34

he says, “the remainder of life, thus quickly I pass away before I appear, so short is our time. It is not possible to say that having enjoyed life for a long time or being about to enjoy it I suffer these terrible things, but I have perished in empty hope expecting some change and release.” 7,7a Remember, then, that my life is a breath. See how nowhere does he deem himself worthy to be saved on account of his achievements, but because he is short-lived. 7,7b And no longer, he says, will my eye return to see good. He means the return here. It seems to me that he is ignorant of this word about the resurrection; for if he had known, he would not have borne it so grievously. For these words had this purpose; they were of one who was thinking these things and considering them and reflecting on them. 7,8a The eye of him who sees me no longer perceives me, 8b your eyes are upon me, and I am no more, 7,9a like a cloud that is cleared from the sky. 9b For if a man goes down 85 to Hades, he will not come up again, 7,10a nor will he return again to his own house, 10b nor will his place know him any more. 7,11a Therefore, he says, I will not spare my mouth, nor my mind, 11b but I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. See, first, how he knows to recognize his own words and almost demands a defense from the judges and deems it right to obtain pardon, as it is not he, but the affliction, that utters these things. 7,11c I will open, he says, my mouth, being constrained by the bitterness of my soul. 7,12a Am I a sea, or a dragon, 12b that you have set a guard over me? that is to say, “that you use so great a guard over me.” And by ‘guard’ he means fear. 7,13a I said: My bed will comfort me, 13b and I will hold a dialogue with myself alone on my couch. By ‘guard’ he means fear. I said: My bed will comfort me, that is to say: “I will receive consolation from sleep.” 7,14 Why do you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions? And this, then, was the work of the devil; for God brought nothing upon him, but all was from the hand of the devil. 7,15a But you will separate, he says, my life from my spirit, and my soul from my body, 15b and from death my bones. 7,16a For I shall not live forever, that I should be longsuffering. 16b Depart from me, for my life is vain. As if to say, “take me away,” he says these things. “Behold the burdensome words.” What does it have that is burdensome? He spoke of his misfortune and asked for death and release. 86 For I shall not live forever, he says, that I should be longsuffering. Do you see how he had been deprived of this hope as well? For what is my time, he says, that I should endure? Do you see how this, most of all, troubled him, that he did not even expect any change, and if it should happen, that it would be brief? For not forever, he says, shall I live; so that if he had known this, he would have been longsuffering. Depart, he says, from me, for my life is vain. This seems to be harsh, but let us examine it. For what is it? That which David also says: Remove your scourge from me. “For my life,” he says, “is vain. It is itself sufficient punishment for me. For am I something,” he says, “that I should suffer these things? Our affairs are like a shadow and a dream.” 7,17a For what is man, that you have magnified him, 17b or that you pay attention to him? And he posits this very thing as proof of magnifying; for he is entirely worthy of being punished or even of being in one's thoughts. What is man, that you are mindful of him? For this very thing, demanding justice and punishments, is a proof that man is something. 7,18a And you visit him, he says, in the morning. that is to say, “you take hold of him.” 7,18b and you judge him unto rest. “and often you take hold.” See the words mixed, some of gentleness, some of pain. It seems to me that these things are said according to the intensification of the pains. What is: unto rest? that is to say, “you bid him to die and be at rest,” it seems to me. 87 7,19a For how long, he says, will you not let me be, 19b nor let me go? Just as David said: How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you turn your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrows in my heart day and night? 7,19b until, he says, I swallow in pain

