141
will run to God. 4. "The words of the lawless have prevailed against us." But Symmachus has it thus: The words of the lawless have tyrannized over me. I have been forced, he says, to serve impious men and those living in lawlessness. Then he teaches the cause of the servitude. "And you will be propitious to our impieties." Not unjustly, he says, was I condemned to serve, but because of the impiety formerly dared by me; from which I implore to be freed through your 80.1349 philanthropy. From here they bless the way of life of the fatherland, as a teacher and promoter of piety. 5. "Blessed is he whom you have chosen and taken to yourself; he will dwell in your courts, we shall be filled with the good things of your house. Enviable, he says, and blessed is the people honored by you above the other nations. For by attending upon your sacred courts, he reaps the benefit and blessing from there. "Holy is your temple. [2.] Wonderful in righteousness." For your temple is full of holiness, and it teaches your righteousness through your oracles to those who approach. "Hear us, O God, our savior; the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those in the sea far off." Again here he foretells the salvation of the world, and recalls the prophecy of the patriarch Jacob; for his is the voice, "A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his loins, until he comes for whom it is reserved, and he is the expectation of nations." This one he also called here the "hope" "of all the ends of the earth, and of those in the sea far off." And by these words he signifies both those who dwell in the islands, and the men on the opposite continents, and those allotted to inhabit the ends of the 80.1352 world. Hear us, he says, you who a little later will illuminate the whole nature of men with the light of the knowledge of God. Then he narrates the power, as far as possible, of God. 7, 8. "Preparing the mountains in his strength; being girded with power. He who stirs up the depth of the sea; who will withstand the sounds of its waves?" For 'preparing', Symmachus has said 'making firm'. And for 'stirring up', Theodotion has 'calming'. And he says that you make the mountains firm and immovable; but you move the sea when you wish, and again you calm it, of which there is not any sound for those hearing; and you accomplish each of these things, using an ineffable and immeasurable power; which you wear like a belt. [For being life, you impart it to those who believe in you, and you grant stability to the immovable.] For since one who is girded is more ready for doing what he wants, he tropically called the power of God a belt. From this point on he relates in order the achievements of the New Testament. "The nations will be troubled" signified the preachings of the 80.1353 apostles, which immediately stirred up turmoil and confusion among men, according to the voice of the Lord. "For I have come," he said, "to set a man against his neighbor, a son against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. [And Habakkuk also, foretelling these things, says. "You mounted your horses upon the sea, troubling many waters." The apostles, whose riding he says, instead of teaching, will become salvation.] But after these things he stopped the confusion, and established peace for all, [saying, "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you."] 9. "And those who inhabit the ends of the earth will be afraid, because of your signs." For the turmoil came first; but fear followed, arising from the greatness of the wonders, and it taught piety. "You will delight the outgoings of the morning and evening." For the people, struck with the fear of the wonders, leaving their former error, and having known the true God, both at the beginning and at the end of the day, offer to God a delightful and pleasing hymnody. For Symmachus indicated this: They sing hymns to the goings forth of the dawn and the evening. 10. "You have visited the earth, and have intoxicated it; you have multiplied to enrich it." But Symmachus has said it thus: You will enrich it with much fruit. For no longer to us alone the spiritual irrigation
141
δραμεῖται Θεόν. δʹ. "Λόγοι ἀνόμων ὑπερεδυνάμωσαν ἡμᾶς." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Λόγοι ἀνόμων κατεδυνά στευσάν με. ∆υσσεβέσι, φησὶ, καὶ ἀνομίᾳ συ ζῶσιν ἀνθρώποις δουλεύειν ἠνάγκασμαι. Εἶτα τῆς δουλείας τὴν αἰτίαν διδάσκει. "Καὶ ταῖς ἀσεβείαις ἡμῶν σὺ ἱλάσῃ." Οὐκ ἀδίκως, φησὶ, κατεκρίθην δουλεύειν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ πάλαι τολμηθεῖ σαν ἀσέβειαν· ἧς ἀπαλλαγῆναι διὰ τῆς σῆς φιλ 80.1349 ανθρωπίας ἀντιβολῶ. Ἐντεῦθεν μακαρίζουσι τὴν τῆς πατρίδος διαγωγὴν, ὡς διδάσκαλον καὶ πρόξενον εὐσεβείας. εʹ. "Μακάριος ὃν ἐξελέξω καὶ προσελάβου· κατα σκηνώσει ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου, πλησθησόμεθα ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς τοῦ οἴκου σου. Ζηλωτὸς, φησὶ, καὶ μακάριος ὁ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ προτετι μημένος λαός. Ταῖς γὰρ ἱεραῖς σου προσεδρεύων αὐλαῖς, τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ὠφέλειαν καὶ εὐλογίαν καρ ποῦται. "Ἅγιος ὁ ναός σου. [ʹ.] Θαυμαστὸς ἐν δικαιο σύνῃ." Ἁγιασμοῦ γὰρ πλήρης ὁ σὸς ναὸς, καὶ τὴν σὴν δικαιοσύνην διὰ τῶν σῶν λογίων διδάσκει τοὺς προσιόντας. "Ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν· ἡ ἐλπὶς πάντων τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς, καὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ μακράν." Πάλιν ἐν ταῦθα τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης σωτηρίαν προλέγει, καὶ τῆς τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἰακὼβ ἀναμιμνήσκει προῤῥή σεως· ἐκείνου γάρ ἐστι φωνὴ, "Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα, καὶ ἡγούμενος ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ᾧ ἀπόκειται, καὶ αὐτὸς προσδοκία ἐθνῶν." Τοῦτον καὶ ἐνταῦθα "ἐλπίδα" ἐκάλεσε "πάν των τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς, καὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ μακράν." Σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων τούς τε ἐν ταῖς νήσοις οἰκοῦντας, καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀντίπερα ἠπεί ροις ἀνθρώπους, καὶ τοὺς τὰ τέρματα τῆς οἰκου 80.1352 μένης κληρωθέντας οἰκεῖν. Ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν, φη σὶν, ὁ μικρὸν ὕστερον πᾶσαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν τῷ τῆς θεογνωσίας καταυγάζων φωτί. Εἶτα τὴν δύναμιν, ὡς ἔνεστι, τοῦ Θεοῦ δι ηγεῖται. ζʹ, ηʹ. "Ἑτοιμάζων ὄρη ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὑτοῦ· περιεζωσμένος ἐν δυναστείᾳ. Ὁ συνταράσσων τὸ κύτος τῆς θαλάσσης· ἤχους κυμάτων αὐτῆς τίς ὑποστήσεται;" Τὸ ἑτοιμάζων, ἑδράζων ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκε. Τὸ δὲ συνταράσσων, ὁ Θεοδοτίων καταπραΰνων. Λέγει δὲ, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ὄρη ἑδραῖα ποιεῖς, καὶ ἀκίνητα· τὴν δὲ θάλασσαν κινεῖς ὅτε βούλει, καὶ πάλιν κατευνάζεις, ἧς οὐδὲ ἦχος τίς ἐστι τοῖς ἀκούουσιν· ἐπιτελεῖς δὲ τούτων ἕκα στον, δυνάμει χρώμενος ἀῤῥήτῳ καὶ ἀμετρήτῳ· ἣν ὥσπερ τινὰ περίκεισαι ζώνην. [Ζωὴ γὰρ ὑπάρχων μεταδίδως τοῖς εἰς σὲ πιστεύουσι καὶ τοῖς ἀκινήτοις τὸ πεπῆχθαι παρέχεις.] Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ ἐζωσμένος εὐσταλέστερός ἐστι περὶ τὸ πράττειν ὃ βούλεται, ζώνην τροπικῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δύναμιν προσηγόρευσεν. Ἐντεῦθεν λοιπὸν ἐφεξῆς τῆς και νῆς διαθήκης ὑφηγεῖται τὰ κατορθώματα. "Ταρα χθήσονται τὰ ἔθνη" τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων κηρύ 80.1353 γματα παρεδήλωσεν, ἃ ταραχὴν καὶ ζάλην εὐθὺς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκίνησε, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνήν. "Ἦλθον γὰρ, ἔφη, διχάσαι ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ τοῦ πλησίον αὑτοῦ, υἱὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς αὑτοῦ, θυγατέρα ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς αὑτῆς, νύμφην ἀπὸ τῆς πενθερᾶς αὑτῆς. [Καὶ ὁ Ἀμβακοὺμ δὲ προλέγων ταῦτά φησι. "Ἐπεβίβασας εἰς θάλασσαν τοὺς ἵππους σου ταράσσοντας ὕδατα πολλά." Τοὺς ἀποστόλους, ὧν λέγει τὴν ἱππασίαν ἀντὶ τοῦ διδαχὴν σωτηρίαν γε νήσεσθαι.] Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ τὴν ζάλην κατέπαυσε, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ἅπασιν ἐπρυτάνευσε, [φήσας, "Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν."] θʹ. "Καὶ φοβηθήσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὰ πέρα τα, ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων σου." Ἡγήσατο μὲν γὰρ ἡ ταραχή· ἠκολούθησε δὲ ὁ φόβος, τῷ μεγέθει τῶν θαυμάτων γενόμενος, καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐξεπαίδευ σεν. "Ἐξόδους πρωΐας καὶ ἑσπέρας τέρψεις." Τῷ γὰρ φόβῳ τῶν θαυμάτων καταπλαγέντες οἱ ἄνθρω ποι, τὴν προτέραν πλάνην καταλιπόντες, καὶ τὸν ὄντα γνόντες Θεὸν, καὶ ἀρχομένης καὶ ληγούσης ἡμέρας τὴν τερπνὴν καὶ ἀρεστὴν τῷ Θεῷ προσφέ ρουσιν ὑμνῳδίαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Σύμμαχος παρεδή λωσε, Τὰς προελεύσεις τοῦ ὄρθρου, καὶ τὴν ἑσπέραν ὑμνολογοῦσιν. ιʹ. "Ἐπεσκέψω τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐμέθυσας αὐτήν· ἐπλήθυνας τοῦ πλουτίσαι αὐτήν." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμα χος οὕτως εἴρηκε, Πολυκαρπίᾳ πλουτίσεις αὐ τήν. Οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ μόνοις ἡμῖν τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀρδείαν