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72

With God, 'kind' means the same as 'good'. Since, therefore, being the bread of life, he is also nourishing, the Spirit commands those who have no appetite to be filled with him, even if they only taste him. For the taste is sufficient to give them an appetite, so that they will wish to delight in him. And 'to taste' means, even if in some way, to pay attention and to inquire about God. For a mere taste, it says, of things that are beyond man and marvelous, instills in souls an incomparable love of enjoyment. 314 Ps 33,9b Blessed is the man who hopes in him. The man who hopes in God completely and without want is blessed. 315 Ps 33,10 315 We said that fear is twofold. For as soon as one comes to God, having taken on fear toward him, he keeps all his commandments. Indeed it has been said: 'Fear God and keep his commandments'. But in the present verse he speaks of a transcendent fear, to which he calls those who have already become saints; for having embraced the introductory fear, they hastened to holiness. But now he commands them, being saints, to fear God with a fear that fills one with every good thing, so that the one who has it is wanting in nothing. 316 Ps 33,12b It should be noted that, just as other good things, so too divine fear can be taught, from which we learn that it is not the passionate fear that is meant; for this latter is unteachable by nature, existing not only in humans but also in irrational animals. 317 Ps 33,15.16 Since the powers of God that watch over the universe, tropically called eyes, watch over the righteous, and also his ears are ready to receive their prayer, for this reason he says: 'if you wish to enjoy these things, turn away from evil and do good'. 318 Ps 33,17 Those who consider this universe to be without providence and on this account do evil things as if God were not watching, upon encountering punishment will take thought, as God is present exacting justice from them. And according to this, the face of God is said to appear to them, so that their memorial may be utterly destroyed, not at once, but from the earth. But it is a blessed thing for someone's memorial to be utterly destroyed from the earth; for thus will his name be written in the heavens. But the workers of evil do evil things. 319 Ps 33,21 The Lord will guard the bones of the righteous, which are either the doctrines of truth or the powers of the soul, not allowing even the least of them to be broken, so that neither the doctrines of the righteous nor his powers may be overthrown. 320 Ps 33,22a The one who sins is deprived of the life that comes from keeping the commandments, falling into an evil death. And an evil death is either that which is opposite to the good life or that which causes pain to the subject; for so also was Job struck with an evil sore, that is, one that causes pain. 321 Ps 33,22b Those who hate lovable things harm not others but themselves. And so the one who hates the righteous man, who is virtuous, transgresses and falls into punishment. 322 Ps 33,23a It should be noted that redemption in the proper sense frees souls from captivity; for if it ever redeems bodies as well, it does not do this primarily but incidentally; and the souls that are delivered are none other than those of his servants. 323 Ps 33,23b Those who hope in the Lord would not fail to obtain the things hoped for and expected.

324 Ps 34,1bc And in other places he teaches who they were that were warring against him

saying 'For many are they who war against me from on high'. Those, then, who warred against him were wronging one who had done no wrong; but he prays not for his enemies to be wronged, but for the injustice of his enemies to be judged, setting God's justice in opposition, which is destructive of injustice, just as light is destructive of darkness. Injustice, therefore, being contrary and opposed to the justice of God, would be warred against by it. For this reason also the unjust man would be called an enemy to the just. But justice

