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and the church) saying, I said, I will go up to the palm tree, and I will take hold of its high branches, see if the just man will flourish in a way similar to this palm tree, receiving from it the power to preserve the flourishing fruit. For the female palms, so called by farmers, receive from the male palm the impulse to guard the fruit. And such is the one which the bride says she ascends to take hold of, according to one of the interpreters, the palm fronds of that palm tree; the divine teachings, being fruitful and protective of the fruits, receive it. Whence also the bride who says these things, being none other than the just one who flourishes like the palm tree, says, I will be likened to the palm tree. From this palm tree, one takes the cleansing adornments made from the branches of the palms and celebrates the feast of tabernacles, and from this the symbols of victory are borne by the victors.

914 Ps 92,3-4b The rivers imitating the river that makes glad the city of God first lift up their own understanding, then the voices interpreting what was understood by them, so that from the voice of the waters of these many rivers, those who were formerly the swellings of the sea of human life through arrogance and wealth and insolence and vainglory become wondrous and worthy of acceptance through repentance and the undertaking of virtue. It is also possible for the very words of the God-inspired scriptures of the new and old testament to be rivers on account of being drinkable and life-giving and a cause of fruit-bearing. And these rivers lift up and raise on high by the contemplation of the truth whomever they find ready, lifting up also their voices, from which voices, understood in a manner befitting God and with lofty nature, the swellings of the sea become wondrous. The swellings of the sea according to the present thought are the so-called temptations, which also will become wondrous, appearing as causes of salvation from the voices of the many drinkable waters, it is at least possible to see in these temptations and contests certain men being shown to be victors; For blessed is the man who endures temptation, and the rest. Consider whether the many waters, from whose voices the swellings of the sea become wondrous, belong to this sea; for from its own affairs and the things that happen to the men in them, its swellings become wondrous, when examined and known rationally and with prudence. 915 Ps 92,4c.5a In the high and lofty words the Lord is wonderful, so that for this reason the testimonies are confirmed, which are akin to the so-called ordinances and laws of God himself, who is high in the things in which he is wonderful. It is possible to speak of divine men who are exalted through faith and the rest of virtue, or also the angels and archangels in heaven as high, in whom the Lord, being wonderful, has testimonies and oracles, tested and examined, which on account of their certainty are called faithful. 916 Ps 92,5bc The house of God is all who have received him into themselves, for whom it is truly fitting to be holy not for one or two but for length of days. Whence the mystagogue, wishing the house of God to have a sanctuary for length of days, says, Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are. For holiness and the sanctuary are truly fitting for everyone who has become a house of God, so that just as he is holy of God, so also as he is holy, he is of God.

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καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία) φάσκουσα Ειπα ̓Αναβήσομαι ἐν τῷ φοίνικι καὶ κρατήσω τῶν υψεων αὐτοῦ, ορα εἰ τούτῳ τῷ φοίνικι παραπλησίως ἀνθήσει ὁ δίκαιος, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ λαμβάνων τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ σῴζειν τὸν ἀνθοῦντα καρπόν. οἱ γὰρ πρὸς γεωργῶν θηλυκοὶ καλούμενοι φοίνικες ἀπὸ τοῦ αρρενος φοίνικος τὴν ἀφορμὴν τοῦ φυλάττειν τὸν καρπὸν λαμβάνουσι. τοιοῦτος δὲ ἐφ' ον ἀναβαίνειν ἡ νύμφη φησὶν ἐπὶ τῷ κρατῆσαι κατά τινα τῶν ἑρμηνευσάντων τῶν ἐλάτων αὐτοῦ τοῦ φοίνικος οι θεῖαι διδασκαλίαι τυγχάνουσαι τὸ γόνιμον καὶ φυλακτικὸν τῶν καρπῶν λαμβάνουσιν· οθεν καὶ ἡ νύμφη ἡ ταῦτα λέγουσα, οὐκ αλλη τοῦ ἀνθοῦντος κατὰ τὸν φοίνικα δικαίου τυγχάνουσα, φησὶν ̔Ομοιωθήσομαι τῷ φοίνικι. ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ φοίνικος κάλλυνθρα κοσμητήρια τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν κλάδων τῶν φοινίκων γινόμενα λαμβάνων τις αγει τὴν τῆς σκηνοπηγίας ἑορτήν, καὶ τὰ σύμβολα δὲ τῆς νίκης ἐκ τούτου οἱ νικηταὶ φέρονται.

