137

false sons of man, as a turn of the scale." Nothing, he says, of human affairs is permanent, but it is like a vapor sent up, and immediately scattered, and like the turn of a scale, sometimes dipping down, sometimes tipping up, and having nothing stable and permanent. And the interpretation of the Seventy should be understood thus: All human things are indeed vain; but nevertheless the majority trust in fleeting things, as if they were lasting; and they neglect equality, but hold the scales of the mind unequally; and they despise justice, but rejoice in injustice. "They themselves from vanity upon the same." But nevertheless they carry away no profit from this; for all things are vain, and subject to swift change. For thus Symmachus has interpreted: "They are made vain together." From this they offer an exhortation to the adversaries who boast in wealth. 11. "Do not hope in injustice, and do not desire plunder." Do not consider, he says, human ephemerality, which consists of injustice, as desirable. "If wealth flows, do not set your heart upon it." Seeing wealth carried into your houses like a river, do not enslave your reason to it. And why indeed do you advise and exhort these things? 12, 13. "God has spoken once; these two things have I heard, that power belongs to God. And to you, O Lord, belongs mercy; for you will render to each one according to his works." I have heard, he says, the God of all declaring that there will be a judgment, and a recompense of good and evil things. But 'once' he has not set down as a number, but for that which will certainly be. God, he says, has declared once, and for this not to happen is among the impossibilities. And he says two things: the punishment against the lawless, and the loving-kindness granted 80.1336 to the pious. These things, however, God promised when he gave the law. "For I am, he says, the Lord your God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me; and showing mercy to thousands and ten thousands of those who love me, and keep my commandments. [And we hear the same things as these also in the Gospels, how the Lord of glory in his second coming from heaven will separate, just as the shepherd, and will set the sheep on his right, but the goats on his left. Then he will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world;' then to those on his left: 'Depart into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Because of this decision, let each one strive through purity of life and the only true faith, and through love for his neighbor to receive those things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love him.]

INTERPRETATION OF THE 62ND PSALM. 1. "A Psalm of David, when he was in the desert of Judea." Fleeing

Saul, the divine David came to Abimelech and from there to Achish, who was king of Gath. Then again falling into danger, and having escaped this, he reaches the desert. In which he composed this psalm; both revealing the love he had for God, and foretelling the destruction of Saul. [And he has given to all men an occasion, through which they ought to beseech God and await help from him.] 2. "O God, my God, to you I rise early; my soul has thirsted for you." The longing for you, O Master, he says, drives away even sleep, and awakens me to your worship. "How manifoldly for you my flesh." Theodotion rendered it 'how many ways'; but Aquila, 'it was stretched out'; but Symmachus, 'it longs for.' But I have set down all the interpretations, teaching that ποσαπλῶς is not two parts, with πῶς being divided from ἁπλῶς; but that it is one part of speech, signifying the intensity of longing. For the flesh also, he says, is in harmony with the love of the soul, and to its... not 80.1337

