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and instruction, urging on the one hand those wronged by certain persons to have their hopes in God, and to await help from there, and on the other hand terrifying the wrongdoers with the memory of God's just judgment. 2, 3. "O Lord my God, in you have I hoped, save me from all those who persecute me, and deliver me. Lest he seize my soul like a lion, there being no one to ransom, nor to save." Trusting in no human assistance, he says, but carrying Your hope alone within myself, I beseech to obtain Your providence. For I fear lest those who make war, having come like a wild beast, and having found me destitute of Your providence, should utterly destroy me. 4. "O Lord my God, if I have done this." Then he teaches more clearly what he means: "If there is iniquity in my hands." And showing what kind of iniquity he means here, he immediately adds: 5, 6. "If I have rendered to those who rendered evil to me, may I then fall away from my enemies empty. May the enemy then pursue my soul, and take it, and trample my life down to the earth, and make my glory dwell in the dust." Virtue has many parts. For not only temperance and prudence, but also courage and justice. Here, therefore, he does not attest to perfect virtue for himself; but that having in no way wronged these enemies, he endures unjust flight on account of them. For not only, he says, did I not begin any iniquity, but I never even endured to defend myself against those who had done wrong. For having often taken Saul into my power, I did not exact penalties for his unjust enmity. For which reason, O Master, I beseech You, who know all things clearly, to judge me justly; and if I have ever done any such thing, to strip me of Your care; for this is what he says, "May I then fall away from my enemies empty;" and to deliver me into the hands of my enemies; so that they might not only strip me of the glory and kingdom from You, but also deliver me to a ridiculous death. For he signified this by saying, "make my glory dwell in the dust." 7. "Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; be exalted in the borders of my enemies." Now Sym 80.909 machus translated it, in gall, and Theodotion, in wrath, and Aquila, without delay. Therefore he beseeches the just judge no longer with long-suffering, but having used a just vote, to inflict punishment upon the wrongdoers. For he has put, arise, instead of, be long-suffering no more; such is, "Awake, why do You sleep, O Lord," for there too he called long-suffering sleep. And, "Arise, O Lord, help us." For the time is not for philanthropy, but for just anger. Therefore, put an end to my enemies, having stopped their unjust assault. 8. "And awake, O Lord my God, in the precept which You have commanded." For You have legislated to defend those who are wronged. What, therefore, You have commanded others to do, do You, O Master, and grant me a share of Your help. "And a congregation of peoples shall surround You. And for its sake return on high." For when this providence of Yours has been shown, all shall offer hymns to You, and shall call you God Most High, as one who oversees all things, and inflicts worthy justice on wrongdoers. For, "return on high," means, being Most High by nature, but unknown by the many, show what You are through Your care for the wronged. Then prophetically: 9. "The Lord shall judge peoples." For He will not only judge my cause, but also the whole nature of men. "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my innocence that is in me." The divine David has not testified to his own righteousness through these words; for we hear him crying out the contrary, "For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me;" and, "I said, I will confess against myself my iniquity to the Lord;" but he speaks of the righteousness in the present matter; For, he says, I have wronged neither Absalom, nor Ahithophel, nor those who campaign against me with them. According to this righteousness, therefore, and this innocence, I ask to be judged, and not according to the transgressions already committed by me.

