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and those things are offered. You will understand it also thus: Since one must not call a man blessed before his death, rightly the apostle, although being an apostle and called and chosen of Christ Jesus, nevertheless does not hesitate to say: I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. The same thing also 23.360 David, although he had demonstrated in many things, happened to be obedient to God, and was freed from the pit of misery and from the mire of clay; and he now stood at last in a safe place, as one having his feet established on a rock, and deemed worthy of a new song, of the true word concerning sacrifices, that is, of the proclamation evangelized to the great Church of God; for this was the new song, on account of which he said above: And He has put a new song in my mouth; nevertheless, having obtained so many things, on account of the frailty of life among men he repeats the words of supplication, and he beseeches and prays to be guarded by the grace and mercy of God. For through these things he was ruminating and recalling the evils that had previously befallen him. Indeed, the memory of past evils makes us more guarded against falling into the same things again; but also the recollection of the change from worse to better things makes us thankful and more disposed toward attention. Rightly, therefore, he repeats the memory of his former iniquities, and teaches that at a certain time his iniquities covered the eyes of his soul, poured over the mind's vision like a mist. And the rest follows what has been said before: Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them bear their shame for a reward that say unto me, "Well done, well done." Even now he perceives many enemies pressing upon his soul, and concerning these he sends up the prayer set forth. For they do not cease to be envious even of those who are already perfect and have stepped upon the rock. Therefore he asks to be delivered from the aforementioned, and for those who seek out his soul to destroy it to be ashamed and confounded; but for himself to be hedged about by His right hand. But they are confounded and behave unseemly (for so Symmachus rendered it) who seek the soul of the just man, whenever, having devised every scheme against him, they become unsuccessful; then as having been able to do nothing, they depart in despair, pouring shame upon themselves. Therefore after they behave unseemly, are ashamed and confounded, he adds: Let them be turned back, and let them be confounded that desire evil for me. For having been able to do nothing, and not expecting to prevail, they are turned back and depart backward; then having departed and gone far away, they will receive the reward of their own wickedness; therefore after these things it is said: Let them bear their shame at once who say to me: "Well done, well done." For which Aquila has translated: Aha, aha, using the Hebrew word itself as it is. And this is an exclamation of distress from those who have already been conquered and have retreated backward, and have received their own shame. But according to the Seventy and Symmachus who said: Those who say concerning me: "Well done, well done," perhaps at some time the enemies of the just man, devising many 23.361 plots against him, expecting to prevail in each one, were saying. "Well done, well done." But having said this many times, he says, through your grace let them finally depart, having received their own shame. FOR THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID, 40.

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κἀκεῖνα προσφέρεται. Νοήσεις καὶ οὕτως· Ἐπεὶ οὐ δεῖ μακαρίζειν ἄνθρωπον πρὸ τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ, εἰκότως ὁ μὲν ἀπόστολος, καίπερ ἀπόστολος ὢν καὶ κλητὸς καὶ ἐκλεκτὸς Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὅμως οὐκ ὀκνεῖ λέγειν· Ὑποπιέζωμου τὸ σῶμα, καὶ δουλαγωγῶ, μήπως, ἄλλοις κηρύξας, αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι. Τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ καὶ ὁ 23.360 ∆αυῒδ εἰ καὶ ἐν πολλοῖς ἐνδειξάμενος, ἔτυχεν ὑπηκόου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἠλευθέρωτό τε ἐκ λάκκου ταλαιπωρίας καὶ ἀπὸ πηλοῦ ἰλύος· ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τε ἤδη λοιπὸν ἑστήκει, ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας ἐρηρεισμένος, καὶ ᾄσματος καινοῦ ἠξιωμένος τοῦ περὶ θυσιῶν ἀληθοῦς λόγου, τουτέστι τοῦ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ μεγάλῃ εὐηγγελισμένου κηρύγματος· τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν τὸ καινὸν ᾆσμα, οὗ χάριν ἀνωτέρω ἔλεγε· Καὶ ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὸ στόμα μου ᾆσμα καινόν· ὅμως δ' οὖν, τοσούτων τετυχηκὼς, διὰ τὸ σαθρὸν τῆς ἐν ἀνθρώποις ζωῆς ἐπαναλαμβάνει τοὺς τῆς ἱκετηρίας λόγους, ἀντιβολεῖ τε καὶ δέεται φυλάττεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς χάριτος καὶ τοῦ ἐλέου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀνεπεμπάζετο γὰρ διὰ τούτων καὶ ἀνεπόλα τὰ πρότερον αὐτῷ συμβεβηκότα κακά. Ἡ γοῦν μνήμη τῶν παλαιῶν κακῶν, φυλακτικωτέρους ἡμᾶς ἀπεργάζεται πρὸς τὸ μὴ αὖθις τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς μεταβολῆς τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν χειρόνων ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω ἡ ἀνάμνησις εὐχαρίστους ἡμᾶς ἀπεργάζεται καὶ συντεταμένους μᾶλλον εἰς προσοχήν. Εἰκότως τοίνυν ἐπαναλαμβάνει τὴν τῶν προτέρων αὐτοῦ ἀνομιῶν μνήμην, διδάσκει τε, ὡς τοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοὺς καιρῷ τινι συνεκάλυψαν αἱ ἀνομίαι αὐτοῦ, δίκην ἀχλύος τῷ τῆς διανοίας βλεπτικῷ ἐπιχυθεῖσαι. Τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τοῖς προειρημένοις ἀκολούθως· Εὐδόκησον, Κύριε, τοῦ ῥύσασθαί με· Κύριε, εἰς τὸ βοηθῆσαί μοι πρόσχες. Καταισχυνθείησαν καὶ ἐντραπείησαν ἅμα οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου τοῦ ἐξᾶραι αὐτήν. Ἀποστραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ καταισχυνθείησαν οἱ θέλοντές μοι κακά. Κομισάσθωσαν παραχρῆμα αἰσχύνην αὐτῶν οἱ λέγοντές μοι· Εὖγε, εὖγε. Ἔτι καὶ νῦν αἴσθεται πολλῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ἐχθρῶν ἐπικειμένων τῇ αὐτοῦ ψυχῇ, καὶ περὶ τούτων τὴν προκειμένην εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει. Οὐ γὰρ παύονται διαφθονούμενοι καὶ τοῖς ἤδη τελείοις καὶ βεβηκόσιν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν. ∆ιὸ ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀξιοῖ, κἀκείνους μὲν καταισχυνθῆναι καὶ ἐντραπῆναι τοὺς ἐκζητοῦντας αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἐξᾶραι αὐτήν· αὐτὸν δὲ περιφράττεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτοῦ δεξιᾶς. Ἐντρέπονται δὲ καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσιν (οὕτως γὰρ ἐξέδωκεν ὁ Σύμμαχος) οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ δικαίου, ἐπειδὰν, πᾶσαν κατ' αὐτοῦ μηχανὴν ἐπινοήσαντες, ἄπρακτοι γένωνται· εἶθ' ὡς μηδὲν δεδυνημένοι ἀπογνόντες ἀπαλλάττονται, αἰσχύνην καταχεάμενοι. ∆ιὸ μετὰ τὸ ἀσχημονῆσαι αὐτοὺς, καταισχυνθῆναί τε καὶ ἐντραπῆναι ἐπιλέγει· Ἀποστραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ ἐντραπείησαν οἱ θέλοντες τὰ κακά μοι. Μηδὲν γὰρ δεδυνημένοι, καὶ μὴ κατελπίσαντες περιγενήσεσθαι, ἀποστρέφονται καὶ ἀπαλλάττονται εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω· εἶτ' ἀπαλλαγέντες καὶ μακρὰν γενόμενοι, τἀπίχειρα τῆς αὑτῶν ἀπολήψονται κακίας· διὸ μετὰ ταῦτα λέλεκται· Κομισάσθωσαν παραχρῆμα αἰσχύνην αὐτῶν οἱ λέγοντές μοι· Εὖγε, εὖγε. Ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσεν· Ἀὰἀὰ, αὐτῇ συγχρησάμενος οὕτως ἐχούσῃ τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ φωνῇ. Ἔστι δὲ αὕτη σχετλιαστικὴ τῶν ἤδη νενικημένων καὶ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω κεχωρηκότων, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν αἰσχύνην ἀπειληφότων. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ τὸν Σύμμαχον φήσαντα· Οἱ λέγοντες περὶ ἐμοῦ· Εὖγε, εὖγε, τάχα ποτὲ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ δικαίου πολλὰς 23.361 ἐπιβουλὰς ἐπινοοῦντες κατ' αὐτοῦ, ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ προσδοκῶντες περιγενήσεσθαι, ἔλεγον. Εὖγε, εὖγε. Ἀλλὰ πολλάκις τοῦτο, φησὶν, εἰρηκότες, διὰ τὴν σὴν χάριν ἀπαλλαττέσθωσαν ἤδη ποτὲ, τὴν ἑαυτῶν κομισάμενοι αἰσχύνην. ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ, ΨΑΛΜΟΣ ΤΩ ∆ΑΥΙ∆ Μʹ.