41

You sat upon a throne, the one judging righteousness; and Daniel: Thrones were set, and the judgment sat. There is also the royal; as when it says: Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. Whence also the phrase, Sit at my right hand, indicates equality of honor. But what is, In your wrath? This again must be understood in a manner befitting God. For the wrath of God is not a passion, but retribution and punishment. Be exalted in the ends of your enemies. Another says, In anger upon your enemies. Another, In the bile of those who afflict me. Another, In the undelayed bonds of those binding. But the Hebrew for, In the ends, says Bebaroth. See again how here he does not defend himself, but says these things for the sake of God's glory. For he did not simply say, Punish my enemies, or your enemies; but, Be exalted. And how is the high one exalted, who is always most high? For the height of his nature is neither diminished, nor does it receive any addition; for he is perfect and without need, and always remains the same. How then, and in what manner is he exalted? He is exalted in the minds of the many. For instance, he was long-suffering many times; but the enemies thought this was not from long-suffering, but from humiliation and weakness. So he is also humbled, but not in reality, but in their minds. 7. For just as the sun appears dim to those with weak eyes, so indeed God appears weak and humble in their minds. But just as the sun is thought to be so, but is not dim, but the affliction is of their weakness; so also God, even if this is suspected, is not weak, but it is a symptom of their foolishness. What then does the righteous one say? Be exalted also among our enemies, go forth and show your strength, so that those who think you are humble, from what they suffer, may see your glory. You have seen his purpose, not seeking his own, but God's. As for, In the ends, some say, On their heads, and others, Let no one of the enemies escape. And it is a great virtue of the righteous one, when he has the same enemies as God and the same friends; just as it is a great evil when he has God's friends as enemies, and his enemies as friends. Therefore, just as God is said to have enemies, not hating or turning away from them, but loathing their wicked deeds; so also the righteous man has enemies, not defending himself against them, but turning away from their wickedness. And arise, O Lord my God, in the command that you commanded. Another says, In judgment. And a congregation of peoples shall surround you. Another says, Let it surround you. And for its sake return on high, O Lord. Another says, And above it return on high. Another, And over it return on high. But the Hebrew for, For its sake, says, Oualea. What is, In the command that you commanded? So as to help the wronged, and not to overlook, he says, those who are plotted against. What therefore you have legislated for us, this you yourself repay to us through your works. But some also 55.91 say another thing, that he promised to be an enemy to his enemies. And a congregation of peoples shall surround you. Do not suspect anything human even here. For even if the words are such, yet the meanings are befitting of God. What then is, Shall surround you? Instead of, It shall sing to you, it shall hymn you, it shall bring you much praise. For since they did this by means of choirs, standing around in a circle in the temple and at the altar, and thus offered thanksgivings, he alluded to the praise from the shape of their stance. And what he says is this: Go forth, help. For this will make you high both among your enemies, and will bring much praise from your people. See how he seeks not his own, but God's. For everywhere he wishes him to be glorified both by his enemies and by his own people. And for its sake return on high. For its sake,

