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3. "Send out thy light, and thy truth: they have led me, and brought me to thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles." Here the Seventy changed the tense, and have spoken of future things as having happened. But the others made the interpretation clearer: "Send out thy light, and thy truth, which will guide me, and bring me to thy holy mountain, and to thy tabernacles." I ask to enjoy the divine help; for through it it is possible for me both to be delivered from bitter slavery, and to return to the fatherland, and in the consecrated temple to offer the customary worship. For he called the temple the tabernacles of God; and the holy mountain, Sion; and light and truth, the just and saving manifestation. For just as he calls misfortunes darkness, so he calls deliverance from them light. And they ask for truth with the light; inasmuch as they have requested 80.1177 God to judge between them and the Babylonians; and clearly knowing that God, using truth and not longsuffering, will condemn them, but will free them from their slavery.

4. "And I will go to the altar of God, to God who makes glad my youth: I will confess to thee on the harp, O God, my God." Symmachus interpreted this thus: "That I may come to the altar of God, to God the gladness of my joy, and I will confess to thee on the psaltery, O God, my God." I long for the return, he says, desiring to see thy much-desired altar, and through it to see thee, the Master, who gives me occasions for all kinds of gladness and delight. There with the harp I will make the customary hymns; for in Babylon, "upon the willows we hung our instruments," considering worship outside thy place a transgression of the law.

5. "Why art thou very sad, O my soul? and why dost thou trouble me? Hope in God, for I will confess to him, the salvation of my countenance, and my God." And from this it is clear that both psalms have one meaning. But those who use these words exhort themselves to have better hopes, and to conquer the passion of despondency, and to await the salvation from God, as it will undoubtedly be given.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 43RD PSALM. 1. "For the end, for the sons of Korah, for understanding." And this one, having a prophecy of things to come, exhorts to await the end. And to the inscription is added "for understanding," so that they, understanding what is written, about which the prophetic word foretells, might seize the benefit from it. The psalm foretells the Macedonian cruelty, and the impious and beastly mind of Antiochus Epiphanes, and the courage and piety of the Maccabees. For Mattathias, the blessed and thrice-blessed, having often acted with his children with divine zeal, and considering the many myriads of the Macedonians, and the multitude of elephants weak, as being destitute of divine providence, marched with a few against them and conquered; and having torn down the altars of the idols, he cleansed the divine temple, and restored the customary worship to his countrymen. Not only he, but also his children after his death, by praying routed the enemies, and enjoying the divine favor, they set up trophies. Therefore, from their person, the prophetic grace dictated the psalm, teaching beforehand what kind of words they ought to use in dangers. 80.1180

2. "O God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us the work, which thou didst in their days, in the days of old." We have not been eyewitnesses of thy wonders, O Master, but we have learned from our fathers, how many wonders you worked in those times, fulfilling the promises made to our ancestors.

3, 4. "Thy hand has utterly destroyed nations, and thou hast planted them; thou hast afflicted peoples, and

