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On the contrary, he who has the wisdom of God is most foolish, not absolutely but in relation to the prudence of men; For I am the most foolish of all men, and the prudence of men is not in me; but God has taught me wisdom. whence also, Let the one who is wise in this age become a fool, in relation to mortal wisdom. 911 Ps 91,8- 10 On the day of judgment, when all men are humbled from the pride they had in temporary things, the Lord alone is exalted, being revealed as king of all, having blamelessly provided for all things and ordered the universe. And it is possible to grasp another meaning in the preceding verses; when sinners spring up like grass and lawlessness is at work and their enmity towards God is intensified, the height and greatness of God is ignored, since wickedness blinds the eye of the mind that is able to approach the Lord; but when the destruction of sin occurs, so that those who have become enemies of God through sinning are destroyed, and are destroyed for being such, then God will be found most high forever by the purified mind. 912 Ps 91,11.12 I have said before that the horn is often a symbol of the kingdom. not only will my horn be exalted like a unicorn's, but also my old age being enriched in the oil of gladness, an old age not of the body but that which represents the perfect age of the inner man, about which it is written, For honorable old age is not that which is of long time, nor is it measured by number of years; but prudence is gray hair for men, and an unspotted life is old age. Having reached this, Abraham is said to have been nourished in a good old age; for it is written about him, And failing, Abraham died, nourished in a good old age, an old man and full of days. But if it were speaking of bodily age, these things would rather have been said about those before Abraham who lived much longer. This interpreted old age, therefore, is enriched by oil pressed from that true olive tree in the house of God which says, But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God. this oil not only enriches the light of knowledge, but also heals and releases from toils, enriching the aforementioned old age. And my eye has looked upon my enemies, and my ear will hear concerning the wicked who rise up against me. Perhaps he sees his present enemies cast down, but his ear will hear concerning those who are about to rise up against him, as though they were already dissolved. And all these things must be understood as concerning evil powers, for these are chiefly hostile to us. But since some trample upon scripture, as if it sometimes says superfluous and vain things, let us make a defense also concerning the preceding verses. For they say: Who does not know that one who looks upon someone and hears about someone, sees and hears with his own eye and ear? To these things so wickedly said, one must reply that there is a twofold kind of senses in us, mortal and immortal, but properly belonging to us rational beings is the immortal, which is intelligible. For the mortal is not our own, but is common also to the irrational animals. Therefore when scripture indicates the senses of the inner man, it says 'my eye' and 'my ear' see and hear, as in the preceding verses. 913 Ps 91,13 Since the palm tree bears abundant fruit and the cedar in Lebanon is full of shoots and has many roots, he fittingly compared the just man to such things, being fruitful in the specific virtues and the various doctrines of truth. for according to these things his flourishing is compared to the palm tree, but also because of his firmness and strength concerning good things he is likened to the cedar in Lebanon; for the cedar is incorruptible and very dense, and the palm tree is ever-flourishing and has its heart pointing upwards, to which he who has stored up treasure in heaven is fittingly likened, and for this reason has his heart there. And since in the Song of Songs the bridegroom (and this is God the Word) is called a palm tree, which the bride (the perfect soul) professes to climb and to take hold of its heights

