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and has not done evil to his neighbor." For it is necessary for him to have not only his tongue free from falsehood, but also his very mind; and to be completely free from deceit and duplicity; so that no harm from him comes to his neighbor. And very consistently he mentioned the heart first, then the tongue, and then the deed; for speech precedes the deed, and the mind precedes speech. "And has not taken up a reproach against his neighbors." And if some should fall into any misfortune, one must not mock and trample on them, but rather share in their grief, according to the apostolic law, which commands to weep with those who weep. 4. "In his sight every evildoer is despised." But if anyone should choose a lawless life, let him consider this man thrice-wretched, even if he is carried by fair winds, having the highest prosperity. For since he has cast out reproaching, he has fittingly added this, teaching the difference between good and evil men; "But he glorifies those who fear the Lord." And it is holy to revere all those who highly regard divine things, and to deem them worthy of all respect and honor. "Who swears to his neighbor, and does not break his oath. [5.] He has not given his money at interest, and has not taken bribes against the innocent." Let truth confirm his oaths, and let greed not pollute his wealth. A form of this is usury. And let him be most incorruptible when judging, and let him deliver a verdict clean of bribes. For bribery corrupts justice. "He who does these things shall never be moved." And the prize of this virtue is to enjoy divine help continually, and to abide in many good things, and to await eternal life. These things are no less fitting for us than for those of old; since in addition to the old law we have also received the new, and have obtained a greater grace,

INTERPRETATION OF THE 15TH PSALM. 1. "A stele inscription, for David." Here he foretells the passion and resurrection of the Lord

and the salvation of those who have believed in him. 80.957 And the inscription indicates, in addition to death, also the victory. For a stele is not only placed on tombs, but is also raised for victors, and it receives inscriptions teaching the victory to those who are unaware. Therefore, this is what the inscription of the stele signifies. "Preserve me, O Lord, for in you I have hoped. [2.] I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord.'" The psalm is spoken from the person of the Savior; and it is spoken according to his human nature; just as we also find many such things in the holy Gospels; such is also this: "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as you will." And: "I am going to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." Thus we find him praying continuously, and bending his knees. But that these things are of his human nature, and not of his self-sufficient divinity, the Apostle clearly teaches. For he speaks thus in the Epistle to the Hebrews: "Who in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications, with loud crying and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered, and being made perfect, he became the cause of eternal salvation to all who obey him." But it was not the Word of God, perfect before the ages, who was made perfect, but the form of a servant, having become impassible, and incorruptible, and immortal. These things, therefore, he said the Lord did in the days of his flesh, when he had a mortal body. Therefore, all these things are human, and not befitting of God. So, therefore, also in this psalm he asks to be preserved, and he is preserved by himself. For he asks as a man; but he grants the request as God; with his own Father, of course, approving and cooperating. And the phrase, "I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord;'" is like, "I am going to my God and your God." -"For you have no need of my goods." For you are self-sufficient, and of the

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καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησε τῷ πλησίον αὑτοῦ κακόν." Χρὴ γὰρ αὐτὸν ψεύδους μὲν ἐλευθέραν ἔχειν μὴ μόνον τὴν γλῶτταν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν διάνοιαν· δόλου δὲ καὶ διπλόης παν τελῶς ἀπηλλάχθαι· ὥστε μηδεμίαν παρ' αὐτοῦ βλά βην εἰς τὸν πέλας χωρεῖν. Μάλα δὲ ἀκολούθως καρ δίας ἐμνημόνευσε πρῶτον, εἶτα γλώττης, καὶ τότε τῆς πράξεως· ἔργου γὰρ ἡγεῖται λόγος, λόγου δὲ ὁ νοῦς. "Καὶ ὀνειδισμὸν οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ." Εἰ δὲ καί τινι συμφορᾷ τινες περιπέσοιεν, ἐπικερτομεῖν οὐ δεῖ καὶ ἐπεμβαίνειν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κοινωνεῖν τῆς ἀθυμίας, κατὰ τὸν ἀποστολικὸν νόμον, τὸν παρεγγυῶντα κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων. δʹ. "Ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πᾶς πονη ρευόμενος." Εἰ δέ τις τὸν παράνομον ἕλοιτο βίον, τοῦτον ἡγείσθω τρισάθλιον, κἂν ἐξ οὐρίων φέρηται τὴν ἄκραν ἔχων εὐημερίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ ὀνειδί ζειν ἐξέβαλεν, εἰκότως τοῦτο προστέθεικεν, ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ κακῶν διδάσκων διαφοράν· "Τοὺς δὲ φοβουμένους τὸν Κύριον δοξάζει." Ἅπαντας δὲ τοὺς περὶ πολλοῦ τὰ θεῖα ποιουμένους σέβειν ὅσιον, καὶ πάσης ἀξιοῦν αἰδοῦς καὶ τιμῆς. "Ὁ ὀμνύων τῷ πλησίον αὑτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν. [εʹ.] Τὸ ἀργύριον αὑτοῦ οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἐπὶ τόκῳ, καὶ δῶρα ἐπ' ἀθώοις οὐκ ἔλαβε." Τοὺς μὲν ὅρκους ἡ ἀλήθεια βεβαιούτω, καὶ τὴν εὐπορίαν ἡ πλεονεξία μὴ μολυνέτω. Εἶδος δὲ ταύτης ὁ τόκος. Ἀδωρότατος δὲ ἔστω δικάζων, καὶ καθαρὰν δώρων ἐκφερέτω τὴν ψῆφον. Ἡ γὰρ δωροδοκία διαφθείρει τὸ δίκαιον. "Ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα οὐ σαλευθήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα." Ταύ της δὲ ἆθλον τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ τῆς θείας ἐπικουρίας διηνεκῶς ἀπολαύειν, καὶ ἐν πολλοῖς ἀγαθοῖς δια μένειν, καὶ τὴν αἰώνιον προσμένειν ζωήν. Ταῦτα οὐχ ἧττον ἡμῖν ἢ τοῖς πάλαι ἁρμόττει· ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τῇ παλαιᾷ καὶ τὴν καινὴν νομοθεσίαν δεδέγμεθα, καὶ μείζονος χάριτος τετυχήκαμεν,

