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lest simplicity, having become a provision for ignorance, should cause great harm; then he shows the nature of the aforementioned ways. 10. "All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, to those who seek his covenant and his testimonies." For those who are continually nourished by the sacred words learn precisely through them, that all the dispensations of our God and Savior are mixed with mercy and truth; for to those who repent of what they have done wrong, he offers mercy and pardon; but the invincible athletes of virtue he proclaims and crowns, delivering the verdict with truth; and indeed also to those who have lived in lawlessness, and have not used repentance, according to the terms of truth he inflicts punishments. 11. "For your name's sake, O Lord; and be merciful to my sin; for it is great." I therefore, he says, beseech you to be merciful to my sins, not because of my earnest repentance, but because of the name of philanthropy which you have, and because I have hung my hopes on your name. 12, 13. "Who is the man that fears the Lord? He shall give him a law in the way that he has chosen. His soul shall dwell in good things, and his seed shall inherit the earth." From this he introduces, and offers beneficial exhortation, and to those who fear the Lord he promises all kinds of providence. And since the ways of life of piety are many and various, monastic and communal, eremitic and civic, private and military, royal and manual laborers, sailors and farmers, and many other various ones; and since in each way of life it is possible to please God, reasonably the prophetic word said: "Who is the man that fears the Lord? He shall give him a law in the way that he has chosen." Meaning, in that way of life, which that man chooses to live, he will establish laws suitable and fitting for it. Thus the divine John the 80.1041 Baptist, to tax collectors who asked what they should do, advised to take nothing more than what was appointed." And to soldiers, to extort from no one, but to be content with their wages, that is, with the designated food; so the divine Apostle, for servants and masters, and for children and fathers, and for wives and husbands, has laid down suitable laws. To those, therefore, who have fulfilled these laws, the prophetic word has promised the soul's sojourn in good things, and the blessing of their seed; "For his soul shall dwell in good things, and his seed shall inherit the earth." For since childbearing is very important to the Jews, and leaving heirs, and indeed even now to those who embrace the communal life this very thing is desirable; and from these things he urges them to go to the practice of virtue. 14. "The Lord is a stronghold to those who fear him, and his covenant will make it known to them." Symmachus and Theodotion translated this more clearly: The mystery of the Lord is for those who fear him, and his covenant he will make known to them. And it is possible to hear the Lord himself saying through Isaiah the prophet: "My mysteries are for me and for mine." For these things he does not reveal simply to all, but to those who fear him, and he shows them the purpose of his divine oracles. And indeed according to the Seventy, the Lord is a stronghold to those who fear him; rendering them invincible and superior to their enemies. 15. "My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net." Here again he speaks of the eyes of the mind, which he said he keeps on God; since he knows clearly, that through His care he will escape the plots prepared by enemies. 10. "Look upon me, and have mercy on me, for I am only-begotten and poor." The word "only-begotten," the others translated as "alone"; and he says, that I am stripped of all help; wherefore I beseech to obtain your assistance. And very pitifully he has placed the phrase, "Look upon me, and have mercy on me,"; See, he says, my desolation, and the siege of my enemies. For certainly

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μὴ ἐφόδιον ἀγνοίας ἡ ἁπλό της γενομένη, πολλὴν τὴν βλάβην ἐργάσηται· εἶτα τῶν εἰρημένων ὁδῶν τὴν φύσιν ὑποδείκνυσι. ιʹ. "Πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοὶ Κυρίου ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια, τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν τὴν διαθήκην αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια αὐ τοῦ." Οἱ γὰρ διηνεκῶς τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἐντρεφό μενοι Λόγοις μανθάνουσιν ἀκριβῶς δι' ἐκείνων, ὡς πᾶσαι αἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν οἰκονομίαι ἐλέῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ συγκέκρανται· τοῖς μὲν γὰρ με ταμελομένοις ἐφ' οἷς ἐπλημμέλησαν, τὸν ἔλεον καὶ τὴν συγγνώμην ὀρέγει· τοὺς