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procured salvation. "The fool said in his heart: There is no God." The introduction of the psalm strongly agrees with the words of Sennacherib and Rabshakeh. [For they, as if God were not the protector of Judea, said that Hezekiah was deceived. And the practices of those around Sennacherib were corrupt, that is, their life and conduct, so that God did not find even one among them who cared for virtue. For they all turned aside to worthlessness. What then? Will they not know by their deeds 80.949 the power of God, they who consume and devour his people instead of bread? And all will know from the events who wages war against them; and from there fear will come upon them, from where they did not expect. For where would they have thought that they would be destroyed by an angel? that God cares for the Jews? and those who mocked the counsel of the poor and humble-minded Hezekiah, who trusted in God rather than in weapons, will understand that he who has attached himself to God has obtained a hope that does not put to shame. For who else but God will save those remaining in Zion, and bring back the tribes already taken captive, so that there may be a common gladness for the twelve tribes, whose root and beginning was the patriarch Jacob, who was also renamed Israel? So that from him these are also named Jacob and Israel. And these things, insofar as they relate to history, but let us examine the spiritual sense more briefly.] "They were corrupt and became abominable in their practices; there is none who does good." The foundation, he says, and root of impiety is the corruption of life. For having given themselves over to licentiousness and a bestial life, they cast the memory of God out of their minds; and the subjects followed the madness of their leader. [Some altogether denied the Divine, and declared that God did not exist at all, but that the name was an underlying concept, and assigned to no underlying substance. Others proclaimed those who are not as being gods, and pushed aside the only One who is; others maintained in word that He exists, but showed that He does not provide for things on earth, nor does He oversee human affairs. Therefore, all at once were turned to one god-denying argument, thinking that God does not exist; but since they did not dare to say this with their mouth; for the natural seeds and the natural reasonings about God led all to the confession of the knowledge of God; therefore, they did not dare to deny with their lips, but pretended to know not only one, but even countless gods. Yet in their heart they persuaded themselves, being truly foolish and senseless, that there is no God in the universe; and a refutation of their godless reasoning was the things done by them; for by the fruit the tree is known. When, therefore, by their practices and the rest of their life they corrupted their whole soul with the body itself, being given over to all corruption, so as even for males to be inflamed with passion for males, and to destroy themselves with all lawless deeds and unspeakable acts; and to be abominable on account of them; how are they not manifest, that even if they subscribe to countless gods in word; even if they themselves 80.952 should say with their lips that they know and confess the God over all; yet in their heart, that is, in their mind, there was not a single true concept of God? Such, therefore, was all of life before the coming of our Savior. And most truly and naturally is the god-denier named "fool". For if the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, fearlessness and rejection would be the opposite of wisdom.] βʹ, γʹ. "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there were any who understood, or who sought after God. They all turned aside, together they became worthless; there is none who does good, no, not one." While they, however, were doing and saying such things, He who dwells on high and looks upon the humble things did not overlook them; but having made an accurate examination even of their thoughts, He saw all were held by the same impiety and lawlessness of life. This is like the things said to Abraham: "The cry

