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Seize instruction quickly while you are still in this life, lest, while you are being idle, the Lord become angry and you perish from the righteous way.

11 Ps 3,4 Since it was said that the psalm is recited as from the person of the Lord,

it must be said that his head is also lifted up, which is God, whenever his divinity becomes manifest to the faithful through proof. In these things, the name of the head signifies a ruler; therefore Christ, the ruler of men who are saints, is rightly their king, and in this way he is called their head.

12Ps 3,5 His transcendent knowledge can be the holy mountain of God, from which God hears those who pray, his only-begotten Son, about whom it is said, "The mountain of the Lord will be manifest in the last days," with this word indicating his manifestation that happened during his advent at the consummation of the ages.

13Ps 3,6 To fall asleep signifies the reclining, after which sleep immediately comes. Since, therefore, Jesus willingly laid down his soul, in this way having fallen asleep, he slept; for he would not have died, unless he had given himself over to this, but having been raised from the dead, with God helping him, he became the firstborn from the dead.

14Ps 3,8b He who provides no pretext for hatred and enmity has enemies in vain; and such are all those who are persecuted for living piously in Christ Jesus, to whom it is said by the Savior, "Blessed are you when they reproach you and say all evil things falsely for my sake," and what follows. Being of this disposition, David also had many enemies in vain, such as Saul and Absalom and those with them; for though the holy man often showed great meekness and goodness toward them, they were enemies in vain.

15Ps 3,8c.9 Concerning such teeth he often said to God, "They gnashed their teeth against me," and giving thanks for not being harmed by them, he says, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth." And it is clear that he says these things about intelligible matters. Using the so-called teeth badly, the Galatians badly bit and devoured one another, using vainly and sinfully the powers of the soul which are allegorically called teeth. For when the request has been confirmed, instead of enemies they will become friends, and instead of sinners, they will become zealous. Salvation is of the Lord; therefore let us seek it from nowhere else but from him. And upon your people is your good pleasure; and what is the good pleasure that comes upon the people but the will of the Father concerning the advent? For having shown the incarnate Savior, he said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." To this you will take, "And in your good pleasure our horn will be exalted."

16 Ps 4,1 An ode is a song of victory or thanksgiving uttered by voice alone, while a psalm is a hymn played on the instrument called the psaltery or also the kithara. But for anagogical interpretation, an ode might be the contemplation of the truth, composed by the mind alone, while a psalm is actions accomplished according to the right reason, so that one who has the practical life psalms, while the contemplative one odes. Since, therefore, David contemplates God and his truth with a pure heart, he brings forth an ode, which he says is among psalms because many practical things have been accomplished by him. This ode "To the end" is that which they are accustomed to call the final object of desire, for the sake of which all other things are chosen and desired, but it itself is not for the sake of another; which is the consummation of all things, about which Paul also says, "Then the end," at which time someone who has become like God will see him. But why does it wish the ode to be inscribed "To David" and not "Of David"? Some say, therefore, that the psalm or the ode is "Of David" whenever he himself, being divinely inspired, has brought it forth, but the ode or the psalm is "To David" whenever the things said have reference to him. But it often happens that what is recited is both "of him" and "to him," whenever

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∆ράξασθε παιδείας ἐν τάχει καὶ ετι ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ τυγχάνοντες, μήποτε, ῥαθυμούντων ὑμῶν, ὀργισθῇ κύριος καὶ ἀπολεῖσθε ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαίας.

