, 44). This one, therefore, conversed with Eve through the serpent. For since all the irrational creatures had received from God, the Lord of all, their governance ^A, through one of these subjects he brought the snare, thus crafting the deception to be more persuasive. That the divine Scripture also calls the serpent, through whom he worked, himself a serpent, the prophet Isaiah is witness, crying out: *On that day the Lord will bring his sword, the holy, the great, and the strong, upon the dragon, the crooked serpent, the strong, upon the dragon, the serpent that flees in the sea* (Isa. XXVII, 1). And the Lord also said to the holy disciples: *Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy*.

Of the same. *And the serpent said to the woman: Why is it that God said, You shall not eat of every tree that is in the paradise?* For what reason, he says, were you ordered by God not to taste of any of the trees in the paradise? From this it is clear that Adam and those with him had not partaken of any food. For if they had already been eating, the devil would certainly have seen them eating. And had he seen them eating, he would not have said: For what reason were you ordered not to eat of any? But it is clear that they had not yet eaten. It is necessary, however, to say what the question of the devil intended. Now, he knew—as was to be expected from the fact that he saw all the rational and irrational beings, whether visible or invisible, under some law as the Creator had willed—that Adam and those with him had received a law. He did not, however, know the law. For had he known it, he would not have spoken the contrary, so as immediately to render himself unconvincing in his deception, as one ignorant of the law. But inferring from what was then visible, he attempted to fulfill his own malice. For it is clear that God did not give the command to Adam by means of a sensible voice, but rather by impressing upon him, through His own operation, both the knowledge of the law and the hearing of it. And Adam, having received the command, was disposed as if he had received the precept by hearing. This is what God also did in the case of the prophets. From this it is clear that the given law was not known to the devil; for if God had conversed with Adam in the manner of human Law, with an articulate voice, he too [the devil] would have heard it, being capable of knowing human voices. Now, he inferred from all the things that had been created under laws that there was indeed some law, but not knowing what that law itself was—the one through which he wished to subvert them—he attempted to make trial of them by certain conjectures based on the laws that had been given. He saw all the irrational animals grazing upon the earth; for it was their nature, as soon as they were granted their desire, to hasten to food; but Adam and those with him had not yet eaten. For God had ordered human beings so that they did not always rush to food like the irrational animals. He knew that there was a certain appointed time.

^C ...or that one ought to remain in human ways of thinking, and not pay attention to the belly like the irrational animals. Since, therefore, Adam and those with him had not yet eaten, according to this cause—because the time forcing them to eat had not yet arrived—the devil, observing that all animals were eating but they alone partook of nothing, and because he did not understand the difference that God had given to human beings in this regard compared to the irrational creatures, he thought that they had been entirely forbidden by law from eating. He asked Eve, therefore, what was the reason that He ordered you alone not to eat?

*Vers. 8. And the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.*

Diodore. *And the eyes of both were opened*, he says. From this, some of the heretics say that the serpent was a benefactor for having suggested eating from the tree; which also opened the eyes of their mind and implanted in them the knowledge of good and evil. For they do not hesitate to slander God and praise the devil, saying that as much as God envied them, so much the serpent gave to them; not knowing that the opening of the eyes did not happen entirely for their benefit. For what did the opening of their eyes provide for them? Except to know that they happened to be naked, and to be ashamed of the fact! For how would they have perceived their nakedness, had not their disobedience transformed their nature into mortality, just as God had threatened? For such as are the things of nature, such also are the things of the faculty of choice. The intent of fish is not the same as that of land animals, nor is what seems appropriate for flesh-eaters the same as for the herbivorous animals. And certainly all are flesh, and many products of the earth, but the difference in their structure provided for them also the difference in their way of thinking. Thus, there is a desire for marriage in human beings, and for food, for warmth and for cold, for clothing and for nakedness; but there is no need for any of these among the angels. If, therefore, because of the transformation of nature, the things of the understanding have also changed, it is nothing strange that Adam and those with him, before the disobedience, were unfeeling regarding their nakedness; since there is no need for a covering for the immortal, even if they are in a body; for the desire for clothing or marriage or any of the things in the mortal body does not enter into those who are raised. And as for arriving at the thought of nakedness and being ashamed of it, the reasoning faculty, as I said, having been transformed along with nature in them and having been carried down into mortality—this the devil, foreseeing (for being immaterial in his nature, he has a mind more subtle and by far quicker than mortal human beings; and considering what would happen to Adam and those with him if they disobeyed, I mean [the becoming] mortal in their thinking by the shift to the worse from the disobedience), cloaks the deception with the dignity of a promise, saying, *On the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened*, etc.

Vers. 22. And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife leather tunics, and...

clothed them.

Diodorus: Some say that the leather tunics are the flesh, but they understand this poorly. For before this, Moses says: *And God formed man, dust from the earth.* But now, since having understood their nakedness, and being ashamed because of it, they sewed fig leaves, God gives them tunics, having fashioned them from His own ineffable treasures. For it is not necessary to inquire whence they came, but rather [to note] that He made them, showing that our mortal nature requires the assistance of these garments. ^A

CAP. V, vers. 4. *And the days of Adam were*, etc., up to verse 20: *And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.*

Diodorus: If Adam was from the earth, and Eve from his rib, and the sons and daughters [were born] of both, whence come the subsequent people? It is clear that it was through the coming together of the sons and daughters. But if someone asks how it is that the Law forbids marriages of siblings and aunts and uncles, and in general of those nearby, let him know: that for those who were to be joined in marriage [at that time], to be born from the earth was much better than to be from one man, even if the brothers and sisters being joined to one another in place of wives and husbands is thought to be more burdensome. For if even though we are from one [man], we then, having been extended to longer generations through successions, considering ourselves as strangers, ^B some indeed happened to be from others, yet all were from the earth—how much more have we become strangers to one another? So that if the marriage of siblings is burdensome, the great burden of considering people as strangers to one another was also removed.

But if someone should say: "How then do we accuse fathers, and as many as have their mothers and sisters as wives?" Let him know that God indeed permitted sibling-marriage at the beginning, for the reason we have stated; but after this, when many men had already been born, He willed that unity should exist not only from the nearer kindred—that is, those who have wives—but also from family connection; so that fathers and mothers, uncles and brothers, sons and sons’ sons, and cousins should have the disposition that comes from proximity; and that those who had been born far off through the successions, and extended to longer successions, and had been considered as strangers, should again be bound together into unity through marriages, and kindreds linked to kindreds. Since God has managed these things, it is absurd for brothers to consort with sisters and for such connections to occur. For the disposition from kindred being sufficient, it is superfluous to add that which is from marriage, and not to keep the unity from elsewhere bound by intermarriages; nor to have the same person as sister and spouse. For sister is sufficient for a disposition. And let a woman not... under the breadth of the disposition. Using the same things, therefore, for everything... ^C those who, because of the nearness of succession, [were] indeed to be honored; but the others, because of the necessity of kinship.

CAP. VI, vers. 4. *And the giants were upon the earth in those days.* And thereafter, as the sons of God were entering in to the daughters of men, and they were bearing [children] to them, those were the giants of old, the men of name.

Diodorus: Moses does not add without purpose the words, *And the giants were then upon the earth.* But since God was angry at that time, He said that *My Spirit shall not remain in these men*, that is, the vital spirit, because they are not sinners, but sin; for this is what it means: because they are flesh. And *that their years shall be one hundred and twenty.* The punishment was for those living nine hundred and fifty years to be limited to one hundred and twenty. Showing that the one hundred and twenty years remaining of life was a punishment for those who, as I said, lived nine hundred and fifty years. He then added: *And the giants were then upon the earth*, that is, those who were living many years. He says, then, [that] those were the giants of old, the men of name; clearly those sons of God who were entering in to the daughters of men; and begetting sons from them, no longer for God, so that they might be called His own, or that the children of that one should be called [sons of God]; but they were begetting human beings for themselves, who were thinking mortal and perishable thoughts.

Vers. 6. *And God remembered that He made man upon the earth, and He considered.* ^D

Diodorus: *And He remembered*, he says, *that God made man upon the earth*; or according to Aquila, *And God repented that He made man upon the earth, and He labored in His heart.* Repentance of men is a passion; but of God, it is a work. Since anger also of men is a disturbance of soul; but of God, it is instruction against those who have stumbled. So also is repentance: in us, one might say, it is a change of mind, such as belongs to mortals, for the condemnation of ourselves in regard to those things we thought or did wrongly; but in God, it is a transfer of management to another way. For that which we, in undergoing, first come to the work, this is called a work only in the case of God. For example, becoming angry, we punish; but God's [act] of instructing is called anger. Repenting, we turn away from those things concerning which we change our minds, and come to the other [judgment] which we think to be better. Thus, God's moving from one management to another in a beneficial way is called repentance. Since, also, hand in our case is the limb, but in God it is called the action. For since the Master is invisible, and our mind is mingled with the body, [it] grasps the energies of God from the things it knows how to hear; it names them with the titles of our own limbs, wishing to make us understand what it intends to say concerning God. With a hand we build. Therefore, he calls the creative power of God a hand. Straightway, also, the Magi [call] the gnat...

of the earth, from which they were unable to bring forth, as Moses says, "This is the finger of God" (Exod. viii, 19). Who would say that the work of Moses is the finger of the nature of God? And his power, by which it is named, is not that which is in his essence; for how could that be? Rather, it is that which shows the capability of God in its own incompleteness. And feet, the presence, because we arrive with feet wherever it may seem fit; and mouth, the command, because people speak with their mouth. Thus also the anger of God is his discipline, which is spoken of to Moses against those who had sinned, when the people made the calf—and now, "Let me alone, and being angered, in my anger I will destroy them" (Exod. xxxii, 10). But the anger of God, like that of a king, does not wait for permission from a man so that anger may occur; but from the moment the wrong act occurs, it is set in motion. He says also to Aaron (Num. xvi, 46, 48): "Take the censer, and run into the midst of the dead and of those who are still living." For the wrath of the Lord went forth, and it had begun to crush the people; calling the affliction itself and the punishment "wrath." Similarly, therefore, whenever some change in the dispensations of God occurs, the divine Scripture names it "repentance." The Prophet, knowing this "repentance" of God, [knew] it was not a passion of His, but a change of dispensations; for when the plagues were shown to him by the holy Spirit against Israel—now of blight, now of locust, and caterpillar and locust, and things like these—crying out at each of these: "Repent, O Lord" (Amos vii, 3, 6), he was not rebuking God as if He were doing evil, but was exhorting Him toward repentance, or rather, exhorting that the change of discipline should turn to the better.

CAP. VIII, vers. 20. And Noah built an altar to God; and he took from all the clean cattle, and from all the clean birds, and he offered whole burnt offerings upon the altar.

CAP. IX, vers. 3. And every creeping thing that is alive shall be yours for food; as the green herbs I have given you all things.

Vers. 26. And he said, Blessed be the Lord the God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Vers. 27. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the houses of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant.

CAP. XI, vers. 17. And Eber lived after he begat Peleg two hundred and seventy years, and begat sons and daughters; and he died. And Peleg lived one hundred and thirty years, and he begat Reu.

Vers. 32. And all the days of Terah in Haran were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

^A after his death, all the rest—and Abram, while his father was still living, I believe, is counted worthy of a second call, that to the land of promise. For just as the command "Go forth out of your land and from your kindred" was given, so also "out of the house of your father" was spoken, in order that Abraham, the father of the Church, might also fulfill that saying: "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:37). But if anyone says that Abraham departed from Haran after the death of his father, he will find the inquiry regarding the years of Abraham to be insoluble, as we have already noted. That God wished him alone to be the heir of the land, the events concerning the separation of Lot clearly teach.

CAP. XII, vers. 13. And someone of those who had been saved came and reported it to Abram the Hebrew; but he himself was dwelling by the oak of Mamre, the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner, who were confederates of Abram. ^B Diodorus. Moses, having narrated the events beyond the Jordan—that is to say, the war which the Persians waged against the kings of the Sodomites and Gomorrahs—calls Abram "the Hebrew" at that time, as if he were dwelling on the other side of the Jordan. For he adds: "And he himself was dwelling by the oak of Mamre," showing why he was now called the Hebrew.

CAP. XVII, vers. 14. And the uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be destroyed from his kindred, because he has broken my covenant. Diodorus. "And the uncircumcised male," he says, "who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be destroyed from his kindred, because they have broken my covenant." Not because the act of circumcision is necessary, but because the covenant is rendered void when the sign by which it was recognized is not fulfilled. Why then shall the uncircumcised be destroyed? And what of the infant? For it belongs to the fathers to circumcise on the eighth day. But the Syriac has it thus: "Everyone who does not circumcise shall be destroyed"; and the Hebrew: "Everyone who does not circumcise." If this is a decree of God, then why were those who came ^C out of Egypt during the forty years, not circumcising those born in the wilderness, not afraid? Or why is a man who gathered wood on the Sabbath stoned, and the people who grumbled fall and are destroyed in part, yet the uncircumcised man was not blamed? Or is it clear that He wished His own people to be recognized by circumcision when they were then in the midst of the uncircumcised? But after they happened to be in the wilderness, and had no need of the sign (for all were happening to be associates of God), He did not require the sign of the covenant. And immediately after ^D these things were guided into the land of promise, and again mixed with the nations, He once more required the circumcision. For since they were not recognized by their stance in faith, just as animals are known by a brand, He wished them to be known by circumcision, so that the removal of flesh might show the specialty of the Jews. It was the greatest accusation of the intention; [for it was the will of God that Abraham alone and those born from him possess the land of promise].

CAP. XXI, vers. 9. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who was born to Abraham, playing with Isaac her son. Diodorus. It seemed to some that Ishmael, being evil, was rejected by the judgment of God. And for this reason he received nothing from his father; and a witness is Paul, saying: "But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the spirit" (Gal. 4:29). So that Sarah was not moved simply by seeing Ishmael playing with Isaac, even if Moses tells it more simply. So also Abner and Joab once drew up in battle. The one on behalf of the son of Saul, the other on behalf of David. "Let the youths play," he says, "before us" (II Kings 2:14), instead of "let them fight." Thus, Scripture is accustomed to use "to play" for battle, and "to mock" for forced cohabitation.

Vers. 14. And Abraham rose early, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, and put it on her shoulders—and the child—and sent her away. Diodorus. But as you listen, because Abraham put the skin of water and the loaves and the child on the shoulders of Hagar, do not think that the child had been seated on the mother's shoulders; for he was already fifteen years old. But hear the sequence saying: "And Abraham rose early, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, and put it on her shoulders; and the child he did not put on, but gave him." For to him the "gave" is joined, and the child, not to the "put on her shoulders." Perhaps, which is also truer, that the fifteen-year-olds of that time were infants, to whom a forty or fifty-year period of age flourished for the time of marriage. For take for me the proportion of the whole life and of the time of marriage, and you will not marvel if a fifteen-year-old was still a child, being placed on the shoulders of her who bore him.

CAP. XXII, vers. 1. And it came to pass after these things that God tempted Abraham. Diodorus. Moses, being about to record that God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, so that you might not suspect that He craves human sacrifice, immediately after reading [the text], says, "He tempted," meaning not that He did not know [the truth], but that He was showing the test of his faith.

Vers. 2. And go into the high land, and bring him up for a whole burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell you. Diodorus. One must note that frequently

before this, when Abraham offered sacrifice, God never showed the place of the sacrifice until now. "Go," he says, "into the high land, and bring him up as a whole burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell you." Might it be that He showed him the place where our Lord was also crucified? Since Isaac is a type of His passion. For indeed the borders of Jerusalem lie adjacent to the land of the Philistines. Vers. 14. And He said, "Do not lay your hand upon the lad, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, and you did not spare your beloved son for my sake." Diodorus. He says "now I know," just as [at the time of the tower] "I will go down to see if they are completing it according to their cry" (Gen. XVIII, 21), which was said concerning Sodom. For just as He does not introduce ignorance of God there, but rather the exactness of justice—for how would He have descended if He did not know the sinner?—so now also the phrase, "I know," is in place of "now you have shown" or "you have made known" that you fear God. And it seems to some that he is saying "now I know" not to God, but to an angel; so that it is the angel speaking on behalf of God, acknowledging his own ignorance, and making known from his deeds the faith of Abraham. Others say that "now I know" is ambiguous in the Hebrew. For this signifies at once that "now you have made known," in place of "you have shown to all," and "you have made manifest." Vers. 26. And after this his brother came out, and his hand was grasping his heel; and he called his name Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when Rebecca bore them. Diodorus. Why is Jacob born grasping the heel of Esau? Because God is showing that, having appeared stronger than his brother in the struggles of piety, he will receive the prizes of the birthright. And although he was struggling, he comes out of the womb; for he was holding onto the heel; but having approached the voluntary struggles, he took the crowns of the prize. And after a little: one might take this matter as a type of Jews and Christians; just as the Apostle [speaks] concerning this in regard to Ishmael and Isaac. For the elder strikes against [the younger] everywhere, and is cast out; but the younger obtains approval and becomes the heir. ^B Vers. 13. And Abraham looked up with his eyes and saw; and behold, a ram caught in the thicket Sabek by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and brought him up as a whole burnt offering instead of Isaac his son. Diodorus. The Syrian does not have "in a thicket," only "Sabek." But I think this name refers to the plant. To the Hebrews, Sabek seems to signify forgiveness. And this would be indicative of the mystery of the cross. ^C CAP. XXIV, vers. 2. And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had: "Put your hand under my thigh." Diodorus. Some say that the Syrian and the Hebrew do not have it thus, "Put your hand under my thigh," but rather [pointing] to the organ of procreation itself; because the blessing of succession was: "Increase and multiply" (Gen. I, 28). And the procreative organ served that blessing. And this also received the sign of the covenant, that God was to be incarnate from the Abrahamic seed. ^D To a just and temperate man, no limb is indecent; to an unjust man, the soul is indecent before all else. CAP. XXV, vers. 22. And the children were leaping within her; and she said: "If it is to be so for me, why to me this?" And she went to inquire of the Lord. Vers. 33. And Jacob said, "Swear to me today." And he swore to him; and Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. Diodorus. Esau was unworthy of the birthright, living a more savage life and grieving those who begat him. The Jews say that Jacob is the firstborn. For the second one born is the first one formed from the womb. CAP. XXVII, vers. 41. And Esau harbored a grudge against Jacob concerning the blessing with which his father Isaac had blessed him. And Esau said in his mind: "May the days of my father's mourning approach, so that I may kill Jacob my brother." Diodorus. If Esau threatened in his mind, how was it reported to Rebecca? Unless this is what it intends to say, that he decided to kill his brother, and he said [it] in his mind, in place of "he determined it"; not having spoken in the sharpness of anger, he was not changed; but he held the rancor against his brother upon his heart. Seeing the persistence of this, the mother guards the blessed son. CAP. XXXII, vers. 29. And Jacob asked and said: "Tell me your name." And he said: "Why do you ask my name?" and he blessed him there. Diodorus. And Jacob said: "Tell me what your name is?" and he said, "Why do you ask this?" And this is also wonderful. Rightly does the Lord say it is to be applied to Himself: "O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth" (Ps. VIII, 1). For the name of an angel would not be wonderful, but rather that of the Son of God; because He is God and Jesus, because He is the Savior of the world.