34

φησίν, «λοιπὸν τῆς ζωῆς, οὕτω ταχὺ παρέρχομαι πρὶν ἢ φανῆναι, οὕτως ὀλίγος ἡμῶν ὁ χρόνος. οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι πολὺν χρόνον ἀπολαύσας τῆς ζωῆς ἢ μέλλων ἀπολαύσεσθαι ταῦτα πάσχω τὰ δεινά, ἀπόλωλα δὲ ἐν κενῇ ἐλπίδι προσδοκήσας μεταβολήν τινα καὶ λύσιν.» 7,7a μνήσθητι δή, ὅτι πνεῦμά μου ἡ ζωή. ὅρα οὐδαμοῦ ἀπὸ κατορθωμάτων ἀξιοῦντα σωθῆναι ἑαυτόν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὀλιγοχρόνιός ἐστιν. 7,7b καὶ οὐκέτι, φησίν, ἐπανελεύσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἀγαθόν. τὴν ἐνταῦθα ἐπάνοδόν φησιν. ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὸν περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἀγνοεῖν λόγον τοῦτον· οὐ γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ἤνεγκε χαλεπῶς ἐπιστάμενος. ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦτον εἶχε τὸν σκοπόν· ταῦτα διανοουμένου ἦν καὶ ἐνθυμουμένου καὶ ἐννοοῦντος. 7,8a οὐ κατανοεῖ μοι ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς ὁρῶντός με, 8b οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμί, 7,9a ὥσπερ νέφος ἀποκαθαρθὲν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ. 9b ἐὰν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος κατα85 βῇ εἰς ᾅδην, οὐ μὴ ἀναβῇ ἔτι 7,10a οὐδὲ μὴ ἐπιστραφῇ ἔτι εἰς τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον, 10b οὐδὲ μὴ ἐπιγνῷ αὐτὸν ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ ἔτι. 7,11a τοιγαροῦν, φησίν, οὔτε ἐγὼ φείσομαι τῷ στόματί μου, οὐ τῇ διανοίᾳ, 11b λαλήσω δὲ ἐν ἀνάγκῃ τοῦ πνεύματός μου. ὅρα πρῶτον μέν, πῶς οἶδεν ἐπιγινώσκειν ἑαυτοῦ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ σχεδὸν ἀπολογίαν ἀπαιτεῖ παρὰ τῶν δικαστῶν καὶ συγγνώμης ἀπολαῦσαι ἀξιοῖ, ὡς οὐκ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῆς θλίψεως ταῦτα φθεγγομένης. 7,11c ἀνοίξω, φησίν, τὸ στόμα μου ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς συνεχόμενος. 7,12a πότερον θάλασσά εἰμι ἢ δράκων, 12b ὅτι κατέταξας ἐπ' ἐμὲ φυλακήν; τουτέστιν· «ὅτι τοσαύτῃ κέχρησαι φρουρᾷ περὶ ἐμέ.» φυλακὴν δὲ τὸν φόβον λέγει. 7,13a εἶπον· παρακαλέσει με ἡ κλίνη μου, 13b ἀνοίσω δὲ πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν διάλογον ἰδίᾳ τῇ κοίτῃ μου. τὸν φόβον φυλακὴν λέγει. εἶπον· παρακαλέσει με ἡ κλίνη μου, τουτέστιν· «τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου λήψομαι παραμυθίαν.» 7,14 διὰ τί ἐκφοβεῖς με ἐν ἐνυπνίοις καὶ ἐν ὁράμασί με καταπλήττεις; καὶ τοῦτο ἄρα τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐνεργείας ἦν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς αὐτῷ ἐπήγαγεν, ἀλλὰ πάντα τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου χειρὸς ἦν. 7,15a ἀπαλλάξεις δέ, φησίν, ἀπὸ πνεύματός μου τὴν ζωήν μου, τὴν δὲ ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, 15b ἀπὸ δὲ θανάτου τὰ ὀστᾶ μου. 7,16a οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ζήσομαι, ἵνα μακροθυμήσω. 16b ἀπόστα ἐπ' ἐμοῦ, κενὸς γάρ μου ὁ βίος. μονονουχὶ λέγων· «ἄνελέ με» ταῦτά φησιν. «ἰδοὺ τὰ φορτικὰ ῥήματα.» τί φορτικὸν ἔχει; εἶπε τὴν συμφορὰν καὶ ᾔτησε θάνατον καὶ λύσιν. 86 οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ζήσομαι, φησίν, ἵνα μακροθυμήσω. ὁρᾷς, πῶς καὶ ταύτην ἀφῄρητο τὴν ἐλπίδα; τίς γάρ μού ἐστιν ὁ χρόνος, φησίν, ὅτι ἀνέχομαι; ὁρᾷς, πῶς τοῦτο μάλιστα πάντων αὐτὸν ἐθορύβει τὸ μηδὲ προσδοκᾶν τινα μεταβολήν, εἴ γε καὶ γένοιτο βραχεῖαν ἔσεσθαι; οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, φησίν, ζήσομαι· ὥστε εἰ ᾔδει τοῦτο, ἐμακροθύμησεν ἄν. ἀπόστα, φησίν, ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, κενὸς γάρ μου ὁ βίος. δοκεῖ τοῦτο βαρὺ εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἐξετάσωμεν αὐτό. τί γάρ ἐστιν; ὅπερ καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὴν μάστιγά σου. «κενὸς γάρ μου», φησίν, «ὁ βίος. ἀρκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τιμωρίαν ἐμοί. μὴ γάρ εἰμί τι», φησίν, «ἵνα ταῦτα πάσχω; σκιᾷ καὶ ὀνείρατι τὰ ἡμέτερα ἔοικεν.» 7,17a τί γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνας αὐτὸν 17b ἢ ὅτι προσέχεις τὸν νοῦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ; καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τοῦ μεγαλῦναι τεκμήριον τίθεται· ὅλως ἄξιος γάρ ἐστι τοῦ κολάζεσθαι ἢ τοῦ κἂν ἐν διανοίᾳ εἶναι. τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι μιμνῄσκῃ αὐτοῦ; τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ δίκας ἀπαιτεῖν καὶ τιμωρίας ὡς ὄντος τι τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τεκμήριόν ἐστιν. 7,18a καὶ ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ, φησίν, ποιῇ τὸ πρωί. τουτέστιν· «ἀντιλαμβάνῃ αὐτοῦ.» 7,18b καὶ εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν αὐτὸν κρίνεις. «πολλάκις δὲ ἀντιλαμβάνῃ.» ὅρα μεμιγμένα τὰ ῥήματα, τὰ μὲν ἐπιεικείας, τὰ δὲ ὀδύνης. ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ κατὰ τὴν ἐπίτασιν τῶν ἀλγηδόνων ταῦτα λέγεσθαι. τί ἐστιν· εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν; τουτέστιν· «ἀποθανεῖν κελεύεις καὶ ἀναπαύεσθαι», ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ. 87 7,19a ἕως τίνος, φησίν, οὐκ ἐᾷς με 19b οὐδὲ προΐῃ με; καθάπερ ὁ ∆αυὶδ ἔλεγεν· ἕως πότε, κύριε, ἐπιλήσῃ μου εἰς τέλος; ἕως πότε ἀποστρέφεις τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ; ἕως τίνος θήσομαι βουλὰς ἐν ψυχῇ μου, ὀδύνας ἐν καρδίᾳ μου ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός; 7,19b ἕως ἄν, φησίν, καταπίω ἐν ὀδύνῃ