914 Ps 92,3-4b Οἱ μιμούμενοι ποταμοὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν εὐφραίνοντα τὴν

πόλιν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπαίρουσι πρότερον τὴν σφῶν νόησιν, ειτα τὰς φωνὰς τὰς ἑρμηνευούσας τὰ νοηθέντα αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν τούτων ποταμῶν ὑδάτων φωνῆς θαυμαστοὺς καὶ ἀποδοχῆς ἀξίους γενέσθαι διὰ μετανοίας καὶ ἀναλήψεως ἀρετῆς τοὺς πάλαι δι' ἀλαζονείας καὶ πλούτου καὶ αὐθαδείας καὶ δοξαρίων μετεωρισμοὺς οντας τῆς τοῦ βίου τῶν ἀνθρώπων θαλάττης. ∆υνατὸν δὲ καὶ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοὺς τῶν θεοπνεύστων γραφῶν καινῆς τε καὶ παλαιᾶς διαθήκης ποταμοὺς ειναι διὰ τὸ πότιμον καὶ ζωτικὸν καὶ καρποφορίας αιτιον. ουτοι δὲ οἱ ποταμοὶ τὸν πίνοντα ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐπαίρουσι καὶ μετεωρίζουσι θεωρίᾳ τῆς ἀληθείας ους αν ευρωσιν ἑτοίμους, ἐπαίροντες καὶ τὰς φωνὰς αὐτῶν ἀφ' ων φωνῶν θεοπρεπῶς καὶ ὑψηλοφυῶς νοουμένων θαυμαστοὶ γίνονται οἱ τῆς θαλάσσης μετεωρισμοί. μετεωρισμῶν θαλάττης κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν διάνοιαν οντων τῶν καλουμένων πειρασμῶν οι καὶ θαυμαστοὶ γενήσονται σωτηρίας αιτιοι ἀναφαινόμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν φωνῶν τῶν ποτίμων ὑδάτων πολλῶν, εστι γοῦν ἰδεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς πειρασμοῖς καὶ ἀγῶσι τούτοις νικητάς τινας ἀποδεικνυμένους· Μακάριος γὰρ ἀνὴρ ος ὑπομένει πειρασμόν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ἐπίστησον εἰ τὰ πολλὰ υδατα, ων ἀπὸ τῶν φωνῶν θαυμαστοὶ γίνονται οἱ μετεωρισμοὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, τυγχάνουσι ταῦτα τῇ θαλάσσῃ· ἐκ γὰρ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων συμβαινόντων θαυμαστοὶ γίνονται οἱ μετεωρισμοὶ αὐτῆς, λογικῶς καὶ φρονίμως ἐταζόμενα καὶ γινωσκόμενα. 915 Ps 92,4c.5a ̓Εν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς καὶ ἐπῃρημένοις λόγοις θαυμαστὸς ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ὡς πιστοῦσθαι ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὰ μαρτύρια τὰ συγγενῆ τοῖς λεγομένοις δικαιώμασι καὶ νομίμοις αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑψηλὰ ἐν οις θαυμαστός ἐστι. δυνατὸν ανδρας θείους διὰ πίστεως καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς ἀρετῆς ὑψουμένους εἰπεῖν, η καὶ τοὺς κατ' οὐρανὸν ἀγγέλους καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους ὑψηλοὺς ἐν οις ὁ κύριος θαυμαστὸς ων εχει μαρτύρια καὶ λόγια βεβασανισμένα καὶ ἐξητασμένα α διὰ τὸ βέβαιον πιστὰ ειρηται. 916 Ps 92,5bc Οικος θεοῦ πάντες οἱ προσηκάμενοι αὐτὸν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς οις καὶ πρέπει ἀληθῶς τὸ ἁγίοις ειναι οὐκ ἐπὶ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν ἀλλ' εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν· οθεν ὁ μυσταγωγὸς βουλόμενος τὸν οικον τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν ἁγίασμα εχειν φησὶν Οὐκ οιδατε οτι ναὸς θεοῦ ἐστε καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; ει τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεός· ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ αγιός ἐστιν οιτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς. πρέπει γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἡ ἁγιότης καὶ τὸ ἁγίασμα παντὶ τῷ γενομένῳ θεοῦ οικῳ, ιν' ωσπερ θεοῦ αγιος ῃ καὶ ωσπερ αγιος ουτω καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ.