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3. Therefore, David, having learned all these things, writes the psalm, offering hymns of thanksgiving to God, and ascribing the whole stratagem to him. Wherefore also beginning, he says something like this: O Lord my God, in thee have I hoped, save me. Not in Hushai, nor in human wisdom, nor in his intelligence, nor in my own judgment, but, In thee. Therefore let us also do this, even if some success comes to us through men, let us give thanks to God for these things, both for the good deeds done for us through ourselves and through others. For if we do so, nothing will be difficult or crooked; which indeed David also did, all but saying: Not in the words of Hushai did I have the hope of salvation, but in thine alliance. And see with what great disposition he speaks; which was his custom to do. For he did not say, O Lord God; but, O Lord my God; and elsewhere: O God, my God, to thee do I rise early. For he had need of him with all; but specially, on account of the excess of his desire. Thus also God does this in the case of the just, and though being the common God of all, he says that he is specially the God of the just. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And see the philosophical mind. Having said, O Lord my God, in thee have I hoped, he did not say, Punish the adversary, destroy the enemy; but what? He seeks only his own, and says, Save me, that is, Do not let me suffer evil, from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. See how, though suffering evil, he does not mention the parricide by name, and in his misfortune acknowledging nature, and in the war seeing his son, and in dangers not forgetting his bowels of compassion. Thus was he fond of his children and affectionate; or rather 55.84 thus philosophical. For it was not the tyranny of nature, but rather the gentleness of his mind that made him to be such, and he had more consideration for the army than for the tyrant; for this reason he says: Save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. Do you see how he does not even mention them vehemently? For he did not say, From those who war against me, who plunder my possessions, who revel in my royal court, but, From those who persecute me. Lest at any time he seize my soul like a lion, while there is none to redeem or to save. And yet he had gathered armies, and had many with him; how then does he say, while there is none to redeem or to save? Because he does not consider the whole world as any kind of alliance, unless he should enjoy help from above, nor to be in a wilderness, even if he were alone, if he shared in His alliance. Wherefore he also said: A king is not saved by a great host, and a giant will not be saved by the greatness of his strength. But some, taking this saying in an allegorical sense, say that the lion and the persecutors are the devil and demons. For since he saw his son seized by him and devoured, he begs that he himself may never suffer this, and he also states the cause for which the other suffered this. And what is the cause? Through his wickedness, he says, he removed the alliance of God from himself. For this reason he says, while there is none to redeem or to save. And that the devil is called a lion by Scripture, hear it saying: Your enemy the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour. And this same prophet elsewhere: And thou shalt tread upon the lion and the dragon. For the beast is versatile; but if we are sober, this lion and dragon will be more worthless than any mud, and will not even array himself directly against us, but even if he should array himself, he will be trodden underfoot. For you shall tread, he says, upon serpents and scorpions. For he goes about with much wrath, like a lion; but if he attacks those who have Christ, and the cross on their forehead, and the fire of the Spirit, and the lamp that is never extinguished, he will not even be able to look at them, but will turn his back and be gone, not even daring to turn back. And that you may learn that what has been said is no boast,

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γʹ. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἅπαντα μαθὼν ὁ ∆αυΐδ, γράφει τὸν ψαλμὸν, εὐχαριστηρίους ὕμνους τῷ Θεῷ ἀναφέρων, καὶ τὸ πᾶν αὐτῷ ἀνατιθεὶς στρατήγημα. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀρχόμενος οὕτω πώς φησι· Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα, σῶσόν με. Οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ Χουσὶ, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ σοφίᾳ, οὐδὲ τῇ συνέσει τῇ ἐκείνου, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ γνώμῃ, ἀλλ', Ἐπὶ σοί. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιῶμεν, κἂν δι' ἀνθρώπων ἡμῖν κατόρθωμά τι γένηται, ὑπὲρ τούτων εὐχαριστῶμεν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τῶν δι' ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν δι' ἑτέρων ἡμῖν εὐεργετημάτων γινομένων. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτω ποιῶμεν, οὐδὲν ἔσται δύσκολον οὐδὲ σκολιόν· ὃ δὴ καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐποίει, μονονουχὶ λέγων· Οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ῥήμασι τοῦ Χουσὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας εἶχον, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ συμμαχίᾳ τῇ σῇ. Καὶ ὅρα μεθ' ὅσης διαθέσεως φθέγγεται· ὅπερ αὐτῷ σύνηθες ποιεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Κύριε ὁ Θεός· ἀλλὰ, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου, πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ μετὰ πάντων αὐτοῦ χρείαν εἶχεν· ἰδιαζόντως δὲ, διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ πόθου. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τῶν δικαίων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, καὶ κοινὸς ἁπάντων ὢν Θεὸς, ἰδιαζόντως ἑαυτὸν τῶν δικαίων εἶναι λέγει. Ἐγὼ ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ,καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ. Καὶ ὅρα φιλόσοφον γνώμην. Εἰπὼν, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα, οὐκ εἶπε, Κόλαζε τὸν πολέμιον, ἄνελε τὸν ἐχθρόν· ἀλλὰ τί; Τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητεῖ μόνον, καὶ λέγει, Σῶσόν με, τουτέστι, Μὴ ἀφῇς με κακῶς παθεῖν, ἐκ πάντων τῶν διωκόντων με, καὶ ῥῦσαί με. Ὅρα πῶς οὐδὲ πάσχων κακῶς, ὀνομαστὶ μέμνηται τοῦ πατραλοίου, καὶ ἐν τῇ συμφορᾷ τὴν φύσιν ἐπιγινώσκων, καὶ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τὸν υἱὸν ὁρῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις τῶν σπλάγχνων οὐκ ἐπιλανθανόμενος. Οὕτω φιλόπαις ἦν καὶ φιλόστοργος· μᾶλλον δὲ 55.84 οὕτω φιλόσοφος. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ τῆς φύσεως τυραννὶς, ἀλλ' ἡ τῆς γνώμης ἡμερότης τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν ἐποίει εἶναι μᾶλλον, καὶ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τὸ πλέον ἐλογίζετο, ἢ τῷ τυράννῳ· διὰ τοῦτό φησι· Σῶσόν με ἐκ πάντων τῶν διωκόντων με, καὶ ῥῦσαί με. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐδὲ ἐκείνων σφοδρῶς μέμνηται; Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐκτῶν πολεμούντων, τῶν τὰ ἐμὰ διαρπαζόντων, τῶν ἐντρυφώντων τοῖς βασιλείοις τοῖς ἐμοῖς, ἀλλὰ, Τῶν διωκόντων με. Μήποτε ἁρπάσῃ ὡς λέων τὴν ψυχήν μου, μὴ ὄντος λυτρουμένου, μηδὲ σώζοντος. Καὶ μὴν στρατόπεδα συνέλεξε, καὶ πολλοὺς εἶχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ· πῶς οὖν λέγει, Μὴ ὄντος λυτρουμένου, μηδὲ σώζοντος; Ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐν συμμαχίας ἡγεῖται μέρει τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν, εἰ μὴ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀπολαύσειεν ῥοπῆς, οὐδὲ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ εἶναι, εἰ καὶ μόνος ἦν, τῆς ἐκείνου μετέχων συμμαχίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Οὐ σώζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, καὶ γίγας οὐ σωθήσεται ἐν πλήθει ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ. Τινὲς δὲ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν τὴν ῥῆσιν ταύτην ἐκλαμβάνοντες, λέοντα καὶ διώκοντας διάβολον καὶ δαίμονας εἶναί φασιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδε τὸν υἱὸν ἁρπαγέντα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ καταποθέντα ἀξιοῖ μηδέποτε τοῦτο παθεῖν αὐτὸς, καὶ λέγει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἢν ἐκεῖνος τοῦτο ἔπαθε. Τίς δὲ ἡ αἰτία; ∆ιὰ τῆς κακίας, φησὶ, τὴν συμμαχίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπέστησεν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λέγει, Μὴ ὄντος λυτρουμένου, μηδὲ σώζοντος. Ὅτι δὲ λέων ὁ διάβολος λέγεται παρὰ τῆς Γραφῆς, ἄκουσον λεγούσης αὐτῆς· Ὁ ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν διάβολος περιέρχεται ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος καὶ ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ. Καὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ προφήτης ἀλλαχοῦ· Καὶ καταπατήσεις λέοντα καὶ δράκοντα. Πολύτροπον γὰρ τὸ θηρίον· ἀλλ' ἐὰν νήφωμεν, ὁ λέων οὗτος καὶ δράκων πηλοῦ παντὸς εὐτελέστερος ἔσται, καὶ οὐδὲ ἐξ εὐθείας πρὸς ἡμᾶς παρατάξεται, ἀλλὰ κἂν παρατάξηται, καταπατηθήσεται. Πατεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων. Περίεισι μὲν γὰρ μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ θυμοῦ, καθάπερ λέων· ἂν δὲ προσβάλλῃ τοῖς τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχουσι, καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου, καὶ τὸ πῦρ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ τὴν λαμπάδα τὴν οὐδέποτε σβεννυμένην, οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι δυνήσεται, ἀλλὰ νῶτα δοὺς οἰχήσεται, οὐδὲ μεταστραφῆναι τολμῶν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι οὐ κόμπος τὰ εἰρημένα,