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σωτηρίαν ἐπόρισεν. "Εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὑτοῦ· Οὐκ ἔστι Θεός." Σφόδρα τοῖς τοῦ Σενναχηρεὶμ καὶ τοῦ Ῥαψάκου λόγοις συμβαίνει τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τὸ προοίμιον. [Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ὡς μὴ ὄντος τοῦ Θεοῦ προϊσταμένου τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἀπατᾶσθαι ἔλεγον τὸν Ἐζεκίαν. Ἦν δὲ τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Σενναχηρεὶμ καὶ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα διεφθαρμένα, ἤγουν ὁ βίος καὶ ἡ πολιτεία, ὡς μηδὲ τὸν Θεὸν εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἕνα γοῦν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενον. Πάντα γὰρ εἰς φαυλότητα ἐξέκλιναν. Τί δέ; Οὐκ ἔργοις 80.949 αὐτοῖς οὗτοι γνώσονται τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν, οἱ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀντὶ ἄρτου δαπανῶντες καὶ κατ εσθίοντες; Καὶ πάντες γνωρίσουσιν ἀπὸ τῶν πρα γμάτων τὸν πολεμοῦντα αὐτοῖς· κἀκεῖθεν ὁ φόβος αὐτοῖς ἐλεύσεται, ὅθεν οὐ προσεδόκησαν. Ποῦ γὰρ ἂν ᾠήθησαν ὅτι ὑπὸ ἀγγέλου ἀναιρεθήσονται; ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς κήδεται τῶν Ἰουδαίων; καὶ οἱ μυκτηρίσαντες τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ πτωχοῦ καὶ ταπεινόφρονος Ἐζε κίου, Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ὅπλοις θαῤῥήσαντος, νοήσουσιν, ὅτι ὁ ἑαυτὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναρτήσας τὴν μὴ καταισχύ νουσαν ἐλπίδα ἐκτήσατο. Τίς γὰρ ἄλλος ἢ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ τοὺς ἀπομείναντας ἐν τῇ Σιὼν σώσει, καὶ τὰς ἤδη αἰχμαλωτισθείσας φυλὰς ἐπαναγάγῃ, ὥστε κοινὴν εὐφροσύνην γενέσθαι ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς, ὧν ῥίζα καὶ ἀρχὴ ὁ πατριάρχης Ἰακὼβ ἐχρημάτισεν, ὁ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ μετονομασθείς; Ὥστε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ταύτας Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ὀνομάζεσθαι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὅσον πρὸς ἱστορίαν, τὴν δὲ ἀναγωγὴν ἰσχνοτέραν ἐξετάσωμεν.] "∆ιεφθάρησαν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα." Ὑποβάθρα, φησὶ, καὶ ῥίζα τῆς ἀσεβείας ἡ τοῦ βίου διαφθορά. Εἰς ἀκολασίαν γὰρ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ θηριώδη βίον ἐκδεδωκότες, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν μνήμην τῆς διανοίας ἐξέβαλον· ἠκολούθησαν δὲ τῇ τοῦ ἡγουμένου παραπληξίᾳ καὶ οἱ ὑπήκοοι. [Οἱ μὲν πάντη τὸ Θεῖον ἀρνησάμενοι, καὶ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶναι Θεὸν ἀποφηνάμενοι, ὑπόκενον δὲ εἶναι τοὔνομα, καὶ κατὰ μηδεμιᾶς οὐσίας ὑποκείμενον τεταγμένον. Οἱ δὲ, τοὺς μὴ ὄντας ὡς ὄντας θεοὺς ἀναγορεύσαντες, καὶ τὸν μόνον ὄντα παρωσάμενοι· οἱ δὲ εἶναι μὲν τῷ λόγῳ ὑποστησάμενοι, μὴ μὴν δὲ προνοεῖν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, μηδὲ ἐφορᾷν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα παραδεδειγμένοι. Ἀθρόως δὴ οὖν οἱ πάντες εἰς ἕνα λόγον ἀρνησίθεον περιετράπησαν, μὴ εἶναι Θεὸν διανοηθέντες· ἐπεὶ δὲ μὴ ἐτόλμων διὰ στόματος τοῦτο φάσκειν· ἐνῆγε γὰρ τοὺς πάντας τὰ φυσικὰ σπέρματα καὶ οἱ περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ φυσικοὶ λογισμοὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γνώσεως· διὸ χείλεσι μὲν οὐκ ἐτόλμων ἀρνεῖσθαι, ἀλλ' εἰδέναι προσεποιοῦντο οὐ μόνον ἕνα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρίους θεούς. Τῇ γε μὴν καρδίᾳ ἑαυτοὺς ἔπειθον ἀφραίνοντες ἀληθῶς καὶ μωραίνοντες, ὅτι μὴ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ παντὶ Θεός· ἔλεγχος δὲ ἦν τοῦ ἀθέου αὐτῶν λογισμοῦ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν δρώμενα· ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον ἐπιγινώσκεται. Ὅτε τοίνυν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐταῖς καὶ τῷ λοιπῷ βίῳ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν ψυχὴν διέφθειραν αὐτῷ σώματι, εἰς πᾶσαν ἐκδεδομένοι φθορὰν, ὡς καὶ ἄῤῥενας ἄῤῥεσιν ἐπιμαίνεσθαι, καὶ πάσαις ἀθεμιτουργίαις καὶ ἀῤῥητοποιΐαις καταφθείρειν ἑαυτούς· βδελυκτούς τε εἶναι δι' αὐτά· πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἰσὶν πρόδηλοι, ὅτι κἂν μυρίους ἐπιγράφωνται θεοὺς τῷ λόγῳ· κἂν αὐτοὶ 80.952 εἰδέναι καὶ ὁμολογεῖν τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸν τοῖς χεί λεσι φάσκοιεν· ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἑαυτῶν, τουτέστιν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ, οὐδὲ μία τις ἀληθὴς περὶ Θεοῦ ὑπῆρ χεν ἔννοια; Τοιοῦτος μὲν οὖν ἐτύγχανε πᾶς ὁ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν παρουσίας βίος. Ἄφρων δὲ ἀληθέστατα καὶ φυσικώτατα ὁ ἀρνησίθεος ὠνόμα σται. Εἰ γὰρ σοφίας ἀρχὴ φόβος Θεοῦ, ἀφοβία καὶ ἀθέτησις τοὐναντίον ἂν γένοιτο τῆς σοφίας.] βʹ, γʹ. "Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν, ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν. Πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώ θησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός." Ἐκείνων μέντοι τοιαῦτα καὶ δρώντων καὶ λεγόντων, οὐ περιεῖδεν ὁ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατοικῶν, καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορῶν· ἀλλ' ἐξέτασιν ἀκριβῆ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν λογισμῶν ποιησάμενος, εἶδεν ἅπαντας κατὰ ταὐτὸν τῇ δυσσεβείᾳ καὶ τῇ τοῦ βίου παρανομίᾳ κατεχομένους. Ἔοικε τοῦτο τοῖς πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ εἰρημένοις· "Κραυγὴ