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his son named Abiathar is mentioned in the Scripture of the Kingdoms; who, alone escaping from the priests who were killed, was with David. But another might say that the story mentions Ahimelech as priest; but that here the Savior says that Abiathar happened 23.293 to be high priest at that time. For he says, David entered into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest. And the writing of the histories appears, saying that Ahimelech and the priests of God were killed by Saul, not recording that a high priest was killed. Let these things, then, have been said by us concerning the inscription of the psalm. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. David, giving thanks for the priestly food he was counted worthy of, Not only at the present time, he says, but through all my life I will continue confessing thanks and blessing him; nor will my mouth ever be left without his praise. For instead of sacrifice and whole burnt offerings, I have been taught to bring him the sacrifice of my lips. For since I am fleeing, no helper is present, nor any refuge, nor safety; and I call upon the Lord alone as a protection for my soul, and in him, and not in my own righteous deeds, my soul takes courage; for this reason, in the Lord my soul shall make its boast; let the meek hear and be glad. And taking me as an example, let all the meek and humble and gentle, because of their reverence for God, take courage and be filled with gladness, expecting the same things as I, and placing their hope in the Lord himself. And since he also took the sword of Goliath the foreigner from Ahimelech and departed; But not even in this, he says, will I boast, but in the Lord, through whom I acquired this sword; as the priest also said to him; Behold the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck in the valley of Elah, and it is wrapped in a cloth. If you will take this, take it for yourself, because there is no other except it. So that David, upon hearing these things, said; In the Lord my soul shall be praised. That spear brought great glory to David, though he was but a boy and did not know how to bear weapons of war, but by faith in God he defeated Goliath, so that for this reason that sword alone was laid up in the temple as a votive offering; which the priest also noted, saying: And there is no other. For it was not permitted to lay aside weapons of war in the tent of God; but that one alone was laid up in memory of David's victory over the foreigner, as if laid away as a thank-offering to God who had granted him the victory. Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. For those who through works and a life according to virtue adorn the image of God in themselves, glorify and exalt him. I sought the Lord and he heard me. Since to "I sought," "he heard me" was given in response. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his tribulations. Again, as also before, he presents himself as a model for the teaching of others. For having called himself poor because of the humility and moderation of his soul, he teaches concerning himself 23.296 as if about another, saying: This poor man cried and the Lord heard him. But do not think, he says, that I alone have obtained this, I who am considered to be king and ruler of the whole nation, but who am poor in spirit because of the fear of God; but it is known for certain that the same Lord will also hear those who are poor like me, I mean those who fear him. O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who hopes in him; The man who hopes perfectly and unfailingly in God is blessed. One might not unreasonably apply the present saying to the interpretation according to Aquila; since in the inscription according to Aquila it was said:
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υἱὸς αὐτῷ Ἀβιάθαρ κεκλημένος ἐμφέρεται τῇ Γραφῇ τῶν Βασιλειῶν· ὃς, διαφυγὼν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀναιρεθέντων ἱερέων μόνος, τῷ ∆αυῒδ συνῆν. Ἄλλος δ' ἂν εἴποι τοῦ μὲν Ἀβιμέλεχ τὴν ἱστορίαν ὡς ἱερέως μνημονεύειν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸν Σωτῆρα τὸν Ἀβιάθαρ ἀρχιερέα τυγχά 23.293 νειν κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ φῆσαι. Εἰσῆλθε γὰρ, φησὶν, ∆αυῒδ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἀβιάθαρ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως. Καὶ φαίνεται ἡ τῶν ἱστοριῶν γραφὴ, τὸν Ἀχιμέλεχ καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνῃρῆσθαι φήσασα ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ, ἀρχιερέα ἀνῃρημένον οὐχ ἱστορήσασα. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν τοῦ ψαλμοῦ προγραφὴν εἰρήσθω. Εὐλογήσω τὸν Κύριον ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, διὰ παντὸς ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματί μου. Εὐχαριστῶν ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐφ' οἷς ἠξιώθη τροφῆς ἱερατικῆς, Οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος, φησὶ, μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ πάσης τῆς ζωῆς χάριτας ὁμολογῶν καὶ εὐλογῶν αὐτὸν διατελέσω· οὐδὲ ἀπολειφθήσεταί ποτε τὸ στόμα μου τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν αἰνέσεως. Ἀντὶ γὰρ θυσίας καὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων πεπαίδευμαι τὴν διὰ χειλέων προσάγειν αὐτῷ θυσίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ φεύγοντί μοι οὐδεὶς βοηθὸς πάρεστιν, οὐδέ τις καταφυγὴ, οὐδὲ ἀσφάλεια· μόνον δὲ τὸν Κύριον φυλακτήριον ἐπάγομαι τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐμαῖς δικαιοπραγίαις ἡ ψυχή μου θαῤῥεῖ· εἰκότως, ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ καυχήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου· ἀκουσάτωσαν πραεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν. Ἐμὲ δὲ λαβόντες ὑπόδειγμα πάντες οἱ πρᾶοι καὶ ταπεινοὶ καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν εὐλάβειαν, θαῤῥείτωσαν καὶ πληρούσθωσαν εὐφροσύνης, τὰ ἴσα μοι προσδοκήσαντες, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐλπίδα τὸν Κύριον θέμενοι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν ῥομφαίαν Γολιὰθ τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου παρὰ τῷ Ἀβιμέλεχ λαβὼν ἀπῄει· Ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἐπὶ τούτῳ, φησὶ, καυχήσομαι, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ, δι' ὃν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην τὴν ῥομφαίαν· ὡς καὶ τὸν ἱερέα εἰπεῖν αὐτῷ· Ἰδοὺ ἡ ῥομφαία Γολιὰθ τοῦ Φιλισταίου, ὃν ἐπάταξας ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι Ἠλᾷ, καὶ αὐτὴ ἐνειλημμένη ἱματίῳ. Εἰ ταύτην λήψῃ, σαυτῷ λάβε, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἑτέρα παρὲξ αὐτῆς. Ὥστε τούτων ἀκούσαντα τὸν ∆αυῒδ εἰπεῖν· Ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπαινεθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου. Μεγάλην δόξαν ἔφερεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ δόρυ τῷ ∆αυῒδ, παιδαρίῳ μὲν ὄντι, καὶ μηδὲ φέρειν ὅπλα πολεμικὰ ἐπισταμένῳ, πίστει δὲ τῇ εἰς Θεὸν καταγωνισαμένῳ τὸν Γολιὰθ, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο ἀντὶ ἀναθήματος τὴν ῥομφαίαν μόνην ἐκείνην ἀνακεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπεσημήνατο φήσας ὁ ἱερεύς· Καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξῆν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅπλα πολεμικὰ ἀποτίθεσθαι· μόνη δὲ ἐκείνη εἰς μνήμην τοῦ ∆αυῒδ τῆς κατὰ τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου νίκης ἀνέκειτο, ὡσανεὶ εὐχαριστήριον ἀποκειμένη τῷ τὴν νίκην αὐτῷ δεδωρημένῳ τῷ Θεῷ. Μεγαλύνατε τὸν Κύριον σὺν ἐμοὶ, καὶ ὑψώσωμεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό. Οἱ γὰρ δι' ἔργων καὶ βίου τοῦ κατ' ἀρετὴν τὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ κοσμοῦντες, αὐτὸν δοξάζουσι καὶ ὑψοῦσιν. Ἐξεζήτησα τὸν Κύριον καὶ ἐπήκουσέ μου. Ἐπεὶ τῷ, ἐξεζήτησα, τὸ, ἐπήκουσέ μου, ἀνταπεδόθη. Οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς ἐκέκραξε, καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτοῦ ἔσωσεν αὐτόν. Πάλιν ἑαυτὸν, ὡς καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, ὑπογραμμὸν παρέχει τῆς ἑτέρων διδασκαλίας. Πτωχὸν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν εἰπὼν διὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἑαυτοῦ ταπείνωσιν καὶ μετριοσύνην, ὡς περὶ ἑτέρου περὶ ἑαυ 23.296 τοῦ διδάσκει λέγων· Οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς ἐκέκραξε καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐμὲ, φησὶ, μόνον τετυχηκέναι νομίζετε, τὸν νομιζόμενον μὲν εἶναι βασιλέα καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους, τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ πτωχεύοντα διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον· ἀκριβῶς δὲ γινώσκεται, ὅτι ὁ αὐτὸς Κύριος καὶ παρὼν τῶν ὁμοίως ἐμοὶ πτωχῶν, λέγω δὲ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν, εἰσακούσεται. Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ Κύριος· μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὃς ἐλπίζει ἐπ' αὐτόν· Ὁ διὰ τὸ τελείως καὶ ἀνελλιπῶς ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ Θεὸν ἀνὴρ ὑπάρχων μακάριός ἐστιν. Οὐκ ἀπεικότως ἄν τις ἐφαρμόσειεν τῇ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν ἑρμηνείᾳ τὴν προκειμένην λέξιν· ἐπείπερ ἐν τῇ προγραφῇ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν ἐλέγετο·