94

you cast them out. For they did not inherit the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance; because you were well pleased in them." You, he says, O Master, having driven out from here the Canaanites with the other nations, settled our fathers in their place. For neither trusting in their strength, nor using their panoply, did they prove superior to so many, but being led by your grace, they struck some down with javelins, and forced others to serve, since you deemed them worthy of your favor. For this he said, "You were well pleased in them." He calls the help the right hand; and the light of the countenance, the manifestation. 5. "You are he, my king and my God, who commands the salvations of Jacob." You are the same, he says, even now, Master, reigning in the same way, ruling in the same way, having the same power; your nature admits not even one change. A word from you is sufficient for salvation. Nod, and the people will enjoy it. Thus also Symmachus interpreted it, Command concerning the salvation of Jacob. 6. "In you we will push down our enemies, and in your name we will despise those who rise up against us." The horned animals received the horn as a weapon from nature; but we have your name as a horn of salvation and a victorious weapon, and using it we will overcome our enemies. 7, 8. "For I will not hope in my bow, and my sword will not save me. For you have saved us from those who afflict us; and you have shamed those who hate us." For I do not trust in bows, nor in other weapons; for I have had experience of your power, having already prevailed over our adversaries through you. 9. "In God we will be praised all the day long, and in your name we will give thanks forever." We beseech you always to enjoy your favor, and to recount continually the multitude of your benefits. For he has put "all the day long" instead of "always" 80.1181. For so also Symmachus interpreted it; for instead of "all the day long," he has put "every day." 10. "But now you have cast us off and shamed us, and you, O God, will not go forth with our forces." These things, therefore, were done by you in former times. But in the present we have been shown to be destitute of your providence, and we live in shame, not being led by your grace. For "you will not go forth with our forces" is instead of "you do not lead us as a general, and as is customary grant that we prevail over our enemies." 11. "You have turned us back before our enemies; and those who hate us plundered for themselves." For not enjoying your providence, we turn our backs and flee; and the enemies plunder our possessions. 12. "You have given us as sheep for eating, and you have scattered us among the nations." And like sheep without a shepherd, we are consumed by your enemies; and those who have escaped death, being sold here and there, are forced to be slaves. 13. "You sold your people for no price, and there was no multitude in our exchanges." Symmachus interpreted this thus: "You sold your people not for substance, and you did not make their price great." God says such things also through the prophet Isaiah; What is this bill of divorce [of your mother?] or to which creditor have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your sins I sent away your mother." And again, "You were sold for free, and you will not be redeemed with silver." And the divine Apostle: "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." And here, therefore, the wonderful men say that, having received no price from our enemies, you sold us, but for the sake of our sins you handed us over. 14. "You have made us a reproach to our neighbors; a scorn and derision to those around us. He calls the foreigners dwelling round about neighbors, and the Idumeans, and Moabites, and Ammonites, and the other neighboring peoples, to whom they have become a cause of rejoicing when they are warred against. 80.1184 15. "You have made us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head