72

̓Επὶ θεοῦ τὸ χρηστὸν ταὐτὸν τῷ ἀγαθῷ σημαίνει. ἐπεὶ ουν καὶ τρόφιμός ἐστιν αρτος ων ζωῆς, προστάττει τὸ πνεῦμα τοῖς μὴ ὀρεκτικῶς εχουσιν ωστε αὐτοῦ ἐμφορηθῆναι, καν μόνον γεύσωνται αὐτοῦ. ἡ γὰρ γεῦσις ἱκανή ἐστιν ὀρεκτικοὺς αὐτοὺς ποιῆσαι ὡς καὶ κατατρυφῆσαι αὐτοὺς θελῆσαι. τὸ δὲ γεύσασθαι δηλοῖ τό, καν ἀμωσγέπως, ἐπιστῆσαι καὶ ἐξετάσαι περὶ θεοῦ. ψιλὴ γὰρ γεῦσίς φησι τῶν ὑπὲρ ανθρωπόν τε καὶ θαυμασίων ἀσύγκριτον ἐνίησι ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ερωτα. 314 Ps 33,9b Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ος ἐλπίζει ἐπ' αὐτόν. ὁ διὰ τὸ τελείως καὶ ἐνελλιπῶς ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ θεὸν ἀνὴρ ὑπάρχων μακάριός ἐστιν. 315 Ps 33,10 315 ∆ιττὸν εφαμεν ειναι τὸν φόβον. εὐθὺς γάρ τις θεῷ προσερχόμενος φόβον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναλαβὼν πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ κατορθοῖ. ειρηται γοῦν· Τὸν θεὸν φοβοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φύλασσε. ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ δὲ στίχῳ περὶ ὑπεραναβεβηκότος φόβου λέγει ἐφ' ον καλεῖ τοὺς ηδη ἁγίους γεγενημένους· τὸν γὰρ εἰσαγωγικὸν φόβον προσηκάμενοι εσπευσαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγιότητα. νῦν δὲ ἁγίοις αὐτοῖς ουσι φοβηθῆναι τὸν θεὸν προστάττει φόβον τὸν πληροῦντα παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ, ωστε ἀνελλιπῆ ειναι τὸν εχοντα αὐτόν. 316 Ps 33,12b Σημειωτέον οτι ὡς τὰ αλλα ἀγαθὰ ουτω καὶ ὁ θεῖος φόβος διδακτός ἐστιν, ἐξ ου μανθάνομεν μὴ τὸν παθητὸν δηλοῦσθαι φόβον· ουτος γὰρ ἀδίδακτος τῇ φύσει οὐ μόνον ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζῴοις ἐνυπάρχει. 317 Ps 33,15.16 ̓Επεὶ αἱ ἐπιβλέπουσαι τὸ πᾶν τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεις τροπικῶς ὀφθαλμοὶ λεγόμεναι ἐπιβλέπουσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς δικαίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ωτα αὐτοῦ ετοιμα εἰς τὸ δέξασθαι τὴν δέησιν αὐτῶν, τούτου χάριν φησίν· εἰ θέλετε τούτων ἀπολαῦσαι, ἐκκλίναντες ἀπὸ κακοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιήσατε. 318 Ps 33,17 Οἱ ἀπρονόητον τόδε τὸ πᾶν τιθέμενοι καὶ ταύτῃ πράττοντες τὰ κακὰ ὡς οὐκ ἐφορῶντος θεοῦ κολάσει περιτυχόντες ἐνθύμησιν λήψονται, παρόντος θεοῦ δίκην αὐτοὺς εἰσπραττομένου. καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ἐπιφαίνεσθαι αὐτοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον λέγεται, οπως ἐξολοθρευθῇ τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν οὐ καθ' απαξ ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς γῆς. μακάριον δὲ τὸ ἐξολοθρευθῆναι τὸ μνημόσυνόν τινων ἐκ γῆς· ουτως γὰρ ἐγγραφήσεται τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. ποιοῦσι δὲ κακὰ οἱ κακίας ἐργάται. 319 Ps 33,21 Τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν δικαίων οντα ητοι δόγματα ἀληθείας η ψυχῆς δυνάμεις φυλάξει ὁ κύριος, οὐκ ἐῶν οὐδὲ τὸ τυχὸν αὐτῶν συντριβῆναι τῷ μηδὲ τὰ δόγματα τοῦ δικαίου μηδ' αυ τὰς δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ ἀνατρέπεσθαι. 320 Ps 33,22a ̔Ο ἁμαρτάνων στερεῖται τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἐπὶ τηρήσει τῶν ἐντολῶν παραγινομένης, θανάτῳ πονηρῷ περιπίπτων. πονηρὸς δὲ θάνατος ητοι ὁ ἐναντίος τῇ ἀγαθῇ ζωῇ η ὁ πόνον ἐμποιῶν τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ· ουτω γὰρ καὶ ελκει πονηρῷ ἐπαίσθη ὁ ̓Ιώβ, τῷ δηλονότι πόνον ἐμποιοῦντι. 321 Ps 33,22b Οἱ τὰ φιλητὰ μισοῦντες βλάπτουσιν οὐχ ἑτέρους ἀλλ' ἑαυτούς. καὶ τὸν δίκαιον γοῦν σπουδαῖον οντα ὁ μισῶν πλημμελεῖ καὶ τιμωρίᾳ περιπίπτει. 322 Ps 33,23a Σημειωτέον οτι ἡ κυρίως λύτρωσις ψυχὰς ἀπὸ αἰχμαλωσίας ἐλευθεροῖ· εἰ γάρ ποτε καὶ σώματα λυτροῦται, οὐ προηγουμένως ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς τοῦτο ποιεῖ· καὶ ψυχαὶ δὲ ῥύονται οὐκ αλλων η τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ. 323 Ps 33,23b Οἱ ἐπὶ κύριον ἐλπίζοντες οὐκ αν διαμάρτοιεν τῶν ἐλπιζομένων καὶ προσδοκωμένων.

324 Ps 34,1bc ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις τίνες ησαν οἱ πολεμοῦντες αὐτὸν

λέγων Οτι πολλοὶ οἱ πολεμοῦντές με ἀπὸ υψους. οἱ μὲν ουν πολεμοῦντες αὐτὸν ἠδίκουν τὸν μηδὲν ἀδικήσαντα· αὐτὸς δὲ οὐκ ἀδικηθῆναι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ευχεται ἀλλὰ δικασθῆναι τῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀδικίᾳ, τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἀντιτάττων ἀναιρετικὴν ουσαν τῆς ἀδικίας, ὡς τὸ φῶς ἀναιρετικὸν τυγχάνει τοῦ σκότους. ἡ μὲν ουν ἀδικία ἐναντία ουσα καὶ ἀντικειμένη τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ πολεμηθείη αν ἐξ αὐτῆς. διὸ καὶ ὁ αδικος ανθρωπος ἐχθρὸς αν λέγοιτο τῷ δικαίῳ. ἡ δὲ δικαιοσύνη