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in thought he became a traitor, having followed the reasoning concerning treachery which he was running towards, from the one who incited him to this. And it is well to add "men" to "murderous"; for it is not of an ordinary person, but of one who is strong and perfect in evil deeds to shed human blood. 609 Ps 58,4a As for the intention and cruelty of Saul and those sent by him to seize him from his own house and kill him, he says, They have hunted my soul, even if by God's power he was saved by the extraordinary stratagem of his wife. The verse could be interpreted concerning invisible enemies who are eager to hunt a soul, of those preparing Saul to become a murderer against David, who was blameless towards him in all things. 610 Ps 58,4b "Mighty" indicates those who attacked him: the king and those from him; but in terms of meaning, the principalities and the powers and the world-rulers of this darkness. 611 Ps 58,5a And it is well that he said, I have run; for the voice is of one who has completed the race. For just as doing and having done are not the same, so running and having run are not the same. Paul, therefore, is a teacher of both; at one time he says, So I run, not as uncertainly, at another, I have finished the race, for one who has finished the race is no longer running. But someone might object to what has been said, bringing up the confession of his sin against Uriah, since he did confess to God saying, Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. But the deed about which he also confessed happened after the death of Saul. Since this, then, is true, how could he who was being persecuted while Saul was still alive say, as one who had already completed the race, Without iniquity I have run and directed my way? In response to the objection, it must be said, first, that he says he directed his way without iniquity with respect to Saul and his service to him, so that the other was plotting against him in vain; and then also this: up to that time when he had run without iniquity and directed his way, all things were accomplished by him. But since every created human being is by nature changeable, after this, having stumbled, he readily repented; from which it is also shown of him that he did not have practice and habit in sinning. 612a Ps 58,5b While the aforementioned enemies persist in their eagerness against me, arise to meet me to help me, no longer being long-suffering towards them. And I ask you, having arisen to meet me, to see that they do not rage against me on my account, as one who has sinned against them. For neither my iniquity nor my sin provoked them, but their envious passion, being grieved at our good repute. 613a Ps 58,6ab With the prayer for himself, he includes the petition for all the nations, being at once a lover of mankind and a prophet. For having foreknown prophetically the calling of the nations, he beseeches the Lord, the God of the divine powers, but also the God of Israel, to pay attention to visit the nations so that he may heal them as they live badly through idolatry and the worship of demons. And the visitation of the nations happens when the divine Word is sent forth to heal all and save them from the corruptions that had previously taken hold. He is, therefore, a physician of souls, healing the brokenhearted. And he calls him God and Lord of powers, that is, of rational holy living beings and of the heavenly armies. And as he is God of these powers, so also he is God of the discerning men, called Israel in the Hebrew language. 614 Ps 58,10.11 David, being persecuted by Saul on account of the aforementioned envy, knew that he would be the successor of the rule. And prophetically contemplating what was to be, and from being anointed for this by Samuel, yet even if he was thus fully assured, he did not kill him when he was delivered into his hands many times, wishing to receive the rule lawfully from God in turn and not from attacking and murdering. From this intention he says, O God my strength, I will keep for you, not choosing to usurp it but waiting to receive it from you; and I am confident in the assurance concerning this, knowing

