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Satan, having practiced murdering the vital parts of the virtues, which are the marrow, he has subjected to wrath. "They will be slain." If, he says, you show to have been destroyed those who are able to propitiate for you and to teach. the nurslings of the Church will be slain, but that which is in the sanctuary of the Lord, Because the ways of holiness seem to stand, but the power has been denied. But these things you will contemplate after the story. "They slept unto." According to the literal sense, those who ought to rest, put themselves to sleep unto the earth. But according to the spiritual sense, both the inexperienced and the knowledgeable rested in the places of apostasy; for to depart is to turn away. So that he might say, having gone out from the boundaries of piety, having set their minds on earthly things. "My virgins." And those living in incorruptibility and courage, he says, were dragged away by sin. "By the sword." In the supervision of the enemy. "And in famine." In the absence of the word. "You have called." According to the literal sense, thus he says; Those of all the surrounding region fled to me, Jerusalem, as to a strong city, just as when they used to run together in a festival. But according to the spiritual sense, the soul says; Because you turned your face from me, you caused my enemies to celebrate. For he calls the enemies who dwell near us sojourners. "And they did not become." For unless one should fall into a complete sin, he is not delivered over to swift wrath. "As I have prevailed." According to the literal sense, Having grown strong, he says, in sin, I caused you to bring a multitude of enemies 93.744 upon me. But according to the spiritual sense; I was filled with pride, and I multiplied the hostile ways. 1 "I am the man who." From the person of the Lord, on account of the measures of his emptying. But from the prophet, he reasonably confesses the poor and mutable aspect of nature; for evil is not by nature, but by turning. "By the rod of wrath." From the person of the Lord according to what was said; Your wrath has been established upon me. But from the person of the prophet; The enemy, he says, the devil, used the rod of his wrath against me, by the turning toward sin; whence also taking me, he led me away into darkness, and not light. And he brings these things forth from humanity in common. "But against me." Not only, he says, was the enemy content to lead me away into darkness, but he also punished me. And the phrase, "all the day," is instead of, "all the time," that one has been under him. "He has made my flesh old." From the person of the Lord, falsehood, he says, was built up against me, for they lied about many things concerning him. But from the person of human nature, Not only, he says, was the enemy content to punish me, but he also built up around me in such a way, that I was not able to escape. "In dark places." David earlier proclaimed this about the Lord on account of the tomb. But if from the soul in common, it is said, that he filled it with darkness, depriving it of intelligible light. "He has built against." In the case of the Lord, that those who cast him into the tomb thought he would no longer rise again. But in the case of the soul, on account of the guard placed against it. "He has made my bronze heavy." In the case of the Lord, on account of the seals that were placed on his tomb; but in the case of the soul, on account of the chains of sin, which the enemy placed around it. "And even when I will cry out." Having multiplied, he says, the practices of sins, he blocked prayer to God. And the soul says these things, because it also worshipped idols. "He has built against." From the Church, the people of the Jews, he says, have become of all sorts to hinder the teaching of the proclamation; and he compares this one to a lion and a bear on account of its irascible nature; and as for itself, he says, it made me desolate. But from the person of the soul, The enemy, he says, has enclosed my paths. "A bear has disturbed." The bear is sin. And lying in wait, attacking in various ways and like a wild beast. "He is to me as a lion." The bear is less frightening than the lion. Therefore first disturbing the soul 93.745 through sin, the devil, he himself then with terribleness attempts to oppress it. And in secret places, instead of "craftily," first disturbing through sin. "He pursued." Instead of, he laid low. "He bent the bow." The

