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passing over each day they increase their own wealth. "The God of gods shall be seen in Zion." This change of affairs, he says, God the Word wrought by becoming man, and appearing to men through the flesh, and first making his own appearance in Zion. 9, 10. "O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Our defender, behold, O God, and look upon the face of your Christ." The prophet prays these things, seeing from afar the salvation of men, and entreating the God of all to accept the supplication, to deem the saved people always worthy of His own care. For he called this the face of Christ; for thus also the divine Apostle addressed it. "For you are the body of Christ, and members in particular." And again, "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of us." 11. "For one day in your courts is better than thousands." For your people, enjoying your care, always attends your temple, reaping much benefit from it. For what one might gather from there in one day, one could not gather from elsewhere having spent many thousands of days. These things, however, it was also fitting to say to the captives in Babylon, who were forced to live with impious men, deriving no gain from there, but considering the old benefit from the divine temple. "I chose rather to be cast down in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of sinners." So lovely to me is the divine house, that I choose to be thrown on the ground beside it, and to roll before its doors, rather than to live in the great and splendid houses of those who live in transgression. Likewise, these things are both suitable for those in Babylon, and fitting for us. For the grace of the Spirit taught them not to overlook the desolation of the divine house, and we are taught to always long for the houses 80.1545 dedicated to God; [especially when their leaders are blameless and brilliant in faith and life.] 12. "For the Lord God loves mercy and truth." [For nothing is so dear to God as mercy and its companion, truth.] "The Lord will give grace and glory. [13] He will not withhold good things from those who walk in innocence." For those who have this disposition toward God enjoy all these good things. For mercy springs forth from the divine sanctuaries; and from there is the great and abundant provision of truth. For from there we receive the teaching of good doctrines, and we draw divine grace from the fountains of the all-holy Spirit. And indeed we become admired from there, and very renowned; and, to speak concisely, we receive the enjoyment of all good things, being freed from evil and wickedness, choosing to live with simplicity and truth. "O Lord God of hosts; blessed is the man who hopes in you." The conclusion is suitable for the whole psalm. For it blesses and calls enviable the one who despises all worldly good fortune, but trusts only in the hope in God, and reaps the salvation that grows from it.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 84TH PSALM. 1. "For the end, a psalm for the sons of Kore." Both the shadow at the same time and the

truth the psalm prophesies. For the God of all foreshadowed in those of Israel the salvation of all men. For He freed them, sometimes from the bondage of the Egyptians, sometimes from that of the Babylonians. And He delivered the nature of all men from the prevailing tyranny and corruption of the devil. Therefore the psalm foretells both the return of the Jews from Babylon, and the salvation of the whole world. 2. "You have been favorable, O Lord, to your land." To be favorable is the

