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indicates the end. And the great David spoke this psalm, being pursued by Absalom, and being reviled by Shimei, and it has much harmony with the one set forth before. 80.1145 2, 3. "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue: I set a watch to my mouth, when the sinner stood up against me. I was made deaf and was humbled, and I was silent from good things, and my pain was renewed." As the great David was fleeing the tyranny of his patricidal son, Shimei, meeting him on the road, both threw clods of earth and reviled the man with words, calling him a lawless man and a man of blood. But the divine David, employing his accustomed philosophy, not only did not defend himself against them, but also prevented one of the generals who tried to spear him, saying, "Let him alone, because he curses me; because the Lord has told him to speak evil of David, and who shall say to him, Why have you done so? so that the Lord may see my humility, and the Lord may repay me with good things for his curse on this day." Therefore, the words of this psalm have much harmony with this story. For, he says, he took great foresight for his tongue; knowing this member to be especially prone to slip, and always surrounding it as with a wall. And not least, when Shimei, though not wronged at all, opposed him; for he calls him a sinner, as unjust; for at that time, "I was made deaf and was humbled, and I was silent from good things." And these things are very much like what was said by him in the story, Let him curse, because the Lord has commanded him to speak evil of David; if indeed the Lord sees my humility, and will deliver me today from the hand of my enemies. This he also says here, that I was like a deaf man who did not hear at all, and I humbled myself, awaiting the gain from it. "And my pain was renewed." Being reviled by him, he says, I came to the memory of the sin committed by me, and I was struck with arrows from it, reasoning that because of this I am both reviled, and tyrannized, and having been driven from my kingdoms, I am forced to flee. And these things also have much affinity with the story. For, "The Lord has commanded him to speak evil of David," holds the memory of the sin, since on account of this the chastisement has come to pass. 4. "My heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire will be kindled." 80.1148 Symmachus translated this thus: My heart grew very hot within me, while I was reflecting, I was kindled with fire. Remembering, he says, my sin, I was set on fire with the fire of despondency. 5. "I spoke with my tongue, Make known to me, Lord, my end; and the number of my days, what it is; that I may know what I lack. "Therefore, to the one who was reviling me I answered nothing, but I supplicated the Lord of all, to make known to me the end of my life, strongly desiring death. ʹ. "Behold, you have made my days as handbreadths, and my substance is as nothing before you." Again, Symmachus translated this thus: Behold, you have given my days as spans, and my life is as nothing opposite you. And I desire death, knowing human nature is not long-lived. For our life does not even seem to exist when compared to your life. For you are without beginning and without end, but our life is measured as if by some spans and handbreadths. And through this he indicated the short duration of human life. Thus he also says elsewhere: "For a thousand years in your eyes, Lord, are as yesterday, which has passed, and as a watch in the night." And elsewhere, having mentioned the heavens and the earth, "They, he says, will perish, but you remain, and all will grow old like a garment; and like a cloak you will roll them up, and they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not fail." - "Surely all things are vanity, every living person." So that the whole nature of men, he says, both the rich and the poor, are like a dispersing vapor, and in vain and for nothing they build, plant, wealth and substance

