67

That concerning every anointing in general; he says the psalm was spoken before being anointed at all, and reasonably so; if before the first anointing, it is clear that also of the second and of the third. But if before the second, not necessarily before the first. If before the third, not necessarily also before the first and second. But the psalm seems especially to have been spoken before the first anointing, that is, before any anointing. The psalm is, therefore, "before being anointed". 1 The Lord is my light and my savior; whom shall I fear? If God illumines me and saves me, whom do I fear? Neither man nor an evil power nor the devil himself. But "who" here is instead of "no one"; for this usage is found continuously in the scriptures; "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" instead of "no one." "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?" instead of "no one," and further; "Behold, the Lord helps me; who will harm me?" Therefore, though many things are signified by the word, as has been said in other places, now "who" is used for "no one." The word, then, is not about sensible life and some sensible light; for they are enlightened in mind and soul by the divine light. But life is always joined with salvation. And eternal life and eternal salvation are the same thing; At any rate, "Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation." And that life is always joined with enlightenment, it is possible to see from many examples; "the life was the light of men," and again this holy one prays: "Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep in death," signifying that he who is deprived of the true light sleeps in death; not the common death, but that which is opposed to the blessed life. "The Lord," therefore, "is my light and my savior." He himself teaches me, speaks to me in secret, enlightens me through what he speaks, and his word straightway prepares me to have salvation. Since I said that the one who is enlightened certainly has life—for the Savior himself says: "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." He who has the light of life fears no one, especially since the very truth of God becomes a shield defending him; for "his truth will surround you with a shield." Therefore it is immediately added: "The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" 1 The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Who can inspire fear in me? I am clothed in "the whole armor of God," I "have" "the shield of faith," which extinguishes "all the flaming darts of the evil one." But if the shield of faith extinguishes the darts of the evil one, how much more also those of inferior archers; for there are also other wicked archers. At any rate, "Behold, the sinners have bent their bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver to shoot at the upright in heart." I fear no one. The whole armor of God is invulnerable and unassailable. His shield is truth. And no one is able to be against the truth; "for we can do nothing," he says, "against the truth, but for the truth." It is a full armor that binds the armed one and keeps him unharmed. "The Lord," therefore, "is the defender of my life." He does not say this about the common life; for many of those devoted to God and clothed in his full armor have died the common death, not to say all of them; but many also have suffered a violent one, among whom are Naboth and many apostles. At any rate, Isaiah was sawn in two. 2 When evildoers drew near to me to eat my flesh. Those who attend to harming the soul eat flesh. If anyone is found having flesh, he has powerful enemies against him. The flesh is his food. But the flesh, about which Paul says: "For the mind of the flesh is enmity against God," and: "We are not in the flesh." If he were speaking about the sensible flesh, the saying would be false; for all the saints, being in the flesh, pleased God while still clothed in the flesh, and they are not able to say: "we are not in

