50

thought to the things previously interpreted. For having said in the psalm before this one, "The poor shall eat, and be filled, and they that seek him shall praise the Lord;" and again, "All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and worshipped;" he points out here the provider of such food; and he calls the provider a shepherd; For so also the Lord Christ called himself: "I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and am known by my own." So also he called himself through Ezekiel the prophet. And so here, all who have enjoyed the saving food cry out: "The Lord shepherds me, and I shall want nothing." For this shepherd grants every kind of enjoyment of good things to those shepherded by him. 2. "In a place of green pasture, there he has made me dwell." Since he called the provider of good things a shepherd, he fittingly made mention tropologically of the food of the sheep. And here he calls the sacred teaching of the divine oracles "green pasture." For first he nourishes with words, and then he offers the more mystical food. "He has nourished me by the water of rest." He alludes to the water of regeneration, in which the one desiring grace, being baptized, puts off the old age of sin, and is made new instead of old. 80.1028 3. "He has converted my soul; he has led me in the paths of righteousness." He has imparted these things to me, he says, having first freed me from error, and prepared me to walk the straight path. For his name's sake. All these are gifts of his generosity; for we did not enjoy these things on account of our own virtue. Having, therefore, such a helper and champion, I will not fear the very gates of death, but will despise every death. For he added this: 4. "For though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." And he adds other things to these: "Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me." For with the one he supports my weakness, and with the other he guides me to the straight path; and one would not err in so naming the saving cross. For by its seal and memory we are delivered from the hostile demons, and are guided to the true path. [And this is the meaning of, Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me; for a cross is formed by the joining of two rods; with the upright staff supporting us who believe in him and setting us straight and strengthening us when we are weak; and using the transverse one as a rod against the demons.] 5. "You have prepared a table before me in the presence of those who afflict me; you have anointed my head with oil, and your cup makes me drunk as the strongest." These things are clear to the initiated, and require no interpretation. For they know both the spiritual oil with which their head was anointed, and the intoxication that strengthens but does not dissolve, and the mystical food which he who, besides being a shepherd, has also become a bridegroom, sets before us. With these good things, he says, you have feasted me, while my enemies are vexed and worn down, because those who formerly served them have obtained such a change. 6. "And your mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and my dwelling in the house of the Lord for length of days." And the cause of these good things is your ineffable love for humanity, which did not wait for our supplication, but, as it were, pursued and overtook us as fugitives, and imparted salvation, and granted a way of life in the divine houses, both in the present life, and in the one to come. For this he has shown 80.1029 by saying: "For length of days," that is, forever, and perpetually. And this is fitting for those ages which have no end.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 23. 1. "A Psalm of David." In some copies I have found, "For the first of the

Sabbaths." But in the Hexapla this is not added. However, so that not even this

50

προερμηνευθεῖσι διάνοιαν. Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου ψαλμῷ, "Φάγονται πένητες, καὶ ἐμπλησθήσονται, καὶ αἰνέσουσι Κύριον οἱ ἐκζη τοῦντες αὐτόν·" καὶ πάλιν, "Ἔφαγον, καὶ προσ εκύνησαν πάντες οἱ πίονες τῆς γῆς·" ὑποδείκνυ σιν ἐνταῦθα τὸν τῆς τοιαύτης τροφῆς χορηγόν· καὶ καλεῖ τὸν τροφέα ποιμένα· Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ ∆εσπό της Χριστὸς ἑαυτὸν προσηγόρευσεν· "Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς, καὶ γινώσκω τὰ ἐμὰ, καὶ γινώσκο μαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμῶν." Οὕτως ἑαυτὸν καὶ διὰ Ἰεζε κιὴλ ἐκάλεσε τοῦ προφήτου. Κἀνταῦθα τοίνυν ἅπαν τες οἱ τῆς σωτηρίου τροφῆς ἀπολαύσαντες βοῶσι· "Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει." Παντοδαπὴν γὰρ ἀπόλαυσιν ἀγαθῶν ὁ ποιμὴν οὗτος τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ποιμαινομένοις χαρίζεται. βʹ. "Εἰς τόπον χλόης, ἐκεῖ με κατεσκήνωσεν." Ἐπειδὴ ποιμένα τὸν τῶν ἀγαθῶν προσηγόρευσε χορηγὸν, εἰκότως καὶ τῆς τῶν προβάτων τροφῆς τροπικῶς ἐμνημόνευσε. Χλόην δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἱερὰν τῶν θείων λογίων διδασκαλίαν καλεῖ. Πρότερον γὰρ ἐκτρέφει τοῖς λόγοις, καὶ τότε τὴν μυστικωτέραν προσφέρει τροφήν. "Ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀναπαύσεως ἐξ έθρεψέ με." Τὸ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας ὕδωρ αἰνίττεται, ἐν ᾧ βαπτιζόμενος ὁ τῆς χάριτος ἐφιέμενος, ἀπο δύεται μὲν τὸ γῆρας τῆς ἁμαρτίας, νέος δὲ ἀντὶ γεγηρακότος ἀποτελεῖται. 80.1028 γʹ. "Τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐπέστρεψεν· ὡδήγησέ με ἐπὶ τρίβους δικαιοσύνης." Τούτων δέ μοι, φησὶ, μεταδέδωκε, πρότερόν με τῆς πλάνης ἐλευθερώσας, καὶ τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν παρασκευάσας ὁδεύειν. Ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὑτοῦ. Ἅπαντα δὲ ταῦτα τῆς αὐτοῦ δῶρα φιλοτιμίας· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέ ραν ἀρετὴν ἀπελαύσαμεν τούτων. Τοιοῦτον τοί νυν ἐπίκουρον ἔχων, καὶ πρόμαχον, οὐδὲ αὐτὰς δείσω τοῦ θανάτου τὰς πύλας, ἀλλὰ παντὸς θανάτου καταφρονήσω. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν δʹ. "Ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ πορευθῶ ἐν μέσῳ σκιᾶς θανά του, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακὰ, ὅτι σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ." Προστίθησι δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἕτερα· "Ἡ ῥάβδος σου, καὶ ἡ βακτηρία σου, αὗταί με παρεκάλεσαν." Τῇ μὲν γὰρ ὑπερείδει μου τὴν ἀσθένειαν, τῇ δὲ ποδηγεῖ πρὸς τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδόν· οὐκ ἂν δέ τις ἁμάρ τοι, τὸν σωτήριον οὕτως ὀνομάζων σταυρόν. Τῇ γὰρ τούτου σφραγίδι καὶ μνήμῃ τῶν πολεμίων δαιμόνων ἀπαλλαττόμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀληθῆ ποδηγούμεθα τρίβον. [Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ, Ἡ ῥάβδος σου καὶ ἡ βακτηρία σου, αὗταί με παρεκά λεσαν· ἀπὸ γὰρ δύο ῥάβδων συναγόμενος γίνεται σταυρός· τῇ μὲν ὀρθῇ βακτηρίᾳ ἡμᾶς τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύοντας στηρίζων καὶ εὐθύνων καὶ ἀσθε νοῦντας ἐνισχύων· τῇ δὲ πλαγίᾳ ὡς ῥάβδῳ κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων χρώμενος.] εʹ. "Ἡτοίμασας ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν ἐξεναν τίας τῶν θλιβόντων με· ἐλίπανας ἐν ἐλαίῳ τὴν κεφαλήν μου καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν σου μεθύσκον με ὡσεὶ κράτιστον." ∆ῆλα ταῦτα τοῖς μεμυημένοις, καὶ ἑρμηνείας οὐδεμιᾶς δεόμενα. Ἴσασι γὰρ καὶ τὸ πνευματικὸν ἔλαιον, ᾧ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπιάνθησαν· καὶ τὴν κρατύνουσαν, ἀλλ' οὐ διαλύουσαν μέθην· καὶ τὴν μυστικὴν τροφὴν, ἣν προτίθησιν ἡμῖν ὁ πρὸς τῷ ποιμαίνειν καὶ νυμφίος γενόμενος. Τού τοις δὲ, φησὶ, τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς εἱστίασάς με, τῶν δυσ μενῶν ἀνιωμένων καὶ τρυχομένων, ὅτι οἱ πάλαι σφίσι δουλεύοντες, τοσαύτης μεταβολῆς τετυχή κασιν. ʹ. "Καὶ τὸ ἔλεός σου καταδιώξεταί με πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου· καὶ τὸ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν." Τούτων δὲ πρόξενος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ἄῤῥητός σου φιλανθρωπία, τὴν ἡμετέραν ἱκετείαν οὐκ ἀναμείνασα ἀλλὰ καθά περ τινὰς φεύγοντας καταδιώξασά τε, καὶ φθάσα σα, καὶ μεταδοῦσα τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς θείοις οἴκοις παρασχοῦσα διαγωγὴν, ἔν τε τῷ παρόν τι βίῳ, καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. Τοῦτο γὰρ παρεδή 80.1029 λωσεν εἰρηκώς· "Εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν," τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἀεὶ, καὶ διηνεκῶς. Τοῦτο δὲ τοῖς αἰῶσιν ἐκεί νοις ἁρμόττει, οἳ πέρας οὐκ ἔχουσιν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΚΓʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ." Ἐν ἐνίοις ἀντι γράφοις εὗρον, "τῆς μιᾶς τῶν

Σαββάτων." Ἐν δέ γε τῷ Ἑξαπλῷ τοῦτο οὐ πρόσκειται. Πλὴν ἵνα μηδὲ τοῦτο