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ὑποδείκνυσι τέλος. Εἴρηκε δὲ τοῦτον τὸν ψαλ μὸν ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ, ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ διωκόμε νος, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σεμεεὶ λοιδορούμενος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν προτεταγμένον πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν συμφωνίαν. 80.1145 βʹ, γʹ. "Εἶπα, Φυλάξω τὰς ὁδούς μου, τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν με ἐν γλώσσῃ μου· ἐθέμην τῷ στόματί μου φυλακὴν, ἐν τῷ συστῆναι τὸν ἁμαρ τωλὸν ἐναντίον μου. Ἐκωφώθην καὶ ἐταπεινώθην, καὶ ἐσίγησα ἐξ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τὸ ἄλγημά μου ἀν εκαινίσθη." Φεύγοντα τὸν μέγαν ∆αβὶδ τοῦ πα τραλοίου παιδὸς τὴν τυραννίδα, ὁ Σεμεεὶ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ὑπαντήσας, καὶ βώλοις ἔβαλλε, καὶ λόγοις ἐλοιδόρει τὸν ἄνδρα, παράνομον καὶ ἄνδρα αἱμά των ἀποκαλῶν. Ἀλλὰ τῇ συνήθει φιλοσοφίᾳ χρώ μενος ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ, οὐ μόνον αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἠμύνατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἕνα πειραθέντα κατακοντίσαι διεκώλυσεν, εἰρηκὼς, "Ἄφετε αὐτὸν, διότι καταρᾶταί με· διότι Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ κακολογεῖν τὸν ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, Τί πεποίηκας οὕτως; ὅπως ἴδοι Κύριος τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου, καὶ ἀνταποδώσῃ μοι Κύριος ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ." Πολλὴν τοίνυν συμφωνίαν πρὸς τήνδε τὴν ἱστορίαν ἔχει τοῦδε τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τὰ ῥήματα. Πολλὴν γὰρ, φησὶ, προμήθειαν τῆς γλώττης ἐποιήσατο· εὐόλισθον τοῦτο διαφερόντως τὸ μόριον ἐπιστάμενος, καὶ οἷόν τινι τειχίῳ ταύτην ἀεὶ περιβάλλων. Οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ, ἡνίκα Σεμεεὶ οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος ἀντέστη· αὐτὸν γὰρ ἁμαρτωλὸν, ὡς ἄδικον ὀνομάζει· τηνικαῦτα γὰρ "Ἐκωφώθην καὶ ἐταπεινώθην, καὶ ἐσί γησα ἐξ ἀγαθῶν." Σφόδρα δὲ ταῦτα ἔοικε τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰρημένοις, Ἄφετε αὐ τὸν καταράσασθαι, ὅτι Κύριος προσέταξεν αὐτῷ κακολογεῖν τὸν ∆αβίδ· εἴπερ ἴδοι Κύριος τὴν ταπεί νωσίν μου, καὶ ἐξελῆταί με σήμερον ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου. Τοῦτο κἀνταῦθα λέγει, ὅτι Κωφῷ ἐῴκειν παντελῶς οὐκ ἀκούοντι, καὶ ἐταπείνωσα ἐμαυτὸν, τὸ ἐντεῦθεν κέρδος προσμένων. "Καὶ τὸ ἄλγημά μου ἀνεκαινίσθη." Ὑπ' ἐκείνου, φησὶ, λοιδορού μενος, τῆς ὑπ' ἐμοῦ τολμηθείσης ἁμαρτίας ἦλθον εἰς μνήμην, καὶ ταῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀκίσιν ἐβαλλό μην, λογιζόμενος ὅτι ταύτης ἕνεκα καὶ λοιδοροῦ μαι, καὶ τυραννοῦμαι, καὶ τῶν βασιλειῶν ἐξελαθεὶς, φεύγειν ἀναγκάζομαι. Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ πολλὴν ἔχει πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν συγγένειαν. Τὸ γὰρ, "Κύριος προσέταξεν αὐτῷ κακολογεῖν τὸν ∆αβὶδ," μνήμην ἔχει τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐπειδὴ διὰ ταύτην ἡ παιδεία γε γένηται. δʹ. "Ἐθερμάνθη ἡ καρδία μου ἐντός μου, καὶ ἐν τῇ μελέτῃ μου ἐκκαυθήσεται πῦρ." Τοῦτο ὁ 80.1148 Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσεν· Ἐξεθερμάνθη ἡ καρδία μου ἐντός μου, ἐν τῷ ἀναπολεῖν με, ἀνεκαιόμην πυρὶ. Ἀναμιμνησκόμενος, φησὶ, τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου, τῷ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐνεπιμπράμην πυρί. εʹ. "Ἐλάλησα ἐν γλώσσῃ μου, Γνώρισόν μοι, Κύριε, τὸ πέρας μου· καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν μου, τίς ἐστιν· ἵνα γνῶ τί ὑστερῶ ἐγώ. "Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὸν λοιδορούμενον ἀπεκρινάμην οὐδὲν, τὸν δὲ τῶν ὅλων ἱκέτευσα Κύριον, δῆλόν μοι ποιῆσαι τῆς ζωῆς μου τὸ τέλος, σφόδρα τῆς τελευτῆς ἐφιέμενος. ʹ. "Ἰδοὺ παλαιστὰς ἔθου τὰς ἡμέρας μου, καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου ὡσεὶ οὐδὲν ἐνώπιόν σου." Τοῦτο πάλιν ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσεν· Ἰδοὺ ὡς σπιθαμὰς ἔδωκας τὰς ἡμέρας μου, καὶ ἡ βίωσίς μου ὡς οὐδὲν ἀντικρύς σου. Ἐφίεμαι δὲ τελευτῆς, οὐ μακρόβιον τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν ἐπιστά μενος φύσιν. Ἡ γὰρ ἡμετέρα βιοτὴ οὐδὲ συνεστά ναι δοκεῖ τῇ σῇ παραβαλλομένη ζωῇ. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ ἄναρχος καὶ ἀπέραντος, ὁ δὲ ἡμέτερος βίος οἷόν τισι σπιθαμαῖς καὶ παλαισταῖς ἐκμετρεῖται. ∆ιὰ τούτου δὲ παρεδήλωσε τὸ ὀλιγοχρόνιον τῆς ἀνθρω πείας ζωῆς. Οὕτω καὶ ἑτέρωθι λέγει· "Ὅτι χίλια ἔτη ὑπὸ ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, Κύριε, ὡς ἡμέρα ἡ ἐχθὲς, ἥτις διῆλθε, καὶ φυλακὴ ἐν νυκτί." Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ τῆς γῆς μνημονεύ σας, "Αὐτοὶ, φησὶν, ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις, καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται· καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι." - "Πλὴν τὰ σύμπαντα ματαιότης, πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν." Ὥστε πᾶσα, φησὶ, τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις, καὶ οἱ πλουτοῦντες, καὶ οἱ πενόμενοι, ἀτμῷ ἐοίκασι διαλυομένῳ, καὶ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην οἰκοδομοῦσι, φυ τεύουσι, πλοῦτον καὶ περιουσίαν