148

at which time, when the Salvation shines forth, no longer will fear come upon my flocks; but fear will seize the terrible beasts themselves and the unseen and invisible demons, there where there will be no fear? For then there will be no fear for those worthy of good things, but upon those who now rise up against my people will fall the fear of the wrath that will come upon them, which, arriving, will scatter the bones of men-pleasers; in which they will also be put to shame, since then the judge of all will despise them. But instead of: For God has scattered the bones of men-pleasers, Symmachus interpreted it in this way: For God will scatter the bones of those who encamp around you; you will be put to shame, because God has rejected them. And Aquila also holds to the same thought, saying: For God has scattered the bones of those who have encamped against you; you have shamed them, because God has cast them off. But the meaning of the passage indicates that the powers of the aforementioned plotters against the people, that is, of the invisible enemies and unseen foes, will be overthrown. For the scattered bones of the enemies would be the powers of their wickedness, which the word threatens to scatter at the indicated time. And then they will be put to shame, when God rejects or despises them, having shown them to be nothing. These things the Word of God, the guardian of men, reasonably threatened; since, having looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, and having sought among them if there is one who understands or seeks God, he found no one; but he found all turning aside and become worthless from the plotting of enemies, so that not even one remained a doer of good works. The first parts, therefore, the thirteenth [psalm] also contains similarly; but the following parts are different. For in the thirteenth, this is connected to them: Because God is in a righteous generation, you have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his hope; but here, For God has scattered the bones of men-pleasers, they were put to shame, because God despised them. But the thirteenth psalm received its proper interpretation in its proper places; but the present matters, as they have appeared to us, are set before those who encounter them. Who will give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God restores the captivity of his people, Jacob will rejoice, and Israel will be glad. The Prophet, having envisioned great things from the revelation of the Holy Spirit concerning the destruction of the enemies of the human race, next added: Who will give from Zion salvation? as if he said: Who will grant that these things may at last come to pass through deeds? For there is no other way for the 23.461 sons of men to be saved and have freedom from evils than through the sole appearance of the Salvation of God, concerning whom much is said throughout all the Scriptures. He prays, therefore, saying: Who will give from Zion the salvation of Israel? And it has often been said by us, that the Christ of God, our Savior and Lord, is foretold in the prophecies in this manner; for they were accustomed to call him Salvation; which they also proclaimed would be made known to all the nations, both in other places and in what has been said: Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name. Proclaim his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations; and again: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. The Lord has made known his salvation, he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations; and Isaiah says, The Lord will reveal his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and so forth. And we have already often set forth the result of these words, testified by Simeon, who, taking our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, still an infant, in his arms, cried out, saying: Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your name in peace; for my eyes have seen the Salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all

