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they gather. 7. "Surely man walks about like a shadow; surely he is in turmoil for nothing. He stores up treasure, and does not know for whom he will gather it." Living men, he says, differ in nothing from those drawn in a picture; for the nature of both these and those similarly flows away with time and perishes. But nevertheless they are no less disturbed, being contentious, fighting, warring, trading; and all of life is full of tempest, having death as its end; and while gathering wealth with much toil and sweat, they do not know the heir who will be. The blessed David also wrote this, moved by his own circumstances. For with the spoils from wars, and with the tribute brought from foreigners, 80.1149 having made his kingdom very great and illustrious, he was ignorant of his son's impious and lawless mind. Then, seeing him become master of the kingdom, and having usurped the wealth laid up, he uttered this wonderful voice, Surely he is in turmoil for nothing, he stores up treasure, and does not know for whom he will gather it. 8. "And now what is my patient endurance? Is it not the Lord? And my substance is from you." Having bid farewell to all those things, I await help from you. But Aquila translated 'substance' as 'eager expectation'; that is, I eagerly await you, looking around, I wait for your favor. Then he indicates the cause of the pains. 9. "Deliver me from all my iniquities." And again he brings to mind Shimei: "You have made me a reproach to the foolish." This too greatly agrees with what is said in the history: "The Lord told him to curse David." And what follows is likewise consistent with what has been said. 10. "I was mute, and I did not open my mouth, because you have done it." For he says, with you permitting it, that man acted insolently; and he indeed was like a scourge, but you through it brought chastisement. For this reason I silently received the scourges, overlooking him, but seeing you chastising. And he has set down what follows very fittingly. 11, 12. "Remove your scourges from me. For I have failed from the strength of your hand." I beseech you therefore and implore you, Master, cease the chastisement now; for I have been consumed by the multitude of the scourges. "With rebukes for iniquity you have chastised man, and you have made his soul waste away like a spider's web." Not in vain, he says, and for nothing have you used chastisements, but by rebuking the sins, and cutting like a physician, and drawing out the hidden pus; and while you cause melting with the pains from the therapy, you accomplish health for those being cut. "Surely every man is troubled in vain." Therefore, reasoning on these things with myself, I see that men are troubled for no purpose over temporary matters. 13, 14. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my supplication; give ear to my tears; do not be silent, for I am a sojourner, and 80.1152 a stranger, as all my fathers were. Spare me, that I may be refreshed, before I depart, and shall be no more." I beseech you, he says, Master, hear one who is crying out and imploring with tears. For I do not inhabit the earth, but sojourn, and like my fathers, having lived for a short time, I shall receive death. Grant me therefore a small respite, that I may live at least a few days without pain, before I depart from this life. For having departed, I shall not return. For this is what he said, I shall be no more, that is, I shall not return to this corruptible life. And it is worthy of wonder, that the great David, in royalty, and wealth, and power, calls himself a sojourner and a stranger, and did not endure to be confident in his good fortune. For in reality the words are full of wisdom, and of one who understands the nature of things, and for this reason despises present prosperity.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 39TH PSALM.

