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our ears, not for anything else but distinguishing the common things they say "With our ears." Agreeing with this is "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Our fathers have declared to us. either the fathers in instruction declared divine things or our forefathers the things done in their time. Your hand destroyed nations and planted them. concerning the thought of Israel after betraying the savior, having been destroyed by the hand of God, those from the nations were planted by divine catechesis in the divinely inspired scriptures. 439 Ps 43,3b.4 Having afflicted the peoples of the circumcision, God cast them out from the sacred instruction of the law. Not by the law of war did those from the nations who believed conquer and inherit the aforementioned land. Nor did their own arm save them, that is, their own work. For by grace they have received salvation by your right hand and your arm, that is, the only-begotten son. and the light that illuminates is your face, because you were well-pleased in them to save them by grace, not by their works, so that they may not boast. 440 Ps 43,5b God commands the holy spirits, who are sent for service on behalf of those who are to inherit salvation, to quickly come to the aid of the salvations of Jacob who supplants evil things by which he is saved, and to give assistance through themselves. 441 Ps 43,6a Just as God has given a defensive horn to certain irrational animals so that they may ward off things that can harm them, so for the saints horns are the powers of Jesus by which they gore their enemies. Wherefore also all animals that use horns, being clean, are either brought up to the divine altar or become food for God's portion. 442 Ps 43,10.11 God casts off from himself not always because of sin but also for other reasons which he himself knows. But not everyone who turns back does so in a blameworthy manner; for if someone, having left wicked things, should flee far away departing from them, this one, turning back to what he has left behind, falls into destruction. But if someone, having left Zion, that is, virtue, should hasten toward wickedness, called Babylon, turning back is a blessed thing; However, those who say the things set forth, since they have come to be among their enemies, having turned back, have fallen into blameworthy things. 443 Ps 43,12 Those who say these things, being certain saints, seem to have been given, similar to the one "as a sheep to the slaughter," "as sheep for eating," becoming food for those who for their benefit receive their words and life. But also among the nations these were scattered by God, being cast down like seed in the manner of agriculture, so that, having transformed the nations, they might bring them to the same quality as themselves. For one must not pay attention to those who say that the portion of God was scattered among the nations in the manner of captivity. 444 Ps 43,13a Not having received a price, he says, for the people did you sell them, but because of the sins they had committed they became subject to their enemies; for by their sins they were sold, according to the prophet. 445 Ps 43,16 Since we have calamitously fallen into the aforementioned things, being ashamed all day long throughout our life, we have our disgrace before us, with the shame of our face covering us so that we no longer have boldness with the unveiled face of the soul to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. 446 Ps 43,17 From the voice of the one who reproaches and, as it were, talks nonsense and speaks amiss, he sees all day long disgrace before him. But from the enemy who shows his face to be terrible and pursues, shame has covered his face. 447 Ps 43,18 The voice of those who have taken up perfect courage. For with many and various tribulations coming upon them and compelling them to forget God, on the contrary they remembered God, so that each could say "In tribulation I remembered the Lord." 448 Ps 43,19b God turns aside someone's paths from his own way, delivering him over to the desires of his own heart and to a debased mind.

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ὠσὶν ἡμῶν, οὐ πρὸς αλλο τι ἀλλὰ τὰ κοινὰ ἀντιδιαστέλλοντες λέγουσιν τὸ Τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν. συνᾴδει τούτοις τὸ ̔Ο εχων ωτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω. Οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἀνήγγειλαν ἡμῖν. η οἱ κατὰ παίδευσιν πατέρες τὰ θεῖα ἀπήγγειλαν η οἱ πρόγονοι τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς πραχθέντα. ̔Η χείρ σου εθνη ἐξωλόθρευσεν καὶ κατεφύτευσεν αὐτούς. πρὸς διάνοιαν τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ μετὰ τὸ προδοῦναι τὸν σωτῆρα ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ χειρὸς ὀλοθρευθέντες οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν κατηχήσει θείᾳ ἐν ταῖς θεοπνεύστοις γραφαῖς κατεφυτεύθησαν. 439 Ps 43,3b.4 Κακώσας τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς λαοὺς ὁ θεὸς ἐξέβαλεν ἐκ τῆς ἱερᾶς τοῦ νόμου παιδεύσεως. οὐ νόμῳ δὲ πολέμου νικήσαντες οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πιστεύσαντες ἐκληρονόμησαν τὴν εναγχος εἰρημένην γῆν. οὐδὲ ὁ βραχίων αὐτῶν εσωσεν αὐτούς, τουτέστιν ἡ ἐργασία αὐτῶν. χάριτι γὰρ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐσχήκασιν ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς δεξιᾶς καὶ τοῦ βραχίονος, τουτέστι τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ. φωτισμὸς δὲ ὁ φωτίζων πρόσωπόν σου τυγχάνον, οτι ηὐδόκησας ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῦ σῶσαι αὐτοὺς τῇ χάριτι, οὐκ ἐξ εργων αὐτῶν, ινα μὴ καυχήσωνται. 440 Ps 43,5b Τὰς τοῦ ̓Ιακὼβ σωτηρίας τοῦ πτερνίζοντος τὰ φαῦλα καθ' α σῴζεται ἐντέλλεται ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἁγίοις πνεύμασιν τοῖς εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλομένοις διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν εἰς ἀντίληψιν χωρῆσαι ταχὺ καὶ τὴν δι' ἑαυτῶν ἐπικουρίαν διδόναι. 441 Ps 43,6a Ωσπερ τισὶν ἀλόγοις ζῴοις ἀμυντήριον κέρας ἀναδέδωκεν ὁ θεὸς οπως αν ἀπαλλάξωσιν τὰ βλάπτειν αὐτὰ δυνάμενα, ουτω τοῖς ἁγίοις κέρατα αἱ τοῦ ̓Ιησοῦ δυνάμεις εἰσὶν καθ' ας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν κερατίζουσιν. διὸ καὶ πάντα τὰ ζῷα τὰ κέρασι χρώμενα καθαρὰ οντα η ἐπὶ τὸν θεῖον βωμὸν ἀνάγεται η τροφὴ τῇ μερίδι τοῦ θεοῦ τυγχάνει. 442 Ps 43,10.11 ̓Απωθεῖται ὁ θεὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐ πάντως δι' ἁμαρτίας ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αλλας ας οιδεν αὐτὸς αἰτίας. οὐ πᾶς δὲ ὁ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἀποστρεφόμενος ψεκτῶς τοῦτο ὑφίσταται· εἰ γάρ τις τὰ φαῦλα καταλιπὼν μακρὰν φύγοι ἀποχωρῶν ἀπ' αὐτῶν, ουτος εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω στραφεὶς ἐφ' α καταλέλοιπεν ὀλέθρῳ περιπίπτει. εἰ δέ τις τὴν Σιών, τουτέστι τὴν ἀρετήν, καταλείψας ἐπείγοιτο ἐπὶ τὴν κακίαν Βαβυλῶνα καλουμένην, ἀποστρεφόμενος εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω μακάριον ἀναδέχεται πρᾶγμα· πλὴν οἱ τὰ προκείμενα λέγοντες, ἐπεὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς γεγόνασιν, εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἀποστραφέντες ψεκτοῖς περιέπεσον. 443 Ps 43,12 ̓Εοίκασιν οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες, αγιοί τινες οντες, παραπλησίως τῷ ̔Ως πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἀγομένῳ δεδόσθαι ̔Ως πρόβατα βρώσεως, τροφὴ γινόμενοι τοῖς ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὸν βίον αὐτοῖς προσιεμένοις· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς εθνεσιν ουτοι ὑπὸ θεοῦ διεσπάρησαν, δίκην σπέρματος γεωργικῶς καταβαλλόμενοι, ινα μεταποιήσαντες τὰ εθνη εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς ποιότητα ἀγάγωσιν. οὐ γὰρ προσεκτέον τοῖς λέγουσιν διεσπάρθαι ἐν τοῖς εθνεσι τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ μερίδα αἰχμαλωσίας τρόπῳ. 444 Ps 43,13a Οὐ τιμήν, φησίν, τοῦ λαοῦ λαβὼν ἀπέδου αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ας πεποιήκασιν ἐχθροῖς ὑποχείριοι γεγένηνται· ταῖς γὰρ ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν ἐπράθησαν κατὰ τὸν προφήτην. 445 Ps 43,16 ̓Επεὶ τοῖς προειρημένοις ἀπευκταίως ὑπεπέσαμεν διὰ βίου ἐντρεπόμενοι ολην τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐναντίον τὴν ἐντροπὴν ἑαυτῶν εχομεν, τῆς αἰσχύνης τοῦ προσώπου ἡμῶν καλυπτούσης ἡμᾶς ὡς μηκέτι παρρησίαν εχειν ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ τῷ προσώπῳ τῆς ψυχῆς κατοπτρίζεσθαι τὴν δόξαν κυρίου. 446 Ps 43,17 ̓Εκ τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ ὀνειδίζοντος καὶ δίκην παραπαίοντος καὶ παραλαλοῦντος ολην ἐντροπὴν τὴν ἡμέραν ειναι κατενώπιον ἑαυτοῦ θεωρεῖ. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἐπιδεικνύντος ἑαυτοῦ φοβερὸν τὸ πρόσωπον ἐκδιώκοντος ἐχθροῦ ἡ αἰσχύνη ἐκάλυψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. 447 Ps 43,18 Τελείαν ἀνδρείαν ἀναλαβόντων ἡ φωνή· πολλῶν γὰρ καὶ διαφόρων θλίψεων ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἡκουσῶν καὶ ἐκβιαζομένων ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐξ ἐναντίας ἀνεπόλουν θεὸν ὡς εκαστον εἰπεῖν ̓Εν θλίψει τοῦ κυρίου ἐμνήσθην. 448 Ps 43,19b ̓Εκκλίνει τὰς τρίβους τινὸς ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ὁδοῦ, παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς καρδίας ἑαυτοῦ καὶ εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν.