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paying for what you have transgressed in this life. Then those who have truly and surely hoped in him will receive the fruit of their hope, the blessing. "For blessed, he says, are those who trust in him." For even if the athletes of virtue have the blessing in the present life, they will nevertheless receive it more truly on that day, on which those who have lived together with wickedness will draw down upon themselves the divine wrath.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 3RD PSALM. 1. "A Psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom his

son." The history is clear to the more diligent; but for the sake of the more careless, I will tell it briefly. After that twofold transgression, the great David fell into many and various calamities. For not only were the neighboring nations stirred to battle and war, but his own house also received sedition, and transgression succeeded transgression. 80.885 The licentiousness of Amnon was followed by the murderousness of Absalom, and the fratricide by the rebellion against his father, and the apostasy of his subjects. For while divine grace was providing, none of these things assailed David; but when it withdrew because of the transgression that had occurred, wickedness took its place, and did things worthy of tragedy, and brought forth a harvest of calamities. At that time, therefore, fleeing his parricidal son, and those who with him had taken up the battle line against him, he wrote this psalm; the divine Spirit evidently having been at work even then because of the fervent repentance that had been made by him. 2, 3. "Lord, why have they who afflict me multiplied? Many rise up against me. Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God." Many indeed, and various enemies attack from many sides; but those who mock me distress me more, saying that I am stripped of your providence. But I know that you will not endure to overlook me, although I have committed great transgressions. But you will exalt him who has now been humbled because of sin, and you will show him to be stronger than his enemies; for he has indicated this by saying: 4. "But you, O Lord, are my helper, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head." For I do not trust in my kingdom, nor in my power, but I believe you to be my glory, and I hope to be swiftly exalted by your right hand. 5. "With my voice I cried to the Lord, and he heard me from his holy mountain." For this reason, with all eagerness I offer my supplications to you, knowing that you will immediately grant my requests. Here one should not understand "voice" and "cry" as a shout, but the eagerness of the soul. For thus also the God of all said to the blessed Moses while he was silent: "Why do you cry to me?" calling the silence a cry because of the earnest prayer of his mind. But the phrase, "He heard me from his holy mountain," is said according to the opinion that long held. For it was thought that the God of all dwelt in the tabernacle, since from there he also gave oracles to the priests. 6. "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord will help me." The divine Scripture often calls calamities "night"; since those who fall into exceedingly grievous things think they are passing their time as if in darkness; and sleep is joined to the nights; it signifies, therefore, at the same time the afflic 80.888 tions, and their release. For "I awoke, for the Lord will help me," signifies this, that Having enjoyed the divine assistance, I became stronger than the evils that befell me. Therefore, 7. "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God." For you alone are sufficient when present to scatter the many thousands. 8. "For you have struck all who were my enemies without cause; you have broken the teeth of the sinners." Grant me, therefore, complete salvation; and just as you have often dealt with those who had unjust enmity against me, both kinsmen and foreigners, and

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τίνοντες ὧν κατὰ τόνδε τὸν βίον πεπλημμελήκατε. Τηνικαῦτα δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀληθῶς καὶ βεβαίως εἰς αὐτὸν ἠλπικότες, λήψονται τῆς ἐλπίδος καρπὸν, τὸν μακαρισμόν. "Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ' αὐτῷ." Εἰ καὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον τὸν μακαρισμὸν ἔχουσιν οἱ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀθληταὶ, ἀλλ' οὖν ἀληθέστερον αὐτὸν δέξονται κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν, καθ' ἣν οἱ πονηρίᾳ συνεζηκότες τὴν θείαν ὀργὴν καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπισπάσονται.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Γʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ὁπότε ἀπεδίδρασκεν ἀπὸ προσώπου Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τοῦ