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ἀθροίζουσιν. ζʹ. "Μέντοι γε ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος, πλὴν μάτην ταράσσεται. Θησαυρίζει, καὶ οὐ γινώ σκει τίνι συνάξει αὐτά." Οὐδὲν, φησὶ, τῶν ἐν εἰκόνι γεγραμμένων οἱ ζῶντες διαφέρουσιν ἄνθρω ποι· ὁμοίως γὰρ καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων ἡ φύσις ὑποῤῥεῖ τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ διαφθείρεται. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐ δὲν ἧττον διαταράττονται φιλονεικοῦντες, διαμα χόμενοι, πολεμοῦντες, ἐμπορευόμενοι· καὶ ζάλης ἅπας ὁ βίος μεστὸς, τέλος ἔχων τὸν θάνατον· σὺν πόνῳ δὲ πολλῷ καὶ ἱδρῶτι τὸν πλοῦτον ἀθροίζοντες, τὸν ἐσόμενον οὐκ ἴσασι κληρονόμον. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ καὶ ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν κινού μενος γέγραφε. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐκ τῶν πολέμων λαφύ ροις, καὶ τῷ παρὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων φερομένῳ δα 80.1149 σμῷ, μεγίστην καὶ περιφανῆ λίαν ἀποφήνας τὴν βασιλείαν, ἠγνόει τοῦ παιδὸς τὴν δυσσεβῆ καὶ παρά νομον γνώμην. Εἶτα θεασάμενος αὐτὸν ἐγκρατῆ τῶν βασιλειῶν γινόμενον, καὶ τὸν ἀποκείμενον σφετε ρισάμενον πλοῦτον, τὴν θαυμασίαν ἀφῆκε φωνὴν, Πλὴν μάτην ταράσσεται, θησαυρίζει, καὶ οὐ γινώσκει τίνι συνάξει αὐτά. ηʹ. "Καὶ νῦν τίς ὑπομονή μου; οὐχὶ Κύριος; καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου παρὰ σοῦ ἐστιν." Πᾶσιν ἐκείνοις ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας, τὴν παρὰ σοῦ προσμένω βοήθειαν. Τὴν δὲ ὑπόστασιν Ἀκύλας καραδοκίαν εἴρηκεν· ἀντὶ τοῦ, Σὲ καραδοκῶ περισκοπῶν, τὴν σὴν εὐμένειαν ἀναμένω. Εἶτα τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν ἀλγει νῶν ὑποδείκνυσιν. θʹ. "Ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν ῥυσαί με." Καὶ τοῦ Σεμεεὶ πάλιν φέρει τὴν μνήμην· "Ὄνειδος ἄφρονι ἔδωκάς με." Σφόδρα καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ εἰρημένοις συμβαίνει· "Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ κακολογεῖν τὸν ∆αβίδ." Καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα δὲ ὁμοίως τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀκόλουθα. ιʹ. "Ἐκωφώθην, καὶ οὐκ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου, ὅτι σὺ ἐποίησας." Σοῦ γὰρ, φησὶ, συγχωρήσαν τος, πεπαρῴνηκεν ἐκεῖνος· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐῴκει μάστι γι, σὺ δὲ δι' ἐκείνης τὴν παιδείαν ἐπέφερες. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο σιγῶν ἐδεξάμην τὰς μάστιγας, ἐκεῖνον μὲν παρορῶν, σὲ δὲ ὁρῶν παιδεύοντα. Προσφυῶς δὲ μάλα καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα τέθεικεν. ιαʹ, ιβʹ. "Ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὰς μάστιγάς σου. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς χειρός σου ἐγὼ ἐξέλιπον." Ἱκετεύω τοίνυν καὶ ἀντιβολῶ σε, ∆έσποτα, παῦσον λοιπὸν τὴν παιδείαν· τῷ πλήθει γὰρ τῶν μαστίγων κατηναλώθην. "Ἐν ἐλεγμοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας ἐπαίδευ σας ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ἐξέτηξας ὡς ἀράχνην τὴν ψυ χὴν αὐτοῦ." Οὐκ εἰκῆ, φησὶ, καὶ μάτην κέχρησαι ταῖς παιδείαις, ἀλλὰ διελέγχων τὰ ἐπταισμένα, καὶ ἰατρικῶς τέμνων, καὶ ἐξάγων τὸν κεκρυμμένον ἰχῶρα· καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἐκ τῆς θεραπείας κατα τήκεις ὀδύναις, ὑγίειαν δὲ πραγματεύῃ τοῖς τεμνομένοις. "Πλὴν μάτην ταράσσεται πᾶς ἄν θρωπος." Ταῦτα τοίνυν παρ' ἐμαυτῷ λογιζόμε νος, εἰς οὐδὲν δέον ὁρῶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὑπὲρ προσκαίρων ταραττομένους πραγμάτων. ιγʹ, ιδʹ. Εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου, Κύριε, καὶ τῆς δεήσεώς μου· ἐνώτισαι τῶν δακρύων μου· μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς, ὅτι πάροικος ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ 80.1152 παρεπίδημος, καθὼς πάντες οἱ πατέρες μου. Ἄνες μοι, ἵνα ἀποψύξω πρὸ τοῦ με ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξω." Ἱκετεύω σε, φησὶ, ∆έσποτα, εἰσάκουσον ποτνιωμένου καὶ μετὰ δακρύων ἀντιβο λοῦντος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ κατοικῶ τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ παροι κῶ, καὶ τοῖς πατράσι παραπλησίως, ὀλίγον βιώσας χρόνον, τὸν θάνατον δέξομαι. Μικρᾶς τοίνυν ἀνακω χῆς μοι μετάδος, ἵνα ὀλίγας γοῦν ἡμέρας δίχα ὀδύ νης βιώσω, πρὶν τόνδε τὸν βίον ὑπεξελθεῖν. Ἐξελ θὼν γὰρ οὐκ ἀναστρέψω. Τοῦτο γὰρ εἶπεν, οὐκ έτι οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξω, τουτέστι, πρὸς τὸν φθαρτὸν τοῦ τον οὐκ ἀναστρέψω βίον. Θαυμάσαι δὲ ἄξιον, τὸν μέγαν ∆αβὶδ ἐν βασιλείᾳ, καὶ πλούτῳ, καὶ δυνα στείᾳ, πάροικον ἑαυτὸν ἀποκαλοῦντα καὶ παρεπίδη μον, καὶ τῇ εὐκληρίᾳ θαῤῥῆσαι μὴ ἀνασχόμενον. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ σοφίας μεστὰ τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ τὴν φύσιν τῶν ὄντων ἐπισταμένης, καὶ τούτου χάριν τῆς παρ ούσης εὐημερίας καταφρονούσης.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΛΘʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ.