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may He grant salvation. For the ten tribes had already been enslaved and resettled, and in addition to them, many cities of Judea. For this reason he added, "When God brings back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." At that time, he says, we shall receive perfect gladness, when we see the other captives also enjoying their return. Therefore we too are taught, according to the apostolic law, "to weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice," to have the same mind toward one another, and to consider the prosperity of our neighbor as our own cheerfulness.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 53. 1, 2. "To the end, in hymns. Of understanding for David. When the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Is not David hidden with us?"

The subject of the psalm is clear. For the great David hymns God, as one who aided him and made him escape the snares of his enemies. For the Ziphites feigned friendship toward David, but they informed Saul where he was trying to hide. [Just as even now we see some who wear the cloak of friendship, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy rather than friendship.] And once, believing those who had informed him, he campaigned against him with many chosen men; then, when he was about to hunt him down suddenly, he was prevented by an attack of the foreigners. For having learned that they had marched against the land, he turned back, eager to defend those who were being attacked. Then the great David offered this hymn to God, as one who had received his supplication and averted the expected disaster. [And especially setting this psalm before them as a common teaching; so that each of those unjustly warred upon by some may, with all contrition, 80.1265 offer supplication in like manner to David to God who is able to rescue the prophet from the hand of the unjust.] 3. "O God, in your name save me." The invocation of your name, he says, is sufficient for my safety. Thus also the divine apostles worked great wonders. "For in the name of Jesus Christ," he says, "rise up and walk." - "And in your power judge me." You are just, he says, and a fount of justice; judge me therefore, and those who unjustly war against me. 4. "O God, hear my prayer, [and not only this, but also] give ear to the words of my mouth." Receive my supplications with [great] favor; [for what reason did he say:] 5. "For strangers have risen up against me; and [not only this, but also] the mighty have sought my soul." I ask for your help, O Lord, he says, [and entreaty] being pursued by hostile men with very great power; [but still a human one, and by this polytheism overcome] who are emboldened, and who desire to hand me over to death. And they dare these things against me because they are ignorant of your providence, [or rather, they even despise it.] For he added this, saying: "And they have not set God before them." And having thus supplicated, he cries out the foreknowledge of the help that would not be long in coming. 6, 7. "For behold, God helps me, and the Lord is the upholder of my soul. He will turn back evil upon my enemies." [Instead of, they dug a pit and hollowed it out, and they will fall into the hole which they made. And finally the most holy Spirit of God also prays, in saying,] "And in your truth destroy them." 8. "I will sacrifice to you willingly." But I, he says, have been taught by your grace that you will deem me worthy of providence, but upon those who devise these things you will inflict the evils contrived against me, and you will pass a just sentence against them. For this is what is meant by, "In your truth destroy them, I will sacrifice to you willingly." And I, having enjoyed these things, will with all eagerness offer you pleasing sacrifices. And teaching the kind of sacred rite, he added: 80.1268 "I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. [9.] For out of

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παράσχοι τὴν σωτηρίαν. Ἤδη γὰρ ἐξηνδρα ποδίσθησαν καὶ μετῳκίσθησαν αἱ δέκα φυλαὶ, καὶ πρὸς ταύταις τῆς Ἰουδαίας πόλεις πολλαί. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, "Ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν Θεὸν τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τοῦ λαοῦ αὑτοῦ, ἀγαλλιάσεται Ἰακὼβ, καὶ εὐφρανθήσεται Ἰσραήλ." Τηνικαῦτα, φησὶ, θυμηδίαν τελείαν ληψόμεθα, ἡνίκα ἂν τῆς ἐπανόδου καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους αἰχμαλώτους ἀπολαύσαντας ἴδω μεν. ∆ιδασκόμεθα τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς, κατὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν νομοθεσίαν, "Κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων, καὶ χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων," τὸ αὐτὸ εἰς ἀλλήλους φρονεῖν, καὶ εὐθυμίαν οἰκείαν ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν τοῦ πέ λας εὐημερίαν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΝΓʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ, βʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, Ἐν ὕμνοις. Συνέσεως τῷ ∆αβίδ. Ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν τοὺς

