For the whole world has also blossomed with the fruit of Christ and a countless multitude of the children of Christ appearing in each city like grass from the earth. 105 Ps 71,20 Here therefore are fulfilled the prayers of David which he made for the eternal duration of the throne, saying "Lord, the word which you spoke concerning the house of your servant and concerning your servant, let it be confirmed forever and do as you have spoken and let your name be exalted forever," as they say, "The Lord Almighty, God of Israel," and the house of David your servant having been set upright. Not without reason, therefore, was written in the following psalm, "The hymns of David, son of Jesse, are ended;" for this is the end and part of the thanksgiving for the fulfillment of the prayers of David.

106a Ps 72 arg. And the second book of the Psalms ended in the doxology the

proclaiming the "Amen," just as also the first. "Let it be" signifies "As he has said." For the end of that one was the 40th, spoken concerning Christ, while the end of this one is the aforementioned 71st; and the third ends, so that we may already speak about that one too, at the 88th psalm, so that there are 17 psalms in all, of which 11 are of Asaph, then 4 of the sons of Korah, and 1 of David, and the last of Heman the Israelite. 107 Ps 72,7b-9 And instead of "They went forth unto the disposition of the heart," Aquila translated "They have passed the watchtowers of the heart," meaning, they wish to accomplish none of their natural thoughts, nor do they do what they know to be right, but they depart from these things. Virtue is a joke to them, slander against their inferiors is easy; blasphemy against God is ready, their tongue is at hand against men. And this is "And their tongue went through the earth." 108 Ps 72,11-13 *...the wicked.......... the righteous in the future state, as Jeremiah also says, "If you return, I will restore you before my face." But there he says, "And all who planned evil, who chose what is evil, will repent." For when good things appear among the race of the righteous, they will say, "There is then a providence of God; and how does he know what is being done?" But this is the voice of those who have lost their natural reasoning because of the unprofitable good things that came to them for their injustices. For to prosper not according to reason introduces reasonings that the world is not governed according to reason nor will he know our difficul... end; But since providence presides over all things, yet still, he says, these impious ones who even in their good cheer are unbearable in their pride and in their words against God and are not yet persuaded even by the well-pleasing state of the righteous .............. of all... * * and for the one steadfast of hands, a vain steadfastness, as he is mocked and spoken ill of for choosing righteousness. This is the difficult thing for human reasoning, to repent of zeal for virtue as being not good nor profitable. For such thoughts often enter into many, which he is about to heal with his word. [And for the refutation of the impious reasoning, he confirms the more pious one through the person of God. For what is said requires God as a true guarantor, that the pious will be more blessed in the future state, though they fare ill now, while the wicked prosper to the end. Such is that in Jeremiah, "If you return, I will restore you before my face." But the phrase "And they said, 'How did God know?'" is the reasoning of those who have lost their natural reason on account of unprofitable luxury; for if providence existed, they themselves would not prosper while the good fare ill.] 109 Ps 72,24 According to *** 110A Ps 72,24 But Symmachus later said, "Honor succeeded." And otherwise: I ceased, having resolved to be silent and to trust in you as one who governs our affairs well, and thus to be with you always; therefore you took hold of me; you put in me a good opinion, you led me to blessed glory.

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γὰρ καὶ τέθηλεν οἰκουμένη πᾶσα τῷ Χριστοῦ καρπῷ καὶ πλῆθος ἀναρίθμητον τῶν ἐφ' ἑκάστης πόλεως ἀναφαινομένων Χριστοῦ παίδων ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς πόα. 105 Ps 71,20 Ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν πληροῦνται τοῦ ∆αυὶδ αἱ εὐχαὶ ἃς ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς αἰῶνα μονῆς τοῦ θρόνου πεποίηται λέγων Κύριε, ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησας ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ παιδός σου καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν παῖδά σου πιστωθήτω ἕως αἰῶνος καὶ ποίησον καθὼς ἐλάλησας καὶ ὑψωθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου ἕως αἰῶνος λεγόντων Κύριος παντοκράτωρ θεὸς Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ὁ οἶκος ∆αυὶδ τοῦ παιδός σου ἀνωρθωμένος. Ἀλόγως οὖν τῷ ἑξῆς ἐγράφη ψαλμῷ τὸ Ἐξέλιπον οἱ ὕμνοι ∆αυὶδ τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἰεσσαί· τέλος γάρ ἐστι τούτου καὶ τῆς εὐχαριστίας μέρος ἐπὶ τῇ πληρώσει τῶν ∆αυὶδ προσευχῶν.

