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my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return to my own bosom." From this we are taught how we must resolve misfortunes; for, he says, being clothed in sackcloth, and being worn down by fasting, I offered my supplication to God; and I received the fruits of my request. For the phrase, "And my prayer shall return to my own bosom," means this, instead of, While praying, I received my requests from God, and filled my bosom. 14. "As a neighbor, as our brother, so I was well-pleasing; as one mourning and sorrowful, so I was humbled." Every service, he says, I offered to him as to a true brother, and I imitated the humility of one grieving and mourning, not enduring to be proud over my achievements. This the history also teaches. For when Saul said there, "Are you my son, David? he answered, saying, Your servant, my lord the king." And again, "Why does my lord the king pursue a dead dog, and a single flea?" 15. "And they rejoiced against me, and were gathered together; scourges were gathered against me, and I knew it not." But they came with a multitude, expecting to destroy me, and they attacked suddenly, trying to capture me while I was unaware. For the phrase, "Scourges were gathered against me, and I knew it not," Symmachus translated thus, "Strikers were gathered against me, and I knew it not." "They were torn asunder, and felt no compunction." And having failed, he says, in their hope, and having been scattered, they did not repent of what they had wickedly plotted; but again they attempted the same things. 16. "They tempted me, they mocked me with mockery, they gnashed their teeth against me." 80.1116 Through every trial, he says, they went, wishing to satisfy their own anger; for at one time they tried to ensnare me using deceitful words, and at another they roared like a lion, thirsting for murder. 17. "Lord, when wilt thou look upon this?" This he said not accusing, but longing for help. When, he says, will you appear, and defend one who is wronged? 18. "Rescue my soul from their malice." Show my soul to be stronger than their devices. "Deliver my only one from the lions." Having said above, "They gnashed their teeth against me;" and since roaring is characteristic of lions, he fittingly called them lions, exposing the savage and beastly nature of their mind. But my only one Symmachus rendered as my solitude, instead of, the one destitute of all human help. 19. "I will give thee thanks, O Lord, in a great congregation; I will praise thee among a mighty people." And the phrase "among a mighty people," Symmachus rendered as "among a very numerous people." And this was a prophecy, and a prophecy that received its fulfillment. For in all the earth and sea the divine David hymns God through those who have believed; For he calls the Churches throughout the world a great congregation, and a very numerous people. 20. "Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: who hate me without a cause, and wink with their eyes" Here again he made mention of those who provoked Saul, how they feigned friendship, but did the deeds of enemies. This he has also said more clearly in the following verses. 21. "For they spoke peaceably to me; and in their anger they devised deceits." For using friendly words, they tried to hide their anger as if in some ground, having a mind full of deceit. 22. "And they opened their mouth wide against me, they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it." And when they saw that I was aware of the plot, they then laid bare their hidden malevolence, rejoicing aloud at my misfortunes. 23, 24. "Thou hast seen it, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me. Arise, O Lord, and attend to my judgment, my God and my Lord, to my cause." You are judge, O Master, you 80.1117 see all things, and nothing escapes your sight; do not overlook what has been done, nor make me destitute of your providence; but judge, and give your sentence quickly. This the following verses also show. 25, 20. "Judge me, O Lord, according to thy righteousness, O Lord my God, and let not my enemies rejoice over me. Let them not say in