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μεταβαίνοντες καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὸν οἰκεῖον αὔξουσι πλοῦτον. "Ὀφθήσεται ὁ Θεὸς τῶν θεῶν ἐν Σιών." Ταύτην δὲ, φησὶ, τῶν πραγμάτων εἰργάσατο τὴν μεταβολὴν ἐνανθρωπήσας ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, καὶ διὰ σαρκὸς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιφανεὶς, καὶ πρῶτον ἐν τῇ Σιὼν τὴν οἰκείαν ποιησάμενος ἐπιφάνειαν. θʹ, ιʹ. "Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου· ἐνώτισαι, ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ. Ὑπερασπιστὰ ἡμῶν, ἴδε, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐπίβλεψον εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου." Ταῦτα ὁ προφή της ἐπεύχεται, πόῤῥωθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν σω τηρίαν ἰδὼν, καὶ ἀντιβολῶν τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, τὴν ἱκετείαν δεξάμενον, ἀεὶ τῆς οἰκείας κηδεμονίας τὸν σεσωσμένον ἀξιῶσαι λαόν. Τοῦτον γὰρ ἐπεκάλεσε πρόσωπον τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος προσηγόρευσεν. "Ὑμεῖς γὰρ ἐστὲ σῶμα Χριστοῦ, καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέλους." Καὶ πάλιν, "Οὐ δύναται ὀφθαλμὸς εἰπεῖν τῇ χειρὶ, Χρείαν σου οὐκ ἔχω· ἢ πάλιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσὶ, Χρείαν ἡμῶν οὐκ ἔχω." ιαʹ. "Ὅτι κρείσσων ἡ ἡμέρα μία ἐν ταῖς αὐ λαῖς σου, ὑπὲρ χιλιάδας." Τῆς σῆς γὰρ κηδεμονίας ὁ σὸς λαὸς ἀπολαύων ἀεὶ τῷ σῷ προσεδρεύει ναῷ· πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ὠφέλειαν καρπούμενος. Ἃ γὰρ ἐν μιᾷ τις ἡμέρᾳ δρέψαιτο ἐντεῦθεν, οὐκ ἂν ἑτέρωθεν συναγάγοι πολλὰς ἀναλώσας ἡμερῶν χιλιάδας. Ταῦτα μέντοι καὶ τοῖς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι δορυαλώτοις λέγειν ἥρμοττεν, ἀσεβέσι μὲν ἀνθρώ ποις συμβιοτεύειν ἠναγκασμένοις, κέρδος δὲ ἐκεῖ θεν ποριζομένοις οὐδὲν, λογιζομένοις δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ θείου νεὼ παλαιὰν ὠφέλειαν. "Ἐξελεξάμην παραῤῥιπτεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου μᾶλλον, ἢ οἰκεῖν με ἐν σκηνώμασιν ἁμαρτωλῶν." Οὕτω δέ μοι ὁ θεῖος ἀξιέραστος οἶκος, ὡς αἱρεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῦτον ἐπ' ἐδάφους ἐῤῥίφθαι, καὶ πρὸ τῶν τούτου καλινδεῖσθαι θυρῶν, ἢ ἐν ταῖς μεγάλαις καὶ λαμπραῖς τῶν παρανομίᾳ συζώντων οἰκίαις διαιτᾶσθαι. Ὡσαύτως καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς ἐν Βαβυ λῶνι πρόσφορα, καὶ ἡμῖν ἐπιτήδεια. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεί νους ἐδίδασκεν ἡ χάρις τοῦ Πνεύματος, μὴ παρα βλέπειν τοῦ θείου οἴκου τὴν ἐρημίαν, καὶ ἡμεῖς παιδευόμεθα καὶ τοὺς τῷ Θεῷ ἀφιερωμένους 80.1545 οἴκους ποθεῖν ἀεί· [ὅταν μάλιστα ὦσιν οἱ τούτων πρόεδροι ἀνεπίληπτοι καὶ πίστει καὶ βίῳ λαμπροί.] ιβʹ. "Ὅτι ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθειαν ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος ὁ Θεός." [Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως Θεῷ προσφιλὲς ὡς ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ ἡ ταύτης σύντροφος ἀλήθεια.] "Χάριν καὶ δόξαν δώσει Κύριος. [ιγʹ] Οὐ στε ρήσει τὰ ἀγαθὰ τοῖς πορευομένοις ἐν ἀκακίᾳ." Οἱ γὰρ ταύτην ἔχοντες περὶ τὸν Θεὸν τὴν διάθεσιν, τούτων ἁπάντων ἀπολαύουσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Ἔλεος γὰρ ἐκ τῶν θείων ἀναβλαστάνει σηκῶν· καὶ πολλὴ ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἄφθονος τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ χορηγία. Ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν δογμάτων τὴν διδασκα λίαν δεχόμεθα, καὶ χάριν δὲ θείαν ἐκ τῶν τοῦ παν αγίου Πνεύματος κρουνῶν ἀρυόμεθα. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ περίβλεπτοι γινόμεθα ἐντεῦθεν, καὶ λίαν περι φανεῖς· καὶ συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν, πᾶσαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν δεχόμεθα τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, κακίας μὲν καὶ πονηρίας ἀπαλλαττόμενοι, ἁπλότητι δὲ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ συζῇν προαιρούμενοι. "Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων· μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἐλπίζων ἐπὶ σέ." Κατάλληλον παντὶ τῷ ψαλμῷ τὸ ἀκροτελεύτιον. Μακαρίζει γὰρ, καὶ ζηλωτὸν ὀνομάζει, τὸν πάσης βιωτικῆς εὐκληρίας καταφρονοῦντα· μόνῃ δὲ τῇ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδι θαῤῥοῦντα, καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν φυομένην σω τηρίαν τρυγῶντα.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Π∆ʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Εἰς τὸ τέλος, Τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ ψαλμός." Καὶ τὴν σκιὰν κατὰ ταυτὸν καὶ τὴν

ἀλήθειαν ὁ ψαλμὸς προθεσπίζει. Ἐσκιαγράφησε γὰρ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ πάντων ἀνθρώπων τὴν σωτηρίαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνους ἠλευθέρωσε, ποτὲ μὲν τῆς Αἰγυπτίων, ποτὲ δὲ τῆς Βαβυλωνίων δουλείας. Καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν ἐῤῥύσατο τῆς ἐπικρατούσης διαβόλου τυραννίδος καὶ φθορᾶς. Προλέγει τοίνυν ὁ ψαλμὸς, τήν τε Ἰουδαίων ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης τὴν σωτηρίαν. βʹ. "Εὐδόκησας, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν σου." Εὐδο κῆσαί ἐστι τὸ