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being saved daily. And the Lord himself also calls those who have believed sheep. For my sheep, he says, hear my voice. And they were diminished and afflicted by the pressure of evils and pain. These, then, he says, who formerly inhabited the desert and waterless land, having believed, enjoyed so much abundance and blessing; but those who formerly enjoyed the watering of the prophets, then were deprived of it because of the wickedness of their mind and remained entirely desolate and fruitless, fell into all kinds of misfortunes and were scattered throughout the whole world, so that their populous metropolis was inhabited by few. Contempt was poured out upon their rulers. And events bear witness to the prophecy. For even those who seem to be their rulers and teachers have become worthy of no account, but those formerly conspicuous and admired 55.672 are now completely obscure, and despised even by their own people. For even if physically the Jews multiply according to, "And the number of the sons of Israel was as the sand of the sea," yet the Holy Spirit does not declare all of them worthy; for it says through Isaiah the prophet: "If the sons of Israel become as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved;" which he now says, that "They were diminished, and were worn down by evil distress and misery." But these things are for the many; but those pre-eminent in dignities and knowledge were given over to contempt, whom indeed "God made to wander in a trackless place, and not in a way." And he made them wander in a trackless place, and not in a way. But Symmachus has it thus: And he will make them wander in the vanity of their mind. But God does not bring on error, but those who do not obey him, he leaves ungoverned; and the ungoverned, being carried here and there, go astray. The Jews have also suffered this; for having left the straight way, they follow their own reasonings. And he helped the poor out of poverty, and made families like sheep. But Symmachus: And you will fortify the poor from affliction. And by "the poor" he means the people from the nations. And made families like sheep. But Aquila: And he will make kinship as a flock. And Symmachus: And he will arrange the kinsfolk as flocks. And he speaks of the Churches established in city and country. And the Savior also says concerning his own people: "My sheep hear my voice." But he speaks as if concerning future things and not yet present things. The upright will see and be glad, and all iniquity will shut its mouth. For seeing these things, those who use uprightness of reasoning are filled with gladness; but those who choose to live with impiety and lawlessness are forced to stoop to the ground and be silent, bridled by the just decree. And what will they see, but the change from worse things to better? Therefore, to those who have seen the fulfillment of the prophecies the Savior said: "But blessed are your eyes, for they see what many prophets desired to see, and did not see." And you will understand by iniquity the devil, and everything done according to it. Who is wise and will keep these things, and will understand the mercies of the Lord? For much of them relates to spiritual thought, and requires wisdom for understanding. But to discern the philanthropic economies of the Savior, and to keep the divine laws, is not for everyone, but for him who cries out to the Master: "Uncover my eyes, and I will understand the wonderful things from your law." But through what he says, "They will understand," he referred the contemplation as future for those from the nations; to whom be glory, to Christ, for ever and ever. Amen.

PSALM 107.

