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in the building of the tower, because they all had one language and one speech, they were hindered, being restrained by the greatest impiety, so as to no longer have unanimity. For what they were about to do impiously by agreement, this they did not do, their languages having been divided. And here, at least, the one praying wishes for the languages of those who spoke with one voice against him to be divided, the languages being plunged down, that is, becoming obscure. And before this it has been said that being plunged down signifies punishment. And Paul, at least, knowing that it is sometimes advantageous for the wicked to disagree among themselves, while making his defense on the steps, set the Pharisees and Sadducees against each other. Ps 54,10b This can be referred to "Behold, I have fled far away, and I lodged in the wilderness," with the two verses spoken between, from "I expected the God who saves me" until "Divide their tongues," so that what is said might be of this kind: since in the city of God, so-called, Jerusalem, I saw lawlessness and contradiction of those acting lawlessly and contradicting the truth, I fled far away from it, so that, having come into the church from the nations, which is called a wilderness, to lodge in it, resting and spending the night among the believers. Ps 54,11.12 Since continually night and day they act lawlessly and contradict in the city, so that the city is encompassed by lawlessness and contradiction and by the army that came upon it because of these evils, lawlessness and contradiction have reached even to its walls, the holy apostles who guard it. For these also forsook it, having seen it acting lawlessly and contradicting, because lawlessness and toil, contrary to praiseworthy pleasure, has come to be in its midst with injustice, so that usury and deceit do not cease from its streets, its inhabitants acting deceitfully through what they wickedly think, and toiling by taking upon themselves the burden of wickedness, which is compared to lead. Or one must also consider its streets to be the souls that broaden themselves on account of the love of pleasure by traveling the broad and spacious way, that is, the inglorious and passionate life. For always remaining in these is the toil concerning evil things and the deceit concerning deceptions, which causes to be fulfilled the saying: "Usury and deceit have not departed from its streets." 574 Ps 54,14b.15a "My acquaintance" instead of "you who are known by me." "You who together with me sweetened my foods," along with the other disciples, nourishing me with good works. 575 Ps 54,16bc For one of the ancients said that only those who have been catechized in the divine teachings go down to Hades alive. For he who is untasted of the words of life is dead; those who are thus living go down into Hades. For it is not possible for those living the common life to go down into Hades, because the body, with which one has the common life, is not by nature there. Since, therefore, Judas and all the people of the Jews had instruction from the law and the prophets, when death that follows sin came upon them, they go down to Hades alive. And consequently also the following verse is spoken: "Because wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst." For even if they had experience of the life-giving scriptures, they did not dwell but sojourned in them, because they had wickedness in their midst, that is, in the ruling part; for it is said to be in the middle of the whole living being. 576 Ps 54,17 I cried to God, and I had my voice heard by the Lord. For only he who has cried to God is heard by the Lord. For not everyone who cries out, cries to God; concerning the Sodomites it is written, "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied," though they did not cry to God. 577 Ps 54,18 Since the narration of the pious is always wisdom, being pious and always narrating wisdom, the psalmist says: "In the evening, when the things of wickedness set for me and the extinguished light of the impious, the sun of righteousness rises for me so as to place me in the morning, and when it has reached its height at midday, I will narrate the things of the aforementioned evening and of the foretold morning."