Fragments on Genesis

CAP. XXXVI, vers. 24. *And these are the sons of Sebeon: Aia, and Ana. This is that Ana who found Iamin in the desert, when he fed the beasts of burden of Sebeon his father.* ^A Diodorus: The Syrian and the Hebrew wish Iamin to be understood as water; that is, he found a spring in the desert. But those who translated it have placed the Hebrew word in some way.

CAP. XXXVII, vers. 1. *And they brought an evil report of Joseph to Israel their father.* Diodorus: They brought an evil report of Joseph to their father.

CAP. XXXVIII, vers. 8. *And Judas said to Aunan: Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up seed to thy brother.* Diodorus: This also, through Moses, God orders later. Might it be, then, that He had already given this law? For he speaks, also conversing with Abraham: "For I know that he will appoint his children, Abraham, and his house after him; and they shall keep the ways of the Lord to do justice and judgment" (Gen. XVIII, 19). Now the raising up of seed to a brother provided consolation to those who were mourning, at a time when the promise of the resurrection from the dead had not yet been clearly given.

Vers. 18. *And he said: What shall I give thee for a pledge? And she said: Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and the rod which thou holdest in thy hand. And he gave it to her; and she went in to him, and she conceived by him.* Diodorus: The bracelet which Judas gave to Thamar, the Syrian says is a shawl, and not a bracelet; but Symmachus says, a twisted girdle.

Vers. 27-30. *And it came to pass when she was in labor, and there were twins in her womb. And she called his name, Zara.* Diodorus: As Thamar was giving birth to the twins, and Zara had put out his hand, the midwife tied a red thread on his finger. Why? Since it happens that twins have an resemblance that is indistinguishable, [she did this] so that the firstborn might be known among those born. And since, when Zara had withdrawn his hand, Phares came out first, as if passing through a hedge from Zara, the midwife says to Zara, "What has been broken through for you, a hedge?" But if it is said also to Phares, who used his brother as a hedge and broke through him, it has the same meaning. The Syrian and the Hebrew say, "Why has a breaking been made upon you?" or [it could] be more fittingly said to Zara. It must be noted that nature indeed made Zara the firstborn, as he had put forward his hand; but God granted the honor to Phares. From whom [came] David, and the royal lineage, and Christ according to the flesh. ^B

CAP. XXXIX, vers. 2. *And the Lord was with Joseph: and he was a man capable; and he was in the house with his master the Egyptian.* Diodorus: He was, he says, a man capable, or according to the Syrian, successful. For not only as a wise man did he apply himself to the enigmas, but also as one guided by God.

CAP. XLVII, vers. 31. *He said to him: Swear to me. And he swore to him. And Israel adored God, turning to the bed's head.* Diodorus: Jacob had a rod, as indeed an old man. But earlier, Jacob himself, being old and moving with difficulty, having touched the end of the rod, kissed that part of the rod which he had touched; or Joseph, having worshipped his father, touched the end of the rod because he had bowed down very low even to the ground (it is not clearly stated); or Jacob, having worshipped God, touched the end of the rod on account of his old age; just as also David, when Solomon had become king, while giving thanks, worshipped God upon the bed on which he lay.

CAP. XLIX, vers. 3. *Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, the beginning of my children, hard to bear, and hard and self-willed.* Diodorus: The Syrian has: "Ruben, my firstborn, my power, and the beginning of my strength; thou hast been poured out like water; do not remain [i.e., do not live], for the murder is worse than the profligacy."

Vers. 4. *Thou hast been wanton as water, do not boil over.* Diodorus: Did all the brothers, except for Ruben, having nearly killed Joseph, accept him humanely, [and if so] how do they not incur the curse? This is a prediction, rather, in the form of a curse. But if it is a prediction, why does the event not come to pass? For the tribe of Ruben lives and inherits the land first among the other tribes. Perhaps, then, because Moses, and he himself near his end, foretelling about the tribes, says: "Let Ruben live, and not die" (Deut. XXXIII, 6), instead of "Let him not be subject to the curse of the father which says, 'Let him not live.'" For it was necessary for the father, having been wronged in his couch, to curse the child, to instill fear in those following. But it was necessary for Moses to release from the curse the one who was cursed on account of the unlawful couch, because of his forbearance regarding Joseph. But someone will say, if the curse of Jacob does not proceed against Ruben, why does he say, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days"? For this is rather the mark of a false prophet. But we will say to him who says these things, that God Himself, saying, "Yet three days, and Nineveh will be overthrown" (Jon. III, 4), because of the repentance of those against whom He threatened, recalls the decree; just as also through Moses [He recalled] the curse of Jacob against Ruben. ^C

Vers. 9. *Juda, thy brethren shall praise thee: thy hands shall be on the backs of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.* Diodorus: Juda, thy brethren shall praise thee, and the rest. Just as when foretelling to Ruben and to Simeon and to Levi, he does not predict what will happen to them, but to the tribes from them; so also, he names as Juda the tribe of Juda, that [which comes] from Juda; not speaking now of the Lord, as some think, but of the tribe that rules over the other tribes.

Vers. 10. *The scepter shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.* ^D

^A Diodorus: After having spoken of the tribe up to this point, does he mean something else from here on? For he says: "Ruler shall not fail from Juda," and so on. For another, it seems, is Juda, and others are the rulers who are from Juda, and another is the expectation of the nations, upon whose coming the rulers from Juda ceased. Who then is Juda? The tribe. And who are the rulers? The kings. Who is the expectation of the nations? The Lord. What then, were the kings from the tribe of Juda until the coming of the Savior? But no one of the Israelites appears to have ruled from the tribe of Juda after Zorobabel. For before the Lord, the Asmoneans from the village of Modeim, who were of the Levitical tribe, quite clearly ruled over the people, and finally they became kings. How then will that which says "A ruler shall not fail from Juda, and a leader from his loins, until he comes to whom it is reserved" be saved, if it is not understood in this way: that from Jacob, a ruler shall not fail—that is, the tribe ruling and holding power, and being greater than the others—until the Lord comes? That by "ruler" Moses means the tribe, and not the kings within it, is testified by Aquila, who used "scepter" instead of "ruler." And the tribe is called "scepter." For indeed, the tribe of Juda truly continued to have authority over the others for the longer time, and having the temple, and the ark, and all the worship, until, having disobeyed the Lord, it was taken captive by the Romans with the other tribes.

Vers. 11. *Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass's colt to the choice vine.* ^B Diodorus: Some say that because the Lord sent the disciples to bring the colt, upon which he sat and entered into Jerusalem, these things were foretold by Jacob; but others—which also seems more true to the sequence to many—say that the vine is Israel; for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel (Is. V, 7); and the ass and the colt are those who have become like senseless beasts. For the Lord joined the nations to the vineyard, and bound them to Israel. Others say that the power of the Savior’s teaching, which leads the wildness in men to gentleness, and the self-restraint of those being taught, is being foretold. For it is not possible that a colt, bound to a vine, would not damage the grapes. But the Savior, he says, will bind the colt to the vine, having so tamed its bucking, and the irrational impulses of its belly, that the vine is not at all harmed by it. Similar to: "He shall not contend, nor cry out; nor shall his voice be heard in the streets. A bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench" (Is. XLII, 2, 3). As he is this himself, so too those who were formerly brutal, but have been enlightened by the faith in him, having been bound to the vine, will not do harm. We do not insist on these things, but we shall leave what appears better to those who happen upon them; yet we ask them to know that we prefer the historical sense to the allegorical by a very great deal.

Ibid. *He shall wash his robe in wine.* ^C Diodorus: Not only, he says, will he tame the bestial ones, but he will also be able to turn things to the contrary through the contrary. "The blood of the grape washes the garments." It is with this blood, he says, that washes and cleanses that which stains, that he will wash his garment. Just as for the one blind from birth, he provided not an addition to the (mud which caused) blindness to healthy eyes, but a destruction of the blindness itself. And if some might understand the blood of the grape as the blood of the Savior and mystical things, and the garment as the flesh, they would be acceptable for the sake of piety.

Vers. 16. *Dan shall judge his people, as also one tribe in Israel.* Diodorus: This denotes both the smallness of the tribe and its capability. For he did not say, "He shall increase as one tribe," but "He shall judge." And this, although it is lacking a great deal in number.

Vers. 17, 18. *And let Dan be a serpent on the way, sitting on a path, biting the heel of a horse; and the rider shall fall backward. I wait for the salvation of the Lord.* ^D Diodorus: "And let Dan be a serpent," and so on. The tribe of Dan once ambushed those who dwelt in the city of Laish, and setting upon them suddenly, they killed them all, and they themselves dwelt in the city, which they also called by the name of the tribe, Dan. This is what Jacob foretells, comparing him to a serpent biting the heel of a horse; for Dan is situated at the extremity of all their land; and those who were upon it before this, they sent the rider falling, not forward, so as to rise quickly, but backward. For one falling under the presence of war, it is impossible to rise, unless God who is able to do all things should help. For this is what "waiting for the salvation from the Lord" means. Not that they were about to happen upon God as a helper, but that they were falling in such a way that, for the deliverance of the body and from destruction, they were in need solely of the help of God.

FRAGMENTA IN EXODUM

CAP. I, vers. 19. *And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Not as the women of Egypt are the Hebrew women; for they bring forth before the midwives enter into them," and they were giving birth.*

Diodorus. The interpretation of the Seventy seems to signify the speed of the Hebrew women in giving birth, forestalling the arrival of the midwives; but that of Symmachus and Theodotion indicates that the Hebrew women are knowledgeable in the science of midwifery and do not require the presence of midwives. For this reason, it is easy for them to keep the males alive.

CAP. III, vers. 5. And He said, "Do not draw near hither: put off thy sandals from thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."

Diodorus. Some say that "put off thy sandals from thy feet" was spoken to Moses so that, having taken his wife, he would not descend into Egypt, intending to lead out the people, reading what follows: "for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." But it was not because the place was holy that it was impermissible to take his wife while hurrying into Egypt. Others say that because a sandal is made of skins, and Moses, being about to become the high priest, was legislating for the priests not to minister to God in the tabernacle with such footwear—God, speaking then to Moses, was already giving him the law in advance—not considering that there were many other things the priests must do, far more necessary than this, which Moses should have been ordered to do first. And what is greater, the Archistrategos Michael also says this very thing, to "put off the sandal from thy feet," to Joshua the son of Nun. And one would not say this was spoken to Joshua because he was taking a wife into Egypt—where he had to lead the people out—or because he was about to legislate such things. It remains for us to state the reason. "Blessed art thou," ^A he says, "and thou blessest and sanctifiest the place upon which thou steppest, being a priest and spirit-bearer. Put off, therefore, the sandal from thy feet, so that with bare feet you may sanctify the ground on which you stand; and as if to anoint the place where, soon, I will speak to the people—where you shall be a priest—out of the midst of the fire." With this thought, the Archistrategos also said to Joshua, "Put off the sandal from thy feet" (Josh. v, 16). For from the moment, he says, you stepped upon the land which God promised to Israel, you have been filled with the Spirit. With bare feet, sanctify the land.

CAP. IV, vers. 21. And the Lord said to Moses, "As you go and return to Egypt, see all the wonders I have put in your hands; you shall perform them before Pharaoh. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will not send the people away."

Diodorus. How must it be understood that "I will harden the heart of Pharaoh"? God began with exhortation; then, as Pharaoh was disobedient, He brought moderate plagues upon him. Thus, and not otherwise, He hardens him by sparing him and, at the prayer of Moses, turning back the plagues. For it was necessary that, as Moses entreated, Pharaoh should be persuaded, and that God should hear Moses, and show that he is a very great Prophet sent by God. For those who are disobedient yield when they are disciplined; but when they are released, they remain hard, and the one who grants the release is the cause of the hardness. ^B By wickedness and hardness, therefore, did God harden Pharaoh's heart; but also by God's saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me" (Exod. v, 1), He made Pharaoh hard and more wrathful, and much more so in that the Israelites did not share in the plagues. But it was not on this account that God needed to begin with the greatest plagues, lest He Himself be thought hard. For it is better, through the goodness of God, that the disobedience of Pharaoh be shown, than through severity that Pharaoh be pitied, but God be slandered for not starting out of goodness.

Vers. 24. And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that an angel of the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.

Diodorus. I do not see how the Angel wished to kill Moses, or—according to other interpreters—the Lord, foreknowing how many wonders he would perform through him against Egypt and throughout the whole desert; unless one were to say—which is the truth—that while Moses was commanded to lead out the people without care, he was bringing his wife and children to Egypt. For this reason, he sent away his most beloved ones back to his father-in-law. And Zipporah, because the children of Moses were uncircumcised, thought that God was angry with him for this reason. And the fact that the angel departed ^C when he heard, "The blood of the circumcision of the child who has been circumcised has stood," confirmed this suspicion for her. But if I wonder why the Angel departed, perhaps this was also true, I mean what the wife conjectured regarding the other child who had been circumcised; why then did Moses risk danger, if he left those born in the desert uncircumcised? So that even if Zipporah, because the children had remained uncircumcised, thought God was angry with them; and Moses, because he had his wife and children and was going down into Egypt, sent his wife away for this reason. ^D But it is clear that the Angel terrified Moses, who was afraid of Pharaoh, even to the point of contradicting God who was sending him; and at the last [he terrified him] as if he would immediately slay him, so that by keeping in mind the danger from the invisible power, he might drive out the fear of Pharaoh with a stronger and greater fear. It is not surprising if the Angel kept silent about this cause—that of supposedly wishing to kill the Prophet—and took the word of Zipporah as a pretext for his departure. For the angel does something similar to Balaam. At first, he hinders him from going when called by Balak; but when he persisted in his haste to set out, he allowed this, but by the way, he terrified him and showed a two-edged sword for the slaying of the diviner.

(1) According to Symmachus and Theodotion. For they, instead of "Angel," translated "Lord." But Aquila [translates] "God."

^A not that he might slay, but that he might terrify, and cause the men of Balak to despise their pride, and to prefer what is pleasing to God. And this he accomplishes by providence; he says, however, to Balaam, "Because if the ass had not turned aside, I would have slain you," (Num. XXII, 23) "but I would have preserved the ass." Just as, therefore, here he says the appeal of the ass was a pretext to not appear to have killed, but the truth was that what was happening was a threat and a consternation, for which reason we have spoken; so also, the Lord, having arrived to terrify Moses, just as the matters of the providence were sufficiently prepared for him, took the pretext of the departure, [when] the voice of Zipporah [spoke], saying, "The blood of the circumcision of the child has stopped."

CAP. VI, vers. 5. And I appeared unto Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, being their God; and my name Lord I did not reveal to them.

Diodorus. These are the four letters of the name: Ioth, Aler, Ou, Ane. ^B This is a name significant of [His] always living and being an eternal God. Therefore, he says, this name I did not reveal even to those around Abraham, but to you, certainly, somewhere. Since there was no occasion to tell the patriarchs the name which separated God from the idols. For since demons also were called gods and lords by those who served them, God gave the tetragrammaton name, which was then ineffable, to the faithful.

CAP. XX, vers. 5. For I am the Lord thy God. A jealous God, repaying the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation to them that hate me.

Diodorus. How shall we solve this problem? Israel went out of Egypt in the fourth generation; but they began to be diseased with idolatry from the third generation. Since they were about to make a calf in the wilderness, he threatens and testifies beforehand, as if saying: "You practiced idolatry in Egypt, with your association demanding it of you, and with no benefit pulling you back. Now you have been separated from those who lead astray, and have seen wonders against the Egyptians. If, therefore, even after this you shall practice idolatry, I shall bring upon you the sins of your fathers, not the punishments." For you did not pay the penalties for what they sinned; but after so much benefit, if you persist in the same, you shall suffer a just punishment; since you ought not to be forgiven, as they were. Therefore, the "repaying the sins of the fathers upon the children" is not of a general legislation, but of a particular one, stated and brought upon those who came out of Egypt. But the "showing mercy unto thousands to them that love me" is general and perpetual to those who love, not to those who hate, even if [their] fathers had loved. So also, the sin of the fathers is repaid to the children who have accepted it, and the mercy from God [is shown] to the sons of those who loved Him, as also are their fathers.

CAP. XXI, vers. 22. And if two men strive, and smite a woman with child, and her child go out not formed, he shall be fined; according as the husband of the woman shall impose; and he shall give with estimation. And if it be formed, he shall give life for life.

Diodorus. For if, he says, the woman miscarries, and does not die, the danger for the guilty party remains up to a penalty; but if she dies, up to death; and if she should lose an eye, and to speak generally, whatever the miscarriage suffers from the fight, the same [applies to] the guilty party. But if the account be concerning the infant, and for the guilty party of the miscarriage to undergo what the infant also [undergoes], I do not see how the aborted fetus possesses injury. ^C Is it not perhaps that God commands the one who struck to be punished for what the infant has suffered, and what the pregnant woman undergoes? Why then, if it is formed, shall he give life for life? Or [is it] certainly as [the infant] then receives a soul, when it is formed?

CAP. XXXI, vers. 16. And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbaths, to observe them throughout their generations. An eternal covenant to me and to the children of Israel, it is an eternal sign; for in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day he ceased, and rested.

