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God, that from the fruit of his loins he would raise up the Christ according to the flesh to sit on his throne, foreseeing this he spoke of his resurrection, that "His soul was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption;" [he who is without sin; for there is no one among men without sin, except Jesus, the God Logos made flesh from David.] He made these promises also to the patriarch Abraham. For he said to him: "In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." And the divine Paul, interpreting this, spoke thus: "Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your seed,' who is the Christ." Looking to these promises, their descendants, and seeing themselves having become captives and forced to live in a foreign land, and the queen city having become desolate and the kingdom extinguished, they remind the God of all of the promises. And at one time they bring forward the patriarch Abraham, and his son, and his grandson, reminding God of the covenants; and at another time the blessed David, and the promises made to him. Thus the blessed martyrs, Ananias, 80.1577 Azarias, and Misael, made mention of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel, entreating God in the furnace. And so prophetic grace wrote this psalm for their benefit: teaching how one must propitiate God, and reap the benevolence from him. For this reason it is also inscribed 'Of Understanding'; for this is especially needed by those being chastised, so that in their distress they might say nothing harsh, but may await the divine mercy. And Ethan himself was also entrusted with a choir of those singing in the temple and hymning God. [For it is not, as some have said, that the psalm is of Heman; but as we have said, this man himself also led a choir of singers, receiving it from the most divine David to sing with the rest.] 2. "I will sing of your mercies, O Lord, forever; from generation to generation I will declare your truth with my mouth." Asking for the divine mercy, they hymn mercy, and longing to see the truth of the promises to David, they promise to teach every generation. 3. "For you said, 'Mercy will be built up forever; in the heavens your truth will be prepared.'" This is a word of God spoken to David, that he will keep mercy for his seed forever. They therefore recall this promise. You, it says, said you would increase, not diminish, the mercy. For 'will be built up' is used instead of 'will be increased' [and will receive addition.] 'It will be established,' Symmachus has said. You promised, it says, to confirm by deed the truth of the words. 4, 5. "I have made a covenant with my chosen ones." [These things are said from the person of God the Father, and likewise what follows;] "I have sworn to David my servant: 'Forever I will establish your seed, and build your throne to generation and generation.'" To 'you said' these things are also connected: that 'I made these covenants with the chosen ones.' And he calls 'chosen' Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel. And in addition to these, he said he had also sworn to David, to keep his seed indestructible, and that in every generation his throne would flourish. Thus, going through the promises of God, and not seeing the fulfillment of the matters, they are not compelled by their calamities to say anything harsh, but with hymns they honor the ruler of all. 80.1580 6. "The heavens will confess your wonders, O Lord; and indeed your truth in the assembly of the saints." But Theodotion [has]: 'And indeed your faithfulness in the assembly of the saints;' [instead of: 'All those who have their trust in you will keep your faithfulness.'] For it is fitting for you to be hymned by all, and not least by those who inhabit heaven, who behold your wonders more accurately, and know the certainty of the promises; of this heavenly assembly and

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Θεὸς, ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ ἀναστήσειν τὸ κατὰ σάρκα τὸν Χριστὸν, καθίσαι ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, προϊδὼν ἐλάλησε περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐγκατ ελείφθη εἰς ᾅδου ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ, εἶδε διαφθοράν·" [ὁ δίχα ἁμαρτίας· οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ἐν ἀνθρώποις τις δίχα ἁμαρτίας, εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἐκ ∆αβὶδ σαρκωθεὶς Θεὸς Λόγος.] Ταύτας τὰς ὑπο σχέσεις καὶ πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην Ἀβραὰμ ἐποιή σατο. Ἔφη γὰρ πρὸς αὐτόν· "Ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου εὐλογηθήσονται πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς." Ἑρμηνεύων δὲ τοῦτο ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος οὕτως