98

they think are the tombs, having pitifully hoped in this life alone. And perhaps also doing nothing vital but, having been put to death through the things in which they sin, being cast down in the grave, they think the grave is an eternal house. 511 Ps 48,12c And these also called their names upon their lands. For the names of the apostles are written in the heavens through what they do or think, but those about whom the discourse is called their own names upon their own lands through what they do, being enrolled as citizens of the earth; for having fallen away, they will be written on the earth. 512 Ps 48,13 Man has been made according to the image and likeness of God, and having been shown to be rational, has the greatest honor. But not understanding this, but acting with irrationality, he is compared to senseless beasts, having become a horse mad for mares and having imitated the impulses of the other irrational animals. Therefore, he was made like senseless beasts, having the hope, if he should wish it, to be made like God. 513 Ps 48,15b For the upright will be over five cities and ten in the age to come. And Solomon in the Proverbs says this same thing: An envious man hastens to be rich and does not know that a merciful man will have dominion over him. 514 Ps 48,16 Even if the aforementioned things have happened to most men, yet God will take my soul from Hades which already holds it and wishes to swallow it. And since the one who sins is in Hades according to his state, he who has forgiveness of the sins that hold him gives thanks to God who has taken his soul from the very hand of Hades. 515 Ps 48,19 The rich man at hand, not knowing another life in his life, thinks his soul is blessed in this one; and only then does he give thanks, when you do good to him through the giving of material desires. 516 Ps 48,20 He had fathers who begot him with base deeds and a most evil mindset. And likewise acting as they did, he imitated his begetters and being made like them until the generation of the fathers, he will enter into the same abyss of ignorance of the good as they did. For this man, having accepted only the present life, did not hasten to behold the light; wherefore it is said that he does not approach it forever; for perhaps, having been condemned to the outer darkness, he will not be permitted to see the eternal light anymore.

517 Ps 49,1b He calls gods not the idols and the demons but the

men who partake of the words of God; for he called those gods to whom the word of God came. Of these gods the Lord is God, as he is also king of those who reign. 518 Ps 49,1c And again, he says, it has dawned upon those from the rising of the sun and unto its setting to know that from Zion the comeliness of his beauty has come. For he was shown to be from the seed of David, having that which is according to the flesh. 519 Ps 49,2.3a He himself, the God of gods who has called all the earth to partake of him, will come not in secret nor hiddenly but manifestly at his second coming in glory with his angels; and He will not be silent, rendering judgment to each according to his works and deeds. And it should be noted that in the present saying he indicates both comings of Christ, the first through "From Zion is the comeliness," and the second through "God will come manifestly." 520 Ps 49,4 Since the giving of the law has been given with heaven and earth as witnesses, as it is written in Deuteronomy, it is necessary that the people, being judged before the witnesses in whose presence they received the law, be examined for having transgressed the divine laws. Therefore he summons heaven above, that is, the divine powers, and the earth, I mean those who dwell upon it, for the conviction of those who were adopted as sons in their presence; For hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, as the children of God are renounced; for having received the law in your presence, they did not keep it. 521 Ps 49,5 He perhaps commands angels or holy men, that they should gather his holy ones to the