Diodorus. These things God said also before, out of the midst of the fire unto the people. (1) But in Deuteronomy, "Therefore," he says, "you shall keep the sabbath, so that your manservant, and your maidservant, your ox, and your beast of burden may rest" (Deut. V, 14). How then do the Gentiles (2) call the Jews "Cronians," saying that Moses handed down to them the mysteries of Cronus, [that is] the circumcision and the sabbath? For the sabbath does not please Cronus, according to them, because this whole [universe] was made in six days, and on the seventh God ceased from creating, nor [is it] so that the servants and the beasts of burden might receive a respite from their labors. Why then, he says, did he give the Sabbath, and not the Sunday? But if God had assigned this [day] as well, they would certainly have said that Moses, delighting in the sun, gave the Sunday. For the Greeks say it belongs to the Sun. And, in all, they assign each day of the week to one of the gods called by them. And they would certainly have thought that Moses was attached to that so-called God, whose day they consider is own to him. What then? Was it not necessary for those serving God to have a day of festival, because of the thoughtlessness of the wicked? And how is it not ^D altogether absurd? For many even now still call the Bacchuses "Sabbes." Plutarch, in the 5th [book of] Problems, of the Symposiacs; but such a problem is missing; and perhaps in the same missing parts, the same man also says that the Jews honor Cronus.

^A This is absurd; they say, however, that the Jews also possess circumcision. And this too pertains to Cronus. First, they do not perceive that Cronus cuts off; for he does not circumcise, but rather he cuts (castrates), procuring childlessness in opposition to God, who says, "Increase and multiply" (Gen. i, 28), which is fulfilled through the procreative organs; whereas he, leading them into carnal intermixtures, deprives them of what is according to nature. Then again, they are ignorant that it is not Moses who legislates circumcision, but God gives it to Abraham four or five generations before the legislation of Moses; to Abraham, who came from Persia, where no mention of Cronus occurs. They ought to have understood that if Moses honors circumcision and the Sabbath on account of Cronus, he ought much more to have proclaimed that same one, and the gods fabled to have been born from him. But if the opposite is true, and he destroys [the idols] of the oxen: "The Lord thy God is one" (Deut. vi, 4); and, "There shall be no other gods for thee"; and, "Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol"; and again, "Thou shalt not make any likeness of all things that are in heaven above, and in the earth below" (Exod. xx, 3-4); and being at war with the wrath of the many-skilled and man-devouring Cronus, how does he honor the Sabbath and circumcision on account of him whom he says does not even exist, being opposed to all the opinions of the gentiles? ^B

CAP. XXXII, vers. 4. And he received [them] from their hands, and fashioned it with a graving tool; and he made it a molten calf. Diodorus: Why is it that Aaron, having become a participant with the people in the making of the calf, did not undergo a greater punishment, as he was also the brother of Moses, and the servant of the miracles performed through Moses? Is it not clear that he did not accept the impiety of the people, but having seen their impulse to be great and irrational, and as they persisted and were urging him to smelt and make gods, fearing that if he were to refuse them, they might go to another leader, and a guide of impiety for them, and thus all things might be filled with confusion; he seems indeed to have complied with them, but he intended to devise hesitations and postponements, and finally he wisely demands the earrings of the women. For the race of women is fond of adornment, and is not easily deprived of things that contribute to this. But since even the impiety was preferred over these things, and Aaron had the earrings in his hands, he melts the calf, and carves it with a graving tool, and for the time being does what they want, wasting time until Moses might arrive, and all things might be set right. And on the following day he builds an altar to God, and offers a sacrifice, because he made the calf under coercion. Moses says more clearly after this to the Israelites, that "in that time, in which he made the calf, I prayed for Aaron my brother, that he might not die" (Deut. ix, 20). But before this, there is the greatest reason: God, foreseeing the saints [to come] from him, Samuel, Elijah, Jesus (Joshua), Josedech, John the Baptist, and thousands of others, preserved Aaron for the priesthood on account of those who would come from him. ^C

FRAGMENTA IN DEUTERONOMIUM

CAP. I, vers. 1. These are the words which Moses spoke, etc. Diodorus: The prologue teaches the place in which it was spoken; for, he says, beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, toward the west, near the Red Sea. Aquila and Symmachus [say], "in the plain of the Red Sea"; for thus the plains between the mountains of Arabia and Judea are called; and he also indicates the time. Vers. 5. Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying. Diodorus: Since God was revealing the power, and the Prophet was using his own tongue for the presentation of the things declared, he sets forth the prophetic voice, as representing the things said by God. ^D

CAP. XXXIII, vers. 6. Let Reuben live, and not die, and let him be many in number. Diodorus: Since Jacob, when dying, cursed Reuben, saying: "Be not hot as water, you shall live" (Gen. xlix, 4); Moses, blessing him, says: "Let Reuben live, and not die." Both are right. For when the father curses him as one who went into his concubine, he is instructing and striking terror into those who follow; and Moses justly blesses [him] after this, since he alone spared Joseph, when his other brothers wished to kill him. For it would be absurd for a curse to progress against one who had done wrong, and for a blessing not to be given to one who had done well.

FRAGMENTS ON THE BOOK OF JUDGES

Chap. XV, vers. 14. *And they came to Lehi, and the Philistines shouted, and ran to meet him. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him; and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that has been burnt in the fire; and his bonds melted off his hands.* ^A

Diodorus. It should be noted that, after his fornication, the divine Scripture no longer spoke of the "Spirit of the Lord coming upon him" in the deeds accomplished by him. For thus the sin of fornication is committed regarding the body — as regarding a temple of God. ^B Regarding Samson’s act of fornication, then—whether he was directed by the Spirit of the Lord when he took his third wife, or when he surrendered himself to death—the heretics demonstrate this from the divine Scripture itself: the Holy Spirit does not dwell with bodies as the soul does; rather, He is present as uncircumscribed, and He works whatever He wills. Knowing this beforehand, Scripture commands Samson to abstain from the ferocity of the wild, and from wine and raisins, so that the wine might not be mingled with the madness of his soul and rouse him against his own kinsfolk.

FRAGMENTS ON FIRST KINGS

Chap. III, vers. 4, 5. *And the Lord called Samuel. And he said, "Here I am." And he ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call you; go back and sleep." And he went back and slept.* ^B

Diodorus. And why did Samuel, when called by God, go away to Eli, thinking he was called by him? Because God was about to foretell evils to Eli through Samuel, God was directing matters so that when Samuel went—thinking he was called by Eli—it would not be thought that Samuel had invented the revelation; rather, it would be believed that God truly announced the revelation. And so that when Eli perceived that it was God calling Samuel, the latter would subsequently ^C declare what was revealed by God, and not be suspected of having fabricated the revelation.

Chap. IX, vers. 9. *And formerly in Israel, everyone said when going to inquire of God, "Come, let us go to the Seer"; for the prophet the people formerly called the Seer.*

Diodorus. From these things it is shown that whatever each of the prophets wrote in their own times, those who collected them after them added the note that "formerly they called the prophet the Seer."

FRAGMENTS ON THE PSALMS

Psalm LI, vers. 1, in the title. Diodorus. The understanding of the words contained therein requires intelligence from God. For what ought to have provided the pretext for such a tragedy, if not the shepherd of irrational animals—for he was a keeper of mules? ^D

^A David, then, understands the malice of Saul, or rather the devil who stirred up envy within him, and utters the words of the psalm as if they were addressed to what was present.

Vers. 4. The name "the day" here signifies the manifestation, or the whole time during which he commits lawlessness.

Vers. 6. The words concerning "submersion" signify punishment; for submersion denotes punishment, just as the lips of the foolish also submerge him. And Doeg the Idumean, being interpreted as truly "earthly," is always unstable because he is uncertain; for Doeg is understood as a billow, having worked calumny against those who serve God; he loved a deceitful tongue, and with it, he worked his own submersion. The Gospel also signifies that the punishment is a submersion, saying: "It is better for him who causes one of the little ones in the Church to stumble that a millstone should be hung about his neck and he should be submerged in the depth of the sea" (Matth. XVIII, 6). ^B

Vers. 7. Because you have loved harmful things to the end, that is, entirely, "he will demolish you"; he will uproot what was not well planted, but poorly planted, as he who says: "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted" (Matth. XV, 13). But he will also cause you to migrate from the sacred tent, casting you out and banishing you from the tent whose priests you have slandered and led to death; and furthermore, your root from the land of the living; for even if you were an Idumean, you had become a proselyte to Israel through instruction in the law; in the tent and in the land of the living you were planted; for if you had no reverence toward the God of Israel, you would not even have come into the temple, being troubled. Things said toward this man will apply to all who fall away from piety. ^C

[The Latin column notes: Saul bears the type of the evil spirit; since he had begun to rule over Israel, he then said, "We have no king"; for the people of old, having despised God who was reigning over them, asked for Saul to be given to them as a ruler.]

Vers. 10. After speaking reproachfully of him who is buried in malice, he speaks concerning his own disposition: "Like a fruit-bearing olive tree in the house of God, bringing forth fruit," which is a release from labors, a remedy for diseases, a nourishment and increase of light; for he who is planted through faith in the house of God's Church brings forth virtue that wards off the diseases arising from passions and sins, and loosens the pains upon them, and nourishes the light of knowledge; for this man, having brought forth the fruits of almsgiving, hopes in the mercy of God, knowing that the merciful shall be shown mercy; and he has his hope not for one age, but for the age of the age, being compared to the ever-flourishing and fruit-bearing plant planted in the house of God.

Vers. 11. He signifies thanksgiving through confessing to God for having presumably done what he asked, or what he had proposed; for he had proposed to flee Saul: "But I will also wait," he says, "upon your name, until I obtain it; for it is good, and it is full of your holy ones; for those who have achieved holiness will feel the goodness of your name."

PSALM LII, verse 2.

Vers. 5. The present verse introduces God as the provider not only of things in heaven, but also of things on earth; for he is said to look down providently from heaven upon the sons of men, not looking upon them from the outside according to the body, ^D but also according to the secret of the heart; he looks down, then, upon the sons of men, that he might see if there is any who understands by doing what is good, and by examining the truth, is seeking God; it is said humanly, and from things we know, that he leans down from heaven, and to see if there is one who understands; for it is a great projection, if I may so speak, of vision to have knowledge of all that is hidden.

Vers. 4. And from the proposed word we learn that sin consists in the transgression of the law; to which it follows that there is no one who is by nature evil.

^A For all have turned aside; and this turning aside is sin, being a failure of the straight path. And likewise, they are become unprofitable who have turned aside, by "unprofitable" meaning either the mastery of the passions or the ignorance of him who does not understand, being confounded by passing from one thing to another, by reason of not having mastered the one thing of which he has knowledge. Since, therefore, all have turned aside, it is fittingly said: "There is no one who does good," according to both of the aforementioned interpretations; for the, "up to one," set before us, denotes either that there is not even one who does good, or that there is no one who does even one good thing.

Vers. 5. Since wisdom will not enter into a soul that devises evil, they will not know what they ought to know according to divine knowledge; for it is to be read not as a question, but as a negation.

Vers. 7. For sin is that which takes captive those who commit it; but when remission of sins is granted, Israel rejoices, and Jacob exults, similarly to those who rejoice in heaven over one sinner who repents.

Ps. LIII, vers. 3. He prays not to be delivered for examination to other judges, but to the power of the good God; for he knows that he will obtain forgiveness for the things he overlooked, whereas vengeance will come against those who are in vain persecuting him.

Vers. 4. The enemy can be the same as the sinner, with only a difference of relation. Therefore, since the enemy of the truth is oppressing the sinner through the things he does wickedly and is uttering godless things, he says: "I was grieved in my meditation, and I was troubled." Meditation here signifies prayer, as also in the first book of Kings, where Anna says: "From the abundance of my meditation have I poured out my soul until now" (1 Reg. 1, 16); for she says this concerning her prayer. The saint, therefore, says that seeing the enemy speaking arrogantly and oppressing the sinner, he meditates toward God through prayer: "I was grieved," seeing those who are of the same essence and of the same race as I falling into the depths of wickedness, ^B so as to be troubled at the mutability of nature; lest, perhaps, I too might undergo this change. And perhaps he is grieved and troubled in a most providential manner, seeing the wicked stumbling, just as a father might be grieved over a mad son; for indeed some declare that this psalm was spoken from the person of Christ according to his humanity, to whom it is fitting to be grieved for those who are being harmed.

Vers. 4. He prays that his prayer may not be unaccepted, and that he might receive the things for which he prayed; but also, as one who has become near to God through good works, he said: "Give ear to the words of my mouth." No one who utters an idle word, or a shameful word, or any other evil thing, wishes God to give ear to his words, but only every one who speaks the truth and godly things.

Vers. 5. He calls "aliens" those who have a disposition contrary to the diligent, and "mighty" the wicked demons; and he says: "Since they did not set God before them, but turned away from Him, and turned their backs to Him, they rose up against the righteous, and sought his soul."

Vers. 6. He confesses that he has God as a helper; perhaps as the Father and Lord taking hold of his soul, so that he may say of the Son: "He will turn back the evils upon my enemies"; for what he intended to bring upon me as an affliction, this he turns back upon them, the Lord judging thus. Consistent with this is: "Do to him as he acted in doing to his neighbor." And the truth of God, exposing those who are liars, destroys them, if they are such; for the saint prays not that they be destroyed once and for all, but that they be destroyed if they are such.

Ps. LIV, vers. 2. Offering prayer to God, he beseeches Him to draw near to him, so that He may receive into His own ears the prayer he has drawn near to offer; for He who is near draws near to the one speaking, receiving the word into His ears; and since I am in need of that which I do not trust can be fulfilled for me from anywhere else save from You, do not despise the supplication for which I pray; but attend to me as I lift up holy hands without anger and doubting. ^C

Vers. 6. Since human nature possesses a passionate element—which some call the irascible or the concupiscible—even if one makes progress in virtue, the passionate element is not extinguished; it happens that one experiences what is called a "pre-passion." Indeed, even the person now before us, being oppressed by the voices of the enemy and the affliction of the sinner, and being stirred up, felt the inherent passion, so as to be afraid and fall into trembling and be covered by the darkness of perplexity; for the "darkness" here signifies dizziness, or a "darkening voice." And as many of those surrounding him were found to be grievous, he prays that there be given to him the perceptions of the Spirit, which lift up and exalt—which are allegorically called the "wings of a dove." These wings cause one to fly to a height, so that, having found rest there, the one who has flown up may for the rest of time live free of care, keeping the feast on the tender and blessed sabbaths of God.

Vers. 10. A conspiracy for evil is a terrible thing, and, on the contrary, the breaking up of those who have conspired for evil is a great good. For those who were in agreement during the building of the tower, by having one voice and one language, were hindered, being entangled in great impiety, so that they no longer had agreement; for what they intended to do, being in agreement, they did not do, as their languages were divided. And here, too, the one praying desires that the languages of those who have agreed against him be divided; "let them be drowned," that is to say, let them disappear; and it is said before this that "drowning" signifies punishment. And Paul, indeed, knowing that at times the disagreement of the wicked among themselves is advantageous, while making his defense on the steps, pitted the Pharisees against the Sadducees. This can be referred to the passage: "Lo, I have wandered far off, and lodged in the wilderness," with the middle verses being spoken.

1593 FRAGMENTA IN PSALMOS. — PSAL. LVI. 1594

^A of theirs, so that in the midst of human life they might be snatched away, in order that they might be punished for a few sins and not many. But these being in such a state, he says, I have my expectation and hope in You, O Lord.

[Regarding the] two verses, from, "I waited for God who saves me," to, "Divide their tongues"; so that the meaning may be such as this: Since in the supposed city of God, in Jerusalem, I saw lawlessness and contradiction of those acting lawlessly and contradicting the truth, I moved far away, fleeing from it; so that having come into the Church from the Gentiles, called a desert, I might lodge in it, taking rest, and spending the night among those who believe.

Vers. 14. That, "Known to me." Known by me, You who upon that for Him sweetened delicacies for me, along with the other disciples feeding me with good works.

Vers. 16. Someone of the ancients said that only those who have catechism of the divine teachings descend as living into Hades; for he who is untasted of the words of life is dead; those who are living in ^B this way descend into Hades; for it is not possible for the living to descend into Hades to live the common life, given that it is not natural for a body to be there with which one has the common life. Since therefore Judas and all the people of the Jews had catechism of the Law and of the Prophets, with death coming upon them, living in sin they descend into Hades; and consequently the following verse is also spoken: "For there is wickedness in their dwellings, in their midst." For even if they had experience of the life-giving Scriptures, they did not dwell, but dwelt temporarily among them, by having wickedness in their midst, that is, in the ruling [part]; for it is said to be in the midst of the whole animal.

Vers. 17. Such things as these being what would be dared against the Savior, I cried out to God, and I had my voice heard by the Lord. For only he who has cried out to God is heard by the Lord; for not every one who cries out calls to God. Regarding the Sodomites it is written, "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied" (Gen. XVIII, 20), not of those crying to God.

Vers. 18. "In the evening when the shade sets for me," and the pride of the righteous light sets, but there rises for me the Sun of justice, so as to make [it] for me as in the morning; when this has reached its peak during the midday, I will recount the things of the aforementioned evening, and of the morning beforehand, and of the aforementioned midday; and as I relate these things, God will hear my voice, and [will silence] those wishing to disturb it.

Vers. 19. "That many were against me"; for these who were wishing to disturb my soul were not a few; so that God, having heard my cry, will humble [them]. These things [are said] thus as of the Prophet, from his own person, having brought forward the preceding utterances. But if these things were to be said from the Savior Himself, since He also received them from Him, "If an enemy had reviled me, I would have borne it," and the rest, the Savior might consequently say these things as well.

Vers. 23. "God not giving a slipping to the righteous," He will bring down those who have profaned His covenant into a pit of corruption, contrary to the wells from which the Word commands to drink life and incorruption.

Vers. 24. Since in this life the impious, remaining in an unrepentant determination, do many evils, sparing ^C of them, so that in the midst of human life they might be snatched away, in order that they might be punished for a few sins and not many. But these being in such a state, he says, I have my expectation and hope in You, O Lord.

Psal. LII, vers. 5. Since in the parable of the tares also, the sower of these, the wicked man, is interpreted as the devil, consider if the things set before us might be spoken concerning him; some connect to "from the height of the day," and thus interpret it.

Vers. 8. God saves those who have fallen into wickedness gratuitously, receiving nothing from them: "For behold, you were sold for your sins, and you shall not be redeemed with silver" (Isa. LII, 3); not out of works, but saving by grace; therefore, "for the sake of not even one," signifies that He does not provide salvation to them for the sake of anyone given to Him.

Vers. 9. "The voice is of one speaking boldly to God." For he who by his very works makes his life manifest to God, not by sin but by God, declaring it in disposition and deed.

