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and they killed some for impiety and the greatest crimes. With these things rightly confessed, the one who becomes the cause of a man's murder by transgression of the law must be called a man of murders and bloodshed. and the deceitful is reasonably yoked with this; for how is he who murderously sheds the blood of men with deceit not an abomination to the Lord? 27Ps 5,9a How one is guided by the righteousness of God must be examined. Perhaps then the one who progresses according to the righteousness of God (and this is genuine virtue), following God according to "You shall walk after the Lord your God," is guided by the one who supplies virtue, namely God himself. 28Ps 5,11 And since "They provoked" is human, it must be considered how one should take it when said of God. God, being unchangeable and immutable, is impassible, seeming to be clothed with passions whenever we have passions; for our things are considered as approaching him, for instance the forgetfulness that we have concerning him is supposed to be his. At any rate, he said concerning us, "You have forgotten the law of your God, and I will forget your children." Similar to this saying is what is written by Paul: "If anyone does not know, he is not known;" clearly by the one who said to the wicked, "Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness, I never knew you." As therefore these things, the one who provokes his own character through the bitterest wickedness, suffering things worthy of what he has done, supposes that God is embittered against him. For a soul that has fallen under judgment by the decree of God on account of sins said this very thing: "I, provoking, was provoked;" whence also, seeing the consequence of the judgment, it said, "The Lord is righteous, because I have provoked his mouth." 29 Ps 5,12ab All who hope in you will be glad, when those who plot against them have been destroyed. And the gladness of those who hope in you is not short-lived nor temporary; whence, "They shall exult forever," as you tabernacle in them. For how will one in whom God is present, tabernacling as in his own temple, not have exultation forever? For as being far from God, while sin takes one captive, is worthy of lamentations and wailings, so it is proper to exult for those who have God dwelling and walking about in them. 30 Ps 5,12ab 30 The preceding things might also be said concerning the advent of the Savior, when all those who were eagerly awaiting his incarnation were gladdened; for it was hoped for by the prophets and by those who understood the prophecies. For God the Word, having become flesh by the assumption of flesh, came so that he might tabernacle in those who believe in him; for it says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." When he has thus tabernacled, "They shall exult forever," those who have received him in themselves; for they will see the glory of the Word who tabernacled in them through the flesh, "as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth," those who exult from this time forever, having seen in deed the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, who say: "Even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him no longer," having a vision of his glory in which he is the only-begotten from the Father. Ps 5,13b The cross is a weapon and a crown; a weapon for those who fight, a crown for those who conquer. And again: a weapon for soldiers, a crown for kings.

31Ps 6,1 But having a more divine meaning, it is itself also contained in hymns

of such a kind; and this is also sung "For the end," because the doctrines concerning the eighth are most perfect. And it must be considered what is the spiritual circumcision which he who has it is circumcised to God, since he who is circumcised according to the flesh does not in every case have this. For the prophet says to those who are zealous only for circumcision according to the flesh, "Be circumcised to your God and do not be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin;" and again the same prophet: "All the nations are uncircumcised in the flesh, but the house of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts.

