202 Ps 110 arg. The hymn is spoken briefly in the present one, and the first sounds of the verses proceed according to the Hebrew through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrews from the first to the last, that is from Aleph to Tau, with such a composition having grammatical propriety and inviting to an experience of letters and the learning of books, since the psalms immediately and clearly encourage the study of the law, as Moses also commanded the same from above and ordered elementary teachers to be appointed and to teach the children the law, because they had their learning through hearing, not their wisdom through the spirit as those who are perfected according to Christ.
203 Ps 111,9 He says that the righteousness of the one who is blessed is not extinguished, nor
does it stop at the present, but it is also extended into the age to come; in which age His horn will be exalted in glory, that is, the kingdom which he will be counted worthy of, having obtained the promises of salvation. For it is customary for scripture to call the kingdom a Horn.
204 Ps 113,16 But it is also just for those who worship as more beautiful and divine
while thinking lifeless things are so, to become like them. And this would not justly appear to them as a curse but as worthy of a prayer, to become gods, just as they suppose and to have what they admire.
205 Ps 115,2 For man is empty and a complete lie in both being and not
being, because even while seeming to be, he is not, but moves in an image of life rather than in truth. 206 Ps 115,7-10 There is need of a release from the bonds in hades, so that the God of the living and not of the dead might be our God, and we his ministers in the heavenly church to which we return, escaping the bonds of death.
207 Ps 117,7-9 He is confident as one who has been heard, but he hopes as one for help
about to obtain; and he is strengthened by hope so as not to fear the plots of men nor to marvel at their powers but to foresee their fall. These things were formerly about Israel when the other nations were pressing upon it (and the saying is spoken hyperbolically), and after these things about the church from the nations, being warred against by the rebellions of the unbelievers. For those in each nation who had believed endured the disturbances and dangers from the unbelievers, but nevertheless both these and those, trusting in God, conquered their opponents. 208 Ps 117,10.11 Those who war against the ones serving God are exalted by human power and human authorities, but those who have chosen reverence for God are emboldened by God's help and find this to be stronger than all strength; and most manifestly indeed, the people of Christ defend themselves against both visible and invisible enemies by the name of the Lord alone. 209 Ps 117,27a He clearly hymns the epiphany of the Lord, through which salvation is restored to all, having said both God according to the paternal name and Lord according to the Son's name, because the Lord is God and God is Lord, and having appeared as Lord he ruled over us ourselves for life according to that, That he might be Lord of both the dead and the living, and over the adversaries for punishment according to that, to abolish all authority and power. 210 Ps 117,27bc He commands the establishment of a feast by means of a multitude of victims being placed on the altar up to its horns and its other projections. But proceeding to our victims, the word signifies those who according to the type of Christ present themselves as a sacrifice
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202 Ps 110 arg. Λέγεται ἐν τῷ παρόντι διὰ βραχέων ὁ ὕμνος, καὶ διὰ τῶν εἴκοσι δύο στοιχείων τῶν Ἑβραίων αἱ πρῶται φωναὶ τῶν στίχων προΐασι κατὰ τὴν Ἑβραΐδα ἀπὸ πρώτου μέχρι τελευταίου τουτέστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἄλεφ ἕως τοῦ Θαῦ, γραμματικὴν εὐπρέπειαν ἐχούσης τῆς τοιαύτης συνθέσεως καὶ προ καλουμένης εἰς ἐμπειρίαν γραμμάτων καὶ βιβλίων μάθησιν, καθὸ καὶ εὐθὺς ἐναργῆ προτρέπουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ νόμου μελέτην οἱ ψαλμοί, παραγγείλαντος ἄνωθεν καὶ τοῦ Μωυσέως ταὐτὸν καὶ γραμματοεισαγωγεῖς καταστῆσαι κελεύσαντος καὶ τοὺς παῖδας διδάσκειν τὸν νόμον, ὅτι καὶ δι' ἀκοῆς εἶχον τὴν μάθησιν, οὐ διὰ πνεύματος τὴν σοφίαν ὡς οἱ κατὰ Χριστὸν τελειούμενοι.
203 Ps 111,9 Τὴν δικαιοσύνην τοῦ μακαριζομένου μὴ σβέννυσθαί φησι μηδὲ
ἄχρι τοῦ παρόντος ἵστασθαι ἀλλὰ καὶ παρεκτείνεσθαι καὶ εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα· ἐν ᾧ αἰῶνι Τὸ κέρας αὐτοῦ ὑψωθήσεται ἐν δόξῃ, τουτέστιν ἡ βασιλεία ἧς καταξιωθήσεται τυχὼν τῶν σωτηρίων ἐπαγγελιῶν. σύνηθες γὰρ τῇ γραφῇ τὴν βασιλείαν Κέρας ὀνομάζειν.
