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Scourges were upon me, and I did not know. They were torn apart, and they were not pierced with sorrow. These things must be understood in two ways, as we have already said. For either David spoke these things about himself while being persecuted by Saul; or they are said prophetically about the Savior by the Holy Spirit. But instead of, "They rejoiced against me," Aquila, being a slave to the Hebrew expression, says: "And in my limping they rejoiced, and they were gathered together"; and Symmachus: "While I was limping they rejoiced and were assembled"; and the fifth edition: "And in my weakness they rejoiced." By which I think the time of the passion is indicated, in which, according to 23.309 the Apostle, "he was crucified out of weakness, but lives by the power of God." And he endured limping for our sake, willingly enduring weakness on our behalf. For he made himself weak, not being overcome by another, but by surpassing power emptying himself and taking the form of a servant, concealing and humbling himself and making himself weak even unto death. Therefore, in his limping and weakness they were gathered together; but they also laid scourges upon him; which indeed was also indicated in another prophet speaking from his person: "I gave my back to the scourges, and my cheeks to blows." "And I did not turn my face away from the shame of spitting." And these things were fulfilled at the time of his passion. And Symmachus says: "And bursting forth they were not at rest." "But I did not know," he says, "the reason for which they scourged me;" for they had no reasonable pretext for the blows they inflicted on me. And instead of, "They tempted me with mockery," Symmachus says: "In hypocrisy with feigned words, they gnashed their teeth against me." And you would find many things in the Gospels representative of these things; and how the Pharisees approached, tempting him, and at other times they mocked him, and how they gnashed their teeth against him, being cut to the quick because of the multitude of his disciples. Lord, when will you look upon this? Restore my soul from their evildoing, my only-begotten one from the lions. Instead of, "When will you look upon this?" all the other interpreters in agreement have said, "Lord, how many things will you see?" The Savior marvels at the Father's long-suffering, and his surpassing forbearance. Therefore he says: "How many things will you see?" Then he exhorts, saying: "Restore my soul." And this would be similar to: "Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with you before the world was." Next he exhorts that his only-begotten be delivered from the lions. And being related to the psalm at hand and which, according to what has already been demonstrated before, contains things similar to these, saying: "Save me from the lion's mouth, and from the hand of the dog my only-begotten one." For there too he mentioned the only-begotten and the dog and the lion; not only that, but also unicorns, saying: "And from the horns of unicorns my humiliation"; by which I believe he signifies the opposing powers, which at the time of the passion plotted against his only-begotten soul. And instead of, "my only-begotten one"; Aquila interpreted it "my solitary one"; and Symmachus, "my uniqueness." But if David says these things, it is not difficult to apply the thoughts to him as well. I will give thanks to you in a great congregation. And the 21st [psalm], spoken from the person of our Savior, after the prophecies concerning his passion, mentioned his Church through what he said: "In the midst of 23.312 the Church I will sing praise to you." And these things were said there after: "Deliver my soul from the sword, and my only-begotten one from the hand of the dog." "Save me from the lion's mouth, and my humiliation from the horns of unicorns." Therefore, connected to these was: "I will declare your name to my brethren, in the midst of the Church I will sing praise to you." And in the present text, having similarly said beforehand: "Restore my soul from their evildoing, my only-begotten one from the lions," he adds: "I will give thanks to you in a great congregation, among a weighty people I will praise you." And instead of, "weighty," Aquila rendered it
