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they shall not live out half their days." For upon those who choose to live with murder and deceit you bring a swift death; not allowing them to live out the accustomed time. [And these things are for them; but I, says David, and as many as with me await the turning of the scale from above, we shall be saved. For he interpreted it more clearly through the following, saying:] "But I, O Lord, will hope in you." For knowing this your power, and your just decree, I await help from you.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 55TH PSALM. 1. "To the end. For the people that is removed far from the holy things; for David for a pillar inscription. When the foreigners took hold of him in Gath." The inscription also signifies that the meaning of the psalm is twofold, fitting both David himself and the people who have been taken captive by the spear and forced to dwell in a foreign land; [but also to many of 80.1284 the successors. For "for the people hidden from the holy things," or captured and separated from the then holy city, which was Jerusalem, or of one who removes himself far from God, that is, from faith in him.] For the sufferings correspond. For they served the Babylonians, a foreign people; and he, having fled from Saul, became a sojourner among foreigners. It must be known, however, that he came to Gath twice. And at first, having seemed to be an enemy, then being in danger, and feigning epilepsy, he was released and escaped. But later, being trusted, he dwelt with them enjoying peace. However, he wrote the present psalm after enduring the former danger. 2, 3. "Have mercy on me, O God, for man has trodden me down; all day long he has afflicted me, making war. My enemies have trodden me down all day long." Being driven out and warred against by various enemies, and as it were trampled down and continually suffering this, I await your loving-kindness, O Master. But "all the day," Symmachus interpreted as "every day," instead of "unceasingly and continually." "For many are they that war against me from on high." [Instead of, from their power.] I do not fear, he says, the prosperities of men, trusting in which they undertook war against us. For he called the present good fortune "height of day," that which is temporary, ephemeral, perilous, that which does not flow on for long. Then he teaches for what reason one must not fear those who are arrogant in their prosperity. 4. "By day I will not fear; but I will hope in you." The temporary good fortune, he says, I do not fear, having your assistance; but this Symmachus interpreted thus, "On whatever day I am afraid, I have trusted in you." I set in opposition, he says, to fear the confidence in you. [Well then has he placed, "But I will hope in you;" instead of, For there is no other, there is no one who can deliver those who are tempted from those who plot against them, except your providence alone, O Master. And he made it clearer by saying:] 5. "In God I will praise my words." 80.1285 [Praiseworthy, he says, before God are the prayers, which I will not cease offering to him earnestly through repentance.] "I have hoped in God, I will not fear what flesh can do to me." [He calls "flesh" men who are crasser and possess a life inclined to the ground.] And speaking, he says, with the remembrance of God I adorn my words; and being warred against, trusting in your care, I despise those who war against me. 6. "All the day long they abhorred my words; against me were all their thoughts for evil." Every thought, he says, they set in motion for plots against me, turning away from my words as false, and shaking off the defense that is offered. [And it is possible to see many enduring the same thing up to the present from certain men and demons.] 7. "They will dwell near and hide themselves, they will watch my heel; as they have waited for my soul." This Symmachus interpreted more clearly, "They were gathered together"

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ἡμισεύσωσιν τὰς ἡμέρας αὐτῶν." Τοῖς γὰρ μιαιφονίᾳ καὶ δόλῳ συζῇν αἱρουμένοις ταχὺν ἐπ άγεις τὸν θάνατον· οὐκ ἐῶν τὸν νενομισμένον διαβιῶ ναι χρόνον. [Καὶ ταῦτα ἐκείνοις· ἐγὼ δὲ, φησὶν ὁ ∆αβὶδ, καὶ ὅσοι κατ' ἐμὲ τὴν ἄνωθεν καραδοκοῦμεν ῥοπὴν, σωθησόμεθα. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῶν ἑξῆς σαφέστερον αὐτὸ ἡρμήνευσεν, εἰπών·] "Ἐγὼ δὲ, Κύριε, ἐλπιῶ ἐπὶ σέ." Ταύτην γάρ σου τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ τὴν δικαίαν ἐπιστάμενος ψῆφον, τὴν παρὰ σοῦ προσμένω βοήθειαν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΝΕʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος. Ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μεμακρυμμένου· τῷ

