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The voice of one speaking freely; for he who says, "Why have you forgotten me?" is confident that he has done nothing for which God forgets. and since I go about sorrowful because of the oppressing enemy, I inquire what the reason for this is, so that if it is from me, I may destroy it through repentance. For we have all clearly understood about God that he is merciful, even if we do not all see how he shows mercy; for often, because the things that happen according to his mercy are painful, we are not pleased and do not even consider it mercy, and for this reason we say, "Why have you forgotten me?" But he who has understood that everything God brings, he brings for our benefit, will say no such thing, unless he is working out his own repentance. 433 Ps 41,11.12 By "bones leading forth" of the soul are meant its strong dogmas and its powers. Since, then, it often happens that the bones are crushed by terrible sophists, the deceivers reproach, saying nothing other than, "Where is your God in whom you pray?" saying that he has been instructed by His wisdom. But also concerning this suffering, he converses with his own soul, saying, "Why are you so sorrowful?" for having hoped in the Lord, you will give thanks. For His face will surely shine upon you, being none other than the truth, so that, having the truth from God, you may be able to refute the deceits of those who crush your aforementioned bones.

434 Ps 42,1 It might be the person of the Lord who says these things; and he would call the Jewish people a nation not holy, and Judas a man unjust and deceitful. One must consider why he did not say "unholy" but "not holy" of the nation. For perhaps, not cutting off the hopes of repentance and by saying "not holy," he is hinting that, if it should turn through repentance, it will become holy. Ps 42,1 But another has introduced the person of the Savior saying the things in the psalm to the Father, and calling the Jews a nation not holy, and Judas unjust and deceitful; but he was not able to harmonize what is said with what follows; for how was it possible for him to say, "Send out your light and your truth," and what follows? 435 Ps 42,3 Since the Savior says that he is the true light and the truth itself, the people before his advent, having learned from the prophecies that the light and the truth of God would shine forth, besought that the light and the truth be sent out through the incarnation, so that they might be led by them to the holy mountain, the higher teaching concerning the Trinity, and the eternal tabernacles. The light is not different from the truth in substance (for both are the Son of God), but only in concept; for insofar as he frees from shadow and falsehood, he is truth, and insofar as he frees from error and ignorance, he is light. 436 Ps 42,4a The phrase "I will go in" is not said idly; for he who from the sensible altar receives a conception of the intelligible one goes in to God himself, invisibly offering sacrifices upon it. 437 Ps 42,4b "To God who gives joy to my youth," which is opposed to the old man; for only he who is young in spirit and mind, being akin to the new man and the newness of the spirit, goes in to God who gives joy to such youth.

438 Ps 43,2.3a Those who wish to slander the divine scripture as not being precise in its words and meanings and using the present text which says, "O God, we have heard with our ears," they say: "For who, when he hears, does not hear with his own ears?" But from the very things with which they wish to slander, they have the refutation of their own foolishness. For what the psalmists say is of this sort: those who hear rationally do not hear with the common organs of sense called ears, but with the proper ears of men, just as musicians might say: "The lessons of music are heard with the ears of musicians." Therefore even if they say, "With the"

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Παρρησιαζομένου ἡ φωνή· ὁ γὰρ λέγων ∆ιὰ τί μου ἐπελάθου θαρρεῖ μηδὲν πεποιηκὼς δι' α ἐπιλανθάνεται θεός. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐκθλίβοντος ἐχθροῦ σκυθρωπάζων πορεύομαι, πυνθάνομαι τί τὸ αιτιον τούτου, ιν' εἰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ ειη ἀναιρήσω διὰ μετανοίας αὐτό. πάντες γὰρ διειλήφαμεν περὶ θεοῦ φανερῶς ὡς ἐλεήμονος, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντες ὁρῶμεν πῶς ἐλεεῖ· πολλάκις γὰρ τὰ κατὰ ἐλεημοσύνην αὐτοῦ γινόμενα τῷ ἐπίπονα ειναι οὐχ ἡδέως εχοντες οὐδ' ελεον ειναι νομίζομεν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λέγομεν· Ινα τί μου ἐπελάθου; ὁ δὲ διειληφὼς οτι πᾶν ο ἐπάγει ὁ θεὸς συμφερόντως ἐπάγει οὐδὲν ἐρεῖ τοιοῦτον, εἰ μή τι τὴν μετάνοιαν ἑαυτοῦ πραγματευόμενος. 433 Ps 41,11.12 ∆ιὰ τῶν προαγόντων ὀστᾶ τῆς ψυχῆς τὰ ευτονα αὐτῆς δόγματα καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις ειρηνται. ἐπεὶ ουν συμβαίνει πολλάκις ὑπὸ δεινῶν σοφιστῶν καταθλᾶσθαι τὰ ὀστᾶ, ὀνειδίζουσιν οἱ ἀπατεῶνες, οὐκ αλλα λέγοντες η Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ θεός σου ἐφ' ῳ ευχει; τῇ σοφίᾳ λέγων αὐτοῦ πεπαιδεῦσθαι ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τούτου τοῦ πάθους πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν διαλέγεται φάσκων Ινα τί περίλυπος ει; ἐλπίσας γὰρ ἐπὶ κύριον ἐξομολόγησαι· πάντως γὰρ ἐπιλάμψει σοι πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ οὐκ αλλο ον τῆς ἀληθείας, ὡς εχοντά σε τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ ἀλήθειαν λύειν δύνασθαι τὰς ἀπάτας τῶν καταθλασσόντων τὰ προκείμενά σου ὀστᾶ.

