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so that even the farmers, working the land, had to concern themselves with spears and swords and all kinds of weapons of war. But after the saving theophany, the monarchy of the Roman kingdom began to prevail over very many nations; and the saving Gospel, beginning with it, ran through all the nations. And another prophecy was also fulfilled, crying out in some such way through Isaiah: And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. These things, then, are both indicated by the present events and were reaching their fulfillment, literally according to the history recounted, but in meaning, according to the destruction of the intelligible and invisible enemies. And they made the lifeless wooden images and the statues of the polytheistic error to be the spears and weapons and shields of the opposing powers, or also the godless men and the impious reasonings suggested to the minds of men by the invisible spirits, through which they shoot, hurling the fiery darts against the unprotected souls which are not fortified by faith. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Since, therefore, the things of war had ceased and the things of turmoil had been resolved, and a profound peace had been given to all upon the earth; it is fitting that he wishes to use the time for good, and to take up a saving leisure of the soul. Therefore he says: Be still and know; for it is not otherwise possible to partake of divine knowledge, without being at leisure from the things that drag one to the contrary. Hence the king of Egypt, being opposed to such leisure, fittingly answers those who say, "We will go a three days' journey, and we will worship the Lord our God," saying: "You are idle, you are idlers." Then, not wanting them to be at leisure for God, he wears them down with clay and brickmaking. But to us, the appointed rulers over all the earth cry out to be at leisure, promising as the fruit of leisure inspired knowledge. 23.415 And God speaks through them, saying: Know that I am God; but also that I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. For of old I was known only among the Jews, when God was known in Judea, His name was great in Israel; but now I exhort you to keep leisure, so that you may learn and know in what manner I will also be exalted among all the nations, being glorified by them more than by those who of old were thought to know me.
TO THE END, FOR THE SONS OF KORAH, PSALM 46.
All you nations, clap your hands; shout to God with a voice of exultation. For the Lord is most high, terrible, a great king over all the earth. It seems to me that the inscription is in error. For it should have been inscribed "to the sons of Korah," or "of the sons of Korah," not "for the sons of Korah," according to the preceding inscriptions. For the other translators and the Hebrew have it similarly to the preceding ones. And since the word most clearly exhorts the nations, having nothing concealed, it is fitting that the inscription does not urge us to understanding, nor is it "for the hidden things"; but it is simply called a psalm, or a melody, or a song according to the others. And "to the end" is necessarily placed before it, because the prophecy is to be fulfilled in later times. And the Holy Spirit commands very consistently after the things said before concerning the Beloved, and concerning
