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of the flood, when "they have all turned aside, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good." Therefore, just as light rising and coming to be where darkness is, dispels the darkness—for in the presence of light, darkness vanishes, and when virtue shines forth, vice departs and is gone—so when righteousness is manifested and delivers those who call upon it, all unrighteousness is destroyed. 3 Incline your ear to me, make haste to deliver me. Even if I cry out to you, yet compared to your majesty, I have a small voice. Therefore, unless you incline your ear to me, my cry does not have the strength to ascend to you. Unless you condescend, you will not receive my voice. And otherwise: since he does not observe all the iniquities of those judged and examined by him, he must incline his ear to hear; for if he remains of such knowledge and such power, prayer does not ascend to him. If he does not consent, he does not receive the prayer. But he consents by condescending. When you incline your ear to me, you receive me and quickly deliver me from those who hold me captive, from those who plunder me. And if they are enemies, "make haste to deliver me." For did he say these things being ecstatic? -I did not say madness is indicated here, but wonder, being outside of himself. Do you not know this, that there is not one perfection. For he who has been perfected says, "I have seen an end of all perfection"; for he does not say these things having the end that is above all. 3 Be to me a protecting God and a house of refuge to save me. Be to me an unconquerable fortress, an invulnerable wall, be to me also a protector, your shield, your weapon. When you become my protector, none of my enemies can harm me. A wild beast cannot overcome me, the very one that seizes, about whom I sent up a prayer: "Lest he seize my soul like a lion." "And a house of refuge." Be to me the so-called sanctuary, where one fleeing takes refuge within walls; for it is a structure that happens to be a guardian for salvation. 4 For you are my strength and my refuge. You are everything to me, both strength and refuge. I flee to no one, not to a ruler, not to wealth. And my stronghold; from you I have the power, partaking of you, like a king has power. 4 For your name's sake you will lead me and you will nourish me. This means that: since your name has been called upon me, for the sake of this name of yours which I bear, grant me both things: both lead me, so that I may finish the race blamelessly and be able to say, "Without iniquity I ran and I directed my course," and, "I have run the way of your commandments." And may I be nourished by you. Your way and bread is your son. He is the way, saying: "I am the way." He himself, therefore, is also the bread. "For your name's sake," therefore, which you have graciously given me, that I may have salvation; for I prayed and said: "O God, in your name save me. 5 You will bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me, for you are my protector. Many enemies, certain deceivers, have prepared a snare for me, to hunt me. Therefore, I entreat not only that you not permit me to go there, but even if I have entered, that you would bring me out of it. 139 And it should be punctuated thus: 5-6 For you are my protector, into your hands I will commit my spirit. I do not commit my spirit to another, but into your hands. And if the man saying these things were holy, his spirit is that which is joined to the soul, about which it is said: "your whole spirit and soul and body." Some say that the spirit is not different from the soul, others its mind, still others its will. In both ways, however, according to all interpretations, God keeps the spirit. If it were the soul, he commits it into the hands of God, so that being protected it may remain unharmed, not be wounded by enemies, not be destroyed. But that the soul is sometimes called spirit, Stephen teaches; for when he was about to die and he pleaded that the sin of those murdering him not be held against them, he says: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," instead of "3the