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καὶ εκτεινάν τινας ἐπὶ ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ ἐγκλήμασιν μεγίστοις. Τούτων ὀρθῶς ὁμολογουμένων, τὸν κατὰ παράβασιν νόμου αιτιον ἀναιρέσεως ἀνθρώπου γενόμενον φόνων καὶ αἱμάτων ανδρα λεκτέον. καὶ τὸ δόλιον δὲ εὐλόγως συνέζευκται τούτῳ· πῶς γὰρ ὁ σὺν δόλῳ φονικῶς αιματα ἀνθρώπων ἐκχέων οὐ βδελυκτὸς κυρίῳ; 27Ps 5,9a Πῶς δὲ ὁδηγεῖταί τις τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ, ἐξεταστέον. μήπωτ' ουν ὁ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην (αυτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ γνησία ἀρετή) προκόπτων ἑπόμενος θεῷ κατὰ τὸ ̓Οπίσω κυρίου, τοῦ θεοῦ σου, πορεύσῃ, ὁδηγεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ χορηγοῦντος τὴν ἀρετήν, αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ δηλονότι. 28Ps 5,11 Καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀνθρώπινον τὸ Παρεπίκραναν, σκοπητέον πῶς ἐκλαβεῖν αὐτὸ δεῖ περὶ θεοῦ εἰρημένον. ὁ θεὸς ἀναλλοίωτος καὶ ατρεπτος ὑπάρχων ἀπαθής ἐστιν, πάθεσιν δοκῶν περιβάλλεσθαι οτ' αν ἡμεῖς πάθη εχωμεν· τὰ γὰρ ἡμέτερα ὡς ἐκείνῳ ἐγγιζόμενα νομίζεται, οιον ἡ λήθη, ην εχομεν περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὑπολαμβάνεται αὐτοῦ ειναι. περὶ ἡμῶν γοῦν ειπεν ̓Επελάθου νόμου θεοῦ σου, κἀγὼ ἐπιλήσομαι τέκνων σου. ομοιον τῷ ῥητῷ τούτῳ τὸ γραφόμενον ὑπὸ Παύλου Ει τις ἀγνοεῖ, ἀγνοεῖται· δῆλον οτι ὑπὸ τοῦ εἰπόντος πρὸς τοὺς φαύλους ̓Αποχωρεῖτε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ἐργάται ἀνομίας, οὐδέποτε ὑμᾶς εγνων. ὡς ουν ταῦτα ὁ παραπικραίνων ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ηθος διὰ τῆς πικροτάτης κακίας ἀντάξια πάσχων, ων εδρασεν, οιεται τὸν θεὸν κατ' αὐτοῦ πικράζεσθαι. ειπεν γοῦν τοῦτ' αὐτὸ ψυχὴ δίκῃ ὑποπεσοῦσα ψήφῳ θεοῦ δι' ἁμαρτήματα ̓Εγὼ παραπικραίνουσα παρεπικράνθην· οθεν καὶ συνορῶσα τὴν τοῦ κρίματος ἀκολουθίαν ειπεν ∆ίκαιός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος, οτι τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ παρεπίκρανα. 29 Ps 5,12ab Οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπὶ σὲ πάντες εὐφρανθήσονται, τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων αὐτοῖς καταλυθέντων. εστιν δὲ τῶν ἐλπιζόντων ἐπὶ σὲ εὐφροσύνη οὐκ ὀλιγοχρόνιος οὐδὲ πρόσκαιρος· οθεν Εἰς αἰῶνα ἀγαλλιάσονται, σοῦ κατασκηνοῦντος ἐν αὐτοῖς. πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀεὶ ἀγαλλίασιν εξει ῳ θεὸς πάρεστιν κατασκηνῶν ὡς ἐν ἰδίῳ ναῷ; ὡς γὰρ τὸ μακρύνεσθαι θεοῦ, αἰχμαλωτιζούσης τῆς ἁμαρτίας, θρήνων καὶ ὀλοφυρμῶν ἐπάξιον, ουτως οἰκεῖον ἀγαλλιᾶν τοῖς θεὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς εχουσιν ἐνοικοῦντα καὶ ἐμπεριπατοῦντα. 30 Ps 5,12ab 30 ̔Ρηθείη τὰ προκείμενα καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίας, εὐφρανθέντων πάντων τῶν καραδοκούντων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν· ἠλπίζετο γὰρ αυτη τοῖς προφήταις καὶ τοῖς νοοῦσι τὰς προφητείας. ἐπεδήμησεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς λόγος σὰρξ γεγονὼς προσλήψει σαρκός, ινα σκηνώσῃ ἐν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν αὐτῷ· ̔Ο λόγος γάρ φησιν σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. ουτω σκηνώσαντος αὐτοῦ Εἰς αἰῶνα ἀγαλλιάσονται οἱ ὑποδεξάμενοι αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· οψονται γὰρ τοῦ σκηνώσαντος ἐν αὐτοῖς διὰ σαρκὸς λόγου τὴν ∆όξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας, οἱ τοῦ χρόνου τούτου εἰς αἰῶνα ἀγαλλιώμενοι εργῳ θεασάμενοι τὴν ὡς μονογενοῦς πατρὸς δόξαν, οι φασιν· Εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν, εχοντες θεωρίαν τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ καθ' ην μονογενὴς παρὰ πατρός ἐστιν. Ps 5,13b Οπλον καὶ στέφανος ὁ σταυρός· οπλον διὰ τοὺς πολεμοῦντας, στέφανος διὰ τοὺς νικῶντας. καὶ πάλιν· οπλον διὰ τοὺς στρατιῶτας, στέφανος διὰ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας.

31Ps 6,1 Θειοτέραν δὲ νόησιν εχων ἐν υμνοις ἐμπεριέχεται καὶ αὐτὸς

τοιοῦτος· ᾳδεται δὲ καὶ ουτος Εἰς τὸ τέλος τῷ τελεώτατα ειναι τὰ περὶ τῆς ὀγδοῆς θεωρήματα. θεωρητέον δὲ τίς ἡ πνευματικὴ περιτομὴ ην ὁ εχων θεῷ περιτέμνεται, τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα περιτεμνομένου οὐ πάντως τοῦτο εχοντος. φησὶ γοῦν ὁ προφήτης πρὸς τοὺς σπουδάζοντας περὶ τὴν κατὰ σάρκα μόνον Περιτμήθητε τῷ θεῷ ὑμῶν καὶ μὴ περιτέμνεσθε τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας ὑμῶν· καὶ ετι ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης· Πάντα τὰ εθνη ἀπερίτμητα σαρκί, ὁ δὲ οικος ̓Ισραὴλ ἀπερίτμητοι καρδίας αὐτῶν.