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living in poverty being wronged by them? 3. "Judge for the orphan and the poor, vindicate the humble and the needy." Each of them is in need of help. 80.1529 4. "Deliver the needy and the poor; rescue him from the hand of the wicked." May the poor not become an easy prey to the wrongdoers while you are protecting them, and have been entrusted to judge. 5. "They did not know, nor did they understand; they walk about in darkness." But they were willing to understand none of these things, nor to be illuminated by the light of my words; for this reason, they conduct their lives as if living in night and gloom. "Let all the foundations of the earth be shaken." Because of this truth, life is filled with turmoil and storm, and the earth is shaken by successive evils. 6. "I said, 'You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High.'" I, therefore, have honored you; and I have shared my name, and I have called you my sons. 7. "But you die like men, and fall like one of the rulers." But Symmachus has it thus: But you will die like men, and you will fall like one of the rulers. For being ignorant of your own honor, you have suffered the same things as the devil, who, having been entrusted with a position of authority by me, and being unwilling to use what was given as was fitting, fell from his honor; and you endure the same death as other men, having no good renown after death. Thus the prophetic word, having made a refutation of the unjust judges, beseeches the true and just Judge to pass judgment on the world. 8. "Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you will inherit all the nations." And these things plainly declare the judgment of the Lord Christ. For the Father has said to him according to his human nature: "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession." Therefore the prophet beseeches him to appear quickly, and to judge justly, and to put a stop to the unjust judges, and to leave behind the inheritance of the Jews, and to take in its place that of the nations, [or rather to encompass it] and to offer salvation to all men [through his incomprehensible economy.] 80.1532

INTERPRETATION OF THE 82ND PSALM. 1. "A song of a psalm for Asaph." After the return from Babylon the

new construction of the divine temple, and the prominence of the Jews, the neighbors, having seen, gather together, and having assembled other barbarian nations, they undertook the war against the Jews. And these things the most divine Joel and Ezekiel foretell, and Micah and Zechariah, the wonderful prophets, foretell. Nevertheless, they conquer all, with Zerubbabel leading as general, and God fighting alongside from above, and destroying the audacity of the enemies. This psalm prophesies these things. And the prophecy of the divine Spirit is fashioned into a prayer, teaching those who were then being warred against how they must propitiate God. 2. "O God, who will be like you?" Not even the entire nature of angels and men, he says, gathered together, will be able to be compared to your power; for you possess incomparable strength. But he has put 'who' instead of 'no one'. "Do not be silent, nor be still, O God." We beseech you, Lord, not to use your accustomed long-suffering. For 'Do not be still' indicates this. For so also Symmachus interpreted it, 'Do not be quiet.' Then he teaches the reason for the supplication. 3. "For behold, your enemies have made a noise, and those who hate you have lifted up their head." Like the sea, he says, they roar and surge, using arrogance and boldness against us, those who because of their hostility toward you have undertaken the war against us. For being hostile to you, they besiege the people dedicated to you. 4. "Against your people they have craftily devised a plan, and have conspired against your holy ones." But Symmachus has it thus: instead of 'against your holy ones', 'Against your hidden one'. And Aquila: 'Against your concealed one'. So also the

