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the virtue of David's gentleness and long-suffering, of one perfectly humble, lowly of mind and blameless; then, as if for eternal memory, he sets up humility as a worthy inscription on a pillar. For this virtue also Moses was testified of, and our Savior and Lord also exhorted us to this, saying: Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. But since such a virtue needed perseverance and to be guarded for the longest time (for he who endures to the end, he will be saved), for this reason it is inscribed, "To the end, do not destroy." For many, having begun well, did not last until the end. But the Holy Spirit, approving of David's flight and his sojourn in the deserts, and his most patient dwelling in caves, says to him, "To the end, do not destroy," but remain as such throughout, so that you may obtain an inscription and eternal memory. But he, on these things, not being puffed up like the Cynics who pursue the wisdom of this age, nor being proud and swaggering at the endurance of his life, nor being conceited that he had gained more 23.508 imitators and disciples of his own way of life gathered with him; nor trusting as in bodyguards and allies; but showing in deed the gentle and humble man, perfect and truly humble-minded and blameless, he cried out to God, saying: Have mercy on me, O God, for in you my soul has trusted, and in the shadow of your wings I will hope. For I know that your wings and your protection are set apart for perfect souls; but I, being small and humble, will hope not in your wings, but in the shadow of your wings, until iniquity passes by; or, according to Aquila, until the plot passes by; but according to Symmachus, until the slanderer passes by. And when iniquity has passed by, and the plot against me, and the one named slanderer, no longer in the shadow, but in your very wings, as one who has advanced and been freed from every lawless deed and sin, I will hope. I will cry to God Most High, to God who has done good to me. He sent from heaven and saved me; he gave to reproach those who trample me down. Diapsalma. The righteous are accustomed to send cries and shouts to God, not with a loud voice, but with the surpassing power of the soul. Wherefore also, being silent, they often cried out with the spirit; for the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered, according to the Apostle. Thus, therefore, David also cried out to God. Then, as if having often had experience of his Savior, he gratefully adds, saying, "to God who has done good to me." And by saying, "He sent from heaven and saved me," he indicates that a certain Savior was sent from God. Who this is he did not now present, but he teaches in another place, where he says: He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Therefore, it was the Word of God who was also sent of old, and became the Savior of those worthy of his salvation, whom David, knowing accurately, also said: "He sent from heaven and saved me." Therefore, the Most High saved the one worthy of salvation through the Savior; but he himself, judging righteously, gave over to reproach those who rose up against and trampled on the righteous man, would that he also made them better, by reproaching them and turning them to himself. God sent his mercy and his truth, and rescued my soul from the midst of lion cubs, and so on. He has rendered the meaning lacking above through the present words. For when it was asked whom he sent from heaven and saved David, he presented it here, saying: "God sent his mercy and his truth." And what could the mercy and truth being sent forth be, other than the Word of God, about whom it was said, "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions"? But he himself is likewise also said to be light sent forth in the

