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before Abimelech or when the Ziphites came or when Doeg the Idumean came and announced to Saul or in the days when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul or when Joab returned and smote the valley of salt 5.71 twelve thousand or when Nathan the 5.71 prophet came to him, when he went in to Bathsheba. But for some of the psalms the inscription is the Hebrew Alleluia, either the same twice or inscribed once, and for others also with the names of certain prophets written together in the inscription itself in pairs, for example, Alleluia of Haggai, and of Zechariah, and Alleluia of Jeremiah, and of Ezekiel. And again there is another type of inscription: either to the sons of Korah or to Jeduthun or to Asaph; and to one it is inscribed exceptionally, a prayer to Moses the man of God. But of those having the inscriptions which they contain according to the ecclesiastical scripture, but being without inscriptions among the Hebrews, we found this difference: for to some a certain number of the days of the week is signified, either the first of the sabbaths or the fourth of the sabbaths or for the day of the sabbath or before the sabbath; but others have a certain other meaning of the inscriptions which is completely silent among the Hebrews.

CHAPTER 2.

But since this division in the inscriptions has been made clear to us, it would be useful

first to make a more general interpretation of those that are similar; then thus, consequently, to advance the examination to the apparent differences. In general, then, the account of the inscription has a twofold purpose. For it is either written beforehand for an indication of the subject, so that we, having been taught the purpose of the psalmody beforehand, might become more ready to learn the meaning in the sayings; or often the inscription also by itself teaches the 5.72 hearing something, by indicating in the meaning contained in the sayings some of the things accomplished according to virtue; or rather, in each type of the study of the inscriptions, there is one purpose, to lead toward one of the good things, even if something historical seems to be indicated through the things said, or if some mere name happens to be added. For not for this alone has the divine scripture used histories, so that a knowledge of events should arise for us, through which we learn certain deeds and sufferings of the ancients, but so that it might show us some teaching for the life according to virtue, the historical study being transformed to the higher meaning. Therefore, since this has been agreed upon by us, that we should have such a notion about the inscriptions, it would be logical, as we said before, to set forth a more general meaning for those that are similar, and for those set forth with some difference, to make a more particular examination. Since, then, the phrase "To the end" is inscribed on most of the psalms, I think it necessary to know this about it, which the meaning of the others who interpreted the same scripture clarifies. For one, instead of "to the end," says "to the victor," another "a song of victory," and another "for victory." Since, therefore, the end of every contest is victory, looking toward which those who strip for the contests take up the athletic struggle, it seems to me that through "the end" the word, in a brief phrase, stirs up to zeal those who are competing through virtues in the stadium of life, so that by looking to the end, which is victory, they might lighten the labor in the 5.73 contests with the hope of the crowns. This indeed we see happening now in the contests. For the crown, shown beforehand to those grappling with each other in the stadiums, strengthens their zeal for victory all the more, the pains that come upon them through the grappling being stolen away by the hoped-for glory. Therefore, since the stadium is open to all for athletic contest (and the stadium is the common life of men), in which one opponent

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ἐναντίον Ἀβιμέλεχ ἢ ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν τοὺς Ζιφαίους ἢ ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν ∆ωὴκ τὸν Ἰδουμαῖον καὶ ἀναγγεῖλαι τῷ Σαοὺλ ἢ ἐν ἡμέραις, ὅτε ἐρρύσατο αὐτὸν κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Σαοὺλ ἢ ὅτε ἐπέστρεψεν Ἰωὰβ καὶ ἐπάταξε τὴν φάραγγα τῶν ἁλῶν 5.71 δώδεκα χιλιάδας ἢ ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν Νάθαν τὸν 5.71 προφήτην, ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς Βηρσαβεέ. τισὶ δὲ τῶν ψαλμῶν ἐστιν ἐπιγραφὴ τὸ ἑβραϊκὸν ἀλληλούϊα ἢ δὶς τὸ αὐτὸ ἢ ἅπαξ ἐπιγραφόμενον, ἐφ' ἑτέρων δὲ καὶ ὀνόμασί τινων προφητῶν αὐτῇ τῇ ἐπιγραφῇ κατὰ συζυγίαν συγγράφε, οἷον ἀλληλούϊα Ἀγγαίου, καὶ Ζαχαρίου, καὶ ἀλληλούϊα Ἰερεμίου, καὶ Ἰεζεκιήλ. καὶ πάλιν ἕτερον ἐπιγραφῆς εἶδός ἐστιν· ἢ τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ ἢ τῷ Ἰδιθοὺμ ἢ τῷ Ἀσάφ· ἑνὶ δὲ κατ' ἐξαίρετον ἐπιγέγραπται, προσευχὴ τῷ Μωυσεῖ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ. τῶν δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν γραφὴν ἐχόντων ἐπιγραφὰς ἃς περιέχουσι, παρ' Ἑβραίοις δὲ ἀνεπιγράφων ὄντων ταύτην εὕρομεν τὴν διαφοράν· τοῖς μὲν γάρ τις ἀριθμὸς τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἑβδομάδα ἡμερῶν συσση μαίνεται, ἢ μία σαββάτων ἢ τετράδος σαββάτων ἢ εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ σαββάτου ἢ πρὸ τοῦ σαββάτου· ἄλλοι δὲ ἑτέραν τινὰ τῶν ἐπιγραφῶν διάνοιαν ἔχουσιν ἣ καθόλου παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβραίοις σεσίγηται.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Βʹ.

Ταύτης δὲ τῆς διαιρέσεως ἐν ταῖς ἐπιγραφαῖς ἡμῖν τρανωθείσης, χρήσιμον ἂν

εἴη πρῶτον μὲν γενικωτέραν τινὰ τῶν ὁμοίως ἐχόντων τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ποιήσασθαι· εἶθ' οὕτως δι' ἀκολούθου πρὸς τὰς φαινομένας διαφορὰς προαγαγεῖν τὴν ἐξέτασιν. καθόλου μὲν οὖν τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς ὁ λόγος διπλοῦν τὸν σκοπὸν ἔχει. ἢ γὰρ πρὸς ἔνδειξιν τοῦ ὑποκει μένου προγέγραπται, ὥστε τὸν σκοπὸν τῆς ψαλμῳδίας προδιδαχθέντας ἡμᾶς εὐμαθεστέρους γενέσθαι τῆς ἐν τοῖς ῥητοῖς διανοίας· ἢ πολλάκις καὶ δι' ἑαυτῆς τι παιδεύει τὴν 5.72 ἀκοὴν ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ τῇ ἐγκειμένῃ τοῖς ῥητοῖς διανοίᾳ τῶν κατ' ἀρετήν τι κατορθουμένων ὑποδεικνύουσα· μᾶλλον δὲ καθ' ἑκάτερον εἶδος τῆς τῶν ἐπιγραφῶν θεωρίας εἷς ἐστιν ὁ σκοπὸς τὸ πρός τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν καθηγήσασθαι, κἂν ἱστορικόν τι δηλοῦσθαι διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων δοκῇ, κἂν ψιλόν τι ὄνομα προσγεγραμμένον τύχῃ. οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτῳ μόνῳ ἡ θεία γραφὴ ταῖς ἱστορίαις συγκέχρηται, ὥστε ἡμῖν πραγμάτων ἐγγενέσθαι γνῶσιν, δι' ὧν ἔργα τινὰ καὶ πάθη τῶν ἀρχαιο τέρων μανθάνομεν, ἀλλ' ὅπως ἂν διδασκαλίαν τινὰ πρὸς τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν ἡμῖν ὑποδείξειε βίον, τῆς ἱστορικῆς θεωρίας μεταλαμβανομένης πρὸς τὴν ὑψηλοτέραν διάνοιαν. τούτου τοίνυν ἡμῖν διωμολογημένου, τοῦ δεῖν τοιαύτην περὶ τῶν ἐπιγραφῶν ἔχειν τὴν ἔννοιαν, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη, καθὼς φθάσαντες εἴπομεν, τῶν μὲν ὁμοίως ἐνόντων γενικωτέραν τινὰ προεκθέσθαι διάνοιαν, τῶν δὲ κατά τινα διαφορὰν ἐκτιθεμένων, ἰδικωτέραν ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐξέτασιν. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἡ Εἰς τὸ τέλος φωνὴ τοῖς πλείστοις τῶν ψαλμῶν ἐπιγέγραπται, τοῦτο οἶμαι δεῖν περὶ τούτου γινώ σκειν, ὅπερ ἡ τῶν λοιπῶν σαφηνίζει διάνοια τῶν τὴν αὐτὴν μεθερμηνευσάντων γραφήν. ὁ μὲν γάρ τις ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰς τὸ τέλος, τῷ νικοποιῷ φησιν, ὁ δὲ ἐπινίκιον, ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸ νῖκος. ἐπεὶ οὖν τέλος παντὸς ἀγῶνος ἡ νίκη γίνεται, πρὸς ἣν βλέποντες οἱ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἀποδυόμενοι τῆς ἀθλήσεως ἅπτονται, δοκεῖ μοι διὰ τοῦ τέλους ὁ λόγος ἐκ βραχείας φωνῆς ἐπεγείρειν εἰς προθυμίαν τοὺς διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀθλοῦντας ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ τοῦ βίου, ὡς ἂν εἰς τὸ τέλος βλέπον τες, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη, τῇ τῶν στεφάνων ἐλπίδι τὸν ἐν τοῖς 5.73 ἄθλοις πόνον ἐπικουφίζοιεν. ὅπερ δὴ καὶ νῦν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ὁρῶμεν γινόμενον. προδεικνύμενος γὰρ τοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐν τοῖς σταδίοις συμπλεκομένοις στέφανος ἐπιρρώννυσι μᾶλλον αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς νίκης σπουδήν, τῶν γινομένων αὐτοῖς διὰ τῆς συμπλοκῆς πόνων ὑπὸ τῆς ἐλπιζομένης εὐδοξίας ἐκκλεπτομένων. πᾶσι τοίνυν ἠνεῳγμένου τοῦ σταδίου πρὸς ἄθλησιν (στάδιον δὲ ὁ κοινὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος ἐστίν), ἐν ᾧ εἷς ἀντίπαλός