41

Ἐκάθισας ἐπὶ θρόνου ὁ κρίνων δικαιοσύνην· καὶ ὁ ∆ανιήλ· Θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν, καὶ τὸ κριτήριον ἐκάθισεν. Ἔστι καὶ τὸ βασιλικόν· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου. Ὅθεν καὶ τὸ, Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, τὸ ἰσότιμον ἐνδείκνυται. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ, Ἐν ὀργῇ σου; Καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν θεοπρεπῶς ἐκληπτέον. Ὀργὴ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ πάθος, ἀλλὰ τιμωρία καὶ κόλασις. Ὑψώθητι ἐν τοῖς πέρασι τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου. Ἄλλος φησὶν, Ἐν θυμῷ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου. Ἕτερος, Ἐν χόλῳ τῶν θλιβόντων με. Ἕτερος, Ἐν ἀνυπερθεσίαις ἐνδεσμούντων. Ὁ δὲἙβραῖος τὸ, Ἐν τοῖς πέρασι, Βεβαρώθ φησιν. Ὅραπάλιν πῶς ἐνταῦθα οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἀμύνει, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης ταῦτα λέγει. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Κόλασον τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου, ἢ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου· ἀλλ', Ὑψώθητι. Καὶ πῶς ὑψοῦται ὁ ὑψηλὸς, καὶ ἀεὶ ὢν ὕψιστος; Τὸ γὰρ ὕψος αὐτοῦ τῆς φύσεως οὔτε ἐλαττοῦται, οὔτε προσλαμβάνει τι· τέλειος γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἀνενδεὴς, καὶ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχων. Πῶς οὖν, καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ ὑψοῦται; Ὑψοῦται ἐν ταῖς διανοίαις τῶν πολλῶν. Οἷον ἐμακροθύμησε πολλάκις· οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ οὐ μακροθυμίας ἐνόμισαν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ ταπεινώσεως τοῦτο καὶ ἀσθενείας. Ὥστε καὶ ταπεινοῦται, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τῷ πράγματι, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐκείνων. ζʹ. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος ἀμυδρὸς φαίνεται τοῖς ἀσθενοῦσι τὰς ὄψεις, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἀσθενὴς καὶ ταπεινὸς ἐν ταῖς διανοίαις ἐκείνων. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος οὕτω νομίζεται, οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ἀμυδρὸς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἐκείνων τὸ πάθος· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς, κἂν τοῦτο ὑποπτεύηται, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀσθενὴς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀνοίας τὸ σύμπτωμα. Τί οὖν φησιν ὁ δίκαιος; Ὑψώθητι καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἡμῶν, ἐπέξελθε καὶ δεῖξόν σου τὴν ἰσχὺν, ἵνα οἱ νομίζοντες εἶναί σε ταπεινὸν, ἀφ' ὧν πάσχουσιν, ἴδωσί σου τὴν δόξαν. Εἶδες αὐτοῦ τὸν σκοπὸν, οὐ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητοῦντος, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, Ἐν τοῖς πέρασιν, οἱ μέν φασιν, Ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς, οἱ δὲ, Μηδεὶς διαφύγοι τῶν ἐχθρῶν. Μεγάλη δὲ ἀρετὴ τοῦ δικαίου, ὅταν τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἔχῃ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς φίλους· ὥσπερ κακία μεγάλη, ὅταν τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ φίλους ἐχθροὺς ἔχῃ, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς φίλους. Ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ Θεὸς ἐχθροὺς ἔχειν λέγεται, οὐ μισῶν, οὐδὲ ἀποστρεφόμενος αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ τὰς πράξεις αὐτῶν τὰς πονηρὰς βδελυττόμενος· οὕτω καὶ ὁ δίκαιος ἐχθροὺς ἔχει, οὐκ ἀμυνόμενος αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ τὴν πονηρίαν ἀποστρεφόμενος. Καὶ ἐξεγέρθητι, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐν προστάγματι ᾧ ἐνετείλω. Ἄλλος φησὶν, Ἐν κρίματι. Καὶ συναγωγὴ λαῶν κυκλώσει σε. Ἄλλος φησὶ, Κυκλωσάτω σε. Καὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτης εἰς ὕψος ἐπίστρεψον, Κύριε. Ἄλλος φησὶ, Καὶ ἐπάνω αὐτῆς εἰς τὸ ὕψος ὑπόστρεψον. Ἄλλος, Καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ εἰς ὕψος ἐπίστρεψον. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος τὸ, Ὑπὲρ ταύτης, φησίν, Οὐαλεά. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐν προστάγματι ᾧ ἐνετείλω; Ὥστε βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις, καὶ μὴ περιορᾷν, φησὶ, τοὺς ἐπιβουλευομένους. Ὅπερ οὖν ἡμῖν ἐνομοθέτησας, τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἡμῖν ἀπόδος. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ 55.91 ἕτερόν φασιν, ὅτι ἐπηγγείλατο ἐχθραίνειν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ συναγωγὴ λαῶν κυκλώσει σε. Μηδὲν ἀνθρώπινον μηδὲ ἐνταῦθα ὑπόπτευε. Κἂν γὰρ αἱ λέξεις τοιαῦται, ἀλλὰ τὰ νοήματα θεοπρεπῆ. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ, Κυκλώσει σε; Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ᾄσεταί σοι, ὑμνήσει σε, εὐφημίαν οἴσει σοι πολλήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διὰ χορῶν τοῦτο ἐποίουν, κύκλῳ περιιστάμενοι ἐν τῷ ναῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ, καὶ οὕτω τὰς εὐχαριστίας ἀνέφερον, ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος τῆς στάσεως αὐτῶν τὴν εὐφημίαν ᾐνίξατο. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐπέξελθε, βοήθησον. Τοῦτο γάρ σε καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὑψηλὸν ποιήσει, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ λαοῦ σου πολλὰς οἴσει τὰς εὐφημίας. Ὅρα πῶς οὐ τὸ αὑτοῦ ζητεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πανταχοῦ γὰρ βούλεται καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς οἰκείοις αὐτὸν δοξάζεσθαι. Καὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτης εἰς ὕψος ἐπίστρεψον. Ὑπὲρ ταύτης,