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νηστείᾳ τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου εἰς κόλπον μου ἀποστραφήσεται." Ἐντεῦθεν παιδευόμεθα πῶς δεῖ λύειν τὰς συμφοράς· σάκκον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀμπεχό μενος, καὶ νηστείᾳ κατατηκόμενος, τῷ Θεῷ τὴν ἱκετηρίαν προσέφερον· καὶ ἐδεχόμην τῆς αἰτή σεως τοὺς καρπούς. "Τὸ γὰρ, "Καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου εἰς κόλπον μου ἀποστραφήσεται," τοῦτο σημαίνει ἀντὶ τοῦ, Προσευχόμενος ἐδεχόμην παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰς αἰτήσεις, καὶ τὸν κόλπον μου ἐπλήρουν. ιδʹ. "Ὡς πλησίον, ὡς ἀδελφὸν ἡμέτερον, οὕτως εὐηρέστουν· ὡς πενθῶν καὶ σκυθρωπάζων, οὕτως ἐταπεινούμην." Πᾶσαν αὐτῷ, φησὶ, θεραπείαν, ὡς ἀδελφῷ γνησίῳ προσέφερον, καὶ ἀσχάλλοντος καὶ πενθοῦντος ἐμιμούμην ταπείνωσιν, οὐκ ἀνασχό μενος μεγαφρονεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασι. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. Τοῦ γὰρ Σαοὺλ εἰρηκότος ἐκεῖ, "Σὺ τέκνον ∆αβίδ; ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων· ∆οῦλος σὸς, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἵνα τί διώκει ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀπίσω κυνὸς τεθνη κότος, καὶ ὀπίσω ψύλλου ἑνός;" ιεʹ. "Καὶ κατ' ἐμοῦ ηὐφράνθησαν, καὶ συν ήχθησαν· συνήχθησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ μάστιγες, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων." Αὐτοὶ δὲ μετὰ πλήθους ἐπῄεσαν, ἀνελεῖν με προσδοκῶντες, καὶ ἐξαπιναίως προσέβαλλον, ἑλεῖν ἀγνοοῦντα πειρώμενοι. Τὸ γὰρ, "Συνήχθησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ μάστιγες, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων," οὕτως ἡρμήνευ σεν ὁ Σύμμαχος, Συνήγοντο κατ' ἐμοῦ πλῆ κται, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειν. "∆ιεσχίσθησαν, καὶ οὐ κατενύγησαν." Καὶ διαμαρτόντες, φησὶ, τῆς ἐλπί δος, καὶ σκεδασθέντες, οὐ μετεμελήθησαν ἐφ' οἷς κακῶς ἐβουλεύσαντο· ἀλλ' αὖθις τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπεχείρησαν. ιʹ. "Ἐπείρασάν με, ἐξεμυκτήρισάν με μυ κτηρισμῷ, ἔβρυξαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτῶν." 80.1116 ∆ιὰ πάσης, φησὶν, ὥδευσαν πείρας, τὸν οἰκεῖον θυ μὸν ἐμπλῆσαι βουλόμενοι· ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ ἀπατηλοῖς χρώμενοι λόγοις ἀγρεύειν ἐπειρῶντο, ποτὲ δὲ λεόν τειον ἐβρύχοντο φονῶντες. ιζʹ. "Κύριε, πότε ἐπόψῃ;" Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἐγκαλῶν εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ ποθῶν τὴν βοήθειαν. Πότε, φησὶν, ἐπι φαίνῃ, καὶ ἐπαμύνεις ἠδικημένῳ; ιηʹ. "Ἀποκατάστησον τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ τῆς κακουργίας αὐτῶν." Κρείττονά μου τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν μηχανημάτων αὐτῶν ἀπόφηνον. "Ῥῦσαι ἀπὸ λεόντων τὴν μονογενῆ μου." Εἰρηκὼς ἄνω, "Ἔβρυξαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτῶν·" ἴδιος δὲ τῶν λεόντων ὁ βρυχμός· εἰκότως αὐτοὺς καὶ λέον τας προσηγόρευσε, τὸ ὠμοβόρον καὶ θηριῶδες ἐξελέγχων τῆς γνώμης. Τὴν μονογενῆ δέ μου ὁ Σύμμαχος τὴν μονότητά μου εἴρηκεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, τὴν πάσης ἀνθρωπίνης ἔρημον βοηθείας. ιθʹ. "Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, Κύριε, ἐν ἐκκλη σίᾳ πολλῇ, ἐν λαῷ βαρεῖ αἰνέσω σε." Τὸ δὲ "ἐν λαῷ βαρεῖ," ὁ Σύμμαχος ἐν λαῷ παμπληθεῖ εἴ ρηκε. Πρόῤῥησις δὲ ἦν αὕτη, καὶ πρόῤῥησις δεξα μένη τέλος. Ἐν πάσῃ γὰρ γῇ καὶ θαλάσσῃ ὑμνεῖ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ διὰ τῶν πεπιστευκότων ὁ θεῖος ∆α βίδ· Ἐκκλησίαν γὰρ πολλὴν, καὶ παμπληθῆ λαὸν τὰς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἐκκλησίας καλεῖ. κʹ. "Μὴ ἐπιχαρείησάν μοι οἱ ἐχθραίνοντές μοι ἀδίκως· οἱ μισοῦντές με δωρεὰν καὶ διανεύοντες ὀφθαλμοῖς" Ἐνταῦθα πάλιν τῶν Σαοὺλ παροξυ νόντων ἐποιήσατο μνήμην, ὡς φιλίαν μὲν ὑποκρινο μένων, τὰ πολεμίων δὲ δρώντων. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς σαφέστερον εἴρηκεν. καʹ. "Ὅτι ἐμοὶ μὲν εἰρηνικὰ ἐλάλουν· καὶ ἐπ' ὀργὴν δόλους διελογίζοντο." Φιλικοῖς γὰρ χρώμενοι λόγοις, ὡς ἐν γῇ τινι κρύπτειν τὴν ὀργὴν ἐπειρῶντο, δόλου πλήρη τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχον τες. κβʹ. "Καὶ ἐπλάτυναν ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὸ στόμα αὑτῶν, εἶπον· Εὖγε, εὖγε, εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν." Θεα σάμενοι δέ με τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς αἰσθόμενον, ἐγύμνω σαν λοιπὸν τὴν κεκρυμμένην δυσμένειαν, μετὰ φωνῆς ἐφηδόμενοι ταῖς ἐμαῖς συμφοραῖς. κγʹ, κδʹ. "Εἶδες, Κύριε, μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς, Κύριε, μὴ ἀποστῇς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Ἐξεγέρθητι, Κύριε, καὶ πρόσχες τῇ κρίσει μου, ὁ Θεός μου καὶ ὁ Κύριός μου, εἰς τὴν δίκην μου." Κριτὴς εἶ, ∆έσποτα, ἐφ 80.1117 ορᾷς ἅπαντα, καὶ οὐδέν σου διαφεύγει τὴν ἐποψίαν· μὴ παρίδῃς τὰ πεπραγμένα, μηδὲ τῆς σῆς με προ νοίας ἔρημον καταστήσῃς· ἀλλὰ δίκασον, καὶ δὸς τὴν ψῆφον ταχέως. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα δηλοῖ. κεʹ, κʹ. "Κρῖνόν με, Κύριε, κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύ νην σου, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, καὶ μὴ ἐπιχαρείησάν μοι οἱ ἐχθροί μου. Μὴ εἴποισαν ἐν