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ἐμὲ μάστιγες, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων. ∆ιεσχίσθησαν, καὶ οὐ κατενύγησαν. Ταῦτα ἐκληπτέον διχῶς, ὡς καὶ ἤδη ἔφαμεν. Ἢ γὰρ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ταῦτα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ διεξῄει ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ διωκόμενος· ἢ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος προφητικῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος λέγεται. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· Κατ' ἐμοῦ ηὐφράνθησαν, ὁ Ἀκύλας δουλεύων τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ λέξει φησί· Καὶ ἐν σκασμῷ μου ηὐφράνθησαν, καὶ συνελέγησαν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· Σκάζοντος δέ μου ηὐφραίνοντο καὶ ἠθροίζοντο· ἡ δὲ πέμπτη ἔκδοσις· Καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ μου ηὐφράνθησαν. ∆ι' ὧν ἡγοῦμαι δηλοῦσθαι τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους, ἐν ᾧ κατὰ 23.309 τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ἐσταυρώθη ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἀλλὰ ζῇ ἐκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ. Ὑπέμεινε δὲ καὶ σκασμὸν δι' ἡμᾶς, ἑκὼν ὑπομείνας τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀσθένειαν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἀσθενῆ πεποίηκεν, οὐ νικηθεὶς ὑφ' ἑτέρου, ἀλλ' ὑπερβαλλούσῃ δυνάμει κενώσας ἑαυτὸν καὶ μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ἐπικρύψας τε καὶ ταπεινώσας ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀσθενῆ ποιήσας μέχρι θανάτου. Ἐν τοίνυν τῷ σκασμῷ καὶ ἀσθενείᾳ συνήχθησαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ μάστιγας αὐτῷ ἐπιτεθείκασι· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἐδήλου προφήτῃ φάσκοντι ἐξ αὐτοῦ προσώπου· Τὸν νῶτόν μου ἔδωκα εἰς μάστιγας, τὰς δὲ σιαγόνας μου εἰς ῥαπίσματα. Τὸ δὲ πρόσωπόν μου οὐκ ἀπέστρεψα ἀπὸ αἰσχύνης ἐμπτυσμάτων. Ἐπληροῦτο δὲ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ καιρόν. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχός φησι· Καὶ ἀποῤῥήσσοντες οὐκ ἠρέμουν. Οὐκ ἔγνων δὲ, φησὶ, τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν ἐμάστιζον· οὐ γὰρ εἶχόν τινα εὔλογον πρόφασιν ὧν ἐπετίθεσάν μοι πληγῶν. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· Ἐπείρασάν με μυκτηρισμῷ, ὁ Σύμμαχός φησιν· Ἐν ὑποκρίσει φθέγμασι πεπλασμένοις, ἔπριον κατ' ἐμοῦ ὀδόντας αὐτῶν. Πολλὰ δ' ἂν εὕροις ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις τούτων παραστατικά· καὶ ὡς προσῄεσαν πειράζοντες αὐτὸν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, ἄλλοτε δὲ ἐμυκτήριζον, καὶ ὡς ἔβρυχον κατ' αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτῶν διαπριόμενοι ἐπὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν μαθητευομένων αὐτῷ. Κύριε, πότε ἐπόψῃ; ἀποκατάστησον τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ τῆς κακουργίας αὐτῶν, ἀπὸ λεόντων τὴν μονογενῆ μου. Ἀντὶ τοῦ· Πότε ἐπόψῃ; συμφώνως οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες ἑρμηνευταὶ, Κύριε, πόσα ὄψῃ; εἰρήκασιν. Ἀποθαυμάζει ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὴν μακροθυμίαν, καὶ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἀνοχήν. ∆ιό φησι· Πόσα ὄψῃ; Εἶτα παρακαλεῖ λέγων· Ἀποκατάστησον τὴν ψυχήν μου. Ὅμοιον δ' ἂν εἴη τοῦτο τῷ· Πάτερ, δόξασόν με τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί. Ἑξῆς παρακαλεῖ ῥυσθῆναι τὴν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ λεόντων. Συγγενὴς δὲ ὢν τῷ μετὰ χεῖρας ψαλμῷ καὶ ὁ καὶ, κατὰ τὰ ἤδη πρότερον ἀποδεδειγμένα, τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις περιέχων, φάσκων· Σῶσόν με ἐκ στόματος λέοντος καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς κυνὸς τὴν μονογενῆ μου. Κἀκεῖ γὰρ μονογενοῦς ἐμνημόνευσε καὶ κυνὸς καὶ λέοντος· οὐ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μονοκερώτων, λέγων· Καὶ ἀπὸ κεράτων μονοκερώτων τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου· δι' ὧν σημαίνειν αὐτὸν ἡγοῦμαι τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις, τὰς κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους τῇ μονογενεῖ αὐτοῦ ψυχῇ ἐπιβεβουλευκυίας. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, τὴν μονογενῆ μου· ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, τὴν μοναχήν μου· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, τὴν μονότητά μου, ἡρμήνευσεν. Εἰ δὲ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ταῦτα λέγει, οὐδὲ χαλεπὸν καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ τῆς διανοίας ἐφαρμόσαι. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ πολλῇ. Καὶ ὁ καʹ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν λελεγμένος, μετὰ τὰς προφητείας τὰς περὶ τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ ἐμέμνητο δι' ὧν ἔφη· Ἐν μέσῳ 23.312 Ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε. Ταῦτα δὲ ἐκεῖ ἐλέγετο μετὰ τό· Ῥῦσαι ἀπὸ ῥομφαίας τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς κυνὸς τὴν μονογενῆ μου. Σῶσόν με ἐκ στόματος λέοντος, καὶ ἀπὸ κεράτων μονοκερώτων τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου. Συνῆπτο γοῦν τούτοις τό· ∆ιηγήσομαι τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου, ἐν μέσῳ Ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε. Καὶ ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις παραπλησίως προειπών· Ἀποκατάστησον τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ τῆς κακουργίας αὐτῶν, ἀπὸ λεόντων τὴν μονογενῆ μου, ἐπιλέγει· Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ πολλῇ, ἐν λαῷ βαρεῖ αἰνέσω σε. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, βαρεῖ, ὁ Ἀκύλας ἐξέδωκεν