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through the deceit of men, slaughters, and he has come to the aid of those who are wronged. For this is what it means, "He has not forgotten the cry of the poor." For here he calls "cry" not prayer and supplication, but the misery that has entered through sin, on account of which there are also untimely deaths, and lamentations, and calamities. 14. "Have mercy on me, O Lord; behold my humiliation from my enemies." Such, he says, was the cry that came from wailing and lamentations, having a kind of request concerning the terrible things that held them. 15. "You who lift me up from the gates of death, that I might declare all your praises." This, he says, is the end of good things, the release from corruption, and the abolition of death; having enjoyed this, we will always hymn your benefactions. "In the gates of the daughter of Zion we will rejoice in your salvation." He calls the heavenly city Zion, as the blessed Paul taught; and its gates, the Churches everywhere on earth, through which the faithful entered into it. In these, therefore, he says, rejoicing and dancing in the hope of the resurrection, we will praise the one who is the cause of these things. And since he mentioned the abolition of death, he reasonably added: 16, 17. "The nations have been trapped in the destruction they have wrought; in this snare which they hid, their foot has been caught." The Lord is known when he executes judgments; in the works of his own hands the sinner has been caught." And here too he addresses 80.929 the swarm of demons as "nations". For they, having fashioned the saving cross, through it fell from their tyranny; and in the snare which they hid, their foot has been caught, and in the works of their own hands the sinner has been caught. But if the preceding words were taken also concerning the unbelieving nations, who put to death the victorious apostles and martyrs, we will find the truth of the prophecy in this way as well. For through their slaughter the preaching of piety was confirmed, and having died they captured more than they had hunted while alive; and in the works of his own hands the sinner was caught, and the Lord was known executing judgments, that is, wisely and justly administering. 18, 19. "Let the sinners be turned back to Hades, all the nations that forget God. For the poor man will not be forgotten forever; the patience of the needy will not perish forever." These, he says, who disbelieved the divine proclamation will very quickly take possession of Hades, and will be given over to death, without having brought even chance harm upon those persecuted by them. "For the patience of the needy will not perish forever." For "he who endures to the end will be saved." And: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Then, seeing from afar with prophetic eyes the heralds of piety being plundered by the impious, he says in prayer: 20, 21. "Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail; let the nations be judged in your sight. Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them; let the nations know that they are men." One might reasonably ask the Jews, what lawgiver the prophet here entreats to be given? For the great Moses, having long and long ago become a minister of the divine lawgiving, had received the end of his life; "And another lawgiver has not been raised up after him." But if no other is shown to have been established as lawgiver, neither for the Jews nor for the nations, it remains to understand that the Lord Christ appeared as the lawgiver of the nations; who cries out in the holy Gospels: "It was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder'; but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be liable to the judgment. It was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." And all the other things likewise. The prophet, therefore, beseeches that his lawgiving be provided 80.932 to the nations; so that, leaving behind their bestial life, they may know that they are men. "For man, says the Prophet,

