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Our Lord is above all gods; for our Lord has done these things and those, both in general and in particular; but the gods of the nations, whom you yourselves also formerly considered in error, were nothing other than dead and deaf idols. And Symmachus also gracefully interpreted, instead of, 'May those who make them become like them,' by saying, 'that those who make them might become as them, and all who trust in them.' For truly those who attend to inanimate things as if they were gods, as if petrified in their soul, have themselves also suffered the same thing as those worshipped by them, having eyes and not seeing, having ears and not hearing. 24.33 May those who make them become like them. The aforementioned will become, or even have become, like their own gods; but those who have been taken into the inheritance of God, and have been named His people, 'Bless,' it says, 'the Lord,' that is, praise Him, greatly benefiting yourselves; and first the people of God is called to the blessing, the one called the house of Israel, the subordinate order of the multitude; and second, in ascent and pre-eminence, the house of Aaron; and third, the entire priestly tribe called the house of Levi; and after all these, higher still, those who fear the Lord; and these were the ones to whom the entire hymn has been addressed; those indeed named at the beginning of the whole psalm as servants, that is, those from the nations approaching the faith. For if the whole nation of the Jews is included through the three aforementioned orders, of Israel, and of the house of Aaron, and of the house of Levi, who else besides these would be those who fear the Lord, if not those from the nations who have approached the Word of God? who are also taught to bless: 'Blessed is the Lord from Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem,' or the ever-abiding city of God, in which the true dwelling place of God might be understood.

PSALM 135.

To him who alone does great wonders. And wonderful even literally, if

heaven, even by sight alone, manifests the wisdom of God, by its size and beauty and long-lasting stability; and the earth, surrounded on all sides by the waters and preserving its own composition; and to all things the melodist has joined the eternal mercy, since God created all things not because of any need of His own, but solely through love for mankind. To him who struck Egypt. If you are not persuaded, it says, that the entire cosmos and its parts are governed by the providence and power of God, and you are in doubt lest in some way particular and human affairs are overlooked by Him, know that He provides for things on earth no less than for things in heaven; for at times He pursues those among men who are exceedingly godless and impious, just as He once pursued the Egyptians, and the very land of Egypt. And again He stands before and champions those who love God, and not only them, but also their descendants, just as those who through Moses were then freed from slavery among the Egyptians, whom God over all Himself freed, by using none other than an outstretched hand and a mighty arm; and this would be the 24.36 Word of God, through whom both long ago and now the philanthropy of the all-good God has wrought benefactions for men. Sihon king of the Amorites. And 'Amorites' is interpreted as 'embittering speakers,' and their king 'Sihon' as 'temptation' and 'provocation'; for those skilled in sophistical deceit are embittering speakers, wishing that as many as are lovers of the truth be spoken of and sung of in deceit, having the purpose to tempt and to provoke. And 'Bashan' is translated as 'shame,' which the

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Κύριος ἡμῶν παρὰ πάντας τοὺς θεούς· ὁ μὲν γὰρ Κύριος ἡμῶν τάδε καὶ τάδε εἰργάσατο ἔν τε τοῖς καθόλου καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐπὶ μέρους· οἱ δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν θεοὶ, οὓς καὶ αὐτοὶ πεπλανημένως ἐνομίζετε πρότερον, οὐδὲν ἦσαν ἕτερον ἢ εἴδωλα νεκρὰ καὶ κωφά. Χαριέντως δὲ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὅμοιοι αὐτοῖς γένοιντο οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτὰ, ἡρμήνευσεν εἰπὼν, ὡς αὐτὰ γένοιντο οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτὰ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ πεποιθὼς αὐτοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ὄντως οἱ τοῖς ἀψύχοις ὡς θεοῖς προσέχοντες, ὥσπερ ἀπολιθωθέντες τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πεπόνθασιν τοῖς προσκυνουμένοις ὑπ' αὐτῶν, ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντες καὶ οὐ βλέποντες, ὦτα ἔχοντες καὶ οὐκ ἀκούοντες. 24.33 Ὅμοιοι αὐτοῖς γένοιντο οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτά. Οἱ μὲν προειρημένοι ὅμοιοι γενήσονται, ἢ καὶ γεγόνασι τοῖς ἑαυτῶν θεοῖς· οἱ δὲ εἰς τὸν κλῆρον παραληφθέντες τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ λαὸς αὐτοῦ χρηματίσαντες, Εὐλογήσατε, φησὶ, τὸν Κύριον, τουτέστιν ἀνευφημήσατε, τὰ μεγάλα ἑαυτοὺς ὠφελοῦντες· καλεῖται δὲ πρῶτον ἐπὶ τὴν εὐλογίαν ὁ Θεοῦ λαὸς, ὁ καλούμενος οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, τὸ ὑποβεβηκὸς τάγμα τοῦ πλήθους· δεύτερον δὲ κατὰ ἀνάβασιν καὶ ὑπεροχὴν οἶκος Ἀαρών· καὶ τρίτον ἡ φυλὴ πᾶσα ἡ ἱερατικὴ καλουμένη οἶκος Λευΐ· καὶ μετὰ πάντας ἀνωτέρω οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον· οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν πρὸς οὓς ὁ πᾶς ὕμνος προσπεφώνηται· οἱ δὴ ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ παντὸς ψαλμοῦ ὠνομασμένοι δοῦλοι, δηλαδὴ οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν προσιόντες τῇ πίστει. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ πᾶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος περιείληπται διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων τριῶν ταγμάτων, τοῦ τε Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου Ἀαρὼν, καὶ οἴκου Λευῒ, ἕτεροι παρὰ τούτους τίνες ἂν εἶεν οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον, εἰ μὴ ἐξ ἐθνῶν τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγῳ προσεληλυθότες; οἳ καὶ διδάσκονται εὐλογεῖν· Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ἐκ Σιὼν, ὁ κατοικῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἢ τὴν ἀεὶ μένουσαν τοῦ Θεοῦ πόλιν, ἐν ᾗ τὸ ἀληθὲς νοοῖτο ἂν κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ.

ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΡΛΕʹ.

Τῷ ποιήσαντι θαυμάσια μεγάλα μόνῳ. Θαυμαστὸν δὲ καὶ πρὸς λέξιν, εἰ

οὐρανὸς μὲν καὶ μόνῃ θέᾳ τὴν σοφίαν δηλοῦν τοῦ Θεοῦ, μεγέθει τε καὶ κάλλει καὶ πολυχρονίῳ μονῇ· γῆ δὲ πανταχόθεν περικλυζομένη τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ σύστασιν τὴν ἰδίαν φυλάττουσαν· πᾶσι δὲ τὸν αἰώνιον ἔλεον ὁ μελογράφος συνέζευξεν, ἐπειδὴ οὐ διὰ χρείαν οἰκείαν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ διὰ μόνην φιλανθρωπίαν ἐδημιούργησεν ἅπαντα. Τῷ πατάξαντι Αἴγυπτον. Εἰ μὴ πέπεισαι, φησὶ, προνοίᾳ Θεοῦ καὶ δυνάμει τὸν σύμπαντα κόσμον καὶ τὰ τούτου μέρη διακυβερνᾶσθαι, ἐν ἀμφιβόλῳ δὲ ἔχεις μή πη τὰ κατὰ μέρος καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα παρορᾶται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, γνῶθι, ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τῶν κατ' οὐρανὸν προνοεῖ· μετέρχεται γοῦν κατὰ χρόνους τῶν ἀνθρώπων καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἀθέους καὶ ἀσεβεῖς, ὥσπερ ποτὲ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους μετῆλθεν, καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν Αἰγυπτίαν γῆν. Προΐσταται δὲ πάλιν καὶ ὑπερμαχεῖ τῶν θεοφιλῶν, καὶ οὐ μόνων αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τούτων ἀπογόνων, ὥσπερ τῶν διὰ Μωϋσέως ἠλευθερωμένων τότε τῆς παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις δουλείας, οὓς ἠλευθέρωσεν αὐτὸς ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς, οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ ἐκτεταμένῃ χειρὶ καὶ ἰσχυρῷ βραχίονι χρησάμενος· εἴη δ' ἂν οὗτος ὁ τοῦ 24.36 Θεοῦ Λόγος, δι' οὗ καὶ πάλαι καὶ νῦν τὰς εἰς ἀνθρώπους εὐεργεσίας ἡ φιλανθρωπία τοῦ παναγάθου Θεοῦ κατειργάσατο. Τὸν Σηὼν βασιλέα τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων. Ἑρμηνεύονται δὲ Ἀμοῤῥαῖοι μὲν λαλητοὶ παραπικραίνοντες, καὶ ὁ τούτων βασιλεὺς Σηὼν, πειρασμὸς καὶ παροργισμός· οἱ δεινοὶ γὰρ πρὸς ἀπάτην σοφιστικὴν καταπικραίνοντές εἰσιν λαλητοὶ, τοὺς ὅσοι τῆς ἀληθείας εἰσὶν ἐρασταὶ θέλοντες ἐπὶ ἀπάτης λαλεῖσθαι καὶ ᾄδεσθαι, πειράζειν τε καὶ παροργίζειν ἔχοντες τὸν σκοπόν. Βασὰν δὲ αἰσχύνην μεθερμηνευομένη, τὴν τοὺς