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saying next: The Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. If, then, such were the things among men, that no one good was found among the sons of men, how does it mean that the things of the inscription are said for the choir? But you will say that, since all have gone aside, down to one, and those on earth were corrupted and became abominable in their iniquities, the prophet reasonably prayed in the things that followed, saying: Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. For he understood by the foreknowledge of the prophetic spirit, that through the salvation the captivity of the people was about to return and to be freed from the power of the enemy; and when these things were accomplished, the choir of God was composed of those very ones who were freed from captivity. Reasonably, therefore, the things spoken are referred to the end, and it is said "for Maeleth," that is, "for the choir"; as if it were more clearly interpreted, "for those who will be freed from captivity"; for which reason also it refers us to understanding. And the prophecy is said "to David," having been spoken by him. Therefore among the other interpreters, "of David" is inscribed. And it is possible to say that David himself, having prophesied, "But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, I have hoped in the mercy of God," knew that he would not obtain mercy otherwise than through the prophesied salvation. Therefore in the 50th he said: "Restore unto me the joy 23.456 of thy salvation"; and in the present one, "Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel?" For he prayed that the common good also be given to him. And the 13th also had great consistency with the one before it, I mean the 12th. For having prayed in the 12th, the same one also saying: "How long, O Lord? wilt thou forget me for ever? how long wilt thou turn away thy face from me?" and having joined the things that follow to these, he adds: But I have hoped in thy mercy. My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. And since he mentioned the salvation in the 12th, in the 13th he consistently says: "Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel?" The inscription, therefore, requiring much understanding, was said for the choir, which was to be established among men through the Savior; which in fact was accomplished after the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ; through whom throughout the whole world one choir was established for God, such as never was before, the catholic Church of God founded upon the unbreakable and unshakable rock of the word of salvation. But the things said at the beginning of the prophecy introduce a kind of shipwreck, as it were, of all men on earth. For it said: "The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God. They are corrupt, and are become abominable in iniquity: there is none that doeth good." And the same things were also declared in the 13th, especially according to the Hebrew language, in which the same words appear and the same elements in both; although especially the interpretation among us seems to contain certain altered words. For instead of, "They did corrupt things and were abominable in iniquity," the 13th has, "They were corrupt and were abominable in their doings"; and again instead of, "There is none that doeth good," it contains, "There is none that doeth kindness"; for the alteration is brought about by the interpreters. But through these things the word signifies the falling away from the common notions concerning God, and the impious and atheistic reasoning of all humanity which prevailed before the appearance of our Savior. For though God cast down good seeds of the knowledge concerning himself through common notions, such a perversion seized every fool among men, as to acquire an atheistic opinion in his own reasoning, and to think that there is no one, nor does God exist in the universe. This one, then, was truly an atheist and completely foolish, neither providence

