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of the constrained Israelites, and the discords of their thoughts, and the pains that arise from them. And it teaches what sort of prayer it is fitting for them to offer to God, asking for deliverance from evils. And he fashioned the psalm as if they were recounting these very things after the return, and hymning God. 80.1477 2. "With my voice I cried out to the Lord, with my voice to God, and he gave heed to me." Earnestly, he says, I offered the prayer, and quickly I received the request. Then he teaches the time of these things. 3. "In the day of my affliction I sought out God." For being struck with pains I diligently sought out divine assistance; for "I sought out" signifies an earnest prayer. Then he shows the manner of the supplication. "With my hands by night before him, and I was not deceived." But Symmachus puts it thus: My hand is stretched out by night continually. At night, keeping silence, I stretched out my hands, beseeching to receive philanthropy, and I did not fail in my hope. For this is what "I was not deceived" means, instead of, I did not keep vigil in vain, but I reaped the fruit of my prayer. "My soul refused to be comforted. [4.] I remembered God, and I was gladdened." I shook off every occasion of consolation, but I had as my only comfort the remembrance of God. "I meditated, and my spirit grew faint." But Symmachus puts it thus: I spoke to myself, and I fainted. Continually conversing with myself, and considering the evils that encompassed me, I despaired of deliverance from them, and I received the bitter stings of despondency. 5. "My eyes anticipated the watches." He calls the divisions of the night "watches," during which the guards hand over the watch to one another; and by these he indicates a vigil through the whole night. "I was troubled, and I did not speak." These same things are also in the 41st psalm: "My soul was troubled within me." For I could not bear to reveal my thoughts to others. 6, 7. "I considered the days of old; and the eternal years I remembered. And I meditated." I renewed my memory, he says, of your former good deeds, and I recalled how many benefactions our forefathers received from you; how they were freed from the slavery of the Egyptians, how they crossed the Red Sea, how they received the land promised to their fathers. "By night I meditated with my heart, and my spirit searched diligently." As for "searched diligently," Theodotion has "investigated," and Aquila has said "probed." And these things, he says, considering with myself at night, 80.1480 I investigated, why ever did he take such great providence for our forefathers, but overlooks us when we fare ill? And in addition to these things I also considered these: 8, 9. "Will the Lord cast off forever, and will he be favorable no more? Or will he cut off his mercy for the end?" Has he then completely despaired of our affairs, and declared us strangers to his own care? "He has finished his word from generation to generation." But Symmachus puts it thus: He has finished his saying concerning each generation. And I feared this also, he says, that knowing from the beginning the affairs of each generation, he brings forth the boundaries for each generation. 10. "Will God forget to be compassionate? Or will he shut up in his anger his compassions?" But again I encouraged myself, considering that the compassionate God will not endure to give over our affairs as to some forgetfulness, and like some wall, to restrain with his anger the fountains of mercy. 11. "And I said, Now I have begun, this is the changing of the right hand of the Most High." I, he says, became the cause to myself of such a change; I through sin brought forth the punishment; therefore I have the beginning of the evils. Now I began to be chastened by the right hand of the Most High, which instead of former good deeds, brings on the punishments of the left hand. For he called the punishment a changing of the right hand of God, since the right hand of the Most High is accustomed to bestow good things. But I was not satisfied with these thoughts. And I reminded myself also of the goodness of the

