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not wishing to see those who have stumbled. 6. "For in death there is no one who remembers you; and in Hades, who will confess to you?" For this reason I ask to enjoy healing in the present, since I know that for those who depart this life with wounds, no healing will then be given, as there is no longer room for repentance. [And this is most beautifully philosophized by the divine David; for not in death, but in life is the one who remembers God. Thus in Hades there is no confession and correction for those who have departed. For God has confined life and action to this world, but the examination of what has been done to the next; and indeed this is a peculiarity of the eighth day, to no longer give time for the preparation of good things, or evil, to those who are in it. But whatever seeds one has sown for himself through his works, of these he provides the sheaves in return; for this reason He legislates that repentance be active here, since in Hades such zeal is ineffectual. For he says: Since the time of my repentance has been long, I fear lest death overtake the mercy from you, in which there is no confession; for this 80.905 reason I ask that mercy be hastened; then he teaches the hearer that with God's love for mankind our own efforts must also follow. For whether we put forward weakness, or confusion, or the goodness of God, if our own contributions are not added, there is no benefit for us. 7. "I have grown weary with my groaning; I will wash my bed every night; I will drench my couch with my tears." I know that I have sinned greatly and grievously, but nevertheless I continue to weep unceasingly, and I lament the things I have dared to do. And indeed, the bed defiled by my transgression I will always wash with tears, trying to cleanse it through them; and even if I should obtain forgiveness, I will not cease from doing this. For this is what it means, "I will wash my bed every night, and drench it." 8. "My eye is troubled because of indignation." The very vision of my mind is troubled because of your indignation, O Master. For here he called the mind the eye, which is why he mentioned only one. "I have grown old among all my enemies." More grievous to me, he says, than all enemies are their reproaches; for these consume me, and waste me away, and bring on premature old age. 9, 10. "Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping; the Lord has heard my supplication. The Lord has accepted my prayer." Let them no longer, he says, mock me, who do not see their own transgressions, but ridicule my sins. For I have obtained divine favor, and through my entreaties I have persuaded Him to overlook my sins and to grant me pardon. 11. "Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be put to shame very quickly." Knowing these things, therefore, cease offering reproaches to me, and taking your own transgressions to mind, be filled with shame and tumult and confusion. For the divine judgment is just and full of fear.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 7. 1. "A Psalm of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite."

When the blessed David was fleeing from his accursed and patricidal son, he found a helper in Cushai, who persuaded Absalom not to pursue his father immediately according to the suggestion of Ahithophel, but to gather all the people 80.908 and then to march against his own father. Therefore Ahithophel, being vexed and greatly distressed because Cushai's counsel appeared preferable, became his own executioner and met his end by hanging. But the divine David, taking the delay of the attack as an opportunity for flight, obtained his salvation; therefore he offers this psalm, as a kind of hymn and prayer, to God the savior; and he adds

