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from all affliction you rescued me; and my eye has looked upon my enemies." I will bring to you the sacrifice of praise, recounting your benefits. For this is beneficial to me, and [to all those who are helped by you and] pleasing to you. It is just to do this, having been delivered from all kinds of misfortunes, and having seen the destruction of the enemies. [That the Lord of all knows this sacrifice, the blessed Paul also mentions; taking with him the compassions of God and exhorting the pupils of grace, saying thus: "I beseech you, therefore, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God." And what kind of sacrifice it is, he explained by saying, "through your spiritual worship."] INTERPRETATION OF THE 54TH PSALM. 1. "For the end, In hymns, of understanding, for David." The blessed David spoke the psalm while being persecuted by Saul, and having become a fugitive, and being forced to live in the desert; but he also prophesies at the same time the plots of the Jews against the Savior, and prefigures in himself the sufferings of the Lord. For he himself was driven out by Saul, whom he had benefited; and he was betrayed by some of his acquaintances, and he foresaw with the eyes of the spirit that the Lord would suffer this same thing, and would be betrayed and crucified by those on whom he had conferred benefits. For this reason the inscription also refers the reader to the end, and exhorts him to attend wisely to what is said, as the prophetic meaning is veiled, and receives its fulfillment after a time. In addition to these things, the psalm is also counted among the hymns, having a certain foreshadowing of the Lord's sufferings. For it is right always to praise him who endured to suffer these things for the salvation of men. But let no one, attending to the lowliness of the words, consider these things unworthy of the incarnation of Christ the Savior. But let him consider that he who endured gall, and vinegar, and nails, and thorns, and spitting and slaps, and every insult, and finally accepted death, would not have refused lowliness of words. For it is fitting that the words be suitable to the deeds. His is the voice: "Learn from me, for I am 80.1269 gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." And again, "I have received a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak, and I do nothing of myself." And, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" These things, and such things, he uttered in a human way, both showing his human nature, and building up the weakness of the Jews. Here, however, the divine David both teaches the injustice done to himself, and prefigures that which would be done to the Lord [Christ our God], exulting in the fellowship of sufferings, and all but crying out with Paul, "I bear on my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." [And not only the Prophet, but also all who for his name's sake share in his sufferings, will be glorified; just as the divine Paul: "If indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him." And this is the meaning of the inscription and almost of the present psalm; but the Prophet, beginning, spoke thus:] 2, 3. "Give ear, O God, to my prayer, and do not despise my supplication. Attend to me and hear me." He offers various supplications, entreating that all be received. For do not overlook me, he says, as I lament, but attend to me graciously, and extend your help. "I was grieved in my meditation, and I was troubled. [4.] From the voice of the enemy, and from the affliction of the sinner." For being reproached, he says, and warred against by the unjust enemies, and considering their various plots, I am filled with much pain [meaning, from the plot made against me by them]. For the divine Scripture calls 'adoleschia' continual meditation. But Symmachus translated this thus: "I was downcast while speaking to myself, and was confounded by the voice of the enemy, by the vexation of the ungodly." For the

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πάσης θλίψεως ἐῤῥύσω με· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου ἐπεῖδεν ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου." Τὴν τῆς αἰνέσεώς σοι προσοίσω θυσίαν, τὰς σὰς εὐερ γεσίας διεξιών. Τοῦτο γὰρ κἀμοὶ ὠφέλιμον, καὶ [πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ βοηθουμένοις καὶ] σοὶ κατα θύμιον. ∆ίκαιον δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καὶ συμφορῶν ἀπαλλαγέντα παντοδαπῶν, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων τὸν ὄλεθρον θεασάμενον. [Ὅτι δὲ ταύτην οἶδε θυσίαν ὁ τῶν ὅλων ∆εσπότης, καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος μέ μνηται· συμπαραλαβὼν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς οἰκτιρμοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ παρακαλῶν τοὺς τροφίμους τῆς χάρι τος, λέγων οὕτως· "Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, ἁγίαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ." Καὶ τί τὸ εἶδος τῆς θυσίας ἡρμήνευσεν ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν, "διὰ "τῆς λογικῆς ὑμῶν λατρείας."] ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Ν∆ʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, Ἐν ὕμνοις, συνέσεως τῷ ∆α βίδ." Εἴρηκε μὲν τὸν ψαλμὸν ὁ μακάριος ∆α βὶδ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ διωκόμενος, καὶ μετανάστης γε νόμενος, ἐν ἐρήμῳ τε διάγειν, ἀναγκαζόμενος· προ θεσπίζει δὲ κατὰ ταυτὸν καὶ τὰς τῶν Ἰουδαίων κατὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ προδια γράφει τὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου παθήματα. Αὐτός τε γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ εὐεργετηθέντος Σαοὺλ ἐξηλαύνετο· καὶ ὑπό τινων γνωρίμων προυδίδοτο, καὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην προεώρα τοῖς τοῦ πνεύματος ὀφθαλμοῖς ταυτὸ τοῦτο πεισόμενον, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν εὖ πεπονθότων προδοθησό μενόν τε καὶ σταυρωθησόμενον. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὸ τέλος ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ παραπέμπει τὸν ἐντυγχά νοντα, καὶ συνετῶς προσέχειν τοῖς λεγομένοις παρεγγυᾷ, ὡς τῆς προφητικῆς διανοίας κεκαλυμμέ νης, καὶ μετὰ χρόνον δεχομένης τὸ τέλος. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, καὶ τοῖς ὕμνοις ὁ ψαλμὸς ἐγκατείλεκται, σκιαγραφίαν τινὰ ἔχων τῶν ∆εσποτικῶν παθημά των. ∆ίκαιον γὰρ ἀεὶ ὑμνεῖν τὸν ταῦτα παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνεχόμενον σωτηρίας. Ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς τῇ ταπεινότητι τῶν ῥημάτων προσέχων, ἀνάξια ταῦτα ἡγείσθω τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ ἐνανθρωπήσεως. Σκοπείτω δὲ, ὡς χολῆς, καὶ ὄξους, καὶ ἥλων, καὶ ἀκανθῶν, καὶ ἐμπτυσμάτων τε καὶ ῥαπισμάτων, καὶ πάσης ἀνασχόμενος παροι νίας, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον καταδεξάμενος θάνατον, οὐκ ἂν λόγων ταπεινότητα παρῃτήσατο. Κατάλληλα γὰρ εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα προσήκει τοῖς πράγμασιν. Αὐτοῦ δέ ἐστιν ἡ φωνή· "Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι 80.1269 πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν." Καὶ πάλιν, "Ἐντο λὴν ἔλαβον τί εἴπω, καὶ τί λαλήσω, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ ποιῶ." Καὶ, "Θεέ μου, Θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες;" Ταῦτα δὲ, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀνθρωπίνως ἐφθέγγετο, καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν ὑποδεικνύων, καὶ οἰκοδομῶν τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀσθένειαν. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ καὶ τὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν γεγενημένην ἀδικίαν διδάσκει, καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην [Χριστὸν τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν] ἐσομένην προδιαγράφει, τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν παθημάτων ἐν αβρυνόμενος, καὶ μονονουχὶ βοῶν μετὰ τοῦ Παύλου, "Ἐγὼ τὰ στίγματα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματί μου βαστάζω." [Οὐ μόνον δὲ ὁ Προφήτης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπαντες ὅσοι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ κοινω νοῦσι τοῖς παθήμασιν αὐτοῦ, δοξασθήσονται· καθά περ ὁ θεῖος Παῦλος· "Εἴπερ συμπάσχωμεν ἵνα καὶ συνδοξασθῶμεν." Καὶ αὕτη μὲν τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς καὶ σχεδὸν τοῦ παρόντος ψαλμοῦ ἡ δύναμις· ἀπαρχόμενος δὲ ὁ Προφήτης οὕτως ἔφη·] βʹ, γʹ. "Ἐνώτισαι ὁ Θεὸς τὴν προσευχήν μου, καὶ μὴ ὑπερίδῃς τὴν δέησίν μου. Πρόσχες μοι καὶ εἰσ άκουσόν μου." ∆ιαφόρους ἱκετείας προσφέρει, δεχθῆ ναι πάντας ἀντιβολῶν. Μὴ παρίδῃς γάρ με, φησὶ, ποτνιώμενον, ἀλλ' εὐμενῶς μοι πρόσχες, καὶ τὴν βοήθειαν ὄρεξον. "Ἐλυπήθην ἐν τῇ ἀδολεσχίᾳ μου, καὶ ἐταρά χθην. [δʹ.] Ἀπὸ φωνῆς ἐχθροῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ θλίψεως ἁμαρ τωλοῦ." Ὀνειδιζόμενος γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ πολεμούμε νος ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδικούντων ἐχθρῶν, καὶ τὰς παντοδαπὰς αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλὰς λογιζόμενος, πολλῆς ἀλγηδόνος [ἀντὶ τοῦ τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν κατ' ἐμοῦ γενομένης ἐπιβουλῆς], ἐμπέπλησμαι. Ἀδολεσχίαν γὰρ ἡ θεία Γραφὴ τὴν συνεχῆ μελέτην καλεῖ. Τοῦτο δὲ ὁ Σύμμα χος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσε· "Κατηνέχθην προσλαλῶν ἐμαυ τῷ, καὶ συνεχύθην ὑπὸ φωνῆς ἐχθροῦ, ὑπὸ ἐν οχλήσεως ἀσεβοῦς." Τὸν γὰρ