δὲ ἀηττήτους τῆς ἀρε τῆς ἀθλητὰς ἀνακηρύττει καὶ στεφανοῖ, σὺν ἀληθείᾳ τὴν ψῆφον ἐκφέρων· καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοῖς παρανο μίᾳ συνεζηκόσι, καὶ μὴ μεταμελείᾳ χρησαμένοις, κατὰ τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας ὅρους ἐπιφέρει τὰς τιμω ρίας. ιαʹ. "Ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου, Κύριε· καὶ ἱλά σθητι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ μου· πολλὴ γάρ ἐστιν." Ἐγὼ τοίνυν, φησὶν, ἵλεών σε γενέσθαι ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἁμαρ τίαις παρακαλῶ, οὐ διὰ τὴν σπουδαίαν μου μετα μέλειαν, ἀλλὰ δι' ἣν ἔχεις φιλανθρωπίας προσηγο ρίαν, καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦ σοῦ ὀνόματος τὰς ἐμὰς ἐλπίδας ἐξήρτησα. ιβʹ, ιγʹ. "Τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύ ριον; νομοθετήσει αὐτῷ ἐν ὁδῷ ᾗ ᾑρετίσατο. Ἡ ψυ χὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγαθοῖς αὐλισθήσεται, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ κληρονομήσει γῆν." Ἐντεῦθεν εἰσηγεῖται, καὶ τὴν ὀνησιφόρον προσφέρει παραίνεσιν, καὶ τοῖς τὸν Κύριον φοβουμένοις τὴν παντοδαπὴν ἐπαγγέλ λεται πρόνοιαν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ καὶ διάφοροι τῆς εὐσεβείας οἱ βίοι, μοναδικοὶ καὶ κοινωνικοὶ, ἐρη μικοὶ καὶ πολιτικοὶ, ἰδιωτικοὶ καὶ στρατιωτικοὶ, βασιλικοὶ καὶ ἀποχειροβιωτικοὶ, ναυτικοὶ καὶ γεωρ γικοὶ, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ καὶ διάφοροι· ἐν ἑκάστῳ δὲ βίῳ δυνατὸν ἀρέσαι Θεῷ εἰκότως ὁ προφητικὸς ἔφη λόγος· "Τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον; νομοθετήσει αὐτῷ ἐν ὁδῷ ᾗ ᾑρετίσατο." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ βίῳ, ὃν βιοτεύειν ἐκεῖνος προαιρεῖται, τοὺς προσφυεῖς αὐτῷ καὶ ἁρμόζον τας θήσει νόμους. Οὕτως ὁ θεῖος Ἰωάννης ὁ 80.1041 Βαπτιστὴς τελώναις μὲν ἐρομένοις τί δεῖ πρᾶξαι, παρῄνεσε μηδὲν πλέον τοῦ διατεταγμένου λα βεῖν." Στρατιώταις δὲ, τὸ μηδένα διασεῖσαι, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖσθαι τοῖς ὀψωνίοις, τουτέστι τῇ ἀφωρισμένῃ τροφῇ· οὕτως ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος, καὶ οἰκέταις καὶ δεσπόταις, καὶ παισὶ καὶ πατράσι, καὶ γυ ναιξὶ καὶ ἀνδράσι, καταλλήλους τέθεικε νόμους. Τοῖς τούτους τοίνυν πεπληρωκόσι τοὺς νόμους, ὁ προ φητικὸς ὑπέσχετο λόγος τὴν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς διατριβὴν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ σπέρματος εὐλογίαν· "Ἡ ψυχὴ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγαθοῖς αὐλισθήσεται, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ κληρονομήσει γῆν." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ παιδοποιία περισπούδαστός ἐστιν Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ τὸ κληρονόμους καταλιπεῖν, καὶ μέντοι καὶ νῦν τοῖς τὸν κοινωνικὸν βίον ἀσπαζομένοις τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἀξι έραστον· καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐπὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν ἰέναι προτρέπει τῆς ἀρετῆς. ιδʹ. "Κραταίωμα Κύριος τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐ τὸν, καὶ ἡ διαθήκη αὐτοῦ δηλώσει αὐτοῖς." Τοῦ το σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος καὶ Θεοδοτίων ἡρμή νευσαν· Μυστήριον Κυρίου τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν συνθήκην αὐτοῦ δηλώσει αὐτοῖς. Αὐτοῦ δὲ ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ ∆εσπότου διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· "Τὰ μυστήριά μου ἐμοὶ, καὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς." Ταῦτα γὰρ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἅπασιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς φοβουμένοις ἀποκαλύπτει, καὶ τῶν θείων αὐτοῦ λογίων ὑποδείκνυσι τὸν σκοπόν. Καὶ μέντοι κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα, κραταίωμα Κύριός ἐστι τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν· ἀηττήτους αὐτοὺς ἀπο φαίνων καὶ κρείττους τῶν πολεμίων. ιεʹ. "Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διὰ παντὸς πρὸς τὸν Κύ ριον, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐκσπάσει ἐκ παγίδος τοὺς πόδας μου." Ὀφθαλμοὺς πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς τῆς διανοίας λέγει, οὓς ἔφη ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· ἅτε δὴ γινώσκων σαφῶς, ὡς διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ κηδεμονίας τὰς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν κατεσκευασμένας ἐπιβουλὰς διαφεύξε ται. ιʹ. "Ἐπίβλεψον ἐπ' ἐμὲ, καὶ ἐλέησόν με, ὅτι μονογενὴς καὶ πτωχός εἰμι ἐγώ." Τὸ μονογενὴς, μόνος ἡρμήνευσαν οἱ λοιποί· λέγει δὲ, ὅτι Πάσης βοηθείας γεγύμνωμαι· διὸ δὴ τῆς σῆς τυχεῖν ἀν τιλήψεως ἱκετεύω. Ἄγαν δὲ ἐλεεινῶς τό· "Ἐπίβλεψον ἐπ' ἐμὲ, καὶ ἐλέησόν με," τέθεικε· Βλέπε μου, φησὶ, τὴν ἐρημίαν, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν πο λιορκίαν. Πάντως γὰρ