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INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 37. 1. "A Psalm of David, for a remembrance concerning the Sabbath." The variety of confession proclaims the earnest repentance of the most divine David. For in many psalms he remembers his sin, not enduring the wound, but sets forth both the disease and the cure, offering a subject of instruction to men. Therefore, in this psalm as well, he remembers both the sin and the discipline inflicted for the healing of the sin. And many various hardships were brought upon him: the slaughter of Amnon, the tyranny of Absalom, Ahithophel the counselor plotting against him, Shimei reviling, and the other things that the history teaches. 2. "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure." He made this the preface of the sixth psalm as well, pleading to be disciplined medicinally not judicially, to be healed not by harsh but by gentle remedies. 3. "For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore." This, he says, I do not entreat in vain, but seeing showers of arrows brought against me, and your hand lying heavy upon me, and severely scourging me. For, "Thy hand presseth me sore," is a metaphor drawn from those who are tortured and suffer many blows. 4. "There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my 80.1140 bones because of my sins." Being pricked, he says, by the punishment, I remember the sin; and the memory of it produces for me lamentations and wailings; and from these, ill-treatment and misery come upon me. 5-7. "For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long." The heavy burden of sin, he says, has bent me down, and the stench of those putrid wounds distresses me, which I received having cast away prudence and served foolishness. For which reason, being deprived of all gladness, I am continually distressed and agitated, and find no change from sadness. 8. "For my loins are filled with mockings, and there is no soundness in my flesh." Through the loins he alluded to desire. For in these are the kidneys, by which the appetites are naturally moved. He says therefore, that the cause of these evils for me was using desire not for what is right, but for debauchery. 9. "I was afflicted and was brought very low; I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart." From that desire, he says, I have reaped stooping to the ground and continually lamenting because of the bitter pains of my heart. For this reason, having changed the operation of desire, I made it a minister of the divine will. For this he added: 10. "Lord, all my desire is before thee." For since I once used it badly, I will always dedicate it to your commands. "And my groaning is not hid from thee. [11] My heart is troubled; my strength hath failed me: and the light of mine eyes, it also is not with me." You see, he says, O Master, my wailings and my tears, you see me agitated, and stripped of strength, and deprived of the accustomed light, and in the middle of the day living as in darkness. And through these things he signifies two things at the same time: both the excess of despondency, 80.1141 because of which not even light seems to be light, and the stripping of divine care, which he fittingly called the light of the eyes. 12. "My friends and my neighbours drew near and stood over against me; and my kinsmen stood afar off." Symmachus translated this thus: My friends and my companions stood against me in my affliction. For some of my friends, he says, seeing my affliction, acted as enemies, and openly opposed me; but others, fearing, were separated, of my own alliance

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ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΛΖʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβὶδ, εἰς ἀνάμνησιν περὶ τοῦ Σαββάτου." Τὴν σπουδαίαν

