55

Thus having seen, you will have mercy. 17, 18. "The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied, deliver me from my necessities. See my 80.1044 humiliation and my toil, and forgive all my iniquities." By many, he says, painful things am I surrounded on all sides. Therefore, weighing this my humiliation and misery against my transgressions, grant me forgiveness and bestow pardon. 19. "Behold my enemies, for they have multiplied, and they have hated me with an unjust hatred." If I do not seem, he says, to be worthy of loving-kindness, struggling against so many evils, at least having beheld the unjust hatred of my enemies, grant me loving-kindness. For against you have I transgressed, having violated your commandments; but they, having nothing to charge me with, make war unjustly. 20. "Guard my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon you." For even if I have transgressed some of your laws, yet I have not separated myself from your providence; wherefore I beseech to be delivered from my enemies, and to be guarded. 21. "The innocent and upright have clung to me, because I have waited for you, O Lord." And this is characteristic of virtue: to hate the company of the wicked, but to have as companions and friends those who honor equity, and employ uprightness, and are free from evil. For the prophet also said he did this, since indeed he believed he was serving the Master in this very thing. 22. "Redeem, O God, Israel from all his tribulations." A prayer offered to God befitting a king. For it is fitting that he who is appointed to rule should take all care of his subjects. For this very reason the blessed David also offered his prayer not only for himself, but also for the people entrusted to him; besides, the salvation of one who rules well and nobly becomes a common benefit for the people. But the saying also has another meaning. Israel was divided, both in the time of Saul, and in the time of Mephibosheth, and in the time of Absalom. If, therefore, he says, I might enjoy your support, and become stronger than my enemies, Israel itself, having put an end to civil war, will obtain peace, and will delight in your good things.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 25TH PSALM. 1. "A Psalm of David." And it seems to me that the divine David spoke this psalm about himself;

but I think this one to be earlier than that one. For that one 80.1045 made mention of sin and great sin; "For be merciful," he says, "to my iniquity, for it is great." But here he recounts the forms of his own virtue; whence I think he used these words when he was being pursued by Saul, and was forced to live among foreigners; seeing them living together in impiety, and superstition, and every kind of transgression, he fled from their assemblies and the public feasts held for demons; but the interpretation of the sayings will teach this more clearly. "Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence, and trusting in the Lord, I shall not be weakened." Using simplicity, he says, and having done no evil to Saul, and being thus bitterly driven out, I implore you, Master, to become the judge of my cause; for I know you are God, and on your providence I have suspended my hopes, and I am confident that I will not be subject to my persecutors. 2. "Examine me, O Lord, and test me; try my reins and my heart by fire." And from this it is clear that the psalm is older than the sin. For as one living with simplicity and innocence, and having no experience of sin, he desires perilous contests. By reins and heart he means his thoughts; and we have said this many times. 3. "For your mercy is before my eyes." And I ask to be tested and tried by fire like gold, since I trust in your mercy, and I await help from thence. For supported by this: "And I have been well-pleasing in your truth." Then he recounts the forms of his being well-pleasing. 4, 5. "I have not sat with the council of

55

οὕτω θεασάμενος ἐλεή σεις. ιζʹ ιηʹ. "Αἱ θλίψεις τῆς καρδίας μου ἐπληθύν θησαν, ἐκ τῶν ἀναγκῶν μου ἐξάγαγέ με. Ἴδε τὴν 80.1044 ταπείνωσιν μου, καὶ τὸν κόπον μου, καὶ ἄφες πά σας τὰς ἀνομίας μου." Πολλοῖς, φησὶν, ἀλγεινοῖς πανταχόθεν περιστοιχίζομαι. Ταύτην μου τοίνυν τὴν ταπείνωσιν, καὶ τὴν ταλαιπωρίαν, ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἀν τιταλαντεύσας παρανομίαις, δὸς τὴν ἄφεσιν, καὶ τὴν συγγνώμην παράσχε. ιθʹ. "Ἴδε τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου, ὅτι ἐπληθύνθησαν, καὶ μῖσος ἄδικον ἐμίσησάν με." Εἰ μὴ δοκῶ, φη σὶν, ἄξιος εἶναι φιλανθρωπίας, τοσούτοις προσπα λαίων κακοῖς, τὴν ἄδικον γοῦν τῶν πολεμίων ἀπ έχθειαν θεασάμενος, φιλανθρωπίας μετάδος. Εἰς σὲ γὰρ ἐπλημμέλησα, τὰς σὰς παραβεβηκὼς ἐντολάς· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ μηδὲν ἐγκαλεῖν ἔχοντες, πολεμοῦσιν ἀδί κως. κʹ. "Φύλαξον τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ῥῦσαί με· μὴ καταισχυνθείην, ὅτι ἐπεκαλεσάμην σε." Εἰ γὰρ καί τινας τῶν σῶν παραβέβηκα νόμων, ἀλλ' οὖν τῆς σῆς ἐμαυτὸν οὐκ ἐχώρισα προμηθείας· διὸ καὶ ῥυσθῆναι τῶν πολεμούντων, καὶ φυλαχθῆναι παρα καλῶ. καʹ. "Ἄκακοι καὶ εὐθεῖς ἐκολλῶντό μοι, ὅτι ὑπ έμεινά σε, Κύριε." Καὶ τοῦτο ἴδιον ἀρετῆς. τὸ μισεῖν μὲν τῶν φαύλων τὰς συνουσίας, τοὺς δὲ τὴν ἰσότητα τιμῶντας, καὶ εὐθύτητι χρωμένους, καὶ κα κίας ἀπηλλαγμένους, συνήθεις ἔχειν καὶ φίλους. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔφη πεποιηκέναι, ἅτε δὴ θεραπεύειν ἐν τούτῳ δὴ τὸν ∆εσπότην ἡγού μενος. κβʹ. "Λύτρωσαι, ὁ Θεὸς, τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτοῦ." Βασιλεῖ πρέπουσα ἡ προσενεχθεῖ σα τῷ Θεῷ προσευχή. Προσήκει γὰρ τὸν ἄρχειν τε ταγμένον, πᾶσαν ποιήσασθαι τῶν ὑπηκόων κηδε μονίαν. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ, οὐ μόνον ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ προσενήνοχε τὴν εὐχὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐγκεχειρισμένου λαοῦ· ἄλλως τε καὶ ἡ τοῦ εὖ καὶ καλῶς βασιλεύοντος σωτηρία κοινὴ τοῦ λαοῦ καθέστηκεν ὠφέλεια. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν ἔν νοιαν τὸ ῥητόν. ∆ιῄρητο ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Μεμφιβοσθὲ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Εἰ τοίνυν, φησὶ, τῆς σῆς ῥοπῆς ἀπολαύ σαιμι, καὶ κρείττων γενοίμην τῶν δυσμενῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, ἐμφύλιον πόλεμον καταλύσας, εἰρήνης τεύξεται, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἐντρυ φήσει.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΚΕʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ." Καὶ τοῦτον τὸν ψαλμὸν ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ εἰς ἑαυτὸν

εἰρηκέναι δοκεῖ μοι· ἡγοῦ μαι δὲ τοῦτον ἐκείνου προγενέστερον εἶναι. Ὁ μὲν 80.1045 γὰρ ἁμαρτίας καὶ μεγάλης ἁμαρτίας ἐποιήσατο μνήμην· "Ἱλάσθητι γὰρ, φησὶ, τῇ ἀνομίᾳ μου, πολλὴ γάρ ἐστιν." Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς τὰ εἴδη διέξεισιν· ὅθεν ἡγοῦμαι τούτοις αὐτὸν χρή σασθαι τοῖς λόγοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ διωκόμενον, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις διάγειν ἠναγκασμένον· οὓς δυσσεβείᾳ, καὶ δεισιδαιμονίᾳ, καὶ πάσῃ παρανομίᾳ συζῶντας ὁρῶν, ἔφευγεν αὐτῶν τοὺς συλλόγους, καὶ τὰς τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἐπιτελουμένας δημοθοινίας· δι δάξει δὲ τοῦτο σαφέστερον ἡ τῶν ῥητῶν ἑρμηνεία. "Κρῖνόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν ἀκακίᾳ μου ἐπορεύ θην, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐλπίζων, οὐ μὴ ἀσθενήσω." Ἁπλότητι, φησὶ, κεχρημένος, καὶ κακὸν οὐδὲν εἰς τὸν Σαοὺλ δεδρακὼς, καὶ πικρῶς οὕτως ἐξελαυνό μενος, σὲ γενέσθαι, ∆έσποτα, κριτὴν τῆς ἐμῆς δίκης ἀντιβολῶ· σὲ γὰρ οἶδα Θεὸν, καὶ τῆς σῆς προνοίας τὰς ἐμὰς ἐλπίδας ἐξήρτησα, καὶ θαῤῥῶ ὡς οὐκ ἔσο μαι τοῖς διώκουσιν ὑποχείριος. βʹ. "∆οκίμασόν με, Κύριε, καὶ πείρασόν με· πύρωσον τοὺς νεφρούς μου, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν μου." Κἀντεῦθεν δῆλον ὡς τῆς ἁμαρτίας πρεσβύτερος ὁ ψαλμός. Ὡς ἁπλότητι γὰρ καὶ ἀκακίᾳ συζῶν, καὶ πεῖραν οὐκ ἔχων τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τῶν ἐπικινδύνων ἀγώνων ἐφίεται. Νεφροὺς δὲ καὶ καρδίαν τοὺς λογισμοὺς ὀνομάζει· καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις εἰρή καμεν. γʹ. "Ὅτι τὸ ἔλεός σου κατέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μού ἐστιν." ∆οκιμασθῆναι δὲ καὶ χρυσίου δίκην πυρωθῆναι παρακαλῶ, ἐπειδὴ τῷ σῷ ἐλέει θαῤῥῶ, καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν προσμένω βοήθειαν. Ὑπὸ τούτου γὰρ ἐρειδόμενος· "Καὶ εὐηρέστησα ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου." Εἶτα τῆς εὐαρεστήσεως τὰ εἴδη διέξεισιν. δʹ, εʹ. "Οὐκ ἐκάθισα μετὰ συνεδρίου