a living [sacrifice], truly well-pleasing to God, the multitude of which fills the altar up to the highest point which is joined to the heavenly angels, through the same power which both holds up the heavenly things on high and raises up the things on earth, receiving in the manner of an altar those who approach God.

211 Ps 118,1bc These were they who have not walked in the counsel of the ungodly and in the way

of sinners have not stood, but who chose the law and the path within it. And by blameless he does not mean what is entirely free from blemishes and sins. For this was reserved for Christ and for those who share in Christ through him, but for them "blameless" was judged in what was according to their ability, with pardon from God and not with exactness concerning the commandments. For God does not demand the impossible, but he legislates by convicting what is deficient, and he forgives what is weak, having known it and providing salvation by the then still future participation in Christ, the mighty God. Therefore, it is fitting for us to live blameless according to Christ. 212 Ps 118,5 Since there were very many obstacles to virtue, like stumbling blocks on a road, he reasonably asks for their removal. For thus a way is prepared when the hindrances are taken away, according to "Cast out of the way of my people the stumbling blocks." For example, to the divine David the woman was a stumbling block, and the untimely occasion of the sight; to another, food seen for pleasure, as to Esau; to another, glory, as to Saul; to another, a possession, as to Ahab. Against all of which there is need of God who prepares for the way, which would put these things aside and preserve the love of what is good † attracting the more violent things of purpose and as it were draining them of moisture on account of the propensity of nature. 213 Ps 118,6 But for us, looking to the divine Spirit, there will be no being ashamed, whenever we see ourselves harmonized with it everywhere and in no way shifting toward the flesh nor having been brought down from a lofty fall. 214 Ps 118,7b.8a When I have learned the judgments of your righteousness, I will keep your statutes. He asks for understanding, he says, and promises that he will not have it without fruit. For "I will not only learn," he says, "but I will also keep your statutes." 215 Ps 118,10 Aquila says, "Do not make me err" [which we will speak about]. Employing his desire for the law, he fears the lack of understanding which for many turns their zeal to the opposite. And in those things in which they seem to succeed, they have failed, according to what is said by Solomon: "There is a way which seems right to men, but its end leads to the bottom of Hades." 216 Ps 118,12b For understanding comes not immediately from memory but from divine illumination; and statutes are the things that are able to justify. 217 Ps 118,21 The mother of lawlessness is pride. For because of this they do not endure to obey the commandments of God, as is the disobedient people saying, "We will not be ruled," and "We will not come to you any more." And he says this showing God his own eagerness for obedience to the commandments. Because he understands them to be liable, he will rebuke those who are disobedient and insubordinate through pride. 218 Ps 118,22.23 He prays to flee the true disgrace that is with God, which the Lord shows to be most fearful, saying that those who were ashamed of him will be put to shame. Indeed, demonstrating the opposite of this, this lawful man says here that when mocked by the great and the proud, he does not desist from the study of the sacred oracles and from correction by them, and a little later, "I spoke," he says, "of your testimonies before kings and was not ashamed." Such also is Paul, saying, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel." 219 Ps 118,25 That which he himself says is a sacrifice to God, a broken and humbled heart, this he now says he has fulfilled, having brought down his soul as if to the ground and having been humbled voluntarily, just as concerning involuntary humiliation he says, "Our soul is humbled to the dust, our belly clings to the earth"

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ζῶσαν τὴν ὄντως εὐάρεστον θεῷ, ὧν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἀνα πληροῖ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἄχρι πρὸς τὸ ἀκρότατον ὕψος τὸ συναπτόμενον τοῖς οὐρανίοις ἀγγέλοις, διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς δυνάμεως ἣ τά τε οὐράνια πρὸς ὕψος ἀνέχει καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνυψοῖ θυσιαστηρίου τρόπῳ δεχομένη τοὺς θεῷ προσιόντας.