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γʹ. "Ἐξαπόστειλον τὸ φῶς σου, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου, αὐτά με ὡδήγησαν, καὶ ἤγαγόν με εἰς ὄρος ἅγιόν σου, καὶ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματά σου." Ἐνταῦθα τὸν χρόνον ἐνήλλαξαν οἱ Ἑβδομήκοντα, καὶ ὡς γεγενημένα εἰρή κασι τὰ ἐσόμενα. Οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι σαφεστέραν ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ἑρμηνείαν· "Ἀπόστειλον τὸ φῶς σου, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου, ἅτινα ὁδηγήσει με, καὶ ἄξει με εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν σου, καὶ εἰς τὰς σκηνώσεις σου." Τῆς θείας ἐπικουρίας ἀπολαῦσαι παρακαλῶ· διὰ ταύτης με γὰρ δυνατὸν καὶ τῆς πικρᾶς ἀπαλ λαγῆναι δουλείας, καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν πατρῴαν ἐπαν ελθεῖν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀφιερωμένῳ ναῷ τὴν νενομισμέ νην λατρείαν προσενεγκεῖν. Σκηνώματα γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν ναὸν προσηγόρευσεν· ὄρος δὲ ἅγιον, τὴν Σιών· φῶς δὲ καὶ ἀλήθειαν, τὴν δικαίαν καὶ σωτήριον ἐπιφάνειαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σκότος τὰς συμφορὰς ὀνομάζει, οὕτω φῶς τὴν τούτων ἀπαλ λαγήν. Αἰτοῦσι δὲ μετὰ τοῦ φωτὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἅτε δὴ κρῖναι τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῖς καὶ Βαβυλωνίοις ἐξαι 80.1177 τήσαντες· καὶ σαφῶς εἰδότες, ὡς ἀληθείᾳ καὶ μὴ μακροθυμίᾳ χρώμενος ὁ Θεὸς, ἐκείνων μὲν καταψη φιεῖται, αὐτοὺς δὲ τῆς ἐκείνων δουλείας ἐλευθερώσει. δʹ. "Καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸν εὐφραίνοντα τὴν νεότητά μου· ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν κιθάρᾳ, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου." Τοῦτο ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσεν· "Ἵνα ἔλθω πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὴν εὐφροσύνην τῆς εὐθυμίας μου, καὶ ἐξ ομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου." Ἱμείρομαι δὲ τῆς ἐπανόδου, φησὶ, τὸ τριπόθητόν σου θυσιαστήριον ἰδεῖν ἐφιέμενος, καὶ δι' ἐκείνου σὲ τὸν ∆εσπότην θεάσασθαι, ὃς εὐφροσύνης παντοδαπῆς, καὶ θυμηδίας ἀφορμάς μοι παρέχεις. Ἐκεῖ δὲ μετὰ κιθάρας τὰς συνήθεις ὑμνῳδίας ποιήσομαι· ἐν Βα βυλῶνι γὰρ, "ἐπὶ τῶν ἰτεῶν ἐκρεμάσαμεν τὰ ὄργανα ἡμῶν," παράβασιν τοῦ νόμου τὴν ἔξω τοῦ σοῦ τόπου λατρείαν ἡγούμενοι. εʹ. "Ἱνατί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου; καὶ ἵνα τί συνταράσσεις με; Ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐξ ομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ, σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου, καὶ ὁ Θεός μου." Καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον, ὡς ἀμφό τεροι οἱ ψαλμοὶ μίαν διάνοιαν ἔχουσι. Σφίσι δὲ αὐτοῖς παρεγγυῶσιν οἱ τοῖς λόγοις τοῖσδε χρησά μενοι, τὰς χρηστοτέρας ἔχειν ἐλπίδας, καὶ νικῆσαι τῆς ἀθυμίας τὸ πάθος, καὶ προσμεῖναι τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ σωτηρίαν, ὡς ἀναμφιβόλως δοθησομένην. ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΜΓʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ, εἰς σύνεσιν." Καὶ οὗτος πραγμάτων ἐσομένων πρόῤῥησιν ἔχων, ἀναμεῖναι τὸ τέλος παρεγγυᾷ. Πρόσκειται δὲ τῇ ἐπι γραφῇ εἰς σύνεσιν, ἵνα συνιέντες ἐκεῖνοι τὰ γε γραμμένα, περὶ ὧν ὁ προφητικὸς προθεσπίζει λό γος, τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἁρπάσωσιν ὠφέλειαν. Προαγορεύει δὲ ὁ ψαλμὸς τὴν Μακεδονικὴν ὠμότητα, καὶ τὴν Ἀντιόχου τοῦ Ἐπιφανοῦς δυσσεβῆ καὶ θηριώδη γνώμην, καὶ τὴν τῶν Μακκαβαίων ἀνδρείαν τε καὶ εὐσέ βειαν. Ματταθίας γὰρ ὁ μακάριος καὶ τρισ μακάριστος, καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις ζήλῳ θείῳ μετὰ τῶν παίδων χρησάμενος, καὶ τὰς πολλὰς τῶν Μα κεδόνων μυριάδας, καὶ τῶν ἐλεφάντων τὸ πλῆθος ἀσθενὲς ἡγησάμενος, ὡς τῆς θείας ἔρημον προ μηθείας, μετὰ ὀλίγων κατὰ τούτων στρατεύσας ἐνί κησε· καὶ τοὺς τῶν εἰδώλων ἀνασπάσας βωμοὺς, τὸν θεῖον νεὼν ἐξεκάθηρε, καὶ τὴν συνήθη λατρείαν τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις ἀπέδωκεν. Οὐ μόνον δὲ αὐτὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τούτου παῖδες μετὰ τὴν τούτου τελευτὴν, προσευχόμενοι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐτρέποντο, καὶ τῆς θείας ῥοπῆς ἀπολαύοντες ἵστων τὰ τρόπαια. Ἐκ προσώπου τοίνυν αὐτῶν, ἡ προφητικὴ χάρις ὑπηγό ρευσε τὸν ψαλμὸν, προδιδάσκουσα οἵοις αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις προσήκει χρήσασθαι λόγοις. 80.1180 βʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν ἠκούσαμεν, καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἀνήγγειλαν ἡμῖν ἔργον, ὃ εἰργάσω ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῶν, ἐν ἡμέραις ἀρχαίαις." Αὐτ όπται μὲν ἡμεῖς τῶν σῶν θαυμάτων οὐ γεγενήμεθα, ∆έσποτα, παρὰ δὲ τῶν ἡμετέρων μεμαθήκαμεν πατέ ρων, ὅσα θαύματα κατ' ἐκείνους εἰργάσω τοὺς χρόνους, τὰς πρὸς τοὺς ἡμετέρους προγόνους γεγενημένας ἐπαγγελίας πληρῶν. γʹ, δʹ. "Ἡ χείρ σου ἔθνη ἐξωλόθρευσε, καὶ κατ εφύτευσας αὐτούς· ἐκάκωσας λαοὺς, καὶ