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becoming of an evil work and spirit. But a sign is given not to ordinary people but to those who are pious according to God. 620 Ps 59,7 So that your beloved might remain unharmed and be delivered from the face of the bow, you gave the aforementioned sign. It must be said here also: then they will be able to be delivered from invisible enemies, when your right hand saves, your only-begotten son. For he has often been interpreted as the right hand of God, especially when it was set forth, "I secured you with my righteous right hand," and "With my right hand I established the heaven." It must be noted that the things of pronunciation are the opposite of the order of thought. for God, having first heard, saves, and this is the consequent harmony, with the word having "Hear me" after "Save," unless perhaps it might be understood thus: "Having saved with the right hand, hear me," the prayer being for me who was saved not about being saved (for that has been said) but for asking for divine goods, which are the gifts of the divine spirit. And the beloved of God happen to be those who, through nobility, are worthy of being loved by him; human beings made in the image of God, even if they have especially fallen into sin, yet because of the substance of the soul, being intellectual and rational, they would be his beloved. 621a Ps 59,8a God speaks in everyone who partakes of holiness. Thus indeed Christ also spoke in Paul, being holy, and in every prophet. But if the voice is understood concerning the Father, the savior would be holy in whom he speaks, in accordance with "The Father who abides in me does the works," and "The Father has given me a command what I should say and what I should speak;" these things are fitting for the economy.

622a Ps 60,3ab The one praying here, knowing himself to be far from him to whom he sends up the prayer, says he is from the ends of the earth and has cried out to God then when he is disheartened; for as he says in Ecclesiastes, "God is in heaven above and you are on the earth below." And what is signified through the word is not a spatial distance but a difference of uncreated substance and created things, the existence of God being said to be above in heaven on account of a preeminence of honor, that of man being below on the earth by having come from non-being into being. And looking to this difference, the Baptist also says that the savior is from above, from heaven, but that man is from the earth and speaks; for he utters what is possible for a creature to say. 623a Ps 60,3c-5 We will take "rock" to mean Christ who flows with spiritual drink. The one who is on this rock by partaking of it (for he is wisdom and righteousness and sanctification) is raised up in mind, being exalted by God. And those who purpose to follow the savior according to his exhortations when he says, "Come after me," and again to Philip, "Follow me," using him as a guide, share in the same uplifting, not having hoped to find another leader of the way that leads to the cause of all things. Having received this gift, David also with a hymn says to the Lord, "You have guided me, because you have become my hope;" "and not only a guide but you have also become for me a tower against the face of the enemy." For having you as strength and a tower of strength, I remained unharmed, although the enemy was before my face and wanted to fight me. Let the one who began to build this tower, as having already laid the foundations, complete the building so as to even put a crown upon the house, so that you might not owe shame before those passing by who are accustomed to mock those who do not bring to completion the way of life they have chosen. "From the face of the enemy" and "You have guided me" can have a reference with such a connection: "You have guided me from the face of the enemy, having become my hope, but you have also become for me a tower of strength in addition to having guided me from the face of the enemy." The true and unfailing hope of the saints is the savior, of whom Paul says, "And of Jesus Christ our hope," and the prophecy, "In him the nations will hope;" for he is the one who was foretold to be "the expectation of the nations." He dwells as a stranger

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εργου καὶ πνεύματος πονηροῦ γινόμενοι. δίδοται δὲ οὐ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς κατὰ θεὸν εὐσεβέσι σημείωσις. 620 Ps 59,7 Οπως ἀβλαβεῖς διαμείναντες ῥυσθῶσιν ἀπὸ προσώπου τόξου οἱ ἀγαπητοί σου, τὴν λεχθεῖσαν σημείωσιν εδωκας. λεκτέον καὶ ωδε· τότε ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ πολεμίων ἀοράτων δυνήσονται, οταν σώσῃ ἡ δεξιά σου, μονογενής σου υἱός. ουτος γὰρ δεξιὰ θεοῦ ἡρμήνευται πολλάκις, μάλιστα οτε προέκειτο τὸ ̓Ησφαλισάμην σε τῇ δεξιᾷ τῇ δικαίᾳ μου, καὶ Τῇ δεξιᾷ μου ἐστερέωσα τὸν οὐρανόν. ̓Επιστατέον ὡς εμπαλιν τῇ τάξει τῆς νοήσεως εχει τὰ τῆς προφορᾶς. πρότερον γὰρ εἰσακούσας σῴζει θεὸς καὶ αυτη ἡ ἀκόλουθος ἁρμονία, τῆς λέξεως μετὰ τὸ Σῶσον τὸ ̓Επάκουσόν μου ἐχούσης, εἰ μὴ αρα ουτω νοηθείη· Σώσας τῇ δεξιᾷ ἐπάκουσόν μου, εὐχῆς ουσης ἐμοὶ τῷ σωθέντι οὐ περὶ τοῦ σωθῆναι (ἐκεῖνο γὰρ ειρηται) ἀλλὰ περὶ θείων ἀγαθῶν αἰτουμένῳ απερ ἐστὶ τὰ τοῦ θείου πνεύματος χαρίσματα. ̓Αγαπητοὶ δὲ θεοῦ τυγχάνουσιν οἱ διὰ καλοκἀγαθίαν οντες, αξιοι τοῦ ἀγαπᾶσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· οἱ κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ πεποιημένοι ανθρωποι, εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ὑποπεπτώκασιν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ομως διὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς οὐσίαν νοερὰν ουσαν καὶ λογικὴν ειεν αν ἀγαπητοὶ αὐτοῦ. 621a Ps 59,8a Θεὸς λαλεῖ ἐν παντὶ μετέχοντι ἁγιότητος. ουτω γοῦν καὶ ἐν Παύλῳ ἁγίῳ οντι ἐλάλει Χριστὸς καὶ ἐν παντὶ προφήτῃ. εἰ δὲ περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκλαμβάνεται ἡ φωνή, αγιος ἐν ῳ λαλεῖ ὁ σωτὴρ αν ειη συμφώνως τῷ ̔Ο πατὴρ ὁ μένων ἐν ἐμοὶ ποιεῖ τὰ εργα, καὶ ̓Εντολὴν δέδωκέν μοι ὁ πατὴρ τί ειπω καὶ τί λαλήσω· ἁρμόζει ταῦτα τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ.