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πενίᾳ συζῶντας ἀπὸ τούτων ἀδικουμένους; γʹ. "Κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ πτωχῷ, ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε." Ἑκάτερος δὲ τούτων ἐν δεὴς βοηθείας. 80.1529 δʹ. "Ἐξέλεσθε πένητα καὶ πτωχόν· ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλῶν ῥύσασθε αὐτόν." Μὴ γένηται τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν ὁ πένης εὐχείρωτος ὑμῶν προστατευόντων, καὶ τὸ δικάζειν πεπιστευμένων. εʹ. "Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, οὐδὲ συνῆκαν· ἐν σκότει δια πορεύονται." Ἀλλὰ τούτων οὐδὲν ἠθέλησαν συν ιδεῖν, οὐδὲ τῷ τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων καταυγασθῆναι φωτί· διά τοι τοῦτο, ὡς ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ζόφῳ διάγοντες πολιτεύονται. "Σαλευθήτωσαν πάντα τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς." Ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς ἀληθείας ταραχῆς καὶ ζάλης ὁ βίος ἐμπέπλησται, καὶ τοῖς ἐπαλλήλοις ἡ γῆ κλονεῖται κακοῖς. ʹ. "Ἐγὼ εἶπα, Θεοί ἐστε, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου, πάντες." Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ὑμᾶς τετίμηκα· καὶ τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ προσηγορίας μετέδωκα, καὶ υἱοὺς ἐμοὺς προσηγόρευσα. ζʹ. "Ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε, καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων πίπτετε." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθανεῖσθε, καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων πεσεῖσθε. Τὴν γὰρ οἰκείαν τιμὴν ἀγνοήσαντες, τᾲ αὐτὰ τῷ διαβόλῳ πεπόνθατε, ὃς ἀρχὴν παρ' ἐμοῦ πιστευθεὶς, καὶ χρήσασθαι τοῖς δοθεῖσιν εἰς δέον οὐκ ἐθελήσας, ἐξέπεσε τῆς τιμῆς· τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις ὑπομένετε θάνατον, εὔκλειαν οὐδεμίαν μετὰ θάνατον ἔχοντες. Οὕτως ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος τῶν ἀδίκων κριτῶν τὸν ἔλεγχον ποιησάμενος, τὸν ἀληθῆ καὶ δίκαιον ἱκετεύει Κριτὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης τὴν κρίσιν ποιή σασθαι. ηʹ. "Ἀνάστα, ὁ Θεὸς, κρῖνον τὴν γῆν, ὅτι σὺ κατακληρονομήσεις ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν." Ταῦτα δὲ ἄντικρυς τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ τὴν κρίσιν δηλοῖ. Πρὸς αὐτὸν γὰρ κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον εἴρηκεν ὁ Πατήρ· "Αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς." Τοιγάρτοι τοῦτον ὁ προφήτης ἀντιβολεῖ ἐπιφανῆναι ταχέως, καὶ κρῖναι δικαίως, καὶ τοὺς ἀδίκους παῦσαι κριτὰς, καὶ τὴν μὲν Ἰουδαίων κλη ρονομίαν καταλιπεῖν, ἀντιλαβεῖν δὲ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν, [μᾶλλον δὲ ταύτην περιηγήσασθαι] καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ὀρέξαι τὴν σωτηρίαν [διὰ τῆς ἀκαταλή πτου αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας.] 80.1532

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΠΒʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ὠδὴ ψαλμοῦ τῷ Ἀσάφ." Μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον τὴν

νεουργίαν τοῦ θείου νεὼ, καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων περιφάνειαν οἱ ἀστυγείτονες θεασάμενοι, κατὰ ταυτὸν συναγείρονται, καὶ ἕτερα βάρβαρα συναθροίσαντες ἔθνη, τὸν πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἐδέξαντο πόλεμον. Καὶ ταῦτα προλέγουσι μὲν οἱ θειότατοι Ἰωὴλ, καὶ Ἐζεκιὴλ, προλέγει δὲ Μιχαίας, καὶ Ζαχαρίας, οἱ θαυμάσιοι προφῆται. Νικῶσι δὲ ὅμως ἅπαντας, στρατηγοῦντος μὲν τοῦ Ζοροβάβελ, ἄνωθεν δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ συμμαχοῦντος, καὶ τὸ τῶν πολεμίων καταλύοντος θράσος. Ταῦτα οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς προθεσπίζει. Ἐσχημάτισται δὲ εἰς εὐχὴν ἡ προφητεία τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος τοὺς τηνικαῦτα πολεμουμένους διδάσκοντος, πῶς δεῖ τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεώσασθαι. βʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς, τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι;" Οὐδὲ πᾶσα, φησὶ, κατὰ ταυτὸν συναθροισθεῖσα τῶν ἀγγέ λων καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις παραβληθῆναι τῇ σῇ δυνάμει δυνήσεται· ἀσύγκριτον γὰρ ἔχεις τὸ κράτος. Τὸ δὲ τίς, ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐδεὶς τέθεικεν. "Μὴ σιγήσῃς μηδὲ καταπραΰνῃς, ὁ Θεός." Ἱκετεύομέν σε, ∆έσποτα, μὴ χρήσασθαι τῇ συνήθει μακροθυμίᾳ. Τὸ γὰρ Μὴ καταπραΰνῃς τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσε, Μὴ ἠρεμήσῃς. Εἶτα διδάσκει τῆς ἐντεύξεως τὴν αἰτίαν. γʹ. "Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ ἐχθροί σου ἤχησαν, καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές σε ἦραν κεφαλήν." ∆ίκην, φησὶ, θαλάτ της ἠχοῦσι, καὶ κυμαίνουσι, καθ' ἡμῶν ἀλαζονείᾳ καὶ θρασύτητι κεχρημένοι, οἱ διὰ τὴν πρός σε δυσμέ νειαν τὸν καθ' ἡμῶν ἀναδεξάμενοι πόλεμον. Πρός σε γὰρ ἀπεχθανόμενοι τὸν ἀνακείμενόν σοι πολιορ κοῦσι λαόν. δʹ "Ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου κατεπανουργεύσαντο γνώμην, καὶ ἐπεβουλεύσαντο κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων σου." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· ἀντὶ τῶν ἁγίων σου, Κατὰ τοῦ ἀποκρύφου σου. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας· Κατὰ τοῦ συγκεκρυμμένου σου. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