78 Ps 48,4.5 I will take up, he says, a hidden wise word, mixing the riddle with a song. Why did he not say to open the mouth to a parable, but to incline the ear? Or because he wishes to show himself to be more a hearer of the speaking Spirit than an interpreter himself, or also that through his mouth the things said are spoken. For indeed "I will hear what God will speak in me" is said in the 84th psalm. 79 Ps 48,10a But he will willingly undergo death, he says, as regards this age, dying to the world, his life being taken from the earth, but living to God. 80 Ps 48,13 The passion of death, he says, was not connected to man when he came into being, but occurred from dishonor, because being honored with increase toward immortality he did not perceive, having the good from honor greater than his nature, from which, having fallen away from the likeness of God which is in immortality, he is likened to beasts in respect to death. "For as the death of this one, so is the death of that one," says Ecclesiastes, "and one spirit is for all;" "and what has man more than the beast? Nothing, because all is vanity." All things to one place; all things came from the dust, and all things return to the dust. 81 Ps 48,15bc But when the age to come has arrived, he says, which is the morning of the coming day, the kingdom will belong to the good, with all human power having ceased, and that from God prevailing, when the race of the good is glorious and royal, but that of the not good is subject and servile, since the strength that comes from wealth has passed away, but that from virtue remains, and all the remnant of men on earth will be subject to the good who reign according to God. 82 Ps 48,17 Therefore let wealth and glory be considered nothing great; for they are things that do not depart with their possessor, whereas righteousness does depart with him, and leads up those who have been brought down.

83 Ps 49,6 But the perfect celestial races, he says, will sing hymns to the righteousness of God, acclaiming with perfect words those who have what is most just and most judicious, because God is pleased not by sacrifices but by judgment, and has this as an everlasting covenant. 84 Ps 49,13 For is God, he says, in need of food and drink, that he should pay attention to flesh as food and to blood as drink? Then, introducing in its place the true honor of God under the name of sacrifice, he adds the following. 85 Ps 49,14 Consider this, he says, a sacrifice: the perception of benefactions and the confession from the heart and the fulfillment of vows, a debt owed by men to God. 86 Ps 49,15 And doing these things, he says, be hopeful that you will obtain God's help in tribulations, so that you may also glorify him when you receive his benefactions, unceasingly offering thanksgivings. 87 Ps 49,17-19 These things are a paralysis of the law: of "You shall not steal," the running with a thief; of "You shall not commit adultery," the being ranked with adulterers; of "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" and "You shall not go with deceit among your people," the speaking treacherously and deceitfully and accusing and contriving stumbling blocks for one's neighbor. 88 Ps 49,21c But the judgment will show the knowledge that I will make you be seen even by yourself. For each one will see himself, when hearts are revealed, as he was formed from the heart. And as for "I will set in order," Theodotion, by interpreting it as "I will pile up," indicated the mass gathering of deeds being brought before the eyes of the one who performed them. 89 Ps 50,5 This was "A righteous man is his own accuser." For I do not wait, he says, for the reproof from another, even if the prophet reproved. He indeed did so once, but I always see my fall, but I do not despair of the healing on account of mercy.

90 Ps 50,7 A request for pardon, because sin has been ingrained in us from our first genesis, being passed down to us from conceiving mothers. because "Through one"

11

78 Ps 48,4.5 Λόγου, φησίν, ἅψομαι σοφοῦ κεκρυμμένου, μιγνὺς ᾠδῇ τὸ αἴνιγμα. πῶς οὐχὶ τὸ στόμα εἶπεν ἀνοίγειν εἰς παραβολὴν ἀλλὰ τὸ οὖς κλίνειν; ἢ ὅτι δεικνύειν ἑαυτὸν βούλεται μᾶλλον ἀκροατὴν ὄντα πνεύματος λαλοῦντος ἢ αὐτὸν ἐξηγητὴν ἢ καὶ διὰ στόματος αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ τὰ λεγόμενα. καὶ γὰρ Ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν Π∆ λέγεται ψαλμῷ. 79 Ps 48,10a Ἀλλὰ θάνατον μέν φησιν ἑκὼν ὅσον πρὸς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον ὑποστήσεται κόσμῳ τελευτῶν, αἰρόμενος ἀπὸ γῆς τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, θεῷ δὲ ζῶν. 80 Ps 48,13 Τὸ δὲ τοῦ θανάτου πάθος, φησίν, οὐ γενομένῳ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ συνῆπτο, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀτιμίας ἐπισυμβέβηκεν, ὅτι τῇ πρὸς ἀθανασίαν αὐξήσει τετιμημένος οὐκ ᾔσθετο, μεῖζον ἔχων τῆς φύσεως τὸ ἐκ τιμῆς ἀγαθόν, ὅθεν ἀποπεσὼν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁμοιώσεως τῆς ἐν ἀθανασίᾳ κτήνεσιν ὁμοιοῦται κατὰ τὸν θάνατον. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ θάνατος τούτου, οὕτως ὁ θάνατος τούτου, φησὶν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής, καὶ πνεῦμα ἓν τοῖς ἅπασιν· καὶ τί ἐπερίσσευσεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρὰ τὸ κτῆνος; οὐδέν, ὅτι πάντα ματαιότης. τὰ πάντα εἰς τόπον ἕνα· τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τοῦ χοός, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐπιστρέφει εἰς τὸν χοῦν. 81 Ps 48,15bc Τοῦ δὲ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, φησίν, ἐνστάντος, ὅπερ ἐστὶ πρωῒ τῆς μελλούσης ἡμέρας, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ βασιλεία ἔσται, πάσης ἀνθρωπίνης δυνάμεως πεπαυμένης, τῆς δὲ παρὰ θεοῦ κρατούσης, ὅτε τὸ μὲν τῶν ἀγαθῶν γένος ἔνδοξον καὶ βασιλικόν, τὸ δὲ τῶν οὐκ ἀγαθῶν ὑπήκοον καὶ δοῦλον, ἐπειδὴ παρελήλυθεν ἡ κατὰ πλοῦτον ἰσχύς, μένει δὲ ἡ κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ πᾶν τὸ ὑπολειπόμενον ἀνθρώπων ἐν γῇ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ὑπακούσεται βασιλεύουσι κατὰ θεόν. 82 Ps 48,17 Μηδὲν τοίνυν λογιζέσθω μέγα πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα· τά γε μὴ συναπιόντα τῷ κτησαμένῳ, ὥσπερ ἡ δικαιοσύνη συναπέρχεται, καὶ ἐπανάγει τοὺς καταχθέντας.

