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by providence, through which you alone, who provide, having been surpassed by mortal life, were joined with the flesh. But even if things concerning him happened this way, nevertheless he has surpassing honor, having been crowned with honor and glory by you in having been made according to your image and likeness, through which image and likeness you entrusted to a rational being the supervision of mortal creatures, subjecting all things to him so that he has them under his feet. Paul writes these words spoken concerning Christ to the Hebrews, beginning the passage thus: But someone somewhere testified, "What is man, that you are mindful of him?" and having set down the other words of the psalm in order, he added: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor; for it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 50Ps 8,8-9 See the sequence; he is not set to rule over all mortal creatures at once, but over the tame ones. For he does not rule the unicorn, nor is he set over the other strong and wild ones to rule them as tame ones, from the words: "All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field," and what follows. I think this is not well said. For before the transgression man ruled over these also; and the righteous rule over these also after the transgression, as Daniel, cast into the den of lions and suffering no harm from them, and Paul, shaking off the viper from his hand into the fire. For "wild beasts," he says, "will be at peace with you;" and in addition to these, through "the beasts of the field" the wild animals are also included, as we have learned in Genesis. 51 Ps 8,10 It was fitting that the ode spoken upon the resurrection of the savior have an end similar to its beginning; for both beginning and ending he uses the same word, as the spirit teaches that the beginning is the same as the end in subject matter; "All the earth shall worship you and sing to you" is consonant with "How wonderful is your name in all the earth."

52 Ps 9,1 Since it is not specified whose son he is, it is clear that the savior is indicated, being so named in many places. At any rate, in the epistle to the Hebrews Paul said, "Christ, as a son over his house, whose house we are;" and again, "In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son;" and the savior himself says about himself in the Gospel, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." And it is good that the present victory ode has a reference "unto the end." For it was for the sake of that end that the savior came, about which the chief of the apostles writes, "Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls," concerning which salvation the prophets inquired and searched, and a little after, "Testifying beforehand to the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow." Perhaps the Jews will say the inscription is about Absalom, who was the son of the psalmist, being refuted as not having understood it well, since they are mistaken in all things for not searching the scriptures. For what plausible thing can they say regarding "Concerning the hidden things," unless perhaps they will say that "concerning the hidden things" refers to the secretly formed plans of Absalom? But what is said by them has much foolishness. 53 Ps 9,5-6 Such a sitting signifies him as a judge, but not his being seated upon some throne. Pay attention, if there is still occasion to say, when the nations have been rebuked, that the ungodly one perishes, their godless way, so that they no longer transact business. But this will happen when what was said before is fulfilled, which goes thus: "The way of the ungodly shall perish." 54 Ps 9,7a The swords of the enemy would perhaps be the heretical teachings and the specific evils, which have failed, so that they are no longer able to fight for the cities they had, and these themselves will be overthrown; and the cities are assemblies unlawfully constituted

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προνοίᾳ, δι' ου σὺ δὲ μόνος ὁ προνοούμενος θνητῇ ὑπερβληθεὶς ζωῇ τῷ σαρκὶ συμπλακῆναι. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ουτω γέγονε τὰ κατ' αὐτόν, ομως εχει ὑπερβάλλουσαν τιμὴν τιμῇ καὶ δόξῃ στεφανωθεὶς ὑπὸ σοῦ ἐν τῷ κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν σὴν γεγονέναι, δι' ην εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἐνεχείρισας λογικῷ οντι τὴν τῶν θνητῶν ζῴων προστασίαν ὑποτάξας αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ὡς ὑπὸ πόδας αὐτὰ εχειν. Ταύτας τὰς λέξεις περὶ Χριστοῦ εἰρημένας ̔Εβραίοις γράφει Παῦλος ωδε ἀρχόμενος τῆς περιοχῆς· ∆ιεμαρτύρατο δέ που τις Τί ἐστιν ανθρωπος, οτι μιμνῄσκῃ αὐτοῦ; καὶ θεὶς ἐφεξῆς τὰς ἑτέρας λέξεις τοῦ ψαλμοῦ ἐπήγαγεν Τὸν δὲ βραχύ τι παρ' ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν ̓Ιησοῦν διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον· επρεπεν γὰρ αὐτῷ, δι' ου τὰ πάντα καὶ δι' ον τὰ πάντα, πολλοὺς υἱοὺς εἰς δόξαν ἀγαγόντα, τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν διὰ παθημάτων τελειῶσαι. 50Ps 8,8-9 Ορα τὴν ἀκολουθίαν· οὐ καθάπαξ πάντων θνητῶν ζῴων αρχειν τέθειται, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἡμέρων. οὐ γὰρ κρατεῖ μονοκέρωτος, οὐδὲ τῶν αλλων ἰσχυρῶν τε καὶ ἀγρίων παρίσταται ὡς ἡμέρων αρχειν ἐκ τοῦ Πρόβατα καὶ βόας πάσας, ετι δὲ καὶ τὰ κτήνη τοῦ πεδίου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Νομίζω τοῦτο μὴ καλῶς εἰρῆσθαι. πρὸ γὰρ τῆς παραβάσεως καὶ τούτων ηρχεν ὁ ανθρωπος· οἱ δίκαιοι δὲ καὶ τούτων μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν αρχουσιν, ὡς ∆ανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ τῶν λεόντων βληθεὶς καὶ μηδεμίαν ἐξ αὐτῶν ὑποστὰς βλάβην, καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τὴν εχιδναν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ χειρὸς ἐκτινάξας ἐπὶ τὴν πυράν. Θῆρες γὰρ αγριοι, φησίν, εἰρηνεύσουσίν σοι· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις διὰ τῶν κτηνῶν τοῦ πεδίου περιείληπται καὶ τὰ θηρία, ὡς ἐν τῇ Γενέσει μεμαθήκαμεν. 51 Ps 8,10 Επρεπεν τὴν ἐπὶ ἀναστάσει τοῦ σωτῆρος λεγομένην ᾠδὴν ομοιον εχειν τῇ ἀρχῇ τὸ τέλος· καὶ γὰρ ἀρχόμενος καὶ λήγων τῇ αὐτῇ κέχρηται λέξει, διδάσκοντος τοῦ πνεύματος τὴν ἀρχὴν τῷ τέλει καθ' ὑποκείμενον ειναι· συνᾴδει τῷ ̔Ως θαυμαστὸν τὸ ονομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ τὸ Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι καὶ ψαλάτωσάν σοι.