622a Ps 60,3ab ̔Ο ἐνταῦθα εὐχόμενος πόρρω ἑαυτὸν τυγχάνοντα εἰδὼς τοῦ ῳ

τὴν εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει ἐκ τῶν περάτων ειναι τῆς γῆς λέγει καὶ κεκραγέναι πρὸς θεὸν τότε οτε ἀκηδιᾷ· καθὰ γάρ φησιν ἐν τῷ ̓Εκκλησιαστῇ ̔Ο θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ανω καὶ σὺ ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω. σημαίνεται δὲ διὰ τῆς λέξεως οὐ διάστασις τοπικὴ ἀλλ' οὐσίας ἀκτίστου καὶ κτισμάτων διαφορᾶς, τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπάρξεως δι' ὑπεροχὴν τιμῆς ανω ἐν οὐρανῷ λεγομένης, τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κάτω εἰς γῆν τυγχανούσης τῷ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ οντος εἰς τὸ ειναι ἐληλυθέναι. εἰς ταύτην τὴν διαφορὰν καὶ ὁ Βαπτιστὴς σκοπήσας τὸν σωτῆρα ανωθεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ειναι λέγει, τὸν δὲ ανθρωπον ἐκ τῆς γῆς τυγχάνειν καὶ λαλεῖν· προφέρει γὰρ α κτίσματι δυνατὸν εἰπεῖν. 623a Ps 60,3c-5 Πέτραν σημαίνεσθαι ἐκδεξόμεθα ῥέουσαν πνευματικὸν πόμα τὸν Χριστόν. ὁ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ γινόμενος τῷ μετέχειν αὐτῆς (ὑπάρχει γὰρ σοφία καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἁγιασμός) μετεωρίζεται κατὰ τὸν νοῦν ὑψούμενος ὑπὸ θεοῦ. Καὶ οἱ επεσθαι δὲ τῷ σωτῆρι προθέμενοι κατὰ τὰς αὐτοῦ προτροπὰς λέγοντος ∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ πάλιν πρὸς Φίλιππον ̓Ακολούθει μοι, ὁδηγῷ αὐτῷ χρώμενοι, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐπάρσεως κοινωνοῦσιν, οὐκ αλλον ἐλπίσαντες ἡγεμόνα εὑρήσειν τῆς ἀγούσης πρὸς τὸν πάντων αιτιον ὁδοῦ. ταύτης τῆς δωρεᾶς τυχὼν καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ μεθ' υμνου λέγει τῷ κυρίῳ ̔Ωδήγησάς με οτι ἐγενήθης ἐλπίς μου· οὐ μόνον δὲ ὁδηγὸς ἀλλὰ καὶ πύργος γέγονάς μοι ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ. σὲ γὰρ ἰσχὺν εχων καὶ ἰσχύος πύργον ἀβλαβὴς διέμεινα, καίτοι τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τυγχάνοντος ἀντιπροσώπου καὶ πολεμεῖν με θέλοντος. τοῦτον τὸν πύργον ὁ οἰκοδομεῖν ἀρξάμενος ὡς θεμελίους ηδη τεθεικέναι τελειωσάτω τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ὡς καὶ στεφανὴν ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ δώματι, οπως μὴ αἰσχύνην ὀφλῇς πρὸς τῶν παραπορευομένων εἰωθότων ἐπιχλευάζειν τοῖς μὴ εἰς τέλος ην ᾑρήσαντο πολιτείαν αγουσιν. ∆ύναται ἀναφορὰν εχειν εἰς τὸ ̓Απὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ καὶ τὸ ̔Ωδήγησάς με εἱρμῷ τοιούτῳ· ̔Ωδήγησάς με ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ ἐλπίς μου γεγενημένος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πύργος ἰσχύος πρὸς τῷ ὡδηγηκέναι με ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ γέγονάς μοι. ἐλπὶς τῶν ἁγίων ἀληθινὴ καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος ὁ σωτήρ, ῃ φησι Παῦλος Καὶ ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡ προφητεία ̓Επ' αὐτῷ εθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ προαναφωνηθεὶς εσεσθαι ̓Εθνῶν προσδοκία. Παροικεῖ