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me into a strong city? or who will lead me unto Idumea? Will not you, O God, who has cast us off?" [For it was not another's to deem us worthy of such providence.] He calls Jerusalem a strong city. Symmachus interpreted this as 'fenced'. For since it had become desolate, and was deprived of its walls, and after 80.1324 the return, it received its own enclosures, the prophet longs to see it walled, and to run as a king even to Idumea, and to see the perpetual enemies forced to be enslaved. These things, he says, you will do, O Lord, who cast us off, and delivered us to the power of the Babylonians; thus having prophesied good things, he supplicates concerning the grievous things. "And will you not go out, O God, with our armies." You see us, he says, so bitterly warred against, and you do not lead our armies, nor do you fight valiantly as is your custom. [Because of these things] 13. "Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man." Symmachus, having changed the conjunction 'and', made the interpretation clearer. He said thus: Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man. Help, he says, those who are in a bad state; for it is possible for you alone to dispel calamities; but the assistance of men, you not being present, is vain. Wherefore he fittingly added; 14. "In God we shall do valiantly." [Instead of, let us return to him, and having served him, let us appoint him as our guardian.] "And he will bring to nothing those who afflict us." Let us invoke, he says, his providence, and in this let us take courage; for this alone is sufficient to resolve difficulties, and to overthrow the power of those who war against us.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 60TH PSALM. 1. "To the end, in hymns, for David." The introduction of this psalm follows the end of the preceding psalm. For having said, "In God we shall do valiantly, and he will bring to nothing those who afflict us," he teaches the people in captivity what sort of prayer it is fitting to offer to God. [And he foretells the dispensation of the Lord Christ our God for our sake, and the conversion of the people from the nations.] 2. "Hear, O God, my supplication; attend to my prayer." Receive my supplication, he says, O Master, and graciously hear the words of my prayer. [And justly might any man say these things who should fall into adversity; through these entreaties that the supplication be made acceptable and be deemed worthy of the providence from there.] Then he teaches who are the ones praying. 3. "From the ends of the earth I cried out to you." For since Babylon is many days' journey distant from Palestine, those who were enslaved 80.1325 supposed they dwelt in the uttermost parts of the world, and were forced to inhabit that land. "When my heart was in despair, you exalted me on a rock." And I beseech you to receive comfort from you. For being in pain, and lamenting the impending calamities, I enjoyed your help, and became superior to my enemies. [And this is said from the person of those who were enslaved from Jerusalem in Babylon and obtained their recall; and it also suits each one who through repentance is working out his own salvation, and no longer walking about the path, but walking the only and unswerving way; and it is clear through what follows.] "You have guided me. [4.] Because you became my hope; a tower of strength, from the face of the enemy." Hoping to partake of your providence, I did not miss my hope; for you became both my guide and a strong tower. For by your care, having escaped the plots of my enemies, I will obtain my return. 5. "I will dwell in your tabernacle for ever; I will be sheltered in the shelter of your wings." He calls Jerusalem the tabernacle of God. For in it He made his appearance to them. He says, therefore, that having obtained my return, I will continually attend to your temple, and of the