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πραότητος καὶ ἀνεξικακίας τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἀρετὴν, ταπεινοῦ τελείου, ταπεινόφρονος καὶ ἀμώμου· εἶθ' ὥσπερ αἰωνίου μνήμης τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἀξίαν ἀνατίθησι στηλογραφία. Ἐπὶ ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐμαρτυρεῖτο, καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δὲ καὶ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐπὶ ταύτην παρεκάλει λέγων· Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐδεῖτο παραμονῆς καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ μήκιστον φυλακῆς ἡ τοιαύτη ἀρετὴ (ὁ γὰρ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται·) διὰ τοῦτο ἐπιγέγραπται, Εἰς τὸ τέλος, μὴ διαφθείρῃς. Πολλοὶ γὰρ, καλῶς ἀρξάμενοι, οὐ διήρκεσαν εἰς τέλος. Ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τοῦ ∆αυῒδ τὴν φυγὴν καὶ τὴν ἐν ἐρημίαις διατριβὴν, τήν τε ἐν σπηλαίοις καρτερικωτάτην οἴκησιν ἀποδεχόμενον, φησὶν αὐτῷ, Εἰς τὸ τέλος, μὴ διαφθείρῃς, μένε δὲ δι' ὅλου τοιοῦτος, ὡς ἂν τύχοις στηλογραφίας καὶ μνήμης αἰωνίου. Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις, οὐ κατὰ Κυνικοὺς τῶν τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου μετερχομένων τυφούμενος, οὐδὲ μέγα φρονῶν καὶ βρενθυόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ βίου καρτερίᾳ, οὐδ' ὅτι πλείους 23.508 τοὺς παρ' αὐτῷ συνηγμένους μιμητὰς καὶ μαθητὰς τοῦ οἰκείου τρόπου ἐκέκτητο χαυνούμενος· οὐδὲ ὡς ἐπὶ δορυφόροις καὶ συμμάχοις θαρσῶν· τὸν δὲ πρᾶον καὶ ταπεινὸν, τέλεόν τε καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ταπεινόφρονα καὶ ἄμωμον ἔργῳ παριστὰς, ἐβόα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν λέγων· Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ πέποιθεν ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ τῶν πτερύγων σου ἐλπιῶ. Οἶδα μὲν γὰρ τὰς σὰς πτέρυγας καὶ τὴν σὴν σκέπην τελείαις ψυχαῖς ἀφωρισμένας· ἐγὼ δὲ, μικρὸς ὢν καὶ ταπεινὸς, οὐκ ἐπὶ ταῖς σαῖς πτέρυξιν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῇ σκιᾷ τῶν πτερύγων σου ἐλπιῶ, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ἡ ἀνομία· ἢ, κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ἡ ἐπιβουλή· κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ἐπηρεαστής. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ παρέλθῃ ἡ ἀνομία, καὶ ἡ κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐπιβουλὴ, καὶ ὁ ὠνομασμένος ἐπηρεαστὴς, οὐκέτι ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς σαῖς πτέρυξιν, ὡς ἂν προκόψας καὶ ἠλευθερωμένος πάσης ἀνόμου πράξεώς τε καὶ ἁμαρτίας, ἐλπιῶ. Κεκράξομαι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ὕψιστον, τὸν Θεὸν τὸν εὐεργετήσαντά με. Ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἔσωσέ με, ἔδωκεν εἰς ὄνειδος τοὺς καταπατοῦντάς με. ∆ιάψαλμα. Κραυγὰς καὶ βοὰς εἰώθασιν οἱ δίκαιοι τῷ Θεῷ πέμπειν, οὐ γεγωνῷ τῇ φωνῇ, δυνάμει δὲ ψυχῆς ὑπερβαλλούσῃ. ∆ιὸ καὶ σιωπῶντες πολλάκις τῷ πνεύματι ἐβόων· αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ Πνεῦμα στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις ὑπερεντυγχάνει τῷ Θεῷ, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐκεκράγει πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Εἶθ' ὡσανεὶ πολλάκις πεῖραν εἰληφὼς τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ Σωτῆρος, εὐγνωμόνως ἐπάγει λέγων, τὸν Θεὸν τὸν εὐεργετήσαντά με. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἔσωσέ με, ἐμφαίνει ἀπεστάλθαι τινὰ Σωτῆρα ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίνα δὲ τοῦτον νῦν μὲν οὐ παρέστησεν, ἐν ἑτέρῳ δὲ διδάσκει, ἔνθα φησίν· Ἀπέστειλε τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν διαφθορῶν αὐτῶν. Οὐκοῦν λόγος ἦν Θεοῦ, ὁ καὶ πάλαι ἀποστελλόμενος, καὶ τῶν ἀξίων τῆς αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας Σωτὴρ γιγνόμενος, ὃν καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἀκριβῶς εἰδὼς ἔλεγεν· Ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἔσωσέ με. Τὸν μὲν οὖν σωτηρίας ἄξιον ἔσωζε διὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ Ὕψιστος· ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς, δίκαια κρίνων, τοὺς ἐπανισταμένους καὶ καταπατοῦντας τὸν δίκαιον ἐδίδου εἰς ὄνειδος, ὤφελον καὶ βελτίους ἀπεργαζόμενος, διὰ τοῦ ὀνειδίζειν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν εἰς ἑαυτόν. Ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐῤῥύσατο τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ μέσου σκύμνων, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὴν ἀνωτέρω λείπουσαν διάνοιαν διὰ τῶν προκειμένων ἀποδέδωκε. Ζητουμένου γὰρ τίνα ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔσωσε τὸν ∆αυῒδ, παρέστησεν ἐνταῦθα εἰπών· Ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ. Ἔλεος δὲ καὶ ἀλήθεια ἐξαποστελλομένη τίς ἂν εἴη ἢ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος, περὶ οὗ ἐλέγετο, Ἐξαπέστειλε τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν διαφθορῶν αὐτῶν; Ὁ δ' αὐτὸς ὁμοίως καὶ φῶς ἀποστελλόμενον εἴρηται ἐν τῷ