94

ἐξέβαλες αὐτούς. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ αὐτῶν ἐκληρονόμησαν γῆν, καὶ ὁ βραχίων αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔσωσεν αὐτούς· ἀλλ' ἡ δεξιά σου, καὶ ὁ βραχίων σου, καὶ ὁ φωτισμὸς τοῦ προσώπου σου· ὅτι εὐδόκησας ἐν αὐτοῖς." Σὺ, φησὶν, ὦ ∆έσποτα, τοὺς Χαναναίους μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἐξελάσας, τοὺς ἡμετέρους πατέρας ἀντ' ἐκείνων κατῴκισας. Οὔτε γὰρ ῥώμῃ θαῤῥοῦν τες, οὔτε πανοπλίᾳ χρώμενοι, τοσούτων ἀπεφάν θησαν κρείττους, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς στρατηγούμενοι χάριτος, τοὺς μὲν κατηκόντισαν, τοὺς δὲ δουλεύειν ἠνάγκασαν, ἐπειδὴ τῆς σῆς αὐτοὺς ἠξίωσας οἰκειό τητος. Τοῦτο γὰρ εἶπεν, "Ηὐδόκησας ἐν αὐτοῖς." ∆εξιὰν δὲ καλεῖ τὴν βοήθειαν· φωτισμὸν δὲ προσώπου, τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν. εʹ. "Σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεύς μου, καὶ ὁ Θεός μου, ὁ ἐντελλόμενος τὰς σωτηρίας Ἰακώβ." Ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, φησὶ, καὶ νῦν, ∆έσποτα, ὁμοίως βασιλεύων, ὁμοίως κρατῶν, τὴν αὐτὴν δύναμιν ἔχων, ἀλλοίω σιν οὐδὲ μίαν ἡ σὴ δέχεται φύσις. Ἀρκεῖ σοι καὶ λόγος εἰς σωτηρίαν. Νεῦσον, καὶ ταύτης ὁ λαὸς ἀπολαύσεται. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν, Ἔντειλαι περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας Ἰακώβ. ʹ. "Ἐν σοὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν κερατιοῦμεν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐξουδενώσομεν τοὺς ἐπανισταμέ νους ἡμῖν." Τὰ κερασφόρα ζῶα ὅπλον τὸ κέρας παρὰ τῆς φύσεως ἔλαβον· ἡμεῖς δὲ κέρας σω τηρίας, καὶ νικηφόρον ὅπλον, τὸ σὸν ἔχομεν ὄνομα, καὶ τούτῳ χρώμενοι τῶν πολεμίων περιεσόμεθα ζʹ, ηʹ. "Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ τόξῳ μου ἐλπιῶ, καὶ ἡ ῥομφαία μου οὐ σώσει με. Ἔσωσας γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν θλιβόντων ἡμᾶς· καὶ τοὺς μισοῦντας ἡμᾶς κατῄσχυνας." Οὔτε γὰρ τόξοις, οὔτε ἄλλοις ὅπλοις θαῤῥῶ· πεῖραν γὰρ τῆς σῆς δυνάμεως ἔλαβον, διὰ σοῦ τῶν ἐναντίων ἤδη κρατήσας. θʹ. "Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἐπαινεθησόμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέ ραν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐξομολογησόμεθα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα." Ἱκετεύομεν δὲ ἀεὶ τῆς σῆς ἀπολαῦσαι ῥοπῆς, καὶ διηνεκῶς τῶν σῶν εὐεργεσιῶν διεξιέναι τὸ πλῆθος. Τὸ γὰρ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀεὶ 80.1181 τέθεικεν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμή νευσεν· ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, κατὰ πᾶ σαν ἡμέραν τέθεικεν. ιʹ. "Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπώσω καὶ κατῄσχυνας ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσῃ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἡμῶν." Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις γεγένηται παρὰ σοῦ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ παρόντος ἔρημοι τῆς σῆς ἀπεφάν θημεν προμηθείας, καὶ ἐν αἰσχύνῃ διάγομεν ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς οὐ στρατηγούμενοι χάριτος. Τὸ γὰρ, οὐκ ἐξελεύσῃ ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἡμῶν, ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐ στρατηγεῖς ἡμῶν, καὶ συνήθως παρέχεις τῶν πο λεμίων κρατεῖν. ιαʹ. "Ἀπέστρεψας ἡμᾶς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω παρὰ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν· καὶ οἱ μισοῦντες ἡμᾶς διήρπαζον ἑαυτοῖς." Τῆς γὰρ σῆς προνοίας οὐκ ἀπολαύ οντες, ἡμεῖς μὲν νῶτα διδόντες ἀποδιδράσκομεν· πορθοῦσι δὲ οἱ πολέμιοι τὰ ἡμέτερα. ιβʹ. "Ἔδωκας ἡμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα βρώσεως, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι διέσπειρας ἡμᾶς." ∆ίκην δὲ προβάτων ἐρήμων ποιμένος, ὑπὸ τῶν σῶν δαπανώμεθα πο λεμίων· καὶ οἱ τὸν θάνατον διαφυγόντες, τῇδε κἀκεῖσε ἀπεμπολούμενοι, δουλεύειν ἀναγκαζόμεθα. ιγʹ. "Ἀπέδου τὸν λαόν σου ἄνευ τιμῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν πλῆθος ἐν τοῖς ἀλλάγμασιν ἡμῶν." Τοῦτο ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσεν· "Ἀπέδου τὸν λαόν σου οὐχ ὑπάρξεως, καὶ οὐ πολλὴν ἐποίησας τὴν τιμὴν αὐτῶν." Τοιαῦτα καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἡσαΐου φησὶν ὁ Θεός· Ποῖον τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ ἀπο στασίου [τῆς μητρὸς ὑμῶν;] ἢ τίνι ὑπόχρεως ὢν πέπρακα ὑμᾶς; Ἰδοὺ ταῖς ἀνομίαις ὑμῶν ἐπράθητε, καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν ἐξαπέστειλα τὴν μητέρα ὑμῶν." Καὶ πάλιν, "∆ωρεὰν ἐπράθητε, καὶ οὐ μετὰ ἀργυρίου λυτρωθήσεσθε." Καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπό στολος· "Οἴδαμεν γὰρ ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν, ἐγὼ δὲ σαρκικός εἰμι, πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας." Κἀνταῦθα τοίνυν οἱ θαυμάσιοι λέγουσιν ἄνδρες, ὅτι οὐδεμίαν τιμὴν παρὰ τῶν πο λεμίων λαβὼν ἀπέδου ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἕνεκα παραδέδωκας. ιδʹ. "Ἔθου ἡμᾶς ὄνειδος τοῖς γείτοσιν ἡμῶν· μυκτηρισμὸν καὶ χλευασμὸν τοῖς κύκλῳ ἡμῶν. Γείτονας κύκλῳ κατοικοῦντας τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους καλεῖ, καὶ Ἰδουμαίους, καὶ Μωαβίτας, καὶ Ἀμμανίτας, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πλησιοχώρους, οἷς ἐπί χαρτοι γεγόνασι πολεμούμενοι. 80.1184 ιεʹ. "Ἔθου ἡμᾶς εἰς παραβολὴν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, κί νησιν κεφαλῆς