Ζιφαίους, καὶ εἰπεῖν τῷ Σαοὺλ, Οὐχὶ ∆αβὶδ κέκρυπται παρ' ἡμῖν;" ∆ήλη τοῦ ψαλμοῦ ἡ ὑπόθεσις. Ὑμνεῖ γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν ὁ μέ γας ∆αβὶδ, ὡς ἐπαρκέσαντα, καὶ τὰς τῶν πολεμίων πάγας διαδρᾶναι παρασκευάσαντα. Οἱ γὰρ Ζιφαῖοι τὴν πρὸς τὸν ∆αβὶδ ὑπεκρίνοντο φιλίαν, τῷ δὲ Σαοὺλ κατεμήνυον ἔνθα ἐπειρᾶτο λανθάνειν. [Ὡς καὶ μέχρι νῦν τινας ὁρῶμεν ἐπικάλυμμα μὲν φιλίας περικειμένους, ἔνδοθεν δὲ ὑποκρίσεως μᾶλλον ἢ φιλίας ἀναμέστους.] Καί ποτε τοῖς δεδηλωκόσι πι στεύσας, στρατεύει μὲν κατ' αὐτοῦ λογάσι πολ λοῖς· εἶτα μέλλων αὐτὸν ἐξαπιναίως θηρεύειν, ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων προσβολῆς ἐκωλύθη. Μαθὼν γὰρ αὐτοὺς κατὰ τῆς χώρας στρατεύσαντας, ἀνέστρεψε τοῖς πολεμουμένοις ἀμῦναι σπουδάζων. Τότε τοῦ τον τὸν ὕμνον προσενήνοχεν ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς δεξαμένῳ τὴν ἱκετείαν, καὶ τὴν προσδο κηθεῖσαν λύσαντι συμφοράν. [Καὶ μάλιστα προ τιθεὶς αὐτοῖς τοῦτον τὸν ψαλμὸν κοινὴν διδασκαλίαν· ὥστε ἕκαστον τῶν πολεμουμένων παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον ὑπό τινων μετὰ πάσης κατανύξεως προσφέρειν 80.1265 ὁμοίως τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἱκετείαν τῷ δυναμένῳ ὡς τὸν προ φήτην ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἀδικούντων ῥύσασθαι τῷ Θεῷ.] γʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου σῶσόν με." Ἀρκεῖ μοι, φησὶν, εἰς ἀσφάλειαν ἡ τοῦ σοῦ ὀνό ματος κλῆσις. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ θεῖοι ἀπόστολοι τὰ μεγάλα εἰργάζοντο θαύματα. "Ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔγειραι, καὶ περιπάτει." - "Καὶ ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σοῦ κρῖνόν μοι." ∆ίκαιος, φησὶ, καὶ δικαιοσύνης ὑπάρχεις πηγή· κρῖνόν μοι τοίνυν καὶ τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν ἀδίκως. δʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς, εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου, [καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ] ἐνώτισαι τὰ ῥή ματα τοῦ στόματός μου." ∆έξαι μου τὰς ἱκετείας σὺν εὐμενείᾳ [πολλῇ· τίνος ἕνεκεν εἶπεν·] εʹ. "Ὅτι ἀλλότριοι ἐπανέστησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ· καὶ [οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ] κραταιοὶ ἐζήτησαν τὴν ψυχήν μου." ∆έομαι, φησὶ τῆς σῆς ἐπικουρίας, ὦ ∆έσποτα, [καὶ ἀντιβολῆς] ὑπὸ δυσμενῶν ἐλαυνόμε νος, πλείστῃ δυνάμει· [ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀνθρωπείᾳ καὶ ταύτῃ πολυθεΐᾳ κεκρατημένῃ] τεθαῤῥηκότων, καὶ θανάτῳ με παραδοῦναι ποθούντων. Ταῦτα δὲ κατ' ἐμοῦ τολμῶσιν, ἐπειδὴ τὴν σὴν πρόνοιαν ἀγνοοῦσι, [μᾶλλον καὶ αὐτῆς καταφρονοῦσι.] Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν εἰπών· "Καὶ οὐ προέθεντο τὸν Θεὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν." Ταῦτα δὲ οὕτως ἱκετεύσας, τῆς οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἐσομένης ἐπικουρίας τὴν πρόγνω σιν ἐκβοᾷ. ʹ, ζʹ. "Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς βοηθεῖ μοι, καὶ ὁ Κύ ριος ἀντιλήπτωρ τῆς ψυχῆς μου. Ἀποστρέψῃ τὰ κακὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου." [Ἀντὶ τοῦ, λάκκον ὤρυξαν καὶ ἀνέσκαψαν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐμπεσοῦνται εἰς βόθρον ὃν εἰργάσαντο. Καὶ λοιπὸν καὶ τὸ πανάγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ Πνεῦμα ἐπεύχεται, ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν,] "Καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου ἐξολόθρευσον αὐτούς." ηʹ. "Ἑκουσίως θύσω σοι." Ἐγὼ δὲ, φησὶν, ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς δεδίδαγμαι χάριτος, ὡς ἐμὲ μὲν ἀξιώ σεις προνοίας, τοῖς δὲ κατ' ἐμοῦ τυρευθεῖσι κακοῖς τοὺς ταῦτα τεκταινομένους περιβαλεῖς, καὶ δικαίαν κατ' αὐτῶν ἐξοίσεις τὴν ψῆφον. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ, "Ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου ἐξολόθρευσον αὐτοὺς, ἑκου σίως θύσω σοι." Ἐγὼ δὲ τούτων ἀπολαύσας, σὺν πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ τὰς θυμήρεις σοι προσοίσω θυσίας. Καὶ διδάσκων τῆς ἱερουργίας τὸ εἶδος, ἐπήγαγεν· 80.1268 "Ἐξομολογήσομαι τῷ ὀνόματί σου, Κύριε, ὅτι ἀγαθόν. [θʹ.] Ὅτι ἐκ