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of her." I will humble her proud neck, and I will place upon it the yoke of slavery. Therefore the psalm also prefigures the insurrections of the chief priests, and Scribes, and Pharisees, who, imitating the audacity of bulls and the fury of lions, surrounded the Lord Christ. 15. "Like water all my bones have been poured out." He calls the holy apostles bones; since he also calls the Church the body; and the bones are the strength of the body; for by them the soft and fluid part of the body is supported; and they were all scattered at the time of the passion, divided here and there like water. "My heart has become like melting wax, in the midst of my belly. [ιʹ] My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue has cleaved to my throat, and you have brought me down to the dust of death." And all these things happened at the time of the passion. For the heart was dissolved by cowardice, as wax by fire, and the strength did not show its former energy; and indeed the tongue remained motionless. And the divine evangelists teach us that, though asked many times, he answered nothing. And he was delivered to the tomb after the passion, which he called the dust of death, since, indeed, those who are buried are covered with earth. 17. "For many dogs have surrounded me; a council of evildoers has enclosed me." After the Jews, he mentions the army from the gentiles; for to them the others had delivered him. Therefore the prophecy also has preserved the order of events. And fittingly he called the former bulls, and the latter dogs; [for the one group was under the yoke of the law, even if they manifestly transgressed the law; but the others were unclean according to the law. Thus also the Lord called the Canaanite woman.] "For it is not good," he says, "to take the children’s bread, 80.1017 and give it to the little dogs." But yet after the passion, those who were formerly dogs, through faith have passed over to the rank of sons; while those who formerly had the care of sons, received the name of dogs, since indeed they raged like dogs against the Lord. Concerning these the blessed Paul cries out: "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision." The prophetic word, however, after calling them dogs, said: "A council of evildoers has enclosed me." Then he narrates the things dared by them. "They pierced my hands, and my feet. [ιηʹ] They have numbered all my bones." And this is manifest, and clear, even to the very contentious. For we hear in the holy Gospels the Lord himself saying to his holy disciples: "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself." And indeed also to Thomas he showed the marks of the nails, and the wound from the spear. And the phrase "they numbered all my bones," means this, that They stretched me so while nailing me, that it was easy for anyone who wished to discern even the number of my bones. "But they have looked, and stared at me," that is, mocking and laughing. 19. "They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." And this the history of the holy Gospels also clearly teaches. 20-22. "But you, O Lord, do not remove your help far from me; attend to my assistance. Rescue my soul from the sword, and my only-begotten from the hand of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth, and my humiliation from the horns of the unicorns." Since, he says, I have no human help, may I obtain your assistance, and be rescued both from these, and from the one who works through them, and attacks like a dog and a lion; for he calls the one who has the power of death, according to the voice of the Apostle, a lion, and a dog, and a unicorn; that is, the devil, who also at the time of the passion came upon him like a wild beast, bringing on death. And this the Lord also has said in the divine Gospels: "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." And again: "The prince of this world is coming, and in 80.1020 me he will find nothing." But nevertheless, even though he found nothing of what he was seeking—and he was seeking

