34

His righteousness, therefore, has become eternal for the race of men. He calls the promises to Abraham the beginning of the oracles. For from him the Jewish race was established; but He fulfilled the promises, and increased the people like the stars of heaven in multitude, and in his seed He blessed, according to the promises, all the nations. For He revealed this by saying: And forever are all the judgments of Your righteousness. For being a prophet, he saw the eternal dominion of Christ. Therefore he also said that the beginning of the divine oracles was adorned with truth. And he says in another psalm: The works of His hands are truth and judgment. Princes persecuted me without a cause, and from Your words my heart was afraid. I was not afraid, he says, of those who made war on and persecuted me; but I feared Your laws. For this reason, finding the enemy sleeping, I did not dare to kill him. And pitying that patricidal and abominable child, I said: Spare the young boy for me. David said these things while being persecuted by Saul; but according to contemplation and thought, the rulers are the wicked spirits, as the blessed Paul teaches us: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this world, against the spiritual forces of wickedness. They, therefore, attack us, wishing to deceive; but let us fear because of the words of God. For the Lord said: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are unable to harm the soul; but rather fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. I will rejoice in Your oracles, as one who finds great spoil. Since he mentioned persecuting enemies, it was fitting that he also brought to mind the spoils. And he says that if I had killed all of them and, having despoiled them, gathered very much plunder, I would not have rejoiced so much, as I rejoice in Your laws. What he said above, this he also says here. For there he said: The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver; and, I have loved Your commandments more than gold and topaz. He teaches, therefore, that we should rejoice and be glad in the commandments of God above all gladness. I have hated and abhorred iniquity, but Your law I have loved. This saying is also true. For one who is fervently disposed toward divine things, abhors their opposites. For he who hates iniquity, certainly draws righteousness to himself. For it is not in nature for two contrary propositions about the same thing to be true. And the Lord also said: You cannot serve God and mammon. Seven times a day I have praised You for the judgments of Your righteousness. Some have interpreted "seven times" as "many times." And both this and that show the fervent love of the prophet. For he never had enough of the divine hymnody. Therefore we too must praise God without ceasing, that is, for the judgments of His righteousness. But the more gentle and pious make their station to God seven times, night and day; first by keeping vigil all night, which we also call the dawn prayer; then, when the sun rises, they give thanks to the One who brought the day; at the third hour, when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles; at the sixth, when Christ our God in the flesh was nailed to the cross, and erased the certificate of debt against us; at the ninth, when He shed His blood and gave up His spirit, and redeemed us from the possession of the devil; around sunset, which we also call the Lamplighting, because we give thanks for the passing of the day; and again, when we go to sleep. These, therefore, when counted together, become seven times. Great peace have they who love Your law, and for them there is no stumbling block. Those who are set on fire by divine love, and who acquire peace with Him through the keeping of the commandments, even if they are warred against by all men, live a pleasant life. And the divine Paul is a witness, crying out: In

