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to obtain the salvation of God. But according to the Seventy, By the sacrifice, he says, of praise I will be pleased; and I consider this a fitting glory; and through this I will show my way to the one who offers it, whose end is salvation from God. It is fitting to note that here too he made mention of two persons. "For a sacrifice, he says, will glorify me." And through these, having shown his own person, he added: And there is the way wherein I will show him the salvation of God. For it was necessary for the new covenant, teaching perfect things, to be joined with the perfect teaching of the knowledge of God.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 50. 1, 2. "For the end, a psalm of David. When 80.1240 Nathan the prophet came to him,

Nathan the prophet, when he went in to Bathsheba the wife of Uriah. The inscription of the psalm has clearly taught us the subject; and the very words of the psalm are sufficient to teach the depth of its meaning. It is fitting to know, however, that the psalm also contains a prophecy of future events. For this reason it is also inscribed "for the end," with the word indicating that the prophecy will have an end. But let no one doubt whether the great David was deemed worthy of prophetic grace at the time of his repentance; for it is possible to learn this also through the other psalms, through which he made his confession. For even in the sixth psalm he prophesied about the future judgment. "For there is no one, he says, in death who remembers you, and in Hades who will confess to you?" And in the thirty-first psalm he blesses those who without labors have received the forgiveness of their sins, which only the grace of baptism is wont to grant. And indeed, also in the present psalm he has explicitly taught us that he was not deprived of the grace of the Spirit. "For your good Spirit, he says, do not take away from me." For he did not ask that the grace of the Spirit be given to him, but he pleaded that it not be taken from him. Therefore, being illuminated by this ray, and foreseeing with prophetic eyes, that the people ruled by him will also fall into transgressions, and by whose punishments for these things they will be enslaved, and will become an emigrant in Babylon, he wrote the present psalm, both healing his own wounds, and preparing a suitable remedy for the people, and indeed also for all of us, as many as become wounded and are in need of healing. 3. "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy, and according to the multitude of your compassions blot out my transgression." And to the most divine David, and to the captive people, and to those among us who are in a bad state, the aforementioned sayings are fitting. For great wounds require remedies of equal measure, and he who has fallen into a severe illness needs greater care, and he who has sinned greatly needs great loving-kindness. For which reason the great David also beseeches that the whole mercy be poured out upon him, to empty out the entire fountain of compassions on the wound of sin. For it was not possible otherwise for the traces of sin to be blotted out. And he rightly calls the sin a transgression; for it has a twofold violation of the law. 80.1241 4. "Wash me more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." For already, he says, through Nathan the prophet you have given forgiveness; and you have also brought upon me all sorts of calamities, like certain cauteries and cuttings; but I still need cleansings, having taken in the great stench of sin. And again, therefore, wash me, Master, that you may scrape away all the filth of sin. [For according to the prophet the Lord will wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion with a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning.] 5. "For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me." For not even after the forgiveness that came from you, did I receive forgetfulness of the sin, but I continually see the images of my evil deeds, and the things that were dared

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τοῦ Θεοῦ σωτηρίας ἐπιτυχεῖν. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα, Τῇ θυσίᾳ, φησὶ, τῆς αἰνέσεως ἐφή δομαι· καὶ ταύτην ἡγοῦμαι δόξαν ἁρμόττουσαν· καὶ διὰ ταύτης τὴν ἐμὴν ὁδὸν ὑποδείξω τῷ ταύτην προσφέροντι, ἧς τέλος ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ σωτηρία. Ἐπισημήνασθαι δὲ προσήκει, ὡς κἀνταῦθα δύο προσ ώπων ἐποιήσατο μνήμην. "Θυσία γὰρ, φησὶ, δο ξάσει με." Καὶ διὰ τούτων τὸ οἰκεῖον πρόσωπον δεί ξας, ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ ἐκεῖ ὁδὸς ἣν δείξω αὐτῷ τὸ σω τήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἔδει γὰρ τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ παι δευούσῃ τὰ τέλεια, καὶ τῆς θεογνωσίας τὴν τελείαν συνῆφθαι διδασκαλίαν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Νʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ, βʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ. Ἐν τῷ 80.1240 εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν

