65

having been weakened, having gained by not increasing their own wickedness through the harm done to me. In some it is inscribed, A Psalm of David before he was anointed. One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord, and to visit his temple. The beauty of the Lord and comeliness and delight are seen in the house of God, that is, in His Church, through the divinely-inspired and holy teachings, in which is the true beauty of the word, and the true comeliness, in which God Himself delights and dwells. But you would not err in calling comeliness also the temperate and venerable life and every virtuous conduct of those who excel in godliness. For he hid me in a tabernacle; in a day of evils he covered me in the secret of his tabernacle. He set me up on a rock. All these things my Savior provided for me when evildoers drew near to me, to eat my flesh. For they grew weak and fell; but I was hidden by his right hand, dwelling in a tabernacle, because I spent my time in the wilderness, and at that time I did not have the house of God, nor his temple. But he also covered me in the day of evils, that is, in the time of persecutions and trials; not somewhere else, but in the secret of his tabernacle. But you will understand what is said from the things written by Moses concerning the tabernacle, and concerning the innermost parts of the tabernacle, which were inaccessible to all, which they called the Holy of Holies. For these were the secret things of the tabernacle. Thus, therefore, also in the time of trials my Lord and Savior himself covered and hid me in the innermost part of his own tabernacle; not by placing me in any such place, but in a sanctified state of soul and one separated from the community of the many. And these things, he says, happened to me, until the time of the day of evils, according to what is said in other places: Go, my people, enter into your chambers, shut your door, hide yourself for a little while, until the Lord's wrath passes by. But not wishing me to be hidden completely, nor to be concealed in the secret of his tabernacle, and to be benefited alone, but judging it useful for another also to be established, at the end of the day of evils he set me up on a rock 23.241. But the rock, says the Apostle, was Christ. For in his own word, and in his own wisdom, and in his saving power, he who formerly hid me in his tabernacle, and covered me in the secret of his tabernacle in the day of evils, exalted me. For having brought past the evils and the time of the enemies and the foes who afflicted me, he established me in a fair and peaceful harbor, and bringing into the open him who was formerly hidden, he raised him aloft and set him on high, so as to be seen by all and to be glorified by all, established and founded on his unbreakable and most secure rock. And now he has lifted up my head above my enemies. You will understand, having considered how it is said by the Apostle: As long as it is called today. For so you will say also in the present case that the duration of time is signified. For the man of God, having received the spoils of victory over his enemies, is always superior to the head of his enemies; so also David himself until the present time is lifted up and exalted, being sung and proclaimed throughout the whole world by all the nations, and his head is indeed truly lifted up above his former enemies, the invisible powers. But the man of God, having been exalted in this manner, does not give himself over to idleness, nor to inaction, but brings greater zeal to the worship of God. Therefore he adds: I have gone around and have offered in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation. And these were the ones sent up through voice and theology of hymns and thanksgiving. In the psalm before this one, therefore, he who the divine things was taught to speak of the future