137

ψευδεῖς υἱοὶ ἀνδρὸς, ὡς ῥοπὴ ζυγοῦ." Οὐδὲν, φησὶ, μόνιμον τῶν ἀν θρωπίνων, ἀλλ' ἀτμῷ ἔοικεν ἀναπεμπομένῳ, καὶ παραυτίκα σκεδαννυμένῳ, καὶ ῥοπῇ ζυγοῦ, ποτὲ μὲν καθιεμένῃ, ποτὲ δὲ ἀνανευούσῃ, καὶ σταθηρὸν οὐδὲν ἐχούσῃ καὶ μόνιμον. Καὶ τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα τὴν ἑρμηνείαν οὕτω νοητέον· Μάταια μὲν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα πάντα· ἀλλ' ὅμως οἱ πλεῖστοι θαῤῥοῦσιν, ὡς διαρκέσι, τοῖς ῥέουσι· καὶ ἰσότητος ἀμελοῦσιν, ἀνίσως δὲ κατ έχουσι τὰ τῆς διανοίας ζυγά· καὶ τοῦ μὲν δικαίου καταφρονοῦσιν, ἀδικίᾳ δὲ χαίρουσιν. "Αὐτοὶ ἐκ ματαιότητος ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό." Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν ἐντεῦ θεν ἀποφέρονται κέρδος· μάταια γὰρ ἅπαντα, καὶ μεταβολὴν ὀξεῖαν δεχόμενα. Οὕτω γὰρ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν· "Αὐτοὶ ματαιοῦνται ὁμοῦ." Ἐντεῦθεν παραίνεσιν τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐπὶ πλούτῳ γαυριῶσι προσφέρουσιν. ιαʹ. "Μὴ ἐλπίζετε ἐπ' ἀδικίαν, καὶ ἐπὶ ἅρπαγμα μὴ ἐπιποθεῖτε." Μὴ ἀξιέραστον, φησὶν, ἡγεῖσθε τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐφημερίαν, ἐξ ἀδικίας συνιστα μένην. "Πλοῦτος ἐὰν ῥέῃ, μὴ προστίθεσθε καρδίαν." Ποταμοῦ δὲ δίκην ὁρῶντες τὸν πλοῦτον εἰς τὰς ὑμετέρας φερόμενον οἰκίας, μὴ καταδουλώσητε τού τῳ τὸν ὑμέτερον λογισμόν. Καὶ τί δήποτε ταῦτα συμβουλεύεις καὶ παραινεῖς; ιβʹ, ιγʹ. "Ἅπαξ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Θεός· δύο ταῦτα ἤκουσα, ὅτι τὸ κράτος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ σοῦ, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεος· ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ." Ἤκουσα, φησὶν, ἀποφηναμένου τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων, ὅτι κρίσις ἔσται, καὶ ἀνταπόδοσις ἀγαθῶν καὶ κακῶν. Τὸ δὲ ἅπαξ, οὐκ ἐπ' ἀριθμοῦ τέθεικεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ πάντως ἐσομένου. Ἀπ εφήνατο, φησὶν, ἅπαξ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοῦτο μὴ γενέ σθαι τῶν ἀδυνάτων. ∆ύο δὲ λέγει· τὴν κατὰ τῶν παρανόμων τιμωρίαν, καὶ τὴν τοῖς εὐσεβέσι χορη 80.1336 γουμένην φιλανθρωπίαν. Ταῦτα μέν τοι νομοθε τῶν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπηγγείλατο. "Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι, φησὶ, Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, Θεὸς ζηλωτὴς, ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίαν πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἐπὶ τρίτην καὶ τετάρτην γενεὰν τοῖς μισοῦσί με· καὶ ποιῶν ἔλεος εἰς χιλιάδας καὶ μυριάδας τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί με, καὶ φυλάσσουσι τὰ προστάγματά μου. [Ταὐτὰ δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ἀκούομεν, πῶς ὁ Κύριος τῆς δόξης ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ αὑτοῦ ἐξ οὐρανῶν παρου σίᾳ ἀφοριεῖ ὥσπερ ὁ ποιμὴν, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα μὲν στήσει ἐκ δεξιῶν, τοὺς δὲ ἐρίφους ἐξ εὐωνύμων. Τότε ἐρεῖ τοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν, "∆εῦτε οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασι λείαν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου·" εἶτα τοῖς ἐξ εὐωνύ μων· "Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον ὅπου ὁ βρυγμὸς καὶ ὁ ὀλολυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων." ∆ιὰ δὴ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ταύτην σπουδασάτω ἕκαστος διὰ βίου κα θαρότητος καὶ τῆς μόνης ἀληθοῦς πίστεως, καὶ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν πέλας ἀγάπησιν ἀπολαβεῖν ἐκεῖνα, ἃ ὀφθαλ μὸς οὐκ εἶδε καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγα πῶσιν αὐτόν.]

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΞΒʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας." Φυγὼν

τὸν Σαοὺλ ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ, ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν Ἀβιμέλεχ κἀκεῖθεν πρὸς τὸν Ἀγχοῦς, ὃς τῆς Γὲθ ἐβασίλευεν. Εἶτα πάλιν κινδύνῳ περιπεσὼν, καὶ τοῦτον διαφυγὼν, καταλαμβάνει τὴν ἔρημον. Ἐν ᾗ τόνδε συνέγραψε τὸν ψαλμόν· καὶ ὃν εἶχε περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐκκαλύπτων ἔρωτα, καὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ προαγορεύων τὸν ὄλεθρον. [Καὶ πᾶσι δὲ ἀνθρώποις δέδωκε ἀφορμὴν, δι' ὧν ὀφείλουσιν ἐκλιπαρεῖν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀναμένειν βοήθειαν.] βʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου, πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω· ἐδίψησέ σε ἡ ψυχή μου." Ἐξελαύνει, φησὶ, καὶ τὸν ὕπνον ὁ περὶ σὲ, ∆έσποτα, πόθος, καὶ εἰς τὴν σήν με διεγείρει προσκύνησιν. "Ποσαπλῶς σοι ἡ σάρξ μου." Ὁ Θεοδοτίων, ποσαχῶς ἐξέδωκεν· ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, ἐπετάθη· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, ἱμείρεται. Πάσας δὲ τέθεικα τὰς ἑρμηνείας, διδάσκων ὡς οὐ δύο μέρη ἐστὶ τὸ ποσαπλῶς· διαιρουμένου τοῦ πῶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁπλῶς· ἀλλ' ὅτι ἕν ἐστι μέρος λόγου, τὴν ἐπίτα σιν τοῦ πόθου σημαῖνον. Συμφωνεῖ γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ ἔρωτι τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ἡ σὰρξ, καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνης οὐκ 80.1337