Νάθαν τὸν προφήτην, ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθε πρὸς Βηρσαβεὲ τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου. Σα φῶς μὲν ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ τοῦ ψαλ μοῦ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν· καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τὰ ῥή ματα ἱκανὰ διδάξαι τῆς διανοίας τὸ βάθος. Εἰδέ ναι μέντοι προσήκει, ὡς καὶ μελλόντων ἔχει προ αγόρευσιν ὁ ψαλμός. ∆ιὸ καὶ εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐπιγέ γραπται, τοῦ λόγου δηλοῦντος, ὡς ἕξει τέλος ἡ προ φητεία. Ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς ἀμφιβαλλέτω, εἰ κατὰ τὸν τῆς μετανοίας καιρὸν προφητικῆς ἠξίωτο χάριτος ὁ μέγας ∆αβίδ· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἄλλων ψαλ μῶν, δι' ὧν τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν ἐποιήσατο, καταμα θεῖν δυνατόν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἕκτῳ ψαλμῷ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης προηγόρευσε κρίσεως. "Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου, ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ὁμολογήσεταί σοι;" Καὶ ἐν τῷ τρια κοστῷ πρώτῳ ψαλμῷ μακαρίζει τοὺς δίχα πόνων εἰληφότας τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ἄφεσιν, ὅπερ μόνη δωρεῖσθαι πέφυκεν ἡ τοῦ βαπτίσματος χάρις. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ ψαλμῷ διαῤῥήδην ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν, ὡς οὐκ ἐστέρητο τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χά ριτος. "Τὸ Πνεῦμά σου γὰρ, φησὶν, τὸ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ." Οὐ γὰρ ᾔτησεν αὐτῷ παρα σχεθῆναι τὴν χάριν τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἀλλὰ μὴ λη φθῆναι παρ' αὐτοῦ ταύτην ἱκέτευσεν. Ὑπὸ ταύ της τοίνυν φωτιζόμενος τῆς ἀκτῖνος, καὶ προφητικοῖς προορῶν ὀφθαλμοῖς, ὡς καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ βα σιλευόμενος περιπεσεῖται παρανομίαις, καὶ τίνων ὑπὲρ τούτων εὐθύνας ἐξανδραποδισθήσεται, καὶ μέτ οικος ἐν Βαβυλῶνι γενήσεται, συνέγραψε τὸν πα ρόντα ψαλμὸν, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα τραύματα θεραπεύων, καὶ τῷ λαῷ κατασκευάζων κατάλληλον φάρμακον, καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν, ὅσοι τραυματίαι γινόμενοι θεραπείας δεόμεθα. γʹ. "Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου, καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνόμημά μου." Καὶ τῷ θειοτάτῳ ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τῷ δορυαλώτῳ λαῷ, καὶ τοῖς ἐν ἡμῖν διακειμένοις κακῶς, ἁρμόττει τὰ προκείμενα ῥητά. Τὰ γὰρ μεγά λα τῶν τραυμάτων ἰσομέτρων δεῖται φαρμάκων, καὶ ὁ χαλεπῇ νόσῳ περιπεσὼν, πλείονος χρῄζει κηδεμονίας, καὶ ὁ μεγάλα πλημμελήσας μεγάλης φιλανθρωπίας δεῖται. Οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ ὁ μέγας ἱκε τεύει ∆αβὶδ ὅλον εἰς αὐτὸν ἐκχυθῆναι τὸν ἔλεον, πᾶσαν τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τὴν πηγὴν κατακενῶ σαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸ ἕλκος. Οὔτε γὰρ ἄλλως οἷόν τε ἦν ἐξαλειφθῆναι τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὰ ἴχνη. Εἰκότως δὲ ἀνόμημα καλεῖ τὸ πλημμέλημα· διπλῆν γὰρ ἔχει τοῦ νόμου παράβασιν. 80.1241 δʹ. "Ἐπιπλεῖον πλῦνόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου καθάρισόν με." Ἤδη γὰρ, φησὶ, διὰ Νάθαν τοῦ προφήτου τὴν ἄφεσιν ἔδω κας· καὶ συμφορὰς δέ μοι παντοδαπὰς, οἷόν τινας καυτῆρας καὶ τομὰς, προσενήνοχας· ἀλλ' ἔτι δέομαι ῥυμμάτων, πολλὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας εἰσδεξάμενος δυσοσμίαν. Καὶ αὖθίς με τοίνυν ἀπόνιψον, ∆έσποτα, ἵνα πάντα τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀποξύσῃς τὸν ῥύπον. [Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν προφήτην ἐκπλυνεῖ Κύριος τὸν ῥύ πον τῶν υἱῶν καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων Σιὼν πνεύματι κρίσεως καὶ πνεύματι καύσεως.] εʹ. "Ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγὼ γινώσκω, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία μου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστι διαπαντός." Οὐδὲ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ σοῦ γενομένην ἄφεσιν, λή θην ἐδεξάμην τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς ὁρῶ τῶν ἐμῶν κακῶν τὰς εἰκόνας, καὶ τὰς τολμηθεί σας