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a deceitful tongue." He has called words of drowning and a deceitful tongue that which is able to utterly destroy through falsehood, from the metaphor of those who drown others, and make those drowned by them submerged in the depth of the waters. And this is what Doeg also did. For he utterly destroyed the whole city of the priests, using false words against Ahimelech. Rabshakeh also attempted to do this, but was not able; for he brought forth the false promises to those standing on the wall; but he missed his prey. 7. "Therefore God shall destroy you forever; He shall pluck you out, and remove you from your dwelling and your root from the land of the living." You will not escape, he says, having chosen this wickedness, the sentence of the God of all; for he will destroy you very quickly, and will hand you over to complete destruction, and will separate you from the list of the living, and having torn you up by the root will send you to death. For from this the greatest 80.1257 benefit will arise for those who are distressed at the prosperity of the wicked, when they see their destruction; for he says: 8. "The righteous shall see, and shall fear; and they shall laugh at him, and shall say," [At whom? At the unjust man, who strives not only against truth itself, as he did, but also rages against the priesthood; namely those who are consecrated to God saying:] 9. "Behold the man who did not make God his helper; but hoped in the abundance of his wealth, and was strengthened in his vanity." The choir of the righteous, he says, will be filled with greater reverence, having seen the just judgment of God, and rejoicing and being glad will laugh at the fruitlessness of wickedness, and the profit of present prosperity. 10. "But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God; I have hoped in the mercy of God forever, and for ever and ever." For the great David says these things both about himself, and offers instruction to Hezekiah; for both are lovers and pupils of piety. And in the first psalm, he likened the champion of virtue to a tree planted by the bank of waters, and continually flourishing, and bearing ripe fruit. And here he has called the just man an olive tree abounding with much fruit, and planted in the divine house; since he has a firm hope in God, and on account of that endures to labor, and to bear the toilsome fruits of virtue. [For these reasons indeed let no one who has arrived at the contests shrink, but let him contend and glory in these things; awaiting not only the crowns that will be given to him for his struggles, but also to see the capture of his enemies here.] 11. "I will give thanks to you forever, because you have done it, and I will wait on your name, for it is good in the sight of your holy ones." [And the phrase, "I will give thanks to you forever," refers to the present age. And the phrase you have done it, means the vindication of those who trust in you. And the phrase, "I will wait on your name," means not only will I persevere in the struggles for your sake with great eagerness; but also because you have a good, that is, philanthropic, and beginningless and endless kingdom. And the phrase "in the sight of your holy ones," means, Your help is present and you will guard those who struggle for your name's sake.] And having obtained this benefit, 80.1260 I will always hymn you, O Master, always longing for and awaiting your lovely name for those who know you, and reaping the benefit from it. For good and thrice-desired is the name of God, not for all men, but for those who have been deemed worthy of the knowledge of God.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 52. 1. "For the end, for Maeleth, of understanding, for David." The phrase for Maeleth

Theodotion interpreted as for the dance, and Symmachus, by means of a dance; and Aquila, upon a dance. This psalm, however, has the same meaning as the one before it; and likewise also the 13th. For the subject of both is one. For that of Sennacherib and of

