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to you, when you do good to him." Symmachus said this more clearly: "He will praise you if you do good to them." For this is true praise, to be renowned and much-spoken-of not only when living, but also when dead. And worthy of such praises is the one who has managed wealth for his own benefit; for the beneficence towards others returns to the benefactor himself. 20. "He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light." Instead of "he shall go," the three interpreted it as "you shall go." You will see, he says, this one of whom I said: "Do not fear when a man becomes rich," enduring the same death as his fathers; and deprived not only of the present light, but also of the eternal one. 21. "And man being in honor did not understand; he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like them." And the cause of these things is the beastly life, which most men have chosen, having cast away the honor given by God. For though called rational, they have loved irrationality.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 49TH PSALM. 1. "A Psalm of Asaph." a choirmaster of another choir of psalm-singers 80.1229 was this man, as the history of Chronicles has taught. For the things previously interpreted from the forty-first, the sons of Korah, having themselves become leaders of another choir, were entrusted to sing. And they have other psalms, having their same inscription, which, if God should permit, we will interpret. But the present psalm, dedicated to Asaph, is in harmony with the preceding psalm; for it also foretells the future judgment, and the epiphany of our God and Savior. It also, however, foretells the new covenant, showing that the worship according to the law is not pleasing to God. "The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken, and called the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting." And the psalm before this one called all men to instruction, and this one likewise all the ends of the world. For, "From the rising of the sun to its setting," signifies this. But as for "God of gods," the three have interpreted it otherwise, "The Mighty God, having spoken, called the earth." But the Seventy call "gods" those who have been appointed to rule, and entrusted to judge, which is a property of God alone. The eighty-first psalm teaches us this, itself also inscribed to Asaph. For having said, "God stood in the assembly of gods; and in the midst he will judge gods," he added: "How long do you judge unjustly, and accept the persons of sinners? Judge for the orphan and poor; do justice for the humble and needy." And this is a characteristic of priests, and of the others, as many as have been entrusted with judging. Thus also the law proclaims, "You shall not revile the gods, nor speak evil of the ruler of your people." And they might properly be called gods who have been made in the divine image, and have kept the image undefiled. For the God of these gathers the whole world to the tribunal. 2. "Out of Sion, the perfection of his beauty." And this is he who in Sion showed his own perfection and beauty, and accepted the saving passions, the one called "fair in beauty beyond the sons of men" in the psalms that have been interpreted. 3. "God shall come manifestly, our God, and shall not keep silence." For do not think that the second coming will be like his first. For then he concealed his own majesty with humility and poverty; 80.1232 but now he will show his lordship and his kingdom openly to all, no longer using long-suffering, but judging righteously. For this he said, "He shall not keep silence." "A fire shall burn before him, and a mighty tempest round about him." These things the blessed Daniel beheld: "For a river, he says, of fire was flowing before him; his throne was a flame of fire, his wheels were burning fire."