67

ὅτι καθόλου περὶ πάσης χρίσεως· λέγει τὸν ψαλμὸν εἰρῆσθαι πρὸ τοῦ ὅλως χρισθῆναι, καὶ εἰκότως γε· εἰ πρὸ τῆς προτέρας χρίσεως, φανερὸν ὅτι καὶ τῆς δευτέρας καὶ τῆς τρίτης. εἰ δὲ πρὸ τῆς δευτέρας, οὐ πάντως πρὸ τῆς πρώτης. εἰ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης, οὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ πρὸ τῆς πρώτης καὶ δευτέρας. φαίνεται δὲ ὁ ψαλμὸς μάλιστα πρὸ τῆς προτέρας χρίσεως εἰρῆσθαι, ὅ ἐστιν πρὸ πάσης χρίσεως. "πρὸ τοῦ χρισθῆναι" οὖν ἐστιν ὁ ψαλμός. 1 κύριος φωτισμός μου καὶ σωτήρ μου· τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; εἰ θεὸς φωτίζει με καὶ σῴζει με, τίνα φοβοῦμαι; οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπον οὐδὲ πονηρὰν δύναμιν οὐδὲ αὐτὸν τὸν διάβολον. τὸ δὲ "τίς" ἐνταῦθα α ἀντὶ τοῦ "οὐδείς" ἐστιν· κεῖται γὰρ ἡ χρῆσις αὕτη συνεχῶς ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς· "τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ταῦτα; εἰ ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τίς καθ' ἡμῶν"; ἀντὶ τοῦ "οὐδείς". "τίς ἐνκαλέσει κατὰ ἐκλεκτῶν θεοῦ"; ἀντὶ τοῦ "οὐδείς", καὶ ἔτι· "ἰδού, κύριος βοηθεῖ μοι· τίς κακώσει με"; πολλῶν οὖν σημαινομένων διὰ τῆς λέξεως, ὡς ἐν ἄλλοις εἴρηται, νῦν τὸ "τίς" ἀντὶ τοῦ "οὐδεὶς" κεῖται. οὐ περὶ τῆς αἰσθητῆς οὖν ζωῆς καὶ αἰσθητοῦ τινος φωτισμοῦ ὁ λόγος ἐστίν· τῷ γὰρ θείῳ φωτὶ καταυγάζονται τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν ψυχήν. ἀεὶ συνέζευκται δὲ ἡ ζωὴ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ. ταὐτὸν δέ ἐστιν αἰώνιος ζωὴ καὶ σωτηρία αἰώνιος· "Ἰσραὴλ" γοῦν "σῴζεται ὑπὸ κυρίου σωτηρίαν αἰώνιον". ὅτι δὲ συνέζευκται ἀεὶ τῷ φωτισμῷ ἡ ζωή, ἔστιν ἐκ πολλῶν ἰδεῖν· "ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων", καὶ πάλιν οὗτος ὁ ἅγιος εὔχεται· "φώτισον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, μήποτε ὑπνώσω εἰς θάνατον", σημαίνων, ὅτι ὁ στερόμενος τοῦ φωτισμοῦ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ ὑπνοῖ εἰς θάνατον· θάνατον οὐ τὸν κοινόν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀντικείμενον τῇ μακαρίᾳ ζωῇ. "κύριος" οὖν "φωτισμός μου καὶ σωτήρ μου". αὐτὸς παι99 δεύει με, κατὰ τὸ κρυπτόν μοι λαλεῖ, φωτίζει με δι' ὧν ὁμιλεῖ, καὶ σωτηρίαν εὐθέως ἔχειν παρασκευάζει ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ. ἐπεὶ εἶπον τὸν πεφωτισμένον πάντως ἔχειν ζωήν-λέγει γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ σωτήρ· "ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· ὁ ἀκολουθῶν ἐμοὶ οὐ περιπατήσει ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς". ὁ τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς ἔχων οὐδένα δεδίττεται, μάλιστα ὅτι αὐτὴ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἀσπὶς γίνεται ὑπερμαχοῦσα αὐτοῦ· "ὅπλῳ" γὰρ "κυκλώσει σε ἡ ἀλήθεια αὐτοῦ". διὸ εὐθέως ἐπενήνεκται· "κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου· ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω"; 1 κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου· ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω; τίς μοι δέος ἐνποιῆσαι δύναται; ἐνδεδυμένος εἰμὶ "τὴν θεοῦ πανοπλίαν", "τὸν θυρεὸν "ἔχω" τῆς πίστεως", τὰ σβέννυντα "πάντα τὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ βέλη πεπυρωμένα". εἰ δὲ τὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ βέλη σβέννυσιν ὁ θυρεὸς τῆς πίστεως, πολλῷ πλέον καὶ τὰ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων τοξευτῶν· εἰσὶν γὰρ καὶ ἄλλοι φαῦλοι τοξευταί. ἀμέλει γοῦν "ἰδοὺ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐνέτειναν τόξον, ἡτοίμασαν βέλη εἰς φαρέτραν τοῦ κατατοξεῦσαι τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ". οὐδένα δεδίττομαι. ἄτρωτος καὶ ἄβλητός ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ πανοπλία. ἡ ἀσπὶς αὐτοῦ ἀλήθειά ἐστιν. οὐδεὶς δὲ κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας οἷός τέ ἐστιν γενέσθαι· "οὐ γὰρ δυνάμεθα", φησίν, "κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας". πανοπλία ἐστὶν σφίνγουσα τὸν ὡπλισμένον καὶ ἀβλαβῆ διαφυλάττουσα. "κύριος" οὖν "ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου". οὐ περὶ τῆς κοινῆς ζωῆς τοῦτο λέγει· πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν θεῷ ἀνακειμένων καὶ τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ ἐνδυσάμενοι τεθνήκασιν τὸν κοινὸν θάνατον, ἵνα μὴ εἴπω πάντες· ἀλλὰ καὶ βίαιον πολλοὶ παρέστησαν, ὧν ἐστιν Ναβουθὲμ καὶ ἀπόστολοι πολλοί. Ἰσαίας γοῦν ἐπρίσθη. 2 ἐν τῷ ἐνγίζειν ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακοῦντας τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου. οἱ προσέχοντες κακῶσαι τὴν ψυχὴν σάρκας ἐσθίουσιν. ἐὰν εὑρεθῇ τις ἔχων σάρκας, ἰσχυροὺς ἔχει τοὺς πολεμίους κατ' αὐτοῦ. τροφή ἐστιν αὐτοῦ ἡ σάρξ. σάρκα δέ, περὶ ἧς ὁ Παῦλος λέγει· "ὅτι τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς θεόν", καί· "ἡμεῖς οὔκ ἐσμεν ἐν σαρκί". εἰ περὶ τῆς αἰςθητῆς σαρκὸς ἔλεγεν, ψευδὴς ἦν ὁ λόγος· πάντες γὰρ οἱ ἅγιοι ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες θεῷ ἤρεσαν ἔτι τὴν σάρκα περικείμενοι, καὶ οὐ δύνανται εἰπεῖν· "οὔκ ἐσμεν ἐν