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for the saving proclamation to be ferried across, and for all men to know, that this is our God and Lord, and good shepherd, and eternal. For since he said, "Divide her battlements," and entrusted to them the shepherding, he necessarily taught that there is one good shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep, shepherding for ever, and shepherding not only the sheep, but also those called shepherds of the sheep.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 48TH PSALM. 1. "For the end, a psalm for the sons of Korah." The divine choir of the apostles and

already exhorted the nations to offer the triumphal hymn to God; and now likewise offers an exhortation to the same nations, to add virtue of life to faith. And it teaches the vanity of wealth, and the unprofitableness of the wisdom of the world. It also foretells the coming judgment, and the worthy recompense. For this reason the psalm is also inscribed "for the end," as foretelling the end of all life. 2. "Hear these things, all nations, give ear, all inhabitants of the world." That the prophets offered teaching to the Jews alone is surely clear to everyone; but here the prophetic word rouses the entire world to hearing. This is a peculiar feature of the apostolic grace; for to them the Lord Christ entrusted the salvation of all nations. "For going forth," he says, "make disciples of all nations." It is clear, then, that from them the words are offered, not to Jews alone, nor to this or that nation, but to the entire human race. 3. "Both the earth-born, and the sons of men." Some have called Adam and Eve earth-born, as being formed from the earth, and not born from intercourse. But this saying is far from the truth. For not to those already dead, but to those still living do they offer 80.1220 the exhortation. It refers, then, to different ways of life; for some inhabit cities, others indeed fields and villages, being occupied with agriculture. And some men are more civilized, others more wild; and some live more rationally, while others more beast-like inhabit the deserts; some called wagon-dwellers, others using tents instead of houses. These I think are called earth-born, as being removed from a more rational life. Instead of saying, "All people, hear what is said, city-dwellers and country-dwellers, more civilized and more wild, both all in common and each individually." For so also Symmachus interpreted it. For instead of "the earth-born and the sons of men," he said "humanity," and additionally "sons of each man," meaning, "Let nature in common hear what is said, and let each one individually reap the benefit." "Together rich and poor." Likewise, both those who boast in wealth and those who live in poverty, are to receive the exhortation. For the word of instruction knows no difference of wealth and poverty. 4, 5. "My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart understanding. I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my problem on the psaltery." The words I offer, he says, are full of wisdom; and I have learned these things by submitting my hearing to the words of the Lord hidden in the depths. And what I have received through hearing, these things I utter as through an instrument, the tongue. He means to say, "I utter nothing of my own, but am an instrument of divine grace." He calls enigmatic sayings parables. For the Lord also, speaking parabolically to the crowds, offered the interpretations of these things to the apostles in private. [Therefore from their person the preceding psalms also were proclaimed. The apostolic choir, therefore, having the wisdom of God, that is, Christ—for Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God—bearing him through the mouth, said, "My mouth shall speak wisdom;" since, discoursing on Christ, they proclaimed him to every race of men with their own mouth. But the things of their mind nothing other than

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πορθμευθῆναι τὸ σωτήριον κήρυγμα, καὶ γνῶναι πάντας ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι οὗτος ἡμῶν καὶ Θεὸς καὶ Κύριος, καὶ ποιμὴν ἀγαθὸς, καὶ αἰώνιος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε, "Καταδιέλεσθε τὰς βάρεις αὐτῆς," καὶ τὸ ποιμαίνειν αὐτοῖς ἐνεχείρισεν, ἀναγκαίως ἐδί δαξεν, ὅτι εἷς ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς, ὁ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τεθεικὼς ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων, εἰς αἰῶνα ποιμαί νων, καὶ ποιμαίνων οὐ μόνον τὰ πρόβατα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τῶν προβάτων καλουμένους νομέας.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΜΗʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ ψαλμός." Ὁ θεῖος τῶν ἀποστόλων χορὸς καὶ

