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the tears. For he calls the land of Jordan the land of promise, and Hermoniim, Mount Hermon. And through the mountain and the river, he signified all that land. And thus Symmachus also interpreted: My soul melts away, when I remember you from the land of Jordan, and from Hermoniim, the smallest mountain. 80.1173 8. "Deep calls to deep at the voice of your waterfalls. All your high waves and your billows have gone over me." And in that land, he says, as I was passing through, I was delivered over to a multitude of enemies, and I was submerged as in a certain abyss. For he calls the military battalions abysses, and he likens the excess of the multitude to immeasurable waters; and what was done by these, to the ancient flood, which destroyed the entire inhabited world. And these things Symmachus interpreted more clearly: Abyss met abyss, from the sound of your springs. For you brought them on, exacting from me the penalty of my transgression. "Your storms and your waves have passed over me." For since he likened the army to an abyss, he persisted in the metaphor, and called the attacks made by the army waves and storms. For these things, he says, I am in pain; for the memory of them stings me; but yet I have your loving-kindness as a comfort. For he added this: 9. "By day the Lord will command His mercy, and by night His song shall be with me. A prayer to the God of my life." Always, he says, knowing the mercy supplied by God, and considering this to myself by night, I sing and praise the one who so provides for us. And I offer to him also supplications, beseeching to receive this loving-kindness. Then he also teaches the words of the prayer: 10, 11. "I will say to God, You are my helper, why have you forgotten me? and why do I go about downcast while the enemy oppresses me? While my bones were being broken, my enemies reproached me, while they said to me every day, Where is your God?" These things, he says, saying to my Master, I have always obtained your providence. Why now have you stripped me of it, so that I ceaselessly wander and lament, because of the reproaches from my enemies? For while torturing me, and breaking my bones with blows and bonds, they mock me, saying, "Where is your God?" supposing that I suffer these things because of your weakness. And "You have forgotten me," that is, you do not share your providence with me. For forgetfulness is a human passion, but impassibility is proper to God. 12. "Why are you very sorrowful, O my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I will give thanks 80.1176 to him, the salvation of my countenance, and my God." Do not despair, he says, O soul, of salvation; for you have God as a Savior; possessing a sure hope in him, quench your despondency, and receive comfort.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 42ND PSALM. 1. "A Psalm for David. Without inscription among the Hebrews. Judge me, O God, and

plead my cause against an unholy nation; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man." The psalm is without inscription among the Hebrews, as having the same meaning as the preceding one. And those who made the aforementioned speeches beseech God to judge between them and the Babylonians, who employed great cruelty and a bestial disposition. For this reason they also call them an unholy nation, and indeed also their king, a deceitful and unjust man. And the prophecy of the wondrous Daniel also teaches these things about him. 2. "For you, O God, are my strength; why have you cast me off, and why do I go about downcast while the enemy oppresses me? Again they offer the same supplication, begging to be delivered from the cruelty of the enemies, on account of which they were always downcast and dejected. And the "why" they say not as accusing, but as themselves not having partaken in the transgression of the others, and yet with them having become destitute of providence from above; but nevertheless they make a common supplication on behalf of all.

