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themselves to rational instruction. When his wrath is kindled in haste; blessed are all who have trusted in him. But that wrath and anger are not passions of God, the blessed Paul declared, saying: But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath; by which he indicates that the punishment for sins is called wrath and anger. But, he says, those who trust in him, the Christ prophesied throughout the psalm, will shortly (for all the present life is brief) be found blessed. And what was lacking in the first psalm he has supplied through these things. For it is not enough only not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor to stand in the way of sinners and to meditate on the law; but also not to meditate in vain, but to know Christ from them, and to become of his portion and inheritance, and through faith and works to trust in him. It is fitting, therefore, since the thought is one, that the two psalms are joined together among the Hebrews. EXPLANATION OF PSALM 3.

A Psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom his son.

He necessarily notes the time, so that he might apply the history from the books of Kings to what is said, and so that we might learn that, after sinning in the matter of Uriah, he bore so much fruit of repentance as to sing psalms again in the divine Spirit. For Absalom’s rebellion against his father follows the story of Uriah. And from these things there might also be for others a turn from former evils to better things, and a teaching of genuine return to God. And in another way, it is characteristic of the just to be afflicted; for this reason the Savior also says: In the world you have tribulation; and narrow and afflicted is the way that leads to life. Lord, why have those who afflict me multiplied? Many rise up against me; many say to my 23.93 soul: There is no salvation for him in his God. But you, O Lord, are my helper, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. All who have chosen to live according to God must expect persecutions. Since, according to the Apostle: All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But in all things it is fitting to endure hardships patiently; since our struggle is not for a little while, nor against few, but against many and great, not only those among men, but also the invisible enemies. And according to what is said, David, warred against by Saul from a young age, and after this by countless others, and finally being driven from the kingdom by his son and fleeing, said these things at the time of his flight. It is characteristic of enemies to attack and rise up against the misfortunes of their adversaries; wherefore also some malicious enemies rose up against David when he had sinned in the matter of Uriah. Long ago and for a long time the head of one magnified according to the body is lifted up through envy, over the heads of inferiors lying below. Thus when the soul of the blessed one has risen up and ascended to an increase of greatness as it is among souls, the head is lifted up, with God cooperating with it and leading it up to himself into heaven, who provides it with the means for the sequence toward the highest. And since he bestows much more than man's choice, the benefactor, in giving, overcomes the one who does good according to his ability; and for this reason Paul, ascribing the cause of every good thing to God, says: It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. God, therefore, and virtue magnify, and through all things praise the soul of the saint; but wickedness and its cooperating hostile power against men, contracts and into a narrow

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ἑαυτοὺς τῇ λογικῇ παιδείᾳ. Ὅταν ἐκκαυθῇ ἐν τάχει ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ· μακάριοι πάντες οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ' αὐτῷ· Ὅτι δὲ μὴ πάθη Θεοῦ ὀργὴ καὶ θυμὸς, ὁ μακάριος ἐδήλωσε Παῦλος εἰπών· Κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν, θησαυρίζεις ἑαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς· δι' ὧν σημαίνει τὴν ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαις κόλασιν εἰρῆσθαι θυμὸν καὶ ὀργήν. Ἐπ' αὐτῷ δὲ, λέγει, πεποιθότες τῷ προφητευομένῳ Χριστῷ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, οἱ μικρὸν ὕστερον (βραχὺς γὰρ ἅπας ὁ παρὼν βίος) εὑρεθήσονται μακάριοι. Τὸ δὲ λεῖπον τοῖς ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ψαλμῷ διὰ τούτων ἀπέδωκεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ μόνον τὸ μὴ πορεύεσθαι ἐν βουλῇ ἀσεβῶν, οὐδὲ τὸ μὴ στῆναι ἐν ὁδῷ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ μελετᾷν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ· ἀλλὰ γὰρ δὴ καὶ μὴ διακενῆς μελετᾷν, ἀλλὰ γνῶναι Χριστὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι μερίδος τε καὶ κληρονομίας, καὶ διὰ πίστεως καὶ ἔργων ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεποιθέναι. Εἰκότως ἄρα, μιᾶς οὔσης τῆς διανοίας, συνημμένοι παρ' Ἑβραίοις εἰσὶν οἱ δύο ψαλμοί. ΕΞΗΓΗΣΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ Γʹ.

Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αυῒδ, ὁπότε ἀπεδίδρασκεν ἀπὸ προσώπου Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ.

Ἀναγκαίως τὸν καιρὸν ἐπισημειοῦται, ὡς ἂν ἐφαρμόσοι μὲν τοῖς λεγομένοις τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἱστορίαν, καὶ ὡς ἂν μάθοιμεν, ὅτι, μετὰ τὸ ἐξαμαρτῆσαι εἰς τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου, τοσοῦτον εἰσηνέγκατο μετανοίας καρπὸν, ὡς πάλιν ἐν θείῳ Πνεύματι ψάλλειν. Ἕπεται γὰρ τῇ κατὰ τὸν Οὐρίαν ἱστορίᾳ ἡ τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπανάστασις. Γένοιτο δ' ἂν ἐκ τούτων καὶ ἑτέροις τροπὴ τῆς ἀπὸ προτέρων κακῶν ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω μεταβολῆς, διδασκαλία τε γνησίας πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιστροφῆς. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ ἴδιον δικαίων ἐστὶ τὸ θλίβεσθαι· διὸ καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ φησιν· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλίψιν ἔχετε· καὶ στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν. Κύριε, τί ἐπληθύνθησαν οἱ θλίβοντές με; Πολλοὶ ἐπανίστανται ἐπ' ἐμέ· πολλοὶ λέγουσι τῇ 23.93 ψυχῇ μου· Οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ αὐτοῦ. Σὺ δὲ, Κύριε, ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ, δόξα μου, καὶ ὑψῶν τὴν κεφαλήν μου. Πάντας διωγμοὺς χρὴ προσδοκᾷν τοὺς κατὰ Θεὸν ζῇν προῃρημένους. Ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον· Πάντες οἱ θέλοντες ζῇν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διωχθήσονται. Ἀλλ' ἐν πᾶσι προσήκει τὰ δεινὰ καρτερῶς ὑπομένειν· ἐπεὶ μηδὲ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν ὁ ἀγὼν, μηδὲ πρὸς μικροὺς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πλείονας καὶ μεγάλους, οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀοράτους ἐχθρούς. Καὶ κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν δὲ, ∆αυῒδ, ἐκ νέας ἡλικίας ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ πολεμηθεὶς, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ὑπὸ μυρίων ἄλλων, καὶ τέλος ὑπὸ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς βασιλείας ἐλαυνόμενος καὶ φεύγων, ταῦτα κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς φυγῆς ἔλεγεν. Ἐχθρῶν δέ ἐστι τὸ ἐπεμβαίνειν καὶ ἐπανίστασθαι τοῖς κακοῖς τῶν δι' ἐναντίας· διόπερ καὶ τῷ ∆αυῒδ ἡμαρτηκότι ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου πολλοὶ ἐπανίσταντο ἐπιχαιρεσίκακοι ἐχθροί τινες. Πάλαι καὶ ἐκ μακροῦ διὰ φθόνου ὑψοῦται κεφαλὴ τοῦ κατὰ σῶμα μεγεθισμένου, παρὰ τὰς τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων κεφαλὰς κάτω κειμένας. Οὕτω διαναστάσης τῆς τοῦ μακαρίου ψυχῆς καὶ εἰς ἐπίδοσιν ἀναβεβηκυίας τοῦ ὡς ἐν ψυχαῖς μεγέθους, ἡ κεφαλὴ ὑψοῦται Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντος αὐτῇ καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνάγοντος, τὸν ἐμπαρέχοντα αὐτὸν τῇ πρὸς τὸ ἀνωτάτω ἀκολουθίᾳ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλῷ πλέον τῆς προαιρέσεως τῆς τἀνθρώπου χαρίζεται, νικῶν ἐν τῷ δωρεῖσθαι ὁ εὐεργέτης τὸν κατὰ δύναμιν ποιοῦντα τὸ καλόν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο παντὸς καλοῦ τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ Παῦλος ἀνατιθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ φησιν· Οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος, οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος Θεοῦ. Ὁ Θεὸς μὲν οὖν καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ μεγεθύνει, καὶ δι' ὅλων ἐπαινεῖ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου ψυχήν· κακία δὲ καὶ ἡ συνεργὸς ταύτῃ ἐχθρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δύναμις, συστέλλει καὶ εἰς στενὸν