ἤδη τοῖς ἔθνεσι παρηγγύ ησε τὸν ἐπινίκιον ὕμνον προσενεγκεῖν τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ νῦν ὡσαύτως τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἔθνεσι προσφέρει παραίνε σιν, προσθεῖναι τῇ πίστει τοῦ βίου τὴν ἀρετήν. Καὶ διδάσκει τοῦ πλούτου τὸ μάταιον, καὶ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σοφίας τὸ ἀκερδές. Προλέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐσομένην κρίσιν, καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀντίδοσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὸ τέλος ὁ ψαλμὸς ἐπιγέγραπται, ὡς παντὸς τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος προαγορεύων. βʹ. "Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἐνωτίσασθε, πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν οἰκουμένην." Ὅτι μό νοις Ἰουδαίοις οἱ προφῆται διδασκαλίαν προσ έφερον, παντί που δῆλον· ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν εἰς ἀκρόασιν συνεγεί ρει. Τοῦτο δὲ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς χάριτος ἴδιον· αὐ τοῖς γὰρ τὴν τῶν ἁπάντων ἐθνῶν ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς ἐνεχείρισε σωτηρίαν. "Πορευθέντες γὰρ, φησὶ, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη." ∆ῆλον τοίνυν ὡς ἐξ αὐτῶν οἱ λόγοι προσφέρονται, οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις μόνοις, οὐδὲ τοῖσδε ἢ τοῖσδε τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἀλλὰ πάσῃ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσει. γʹ. "Οἵ τε γηγενεῖς, καὶ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων." Τινὲς γηγενεῖς τὸν Ἀδὰμ καὶ τὴν Εὔαν ἐκάλεσαν, ὡς ἐκ γῆς διαπλασθέντας, καὶ οὐκ ἐκ συνουσίας φύν τας. Ἀλλὰ πόῤῥω τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ λόγος. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἤδη τετελευτηκόσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔτι ζῶσι προσφέ 80.1220 ρουσι τὴν παραίνεσιν. Τοὺς διαφόρους τοίνυν αἰνίτ τεται βίους· οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὰς πόλεις οἰκοῦσιν, οἱ δὴ ἀγροὺς καὶ κώμας, περὶ τὴν γεωργίαν ἐσχολακό τες. Καὶ οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἡμερώτεροι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἱ δὲ ἀγριώτεροι· καὶ οἱ μὲν λογικώτερον ζῶσιν, οἱ δὲ θηριωδέστερον τὰς ἐρήμους οἰκοῦσιν· οἱ μὲν ἁμαξόβιοι προσαγορευόμενοι, οἱ δὲ σκηναῖς ἀντ' οἰκιῶν κεχρημένοι. Τούτους οἶμαι γηγενεῖς ὀνομά ζεσθαι, ὡς τῆς λογικωτέρας ἀφεστηκότας ζωῆς. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι, τῶν λεγομένων ἀκούσατε, ἀστοὶ καὶ χωριτικοὶ, ἡμερώτεροι καὶ ἀγριώτεροι, καὶ κοινῇ πάντες καὶ ἰδίᾳ. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν. Ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ, οἱ γηγενεῖς καὶ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἡ ἀνθρωπότης, εἶπε, καὶ προσέτι υἱοὶ ἑκάστου ἀνδρὸς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Καὶ κοινῇ ἡ φύσις ἀκουσάτω τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστος τὴν ὠφέλειαν καρπούσθω. "Ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πλούσιος καὶ πένης." Κατὰ τ' αὐτὸ καὶ οἱ πλούτῳ κομῶντες, καὶ οἱ πενίᾳ συζῶντες, τὴν παραί νεσιν δέξασθαι. Πλούτου γὰρ καὶ πενίας ὁ διδασκα λικὸς λόγος οὐκ οἶδε διαφοράν. δʹ, εʹ. "Τὸ στόμα μου λαλήσει σοφίαν, καὶ ἡ μελέ τη τῆς καρδίας μου σύνεσιν. Κλινῶ εἰς παραβολὴν τὸ οὖς μου· ἀνοίξω ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ τὸ πρόβλημά μου." Σοφίας, φησὶ, μεστὰ τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ προσφερόμενα ῥήματα· μεμάθηκα δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς ἐν βάθεσι κε κρυμμένοις τοῦ Κυρίου λόγοις τὴν ἀκοὴν ὑποθείς. Ἃ δὲ διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς ἐδεξάμην, ταῦτα ὡς δι' ὀργάνου προφέρω τῆς γλώττης. Βούλεται δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Οὐδὲν ἴδιον φθέγγομαι, ἀλλὰ τῆς θείας εἰμὶ χάριτος ὄρ γανον. Παραβολὰς δὲ καλεῖ τοὺς αἰνιγματώδεις λόγους. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος παραβολικῶς τοῖς ὄχλοις διαλεγόμενος, τοῖς ἀποστόλοις κατ' οἶκον τούτων τὰς ἑρμηνείας προσέφερεν. [∆ιὸ ἐξ αὐτῶν τοῦ προσώπου καὶ οἱ ἔμπροσθεν ἀνεφωνοῦντο ψαλμοί. Ὁ τοίνυν χορὸς ὁ ἀποστολικὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, δηλαδὴ τὸν Χριστόν· Χριστὸς γὰρ Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία· διὰ στόματος φέρων, ἔλεγε, "Τὸ στό μα μου λαλήσει σοφίαν·" ἐπειδὴ τὸν Χριστὸν θεο λογοῦντες εἰς πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων ἐκήρυττον τῷ ἑαυτῶν στόματι. Τὰ δὲ τῆς διανοίας αὐτῶν οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