ἔφη· "Τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐῤῥήθησαν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ. Οὐ λέγει, καὶ τοῖς σπέρμα σιν ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐφ' ἑνὸς, καὶ τῷ σπέρ ματί σου, ὅς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός." Εἰς ταύτας ἀφορῶντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας οἱ τούτων ἀπόγονοι, καὶ βλέποντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς αἰχμαλώτους γεγενημένους καὶ τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν οἰκεῖν ἠναγκασμένους, καὶ τὴν μὲν βασιλίδα πόλιν ἔρημον γεγενημένην, ἐσβεσμένην δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν, ἀναμιμνήσκουσι τῶν ὑποσχέ σεων τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν. Καὶ ποτὲ μὲν τὸν πατριάρχην Ἀβραὰμ εἰς μέσον προφέρουσι, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἐκείνου, καὶ τὸν ἔκγονον, τῶν συνθη κῶν ἀναμιμνήσκοντες τὸν Θεόν· ποτὲ δὲ τὸν μακάριον ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν γεγενημένας ἐπαγγελίας. Οὕτως οἱ μακάριοι μάρτυρες, Ἀνανίας, 80.1577 Ἀζαρίας, καὶ Μισαὴλ, τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ,καὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ τὸν Θεὸν ἀντιβολοῦντες ἐποιήσαντο μνήμην. Καὶ τοῦτον τοιγαροῦν τὸν ψαλμὸν εἰς τὴν ἐκείνων ὠφέλειαν ἡ προφητικὴ συνέγραψε χάρις· διδάσκουσα πῶς δεῖ τὸν Θεὸν ἐκμειλίξασθαι, καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν καρπώσασθαι ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Συνέσεως ἐπιγέγρα πται· ταύτης γὰρ δεῖ τοῖς παιδευομένοις διαφερόν τως, ἵνα μηδὲν ἀπηχὲς εἴπωσι σχετλιάζοντες, ἀλλὰ τὸν θεῖον προσμείνωσιν ἔλεον. Ὁ δὲ Αἰθὰμ χορὸν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμπεπίστευτο ᾀδόντων ἐν τῷ ναῷ, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνούντων. [Οὐ γὰρ, ὥς τινες ἔφασαν εἶναι τὸν ψαλμὸν τοῦ Αἰμάν· ἀλλ' ὡς ἔφαμεν, ἐξ ῆρχε χοροῦ τῶν ᾀδόντων καὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος· παραλαμβάνων παρὰ τοῦ θειοτάτου ∆αβὶδ καὶ ᾄδειν μετὰ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν.] βʹ. "Τὰ ἐλέη σου, Κύριε, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ᾄσομαι, εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν ἀπαγγελῶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου ἐν τῷ στόματί μου." Τὸν θεῖον αἰτοῦντες ἔλεον, ὑμνοῦσι τὸν ἔλεον, καὶ τῶν πρὸς τὸν ∆αβὶδ ὑπο σχέσεων ποθοῦντες ἰδεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἑκάστην γενεὰν ὑπισχνοῦνται διδάξειν. γʹ. "Ὅτι εἶπας, Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔλεος οἰκοδομη θήσεται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἑτοιμασθήσεται ἡ ἀλήθειά σου." Τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι λόγος πρὸς τὸν ∆αβὶδ εἰρημέ νος, ὡς φυλάξει τὸν ἔλεον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τῷ σπέρ ματι. Τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τοίνυν ἀναμιμνήσκουσι ταύτης. Σὺ, φησὶν, εἶπας αὐξήσειν, ἀλλ' οὐ μειώ σειν τὸν ἔλεον. Τὸ γὰρ οἰκοδομηθήσεται, ἀντὶ τοῦ αὐξηθήσεται [καὶ προσθήκην λήψεται τέθεικεν.] Ἑδρασθήσεται, ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκεν. Ὑπέσχου, φησὶν, ἔργῳ βεβαιοῦν τὴν τῶν λόγων ἀλήθειαν. δʹ, εʹ. "∆ιεθέμην διαθήκην τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς μου." [ ̓Εκ προσώπου Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς εἴρηται ταῦτα, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς·] "Ὤμοσα ∆αβὶδ τῷ δούλῳ μου· Ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος ἑτοιμάσω τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ οἰκοδομήσω εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν τὸν θρόνον σου." Τῷ εἶπας καὶ ταῦτα συνῆπται· ὅτι ταύτας πρὸς τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς ἐποιησάμην τὰς συνθήκας. Ἐκλε κτοὺς δὲ καλεῖ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἔφη ὀμωμοκέναι καὶ τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ἀνώλεθρον αὐτοῦ φυλάξαι τὸ σπέρμα, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ τὸν τούτου θρόνον ἀνθήσειν. Οὕτω τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις διεξελθόντες, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ τέλος οὐ βλέποντες, ἀπηχὲς μὲν οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τῶν συμφορῶν εἰπεῖν ἀναγκάζονται, ὕμνοις δὲ γεραίρουσι τὸν τῶν ὅλων πρύτανιν. 80.1580 ʹ. "Ἐξομολογήσονται οἱ οὐρανοὶ τὰ θαυμάσιά σου, Κύριε· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἁγίων." Ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων, Καί γε τὴν πίστιν σου ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἁγίων· [ἀντὶ τοῦ, Τὴν πίστιν σου ἅπαντες οἱ τὴν πεποίθησιν ἔχοντες εἰς σὲ διαφυλά ξουσιν.] Σὲ γὰρ προσήκει παρὰ πάντων ὑμνεῖσθαι· οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ παρὰ τῶν τὸν οὐρανὸν οἰκούντων, ἀκριβέστερον τὰ σὰ καθορώντων θαυμάσια, καὶ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ἐπισταμένων τὸ βέβαιον· τῆς ἐπου ρανίου ταύτης ἐκκλησίας καὶ