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με εἰς πόλιν περιοχῆς; ἢ τίς ὁδηγήσει με ἕως τῆς Ἰδουμαίας; Οὐχὶ σὺ, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ἀπωσάμενος ἡμᾶς;" [Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρου τῆς τοιαύτης ἡμᾶς ἀξιῶσαι προμηθείας.] Πόλιν πε ριοχῆς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καλεῖ. Ταύτην ὁ Σύμμα χος πεφραγμένην ἡρμήνευσεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀνά στατος ἐγεγόνει, καὶ ἐστέρητο τῶν τειχῶν, μετὰ 80.1324 δὲ τὴν ἐπάνοδον, τοὺς οἰκείους ἀπέλαβε περιβόλους, ἰδεῖν αὐτὴν ὁ προφήτης τετειχισμένην ποθεῖ, καὶ ἕως Ἰδουμαίας ὡς βασιλεὺς δραμεῖν, καὶ ἰδεῖν τοὺς ἀεὶ δυσμενεῖς δουλεύειν ἠναγκασμένους. Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶ, σὺ δράσον, Κύριε, ὁ ἀπωσάμενος ἡμᾶς, καὶ τῇ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων παραδοὺς δυναστείᾳ· οὕτως τὰ ἀγαθὰ προθεσπίσας, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνιαρῶν ἱκετεύει. "Καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσῃ, ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἡμῶν." Ὁρᾷς ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, οὕτω πικρῶς πολεμουμένους, καὶ οὐ στρατηγεῖς, οὐδὲ ἀριστεύεις συνήθως. [∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα] ιγʹ. "∆ὸς ἡμῖν βοήθειαν ἐκ θλίψεως, καὶ ματαία σωτηρία ἀνθρώπου." Τὸν καί σύνδεσμον ἀναλλάξας ὁ Σύμμαχος, σαφέστερον τὴν ἑρμηνείαν εἰργάσατο. Ἔφη δὲ οὕτως· ∆ὸς ἡμῖν βοήθειαν ἐκ θλίψεως· ματαία γὰρ σωτηρία ἀνθρώπου. Ἐπάμυνον, φησὶν, διακειμένοις κακῶς· σοὶ γὰρ μόνῳ δυνατὸν διαλῦ σαι τὰς συμφοράς· αἱ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπικουρίαι, σοῦ μὴ ὄντος, μάταιοι. ∆ιὸ εἰκότως ἐπήγα γεν· ιδʹ. "Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσομεν δύναμιν." [Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστρέψωμεν, καὶ αὐτῷ λατρεύσαν τες κηδεμόνα αὐτὸν ὁρισώμεθα.] "Καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξου δενώσει τοὺς θλίβοντας ἡμᾶς." Τὴν αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ἐπικαλεσώμεθα πρόνοιαν, καὶ ταύτῃ θαῤῥήσωμεν· αὕτη γὰρ ἀρκεῖ μόνη λῦσαι τὰ χαλεπὰ, καὶ τῶν πολεμούντων ἡμῖν καταλῦσαι τὴν δυναστείαν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Ξʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ἐν ὕμνοις τῷ ∆αβίδ." Τῷ τέλει τοῦ προγεγραμμένου ψαλμοῦ

ἀκολουθεῖ τοῦδε τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τὸ προοίμιον. Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ, "Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσομεν δύναμιν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξουδενώσει τοὺς θλίβοντας ἡμᾶς," διδάσκει τὸν ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ λαὸν, ὁποίαν προσήκει προσενεγκεῖν τῷ Θεῷ προσ ευχήν. [Προλέγει δὲ καὶ τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν τὴν δι' ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίαν καὶ τὴν ἐπι στροφὴν τοῦ ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαοῦ.] βʹ. "Εἰσάκουσον, ὁ Θεὸς, τῆς δεήσεώς μου· πρό σχες τῇ προσευχῇ μου." ∆έξαι μου, φησὶν, τὴν ἱκε τείαν, ὦ ∆έσποτα, καὶ εὐμενῶς ἄκουσον τῶν τῆς προσευχῆς μου ῥημάτων. [Ταῦτα δὲ δικαίως εἴ ποι καὶ πᾶς ὅστις ἂν τῶν ἀνθρώπων περιστάσει πε ριπέσοι· διὰ τούτων ἀντιβολῶν δεκτὴν γενέσθαι τὴν ἱκετείαν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν προμηθείας ἀξιοῦσθαι.] Εἶτα διδάσκει τίνες οἱ εὐχόμενοι. γʹ. "Ἀπὸ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς πρὸς σὲ ἐκέ κραξα." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοῖς σταθμοῖς ἡ Βαβυ λὼν τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἀφέστηκε, τὰς ἐσχατιὰς ὑπ ελάμβανον τῆς οἰκουμένης οἰκεῖν οἱ ἐξανδραποδι 80.1325 σθέντες, κἀκείνην ἠναγκασμένοι τὴν γῆν οἰκεῖν. "Ἐν τῷ ἀκηδιάσαι τὴν καρδίαν μου ἐν πέτρᾳ ὕψω σάς με." Ἱκετεύω δέ σε τῆς παρὰ σοῦ ψυχαγω γίας τυχεῖν. Ὀδυνώμενος γὰρ, καὶ τὰς ἐπικειμέ νας ὀλοφυρόμενος συμφορὰς, τῆς σῆς ἐπικουρίας ἀπήλαυσα, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ὑπέρτερος ἐγενόμην. [Εἴρηται δὲ τοῦτο ἐκ προσώπου μὲν τῶν ἀνδρα ποδισθέντων ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν τῇ Βαβυλῶνι καὶ τυχόντων τῆς ἀνακλήσεως· ἁρμόττει δὲ καὶ ἑκά στῳ τῷ διὰ μετανοίας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πραγματευομένῳ σωτηρίαν, καὶ μηκέτι περὶ τῆς ἀτραποῦ βαδίζοντι, ἀλλὰ τὴν μόνην καὶ ἀκλινῆ βαδίζοντι ὁδόν· καὶ δῆ λον διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς.] "Ὡδήγησάς με. [δʹ.] Ὅτι ἐγενήθης ἐλπίς μου· πύργος ἰσχύος, ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ." Τῆς σῆς προνοίας μετασχεῖν ἐλπίσας, οὐ διήμαρτον τῆς ἐλ πίδος· ἐγένου γάρ μου καὶ ποδηγὸς, καὶ πύργος ἰσχυρός. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῆς σῆς κηδεμονίας τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπιβουλὰς διαδρὰς, τεύξομαι τῆς ἐπαν όδου. εʹ. "Παροικήσω ἐν τῷ σκηνώματί σου εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· σκεπασθήσομαι ἐν τῇ σκέπῃ τῶν πτερύγων σου." Σκήνωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὀνομά ζει. Ἐν ἐκείνῃ γὰρ ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπι φάνειαν. Λέγει τοίνυν, ὅτι Τῆς ἐπανόδου τετυχηκὼς, ἐνδελεχῶς τῷ σῷ προσεδρεύσω νεῷ, καὶ τῆς