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of the Lord. For he says this: 12, 13. I remembered the works of the Lord, for I will remember your wonders from the beginning. And I will meditate on all your works, and I will speak of your deeds." For I will bring forward all the wonders you have done for us from the beginning, and by constantly meditating on them, I will not cast away better hopes. 14. "O God, your way is in the holy place." But Symmachus thus: O God, in holiness is your way; but Aquila, In the holy one. You are holy, he says, and you rest in the holy place, and in these you dwell and walk. "What god is great like our God? [15.] You are the God who alone does wonders." You surpass all, O Master; for you alone work the wonders you wish. 80.1481 "You have made known your power among the peoples. [16.] You redeemed your people with your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph." You have declared your might to all men, freeing from the slavery of the Egyptians the people that was called yours; who had Jacob as their forefather, and were made illustrious by their kinship with Joseph. 17, 18. "The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and were afraid, the abysses were troubled. A multitude of the sound of waters." Through all things, O Master, you have shown your power. You scourged the Egyptians, you freed your people, you appeared to the sea, and the deep was divided, and the flowing nature stood on either side. "The clouds gave a voice; for your arrows also pass through. [19.] The voice of your thunder was in the wheel." But Symmachus, The ether gave a sound. For, as the history says, when a violent south wind blew, the deep was divided; and as the air was stirred up and the clouds gathered, the wind is born. And your punishments, he says, went forth like arrows against the enemies; and with the crash of thunder you bound the wheels of the Egyptians' chariots. And this the history also teaches: "For it came to pass in the morning watch, that the Lord looked into the camp of the Egyptians, and bound the axles of their chariots, and drove them with violence." -"Your lightnings shone upon the world." For the light of your wondrous work ran like lightning through the whole world. "The earth was shaken and became fearful." All were filled with fear when they heard of your power. This also Rahab the harlot said to the spies: "Your fear and your dread has fallen upon us; for we have heard how the Lord your God divided the Red Sea from before you." 20. "Your way is in the sea, and your paths in many waters, and your footsteps will not be known." It is easy for you both to cut through the sea, and to be borne upon many waters, and to leave no trace; for you have an incorporeal nature. And he has added these things to the above. For leading the people invisibly, he says, you showed us no trace of your path. 21. "You led your people like sheep, by the hand of Moses and Aaron." For using them as ministers, and speaking through them, you led your people, and you taught your law. And they made mention of all these things, stirring up the God of all to mercy, and beseeching to enjoy the same care. 80.1484
INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 77. 1. "Of understanding, for Asaph." The God of all, having given the old law
to the sons of Israel, commanded that they should be continually instructed in it, and teach their children; and indeed also to show to their descendants the reasons for the feasts, so that learning of the divine benefactions, they might become grateful to him who had bestowed such things. "For you shall teach them," he says, "to your sons, and to your sons' sons, and they shall keep the commandments of the Lord God, that it may be well with them." This the prophetic grace has done, also through the present psalm; for it reminds the people, and their descendants, both of the things done by God, and of the