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σοι, ὅταν ἀγαθύνῃς αὐτῷ." Τοῦτο σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκεν· "Ἐπαινέσει σε ἐὰν καλῶς ποιήσῃς αὐτοῖς." Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ ἀληθὴς ἔπαινος, τὸ μὴ μόνον ζῶντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τετελευτηκότα ἀοίδιμον εἶναι καὶ πολυ θρύλλητον. Ἄξιος δὲ τοιούτων ἐπαίνων ὁ εἰς οἰκείαν ὠφέλειαν τὸν πλοῦτον οἰκονομήσας· ἡ γὰρ εἰς τοὺς ἄλλους εὐεργεσία εἰς αὐτὸν ἀνατρέχει τὸν εὐεργέτην. κʹ. "Εἰσελεύσεται ἕως γενεᾶς πατέρων αὑτοῦ, ἕως αἰῶνος οὐκ ὄψεται φῶς." Ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰσ ελεύσεται, εἰσελεύσῃ οἱ τρεῖς ἡρμήνευσαν. Ὄψει, φησὶ, τοῦτον πρὸς ὃν εἶπον· Μὴ φοβοῦ ὅταν πλου τήσῃ ἄνθρωπος, τὸν αὐτὸν τοῖς πατράσιν ὑπομέ νοντα θάνατον· καὶ οὐ μόνον τοῦ παρόντος φωτὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ αἰωνίου στερούμενον. καʹ. "Καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἐν τιμῇ ὢν οὐ συνῆκεν, παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς." Αἰτία δὲ τούτων ἡ κτηνώδης ζωὴ, ἢν τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ πλείους προείλοντο, τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δεδομένην ἀποβεβληκότες τιμήν. Λογικοὶ γὰρ λεγόμενοι, τὴν ἀλογίαν ἠγάπησαν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΜΘʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ Ἀσάφ." Ἄλλου χοροῦ ψαλ 80.1229 μῳδῶν χοροδιδάσκαλος

οὗτος, ὡς ἡ τῶν Παραλει πομένων ἐδίδαξεν ἱστορία. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ τεσσαρακοστοῦ πρώτου προηρμηνευμένα οἱ Κορὲ υἱοὶ, κορυφαῖοι καὶ αὐτοὶ χοροῦ ἑτέρου γενό μενοι, ᾄδειν ἐνεχειρίσθησαν. Ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ ἄλλους ψαλμοὺς, τὴν αὐτῶν ἐπιγραφὴν ἔχοντας, οὓς, εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπιτρέψειεν, ἑρμηνεύσομεν. Ὁ δὲ παρὼν ψαλμὸς, τῷ Ἀσὰφ ἀνακείμενος, σύμφωνός ἐστι τῷ προτεταγμένῳ ψαλμῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς γὰρ τὸ μέλλον προαγορεύει κριτήριον, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν. Προαγορεύει μέντοι καὶ τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην, δεικνὺς τὴν κατὰ νόμον λατρείαν οὐ θυμήρη Θεῷ. "Θεὸς θεῶν Κύριος ἐλάλησε, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὴν γῆν, ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου μέχρι δυσ μῶν." Καὶ ὁ πρὸ τούτου ψαλμὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς διδασκαλίαν ἐκάλεσε, καὶ οὗτος ὡσαύτως πάντα τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ πέρατα. Τὸ γὰρ, "Ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου μέχρι δυσμῶν," τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Τὸ δὲ Θεὸς θεῶν, οἱ τρεῖς ἑτέρως ἡρμήνευσαν, Ἰσχυρὸς Θεὸς λαλήσας ἐκάλεσε τὴν γῆν. Οἱ δὲ Ἑβδομήκοντα θεοὺς ὀνομάζουσι τοὺς ἄρχειν λαχόντας, καὶ κρίνειν πεπιστευμένους, ὅπερ ἴδιον μόνου Θεοῦ. Τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ὁ ὀγδοηκοστὸς πρῶτος διδάσκει ψαλμὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ Ἀσὰφ ἐπιγεγραμμένος. Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ, "Ὁ Θεὸς ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν· ἐν μέσῳ δὲ θεοὺς διακρινεῖ·" ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν, καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ πτωχῷ· ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε." Τοῦτο δὲ ἱερέων ἴδιον, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὅσοι τὸ δικάζειν ἐνεχειρίσθησαν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ νόμος διαγορεύει, "Θεοὺς οὐ κακολογήσεις, καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς." Κυρίως δ' ἂν θεοὶ κληθεῖεν οἱ κατ' εἰκόνα θείαν γεγενημένοι, καὶ ἀκήρατον τὴν εἰκόνα φυλάξαντες. Ὁ γὰρ τούτων Θεὸς πᾶσαν συνάγει τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον. βʹ. "Ἐκ Σιὼν εὐπρέπεια τῆς ὡραιότητος αὐ τοῦ." Αὐτὸς δὲ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν τῇ Σιὼν τὴν οἰ κείαν εὐπρέπειαν καὶ ὡραιότητα δείξας, καὶ τὰ σωτήρια καταδεξάμενος πάθη, ὁ ὡραῖος κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὀνομασθεὶς ἐν τοῖς ἑρμηνευθεῖσι ψαλμοῖς. γʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἥξει, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐ παρασιωπήσεται." Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε κατὰ τὴν προτέραν αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν καὶ τὴν δευτέραν γενήσεσθαι. Τότε μὲν γὰρ τῇ εὐτελείᾳ καὶ τῇ πτωχείᾳ συνεκάλυψε τὴν οἰκείαν μεγαλοπρέπειαν· 80.1232 νῦν δὲ προφανῆ δείξει πᾶσι τὴν δεσποτείαν, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν, οὐκέτι μακροθυμίᾳ χρώμενος, ἀλλὰ κρίνων δικαίως. Τοῦτο γὰρ εἶπεν, Οὐ παρασιωπή σεται. "Πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται, καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφοδρά." Ταῦτα ὁ μακά ριος ∆ανιὴλ ἐθεάσατο· "Ποταμὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, πυρὸς εἷλκεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ φλὸξ πυρὸς, οἱ τροχοὶ αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον."