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he hoped in God. 589 Ps 55,13 The one who prays, when he is suitably disposed to what he professes through prayer, has in himself the vows of praise which he will render to God. Vows of praise are those concerning praise; for as one vows to do or to render something to God, so one vows to praise God. 590 Ps 55,14ab And since it follows for one who is being put to death to be lamented and for tears to be shed for him, and no one else laments the one dead in soul than he himself, it is fitting that after the soul has been rescued from the intelligible death of ignorance concerning God, his eyes also have been freed from tears. He rescued his feet from slipping, having shod them with a sandal that elevates and raises them above the earth. For "I," says God, "shod you with hyacinth." The hyacinth, imitating the body of heaven, indicates the soul using a heavenly sandal, which is none other than the preparation of the gospel. Therefore, when the one who is shod is elevated, it follows that his feet are rescued from the slip concerning matter. 591 Ps 55,14c One is rescued from the aforementioned harmful things in order to please God, being alive and enlightened. For he who pleases God does this in the light of the living, and everyone who partakes of God lives and is enlightened; for he himself, being life, is the light of men, according to "And the life was the light of men."

592a Ps 56,2a-c The repetition indicates that both in this life and in the one to come we need the mercy of God. He calls the shadow of wings divine care. But if the shadow were to be distinguished from the truth, what he means is this: being in this life I am in the shadow of the wings, hoping to come also to the wings themselves, being winged by virtue and spiritual understanding. And the wings of God are either his protective powers or the high-flying thoughts about him. 593a Ps 56,2d That iniquity passes by indicates that it is temporary; and indeed Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews writes of the temporary enjoyment of sin. Therefore just as it passes by, so also iniquity began from a certain time; for about a certain kind of it, it has been said: it was not from the beginning, nor will it be forever. 594a Ps 56,3a And he did not say "the Most High" in vain. For since iniquity is creeping and earth-bound, he who would be rid of it cries to the Most High, so that being lifted up on high by his cry he might be far from the harmful beast. 595a Ps 56,4a The one sent from heaven to save is the Lord, who says, "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will." For this one, being his Word, God sent forth and healed those wounded by their own corruptions, as David himself says elsewhere. But one might question the "being sent from heaven," if it indicates a local sending from the corporeal heaven. For it would seem irrational to attribute a local descent to God. Perhaps, therefore, the word "heaven" signifies the incorporeal and intelligible substance, according to "Treasure up in heaven," and "God is in heaven above." Therefore, he who existed in the form of God and equal to God, having taken the form of a servant, came to men. And this is "to send from heaven," that the God-Logos might become flesh and, having been seen on earth, might converse with men. Peter also, teaching mystically the same things about the Holy Spirit, writes, "which things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven." For having been sent from its being an intelligible substance, the Spirit dwelt in the men who preached the gospel to you. 596a Ps 56,4b Those who before this trampled me down through humiliation have been given over to reproach, since God sent from heaven that I might be saved. For having seen the Son of God taking thought for my salvation, I saw them acting disgracefully and being reproached, those who trampled on the one whom God saved. 597a Ps 56,4c.5a In the preceding verse, having said, "He sent from heaven,"

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θεὸν ηλπισεν. 589 Ps 55,13 ̔Ο εὐχόμενος οτε καταλλήλως διάκειται οις ἐπαγγέλλεται διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς, ἐν ἑαυτῷ εχει τὰς εὐχὰς τῆς αἰνέσεως ας ἀποδώσει τῷ θεῷ. εὐχαὶ δὲ αἰνέσεως αἱ περὶ αἰνέσεως· ὡς γὰρ ευχεταί τις ποιῆσαι η ἀποδοῦναι τῷ θεῷ τόδε τι, ουτως ευχεταί τις αἰνέσαι τὸν θεόν. 590 Ps 55,14ab Καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ θανατουμένῳ τὸ θρηνεῖσθαι καὶ δάκρυα ἐπ' αὐτῷ γίνεσθαι, οὐκ αλλος δὲ θρηνεῖ τὸν κατὰ ψυχὴν τεθνηκότα η αὐτὸς ἑαυτόν, εἰκότως μετὰ τὸ ἐρρύσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου τοῦ νοητοῦ τῆς ἀγνωσίας τῆς περὶ θεοῦ καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ δακρύων ἠλευθέρωνται. ̓Ερρύσατο δὲ ἀπὸ ὀλισθήματος τοὺς πόδας, ὑποδήσας αὐτοὺς ὑπόδημα μετεώριζον καὶ ανω τῆς γῆς ποιοῦν. ̓Εγὼ γάρ φησιν ὁ θεὸς ὑπέδησά σε ὑάκινθον. ὁ δὲ ὑάκινθος μιμούμενος τὸ σῶμα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ δηλοῖ τὴν ψυχὴν οὐρανίῳ χρωμένην ὑποδήματι οὐκ αλλῳ τυγχάνοντι η τῆς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἑτοιμασίας. μετεωριζομένου ουν τοῦ ὑποδεδεμένου, ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ ἐξ ὀλισθήματος τοῦ περὶ τὴν υλην ἐρρύσθαι τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. 591 Ps 55,14c ̔Ρύεταί τις ἀπὸ τῶν προειρημένων ἐπιβλαβῶν ἐπὶ τῷ εὐαρεστῆσαι τῷ θεῷ ζῶν τε καὶ πεφωτισμένος. ὁ γὰρ εὐαρεστῶν τῷ θεῷ ἐν φωτὶ ζώντων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ζῇ δὲ καὶ πεφώτισται πᾶς μετέχων θεοῦ· αὐτὸς γὰρ ζωὴ ων φῶς ἐστι τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατὰ τὸ Καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ην τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

