"Why" speaks of the passion of forgetfulness, but it indicates a voluntary forgetfulness, the lack of concern for man, the one unworthy of care from God.

51 Ps 42,1 This psalm is inseparable from the previous one, not even divided by an inscription, and possessing the same power of return to God, adding also the guidance through the light that shone, which says, "I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who follows me might not remain in darkness," and by this illumination preparing comfort for the one who is grieved, just as the one before it made the comfort for sorrows by the expectation of things to come. Since, therefore, the portion of the just is warred against by nation and by man, and it cannot obtain what is according to its worth unless it should receive the heavenly judge and champion, as if justice against the adversaries were his concern who also judges all things justly. It also invokes him, seeing that he judges not from hearing but brings about what is just from knowledge. For this reason also it asks for escape from a nation and from an unjust man. 52 Ps 42,2a He says this as having nothing else for strength and attains God, just as also is "I will love you, O Lord, my strength;" then he speaks also here concerning those who oppose. 53 Ps 42,2 If to prevail is from God, reasonably he says that not to be overcome is a rejection from God, being most grievous to one who puts forward this alone as an aid. But the "Why" is not as if God were doing something without cause or in vain (for this happens for our struggle) but as the struggle ought to have an end because of mercy and consolation ought to be given to those who mourn by him who consoles those who mourn. For it is not reasonable for God to overlook the just, whence, seeking things from God, he says "Why," as if to say, "It is fitting for you to help your own and not to allow pleasure to the adversaries." Why then is your part not accomplished, but that which is from us abounds, just as is also said, "How long, Lord, will you forget me forever?" and "What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to corruption?" For if for some time affliction is necessary, yet not forever, and if we are justly afflicted in ourselves, yet by the mercy of God we ought to obtain help, so that discipline might yield the peaceful fruit through the philanthropy of God to those who have been exercised by it. And in the case of the Lord, "Why have you forsaken me?" is said entirely when he himself was not worthy of abandonment; for which reason the appearance of heavenly help for the suffering body was swift on account of that concerning us. 54 Ps 42,4c He has shown the gladness by the addition of the lyre and the love in the address which is repeated twice. 55 Ps 42,5 This is the reminder of the consolation. For if we are burdened by present things, he says, let us give thanks for future things, and now by expectation let the grievous thing depart, as we expect God, the salvation of the man who looks to him. 56 Ps 43,5 You, he says, we have as king, God, who provides for the salvation of our people, and we know that this is your concern, and we trust in your will.

57 Ps 43,6 You, he says, we have as a horn to defend against all enemies, and

your name which is upon us will give over to be trampled those who rise up and hope to overcome us. 58 Ps 43,7 For I do not prepare myself, he says, with bow and spear. For this reason I do not trust in weapons, since not even for the fathers were these things sufficient, nor was the success accomplished according to their strength, but the work is beyond all human preparation. 59 Ps 43,8 He speaks of the former teachings with respect to the things happening later. And we have been taught that from you has our salvation from our adversaries always come, and we have seen their power fall into shame. 60 Ps 43,9 For this reason, he says,

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πάθους τῆς λήθης λέγει τὸ ∆ιὰ τί, ἀλλ' ἑκούσιον λήθην παρίστησι τὴν περὶ ἄνθρωπον ἀφροντιστίαν τὸν τῆς παρὰ θεοῦ ἀνάξιον ἐπιμελείας.