Vers. 11. The word offered upon God and through God is praiseworthy; likewise also the discourse; either, therefore, by parallelism the word and the discourse are accused against the same thing; or they are posited for one and another [separate things] for such accusations.

Vers. 13. "But He rescued my feet from slipping," having shod them with a sandal, lifting them up and making them above the earth; "For I," says God, "shod you with hyacinth." The hyacinth, imitating the body of the sky, signifies the soul clothed in a heavenly sandal, not being other than that of the one shod. There follows [the rescue] from slipping, of his feet from having been rescued [from the things] concerning matter. — One is rescued from the aforementioned harmful things for the sake of being well-pleasing to God, living and enlightened; for he who is well-pleasing to God does this in the light of the living; and everyone who partakes of God lives and is enlightened; for He himself being life, He is the light of men; according to that, "And the life was the light of men" (Joan. I, 4).

Psal. LVI, vers. 3. Not in vain did he say "the Most High"; for because lawlessness is creeping and low-lying, he who seeks to be freed from this cries to the Most High, in order that, being lifted up to the height by the cry, he might become far from the harmful beast.

Vers. 4. "He who was sent from heaven to save," is the Lord saying, "I have descended from heaven" (Joan. VI, 38); for God sent forth this one, being His Word, and healed those who were wounded, that is, from their corruptions, as David says elsewhere of Him. — "Those who before this through despising were trampling me, were given over to shame, God having sent from heaven so that I might be saved; for having seen the Son of God having concerned Himself with my salvation, they saw them acting shamefully and being reviled, [they who were] trampling him whom God had saved. — In the previous verse having said, "He sent from heaven," not having said what it was that was sent from heaven, now he interprets what it is, and this is the truth [which is] rescuing the soul.

^A For as God is the God of the irrational animals and of the heavenly hosts, so too is He the God of human beings capable of spiritual vision, who are called Israel in the Hebrew tongue.

Vers. 10. *My power I will keep for You.* Not because he presumes to appropriate [the kingship] to himself, but because he expects to receive it from You. For I am confident in the assurance concerning this, having known by experience many times that God also happens to be my helper. Even if I am not worthy to receive the kingship by my own power, yet truly Your mercy, having anticipated me, will show it to me among my enemies, so that while they will be disciplined by falling into punishment, I shall receive the kingship from You.

Vers. 12. Interpreted historically, he asks for the enemies before him to be rebuked by God; but he does not ask for them to perish. For he knows that if they were to die while being wicked, they would lose the memory of the divine law; but if, having been turned back by the power of God, they were handed over into captivity, they would groan before God, having had the experience of distress. He further wishes them to be brought down from the height of arrogance that they possess, with the Lord who protects and who offers the petition bringing this about.

PSAL. LIX, vers. 6. *What is the sign which God gives?* Or [what is] the illumination by which it is possible to have discernment? When knowledge is present, we flee from the worse things—from spirits, and from both the good and the bad. For this is the meaning of existence, that we become far from an evil work and an evil spirit; but a sign is given not to those who happen [to encounter it], but to those who worship God accordingly.

Vers. 8. God speaks in everyone who partakes of holiness; thus, truly, Christ was speaking in Paul, who was holy, and in every prophet. But if the voice is understood as referring to the Father, He who is holy, in whom He speaks, would be the Savior, in agreement with, *The Father who abides in me, He does the works* (Joan. XIV, 10); and, *The Father has given me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak* (Joan. XII, 49); these things befit the [divine] economy.

PSAL. LX, vers. 5. Let us understand the "rock" to mean the flowing spiritual drink, [which is] Christ; he who is found in this rock—by partaking of it (for it is wisdom and righteousness and sanctification)—will be exalted in his mind, being praised by God.

Vers. 7. Anyone who obtains the gifts being interpreted is a king, according to what has been said in reference to the godly, that they were a *royal priesthood, a holy nation* (1 Petr. II, 9). To the king thus become, years are added by the Lord, as a day is brought on; for it is necessary that from a preceding state of light there should be a transition into another that holds [that light] in the same way, so that from these days being named, the eternal years are fulfilled.

Vers. 9. Since I have attained what I asked for from You, having become grateful in this way, I shall sing to Your name, praising through works, thoughts, and good words the name You have called upon me; and for this I will render day by day what I vowed, just as Jacob says: *If God will give me bread to eat* (Gen. XXVIII, 20), and so forth.

^A Portions of foxes shall they be (Ps. lxii, 11); this signifies evil powers, for because of their craftiness and malice they are called foxes.

Verse 12. And he who swears by God shall be praised, who gladdens the king.

Ps. lxiii, 2. But God will put fear on the outside, not entirely overthrowing and casting down the opponent, but offering courage to him who prays.

Verse 6. They lie in wait, he says, they suddenly come upon others, not fearing the God who looks down. Yet although these men are prepared for evil, the beneficent God gives to those who fear Him a sign to flee from the face of the bow; what is meant by this is a bitter thing, which is any kind of wickedness and impious doctrine. Stretching this like a bow, they shoot [arrows] from it, having a bearing ^B towards the arrows that are aimed by the enemy.

Verse 7. They have failed in searching out searches, because they have searched out iniquity too deeply, so as even to strengthen for themselves an evil word, and to hide snares in their narrations, in which they pride themselves with much practiced elegance, as having words that are indissoluble, so that no one might withstand their deception. An honest man will approach them, saving the image [of God], and being a man of articulated learning; and having a deep heart, that is, having deep discernment, so as to exalt God, he grasps them in their craftiness; and thus, through the Apostle Paul, Elymas the sorcerer was [overcome], as he revealed his deceit and craftiness. For how is God not exalted by holy men, when the error of the deceivers is dissolved? ^C

Verse 6. Having already been filled with the divine feast, and expecting to be filled even more, he said thus: "My soul shall be filled as with marrow and fatness." And since he who always partakes of this receptacle is hungry, because of the insatiable nature of the appetite of the mind, he said, "My soul shall be filled,"—it is not, "My soul has been filled,"—although already having partaken bountifully of the gladness, he rejoices with thanksgiving, saying to Him who offered the food: "And my lips of exultation shall praise thy name."

Verse 9. The words, "Thy soul hath cleaved"—the voice indicates being united; for thus also must we understand: "Abhorring that which is evil, cleaving to that which is good" (Rom. xii, 9), and, "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. vi, 17). He confesses, therefore, that his soul has been joined behind God, as He takes hold with the right hand of God. This, now, is the only-begotten power of God, of which the soul that says these things takes hold, and being held securely, the visible and invisible enemies that beset it have sought it in vain, not being able to snatch him who is guarded under the strong hand of God. ^D

Verse 10. Consistently with the idea that the base shall enter into the lowest parts of the earth, is the phrase, "The sinners shall be turned back into hades" (Ps. ix, 17), all the nations that forget God; and having entered in, they shall be given over to the punishment that is signified by the name of the sword. The hands of this sword, that is, are the pains and bitterness which it inflicts, or those who serve it, being called "vessels of wrath" in other places.

Verse 8. Just as the arrows sent by children do not wound even to the extent of a scratch, so also are the arrows of the prepared sophists who have stretched [the string of] a bitter thing; and their tongues—that is, their words—have grown weak, so that they cannot even slightly pierce him who takes up the shield of faith. Seeing this, men who previously testified to their own cleverness no longer remained in the opinions by which they had been deceived by the sophists, having possessed fear on account of having consented to such impious doctrines. For they had learned from them that there is no providence, that all things are borne along by chance; and having been snatched up by other deceivers, they accepted the belief in naturally good and bad men, and furthermore that fate [rules over all]. When these false doctrines were refuted in their very assertion, they had a true manifestation that God is the Creator of all and the Provider. They therefore declared the works of providence, and understood his creatures, and knew the Provider, contemplating the Creator from the magnitude and beauty of them as was fitting.

^A

Vers. 11. *When error is reproved, the righteous shall rejoice in God,* seeing men who had formerly wandered announcing the works of God and having understanding of his works; and in addition to this, he will hope even more in the Lord in whom he rejoiced, so that henceforth only those who have an upright heart are praised in the practical and contemplative life.

PSAL. LXIV, vers. 5. *He who is chosen for holiness, if he persists in the choice, is received by God,* as one who has been translated from the place concerning the earth to dwell in the courts of him who chose him; concerning which it is said, *Enter into his courts with hymns* (Psal. xcv, 8). *He who believes thy righteousness and has been filled with good works has the Lord in himself;* for it is said that through faith Christ dwells in the inner man; so the Lord, when dealing with him who keeps his word, comes with the Father and makes his abode; so that the man is a holy temple; for it is written: *Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?* (I Cor. III, 16).

Vers. 10. For you no longer offer the spiritual irrigation to us only, but你 irrigate the whole inhabited world unto satiety; for you increased the enriching of it by giving spiritual rain, early rain through the Old Testament, and late rain through the New Testament, through which, having been watered, the allegorized earth of the human soul has been enriched with every word and every knowledge and good works, God multiplying them.

Vers. 11. *The earth rejoices as it puts forth* in the drops coming upon it; and these are the words and thoughts of the divinely inspired Scriptures.

Vers. 14. *The Bridegroom in the Song of Songs says,*—and this is the Savior—*I am the flower of the field, the lily of the valleys* (Cant. II, 1). What he says has this meaning: I have become a flower of the land concerning the earth, so called because of the lowly plain, so that men might receive a beginning of fruitfulness; I have also become a lily in the valleys, in the souls that are in Hades, having taken on deadness; he who has become the lily of the valleys is also a grain of wheat, as he himself said: *Amen, amen, I say to you, unless it fall and die, it brings forth more fruit* (Joan. III, 25). Since, therefore, the grain fell through the cross into the earth, it reached even to the heart of it, and brought forth more fruit; all those who have received benefits, therefore, loudly glorify the Cause of all good things.

PSAL. LXV, vers. 3. *The Savior having arrived, the shadow of the law has reached its end;* hence it is not fitting that worship of God should still be performed in the temple in Jerusalem, occurring already in spirit and truth, so that the worshiper of God is not hindered from doing this in every place; for each one will worship him from his own place with matters appropriate to the worshiping of God; hence it is said at the same time, *Let them worship thee, and let them psalm to thee;* and they do this blamelessly, when thy appellation has been invoked for them, O Most High. ^B

Vers. 6. *Having come in deed and disposition where the sea and the river were turned into dry land,* so that they might pass over henceforth without hindrance, journeying from wickedness and impiety to virtue and piety, we rejoice in Him who made the difficult things easy, with God royally ruling the age and those in it; so that He delivers those who have believed from the wickedness in it, according to that which was said, *that he might deliver us from the present evil age* (Galat. 1, 4).

Vers. 7. But if you were to say that he who provokes all the opposing power also sins, you would not be wrong; for they threatened the nations who were falling away; therefore, while causing courage and cheerfulness in those who believe from the nations, but fear in those who threaten them, the Word says: *The eyes of God look upon the nations, guarding them unharmed;* hence those who provoke should not be exalted in themselves, as being able to destroy those coming to the Gospel. ^C

Vers. 9. *The feet of the inner man are not given to trembling* when one is established upon the unbreakable and most powerful word of God; so as to say in thanksgiving, *You have set my feet upon a rock.*

Vers. 12. *Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven* (Act. xiv, 21); but although you brought men upon our heads, yet we have courage through patience to raise them up, while the hostile men hanging over us are pulled down. The name "head" signifies here, as in other Scriptures, the ruling part; as in the verse, *The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the righteous;* and, *The eyes of the wise are in his head* (Eccle. II, 14). *But of the enemies who wish to afflict me, you cast them behind me,* having prepared me to run quickly; wherefore, even as they hasten to overtake me, they always remain behind, while I run swiftly by your cooperation; hence I have the tribulations upon my back, not wishing to see them at all; for I do not turn toward them, for they draw me to pain or listlessness. *We passed through fire and water;* so that it might say that the circumstances, being sufficient to burn and warmly move the soul, might be called fire, and according to another conception, water too, because of the drowning and suffocating of those who do not bravely bear them; having passed through these by the cooperation of God, one comes out to refreshment, hoping for the rewards for these things. ^D

Vers. 13. Either the sacrifices according to the law before the advent of the Savior, or the spiritual ones entering into the house of God; this is the Church, performing whole and complete virtues in whole burnt offerings from total priestly service.

Vers. 17. *Without tongue and utterance of it, according to that which is silent in the mind, I have lifted up.*

Vers. 18. *If I contemplated iniquity in my heart, let not the Lord hear me.* You will take for this what is said by Paul, *I know nothing against myself, yet I am not in this justified* (I Cor. iv, 4), by…

^A cultivating the fruit of piety and offering incense and pure sacrifice among the nations to magnify the name of the Lord, according to what is carried in one of the twelve prophets.

Vers. 19. This has been granted to me, not so much because of my sinlessness, as for the sake of his mercy, which he did not remove from me; for the divine mercy departs from one who is not heard, because he does not ask for good things, but for what is dearest and most pleasant to men.

PsaL. LXVI, vers. 2. Men are filled with mercies and blessings when the face of the Creator of all appears; when the One who is the character of his substance shall dwell among us, having become man, and shall manifest himself to the worthy; as he says concerning him who keeps his commandments, *I will manifest myself to him.* This having come to pass, since he who says these things 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* (Joan. xiv, 9). In this way, when the divine face has appeared, the beneficiaries are pitied, and are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephes. i, 3).

Vers. 5. When your face has appeared, the way that leads you to the Father is known; and what is this? Is it not he who said, *I am the way, and no one comes to the Father except through me* (Joan. xiv, 6)? Consistently, the knowledge of the way of God on earth and his salvation, being no other than this way, shall be made known to all nations; when that which is written is fulfilled, *All flesh shall see the salvation of God* (Luc. iii, 6). It is possible that the way of God made known on the earth signifies the receiving of his commandments, according to the words, *I have run the way of your commandments* (Psal. cxviii, 32). Salvation, harmoniously made known by this way to all nations, is the salvation which he came to provide.

Vers. 4. Formerly, the one people, that of the Hebrews, confessed to God who says: *I am he who blots out your transgressions* (Isa. xliii, 25); wherefore you too first acknowledge your sins, confessing them by way of repentance, that you may be justified; the saint, bearing the person of this people, says to God: *I acknowledged my transgression, and I did not cover my sin* (Psal. xxxi, 5). ^B But since the coming of the Savior, all people from the believing nations, being gathered together, are allotted to repentance, so that, having confessed to God, they may obtain the forgiveness of sins; for to confess also signifies to give thanks.

Vers. 5. The way and the salvation of God having been made known among all nations, the nations, having been freed from every evil and polytheistic deceit, rejoice, perfecting moral virtue, and exult for having received the knowledge of God; having also learned how he will judge peoples in uprightness; and the Lord will guide the nations upon the earth.

Vers. 6. For how was the whole earth, that is, the men upon it, not intended to be filled with praise, since he has done so, having said to the repentant thief: *Today you will be with me in paradise* (Luc. xxiii, 43).

PsaL. LXVII, vers. 2. This is a prayer sent up, uttered in imperative speech; for instead of "may he arise," it is written "let him arise"; and instead of "may they flee," "let them flee"—for this form is found very frequently in the Scriptures, I mean the imperative used instead of the optative. It is possible to say that the enemies who shall be scattered are those who are ungodly concerning the knowledge of the truth, and who hate God and flee from his face, those who have practiced evil; for if he who loves him keeps his commandments, he who does not keep them does not love God. These things shall be said as an invocation of prayer to the Father, when, after Christ had suffered and his body was still lying in the tomb, and he was plundering Hades, the Jews were gathered together along with those who filled them—the destructive demons—and the other evil powers: *Let God arise*—he who descended into death and became man—*that those who gathered against him may be scattered*; for then even those who hate him, being unable to look upon him as he has risen from the dead, shall flee from his face.

Vers. 5. Prepare the way for him who comes with the Lordly title, according to Moses and the prophets, to set foot upon the west, where Adam, having been cast out of the garden planted in the east, had been driven, in order to lead him back again to the east; which he indeed did, having said to the repentant thief: *Today you will be with me in paradise* (Luc. xxiii, 43).

Vers. 6. The Word, cheering those oppressed by Satan, urges them toward exultation by showing that he will be their protector and helper, who is the father of orphans and the judge of widows. Wherefore, let it be your zeal to exult before him; especially when, having abandoned your former father who begat you in wickedness, and the first man living with you lawlessly, you become orphans from him; for you shall have God as your father. His holy place is either the Church sanctified by Christ, or each one of those who have believed; for both are true; and his holy place is also that which he has taken on, an animate and rational body. ^D

Vers. 14. Someone sleeps between these two lots; agreeing that they belong to God, as one distinguishes the spirit from the letter, so one who has thus fallen asleep between the lots is given wings, savoring them according to the Holy Spirit; and since thoughts of this dove are wings that lift up the feathered soul; and it is testified by the divine oracles that what is said is silver, and that there is refined silver; they are silver-plated, joined with the golden greenness of the dove's back; for in many places of the divine Scriptures, gold is taken for a mind of the utmost purity; and the gold has a greenness...

for the transcendent knowledge of God, being in great things ^A what is fitting, is present only to him who has holiness and peace. Vers. 16. The Savior is properly the mountain of God; therefore God the Word, existing as wisdom and life and holiness, is a source of fatness, not receiving it from without, but providing it to those who partake of him.

Vers. 19. The lines set before us have been spoken by the choir of the saints to him who ascended on high through the cross, and thence took captive those who were enslaved by Satan, and liberated them from his tyrannical cruelty.

Vers. 20. So many benefits having been rendered by the Lord, as is shown by what was said before, how was I not to praise the Lord? And indeed to praise him, not at one time and not at another, but, having mingled prayer with praise every day, they ask that they may be guided correctly by God who offers salvation. And he is blessed, not by receiving blessing, but by giving it; for as he is good, not by becoming so, but by making others good; and he is holy, by sanctifying, not by being sanctified. ^B

Vers. 21. If the things set before us are spoken concerning the common death, there are myriads of ways known to all that lead to the common death; but if it is about living according to God, and the death that is opposed to this, here too our God, who is the Savior, is the God of saving; for he becomes the cause of eternal salvation. Thus he says concerning himself: "There is no savior besides me" (Isa. xlv, 21). As, therefore, God is the one who saves, so too the "outlets of death" are his, the Lord being the one who always provides outlets, by which someone escapes through repentance from the death that follows sin.