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αὐτῆς." Τὸν γαῦρον αὐτῆς αὐχένα ταπεινώσω, καὶ τὸν τῆς δουλείας ἐπιθήσω ζυγόν. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ὁ ψαλμὸς προδια γράφει τὰς τῶν ἀρχιερέων, καὶ Γραμματέων, καὶ Φαρισαίων ἐπαναστάσεις, οἳ ταύρων θρασύτητα, καὶ λεόντων μανίαν μιμούμενοι περιεστοίχιζον τὸν ∆ε σπότην Χριστόν. ιεʹ. "Ὡσεὶ ὕδωρ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου." Ὀστᾶ καλεῖ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους· ἐπειδὴ καὶ σῶμα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καλεῖ· ἰσχὺς δὲ τοῦ σώματος τὰ ὀστᾶ· ὑπὸ τούτων γὰρ τὸ μανὸν καὶ διαῤῥέον τοῦ σώματος φέρεται· ἐσκορπίσθησαν δὲ ἅπαντες κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρὸν, δίκην ὕδατος τῇδε κἀ κεῖσε διαιρηθέντες. "Ἐγενήθη ἡ καρδία μου ὡσεὶ κηρὸς τηκόμενος, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου. [ιʹ] Ἐξηράνθη ὡς ὄστρα κον ἡ ἰσχύς μου, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσά μου κεκόλληται τῷ λάρυγγί μου, καὶ εἰς χοῦν θανάτου κατήγαγές με." Καὶ ταῦτα πάντα γεγένηται παρὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρόν. Ἡ καρδία μὲν γὰρ τῇ δειλίᾳ, ὡς ὁ κηρὸς τῷ πυρὶ, διελύθη, καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς τὴν προ τέραν ἐνέργειαν οὐκ ἐδείκνυ· καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ἀκίνητος ἔμενε. Καὶ διδάσκουσιν ἡμᾶς οἱ θεσπέσιοι εὐαγγελισταὶ, ὅτι πολλάκις ἐρωτηθεὶς οὐ δὲν ἀπεκρίνατο. Παρεδόθη δὲ καὶ τῷ τάφῳ μετὰ τὸ πάθος, ὅπερ χοῦν θανάτου ὠνόμασεν, ἅτε δὴ χων νυμένων τῶν θαπτομένων. ιζʹ. "Ὅτι ἐκύκλωσάν με κύνες πολλοί· συν αγωγὴ πονηρευομένων περιέσχον με." Μετὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, τοῦ ἐξ ἐθνῶν μνημονεύει στρατοῦ· τούτοις γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνοι παραδεδώκασιν. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὴν τάξιν ἡ προφητεία τῶν πραγμάτων ἐφύ λαξεν. Εἰκότως δὲ ταύρους μὲν ἐκείνους, κύνας δὲ τούτους ὠνόμασεν· [οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τὸν τοῦ νό μου ζυγὸν ἦσαν· εἰ καὶ προφανῶς τὸν νόμον παρ έβαινον· οἱ δὲ κατὰ νόμον ἦσαν ἀκάθαρτοι. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ Κύριος τὴν Χαναναίαν ὠνόμασεν.] "Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ καλὸν, φησὶ, λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, 80.1017 καὶ δοῦναι τοῖς κυναρίοις." Ἀλλ' ὅμως μετὰ τὸ πάθος, οἱ πάλαι κύνες, διὰ πίστεως εἰς τὴν τῶν υἱῶν μεταβεβήκασι τάξιν· οἱ δὲ πάλαι τὴν υἱῶν ἐσχηκότες κηδεμονίαν, τὴν κυνῶν προσηγο ρίαν ἐδέξαντο, ἅτε δὴ κυνῶν δίκην κατὰ τοῦ ∆εσπό του λυττήσαντες. Περὶ τούτων ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος βοᾷ· "Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας, βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας, βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν." Ὁ μέν τοι προφητικὸς λόγος κύνας προσαγορεύσας ἔφη· "Συναγωγὴ πονηρευομένων περιέσχον με." Εἶ τα διηγεῖται τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν τολμηθέντα. "Ὤρυξαν χεῖράς μου, καὶ πόδας μου. [ιηʹ] Ἐξηρίθμησαν πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου." Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλόν ἐστι, καὶ σαφὲς, καὶ τοῖς λίαν φιλονεικοῦσιν. Ἀκούομεν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους αὐτοῦ λέγοντος μαθητάς· "Βλέπετε τὰς χεῖράς μου καὶ τοὺς πόδας μου, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐγώ εἰμι." Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῷ Θωμᾷ τῶν ἥλων τοὺς τύπους ὑπέδειξε, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς λόγχης πληγήν. Τὸ δὲ "ἐξηρίθμησαν, πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου," τοῦτο δηλοῖ, ὅτι Οὕτω με διέτειναν προσηλοῦντες, ὥς τε ῥᾴδιον εἶναι τῷ βουλομένῳ καὶ τὸν τῶν ὀστῶν ἀριθμὸν διαγνῶναι. "Αὐτοὶ δὲ κατενόησαν, καὶ ἐπεῖ δόν με," ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐπιτωθάζοντες καὶ γελῶντες. ιθʹ. "∆ιεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον." Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ σαφῶς ἡ τῶν ἱερῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἱστορία διδάσκει. κʹ-κβʹ. "Σὺ δὲ, Κύριε, μὴ μακρύνῃς τὴν βοήθειάν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· εἰς τὴν ἀντίληψίν μου πρόσχες. Ῥῦσαι ἀπὸ ῥομφαίας τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς κυνὸς τὴν μονογενῆ μου. Σῶσόν με ἐκ στόματος λέοντος, καὶ ἀπὸ κεράτων μονοκερώτων τὴν ταπεί νωσίν μου." Ἐπειδὴ, φησὶν, οὐδεμίαν ἀνθρωπί νην ἔχω βοήθειαν, τῆς σῆς ἀντιλήψεως τύχοιμι, καὶ ῥυσθείην ἀπό τε τούτων, ἀπό τε τοῦ διὰ τούτων ἐν εργοῦντος, καὶ δίκην κυνὸς καὶ λέοντος ἐπιόντος· λέοντα γὰρ καλεῖ, καὶ κύνα, καὶ μονοκέρωτα, τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου φωνήν· τουτέστι τὸν διάβολον, ὃς καὶ παρὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρὸν θηρὸς αὐτῷ δίκην ἐπῆλθε, τὸν θάνατον ἐπαγόμενος. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἴρηκεν ἐν τοῖς θείοις Εὐαγγελίοις· "Νῦν κρίσις ἐστὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἔρχεται ὁ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἄρχων, καὶ ἐν 80.1020 ἐμοὶ εὑρήσει οὐδέν." Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ μηδὲν εὑρὼν ὧν ἐπεζήτει, ἐπεζήτει δὲ τῆς