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γλῶσσαν δολίαν." Ῥήματα καταποντι σμοῦ καὶ δολίαν γλῶσσαν κέκληκε τὴν ἄρδην ἀφανίσαι διὰ τοῦ ψεύδους δυναμένην, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν καταποντιζόντων, καὶ ὑποβρυχίους τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῶν καταποντιζομένους τῷ βυθῷ τῶν ὑδάτων ποιούντων. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ ∆ωὴκ ἔδρασεν. Ἄρδην γὰρ ἅπασαν τῶν ἱερέων τὴν πόλιν διέφθειρε τοῖς ψευδέσι κατὰ τοῦ Ἀβιμέλεχ χρησάμενος λόγοις. Τοῦτο ποιῆσαι καὶ ὁ Ῥαψάκης ἐπειράθη μὲν, οὐκ ἴσχυσε δέ· προσήνεγκε μὲν γὰρ τὰς ψευδεῖς ὑπο σχέσεις τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους ἑστῶσι· διήμαρτε δὲ θήρας. ζʹ. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς καθέλοι σε εἰς τέλος· ἐκτίλαι σε, καὶ μεταναστεύσαι σε ἀπὸ σκηνώματός σου καὶ τὸ ῥίζωμά σου ἐκ γῆς ζώντων." Οὐ διαφεύξῃ, φησὶ, ταύτην προελόμενος τὴν πονη ρίαν, τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων τὴν ψῆφον· καταλύσει γάρ σε τάχιστα, καὶ παντελεῖ παραδώσει φθορᾷ, καὶ χωρίσει τοῦ καταλόγου τῶν ζώντων, καὶ πρόῤ ῥιζον ἀνασπάσας παραπέμψει θανάτῳ. Μέγιστον γὰρ 80.1257 ἐντεῦθεν φυήσεται κέρδος τῶν ἀδημονούντων ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν πονηρῶν εὐπραξίᾳ, τὸν τούτων ὄλεθρον θεωμέ νων· καὶ γάρ φησιν· ηʹ. "Ὄψονται δίκαιοι, καὶ φοβηθήσονται· καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὸν γελάσονται, καὶ ἐροῦσιν," [Ἐπὶ τίνα; Τὸν ἄδικον, τὸν οὐ μόνον κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτῆς, ὡς ἐκεῖνος, ἀγωνιζόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἱερω σύνης μεμηνότα· λέγοντες δηλονότι οἱ τῷ Θεῷ ἀνα κείμενοι·] θʹ "Ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ὃς οὐκ ἔθετο τὸν Θεὸν βοηθὸν αὐτοῦ· ἀλλ' ἐπήλπισεν ἐπὶ τῷ πλήθει τοῦ πλού του αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐνεδυναμώθη ἐν τῇ ματαιότητι αὑτοῦ." Ὁ τῶν δικαίων, φησὶ, χορὸς μείζονος εὐ λαβείας ἐμφορηθήσεται, τὴν δικαίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ θεασάμενος κρίσιν, καὶ γεγηθὼς καὶ γαννύμενος γελάσει τῆς πονηρίας τὴν ἀκαρπίαν, καὶ τῆς παρού σης εὐημερίας τὸ κέρδος. ιʹ. "Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἤλπισα ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος." Ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τῷ Ἐζε κίᾳ προσφέρει διδασκαλίαν· ἄμφω γὰρ εὐσεβείας ἐρασταί τε καὶ τρόφιμοι. Καὶ ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ψαλμῷ, δένδρῳ παρ' ὄχθην ὑδάτων πεφυτευμένῳ, καὶ τεθηλότι διηνεκῶς, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν ὥριμον φέ ροντι, τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀπείκασεν ἀθλητήν. Καὶ ἐν ταῦθα ἐλαίαν πολλῷ βρίθουσαν καρπῷ, καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ θείῳ πεφυτευμένην, τὸν δίκαιον εἴρη κεν· ἅτε δὴ βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδα κε κτημένον, καὶ δι' ἐκείνην πονεῖν ἀνεχόμενον, καὶ τοὺς ἐπιπόνους τῆς ἀρετῆς φέρειν καρπούς. [∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα μηδεὶς ὀκλαζέτω περὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας φθά σας, ἀλλ' ἐναθλείτω καὶ ἐγκαλλωπιζέσθω τούτοις· περιμένων οὐ μόνον τοὺς μέλλοντας αὐτῷ δίδοσθαι ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄθλων στεφάνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐνταῦθα θεάσασθαι ἅλωσιν.] ιαʹ. "Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὅτι ἐποίησας, καὶ ὑπομενῶ τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὅτι χρηστὸν ἐναντίον τῶν ὁσίων σου." [Τὸ δὲ, "Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα," εἰς τὸν νῦν αἰῶνα. Τὸ δὲ ἐποίη σας, τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν εἰς σὲ πεποιθότων. Τὸ δὲ, "Ὑπομενῶ τὸ ὄνομά σου," οὐ μόνον τοῖς ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἀγῶσι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προθυμίας ἐγκαρ τερήσω· ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ χρηστὸν, τουτέστι φιλάνθρω πον, καὶ ἄναρχον καὶ ἀτελεύτητον ἔχεις τὴν βασι λείαν. Τὸ δὲ "ἐναντίον τῶν ὁσίων σου," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Πάρεστι βοήθειά σου καὶ φυλάξεις τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἀθλοῦντας.] Ταύτης δὲ τῆς εὐεργεσίας 80.1260 τετυχηκὼς, ἀεί σε ὑμνήσω, ∆έσποτα, τὸ ἀξιέρα στον ὄνομα τοῖς ἐπισταμένοις σε ποθῶν ἀεὶ, καὶ προσμένων, καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὠφέλειαν καρπούμε νος. Χρηστὸν γὰρ καὶ τριπόθητον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ὄνομα, οὐ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τῆς θεογνω σίας ἠξιωμένοις.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΝΒʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, Ὑπὲρ Μαελὲθ, συνέσεως τῷ ∆αβίδ." Τὸ ὑπὲρ Μαελὲθ ὁ

Θεοδοτίων ὑπὲρ τῆς χορείας ἡρμήνευσεν, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, διὰ χοροῦ· ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, ἐπὶ χορείᾳ. Τὴν αὐτὴν μέντοι διά νοιαν ὁ ψαλμὸς οὗτος ἔχει τῷ προτεταγμένῳ· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ ιγʹ. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ ὑπόθεσις ἀμφοτέρων μία. Τῆς γὰρ τοῦ Σενναχηρεὶμ καὶ τοῦ