Vers. 26. By "singing," we must understand those who fulfill the practical life; by "timbrel-players," we must consequently understand the souls that have mortified the limbs that are on the earth, and carry around in their own bodies the mortification of Jesus. Those who were trained in teaching, because they themselves were led by practical virtue, anticipated these singers; but also in the midst of "damsels"—who are so called because they have the beginning of "timbreling," that is, mortifying the limbs that are on the earth—the princes who anticipated the singers are the apostles.

Vers. 31. You shall understand as "beasts of the reed" those who advocate a falsely-named knowledge. The prophecy which speaks thus may be referred to them: "Woe to those who write wickedness; for when they write, they write wickedness."

Vers. 35. Becoming grateful, glorify him in work and in word with hymns and theologies, so that you may be able to contain his magnificence; having become true Israel, through purity of heart, ^C seeing God.

PSAL. LXVIII, vers. 5. "He repaid what he did not plunder," but yet he redeemed us, that is, he erased the handwriting against us, which we were bound to pay, with the burden upon us; but this has been blotted out and taken from the midst, forgiveness of sins having been granted.

Vers. 8. The Apostle who speaks in Christ has taken this as spoken by the Savior, writing thus: "Let each of us please his neighbor for what is good" (Rom. xv, 2); for even Christ did not please himself, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you fell upon me" (Psal. lxviii, 10).

Vers. 12. Since the Savior is confessed and is afflicted for us—and he hints through the "sackcloth" at a harsh and afflictive manner of life; for it was not said that Jesus literally wore sackcloth—some say that from this garment is indicated the body which he took upon himself.

Vers. 14. "In the abundance of your mercy, hear me," so that when I am made alive, those who are dead through sin may be made alive with me. Mystically expounding this, the Apostle said: "God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through transgressions and sins, made us alive together with Christ" (Ephes. ii, 4, 5).

Vers. 15. And he offers this prayer on our behalf, that we might not be stuck in the body through passions, called "mire"; but if even those sins which he took upon his own body, in order that by ascending the cross he might take them away, are "the mire," then consider what followed.

Vers. 17. Since from much goodness your mercy will be beneficial, which I ask to be bestowed upon those for whom I intercede (for he will dissolve their sins), hear me. Just as you will look upon me, who am interceding for all—not for one or two, but according to the multitude of your mercies—they will be saved and receive much benefit. For you sent me, willing that I should manage these things; for I was not sent to judge, but to save the world, by your mercies which are towards those who are benefited, and by your "kind ^D mercy." But the addition "to the kind" reveals that not every mercy is of this sort; for God says concerning the bosoms to the judges: "Your eye shall not spare him, nor shall you have mercy on him." It is not plausible that these things are said from the person of the Only-Begotten, while he is stripped of the incarnation, even if the designation "child" ever signifies the son of someone; but these things obviously signify that he emptied himself, and took the form of a servant, and was made like us in all things.

^A without sin, and having taken our passions upon himself, I say the natural and blameless ones, he was saying.

Vers. 20. Toward an allegory of Jesus awaiting reproach and misery, that suffering for the world he might take away its sin; none of the Israelites according to the flesh desired to die with him who was holding his soul unto death; nor did they encourage him, agreeing with the prophecies concerning his death; whence, having crossed over into greater impiety in order not to do these things, they fed him with gall, and gave him vinegar to drink. For how should the fruit of them, who did not keep the planting from the beginning, not have been gall and vinegar? For God having planted the whole true Jewish multitude as a fruit-bearing vine, it itself, turned by its own impulse into bitterness, has become a strange vine. It has been said, therefore, concerning those who have become enemies and senseless, "Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and their shoot of Gomorrah; their grape is a grape of gall, a cluster of bitterness; their wine is the rage of serpents, and the rage of asps is incurable" (Deut. xxxii, 32, 33). This gall of the grape, and the cluster of bitterness, they offered to him as a drink; and this to him who was thirsting for their salvation; for vinegar is a corruption of wine. Yet even if he was not found among the treacherous Jews sympathizing and encouraging, he is found in the calling of the nations. Those therefore who have this opinion say: "If we have died with him, we shall also live with him" (II Tim. ii, 11); and, "If we have become grown together with the likeness of his death, we shall be also of his resurrection" (Rom. vi, 5).

Vers. 26. That "Let their dwelling be desolate," and the following verse, was prophesied concerning Judas, Peter, the foremost of the apostles, has perceived; and since it is put in the plural, it must be taken as applying to all those who betrayed Jesus; the city having been desolated, and having become a dwelling, because of their bestial manner; for in dwellings cattle have their resting-place; and otherwise since it does not have God within itself, nor even the angels who of old were watching over it. ^B they add to their former wickedness another, namely, that they wish to keep this outside of Judea; wherefore they do not enter into the righteousness which is through faith in Jesus Christ, concerning which it is written: "But now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets" (Rom. iii, 21); for how was it possible for those who are always concerned with external things and have the shadow, to enter into the righteousness of God which they were ignorant of, in order to set it up? Seeking to set up their own, they have not submitted to the righteousness of God; for to be submitted to righteousness is the same as to enter into it.

Vers. 29. For because those who have virtue and faith and knowledge of God live, one must understand [the words], "This is your life and the length of your days, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. xxx, 20); but also [the words] from, "He who believes in me has eternal life" (John vi, 47). The book in which those who live thus are written is the knowledge of God, who knows those who are his; to whom it occurs to blot out those who do not fall under being remembered by God. But these things belong to those people. One might say, however, to those who have understood the psalm as being spoken in the person of the Jews who were in Babylon: How are the Babylonians blotted out from the book of the living, not having been written in it at all, because of their impiety which remained from their ancestors until their total destruction? For this is fitting to be said concerning Jews; but concerning the Babylonians, not at all.

Vers. 27. Jesus, taking our sins into his own body, for which we were wounded, struck by robbers while descending from Jerusalem to Jericho; for which reason, having accomplished [work] for the sake of healing his wounds, he said: But these things have pain, insofar as we persist in sinning; and if we move persecution against him for this, we add pain, being no longer only for the sake of sinners, but also for the sake of those persecuting him, that he might suffer for us.

Vers. 28. Being delivered up to their own desires and the passions which they chose to have, they are themselves the cause of enduring these things, having no cause in God, if they are delivered up to what they longed for; he sent them away, therefore, according to their practices, with an addition of wickedness upon their wickedness; since, therefore, they did not choose the truth when it came, but desired to live unlawfully in the shadow of the law, ^C Vers. 30. Being rich and free from wounds, I became poor, that the poor might be enriched by my poverty; and I felt pain, having been wounded for the sake of those who were wounded by the flaming darts of the evil one; and even if, though I am such, some of those for whom I have become poor and suffering are senseless, so as to add pain to my wounds and to think that I am poor by nature; but yet salvation took hold of me from the presence of God; for having risen from the dead and having been taken up, he cast off the wounds and the poverty which he had for the sake of men; but when the enemies, and especially the devil, had been destroyed, it was logical that a song of victory should be struck up by him who had conquered in the name; concerning which [he] said, "I have come in my Father's name" (John v, 43); and furthermore, that he should go beyond himself in understanding, he whom [it is] to glorify in praise, saying great things in praising and giving glory to him; but also looking loftily at the things concerning him; for those who are [of this mind] do not think that God is glorified in any other way than this, in that every sensible magnitude is far from him, who is incorporeal; and since to praise God is a sacrifice, according to the, "A sacrifice of praise shall glorify me" (Psal. xlix, 23); having praised the name of God with a song, and having glorified him in praise, he takes courage that it will please God more than a young calf bringing forth horns and hoofs, being offered for a sacrifice; wherefore also, being pleased with those who sacrifice thus, he says: "I desire mercy or sacrifice, knowledge of God or burnt offerings." Let the poor in spirit know ^D these things.

^A For it will follow for those who see such great virtue that they shall rejoice eternally, according to that: "Everlasting joy shall overtake them" (Isa. LXI, 7).

Psal. LXIX, vers. 1. Fittingly is the Psalm sung unto remembrance concerning salvation; for when all who repent are mindful and recognize the good and the truth that come to them, "all the ends of the earth shall know and shall turn to the Lord." And at the end of the remembrance, it is possible to recall those things which one had previously forgotten, so as to have precise and perfect knowledge; accordingly, "unto the end, for remembrance, to save me, O Lord," he said. For everyone being saved, by casting off the forgetfulness of good things, so as to have the use and knowledge of them—for all, having been made according to the image and likeness of God and upright, possess the notions about God sown within them—even if at some time through negligence sin gains entry, after the doing of it he repents and is reminded of the good, the notion of which he had by nature, having become rational and according to the image of God.

Vers. 4. Since insensibility and ignorance of good things govern sin, as for this reason they do them with pleasure and boldness; it has been spoken concerning some, therefore, as having glory in those things in which they ought to be ashamed: for whose "glory is in their shame" (Philip. III, 19), he says. To whom also the prophecy says, "Be ashamed of your boasting," for it brings blame and destruction. Those who thus run insensibly toward evil, if they were to receive sensation and knowledge of it, would wish to cease from doing it; to which it follows that, having turned aside from evil, they should do good. Praying, he says, that this very thing be realized for those beset by different [evils], "Let them be ashamed, knowing those who are evil; let them be turned back, having recalled what they have done; for they sought to lead my soul into the same wickedness as theirs, or to kill me, since I do not run with them into the apostasy, according to which they are outside of God." This very thing he implores as beneficial to them, saying, "Let them be turned back," no longer desiring to hasten toward evil, "and let them be ashamed of what they have done badly, desiring that those things which harm me be realized for me." He turns back who repents, backtracking to the good he had abandoned, wishing to [do so] after having been ashamed. Yet before repentance he said arrogantly against the one being pursued: "Aha! Aha!" that is, "Let us take hold of you as you flee from us." One must attend to the fact: "those who wish me evils," have power up to the point of wishing to harm and injure, or to bring about the evils they desire, not being able [to do so] unless God permits.

Vers. 5. Believing that he will surely find Him who helped him, concerning all those who are likewise disposed, when trials and various things are present, he says, "Let them rejoice and be glad in thee, O Lord, who seek thee." For even if the seeking of the Lord comes about with labor and sweat, ^B yet divine joy and gladness succeeds the labor in the seeking. Those who have attained this grace at all times, by work and by word, and also by faithful disposition, will say: "Let the Lord be magnified." Always praying to receive the greatness of His understanding, they sing hymns—those who have gained experience of the salvation from Him—such that they love that which is called "salvation," or they love the Savior; and this is Christ, being the cause of eternal salvation to them. This salvation "all flesh shall see."

Vers. 6. "Do not," he says, "leave me long in time while I am being warred upon, lest I suffer great harm; but stretch out help, so that, covered by this as by a shield of good pleasure, I may not be struck by them."

Psal. LXX, vers. 1. He who has hope in God without shame has an end until the whole age, having boldness in that which he has expected, whereas everyone who has his confidence in something else is put to shame whenever he fails of his expectation. For he who trusts in wealth, he says, will thus fall. And, "Do not hope," he says, "in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation" (Psal. CXLV, 3); and, "Cursed is he who has his hope in man" (Jerem. XVII, 5). Whence one must be diligent to have the Lord as one's hope; for the man who has trusted in the Lord is esteemed. "And the Lord shall be his hope"; for this hope is living; wherefore it is written: "Born again into a living hope"; whence it is said by him who has it, "Let me not be put to shame forever; in thy righteousness deliver me and rescue me."

Vers. 3. "Many" wishing to war on me, "be for me a protecting god; cover me with thy shield," concerning which it is said, "With a shield shall his truth encompass thee." And since I want thee to be everything to me, be for me also an unconquerable fortress and an impregnable place of shelter; so that, having thee as a most fortified place, I may remain outside of every fear of that which is from enemies, thou being my refuge and my firm support.

Vers. 4. "Hand of a sinner"—that is, the sinful action—"from which desire to be rescued," so that one does not work through it even in the least; likewise the actions of one acting lawlessly and unjustly—the effective energies, from which he desires to be outside, by God having rescued him. But whether it is the same or another according to the underlying subject, [as] sinner, will you set [it] over the one acting lawlessly and unjustly? For it seems to incline in both directions, every sinner being one who acts lawlessly and unjustly. But if the devil is the one signified by these names, his hand must be understood, and his as it were military power, being composed of every evil and unclean spirit. He who has been rescued from "the hand of those" laid out, having become under the mighty hand of God, is snatched by no one from it.

Vers. 5. Just as God is the wisdom and power of the holy one, thus also [He is] the patience and hope of the one who has endured for salvation and of the one who hopes in Him.

Vers. 6. If it is possible regarding spiritual birth

^A and of water and Spirit, which is born fittingly to this birth, of the womb and of the belly understood, from which the One born has gone forth intelligibly. — Everything good and pious is brought to completion with God; whence he who confesses Jesus before men does this in Him, so that he, too, may consistently be confessed by the Savior, who is in the one confessing Him. For since the Savior is righteousness and wisdom, sanctification and life and truth, he who truly confesses Him, to whom confession by word of mouth also follows, happens to be in the One confessed, existing in righteousness and wisdom as righteous and wise, but also having been shown to be holy and living and true in sanctification and life and truth; just as, therefore, He is in the participant, so also the Participant is in the one who partakes; according to which we say that virtue is in the devout man, and the devout man is in it. According to this meaning, the Apostle was a man in Christ, and had Christ in himself; as he says: “Christ lives in me” (Gal. II, 20). This contemplation being general, he who sings to God happens to be in Him, the One who is sung to being also in the One who sings.

Vers. 7. Sinners who treat virtue as worthless and consider piety ^B an abomination, loathing the devout man as worthless, call him a monstrosity; for they say among themselves: “Let us bind the righteous man, because he is useless to us.” And since those who think and say such things are wicked to us, not without cause did he say a monstrosity, but that it has become so to the many, that is, to the more common sort and those who flee from virtue.

Vers. 9. “In You is my hope from my youth”; he entreats to continue in this state until old age, not being cast off by You; for everyone who does wicked and lawless things is cast off. Let it also be considered intellectually; for honorable old age is not that which is long-lived, the inner man of divine wisdom being gray-headed, and old age being from a life unblemished through supreme virtue; since I am in the vigor of progressing, I entreat not to be cast off, but to be cooperated with by Your goodness, until I arrive at the time of an unblemished life.

Vers. 15. The regulations of the Law were suited only to the Jews, enjoining them to appear three times a year in Jerusalem, and contained many other difficult and unnecessary things; but I, in the power of the Lord, will enter into my own churches and will remember Your righteousness alone; for the righteousness of the Father was that all men, both Greeks and barbarians, should be deemed worthy of the knowledge of Him; and that in every place, but no longer in one alone, they should be turned to worship Him; so that from the rising of the sun even to the setting, His name should be glorified in the nations.

Vers. 19. These are wonders up to the highest, and along with them the miracles of the Savior who has become man have been established; for He having been born of the Virgin, a multitude of the heavenly host were saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luc. II, 14). For when the good will toward men had come to pass, great peace prevailed, all enemies on earth having been destroyed; but also glory in the highest has occurred for the saved men who have their ascent up to the highest. For how were those, who became perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (Matth. V, 48), having come into incomparable holiness, not about to have in themselves God, who becomes all in all? And the Lord Himself also said in the Gospels to His own Father: “Father, I desire that where I am, these also may be with me, that they may behold My glory” (Joan. XVII, 24).

Vers. 20. Since by His goodness God allowed [us] to be tested ^C by afflictions and hurtful things for some benefit, turning back again to Himself, He makes alive, bestowing life upon those who have seen afflictions and evils through experience, so that even from the very abysses, that is, the depth of the circumstances, the one who was led down might be drawn up; and since we have taken the evils as corresponding to the afflictions, the painful and hurtful things, consequently the making alive will be understood according to the common life, and the ascent from the abyss; for since hurtful things, when prolonged, seem to kill and drag down into Hades, whenever the causes reach an end, one is made alive by God and is raised up from the abysses of the earth; these things, however, the saint does not speak from his own person, but [that] of the human race, which had been tested by as many evils and afflictions as possible before the presence of the Savior, after which experience the Lord turned back to us and came, and made [us] alive, having given His own soul as a ransom for us, ^D so that everyone who believes in Him and receives His teaching might have eternal life; and He brought [us] up from the abysses of the earth, that is, from Hades, having been there after the laying down of the body which He had, for no other reason than to bring up those who were led down there because of their own sin.

Vers. 22. The psaltery is a vessel of the psalm, through which he says, “I will confess to You,” bringing forth the truth thankfully, and according to which no one is like God, after He makes the evils alive and accomplishes every good service that follows. Toward confessing the truth in a vessel of psalm, and to sing on a harp, he promises to the God who exists as the Holy One of Israel. And He is called the Holy One of Israel who sanctifies him; for just as if we say that God’s holy ones exist, we present those who are sanctified by Him, so by calling Him Holy, we signify a certain thing which is being sanctified; and that this is so, attend to what is said concerning Christ, as He “became for us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (I Cor. I, 30); for He became wisdom to the wise, righteousness to those being justified, sanctification and redemption to those being sanctified and redeemed; not here only is God called the Holy One of Israel, but also in the, “They provoked...”

^A regarding the Holy One of Israel, that is to say, the sinners.

Vers. 23. The rational soul is redeemed, for Jesus has given his own soul as a ransom for it, and that, too, being himself rational. For in the same manner as, when redeeming the bodies of men, he gave his own consubstantial body for them, so too, when redeeming rational souls, he offered a rational soul for them.

Ps. LXXI, vers. 1. This Psalm does not refer to Solomon, the father of Rehoboam, but to the spiritual one so called, on account of the reception of the name; for in the Greek tongue, it is interpreted as "peaceful." And who is this other than he who says, “My peace I give to you”? Concerning him, the Theologian writes: “For he is our peace” (Ephes. II, 14); and, “He preached peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near” (ibid. 17), having broken down the enmity that divided the Greeks from the Hebrews, so that one flock and one people might be formed from the Gentiles and the Jews; thus showing himself to be peaceful through the works which he performed, he is of David according to the flesh, having been born of a Virgin; it is written, therefore, concerning him, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David."

Vers. 8. The statement made to him, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,” is the same as, “He shall remain with the sun.” And “Before the moon for generations of generations,” is the same as, “Before the age I established me.” It is said that he “shall remain with the sun” also concerning the flesh which he united to himself, which is endowed with a rational and intelligent soul; for he remains with the Sun of Righteousness because of the inseparable union. But even before the moon, which has an upward inclination ^C toward the intelligible sun, there exists for generations of generations the Church founded through him and in him, consisting of all men who have generations; for these have existence from generation to generation by succession. It is shown from the Song of Songs, as the Church is designated the moon, thus: “Who is she that looks forth as the dawn, beautiful as the moon, select?” (Cant. vi, 9).

