111a Ps 73,4a The mention of the places is necessary because of the lawlessness of the people. because there was no cause for indignation against the places, and as it were through sparing the place he arranges for kindness to be shown toward the people. But this is not as if any place could be beloved of God; for God is not of places but of righteousness. 112a Ps 73,15b [But Symmachus thus: You dried up ancient rivers. For for springs to gush forth and rivers to be poured out from them, and elsewhere for the streams of ancient rivers to be dried up, this is what presented the power that works wonders. This he also says in another psalm: He turned rivers into a wilderness and water-springs into thirsty ground. For it is easy for him to divert the flow of the waters as he wishes. Through this, however, the word indicates something else as well: that to the Jews, on account of their lawlessness, he will not bring the streams of the prophetic rivers, but the nations that were long desolate he will water with streams from the rock. But the rock, says the divine apostle, is Christ, and all the things that have been said from the verse "He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth" contain the type of our benefits. And these things are thus. But Isidore of Pelusium in a letter says that Etham was a place so called, not situated far from Jerusalem, well-watered and abundant and shady; it is said that this place was dried up by the wrath of God at the time of the Roman war, as Josephus also says in the Antiquities.] 113A Ps 73,20-22 Remember your covenant and those led away to dark places to dwell, bring back again [to] your illumined land, accepting the supplication of those humbled by evils and put to shame, and granting that they may praise you with gladness.

114a Ps 74,2-4 The cause of incorruptibility says to the prophet the things now said

and creator, Christ, who saves as God and gives thanks for salvation as man to the Father. To you, therefore, he says, we will offer confessions and thanksgivings for salvation, we will recount your wonders, Father. whenever the church from all people, having come together, he says, is able to hear the things concerning you, and all people are brought to serve you. And mine, he says, is also the judgment over all, saving those worthy of salvation from those who are perishing, with those who have set their minds on earthly things being dissolved together with the earth, but those who have set their minds on heavenly things remaining as pillars for the establishment of the new creation. 115a Ps 74,5-8 One must not act insolently toward God nor grow bold or be exalted by a conceit of wisdom, saying terrible and unjust things against God, as if he does not exercise providence nor justly award to each one, but leaves matters to the risings and settings of stars, and as if the stars arrange human affairs for good or for ill, and indeed not only of stars but also of the worshipped demons of the high places. For these things are not so, not even close, but all things are comprehended by the just judgment of God, concerning both the humbling and exalting of people, some being brought down, and others being lifted up. [Didymus says similarly.] 116A Ps 74,10.11 At such an end, he says, in which the wicked perish along with wickedness, I will make the narration of God's wonders, and I will break down the strong things of the impious as if cutting off their horns; but the horns of the just will be exalted, having received from God indestructible power. And they will be exalted then when they reign together with their own king.

117a Ps 75 arg. A good end and victory of the just according to God that will be

is prophesied, when the prophecy declared in the one before this is brought forward to what is clearer and more brilliant. 118A Ps 75,5-7 Mountains of prey he calls the consecrated things

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111a Ps 73,4a Ἀναγκαίως ἡ τῶν τόπων μνήμη διὰ τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ παρανομίαν. ὅτι κατὰ τῶν τόπων οὐκ ἦν ἀγανακτήσεως πρόφασις, καὶ οἱονεὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ τόπου φειδὼ κατασκευάζει πρὸς τὸν λαὸν γενέσθαι φιλανθρωπίαν. τοῦτο δὲ οὐχ ὡς χωρίου τινὸς θεοφιλοῦς εἶναι δυναμένου· θεὸς γὰρ οὐ τόπων ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνης. 112a Ps 73,15b [Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Σὺ ἐξήρανας ποταμοὺς ἀρχαίους. τὸ γὰρ πηγάς τε ἀναβλυστάνεσθαι καὶ ποταμοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν προχεῖσθαι, ἑτέρωθι δὲ ξηραίνεσθαι ποταμῶν ἀρχαίων ῥεύματα, τοῦτό ἐστι τὴν τῶν θαυμασίων ἐργάτιν παρέστησε δύναμιν. τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει ψαλμῷ· Ἔθετο ποταμοὺς εἰς ἔρημον καὶ διεξόδους ὑδάτων εἰς δίψαν. ῥάδιον γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὡς βούλεται μετοχετεῦσαι τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν ῥεῦσιν. διὰ μέντοι τούτου καὶ ἕτερον ὁ λόγος παραδηλοῖ· ὡς Ἰουδαίοις μὲν διὰ τὴν παρανομίαν τῶν προφητικῶν ποταμῶν οὐ προσοίσει τὰ νάματα, τὰ δ' ἔθνη τὰ πάλαι ἔρημα τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας καταρδεύσει κρουνοῖς· Ἡ δὲ πέτρα, φησὶν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος, ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός, καὶ ἅπαντα δὲ τὰ εἰρημένα ἀπὸ τοῦ Εἰργάσατο σωτηρίαν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς ἡμετέρων εὐεργεσιῶν περιέχει τὸν τύπον. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως. Ἰσιδῶρος δὲ ὁ Πηλουσιώτης ἐν ἐπιστολῇ φησὶν ὡς Ἠθὰμ τόπος ἦν οὕτω καλούμενος οὐ πόρρω διεστηκὼς τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐνυδρός τε καὶ ἀμφιλαφὴς καὶ σύσκιος· τοῦτον ἐξηράνθαι κατὰ θεοῦ μῆνιν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ῥωμαϊκοῦ λέγεται πολέμου, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Ἰωσῆπος ἐν τῇ Ἀρχαιολογίᾳ φησίν.] 113A Ps 73,20-22 Μνήσθητί σου τῆς συνθήκης καὶ τοὺς εἰς τόπους σκοτεινοὺς ἀπαχθέντας εἰς οἴκησιν [εἰς] τὴν πεφωτισμένην σου πάλιν ἐπανάγαγε, χώραν δεξάμενος δέησιν ταπεινωθέντων κακοῖς καὶ κατῃσχυμμένων καὶ διδοὺς ὑμνῆσαι μετ' εὐφροσύνης.

114a Ps 74,2-4 Λέγει τῷ προφήτῃ τὰ λεγόμενα νῦν ὁ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας αἴτιος

καὶ δημιουργὸς Χριστός, ὁ σῴζων ὡς θεὸς καὶ χάριν ἀναφέρων τῆς σωτηρίας ὡς ἄνθρωπος τῷ πατρί. σοὶ τοίνυν φησὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀνοίσομεν ἐξομολογήσεις καὶ εὐχαριστίας, τὰ σὰ θαυμάσια διηγησόμεθα, πάτερ. ὅτ' ἂν ἡ ἐκ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐκκλησία συνελθοῦσα, λέγων, ἀκούειν δύνηται τῶν περὶ σοῦ, καὶ προσάγονται πάντες ἄνθρωποι πρὸς τὸ δουλεύειν σοι. ἐμὴ δέ φησι καὶ ἡ διάκρισις ἐφ' ἅπασι τοὺς ἀξίους σωτηρίας ἐκ τῶν ἀπολομένων διασῴζουσα, τῶν μὲν τὰ γήϊνα πεφρονηκότων συνδιαλυομένων τῇ γῇ, τῶν δὲ οὐράνια φρονησάντων μενόντων ὡσπερεὶ στύλων εἰς τὴν τῆς νέας ἵδρυσιν κτίσεως. 115a Ps 74,5-8 Οὐ δεῖ κατατολμᾶν θεοῦ οὐδὲ σοφίας ὑπολήψει θρασύνεσθαι ἢ ὑψοῦσθαι, δεινὰ καὶ ἄδικα κατὰ θεοῦ λέγοντας ὡς οὐ προνοοῦντος οὐδὲ δικαίως ἑκάστῳ βραβεύοντος ἀλλ' ἀνατολαῖς τε καὶ δύσεσιν ἄστρων ἀφιέντος τὰ πράγματα καὶ ὡς τῶν ἄστρων ἢ καλῶς ἢ κακῶς τὰ περὶ ἀνθρώπους διατιθέντων, ἤδη δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἄστρων μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν ὕψεσιν ὁρίων θρησκευομένων δαιμόνων. ἔχει γὰρ οὐχ οὕτως ταῦτα οὐδ' ἐγγὺς ἀλλὰ κρίσει θεοῦ δίκαια τὰ σύμπαντα περιείληπται, ταπεινώσεώς τε πέρι καὶ ὑψώσεως ἀνθρώπων τῶν μὲν καθαιρουμένων, τῶν δ' ἐπαιρομένων. [ὁμοίως καὶ ∆ίδυμός φησιν.] 116A Ps 74,10.11 Ἐπὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ τέλει, φησίν, ἐν ᾧ συναπολοῦντες τῇ κακίᾳ οἱ κακοὶ τὴν διήγησιν ποιήσομαι τῶν θεοῦ θαυμασίων, καὶ καθαιρίσω τὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἰσχυρὰ καθάπερ κέρατα περικόψας· τὰ δὲ τῶν δικαίων ὑψωθήσεται κέρατα τὴν ἀκαθαίρετον κομησαμένων παρὰ θεοῦ δύναμιν. τότε δὲ ὑψωθήσονται ἐπειδ' ἂν συμβασιλεύσωσιν τῷ ἐαυτῶν βασιλεῖ.

117a Ps 75 arg. Τέλος ἀγαθὸν καὶ νίκη δικαίων κατὰ θεὸν ἐσομένη

προφητεύεται, προ αχθείσης ἐπὶ τὸ σαφέστερόν τε καὶ λαμπρότερον τῆς ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου δεδηλωμένης προφητείας. 118A Ps 75,5-7 Ὄρη θήρας τὰ ἡγιασμένα καλεῖ

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