148

καθ' ὃν ἐπιλάμψαντος τοῦ Σωτηρίου, οὐκέτι τοῖς ἐμοῖς θρέμμασι φόβος ἐπιστήσεται· αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς δεινοὺς θῆρας καὶ τοὺς ἀφανεῖς καὶ ἀοράτους δαίμονας φόβος λήψεται ἐκεῖ οὗ οὐκ ἔσται φόβος; Τότε γὰρ τοῖς μὲν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀξίοις οὐκ ἔσται φόβος, τοῖς δὲ νῦν ἐπαιρομένοις κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐπιπεσεῖται φόβος ὁ τῆς μετελευσομένης αὐτοὺς ὀργῆς, ἥτις ἐπιστᾶσα διασκορπίσει ὀστᾶ ἀνθρωπαρέσκων· ἐν ᾗ καὶ καταισχυνθήσονται, ἐπειδὴ τότε αὐτοὺς ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων ἐξουδενώσει κριτής. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· Ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς διεσκόρπισεν ὀστᾶ ἀνθρωπαρέσκων, ὁ Σύμμαχος τοῦτον ἡρμήνευσε τὸν τρόπον· Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς διασκορπίσει ὀστᾶ τῶν παρεμβαλλόντων περὶ σέ· καταισχυνθήσῃ, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεδοκίμασεν αὐτούς. Καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχεται διανοίας λέγων· Ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐσκόρπισεν ὀστᾶ παρεμβεβληκότων σου· ᾔσχυνας, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀπέῤῥιψεν αὐτούς. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ λόγου διάνοια παρίστησι τῶν προλεχθέντων ἐπιβούλων τοῦ λαοῦ, δηλαδὴ τῶν ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν καὶ τῶν ἀφανῶν πολεμίων, τὰς δυνάμεις καθαιρεθήσεσθαι. Ὀστᾶ γὰρ διασκορπιζόμενα τῶν ἐχθρῶν εἶεν ἂν αἱ τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν δυνάμεις, ἃς διασκορπίζειν κατὰ τὸν σημαινόμενον καιρὸν ὁ λόγος ἀπειλεῖ. Τότε δὲ καὶ καταισχυνθήσονται, ἐπειδὰν ἀποδοκιμάσῃ αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς ἢ ἐξουθενήσῃ, τὸ μηθὲν αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἀποδείξας. Ταῦτα εἰκότως ἠπείλησεν ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κηδεμὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος· ἐπειδὴ διακύψας ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ζητήσας τε ἐν αὐτοῖς εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν ἢ ζητῶν τὸν Θεὸν, οὐδένα εὗρε· κατέλαβε δὲ τοὺς πάντας ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς ἐχθρῶν ἐκκλίνοντας καὶ ἀχρειωθέντας, ὡς μηδὲ ἕως ἑνὸς περιλείπεσθαι ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ποιητήν. Τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ιγʹ περιέχει· παρήλλακται δὲ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ ιγʹ συνῆπται τούτοις τὸ, Ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐν γενεᾷ δικαίᾳ, βουλὴν πτωχοῦ κατῃσχύνατε, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς διεσκόρπισεν ὀστᾶ ἀνθρωπαρέσκων, κατῃσχύνθησαν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐξουδένωσεν αὐτούς. Ἀλλὰ μὲν εἰς τὸν ιγʹ οἰκείας ἔτυχεν ἑρμηνείας κατὰ τοὺς οἰκείους τόπους· τὰ δὲ προκείμενα, ὅπως ἡμῖν παρέστη, πρόκειται τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν. Τίς δώσει ἐκ Σιὼν τὸ Σωτήριον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν Θεὸν τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀγαλλιάσεται Ἰακὼβ, καὶ εὐφρανθήσεται Ἰσραήλ. Μεγάλα φαντασθεὶς ὁ Προφήτης ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀποκαλύψεως περὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους, ἑξῆς ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Τίς δώσει ἐκ Σιὼν τὸ Σωτήριον; ὡσεὶ ἔλεγε· Τίς δώσει ἤδη ποτὲ ταῦτα δι' ἔργων χωρῆσαι; Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλως σεσῶσθαι κακῶν ἐλευθερίαν τοῖς 23.461 υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἢ διὰ μόνης τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Σωτηρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ, περὶ οὗ πολὺς ὁ λόγος διὰ πασῶν φέρεται τῶν Γραφῶν. Ἐπεύχεται τοίνυν λέγων· Τίς δώσει ἐκ Σιὼν τὸ Σωτήριον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; Πολλάκις δὲ ἡμῖν εἴρηται, ὡς ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ Σωτὴρ καὶ Κύριος ἡμῶν τοῦτον ἐν ταῖς προφητείαις προαγορεύεται τὸν τρόπον· Σωτήριον γὰρ αὐτὸν καλεῖν εἰώθασιν· ὃ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι γνωσθήσεσθαι προεκήρυττον ἔντε τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ ἐν οἷς εἴρηται· Ἄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινὸν, ᾄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. Ἄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, εὐλογήσατε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Εὐαγγελίσασθε ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας τὸ Σωτήριον αὐτοῦ. Ἀναγγείλατε τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν· Ἄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινὸν, ὅτι θαυμαστὰ ἐποίησεν. Ἐγνώρισε Κύριος τὸ Σωτήριον αὐτοῦ, ἐναντίον τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀπεκάλυψε τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ· καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας, Ἀποκαλύψει, φησὶ, Κύριος τὸν βραχίονα τὸν ἅγιον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἤδη δὲ πολλάκις παρατεθείμεθα τῶν λόγων τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα, μαρτυρούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Συμεῶν, ὃς, τὸν Σωτῆρα καὶ Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἔτι νήπιον ὄντα, ταῖς ἀγκάλαις λαβὼν, ἀνεφώνησε λέγων· Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, ∆έσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ· ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ Σωτήριον, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων