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For there the demon, when he falls upon the soul, maims the mind, and darkens the reason, and so they utter all things, with their mind understanding none of the things being said, but as if some lifeless flute were sounding. And this one of their philosophers said, speaking thus: "Just as oracle-singers and the divinely-possessed say many things, but know nothing of what they say." But the Holy Spirit does not do so, but allows the heart to know the things being said. For if he did not know, how did he say, "A good word"? For the demon, like an enemy and a foe, wars against human nature; but the Holy Spirit, like one caring and benefiting, makes those who receive it share in the knowledge, and with their own understanding reveals the things being said. I speak my works to the king. Another, "My poems." What works does he mean? The prophecy. For just as it is the work of the coppersmith to fashion an axe, and of the builder to make a house, and of the shipwright to join together a ship, so also it is the work of the prophet to weave a prophecy. For that this too is a work, hear Christ saying concerning the apostles: "The laborer is worthy of his wages." And Paul: "Especially those who labor in the word and in teaching." If it were not a work, how could it involve toil? For what is more precious than this work? And what is more useful? It is superior to all arts. What then is the work, which he speaks to the king? This hymn, this prophecy. And he did not say to which king, showing that it was to the God of all. For just as when we speak of the king of the Persians, we do not simply call him king, but we add "of the Persians," and similarly "of the Armenians"; but when we speak of our own, we do not need an addition, but are content to say "the king"; so also the Prophet, since he was speaking about the true king, is content to say, "To the king." For just as when we say "Almighty," we do not need an addition, because there is no other Almighty; so when we say "king," we do not need another addition, because there is no other king who is God. And otherwise, he who was speaking was a king. Whence it is clear that he was not speaking about a man, but about the God of all; for this reason he did not say, "To a king," but, "To the king," indicating his sovereignty by the addition of the article. Secondly. Then again showing that the things being said were not of human thought, and study and composition, but of divine grace, and that he himself only lent his tongue, he added: My tongue is the pen of a swiftly writing scribe. And the pen writes those things which the hand holding it commands. Another says: "My tongue is as the stylus of a swift writer." What does "swift" mean? So that from this too he might show grace. For one who speaks from himself hesitates and is slow in study, composing, being hindered by both ignorance and inexperience and hesitation, and there are many things that mar the speed of speech; but when the Spirit moves the mind, there is nothing to hinder it; but just as a stream of water 55.185 rushing with a great roar comes forth, so also the grace of the Spirit comes forth with great speed, bringing forth all things smooth, all things easy. Then again clarifying this very thing, and showing that nothing of the things being said was human, he added Fair in beauty beyond the sons of men. Some indeed say this was said about the tongue, that it is a pen fair in beauty; but it seems to me that he is henceforth speaking about Christ. Wherefore also another interpreter says: "You have been made beautiful with beauty beyond the sons of men." For he turns the discourse to him out of great fervor, and his disposition towards him, as Jacob also said: "From a shoot, my son, you have gone up; having lain down, you slept as a lion." For having become inspired, he henceforth converses with him, and directs his discourse to him.

