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Aquila, instead of dominion, has put power. "Let your hand be strengthened; let your right hand be exalted." But Symmachus has it thus: Your hand is invincible, your right hand is high. We have often said that by "hand" he indicates energy; and by "right hand," good energy; needing, therefore, a twofold energy, they mentioned both. For they desire to see their enemies overthrown, and they themselves long to attain salvation. For this reason, they call the hand invincible, and the right hand high, as being able to both punish those and to free them. And this they also show through the things that follow. 15. "Righteousness and judgment are the preparation of your throne; mercy and truth shall go before your face." For, beseeching God to judge between them and the Babylonians, they entreat him to deliver a just verdict against those, but to grant mercy to them, and to show the truth of his promise. For this reason, they said that the judicial throne was adorned with righteousness and judgment, but that mercy and truth go before God, as the promise was made many generations ago. 16. "Blessed is the people that knows the joyful shout." A joyful shout, as we have often said, is the voice of those who have been victorious. Since, therefore, having been defeated they were enslaved, they call blessed those who are victorious; but the word also prophesies of the people, who in every land and sea offer the mystical joyful shout to God, and sing the victory hymn. And with this thought what follows also agrees. "O Lord, they shall walk in the light of your countenance. [17.] And in your name shall they rejoice all the day long; and in your righteousness shall they be exalted." And they shout for joy, and sing a paean against their enemies, and to you, the giver of victory, they offer the victory hymn, being illuminated by your appearance, and receiving light from you [through the regeneration of the font,] and continually enjoying gladness, and establishing the ordained righteousness, and becoming thereby high and renowned. 18. "For you are the boast of their strength." They have a high opinion, he says, of your power; for from you they received it. "And in your righteousness shall our horn be exalted." And we, he says, have this hope, and we await your 80.1585 aid; for through this we shall be stronger than our enemies; for he called strength and power "horn," by a metaphor from horned animals, which, being armed with horns, use these against their attackers. 19. "For the help is of the Lord, and of the Holy One of Israel, our king." And by this hope we are nourished, having you as king, living under your guardianship. 20. "Then you spoke in a vision to your sons." But Symmachus has it thus: Then you spoke through a vision to your sons. For we know your promises which were made through the prophets. For they called these men both "seers" and "watchers." "And you said: I have laid help upon one that is mighty;" I have exalted one chosen out of my people. [21.] I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him." You, he says, testified to your servant David, and finding him mighty in the achievements of virtue, you deemed him worthy of your help, and you chose him, and anointed him, and appointed him king. 22. "For my hand shall help him, and my arm shall strengthen him." And you said that you would provide him strength, and that you would impart to him your guardianship. 23. "The enemy shall have no advantage over him. And the son of iniquity shall not add to do him harm." And you promised to show the plots of his enemies to be in vain, and to make him stronger than those who try to harm him. 24, 25. "And I will cut down his foes from before his face; and I will put to flight them that hate him. And my truth and my mercy shall be with him; and in my name shall his horn be exalted." And you promised to overthrow all his enemies, and to provide him with your sure loving-kindness, and to make him renowned and conspicuous. 80.1588 20. "And I will set his hand in the sea; and in the rivers

