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the promise which says: When you turn and groan, then you will be saved; you heard me saying these things, and because of this you made your mercy wonderful to me in a fortified city. FOR DAVID, OF UNDERSTANDING, 31. Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. David, having greatly afflicted himself for the transgression that had occurred, and having uttered the cries of the thirtieth [psalm], being anxious and distressed about the judgment of God, for what he had acknowledged to himself; then, having recognized by the Holy Spirit and the prophetic power the forgiveness of sins that was to come to all people through saving grace, and how the idolaters from the nations 23.276 and the godless, mired in countless evils, would one day suddenly receive forgiveness of sins through the bath of regeneration, he declares them thrice-blessed through the preceding words. I, he says, wasting away with lamentations and frequent tears on account of my sin, and having fallen into all kinds of misfortunes for its sake, I call those people enviable and blessed, who without hardship have received the forgiveness of sins by the loving-kindness of God. For he shows such generosity towards them, as not only to forgive, but also to cover their sins, and not even to leave traces of them. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, nor is there deceit in his mouth. What was said before was spoken generally, and universally concerning all who are to obtain forgiveness of sins through grace; but what is added shows how forgiveness is given, through the phrase: To whom the Lord will not impute sin. For it shows that a sin, once committed, cannot be uncommitted; but the Lord, who has authority at the reckoning, can either impute what was done to the sinner or not impute it, but rather grants forgiveness. And since each of those who approach the pardon granted through baptism will obtain forgiveness through confession to the Savior, of faith in the God of all, and through sincere confession; the word adds with great precision the addition which says: Nor is there deceit in his mouth, or, in his spirit deceit; for it is transmitted in both ways in the reading. For this one is blessed, who makes his confession with a pure spirit, and offers the words in the bath of regeneration. But if deceit should be found in his mouth, or in his spirit and soul, having deceived himself so as not to receive forgiveness, he will even increase his own evils, heaping up for himself greater wrath on the day of wrath. Because I kept silent, my bones grew old, from my crying all the day long, etc. Those indeed are blessed, whom I, knowing by the spirit, called blessed; but I, having toiled much in cries and confessions to God, grew weary and fell silent; for which Symmachus interpreted, Because I was utterly silent; and Theodotion, Because I toiled. And instead of "from my crying," Symmachus has rendered, "From my lamenting all day." And his bones grew old, being crushed from the great affliction that came upon him during his confession; in which he also wore down the powers of the soul, which are called bones. Wherefore according to Aquila it is said: Because I was deaf, my bones were worn out in my roaring; and according to Symmachus, Because I was silent, my bones grew old, from lamenting all day. Not even for a month, but all the days he wore himself out and exhausted himself. I acknowledged my sin, and my iniquity I did not cover. I said: I will confess against myself 23.277 my iniquity to the Lord, and you forgave the impiety of my heart. Diapsalma. But others not, "the impiety of the heart," but, "the impiety of the sin"

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ἐπαγγελίαν τὴν φάσκουσαν· Ὅταν ἀποστραφεὶς στενάξῃς, τότε σωθήσῃ· ταῦτα ἐμοῦ λέγοντος εἰσήκουσας, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐθαυμάστωσας τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐμοὶ ἐν πόλει περιοχῆς. ΤΩ ∆ΑΥΙ∆ ΣΥΝΕΣΕΩΣ ΛΑʹ. Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Πολλὰ κακώσας ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι πλημμελήματι ὁ ∆αυΐδ, καὶ τὰς διὰ τοῦ τριακοστοῦ φωνὰς προέμενος, φροντίζων καὶ ἀγωνιῶν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσιν, ἐφ' οἷς αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ συνεγνώκει· εἶτα τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ τῇ δυνάμει τῇ προφητικῇ τὴν διὰ τῆς σωτηρίου χάριτος μέλλουσαν ἔσεσθαι πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις συγχώρησιν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπιγνοὺς, καὶ ὡς οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν εἰδωλολάτραι 23.276 καὶ ἄθεοι, μυρίοις κακοῖς ἐμπεπαρμένοι, ἀθρόας ποτὲ τεύξονται ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτιῶν διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας, τρισμακαρίους τούτους ἀποφαίνει διὰ τῶν προκειμένων. Ὀδυρμοῖς, φησὶν, ἐγὼ καὶ δάκρυσι θαμινοῖς διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν προστετηκὼς, καὶ παντοδαπαῖς συμφοραῖς ταύτης χάριν περιπεσὼν, ζηλωτοὺς ἐκείνους καὶ μακαρίους ἀποκαλῶ, τοὺς ἀταλαιπώρως τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ 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 καταλείπειν. Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ᾧ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται Κύριος ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος. Τὰ μὲν προλελεγμένα γενικῶς εἴρηται, καὶ καθόλου περὶ πάντων τῶν μελλόντων ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτιῶν διὰ τῆς χάριτος τυγχάνειν· τὰ δὲ προσκείμενα ὅπως ἡ ἄφεσις δίδοται παρίστησι διὰ τοῦ· Οὗ μὴ λογίσηται Κύριος ἁμαρτίαν. Ἅπαξ μὲν γὰρ γενομένην τὴν παραχθεῖσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἀγένητον μὴ δύνασθαι εἶναι δηλοῖ· τόν γε μὲν Κύριον τὸν ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντα ἐν τῷ λογοθεσίῳ λογίζεσθαι τῷ ἡμαρτηκότι, ἢ μὴ λογίζεσθαι τὸ πεπραγμένον, ἀλλὰ συγχωρεῖν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἄφεσιν. Καὶ ἐπειδήπερ ἕκαστος τῶν προσιόντων τῇ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δωρουμένῃ συγχωρήσει δι' ὁμολογίας τῆς εἰς τὸν Σωτῆρα, τῆς γε εἰς τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν πίστεως, καὶ δι' ἐξομολογήσεως εἰλικρινοῦς, τῆς ἀφέσεως τεύξεται· σφόδρα ἀκριβῶς ὁ λόγος προστίθησι τὴν φάσκουσαν προσθήκην· Οὐδ' ἔστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος, ἢ, ἐν τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ δόλος· ἑκατέρως γὰρ φέρεται ἐν τῷ ἀναγνώσματι. Οὗτος γὰρ μακάριος, ὁ καθαρῷ πνεύματι τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν ποιούμενος, καὶ τὰς ἐν τῷ λουτρῷ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας φωνὰς προσφερόμενος. Εἰ δ' εὑρεθείη ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος, ἢ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ, ὡς ἀπατήσας ἑαυτὸν πρὸς τὸ μὴ τυχεῖν τῆς ἀφέσεως, ἔτι καὶ αὐξήσει τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κακὰ ἐπισωρεύσας καθ' ἑαυτοῦ πλείονα ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς. Ὅτι ἐσίγησα, ἐπαλαιώθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ἀπὸ τοῦ κράζειν με ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, κ.τ.λ. Ἐκεῖνοι μέν εἰσι μακάριοι, οὓς τῷ πνεύματι γνοὺς ἐμακάρισα· ἐγὼ δὲ πολλὰ κοπιάσας ἐν ταῖς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν βοαῖς καὶ ἐξομολογήσεσιν, ἀπέκαμον καὶ ἐσίγησα· ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ μὲν Σύμμαχος, Ὅτι ἀπεσίγησα· ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων, Ὅτι ἐκοπίασα, ἡρμήνευσαν. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ κράζειν με, Ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀδύρεσθαί με πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, ἐκδέδωκεν ὁ Σύμμαχος, Ἐπαλαιώθη δὲ αὐτοῦ τὰ ὀστᾶ συντριβόμενα ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς κακώσεως τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν αὐτῷ γεγενημένης· ἐν ᾗ καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς ὀστέα ὀνομαζομένας κατεπόνει. ∆ιὸ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν εἴρηται· Ὅτι ἐκώφευσα, κατετρίβη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐν βρυχήματί μου· κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον, Ὅτι ἀπεσιώπησα, ἐπαλαιώθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀδύρεσθαι πᾶσαν ἡμέραν. Οὐδὲ μέχρι μηνὸς, ἀλλὰ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας κατέτρυχεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ κατεπόνει. Τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου ἐγνώρισα, καὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου οὐκ ἐκάλυψα. Εἶπα· Ἐξαγορεύσω κατ' ἐμοῦ 23.277 τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ σὺ ἀφῆκας τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς καρδίας μου. ∆ιάψαλμα. Ἄλλοι δὲ οὐ, τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς καρδίας, ἀλλὰ, τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας