82

mine, that having learned the number of years of my life in the flesh I may know also what things I must accomplish. what I have done, and what is lacking to me for the fulfillment of perfection? Or also thus: since every prudent person acts and works towards some end, which is also called a goal, and it is necessary to have knowledge of this, he prays to know what the end is according to which he has purposed to live, and what is the number of the days according to the theorems of truth. For thus he will know what he lacks for the fulfillment of the goal; just as one who purposed to take up a science would say to the teacher: 'Declare how many are the theorems of the science, that I may know which ones I have grasped, and which ones I still lack.' 393 Ps 38,6ab From when I entered into life, I was enrolled to struggle, so that at the beginning I have the fight against flesh and blood, but having passed beyond boyhood and become a man, my struggle is against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness. Therefore, the phrase 'as handbreadths' signifies the same as 'You have set my days in a contest.' But now 'substance' can be said instead of 'essence', so that what is said is of this sort: my existence, when compared to yours, seems to be nothing at all. 394 Ps 38,6 But another scripture contains: 'Behold, you have made my days old,' having a kinship with the old man whom I have put on. Therefore 'And my substance,' according to which I endured the things before faith, 'is as nothing before you. Surely, all things are vanity.' He calls all things vanity: the animals on the earth, plants, and similar things. Only man is living beyond these things, partaking of immortal life. 395 Ps 38,7 He who journeys on in progress does this by partaking of the divine image, being conformed to the image of the Son of God. And further, 'Surely every living man walks about in an image,' either that of God, keeping what is according to the image, or of some other animal, becoming a horse mad for mares or some other irrational thing according to his character. And further, the sensible and visible world is an image of the intelligible and invisible. Therefore, man journeys with free will in this world which is an image. But having said the aforesaid things concerning the common man, he speaks concerning individuals, how they are troubled in vain in their strivings for mortal things. Concerning each one, at any rate, he adds, 'He heaps up treasures and does not know for whom he gathers them.' For he who heaps up treasures on earth does not know who will inherit the wealth for which he himself strove; but he who heaps up treasures in heaven for himself and not for another, having treasured them up, knows for whom, understanding that the wealth is his inalienably. 396 Ps 38,8b Even if 'essence' is said instead of 'substance', it too is from God as from a creator; and even insofar as we subsist, this substance of ours is also from him, who gives to us the ability to endure the things that happen, even if they are painful. 397 Ps 38,11 Since, though I have asked to be delivered from all my iniquities, I have not yet obtained this, the fool reproaches, as if having your handiwork under his control: 'For from the strength of your hand I fainted.' For whenever the punishing hand scourges strongly, the one being punished faints, insofar as he is such a person. 398 Ps 38,12ab And from the present text we learn that the so-called scourges of God are nothing other than reproofs. For after saying, 'Remove your scourges from me,' it is added that they are 'with reproofs for iniquity;' for by the reproofs brought on for iniquity a man is disciplined, his soul being wasted away by casting off all carnal denseness. For then it can weave like the spider, not with material lying outside but bringing this forth from home and from itself. The text can also indicate the unsubstantial nature of the soul's evil reasonings, just as it is said in Isaiah concerning sinners, 'They weave a spider's web.' When the works that resemble a spider's web are destroyed by the reproofs for iniquity, the soul of the one being reproved wastes away like the spider. 399 Ps 38,13.14 Since he knows that he is still in need of many things, he asks that it be granted to him to tarry yet in this life, so that

82

μου, ινα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐτῶν τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς ζωῆς μαθὼν καὶ τίνα μοι κατορθοῦσθαι δεῖ γνῶ. τί μὲν πεποίηκα, τί δὲ λείπει μοι πρὸς ἀναπλήρωσιν τελειώσεως; Η καὶ ουτως· ἐπεὶ πᾶς συνετὸς πράσσει καὶ ἐνεργεῖ ἐπὶ τέλει τινὶ ο καὶ σκοπὸς καλεῖται, δεῖ δὲ τούτου γνῶσιν εχειν, ευχεται γνῶναι τί τὸ τέλος καθ' ο ζῆν προτέθειται καὶ τίς ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν κατὰ τὰ θεωρήματα τῆς ἀληθείας ἡμερῶν. ουτω γὰρ εισεται τί αὐτῷ ὑστερεῖ πρὸς ἀναπλήρωσιν τοῦ σκοποῦ· ὡσεὶ καὶ ἐπιστήμην τις προθέμενος ἀναλαβεῖν εφασκε τῷ διδασκάλῳ· Τὰ θεωρήματα τῆς ἐπιστήμης δήλωσον πόσα ἐστίν, ινα γνῶ ποῖα εσχον, ποίοις δ' ἀκμὴν ὑστεροῦμαι. 393 Ps 38,6ab ̓Εξ ου εἰς τὸν βίον παρῆλθον, εἰς τὸ ἀγωνίσασθαι ἀνεγράφη, ὡς κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν εχειν τὴν πάλην πρὸς αιμα καὶ σάρκα, ὑπερβὰς δὲ τὸν παῖδα καὶ ἀνὴρ γενόμενος πρὸς ἀρχάς, πρὸς ἐξουσίας κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, ειναί μοι τὸν ἀγῶνα. σημαίνει ουν τὸ Παλαιστὰς ειναι ταὐτὸν τῷ ̓Εν ἀγῶνι εθου τὰς ἡμέρας μου. ∆ύναται δὲ νῦν ̔Υπόστασις ἀντὶ οὐσίας λέγεσθαι, ιν' ῃ τὸ λεγόμενον τοιοῦτον· ἡ υπαρξις ἡ ἐμὴ τῇ σῇ παραβαλλομένη οὐδ' ειναί τι δοκεῖ. 394 Ps 38,6 ̔Ετέρα δὲ περιέχει γραφή· Ἰδοὺ παλαιὰς εθου τὰς ἡμέρας μου, οἰκειότητα ἐχούσας πρὸς τὸν παλαιὸν ανθρωπον ον ἐνεδυσάμην. διὸ Καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου, καθ' ην ὑφιστάμην τὰ πρὸ τῆς πίστεως πράγματα, ὡς οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐνώπιόν σου πλὴν τὰ σύμπαντα ματαιότης. πάντα ματαιότητα λέγει τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ζῷα, φυτά, καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια. μόνος ὁ ανθρωπος ζῶν ἐστιν παρὰ ταῦτα μετέχων ἀθανάτου ζωῆς. 395 Ps 38,7 ̔Ο ἐν τῷ προκόπτειν διαπορευόμενος εἰκόνος θείας μετέχων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ων σύμμορφος τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ετι Μέντοιγε πᾶς ανθρωπος ζῶν ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται, ητοι τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ, τηρῶν τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα, η αλλου τινὸς ζῴου ιππος θηλυμανὴς η αλλο τι αλογον κατὰ τὸ ηθος γινόμενος. καὶ ετι ὁ αἰσθητὸς καὶ φαινόμενος κόσμος εἰκών ἐστιν τοῦ νοητοῦ καὶ ἀοράτου. αὐτεξουσίως ουν διαπορεύεται ὁ ανθρωπος ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κόσμῳ ος ἐστιν εἰκών. εἰπὼν δὲ περὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὰ εἰρημένα, περὶ τῶν καθ' εκαστά φησιν ὡς μάτην ταρασσομένων ἐν ταῖς περὶ τὰ θνητὰ σπουδαῖς. περὶ ἑκάστου γοῦν ἐπιφέρει τὸ Θησαυρίζει καὶ οὐ γινώσκει τίνι συνάγει αὐτά. ὁ γὰρ θησαυρίζων ἐπὶ γῆς οὐκ οιδεν τίς διαδέχεται τὸν πλοῦτον ὑπὲρ ου αὐτὸς ἐσπούδασεν· ὁ δὲ θησαυρίζων ἐν οὐρανῷ ἑαυτῷ καὶ οὐκ αλλῳ θησαυρίσας οιδεν τίνι, ἐπιστάμενος τὸν πλοῦτον οντα ἀναφαίρετον αὐτοῦ. 396 Ps 38,8b Καν ἡ οὐσία ἀντὶ τῆς ὑποστάσεως λέγηται, καὶ αὐτὴ παρὰ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὡς ἐκ δημιουργοῦ· καν καθὸ ὑφιστάμεθα, καὶ αυτη ἡ ὑπόστασις ἡμῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐνδιδόντος ἡμῖν τὸ ὑφίστασθαι τὰ συμβαίνοντα καν ἐπίπονα ῃ. 397 Ps 38,11 ̓Επεὶ ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν μου ἀξιώσας τέως τούτου οὐ τετύχηκα, ὀνειδίζει ὁ αφρων ὡς τὸ σὸν ποίημα ὑποχείριον εχων· ̓Απὸ γὰρ τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς χειρός σου ἐγὼ ἐξέλειπον. οτ' αν γὰρ ἡ κολάζουσα χεὶρ ἰσχυρῶς μαστίζῃ, ἐκλείπει ὁ κολαζόμενος καθ' ο τοιοῦτός ἐστιν. 398 Ps 38,12ab Καὶ ἐκ τῆς παρούσης λέξεως μανθάνομεν τὰς λεγομένας μάστιγας τοῦ θεοῦ μὴ αλλας ουσας ἐλέγχων. μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εἰπεῖν ̓Απόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὰς μάστιγάς σου ἐπενήνεκται τὸ ̓Εν ἐλεγμοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας ειναι αὐτάς· τοῖς γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας προσφερομένοις ἐλεγμοῖς παιδεύεται ανθρωπος, ἐκτηκομένης τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀποβαλεῖν πᾶσαν σαρκώδη παχύτητα. τότε γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ἀράχνην ὑφαίνειν δύναται, οὐκ εξωθεν ὑποκειμένην υλην ἀλλ' οικοθεν ταύτην καὶ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ προφέρων. δύναται καὶ τὸ ἀνυπόστατον τῶν φαύλων τῆς ψυχῆς λογισμῶν δηλοῦν ἡ λέξις, ωσπερ ἐν ̔Ησαίᾳ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ειρηται ̔Ιστὸν ἀράχνης ὑφαίνουσιν. οταν τὰ εργα τὰ ἀράχνη ἐοικότα ἐκ τῶν ἐλέγχων τῶν ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας ἀφανισθῇ, ἐκτήκεται ὡς ἡ ἀράχνη ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ ἐλεγχομένου. 399 Ps 38,13.14 ̓Επεὶ οιδεν ετι ἑαυτὸν πολλῶν δεόμενον, παρακαλεῖ ἐνδοθῆναι αὐτῷ ετι ἐνδιατρίψαι ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, οπως