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κατακλυσμοῦ, ὅτε "πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα". ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ φῶς ἀνατέλλον καὶ γινόμενον ἐκεῖ, ἔνθα τὸ σκότος, λύει τὸ σκότος-παρουσίᾳ γὰρ φωτὸς ἀφανίζεται ἡ σκοτία, καὶ ἐπιλαμψάσης τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκποδὼν ἡ κακία οἴχεται-, οὕτω τῆς δικαιοσύνης φανερωθείσης καὶ ῥυομένης τοὺς παρακαλοῦντας καταλύεται πᾶσα ἀδικία. 3 κλῖνον πρός με τὸ οὖς σου, τάχυνον τοῦ ἐξελέσθαι με. εἰ καὶ βοῶ πρὸς σέ, ἀλλ' οὖν ὡς πρὸς τὴν σὴν μεγαλειότητα μικρόφων̣ός εἰμι. ἐὰν μὴ οὖν σὺ κλίνῃς πρὸς ἐμὲ τὸ οὖς σου, οὐκ ἰσχύει ἀναβῆναι ἡ ἐμὴ κραυγὴ πρὸς σέ. εἰ μὴ συνκ̣αταβ̣ῃ῀̣ς, οὐ δέχῃ μου τὴν φωνήν. καὶ ἄλλως· ἐπεὶ μὴ πάσας παρατηρεῖται τὰς ἀνομίας τῶν κρινομένων καὶ ἐξεταζομένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, δεῖ αὐτὸν κλῖναι τὸ οὖς, ἵνα ἀκούσῃ· ἐὰν γὰρ οἵας γνώσεώς ἐστιν καὶ οἵας δυνάμεως μείνῃ, οὐκ ἀναβαίνει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ εὐχή. εἰ μὴ ἐπινεύσῃ, οὐ δέχεται τὴν εὐχήν. ἐπινεύει δὲ συνκαταβαίνων. ὅταν κλίνῃς τὸ οὖς σου πρὸς ἐμέ, δέχῃ με καὶ ταχέως ἐξαιρῇ με ἀπὸ τῶν κατεχόντων με, ἀπὸ τῶν πορθούντων με. κἄν τε πολέμιοι ὦσιν, "τάχυνον τοῦ ἐξελέσθαι με". ἐπερ · ἐκστὰς ταῦτα ἔλεγεν; -οὐ τὴν παραφροσύνην εἶπον ἐνταῦθα δηλοῦσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν θαυμασμόν, τὸ ἔξω ἑαυτοῦ γενέσθαι. τοῦτο ἀγνοεῖς, ὅτι οὐ μία ἔστιν τελειότης. ὁ γοῦν τελειωθεὶς λέγει· "πάσης συντελείας εἶδον πέρας"· μὴ γὰρ τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν τέλος ἔχων λέγει ταῦτα. 3 γενοῦ μοι εἰς θεὸν ὑπερασπιστὴν καὶ εἰς οἶκον καταφυγῆς τοῦ σῶσαί με. γενοῦ μοι φρούριον ἀκαταμάχητον, ἕρκος ἄβλητον, γενοῦ μοι καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς τὴν σὴν ἀσπίδα, τὸ σὸν ὅπλον. ὅταν γένῃ μου ὑπερασπιστής, οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου βλάψαι με δύναται. θὴρ οὐ δύναταί μου περιγενέσθαι, αὐτὸς ὁ ἁρπάζων, περὶ οὗ εὐχὴν ἀνέπεμπον· "μήποτε ἁρπάσῃ ὡς λέων τὴν ψυχήν μου". "καὶ εἰς οἶκον καταφυγῆς". γενοῦ μοι τὸ λεγόμενον κρησφύγετον, ἔνθα καταφεύγων τις ἔσω γίνεται τειχῶν· οἰκοδόμημα γάρ ἐστιν φρουρὸς τυγχάνον τῇ σωτηρίᾳ. 4 ὅτι κραταίωσις καὶ καταφυγή μου εἶ σύ. σὺ πάντα μοι εἶ, καὶ κραταίωσις καὶ καταφυγή. πρὸς οὐδένα καταφεύγω, οὐ πρὸς ἄρχοντα, οὐ πλοῦτον. καὶ κραταίωμά μου· ἐκ σοῦ ἔχω τὸ κρατεῖν σοῦ μετέχων, οἷα βασιλεὺς κρατεῖν. 4 ἕνεκα τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ὁδηγήσεις με καὶ διαθρέψεις με. τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι· ἐπεὶ τὸ ὄνομά σου κέκληται ἐπ' ἐμέ, ἕνεκεν τούτου τοῦ ὀνόματός σου οὗ φορῶ, ἀμφότερά μοι παράσχου· καὶ ὁδήγησόν με, ἵνα τελέσω τὸν δρόμον ἀμέμπτως καὶ εἰπεῖν δυνηθῶ· "ἄνευ ἀνομίας ἔδραμον καὶ κατηύθυνα", καί· "ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου ἔδραμον". καὶ διατραφῶ ὑπὸ σοῦ. ἡ σὴ ὁδὸς καὶ ἄρτος ἐστὶν ὁ σὸς υἱός. ὁδός ἐστιν λέγων· "ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός". αὐτὸς οὖν καὶ ἄρτος ἐστίν. "ἕνεκεν" οὖν "τοῦ ὀνόματός σου", οὗ ἐχαρίσω μοι, ἵνα σωτ̣ηρίαν ἔχω· ηὐξάμην γὰρ καὶ εἶπον· "ὁ θεός, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου σῶσόν με. 5 ἐξάξεις με ἐκ παγίδος ταύτης, ἧς ἔκρυψάν μοι, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ὑπερασπιστής μου. ἐχθροὶ πολλοί, ἀπατεῶνές τινες, ἐσκεύασάν μοι παγίδα, ἵνα με θηρεύσουσιν. οὐ μόνον οὖν παρακαλῶ, ἵνα μὴ ἐάσῃς με ἀπελθεῖν̣ ἐκεῖ, ἀλλὰ κἂν εἰσῆλθον, ἵνα ἐξάξῃς με ἐξ αὐτῆς. 139 στικτέον δὲ καὶ οὕτως· 5-6 ὅτι σὺ ὁ ὑπερασπιστής μου, εἰς χεῖράς σου παραθήσομαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου. οὐκ ἄλλῳ παρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμά μου, ἀλλ' εἰς τὰς σὰς χεῖρας. καὶ εἰ μὲν ἅγιος εἴη ὁ ταῦτα λέγων ἄνθρωπος, πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐστιν τὸ συνεζευγμένον τῇ ψυχῇ, περὶ οὗ λέγεται· "ὁλόκληρον ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα". οἱ μὲν οὐχ ἕτερον λέγουσιν εἶναι τὸ πνεῦμα παρὰ τὴν ψυχήν, οἱ δὲ τὸν νοῦν αὐτῆς, ἄλλοι δὲ τὴν γνώμην. ἀμφοτέρως δὲ κατὰ πάσας τὰς ἀποδόσεις θεὸς τηρεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα. ἐὰν ᾖν ἡ ψυχή, εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ θεοῦ παρατίθεται αὐτήν, ἵνα σκεπομένη ἀβλαβὴς διαμείνῃ, μὴ τρωθῇ ὑπὸ πολεμίων, μὴ ἀναιρεθῇ. ὅτι δὲ λέγεταί ποτε ἡ ψυχὴ πνεῦμα, Στέφανος διδάσκει· ὁπηνίκα γὰρ ἔμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν καὶ παρεκάλεσεν μὴ σταθῆναι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τῶν κατ' αὐτοῦ φονώντων, λέγει· "κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου", ἀντὶ τοῦ "3τὴν