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An ode is the theory concerning practical matters and moral instruction, but a psalm of an ode is the action necessarily undertaken in contemplating the truth; for many things are done for the sake of the contemplation of wisdom, which one would not inappropriately call a psalm of an ode. These things being considered thus, David rightly sings the present psalm, seeing that it is practical concerning each of the things done wisely and very worthily of God, wishing to know what each thing signifies from the things so perceptibly accomplished. And the very words of the psalm must be set forth, beginning thus: O Lord my God, etc. 40Ps 7,2-3 And who is this but the one who said, "There is no savior besides me," the one who came "to seek and to save the lost," and "to give his life as a ransom for many;" and this shows that the Father, being God, saves through the Son, who is God the Word; whence not even in the preceding should one divide the divinity of the Father and the Son, as it has seemed to some. 41Ps 7,7-8 I beseech you, O Lord, having arisen in wrath, to be seen exalted in the borders of the enemies; for thus the things of injustice will have an end, on account of which they are my enemies. It is possible to call the borders of the enemies their arrogance and haughtiness, upon which having arrived and thinking they are secure in them, they suppose themselves to be in the best of ends. The prayer is not of one seeking revenge; For not repaying evil for evil, having forbearance toward those who are his enemies, he prays for them to know that God is exalted in their borders, using wrath not against their substance but of the very wicked purpose which they have. But when the scripture reading has "In the borders of my enemies," it is revealed that they are enemies of the holy one and of God. 42Ps 7,9 As if to say: according to my innocence and righteousness bring on your judgment; for thus I will also be justified, injustice not being found in my deeds. But "innocence" in these things, he says, is not to be understood as foolishness according to what is written, "The innocent believes every word," but the simplicity that is pure of deceit, according to which meaning it was said to God by the holy one, "But because of my innocence you have helped me," and, "In my innocence I have walked." As it is found in some copies, "Judge me, O Lord, according to your righteousness," the saying must be explained thus: there is a certain righteousness of God attainable by men, being distinguished from an inferior righteousness. For Paul, writing about the difference of these things, concerning the Jews said, "For I bear witness to them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to the righteousness of God." And calling the righteousness of God that which comes to all who believe through Jesus Christ, which he himself, having desired it, obtained, he says that all things for which he was righteous in a Jewish manner have been sent away, so that he might be found having the righteousness which is from God through faith and not his own. Jesus, wanting this to belong to his disciples as well, said to them, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven." This distinction existing between human righteousness and that of God, he wishes to be judged according to the Master's, knowing that it will "turn out for his salvation" to be so judged. 43Ps 7,10-11 With God, to examine and search hearts does not mean to seek and to trace out, but to have complete comprehension; for he is the knower of hidden things, and every mind is revealed to him. And "reins" one must not understand as the bodily ones, but the intellectual powers of the soul, called by the same name as the bodily ones. this is shown from many scriptures, of which one is, "You are near in their mouth, but far from their reins." This is said concerning wicked men, who confess in word that God exists, but do not have him in their thought. My help is justly from God who saves the upright in heart. This teaches in effect, if he saves the upright in heart. But I demand just help

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μὲν ᾠδή ἐστιν ἡ περὶ πρακτικῶν καὶ ἠθικῆς παιδεύσεως θεωρία, ψαλμὸς δὲ ᾠδῆς ἡ ἀναγκαίως ἐν τῷ θεωρεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν παραλαμβανομένη πρᾶξις· πολλὰ γὰρ πράττεται ὑπὲρ θεωρίας τῆς σοφίας, α ψαλμὸν ᾠδῆς οὐκ ἀπὸ σκοποῦ τις ἐρεῖ. τούτων ωδε θεωρουμένων, εἰκότως τὸν προκείμενον ψαλμὸν ᾳδει ὁ ∆αυὶδ πρακτικὸν οντα θεωρῶν περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν πραττομένων σοφῶς καὶ πάνυ θεοπρεπῶς, γνῶναι θέλων τί εκαστον δηλοῦται ἐκ τῶν ουτως αἰσθητῶς ἐπιτελουμένων. ̓Εκθετέον δὲ καὶ αὐτὰς τὰς τοῦ ψαλμοῦ λέξεις ουτως ἀρχομένας· Κύριε ὁ θεός μου κ.τ.λ. 40Ps 7,2-3 Τίς δὲ ουτος η ὁ εἰπὼν Σῴζων οὐκ εστιν πάρεξ ἐμοῦ, ὁ ἐληλυθὼς Ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός, καὶ ∆οῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀντίλυτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν· ταῦτα δὲ δηλοῖ, ὡς ὁ πατὴρ θεὸς ων σῴζει διὰ υἱοῦ θεοῦ λόγου οντος· οθεν οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις διαιρετέον τὴν θεότητα πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ, ὡς εδοξέ τισιν. 41Ps 7,7-8 Παρακαλῶ Κύριε, ἀναστάντα σε ἐν ὀργῇ ὑψηλὸν ἐν τοῖς πέρασιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὀφθῆναι· ουτω γὰρ τέλος εξει τὰ τῆς ἀδικίας, δι' ην ἐχθροί μου τυγχάνουσιν. δυνατὸν πέρατα ἐχθρῶν εἰπεῖν τὰς ἀλαζονείας καὶ ὑψαυχενίας αὐτῶν, ἐφ' ας φθάσαντες καὶ ειναι βέβαιοι ἐν αὐταῖς ἡγούμενοι ἐν τέλεσιν ἀρίστοις ειναι ἑαυτοὺς ὑπονοοῦσιν. οὐκ ἀμυντικοῦ ἡ εὐχή· Μὴ γὰρ ἀποδιδοὺς κακὰ ἀντὶ κακῶν, φειδὼ πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς οντας αὐτῷ εχων, ευχεται γνῶναι αὐτούς, ὡς θεὸς ὑψοῦται ἐν τοῖς πέρασιν αὐτῶν, ὀργῇ χρησάμενος οὐ κατὰ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν ἀλλ' ης εχουσιν χειρίστης προθέσεως. φερομένης δὲ γραφῆς ἐχούσης ̓Εν τοῖς πέρασι τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου, φανεροῦται ὡς οἱ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ θεοῦ τυγχάνουσιν ἐχθροί. 42Ps 7,9 Μονονουχὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπάγαγέ σου τὸ κρίμα· ουτω γὰρ καὶ δικαιωθήσομαι, ἀδικίας οὐχ εὑρισκομένης ἐν ταῖς πράξεσίν μου. ἀκακίαν δὲ ἐν τούτοις, φησίν, οὐ τὴν εὐήθειαν ἐκληπτέον κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον Ακακος πιστεύει παντὶ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁπλότητα τὴν δόλου καθαρεύουσαν, καθ' ο σημαινόμενον ειρηται πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου ̓Εμοῦ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν ἀντελάβου, καὶ τὸ ̓Εν ἀκακίᾳ μου ἐπορεύθην. Φερομένου εν τισιν ἀντιγράφοις Κρῖνόν με, κύριε, κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, ἐξηγητέον τὴν λέξιν ουτως· εστιν τις δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἀνθρώποις ἐφικτή, διαστελλομένη πρὸς δικαιοσύνην ὑποδεεστέραν. Παῦλος γοῦν περὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς τούτων γράφων περὶ ̓Ιουδαίων Μαρτυρῶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς, εφη, οτι ζῆλον θεοῦ εχουσιν ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν· ἀγνοοῦντες γὰρ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν θέλοντες στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν. θεοῦ δὲ δικαιοσύνην λέγων τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας διὰ ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ γινομένην, ην καὶ αὐτὸς εσχεν ποθήσας, λέγει πάντα ἀποπεπέμφθαι δι' α ἰουδαϊκῶς δίκαιος ὑπῆρχεν, ινα εὑρεθῇ τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως δικαιοσύνην εχων καὶ μὴ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. ταύτην καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὑπαρχθῆναι ὁ ̓Ιησοῦς θέλων ειπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ̓Εὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ὑμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη πλέον τῶν Γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ταύτης τῆς διαστολῆς ουσης ἀνθρωπίνης δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ δεσπότου βούλεται κριθῆναι, εἰδὼς ὡς ̓Αποβήσεται αὐτῷ εἰς σωτηρίαν τὸ ουτω κριθῆναι. 43Ps 7,10-11 ̓Επὶ θεοῦ τὸ ἐξετάζειν καὶ ἐρευνᾶν καρδίας, οὐ τὸ ζητεῖν καὶ ἀνιχνεύειν δηλοῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸ παντελῆ κατάληψιν εχειν· γνώστης γὰρ τῶν κρυπτῶν ἐστιν, καὶ πᾶς νοῦς αὐτῷ πεφανέρωται. Νεφροὺς δὲ οὐ τοὺς σωματικοὺς ἀκούειν δεῖ, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς νοητικὰς δυνάμεις ὁμωνύμως τοῖς σωματικοῖς καλουμένας. παρίσταται τοῦτο ἐκ πλειόνων γραφῶν, ων μία ἐστὶν ἡ ̓Εγγὺς ει τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν, πόρρω δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν νεφρῶν. ειρηται τοῦτο περὶ φαύλων ἀνθρώπων, λόγῳ μὲν ὁμολογούντων θεὸν ειναι, οὐκ ἐχόντων δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν διανοήσει. ∆ικαία ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ σῴζοντος τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ. δυνάμει τοῦτο διδάσκει, εἰ τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ σῴζει. ἀπαιτῶ δὲ δικαίαν βοήθειαν