Vers. 6. As the fleece signifies Israel, and the earth denotes the Gentiles, since at first it came down upon the fleece, and then from there upon the earth; for because Israel was disobedient so as not to receive him who had come, the passage of the rain upon the earth occurred, so that all the men upon it might be watered, or rather, refreshed by the drops for the yielding of spiritual fruits.

Vers. 9. You shall understand it thus: The Ethiopians, called from the nations, because of the blackness they had from wickedness, falling down before the King by way of repentance, the King's enemies, the Jews, shall lick the dust. And it is well said that the Ethiopians fall down before him; it denotes sincere submission for them to fall down before the King who sees secret things. It is possible for even the enemies of God to have a sense ^D of repentance to appear, by licking the dust; for the energy is tasted. And if one is emboldened to contemplate joy, the joy of those who are friends of virtue and piety is contemplated, so that each of them may be able to hear, “Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matth. xxv, 21, 23). Of those who thus have their gaze fixed on joy, the ruling kings shall bring gifts, as well as the subjects. And islands are brought; these are souls, having a firm and immovable disposition, even if the sea foams and rages with billows. To these the Savior says: “Be renewed, O islands, toward me,” being renewed by the newness of the Spirit, bearing the new man, who is created according to God. In addition to these kings, those of the Arabians and Saba shall offer gifts, those who are coming toward the evening of their wicked life, so that the light of the impious is darkened from them; and it could be that, transformed into an angel of light, he falsely and up to the point of deceiving the sun... For Arabians are interpreted as "settings" and "evening"; with these Arabs, and many others, there is repentance. Saba is offered; and the name is interpreted as "conversion"; it is possible to understand by those worshiping him and offering gifts the teachers of all the nations, the apostles and disciples and their successors; for they offer as gifts to God the men who are gained by them. But if each of the faithful brings gifts of commendable actions and a true mind, they present their own gifts as kings to the only and one King of All.

Vers. 15. The holy men, having learned that no one among those born will redeem men from the wickedness that holds them—all having turned aside and together become useless—regarding the one able to deliver from the hand of the oppressor and be the cause of eternal salvation, continuously and without intermission send up prayer to the Father, at one time saying, “Show us, O Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation” (Psal. LXXXIV, 5); and at other times, “Send forth your light and your truth” (Psal. XLII, 3).

Vers. 16. For those whom Jesus brought to fruit through his presence, the faithful people, and the number and size of actions and contemplations, have as a testimony, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall be multiplied like the cedar that is in Lebanon” (Psal. Xci, 5); thus the fruit of the support of all having been multiplied and exalted, those of the Jews who disbelieved in the Savior shall flourish out from the city of Jerusalem, as grass from the earth, because they are so-named on account of being easily withered and quickly drying up; and very justly, since they have become flesh in their mind, having disbelieved in the Savior. And receiving glory from one another, but not seeking that which is given by God alone, they shall flourish as the grass of the earth: “For all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass” (Isa. XL, 6); and it is well, too, [to say] "out from the city," and not "in the city," that they flourish as grass, those who...

^A in their mind and life hasten to be as grass, whereas those who remain within the city will suffer no such thing. "For he who dwells in Jerusalem shall not be shaken for ever" (Ps. CXXIV, 2).

Vers. 17. The tribes that have been blessed in Him, being the nations, call Him blessed who has blessed them, saying: "Blessed is the God of the discerning race, who alone has done wondrous things, having delivered us from idolatry and the healing of pestilential demons."

Vers. 18. For truly each of the things that have occurred regarding the calling of the nations is wondrous. And let the word "alone" which is added not disturb you; for it does not contradict the saying, "The Son can do nothing, unless He sees the Father doing it" (John v, 19); for whatever the Father does, these the Son also does likewise; for "alone," and as many such terms as are used of the Godhead, signify the Father and the Son, as is shown by the prophet, where it is said to the Savior: "And the Sabean men of high stature shall pass over unto thee, and shall worship thee, and shall pray in thee: for God is in thee, and there is no God except thee; for thou art God, and we knew it not, the God of Israel, the Savior" (Isa. XLV, 14, 15).

PsaL. LXXII, vers. 1. Instead of "How good is God," Symmachus says, "Yet truly good is God to Israel, to the pure in heart." Having said this, he showed who Israel might be; for they are the true Israel; wherefore it was also said by the Savior, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. v, 8); and Israel is also interpreted as witnessing God; wherefore also those who understand what they see, know that He is good; and even if He provides anything grim and unpleasant to men, they know that He does this profitably and for salvation, and their steps, which they had stepped and progressed, are not shaken.

Vers. 14. It is possible to interpret "And I have been plagued all the day" by such a thought, saying, "Have I then cleansed my heart in vain," and what follows; knowing that he ought not to have been troubled, he says this: "I was plagued by the reasoning of piety all the day, being tested and reproved by it."

Vers. 23. For even if I did not understand before being enlightened and knowing what is said concerning the city, and concerning the image of the ungodly; and if I previously lived like a senseless beast, being foolish and not able to reach the things of Thy providence, yet I did not depart from Thee, O God; but I was with Thee always; and I did this not out of my own strength, but out of Thy grace; for Thou Thyself, by Thy own philanthropy, took hold of my right hand, held me fast and sustained me, so that my steps might not be poured out, nor my feet be shaken from the standing with Thee; and by right hand I mean the executive, practical [power], doing all things that are right and pleasing to Thee; wherefore he who has taken hold of it ^B by Thy counsel Thou hast guided me, piloting through the mortal life, and guiding me to a calm and safe harbor of the rest that is with Thee, and with glory didst Thou take me to Thyself, having suffered nothing from such great temptations; but according to Symmachus, he says one is later received with honor.

Vers. 27. Since God is not in a place, no one is separated from Him locally, but by the relationship and disposition [only] of the unjust and wicked who is thought of as far from the Just and Good and the Cause of all; and since drawing near to Him by the acquisition of virtue saves the one approaching, departing from Him, by having acquired wickedness and impiety, brings destruction; so that being far from God is the same as sinning; rightly therefore it is said, "For behold, those who keep far;" not because those who have sinned are destroyed, but because they end their sinning through repentance; hence also, "He who does, but not he who has done, sin, is a slave of it" (John VIII, 34).

Vers. 28. Many having moved long and numerous arguments concerning the substance of the Good, the wise man set forth His existence with brevity, saying that it is strictly good to cleave to God, and to place one's hope in Him. And it has already been said that the gates of Zion are virtues and introductions to perfection; and the daughter of Zion is everyone becoming or born according to her, and having existence in this soul.

PSAL. LXXIII, vers. 1. God pushes away the one who sins, that one having first cast Him off; "For him who comes to me I will by no means cast out," said the Lord (John VI, 37).

Vers. 13. The whole life of men is taken as a sea; this, in the power of His own, God strengthened, so as to bring from a greater storm and most severe tempest to calm and serenity; that those walking upon it may walk as upon dry land, according to what is said: "Who turns the sea into dry land."

Vers. 14. He crushed the many heads of many dragons, but also the many heads of one upon the water, understood as wickedness, or the unstable and troubled affairs of life; for in such water the dragons act harmfully, and one who is above them, concerning whom it is written that he is king of all those in the waters, and that he dwells in the sea; for this is the great and wide sea, showing the turmoil of affairs and wickedness; but it is the work of the Savior alone to crush the heads of the dragons mentioned.

PSAL. LXXIV, vers. 4. [C] Having reached the end of not decaying, in a perfected incorruption, let us thankfully confess to Thee, O God, as the Author of the goods that have existed and are attained; for with Thee and from Thee these are confirmed, and we desire to receive also other things in addition to the goods that have been attained; for thus we are perfect; let us confess for the things that have existed; but let us invoke Thy name, for the sake of receiving other things; but if those who confess and invoke are perfect, they confess for

the things they have received, invoking for the protection of them, so that what was given by the heavenly Father to those who ask Him may remain with them until the end. Vers. 4. "To dwell upon the earth" is generally taken instead of a reproach; just as "sojourning" is taken for praise. For since it is base to dwell upon the earth, it comes about that the mind of the flesh becomes fat, which is enmity toward God.

What follows, from Psalm LXXXI, was supplied by the Catena of Corderius

PSAL. LXXXI, vers. 1. *Diodorus*. He says these things to their dishonor, because they judge unrighteously and accept the persons of sinners; and further, because they do not understand or know the commandments of God, but walk in darkness, their life is filled with confusion and turbulence, and the earth is shaken by successive evils.

Ibid. *Diodorus*. "I will shake," he says, "and I will agitate the whole, since I indeed established the judges in the rank of gods and sons of the Most High; but they have behaved insolently against My dignity, corrupting justice for gain, according to the rulers of the nations, who, because they do not perceive their own gods, use judgment as they wish, there being no one overseeing them, nor any demanding justice."

^B ...they were destroying one another, and those who fled were crushing each other, until almost all perished; so that the Israelites, having learned the things that had come to pass on the following days, found infinite wealth for the construction of the temple, and so many weapons lying about, that for many days they burned them; for by the command of God the weapons were ordered to be burnt, as if dedicated to God, the cause of the victory. "And let them know," he says, "that thy name is Lord." The name "Lord" is taken in the sense of a miracle. As also in the case of Moses, God says: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and My name, Lord, I did not reveal to them"; that is to say: I did not appear to them through miracles; but they were so faithful that they did not need miracles for the knowledge of Me. He says these things as if upbraiding Moses, who demanded miracles of Him. And here, then, "Let them know that thy name is Lord," instead of: "From the things by which You work miracles, punishing them, let them know that You are Lord of all, and higher than all the earth."

Vers. 8. *Diodorus*. One might say that these verses were spoken more authoritatively concerning Christ. For since the Father has given all creation to the Son, so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father, David prays that the matter be hastened, so that He, having risen from the dead, might be established as judge of all; for on account of this he also mentioned the nations. For He was about, having risen from the dead, to rule over all.

PSAL. LXXXII, in titulo. *Diodorus*. The subject of the psalm is clearly a song of victory of the Israelites against the nations who fought together against the Jews; but since God destroyed them, and unexpectedly gave the victory to the Israelites, the blessed David necessarily chants this psalm from the perspective of the Israelites themselves. The time, however, is a matter of debate; for some have said these things reached their fulfillment after the return from Babylon, and others after the victory of the Maccabees; especially since it is stated in the Maccabean history as follows: "And it came to pass, when the nations round about heard that the altar had been built, and the sanctuary had been renewed as it was before, they were very angry, and conspired to destroy the race of Jacob, those who were in their midst." But the time does not damage the subject-matter, whether it be after the return from Babylon or after the victory of the Maccabees, since the subject ^D is the same.

Vers. 18. *Diodorus*. This psalm contains a prophecy of future events. For the history is as follows: that all these multitudes were gathered against the Israelites, though they were few; and that God sent a nocturnal phantom upon them, and the enemies rose up and destroyed one another, and those who fled were crushing each other until they almost all perished.

PSAL. LXXXIII, in titulo. *Diodorus*. This psalm is a thanksgiving of those who returned from Babylon, seeing their own things after a long time with great joy, and showing their disposition by their voice.

Ibid. *Diodorus*. He calls their dwellings "tabernacles." And the phrase, "My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord," showed that he did not simply long for the dwellings in Palestine, but for the courts of the Lord, that is, for the holy temple. And the word "longs"—instead of: "These are indeed the things I longed for, which I also saw, and for which I give thanks."

Vers. 6. *Diodorus*. He recalls the history found in Judges, such as this: God commanded them to destroy all the nations that came out of Egypt; but they did not destroy them, but suffered evils from them, and were seeking the cause. Then an angel, standing by, reproved them for their disobedience. Recognizing this, they wept bitterly, having made a lamentation over the matter. This, then, he wants to say here as well: That just as those people wept after the reproof and promised to keep the commandments, it is necessary for us to do the same, having been reproved for the things in which we transgressed through our captivity, and having returned to our own land, we owe it to promise no longer to transgress the commandments of God.

Vers. 14. *Diodorus*. He wishes to say that it is better...

to live here possessing Your knowledge and fear, than to spend thousands of days without Your knowledge and without singing Your praises. ^A

Vers. 13. *Diodorus*. God, he says, of hosts and of our ancestors, continue to shield us, and provide for the dignity of our kingdom. For in this passage he calls Christ, who returned from Babylon, the king, Zerubbabel.

PSAL. LXXXIV, vers. 9.

PSAL. LXXXV, in titulo.

Vers. 2. *Diodorus*. The virtues he possessed, he asks to be preserved. For he said that he was "poor and needy and holy," just as he says elsewhere: "Let not the foot of pride come to me." And he is a servant of God, who does not serve sin; but he who is not yet a son is a slave.

Vers. 13. *Diodorus*. Hezekiah calls himself the servant and son of Your handmaid; as when one says "man" and "son of man." And he does well to present his mother rather than his father to move God to pity; for she seemed to be more devout than Ahaz his father, who was not very pious. ^C

PSAL. LXXXVI, vers. 2.

Vers. 5. *Diodorus*. Just as he calls Jerusalem a daughter, so he names Zion a mother. He says therefore: "That you may not destroy Zion, it is permitted to those who remain to call you mother." And man was born in her. Nor did you cast off, he says, the men who are in you, but you remained, having them as inhabitants because of the alliance of God. Whence he adds: "And He himself established her, the Most High." For, being founded, he says, by God Himself, you became impregnable to the enemies.

Vers. 6. *Diodorus*. You will recover, he says, your native land again, and there will be assemblies of the pious in the temple, and the divine Scriptures will be read, through which God seems to speak to the nations. In which assemblies, he says, there will be rulers again. He means the teachers and priests. And why, he says, should I say much? Thus you will be populated and multiplied, as a city inhabited by men leading their lives therein without pain and with the greatest joy.

PSAL. LXXXVII, in the title.

Vers. 8. *Diodorus*. He called the upheavals like those of the sea here, meaning: "You have brought all the abyss of your wrath upon me."

Vers. 9. *Diodorus*. I was lamenting, he says, for the people, seeing them falling away from the wealth that is according to God, and being brought to the extreme of poverty.

Vers. 11. *Diodorus*. Symmachus [says]: "Will you perform wonders for the dead? And again, Or shall someone tell in the grave? And again, Or shall [it] be known?" For the Savior did not say these things in the time of His passion simply out of despair, but yielding as was possible to the Father, He was teaching the reasons for His descent into death; as if He were saying: "For if You had not wished to save even them, You would not have allowed Me to descend even to the lowest part of Hades, performing things beyond the art of medicine by Your power, that the dead, having risen, might confess." And these things happened in reality, both in the events concerning the tomb and in the wonders that took place as a testimony to the Savior. For all these wonders of His and His justice reached even to those who died of old, for whose sake He descended there, so that He might rule not only over the living, but also over the dead. Therefore also many bodies of the sleeping saints were raised, and entered with the Savior Himself into the holy city of God, that is, the heavenly one. But he called the same dead [ones] "in the grave," and "in perdition," and "in darkness."

Vers. 16. *Diodorus*. You might call an exaltation, the one in signs and wonders. Concerning which, the Father says: "Glorify Me, and I have glorified, and will glorify again." For this, having suffered for us, He humbled.

PSALM LXXXVIII, in the title.

^A beseech God themselves; to David, as God had promised to raise up from his seed a king who would live forever, both concerning glory and power, they make their request together with a contrite heart. The first parts of the psalm, therefore, are by way of reminding God of the very promises made to David; the latter parts are those of people begging, on account of the promise, to attain to His loving-kindness.

Vers. 5. Diodorus. Thou didst promise, he says, to build up such loving-kindness to the age. And well did he call the increase of the promise a "building up." For it began from one, Abraham, then passed on to the Israelite people, and from the Israelite people to the whole inhabited world. Therefore, he called the gradual increase a building up. He calls it "ready" because everywhere it is stable and firm. He wishes, then, to say that such a promise of Thine has been established, and has its confirmation above in the heavens, so that no earthly thing can surpass it.

Vers. 5. Diodorus. To David alone was the promise concerning the seed made by an oath, since David also, before this, in the 131st psalm says under oath: "Remember, O Lord, David, and all his meekness. As he swore unto the Lord, and prayed unto the God of Jacob: If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house; if I shall go up upon the bed of my couch; if I shall give sleep to my eyes, and slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob." Wherefore God, from thence, as if giving an oath in return for an oath, joins it to what is said next: "The Lord swore truth unto David, and He will not set it aside; of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne" (Ps. CXXXI, 11). For according to the voice of the Savior (Matth. VII, 2), "With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again." For David, having been zealous, seeing impiety everywhere on earth, with the opposing power being honored, and the Creator of all being ignored, therefore prayed with an oath, as the first one, to build a temple on earth to the God of all, in which Thou wouldst cause the ark made through Moses to rest; for before David, it was carried about, sometimes to Galgala, sometimes to Maspha, sometimes to Silom, at other times to the Allophyli, and thence to Bethsamys, then to Kariathiarim, then to the house of Aminadab, ^D and thence to the house of Abeddara; whence David transferred it to the city of Sion; wherefore he also insisted to Him that he would erect a temple in which He would dwell. God accepted the intention, but indeed did not permit the house to be built; for there is no need of anything for the dwelling of the Sensitive One; but if a God must dwell on earth, from his seed would proceed according to the flesh the Savior Christ, His only-begotten and eternal Son, and His catholic Church would be established through Him. And two things are now promised to David: first, that He will guard his seed until the age; second, that He will build his throne unto generation and generation. And these being unstable on earth, he sends their effects up to the heavens. ^B As He was saying, "Thy truth shall be prepared in heaven"; thus, after the promise, he now adds: "The heavens shall confess Thy wonders, O Lord," as those on earth are not able to understand the mind of Thy promises, which the heavenly powers must interpret; for the promises to David, only angels are able to know and to tell. For these will also confess Thy truth and Thy wonders in the Church of the saints. So that even if such a Church of His existed on earth, whether divine powers or heavenly men will teach this truth that is contained in the promises. And he would say that the Church of the firstborn, of those enrolled in the heavens, knows these things accurately.