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Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὁ δαίμων, ὅταν εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἐμπέσῃ, πηροῖ τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ σκοτοῖ τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ οὕτως ἅπαντα φθέγγονται, οὐδὲν τῶν λεγομένων ἐπισταμένης τῆς διανοίας αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οἷον αὐλοῦ τινος ἀψύχου φθεγγομένου. Τοῦτο καί τις τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς φιλοσόφων ἔφη, οὕτως εἰπών· Ὥσπερ οἱ χρησμῳδοὶ καὶ οἱ θεομάντεις λέγουσι μὲν πολλὰ, ἴσασι δὲ μηδὲν ὧν λέγουσιν. Ἀλλ' οὐ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὕτω ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ καρδίαν ἀφίησιν εἰδέναι τὰ λεγόμενα. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ᾔδει, πῶς ἔλεγεν, Λόγον ἀγαθόν; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ δαίμων, καθάπερ ἐχθρὸς καὶ πολέμιος, πολεμεῖ τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ· τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, καθάπερ κηδόμενον καὶ εὐεργετοῦν, κοινωνεῖν τῆς γνώμης τοὺς δεχομένους ποιεῖ, καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἐκείνων διανοίας ἀποκαλύπτει τὰ λεγόμενα. Λέγω ἐγὼ τὰ ἔργα μου τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ἄλλος, Τὰ ποιήματά μου. Ἔργα ποῖά φησι; Τὴν προφητείαν. Καθάπερ γὰρ τοῦ χαλκέως ἔργον, τὸ σκέπαρνον ἐργάσασθαι, καὶ τοῦ οἰκοδόμου τὸ οἰκίαν ποιῆσαι, καὶ τοῦ ναυπηγοῦ τὸ ναῦν συγκολλῆσαι· οὕτω καὶ τοῦ προφήτου τὸ προφητείαν ὑφᾶναι. Ὅτι γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἔργον ἐστὶν, ἄκουσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος περὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων· Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ Παῦλος· Μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔργον ἦν, πῶς κόπον εἶχε; Τί γὰρ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου τιμιώτερον; τί δὲ χρησιμώτερον; Πασῶν τῶν τεχνῶν ἐστιν ἀνώτερον. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ ἔργον, ὃ λέγει τῷ βασιλεῖ; Τὸν ὕμνον τοῦτον, τὴν προφητείαν ταύτην. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε ποίῳ βασιλεῖ, δηλῶν ὅτι τῷ Θεῷ τῶν ὅλων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅταν λέγωμεν τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα, οὐχ ἁπλῶς βασιλέα καλοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν τῶν Περσῶν προστίθεμεν, καὶ τὸν τῶν Ἀρμενίων ὁμοίως· ὅταν δὲ τὸν ἡμέτερον λέγωμεν, οὐ δεόμεθα προσθήκης, ἀλλ' ἀρκούμεθα τῷ εἰπεῖν βασιλέα· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Προφήτης, ἐπειδὴ περὶ τοῦ ὄντως βασιλέως ἔλεγεν, ἀρκεῖται τῷ εἰπεῖν, Βασιλεῖ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ παντοκράτορα εἰπόντες, οὐ δεόμεθα προσθήκης, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἕτερον παντοκράτορα· οὕτω βασιλέα λέγοντες, οὐ δεόμεθα ἑτέρας προσθήκης, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἕτερον βασιλέα Θεόν. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ὁ λέγων, βασιλεὺς ἦν. Ὅθεν δῆλον ὅτι οὐ περὶ ἀνθρώπου ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπε, Βασιλεῖ, ἀλλὰ, Τῷ βασιλεῖ, τῇ προσθήκῃ τοῦ ἄρθρου τὴν κυριότητα παριστάς. βʹ. Εἶτα πάλιν δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνης ἦν ἐννοίας τὰ λεγόμενα, καὶ μελέτης καὶ συνθήκης, ἀλλὰ θείας χάριτος καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν μόνην αὐτὸς ἐδάνεισεν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἡ γλῶσσά μου κάλαμος γραμματέως ὀξυγράφου. Ὁ δὲ κάλαμος ταῦτα γράφει, ἅπερ ἂν ἡ κατέχουσα αὐτὸν κελεύῃ χείρ. Ἕτερος δέ φησιν· Ἡ γλῶσσά μου ὡς γραφεῖον γραφέως ταχινοῦ. Τί βούλεται τὸ, Ταχινοῦ; Ἵνα κἀντεῦθεν τὴν χάριν δείξῃ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ οἴκοθεν φθεγγόμενος, μέλλει καὶ βραδύνει μελετῶν, συντιθεὶς, ἐμποδιζόμενος καὶ ἀγνοίᾳ καὶ ἀμαθίᾳ καὶ μελλήσει, καὶ πολλά ἐστι τὰ λυμαινόμενα τῷ τάχει τοῦ λόγου· ὅταν δὲ Πνεῦμα κινῇ τὴν διάνοιαν, οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὕδατος 55.185 ῥύμη πολλῷ τῷ ῥοίζῳ φερομένη προέρχεται, οὕτω καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ταχύτητος πρόεισι, πάντα λεῖα, πάντα εὐμαρῆ προφέρουσα. Εἶτα πάλιν αὐτὸ τοῦτο διακαθαίρων, καὶ δεικνὺς οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον ὃν τῶν λεγομένων, ἐπήγαγεν Ὡραῖος κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων Τινὲς μὲν οὖν περὶ τῆς γλώττης εἰρῆσθαι τοῦτο λέγουσιν, ὅτι κάλαμος ὡραῖος κάλλει· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ λοιπὸν περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγειν αὐτόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἕτερός φησιν ἑρμηνευτής· Κάλλει ἐκαλλωπίσθης ἀπὸ υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων. Εἰς γὰρ αὐτὸν τρέπει τὸν λόγον ὑπὸ πολλῆς θερμότητος, καὶ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν διαθέσεως, ὡς καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἔλεγεν· Ἐκ βλαστοῦ, υἱέ μου, ἀνέβης· ἀναπεσὼν ἐκοιμήθης ὡς λέων. Ἔνθους γὰρ γενόμενος, αὐτῷ λοιπὸν διαλέγεται, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀποτείνει τὸν λόγον.