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he went to seek David and the men with him, before the hunting of the stags; and they came to the sheepfolds on the way and to the cave; and Saul entered into the cave to relieve himself; and David and the men with him were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. The story about Saul and the cave was written beforehand; but the name of David is interpreted in different ways, as we have often said, and is understood in different ways; for when you find it in the context of the Lord, so it stands interpreted as "desired;" but when in the context of those who sin and are converted, it is interpreted as "despised," on account of his sins. Now the name of David can be taken to refer to the people who have sinned and come to understanding, and have shut themselves up in a cave, and are praying with strong tears, and confessing, as this very inscription indicates; and likewise the psalm also teaches these things. When my spirit fainted within me. These things have also been said very fittingly for the distress of the time and the place; for as far as men were concerned, being confined inside the cave, he was cut off from all escape and flight, nor was a single hope of help present to him; but neither was there anyone to deliver his soul or seek after it. But seeing the intelligible enemies of his soul, who had contrived this whole thing, I mean Saul's entering the cave for the purpose of capturing David, he rightly said, "They have hidden a snare for me." But the matter of the snare had not succeeded for them because of the preceding prayer; and being confident in the course of his life, both in the deeds and the 24.48 ways in which he walked, being unjustly pursued and warred against, he says to God: and you knew my paths. To you, Lord, I have cried. Again here too he confesses to crying out, not simply, but to the Lord; for otherwise it was impossible for him to let out a sound, with the enemy being present nearby; and having confessed that he had God as his only hope, he did not miss the mark; for hope does not put to shame; but also if there will be a land of the living, I confess, he says, to have no place in it but you alone, my hope; for you are God, my portion in the land of the living; as if I did not have you, I would never have been found in the land of the living. And the land of the living is not that which is now trodden by us, for this is a land of death and of the dead, but that which the meek shall inherit; on which all the living dwell according to eternal life. There was no one who knew me. -There is no one who seeks after my soul. He who is neglected and not at all sought after by those who are thought to preside over the churches will say this opportunely; and he adds what follows, crying out to God, and not hoping in rulers, but in the Lord, and having a portion in the land of the living and not in a forgotten land.

PSALM 142.

Everyone who is tried in the greatest temptations and excessive afflictions, would make opportune use of the present prayer; for which reason the psalm is also without an inscription. The Lord, therefore, hears all, but hearkens to few; if we listen to those who ask of us, we ourselves will also be heard; but he who is confident in his own prayer calls God a hearer. But others say that the psalm is not without an inscription, but is inscribed, "A Psalm of David, when his son was persecuting him." This, however, is not added in all the interpretations; but the things said are not foreign; and nothing prevents them from being said concerning the persecution by Saul. My spirit was despondent within me. The spirit of the man within him becomes despondent, whenever the heart is troubled, remembering how

