was formerly fear. 17.109 But there in the future generation it will be established, concerning which it is fixed. PSALM 15. Verse 1. An inscription on a pillar for David. The others inscribed it "Of David"; but they likewise published it as an inscription, because it contains a prophecy worthy of eternal memory. For just as the greatest athletes who contend in the stadiums are deemed worthy of a pillar, and trophies are set up for those who have succeeded in wars for their future memory; so the great trophy of the Savior, which he raised up when he cast down the one who has the power of death, was inscribed from above in the prophetic Scriptures. Therefore Peter also, having mentioned the things in it, added: "6Men, brothers, it is permitted to speak with boldness to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him, that from the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne; he, foreseeing, spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, of whom we all are witnesses."6 PSALM 10. Verse 4. Because of the words of your lips, I have kept hard ways. And through these things the Savior gives us an example, not to be proud of ourselves who are in need of help from God. And the paths of the Lord are the observances of the commandments; or rather, the activities according to virtue, shown to be smooth and level from being continually trodden by those who hasten to reach their end, which is blessedness, and the rendering of the promises. Let us run, therefore, according to them, our steps not stumbling, if the Lord should establish them in His paths. The one who obtains this request says: Without iniquity I ran and directed my course; and, I have run the way of your commandments, when you enlarged my heart. PSALM 17. Verse 6. The pains of Hades surrounded me; the snares of death have overtaken me. And these things will also fit the Savior, having much affinity with, "Now is my soul troubled;" and, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death." Verse 8. And the earth was shaken and became trembling. And the foundations of the mountains were troubled, and were shaken, because God was angry with them. It clearly shows the descent of God because of the aforementioned things, both death and the pains of Hades. From whose descent, according to Aquila, the earth was moved and shaken. For every Greek and barbarian ear was filled with the report about him. For by 'earth' he meant those on earth. And by 'mountains', the opposing powers; which, by the deceit of idols, fed upon 17.112 men, mocking the knowledge of God. The foundations, and the deep reasonings, perceiving the power of the Lord, were troubled and grieved. At which God being angered, smoke went up as from a firebrand; they being extinguished and the fire ceasing, with which they were burning men. But this fire he extinguished with his own fire. Inasmuch as God is called a consuming fire by Moses. And in the Psalms: A fire will go before him, and will burn up his enemies round about. And again: God will come manifestly, our God, and will not keep silence. A fire will be kindled before him, and round about him a mighty tempest. Therefore the Savior also said: I have come to cast fire on the earth. And what do I will, if it is already kindled? These things he did, bowing and descending not one heaven only, but all, as many as there are; the bowing signifying the humiliation of his height, and the emptying of his divinity. And the hidden and secret part of his economy, he signifies by the darkness and the mist. Then he was taken up upon the cherubim, although he did not descend with it. Whom, ascending with a body, the divine powers beholding, being around him, escorted his ascent as bodyguards, saying: Lift up your gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Which indeed happened, when, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, while they were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud

ἦν πρότερον φόβος. 17.109 Ἐκεῖ δὲ ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ συστήσεται γενεᾷ, περὶ ἧς πάγει. ΨΑΛ. ΙΕʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Στηλογραφία τῷ ∆αβίδ. Τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἐπέγραψαν οἱ λοιποί· στηλογραφίαν δὲ ὁμοίως ἐξέδωκαν, τῷ περιέχειν προφητείαν αἰωνίου μνήμης ἀξίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ μέγιστοι τῶν ἀγωνι ζομένων ἐν σταδίοις ἀθληταὶ στήλης ἀξιοῦνται, καὶ τῶν ἐν πολέμοις κατωρθωμένων εἰς τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα μνήμην ἵσταται τρόπαια· οὕτω τὸ μέγα τρόπαιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὅπερ ἤγειρε καθελὼν τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, Γραφαῖς ἄνωθεν ἐστηλιτεύθη προφη