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΙΕʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Στηλογραφία, τῷ ∆αβίδ." Ἐνταῦθα προ αγορεύει τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὸ πάθος

καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, 80.957 καὶ τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότων τὴν σωτηρίαν. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ πρὸς τῷ θανάτῳ καὶ τὴν νίκην. Στήλη γὰρ οὐ τάφοις ἐπιτίθεται μόνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ νικῶσιν ἀνίσταται, καὶ γράμματα δέχεται τὴν νίκην τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας διδάσκοντα. Τοῦτο τοιγαροῦν ση μαίνει ἡ τῆς στηλογραφίας ἐπιγραφή. "Φύλαξόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα. [βʹ.] Εἶπα τῷ Κυρίῳ, Κύριός μου εἶ σύ." Ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἴρηται ὁ ψαλμός· εἴρηται δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπειον· ὥσπερ αὖ τοιαῦτα πολλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις εὑρίσκομεν· τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τό· "Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ πο τήριον τοῦτο ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω, ἀλλ' ὡς σύ." Καί· "Πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μου καὶ Πατέρα ὑμῶν, καὶ Θεόν μου καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῶν." Οὕτως εὑρίσκομεν αὐτὸν εὐχόμενον συνεχῶς, καὶ τὰ γόνατα κάμπτοντα. Ὅτι δὲ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ταῦτα, καὶ οὐ τῆς ἀνενδεοῦς θεότητος, ὁ Ἀπόστολος διδάσκει σαφῶς. Λέγει δὲ οὕτως ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῇ· "Ὃς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς σαρκὸς αὑτοῦ δεήσεις τε καὶ ἱκετηρίας πρὸς τὸν δυνάμενον σώ ζειν αὐτὸν ἐκ θανάτου μετὰ κραυγῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ δακρύων προσενεγκὼν, καὶ εἰσακουσθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς εὐ λαβείας· καίπερ Υἱὸς ὢν, ἔμαθεν ἀφ' ὧν ἔπαθε τὴν ὑπακοὴν, καὶ τελειωθεὶς ἐγένετο πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπακού ουσιν αὐτῷ αἴτιος σωτηρίας αἰωνίου." Ἐτελειώθη δὲ οὐχ ὁ πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων τέλειος Θεὸς Λόγος, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ δούλου μορφὴ, ἀπαθὴς, καὶ ἄφθαρτος, καὶ ἀθά νατος γενομένη. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἔφη δεδρακέναι τὸν Κύριον ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς σαρκὸς, ἡνίκα θνητὸν εἶχε τὸ σῶμα. Τοιγαροῦν ἀνθρώπινα ταῦτα ἅπαντα, καὶ οὐ θεοπρεπῆ. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ἐν τῷδε τῷ ψαλμῷ αἰτεῖ φυλαχθῆναι, καὶ ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ φυλάττε ται. Αἰτεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπος· δίδωσι δὲ τὴν αἴ τησιν ὡς Θεός· εὐδοκοῦντος δηλονότι καὶ συν εργοῦντος τοῦ οἰκείου Πατρός. Τὸ δέ γε· "Εἶπα τῷ Κυρίῳ, Κύριός μου εἶ σύ·" ἔοικε τῷ· "Πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν μου καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῶν." -"Ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις." Ἀνενδεὴς γὰρ ὑπάρ χεις, καὶ τῆς