94

given over to transgressions, but according to the conclusion, the end of such men. Having said then at the beginning: "The transgressor says of sinning in 23.317 himself," toward the end, "There have all the workers of iniquity fallen, they have been cast out and will not be able to stand." But in the middle it contains theology and the good hopes of God-loving men. And these things were spoken to the servant of the Lord, to David. For the inscription signifies this; who, having separated himself from the rank of the transgressors, joined in supplication to God, having enslaved himself to the law and the commands of God. And he also teaches the rest of men to do the same things as himself, and not to be carried away with the transgressors. The transgressor says of sinning in himself; there is no fear of God before his eyes. Because he dealt deceitfully before him, to find his iniquity and to hate. But Symmachus interpreted the preceding things more clearly, rendering it in this way: "My heart says from within concerning the faithlessness of the impious man: The fear of God is not set directly before his eyes. Because what concerns him seems to slip away, so that his injustice is found to be hated." For through these things David himself says, "My heart and my reasoning conceived these things about the impious man." For as for his contemplative power, through which he was able to know the fear of God, he deceived them and himself, having perverted the eyes of his mind. Wherefore, according to the Hebrew reading, it is said that he dealt deceitfully "in his eyes," "to find his iniquity, and to hate." Thus, he says, he perverted himself, and cast the fear of God from his own eyes, so that his iniquity happens to be manifest, and is seen and found again; and for this reason it is worthy of hatred. And such a man has given himself over to sin unconcealedly, so that the words of his mouth are also iniquity and deceit. And he chose these things quite willingly, since he has free will, and while being able to follow the good path, he was not willing; wherefore it is said: "He did not wish to understand so as to do good; but he devised iniquity on his bed." For not even during the time of quiet, in which after the day's activities men give themselves to rest and stability and sleep, has such a man been in a state of calm; but even at this time "he devised iniquity on his bed." "O Lord, your mercy is in heaven." Very consistently after the description of the wickedness of the transgressor, he presents the surpassing riches of the long-suffering of God, through which he bears with even transgressing and impious men; teaching that the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering are filled with great mercy. And this mercy of God happens to be the cause of the life and cheerfulness of sinful and impious men. He says, therefore, that the treasure of his mercy is stored up in heaven, but also that his truth is with him, filling * all things above the heavens; however, it also reaches as far as the clouds, or, as far as the ethers, according to Symmachus. Thus then it is also said 23.320 in another place: "Your truth shall be prepared in heaven." The truth of God, therefore, is in heaven, but it drips down like rain carried through the clouds even to the earth. Wherefore it is said: "And your truth is unto the clouds." And from the so-called clouds the truth of God is also poured out upon men; and the Word is accustomed to call the prophets or the angelic powers clouds, through whom the truth of God has come down also to men. Thus it is said in Isaiah: "And I will command the clouds not to rain rain upon it," that is, upon the people of the Jews, tropically named a vineyard. Furthermore, he says, "Your righteousness, O Lord, is great and high, compared to mountains, and to the mountains of God, and in addition to these, your judgments