τικαῖς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Πέτρος, τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μνημονεύσας, ἐπήγαγεν· "6Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ἐξὸν εἰπεῖν μετὰ παῤ ῥησίας πρὸς ὑμᾶς περὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου ∆αβὶδ, ὅτι καὶ ἐτελεύτησε καὶ ἐτάφη, καὶ τὸ μνῆμα αὐτοῦ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. Προφήτης οὖν ὑπάρχων, καὶ εἰδὼς, ὅτι ὅρκῳ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἀναστή σειν τὸν Χριστὸν καθίσαι ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ· προϊδὼν δὲ ἐλάλησε περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χρι στοῦ, ὅτι οὔτε ἐγκατελείφθη εἰς ᾅδην, οὔτε ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ εἶδε διαφθοράν. Τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀνέστησεν ὁ Θεὸς, οὗ πάντες ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν μάρτυρες."6 ΨΑΛ. Ιʹ. Στίχ. δʹ. ∆ιὰ τοὺς λόγους τῶν χειλέων σου, ἐγὼ ἐφύλαξα ὁδοὺς σκληράς. Ὑπογραμμὸν ἡμῖν καὶ διὰ τούτων δίδωσιν ὁ Σω τὴρ, μὴ φρονεῖν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς δεομένοις τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ βοηθείας. Τρίβοι δὲ Κυρίου τῶν ἐντολῶν αἱ τηρήσεις· μᾶλλον δὲ αἱ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐνέργειαι, ὁμαλαὶ καὶ λεῖαι δειχθεῖσαι ἐκ τοῦ συνεχῶς πατεῖσθαι πρὸς τῶν φθά σαι σπευδόντων ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος αὐτῶν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ μακαριότης, καὶ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ἡ ἀπόδοσις. ∆ρά μωμεν τοίνυν κατ' αὐτοὺς, οὐ σφαλλομένων τῶν δια βημάτων ἡμῶν, εἰ Κύριος αὐτὰ καταρτίσειεν ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις αὐτοῦ. Ταύτης τῆς αἰτήσεως ὁ τυχών φησιν· Ἄνευ ἀνομίας ἔδραμον καὶ κατηύθυνα· καὶ τὸ, Ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου ἔδραμον, ὅτε ἂν ἐπλάτυνας τὴν καρδίαν μου. ΨΑΛ. ΙΖʹ. Στίχ. ʹ. Ὠδῖνες ᾅδου περιεκύκλωσάν με· προ έφθασάν με παγίδες θανάτου. Ἁρμόσει δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τῷ Σωτῆρι, ἔχοντα πολλὴν οἰκειότητα πρὸς τὸ, Νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται· καὶ, Περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου. Στίχ. ηʹ. Καὶ ἐσαλεύθη, καὶ ἔντρομος ἐγενήθη ἡ γῆ. Καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῶν ὀρέων ἐταράχθησαν, καὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, ὅτι ὠργίσθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεός. Προδήλως δείκνυσι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν κατάβασιν διὰ τὰ προειρημένα, τόν τε θάνατον καὶ τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ ᾅδου. Ἐξ οὗ δὲ καταβάντος, κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, ἐκινήθη καὶ ἐσείσθη ἡ γῆ. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἀκοὴ Ἑλληνικὴ καὶ βάρβαρος ἐπληροῦτο τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ φήμης. Γῆν γὰρ ἔφη τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς. Ὀρέων δὲ, τῶν ἀντικει μένων δυνάμεων· αἳ τῇ πλάνῃ τῶν εἰδώλων τοὺς ἀν 17.112 θρώπους ἐνέμοντο, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κατεπαιρόμεναι γνώ σεως. Τὰ θεμέλια, καὶ οἱ βαθεῖς διαλογισμοὶ, αἰσθα νόμενα τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου δυνάμεως, ἐταράχθησαν ἀχθόμενα. Αἷς ὀργισθέντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνέβη καπνὸς καθάπερ ἐπὶ δαλοῦ· σβεννυμένων καὶ τοῦ πυρὸς παυσαμένων, ᾧ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους κατέφλεγον. Τὸ πῦρ δὲ τοῦτο κατέσβεσε τῷ ἰδίῳ πυρί. Καθὸ πῦρ καταναλίσκον εἴρηται Θεὸς παρὰ τῷ Μωϋσῇ. Καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· Πῦρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ προπορεύ σεται, καὶ φλογιεῖ κύκλῳ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἥξει, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐ παρασιωπήσεται. Πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καυ θήσεται, καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφοδρά. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Καὶ τί θέλω, εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη; Ταῦτα ἐποίησε κλίνας καὶ καταβὰς οὐχ ἕνα μόνον οὐρανὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντας, ὅσοι ποτέ εἰσιν· τοῦ κλῖναι δηλοῦντος τὴν ταπείνωσιν τοῦ ὕψους αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν κένωσιν τῆς θεότητος. Τῆς δὲ οἰκονομίας αὐτοῦ τὸ λεληθὸς καὶ ἀπόκρυφον, τῷ γνόφῳ καὶ τῇ ὀμίχλῃ δηλοῖ. Εἶτα ἐπὶ τοῦ χερουβὶμ ἀνελήφθη, καίτοι μὴ σὺν αὐτῷ κατα βάς. Ὃν μετὰ σώματος ἀναβαίνοντα αἱ θεῖαι θεω ροῦσαι δυνάμεις, γεγονυῖαι περὶ αὐτὸν, ἐδορυφόρουν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄνοδον, ἐπιλέγουσαι· Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Ἃ δὴ γέγονεν, ἡνίκα, ὡς ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι κεῖται τῶν ἀποστόλων, βλεπόντων αὐτῶν ἐπήρθη, καὶ νεφέλη