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φονεύειν μελετήσας Σατανᾶς τὰ καίρια τῶν ἀρετῶν, αἵ εἰσιν μυελοὶ, τῇ ὀργῇ ὑπέστρωσεν. "Φονευθήσονται." Ἐὰν, φησὶν, ἀποδείξῃς ἀνῃρημένους τοὺς ἐξιλεοῦσθαί σε καὶ διδάσκειν δυναμένους. φονευθήσονται οἱ τρόφιμοι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸ δὲ ἐν ἁγιάσματι Κυρίου, Ὅτι οἱ μὲν τρόποι [ἴσ. τόποι] τῆς ἁγιωσύνης δοκοῦσιν ἑστάναι, ἡ δὲ δύναμις ἤρνηται. Ταῦτα δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν θεωρήσεις. "Ἐκοιμήθησαν εἰς." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν, οἱ διαναπαύεσθαι ὀφείλοντες, εἰς γῆν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκοιμήθησαν [ἵσ. ἐκοίμισαν]. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, Ὁ ἄπειρός τε καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀποστροφῆς τόποις ἀνεπαύσαντο· τὸ γὰρ ἐξοδεύειν ἐστὶν τὸ ἀποστρέφεσθαι. Ἵνα εἴποι, ἐξελθόντες τῶν τῆς θεοσεβείας ὅρων, τὰ γήϊνα φρονήσαντες. "Παρθένοι μου." Καὶ οἱ ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ, καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ βιοῦντες, φησὶν, ὑπεσύρησαν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. "Ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ." Ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐπιστασίᾳ. "Καὶ ἐν λιμῷ." Ἐν τῇ τοῦ λόγου ἀπουσίᾳ. "Ἐκάλεσας." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν οὕτως φησίν· Οἱ πάσης τῆς περιοικίδος κατέφυγον εἰς ἐμὲ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὡς ἰσχυρὰν πόλιν, ὥσπερ ὅτε ἐν πανηγύρει συνέτρεχον. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν ἡ ψυχή φησιν· Ὅτι ἀπέστρεψας τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, παρεσκεύασας τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἑορτάζειν. Παροίκους γὰρ τοὺς παροικοῦντας ἡμῖν ἐχθρούς φησιν. "Καὶ οὐκ ἐγένοντο." Εἰ μὴ γάρ τις τελείᾳ ἁμαρτίᾳ περιπέσοι, ἀποτόμῳ ὀργῇ οὐ παραδίδοται. "Ὡς ἐπεκράτησα." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν, Ἐνισχύσασα, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ παρεσκεύασά σε πλῆθος ἐχθρῶν 93.744 ἐπαγαγεῖν μοι. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· Ἐπετύφθην [ἴσ. ἐπετύφην], καὶ ἐπολυπλασίασα τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τρόπους. {1ΚΕΦ. Γʹ.}1 "Ἐγὼ ἀνὴρ ὁ." Ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ προσώπου Κυρίου διὰ τὰ μέτρα τῆς κενώσεως. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ προφήτου εὐγνωμόνως ὁμολογεῖ, τὸ πτωχὸν καὶ τρεπτὸν τῆς φύσεως· οὐ γὰρ φύσει τὸ κακὸν, ἀλλὰ τροπῇ. "Τῇ ῥάβδῳ θυμοῦ." Ἐκ μὲν τοῦ προσώπου Κυρίου κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· Ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἐπεστηρίχθη ὁ θυμός σου. Ἐκ δὲ προσώπου τοῦ προφήτου· Ὁ ἐχθρὸς, φησὶ, διάβολος τῇ ῥάβδῳ τοῦ θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐχρήσατό μοι, τῇ τροπῇ τῇ εἰς ἁμαρτίαν· ὅθεν καὶ παραλαβών με, ἀπήγαγέν με εἰς σκότος, καὶ οὐ φῶς. Ταῦτα δὲ προφέρει ἀπὸ κοινοῦ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος. "Πλὴν ἐν ἐμοί." Οὐ μόνον, φησὶ, ἠρκέσθη ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἀπαγαγεῖν με εἰς σκότος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐτιμωρήσατό με. Τὸ δὲ, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, πάντα τὸν καιρὸν, ὃν γέγονεν ὑπ' αὐτῷ. "Ἐπαλαίωσε σάρκα μου." Ἐκ μὲν προσώπου τοῦ Κυρίου, τὸ ψεῦδος, φησὶν, ᾠκοδομήθη κατ' ἐμοῦ, πολλὰ γὰρ αὐτοῦ κατεψεύδοντο. Ἐκ δὲ προσώπου τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως, Οὐ μόνον, φησὶν, ἠρκέσθη ὁ ἐχθρὸς τιμωρήσασθαί με, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω περιῳκοδόμησε κατ' ἐμοῦ, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαί με διαφεύγειν. "Ἐν σκοτεινοῖς." Τοῦτο πρότερος ὁ ∆αβὶδ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου προκατήγγειλεν διὰ τὸν τάφον. Εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ κοινοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς, λέγεται, ὅτι σκότους αὐτὴν ἐπλήρωσεν, ἀποστερήσας τοῦ νοητοῦ φωτός. "Ἀνῳκοδόμησε." Ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅτι ᾤοντο μηκέτι αὐτὸν ἀναστήσεσθαι οἱ ἐμβάλλοντες αὐτὸν τῷ τάφῳ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς. διὰ τὴν κατ' αὐτῆς γενομένην φρουράν. "Ἐβάρυνε χαλκόν μου." Ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Κυρίου, διὰ τὰς σφραγῖδας τὰς βληθείσας ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ μνήματι· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς, διὰ τοὺς κλοιοὺς τῆς ἁμαρτίας, οὓς περιέθηκεν αὐτῇ ὁ ἐχθρός. "Καί γε ὅτι κεκράξομαι." Πληθύνας, φησὶ, τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν δέησιν ἀπέφραξεν. Λέγει δὲ ταῦτα ἡ ψυχὴ, διὰ τὸ καὶ εἰδώλοις προσκυνῆσαι. "Ἀνῳκοδόμησεν." Ἐκ μὲν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας,Ἰουδαίων, φησὶν, λαὸς παντοῖος γέγονεν ἐμποδίσαι τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ κηρύγματος· τοῦτον δὲ καὶ λέοντι καὶ ἄρκτῳ εἰκάζει διὰ τὸ θυμιτικόν· καὶ τόγε, φησὶν, ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, ἔθετό με ἠφανισμένην. Ἐκ δὲ προσώπου τῆς ψυχῆς, Συνέκλεισε, φησὶ, τὰς πορείας μου ὁ ἐχθρός. "Ἐτάραξεν ἄρκτος." Ἄρκτος ἡ ἁμαρτία. Ἐνεδρεύουσα δὲ, ποικίλως ἐπιτιθεμένη καὶ θηριωδῶς. "Αὐτός μοι ὡς λέων." Ὁ ἄρκτος πρὸς φόβον ἧττόν ἐστι τοῦ λέοντος. Προταράττων οὖν τὴν ψυχὴν 93.745 διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ διάβολος, αὐτὸς λοιπὸν τῇ δεινότητι καταπιεῖν ταύτην ἐπιχειρεῖ. Ἐν κρυφίοις δὲ, ἀντὶ τοῦ πανούργοις, πρότερον διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ταράττων. "Κατεδίωξεν." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, κατέστρωσεν. "Ἐνέτεινε τόξον." Ὁ