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he enjoyed while being pursued by Saul. For having been caught in the midst of terrible things, he attained salvation. Thus the great Elisha escaped the Syrians who surrounded him, by casting a mist over their eyes. And many other such things can be found in the divine Scripture. 22. "Blessed be the Lord, for he has made his mercy wonderful in a fortified city." But Symmachus has said this thus: Blessed be the Lord who has shown his mercy to me in a marvelous way, as in a city fenced about. For thus, he says, he has surrounded and fenced me about with his own loving-kindness, as inhabitants fence a city with a strong wall. 23. "But I said in my ecstasy, I am cast away from the presence of your eyes: therefore you heard the voice of my supplication, when I cried to you." But I thought, he says, having fallen into sin, that I had become far from your care; but seeing my humble words, you did not overlook me when I prayed. He fittingly called sin an ecstasy. For while traveling the road of righteousness, he departed from it, and was turned aside; and he stumbled, and fell among the savage robbers. And this itself shows the virtue of David. For he was not accustomed to sin, but having gone a little outside his own purpose, he endured that fall. From here he transfers his discourse to exhortation, showing from his own experience the divine loving-kindness and providence. 24. "Love the Lord, all you his saints: for the Lord seeks truth, and repays those who act with exceeding pride." It is fitting, he says, for all of you who choose to walk the divine path, to love ardently the ruler of all, who uses truth as a kind of rule, and punishes those who possess measureless arrogance. For he did not say simply, to those who act with pride, but, to those who do so exceedingly. For this too is sufficient to show the divine goodness. For he bears with those who are in some way of a greater mind; but those who are puffed up, and insatiably swell with pride, he delivers to fitting punishments. 25. "Be of good courage, and let your heart be strengthened, all you who hope in the Lord." Knowing these things, therefore, you who are sailing through the present life with divine hope, strengthen your 80.1088 souls with courage, and obey the commands of the pilot, being carried as he may direct. This exhortation is also suitable for us, who possess the consolation that comes through hope.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 31ST PSALM. 1. "Of David. For understanding." This psalm also holds the same thought; and

for this was said after the sin, amidst those calamities. But foreseeing with prophetic eyes the grace of the new covenant, and the forgiveness granted to believers through all-holy baptism, he calls these blessed, as those who receive release from their sins without labors; and he says, beginning the psalm: "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. [2] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, nor is there deceit in his mouth." I, who have wasted away with frequent lamentations and tears because of sin, and have fallen into all kinds of calamities on account of it, call those enviable and blessed, who without hardship have received the forgiveness of their sins by the loving-kindness of the Master. For he shows such generosity towards them, as to not only forgive, but also to cover their sins, and not even to leave a trace of them. 3. "Because I was silent, my bones grew old, from my crying all the day long." When he committed that sin, he did not immediately use the medicines of repentance, but after the rebuke of Nathan. Therefore, he cries out this here: Since, having immediately received the wound, I did not show the sore to the physician, but was silent, trying to hide it, I grew old crying out, and of the

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ἀπήλαυσεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ διωκόμενος. Ἐν μέσοις γὰρ ὑποληφθεὶς τοῖς δεινοῖς, τῆς σωτηρίας τετύχηκεν. Οὕτως ὁ μέγας Ἑλισσαῖος κυκλώσαντας τοὺς Σύρους διέ φυγεν, ἀχλὺν αὐτῶν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐπιπάσας. Καὶ ἕτερα δὲ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἔστιν εὑρεῖν παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ. κβʹ. "Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσε τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἐν πόλει περιοχῆς." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως εἴρηκε τοῦτο· Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ παραδοξάσας τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἐμοὶ, ὡς ἐν πόλει περιπεφραγμέ νῃ. Οὕτω γάρ με, φησὶ, περιέβαλέ τε καὶ περιέφραξε τῇ οἰκείᾳ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, ὡς πόλιν ὀχυρῷ περιβόλῳ περιφράττουσιν οἱ οἰκήτορες. κγʹ. "Ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει μου, Ἀπέῤῥιμμαι ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου· διὰ τοῦτο εἰσήκουσας τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεώς μου, ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς σέ." Ὤμην δὲ, φησὶ, τῇ ἁμαρ τίᾳ περιπεσὼν, πόῤῥω τῆς σῆς γεγενῆσθαι κηδε μονίας· ἀλλὰ τοὺς ταπεινούς μου θεασάμενος λό γους, οὐ παρεῖδες δεόμενον. Ἔκστασιν δὲ εἰκό τως τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκάλεσε. Τὴν γὰρ τῆς δικαιοσύ νης ὁδεύων ὁδὸν ἐξέστη μὲν ἐκείνης, καὶ ἐξετράπη· προσέπταισε δὲ, καὶ περιέπεσε τοῖς ὠμοβόροις λῃσταῖς. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ δείκνυσι τὴν τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἀρετήν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐθὰς ἦν τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλ' ἔξω μι κρὸν τῆς οἰκείας γενόμενος προαιρέσεως, τὸν ὄλισθον ἐκεῖνον ὑπέμεινεν. Ἐντεῦθεν ἐπὶ παραίνεσιν μετα φέρει τὸν λόγον, ἐκ τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν τὴν θείαν ὑπο δεικνὺς φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ πρόνοιαν. κδʹ. "Ἀγαπήσατε τὸν Κύριον, πάντες οἱ ὅσιοι αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀληθείας ἐκζητεῖ Κύριος, καὶ ἀνταποδίδωσι τοῖς περισσῶς ποιοῦσιν ὑπερηφανίαν." Προσήκει, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς ἅπαντας, τοὺς τὴν θείαν ὁδὸν ὁδεύειν προαι ρουμένους, ἐκθύμως ἀγαπᾷν τῶν ὅλων τὸν πρύτανιν, οἷόν τινι κανόνι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ χρώμενον, καὶ τοὺς ἄμε τρον ἀλαζονείαν κεκτημένους κολάζοντα. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς γὰρ εἶπε, τοῖς ποιοῦσιν ὑπερηφανίαν, ἀλλὰ, τοῖς περισσῶς ποιοῦσιν. Ἱκανὸν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τὴν θείαν ἀγαθότητα δεῖξαι. Φέρει μὲν γὰρ τοὺς οὕτω πως μείζονι φρονήματι κεχρημένους· τοὺς δὲ τυφουμένους, καὶ ἀπλήστως ἐξογκουμένους, ταῖς καταλλήλοις παραδίδωσι τιμωρίαις. κεʹ. "Ἀνδρίζεσθε, καὶ κραταιούσθω ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν, πάντες οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπὶ Κύριον." Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδότες οἱ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῇ θείᾳ τὸν παρόντα διαπλέον τες βίον, κρατύνατε τῇ ἀνδρίᾳ τὰς ὑμετέρας 80.1088 ψυχὰς, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ κυβερνήτου πείθεσθε νεύμασι, φερομένοις ὡς ἂν ἐκεῖνος ἰθύνῃ. Αὕτη δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν ἁρμόδιος ἡ παραίνεσις, τὴν δι' ἐλπίδος παραψυ χὴν κεκτημένοις.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΛΑʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Τῷ ∆αβὶδ συνέσεως." Τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχεται καὶ οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς διανοίας· καὶ

οὗτος γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν ἐκείναις ἐῤῥήθη ταῖς συμφοραῖς. Τοῖς δὲ προφητικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς προορῶν τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης τὴν χάριν, καὶ τὴν διὰ τοῦ παναγίου βα πτίσματος χορηγουμένην τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἄφεσιν, μακαρίζει τούτους, ἅτε δὴ δίχα πόνων τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτάδων δεχομένους ἀπαλλαγήν· καί φησιν ἀρξάμενος τοῦ ψαλμοῦ· "Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπ εκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. [βʹ] Μακάριος ἀνὴρ, ᾧ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται Κύριος ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος." Ὀδυρμοῖς ἐγὼ καὶ δά κρυσι θαμινοῖς διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν προστετηκὼς, καὶ παντοδαπαῖς συμφοραῖς ταύτης χάριν περιπεσὼν, ζηλωτοὺς ἐκείνους καὶ μακαρίους ἀποκαλῶ, τοὺς ἀταλαιπώρως τῇ τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπίᾳ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων δεξαμένους τὴν ἄφεσιν. Τοσαύτῃ γὰρ περὶ αὐτοὺς χρῆται φιλοτιμίᾳ, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἀφεῖναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ καλύψαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ μηδὲ ἴχνη τούτων καταλιπεῖν. γʹ. "Ὅτι ἐσίγησα, ἐπαλαιώθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ἀπὸ τοῦ κράζειν με ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν." Ἡνίκα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκείνην εἰργάσατο, οὐ παραχρῆμα τοῖς τῆς μετανοίας φαρμάκοις ἐχρήσατο, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸν ἔλεγχον τοῦ Νάθαν. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα βοᾷ· Ἐπειδὴ παραυτίκα δεξάμενος τὴν πληγὴν, οὐχ ὑπέδειξα τὸ ἕλκος τῷ ἰατρῷ, ἀλλ' ἐσίγησα τοῦτο κρύ ψαι πειρώμενος, κατεγήρασα βοῶν, καὶ τῆς