μετάνοιαν τοῦ θειοτάτου ∆αβὶδ τὸ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως κηρύττει διάφορον. Ἐν πολλοῖς γὰρ ψαλμοῖς μέμνηται τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τὸ ἕλκος οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν νόσον, καὶ τὴν θεραπείαν εἰς μέσον προτίθησι, διδασκαλίας ὑπόθεσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσφέρων. Κἀν τούτῳ τοιγαροῦν τῷ ψαλμῷ, καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μέμνηται, καὶ τῆς διὰ τὴν θεραπείαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπενεχθείσης παιδείας. Ἐπηνέχθη δὲ αὐτῷ πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα δυσχερῆ· τοῦ Ἀμνὼν ἡ σφαγὴ, ἡ τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τυραννὶς, Ἀχιτόφελ ὁ σύμβουλος κατ' αὐτοῦ βουλευόμενος, Σεμεεὶ λοιδορούμενος, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ὅσα ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. βʹ. "Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐξελέγξῃς με, μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με." Τοῦτο καὶ τοῦ ἕκτου ψαλμοῦ προοίμιον ἐποιήσατο, παρακαλῶν ἰατρι κῶς μὴ δικαστικῶς παιδευθῆναι, μὴ δριμυτέροις, ἀλλ' ἠπίοις φαρμάκοις ἰατρευθῆναι. γʹ. "Ὅτι τὰ βέλη σου ἐνεπάγησάν μοι, καὶ ἐπεστήριξας ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου." Τοῦτο, φησὶν, οὐ μάτην ἀντιβολῶ, ἀλλ' ὁρῶν ἐπιφερομένας μοι νιφάδας βελῶν, καὶ τὴν χεῖρά σου λίαν ἐπικειμένην, καὶ σφόδρα με μαστιγοῦσαν. Τὸ γὰρ," Ἐπ εστήριξας ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου," ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τέθεικε τῶν αἰκιζομένων, καὶ πολλὰς ἐπιφερόντων πληγάς. δʹ. "Οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ἀπὸ προσ ώπου τῆς ὀργῆς σου· οὐκ ἔστιν εἰρήνη ἐν τοῖς 80.1140 ὀστέοις μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου." Νυττόμενος, φησὶ, τῇ τιμωρίᾳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀνα μιμνήσκομαι· ἡ δὲ αὐτῆς μνήμη θρήνους μοι καὶ ὀδυρμοὺς ἐργάζεται· ἐκ δὲ τούτων κακουχία μοι καὶ ταλαιπωρία προσγίνεται. εʹ-ζʹ. "Ὅτι αἱ ἀνομίαι μου ὑπερῆραν τὴν κεφα λήν μου, ὡσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ ἐβαρύνθησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ. Προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου. Ἐταλαιπώρησα, καὶ κατεκάμφθην ἕως τέλους, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν σκυθρωπάζων ἐπορευόμην." Κατέκαμψέ με, φησὶ, τὸ βαρὺ τῆς ἁμαρτίας φορτίον, ἀνιᾷ δέ με καὶ τῶν σεσηπότων ἐκείνων τραυμάτων ἡ δυσοσμία, ἃ τὴν φρόνησιν ἀποβαλὼν καὶ τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ δουλεύσας εἰσεδεξάμην. Οὗ δὴ χάριν πάσης θυμηδίας ἐστερη μένος, ἀσχάλλω καὶ ἀλύω διηνεκῶς, καὶ τῆς σκυ θρωπότητος μεταβολὴν οὐχ εὑρίσκω. ηʹ. "Ὅτι αἱ ψόαι μου ἐπλήσθησαν ἐμπαιγ μάτων, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου." ∆ιὰ τῶν ψοῶν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ᾐνίξατο. Ταύταις γὰρ ἔγκεινται οἱ νεφροὶ, δι' ὧν αἱ ὀρέξεις κινεῖσθαι πεφύκασι. Λέγει τοίνυν, ὅτι τούτων αἴτιόν μοι γεγένηται τῶν κακῶν τὸ μὴ εἰς δέον, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀσω τίαν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ προσχρήσασθαι. θʹ. "Ἐκακώθην καὶ ἐταπεινώθην ἕως σφόδρα· ὠρυόμην ἀπὸ στεναγμοῦ τῆς καρδίας μου." Ἐξ ἐκείνης, φησὶ, τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐτρύγησα τὸ κύ πτειν εἰς γῆν, καὶ διηνεκῶς ὀλοφύρεσθαι διὰ τὰς πικρὰς τῆς καρδίας ὀδύνας. Τούτου χάριν τῆς ἐπι θυμίας μεταβαλὼν τὴν ἐνέργειαν, ὑπουργὸν αὐτὴν κατέστησα τοῦ θείου βουλήματος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπ ήγαγε· ιʹ. "Κύριε, ἐναντίον σου πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιθυμία μου." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἅπαξ ἐχρησάμην αὐτῇ κακῶς, ἀεὶ τοῖς σοῖς αὐτὴν ἐπιτάγμασιν ἀνα θήσω. "Καὶ ὁ στεναγμός μου ἀπὸ σοῦ οὐκ ἀπεκρύβη. [ιαʹ] Ἡ καρδία μου ἐταράχθη· ἐγκατέλιπέ με ἡ ἰσχύς μου, καὶ τὸ φῶς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου, καὶ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἔστι μετ' ἐμοῦ." Ὁρᾷς μου, φησὶ, ∆έσποτα, τοὺς ὀδυρμοὺς, καὶ τὰ δάκρυα, ὁρᾷς με κλονούμενον, καὶ τῆς ἰσχύος γεγυμνωμένον, καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ συνήθους ἐστερημένον, καὶ μεσούσης ἡμέρας ὡς ἐν σκότῳ διάγοντα. ∆ύο δὲ κατὰ ταὐτὸν διὰ τού των σημαίνει, καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀθυμίας ὑπερβολὴν, 80.1141 δι' ἢν οὐδὲ τὸ φῶς εἶναι δοκεῖ φῶς, καὶ τῆς θείας κηδεμονίας τὴν γύμνωσιν· ἣν φῶς ὀφθαλμῶν εἰκό τως ὠνόμασεν. ιβʹ. "Οἱ φίλοι μου καὶ οἱ πλησίον μου ἐξεναντίας μου ἤγγισαν καὶ ἔστησαν· καὶ οἱ ἔγγιστά μου ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἔστησαν." Τοῦτο δὲ ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσεν· Οἱ φίλοι καὶ οἱ ἑταῖροί μου ἐξεναντίας ἐν τῇ πληγῇ μου ἀντέστησαν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, τῶν φίλων, τὴν ἐμὴν θεασάμενοι πληγὴν, τὰ πολεμίων ἔδρασαν, καὶ προφανῶς μοι ἀντέστησαν· οἱ δὲ δείσαντες ἐχωρίσθησαν, τῆς οἰκείας μοι συμμαχίας