Vers. 8. Diodorus. Just as the senseless are scandalized, seeing Him in the form of a servant, and hearing Him saying, "I am the truth," and, "Before Abraham was, I am," so the saints, on the contrary, glorify Him, and call Him great and fearful. And this is evident from thence, from Peter, as if from the mouth of all, crying out: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God"; and again all the others: "Truly Thou art the Son of God," when He rebuked the sea and the winds.

Vers. 11. Diodorus. And these things Thou doest also in the case of the invisible powers; for, being hostile to Thy providence, they are scattered together with the one ruling with pride and the present age, which Thou didst strike with the sword; according to that, "The Lord will bring the great and strong sword upon the dragon, the crooked serpent, and will slay the dragon that is in the sea." Concerning which David says (Ps. CIII, 25): "This is the sea, the great and wide, there are creeping things, of which there is no number. This dragon which Thou hast fashioned to make sport of it." Since, therefore, it is said in the double prophecy of "the sea," signifying the place of the opposing powers, perhaps even now he hinted at such a sea, saying: "But Thou art lord of the power of the sea," and so forth. To these, then, he joined: "Thou didst humble the proud one as one that is wounded," and the things concerning the opposing enemies. He sings also elsewhere (Ps. LXXIII, 13): "Thou didst dash in pieces the heads of the dragons upon the water; Thou didst dash in pieces the head of the dragon, Thou didst give him to be food for the people the Ethiopians." And in Job (Job XL, 20): "And thou wilt draw out dragons with a hook," and the rest. To which he adds: "And He is king of all those in the waters." Now, therefore, the divine Spirit signifies the descent of the Only-begotten as far as the aforementioned sea. Having then fore-theologized Him, and His first dwelling, the one in the saints, saying, He proceeds teaching likewise, that He will also master the sea shown to us; wherefore he also predicted Him unto faith in the promise being made to David.

Vers. 14. Diodorus. And otherwise, he says, Thy power masters all; but let it appear glorious also to those on earth (for the power [alt-version omitted]

^A itself is perfect, through which all things have been made and are being made, and is reckoned with God according to the one number of the Godhead, so as not to fall into the issues regarding those who are unlike Him, to whom many sons are attributed. For the one power is the true image and mark of God, who performs all things through it; wherefore it was fitting that the divine things, and the judgment of God, should come to pass through Christ, as something existing in God as power, but given as man, even as He Himself said. He divided the mercy and the judgment across time. For the former shall be when the King, having come, shall sit upon the throne of His glory, which has justice as its basis; even as he said before in the Psalm: He hath established His throne in judgment. But much mercy goes before that manifestation upon earth, as it prepares men for the salvation of the fearsome Judge who is about to be manifested. And with the mercy is the truth; for it is not possible that the longsuffering of God should not truly or rightly come to pass in His kindness, even if to the ignorant the wicked appear not to be faring ill, nor the good to be faring poorly.)

Vers. 20. Diodorus. He now explicitly details the promise that was made through Nathan the prophet, addressing him in the plural as sons of God; or according to other interpreters, as holy ones of God; inasmuch as He clearly imparted power and glory to David, according to the text: "I took thee from the sheepfold from behind the flocks, to be leader over My people Israel"; and as He anointed him because he was well-pleasing for kingship, and cooperated with him, and brought to naught those who were ill-disposed, whom even while striking down He was turning [to Him], according to the text: "I have been with ^B you in all you have walked, and I have destroyed all your enemies from before thy face" (II Reg. vii, 9). For these things, he says, God spoke through Nathan. He was exalted, he says, both by My mercy and by the zeal regarding him; whence he was always victorious in conflicts, being invincible.

Vers. 25. Diodorus. From this point the account no longer pertains to David, but it fits the Horn, the one from him. His horn, therefore, is Christ, upon whom also is true the saying: "And I will set his hand in the sea"; for David did not hold the maritime region, and he reigned only over Judea; but he did not become exalted above the kings of the earth. Regarding this horn, Zacharias also says in the Gospel: "And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant; as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets which have been since the world began." And horn, inasmuch as it is also called unicorn: "And the beloved," he says, "as the son of unicorns." For He horned (i.e., gored/powerfully subdued) every power contrary to God, whose right hand also mastered the inhabited world, in rivers and seas. For even the isles declare Him, along with others, to be God, and Lord, and King. Such is that in the 88th Psalm: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers unto the ends of the inhabited world." For beginning from the baptism at the Jordan to preach the kingdom of God, He fulfilled the whole inhabited world. ^C Zechariah also prophesies: "Rejoice and be glad, O daughter Zion; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is meek, and riding upon an ass, and a young colt; and He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the outgoings of the earth," in place of which the Hebrew has: "And from the rivers unto the ends of the inhabited world."

Vers. 29. Diodorus. He does not promise that the seed of the one declared will set [it] for only one present age, but even for the age of the age. And Symmachus also rendered it thus: "And I will make His seed perpetual, and His throne, as long as the days of heaven." By the seed of Christ, he means the Churches everywhere, and the peoples born again to Him. And those who preside in these from His succession direct His throne, which he also calls perpetual. For the Jewish [throne], having sufficed for a little while, departed, having been kept for about four hundred years, only from David until the captivity to Babylon. If, however, it happens that the sons, that is, the successors of the one being prophesied of, transgress, they shall be turned back through the persecutions brought upon them; but it shall not be possible for the throne to fall, nor will I scatter My mercy, and he did not say "from them," but "from him," either of the throne or of the horn.

Vers. 36. Diodorus. The God who is true by nature even employs an oath, assuring men in a human way: "That by two," says the Apostle (Hebr. vi, 18), "immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation." And He swears by His Holy One; as a Father swearing by a genuine and beloved Child. And what did He swear? First concerning the seed, second concerning the throne; for in this way, he says, it shall not fail, whether it be the word sown into the Church, or the people; but the ecclesiastical throne of Christ according to the sun shall illuminate the whole world, and according to the moon shall stand firmly. Regarding the teaching, of which He Himself was the sower, He says through the parable in the Gospels: "A sower went out to sow," and so forth (Luc. viii, 5). And these things, he says, shall not be otherwise. For the witness of them is faithful, the God Who dwells in heaven. But it is false to think that these things were said regarding the bodily throne; for after the captivity from Babylon, no one sat upon the throne of David. From that time until the present is close to a thousand years, since the bodily throne of David was dissolved; which he also laments in what follows, the things contrary to the promises having come to pass; proving by this what things are necessarily bound up in the prophecy concerning Christ; the difference between the two thrones being manifested; the one ceasing, and the other—the promise concerning this—being fulfilled in a manner worthy of God.

Vers. 39. Diodorus. These things befit the more bodily succession. For from the time they were led away to Babylon, the royal anointing ceased, no one of the race of David reigning any longer. These things he says while lamenting, as if God had promised other things—the previously mentioned ones, I mean—but different things, contrary to those, had resulted for those present. Therefore, not concerning bodily things, concerning

^A the one promised by the God who does not lie according to Christ; for indeed His kingdom did not come from this world, nor did He obtain the sensible throne of David, for He even suffered the opposite. Therefore, the prophetic Spirit placed such contrary things nearby, rousing us to investigate the outcome of the divine promises.

Vers. 40. Diodorus. Or also in this way: Having said, he says, "O Master, that the seed of Christ abides forever, You rejected His seed; and having said [You would] not defile the covenant with Him, You defiled His sanctuary, You dashed it to the ground," that is, into death and a grave, having delivered up His body; or [regarding] the Church, which is His house and sanctuary, having permitted it at times to be delivered up to the persecutions brought upon it by the godless. But Christ is the servant of God, as having taken the form of a servant (Phil. II, 7), and having been born of her who said to the angel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word" (Luc. 1). "But You also tore down all the most fortified help of His sons, so as to lie open to every plot." For hedges according to the Scripture are the safeguards from God. And the hedges of the vineyard of Christ might be called the divine apostles, whom those who saw them scattered and scandalized in the night of the betrayal of Jesus say were destroyed by God. Which are also called fortifications, having fallen into cowardice at that same time; to whom followed the plundering of Christ, which is His body. "For you are the body of Christ, and members in part" (I Cor. XII, 27). And His fortifications are the churches everywhere. And they became a reproach to those who, because they were around him, are called neighbors; which are those who consider themselves to be holding onto His Scripture, and to be near the Church, because of whom He is reproached, thinking or acting badly; just as also those who think or act rightly about her glorify her. But His enemies exalt themselves, as though they were doing by their own power what He permitted to be suffered; over which even those who hate Him rejoice, seeing no help, in their engaging in war against Him, so as to have bound Him and led Him to the cross, and whatever [else] they brought to [cause] insult. These things say those who indeed desire Christ, and consider [it] Providence; not seeing the goal, whereby the Father, not sparing His own Son, surrendered Him to those who rose up against Him. They will cease from these words, having learned the salvation achieved through His death, not only of the Father surrendering Him for us, but also of Himself [surrendering] Himself. For He gave His soul as a ransom for many (I Tim. II, 6). For the time being, however, they thought that Christ had also been dissolved from the purification which He achieved through His blood, and that His throne had been cast down to the ground; even though God had placed it as the days of heaven. For seeing His passion and the cross, they thought His kingdom had reached its end, having been diminished and overturned, due to the shame that had occurred at the cross; concerning which the Apostle said, "Who ^B for the sake of the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebr. XII, 2), that having risen from the dead He might no longer be dissolved from the purification, but as working, He might take away the sin of the world; having made the purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebr. I, 3), having his throne upright and firmly established; which is said to be long-lived, and existing eternally forever.

Vers. 50. Diodorus. Above I said, how "Your mercies abide forever," and nothing of Your promise shall fall away; but I ask to know the hidden thing, and when it will come; as therefore the prediction of the more gloomy things has met [us], so it is consistent, for the things of the better [state] also to come to pass; both the eternal seeds, and the throne of David. These things indeed were awaited long ago by the prophets, but to us now they are seen through deeds, through the accomplishments in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vers. 1. Diodorus. You might say that the mountains are the apostles, being established; the earth, being formed, the soul that is able to bear fruit; and the inhabited, the Church, in which angels dwell, and doctrines of truth and the gifts of the Spirit. But before all these, God becomes a refuge to the prophets, being the same always, having an unchangeable existence. But [what He says] to us is not to those then only, he says, but to those in every generation who fear You, You have become a refuge. And He teaches us not to take refuge in another. And Symmachus clearly rendered, "in every generation." Naturally, before the mountains were generated or born, so as that the earth not be at the same time as the birth, the mountains having co-existed with it, but having grown little by little from it, just as if from birth to growth, just as also babies born. They say, indeed, to this day some of the natural philosophers that the mountains grow, and the rocks become larger, always increasing through some addition across long periods. Since they have also said the earth and the inhabited world [were in labor], the interpreters following the Hebrew, it is possible also to conceive of the earth as having come forth from another element. It is said, indeed, in the Cosmology: "And the earth was invisible and unformed" (Gen. I, 2); for it was unseen, as if being conceived and being formed, in the nature of the liquid substance; but it was brought to birth when God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one gathering, and let the dry land appear. And it was so" (Gen. I, 9). For by the will of God it was both fashioned and solidified; and just as if suddenly raised, it came forth into light as if from a womb. ^C

PSAL. LXXXIX, in titulo. And in this psalm He narrates the misfortunes of the people in the captivity and introduces them as if begging God to be delivered from the painful things possessing them. And he shows also, in the prelude of the prayer, the intensity, and that they were benefited by the misfortunes. For they did not neglect God before this, but now they confess that they have their refuge in Him.

PSAL. XC, in titulo. Diodorus. In this psalm He introduces the person of those being perfected through Christ, and conquering through Him the intelligible enemies,

[GREEK COLUMN 1625] principalities and powers, and the world-rulers of this darkness, and the spiritual ^A forces of wickedness, and the apostate Satan himself; these are indicated in various ways by what is proposed: fear in the night, the arrow that flies by day, the thing that travels in darkness, and a stumbling-block, and a noonday demon, and thousands, and myriads, and the asp, and the basilisk, and the lion, and the dragon: for against all these he proclaims the victory of the man of God.

Vers. 1. Diodorus. The former people, who lamented through the preceding prayer of Moses, confessed, saying: "For we have failed in thy wrath" (Psal. LXXXIX, 7), and the rest of what was indicated by the things contained therein. But the people who were to be established after them to God through Christ always remain trusting in the help of the Most High, ^B as if dwelling under the shelter of God, and will at no time desire to turn away from any temptations, but at each one will say to the Lord: "Thou art my helper and my refuge, my God, I will hope in him."

Vers. 4. Diodorus. "He shall be your champion, and shall cover you" when you are warred upon. He uses this metaphor from those who stand in the front of battles and cover those behind with their shields. For he calls the operations of Providence "wings." He has placed this using the imagery of birds; for they cover their nestlings with their wings.

Vers. 8. Diodorus. He introduces the person of one who hopes, saying to God for himself that he has set his hope upon Him. And again he proclaims to such a person: "Because you have set the Most High as a house of safety, you shall not be mastered by any evil, nor shall your house be struck by divine plagues." For it is clear that if a righteous man or the house of a righteous man suffers anything, this is a contest against unjust people who are opposing, and not punishments from God.

Vers. 11. Diodorus. Just as parents according to the flesh, when they see a path rough and difficult to traverse, snatch up their infants into their arms, lest by any chance they should hurt their tender foot, which is not yet able to walk along the hard road; so also the rational powers do not allow those who are not yet able to struggle, but who are somehow childish in their understanding, to struggle beyond their strength, but they draw them away from every temptation, lest by any chance, having lost heart, they fall under the feet of Satan and give up the will to serve God.

Vers. 13. Diodorus. By the lion, then, and the dragon and the basilisk, one might understand Satan himself, and the wicked angels who revolted with him, who did not keep their own principality, for whom the gloom of darkness has been kept for eternity. For by the asp and basilisk, one might understand the lion and the dragon and those who are accustomed to serve his own ^C wills, and who are imitators of the perversity that dwells in him—those who are bitter and terrible and entirely grievous, who differ in no way from wild beasts, but also mimic the bitterness of venomous things. And if you wish, accept also the vipers of the unholy heresies as their inventors.

Vers. 15. Diodorus. What is more blessed than this, to have God prepared as a ready help to stand against enemies? For there is most need to be with Him especially when afflictions and difficulties are around us. "I will not only deliver him from grievous things," He says, "but I will also make him a spectacle." Thus, the affliction is no longer affliction, but joy and glory through Him who is present and communicates to those who are afflicted.

PsAL. XCI, in titulo. Diodorus. The sabbatism or the Sabbath would be the future inheritance, when rest shall succeed the toils of this present life; that is to say, when we shall receive our rewards. He praises, therefore, that rest which is to come. The whole purpose of the ode is for the day of the Sabbath; and the Sabbath is, as it were, an image of the life in Christ and of the evangelical life, which the Savior Himself has renewed for us by changing the shadows of the Law into spiritual worship.

Vers. 11. Diodorus. They say the unicorn is a beast on whose forehead grows a horn, high and unbreakable, by which it is accustomed to overcome and prevail over the other beasts; and it is strong and hard to encounter. To this unicorn the divine Scripture compares the new people. And when I say "new people," understand those who through faith have conquered all the nations.

Vers. 15. Diodorus. The holy letter considers it worthy to compare those who have been justified in Christ to palm trees and cedars. For the palm tree is an evergreen plant, deep-rooted, high, and good-hearted, and it possesses sweet and fragrant fruit. All those who have the righteousness in Christ are such as these; for they stand firm and unshaken, having a pure heart. Thus, too, the psalmist says: "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psal. L).

PsAL. XCII, vers. 4. Diodorus. The sea is often called the life, and often it signifies the mystery; the life because of the dangers in it and the intelligible beasts of wickedness, as when David says: "This sea, the great and wide, there are creeping things without number" (Psal. ci, 25). It signifies the mystery because of its immeasurability and incomprehensibility. Whence Habacuc says (Habac. III, 15): "Thou didst ride with thy horses into the sea, stirring up many waters." He calls the Apostles "horses" because of the course, and "many waters" the baptisms being performed throughout the whole world through the Church. Concerning this sea, it is now proposed to speak to the chanters. For the voice of the many waters, that is to say, the power of the baptisms everywhere, has caused the tumults of the intelligible sea—that is, the contemplations—and the heights of the mystery to be wondered at. And God is to be wondered at in the heights, because through the lowly He has wrought wonders that are high, and through small things has wrought wonders that are great.

PsAL. XCIII, vers. 1. Diodorus. The God of vengeances, being the Lord, in the very act of taking vengeance [end of page]

[Translation begins]

^A it spoke boldly. For knowing precisely the matters being judged, and the intention of those who perform them, He brings on the punishments with boldness; whereas other judges are sometimes mistaken, as they do not bring on punishment in proportion to the magnitude of the sins committed. On account of which it happens that the one judging is also ashamed, as he has not rightfully admonished those who have been ensnared by wickedness, while the one who says, "With what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you" (Matt. VII, 2), speaks with boldness in the act of punishing. For He is one who renders to each according to his works (Rom. II, 6).

Vers. 7. Of Diodorus. Reproving their sin, God did not immediately bring on [the punishment] from anger, but as good and philanthropic, and possessing incomparable gentleness, He grants them rather the medicine of admonition, and prepares the word of instruction: "Understand, you foolish ones," as if saying: even if late, yet now at least be wise, having pondered within yourselves: "He who planted for others the faculty of hearing, does He not hear? He who formed the eye for us, does He not see? He who is the provider of all good things for us, is He Himself deprived of these?" Therefore, having left behind the opinions of the unwise, let us remember the one saying by the Proverbs-writer: "Make straight paths for your feet, and direct your ways" (Prov. IV, 26). For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and He contemplates all his paths. Being disposed in this way, we shall live a straight and blameless life, as though God were watching.

Vers. 17. Of Diodorus. God encourages those who toil for the sake of virtue, those who labor for piety, those desiring to accomplish the manner of life pleasing to Him, those who mortify the impulse of the flesh and who fight against their own desires, until they accomplish that which is sought.

Vers. 23. Of Diodorus. This is the work of a just Judge, to render lawlessness back to those who have given the cause for it. Now, you should interpret "lawlessness" as the punishment prepared for it. For this reason the 5th and 6th editions say "their pains." But how does He render to them? "The Lord our God will make them disappear."

