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humbled and ashamed." We beseech not to fail in our prayer, nor to be sent away with shame. "The poor and needy shall praise your name." And those who ask for your help, and having received it, are accustomed to offer the hymn to you. κβʹ. "Arise, O God, judge your own cause. Remember your reproach, from the foolish all the day long." And very fittingly he changed the pronoun; he did not say my cause, but your cause. For I, he says, justly endured these things; but they dared many blasphemies against you [those who crucified, and those who after the cross and baptism rejected it]. κγʹ. "Forget not the voice of your supplicants; the pride of those who hate you has ascended continually." And here, in their own person, they have joined the arrogance of the enemies, asking to be deemed worthy of some forbearance, not for their own sakes, but for theirs.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 74TH PSALM. αʹ. "For the end, do not destroy; for Asaph 80.1468 a psalm of a song." But

Symmachus, A song of victory concerning incorruption, a psalm for Asaph. Since the psalm contains a prediction of the just judgment of God, and foretells both the destruction of the workers of iniquity, and the good rewards of the lovers of virtue; rightly through the inscription the word exhorts not to corrupt pious thoughts, but to keep them sound, and to inherit incorruption. However, this psalm is also spoken from the person of the captives in Babylon, promising to praise God, if they might enjoy the divine grace. βʹ. "We will give thanks to you, O God, we will give thanks to you, and we will call upon your name." And from this it is clear that they go through these things not yet having obtained their return. They promise to hymn God, and to be made glorious by his revered name. For, We will call upon your name, means this, that We will again be addressed by your name, and we will be called your people. "I will declare all your wonderful works. [γʹ] When I shall take a convenient time." But Aquila and Symmachus thus: When I shall receive the Synagogue. When, he says, we return, and are gathered together in your holy temple, then we will both praise you lawfully, and we will teach those who are ignorant of your benefits; for that season will permit us to do this. For now we cry out: How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? Thus the prophetic word, having taught what the captives in Babylon ought to say [and having instructed those who return through repentance to the Savior of all], shows God responding to the promises that had been made, and saying: "I will judge uprightness." Justly, he says, will I judge for you and the Babylonians. δʹ. "The earth is melted, and all who dwell in it." For I am judge of the whole world, and I will bring worthy punishments upon all. "I have established its pillars." And I am in control of all things, as being the creator of all things. For I both made and established the earth, resting it on my boundaries as on certain pillars. 80.1469 For I set a command, and it shall not pass. For this reason, being a judge, I do not wish to punish, but I foretell the punishments, that by the threat I may make the transgressors more temperate; and I exhort, and I advise, to abhor every form of lawlessness, but to care for justice and a moderate disposition; for he taught these things through what follows. εʹ. "I said to the transgressors, Do not transgress; and to the sinners, Do not lift up the horn." For this is the most grievous of all afflictions, not only to sin, but also to boast in it. ʹ. "Do not lift up your horn on high." Then he shows what kind of height he means. "And do not speak injustice against God." For horned animals also boast exceedingly in their horns. But the word exhorts them not to increase lawlessness with arrogance, nor to move their tongue against God. ζʹ, ηʹ. "Because neither from the east, nor from the west,

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τεταπεινωμένος κατ ησχυμμένος." Ἱκετεύομεν μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς δεήσεως, μηδὲ μετ' αἰσχύνης ἀποπεμφθῆναι. "Πτωχὸς καὶ πένης αἰνέσουσι τὸ ὄνομά σου." Οἱ δὲ τῆς σῆς δεόμενοι βοηθείας, καὶ ταύτης τυχόν τες, προσφέρειν σοι τὸν ὕμνον εἰώθασιν. κβʹ. "Ἀνάστα, ὁ Θεὸς, δίκασον τὴν δίκην σου. Μνήσθητι τοῦ ὀνειδισμοῦ σου, τοῦ ὑπὸ ἄφρονος ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν." Σφόδρα δὲ ἁρμοδίως τὴν ἀντ ωνυμίαν ἐνήλλαξεν· οὐκ εἶπε τὴν δίκην μου, ἀλλὰ τὴν δίκην σου. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐνδίκως ὑπέμεινα ταῦτα· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ πολλὰς ἐτόλμησαν κατὰ σοῦ βλασφημίας [οἱ μὲν σταυρώσαντες, οἱ δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἀθετήσαντες]. κγʹ. "Μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ τῆς φωνῆς τῶν ἱκετῶν σου· ἡ ὑπερηφανία τῶν μισούντων σε ἀνέβη διὰ παντός." Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῷ ἑαυτῶν προσώπῳ τὴν τῶν πολε μίων ἀλαζονείαν συνέζευξαν, οὐ δι' ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλὰ δι' ἐκείνους, φειδοῦς τινος ἀξιωθῆναι παρακα λοῦντες.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Ο∆ʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, μὴ διαφθείρῃς· τῷ Ἀσὰφ 80.1468 ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς." Ὁ δὲ