83 Ps 49,6 Ἐφυμνήσει δέ, φησίν, τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ τὰ τέλεια γένη τὰ

οὐράνια, τοῖς τελείοις ἐπευφημοῦντα λόγοις τοῖς τὸ δικαιότατον ἔχουσιν καὶ κριτικώτατον, τῷ μὴ θύμασιν ἀλλὰ κρίσει θεὸν εὐφραίνεσθαι καὶ ταύτην ἔχειν τὴν εἰς ἀεὶ διαθήκην. 84 Ps 49,13 Μὴ γὰρ ἐνδεὴς ἐδεσμάτων, φησίν, ὁ θεὸς καὶ ποτῶν, ἵνα προσέχῃ κρέασιν ὡς ἐδέσμασι καὶ ὡς ποτῷ αἵματι. εἶτα ἀντεισάγων τὴν ἀληθῆ θεοῦ τιμὴν τῷ τῆς θυσίας ὀνόματι τὰ ἐχόμενα προστίθησι. 85 Ps 49,14 Ταύτην, φησίν, ἡγοῦ θυσίαν τὴν τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν αἴσθησιν καὶ τὴν ἐκ καρδίας ὁμολογίαν καὶ τὴν τῶν εὐχῶν πλήρωσιν χρέος ὀφειλόμενον παρὰ ἀνθρώπων θεῷ. 86 Ps 49,15 Καὶ ταῦτα ποιῶν, φησίν, εὔελπις ἔσο τεύξεσθαι θεοῦ βοηθοῦντος ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἵνα καὶ δοξάσῃς αὐτὸν εὐεργετούμενος, ἀπαύστως ἀνάγων εὐχαριστίας. 87 Ps 49,17-19 Παράλυσις ταῦτα τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ μὲν Οὐ κλέψεις τὸ κλέπτῃ συντρέχειν, τοῦ δὲ Οὐ μοιχεύσεις τὸ μετὰ μοιχῶν συντετάχθαι, τοῦ δὲ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σαυτὸν καὶ Οὐ πορεύσει δόλῳ ἐν τῷ ἔθνει σου τὸ λαλεῖν ἐπιβουλευτικὰ καὶ δολερὰ καὶ κατηγορεῖν καὶ μηχανᾶσθαι τῷ πλησίον προσπταίσματα. 88 Ps 49,21c Ἀλλ' ἡ κρίσις ἐπιδείξει τὴν γνῶσιν ὅτι καὶ αὐτόν σε ποιήσω σεαυτῷ θεωρεῖσθαι. τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστος ὄψεται τῶν καρδιῶν ἀπο καλυπτομένων, οἷος ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐτυπώθη. Τὸ δὲ Προσθήσω Στοιβάσω Θεοδοτίων ἑρμηνεύσας τὴν ἀθρόαν τῶν πράξεων ἐδήλωσεν ἄθροισιν ὑπ' ὀφθαλμοὺς τῷ πράξαντι γινομένην. 89 Ps 50,5 Τοῦτο ἦν τὸ ∆ίκαιος ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορος. οὐ γὰρ ἀναμένω, φησίν, τὸν παρ' ἑτέρου ἔλεγχον, εἰ καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἤλεγξεν. ἐκεῖνος μέν γε εἰς ἅπαξ, ἐγὼ δὲ διὰ παντὸς ὁρῶ τὸ πταισθέν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπογινώσκω τὴν ἴασιν διὰ τὸν ἔλεον.

90 Ps 50,7 Συγγνώμης αἴτησις ὅτι συμπέφυκεν ἡμῖν ἡ ἁμαρτία κατὰ τὴν

πρώτην γένεσιν ἐκ μητέρων τῶν κυουσῶν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς παραπεμπομένη. ὅτι ∆ι' ἑνὸς

11