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ἐναντίου ὁ εχων τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίαν ἀφρονέστατός ἐστιν, οὐ καθάπαξ ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φρόνησιν· ̓Αφρονέστατος γάρ εἰμι πάντων ἀνθρώπων, καὶ φρόνησις ἀνθρώπων οὐκ εστιν ἐν ἐμοί· ὁ δὲ θεὸς δεδίδαχέ με σοφίαν. οθεν καὶ ̔Ο σοφὸς ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ μωρὸς γενέσθω, ὡς πρὸς τὴν θνητὴν σοφίαν. 911 Ps 91,8- 10 Τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων ταπεινουμένων, ἀφ' ης ειχον ὑψαυχενίας ἐπὶ τοῖς προσκαίροις, ὑψοῦται κύριος μόνος βασιλεὺς ἁπάντων ἀποδεικνύμενος ἀμέμπτως τε πάντων προνοησάμενος καὶ διαταξάμενος τὰ ολα. Καὶ ἑτέραν δὲ διάνοιαν ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις καταλαβεῖν εστιν· οτε οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ οια χόρτος ἀνατέλλουσι καὶ ἐνεργεῖται ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἡ πρὸς θεὸν εχθρα αὐτῶν ἐπιτείνεται, ἀγνοεῖται τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ υψος καὶ μέγεθος, τυφλούσης τῆς κακίας τὸ ομμα τοῦ νοῦ τὸ δυνάμενον προσβάλλειν τῷ κυρίῳ· οταν δὲ κατάλυσις τῆς ἁμαρτίας γένηται ὡς ἀπολέσθαι τοὺς διὰ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐχθροὺς γεγενημένους θεοῦ, ἀπόλλυσθαι δὲ ῃ τοιοῦτοί εἰσι, τὸ τηνικάδε ὁ θεὸς υψιστος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εὑρεθήσεται τῷ καθαρθέντι νῷ. 912 Ps 91,11.12 Σύμμαχον πολλαχοῦ τὸ κέρας τῆς βασιλείας καὶ πρότερον ειπον. οὐ μόνον δὲ ὑψωθήσεται ὡς μονοκέρωτος τὸ κέρας μου ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ γῆράς μου ἐν ἐλαίῳ τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως πιαινόμενον, γῆρας οὐ τὸ σωματικὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ παριστάμενον τὴν τελείαν τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου ἡλικίαν, περὶ ου γέγραπται Γῆρας γὰρ τίμιον οὐ τὸ πολυχρόνιον οὐδὲ ἀριθμῷ ἐτῶν μεμέτρηται, πολιὰ δέ ἐστι φρόνησις ἀνθρώποις καὶ γῆρας βίος ἀκηλίδωτος. εἰς τοῦτο φθάσας ̓Αβραὰμ ειρηται ἐν γήρει τετράφθαι καλῷ· γεγράπται γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ Καὶ ἐκλείπων ̓Αβραὰμ ἀπέθανε τραφεὶς ἐν γήρει καλῷ πρεσβύτερος καὶ πλήρης ἡμερῶν. περὶ δὲ τῆς σωματικῆς ἡλικίας, εἰ ἐλέγετο, ταῦτα μᾶλλον ειρητο περὶ τῶν πρὸ τοῦ ̓Αβραὰμ πολυχρονιωτέρων γεγενημένων. Τοῦτ' ουν τὸ ἑρμηνευθὲν γῆρας ἐλαίῳ πιαίνεται τετρυγωμένῳ ἐκ τῆς ἐλαίας ἐκείνης τῆς ἀληθινῆς τῆς ἐν τῷ οικῳ τοῦ θεοῦ φασκούσης ̓Εγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οικῳ τοῦ θεοῦ. τοῦτο τὸ ελαιον οὐ μόνον πιαίνει τὸ τῆς γνώσεως φῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰᾶται καὶ πόνους λύει πιαῖνον τὸ προειρημένον γῆρας. Καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐπανισταμένοις ἐπ' ἐμὲ πονηρευομένοις ἀκούσεται τὸ ους μου. τάχα τοὺς παρόντας ἐχθροὺς καταβεβλημένους ἐφορᾷ, ἀκούσεται δὲ τὸ ους αὐτοῦ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων αὐτῷ ἐπανίστασθαι. ὡς καὶ αὐτῶν ηδη διαλυθέντων, ταῦτα δὲ πάντα περὶ πονηρῶν δυνάμεων ἐκληπτέον. κυρίως γὰρ αυται ἐχθραίνουσιν ἡμῖν. ̓Επεὶ δέ τινες κατεπιβαίνουσι τῆς γραφῆς ὡς παρέλκοντα καὶ μάταια ἐνίοτε λεγούσης, φέρε ἀπολογησώμεθα καὶ περὶ τῶν προκειμένων. φασὶ γάρ· Τίς οὐκ οιδεν οτι ἐφορῶν τινα καὶ περί τινος ἀκούων ὀφθαλμῷ καὶ ἀκοῇ τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ὁρᾷ καὶ ἀκούει; ἀπαντητέον πρὸς ταῦτα ουτω πονηρῶς εἰρημένα οτι διττὸν γένος αἰσθήσεών ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν, θνητὸν καὶ ἀθάνατον, κυρίως δὲ ἡμῶν τῶν λογικῶν τὸ ἀθάνατον τυγχάνον νοητόν. τὸ γὰρ θνητὸν οὐκ ιδιον ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ κοινὸν καὶ πρὸς τὰ αλογα ζῷα. οταν ουν ἡ γραφὴ τὰς αἰσθήσεις τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου σημαίνῃ, ὀφθαλμόν μου καὶ ους μου ὁρᾶν καὶ ἀκούειν λέγει ὡς ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις. 913 Ps 91,13 ̓Επεὶ ὁ φοίνιξ πολύχουν τὸν καρπὸν φέρει καὶ ἡ κέρδος ἡ ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ πολύερνος καὶ πολύριζός ἐστιν, εἰκότως τὸν δίκαιον παρέβαλε τοῖς τοιούτοις πολύκαρπον οντα ἐν ταῖς κατ' ειδος ἀρεταῖς καὶ τὰ διάφορα δόγματα τῆς ἀληθείας. κατὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἡ ἀνθὴ αὐτοῦ παραβάλλεται τῷ φοίνικι, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἐχυρὸν περὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῇ κέρδῳ τῇ ἐν τῇ Λιβάνῳ παρεικάζεται· ασηπτος γὰρ καὶ πυκνοτάτη ἡ κέρδος, καὶ ἀειθαλὴς δὲ ὁ φοίνιξ καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ανω νενευκυῖαν εχων, ῳ εἰκότως ὁμοιοῦται ὁ θησαυρίσας ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐκεῖ τὴν καρδίαν εχων. ̓Επειδὴ δὲ ἐν τῷ Αισματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων ὁ νύμφιος (εστι δὲ ουτος ὁ θεὸς λόγος) φοίνιξ ειρηται ἐφ' ον ἀναβαίνειν καὶ κρατεῖν τῶν υψεων αὐτοῦ ἐπαγγέλλεται ἡ νύμφη (ἡ τελεία ψυχὴ