∆αβὶδ εἰς στηλογραφίαν. Ὁπότε ἐκράτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐν Γέθ." Σημαίνει καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ, ὡς διπλῆ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ ἡ διάνοια, καὶ αὐτῷ ἁρμόττουσα τῷ ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τῷ λαῷ τῷ δορυαλώτῳ γεγενημένῳ, καὶ τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν οἰκεῖν ἠναγκασμένῳ· [ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοῖς τῶν 80.1284 ἐφεξῆς. Τὸ γὰρ "ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁσίων κεκρυμμένου," ἢ αἰχμαλωτισθέντος καὶ χωρισθέν τος τῆς τηνικαῦτα ἁγίας πόλεως, ἥτις ἦν ἡ Ἱερου σαλὴμ, ἢ τοῦ μακρύνοντος ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν, ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως.] Συμβαίνει γὰρ τὰ παθήματα. Ἐκεῖνοί τε γὰρ Βαβυλωνίοις ἐδού λευον ἀλλοφύλοις ἀνθρώποις· καὶ οὗτος ἀποδρὰς τὸν Σαοὺλ, μέτοικος ἀλλοφύλων ἐγένετο. Ἰστέον μέντοι, ὅτι δὶς ἀφίκετο εἰς τὴν Γέθ. καὶ πρό τερον μὲν πολέμιος εἶναι δόξας, εἶτα κινδυνεύσας, καὶ ἐπιληψίαν ὑποκρινάμενος, ἀφέθη τε καὶ διέφυ γεν. Ὕστερον δὲ θαῤῥηθεὶς συνδιέτριβεν ἀπολαύων εἰρήνης. Τὸν μέν τοι παρόντα ψαλμὸν, τὸν πρότε ρον μὲν κίνδυνον ὑπομείνας συνέγραψεν. βʹ, γʹ. "Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι κατεπάτησέν με ἄνθρωπος· ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν πολεμῶν ἔθλιψέ με Κατεπάτησάν με οἱ ἐχθροί μου ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν." Ὑπὸ διαφόρων ἐχθρῶν ἐξελαυνόμενός τε καὶ πολε μούμενος, καὶ οἱονεὶ συμπατούμενος καὶ διηνεκῶς τοῦτο πάσχων, τὴν σὴν, ὦ ∆έσποτα, φιλανθρωπίαν προσμένω. Τὸ δὲ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, πᾶσαν ἡμέ ραν ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐνδελεχῶς καὶ διηνεκῶς. "Ὅτι πολλοὶ οἱ πολεμοῦντές με ἀπὸ ὕψους." [Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἀπὸ τῆς δυναστείας αὐτῶν.] Οὐ δέδια, φησὶ, τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐημερίας αἷς θαῤ ῥοῦντες τὸν καθ' ἡμῶν ἀνεδέξαντο πόλεμον. Ὕψος γὰρ ἡμέρας, τὴν παροῦσαν ἐκάλεσεν εὐπραξίαν, τὴν πρόσκαιρον, τὴν ἐφήμερον, τὴν ἐπίκηρον, τὴν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν διαῤῥέουσαν. Εἶτα διδάσκει τίνος χάριν οὐ χρὴ δειμαίνειν τοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς εὐημερίαις βρεν θυομένους. δʹ. "Ἡμέρας οὐ φοβηθήσομαι· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐλπιῶ ἐπὶ σέ." Τὴν πρόσκαιρον, φησὶν, εὐκληρίαν οὐ δέδια, τὴν σὴν ἔχων ἐπικουρίαν· τοῦτο δὲ ὁ Σύμμα χος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσεν, Ἧ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φοβηθῶ, σοὶ πέποιθα. Ἀντιτάττω, φησὶ, τῷ φόβῳ τὸ ἐπὶ σοὶ θάρσος. [Καλῶς οὖν τέθεικε τὸ, "Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐλπιῶ ἐπὶ σέ·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλος, οὐκ ἔστι δυνάμενος ῥύσασθαι τοὺς πειραζομένους ἐκ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων, εἰ μὴ ἡ σὴ μόνη, ὦ ∆έσποτα, προμή θεια. Καὶ σαφέστερον αὐτὸ ἐλάμπρυνε διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν·] εʹ. "Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἐπαινέσω τοὺς λόγους μου." 80.1285 [Ἐπαινεταὶ, φησὶ, παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ αἱ προσευχαὶ, ἃς ἐκτενεῖς διὰ τῆς μετανοίας αὐτῷ προσφέρων οὐ παύ σομαι.] "Ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ ἤλπισα, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι τί ποιήσει μοι σάρξ;" [Σάρκα τοὺς παχυτέρους καὶ χαμαιῤῥεπῆ τὸν βίον κεκτημένους ἀνθρώπους λέ γει.] Καὶ φθεγγόμενος, φησὶ, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ μνήμῃ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους κοσμῶ· καὶ πολεμούμενος, τῇ σῇ κηδεμονίᾳ θαῤῥῶν, τῶν πολεμούντων καταφρονῶ. ʹ. "Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν τοὺς λόγους μου ἐβδε λύσσοντο κατ' ἐμοῦ πάντες οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν εἰς κακόν." Πάντα, φησὶ, λογισμὸν εἰς τὰς κατ' ἐμοῦ κινοῦσιν ἐπιβουλὰς, ὡς ψευδεῖς τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀπο στρεφόμενοι λόγους, καὶ τὴν προσφερομένην ἀπο λογίαν ἀποσειόμενοι. [Τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ μέχρι τοῦ παρόν τος ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ὑπομένοντας πολλοὺς παρά τινων ἀνθρώπων καὶ δαιμόνων.] ζʹ. "Παροικήσουσι καὶ κατακρύψουσιν, αὐτοὶ τὴν πτέρναν μου φυλάξουσιν· καθάπερ ὑπ έμειναν τὴν ψυχήν μου." Σαφέστερον τοῦτο ὁ Σύμ μαχος ἡρμήνευσε, Συνήγοντο