PsAL. XCIV, vers. 3. Of Diodorus. What gods? Are they falsely named? He does not say this, but [refers to] those in heaven and on earth; that is, the rational and heavenly powers, and also the holy ones who are on earth, to whom the name of divinity has been given by Him who is beyond all for the sake of honor and glory. Thus the Psalmist also mentions them, saying: "God of gods, the Lord has spoken," and so on.

Vers. 8. Of Diodorus. The Apostle has taken "today" to apply to the entire time that extends throughout our life, according to "as long as it is called today" (Hebr. III, 13). The Word also exhorts us to begin from this point onwards the things commanded, and to pay heed to what has been said, that we may not emulate that people who, upon hearing the voice of God at the vision in the desert, hardened their heart at the time of temptation, when the limbs of all of them were struck down in the desert because of disobeying the voice of God. For since they were unwilling to enter the promised land, but spoke against God as He commanded, putting forward irrational fear and cowardice, and saying that they themselves would be killed and their children would become spoils of war, He then prepared them to spend forty years in the desert, until they themselves were consumed, but their children grew up.

PsAL. XCV, vers. 1. Of Diodorus. The Spirit exhorts the apostles to explain the new song—that is, the New Testament—to the nations across the whole world, as it contains tidings of new and fresh good things, and these were announced not only to the Jewish people, but to the whole earth.

Vers. 6. Of Diodorus. He who possesses the beauty and radiance of virtue, and the confession which is naturally in accordance with it, stands before God, according to the one saying: "The Lord of Hosts lives, in whose presence I stand." For everyone who sins avoids standing before God. For "the lawless shall not remain before your eyes."

ADDENDA TO APOLLINARIS' METAPHRASE ON THE PSALMS

An adulatory epistle is prefixed to the Metaphrase of Apollinaris in the codex, in which an anonymous author explains to Marcianus his intention and the diligence employed in translating the psalms. This occurs neither in the Parisian edition of Apollinaris of 1580, 8°, nor in the Appendix to the Bibliotheca Graeca Veterum Patrum in Paris, 1624, Vol. VIII, p. 165, which we have carefully consulted; wherefore we have deemed it necessary to transcribe the whole of it here. Therefore, with the title prefixed, *A Forethought to the Metaphrase of the Psalter*, follows:

I hope, having been crowned by immortal God, To wear favor instead of labors, and gain for work, And having become blind, to seem to bring another light, Marcianus of famous thought; for what else was fitting for you,

^A or to find what is worthy of you? For I have not forgotten your command, O father; but I wish to be kind to you as you hasten toward the good. And what is sweeter than to awaken a new, song-loving spirit to your immovable anxieties, and to remember the words you uttered, speaking such things? No one who is occupied with thoughtlessness ought to do anything else than to nourish the human soul with virtues. This is, indeed, the first task that God bestowed upon men, ^B upon those men who reflect on God, and upon the gifts of God; therefore, you yearn for my discourse on friends. You know that the disposition of David, the glorious one, was surpassed by Hebrew measures, and it was composed of melodies that were inspired; wherefore he sang with a shrill lyre, and with melodies. But afterwards, the Achaean voice, in turn, failed according to the grace of the meters, yet the myths remain thus, true; for Ptolemy did not desire song, but [the desire for] words; whence the Achaeans thought more highly of their own songs. Nor were they altogether amazed at ours, but since the work of Eudocia covered the whole earth, there is no hostility, nor is there strife among the peoples; and in bloodless sacrifices, the cities all together call upon Christ the King. Let those one or two perish; they still remain apart, serving a lovely piety. But we, as is fitting, just as those former men left [them behind], will insert [them] into the measures of the melodies; and we shall awaken again the honeyed song of King David out of tone-less words, so that others, too, may know that every tongue shall invoke King Christ. And the nations of the earth shall supplicate Him all together; not even the shoemaker—saying that Paul lied, not knowing how, as before, your blameless David, prophesying in the Spirit, spoke of the Egyptian people as the first to be a suppliant for righteousness, and said that the Ethiopians were the first to stretch forth hands to the King. Therefore, now I bid you, going very much as the first, to be persuaded by the exhortations of the noble Marcianus. For having first come to the land of Constantine to me, ^C you learned of the customs and the people, and you tasted of the grain. You spoke, but I heard of it in a polytechnic myth, as if I were thinking to fashion a glorious monument for you, instead of a good exhortation, I sing a famous praise. And hail greatly; may God give you the riches of your wisdom, and let this, O father, be a treasure, concerned with the prudent prayers of Marcianus, who, after virginity, embraced shrill music to always be a companion of a praiseworthy old age. For even beholding royal wonders in his heart, all things that are lawful, he was amazed beyond all others. The great might of the incorrupt Spirit, who was formerly equal to the Son and to the Begetter, and equal to the greater, all-powerful strength, and together surrounding the throne ^A and the honor in the triple sightings of one divinity; the Son of God leaped from heaven after the resurrection, so that he might destroy the foreign-tongued, alien voice, which before the transgression, the sins of mortals had confounded; into one honored [voice] again, after binding [it], he drove [them], [into the voice] of Eudocia; and the language again becomes that of the world. And suddenly, a fire-like image appeared upon the heads of the heaven-opposing lights. Teaching the servants of Christ, [author] of excellent labor, the dense sound of senseless tongues; whence they heard: Parthians, bronze-clad, along with the horse-taming Elamites, and the famous tribes of the Medes; and those who dwell around the Messatian river, and the Cappadocian soil, the Pontus, the Jews; and all the Asian land. ^B They who inhabited Phrygia, and they who subdued Pamphylia, and they who held grain-bearing Egypt; and they who [held] Cyrene, and they who inhabited lovely Libya, the shepherd-loving [land]; and they who were from the lineage of Ausonia, [now] residents at large, and the nations of the Hebrews, and as many as the people surrounded; and they who were allotted hundred-citied Crete, and they who were called of the Arab lineage, having become deep-tongued. They heard the inspired [words] from the tongues of the rowers, which foolish men shouted forth to them unintelligibly. For [the sound] of all the voices ran across the circuit of the earth, and heard of his myths along the ends of the field, even unto the boundary of the back-flowing ocean. Of the Virgin's child-bearing, unwedded, and of the self-begotten birth, without mortal wedlock, and the Word in the womb, the Son of God, and God having appeared in human form, ^C and as mortal, having the might of an immortal Begetter, and [as] a corpse among the dead, and not overcome by death, and not yielding to the spear, and not yielding to iron, having entered into the tombs, and having passed through the might of Hades of every kind, and having loosed the dead from the hated, ancient-born death, and [as] God among mortals, and in heaven near to the Begetter, having become man, and not ceasing to be God, but about to come with returning strength. As they saw him going above the holy cloud, before, [and] the Begetter from the earth, not absent from the parent, hearing all around of the grievous transgression. Of which the serpent, having deceived the mind of the weak mortals, taught them to forget the false gods, and the great calamity of Machlas (the tribe of mortals shrank from it most especially). ^D But they rejoiced in the faith of the one immortal God, the Son, and the great Begetter, and the shining Spirit, honoring [them] in one, with endless prayers. Therefore, indeed, even language has been found, for it was shaped out of ancient, God-built [grace]; and from one host, there arose every [sort of] mortal speech together, both tongue and song. Marcianus labored to hymn the immortal, much-besought King. But I fulfilled his plan for him, having obtained Christ, who always lives, as the helper of my song.

Epilogue.

^A In the Barocci manuscript XXV, which is nearly similar to our own, but *μειούρως* (deficient), for it ends at verse 12 of Psalm 145, this same preface is inscribed to a certain Marianus, to such an extent that the author of the catalog of that same library thought that Marianus himself was the orator, mention of whom occurs in Ammianus, book xxx; which is entirely false. That this letter is in no way to be adjudged to Apollinaris is elicited from the fact that it deals with a metrical version of the Psalms already vulgarized throughout the entire world and dedicated to Eudocia Augusta, who, as no one is unaware, lived many years after Apollinaris. Therefore, I would believe that the name of Marcianus, not Marianus, should be read there, to whom a certain Ammianus dedicated his Metaphrasis of the Psalms, worked out in imitation of Apollinaris, of which at present—the rest being lost—only the metrical version of the first psalm, as is elicited below from this same manuscript, remains. For the things that are narrated there do not seem to me to be suitable for Emperor Marcianus. He was born in Illyricum, in a humble place, from a soldier father; he was captured in a battle against Genserik, king of the Vandals in Africa, committed under the unfortunate auspices of the general Aspar; after the death of Theodosius the Younger, he was received by his sister Pulcheria into fellowship of the empire and bed, but under the condition that he not touch her, already grave in years, in the year of Christ 450, on the 29th of July, or according to the *Chronicon Alex.*, on the 26th of August: which the 50th line of the Prologue seems to hint at. Three days later, with an edict against heretics having been issued, he recalled the bishops who had been deposed by the pseudo-synod of Ephesus or cast into exile. He convened the fourth ecumenical council at Chalcedon, of six hundred and thirty prelates, and presided over it himself with Pulcheria Augusta. In it, the doctrine of the previous councils was confirmed, Eutychianism with its author—as also Dioscorus—was condemned, and it was decreed that Mary should be named not only Christ-bearer, but also God-bearer. He continued peace with the Persians and Vandals; he repressed the Nobadae and Blemmyes of Ethiopia who had overflowed through Florus, and sent auxiliaries to Valentinian, Emperor of the West, against Attila. At length, the most upright and excellent prince died, A.C. 457, on the 26th of January, in the 64th year of his age. See Marcellinus in the *Chronicon*; Evagrius, book xi; Nicephorus, book xiv; Jordanes, ch. 49; Zonaras, vol. II, § xxiv.

II. On page 4, a paraphrase of the first psalm occurs, as I think, by Apollinaris, for his name is written in the margin in red letters.

^B Blessed is he (1) who has not gone in the counsel of the ungodly, And has not placed his feet on the paths of sinners, Nor set his resting place upon the seat of those who perish, But always fixeth the will of God in his laws, And all his cares by day and night; And as a tree he is planted by the streams of water, Which blossoming, at the proper time will give its flower: Neither did its leaf ever flow away, but remained very lush. But he saved all things, whatever grow abundantly. The ungodly are not like these, not so; But as dust which a storm might dispel from the earth (3); Therefore the ungodly shall not rise up in judgment.

Then follows another paraphrase of the *same* psalm, with this title prefixed: *Αμμιανοῦ μετάφρασις κατὰ ζῆλον Ἀπολλιναρίου — Ammiani metaphrasis, vel imitationem Apollinarii.*

Blessed among men is he who knows not the counsel of sinners, Nor has he learned the difficult path of evil-doers, But, adorned by the justice of God, sings an immortal hymn Of the All-Begetter King with his mouth, For he is like a tree standing by the outflow of a river, And brings forth fruit according to the season of the hour; He has a leaf like those that always bloom with sweet things; He has obtained the favor of God-fearing days always. But the ungodly have not obtained these lineages. But when the force of the wind, coming upon them little by little, Has snatched and thrown them, the dust of the earth from afar. Like to this is the heavy-fated one, inhabiting joyless houses, And he has not looked with the eye of justice; for the All-Begetter Knows the path of the pious, but the path of the sinners from afar. Therefore the lineage of the wretched shall perish from the roots.

^C Nothing concerning this Ammianus, who, as it appears, rendered the psalms into Greek verses after the example of Apollinaris, has been handed down to memory by Cave, Ovelinus, and Fabricius.

III. Pages 5, 6. Again the first psalm, from Apollinaris indeed, but in a different version than all the other psalms.

Blessed is the man who does not go to the assembly of sinners, Nor has he fixed his step on the path of the ungodly (5) for long, Nor on the destructive seats, etc.

The rest of this psalm accords with the cited Parisian edition, except for the last verse which is entirely changed. For in the manuscript it is read thus: But the ruinous way of the sin-minded shall perish forever.

To this first psalm are added these words: *Ἐντεῦθεν ἄρχεται μετάφρασις Ἀπολλιναρίου, καὶ Ἰωάννου Γεωμέτρου· ἐν οἷς ἔγραψε καὶ Εὐδοκία Αὐγούστα, καὶ ἰάμβων Δωρόθεος Ἱεροσολυμίτης. — Hinc incipit Apollinarii et Joannis Geometræ Metaphrasis Psalmorum in quibus scripsit et Eudocia Augusta, et iambis Dorotheus Hierosolymitanus.* Here it must be observed that the paraphrase of Joannes Geometra in this volume is contained only on certain sacred odes, not on the Psalms. But the metrical versions of the Psalms by Eudocia and Dorotheus Hierosolymitanus, which perhaps are commemorated in this unique place, do not appear in this manuscript itself, nor do we believe they exist anywhere else at all. Moreover, the Greek context itself is attached to our Apollinaris on the opposite page in prose, which we cannot freely pronounce as to how far it differs from the published copies. Yet this version, without the author's name, both in Greek and Latin, is more often in...

in the Library of the Fathers has been reprinted. See Fabric., *Bibliotheca Graeca*, lib. v, c. 16, tom. VII, p. 652. But we have discovered that Apollinaris differs in many places from the published editions, and that he has often been corrected, and this not by another hand, but by that of the one who transcribed the whole codex; and we have found that not only were scribal errors amended, but even the author’s genuine words were altered here and there. Whether this variety in the context itself originated from the author himself and was taken from diverse exemplars, or whether it was introduced here by an unskilled hand, is not easily said. The final verse of the entire Apollinarian Paraphrase, which corresponds to the last verse of the Psalms, is that which follows on page 322. 6. ^A *Λωήν δ’ ἐσάωσα περίφρονος Ἰσραήλου*. To this, these four verses are immediately appended in red letters, and they are present in the aforementioned Parisian edition:

Aἶνον ἄγω σοι θεῖον, ὑπέρτατε ἐν βασιλεῦσιν, Oὔνεκεν ὀτραλέως περιηγέα βίβλον ἅπασαν Δαβίδου πινυτοῦ περικαλλέος ἐκτολυπεῦσαι Δῶκας ἐμὴν πανάποτμον, ἐν ἀνδράσιν ἔμπα, γενέθλην.

Laudem ago tibi divinam, supreme inter reges, Quoniam diligenter rotundum librum omnem Davidis prudentis formosi describere Dedisti meum infelix, inter viros tamen, genus.

On the front of this very page, the number of lines of Apollinaris is also inscribed in these words: *ὁμοῦ εἰσὶ στίχοι ἡρωϊκοὶ 5550*. In total there are 5550 heroic verses. However, whether this Metaphrase of the Psalms, which was also published in Greek and Latin at Heidelberg in the year 1596, is to be attributed to the elder Apollinaris, who flourished around the year of Christ 362, or rather to the younger, is not sufficiently clear. Gerardus Vossius more correctly ascribes it to the father in *De historicis Graecis*, lib. II, cap. 18, although elsewhere in *De poetis Graecis*, cap. 9, he seems to confuse the elder Apollinaris with the younger. Moreover, they are not distinguished by writers with enough accuracy, so that it is easy to err in these matters. It would be worth the effort to compare the first edition of this Metaphrase, which Adrianus Turnebus published very neatly in Greek from two codices of the most Christian king’s library, with various readings subjoined at the end, in the year 1552, 8vo, with our codex.

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

Aaron, when he had sinned, on the entreaty of Moses, obtained pardon and was not prohibited from the priesthood, 26. Concerning this sin of Aaron, the opinion of Cyril and Bacchiarius, 26. Aaron was high priest before he was washed, 42. By the ablution and unction of water, he was constituted priest and called Christ, 317. He was a figure of Christ, 142, 178. God gave Aaron the miracle of the branch so that the high priesthood might be preserved to him, 290. Aaron’s rod is an argument for the birth from the Virgin, 178. His resurrection is deduced from the resurrection of his branch, which was cut off and dead, 290. The price of an abominable crime is abominable, 189. Abomination of desolation, what it is, 227. A sign of the second coming of the Lord, 227. Double in Cyril, lxv. See Antichrist. Abraham was not justified by works alone, but also by faith, 74, 75. He was justified before he sacrificed his son, 74. Abraham’s justification is an example of our own, 74. All of Abraham’s good works were accepted through the faith with which he believed, 74. We have been made sons of Abraham through faith; he was sealed into righteousness, 74. Father of many nations, not through succession of the flesh, but through the example of his faith; he believed, attending not to the infirmity of his body, but to the power of the One promising, 74. He sacrificed his son with prompt will, and as much as was in his power, not doubting God, 74. Abraham’s humble confession of himself when speaking to God, 88. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still live and subsist, 290. Abraham prophesied concerning the future judgment, 290, 291. Renounce. What is signified by these words, I renounce thee, Satan, 307. Whoever admits anything contrary to the words of renunciation will be judged a covenant-breaker, 308. The renunciation of Satan dissolves the old pacts with hell, 309. It opens Paradise, 309. See Paradise. The time when the mode of renunciation was delivered to those being baptized, 301. What the various formulas of renunciation teach, 307, 308. The form of the renunciations, 304, vii, and 305, vi and vii. The rite of renunciations prefigured in ancient history, 306, 307. The renunciations and the shorter confession of faith were performed in the outer hall or vestibule of the baptistery, 310, 304, vii, 306. The renunciation of Satan extended as if toward one present in the flesh, 307. Why standing toward the west, 307, both in Greek and Latin Churches, 303, vi. Absalom’s rebellion, 28. The absent are to be awaited and sought, 9. Abstainers, a shoot of the Gnostics, mentioned by Philastrius, 65, 1. Abstinence. With what spirit one must abstain from certain foods, 65. Acacius, Bishop of Caesarea, excommunicated and deposed by the Council of Sardica, xix; he retains his bishopric and ecclesiastical communion, and why, xxiv, xxv. He and Patrophilus were falsely thought to have deposed St. Maximus, xix. Acacius acted as administrator of Cyril’s ordination by metropolitan right, xxiv. He cites him to court and deposes him, xxvi, xxvii et seq., by which right he protected the metropolitan rights of his Church over Jerusalem, xxvi, xxvii. Mutual accusations of Acacius and Cyril concerning the faith, xxx, xxxii. Acacius objected nothing to Cyril except the Nicene faith, xxxi, xxxii. He preached the Son as similar to the Father in substance, in words and in writing, xxxi. When he ceased to preach it, xxxi. He transfers himself from the Semiarians to the Arians, xxxi. He professes the Son as only similar in will, xxxi. Having become the prince of the Arian faction, he deposes Semiarian bishops for various reasons, xxxi. He rages fiercely against the Catholics, xxv. It is not credible that Aca-