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32. "Ambassadors shall come out of Egypt." He mentioned Egypt first, as impiety had long held sway there. The history of the Acts also mentions them, narrating those who were gathered on the day of Pentecost, on which the grace of the most holy Spirit came upon the apostles. "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God." This too has reached its end. And the witness is the eunuch of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, whom Philip guided to the truth. Then he calls the kingdoms of the whole world. 33. "The kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord." All, he says, throughout the world, receive the light of the knowledge of God; and offer up a hymn for piety. 34. "To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens, toward the east." For the Lord Christ ascended not only to the visible heaven, but also to the one above, and sat down at the right hand of the majesty, in a high upper room of his own rising, sending down his rays to all men. "Behold, he will give to his voice a voice of power." And by these things he signifies the coming of the most holy Spirit that happened after the ascension of our Savior. For the Lord also called this power. "For stay, he says, in this city, until you are clothed with power from on high." And of this voice the blessed Luke also makes mention, saying: "And there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting." 35. "Give glory to God." This seems like the legislation of the Apostle. "For glorify, he says, God in your body, and in your spirit, which are his." For it is right for those who enjoy so many things to glorify the benefactor through all things. "His magnificence is over Israel; and his power is in the clouds." For the holy apostles, descending in lineage from Israel, demonstrated the mighty work of God through the miracles they performed; and those after them who received the gift of teaching, like some clouds drawing up rain from the sea of the most holy Spirit, bring irrigation to men. 30. "God is wonderful in his saints." And all others, he says, lovers of virtue, prepare for God to be praised, according to the voice of the Lord that says: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." -"The God of Israel himself will give power and strength to his people." He did not simply mention Israel here; but because Jacob, having feared Esau, then being deemed worthy of the divine appearance, was strengthened, and cast out the fear from his mind. But the word teaches us, that he who declared that one strong, and showed him superior to his enemies, will himself strengthen his new people, and will make them invincible and unconquered. "Blessed be God." [But hearing, most studious one, God and God often mentioned and Lord and Savior, do not suppose another. For there is not, there is not, except the Father alone and the Son and the Holy Spirit; but not in a trinity of gods, away with it; as has often been said by us. For the name God and Lord and King and Creator and Almighty, and all such, is taken for the undivided Trinity.] The end is fitting for the psalm. For it was necessary for the narration of so many good things to be concluded with a divine hymn.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 68TH PSALM. 1. "For the end, for those who shall be changed; a psalm for David."

The psalm signifies a change of certain things. For it is spoken with reference to the Jews who migrated to Babylon; and it is formed as if from them praying and asking for deliverance. Nevertheless, it also prophesies the of slavery

