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Israelites and Amalekites, and indeed Saul himself, you exacted punishment for their injustice; so also now deem me worthy of salvation. And, "You have broken the teeth of sinners," instead of, You have stripped them of all strength, from the metaphor of wild beasts, which, being deprived of their teeth, are very easy to despise and easy to overcome. 9. "Salvation is of the Lord." Not having, he says, my hope in man, but from you I await salvation; and not I alone, but also your people who are warred against with me. And I care also for those who make war; for that people is also called yours. Grant, therefore, Master, both to these and to those, the blessing of peace; for he indicated this when he said, "And upon your people is your blessing." For blessed Moses also joins peace with blessings; and we find in the history that blessed David cared very much for the people, and for his patricidal son, and provided more for peace than for victory against the people.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 4TH PSALM. 1. "To the end, in hymns; a psalm for David;" Instead of, "to the end," the one

Aquila and Theodotion translated, "to the victor"; but Symmachus, "a song of victory." "To the end" signifies that what is prophesied will be fulfilled long ages later. And at the end of the psalm, he foretold the resurrection from the dead, saying, "In peace in the same I will sleep and I will rest; for you, Lord, alone in hope have made me dwell." But according to the others, this present psalm is a hymn of victory offered to God the victor by the blessed David, after the victory over Absalom was achieved. For the psalm seems to have been spoken by these men after 80.889 the resolution of that war; for in the psalm before this one the blessed David said, "Many say to my soul, There is no salvation for him in his God." But in this one he says, "Sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek falsehood? And know that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful." Therefore in the present psalm he teaches those who are sick with atheism, and do not believe that God has providence, and governs human affairs, that there is one who oversees and rules all things; and for proof of his teaching he recounts the particular events. 2. "When I called upon him, the God of my righteousness heard me." Learn, he says, from what has happened to me, how the God of all is present in human affairs, and hears those who call upon him sincerely. For my part, having immediately offered my prayer, I obtained my request. And, "of my righteousness," he has put instead of my righteous request. For it is not characteristic of David's mindset to testify to his own righteousness and virtue; but these words seem to be like those spoken by God through Isaiah, "Then you will call, and I will answer you; while you are still speaking, I will say, Behold, I am here." -"In tribulation you have made room for me." The God of all is accustomed to allow sorrowful things to happen to the saints; but after the training and testing to proclaim the athletes; and indeed even in the trials themselves to offer every consolation. This also the great David teaches here, that "In the very tribulations I enjoyed your help and consolation." Such is that which was said by the God of all to the divine Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness." 3. "Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer." The righteous man does not have his fill of prayer; but both while praying, and enjoying favor, and reaping the fruits of his prayer, he persists in offering supplications, since indeed he knows the benefit that will come from it. 4. "Sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek falsehood?" From the things that have happened to me, learn, O men, of all

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Ἰσραηλίτας καὶ Ἀμαληκίτας, καὶ μέντοι καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Σαοὺλ, ποινὴν εἰσεπράξω τῆς ἀδικίας· οὕτω με καὶ νῦν τῆς σωτηρίας ἀξίωσον. Τὸ δὲ, "Ὀδόντας ἁμαρτωλῶν συνέτριψας," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Πάσης αὐτοὺς ἐγύμνωσας ἰσχύος, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν θηρίων, ἃ τῶν ὀδόντων στερούμενα, εὐκαταφρό νητα λίαν ἐστὶ καὶ εὐκαταγώνιστα. θʹ. "Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ σωτηρία." Οὐκ ἔχων. φησὶν, εἰς ἄνθρωπον τὴν ἐλπίδα, ἀλλὰ παρὰ σοῦ τὴν σωτη ρίαν προσμένω· οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ σὸς λαὸς ὁ σὺν ἐμοὶ πολεμούμενος. Κήδομαι δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν πολεμούντων· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος σὸς χρηματίζει λαός. ∆ὸς τοίνυν, ∆έσποτα, καὶ τούτοις, κἀκείνοις, τῆς εἰρήνης τὴν εὐλογίαν· τοῦτο γὰρ παρεδήλωσεν εἰρηκώς· "Καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου ἡ εὐλογία σου." Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Μωσῆς ταῖς εὐλογίαις τὴν εἰρήνην συντάττει· εὑρίσκομεν δὲ κἀν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ σφόδρα τοῦ λαοῦ κηδόμενον τὸν μα κάριον ∆αβὶδ, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατραλοίου παιδὸς, καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς εἰρήνης, ἢ τῆς κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ προμηθού μενον νίκης.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ∆ʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ἐν ὕμνοις· ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ·" Ἀντὶ τοῦ, εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὁ μὲν