52 Ps 9,1 Μὴ προσκειμένου δὲ τοῦ τίνος ὁ υἱὸς ὑπάρχει, φανερὸν οτι ὁ σωτήρ

ἐστιν δηλούμενος πολλαχοῦ ουτως ὀνομαζόμενος. ἐν γοῦν τῇ πρὸς ̔Εβραίους ἐπιστολῇ ὁ Παῦλος, Χριστός, ειπεν, ὡς υἱὸς ἐπὶ τὸν οικον αὐτοῦ, ου οικός ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς· καὶ πάλιν ̓Επ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν υἱῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ σωτὴρ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ̓Εὰν ουν ὁ υἱὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃ, οντως ἐλεύθεροι γενήσεσθε. Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ Εἰς τέλος ἀναφορὰν εχειν τὴν προκειμένην ἐπινίκιον ᾠδήν. τοῦ γὰρ τέλους ἐκείνου χάριν ἐπεδήμησεν ὁ σωτήρ, περὶ ου ὁ πρόκριτος τῶν ἀποστόλων γράφει Κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν, περὶ ης σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηρεύνησαν προφῆται, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα Προμαρτυράμενοι τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα καὶ τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα δόξας. Ισως ̓Ιουδαῖοι περὶ τοῦ ̓Αβεσσαλὼμ οντος υἱοῦ τοῦ ψάλλοντος ἐροῦσιν τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν ειναι, ἐλεγχόμενοι ὡς οὐ καλῶς αὐτὴν ἐξειλήφασιν, ατε διὰ πάντων ἐσφαλμένοι τῷ μὴ ἐρευνᾶν τὰς γραφάς. τί γὰρ καὶ πειθανὸν εἰπεῖν εχουσιν εἰς τὸ Περὶ τῶν κρυφίων, εἰ μὴ αρα περὶ τῶν κρύβδην γεναμένων σκέψεων τοῦ ̓Αβεσσαλὼμ ἀροῦσιν τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων κεῖσθαι; εχει δὲ πολλὴν εὐήθειαν τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπ' αὐτῶν. 53 Ps 9,5-6 ̔Η τοιαύτη κάθισις κριτὴν αὐτὸν σημαίνει, ἀλλ' οὐ τὸ ἐπί τινος καθέδρας ἱδρῦσθαι. ἐπίστησον, εἰ χώραν εχει ετι εἰπεῖν, ἐπιτιμηθέντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀπόλλυσθαι ἀσεβῆ τὸν αθεον τρόπον αὐτῶν ωστε μηκέτι χρηματίζειν αὐτούς. συμβήσεται δὲ τοῦτο, πληρουμένου τοῦ πρότερον εἰρημένου εχοντος ουτως· ̔Οδὸς ἀσεβῶν ἀπολεῖται. 54 Ps 9,7a ̔Ρομφαῖαι δὲ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ειεν αν ισως αἱ αἱρετικαὶ διδασκαλίαι καὶ αἱ κατ' ειδος κακίαι, αι τινες ἐξέλειπον ὡς μηκέτι δύνασθαι ὑπεραγωνίζεσθαι ων ειχον πόλεων, καὶ αὐταὶ καθαιρεθήσονται· ἀθροίσματα δὲ αἱ πόλεις παρανόμως συστᾶσαι