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Musicians say that the difference between a psaltery and a kithara is as follows: they say the kithara produces its sound from the lower parts, but the psaltery from the upper parts, while also being completely straight throughout. Therefore, the soul being assigned to be the kithara, the spirit of man within him, being perhaps no other than the mind, is the psaltery, playing not for anyone else but for God. For when we use right thoughts and receive the Holy Spirit into our own spirit, then we play on a ten-stringed psaltery. And perhaps from having ten strings its perfection is represented. For it is possible to find this number continually praised in the scriptures. Indeed, God communicated to the hierophant Moses no less than ten general commands, and the people are commanded to offer tithes.

292 Ps 32,3 He who is zealous to praise God through all things will also sing to God with his voice, saying a new song related to the new covenant and to the newness of the spirit, so that he may propitiate God not only with kithara and psaltery but also with his voice. He wishes also to play praisefully with a shout; for the shout is a voice. The shout which is raised suddenly and indistinctly over conquered enemies. Then he says, *Play well,* when, having conquered, you shout over the enemies.

293 Ps 32,4 The word of the Lord which he gives to those who pursue the things of knowledge is upright, having nothing deceitful or crooked. But also the works suitable to this word, which his workers perform, are accomplished in faith, and the works which the Word of God does are in faith, that is, firm and immovable, and the word by which he governs and provides is upright. And if someone were to call God the Word his upright word, he would find that the works he wrought in this word are accomplished in faith; for the miracles of Jesus happen to be his works according to the faith of those for whom they were done; *For according to your faith be it done to you.*

294 Ps 32,5 Either God himself or his upright word, accepting judgment because the virtues insulted by the wicked must be avenged, but loving mercy by his own goodness, helping those who are brought to judgment. For if all their works were observed, no one would be able to stand. Therefore he loves mercy even before judgment. For if the opposite happened, everything would be utterly destroyed.

295 Ps 32,6 The heavens were made firm, having a most incorruptible nature; for such is the nature of the heavens. But allegorically, taking the heavens as all those who bear the image of the heavenly one and are so called, their firm establishment and steadfastness comes by the word of the Lord, and their power by which they are mighty comes from nowhere else than from the Holy Spirit.

296 Ps 32,6b And with this saying pious men agree that the Holy Spirit is the creator.

297 Ps 32,7 Just as water contained in a wineskin or in another vessel is not permitted to be poured out of that which contains it, so the great water of the sea is confined by a certain boundary, not being allowed to transgress its appointed limits. For if it were not held back by the command of God, it would have flooded the whole earth. But consider if this is not also indicated: since, calling forth the water of the sea, he pours it out over all the earth through the rains, his command, drawing up the water like wineskins, makes it airborne so that, clouds having formed, rain is brought upon the earth. Allegorically, the life of men is often called a sea because of the unstable and salty character of those on earth. Therefore, he gathered this, which was scattered like a tempestuous sea, called the waters of the sea, as if in a wineskin, in the body which the savior assumed, so that it might become calm and serene. *Placing the deeps in storehouses.* Nothing in creation moves without order; for holding each thing as if in storehouses by his own will, he releases and holds back as it seems good to him. Indeed, he is said to bring forth the winds from storehouses, not according to their own impulse

