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it wishes to signify, the language of the Hebrews names Allelu. But since praise certainly has reference to God, and *ia* is one of the names that interpret the divine nature, the whole of *Alleluia* is interpreted jointly as 'praise of God'. Therefore, whenever this word is inscribed before the psalmody, it should be understood that it is necessary to refer the underlying text entirely to the doxology of God. Thus, indeed, especially in the 5.91 last parts of the book of Psalms, many such inscriptions are found, through which it is possible to understand that it is fitting for those who have already reached the perfection of the life of virtue and have been purified through the preceding parts of the psalmody, according to the contemplation understood in them, to praise God; and to be among those things, in which the nature of the angels is also believed to be. For we have learned of no other occupation of theirs besides praising God, nor is anything else striven for by those perfect in virtue than to make their own life a praise of God; since, therefore, all those having the inscription of *Alleluia* are found almost in the last part of the psalmody, it is possible to understand clearly that the last part of the psalmody, in which for the most part there is praise of God, or an exhortation to praise God, surpasses all the high ascent through the psalms.

CHAPTER 8

It remains to understand, as far as is possible, the reason for those without inscriptions. But

let the things found by us in this part be set forth for the examination of those who read, either to accept our views or to lead their own mind to a greater contemplation. We have therefore understood this difference in those without inscriptions. For in some of them, the concept of the <τῆς> psalmody becomes the inscription, for which it is common both among the Hebrews and among us that there is no other inscription for the underlying texts except this meaning alone which is shown in the words. But for the rest, there are indeed inscriptions, both ecclesiastical and mystical and significant of our piety according to the mystery, but they are not for the Hebrews, according to the 5.92 accusation made against them in the Gospel, That they made a decree, If anyone should confess the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore, as many of the inscriptions as they perceived to contain some indication of the mystery, these they did not accept. Wherefore also the text has accurately noted this concerning them, adding to the reading of the ecclesiastical inscription that among the Hebrews it is without inscription. Since this division has therefore been set forth beforehand among those without inscriptions, it would be time to give testimony to the account through the words themselves. The psalm set before all did not need an inscription. For the purpose of what is said is clear to those who read, that it is an introduction to philosophy, advising to depart from evil and to be in the good and to be like God according to one's ability. But since the need not to be impious was set forth at the beginning of the beatitude, the second, so that we might be outside of impiety, proposes, having proclaimed beforehand, the evangelical mystery; so that in a way the first is an inscription for the second psalm; for it speaks there of the generation through the flesh of him who today was begotten for us (and today is a part of time), but is always from the Father and in the Father, being Son and God, and his kingdom over those without a king, who, because of not serving God, were counted among the nations, being in a way autonomous, or rather lawless, by not accepting the divine law, but casting the yoke from themselves; and by yoke it means the commandment. But when the kingdom that is over all came also upon these, those who were once masterless become an inheritance of God through him who was begotten 5.93 today

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σημᾶναι βούληται, τῶν Ἑβραίων ἡ γλῶττα Ἀλληλοῦ κατονομάζει. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ αἶνος εἰς θεὸν πάντως τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἔχει, τὸ δὲ ἴα ἓν τῶν ἑρμηνευτικῶν τῆς θείας φύσεώς ἐστιν ὄνομα, ὅλον κοινῇ τὸ Ἀλληλούϊα αἶνος θεοῦ ἑρμηνεύεται. ὅταν τοίνυν τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα προγεγραμμένον ᾖ τῆς ψαλμῳδίας, νοητέον ἂν εἴη τὸ δεῖν πάντως τὸ ὑποκεί μενον εἰς δοξολογίαν ἀναγαγεῖν θεοῦ. οὕτω τοι καὶ τοῖς 5.91 τελευταίοις μάλιστα τῆς βίβλου τῶν ψαλμῶν αἱ πολλαὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιγραφῶν ἐφευρίσκονται, δι' ὧν ἔστιν ἐννοεῖν ὅτι τοῖς ἤδη πρὸς τὸ τέλειον φθάσασι τῆς κατ' ἀρετὴν πολιτείας καὶ διὰ τῶν προλαβόντων τῆς ψαλμῳδίας τμημά των κατὰ τὴν νοηθεῖσαν ἐπ' αὐτῶν θεωρίαν ἐκκαθαρθεῖσιν ἁρμόζει τὸ αἰνεῖν τὸν θεόν· καὶ ἐν τούτοις εἶναι, ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀγγέλων φύσις εἶναι πεπίστευται. οὔτε γὰρ ἐκείνων μεμαθήκαμεν ἀσχολίαν ἄλλην τινὰ πλὴν τοῦ αἰνεῖν τὸν θεὸν οὔτε τοῖς κατ' ἀρετὴν τελείοις ἕτερόν τι σπουδάζεται ἢ τὸ τὴν ζωὴν ἑαυτῶν αἶνον εἶναι θεοῦ παρασκευάσαι· ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οἱ τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν ἔχοντες τοῦ Ἀλληλούϊα πάντες σχεδὸν τῷ τελευταίῳ τμήματι τῆς ψαλμῳδίας ἐνευρίσκονται, σαφῶς ἔστι κατανοῆσαι ὅτι πάσης ὑπέρκειται τῆς ὑψηλῆς διὰ τῶν ψαλμῶν ἀναβάσεως τὸ τελευταῖον τμῆμα τῆς ψαλμῳδίας, ἐν ᾧ τὸ πλεῖστον θεοῦ αἶνός ἐστιν, ἤτοι εἰς τὸ αἰνεῖν τὸν θεὸν παρακέλευσις.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Ηʹ