34

αὐτοῦ οὖν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα γέγονεν ἡ δικαιοσύνη τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἀρχὴν δὲ λόγων καλεῖ τὰς πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγελίας. Ἐξ ἐκείνου γὰρ τὸ Ἰουδαίων συνέστη γένος· ἀλλ' ἐπλήρωσε τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, καὶ ηὔξησε τὸν λαὸν, ὡς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει, καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματι δὲ αὐτοῦ ηὐλόγησε, κατὰ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Τοῦτο γὰρ παρεδήλωσεν εἰρηκώς· Καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα πάντα τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου. Προφήτης γὰρ ὢν ἑώρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ αἰώνιον κράτος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ ἔφησε κεκοσμῆσθαι τὴν τῶν θείων λογίων ἀρ χήν. Λέγει δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ψαλμῷ· Ἔργα χειρῶν αὐ τοῦ ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις. Ἄρχοντες κατεδίωξάν με δωρεὰν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων σου ἐδειλίασεν ἡ καρ δία μου. Τοὺς πολεμοῦντας, φησὶ, καὶ διώκοντας οὐκ ἐφοβήθην· τοὺς δὲ σοὺς ἔδεισα νόμους. ∆ιὸ καὶ καθεύδοντα τὸν πολέμιον εὑρὼν, ἀνελεῖν οὐκ ἐτόλμησα. Καὶ τὸν πατραλοίαν δὲ ἐκεῖνον καὶ μυσαρὸν παῖδα οἰκτείρων ἔλεγον· Φείσασθέ μοι τοῦ παιδαρίου. Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ ∆αυῒδ διωκόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἔλεγε· κατὰ δὲ θεωρίαν καὶ διάνοιαν ἄρχοντές εἰσι τὰ πονηρὰ πνεύματα, ὡς ὁ μακά ριος Παῦλος ἡμᾶς διδάσκει· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας. Αὐτοὶ οὖν προσβάλλουσιν ἡμῖν, βουλόμενοι ἀπατῆσαι· ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων τοῦ Θεοῦ φοβηθῶμεν. Εἶπε γὰρ ὁ Κύριος· Μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων τι βλάψαι· φοβήθητε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπ ολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ. Ἀγαλλιάσομαι ἐγὼ ἐπὶ τὰ λόγιά σου, ὡς εὑρίσκων σκῦλα πολλά. Ἐπειδὴ πολε μίων ἐμνημόνευσε διωκόντων, εἰκότως καὶ τῶν σκύ λων τὴν μνήμην παρήγαγε. Λέγει δὲ, ὅτι πάντας εἰ ἀνεῖλον ἐκείνους καὶ σκυλεύσας πλεῖστα ὅσα συν ήγαγον λάφυρα, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως εὐφράνθην, ὡς τοῖς σοῖς ἀγάλλομαι νόμοις. Ὅπερ δὲ ἄνω εἶπε, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα λέγει. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἔφη· Ἀγαθός μοι ὁ νόμος τοῦ στόματός σου ὑπὲρ χιλιάδας χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου· καὶ, Ἠγάπησα τὰς ἐντολάς σου ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ τοπάζιον. ∆ιδάσκει οὖν, ἵνα ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν εὐφροσύνην χαίρωμεν καὶ ἀγαλλιώμεθα ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐντο λαῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀδικίαν ἐμίσησα καὶ ἐβδελυξάμην, τὸν δὲ νόμον σου ἠγάπησα. Ἀληθὴς καὶ οὗτος ὁ λόγος. Ὁ γὰρ θερμῶς περὶ τὰ θεῖα διακείμενος, τἀναντία μυσάττεται. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μισῶν τὴν ἀδι κίαν, πάντως τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐπισπᾶται. ∆ύο γὰρ ἐναντίους λόγους περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράγματος ἀληθεῖς εἶναι φύσιν οὐκ ἔχει. Εἶπε δὲ καὶ ὁ Κύριος· Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ. Ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ᾔνεσά σε ἐπὶ τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου. Τινὲς τὸ, Ἑπτάκις, Πλειστάκις ἡρμήνευσαν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ κἀκεῖνο τὸν θερμὸν ἔρωτα τοῦ προφήτου δηλοῖ. Τῆς γὰρ θείας ὑμνῳδίας οὐκ ἐλάμβανε κόρον. Ἀδιαλείπτως τοίνυν χρὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς αἰνεῖν τὸν Θεὸν, τουτέστιν, ἐπὶ τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ. Οἱ δὲ ἐπιεικέστε ροι καὶ εὐλαβεῖς ἑπτάκις ποιοῦνται τὴν στάσιν αὐ τῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν· πρῶτα μὲν διανυκτερεύοντες, ὃ καὶ ὄρθρον ὀνομάζομεν· εἶθ' οὕτως, ἀνατέλλοντος τοῦ ἡλίου, εὐχαριστοῦσι τῷ ἀγα γόντι τὴν ἡμέραν· τρίτῃ ὥρᾳ, ὅτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐπεδήμησε· τῇ ἕκτῃ, ὅτε Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν σαρκὶ ἐπὶ τῷ σταυρῷ προσηλώθη, καὶ ἐξήλειψε τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον· τῇ ἐννάτη, ὅτε τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεε καὶ παρέδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐλυτρώσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου κατοχῆς· περὶ ἡλίου δυσμὰς, ὃ καὶ λυχνικὸν ὀνομάζομεν, διὰ τὸ εὐχαριστεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τῇ παρελεύσει τῆς ἡμέρας· πάλιν δὲ, ὅταν πρὸς τὸν ὕπνον ὑπάγωμεν. Ταῦτα οὖν συναριθμούμενα Ἑπτάκις γίνεται. Εἰρήνη πολλὴ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν νόμον σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς σκάνδαλον. Οἱ τῷ θείῳ πυρπολούμενοι φίλτρῳ, καὶ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰρήνην διὰ τῆς τῶν ἐντολῶν προσκτώμενοι φυλακῆς, κἂν ὑπὸ πάν των ἀνθρώπων πολεμῶνται, θυμήρη ζῶσι ζωήν. Καὶ μάρτυς ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος βοῶν· Ἐν