65

ἐξασθενήσαντες, κερδάναντες τῷ μὴ τὴν ἑαυτῶν αὐξῆσαι μοχθηρίαν διὰ τῆς κατ' ἐμοῦ βλάβης. Ἔν τισιν ἐπιγέγραπται, Ψαλμὸς τοῦ ∆αυῒδ πρὸ τοῦ χρισθῆναι. Μίαν ᾐτησάμην παρὰ Κυρίου, ταύτην ἐκζητήσω· τοῦ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου, τοῦ θεωρεῖν με τὴν τερπνότητα Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπισκέπτεσθαι τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ. Κάλλος Κυρίου καὶ εὐπρέπεια καὶ τερπνότης ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ θεωρεῖται, δηλαδὴ ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ αὐτοῦ, διὰ τῶν θεοπνεύστων καὶ ἱερῶν μαθημάτων, ἐν οἷς τὸ ἀληθινὸν τοῦ λόγου κάλλος, καὶ ἡ ἀληθὴς εὐπρέπεια, ᾗ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιτέρπεται ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐμπολιτεύεται. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ ἁμάρτοις εὐπρέπειαν λέγων καὶ τὸν σώφρονα καὶ σεμνὸν βίον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐνάρετον πολιτείαν τῶν ἐν θεοσεβείᾳ διαπρεπόντων. Ὅτι ἔκρυψέ με ἐν σκηνῇ· ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν ἐσκέπασέ με ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ. Ἐν πέτρᾳ ὕψωσέ με. Ταῦτά μοι πάντα παρέσχεν ὁ Σωτήρ μου ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακοῦντας, τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἠσθένουν καὶ ἔπιπτον· ἐγὼ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτοῦ δεξιᾶς ἐκρυπτόμην ἐν σκηνῇ κατοικῶν, διὰ τὸ ἐν ἐρημίαις τὰς διατριβὰς ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ μὴ ἔχειν τότε τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηδὲ τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐσκέπασέ με ἐν τῇ τῶν κακῶν ἡμέρᾳ, τουτέστιν ἐν καιρῷ τῶν διωγμῶν καὶ τῶν πειρατηρίων· οὐκ ἀλλαχοῦ που, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ. Νοήσεις δὲ τὸ λελεγμένον ἀπὸ τῶν παρὰ Μωϋσεῖ περὶ τῆς σκηνῆς ἀναγεγραμμένων, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐσωτάτω τῆς σκηνῆς τῶν τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀβάτων, ἅπερ ἐκάλουν Ἅγια ἁγίων. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἦν τὰ ἀπόκρυφα τῆς σκηνῆς. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῶν πειρατηρίων αὐτὸς ἐμὸς Κύριος καὶ Σωτὴρ ἐσκέπασε καὶ ἀπέκρυψέ με ἐν τῷ ἐσωτάτῳ τῆς αὑτοῦ σκηνῆς· οὐ πάντως ἐν τόπῳ τοίῳ δὴ καταστήσας, ἀλλ' ἐν ψυχῆς καταστάσει ἡγιασμένῃ καὶ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν κοινότητος ἀποκεχωρισμένῃ. Καὶ ταῦτα, φησὶ, περὶ ἐμὲ ἐγίνετο, μέχρι καιροῦ τῆς τῶν κακῶν ἡμέρας, κατὰ τὸ λελεγμένον ἐν ἑτέροις· Βάδιζε, ὁ λαός μου, εἴσελθε εἰς τὰ ταμεῖά σου, ἀπόκλεισον τὴν θύραν σου, ἀποκρύβηθι μικρὸν ὅσον, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ἡ ὀργὴ Κυρίου. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς τὸ παντελὲς κρύπτεσθαί με βουληθεὶς, οὐδ' ἐν τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ λανθάνειν, καὶ μόνον ὠφελεῖσθαι, χρήσιμον δὲ καὶ ἕτερον καταστῆναι κρίνας, ἐπὶ τέλει τῆς τῶν κακῶν ἡμέρας ἐν πέτρᾳ ὕψωσέ 23.241 με. Ἡ πέτρα δὲ ἦν, φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ὁ Χριστός. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ αὑτοῦ λόγῳ, καὶ τῇ αὑτοῦ σοφίᾳ, καὶ τῇ δυνάμει τῇ σωτηρίῳ ὕψωσέ με ὁ πάλαι ἀποκρύψας ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σκεπάσας ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν. Παραγαγὼν γὰρ τὰ κακὰ καὶ τὸν καιρὸν τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ τῶν θλιβόντων με πολεμίων, εἰς εὔδιον καὶ εἰρηναῖον λιμένα κατέστησεν, ἀγαγών τε εἰς τὸ ἐμφανὲς τὸν πάλαι κρυπταζόμενον, μετέωρον ἐπῆρε καὶ ὑψηλὸν ἔστησεν, ὡς πᾶσιν ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πᾶσι δοξάζεσθαι, ἡδρασμένον καὶ τεθεμελιωμένον ἐν τῇ ἀῤῥαγεῖ καὶ ἀσφαλεστάτῃ αὐτοῦ πέτρᾳ. Καὶ νῦν ὕψωσε κεφαλήν μου ἐπ' ἐχθρούς μου. Νοήσεις ἐπιστήσας ὅπως εἴρηται παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ τό· Ἕως οὗ τὸ σήμερον καλεῖται. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐρεῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος τὸ διαρκὲς τοῦ χρόνου σημαίνεσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, τὰ νικητήρια κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν εἰληφὼς, ἀεὶ τῆς τῶν ἐχθρῶν κεφαλῆς ἀνώτερος γίνεται· οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ∆αυῒδ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος χρόνου ἐπαίρεται καὶ ὑψοῦται, καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ᾀδόμενος καὶ βοώμενος παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ὕψωταί γε ἀληθῶς ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς πάλαι γενομένους αὐτοῦ ἐχθροὺς, τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτον ὑψωθεὶς τὸν τρόπον, οὐκ ἀργίᾳ ἑαυτὸν δίδωσιν, οὐδὲ ἀπραξίᾳ, πλείονα δὲ σπουδὴν περὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείαν εἰσφέρει. ∆ιὸ ἐπιλέγει· Ἐκύκλωσα καὶ ἔθυσα ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ θυσίαν ἀλαλαγμοῦ. Αὗται δὲ ἦσαν αἱ διὰ φωνῆς καὶ θεολογίας ὕμνων τε καὶ εὐχαριστίας ἀναπεμπόμεναι. Ἐν μὲν οὖν τῷ πρὸ τούτου ψαλμῷ μελλητικῶς ἐδιδάσκετο λέγειν ὁ τὰ θεῖα