Σύμμαχος, Ἐπινίκιος περὶ ἀφθαρσίας ψαλμὸς τῷ Ἀσάφ. Ἐπειδὴ πρόῤῥησιν ὁ ψαλμὸς ἔχει τῆς δικαίας τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσεως. καὶ προαγορεύει καὶ τῶν ἐργατῶν τῆς πονηρίας τὸν ὄλεθρον, καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐραστῶν τὰς ἀγαθὰς ἀντιδόσεις· εἰκότως διὰ τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς ὁ λόγος παρακελεύεται, μὴ διαφθεῖραι τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς λογι σμοὺς, ἀλλ' ὑγιεῖς αὐτοὺς φυλάξαι, καὶ τὴν ἀφθαρ σίαν κληρονομῆσαι. Εἴρηται μέντοι καὶ οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς ἐκ προσώπου τῶν ἐν Βαβυλῶνι δορυαλώτων, ὑμνεῖν τὸν Θεὸν ὑπισχνουμένων, ἐὰν τῆς θείας χάριτος ἀπολαύσωσιν. βʹ. "Ἐξομολογησόμεθά σοι, ὁ Θεὸς, ἐξομολογησό μεθά σοι, καὶ ἐπικαλεσόμεθα τὸ ὄνομά σου." Καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον, ὡς οὐδέπω τῆς ἐπανόδου τετυ χηκότες ταῦτα διεξίασιν. Ὑπισχνοῦνται δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ὑμνεῖν, καὶ τῷ σεβασμίῳ αὐτοῦ ὀνόματι λαμπρυν θήσεσθαι. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἐπικαλεσόμεθα τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῦτο δηλοῖ, ὅτι Πάλιν τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι προσαγορευ θησόμεθα, καὶ λαὸς χρηματίσομεν σός. "∆ιηγήσομαι πάντα τὰ θαυμάσιά σου. [γʹ] Ὅτ' ἂν λάβω καιρόν." Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Ὅτ' ἂν λάβω τὴν Συναγωγήν. Ὅτ' ἂν, φησὶν, ἐπανέλθωμεν, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἱερόν σου συναθροισθῶμεν νεὼν, τότε σὲ καὶ ἐννόμως ὑμνή σομεν, καὶ τὰς σὰς εὐεργεσίας τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας διδάξομεν· ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ καιρὸς τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐπιτρέψει. Νῦν γὰρ βοῶμεν· Πῶς ᾄσομεν τὴν ᾠδὴν Κυρίου ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας; Οὕτως ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος, ἃ ἐχρῆν εἰπεῖν τοὺς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι δορυαλώ τους διδάξας [καὶ τοὺς διὰ μετανοίας ἐπιστρέ φοντας πρὸς τὸν Σωτῆρα τοῦ παντὸς παιδαγωγήσας], ὑποδείκνυσι τὸν Θεὸν πρὸς τὰς γεγενημένας ἐπαγ γελίας ἀποκρινόμενον, καὶ λέγοντα· "Ἐγὼ εὐθύ τητας κρινῶ." Ἐνδίκως, φησὶν, ὑμῖν καὶ Βαβυλω νίοις δικάσω. δʹ. "Ἐτάκη ἡ γῆ, καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ." Πάσης γάρ εἰμι τῆς οἰκουμένης κριτὴς, καὶ ἅπασι τὰς ἀξίας ἐποίσω τιμωρίας. "Ἐγὼ ἐστερέωσα τοὺς στύλους αὐτῆς." Ἐγκρατὴς δὲ πάντων εἰμὶ, ὡς ἁπάντων ὑπάρχων δημιουργός. Ἐγὼ γὰρ τὴν γῆν πεποίηκά τε καὶ ἥδρασα, οἷον στύλοις τισὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς αὐτὴν ὅροις ἐρείδων. 80.1469 Πρόσταγμα γὰρ ἐθέμην, καὶ οὐ παρελεύσεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ δικαστὴς ὢν, κολάζειν μὲν οὐ βούλομαι, ἀλλὰ προλέγω τὰς τιμωρίας, ἵνα τῇ ἀπειλῇ σωφρο νεστέρους τοὺς πλημμελοῦντας ἐργάσωμαι· καὶ παραινῶ, καὶ συμβουλεύω, πᾶν μὲν εἶδος ἀνομίας μυσάττεσθαι, ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δὲ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τοῦ μετρίου φρονήματος· ταῦτα γὰρ διὰ τῶν ἐπαγο μένων ἐδίδαξεν. εʹ. "Εἶπον τοῖς παρανομοῦσι, Μὴ παρανομεῖτε· καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι, Μὴ ὑψοῦτε κέρας." Τοῦτο γὰρ πάντων χαλεπώτατον πάθος, τὸ μὴ μόνον ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γαυριᾷν ἐπὶ τούτῳ. ʹ. "Μὴ ἐπαίρετε εἰς ὕψος τὸ κέρας ὑμῶν." Εἶτα δείκνυσι ποῖον ὕψος καλεῖ. "Καὶ μὴ λα λεῖτε κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀδικίαν." Καὶ γὰρ τὰ κερασ φόρα ζῶα σφόδρα ἐπὶ τοῖς κέρασι γαυριᾷ. Παρεγ γυᾷ δὲ αὐτοῖς ὁ λόγος, μὴ αὔξειν τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ τὴν ἀνομίαν, μηδὲ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν γλῶτταν κινεῖν. ζʹ, ηʹ. "Ὅτι οὔτε ἐξ ἐξόδων, οὔτε ἀπὸ δυσμῶν,