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44

he shows, but with all joy he receives the afflictions for the name of the Lord, Not only, he says, do we endure, but also In him our heart shall rejoice, and in his holy name we have hoped. It is sufficient for us to be called Christians to escape all the 29.349 insolence from our adversaries. The name of God is said to be holy, not at all because it has some sanctifying power in its syllables, but because every property of God, and the concept of things exceptionally contemplated concerning him is holy and pure. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee. Do you see how skillfully he prayed? He made his own disposition the measure of the supply of God's compassions. Let your mercy, he says, be upon us, in proportion to the hope we have placed in you. And all our hope is to return to rest, so that, the body of our lowliness having been transformed, we may understand this very thing has become conformed to the body of glory.

BY THE SAME, ON THE 33RD PSALM.

For David, when he changed his countenance before Abimelech, and

he sent him away, and he departed. The meaning of the psalm tends toward two subjects. The things done by David in Nob, the city of the priests, seem to be appropriate to the inscription, and the things in Gath in the presence of Achish the king of the foreigners. For he changed his countenance also when he spoke with Abimelech the priest, hiding his flight, and pretending to be busy serving a royal command, at which time he also received the loaves of the presence, and the sword of Goliath. And he changed his countenance also when he was caught in the midst of the enemies, when he perceived them speaking to one another, and preparing for a defense. For they said, it says, the servants of Achish to themselves: Is not this David the king of the land? Was it not for him they led in dance, saying, David has slain his ten thousands, and Saul his thousands? And David, it says, was afraid of Achish, and he changed his countenance before their eyes. How then does the inscription name Abimelech, but the history hands down Achish as the king of the Gittites? We have such a certain account that has come to us from tradition, that the kings of the foreigners had the common name Abimelech, but each had his own name by which he was addressed. As can also be seen in the Roman empire, with them being commonly called Caesars and Augusti, but possessing other proper names of their own. Such also among the Egyptians is Pha- 29.352 raoh. For he in the time of Joseph is also seen called Pharaoh; Pharaoh also the king of Egypt who arose four generations after Moses; Pharaoh also the one in the times of Solomon; For he took, it says, the daughter of Pharaoh; and the one in the times of the prophecy of Jeremiah was called Pharaoh. So also Abimelech was in the times of Abraham, and in the times of Isaac; and the one now spoken of in the time of David. For in the time of Abraham it is said, that And Abimelech said, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phichol the chief captain of his army to Abraham, saying. And again concerning Isaac; And he was there a long time. And Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw Isaac sporting with Rebekah. So now also in the times of David Abimelech is said in the inscription, the common name of the kingdom. But Achish is handed down by the history, which was his own name given from birth. In his presence, therefore, he changed his countenance, behaving as a madman in the hands of the servants, and making a noise at the gates of the city, and slavering,

44

ἐπιδείκνυται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πάσης χαρᾶς ὑποδέχεται τὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου κακώσεις, Οὐ μόνον, φησὶν, ὑπομένομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἐν αὐτῷ εὐφρανθήσεται ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ ἠλπίσαμεν. Ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν τὸ ὀνομάζεσθαι Χριστια νοὺς πρὸς τὸ πᾶσαν ἐκφυγεῖν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων 29.349 ἐπήρειαν. Ἅγιον δὲ τὸ ὄνομα εἶναι λέγεται τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ πάντως διὰ τὸ ἐν συλλαβαῖς ἔχειν τινὰ δύναμιν ἁγιαστικὴν, ἀλλ' ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ ἰδιότης τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἔννοια τῶν ἐξαιρέτως περὶ αὐτὸν θεωρου μένων ἁγία ἐστὶ καὶ ἁγνή. Γένοιτο, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, καθάπερ ἠλπίσαμεν ἐπὶ σοί. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπιστημόνως προσηύξατο; Τὴν ἰδίαν διάθεσιν μέτρον ἐποίησε τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τοσοῦτος, φησὶ, γένοιτο ὁ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ὅσην φθάσαντες ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ σοὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα κατεβαλό μεθα. Πᾶσα δὲ ἡμῶν ἡ ἐλπὶς ἐπιστρέψαι εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν, ἵνα, μετασχηματισθέντος τοῦ σώματος τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, νοήσωμεν αὐτὸ τοῦτο γενό μενον σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης.

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΛΓʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ.

Τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ὁπότε ἠλλοίωσε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐναντίον Ἀβιμέλεχ, καὶ

ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν. Ἐπὶ δύο ὑποθέσεις ἕλκει ἡ ἔννοια τοῦ ψαλμοῦ. Τά τε ἐν τῇ Νομβᾷ τῇ πόλει τῶν ἱερέων γενόμενα παρὰ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ δοκεῖ οἰκείως ἔχειν τῇ ἐπιγραφῇ, τά τε ἐν τῇ Γὲθ παρὰ τῷ Ἀγχοὺς τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν ἀλλο φύλων. Ἠλλοίωσε μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ὅτε τῷ Ἀβιμέλεχ διελέγετο τῷ ἱερεῖ, κρύπτων μὲν τὴν φυγὴν, σπουδάζειν δὲ δὴ προστάγματι ὑπουργεῖν βασιλικῷ προσποιούμενος, ὅτε καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔλαβε, καὶ τὴν ῥομφαίαν τοῦ Γολιάθ. Ἠλλοίωσε δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ὅτε ἐν μέσοις τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀποληφθεὶς, ἐπειδὴ ᾔσθετο αὐτῶν διαλεγομένων πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ παρασκευαζο μένων εἰς ἄμυναν. Εἶπον γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ παῖδες Ἀγχοὺς πρὸς ἑαυτούς· Οὐχ οὗτος ∆αβὶδ ὁ βασι λεὺς τῆς γῆς; Οὐχὶ τούτῳ ἐξῆρχον ἐν χορῷ λέ γουσαι, Ἐπάταξε ∆αβὶδ ἐν μυριάσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Σαοὺλ ἐν χιλιάσιν αὐτοῦ; Καὶ ἐφοβήθη, φησὶ, ∆αβὶδ ἀπὸ προσώπου Ἀγχοὺς, καὶ ἠλλοίωσε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν. Πῶς οὖν ἡ μὲν ἐπιγραφὴ Ἀβιμέλεχ ὀνομάζει, ἡ δ' ἱστορία Ἀγχοὺς παραδίδωσι τὸν βασιλέα Γετθαίων; Τοιοῦτον λόγον τινὰ φθάσαντα ἐκ παραδόσεως εἰς ἡμᾶς ἔχομεν, ὅτι οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων κοινὸν μὲν εἶχον ὄνομα τὸ Ἀβιμέλεχ, ἴδιον δὲ ἕκαστος ὃ προσηγορεύετο. Ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἔστι βασιλείας ἰδεῖν, Καίσαρας λεγομένους κοινῶς καὶ Αὐ γούστους, ἄλλα δὲ τὰ κύρια ἑαυτῶν κεκτημένους ὀνόματα. Τοιοῦτον καὶ παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις ἐστὶ τὸ Φα 29.352 ραώ. Φαίνεται γὰρ Φαραὼ λεγόμενος καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ Ἰω σήφ· Φαραὼ καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ Μωϋσέως μετὰ τέσσαρας γε νεὰς ἐγερθεὶς βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου· Φαραὼ καὶ ὁ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Σολομῶντος· Ἔλαβε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν θυγατέρα Φαραώ· καὶ ὁ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους τῆς προφητείας Ἱερεμίου Φαραὼ προσηγορεύετο. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ Ἀβιμέλεχ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους ἦν Ἀβραὰμ,καὶ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Ἰσαάκ· καὶ ὁ νῦν λεγόμενος ἐπὶ τῶν καιρῶν ∆αβίδ. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ εἴρηται, ὅτι Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβιμέλεχ, καὶ Ὁχοζὰθ ὁ νυμφαγωγὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ Φιλὸχ ὁ ἀρχιστράτηγος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ἀβραὰμ, λέγων. Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τοῦ Ἰσαάκ· Ἐγένετο δὲ πολυχρόνιος ἐκεῖ. Παρακύψας δὲ Ἀβιμέλεχ ὁ βασιλεὺς Φυλιστεὶμ διὰ τῆς θυρίδος, εἶδε παίζοντα τὸν Ἰσαὰκ μετὰ Ῥεβέκκας. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ νῦν κατὰ τοὺς χρό νους ∆αβὶδ Ἀβιμέλεχ εἴρηται ἐν τῇ ἐπιγραφῇ, τὸ κοινὸν τῆς βασιλείας ὄνομα. Ἀγχοὺς δὲ παραδέδοται ὑπὸ τῆς ἱστορίας, ὅπερ ἰδίως ἦν αὐτῷ ἐκ γενετῆς ἐπικείμενον. Ἐπὶ τούτου τοίνυν ἠλλοίωσεν ἑαυτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον, παραφερόμενος ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τῶν οἰκε τῶν, καὶ ψοφῶν παρὰ τὰς πύλας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ καταῤῥέων,