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ὡς καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς γεωπόνους, τὴν χώραν ἐργαζομένους, δοράτων καὶ ξιφῶν καὶ παντοίων πολεμικῶν ὅπλων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν σωτήριον θεοφάνειαν μόναρχος μὲν ἡ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεία ἐπικρατεῖν πλείστων ἐθνῶν ἤρξατο· διέτρεχε δὲ συναρξάμενον αὐτῇ τὸ σωτήριον Εὐαγγέλιον εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Ἐπληροῦτο δὲ καὶ ἄλλη προφητεία, ὧδέ πη ἀναφωνοῦσα διὰ Ἡσαΐου· Καὶ συγκόψουσι τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν εἰς ἄροτρα, καὶ τὰς ζιβύνας αὐτῶν εἰς δρέπανα· καὶ οὐ μὴ λήψεται ἔθνος ἐπὶ ἔθνος μάχαιραν, καὶ οὐ μὴ μάθωσιν ἔτι πολεμεῖν. Ταῦτα δὴ οὖν καὶ διὰ τῶν παρόντων δηλοῦται, καὶ τέλους ἐτύγχανε, ῥητῶς μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν ἱστορίαν, πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, κατὰ τὴν τῶν νοητῶν καὶ ἀοράτων πολεμίων καθαίρεσιν. ∆όρατα δὲ καὶ ὅπλα, καὶ θυρεοὺς τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων ἐποίησαν εἶναι τὰ ἄψυχα ξόανα καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης, ἢ καὶ τοὺς ἀθέους ἄνδρας καὶ τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς λογισμοὺς τοὺς ταῖς διανοίαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑποβαλλομένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἀοράτων πνευμάτων, δι' ὧν κατατοξεύουσιν ἀκοντίζοντες τὰ πεπυρωμένα βέλη κατὰ τῶν ἀφράκτων καὶ μὴ τῇ πίστει πεφραγμένων ψυχῶν. Σχολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τῇ γῇ. Ἐπειδὴ λοιπὸν πέπαυτο τὰ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ λέλυτο τὰ τῆς ταραχῆς, εἰρήνη δὲ βαρεῖα δέδοτο τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ἅπασιν· εἰκότως βούλεται εἰς ἀγαθὸν χρῆσθαι τῷ καιρῷ, καὶ σχολὴν ἀναλαβεῖν ψυχῆς σωτήριον. ∆ιό φησι· Σχολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἑτέρως ἔστι γνώσεως μετασχεῖν θείας, μὴ σχολάσαντα τῶν ἀφελκόντων ἐπὶ τἀναντία. Ἔνθεν εἰκότως ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου βασιλεὺς, πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην διαβεβλημένος σχολὴν, τοῖς φάσκουσιν· Ὁδὸν τριῶν ἡμερῶν πορευσόμεθα, καὶ λατρεύσομεν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ἀποκρίνεται λέγων· Σχολάζετε, σχολασταί ἐστε. Εἶτα, μὴ βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ σχολάζειν, καταπονεῖ τῷ πηλῷ καὶ τῇ πλινθείᾳ. Ἀλλ' ἡμῖν γε οἱ καταστάντες ἄρχοντες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐπιβοῶσι 23.415 σχολάζειν, καρπὸν τῆς σχολῆς ἐπαγγελλόμενοι τὴν ἔνθεον γνῶσιν. Λαλεῖ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς δι' αὐτῶν λέγων· Γνῶτε, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεός· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτι ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τῇ γῇ. Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἐγινωσκόμην μόνοις, ὅτε γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· νυνὶ δὲ ὑμῖν παρακελεύομαι σχολὴν ἄγειν, ὡς ἂν μάθοιτε καὶ γνῶτε τίνα τρόπον καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὑψωθήσομαι, δοξαζόμενος παρ' αὐτοῖς μᾶλλον ἢ παρὰ τοῖς πάλαι με εἰδέναι νομιζομένοις.
ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ, ΥΠΕΡ ΤΩΝ ΥΙΩΝ ΚΟΡΕ, ΨΑΛΜΟΣ Μʹ.
Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, κροτήσατε χεῖρας· ἀλαλάξατε Θεῷ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως· ὅτι Κύριος ὕψιστος, φοβερὸς, βασιλεὺς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. ∆οκεῖ μοι τὰ τῆς προγραφῆς ἐσφαλμένως ἔχειν. Οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν υἱῶν Κορὲ, ἀλλὰ, τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ, ἢ τῶν υἱῶν Κορὲ, ἐχρῆν ἐπιγεγράφθαι κατὰ τὰς ἔμπροσθεν προγραφάς. Οἱ γὰρ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ καὶ τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν ὁμοίως ἔχουσι τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν. Καὶ ἐπειδήπερ σαφέστατα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ λόγος παρακελεύεται, οὐδὲν ἔχων ἐπικεκαλυμμένον, εἰκότως οὐδὲ τὰ τῆς προγραφῆς εἰς σύνεσιν ἡμᾶς παρορμᾷ, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων· ψαλμὸς δὲ ἁπλῶς εἴρηται, ἢ μελῴδημα, ἢ ᾆσμα κατὰ τοὺς λοιπούς. Τὸ δὲ, εἰς τέλος, ἀναγκαίως πρόκειται, διὰ τὸ ἐν ὑστέροις χρόνοις μέλλειν ἀποπληροῦσθαι τὴν πρόῤῥησιν. Προστάττει δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον σφόδρα ἀκολούθως μετὰ τὰ προλεχθέντα περὶ τοῦ Ἀγαπητοῦ, καὶ περὶ