A song of a psalm of David. And this psalm likewise the return of the Jews

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σωζομένους καθ' ἡμέραν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Κύριος πρόβατα καλεῖ τοὺς πεπιστευκότας. Τὰ πρόβατα γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούει. Καὶ ὠλι γώθησαν καὶ ἐκακώθησαν ἀπὸ θλίψεως κακῶν καὶ ὀδύνης. Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν, φησὶν, οἱ πάλαι τὴν ἔρημον οἰ κοῦντες καὶ ἄνυδρον, τοσαύτης εὐθηνίας καὶ εὐλογίας πεπιστευκότες ἀπήλαυσαν· οἱ δὲ πάλαι τῆς τῶν προ φητῶν ἀπολαύσαντες ἀρδείας, εἶτα ταύτης στερηθέντες διὰ τὴν πονηρίαν τῆς γνώμης καὶ ἔρημοι παντελῶς με μενηκότες καὶ ἄκαρποι, παντοδαπαῖς περιέπεσον συμ φοραῖς καὶ εἰς ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην διεσκεδάσθησαν, ὥστε τὴν πολυάνθρωπον αὐτῶν μητρόπολιν ὑπὸ ὀλίγων οἰκεῖσθαι. Ἐξεχύθη ἐξουδένωσις ἐπ' ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τῇ προῤῥήσει τὰ πράγματα. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ δοκοῦντες αὐτῶν ἄρχοντες εἶναι καὶ διδάσκαλοι, οὐδενὸς ἄξιοι καθεστήκασι λόγου, ἀλλ' οἱ πάλαι περιφανεῖς περί 55.672 βλεπτοι, ἄσημοι παντελῶς εἰσι, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων καταφρονούμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ σωματικῶς οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι πληθύνουσι κατὰ τὸ, Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντας ἀξίους ἀποφαίνει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· λέγει γὰρ διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου· Ἐὰν γένωνται υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ,ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ κατάλειμμα σωθήσε ται· ὅπερ νῦν λέγει, ὅτι Ὠλιγώθησαν, καὶ κατεφθά ρησαν ἀπὸ συνοχῆς κακῆς καὶ ταλαιπωρίας. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οἱ πολλοί· οἱ δὲ προύχοντες ἐν ἀξιώμασι καὶ γνώσει παρεδόθησαν ἐξουδενώσει, οὓς δὴ Καὶ ἐπλάνησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀβάτῳ, καὶ οὐχ ὁδῷ. Καὶ ἐπλάνησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀβάτῳ, καὶ οὐχ ὁδῷ. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Καὶ πλανήσει αὐτοὺς ἐν ματαιότητι διανοίας. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐκ ἐπάγει πλάνην, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὴ πειθομένους αὐτῷ, ἀκυβερνήτους ἐᾷ· οἱ δὲ ἀκυβέρνητοι τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περι φερόμενοι, πλανῶνται. Τοῦτο καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι πεπόνθασι· τὴν εὐθεῖαν γὰρ καταλιπόντες ὁδὸν τοῖς οἰκείοις ἕπονται λογισμοῖς. Καὶ ἐβοήθησε πένητι ἐκ πτωχείας, καὶ ἔθετο, ὡς πρόβατα, πατριάς. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· Καὶ ὀχυρώσεις πένητα ἀπὸ κακώσεως. Πένητα δὲ λέγει τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαόν. Καὶ ἔθετο, ὡς πρόβατα, πατριάς. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας· Καὶ θήσει, ὡς ποίμνιον συγγενείας. Καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος· Καὶ τάξει, ὡς ποίμνια, τὰς συγγενείας. Λέγει δὲ τὰς κατὰ πόλιν καὶ χώραν συστάσας Ἐκκλησίας. Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δέ φησι περὶ τοῦ ἰδίου λαοῦ· Τὰ ἐμὰ πρό βατα τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς ἀκούει. Ὡς δὲ περὶ μελλόντων καὶ μήπω παρόντων φησίν. Ὄψονται εὐθεῖς καὶ εὐ φρανθήσονται, καὶ πᾶσα ἀνομία ἐμφράξει στόμα αὐτῆς. Ταῦτα γὰρ ὁρῶντες οἱ μὲν εὐθύτητι λογισμῶν κεχρημένοι, θυμηδίας ἐμπίμπλανται· οἱ δὲ δυσσεβείᾳ καὶ παρανομίᾳ συζῇν προαιρούμενοι, κύπτειν εἰς γῆν καὶ σιγᾷν ἀναγκάζονται, τῇ δικαίᾳ χαλινούμενοι ψήφῳ. Τίνα δὲ ὄψονται, ἀλλ' ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν χειρόνων ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω μεταβολήν; ∆ιὸ τοῖς τὰ τέλη τῶν προφητειῶν τεθεαμένοις ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι ὀφθαλ μοὶ, ὅτι βλέπουσιν, ἃ πολλοὶ προφῆται ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον. Ἀνομίαν δὲ νοήσεις τὸν διάβολον, καὶ πάντα τὸν κατ' αὐτὴν πεποιημένον. Τίς σοφὸς καὶ φυλάξει ταῦτα, καὶ συνήσουσι τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ Κυ ρίου; Τὸ πολὺ γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀνάκειται πνευματικῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ δεῖται σοφίας εἰς νόησιν. Ἀλλ' οὐ διαγνῶναι τὰς φιλανθρώπους τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἰκονομίας, οὔτε τὸ τὰς θείας νομοθεσίας φυλάξαι, παντὸς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ βοῶντος πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην· Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσια ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου. ∆ι' ὧν δὲ λέγει, Συνήσουσιν, ὡς μέλλουσαν τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τὴν θεωρίαν ἀνέπεμψεν· ᾧ ἡ δόξα Χριστῷ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΨΑΛΜ. ΡΖʹ.

Ὠδὴ ψαλμοῦ τῷ ∆αυΐδ. Καὶ οὗτος ὡσαύτως ὁ ψαλμὸς τὴν Ἰουδαίων ἐπάνοδον