51 Ps 42,1 Ἀχώριστος οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς τοῦ προτέρου μηδ' ἐπιγραφῇ

διαιρούμενος, τῆς τε αὐτῆς ἐχόμενος δυνάμεως τῆς εἰς θεὸν ἐπανόδου, προστιθεὶς καὶ τὴν ὁδηγίαν τὴν διὰ τοῦ ἐπιλάμψαντος φωτὸς τοῦ λέγοντος Ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθα, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ ἀκολουθῶν με ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ μὴ μείνῃ, καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἐπιλάμψει παραμυθίαν τῷ λυπουμένῳ παρασκευάζων, ὥσπερ ὁ πρὸ αὐτοῦ τῇ τῶν μελλόντων προσδοκίᾳ τὴν παραμυθίαν τῶν λυπηρῶν ἐποιεῖτο. ἐπεὶ οὖν κατὰ ἔθνος καὶ κατὰ ἄνδρα πολεμεῖται τῶν δικαίων ἡ μερίς, καὶ τῶν κατ' ἀξίαν οὐ δύναται τυχεῖν εἰ μὴ τὸν οὐράνιον λάβοι κριτὴν καὶ προστάτην ὡσπερεὶ δίκης τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐκείνῳ μελούσης τῷ καὶ δικαίως ἅπαντας κρίνοντι. αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπικαλεῖται ἅτε δὴ οὐκ ἐξ ἀκροάσεως δικάζοντα ἀλλ' ἐξ ἐπιστήμης τὸ δίκαιον ἐπιφέροντα. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐξ ἔθνους καὶ ἐξ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου τὴν ἀποφυγὴν αἰτεῖται. 52 Ps 42,2a Ὡς οὐχ ἕτερόν τι πρὸς ἰσχὺν ἔχων τοῦτο λέγει καὶ τυγχάνει θεοῦ, οἷόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ Ἀγαπήσω σε, κύριε ἡ ἰσχύς μου· εἶτα λέγει καὶ ἐνταῦθα περὶ τῶν ἀντιστατούντων. 53 Ps 42,2 Εἰ παρὰ θεοῦ τὸ κρατεῖν, εἰκότως τὸ μὴ κρατεῖσθαι ἀπωσμὸν εἶναί φησιν ἀπὸ θεοῦ λυπηρότατον ὂν τῷ μόνην ταύτην ἐπικουρίαν προβαλλομένῳ, τὸ δὲ Ἵνα τί οὐχ ὡς ἀναιτίως ἢ μάτην τι ποιοῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ (πρὸς ἀγῶνα γὰρ ἡμέτερον τοῦτο γίνεται) ἀλλ' ὡς πέρας ἔχειν τοῦ ἀγῶνος ὀφείλοντος διὰ τὸν ἔλεον καὶ τοῖς πενθοῦσι παρακλήσεως ὀφειλούσης ἀποδίδοσθαι παρὰ τοῦ τοὺς πενθοῦντας παρακαλοῦντος. τὸν γὰρ θεὸν ὑπεριδεῖν τοὺς δικαίους οὐκ ἔχει λόγον, ὅθεν τὰ παρὰ θεοῦ ζητῶν τὸ Ἵνα τί λέγει οἷον ὅτι Σοὶ πρέπει τὸ ἀντιλαβέσθαι τῶν σῶν καὶ μὴ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐπιτρέπειν ἡδονήν· Ἵνα τί οὖν τὸ σὸν οὐκ ἐπιτελεῖται, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐξ ἡμῶν πλεονάζει, ὥσπερ λέγεται καὶ τὸ Ἕως πότε, κύριε, ἐπιλήσῃ μου εἰς τέλος; καὶ τὸ Τίς ὠφέλεια ἐν τῷ αἵματί μου, ἐν τῷ καταβῆναί με εἰς διαφθοράν; εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπί τινα χρόνον ἡ κάκωσις ἀναγκαία, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς ἅπαν, καὶ εἰ τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς εὐλόγως κακούμεθα, ἀλλὰ τό γε κατ' ἔλεον θεοῦ βοηθείας τυγχάνειν ὀφείλομεν, ὥστε τὴν παιδείαν τοῖς δι' αὐτὴν γεγυμνασμένοις καρπὸν εἰρηνικὸν ἀποδοῦναι τὸν διὰ φιλανθρωπίας θεοῦ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ κυρίου παντελῶς τὸ Ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με λέγεται, ὅταν καὶ τὸ κατ' αὐτὸν οὐκ ἄξιον ἐγκαταλείψεως· διὸ καὶ ταχεῖα ἡ τῆς οὐρανίου βοηθείας ἐπιφάνεια περὶ τῷ πάσχοντι σώματι δι' ἐκεῖνο περὶ ἡμᾶς. 54 Ps 42,4c Τὴν φαιδρότητα δέδειχε τῇ τῆς κιθάρας προσθήκῃ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἐν τῇ προσφωνήσει τῇ δὶς ἐπαναλαμβανομένῃ. 55 Ps 42,5 Αὕτη τῆς παραμυθίας ἡ ὑπόμνησις. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀχθόμεθα, φησίν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῖς μέλλουσιν εὐχαριστήσωμεν, καὶ ἤδη τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τὸ λυπηρὸν ἀφιστάσθω προσδοκώντων ἡμῶν τὸν θεὸν σωτηρίαν τοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφορῶντος ἀνθρώπου. 56 Ps 43,5 Σέ, φησίν, ἔχομεν βασιλέα τὸν θεὸν τὸν προνοοῦντα τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ ἡμετέρου λαοῦ, καὶ ἴσμεν ὅτι μέλλει σοι ταύτης, καὶ τῇ σῇ βουλήσει θαρροῦμεν.

57 Ps 43,6 Σέ, φησίν, ὡσεὶ κέρας ἔχομεν εἰς τὸ ἀμύνεσθαι πάντας ἐχθρούς, καὶ

τὸ σὸν ὄνομα τὸ ἐφ' ἡμῖν δώσει πάτημα τοὺς ἐπανισταμένους καὶ κρατεῖν ἡμῶν ἐλπίζοντας. 58 Ps 43,7 Οὐ γὰρ παρασκευάζομαι, φησίν, τόξῳ καὶ δόρατι. διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς ὅπλοις οὐ θαρσῶ, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τοῖς πατράσι ταῦτα ἤρκεσε μηδὲ κατὰ τὴν τούτων ἰσχὺν τὸ κατόρθωμα πεπεραίωται ἀλλὰ πάσης ἐπέκεινα παρασκευῆς ἀνθρωπίνης τὸ ἔργον. 59 Ps 43,8 Τὰ πρότερά φησι διδάγματα πρὸς τὰ ὕστερον συμβαίνοντα. δεδιδάγμεθα δὲ ὡς ὑπὸ σοῦ γέγονεν ἡμῖν ἡ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀεὶ σωτηρία, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων δύναμιν εἰς αἰσχύνην μεταπεπτωκυῖαν εἴδομεν. 60 Ps 43,9 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησίν,

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