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he demonstrates his own height, exacting penalties from such men. "The arrow of infants their plagues have become. [9.] And their tongues have grown weak against them." But nevertheless, though using such vehemence, they missed their mark. For just as arrows shot by mere children inflict no harm on those who receive them, so their tongues did not harm those who were struck; but the injury has proceeded against those who shot them. "All who saw them were troubled." But those who saw them fail in their undertakings will be filled, or were filled, with tumult and fear, and they marveled at divine providence. For this is what the following reveals. 10. "And every man was afraid, and they declared the works of God; and they understood His deeds." For having come to a consideration of God's care, they feared the divine judgment. 80.1345 11. "The righteous will rejoice in the Lord, and will hope in Him." And especially those who care for the divine laws [of the old and new testament], being filled with gladness, will make their hope in God firm. "And all the upright in heart will be praised." And they will also reap good repute from men, those who direct their reasoning to God, and do not tolerate walking outside the straight path. [And one might find that David and those with him and those after them have accomplished this; I mean the prize-winning martyrs and the athletes of piety.]

INTERPRETATION OF THE 64TH PSALM. 1. "For the end, a psalm of David; a song of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and of the people

of the sojourning, when they were about to depart." And in some copies is added, "A song of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and of the people of the sojourning, when they were about to depart." Neither the Hebrew has this, nor the other interpreters, nor the Seventy in the Hexapla; but someone, it seems, has added this inscription, having paid attention neither to the meaning of the psalm, nor having learned the history. For first, Jeremiah did not share in the captivity; but having received the choice to live where he wished, he chose to live in his homeland. Hence it is in no way suitable for those departing into captivity; but for those living in captivity. For being far from their homeland, and desiring to hymn God, but being prevented by the law from doing this; for theirs is the voice, "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" they said in Babylon, supplicating God. 2, 3. "A hymn befits you, O God, in Zion, and to you a vow will be rendered in Jerusalem. Hearken to my prayer, to you all flesh will come." And all the sayings of the psalm are fitting for those living in Baby 80.1348 lon. For these, eager for the return, offered this hymnody to God. And the prophecy of the salvation of the nations is mixed in with the prediction concerning these things. "A hymn befits you, O God, in Zion, and to you a vow will be rendered in Jerusalem." In that city, he says, you commanded us to offer you a hymn; there, therefore, I entreat to render it to you. [And concerning this the blessed Paul said to the gentiles: You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. And these things were said by the Apostle concerning the Church from the gentiles.] Hearken to my prayer." Receive my supplication, he says, and free me from the bonds of captivity. [This the people enslaved from Jerusalem cries out in prayer; and this he who hastens to escape from the captivity of idols also beseeches; and he stated it more clearly through what follows when he said:] "To you all flesh will come." This holds a clear prediction of the knowledge of God among the nations. For now, he says, we supplicate to obtain the return, and to offer the hymn in the temple consecrated to you; but a little later all the nature of men, being freed from the polytheistic error, to you the true

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τὸ οἰκεῖον ὑποδείκνυσιν ὕψος, δί κας τοὺς τοιούτους εἰσπραττόμενος. "Βέλος νηπίων ἐγενήθησαν αἱ πληγαὶ αὐτῶν. [θʹ.] Καὶ ἐξησθένησαν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς αἱ γλῶσσαι αὐ τῶν." Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοσαύτῃ δεινότητι χρώμενοι, διήμαρτον τοῦ σκοποῦ. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ παρὰ τῶν κομιδῆ νέων ἀφιέμενα βέλη βλάβην οὐδεμίαν ἐπι φέρει τοῖς δεχομένοις, οὕτως αἱ τούτων γλῶσσαι, τοὺς μὲν βληθέντας οὐκ ἔβλαψαν· κατὰ δὲ τῶν τινα ξάντων ἡ λώβη κεχώρηκεν. "Ἐταράχθησαν πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτούς." Οἱ δὲ θεασάμενοι αὐτοὺς τῶν ἐγχειρημάτων διαμαρτόντας, θορύβου καὶ δέους πλησθήσονται, ἢ ἐπλήσθησαν, καὶ τὴν θείαν ἐθαύ μασαν πρόνοιαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα δηλοῖ. ιʹ. "Καὶ ἐφοβήθη πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἀνήγγει λαν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ τὰ ποιήματα αὐτοῦ συν ῆκαν." Ἐν περινοίᾳ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδε μονίας γενόμενοι, τὸ θεῖον κριτήριον ἔδεισαν. 80.1345 ιαʹ. "Εὐφρανθήσεται δίκαιος ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐλπιεῖ ἐπ' αὐτόν." ∆ιαφερόντως δὲ οἱ τῶν θείων νόμων [παλαιᾶς τε καὶ νέας διαθήκης] ἐπιμελού μενοι, θυμηδίας ἐμφορηθέντες, τὴν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδα· βεβαίαν ἐργάσονται. "Καὶ ἐπαινεθήσονται πάντες οἱ εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ." Καὶ τὴν παρὰ ἀν θρώπων δὲ καρπώσονται εὔκλειαν οἱ τὸν λογισμὸν πρὸς Θεὸν διευθύνοντες, καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς εὐθείας ἔξω βαδίζειν οὐκ ἀνεχόμενοι. [Τοῦτο δὲ εὕροι ἄν τις κατωρθωκότας τὸν ∆αβὶδ καὶ τοὺς κατ' αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς μετ' ἐκείνους· λέγω δὴ τοὺς ἀθλοφόρους μάρτυρας καὶ τοὺς ἀθλητὰς τῆς εὐσεβείας.]