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λβʹ. "Ἥξουσι πρέσβεις ἐξ Αἰγύπτου." Τῆς Αἰγύπτου δὲ προτέρας ἐμνημόνευσεν, ὡς τῆς ἀσε βείας ἀναδησαμένης πάλαι τὸ κράτος. Μέμνηται δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ τῶν Πράξεων ἱστορία, διηγουμένη τοὺς συνειλεγμένους κατὰ τὴν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος τοῖς ἀπο στόλοις ἐπεφοίτησεν ἡ χάρις. "Αἰθιοπία προ φθάσει χεῖρα αὐτῆς τῷ Θεῷ." Τέλους καὶ τοῦτο τετύχηκε. Καὶ μάρτυς ὁ εὐνοῦχος Κανδάκης τῆς βασιλίσσης τῶν Αἰθιόπων, ὃν ὁ Φίλιππος πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐποδήγησεν. Εἶτα πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰς βασιλείας καλεῖ. λγʹ. "Αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς γῆς, ᾄσατε τῷ Θεῷ· ψάλατε τῷ Κυρίῳ." Ἅπαντες, φησὶν, οἱ κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην, δέξασθε τῆς θεογνωσίας τὸ φῶς· καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας προσενέγκατε ὑμν ωδίαν. λδʹ. "Τῷ ἐπιβεβηκότι ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐ ρανοῦ κατὰ ἀνατολάς." Ὁ γὰρ ∆εσπότης Χρι στὸς οὐ μόνον εἰς τὸν ὁρώμενον οὐρανὸν ἀνελή λυθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸν ὑπέρτερον, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης, ἐν ὑψηλῷ ὑπερῴῳ τῆς οἰκείας ἀνατολῆς, τὰς ἀκτῖνας πᾶσι καταπέμπων ἀνθρώποις." Ἰδοὺ δώσει τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ φωνὴν δυνάμεως." Σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων, τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάληψιν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν γενομένην τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἐπιφοίτησιν. ∆ύναμιν γὰρ ταύτην καὶ ὁ Κύριος προσηγόρευσε. "Μείνατε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, ἕως ἂν ἐνδύσησθε δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους." Ταύτης δὲ τῆς φωνῆς καὶ ὁ μακάριος μέμνηται Λουκᾶς λέγων· "Ἐγένετο δὲ φωνὴ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας, καὶ ἐπλήρωσε τὸν οἶκον, οὗ ἦσαν καθήμενοι." λεʹ. "∆ότε δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ." Ἔοικε τοῦτο τῇ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου νομοθεσίᾳ. "∆οξάσατε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι ὑμῶν, ἅτινά ἐστιν αὐτοῦ." Τοὺς γὰρ τοσούτων ἀπολαύοντας δίκαιον διὰ πάντων τὸν εὐεργέτην δοξάζειν. "Ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς νεφέλαις." Ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ γὰρ τὸ γένος κατάγοντες οἱ ἱεροὶ ἀπόστολοι, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλουργίαν δι' ὧν εἰργάζοντο θαυ μάτων ὑπέδειξαν· καὶ οἱ μετ' ἐκείνους δὲ τὸ δι 80.1400 δασκαλικὸν δεξάμενοι χάρισμα, καθάπερ τινὲς νεφέ λαι ἐκ τῆς τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος θαλάττης τὸν ὑετὸν ἀνιμώμεναι, τὴν ἀρδείαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσ φέρουσι. λʹ. "Θαυμαστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὑ τοῦ." Καὶ ἄλλοι δὲ, φησὶν, ἅπαντες τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐρασταὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὑμνεῖσθαι παρασκευάζουσι, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνὴν τὴν λέγουσαν· "Λαμ ψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν, τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς." -"Ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ αὐτὸς δώσει δύναμιν καὶ κραταίωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὑτοῦ." Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐμνημόνευσεν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ δείσας ὁ Ἰακὼβ τὸν Ἠσαῦ, εἶτα τῆς θείας ἐπιφανείας ἀξιωθεὶς, ἀνεῤ ῥώσθη, καὶ τὸ δέος τῆς διανοίας ἐξέβαλε. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ ἡμᾶς ὁ λόγος, ὅτι ὁ ἐκεῖνον ἰσχυρὸν ἀποφήνας, καὶ κρείττονα δείξας τῶν δυσμενῶν, αὐτὸς τὸν νέον αὑτοῦ κραταιώσει λαὸν, καὶ ἄμαχον ἐργάσεται καὶ ἀήττητον. "Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεός." [Ἀλλ' ἀκούων, φιλομαθέστατε, Θεὸν καὶ Θεὸν πολλάκις εἰρημένον καὶ Κύριον καὶ Σωτῆρα, μὴ ἄλλον ὑπολάβῃς. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν εἰ μὴ μόνος Πατὴρ καὶ Υἱὸς καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα· ἀλλ' οὐ τριθεΐᾳ, ἄπαγε· ὡς πολλάκις ἡμῖν εἴρηται. Τὸ γὰρ Θεὸς ὄνομα καὶ τὸ Κύριος καὶ τὸ Βασιλεὺς καὶ τὸ ∆ημιουργὸς καὶ τὸ Παντοκράτωρ, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἐπὶ τῆς ἀδιαιρέτου λαμβάνεται Τριάδος.] Ἁρμόδιον τῷ ψαλμῷ τὸ τέ λος. Ἔδει γὰρ τῶν τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν τὴν διήγησιν ὕμνῳ θείῳ συμπερανθῆναι.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΞΗʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων· ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ."

Ἀλλοίωσίν τινων πραγμάτων ὁ ψαλμὸς προσημαίνει. Εἴρηται μὲν γὰρ εἰς τοὺς εἰς Βαβυλῶνα μετανάστας Ἰουδαίους· καὶ ὡς ἐξ ἐκείνων προσευχομένων, καὶ τὴν ἀπαλλα γὴν αἰτούντων, ἐσχημάτισται. Προθεσπίζει δὲ ὅμως καὶ τὴν τῆς δουλείας