211 Ps 118,1bc Οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ μὴ πορευθέντες ἐν βουλῇ ἀσεβῶν καὶ ἐν ὁδῷ

ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ στάντες ἀλλὰ τὸν νόμον ἑλόμενοι καὶ τὴν ἐν τούτῳ πορείαν. ἄμωμον δὲ οὐ τὸ παντάπασιν ἀπερίπτωτον μώμοις καὶ ἁμαρτήμασι λέγει. Χριστῷ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀπέκειτο καὶ τοῖς Χριστοῦ μετόχοις δι' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐκείνοις τὸ ἄμωμον ἐν τοῖς κατὰ δύναμιν ἐκρίνετο συγγνώμῃ τῇ παρὰ θεοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀκριβείᾳ τῇ περὶ τὰ προστάγματα. οὐ γὰρ ἀπαιτεῖ ὁ θεὸς τὸ μὴ δυνατόν, ἀλλὰ νομοθετεῖ διελέγχων τὸ ἐνδεές, συγχωρεῖ δὲ τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐγνωκὼς καὶ τῇ τότε ἔτι μελλούσῃ μετουσίᾳ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ δυνατοῦ θεοῦ, πορίζων τὴν σωτηρίαν. ἡμῖν οὖν ἁρμόττει τὸ ἄμωμον βιοῦσι κατὰ Χριστόν. 212 Ps 118,5 Ἐπειδὴ πλεῖστα ἦν πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἐναντιώματα εἰκότως καθάπερ ὁδοῦ πταίσματα, τὴν τούτων ὑφαίρεσιν αἰτεῖ. οὕτω γὰρ ὁδὸς εὐτρεπίζεται τῶν ἐμποδισάντων ἀναιρουμένων κατὰ τὸ ∆ιαρρίψατε ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τοῦ λαοῦ μου τὰ σκῶλα· οἷον ἐγένετο τῷ θείῳ ∆αυὶδ σκῶλον ἡ γυνὴ καὶ ἡ τοῦ θεάματος οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ περίπτωσις, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἔδεσμα πρὸς ἡδονὴν ὀφθὲν οἷον τῷ Ἡσαῦ, ἄλλῳ δὲ δόξα ὥσπερ τῷ Σαούλ, ἄλλῳ δὲ κτῆμα ὥσπερ τῷ Ἀχαάβ· πρὸς ἅπερ ἅπαντα θεοῦ τοῦ ἑτοιμάζοντος εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν δεῖ, ἥτις ἀποσκευάζοιτο ταῦτα καὶ τὴν φιλόκαλον προθυμίαν περιέποι † τὰ βιαιότερα τῆς προθέσεως ἐφέλκοντα καὶ οἷον ἀνικμάζοντα διὰ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἐπιρρεπές. 213 Ps 118,6 Ἡμῖν δὲ πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ θεῖον ἀφορῶσιν ἔσται τὸ μὴ αἰσχύνεσθαι, ἐπειδὰν συνηρμοσμένους αὐτῷ θεωρῶμεν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἁπανταχῆ καὶ μηδαμῇ μετατιθεμένους πρὸς τὴν σάρκα μηδὲ ἐκ μετεώρου πτώσεως κατενεχθέντας. 214 Ps 118,7b.8a Ἐν τῷ μεμαθηκέναι με τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου τὰ δικαιώματά σου φυλάξω. σύνεσιν αἰτεῖ, φησί, καὶ ταύτην οὐκ ἄκαρπον ἕξειν ἐπαγγέλλεται. οὐ γὰρ μαθήσομαι μόνον, φησίν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φυλάξω τὰ δικαιώματά σου. 215 Ps 118,10 Ἀκύλας φησὶ Μὴ ἀγνοηματίσῃς με [πρὸς ὅπερ ἐροῦμεν]. ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ περὶ τὸν νόμον χρώμενος δέδοικε τὴν ἀσυνεσίαν ἣ πολλοῖς τὴν σπουδὴν εἰς τοὐναντίον περιίστησιν. καὶ ἐν οἷς δοκοῦσι κατορθοῦν, ἐσφάλησαν κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον παρὰ Σολομῶνι Ἔστιν ὁδὸς ἣ δοκεῖ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ὀρθῆ εἶναι, τὰ δὲ τελευταῖα αὐτῆς ἔρχεται εἰς πυθμένα ᾅδου. 216 Ps 118,12b Οὐ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῆς μνήμης ἡ σύνεσις ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ θείου φωτισμοῦ· δικαιώματα δὲ τὰ δικαιῶσαι δυνάμενα. 217 Ps 118,21 Μήτηρ παρανομίας ὑπερηφανία. διὰ γὰρ ταύτην οὐκ ἀνέχονται ὑπακούειν προστάγμασι θεοῦ, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ ἀπειθὴς λαὸς λέγων Οὐ κυριευθησόμεθα καὶ οὐχ ἥξομεν πρὸς σὲ ἔτι. τοῦτο δὲ λέγει τὴν αὐτοῦ προθυμίαν ἐπιδεικνὺς θεῷ τὴν πρὸς ὑπακοὴν τῶν ἐντολῶν. ὅτι συνίησιν ἐνόχους, ἐπιτιμήσει τοὺς δι' ὑπερηφανίας ἀπειθεῖς καὶ ἀνυποτάκτους. 218 Ps 118,22.23 Εὔχεται τὴν ἀληθῆ φυγεῖν ἀδοξίαν τὴν παρὰ θεῷ ἣν φοβερωτάτην ὁ κύριος ὑποδείκνυσι λέγων ἐπαισχυνθήσεσθαι τοὺς ἐπαισχυνθέντας αὐτόν· οὗ δὴ τὸ ἐναντίον ἐνδεικνύμενος ὁ νόμιμος οὗτος ἄνθρωπος ἐνταῦθα λέγει χλευαζόμενος ὑπὸ μεγάλων καὶ ὑπερηφάνων μὴ ἀφίστασθαι τῆς τῶν ἱερῶν λογίων μελέτης καὶ τῆς ὑπ' αὐτῶν διορθώσεως, καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον Ἐλάλουν, φησίν, ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίοις σου ἐναντίον βασιλέων καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχυνόμην· οἷός ἐστι καὶ ὁ Παῦλος λέγων Οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνομαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον. 219 Ps 118,25 Ὅπερ αὐτὸς λέγει θυσίαν εἶναι θεῷ καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην, τοῦτο νῦν πεπληρωκέναι φησὶ καταγαγὼν τὴν ψυχὴν ὥσπερ εἰς ἔδαφος καὶ ταπεινωθεὶς ἑκουσίως, ὡς περὶ τῆς ἀκουσίου λέγει ταπεινώσεως τὸ Ἐταπεινώθη εἰς χοῦν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν, ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ

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