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ἐνθύμησιν προδότης γέγονεν, ἐπακολουθήσας ῳ ετρεχεν περὶ προδοσίας λογισμῷ ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τοῦτο παρορμήσαντος. Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ προσθεῖναι τοῖς φονικοῖς τὸ ανδρες· οὐ γὰρ τοῦ τυχόντος ἀλλ' ἰσχυροῦ καὶ τελείου ἐν κακοῖς τὸ αιμα ἀνθρώπου ἐκχεῖν. 609 Ps 58,4a Οσον εἰς τὴν πρόθεσιν καὶ ὠμότητα τοῦ Σαοὺλ καὶ τῶν πεμφθέντων παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῷ λαβεῖν αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ οικου τοῦ ἰδίου καὶ θανατῶσαί φησιν ̓Εθήρευσαν τὴν ψυχήν μου, εἰ καὶ θεοῦ δυνάμει ἐσώθη παραδόξῳ τέχνῃ τῆς γαμετῆς. Περὶ ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν τῶν σπουδὴν ἐχόντων θηρεύειν ψυχὴν ἑρμηνευθείη ὁ στίχος τῶν παρασκευαζόντων τὸν Σαοὺλ φονέα κατὰ τοῦ διὰ πάντων ἀμέμπτου ∆αυὶδ γενομένου πρὸς αὐτόν. 610 Ps 58,4b Κραταίους δὲ τοὺς ἐπιθεμένους αὐτῷ δηλοῖ βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, ὡς δὲ πρὸς διάνοιαν τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας καὶ κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου. 611 Ps 58,5a Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ Εδραμον ειπεν· τελέσαντος γὰρ τὸν δρόμον ἡ φωνή. ὡς γὰρ οὐ ταὐτὸν τὸ πράττειν καὶ πεπραχέναι, ουτως οὐ ταὐτὸν τὸ τρέχειν καὶ τὸ δεδραμηκέναι. Παῦλος τοίνυν ἀμφοτέρων διδάσκαλος· ὁτὲ μὲν λέγει Ουτως τρέχω ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως, ὁτὲ δὲ Τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τοῦ τὸν δρόμον τελέσαντος οὐκέτι τρέχοντος. ̓Αντερεῖ δέ τις τοῖς εἰρημένοις, φέρων τὴν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου ἁμαρτίαν ἐξομολόγησιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐξωμολογήσατο τῷ θεῷ φήσας ̓Επὶ πλεῖον πλῦνόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καθάρισόν με. γέγονε δὲ ἡ πρᾶξις περὶ ης καὶ ἡ ἐξομολόγησις μετὰ τὸν τοῦ Σαοὺλ θάνατον. τούτου γοῦν ἀληθοῦς οντος, πῶς ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ετι ζῶντος Σαοὺλ διωκόμενος ὡς ηδη τελέσας τὸν δρόμον ειπεν Ανευ ἀνομίας εδραμον καὶ κατεύθυνα; λεκτέον πρὸς τὴν ἀντίρρησιν πρῶτον μὲν οτι τὴν πρὸς τὸν Σαοὺλ καὶ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπηρεσίαν ανευ ἀνομίας κατευθυκέναι φησὶν ὡς μάτην ἐκεῖνον ἐπιβουλεύειν, ειτα καὶ ουτως· εἰς οτε τότε δραμὼν ανευ ἀνομίας καὶ κατευθύνας ην πάντα τὰ διανυσθέντα αὐτῷ. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τρεπτὸς καθόλου πᾶς γενητὸς ανθρωπος ων, μετὰ ταῦτα πταίσας ῥᾷστα μετενόησεν· ἐξ ου καὶ αὐτοῦ δείκνυται ὡς οὐκ ειχε τριβὴν καὶ συνήθειαν πρὸς τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν. 612a Ps 58,5b Τῶν προειρημένων ἐχθρῶν ἐμμενόντων τῇ κατ' ἐμοῦ σπουδῇ, ἐξεγερθεὶς συνάντησον εἰς τὸ βοηθῆσαί μοι μηκέτι μακροθυμῶν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. παρακαλῶ δὲ ἐξεγερθέντα εἰς συνάντησίν μου ἰδεῖν ὡς οὐ κατ' ἐμὴν πρόφασιν κατ' ἐμοῦ φονῶσιν ἁμαρτόντος εἰς αὐτούς. ουτε γὰρ ἡ ἀνομία μου ουτε ἡ ἁμαρτία μου ἐξεκαλέσατο αὐτοὺς ἀλλὰ τὸ φθονερὸν αὐτῶν πάθος λυπηθέντας ἐπὶ ἐυκλείᾳ ἡμετέρᾳ. 613a Ps 58,6ab Τῇ περὶ αὐτοῦ εὐχῇ συμπαραλαμβάνει τὴν περὶ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀξίωσιν, φιλάνθρωπος αμα καὶ προφήτης ὑπάρχων. προγνοὺς γὰρ προφητικῶς τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν κλῆσιν παρακαλεῖ κύριον τὸν θεὸν τῶν θείων δυνάμεων ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ θεὸν προσέχοντα ἐπισκέψασθαι τὰ εθνη οπως ἰάσηται αὐτὰ διάγοντα κακῶς διὰ εἰδωλολατρείαν καὶ δαιμόνων θεράπειαν. γίνεται δὲ ἡ ἐπισκοπὴ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀποσταλέντος τοῦ θείου λόγου ἐπὶ τῷ πάντας ἰάσασθαι καὶ σῶσαι ἐκ τῶν προκαταλαβουσῶν διαφθορῶν. ἰατρὸς γοῦν ἐστι ψυχῶν, τοὺς συντετριμμένους τῇ καρδίᾳ ἰώμενος. ∆υνάμεων δὲ θεὸν αὐτὸν καλεῖ καὶ κύριον ητοι λογικῶν ἁγίων ζῴων καὶ στρατευμάτων οὐρανίων. ὡς δὲ τούτων τῶν δυνάμεων θεός, ουτω καὶ τῶν διορατικῶν ἀνθρώπων ̓Ισραὴλ καλουμένων ̔Εβραίων φωνῇ θεός ἐστιν. 614 Ps 58,10.11 ∆ιωκόμενος ὁ ∆αυὶδ ὑπὸ Σαοὺλ διὰ τὸν προειρημένον φθόνον εγνω οτι εσται τῆς ἀρχῆς διάδοχος. καὶ προφητικῶς μὲν θεωρήσας τὸ ἐσόμενον καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κεχρίσθαι εἰς τοῦτο ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαμουήλ, πλὴν εἰ καὶ ουτω πεπληροφόρητο, οὐκ ἀνῄρει αὐτὸν πολλάκις εἰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ παραδοθέντα, νομίμως ἐκ θεοῦ ἀντιπαραλαβεῖν τὴν ἀρχὴν βουλόμενος ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιθέσθαι καὶ δολοφονῆσαι. ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς προθέσεώς φησιν ̔Ο θεὸς τὸ κράτος μου, πρὸς σὲ φυλάξω, οὐ σφετερίσασθαι αὐτὸ προαιρούμενος ἀλλ' ἐκδεχόμενος παρὰ σοῦ αὐτὸ λαβεῖν· θαρρῶ δὲ τῇ περὶ τούτου διαβεβαιώσει, γνοὺς