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righteous, O Lord." For when your blessing and providence are supplied to your servants, those who have established themselves as lovers of your name will be high-minded in your care, 80.901 recounting your power. Thus also says the blessed Paul: "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." -"As with a shield of favor you have crowned us." The divine Scripture calls the good will of God 'favor'. Such is the phrase, "You have favored, Lord, your land," instead of, "You have willed good things for your land." And in the blessed Paul, "According to the favor of his will," that is, according to his good will. And here, therefore, it says this, that Your good will, and your great affection and love for us, has become for us both a weapon procuring victory, and a victor's crown.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 6th PSALM. 1. "To the end, in hymns, for the eighth, a psalm of David." The prophetic word calls the future

state the 'eighth'; for since the present life is recycled through the seven days of the week; for time, beginning from the first, and ending at the seventh, returns again to the first, and so proceeds to the seventh; fittingly the divine word has called the age outside the number seven the 'eighth'. And it makes mention of death and judgment in this psalm; for this reason he has also placed this inscription. For it says: "In death there is no one who remembers you, and in Hades who will confess to you?" instead of, The door of repentance is shut to those who depart from here, and it is not possible for those who have not used the medicines of repentance in the present life to offer there a confession for sin to God. And the parable of the virgins bears witness to these words. For through it we have learned how the foolish virgins, when their lamps were extinguished, remained outside the doors of the bridal chamber, knocking on the doors, but being sent away and deprived of the chamber. For he said to them: "Go away, I do not know you." For this very reason the blessed David, after that double sin, offers this supplication to God, asking to be healed, since the medicines of repentance no longer have a place in that life. 2. "Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor in your wrath discipline me." He does not ask not to be rebuked, but not to be rebuked in anger, nor does he supplicate not to be disciplined, but not to suffer this with wrath. Discipline me, he says, in a fatherly way, not judicially; medicinally, not punitively. Do not measure the punishment by the sin, but mix justice with loving-kindness. 80.904 3. "Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak." Such a voice is fitting for those who have sinned. For when weakness leads, sin conquers. For if the rational part in us does not weaken, the passions will not rebel; for when the charioteer is strong, and turns and directs the horses with skill, their prancing has no place. 4. "Heal me, Lord, for my bones are troubled; and my soul is greatly troubled." Here he calls his thoughts 'bones'; for since the bones have a more solid nature, and they bear the body, he tropically called the thoughts, through which the living being is guided, 'bones'. The disturbance of these, he says, has shaken me, and agitated me. Therefore I ask to enjoy your loving-kindness, so that through it I may receive healing. "And you, Lord, how long? [5.] Return, Lord, rescue my soul, save me for the sake of your mercy." The 'how long' he says not as one complaining, but as one who is in pain, he asks for help to be hastened. And fittingly he added, "For the sake of your mercy." For I do not trust in myself, he says, nor do I ascribe your help to my own righteousness, but I beseech to obtain it on account of your mercy. And the "return, Lord," is instead of, "attend to me," and do not turn your face away from me; from the metaphor of those who are angry, and turn away, and

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δίκαιον, Κύριε." Τῆς γὰρ σῆς εὐλογίας τε καὶ προνοίας τοῖς σοῖς χορη γουμένης θεραπευταῖς, οἱ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐραστὰς τοῦ σοῦ ὀνόματος καταστήσαντες, ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ κηδε 80.901 μονίᾳ μεγαλοφρονήσουσι, τὴν σὴν διηγούμενοι δύνα μιν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος λέγει Παῦλος· "Ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω." -"Ὡς ὅπλῳ εὐδοκίας ἐστεφάνωσας ἡμᾶς." Εὐδοκίαν ἡ θεία Γραφὴ καλεῖ τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ θέλημα. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ, "Ηὐδόκησας, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν σου," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἀγαθὰ ἠθέλησας τῇ γῇ σου." Καὶ παρὰ τῷ μακαρίῳ Παύλῳ, "Κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήμα τος αὐτοῦ," τουτέστι, κατὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν αὐτοῦ θέλη μα. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι Τὸ ἀγαθόν σου θέλημα, καὶ ἡ πολλή σου περὶ ἡμᾶς φιλοστοργία τε καὶ ἀγάπη, καὶ ὅπλον ἡμῖν γέγονε νίκης πρόξε νον, καὶ στέφανος ἐπινίκιος.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ϛʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐν ὕμνοις ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης, ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ." Ὀγδόην τὴν

μέλλουσαν κατά στασιν ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος καλεῖ· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ παρὼν βίος διὰ τῶν ἑπτὰ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἡμερῶν ἀνακυκλεῖται· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς πρώτης ὁ χρόνος ἀρχόμενος, καὶ λήγων εἰς τὴν ἑβδόμην, πάλιν εἰς τὴν πρώτην ἐπάνεισι, καὶ οὕτως εἰς τὴν ἑβδόμην χωρεῖ· εἰκότως τὸν ἔξω τοῦ ἑβδοματικοῦ ἀριθμοῦ αἰῶνα ὀγδόην ὁ θεῖος προσηγόρευσε λόγος. Μέμνη ται δὲ θανάτου καὶ κρίσεως ἐν τῷδε τῷ ψαλμῷ· διὸ καὶ ταύτην τέθεικε τὴν ἐπιγραφήν. Λέγει γάρ· "Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου, ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι;" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἀποκέ κλεισται τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἐξιοῦσι τῆς μετανοίας ἡ θύρα, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε τοὺς μὴ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον τοῖς τῆς μετανοίας χρησαμένους φαρμάκοις, ἐκεῖ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐξομολόγησιν προσενεγκεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις, καὶ ἡ τῶν παρθένων παραβολή. Καὶ γὰρ δι' ἐκείνης μεμαθήκαμεν, ὡς αἱ μωραὶ παρθένοι σβεσθεισῶν τῶν λαμπάδων ἔμειναν ἔξω τῶν τοῦ νυμφῶνος θυρῶν, παίουσαι μὲν τὰς θύρας, ἀποπεμπόμεναι δὲ, καὶ τῆς παστάδος ἀποστερούμεναι. Ἔφη γὰρ πρὸς αὐτάς· "Ὑπάγετε, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς." ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ, μετὰ τὴν διπλῆν ἐκείνην ἁμαρ τίαν, ταύτην τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρει τὴν ἱκετείαν, ἰατρευθῆναι παρακαλῶν, ὡς μήκετι χώραν ἐχόντων ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ βίῳ τῶν τῆς μετανοίας φαρμάκων. βʹ. "Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με, μηδὲ τῇ, ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με." Οὐ παρακαλεῖ μὴ ἐλεγχθῆναι, ἀλλὰ μὴ θυμῷ ἐλεγχθῆναι, οὐδὲ ἱκετεύει μὴ παιδευ θῆναι, ἀλλὰ μὴ μετ' ὀργῆς τοῦτο παθεῖν. Πατρι κῶς με, φησὶ, παίδευσον, μὴ δικαστικῶς· ἰατρικῶς, μὴ κολαστικῶς. Μὴ μετρήσῃς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τὸ δίκαιον κέ ρασον 80.904 γʹ. "Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἀσθενής εἰμι." Ἁρμόττουσα τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἡ τοιαύτη φωνή. Ἀσθενείας γὰρ ἡγουμένης, ἡ ἁμαρτία νικᾷ. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀσθενήσει τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν· λογικὸν, οὐ στα σιάσει τὰ πάθη· ἐῤῥωμένου γὰρ τοῦ ἡνιόχου, καὶ μετ' ἐπιστήμης τοὺς ἵππους καὶ στρέφοντος καὶ ἰθύνοντος, οὐκ ἔχει τὰ σκιρτήματα χώραν. δʹ. "Ἴασαί με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐταράχθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου· καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη σφόδρα." Ὀστᾶ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς λογισμοὺς ὀνομάζει· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ ὀστᾶ στεγανωτέραν ἔχει τὴν φύσιν, καὶ αὐτὰ φέρει τὸ σῶμα, τροπικῶς τοὺς λογισμοὺς, δι' ὧν τὸ ζῶον ἰθύνεται, ὀστᾶ προσηγόρευσεν. Ἡ τούτων, φησὶ, ταραχὴ ἐκλόνησέ με, καὶ διέσεισε. ∆ιόπερ τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἀπολαῦσαι παρακαλῶ, ἵνα διὰ ταύτης τὴν ἴασιν δέξωμαι. "Καὶ σὺ Κύριε ἕως πότε; [εʹ.] Ἐπίστρεψον Κύριε, ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου, σῶσόν με ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐλέους σου." Τὸ, ἕως πότε, οὐχ ὡς ἐγκαλῶν λέγει, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ὀδύναις ὢν, ἐπιτα χῦναι παρακαλεῖ τὴν βοήθειαν. Ἁρμοδίως δὲ προσέθηκε τὸ, "Ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐλέους σου." Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ, φησὶ, θαῤῥῶ, οὐδὲ τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ δικαιο σύνῃ τὴν σὴν ἐπιγράφω βοήθειαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν σὸν ἔλεον ταύτης ἱκετεύω τυχεῖν. Τὸ δὲ, "ἐπίστρε ψον, Κύριε," ἀντὶ τοῦ, "πρόσχες μοι," καὶ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· ἐκ μετα φορᾶς τῶν ὀργιζομένων, καὶ ἀποστρεφομένων, καὶ