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λέγων ἑξῆς· Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν καὶ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν. Πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν ἀγαθὸν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός. Εἰ δὲ οὖν τοιαῦτα ἦν τὰ ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ὡς μηδένα ἀγαθὸν εὑρίσκεσθαι ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς χορείας τὰ τῆς προγραφῆς λέγεσθαι σημαίνει; Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς, ὅτι, ἐπειδὴ πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἕως ἑνὸς, διεφθάρησάν τε οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἀνομίαις, εἰκότως ὁ προφήτης ἐπηύξατο ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα εἰπών· Τίς δώσει ἐκ Σιὼν τὸ Σωτήριον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι Κύριον τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀγαλλιάσεται Ἰακὼβ, καὶ εὐφρανθήσεται Ἰσραήλ. Συνεῖδε γὰρ τῇ προγνώσει τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ προφητικοῦ, ὡς ἄρα διὰ τοῦ Σωτηρίου ἤμελλεν ἡ αἰχμαλωσία τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ ἐλευθεροῦσθαι τῆς τῶν πολεμίων δυναστείας· ὧν ἐπιτελουμένων, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χορεία συνίστατο ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τῶν ἐλευθερουμένων τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας. Εἰκότως οὖν εἰς τὸ τέλος ἀναπέμπεται τὰ λεγόμενα, καὶ ὑπὲρ Μαελὲθ, τουτέστιν ὑπὲρ τῆς χορείας, λέλεκται· ὡσεὶ σαφέστερον ἡρμήνευτο, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐλευθερωθησομένων τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας· διόπερ καὶ εἰς σύνεσιν ἡμᾶς ἀναπέμπει. Εἴρηται δὲ, τῷ ∆αυῒδ, ἡ προφητεία, ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λεχθεῖσα. ∆ιὸ παρὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἑρμηνευταῖς, τοῦ ∆αυῒδ, ἐπιγέγραπται. Καὶ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὡς ἄρα αὐτὸς ὁ ∆αυῒδ, προφήσας τό· Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἤλπισα ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἄλλως τεύξεσθαι τοῦ ἐλέους ἠπίστατο ἢ διὰ τοῦ προφητευομένου σωτηρίου. ∆ιὸ ἐν μὲν τῷ νʹ ἔλεγεν· Ἀπόδος μοι τὴν ἀγαλλίασιν 23.456 τοῦ Σωτηρίου σου· ἐν δὲ τῷ προκειμένῳ Τίς δώσει ἐκ Σιὼν τὸ Σωτήριον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; Ηὔχετο γὰρ καὶ αὐτῷ δοθῆναι τὸ κοινὸν ἀγαθόν. Καὶ ὁ ιγʹ δὲ πρὸς τὸν πρὸ αὐτοῦ, λέγω δὲ τὸν ιβʹ, πολλὴν εἶχεν ἀκολουθίαν. Εὐξάμενος γὰρ ἐν τῷ ιβʹ, ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ εἰπών· Ἕως πότε, Κύριε, ἐπιλήσῃ μου εἰς τέλος; ἕως πότε ἀποστρέφεις τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ; καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἑξῆς συνάψας, ἐπιλέγει· Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ ἐλέει σου ἤλπισα. Ἀγαλλιάσεται ἡ καρδία μου ἐπὶ τῷ Σωτηρίῳ σου. Καὶ ἐπειδήπερ ἐμνημόνευσε τοῦ Σωτηρίου ἐν τῷ ιβʹ, ἐν τῷ ιγʹ ἀκολούθως φησί· Τίς δώσει ἐκ Σιὼν τὸ Σωτήριον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; Ἡ μὲν οὖν προγραφὴ, πολλῆς συνέσεως δεομένη, ὑπὲρ τῆς χορείας ἐλέγετο, τῆς μελλούσης διὰ τοῦ Σωτηρίου συνίστασθαι ἐν ἀνθρώποις· ἥτις ἔργῳ ἐπετελέσθη μετὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· δι' οὗ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης μία συνέστη τῷ Θεῷ χορεία, οἵα οὐδεπώποτε, ἡ καθολικὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησία ἐπὶ τὴν ἀῤῥαγῆ καὶ ἄσειστον πέτραν τοῦ σωτηρίου λόγου τεθεμελιωμένη. Τὰ δὲ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς προφητείας λεγόμενα ἁπάντων τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπων ὥσπερ τι ναυάγιον εἰσάγει. Εἶπε γάρ· Φησὶν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐκ ἔστι Θεός. ∆ιεφθάρησαν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἀνομίᾳ· οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν ἀγαθόν. Τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ ιγʹ ἐδηλοῦτο, μάλιστα κατὰ τὴν Ἑβραϊκὴν γλῶσσαν, ἐν ᾗ αἱ αὐταὶ λέξεις ἐμφέρονται καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ στοιχεῖα ἐν ἀμφοτέροις· εἰ καὶ μάλιστα τῆς παρ' ἡμῖν ἑρμηνείας, λέξεις τινὰς ἐνηλλαγμένας περιέχειν δοκεῖ. Ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ, ∆ιέφθειραν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἀνομίᾳ, ὁ ιγʹ, ∆ιεφθάρησαν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασι· καὶ πάλιν ἀντὶ τοῦ, Οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν ἀγαθὸν, Οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, περιέχει· παρὰ γὰρ τοὺς ἑρμηνεύσαντας ἡ ἐναλλαγὴ φέρεται. Σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων ὁ λόγος τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τῶν κοινῶν περὶ Θεοῦ ἐννοιῶν, καὶ τὸν δυσσεβῆ καὶ ἄθεον λογισμὸν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἁπάσης πρὸ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφανείας ἐπικρατήσαντα. Τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ ταῖς κοιναῖς ἐννοίαις ἀγαθὰ σπέρματα τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ γνώσεως καταβαλλομένου, τοσαύτη τις κατέσχεν διαστροφὴ πάντα τὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἄφρονα, ὡς δόξαν ἄθεον ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ λογισμῷ κτήσασθαι, καὶ ὅτι μηδείς ἐστι μηδὲ ὑφέστηκεν ἐν τῷ παντὶ ὁ Θεὸς διανοηθῆναι. Οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἀληθῶς ἄθεός τις ἦν καὶ παντελῶς ἄφρων, οὔτε πρόνοιαν