128

to be redeemed from punishment. 23 And all who hope in him shall not sin. All who hope in God will not sin as do those who hate the righteous; for if, in the case of those who hate the righteous, sin signifies penalty and punishment, not to sin, in the case of those who hope in the Lord, means not to be punished, not to be penalized, not to fall under those who inflict pain.

1 For David. Judge, Lord, those who wrong me, fight against those who

fight against me. No one asks for God to become his judge who has thoughts as one who wrongs another. The voice is not of one who wrongs, but of one who is wronged, who has chosen to be wronged rather than to wrong. And one does not prefer to be wronged absolutely, but when it is a choice between doing wrong and being wronged, if both cannot be avoided—for indeed they cannot—he chooses rather to be wronged than to do wrong; for the one who does wrong suffers punishment, and the unjust cannot inherit the kingdom of God. But it is not for the one who is wronged to experience these things; for he is wronged willingly. But let us grant that even though he is unable to defend himself, yet he does not weary himself because he cannot take vengeance, nor after considering the incident that the wronged person is more worthy of forgiveness and has many who pity him. But the unjust man, even if no one punishes him, is to be punished. And this very thing, to cover up injustice and to wish to defend oneself as not doing wrong, is his punishment. His conscience condemns him. And there is great boldness in the one who says the psalm: "Judge, Lord, those who wrong me, fight against those who fight against me." I do not fight against them. And "I was peaceable with those who hate peace." I am persuaded by the Holy Spirit who says: "Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: Say 'our brothers' to those who hate you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified, but they shall be ashamed." "Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: Say to those who hate you, 'our brothers'," so that we may say it in deed and not by voice; for those who say Lord Jesus by voice alone hear: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" But the one who says Lord Jesus "in the Holy Spirit," by participation in the Holy Spirit, through what he does and thinks, cries out Lord Jesus according to the Spirit. Say, therefore, "'brothers' to those who hate you." Let them hate, but you call them brothers in deed, not by utterance alone, but perform for them the things that ought to be done for brothers; for thus the name of the Lord is glorified; for it is known that one does these things for God's sake; for as far as being hated is concerned, he has not mentioned those who hate the brothers. "and they shall be ashamed"; for being ashamed, they are not crushed. The holy one, therefore, fights against no one. But being fought against, he is eager not to retaliate, but to suffer nothing, and, so to speak, being forceful also for clarity's sake, he uses only a weapon, not also a sword for covering, not a defensive one that can wound back and retaliate. "Fight against those who fight against me." They were still wronging him and fighting him. Therefore, so that they may no longer do wrong nor fight, he asks for God as an ally, not so that he might wrong them, not so that he might fight, but so that he might remain unharmed while being wronged and fought against. And the nature of a rational being, if it does not suffer perversion, has this as its own. "Fight," therefore, prevent them from surrounding me with destruction. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and arise for my help. The shield of God extinguishes the flaming arrows of the enemy, the evil one. Take hold, therefore, of this shield, put it on me. I do not say this: "You fence yourself with the shield." so take hold to bestow upon me

128

κολάσεως λυτρωθῆναι. 23 καὶ οὐ μὴ πλημμελήσωσιν πάντες οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπ' αὐτόν. οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν πάντες οὐ πλημμελήσουσιν ὡς οἱ ὡς πλημμελοῦσιν οἱ μισοῦντες τὸν δίκαιον· εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν μισούντων τὸν δίκαιον ἡ πλημμέλεια τιμωρίαν καὶ κόλασιν σημαίνει, τὸ μὴ πλημμελῆσαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλπιζόντων ἐ πὶ κύριον τὸ μὴ κολασθῆναι, μὴ τιμωρηθῆναι, μὴ ὑποπεσεῖν τοῖς πόνον ποιοῦσιν.

1 Τῷ ∆αυίδ. δίκασον, κύριε, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντάς με, πολέμησον τοὺς