υἱοῦ αὑτοῦ." ∆ήλη μὲν τοῖς ἐμμελεστέροις ἡ ἱστορία· τῶν δὲ ῥᾳθυμο τέρων ἕνεκα συντόμως ταύτην ἐρῶ. Μετὰ τὴν διπλῆν ἐκείνην παρανομίαν, ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ πολλαῖς καὶ παντοδαπαῖς περιέπεσε συμφοραῖς. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰ προσοικοῦντα ἔθνη πρὸς μάχην ἐκινήθη καὶ πόλεμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ οἶκος τὴν στάσιν ἐδέξατο, καὶ παρανομία παρανομίαν διεδέξατο. 80.885 Τὴν τοῦ Ἀμνὼν ἀκολασίαν ἡ τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ μιαιφονία, καὶ τὴν ἀδελφοκτονίαν ἡ κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπανάστασις, καὶ ἡ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἀπόστασις. Προμηθουμένης γὰρ τῆς θείας χάριτος, τούτων οὐδὲν ἐπέλασε τῷ ∆αβίδ· ἐκείνης δὲ διὰ τὴν γεγε νημένην ἀποστάσης παρανομίαν, χῶραν ἔλαβεν ἡ κακία, καὶ τραγῳδίας ἄξια δέδρακε, καὶ φορὰν ἐβλάστησε συμφορῶν. Κατ' ἐκεῖνον τοίνυν τὸν καιρὸν, τὸν πατραλοίαν ἀποδιδράσκων υἱὸν, καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναδεξαμένους παρά ταξιν, τοῦτον ἔγραψε τὸν ψαλμόν· τοῦ θείου Πνεύ ματος δηλονότι καὶ τηνικαῦτα ἐνηργηκότος διὰ τὴν θερμὴν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένην μετάνοιαν. βʹ, γʹ. "Κύριε, τί ἐπληθύνθησαν οἱ θλίβοντές με. Πολλοὶ ἐπανίστανται ἐπ' ἐμέ. Πολλοὶ λέγουσι τῇ ψυχῇ μου· Οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ αὐ τοῦ." Πολλοὶ μέν τοι, καὶ παντοδαποὶ πολέμιοι πολλαχόθεν προσβάλλουσιν· ἀνιῶσι δέ με πλέον οἱ ἐπιτωθάζοντες, καὶ τῆς σῆς προμηθείας γεγυμνῶ σθαί με λέγοντες. Ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα, ὡς οὐκ ἀνέξῃ με παριδεῖν, καί τοι πεπλημμεληκότα μεγάλα. Ἀλλὰ τὸν νῦν ταπεινὸν διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν γεγενημένον ὑψώσεις, καὶ κρείττονα δείξεις τῶν δυσμενῶν· τοῦτο γὰρ παρεδήλωσεν εἰρηκώς· δʹ. "Σὺ δὲ, Κύριε, ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ, δόξα μου, καὶ ὑψῶν τὴν κεφαλήν μου." Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῇ βασι λείᾳ, καὶ τῇ δυναστείᾳ θαῤῥῶ, ἀλλὰ σὲ δόξαν ἐμὴν εἶναι πιστεύω, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς ἐλπίζω ταχέως ὑψω θήσεσθαι δεξιᾶς. εʹ. "Φωνῇ μου πρὸς Κύριον ἐκέκραξα, καὶ ἐπή κουσέ μου ἐξ ὄρους ἁγίου αὐτοῦ." ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας προσφέρω σοι τὰς δεήσεις, εἰδὼς ὅτι παραυτίκα τὰς αἰτήσεις παρέ ξεις. Οὐ φωνὴν δὲ ἐνταῦθα καὶ βοὴν τὴν κραυγὴν νοητέον, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς προθυμίαν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς πρὸς σιγῶντα τὸν μακάριον ἔφη Μωσῆν· "Τί βοᾶς πρός με;" βοὴν τὴν σιγὴν ὀνομάζων διὰ τὴν σπουδαίαν τῆς διανοίας εὐχήν. Τὸ δὲ, "Εἰσήκουσέ μου ἐξ ὄρους ἁγίου αὑτοῦ," κατὰ τὴν πάλαι κατέχουσαν εἴρηται δόξαν. Ἐνομί ζετο γὰρ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ κατοικεῖν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοὺς χρησμοὺς ἐκεῖθεν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἐδί δου. ϛʹ. "Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκοιμήθην καὶ ὕπνωσα· ἐξηγέρ θην, ὅτι Κύριος ἀντιλήψεταί μου." Νύκτα τὰς συμφορὰς πολλάκις ἡ θεία καλεῖ Γραφή· ἐπειδὴ ὡς ἐν σκότει διάγειν νομίζουσιν οἱ τοῖς ἄγαν ἀνιαροῖς περιπίπτοντες· ταῖς δὲ νυξὶν ὁ ὕπνος συνέζευκται· σημαίνει τοίνυν κατὰ ταυτὸν τὰς θλί 80.888 ψεις, καὶ τὴν τούτων ἀπαλλαγήν. Τὸ γὰρ "Ἐξηγέρ θην, ὅτι Κύριος ἀντιλήψεταί μου," τοῦτο δηλοῖ, ὅτι Τῆς θείας ἀπολαύσας ῥοπῆς κρείττων ἐγενόμην τῶν προσπεσόντων κακῶν. ∆ιὸ, ζʹ. "Οὐ φοβηθήσομαι ἀπὸ μυριάδων λαοῦ τῶν κύκλῳ συνεπιτιθεμένων μοι· ἀνάστα, Κύριε, σῶσόν με ὁ Θεός μου." Ἀρκεῖς γὰρ καὶ παρὼν τὰς πολλὰς μυριάδας διασκεδάσαι. ηʹ. "Ὅτι σὺ ἐπάταξας πάντας τοὺς ἐχθραίνοντάς μοι ματαίως, ὀδόντας ἁμαρτωλῶν συνέτριψας." Τελείας μοι τοίνυν μετάδος τῆς σωτηρίας· καὶ καθάπερ πολλάκις ἄδικον κατ' ἐμοῦ δυσμένειαν ἐσχηκότας, καὶ ὁμοφύλους καὶ ἀλλοφύλους, καὶ