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Ξ∆ʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ· ᾠδὴ Ἱερε μίου καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ

τῆς παροικίας, ὅτε ἔμελλον ἐκπορεύεσθαι." Ἐν ἐνίοις δὲ ἀντι γράφοις πρόσκειται, "Ὠδὴ Ἱερεμίου καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ,καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς παροικίας, ὅτε ἔμελλον ἐκπορεύε σθαι." Ταῦτα οὔτε τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν ἔχει, οὔτε οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ, οὔτε οἱ Ἑβδομήκοντα ἐν τῷ Ἑξαπλῷ· ἀλλά τις, ὡς ἔοικε, ταύτην προστέ θεικε τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν, οὔτε τῇ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ διανοίᾳ προσεσχηκὼς, οὔτε τὴν ἱστορίαν μεμαθηκώς. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὁ Ἱερεμίας αἰχμαλωσίας οὐκ ἐκοινώνησεν· ἀλλ' αἵρεσιν λαβὼν διάγειν ὅπου βούλεται, τὴν ἐν τῇ πατρίδι διαγωγὴν εἵλετο. Ὅθεν οὐδαμῶς τοῖς ἐκπορευομένοις εἰς τὴν αἰχμα λωσίαν ἁρμόττει· ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ διάγουσι. Πόῤῥω γὰρ ὄντες τῆς πατρίδος, καὶ ὑμνεῖν μὲν τὸν Θεὸν ποθοῦντες, τῷ νόμῳ δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν κωλυόμενοι· αὐτῶν γάρ ἐστι φωνὴ, "Πῶς ᾄσωμεν τὴν ᾠδὴν Κυρίου ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας;" ἔλεγον ἐν Βαβυλῶνι τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύοντες. βʹ, γʹ. "Σοὶ πρέπει ὕμνος, ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν Σιὼν, καί σοι ἀποδοθήσεται εὐχὴ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Εἰσάκουσον προσευχῆς μου, πρὸς σὲ πᾶσα σὰρξ ἥξει." Καὶ πάντα δὲ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τὰ ῥητὰ, τοῖς ἐν Βαβυ 80.1348 λῶνι διάγουσι πρόσφορα. Οὗτοι γὰρ τῆς ἐπανόδου γλιχόμενοι, ταύτην τῷ θεῷ τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν προσέφε ρον. Ἀναμέμικται δὲ τῇ περὶ τούτων προῤῥήσει καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν σωτηρίας ἡ προφητεία. "Σοὶ πρέ πει ὕμνος, ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν Σιὼν, καί σοι ἀποδοθήσεται εὐχὴ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ." Ἐν ἐκείνῃ, φησὶ, τῇ πόλει προσφέρειν σοι τὸν ὕμνον προσέταξας· ἐκεῖ τοίνυν ἀποδοῦναί σοι τοῦτον ἀντιβολῶ. [Περὶ δὲ ταύτης ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἔφη τοῖς ἔθνεσι· Προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ. Ταῦτα δὲ εἴρηται τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ περὶ τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας.] Εἰσάκουσον προσευχῆς μου." ∆έξαι μου, φησὶ, τὴν δέησιν, καὶ τῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας με δεσμῶν ἐλευθέρωσον. [Τοῦτο μὲν ὁ ἀνδραποδισθεὶς ἐκ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ λαὸς προσευχόμενος βοᾷ· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐκ τῆς τῶν εἰδώλων ἀποδράσει ἐπειγόμενος αἰχμαλωσίας ἀντι βολεῖ· καὶ σαφέστερον αὐτὸ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ἔφησεν ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν·] "Πρὸς σὲ πᾶσα σὰρξ ἥξει." Τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν θεογνωσίας σαφῆ τοῦτο πρόῤῥησιν ἔχει. Νῦν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡμεῖς ἱκετεύομεν τῆς ἐπαν όδου τυχεῖν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀφιερωμένῳ σοι ναῷ τὸν ὕμνον προσενεγκεῖν· μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον πᾶσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις, τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης ἀπαλλα γεῖσα, πρὸς σὲ τὸν ἀληθινὸν