11 Ps 3,4 ̓Επειδὴ δ' ἐλέχθη ὡς ἐκ προσώπου κυρίου ὁ ψαλμὸς ἀπαγγέλλεται,

ῥητέον ὡς καὶ αὐτοῦ ὑψοῦται ἡ κεφαλή, ὁ θεὸς ουσα, οτ' αν ἡ θεότης αὐτοῦ φανερὰ δι' ἀποδείξεως τοῖς πιστοῖς γίνεται. σημαίνει τὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς ονομα ἐν τούτοις αρχοντα· διὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν αρχων ὁ Χριστὸς ἁγίων οντων βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν εἰκότως ἐστίν, καὶ ταύτῃ κεφαλὴ αὐτῶν χρηματίζει. 12Ps 3,5 ̔Η ὑπερφυὴς γνῶσις αὐτοῦ δύναται ορος αγιον ειναι θεοῦ, ἐξ ου εἰσακούει τῶν εὐχομένων θεός, ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, περὶ ου ειρηται Εσται ἐμφανὲς τὸ ορος κυρίου ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν, δηλούσης τῆς λέξεως ταύτης τὴν γενομένην αὐτοῦ φανέρωσιν κατὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων. 13Ps 3,6 Τὸ κοιμηθῆναι σημαίνει τὴν ἀνάκλισιν, μεθ' ην εὐθέως ὁ υπνος ἐπιγίνεται. ἐπεὶ ουν ἑκουσίως ̓Ιησοῦς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ εθηκεν, κατὰ τοῦτο κοιμηθεὶς υπνωσεν· οὐ γὰρ αν ἐτεθνήκει, εἰ μὴ αὑτὸν εἰς τοῦτο ἐδεδώκει, ἐξεγερθεὶς δὲ ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀντιλαβομένου θεοῦ, πρωτότοκος ἐκ νεκρῶν γεγένηται. 14Ps 3,8b Ματαίως ἐχθροὺς εχει ὁ μὴ παρέχων μίσους καὶ εχθρας πρόφασιν· τοιοῦτοι δέ εἰσιν Πάντες οἱ διωκόμενοι διὰ τὸ ζῆν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ ̓Ιησοῦ, πρὸς ους λέγεται ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος Μακάριοί ἐστε οτ' αν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ειπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν ψευδόμενοι ενεκεν ἐμοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ταύτης τῆς προθέσεως ων καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ πολλοὺς ειχεν ματαίως ἐχθροὺς ὡς τὸν Σαοὺλ καὶ τὸν ̓Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς· τοῦ γὰρ ἁγίου πολλὴν πραότητα καὶ ἀγαθότητα εἰς αὐτοὺς πολλάκις ἐνδειξαμένου, μάτην ησαν ἐχθροί. 15Ps 3,8c.9 Περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὀδόντων πολλάκις ειπεν τῷ θεῷ Εβρυξαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτῶν, καὶ εὐχαριστῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὑπ' αὐτῶν μὴ βλαβῆναί φησιν Εὐλογητὸς κύριος, ος οὐκ εδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν. δῆλον δὲ οτι περὶ νοητῶν ταῦτά φησιν. τοῖς ουτω λεγομένοις ὀδοῦσιν κακῶς χρώμενοι Γαλάται κακῶς εδακνον ἀλλήλους καὶ κατήσθιον, ματαίως καὶ ἁμαρτητικῶς χρώμενοι ταῖς δυνάμεσι τῆς ψυχῆς αι ὀδόντες ἀλληγορικῶς καλοῦνται. βεβαιωθείσης γὰρ τῆς αἰτήσεως ἀντ' ἐχθρῶν φίλοι καὶ ἀντὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν σπουδαῖοι γενήσονται. Τοῦ κυρίου ἡ σωτηρία· μὴ αλλοθεν τοίνυν η παρ' αὐτοῦ ταύτην ζητῶμεν. Καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου ἡ εὐδοκία σου· τίς δὲ ἡ εὐδοκία ἡ ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν ἐρχομένη η ἡ βούλησις τοῦ πατρὸς ἡ περὶ τῆς ἐπιδημίας; δείξας γοῦν τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα σωτῆρα Ουτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, εφη, ἐν ῳ ηὐδόκησα. εἰς τοῦτο λήψῃ τὸ Καὶ ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ σου ὑψωθήσεται τὸ κέρας ἡμῶν. 16 Ps 4,1 ̓Ωιδή ἐστιν ἐπινίκιος η χαριστήριος αινος μόνῃ φωνῇ προφερόμενος, ψαλμὸς δὲ υμνος ὀργάνῳ τῷ καλουμένῳ ψαλτηρίῳ η καὶ κιθάρᾳ κρουόμενος. ειη δὲ πρὸς ἀναγωγὴν ᾠδὴ ἡ θεωρία τῆς ἀληθείας μόνῃ νοήσει μεμουσωμένη γενομένη, ψαλμὸς δὲ πράξεις κατὰ λόγον τὸν ὀρθὸν ἐπιτελούμεναι, ὡς ψάλλειν μὲν τὸν πρακτικὸν βίον εχοντα, ᾳδειν δὲ τὸν θεωρητικόν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ὁ ∆αυὶδ θεωρεῖ καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὴν ἀληθείαν αὐτοῦ, ᾠδὴν προφέρει, ην ειναι ἐν ψαλμοῖς λέγει διὰ τὸ πολλὰ πρακτικῶς αὐτῷ κατωρθῶσθαι. Αυτη ἡ ᾠδὴ Εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνο, ο καλεῖν εἰώθασιν εσχατον ὀρεκτὸν τῷ αὐτοῦ ενεκα τὰ αλλα πάντα ειναι αἱρετὰ καὶ ὀρεκτά, αὐτὸ δὲ οὐκ αλλου χάριν· οπερ ἐστὶν ἡ πάντων τελείωσις, περὶ ου καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν Ειτα τὸ τέλος, καθ' ην ομοιός τις τῷ θεῷ γεγενημένος οψεται αὐτόν. Κατὰ τί δὲ βούλεται καὶ τὸ Τῷ ∆αυὶδ τὴν ᾠδὴν ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ ἀναγεγράφθαι; φασὶν τοίνυν τινὲς τοῦ ∆αυὶδ ειναι τὸν ψαλμὸν η τὴν ᾠδήν, οτ' αν αὐτὸς ῃ προενεγκὼν θεοπνευσθείς, τῷ ∆αυὶδ δὲ ειναι τὴν ᾠδὴν η τὸν ψαλμόν, οτ' αν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ λεγόμενα ἀναφορὰν εχῃ. συνπίπτει δὲ πολλάκις καὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτῷ ειναι τὸ ἀπαγγελλόμενον, οτ' αν