592a Ps 56,2a-c ̔Ο ἐπιδιπλασιασμὸς δηλοῖ οτι καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ

μέλλοντι ἐλέου θεοῦ χρῄζομεν. σκιὰν δὲ πτερύγων τὴν θείαν κηδεμονίαν καλεῖ. εἰ δὲ προδιαστέλλοιτο ἡ σκιὰ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ο βούλεται τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ τυγχάνων ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ τῶν πτερύγων εἰμί, ἐλπίζων καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὰς τὰς πτέρυγας ἐλθεῖν ἐπτερώμενος ἀρετῇ καὶ νοήσει πνευματικῇ. πτέρυγες δὲ θεοῦ η αἱ σκεπαστικαὶ αὐτοῦ δυνάμεις η αἱ ὑψιπετεῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ νοήσεις. 593a Ps 56,2d Τὸ παρέρχεσθαι τὴν ἀνομίαν δηλοῖ πρόσκαιρον αὐτὴν ειναι· καὶ ὁ Παῦλος γοῦν ἐν τῇ Πρὸς ̔Εβραίους πρόσκαιρον γράφει τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν. ωσπερ ουν παρερχομένη, ουτω καὶ ἀπό τινος χρόνου ἀρξαμένη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία· περὶ γάρ τινος ειδους αὐτῆς ειρηται· ουτε ην ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ουτε εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εσται. 594a Ps 56,3a Οὐ μάτην δὲ Τὸν υψιστον ειπεν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἡ ἀνομία ἑρπηστικὴ καὶ χαμαιπετής ἐστιν, ὁ ταύτης ἀπαλλακτιῶν πρὸς τὸν υψιστον βοᾷ ιν' εἰς υψος αἰρόμενος τῇ βοῇ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τοῦ βλαβεροῦ θηρὸς γένηται. 595a Ps 56,4a ̔Ο ἀποσταλεὶς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ τῷ σῶσαι ὁ κύριός ἐστι φάσκων Καταβέβηκα ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐχ ινα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμόν. τοῦτον γὰρ οντα λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἰάσατο τοὺς τετρωμένους ἐκ τῶν διαφθορῶν αὐτῶν, ως φησιν ἑτέρωθι αὐτὸς ὁ ∆αυίδ. Ζητήσειε δ' αν τις τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἀπεστάλθαι, εἰ τοπικὴν ἐκ τοῦ σωματικοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐκπομπὴν δηλοῖ. δόξει γὰρ αλογον ειναι τοπικὴν κατάβασιν τῷ θεῷ προσάπτειν. μήποτ' ουν σημαίνει ἡ οὐρανὸς φωνὴ τὴν ἀσώματον καὶ νοητὴν οὐσίαν, κατὰ τὸ Θησαυρίζετε ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ τὸ ̔Ο θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ανω. ὁ ἐν μορφῇ τοίνυν θεοῦ καὶ ισα θεῷ ὑπάρχων μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ηκεν. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι ινα ὁ θεὸς λόγος σὰρξ γένηται καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀφθεὶς ἀνθρώποις συναναστράφῃ. τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος μυσταγωγῶν ὁ Πέτρος γράφει Α νῦν ἀνηγγέλη ὑμῖν διὰ τῶν εὐαγγελισαμένων ὑμᾶς πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ἀποσταλέντι ἀπὸ οὐρανοῦ· ἀποσταλὲν γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ νοητὴν οὐσίαν τυγχάνειν τὸ πνεῦμα ἀνθρώποις ἐνῳκίσθη τοῖς εὐαγγελισαμένοις ὑμᾶς. 596a Ps 56,4b Οἱ πρὸ τούτου διὰ τοῦ ἐξευτελίζειν καταπατοῦντές με εἰς ονειδος ἐδόθησαν, θεοῦ ἀποστείλαντος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ οπως σωθῶ. ἑωρακὼς γὰρ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ υἱὸν φροντίσαντα τῆς σωτηρίας μου, ἀσχημονοῦντας αὐτοὺς καὶ ὀνειδιζομένους ειδον καταπατήσαντας ον ὁ θεὸς εσωσεν. 597a Ps 56,4c.5a ̓Εν τῷ προάγοντι στίχῳ εἰπὼν ̓Εξαπέστειλεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ,