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of the rulers, the salvation. Therefore he says: "The rams of the sheep have clothed themselves;" for not only the other sheep, but also the rams themselves approach the saving baptism. "And the valleys shall abound in wheat." And those allotted to poverty, and choosing to be pious, will offer their own fruit to God, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred. "They shall cry out, for indeed they shall sing hymns." And all those mentioned before will sing hymns to God with all eagerness, who has bestowed such a change upon human nature. We know, therefore, that some of the writers, having understood what was said superficially, asserted that each of these things happened after the return from captivity, when prosperity was provided for them in addition to freedom, and abundant rains, so that even the Jordan overflowed. For they said that it was called the River of God. But I, having learned from history that nothing of the sort happened—for they lived for a very long time in great poverty, as Ezra taught—and having also found the prophecy of the salvation of the nations manifest in the psalm: "For to you," he said, "shall all flesh come," and: "Hear us, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those far off at sea." I considered this meaning to be consistent with those sayings. But those who delight in myths, and imagine the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and explain their own reasonings as if they were dreams, have said that these things have not happened but 80.1361 will happen after the recalling of the Jews, adding this myth to the corruption of their other dogmas. Leaving them to their nonsense, let us take up the divine oracles, crying out with David. "Your law is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths."

INTERPRETATION OF THE 65TH PSALM. 1. "To the end, a song of a psalm of resurrection." Not even this addition does the

Hebrew have, nor the other interpreters, nor the Seventy in the Hexapla; but some, as it seems, have added this as well. And the divine David wrote this psalm for those who were captives in Babylon; no longer supplicating to obtain the return, but having already obtained it, and having begun the journey. But at the same time he also foretells the salvation of the nations. 2. "Shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing a psalm to his name; give glory in his praise." All people, he says, share with us in the hymnody, and with us send up fitting worship to God; and rightly they call the whole nature of humankind to such communion. For in them the salvation of all was prefigured. For just as they were delivered from the slavery of the Babylonians, so all people [after the incarnation of God and Savior] were freed from the bitter tyranny of the devil. Then they teach the manner of the hymnody. 3. "Say to God: How fearful are your works! in the multitude of your power your enemies will lie to you." Marvel, he says, at the power of the wonders wrought by 80.1364 God. For they are so many and of such a kind that the excess of what is done is disbelieved by the impious. And it has another meaning, testified to by the truth: "In the multitude of your power, your enemies will lie to you." Because when, he says, you have illuminated the world with the light of the knowledge of God and have converted the majority to piety, then also those who are held by the darkness of unbelief will feign piety, denying their impiety. And we see this happening continually. For many who are enslaved to the Hellenic error do not dare to confess this openly. And the Jews, being hard-pressed, hymn the victory of the cross, and from all sides the truth of the prophecy is shown. 4. "Let all the earth worship you, and sing psalms to you. Let them sing psalms to your name, O Most High."

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δυναστευόντων τὴν σωτηρίαν. ∆ιό φησιν· "Ἐνεδύσαντο οἱ κριοὶ, τῶν προβάτων·" οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰ ἄλλα πρόβατα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ κριοὶ προσίασι τῷ σωτηρίῳ βαπτίσ ματι. "Καὶ αἱ κοιλάδες πληθυνοῦσι σῖτον." Καὶ οἱ πενίᾳ δὲ συγκληρωθέντες, καὶ εὐσεβεῖν προαι ρούμενοι, τὸν οἰκεῖον καρπὸν προσοίσουσι τῷ Θεῷ, ὁ μὲν τριάκοντα, ὁ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ ἑκατόν. "Κεκράξονται, καὶ γὰρ ὑμνήσουσιν." Ἅπαντες δὲ οἱ προλεχθέντες σὺν πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνήσουσι, τὸν τοιαύτην μεταβολὴν τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δωρησάμενον φύσει. Οἴδαμεν οὖν, ὥς τινες τῶν συγγραφέων, ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς νενοηκότες τὰ εἰρημένα, τούτων ἕκαστον ἔφασαν γεγενῆσθαι μετὰ τὴν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπάνοδον, εὐετηρίας αὐτοῖς πρὸς τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ παρασχεθείσης, καὶ ὑετῶν ἀφθό νων, ὡς καὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πλημμυρεῖν. Αὐτὸν γὰρ ἔφασαν κεκλῆσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ Ποταμόν. Ἐγὼ δὲ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον παρὰ τῆς ἱστορίας γεγενῆσθαι μεμαθηκώς· ἐν πολλῇ γὰρ διήγαγον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον πενίᾳ, ὡς ὁ Ἔσδρας ἐδίδαξεν· εὑρὼν δὲ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν σωτηρίας τὴν πρόῤῥησιν ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ προφανῆ· "Πρὸς σὲ γὰρ, ἔφη, πᾶσα σὰρξ ἥξει," καί· "Ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἡ ἐλπὶς πάντων τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς, καὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ μακράν." Ταύτην ἀκόλουθον τοῖς ῥητοῖς ἐκείνοις ὑπέλαβον τὴν διάνοιαν. Οἱ δὲ τοῖς μύθοις χαίροντες, καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὴν οἰκοδομὴν φανταζόμενοι, καὶ καθάπερ ὀνείρους τοὺς οἰκείους λογισμοὺς ἐξηγούμενοι, οὐ γεγενῆσθαι ταῦτα, ἀλλ' 80.1361 ἔσεσθαι μετὰ τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀνάκλησιν ἔφασαν, πρὸς τῇ τῶν ἄλλων δογμάτων διαφθορᾷ, καὶ τοῦ τον προστεθεικότες τὸν μῦθον. Οὓς ληρεῖν καταλιπόντες, τῶν θείων λογίων ἁψώμεθα, μετὰ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ βοῶντες. "Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου, καὶ φῶς τοῖς τρίβοις μου."

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΞΕʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, Ὠδὴ ψαλμοῦ ἀναστάσεως." Οὐδὲ ταύτην τὴν προσθήκην τὸ

Ἑβραϊκὸν ἔχει, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ, οὐδὲ οἱ Ἑβδομήκοντα ἐν τῷ Ἑξαπλῷ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην τινὲς, ὡς ἔοικε, προστε θείκασι. Καὶ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν ψαλμὸν ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ τοῖς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι δορυαλώτοις συνέγραψεν· οὐκ ἔτι μὲν τῆς ἐπανόδου τυχεῖν ἱκετεύουσιν, ἀλλ' ἤδη ταύτης τετυχηκόσι, καὶ τῆς πορείας ἁψαμένοις. Προλέγει δὲ κατὰ ταὐτὸν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν σω τηρίαν. βʹ. "Ἀλαλάξατε τῷ Θεῷ, πᾶσα ἡ γῆ· ψάλατε δὲ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ· δότε δόξαν ἐν αἰνέσει αὐτοῦ." Ἅπαντες ἡμῖν, φησὶν, ἄνθρωποι, τῆς ὑμνῳδίας κοινωνήσατε, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ τὸ προσῆκον μεθ' ἡμῶν ἀναπέμψατε σέβας· εἰκότως δὲ εἰς τὴν τοιαύτην κοινωνίαν καλοῦσιν ἅπασαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν. Ἐν αὐτοῖς γὰρ τὰ τῆς ἁπάντων προδι εγράφετο σωτηρίας. Καθάπερ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τῆς τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ἀπηλλάγησαν δουλείας· οὕτως ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι [μετὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος] τῆς πικρᾶς τοῦ διαβόλου τυραννίδος ἠλευ θερώθησαν. Εἶτα διδάσκουσι τῆς ὑμνῳδίας τὸν τρόπον. γʹ. "Εἴπατε τῷ Θεῷ· Ὡς φοβερὰ τὰ ἔργα σου! ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῆς δυνάμεως σου ψεύσονταί σε οἱ ἐχθροί σου." Θαυμάσατε, φησὶν, εἰς δύναμιν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ 80.1364 Θεοῦ γεγενημένα θαύματα. Τοσαῦτα γάρ εἰσι καὶ τοιαῦτα, ὡς τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν γινομένων, ἀπιστεῖσθαι παρὰ τῶν δυσσεβῶν. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν διάνοιαν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας μαρτυρουμένην, τὸ, "Ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῆς δυνάμεώς σου, ψεύσονταί σε οἱ ἐχθροί σου." Ὅτι ἂν, φησὶ, τῷ φωτὶ τῆς θεο γνωσίας καταυγάσας τὴν οἰκουμένην, εἰς εὐσέ βειαν μεταβάλῃς τοὺς πλείστους, τηνικαῦτα καὶ οἱ τῷ τῆς ἀπιστίας κατεχόμενοι σκότῳ ὑποκριθήσονται τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἀρνούμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Καὶ τοῦτο διηνεκῶς ὁρῶμεν γινόμενον. Πολλοὶ γὰρ τῇ Ἑλληνικῇ πλάνῃ δουλεύοντες, ὁμολογῆσαι τοῦτο προφανῶς οὐ τολμῶσι. Καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ στενοχωρούμενοι, τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν νίκην ὑμνοῦσι, καὶ πανταχόθεν τῆς προφητείας ἡ ἀλήθεια δείκνυται. δʹ. "Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι, καὶ ψαλά τωσαν. Ψαλάτωσαν δὲ τῷ ὀνόματί σου, Ὕψιστε."