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has entered; then, fearing the plots of the foreigners, he pretended to be in a Corybantic frenzy, and in this 80.1104 way he obtained salvation. But the words have no agreement with this hypothesis of the psalm; but it is fitting to what has been said, as will be shown immediately, so to speak with God. 2. "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Both fleeing, he says, and pursuing, and in good fortune and ill fortune, I hymn my Master. 3. "In the Lord my soul shall be praised." He has made me renowned, and will make me admired. "Let the meek hear and be glad. [4]. Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." He does not endure to weave the hymn alone, but makes those who share his meekness partners in the hymnody; then he shows the reason for the thanksgiving. 5. "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my afflictions." I besought him, he says, and I became stronger than my misfortunes. 6. "Come to him and be enlightened, and your faces will by no means be put to shame." For he who approaches him with faith receives rays of intelligible light. Thus also Moses the great was glorified in his visible face; David has already said this: "The light of your countenance, O Lord, has been signed upon us." Thus having exhorted those of like manner, he puts himself forward to them as an archetype. 7. "This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his afflictions." Learn, he says, from my circumstances, to trust in the God of all. For though I was humble and a shepherd, he deemed me worthy of his own providence, and made me stronger than those warring against me. 8. "The angel of the Lord will encamp round about those who fear him, and will deliver them." The words of the Apostle are in harmony with these; for concerning the angels he speaks thus: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Thus also the blessed Jacob said in prayer: "The angel who delivers me from all evils." Thus also the patriarch Abraham said to his wonderful servant: "The Lord God will send his angel before your face, and you shall take a wife for my son Isaac from there." Thus says the blessed Zechariah: "The angel who spoke in me." 80.1105 9. "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who hopes in him." Having said, "Come to him and be enlightened," he urges "and taste." By experience, he says, learn the goodness of the Master; for from this you will gather a blessing. It should be known, however, that the aforementioned meaning is fitting for the ancient Jews. But the sense hidden in the depth of the letter alludes to the grace of the divine mysteries. For through the all-holy baptism the true illumination is given to those who approach, and the taste of the life-giving food clearly shows the goodness of the Savior. For what so clearly indicates his love for mankind as the cross, and the passion, and the death that was for our sake, and his becoming at once both food and a fount for his own sheep; 10, 11. "Fear the Lord, all you his saints, for there is no want for those who fear him. The rich have become poor and hungry; but those who seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good thing." And these things are also in harmony with what has been said above; for he exhorts those who have already received sanctification through baptism to mix love with fear, and to expect the abundance of good things from God alone. For wealth has many changes; and he who is rich today, after a little while has fallen into poverty. And the Jews of old, having been rich in the care of God, became poor [and hungry through their unbelief]. But the nations that believed received the abundance of good things from God. 12, 13. "Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he who desires life, and loves to see good days?" And having set forth, as it were, a desirable prize,