πολεμοῦντάς με. οὐδεὶς δικαστὴν ἀπαιτεῖ τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι ἔχων λογισμοὺς ὡς ἀδικοῦντος. μὴ ἀδικοῦντος, ἀλλὰ ἀδικουμένου ἐστὶν ἡ φωνὴ ἑλομένου μᾶλλον ἀδικεῖσθ̣αι ἢ ἀδικεῖν. καὶ οὐ καθάπαξ τις προκρίνει τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ προκειμένου τοῦ ἀδικεῖν καὶ ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἐὰν μὴ ἀμφότερα δυνηθῇ ὑπαρχθῆ204 ναι-οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται-, αἱρεῖται μᾶλλον ἀδικηθῆναι ἢ ἀδικῆσαι· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀδικῶν τιμωρίαν ὑφίσταται, καὶ ἄδικοι βασιλείαν θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύνανται. οὐκ ἔστιν δὲ κατὰ τὸν ἀδικούμενον τούτων πειραθῆναι· ἑκουσίως γὰρ ἀδικεῖται. δῶμεν δὲ ὅτι καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος ἐπαμῦναι ἑαυτῷ, ὅμως οὐ καταπονεῖ ἑαυτὸν ὅτι οὐ δύναται ἐκδικῆσαι, ἀλλὰ οὔτε τὸ προσπεσὸν σκοπήσας ὅτι μᾶλλον ὁ ἀδικούμενος συνγνωστός ἐστιν καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχει τοὺς ἐλεῶντας. ὁ δὲ ἄδικος κἂν μηδεὶς αὐτὸν κολάζῃ, κολαστέος ἐστίν. καὶ αὐτὸ ὅλως τοῦτο τὸ σκέπειν τὴν ἀδικίαν καὶ θε´̣λ̣ειν ἀπολογεῖσθαι ὡς οὐκ ἀδικῶν τιμωρία αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ καταδικάζει αὐτόν. παρρησία δὲ πολλή ἐστιν τοῦ τὸν ψαλμὸν λέγοντος· "δίκασον, κύριε, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντάς με, πολέμησον τοὺς πολεμοῦντάς με". οὐκ ἐγὼ αὐτοὺς πολεμῶ. καὶ "μετὰ τῶν μισούντων τὴν εἰρήνην εἰρηνικός" εἰμι. πείθομαι τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι λέγοντι· "ἀκούσατε τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου, οἱ τρέμοντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ· εἴπατε "3ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν"3 τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, ἵνα τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου δοξασθῇ, αὐτοὶ δὲ αἰσχυνθήσονται". "ἀκούσατε τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου, οἱ τρέμοντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ· εἴπατε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς "3ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν"3", ἵνα πραγματικῶς εἴπωμεν καὶ μὴ φωνῇ· οἱ γὰρ μόνῃ φωνῇ λέγοντες Κύριον Ἰησοῦν ἀκούουσιν· "τί με λέγετε· κύριε κύριε, καὶ οὐ ποιεῖτε ἃ λέγω"; ὁ δὲ "ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ" λέγων Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, μετουσίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, διὰ τῶν ὧν πράττει καὶ νοεῖ, κατὰ τὸ πνεῦμα βοᾷ Κύριον Ἰησοῦν. "εἴπατε" οὖν ""3ἀδελφοὶ"3 τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς". ἐκεῖνοι μισείτωσαν, ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς ἐκείνους ἀδελφοὺς λέγετε πραγματικῶς, οὐ προφορᾷ μόνῃ, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὀφείλοντα εἰς ἀδελφοὺς πράττεσθαι ἐνεργεῖτε εἰς αὐτούς· οὕτω γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου δοξάζεται· γιγνώσκεται γάρ, ὅτι διὰ τὸν θεὸν ταῦτ' ἐνεργεῖ τις· ὅσον γὰρ ἧκεν εἰς τὸ μισεῖσθαι, οὐκ εἴρηκεν τοὺς μισοῦντας τοὺς ἀδελφούς. "καὶ αὐτοὶ αἰσχυνθήσονται"· αἰσχυνθέντες γὰρ οὐκ ἐπιτρίβονται. οὐδένα οὖν ὁ ἅγιος πολεμεῖ. πολεμούμενος δὲ σπουδάζει οὐκ ἀντιδιαθεῖναι, ἀλλὰ μηδὲν παθεῖν καί, ἵν' οὕτω φράσω, βίαιον ὂν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐνάργειαν, ὅτι ὅπλῳ μόνῳ χρᾶται, οὐχὶ καὶ ξίφει σκεπαστηρίῳ χρᾶται, οὐκ ἀμυντηρίῳ τῷ δυναμένῳ ἀντιτρῶσαι καὶ ἀντιδιαθεῖναι. "πολέμησον τοὺς πολεμοῦντάς με". ἔτι ἐν τῷ ἀδικεῖν αὐτὸν ὑπῆρχον καὶ ἐν τῷ πολεμεῖν. ἵν' οὖν μηκέτι ἀδικῶσιν μηδὲ πολεμῶσιν, σύμμαχον αἰτεῖ τὸν θεόν, οὐχ ἵνα ἀδι̣κ̣ήσῃ αὐτούς, οὐχ ἵνα πολεμήσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀβλαβὴς διαμείνῃ ἀδικούμενος καὶ πολεμούμενος. καὶ ἡ φύσις τοῦ λογικοῦ ἐὰν μὴ διαστροφὴν πάθῃ, τοῦτο ἔχει ἴδιον. "πολέμησον" οὖν, κώλυσον αὐτοὺς ὀλέθ̣ρῳ̣ με περιβαλε̣ῖν. 2 ἐπιλαβοῦ ὅπλου καὶ θυρεοῦ καὶ ἀνάστηθι εἰς τὴν βοήθειάν μου. ὁ θυρεὸς τοῦ θεοῦ σβέννυσ̣ιν τὰ πεπυρωμένα τοῦ ἐχθροῦ βέλη, τοῦ πονηροῦ. ἐπιλαβοῦ οὖν τούτου τοῦ θυρεοῦ, περίθες μοι αὐτόν. οὐ τοῦτο λέγω ὅτι· "3σὺ φράξον σεαυτὸν τῷ θυρεῷ"3. οὕτω ἐπιλαβοῦ πρὸς τὸ χαρίσασθαί μοι