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ὁ Ἀκύλας ἀντὶ δυναστείας, δύναμιν τέθεικεν. "Κραταιωθήτω ἡ χείρ σου· ὑψω θήτω ἡ δεξιά σου." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Ἀήττητος ἡ χείρ σου, ὑψηλὴ ἡ δεξιά σου. Πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, ὡς διὰ τῆς χειρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν δηλοῖ· διὰ δὲ τῆς δεξιᾶς, τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐνέργειαν· διπλῆς τοί νυν ἐνεργείας δεόμενοι, ἀμφοτέρων ἐμνήσθησαν. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς πολεμίους καταλυθέντας ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἰδεῖν, καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ποθοῦσι τυχεῖν. Οὗ δὴ χά ριν ἀήττητον μὲν τὴν χεῖρα, ὑψηλὴν δὲ καλοῦσι τὴν δεξιὰν, ὡς δυναμένην κἀκείνους κολάσαι, καὶ αὐ τοὺς ἐλευθερῶσαι. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐπιφερο μένων δηλοῦσι. ιεʹ. "∆ικαιοσύνη καὶ κρῖμα ἑτοιμασία τοῦ θρό νου σου· ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια προπορεύσονται πρὸ προσώπου σου." Αὐτοῖς γὰρ καὶ Βαβυλωνίοις δικά σαι τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύοντες, ἀντιβολοῦσι κατ' ἐκείνων μὲν δικαίαν τὴν ψῆφον ἐξενεγκεῖν, αὐτοῖς δὲ τὸν ἔλεον παρασχεῖν, καὶ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως τὴν ἀλήθειαν δεῖξαι. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο τῇ μὲν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ τῷ κρί ματι τὸν δικαστικὸν ἔφασαν κεκοσμῆσθαι θρόνον, ἔλεον δὲ καὶ ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ προοδεύειν, ὡς πρὸ πολλῶν γενεῶν τῆς ὑποσχέσεως γενομένης. ιʹ. "Μακάριος ὁ λαὸς ὁ γινώσκων ἀλαλαγμόν." Ἀλαλαγμὸς, ὡς πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, νενικηκότων ἐστὶ φωνή. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἡττηθέντες ἠνδραποδί σθησαν, μακαρίζουσι τοὺς νικήσαντας· προθεσπίζει δὲ ὁ λόγος καὶ τὸν λαὸν, τὸν ἐν πάσῃ γῇ καὶ θα λάττῃ τὸν μυστικὸν ἀλαλαγμὸν προσφέροντα τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὸν ἐπινίκιον ὕμνον ᾄδοντα. Ταύτῃ δὲ διανοίᾳ καὶ ἐπαγόμενα συμφωνεῖ. "Κύριε, ἐν τῷ φωτὶ τοῦ προσώπου σου πορεύσον ται. [ιζʹ.] Καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἀγαλλιάσονται ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ὑψωθήσον ται." Ἀλαλάζουσι δὲ, καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν παια νίζουσι, καὶ σοὶ τῷ νικοποιῷ τὸν ἐπινίκιον ὕμνον προσφέρουσι, τῇ σῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ καταυγαζόμενοι, καὶ τὸ παρὰ σοῦ δεχόμενοι φῶς [διὰ τῆς τοῦ λου τροῦ παλιγγενεσίας,] καὶ διηνεκῶς ἀπολαύοντες θυμηδίας, καὶ τὴν νενομοθετημένην κατορθοῦντες δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ὑψηλοὶ καὶ περιφανεῖς ἐντεῦθεν γινόμενοι. ιηʹ. "Ὅτι καύχημα τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῶν σὺ εἶ." Μέγα, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ δυνάμει φρονοῦσι· παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ ταύτην ἐδέξαντο. "Καὶ ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ὑψωθήσεται τὸ κέρας ἡμῶν." Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ, φησὶ, ταύτην ἔχομεν τὴν ἐλπίδα, καὶ τὴν σὴν ἐπικου 80.1585 ρίαν προσμένομεν· διὰ ταύτην γὰρ κρείττους τῶν πολεμίων ἐσόμεθα· κέρας γὰρ τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τὸ κράτος ἐκάλεσεν, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν κερασφόρων ζώων, ἃ τοῖς κέρασι καθωπλισμένα, τούτοις κέ χρηνται κατὰ τῶν ἐπιόντων. ιθʹ. "Ὅτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ ἀντίληψις, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰσραὴλ βασιλέως ἡμῶν." Ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ ἐλπίδι τρεφόμεθά σε βασιλέα ἔχοντες, ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν κηδεμονίαν τελοῦντες. κʹ. "Τότε ἐλάλησας ἐν ὁράσει τοῖς υἱοῖς σου." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Τότε ἐλάλησας δι' ὁρά σεως τοῖς υἱοῖς σου. Οἴδαμεν γάρ σου τὰς διὰ τῶν προφητῶν γεγενημένας ἐπαγγελίας. Τούτους γὰρ καὶ ὁρῶντας καὶ βλέποντας ὠνόμαζον. "Καὶ εἶπας· Ἐθέμην βοήθειαν ἐπὶ δυνατόν·" ὕψωσα ἐκλεκτὸν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ μου. [καʹ.] Εὗρον ∆αβὶδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου· ἐν ἐλαίῳ ἁγίῳ μου ἔχρισα αὐτόν." Σὺ, φησὶ, τῷ θεράποντί σου ∆αβὶδ ἐμαρ τύρησας, καὶ δυνατὸν ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς εὑρὼν κατ ορθώμασι τῆς σῆς βοηθείας ἠξίωσας, καὶ ἐξελέξω, καὶ ἔχρισας, καὶ βασιλέα κεχειροτόνηκας. κβʹ. "Ἡ γὰρ χείρ μου συναντιλήψεται αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ βραχίων μου κατισχύσει αὐτόν." Εἶπας δὲ αὐτῷ παρέξειν ἰσχὺν, καὶ τῆς σῆς αὐτῷ μεταδώσειν κηδεμονίας. κγʹ. "Οὐκ ὠφελήσει ἐχθρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ. Καὶ υἱὸς ἀνομίας οὐ προσθήσει τοῦ κακῶσαι αὐτόν." Ὑπ έσχου δὲ καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ ματαίας δείξειν ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ τῶν λωβᾶσθαι πειρωμένων κρείττονα καταστήσειν κδʹ, κεʹ. "Καὶ συγκόψω ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ· καὶ τοὺς μισοῦντας αὐτὸν τροπώσο μαι. Καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά μου, καὶ τὸ ἔλεός μου μετ' αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου ὑψωθήσεται τὸ κέ ρας αὐτοῦ." Ἐπηγγείλω δὲ καὶ ἅπαντας αὐτοῦ κα ταλύσειν τοὺς πολεμίους, καὶ βεβαίαν αὐτῷ τὴν σὴν παρέξειν φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ περιφανῆ ποιήσειν αὐτὸν καὶ περίβλεπτον. 80.1588 κʹ. "Καὶ θήσομαι ἐν θαλάσσῃ χεῖρα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐν ποταμοῖς