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εἰσελήλυθεν· εἶτα φοβηθεὶς τὰς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐπιβουλὰς, κορυβαντιᾷν ἐσκήψατο, καὶ τούτῳ τῷ 80.1104 τρόπῳ τῆς σωτηρίας τετύχηκεν. Ἀλλ' οὐδεμίαν ἔχει πρὸς τήνδε τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τοῦ ψαλμοῦ συμφωνίαν τὰ ῥήματα· ἁρμόττει δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ὡς αὐτίκα σὺν Θεῷ φάναι δειχθήσεται. βʹ. "Εὐλογήσω τὸν Κύριον ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ· δια παντὸς ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματί μου." Καὶ φεύγων, φησὶ, καὶ διώκων, καὶ ἐν εὐκληρίᾳ καὶ δυσ κληρίᾳ, τὸν ἐμὸν ∆εσπότην ὑμνῶ. γʹ. "Ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπαινεθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου." Αὐτὸς ἐμὲ καὶ πεποίηκε περιφανῆ, καὶ ποιήσει περίβλεπτον. "Ἀκουσάτωσαν πραεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν. [δʹ]. Μεγαλύνατε τὸν Κύριον σὺν ἐμοὶ, καὶ ὑψώσω μεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό." Οὐκ ἀνέχεται μόνος ὑφῆναι τὸν ὕμνον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κοινωνοὺς τῆς πραότητος κοινωνοὺς ποιεῖται τῆς ὑμνῳδίας· εἶτα τῆς εὐχαριστίας ὑποδείκνυσι τὴν αἰτίαν εʹ. "Ἐξεζήτησα τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐπήκουσέ μου, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεών μου ἐῤῥύσατό με." Ἱκέτευσα, φησὶν, αὐτὸν, καὶ κρείττων ἐγενόμην τῶν συμφορῶν. ʹ. "Προσέλθετε πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ φωτίσθητε, καὶ τὰ πρόσωπα ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ." Ὁ γὰρ μετὰ πίστεως αὐτῷ προσιὼν, φωτὸς ἀκτῖνας δέχε ται νοεροῦ. Οὕτω καὶ Μωσῆς ὁ μέγας τὸ ὁρώμε νον πρόσωπον ἐδοξάσθη· τοῦτο καὶ ἤδη προείρηκεν ὁ ∆αβίδ·" Ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, Κύριε." Οὕτω προτρέψας τοὺς ὁμοτρόπους, ἀρχέτυπον αὐτοῖς προτίθησιν ἑαυτόν. ζʹ. "Οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς ἐκέκραξε· καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτοῦ ἔσωσεν αὐτόν." Μάθετε, φησὶν, ἐκ τῶν κατ' ἐμὲ, θαῤῥεῖν τῷ τῶν ὅλων Θεῷ. Εὐτελῆ γὰρ ὄντα με καὶ προβατέα, τῆς οἰκείας προμηθείας ἠξίωσε, καὶ κρείττονα τῶν πολεμούντων ἀπέφηνεν. ηʹ. "Παρεμβαλεῖ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτούς." Τούτοις συμφωνεῖ καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου τὰ ῥήματα· περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀγγέλων οὕτω φησίν· "Οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶ λει τουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν;" Οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰακὼβ προσευχόμενος ἔφη· "Ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἐκ πάντων τῶν κακῶν." Οὕτω καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης Ἀβραὰμ πρὸς τὸν θαυμάσιον οἰκέτην ἔφη· "Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὑτοῦ πρὸ προσώπου σου, καὶ λήψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου Ἰσαὰκ ἐκεῖθεν." Οὕτως ὁ μακάριος λέγει Ζαχαρίας· "Ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί." 80.1105 θʹ. "Γεύσασθε, καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ Κύριος· μακάριος ἁνὴρ, ὃς ἐλπίζει ἐπ' αὐτόν." Εἰρηκὼς, "Προσέλθετε πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ φωτίσθητε," προ τρέπει "καὶ γεύσασθε." Τῇ πείρᾳ, φησὶ, μάθετε τὴν ἀγαθότητα τοῦ ∆εσπότου· μακαρισμὸν γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν τρυγήσετε. Ἰστέον μέντοι ὡς τοῖς πάλαι Ἰουδαίοις ἡ εἰρημένη ἁρμόττει διάνοια. Ὁ δέ γε ἐν τῷ βάθει τοῦ γράμματος κρυπτόμενος νοῦς, τῶν θείων μυστηρίων τὴν χάριν αἰνίττεται. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦ παναγίου βαπτίσματος ὁ ἀληθὴς φωτισμὸς τοῖς προσιοῦσι προσγίνεται, καὶ τῆς ζωοποιοῦ τροφῆς ἡ γεῦσις τὴν ἀγαθότητα τοῦ Σωτῆρος δείκνυσιν ἐν αργῶς. Τί γὰρ οὕτως αὐτοῦ σαφῶς τὴν φιλανθρω πίαν ὑποδείκνυσιν, ὡς σταυρὸς, καὶ τὸ πάθος, καὶ ὁ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γενόμενος θάνατος, καὶ τὸ γενέ σθαι τῶν οἰκείων προβάτων τροφὴν ὁμοῦ καὶ πηγήν· ιʹ, ιαʹ. "Φοβήθητε τὸν Κύριον, πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι αὐ τοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστέρημα τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν. Πλούσιοι ἐπτώχευσαν καὶ ἐπείνασαν· οἱ δὲ ἐκζητοῦν τες τὸν Κύριον, οὐκ ἐλαττωθήσονται παντὸς ἀγα θοῦ." Σύμφωνα δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς ἄνω ῥηθεῖσι· παραινεῖ γὰρ τοῖς ἤδη τὸν ἁγιασμὸν διὰ τοῦ βα πτίσματος δεξαμένοις, φόβῳ τὴν ἀγάπην κεράσαι, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀφθονίαν ἀναμένειν παρὰ μόνου Θεοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ πλοῦτος πολλὰς ἔχει μεταβο λάς· καὶ ὁ σήμερον πλούσιος, εἰς πενίαν μετ' ὀλίγον μετέπεσε. Καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ πάλαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν κηδεμονίαν πλουτήσαντες, ἐπτώχευσαν [καὶ ἐπείνασαν ἀπιστήσαντες]. Τὰ δὲ πιστεύσαντα ἔθνη παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀφθονίαν ἐδέξατο. ιβʹ, ιγʹ. "∆εῦτε, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου, φόβον Κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς. Τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ θέλων ζωὴν, ἀγαπῶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθάς;" Καὶ προτε θεικὼς, οἷόν τι ἆθλον ἀξιέραστον,