98

οιονται ειναι τὰ μνήματα, ἐν μόνῃ ταύτῃ τῇ ζωῇ ἐλεεινῶς ἠλπικότες. τάχα δὲ καὶ μηδὲν ζωτικὸν ἐνεργοῦντες ἀλλὰ νενεκρωμένοι δι' ων ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐν τάφῳ καταβαλλόμενοι οιονται τὸν τάφον οἰκίαν αἰώνιον. 511 Ps 48,12c Ουτοι δὲ καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντο τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῶν γαιῶν. τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἀποστόλων τὰ ὀνόματα δι' ων πράττουσιν η φρονοῦσιν ἐγγέγραπται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, οἱ δὲ περὶ ων ὁ λόγος τὰς ἰδίας προσηγορίας ἐπὶ τῶν ἰδίων γαιῶν ἐπεκαλέσαντο δι' ων πράττουσι τῇ γῇ ἐμπολιτογραφούμενοι· ἀφεστηκότες γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γραφήσονται. 512 Ps 48,13 Ανθρωπος κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν γέγονεν θεοῦ, καὶ λογικὸς ἀποδειχθεὶς τιμὴν εχει μεγίστην. ταύτην δὲ μὴ συνιεῖς, ἀλλὰ πράττων σὺν ἀλογίᾳ κτήνεσιν ἀνοήτοις παραβάλλεται, ιππος θηλυμανὴς γεγονὼς καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων τῶν αλλων τὰς ὁρμὰς μιμησάμενος. ὡμοιώθη ουν κτήνεσιν ἀνοήτοις, ἐλπίδα εχων εἰ βουληθείη ὁμοιωθῆναι θεῷ. 513 Ps 48,15b Εσονται γὰρ ἐπάνω πέντε πόλεων καὶ δέκα οἱ εὐθεῖς ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι. καὶ ὁ Σολομῶν δὲ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτό φησιν· Σπεύδει πλουτεῖν ἀνὴρ βάσκανος καὶ οὐκ οιδεν οτι ἐλεήμων κρατήσει αὐτοῦ. 514 Ps 48,16 Εἰ καὶ τὰ προειρημένα τοῖς πλείστοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων συμβέβηκεν, ἀλλά γε τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχὴν λήψεται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ ᾳδου ηδη κρατοῦντος αὐτὴν καὶ καταπίειν θέλοντος. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐν ᾳδῃ κατὰ τὴν κατάστασιν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἐστίν, ὁ αφεσιν τῶν κρατούντων αὐτὸν ἁμαρτημάτων εχων εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ θεῷ λαβόντι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ ᾳδου. 515 Ps 48,19 ̔Ο προκείμενος πλούσιος οὐκ εἰδὼς αλλην ζωὴν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ, ταύτῃ εὐλογεῖσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ νομίζει· καὶ τότε μόνον ἐξομολογεῖται, οταν ἀγαθύνῃς αὐτῷ διὰ δόσεως τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν τῶν ὑλικῶν. 516 Ps 48,20 Πατέρας ειχεν εργοις φαύλοις καὶ χειρίστῳ φρονήματι γεννήσαντας αὐτόν. ὡσαύτως δὲ αὐτοῖς δρῶν ἐμιμήσατο τοὺς γεννήτορας καὶ εως τῆς γενεᾶς τῶν πατέρων ἐξομοιούμενος αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις τῆς ἀγνοίας τοῦ καλοῦ βυθὸν εἰσελεύσεται. ουτος γὰρ τὴν παροῦσαν μόνην ζωὴν ἀποδεξάμενος οὐκ εσπευσε τὸ φῶς θεωρῆσαι· διὸ καὶ εως αἰῶνος ειρηται μὴ προσπελάζειν αὐτῷ· τάχα γὰρ ἐν ἐξωτέρῳ σκότῳ καταδικασθεὶς οὐκ ἐπιτραπήσεται τὸ αἰώνιον φῶς ετι θεάσασθαι.

517 Ps 49,1b Θεούς φησιν οὐ τὰ ἀγάλματα καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας ἀλλὰ τοὺς

μετέχοντας ἀνθρώπους τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγων· ἐκείνους γὰρ θεοὺς ειπε πρὸς ους ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγένετο. τούτων τῶν θεῶν θεὸς ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ὡς καὶ βασιλευόντων βασιλεύς. 518 Ps 49,1c Καὶ πάλιν τοῖς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου, φησίν, καὶ μέχρι δυσμῶν ἐπέλαμψεν γνῶναι οτι ̓Εκ τῆς Σιὼν ἡ εὐπρέπεια τῆς ὡραιότητος αὐτοῦ γεγένηται. ἐδείχθη γὰρ ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυὶδ εχων τὸ κατὰ σάρκα. 519 Ps 49,2.3a Αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν θεῶν θεὸς ὁ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τὸ μετασχεῖν αὐτοῦ καλέσας οὐ κρύβδην οὐδὲ λεληθότως ἀλλ' ̓Εμφανῶς ηξει κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν ἐν δόξῃ μετ' ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν· καὶ Οὐ παρασιωπήσεται, ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ εργα καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν τὴν κρίσιν ποιῶν. σημειωτέον δὲ οτι καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι ῥητῷ ἀμφοτέρας τὰς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας δηλοῖ, τὴν μὲν πρώτην διὰ τοῦ ̓Εκ Σιὼν ἡ εὐπρέπεια, τὴν δὲ δευτέραν διὰ τοῦ ̔Ο θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ηξει. 520 Ps 49,4 ̓Επεὶ ἡ δόσις τοῦ νόμου ἐπὶ μάρτυσιν οὐρανῷ καὶ γῇ δέδοται, ὡς ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ γέγραπται, ἀνάγκη τὸν λαὸν διακρινόμενον ἐπὶ μάρτυσιν ἐφ' ων τὸν νόμον ελαβεν ἐξετασθῆναι παραβεβηκότα τοὺς θείους νόμους. προσκαλεῖται ουν τὸν οὐρανὸν ανω, τουτέστι τὰς θείας δυνάμεις, καὶ τὴν γῆν, λέγω δὴ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐπ' αὐτῇ, ἐπὶ τῷ διελεγχθῆναι τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτῶν υἱοποιηθέντας· Ακουε γάρ, οὐρανέ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου, γῆ, ἐκκηρυττομένων τῶν τεκνῶν τοῦ θεοῦ· ἐφ' ὑμῖν γὰρ τὸν νόμον λαβόντες οὐκ ἐφύλαξαν. 521 Ps 49,5 ̓Αγγέλοις τάχα προστάττει η ἀνδράσιν ἱεροῖς, οπως τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ συναγάγωσιν ἐπὶ τὸ