434 Ps 42,1 Ειη αν πρόσωπον τὸ κυριακὸν τὸ ταῦτα λέγον· εθνος δὲ οὐχ

οσιον ἐρεῖ τὸ ̓Ιουδαϊκόν, ανθρωπον δὲ αδικον καὶ δόλιον τὸν ̓Ιούδαν. ἐπιστατέον διὰ τί μὴ ἀνόσιον ἀλλ' οὐχ οσιον ειπε τὸ εθνος. τάχα γὰρ μὴ ἀποκόπτων τὰς ἐλπίδας τῆς μετανοίας καὶ διὰ τοῦ οὐχ οσιον εἰπεῖν αἰνιττόμενος οτι, εἰ διὰ μετανοίας ἐπιστραφείη, γενήσεται οσιον. Ps 42,1 Αλλος δὲ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ σωτῆρος παρεισήγαγεν λέγον πρὸς τὸν πατέρα τὰ ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ, καὶ εθνος μὲν οὐχ οσιον τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους ὀνομάζων, αδικον δὲ καὶ δόλιον τὸν ̓Ιούδαν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐδυνήθη συναρμόσαι τοῖς ἑξῆς τὰ λεγόμενα· πῶς γὰρ οιόν τε ην αὐτὸν λέγειν· ̓Εξαπόστειλον τὸ φῶς σου καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς; 435 Ps 42,3 ̓Επεὶ φῶς ἀληθινὸν ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡ ἀλήθεια ειναί φησιν, οἱ πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας ανθρωποι ἐκ τῶν προφητευομένων μαθόντες, ὡς ἐπιλάμψει τὸ φῶς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ, παρεκάλουν ἀποσταλῆναι διὰ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τὸ φῶς καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οπως ὁδηγηθῶσιν ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ ορος τὸ αγιον, τὸν περὶ τῆς τριάδος ὑψηλότερον λόγον, καὶ τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς. οὐχ ετερον δὲ τὸ φῶς τῆς ἀληθείας κατ' οὐσίαν (ἀμφότερα γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ υἱὸς) ἀλλ' ἐπινοίᾳ μόνῃ· ῃ γὰρ σκιᾶς καὶ ψεύδους ἐλευθεροῖ ἀλήθεια, ῃ δὲ πλάνης καὶ ἀγνοίας φῶς ἐστιν. 436 Ps 42,4a Τὸ Εἰσελεύσομαι οὐ παρέργως ειρηται· ὁ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ θυσιαστηρίου φαντασίαν τοῦ νοητοῦ λαβὼν εισεισι πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν θεόν, ἀοράτως ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἀναφέρων θυσίας. 437 Ps 42,4b Πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν εὐφραίνοντα τὴν νεότητά μου, ἀντικειμένως εχουσαν πρὸς τὸν παλαιὸν ανθρωπον· μόνος γὰρ ὁ πνεύματι καὶ φρονήματι νεάζων συγγενῶς τῷ καινῷ ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ τῇ καινότητι τοῦ πνεύματος εισεισιν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν εὐφραίνοντα τὴν τοιαύτην νεότητα.

438 Ps 43,2.3a Οἱ διαβάλλειν βουλόμενοι τὴν θείαν γραφὴν ὡς οὐκ

ἀκριβοῦσαν τὰς φωνὰς καὶ τὰ σημαινόμενα καὶ τῇ παρούσῃ λέξει χρώμενοι τῇ λεγούσῃ ̔Ο θεὸς, ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν ἠκούσαμεν, φασίν· Τίς γὰρ ἀκούων οὐχὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἑαυτοῦ ἀκούει; ἐξ αὐτῶν δὲ ων διαβάλλειν ἐθέλουσιν τὸν ελεγχον τῆς σφῶν ἀβελτερίας εχουσιν. ο γὰρ λέγουσιν οἱ ψάλλοντες τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· οἱ λογικῶς ἀκούοντες οὐ τοῖς κοινοῖς ὀργάνοις τῆς αἰσθήσεως ὠσὶν ὀνομαζομένοις ἀκούουσιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἰδίοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὠσίν, ὡσεὶ καὶ μουσικοὶ ανδρες εφασκον· Τοῖς ὠσὶν τῶν μουσικῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ μουσικὰ παιδεύματα ἀκούεται. διὸ καν λέγωσιν Τοῖς