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τοὺς ἐπταικότας οὐκ ἐθελόντων ὁρᾷν. ϛʹ. "Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημο νεύων σου· ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι;" ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τῆς θεραπείας ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἀπολαῦσαι παρακαλῶ, ἐπειδὴ οἶδα, ὅτι τοῖς τόνδε τὸν βίον ἐξιοῦσι μετὰ τραυμάτων, οὐδεμία λοι πὸν θεραπεία δοθήσεται, οὐκέτι χώραν τῆς μετα νοίας ἐχούσης. [Καὶ κάλλιστα τῷ θείῳ ∆αβὶδ τοῦτο πεφιλοσόφηται· οὐ γὰρ ἐν θανάτῳ, ἀλλ' ἐν ζωῇ ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ μεμνημένος. Οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ᾅδῃ τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσιν ἐξομολόγησις καὶ διόρθωσις. Συνέκλεισε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἐνταῦθα μὲν βίον καὶ πρᾶξιν, ἐκεῖ δὲ τὴν τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐξέτασιν· καίγε ἴδιον τοῦτο τῆς ὀγδόης, τὸ μη κέτι καιρὸν εἰς παρασκευὴν ἀγαθῶν, ἢ κακῶν διδόναι τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ γινομένοις. Ἀλλ' ὧν ἄν τις ἑαυτῷ καταβάληται διὰ τῶν ἔργων τὰ σπέρματα, τούτων ἀντιπαρέχειν τὰ δράγματα· οὗ χάριν ἐν ταῦθα ἐνεργεῖν νομοθετεῖ τὴν μετάνοιαν, ὡς ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ τῆς τοιαύτης σπουδῆς ἀπρακτούσης. Φησὶ γάρ· Ἐπειδὴ μακρός μοι γέγονεν ὁ τῆς μετανοίας καιρὸς, δέδοικα μὴ φθάσῃ τὸν παρὰ σοῦ ἔλεον ὁ θάνατος, ἐν ᾧ τὰ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως οὐκ ἔστι· τούτου 80.905 χάριν ἐπιταχῦναι τὸν ἔλεον αἰτῶ· εἶτα παιδεύει τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας δεῖ καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἕπεσθαι. Ἄν τε γὰρ τὴν ἀσθέ νειαν προβαλώμεθα, ἄν τε τὴν ταραχὴν, ἄν τε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα, τὰ δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν μὴ προστεθῇ, οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἡμῖν. ζʹ. "Ἐκοπίασα ἐν τῷ στεναγμῷ μου, λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου, ἐν δάκρυσί μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω." Οἶδα μὲν μεγάλα καὶ χαλε πὰ πλημμελήσας, ἀλλ' ὅμως δακρύων διηνεκῶς διατελῶ, καὶ τὰ ὑπ' ἐμοῦ τετολμημένα θρηνῶν. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὴν μιανθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῆς παρανομίας κλίνην ἀεὶ δάκρυσιν ἀπολούσω, ἐκκαθῆραι ταύτην διὰ τούτων πειρώμενος· κἂν τύχω δὲ τῆς ἀφέσεως, οὐ παύσομαι τοῦτο ποιῶν. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει, "Λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου, καὶ βρέξω." ηʹ. "Ἐταράχθη ἀπὸ θυμοῦ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου." Αὐτό μου τὸ ὀπτικὸν τῆς διανοίας τετάρακται διὰ τὴν σὴν ἀγανάκτησιν, ∆έσποτα. Ὀφθαλμὸν γὰρ ἐνταῦ θα τὸν νοῦν προσηγόρευσε, διὸ καὶ ἑνὸς ἐμνημόνευ σεν. "Ἐπαλαιώθην ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου." Πάντων μοι, φησὶ, χαλεπώτερα τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὰ ὀνείδη· ταῦτα γάρ με δαπανᾷ, καὶ κατατήκει, καὶ γῆρας ἄωρον ἐπιφέρει. θʹ, ιʹ. "Ἀπόστητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμε νοι τὴν ἀνομίαν, ὅτι εἰσήκουσε Κύριος τῆς φωνῆς τῆς τοῦ κλαυθμοῦ μου· ἤκουσε Κύριος τῆς δεή σεώς μου. Κύριος τὴν προσευχήν μου προσεδέξατο." Μηκέτι, φησὶν, ἐπιτωθαζέτωσάν μοι οἱ τὰς οἰκείας μὲν οὐχ ὁρῶντες παρανομίας, τὰ δ' ἐμὰ πλημμε λήματα κωμῳδοῦντες. Τῆς θείας γὰρ ἔτυχον εὐμε νείας, καὶ πέπεικα δι' ὧν ἠντιβόλησα παριδεῖν μὲν τὰ πλημμελήματα, μεταδοῦναι δὲ συγγνώμης. ιαʹ. "Αἰσχυνθείησαν, καὶ ταραχθείησαν πάντες οἱ ἐχθροί μου· ἀποστραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ καταισχυνθείησαν σφόδρα διὰ τάχους." Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδότες, παύσασθε μὲν ἐμοὶ ὀνείδη προσφέ ροντες, τὰς δὲ οἰκείας εἰς νοῦν λαβόντες παρανο μίας, αἰσχύνης καὶ θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς ἀναπλή σθητε. ∆ίκαιον γὰρ καὶ φόβου μεστὸν τὸ θεῖον κριτή ριον.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Ζʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ὃν ᾖσε τῷ Κυρίῳ ὑπὲρ τῶν λόγων Χουσὶ υἱοῦ Ἰεμενεί."

Ἀποδιδράσκων ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ τὸν ἀλάστορα καὶ πατραλοίαν υἱόν, εὗρε βοηθὸν τὸν Χουσὶ, ὃς πέπεικε τὸν Ἀβεσσα λὼμ μὴ κατὰ τὴν εἰσήγησιν τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ παραυ τίκα διῶξαι τὸν πατέρα, ἀλλὰ τὸν λαὸν ἅπαντα 80.908 συναγεῖραι, καὶ τηνικαῦτα κατὰ τοῦ γεγεννηκότος στρατεῦσαι. Ἀχθεσθεὶς τοίνυν καὶ λίαν ἀδημονή σας ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ, ὡς αἱρετωτέρας ὀφθείσης τῆς τοῦ Χουσὶ συμβουλῆς, αὐτόχειρ αὐτὸς γενόμενος, τὴν δι' ἀγχόνης ἐδέξατο τελευτήν. Ὁ δέ γε θεῖος ∆αβὶδ τῆς ἐφόδου τὴν ἀναβολὴν καιρὸν εἰς φυγὴν λαβὼν, τῆς σωτηρίας ἔτυχε· τοῦτον τοιγαροῦν τὸν ψαλμὸν, οἷόν τινα ὕμνον καὶ προσευχὴν, τῷ σωτῆρι προσφέ ρει Θεῷ· προστίθησι δὲ