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ἠναγκασμένων Ἰσραη λιτῶν, καὶ τὰς τῶν λογισμῶν διχονοίας, καὶ τὰς ἐντεῦθεν φυομένας ὀδύνας. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ποίαν αὐτοὺς προσήκει τῷ Θεῷ προσενεγκεῖν προσευχὴν, τὴν τῶν κακῶν αἰτοῦντας ἀπαλλαγήν. Ἐσχημά τισε δὲ τὸν ψαλμὸν, ὡς μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον ταῦτα αὐτὰ διηγουμένων, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνούντων. 80.1477 βʹ. "Φωνῇ μου πρὸς Κύριον ἐκέκραξα, φωνῇ μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ προσέσχε μοι." Σπουδαίως, φησὶ, τὴν προσευχὴν προσενήνοχα, καὶ συντόμως τὴν αἴτησιν ἔλαβον. Εἶτα τὸν τούτων διδάσκει καιρόν. γʹ. "Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεώς μου τὸν Θεὸν ἐξεζήτησα." Ὀδύναις γὰρ βαλλόμενος ἐπιμελῶς τὴν θείαν ἐπι κουρίαν ἐξεζήτησα· τὸ γὰρ ἐξεζήτησα τὴν σπου δαίαν αἰνίττεται προσευχήν. Ἔπειτα δείκνυσι τῆς ἱκετείας τὸν τρόπον. "Ταῖς χερσί μου νυκτὸς ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἠπατήθην." Ὁ δὲ Σύμ μαχος οὕτως· Ἡ χείρ μου νυκτὸς ἐκτέταται διηνεκῶς. Νύκτωρ ἡσυχίαν ἄγων τὰς χεῖρας ἐξ έτεινον, τυχεῖν φιλανθρωπίας ἀντιβολῶν, καὶ οὐ δι ήμαρτον τῆς ἐλπίδος. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ, "Οὐκ ἠπατήθην," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Οὐ μάτην ἠγρύπνησα, ἀλλ' ἐδρεψάμην τῆς εὐχῆς τὸν καρπόν. "Ἀπηνήνατο παρακληθῆναι ἡ ψυχή μου. [δʹ.] Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ εὐφράνθην." Πᾶσαν μὲν ἀπεσεισάμην παραψυχῆς ἀφορμὴν, ψυχαγω γίαν δὲ μόνην εἶχον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν μνήμην. "Ἠδο λέσχησα, καὶ ὠλιγοψύχησε τὸ πνεῦμά μου." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· ∆ιελάλουν ἐμαυτῷ, καὶ ἐλει ποθύμουν. Συνεχῶς ἐμαυτῷ προσδιαλεγόμενος, καὶ τὰ συνέχοντά με κακὰ λογιζόμενος, ἀπηγόρευον τὴν τούτων ἀπαλλαγὴν, καὶ πικρὰς ἐδεχόμην τῆς ἀθυμίας τὰς ἀκίδας. εʹ. "Προκατελάβοντο φυλακὰς οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου." Φυλακὰς καλεῖ τὰς τῆς νυκτὸς διαιρέσεις, καθ' ἃς οἱ φύλακες ἀλλήλοις τὴν φυλακὴν ἐγχειρί ζουσι· δηλοῖ δὲ διὰ τούτων τὴν διὰ πάσης τῆς νυκτὸς ἀγρυπνίαν. "Ἐταράχθην, καὶ οὐκ ἐλάλησα." Ταῦτα οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ μαʹ ψαλμῷ· Πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη." Οὐ γὰρ ἠνεσχόμην ἄλλοις τοὺς ἐμοὺς λογισμοὺς ἐκφῆναι. ʹ, ζʹ. "∆ιελογισάμην ἡμέρας ἀρχαίας· καὶ ἔτη αἰώνια ἐμνήσθην. Καὶ ἐμελέτησα." Τῶν προτέ ρων σου, φησὶν, εὐεργεσιῶν ἀνενεούμην τὴν μνή μην, καὶ ἐνεθυμούμην, ὅσων παρὰ σοῦ τετυχήκα σιν εὐεργεσιῶν οἱ ἡμέτεροι πρόγονοι· ὅπως τῆς Αἰγυπτίων δουλείας ἠλευθερώθησαν, ὅπως τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν διέβησαν θάλασσαν, ὅπως τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην τοῖς πατράσιν ἀπέλαβον γῆν. "Νυκτὸς μετὰ τῆς καρδίας μου ἠδολέσχουν, καὶ ἔσκαλλε τὸ πνεῦμά μου." Τὸ δὲ ἔσκαλλεν, ὁ μὲν Θεοδοτίων, ἐξ ηρεύνησεν, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, ἐσκάλευσεν εἴρηκε. Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶ, νύκτωρ πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν διαλογιζό 80.1480 μενος, ἀνηρεύνων, τί δήποτε τῶν μὲν ἡμετέρων προγόνων τοσαύτην ἐποιήσατο πρόνοιαν, ἡμῶν δὲ κακοπραγούντων ὑπερορᾷ; Ἐλογιζόμην δὲ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ ταῦτα· ηʹ, θʹ. "Μὴ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀπώσεται Κύριος, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τοῦ εὐδοκῆσαι ἔτι; Ἢ εἰς τέλος τὸ ἔλεος αὑτοῦ ἀποκόψει;" Ἄρα μὴ παντελῶς τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀπηγόρευσε, καὶ ἀλλοτρίους ἡμᾶς τῆς οἰκείας κηδεμονίας ἀπέφηνε; "Συνετέλεσε ῥῆμα ἀπὸ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεάν." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Συνετέλεσε ῥῆσιν περὶ γενεᾶς ἑκάστης. Ἐδεδίειν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, φησὶν, ὅτι ἄνωθεν τὰ καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν προγινώσκων, τοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν ὅρους ἐκφέρει. ιʹ. "Μὴ ἐπιλήσεται τοῦ οἰκτειρῆσαι ὁ Θεός; ἢ συνέξει ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ αὑτοῦ τοὺς οἰκτιρμοὺς αὑ τοῦ;" Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἐμαυτὸν ἐψυχαγώγουν λογιζό μενος, ὡς ὁ φιλοικτίρμων Θεὸς οὐκ ἀνέξεται οἷόν τινι λήθῃ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς παραδοῦναι, καὶ καθάπερ τινὶ τειχίῳ τῇ ὀργῇ κωλῦσαι τὰς τοῦ ἐλέου πηγάς. ιαʹ. "Καὶ εἶπα, Νῦν ἠρξάμην, αὕτη ἡ ἀλλοίω σις τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ Ὑψίστου." Ἐγὼ, φησὶ, πρόξενος ἐγενόμην ἐμαυτῷ τῆς τοιαύτης μεταβολῆς· ἐγὼ διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐγέννησα· ἀρχὴν τοί νυν ἔχω τῶν κακῶν. Νῦν ἠρξάμην παιδεύεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ Ὑψίστου, ἀντὶ τῶν προτέρων εὐεργεσιῶν τὰς εὐωνύμους τιμωρίας ἐπιφερούσης. Ἀλλοίωσιν γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δεξιᾶς τὴν τιμω ρίαν ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ Ὑψίστου εἰωθυίας τὰ ἀγαθὰ χορηγεῖν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τούτοις ἠρκέσθην τοῖς λογισμοῖς. Ἀνέμνησα δὲ ἐμαυτὸν καὶ τῆς ἀγαθό τητος τοῦ