94

παρανομίαις ἐκδεδομένον, κατὰ δὲ τὸ συμπέρασμα τὸ τῶν τοιούτων τέλος. Εἰπὼν γοῦν ἐν ἀρχῇ· Φησὶν ὁ παράνομος τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν 23.317 ἑαυτῷ, πρὸς τῷ τέλει, Ἐκεῖ ἔπεσαν πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν, ἐξώσθησαν καὶ οὐ δυνήσονται στῆναι. Κατὰ δὲ τὰ μέσα θεολογίαν περιέχει καὶ τῶν θεοφιλῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀγαθὰς ἐλπίδας. Λέλεκται δὲ ταῦτα τῷ δούλῳ Κυρίου τῷ ∆αυΐδ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ προγραφὴ σημαίνει· ὃς, ἀφορίσας ἑαυτὸν τῆς τῶν παρανόμων τάξεως, συνῆψε τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἱκετείᾳ, τῷ νόμῳ καὶ ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ διαταγαῖς ἑαυτὸν καταδουλώσας. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀνθρώπους τὰ ὅμοια αὑτῷ πράττειν, καὶ μὴ συναπάγεσθαι τοῖς παρανόμοις. Φησὶν ὁ παράνομος τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῧ. Ὅτι ἐδόλωσεν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ εὑρεῖν τὴν ἀνομίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ μισῆσαι. Σαφέστερον δὲ τὰ προκείμενα ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ Σύμμαχος, τοῦτον ἀποδοὺς τὸν τρόπον· Φησὶν περὶ ἀσυνθεσίας τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ἔνδοθεν ἡ καρδία μου· Οὐ πρόκειται ὁ φόβος Θεοῦ ἄντικρυς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ. Ὅτι ἐξολισθαίνειν τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ δοκεῖ, τοῦ εὑρεθῆναι τὴν ἀδικίαν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ μισηθῆναι αὐτήν. ∆ιὰ τούτων γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ ∆αυῒδ, Ἐμοῦ, φησὶν, ἡ καρδία καὶ ὁ ἐμὸς λογισμὸς ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ἀνδρὸς ἐνενόησε. Τὴν γὰρ θεωρητικὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν, δι' ἧς ἐδύνατο γνῶναι τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐδόλωσεν αὐτοὺς ἑαυτὸν τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς διαστρέψας. ∆ιὸ κατὰ τὴν Ἑβραϊκὴν ἀνάγνωσιν· Ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ εἴρηται δεδολωκέναι, τοῦ εὑρεῖν τὴν ἀνομίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μισῆσαι· Οὕτω, φησὶν, ἑαυτὸν διέστρεψε, καὶ τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἀπέῤῥιψεν ὀφθαλμῶν, ὡς τὴν ἀνομίαν αὐτοῦ προφανῆ τυγχάνειν, καὶ πάλιν ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ εὑρίσκεσθαι· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μίσους ἀξίαν εἶναι. Ἀκαλύπτως δὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐξέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ὡς καὶ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀνομίαν εἶναι καὶ δόλον. Πάνυ δὲ ταῦτα ἑκὼν εἵλετο, ἅτε δὴ αὐτεξούσιος ὢν, καὶ δυνάμενος μὲν τὴν ἀγαθὴν μετελθεῖν ὁδὸν, μὴ βουληθεὶς δέ· διὸ λέλεκται· Οὐκ ἐβουλήθη συνιέναι τοῦ ἀγαθῦναι· ἀνομίαν δὲ διελογίσατο ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἡσυχίας ἐν ᾧ μετὰ τὰς μεθημερινὰς πράξεις ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδιδόασιν ἄνθρωποι ἠρεμίᾳ καὶ εὐσταθείᾳ καὶ ὕπνῳ, ἐν καταστάσει γαλήνῃ γέγονεν ὁ τοιοῦτος· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἀνομίαν διελογίσατο ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ. Κύριε, ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τὸ ἔλεός σου. Σφόδρα ἀκολούθως μετὰ τὴν ὑπογραφὴν τῆς τοῦ παρανόμου κακίας τὸν ὑπερβάλλοντα πλοῦτον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίας παρίστησιν, δι' ἧς καὶ τῶν παρανόμων καὶ ἀσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀνέχεται· διδάσκων, ὅτι ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας ἐλέου πεπλήρωται μεγάλου. Καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ αἴτιον τυγχάνει τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ἀσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν ζωῆς τε καὶ εὐθυμίας. Τὸν μὲν οὖν θησαυρὸν τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ τεταμιεῦσθαί φησιν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ εἶναι παρ' αὐτῷ, πληροῦντες * πάντα τὰ ὑπερουράνια· ὅμως δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῶν νεφελῶν, ἢ, μέχρι τῶν αἰθέρων, κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον, διήκειν. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ 23.320 ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέλεκται· Ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἑτοιμασθήσεται ἡ ἀλήθειά σου. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, δίκην δὲ ὑετοῦ φερομένου διὰ νεφῶν καὶ μέχρι τῆς γῆς ἐπιστάζει. ∆ιὸ εἴρηται· Καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν. Ἐκ δὲ τῶν λεγομένων νεφελῶν καὶ εἰς ἀνθρώπους προχέεται ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀλήθεια· νεφέλας δὲ τοὺς προφήτας ἢ τὰς ἀγγελικὰς δυνάμεις, δι' ὧν ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εἰς ἀνθρώπους κατελήλυθεν, εἴωθεν ὁ λόγος ὀνομάζειν. Οὕτω λέλεκται ἐν Ἡσαΐᾳ· Καὶ ταῖς νεφέλαις ἐντελοῦμαι τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι εἰς αὐτὸν ὑετὸν, δηλαδὴ εἰς τὸν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν, ἀμπελῶνα τροπικῶς ὠνομασμένον. Ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου, φησὶν, ὦ Κύριε, μεγάλη τυγχάνει καὶ ὑψηλὴ, ὄρεσι παραβαλλομένη, καὶ ὄρεσι Θεοῦ, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὰ κρίματά σου