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δι' ἀπάτης τῶν ἀνθρώπων σφαγὰς, καὶ εἰς ἐπικουρίαν τῶν ἀδικουμένων ἐλήλυθεν. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει, "Οὐκ ἐπελάθετο τῆς κραυγῆς τῶν πενήτων." Κραυγὴν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὴν προσευχὴν λέγει καὶ δέησιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπεισελθοῦσαν ταλαιπωρίαν, δι' ἣν καὶ θάνατοι ἄωροι, καὶ θρῆνοι, καὶ συμφοραί. ιδʹ. "Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, ἴδε τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου." Τοιαύτη τις ἦν, φησὶν, ἡ τῶν ὀλοφύρσεων καὶ τῶν θρήνων γινομένη κραυγὴ, οἷόν τινα αἴτησιν ἔχουσα περὶ τῶν κατεχόντων δεινῶν. ιεʹ. "Ὁ ὑψῶν με ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου, ὅπως ἂν ἐξαγγείλω πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις σου." Τοῦτο, φησὶν, ἐστὶ τὸ τέλος τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἡ τῆς φθορᾶς ἀπαλλαγὴ, καὶ τοῦ θανάτου κατάλυσις· ἧς ἀπολαύ σαντες ἀεὶ τὰς σὰς εὐεργεσίας ὑμνήσομεν. "Ἐν ταῖς πύλαις τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιὼν ἀγαλλιασόμεθα ἐπὶ τῷ σωτηρίῳ σου." Σιὼν καλεῖ τὴν ἐπουράνιον πόλιν, ὡς ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἐδίδαξε· πύλας δὲ ἐκείνης, τὰς ἁπανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς Ἐκκλησίας, δι' ὧν εἰς ἐκείνην εἰσῄεσαν οἱ πιστεύοντες. Ἐν ταύ ταις τοίνυν, φησὶν, ἀγαλλιώμενοι, καὶ χορεύον τες ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐλπίσι τῆς ἀναστάσεως, τὸν τούτων πρόξενον ἀνυμνήσομεν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου καταλύσεως ἐμνημόνευσεν, εἰκότως ἐπήγαγεν· ι ϛʹ, ιζʹ. "Ἐνεπάγησαν ἔθνη ἐν διαφθορᾷ ᾗ ἐποίη σαν, ἐν παγίδι ταύτῃ ᾗ ἔκρυψαν συνελήφθη ὁ ποῦς αὐτῶν." Γινώσκεται Κύριος κρίματα ποιῶν· ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὑτοῦ συνελήφθη ὁ ἁμαρτω λός." Ἔθνη δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα προσαγορεύει 80.929 τῶν δαιμόνων τὸ στίφος. Οὗτοι γὰρ τὸν σωτήριον σταυρὸν τεκτηνάμενοι, διὰ τούτου τῆς τυραννίδος ἐξέπεσαν· καὶ ἐν παγίδι ᾗ ἔκρυψαν συνελήφθη ὁ ποῦς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὑτοῦ συνελήφθη ὁ ἁμαρτωλός. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀπι στησάντων ἐθνῶν, καὶ τοὺς καλλινίκους ἀποστόλους καὶ μάρτυρας ἀνελόντων, τὰ προκείμενα ληφθείη ῥήματα, καὶ οὕτω τὸ ἀληθὲς τῆς προφητείας εὑ ρήσομεν. ∆ιὰ γάρ τοι τῆς ἐκείνων σφαγῆς ἐβε βαιώθη τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸ κήρυγμα, καὶ πλείους ὧν ἐθήρευσαν ζῶντες ἀποθανόντες ἐζώγρησαν· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὑτοῦ συνελήφθη ὁ ἁμαρ τωλὸς, καὶ ἐγνώσθη Κύριος κρίματα ποιῶν, τουτέστι σοφῶς καὶ δικαίως οἰκονομῶν. ιηʹ, ιθʹ. "Ἀποστραφήτωσαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τὰ ἐπιλανθανόμενα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τέλος ἐπιλησθήσεται ὁ πτωχὸς, ἡ ὑπομονὴ τῶν πενήτων οὐκ ἀπολεῖται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα." Οὗτοι, φησὶν, οἱ τῷ θείῳ διαπιστήσαντες κηρύγματι τὸν ᾅδην ὅτι τάχιστα καταλήψονται, καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ παραδοθήσονται, οὐδὲ τὴν τυχοῦσαν βλά βην τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτῶν διωκομένοις ἐπαγαγόντες. "Ἡ ὑπομονὴ γὰρ τῶν πενήτων οὐκ ἀπολεῖται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα." Ὅτι "ὁ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται." Καί· "Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρα νῶν." Εἶτα πόῤῥωθεν προφητικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς θεασάμενος λεηλατουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν δυσσεβῶν τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας κήρυκας, εὐκτικῶς λέγει· κʹ, καʹ. "Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε, μὴ κραταιούσθω ἄν θρωπος, κριθήτωσαν ἔθνη ἐνώπιόν σου. Κατάστησον, Κύριε, νομοθέτην ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, γνώτωσαν ἔθνη ὅτι ἄνθρωποί εἰσιν." Εἰκότως ἄν τις ἔροιτο Ἰουδαίους, ποῖον ἐνταῦθα δοθῆναι νομοθέτην ὁ προφήτης παρα καλεῖ; Μωσῆς μὲν γὰρ ὁ μέγας, πάλαι καὶ πρό παλαι τῆς θείας νομοθεσίας γενόμενος ὑπουργὸς, τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος ἐδέδεκτο· "Ἕτερος δὲ μετ' ἐκεῖ νον οὐκ ἐγήγερται νομοθέτης." Εἰ δὲ μηδεὶς ἕτε ρος δείκνυται, μήτε τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, μήτε τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καταστὰς νομοθέτης, λείπεται νοεῖν τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστὸν ἀναφανῆναι νομοθέτην ἐθνῶν· ὃς ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις βοᾷ· "Ἐῤῥέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐ φονεύσεις· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῆ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει. Ἐῤ ῥέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐ μοιχεύσεις· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, πᾶς ὁ ἐμβλέπων γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτῆς ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὑτοῦ." Καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὁμοίως. Τὴν τούτου τοίνυν νομοθεσίαν ὁ προφήτης ἀντιβολεῖ παρασχεθῆναι 80.932 τοῖς ἔθνεσιν· ἵνα τὸν θηριώδη καταλιπόντες βίον· γνῶσιν ὅτι ἄνθρωποί εἰσιν. "Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ Προφήτης,