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καὶ διδασκαλίαν, τοὺς μὲν ὑπό τινων ἀδικουμένους εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἔχειν τὰς ἐλπί δας προτρέπων, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἀναμένειν ῥοπὴν, τοὺς δὲ ἀδικοῦντας δεδιττόμενος τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δι καίας κρίσεως μνήμῃ. βʹ, γʹ. "Κύριε, ὁ Θεός μου, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα, σῶ σόν με ἐκ πάντων τῶν διωκόντων με, καὶ ῥῦσαί με. Μήποτε ἁρπάσῃ ὡς λέων τὴν ψυχήν μου, μὴ ὄντος λυτρουμένου, μηδὲ σώζοντος." Οὐδεμιᾷ, φησὶν, ἀνθρωπίνῃ βοηθείᾳ θαῤῥῶν, τὴν δὲ σὴν ἐλπίδα μόνην ἐν ἐμαυτῷ περιφέρων, ἱκετεύω τῆς σῆς προμηθείας τυχεῖν. ∆έδια γὰρ μὴ δίκην ἀγρίου θηρὸς ἐπελθόντες οἱ πολεμοῦντες, καὶ ἔρημόν με τῆς σῆς προνοίας εὑρόντες, παντελῶς διαφθείρωσιν. δʹ. "Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, εἰ ἐποίησα τοῦτο." Εἶτα διδάσκει σαφέστερον ὃ λέγει· "Εἰ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν χερσί μου." Καὶ δεικνὺς ποῖον εἶδος ἀδικίας ἐνταῦ θά φησιν, εὐθὺς ἐπάγει· εʹ, ϛʹ. "Εἰ ἀνταπέδωκα τοῖς ἀνταποδιδοῦσί μοι κακὰ, ἀποπέσοιμι ἄρα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου κενός. Καταδιώξαι ἄρα ὁ ἐχθρὸς τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ κατα λάβοι, καὶ καταπατήσαι εἰς γῆν τὴν ζωήν μου, καὶ τὴν δόξαν μου εἰς χοῦν κατασκηνώσαι." Τῆς ἀρετῆς πολλὰ μόρια. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον σωφροσύνη καὶ φρόνησις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνδρεία καὶ δικαιοσύνη. Ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν οὐ τὴν ἄκραν ἀρετὴν ἑαυτῷ μαρτυρεῖ· ἀλλ' ὅτι τούτους ἥκιστα τοὺς πολεμίους ἠδικηκὼς, τὴν ἄδικον δι' αὐτοὺς ὑπομένει φυγήν. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀδι κίας οὐκ ἦρξα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς ἠδικηκότας ἠνεσχόμην ἀμύνασθαι πώποτε. Πολλάκις γὰρ τὸν Σαοὺλ ὑποχεί ριον λαβὼν, τῆς ἀδίκου δυσμενείας δίκας οὐκ εἰσ επραξάμην. Οὗ δὴ χάριν σε, ∆έσποτα, παρακαλῶ, τὸν πάντα σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενον, δικάσαι μοι δικαίως· καὶ εἴ τι τοιοῦτο δέδρακα πώποτε, τῆς μὲν σῆς κη δεμονίας γυμνῶσαι· τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει, "Ἀποπέ σοιμι ἄρα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου κενός·" ὑποχείριον δὲ τοῖς δυσμενέσιν ἐκδοῦναι· ὡς ἂν μὴ μόνον τῆς παρὰ σοῦ με δόξης καὶ βασιλείας γυμνώσαιεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταγελάστῳ παραδοῖεν θανάτῳ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐσήμανεν εἰρηκὼς, "Τὴν δόξαν μου εἰς χοῦν κατασκηνώσαι." ζʹ. "Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε, ἐν ὀργῇ σου· ὑψώθητι ἐν τοῖς πέρασι τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου." Ὁ μὲν οὖν Σύμ 80.909 μαχος, ἐν χόλῳ, ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων, ἐν θυμῷ, ὁ δέ γε Ἀκύλας, ἐν ἀνυπερθεσίᾳ ἡρμήνευσε. Παρακαλεῖ τοίνυν τὸν δίκαιον κριτὴν μηκέτι μακροθυμίᾳ, ἀλλὰ δικαίᾳ χρησάμενον ψήφῳ, τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι. Τὸ γὰρ, ἀνάστηθι, ἀντὶ τοῦ, μηκέτι μακροθυμήσῃς, τέθεικε· τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ, "Ἐξεγέρ θητι, ἵνα τί ὑπνοῖς, Κύριε," καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ὕπνον τὴν μακροθυμίαν ἐκάλεσε. Καὶ, "Ἀνάστα, Κύριε, βοήθησον ἡμῖν." Ὁ καιρὸς γὰρ οὐ φιλανθρωπίας, ἀλλὰ δικαίας ὀργῆς. Ἐπίθες τοίνυν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου τὸ πέρας, τὴν ἄδικον αὐτῶν ἔφοδον κατα παύσας. ηʹ. "Καὶ ἐξεγέρθητι, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐν προσ τάγματι ᾧ ἐνετείλω." Σὺ γὰρ ἐνομοθέτησας τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἀμύνειν. Ὃ τοίνυν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐνετεί λω ποιεῖν, δρᾶσον, ὦ ∆έσποτα, καὶ τῆς σῆς μοι με τάδος ῥοπῆς. "Καὶ συναγωγὴ λαῶν κυκλώσει σε. Καὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτης εἰς ὕψος ἐπίστρεψον." Ταύτης γάρ σου τῆς προνοίας δειχθείσης, ἅπαντές σοι τοὺς ὕμνους προσοίσουσι, καὶ Θεὸν ὕψιστον ἀποκαλέσου σιν, ἅ τε δὴ πάντα ἐφορῶντα, καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν δίκην τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν ἐπιτιθέντα. Τὸ γὰρ, "εἰς ὕψος ἐπί στρεψον," ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὕψιστος ὢν φύσει, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀγνοούμενος, δείχθητι ὅπερ ὑπάρχεις διὰ τῆς περὶ τοὺς ἀδικουμένους κηδεμονίας. Εἶτα προ φητικῶς· θʹ. "Κύριος κρινεῖ λαούς." Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὴν ἐμὴν δίκην δικάσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσῃ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων φύσει. "Κρῖνόν με, Κύριε, κατὰ τὴν δικαιο σύνην μου, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν μου ἐπ' ἐμοί." Οὐ δικαιοσύνην ἑαυτῷ διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων μεμαρ τύρηκεν ὁ θεῖος ∆αβίδ· τἀναντία γὰρ αὐτοῦ βοῶντος ἀκούομεν, "Ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγὼ γινώσκω, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία μου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστι διὰ παντός·" καί· "Εἶπα, Ἐξαγορεύσω κατ' ἐμοῦ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ Κυρίῳ·" ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ πράγματι λέγει· Οὔτε γὰρ, φη σὶ, τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ ἠδίκηκά τι, οὔτε τὸν Ἀχιτόφελ, οὔτε τοὺς μετὰ τούτων κατ' ἐμοῦ στρατεύοντας. Κατὰ ταύτην τοίνυν τὴν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἀκα κίαν, κριθῆναι παρακαλῶ, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὰς ἤδη παρ' ἐμοῦ γεγενημένας πλημμελείας.