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πυργοποιΐᾳ τῷ εχειν φωνὴν μίαν καὶ χεῖλος εν πάντες ἐνεποδίσθησαν μεγίστῃ δυσσεβείᾳ συσχεθέντες ὡς μηκέτι ὁμοφωνίαν εχειν. ο γὰρ ἐκ συμφωνίας ποιοῦντες ἀσεβεῖν εμελλον, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησαν, τῶν γλωσσῶν αὐτῶν καταδιαιρεθεισῶν. καὶ ἐνταῦθα γοῦν ὁ εὐχόμενος βούλεται καταδιαιρεθῆναι τὰς γλώσσας τῶν ὁμοφωνησάντων κατ' αὐτοῦ, καταποντιζομένων τῶν γλωσσῶν τουτέστιν ἀφανῶν γινομένων. καὶ πρὸ τούτου δὲ ειρηται κόλασιν σημαίνειν τὸ καταποντίζεσθαι. καὶ Παῦλος γοῦν, εἰδὼς συμφέρειν ποτὲ τὴν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς τῶν φαύλων διαφωνίαν, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν ἀπολογούμενος συνέκρουσε Φαρισαίους καὶ Σαδδουκαίους. Ps 54,10b Τοῦτο ἀναφέρεσθαι δύναται ἐπὶ τὸ ̓Ιδοὺ ἐμάκρυνα φυγαδεύων καὶ ηὐλίσθην ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, διὰ μέσου εἰρημένων τῶν δύο στίχων ἀπὸ τοῦ Προσεδεχόμην τὸν θεὸν τὸν σῴζοντά με εως τοῦ Καταδίελε τὰς γλώσσας αὐτῶν, ιν' ῃ τὸ λεγόμενον τοιοῦτον· ἐπεὶ ἐν τῇ νομιζομένῃ θεοῦ πόλει τῇ ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ ειδον ἀνομίαν καὶ ἀντιλογίαν ἀνομούντων καὶ ἀντιλεγόντων τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἐμάκρυνα φυγαδεύων ἀπ' αὐτῆς, ωστε γενόμενον ἐν τῇ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐρήμῳ καλουμένῃ αὐλισθῆναι ἐν αὐτῇ διαναπαυόμενον καὶ διανυκτερεύοντα ἐν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. Ps 54,11.12 ̓Επεὶ διαπαντὸς νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ἀνομοῦσι καὶ ἀντιλέγουσιν ἐν τῇ πόλει ὡς κυκλωθῆναι τὴν πόλιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας καὶ τῆς ἀντιλογίας καὶ τοῦ διὰ ταύτας τὰς κακίας ἐπελθόντος αὐτῇ στρατοπέδου, εφθασεν ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἡ ἀντιλογία καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς τοὺς φρουρούντας αὐτὴν ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους. καὶ γὰρ ουτοι ἐγκατέλιπον αὐτὴν ἀνομοῦσαν καὶ ἀντιλέγουσαν ἑωρακότες, διότι ἀνομία καὶ πόνος ἐναντίος τῇ ἐπαινετῇ ἡδονῇ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς σὺν ἀδικίᾳ γεγένηται, ὡς μὴ ἐκλείπειν ἐκ τῶν πλατειῶν αὐτῆς τόκον καὶ δόλον δολιευομένων τῶν οἰκούντων αὐτὴν δι' ων φρονοῦσι πονηρῶς, κοπιώντων δὲ τῷ αιρειν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς τὸ τῆς κακίας αχθος μολύβδῳ παραβαλλομένης. Η καὶ πλατείας αὐτῆς ἡγητέον ειναι τὰς διὰ τὸ φιλήδονον πλατυνούσας ἑαυτὰς ψυχὰς τῷ τὴν πλατείαν καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδεύειν ὁδὸν τουτέστι τὸν αδοξον καὶ παθητικὸν βίον. καὶ ἐν ταύταις γὰρ ἀεὶ μένων ὁ περὶ τὰ κακὰ κόπος καὶ ὁ περὶ τὰς ἀπάτας δόλος πληροῦσθαι ποιεῖ τὸ Οὐκ ἐξέλιπεν ἐκ τῶν πλατειῶν αὐτῆς τόκος καὶ δόλος. 574 Ps 54,14b.15a Τὸ Γνωστέ μου ἀντὶ τοῦ γινωσκόμενε ὑπ' ἐμοῦ, Ος ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐγλύκυνάς μοι ἐδέσματα, αμα τοῖς λοιποῖς μαθηταῖς τρέφων με τοῖς καλοῖς εργοις. 575 Ps 54,16bc Ελεγε γάρ τις τῶν παλαιῶν ζῶντας εἰς ᾳδου κατέρχεσθαι μόνους τοὺς κατήχησιν τῶν θείων παιδευμάτων εχοντας. ὁ γὰρ αγευστος τῶν τῆς ζωῆς λόγων νεκρός· οἱ ουτω ζῶντες εἰς ᾳδην κατέρχονται. οὐ γὰρ οιόν τε ζῶντας τὸ κοινὸν ζῆν εἰς ᾳδην κατέρχεσθαι τῷ μὴ πεφυκέναι γίνεσθαι σῶμα ἐκεῖ μεθ' ου τις τὴν κοινὴν ζωὴν εχει. ἐπεὶ ουν ὁ ̓Ιούδας καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων λαὸς κατήχησιν ειχον τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, θανάτου ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐρχομένου τοῦ ἑπομένου τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ζῶντες εἰς ᾳδην κατέρχονται. ̓Ακολούθως δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐπιφερόμενος λέγεται στίχος Οτι πονηρία ἐν ταῖς παροικίαις αὐτῶν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ πεῖραν εσχον τῶν ζωοποιῶν γραφῶν, οὐ κατῴκησαν ἀλλὰ παρῴκησαν ἐν αὐταῖς τῷ πονηρίας εχειν ἐν μέσῳ ἑαυτῶν τουτέστι τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ· ἐν μέσῳ γὰρ ειναι λέγεται τοῦ ολου ζῴου. 576 Ps 54,17 ̓Εγὼ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐκέκραξα καὶ εσχον εἰσακουμένην ὑπὸ κυρίου τὴν φωνήν μου. μόνος γὰρ εἰσακούεται ὑπὸ κυρίου ὁ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν κεκραγώς. οὐ γὰρ πᾶς κράζων πρὸς θεὸν βοᾷ· περὶ Σοδομιτῶν γέγραπται Φωνὴ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρρας πεπλήθυνται, οὐ πρὸς θεὸν κεκραγότων. 577 Ps 54,18 ̓Επεὶ διήγησις εὐσεβοῦς διαπαντὸς σοφία, εὐσεβὴς ων καὶ διαπαντὸς διηγούμενος σοφίαν, ὁ ψάλλων φησίν· ̔Εσπέρας οταν δύνει μοι τὰ τῆς κακίας καὶ τὸ σβεννύμενον φῶς τῶν ἀσεβῶν, ἀνατελεῖ δέ μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ηλιος ὡς ἐν πρωΐᾳ με ποιῆσαι, ου ἀκμάσαντος ἐν τῷ μεσημβρινῷ γενόμενος διηγήσομαι τὰ τῆς προειρημένης ἑσπέρας καὶ τοῦ προαπηγγελμένου πρωῒ