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ἐπορεύθη τοῦ ζητεῖν τὸν ∆αυῒδ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῆς θήρας τῶν ἐλάφων· καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὰς μάνδρας τῶν προβάτων ἐπὶ τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ σπήλαιον· καὶ εἰσῆλθε Σαοὺλ εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον ἀποκοινῶσαι τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· καὶ ∆αυῒδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐν μέρεσι τοῖς ἐσωτέροις τοῦ σπηλαίου ἐκάθηντο. Προεγράφη ἡ ἱστορία ἡ περὶ Σαοὺλ καὶ τοῦ σπηλαίου· τὸ δὲ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ὄνομα διαφόρως ἑρμηνεύεται, ὡς πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, καὶ διαφόρως λαμβάνεται· ὅτε γὰρ εἰς πρόσωπον τοῦ Κυρίου εὑρήσεις, οὕτω κείμενον ἑρμηνεύεται πεποθημένος· ὅτε δὲ εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων καὶ ἐπιστρεφόντων, ἑρμηνεύεται ἐξουθενημένος, διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ. Νῦν τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ὄνομα λαβεῖν ἔστιν εἰς τὸν λαὸν τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα καὶ εἰς σύνεσιν ἐλθόντα, καὶ ἐν σπηλαίῳ αὑτὸν κατακλείσαντα, καὶ προσευχόμενον μετὰ δακρύων ἰσχυρῶς, καὶ ἐξομολογούμενον, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τοῦτο δηλοῖ· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ ψαλμὸς ταῦτα διδάσκει. Ἐν τῷ ἐκλείπειν ἐξ ἐμοῦ τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Σφόδρα καταλλήλως τῇ τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ τοῦ τόπου συνοχῇ καὶ ταῦτα λέλεκται· ὅσον γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώποις ἔνδον ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ συνεχόμενος, παντὸς δρασμοῦ καὶ φυγῆς ἐπεκέκλειστο, οὔτε μία τε παρῆν αὐτῷ βοηθείας ἐλπίς· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἦν ὁ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ῥυόμενος ἢ ἐπιζητῶν. Ὁρῶν δὲ τοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ νοητοὺς ἐχθροὺς, ὅλον τοῦτο κατεργασαμένους, λέγω δὲ τὸ εἰσελθεῖν Σαοὺλ εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον ὑπὲρ τοῦ συλληφθῆναι τὸν ∆αυῒδ, εἰκότως ἔλεγεν τὸ, Ἔκρυψαν παγίδα μοι. Ἀλλ' οὐ προκεχωρήκει αὐτοῖς τὰ τῆς παγίδος διὰ τὴν προκειμένην προσευχήν· θαρσῶν δὲ τῇ τοῦ βίου αὐτοῦ πορείᾳ, ταῖς τε πράξεσι καὶ ταῖς 24.48 ὁδοῖς αἷς ἐβάδιζεν, ἀδίκως ἐλαυνόμενος καὶ πολεμούμενος, φησὶ τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ σὺ ἔγνως τὰς τρίβους μου. Πρὸς σὲ, Κύριε, ἐκέκραξα. Πάλιν καὶ ἐνταῦθα κράζειν ὁμολογεῖ, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· ἄλλως γὰρ ἀδύνατον ἦν αὐτῷ φωνὴν ἀφιέναι, πλησίον παρόντος τοῦ ἐχθροῦ· τὴν μόνην δὲ ἐλπίδα αὐτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἔχειν ὁμολογήσας, οὐκ ἐξέπεσε τοῦ σκοποῦ· ἡ γὰρ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει· ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴ τις ἔσται γῆ ζώντων, ὁμολογῶ, φησὶ, μηδεμίαν ἔχειν χώραν ἐν ταύτῃ ἢ σὲ μόνον τὴν ἐμὴν ἐλπίδα· σὺ γὰρ εἶ Θεὸς, ἡ μερίς μου ἐν γῇ ζώντων· ὡς εἰ μὴ σὲ εἶχον, οὐκ ἂν ἐξετάσθην ποτὲ ἐν γῇ ζώντων. Ζώντων δὲ γῆ, οὐχ ἡ πατουμένη νῦν πρὸς ἡμῶν, θανάτου γὰρ γῆ καὶ νεκρῶν αὕτη, ἀλλ' ἣν κληρονομήσουσιν οἱ πραεῖς· ἐφ' ᾗ ζῶντες πάντες κατὰ τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν διατρίβουσιν. Οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐπιγινώσκων με. -Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὴν ψυχήν μου. Ὁ ὑπὸ τῶν προΐστασθαι τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν νομιζομένων ἀμελούμενος καὶ μηδόλως ἐκζητούμενος εὐκαίρως τοῦτο ἐρεῖ· καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρει τὸ κεκραγὸς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ μὴ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ ἡγουμένοις, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ Κυρίῳ, καὶ μερίδα ἔχειν ἐν γῇ ζώντων καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἐπιλελησμένῃ γῇ.

ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΡΜΒʹ.

Πᾶς ὁ ἐν μεγίστοις πειρασμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσιν ὑπερβαλλούσαις ἐξεταζόμενος,

εὐκαίρως χρήσαιτο τῇ προκειμένῃ προσευχῇ· διὸ καὶ ἀνεπίγραφος ὁ ψαλμός. Ἀκούει μὲν οὖν πάντων ὁ Κύριος, ὀλίγων δὲ εἰσακούει· ἐὰν τῶν δεομένων ἡμῶν ἐπακούσωμεν, ἀκουσθησόμεθα καὶ αὐτοί· ὁ θαρσῶν δὲ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ προσευχῇ ἀκροατὴν καλεῖ τὸν Θεόν. Ἄλλοι δέ φασι μὴ εἶναι ἀνεπίγραφον τὸν ψαλμὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπιγεγράφθαι, Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αυῒδ, ὅτε αὐτὸν ὁ υἱὸς κατεδίωκεν. Οὐ διὰ πασῶν μέντοι τῶν ἑρμηνειῶν πρόσκειται τοῦτο· τὰ δὲ λεγόμενα οὐκ ἀλλότρια· οὐδὲν δὲ κωλύει περὶ τῆς ὑπὸ Σαοὺλ διώξεως εἰρῆσθαι αὐτά. Ἠκηδίασεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀκηδιᾷ, ἐπειδὰν ἡ καρδία ταραχθῇ μνησθεῖσα πῶς