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∆εσπότου. Τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει· ιβʹ, ιγʹ. Ἐμνήσθην τῶν ἔργων Κυρίου, ὅτι μνη σθήσομαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν θαυμασίων σου. Καὶ μελετήσω ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις σου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐπι τηδεύμασί σου ἀδολεσχήσω." Πάντα γάρ σου τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς γεγενημένα θαυμάσια εἰς μέσον προθήσω, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς διηνεκῶς τὴν μελέτην ποιούμενος, τὰς χρηστοτέρας ἐλπίδας οὐκ ἀποῤ ῥίψω. ιδʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ ἡ ὁδός σου." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν ἁγιασμῷ ἡ ὁδός σου· ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, Ἐν ἡγιασμένῳ. Ἅγιος εἶ,φησὶ, καὶ ἐν ἁγίῳ ἀναπαύῃ, καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἐνοι κεῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατεῖς. "Τίς Θεὸς μέγας, ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν; [ιεʹ.] Σὺ εἰ, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ποιῶν θαυμάσια μόνος." Πάντων ὑπερ έχεις, ∆έσποτα· μόνος γὰρ ἅπερ ἐθέλεις θαυμα τουργεῖς. 80.1481 "Ἐγνώρισας ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς τὴν δύναμίν σου. [ιʹ.] Ἐλυτρώσω ἐν τῷ βραχίονί σου τὸν λαόν σου, τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰωσήφ." Ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις τὸ σὸνδεδήλωκας κράτος, τῆς Αἰγυπτίων ἐλευθερώσας δου λείας τὸν χρηματίσαντά σου λαόν· οἳ πρόγονον μὲν ἔσχον τὸν Ἰακὼβ, περιφανεῖς δὲ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπεφάνθησαν συγγενείας. ιζʹ, ιηʹ. "Εἴδοσάν σε ὕδατα ὁ Θεὸς, εἴδοσάν σε ὕδατα, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν, ἐταράχθησαν ἄβυσσοι. Πλῆ θος ἤχους ὑδάτων." ∆ιὰ πάντων, ∆έσποτα, τὴν σὴν ἔδειξας δύναμιν. Αἰγυπτίους ἐμαστίγωσας, τὸν σὸν λαὸν ἠλευθέρωσας, ἐπεφάνης τῇ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ διῃρέθη τὸ πέλαγος, καὶ ἡ ῥοώδης ἑκατέρωθεν ἔστη φύσις. "Φωνὴν ἔδωκαν αἱ νεφέλαι· καὶ γὰρ τὰ βέλη σου διαπορεύονται. [ιθʹ.] Φωνὴ τῆς βροντῆς σου ἐν τῷ τροχῷ." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Ἦχον ἔδωκεν αἰθήρ. Νότου γὰρ, ὡς φησὶν ἡ ἱστορία, βιαίου πνέοντος, διῃρέθη τὸ πέλαγος· τοῦ δὲ ἀέρος συστρεφομένου, καὶ τῶν νεφῶν συνισταμένων, ὁ ἄνεμος τίκτεται. Αἱ δὲ τιμωρίαι σου, φησὶ, δίκην βελῶν κατὰ τῶν πολε μίων ἐχώρουν· τῷ δὲ κτύπῳ τῆς βροντῆς τοὺς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἁρμάτων τροχοὺς συνεπόδισας. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει· "Ἐγενήθη γὰρ ἐν τῇ φυ λακῇ τῇ ἑωθινῇ, καὶ εἰσέβλεψε Κύριος εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων, καὶ συνέδησε τοὺς ἄξονας τῶν ἁρμάτων αὐτῶν, καὶ ἦγεν αὐτοὺς μετὰ βίας." -"Ἔφαναν αἱ ἀστραπαί σου τῇ οἰκου μένῃ." Τῆς γὰρ θαυματουργίας τὸ φῶς δίκην ἀστρα πῆς εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην διέδραμεν. "Ἐσα λεύθη καὶ ἔντρομος ἐγενήθη ἡ γῆ." ∆έους ἐπλή σθησαν ἅπαντες τὴν σὴν ἀκούσαντες δύναμιν. Τοῦτο καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη πρὸς τοὺς κατασκόπους ἔφη· "Ὁ φόβος ὑμῶν, καὶ ὁ τρόμος ὑμῶν, ἔπεσεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς· ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ, ὅπως καταδιεῖλε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν." κʹ. "Ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἡ ὁδός σου, καὶ αἱ τρίβοι σου ἐν ὕδασι πολλοῖς, καὶ τὰ ἴχνη σου οὐ γνωσθήσον ται." Ῥᾴδιόν σοι καὶ θάλασσαν διατεμεῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ ὑδάτων ἐποχεῖσθαι πολλῶν, καὶ μηδὲ ἴχνος καταλιμπάνειν· ἀσώματον γὰρ ἔχεις τὴν φύσιν. Ταῦτα δὲ τοῖς ἄνω προστέθεικεν. Ἀοράτως γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡγούμενος τοῦ λαοῦ, οὐδὲ ἴχνος ἡμῖν τῆς σῆς πορείας ἔδειξας. καʹ. "Ὡδήγησας ὡς πρόβατα τὸν λαόν σου, ἐν χειρὶ Μωσῆ καὶ Ἀαρών." Ἐκείνοις γὰρ χρώμενος ὑπουργοῖς, καὶ δι' ἐκείνων φθεγγόμενος, τὸν σὸν λαὸν ἐποδήγησας, καὶ τὸν σὸν ἐξεπαίδευσας νόμον. Τούτων δὲ ἁπάντων ἐποιήσαντο μνήμην, εἰς ἔλεον τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν διεγείροντες, καὶ παρακαλοῦντες τῆς αὐτῆς ἀπολαῦσαι κηδεμονίας. 80.1484
ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΟΖʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Συνέσεως τῷ Ἀσάφ." Τὸν παλαιὸν δεδω κὼς νόμον ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς
τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, προσέταξε τοῦτον διηνεκῶς ἐκπαιδεύεσθαι, καὶ τὰ τέκνα διδάσκειν· καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ τῶν ἑορτῶν τὰς αἰ τίας, τοῖς ἐκγόνοις ὑποδεικνύναι, ὡς ἂν τὰς θείας εὐεργεσίας μανθάνοντες, εὐγνώμονες γένοιντο περὶ τὸν τὰ τοιαῦτα κεχαρισμένον. "∆ιδάξεις γὰρ αὐτὰ, φησὶ, τοὺς υἱούς σου, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν υἱῶν σου, καὶ φυλάξουσι τὰς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα εὖ αὐτοῖς γένηται." Τοῦτο πεποίηκεν ἡ προφητικὴ χάρις, καὶ διὰ τοῦ προκειμένου ψαλμοῦ· ἀναμιμνή σκει γὰρ τὸν λαὸν, καὶ τοὺς τούτων ἐκγόνους, τῶν τε ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γεγενημένων, καὶ τῶν