Λείπεται δὲ τῶν ἀνεπιγράφων τὴν αἰτίαν ὥς ἐστι δυνατὸν κατανοῆσαι. τὰ δὲ

ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ παρ' ἡμῶν εὑρισκόμενα ἐν τῇ δοκιμασίᾳ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων προκείσθω ἢ δέξασθαι τὰ ἡμέτερα ἢ πρὸς μείζονα θεωρίαν προσάγειν αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. ταύτην τοίνυν τὴν διαφορὰν ἐν τοῖς ἀνεπιγράφοις κατενοήσαμεν. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀντὶ ἐπιγραφῆς ἡ <τῆς> ψαλμῳδίας γίνεται ἐπίνοια, ἐφ' ὧν κοινὸν καὶ παρ' Ἑβραίοις καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἄλλην ἐπιγραφὴν τῶν ὑποκειμένων εἰ μὴ ταύτην μόνην τὴν τοῖς ῥητοῖς ἐμφαινομένην διάνοιαν. τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἐπιγραφαὶ μέν εἰσιν ἐκκλησιαστικαί τε καὶ μυστικαὶ καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸ μυστήριον ἡμῶν εὐσεβείας ση μαντικαί, ἀλλὰ τοῖς Ἑβραίοις οὐκ εἰσὶ κατὰ τὴν γεγενημένην 5.92 ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ κατ' αὐτῶν κατηγορίαν, Ὅτι δόγμα ἔθεντο, Εἴ τις ὁμολογήσειε τὸν Χριστόν, ἀποσυνάγωγος γένηται. ὅσας τοίνυν ἐκεῖνοι τῶν ἐπιγραφῶν κατενόησαν ἔνδειξίν τινα περιέχειν τοῦ μυστηρίου, ταύτας οὐ παρεδέξαντο. διὸ καὶ παρεσημήνατο δι' ἀκριβείας ἐπ' αὐτῶν τὸ τοιοῦτον ὁ λόγος τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἐπιγραφῆς προστιθεὶς ὅτι παρ' Ἑβραίοις ἐστὶν ἀνεπίγραφος. τῆς τοίνυν διαιρέσεως ταύτης ἐν τοῖς ἀνεπιγράφοις προεκτεθείσης, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη δι' αὐτῶν τῶν ῥητῶν δοῦναι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν μαρτυρίαν. Ὁ προτεταγμένος τῶν ὅλων ψαλμὸς ἐπιγραφῆς οὐκ ἐδεήθη. φανερὸς γάρ ἐστι τοῖς ἀναγινώσκουσιν ὁ τῶν λεγομένων σκοπός, ὅτι εἰσαγωγικὸς πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν ἐστὶν ἀποστῆναι τοῦ κακοῦ συμβουλεύων καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ γενέσθαι καὶ ὁμοιοῦσθαι τῷ θεῷ κατὰ δύναμιν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὴ δεῖν ἀσεβεῖν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ μακαρισ μοῦ προετάχθη, ὁ δεύτερος, ὅπως ἂν ἔξω τῆς ἀσεβείας γενώμεθα, ὑποτίθεται τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν προαναφωνήσας μυστήριον· ὥστε τρόπον τινὰ ἐπιγραφὴν τοῦ δευτέρου ψαλμοῦ τὸν πρῶτον εἶναι· λέγει γὰρ τὴν διὰ σαρκὸς ἐκεῖ γένεσιν τοῦ σήμερον μὲν γεννηθέντος δι' ἡμᾶς (χρόνου δὲ μέρος ἐστὶ τὸ σήμερον), ἀεὶ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ ὄντος υἱοῦ καὶ θεοῦ, τήν τε βασιλείαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀβασιλεύ των, οἳ διὰ τὸ μὴ δουλεύειν θεῷ ἐν ἔθνεσιν ἦσαν κατειλεγ μένοι αὐτόνομοί τινες ὄντες, μᾶλλον δὲ ἄνομοι, τῷ τὸν θεῖον μὴ παραδέξασθαι νόμον, ἀλλ' ἀπορρίψαι ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν τὸν ζυγόν· ζυγὸν δὲ λέγει τὴν ἐντολήν. τῆς δὲ τοῦ παντὸς ὑπερκειμένης βασιλείας καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐλθούσης, οἱ ποτὲ ἀδέσποτοι θεοῦ κληρονομία γίνονται διὰ τῆς εἰς τὸν σήμερον 5.93 γεννηθέντα