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τὰ δάκρυα. Γῆν γὰρ Ἰορδάνου τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπ αγγελίας καλεῖ, καὶ Ἑρμωνιεὶμ, τὸ ὄρος τὸ Ἀερμών. ∆ιὰ δὲ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ, πᾶσαν ἐκείνην τὴν γῆν παρεδήλωσεν. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν· Ἡ ψυχή μου κατατήκεται, ὅταν ἀναμιμνήσκομαι σου ἀπὸ γῆς Ἰορδάνου, καὶ ἀπὸ Ἑρμωνιεὶμ ὄρους μικροτάτου. 80.1173 ηʹ. "Ἄβυσσος ἄβυσσον ἐπικαλεῖται εἰς φωνὴν τῶν καταρακτῶν σου. Πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου, καὶ τὰ κύματά σου ἐπ' ἐμὲ διῆλθον." Ἐν ἐκείνῃ δὲ, φησὶ, διάγων τῇ γῇ, πλήθει δυσμενῶν παρεδό θην, καὶ ὡς ἐν ἀβύσσῳ τινὶ ὑποβρύχιος ἐγενόμην. Ἀβύσσους γὰρ καλεῖ, τὰ στρατιωτικὰ τάγματα, καὶ τὴν τοῦ πλήθους ὑπερβολὴν ὕδασιν ἀμετρήτοις ἀπεικάζει· καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τούτων γεγενημένα, τῷ πά λαι κατακλυσμῷ, ὃς τὴν οἰκουμένην διέφθειρεν ἅπασαν. Καὶ ταῦτα σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρ μήνευσεν· Ἄβυσσος ἀβύσσῳ ἀπήντα, ἀπὸ ἤχου τῶν κρουνῶν σου. Σὺ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπήγαγες, ποι νήν με τῆς παρανομίας εἰσπραττόμενος. "Αἱ καταιγίδες σου καὶ τὰ κύματά σου ἐπάνω μου παρ ῆλθον." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀβύσσῳ τὴν στρατιὰν ἀπείκα σεν, ἐπέμεινε τῇ τροπῇ, καὶ τὰς γεγενημένας τῆς στρατιᾶς προσβολὰς, κύματα καὶ καταιγίδας ἐκάλεσε. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα, φησὶν, ὀδυνῶμαι· ἡ γὰρ τού των μνήμη κεντεῖ με· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὴν σὴν φιλανθρω πίαν ἔχω παραψυχήν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν· θʹ. "Ἡμέρας ἐντελεῖται Κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ, καὶ νυκτὸς ᾠδὴ αὐτοῦ παρ' ἐμοί. Προσευχὴ τῷ Θεῷ τῆς ζωῆς μου." Ἀεὶ, φησὶ, χορηγούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἔλεον ἐπιστάμενος, καὶ νύκτωρ τοῦτο ἐμαυτῷ λογιζόμενος, ᾄδω καὶ ὑμνῶ τὸν οὕτω τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς προμηθούμενον. Προσφέρω δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ δεήσεις, ταύτης τυχεῖν τῆς φιλανθρω πίας ἀντιβολῶν. Εἶτα διδάσκει καὶ τῆς προσευχῆς τὰ ῥήματα· ιʹ, ιαʹ. "Ἐρῶ τῷ Θεῷ, ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ, διατί μου ἐπελάθου, καὶ ἱνατί σκυθρωπάζων πορεύομαι ἐν τῷ ἐκθλίβειν τὸν ἐχθρόν; Ἐν τῷ καταθλᾶ σθαι τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ὠνείδιζόν με οἱ ἐχθροί μου ἐν τῷ αὐτοὺς λέγειν μοι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου;" Ταῦτα, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸν ἐμὸν λέγων ∆εσπότην, τῆς σῆς ἀεὶ προνοίας τετύχηκα. Τί δήποτέ με νῦν ταύτης ἐγύμνωσας, ὡς ἀπαύστως ἀλύειν τε καὶ θρηνεῖν, διὰ τὰ παρὰ τῶν δυσμενῶν ὀνείδη; αἰκιζόμενοι γάρ με, καὶ πληγαῖς καὶ δεσμοῖς τὰ ὀστᾶ μου συντρίβοντες, ἐπικερτο μοῦσι λέγοντες, "Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου;" διὰ τὴν σὴν ἀσθένειαν ταῦτά με πάσχειν ὑπολαμβάνοντες. Τὸ δὲ "Ἐπελάθου μου," τουτέστι τῆς σῆς μοι προνοίας οὐ μεταδίδως. Λήθη γὰρ πάθος ἀνθρώπι νον, ἴδιον δὲ Θεοῦ ἀπάθεια. ιβʹ. "Ἱνατί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἱνατί συνταράσσεις με; Ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐξομο 80.1176 λογήσομαι αὐτῷ, σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου, καὶ ὁ Θεός μου." Μὴ ἀπαγορεύῃς, φησὶν, ὦ ψυχὴ, τὴν σωτηρίαν· ἔχεις γὰρ Σωτῆρα Θεόν· οὗ τὴν ἐλπίδα κεκτημένη βεβαίαν, σβέσον τὴν ἀθυμίαν, καὶ δέξαι παραψυχήν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΜΒʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ. Ἀνεπίγραφος παρ' Ἑβραίοις. Κρῖνόν μοι, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ

δίκασον τὴν δίκην μου ἐξ ἔθνους οὐχ ὁσίου, ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἀδίκου καὶ δολίου ῥῦσαί με." Ἀνεπίγραφός ἔστιν ὁ ψαλμὸς παρ' Ἑβραίοις, ὡς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχων τῷ προ τεταγμένῳ διάνοιαν. Ἀντιβολοῦσι δὲ τὸν Θεὸν οἷ τοὺς προειρημένους ποιησάμενοι λόγους, δικάσαι αὐτοῖς καὶ Βαβυλωνίοις, ὠμότητι πολλῇ κεχρη μένοις, καὶ θηριώδει γνώμῃ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔθνος αὐ τοὺς ἀνόσιον ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ τὸν τού των βασιλέα, ἄνδρα δόλιόν τε καὶ ἄδικον. Ταῦτα δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ τοῦ θαυμασίου ∆ανιὴλ προφη τεία διδάσκει. βʹ. "Ὅτι σὺ, ὁ Θεὸς, κραταίωμά μου, ἱνατί ἀπώσω με, καὶ ἱνατὶ σκυθρωπάζων πορεύομαι ἐν τῷ ἐκ θλίβειν τὸν ἐχθρόν; Πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν προσφέρουσι δέησιν, λιπαροῦντες ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ὠμότητος, δι' ἣν σκυθρωποὶ καὶ κατηφεῖς ἦσαν ἀεί. Τὸ δὲ, ἱνατί, οὐχ ὡς ἐγκαλοῦντες λέγουσιν, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτοὶ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων παρανομίας οὐ κοινωνήσαντες, καὶ σὺν ἐκείνοις ἔρημοι τῆς ἄνωθεν προνοίας γενό μενοι· κοινὴν δὲ ὅμως ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ποιοῦνται τὴν ἱκετείαν.