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He always lives to make intercession. But take "always" this way: as long as they need an advocate and mediator. "And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Then, since the others also run with this zeal to the teacher, they too wish to intercede for those entrusted to them, not placing their own intercession before, but following the justification of the one calling them to imitation. In all interpretations of the king, then, it must be understood that he was not deprived of his request. For example, when we say of the one who reigns in a sensory way that the request of his lips was not withheld but has come to pass, we signify his praise. And if we speak of the saints—for they too are called kings—it is also great praise for them when their request is acceptable. For "the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer." And: "he listens to the prayers of the righteous."

3 Diapsalma. 10 The "diapsalma" is not found anywhere except in the Hebrew scriptures, especially in the Psalms. It is also found in the ode of Habakkuk. Those who know the language can say what it means above all others. Nevertheless, we say what has come down to us. There are those who say that it signifies a change of person. But this is false; for we have found a change of persons in the psalms even without the diapsalma. Again, they say that the diapsalma signifies some interval—for instance, he stopped speaking and began at another time—and this the diapsalma signifies, the temporal interval. But we cannot say this; for it is not stated that having spoken these verses of the psalm, he spoke another after some time. However, those who are quietly familiar with the Hebrew readings say this, that it is a rhythm of a musical melody, just as in music they speak of rhythms and melodies. Therefore, it is not for us to know these things, but for those who are familiar with the language. At any rate, in every language it can be suitable for music. For music is nothing other than a rhythm of sounds composed harmoniously. Sometimes I think I know letters and devote myself to readings. And if we see something in a garden, which is named by a farmer, since we do not know it, we learn from him and not at that moment, not deigning to learn, do we remain uneducated from this. So, even if we do not know the Hebrew language, yet we have heard that it signifies a musical rhythm according to the Hebrew language. 4 That you came before him with blessings of goodness. According to every interpretation, God came before the king with blessings of goodness. "You came before with blessings" is equivalent to: "While you are still speaking, I will say: 'Behold, I am here.'" For example, suppose someone sends up a prayer about living well, about having virtue; it says that: "While you are still speaking," not yet having completed the word of the prayer, I say I am present by giving. We take "goodness" here as "virtue"; for often we also take "good" in a bad sense; "evil communications corrupt good manners," instead of superficial, simple. And "simple" itself is taken both for praise, when one has a good character, and for superficiality. Likewise also "guileless"; for "by good words they deceive the hearts of the simple." And further: "the simple believes every word."

4 You have set on his head a crown of precious stone. If this is said of the Lord's man, this crown to be placed on his head is woven from 11 precious stones, that is, of virtues or of those who have virtues. In the weaving of this crown are set those stones that are built up with gold and silver on the foundation of Christ. But it is clear that neither the gold nor the silver nor the stones are to be taken in a sensory way. And if we also speak of each king, as Abraham was, as the other saints are, we say that: just as the prince of Tyre, when he lived well, was placed with the Cherubim on the holy mountain of God, when "a seal

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ἀεὶ ζῇ ἐν τῷ ἐντυγχάνειν. τὸ "ἀεὶ" δὲ οὕτω λάβε· ἐς ὅσον χρῄζουσιν παρακαλοῦντος καὶ διαιτητοῦ. "καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον". εἶτ' ἐπεὶ ταύτῃ τῇ σπουδῇ συντρέχουσιν τῷ διδασκάλῳ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι, κἀκεῖνοι βούλονται παρακαλεῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐνεχειρίσθησαν, οὐ προηγουμένην τὴν ἑαυτῶν παράκλησιν τιθέμενοι, ἀλλ' ἑπο μένην τῇ δικαιώσει τοῦ εἰς μίμησιν αὐτοὺς καλοῦντος. κατὰ πάσας οὖν τὰς ἀποδόσεις τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκλημπτέον δεῖ τὸ μὴ ἐστερῆσθαι τὴν δέησιν αὐτοῦ. οἷον ὅταν περὶ τοῦ αἰσθητῶς βασιλεύοντος λέγωμεν ὅτι ἡ δέησις τῶν χειλέων αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐστερήθη, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐκβάσει γέγονεν, ἔπαινον αὐτοῦ σημαίνομεν. κἂν περὶ τῶν ἁγίων εἴπωμεν-εἴρηνται γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ βασιλεῖς-, καὶ ἐκείνων μέγας ἔπαινός ἐστιν, ὅταν ἡ δέησις αὐτῶν εὐπρόσδεκτος ᾖ. "ὀφθαλμοὶ" γὰρ "κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους, καὶ ὦτα αὐτοῦ εἰς δέησιν αὐτῶν". καί· "εὐχαῖς δικαίων ἐπακούει". 3 διάψαλμα. 10 οὐ φέρεται οὐδαμοῦ τὸ "διάψαλμα" ἢ ἐν ταῖς Ἑβραικαῖς γραφαῖς, μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς. κεῖται δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ ᾠδῇ τοῦτο τοῦ Ἁμβακούμ. οἱ τὴν διάλεκτον ἐπιστάμενοι ὑπὲρ πάντας δύνανται εἰπεῖν τί σημαίνει. ὅμως δὲ τὰ ἐλθόντα εἰς ἡμᾶς λέγομεν. εἰσὶν οἱ λέγοντες ὅτι μεταβολὴν προσώπου σημαίνει. ψεῦδος δέ ἐστιν· εὑρήκαμεν γὰρ μεταβολὴν π̣ροσώπων ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς καὶ ἄνευ τοῦ διαψάλματος. πάλιν λέγουσιν ὅτι τὸ διάψαλμα διάστασίν τινα σημαίνει-οἷον λέγων ἐπαύσατο καὶ ἄλλῳ καιρῷ ἤρξατο-, καὶ τοῦτο σημαίνει τὸ διάψαλμα, τὴν διάστασιν τὴν χρονικήν. τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔχομεν εἰπεῖν· οὐ γὰρ κεῖται ὅτι τούσδε τοὺς στίχους εἰρηκὼς τοῦ ψαλμοῦ μετὰ χρόνον ἄλλον εἶπεν. οἱ μέντοι ἠρέμα ὁμιλήσαντες τοῖς Ἑβραικοῖς ἀναγνώςμασιν τοῦτο λέγουσιν ὅτι ῥυθμός ἐστιν μέλους μουσικοῦ, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς μουσικοῖς λέγουσιν ῥυθμοὺς καὶ μέλη. ταῦτα οὖν οὐχ ἡμῶν εἰδέναι, ἀλλὰ τῶν τῇ διαλέκτῳ ὁμιλησάντων. ἐν πάσῃ γοῦν διαλέκτῳ δύναται κατάλληλος εἶναι μουσικῇ. οὐδὲν δέ ἐστιν μουσικὴ ἢ ῥυθμὸς φθόγγων εὐρύθμως συνκειμένων. ἐνίοτε δοκῶ εἰδέναι γράμματα καὶ ἀναγνώσμασιν σχολάζειν. καὶ ἐὰν ἴδωμέν τι ἐν κήπῳ, ᾗ ὀνομαζόμενον παρὰ γεωργοῦ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἴσμεν, παρ' αὐτοῦ μανθάνομεν καὶ οὐκ ἤδη, μὴ ἀπαξιοῦντες μαθεῖν, ἀπὸ τοῦδε μένομεν ἀπαίδευτοι. οὕτω οὖν εἰ καὶ μὴ ἴσμεν τὴν διάλεκτον τὴν Ἑβραικήν, ἀλλ' ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι ῥυθμὸν μουσικὸν σημαίνει κατὰ τὴν διάλεκτον τὴν Ἑβραίαν. 4 ὅτι προέφθασας αὐτὸν ἐν εὐλογίαις χρηστότητος. τὸν βασιλέα κατὰ πᾶσαν ἑρμηνείαν προέφθασεν ὁ θεὸς ἐν εὐλογίαις χρηστότητος. τὸ "προέφθασας ἐν εὐλογίαις" ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ· "ἔτι σοῦ λαλοῦντος ἐρῶ· ἰδοὺ πάρειμι". οἷον, φέρε, εὐχήν τις ἀναπέμπει περὶ τοῦ εὖ διάγειν, περὶ τοῦ ἀρετὴν ἔχειν· λέγει ὅτι· "ἔτι σοῦ λαλοῦντος", οὔπω πληρώσαντος τὸν λόγον τῆς εὐχῆς, διὰ τοῦ δοῦναι λέγω παρεῖναι. τὸ "χρηστότητος" ὧδε "ἀγαθότητος" λαμβάνομεν· πολλάκις γὰρ καὶ τὸ χρηστὸν ὡς ἐπὶ διαβολῇ λαμβάνομεν· "φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρης τὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί", ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπιπόλαια, εὐήθη. καὶ αὐτὸ μὲν τὸ εὔηθες λαμβάνεται καὶ ἐπὶ ἐπαίνου, ὅταν εὖ τις ἦθος ἔχῃ, καὶ ἐπὶ ἐπιπολαίου. ὡσαύτως καὶ τὸ ἄκακον· "διὰ" γὰρ "τῆς χρηστολογίας ἐξαπατῶσιν τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἀκάκων". καὶ ἔτι· "ἄκακος πιστεύει παντὶ λόγῳ". 4 ἔθηκας ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ στέφανον ἐκ λίθου τιμίου. ἐὰν περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ κυριακοῦ τοῦτο λέγηται, ὁ στέφανος οὗτος ὁ ἐπιτεθησόμενος τῇ κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ ἐκ λί 11 θων τιμίων πλέκεται, ἤτοι τῶν ἀρετῶν ἢ τῶν ἐχόντων τὰς ἀρετάς. ἐν τῇ πλοκῇ τούτου τοῦ στεφάνου κεῖνται ἐκεῖνοι οἱ λίθοι οἱ ἐποικοδομούμενοι μετὰ χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον Χριστόν. φανερὸν δὲ ὅτι οὐδὲ ὁ χρυσὸς οὐδὲ ὁ ἄργυρος οὐδὲ οἱ λίθοι κατὰ αἴσθησιν λαμβάνονται. ἐὰν δὲ καὶ περὶ ἑκάςτου βασιλέως, ὡς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἦν, ὡς οἱ ἄλλοι εἰσὶν ἅγιοι, λέγομεν ὅτι· ὥσπερ ὁ ἄρχων Τύρου, ὅτε εὖ διῆγεν, μετὰ τῶν Χερουβὶν ἐντέθειτο ἐν ὄρει τῷ ἁγίῳ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτε "ἀποσφράγισμα