204 Ps 113,16 Ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκαιον τοὺς ὡς καλλίω σέβοντας καὶ θεῖα
νομίζοντας τὰ ἄψυχα εἰς ὅμοιον αὐτοῖς καταστῆναι. καὶ οὐκ ἂν αὐτοῖς τοῦτο δικαίως φανείη κατάρα ἀλλ' εὐχῆς ἄξιον τὸ θεοὺς γενέσθαι, καθάπερ οἴονται καὶ ἔχειν ὃ θαυμάζουσιν.
205 Ps 115,2 Κενὸν γὰρ καὶ διάψευσμα ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῷ εἶναί τε καὶ μὴ
εἶναι, ὅτι καὶ εἶναι δοκῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλλ' ἐν εἰκόνι ζωῆς μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ στρέφεται. 206 Ps 115,7-10 Λύσεως δεῖ τῶν ἐν ᾅδου δεσμῶν, ἵν' ὁ ζώντων θεὸς καὶ μὴ νεκρῶν θεὸς ἡμῶν εἴη καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῦ λειτουργοὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπουρανίῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ εἰς ἣν ἐπανερχόμεθα τοὺς θανάτου δεσμοὺς ἀποφεύγοντες.
207 Ps 117,7-9 Θαρρεῖ μὲν ὡς ἐπακουσθείς, ἐλπίζει δὲ ὡς τῆς βοηθείας
τευξόμενος· ῥώννυται δὲ τῇ ἐλπίδι πρὸς τὸ μὴ δεδοικέναι τὰς ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβουλὰς μηδὲ θαυμάζειν τὰς ἐκείνων δυνάμεις ἀλλὰ προορᾶν τὴν πτῶσιν αὐτῶν. ταῦτα δὲ πάλαι μὲν ἦν περὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπικειμένων αὐτῷ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν (εἴρηται δὲ ὑπερβολικῶς ὁ λόγος), μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα περὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίαν πολεμουμένην ἐπαναστάσεσι τῶν ἀπιστῶν. οἱ γὰρ ἐν ἑκάστῳ ἔθνει πεπιστευκότες τοὺς παρὰ τῶν ἀπιστούντων θορύβους καὶ κινδύνους ὑπέμενον, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι τῷ θεῷ τεθαρρηκότες τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἐνίκησαν. 208 Ps 117,10.11 Οἱ μὲν πολεμοῦντες τοῖς θεῷ δουλεύουσιν ἀνθρωπίνῃ τε ἐπαίρονται δυνάμει καὶ ἀνθρωπίναις ἡγεμονίαις, οἱ δὲ θεοῦ σέβας ἑλόμενοι τῇ θεοῦ βοηθείᾳ θαρσύνονται καὶ ταύτην ἁπάσης ἰσχύος ἰσχυροτέραν εὑρίσκουσι· καὶ περιφανέστατά γε οἱ Χριστοῦ δι' ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου μόνον πρὸς τοῖς ὁρατοῖς καὶ τοὺς ἀοράτους πολεμίους ἀμύνονται. 209 Ps 117,27a Τὴν τοῦ κυρίου σαφῶς ἐπιφάνειαν ὑμνεῖ, δι' ἧς ἡ σωτηρία τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀποκαθίσταται, θεόν τε εἰπὼν κατὰ τὸ πατρικὸν καὶ κύριον κατὰ τὸ υἱοῦ ὄνομα, διότι καὶ ὁ κύριος θεὸς καὶ ὁ θεὸς κύριος, ἐπιφανείς τε ὡς κύριος ἐκυρίευσεν ἡμῶν τε αὐτῶν εἰς ζωὴν κατὰ τὸ Ἵνα νεκρῶν καὶ ζώντων κυριεύσῃ, καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων εἰς κόλασιν κατὰ τὸ καταργεῖν πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν. 210 Ps 117,27bc Σύστασιν ἑορτῆς προστάττει διὰ πλήθους ἱερείων ἐπιτιθεμένων τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ μέχρι τῶν κεράτων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐξοχῶν. ἐπὶ δὲ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἱερεῖα προϊὼν ὁ λόγος δηλοῖς τοὺς κατὰ τύπον Χριστοῦ παριστάντας ἑαυτοὺς θυσίαν
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