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504 Ps 48,2a Prepare your hearing, not that which is common to the other animals but that of the inner man by which we understand what is heard, as the Savior says: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'

505 Ps 48,3a Since among those called Gentiles for a hearing some are entirely earthy, of matter and of earthly mindset, but those who have become sons of men according to knowledge and education are as many as attend to disciplines and examined words, and he calls not only the herd-like and beastly but also the intelligent, saying 'Hear these things, you earthborn among the Gentiles and sons of men.' For teachers are debtors not only to the wise but also to the foolish.

506 Ps 48,4 I bring forth wisdom from my mouth, having first meditated on understanding in my heart. For then someone will be able to offer a wise word irreproachably, when he has his mind well-trained in understanding.

507 Ps 48,5b He who has learned divine things will also be able to hand them down well. Therefore, after inclining his ear to a parable, he promises to open, that is, to make clear his problem on the psaltery; for what he proposed to himself, proclaiming it musically and rhythmically according to contemplation, he opens his problem on the psaltery. And the word of one who utters true things as he ought is made musical. And perhaps also he who demonstrates by works the divine words which are problems, on a psaltery composed of sense and power opens each of the problems.

508 Ps 48,6b.8 If indeed the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me, being none other than that handed down from the fathers which the serpent injected into Adam's heel. All those born are of the same race and brothers, but no one is able to redeem his own sinning brother. For that man alone will redeem concerning whom it is said, 'He will send them a man who will save them,' who also says concerning himself, 'But now you seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you.' But this man, since he knew no sin nor committed sin, will not give to God an atonement for himself which is given on behalf of sinners, nor will he offer a price for the redemption of his soul; but having labored according to virtue he will live forever, never to die again. And concerning the one redeemed it can be said 'He will not give to God an atonement for himself.' For each one is not able to give an atonement for himself, Christ making atonement for all in his own blood, nor is anyone able to give a sufficient price for the redemption of his soul, Christ having given his soul as a ransom for all. And if he will not give an atonement nor a price for the redemption of his soul, yet after being redeemed he receives commandments, so that having labored according to them he may be able to live forever, having obtained eternal life.

509 Ps 48,10b He who has been redeemed by Christ will have salvation so securely as not to be easily shaken and easily moved, if indeed he also sees those considered wise dying, since he is not even scandalized so as to see corruption. For being scandalized at what he sees must not be attributed to this one but to those considered wise.

510 Ps 48,11.12ab Without understanding, not one completely cut off but he means one of evil mind and evil thought; for we are accustomed to call one of evil face faceless and one of evil art artless. Thus then the one of evil mind and the one of evil thought will suffer punishment together; for this is their destruction, on account of which the wealth they wrongly treasured up they will leave to others; for there is no proper heir of a rich man who is foolish and without understanding who says these things. These foolish and mindless ones, being ignorant of who they are, thought that like irrational animals their soul does not endure. For they say: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' These men think the tombs in which they are entombed are their houses forever, not expecting the resurrection of the dead; but also their dwellings in every generation and generation

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504 Ps 48,2a Εὐτρεπίσατε δὲ τὴν ἀκοήν, οὐ τὴν κοινὴν πρὸς τὰ αλλα ζῷα

ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου καθ' ην συνίεμεν τῶν ἀκουομένων, καθά φησιν ὁ σωτήρ· ̔Ο εχων ωτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω. 505 Ps 48,3a ̓Επεὶ ἐν τοῖς καλουμένοις εθνεσιν εἰς ἀκρόασιν οἱ μέν εἰσιν γεώδεις ολοι τῆς υλης καὶ τοῦ γηΐνου φρονήματος, γεγενημένοι δὲ υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων κατ' ἐπιστήμην καὶ παίδευσίν εἰσιν οσοι μαθήμασιν καὶ λόγοις ἐξητασμένοις ἐπανέχουσιν, καλεῖ δὲ οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἀγελαίους καὶ βοσκηματώδεις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς συνετοὺς λέγων ̓Ακούσατε ταῦτα οἱ ἐν τοῖς εθνεσιν γηγενεῖς καὶ ἀνθρώπων υἱοί. ὀφειλέται γὰρ οἱ διδάσκαλοι οὐ μόνον σοφῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνοήτων εἰσίν. 506 Ps 48,4 Προφέρω ἐκ στόματος τὴν σοφίαν, πρότερον μελετήσας ἐν καρδίᾳ σύνεσιν. τότε γὰρ ἀλήπτως δυνήσεταί τις σοφὸν προσενέγκασθαι λόγον, οταν συγγεγυμνασμένην κατὰ σύνεσιν εχῃ τὴν διάνοιαν. 507 Ps 48,5b ̔Ο μαθὼν τὰ θεῖα καὶ καλῶς αὐτὰ παραδοῦναι δυνήσεται. διὸ καὶ μετὰ τὸ κλῖναι εἰς παραβολὴν τὸ ους αὐτοῦ ἀνοίγειν ὑπισχνεῖται, τουτέστιν σαφηνίζειν ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ τὸ πρόβλημα ἑαυτοῦ· ο γὰρ προέβαλεν ἑαυτῷ, μεμουσωμένως καὶ εὐρύθμως κατὰ θεωρίαν ἀπαγγέλλων ἀνοίγει ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ τὸ πρόβλημα ἑαυτοῦ. μεμούσωται δὲ ὁ λόγος τοῦ τὰ ἀληθῆ ὡς δεῖ προφέροντος. τάχα δὲ καὶ ὁ τοὺς θείους λόγους προβλήματα τυγχάνοντας εργοις ἐπιδεικνύων ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ συγκειμένῳ ἐξ αἰσθήσεως καὶ δυνάμεως ἀνοίγει εκαστον τῶν προβλημάτων. 508 Ps 48,6b.8 Εἰ αρα κυκλώσει με τῆς πτέρνης μου ἀνομία, οὐκ αλλη ουσα τῆς πατροπαραδότου ης ὁ οφις ἐνῆκεν τῇ πτέρνῃ τοῦ ̓Αδάμ. Πάντες οἱ γεννητοὶ ὁμογενεῖς καὶ ἀδελφοί, οὐδεὶς δὲ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφὸν ἁμαρτῶντα λυτρώσασθαι δύναται. μόνος γὰρ ὁ ανθρωπος ἐκεῖνος λυτρώσεται περὶ ου ειρηται ̓Αποστελεῖ αὐτοῖς ανθρωπον ος σώσει αὐτούς, ος καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ φησιν Νῦν δέ με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι ανθρωπον ος τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα. ουτος δὲ ὁ ανθρωπος, ἐπεὶ οὐκ εγνω ἁμαρτίαν οὐδὲ ἐποίησεν ἁμαρτίαν, οὐ δώσει τῷ θεῷ ἐξίλασμα ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων διδόμενον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τιμὴν ὀρέξει λυτρώσεως αὐτοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς· κοπιάσας δὲ κατ' ἀρετὴν ζήσεται εἰς τέλος, οὐδεπώποτε ετι τεθνηξόμενος. ∆ύναται δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ λυτρουμένου λέγεσθαι τὸ Οὐ δώσει τῷ θεῷ ἐξίλασμα ἑαυτοῦ. οὐ γὰρ εκαστος περὶ ἑαυτοῦ οιός τέ ἐστιν ἐξίλασμα δοῦναι, Χριστοῦ πάντας ἱλασκομένου ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ αιματι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ δοῦναί τις τιμὴν ἱκανὸς τῆς λυτρώσεως τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, δόντος Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ πάντων λύτρον τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. εἰ καὶ οὐ δώσει δὲ ἐξίλασμα οὐδὲ τιμὴν τῆς λυτρώσεως τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλά γε μετὰ τὸ ἀπολυτρωθῆναι ἐντολὰς δέχεται, ινα κατ' αὐτὰς κοπιάσας ζῆσαι εἰς τέλος δυνηθῇ ἐσχηκὼς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν. 509 Ps 48,10b ̔Ο λυθρωθεὶς ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ ουτω βεβαίως εξει τὴν σωτηρίαν ὡς μὴ ευσειστος καὶ εὐκίνητος ειναι, ειπερ αρα καὶ τοὺς νομιζομένους σοφοὺς ὁρᾷ ἀποθνῄσκοντας, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ σκανδαλίζεται ωστε διαφθορὰν ἰδεῖν. τὸ γὰρ σκανδαλίζεσθαι ἐπὶ τῷ ὁρᾶν οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦτον θετέον ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοὺς νομιζομένους σοφούς. 510 Ps 48,11.12ab Ανουν οὐ τὸν πάντῃ ἐκτετμημένον ἀλλὰ τὸν κακόνουν καὶ κακόφρονά φησιν· καὶ γὰρ τὸν κακοπρόσωπον ἀπρόσωπον καὶ τὸν κακότεχνον ατεχνον λέγειν εἰώθαμεν. ουτως ουν ὁ κακόνους καὶ κακόφρων αμα τιμωρίαν ὑφέξουσιν· αυτη γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ ἀπώλεια, δι' ην τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῶν ον κακῶς ἐθησαύρισαν καταλείψουσιν ἀλλοτρίοις· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ιδιος τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος κληρονόμος πλουσίου αφρονος καὶ ανου. ουτος ὁ αφρων καὶ ανους ἀγνοήσαντες ἑαυτοὺς τίνες εἰσὶν εδοξαν οτι κατὰ τὰ αλογα ζῷα οὐκ ἐπιδιαμένει αὐτῶν ἡ ψυχή. φασὶν γάρ· Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αυριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν. ουτοι τοὺς τάφους ἐν οις εἰσιν ἐντετυμβευμένοι οιονται οἰκίας αὐτῶν ειναι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν οὐ προσδοκῶντες· ἀλλὰ καὶ σκηνώματα αὐτῶν ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