106a Ps 72 arg. Κατέληξε καὶ ἡ δευτέρα τῶν ψαλμῶν βίβλος εἰς εὐλογίαν τὴν

ἐπιφωνοῦσαν τὸ Ἀμήν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ πρώτη Γένοιτο δηλοῖ Καθὰ εἴρηκεν. ἐκείνης μὲν γὰρ ἦν τέλος ὁ Μ εἰς Χριστὸν εἰρημένος, ταύτης δὲ τέλος ὁ νῦν προειρημένος ΟΑ· καταλήγει δὲ ἡ τρίτη, ἵν' ἤδη καὶ περὶ ἐκείνης προείπωμεν εἰς τὸν ΠΗ ψαλμόν, ὡς εἶναι πάντας ψαλμοὺς ΙΖ ὧν ΙΑ μέν εἰσι τοῦ Ἀσάφ, εἶτα τῶν υἱῶν Κορὲ ∆ καὶ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ Α καὶ Αἱμὰν τοῦ Ἰσραηλίτου τελευταῖος. 107 Ps 72,7b-9 Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ∆ιήλθοσαν εἰς διάθεσιν καρδίας ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσεν Παρῆλθον σκοπιὰς καρδίας, ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐδὲν τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ἐννοημάτων ἐπιτελεῖν ἐθέλουσιν οὐδ' ἃ νοοῦσιν εὖ ἔχοντα πράττουσιν ἀλλ' ἀφίστανται τούτων. γέλως δὲ αὐτοῖς ἡ ἀρετή, συκοφαντία κατὰ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων εὔκολος· ἕτοιμος ἡ κατὰ θεοῦ βλασφημία, πρόχειρος κατὰ ἀνθρώπων ἡ γλῶσσα. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι Καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν διῆλθεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 108 Ps 72,11-13 *λους κακο.......... δίκαιοι ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ καταστάσει, ὁποῖόν τι καὶ Ἱερεμίας λέγει τὸ Ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃς, καὶ ἀποκαταστήσω σε πρὸ προσώπου μου. ἐκεῖ δέ φησιν Καὶ μεταγνώσονται πάντες κακῶς βουλευσάμενοι οἱ τὸ κακὸν προελόμενοι. ἀναφάντων γὰρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐν τῷ γένει τῶν δικαίων ἐροῦσιν Ἔστιν ἄρα πρόνοια θεοῦ· καὶ πῶς γινώσκει τὰ πραττόμενα; ἡ φωνὴ δὲ ἀπολωλεκότων τὸν κατὰ φύσιν λογισμὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσυμφόρως ὑπαρξάντων αὐτοῖς ἀγαθῶν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀδικίας. τὸ γὰρ μὴ κατὰ λόγον εὐπραγεῖν παρίστησι λογισμοὺς ὡς μὴ κατὰ λόγον διεξαγομένου τοῦ κόσμου μηδὲ δυσκολ.. τέρας ἡμῶν γνώσεται· τῆς δὲ προνοίας ἐφεστώσης τοῖς ὅλοις ἀλλ' ὅμως, φησίν, οἱ δυσσεβεῖς οὗτοι οἳ καὶ ἐν εὐθυμίαις ἀφόρητοι τῷ φρονήματι καὶ τοῖς κατὰ θεοῦ λόγοις καὶ ἐν ταῖς τῶν δικαίων εὐδοκίαις οὔπω πειθόμενοι .............. τῶν ἁπαν... * * καὶ τὸν χειρῶν καρτερὸν ματαία καρτερία χλευαζομένου καὶ κακῶς ἀκούοντος ἐπὶ τῷ δικαιοσύνην αἱρεῖσθαι. τοῦτο τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου λογισμοῦ τὸ χαλεπὸν τὸ μεταγνῶναι τῆς ἐπ' ἀρετῇ σπουδῆς ὡς οὐκ ἀγαθῆς οὐδὲ λυσιτελοῦς. ἐπεισέρχεται δὲ πολλοῖς πολλάκις ἐνθυμήματα τοιαῦτα ἃ δὴ καὶ θεραπεύειν μέλλει τῷ λόγῳ. [Εἰς ἀναίρεσιν δὲ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς λογισμοῦ τὸν εὐσεβέστερον βεβαιοῖ διὰ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ· θεοῦ γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐγγυητοῦ τὸ λεγόμενον δεῖται τὸ μακαριωτέρους εἶναι τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ καταστάσει δυσπραγοῦντας νῦν, τῶν διὰ τέλους ἀσεβῶν εὐπραγούντων. τοιοῦτον παρ' Ἱερεμίᾳ τὸ Ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃς, καὶ ἀποκαστήσω σε πρὸ προσώπου μου. τὸ δὲ Καὶ εἶπον Πῶς ἔγνω ὁ θεός; ἀπολωλεκότων τὸν κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶ λογισμὸν ὑπὸ τρυφῆς ἀσυμφόρου· προνοίας γὰρ οὔσης, μὴ ἂν ἑαυτοὺς εὐπραγεῖν τῶν ἀγαθῶν δυσκληρούντων.] 109 Ps 72,24 Παρὰ μὲν *** 110A Ps 72,24 Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ὕστερον ἔφη Τιμὴ διεδέξατο. καὶ ἄλλως δέ· ἀνεπαυσάμην συνειδὼν σιωπᾶν καὶ σοὶ πιστεύειν ὡς καλῶς διοικοῦντι τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς καὶ οὕτω σοι συνεῖναι διὰ παντός· διό μου ἀντελάβου· δόξαν ἐνέθηκας ἀγαθήν, εἰς δόξαν μακαρίαν προσήγαγες.

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