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setting before his eyes the great judge and God, to subject his own soul to Him alone, and to free it from every foreign fear. Therefore he says: "Shall not my soul be subject to God?" and what follows. And again here salvation is conveyed in the Hebrew language through the same letters by which the name of our savior Jesus is written. Reasonably one who encounters these things might ask: Why is it that, there being only two psalms said "for Idithun," or "concerning Idithun" according to Aquila, they are not both placed next to each other, but happen to be far separated. And the reason for these things we have presented with grammatical proofs in 23.589 in what we said on the 38th [psalm]. But also who Idithun was, we have already previously shown in that very one, by citing the history from Chronicles; through which it was shown that he was one of those chosen to praise God. For it is written: "And they left there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Asaph and his brothers, to minister before the ark." And it is said next: "Heman and Idithun, and the rest who were chosen by name to praise the Lord, because His mercy is forever;" and again: "With them Heman and Idithun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding aloud, and instruments for the songs of God, the sons of Idithun at the gate;" and again: "And king David and the commanders of the army set apart for the work the sons of Asaph and Heman, and of Idithun, who spoke forth with the harp and with psalteries and with timbrels." But instead of, "who spoke forth," Aquila has, "of the prophets," and Symmachus, "of those who prophesied with the lyre," rendered it; so that one must consider those mentioned to have been prophets. And again it is said next to Idithun: "Sons of Idithun, Godolias and Sourei and Aieias, and Sedeias, and Matthias, six with their father Idithun playing on harps." But instead of, "playing on harps," again Aquila has, "prophesying with the cithara;" and Symmachus, "with the lyre of the one prophesying," rendered it. Therefore Idithun too was one of those who prophesied with the lyre; for which reason one might reasonably say, starting from this, that David did not compose the psalm and give it to Idithun, nor that Idithun had fallen into temptation and needed healing from David. For neither does Scripture anywhere introduce Idithun as culpable; but on the contrary rather teaches that David had fallen into temptation. For which reason one might reasonably say, that Idithun, being a prophet, composed the words in both the aforementioned psalms, and delivered them to David, so that he might be helped and healed by them in the things that had happened to him. And Symmachus seems somehow to contribute to this idea, having interpreted the inscription in this way: "A song of victory through Idithun for David." And perhaps after the error that happened to David concerning the wife of Uriah, when he was no longer able to prophesy as of old, and many temptations and successive misfortunes rose up against him, Idithun, having composed the preceding words by the Holy Spirit, gave them to him as certain therapeutic medicines for the soul, for him to be comforted by the teaching in them? And indeed, presenting two interpretations for the preceding things to those who encounter them, we will leave the choice of one of them. "How long do you set upon a man, you all murder? As a leaning wall and a pushed fence." Through these things he shows that David had not endured only one temptation, nor received, as it were, a single blow from his adversaries; but as one being struck for a long time, and patiently enduring the blows brought 23.592 upon him, he says to those striking him: "How long do you set upon a man?" or according to Aquila: "Until when do you plot?" or according to Symmachus: "Until when will you labor in vain?" Then the

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πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν θέμενον τὸν μέγαν κριτήν τε καὶ Θεὸν, αὐτῷ μόνῳ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ὑποτάττειν, ἐλευθεροῦν τε αὐτὴν παντὸς ἀλλοτρίου φόβου. ∆ιό φησιν· «Οὐχὶ τῷ Θεῷ ὑποταγήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου;» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Πάλιν δὲ κἀνταῦθα τὸ σωτήριον Ἑβραϊκῇ φωνῇ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν στοιχείων, δι' ὧν γράφεται τὸ τοῦ σωτηρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ ὄνομα, φέρεται. Εὐλόγως δέ τις ζητήσειε τούτοις ἐντυγχάνων· Τί δήποτε μόνων δύο ὄντων τῶν «ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰδιθοὺμ,» ἢ «περὶ τοῦ Ἰδιθοὺμ» κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν εἰρημένων, οὔτ' ἐφεξῆς ἀλλήλοις κεῖνται ἀμφότεροι, μακρὰν δ' ἀπεσχοινισμένοι τυγχάνουσι. Τὴν δὲ τούτων αἰτίαν ἐν 23.589 τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἡμῖν εἰς τὸν ληʹ, γραμματικαῖς ἀποδείξεσι παρεστήσαμεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τίς ἦν ὁ Ἰδιθοὺμ, ἤδη πρότερον ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκείνῳ δεδηλώκαμεν, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν Παραλειπομένων ἱστορίαν παραθέμενοι· δι' ἧς ἐδείκνυτο εἷς τῶν ἐκλελεγμένων εἰς τὸ αἰνεῖν τὸν Θεὸν γεγονώς. Γέγραπται γοῦν· «Καὶ κατέλειπον ἐκεῖ ἐναντίον τῆς κιβωτοῦ τῆς ∆ιαθήκης Κυρίου τὸν Ἀσὰφ καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ λειτουργοὺς ἐναντίον τῆς κιβωτοῦ.» Καὶ ἑξῆς εἴρηται· «Αἰμὰν καὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἐκλεγέντες ἐπ' ὀνόματος τοῦ αἰνεῖν τὸν Κύριον, ὅτι εἰς αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ·» καὶ πάλιν· «Μετ' αὐτῶν Αἰμὰν καὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ, σάλπιγγές τε καὶ κύμβαλα τοῦ ἀναφωνεῖν, καὶ ὄργανα τῶν ᾠδῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, υἱοὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ εἰς τὴν πύλην·» καὶ αὖθις· «Καὶ ἔστησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ∆αυῒδ καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς τὰ ἔργα τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἀσὰφ καὶ Αἰμὰν, καὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ, τοὺς ἀποφθεγγομένους ἐν κινύρᾳ καὶ ἐν νάβλαις καὶ ἐν τυμπάνοις.» Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «τοὺς ἀποφθεγγομένους,» ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, «τῶν προφητῶν,» ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, «τῶν προφητευσάντων διὰ λύρας,» ἐξέδωκεν· ὥστε προφήτας χρὴ νομίζειν γεγονέναι τοὺς δηλουμένους. Καὶ αὖθις ἑξῆς εἴρηται τῷ Ἰδιθούμ· «Υἱοὶ Ἰδιθοὺμ, Γοδολείας καὶ Σουρεὶ καὶ Αἰείας, καὶ Σεδείας, καὶ Ματθίας, ἓξ μετὰ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν Ἰδιθοὺμ ἐν κινύραις ἀνακρουόμενοι.» Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «ἐν κινύραις ἀνακρουόμενοι,» πάλιν ὁ Ἀκύλας, «κιθάρᾳ προφητεύων·» ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, «διὰ λύρας τοῦ προφητεύοντος,» ἐξέδωκεν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὁ Ἰδιθοὺμ εἷς ἦν τῶν προφητευόντων διὰ λύρας· διὸ καὶ εἰκότως εἴποι ἄν τις, ἐντεῦθεν ὁρμώμενος, μὴ τὸν ∆αυῒδ συντάξαι τὸν ψαλμὸν, καὶ δεδωκέναι τῷ Ἰδιθοὺμ, μηδὲ τὸν Ἰδιθοὺμ ὑποπεπτωκέναι τῷ πειρασμῷ, καὶ θεραπείας δεδεῆσθαι τῆς παρὰ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ. Μηδὲ γὰρ τὴν Γραφὴν ὑπαίτιόν που τὸν Ἰδιθοὺμ εἰσάγειν· ἀλλ' ἔμπαλιν μᾶλλον τὸν ∆αυῒδ πειρασμῷ περιπεπτωκέναι διδάσκειν. ∆ιὸ καὶ φῆσαι ἂν εἰκότως, προφήτην ὄντα τὸν Ἰδιθοὺμ, τοὺς ἐν ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς προδηλωθεῖσι ψαλμοῖς λόγους συντάξαι, καὶ τῷ ∆αυῒδ παραδεδωκέναι, ὡς ἂν ὠφελοῖτο καὶ θεραπεύοιτο ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτῷ συμβεβηκόσι. ∆οκεῖ δέ πως ταύτῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ συμβάλλεσθαι καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος, τὴν προγραφὴν τοῦτον ἑρμηνεύσας τὸν τρόπον· «Ἐπινίκιος διὰ Ἰδιθοὺμ ᾠδὴ εἰς ∆αυΐδ.» Καὶ μήποτε μετὰ τὸ σφάλμα τὸ ἐπισυμβὰν τῷ ∆αυῒδ ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Οὐρίου γυναικὶ, μηκέτι οἵου τε αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν προφητεύειν, πολλῶν δὲ πειρασμῶν ἐπανισταμένων αὐτῷ καὶ συμφορῶν ἐπαλλήλων, ὁ Ἰδιθοὺμ, Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ συντάξας τοὺς προκειμένους λόγους, ὥσπερ τινὰ φάρμακα ψυχῆς θεραπευτικὰ ἐπιδίδωσιν αὐτῷ, εἰς τὸ παραμυθεῖσθαι ἐκ τῆς ἐν αὐτοῖς διδασκαλίας; Καὶ δὴ δυσὶν ἐκδοχαῖς ἐπιβάλλοντες εἰς τὰ προκείμενα τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι, θατέρας αὐτῶν τὴν αἵρεσιν καταλείψομεν. «Ἕως πότε ἐπιτίθεσθε ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον, φονεύετε πάντες ὑμεῖς; ὡς τοίχῳ κεκλιμένῳ καὶ φραγμῷ ὠσμένῳ.» Ἐμφαίνει διὰ τούτων μὴ ἕνα μόνον πειρασμὸν ὑπομεμενηκέναι ὁ ∆αυῒδ, μηδ' ὥσπερ μίαν πληγὴν εἰληφέναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντιπάλων· ὡς δὲ ἐπὶ μακρῷ χρόνῳ τυπτόμενος, καὶ καρτερῶς ὑπομένων τὰς ἐπαγομέ23.592 νας αὐτῷ πληγὰς, φάσκειν τοῖς τύπτουσιν· «Ἕως πότε ἐπιτίθεσθε ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον;» ἢ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· «Ἕως τίνος ἐπιβουλεύετε;» ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· «Ἕως τίνος ματαιοπονήσετε;» Εἶτα τὴν