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Ψαλτηρίου δὲ πρὸς κιθάραν διαφορὰν ειναι λέγουσι μουσικοὶ τοιαύτην· τὴν μὲν κιθάραν ἐκ τῶν κάτω μερῶν ἀποτελεῖν τὸν ηχόν φασιν, τὸ δὲ ψαλτήριον ἐκ τῶν ανω μερῶν μετὰ τοῦ καὶ εὐθύτατον ειναι δι' ολων. τῆς ουν ψυχῆς ἀποδοθείσης ειναι κιθάρας, τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ οὐχ ετερον τάχα τοῦ νοῦ τυγχάνον ψαλτήριόν ἐστιν, ψάλλον οὐκ αλλῳ τινὶ η τῷ θεῷ. οτε γὰρ χρώμεθα νοήσεσιν ὀρθαῖς καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἡμετέρῳ τὸ αγιον προσλαμβάνομεν πνεῦμα, τὸ τηνικάδε ψάλλομεν ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ δεκαχόρδῳ. Καὶ τάχα ἐκ τοῦ δέκα χορδὰς εχειν τὸ τέλειον αὐτοῦ παρίσταται. τὸν γὰρ τοιοῦτον ἀριθμὸν συνεχῶς ὑμνούμενον ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς εστιν εὑρεῖν. καὶ τῷ ἱεροφάντῃ γοῦν Μωυσῇ οὐ πλὴν δέκα γενικῶν λόγων ἐχρημάτισεν ὁ θεός, καὶ δεκάτας προσφέρειν ὁ λαὸς προστάττεται. 292 Ps 32,3 ̔Ο διὰ πάντων σπεύδων θεὸν ὑμνεῖν καὶ διὰ φωνῆς μελῳδήσει τῷ θεῷ καινὸν ᾳσμα λέγων συγγενὲς τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ καὶ τῇ καινότητι τοῦ πνεύματος, οπως μὴ μόνον κιθάρᾳ καὶ ψαλτηρίῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ φωνῇ ἐξευμενίσηται θεόν. βούλεται δὲ καὶ ἐπαινετῶς ψάλαι μετὰ ἀλαλαγμοῦ· φωνὴ δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἀλαλαγμός. ὁ ἀθρόως καὶ ἀσήμως κατὰ νενικωμένων πολεμίων γινόμενος τότε Καλῶς ψάλατέ φησιν, οτ' αν νικήσαντες ἀλαλάξητε κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων. 293 Ps 32,4 ̔Ο τοῦ κυρίου λόγος ον δίδωσι τοῖς τὰ τῆς γνώσεως μεταδιώκουσι εὐθής ἐστιν οὐδὲν εχων ἀπάτης σκολιόν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κατάλληλα τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ εργα α ἐργάζονται οἱ ἐργάται αὐτοῦ ἐν πίστει ἐπιτελοῦνται, καὶ τὰ εργα δὲ α ποιεῖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος ἐν πίστει ἐστὶν τουτέστιν βέβαια καὶ ἀμετακίνητα, καὶ ὁ λόγος καθ' ον διοικεῖ καὶ προνοεῖ εὐθής ἐστιν. εἰ δὲ καὶ εὐθῆ λόγον τις αὐτοῦ λέγοι τὸν θεὸν λόγον, τὰ εργα α ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ εἰργάσατο ἐν πίστει ἐπιτελούμενα ευροι· αἱ γὰρ παραδοξοποιΐαι ̓Ιησοῦ εργα αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσιν κατὰ πίστιν ἐκείνων εἰς ους ἐγίνοντο· Κατὰ γὰρ τὴν πίστιν σου γενηθήτω σοι. 294 Ps 32,5 Ητοι αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς η ὁ εὐθὴς λόγος αὐτοῦ κρίσιν μὲν ἀποδεχόμενος τῷ ἐκδικεῖσθαι δεῖν τὰς ἀρετὰς περιυβριζομένας ὑπὸ τῶν φαύλων, ἐλεημοσύνην δὲ στέργων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαθότητι βοηθῶν τοῖς ἐπὶ κρίσιν ἀγομένοις. εἰ γὰρ παρατηροῖτο πάντα τὰ εργα αὐτῶν, οὐδεὶς αν ὑποστῆναι ἐδύνατο. διὸ καὶ πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως ἀγαπᾷ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην. εἰ γὰρ εμπαλιν ἐγίνετο, αρδην τὸ πᾶν ἀπώλλυτο. 295 Ps 32,6 ̓Εστερεώθησαν δὲ οἱ οὐρανοὶ τὸ δυσφθαρτότατον εχοντες· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῶν οὐρανῶν φύσις. ἀλληγορικῶς δὲ τῶν οὐρανῶν λαμβανομένων πάντων τῶν φρονούντων τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ουτω καλουμένων, ἡ μὲν ἑδραία πῆξις καὶ βεβαιότης αὐτῶν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ κυρίου γίνεται, ἡ δὲ δύναμις αὐτῶν καθ' ην εἰσιν δυνατοὶ οὐκ αλλοθεν η ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου περιγίνεται. 296 Ps 32,6b Καὶ τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ συναγορεύουσιν εὐσεβεῖς ανδρες τὸ δημιουργικὸν ειναι τὸ αγιον πνεῦμα. 297 Ps 32,7 Ωσπερ τὸ ἐν ἀσκῷ η ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἀγγείῳ υδωρ συνεχόμενον οὐκ ἐπιτρέπεται εξω τοῦ συνέχοντος χεῖσθαι, ουτω τὸ πολὺ τῆς θαλάττης υδωρ ορῳ τινὶ περιορίζεται, οὐ συγχωρούμενον ὑπερβαίνειν τοὺς τεταγμένους ορους. εἰ γὰρ μὴ προστάγματι θεοῦ ἐπείχετο, ἐπέκλυσεν αν τὴν ολην γῆν. ἐπίστησον δὲ εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦται· ἐπεὶ προσκαλούμενος τὸ υδωρ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐκχέει αὐτὸ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν διὰ τῶν ὑετῶν, τὸ πρόσταγμα αὐτοῦ ἀσκῶν δίκην ἀνιμώμενον τὸ υδωρ ὑπεραέριον ποιεῖ ὡς συστασῶν νεφελῶν ομβρον ἐπὶ γῆς ἐνεχθῆναι. ̓Αλληγορικῶς δὲ ὁ βίος τῶν ἀνθρώπων πολλαχοῦ θάλαττα ειρηται διὰ τὸ αστατον καὶ ἁλμυρὸν ηθος τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς. τούτου ουν δίκην τρικυμίας ἐσκεδασμένου συνήγαγεν αὐτὸ υδατα θαλάσσης καλούμενον ὡσεὶ ἐν ἀσκῷ ῳ ἀνέλαβεν ὁ σωτὴρ σώματι, οπως γαληνὸν καὶ εὐδιεινὸν γένηται. Τιθεὶς ἐν θησαυροῖς ἀβύσσους. οὐδὲν τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει ἀτάκτως φέρεται· εκαστα γὰρ ωσπερ ἐν θησαυροῖς τῷ ἑαυτοῦ βουλήματι συνέχων ἀφίησιν καὶ ἐπέχει ὡς αν αὐτῷ δοκῇ. ἀμέλει γοῦν καὶ τοὺς ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν ἐξάγειν λέγεται, οὐ κατ' ἰδίαν φορὰν