Ἀκύλας καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων, τῷ νικοποιῷ ἡρμήνευσαν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, ἐπινίκιος. Σημαίνει δὲ τὸ μὲν εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὅτι μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις πληρωθήσεται τὰ προφη τευόμενα. Προηγόρευσε δὲ ἐν τῷ τέλει τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν, εἰρηκώς· "Ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κοιμηθήσομαι καὶ ὑπνώσω· ὅτι σὺ, Κύριε κατὰ μόνας ἐπ' ἐλπίδι κατῴκησάς με." Κατὰ δέ γε τοὺς λοιποὺς, ὕμνος ἐπινίκιος τῷ νικοποιῷ προσφέρεται Θεῷ ὁ παρὼν ψαλμὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ μακα ρίου ∆αβὶδ, μετὰ τὴν γενομένην τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ νίκην. Ἔοικε γὰρ τούτοις ὁ ψαλμὸς εἰρῆσθαι μετὰ 80.889 τὴν ἐκείνου τοῦ πολέμου διάλυσιν· ἐν γὰρ τῷ πρὸ τούτου ψαλμῷ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη ∆αβίδ· "Πολλοὶ λέ γουσι τῇ ψυχῇ μου, Οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ αὐτοῦ." Ἐν δὲ τούτῳ φησὶν, "Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι, ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα, καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; Καὶ γνῶτε, ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσε Κύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὑτοῦ." ∆ιδάσκει τοίνυν ἐν τῷ παρόντι ψαλμῷ τοὺς ἀθεΐαν νοσοῦντας, καὶ προνοεῖν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ κυβερνᾷν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, μὴ νομί ζοντας, ὡς ἔστιν ὁ ἐφορῶν καὶ πρυτανεύων ἅπαντα· καὶ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τῆς διδασκαλίας τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον διηγεῖται. βʹ. "Ἐν τῷ ἐπικαλεῖσθαί με εἰσήκουσέ μου ὁ Θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου." Μάθετε, φησὶν, ἐκ τῶν εἰς ἐμὲ γεγενημένων, ὅπως ἐφέστηκε τοῖς ἀνθρω πίνοις ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, καὶ τῶν εἰλικρινῶς ἐπικα λουμένων ἀκούει. Ἐγὼ γοῦν παραυτίκα προσε νεγκών μου τὴν δέησιν ἔτυχον τῆς αἰτήσεως. Τὸ δὲ, "Τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου," ἀντὶ τοῦ τῆς δικαίας μου αἰτήσεως τέθεικεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴδιον τοῦ φρο νήματος τοῦ ∆αβὶδ δικαιοσύνην αὐτῷ καὶ ἀρε τὴν μαρτυρεῖν· ἔοικε δὲ ταυτὶ τὰ ῥήματα τοῖς διὰ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰρημένοις, "Τότε καλέσεις, ἐγὼ δέ σου ὑπακούσομαι· ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου, ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι." -"Ἐν θλίψει ἐπλάτυνάς μοι." Εἴωθεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς συγχωρεῖν μὲν γίνεσθαι τοῖς ἁγίοις τὰ λυπηρά· μετὰ δὲ τὴν γυμνα σίαν καὶ δοκιμασίαν ἀνακηρύττειν τοὺς ἀθλητάς· καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς πειρασμοῖς πᾶσαν προσφέρειν ψυχαγωγίαν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ μέγας διδάσκει ∆αβὶδ, ὅτι Ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς θλίψεσι τῆς σῆς ἐπικουρίας καὶ ψυχαγωγίας ἀπήλαυσα. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων πρὸς τὸν θεσπέσιον Παῦλον εἰρημένον, "Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται." γʹ. "Οἰκτείρησόν με, καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευ χῆς μου." Οὐ λαμβάνει κόρον ὁ δίκαιος προσευ χῆς· ἀλλὰ καὶ δεόμενος, καὶ εὐμενείας ἀπολαύων, καὶ τῆς δεήσεως τρυγῶν τοὺς καρποὺς ἐπιμένει τὰς ἱκετείας προσφέρων, ἅτε δὴ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐσομένην ἐπιστάμενος ὠφέλειαν. δʹ. "Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα, καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος;" Ἐκ τῶν εἰς ἐμὲ γεγενημένων μάθετε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, τῶν ὅλων