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let not my enemy rejoice over me. When I am shown to be acceptable to you, when I rise and am known, that it is according to your will. It is possible for both Judas himself and the devil who worked through him. That they might rejoice, they encompassed him with death; when he had risen they do not rejoice, but rather incur shame and endure fear, seeing the one they pierced. 13 But you have helped me because of my innocence. For I knew no sin, even though I became sin; even though I became a curse, I was not shown to be a curse because of a preceding sin, but that I might undo the curse and provide a blessing. And just as he became sin, that he might make those for whom he became sin the righteousness of God, so he became a curse, not that he might be held by the curse. This very thing, therefore, became a curse for a blessing, sin for righteousness, he undertook death for life. Innocence, therefore, often signifies simplicity, but sometimes it signifies complete purity from sin. But when it says, "the innocent believes every word," and, "bad company corrupts good morals," it speaks of superficial good morals. And complete virtue is also called innocence, concerning which it says: "the innocent and upright clung to me." 13 And you have established me before you forever. Therefore, not for a little while was I not mistaken, I was innocent, before falling among enemies, but I remained innocent; for "you have established me forever." Not simply, therefore, but "before you." But not everyone who is established is established before God, but the one who has perfect establishment. "But he who establishes you with us in Christ." You, therefore, bear witness to my innocence. 14 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. So be it, so be it. The God of Israel, which is a mind that sees God, is a blessed God. To him I ascribe the grace and the victory, not to our own power; for even if I am innocent, still I do not attribute the whole thing to my innocence, but to the cooperation of God. The other interpreters say that "so be it, so be it" is like "amen." And "amen" is sometimes taken instead of an oath; for when he says, "truly I say to you," Matthew and Luke write the same word, and Matthew says, "amen, amen I say to you," but Luke says, "truly I say to you." Indeed, it is also said in the scriptures; for instance, "behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And it is also said by those who interpret the Hebrew words that it signifies what has been believed.

296 1 To the end; for understanding. For the sons of Korah. A psalm. The sons of Korah became three

temple singers. And their names are mentioned in Exodus and in Chronicles. These, just as some from faith receive one soul and one heart, so also these, having received one soul from the accompanying spirit that grants the gift of psalmody, for this reason utter the verses of the psalm in the singular. And this psalm is no ordinary one, but is filled with mysteries. For this reason it is inscribed "for understanding." Thus, for example, in the thirty-first psalm we said that it is "of understanding for David," because it contained mysteries and riddles. And here, therefore, many riddles lie. Therefore, one who encounters such psalms that are so inscribed needs understanding. And just as one must "give attention to the reading" "of the divinely inspired scripture," not only of the scriptures, but also of "all," so also these ought to be both spoken and heard with understanding. Since the word for understanding, in addition to its readily apparent meaning, also signifies something else in the phrase: "a good understanding have all they that do it." Here the understanding that is accomplished and practiced is moral virtue; for this especially regulates the character of men. It says, therefore, that this psalm ought not to be spoken with voice alone, but also to be understood and to perform deeds suitable to it according to the other meaning of understanding, concerning which also

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μὴ ἐπιχαρῇ ὁ ἐχθρός μου ἐπ' ἐμέ. ὅταν θε̣λητός σοι ἀποδειχθῶ, ὅταν ἀναστῶ καὶ γνωσθῶ, ὅτι κατὰ τὸ θέλημά σου. δύναται καὶ αὐτ̣ὸν τὸν Ἰούδα καὶ τὸν ἐνεργήσαντ̣α αὐτὸν διάβολον. ἵνα χαρῶσιν, περιέβαλον αὐτὸν θανάτῳ· ἀναστάν̣τος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπιχαίρου̣σιν, ἀλλὰ μ̣ᾶλλο̣ν αἰσχύνην ὀφλισκάνουσιν καὶ φόβον ὑφίστανται θεωρήσαντες ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν. 13 ἐμοῦ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν ἀντελάβου. οὐκ ἔγνων γὰρ ἁμαρτίαν, εἰ καὶ γέγονα ἁμαρτία̣· εἰ καὶ γέγονα κατάρα, οὐ διὰ προλαβοῦσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἀπεδείχθην κατάρα, ἀλλ' ἵνα λύσω τὴν κατάραν καὶ εὐλογίαν παράσχω̣. καὶ ὥσπερ γέγονεν ἁμαρ̣τία, ἵνα δικαιοσύνην θεοῦ ποιήσῃ τοὺς ὑπὲρ ὧν ἁμαρτία γέγονεν, οὕτω κατάρα γέγονεν, οὐχ ἵνα κρατηθῇ ὑπὸ τῆς κατάρας. αὐτὸ τοῦτο οὖν κατάρα ἐπὶ εὐλογίᾳ γέγονεν, ἁμαρτία ε᾿̣πὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, θάνατον ἀνεδέξατο διὰ ζωήν. ἡ ἀκακία οὖν πολλάκις τὴν ἀφέλειαν σημαίνει, ἔστιν δὲ ὅτε̣ τὴν παντελῆ καθαρότητα ἀπὸ ἁμαρτ̣ίας. ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ· "ἄκακος πιστεύει παντὶ λόγῳ", καὶ τό· "φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί", τὰ ἐπιπόλαια χρηστὰ ἤθη λέγει. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἀκακία ἡ παντελὴς ἀρετή, περὶ ἧς λέγει· "ἄκακοι καὶ εὐθεῖς ἐκολλῶντό μοι". 13 καὶ ἐβεβαίωσάς με ἐνώπιόν σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ο̣ὐ πρὸς ὀλίγον οὖν οὐκ̣ ε᾿̣σ̣φ̣άλην, ἄκακος ἤμην, πρὸ τοῦ περιπεσεῖν ἐχθροῖς, ἀλλ' ἔμεινα ἄκακος· "ἐβεβαίωσάς με" γα`̣ρ "εἰς αἰῶνα". οὐχ̣ ἁπλῶς οὖν, ἀλλ' "ἐνώπιόν σου". οὐ πᾶς δὲ ὁ βεβαιούμενος ἐπίπροσθεν θεοῦ βεβαιοῦται, ἀλλ' ὁ τελείαν βεβαι´̣ωσιν ἔχων. "ὁ δὲ βεβαιῶν ὑμᾶς σὺν ἡμῖν εἰς Χριστόν". σοῦ οὖν μαρτυροῦντος τῇ α᾿̣κακίᾳ μου. 14 Εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. γένοιτο γένοιτο. ὁ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ νοῦν ἔχουντος ὁρῶντα̣ θεὸν θεὸς εὐλογητός ἐστιν. αὐτῷ τὴν χάριν καὶ τὴν νίκην ἐπιγράφω, οὐχ ἡμετέρᾳ δυνάμει· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἄκακός εἰμι, ἀλλ' ο̣ὐ τῇ ἀκακίᾳ μου τὸ ὅλον δίδωμι, ἀλλὰ τῇ συνεργίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ. τὸ "3γένοιτο γένοιτο"3 ὡς τὸ "3ἀμὴν"3 λέγουσιν οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρ̣μη̣νευταί. τὸ δὲ "3ἀμὴν"3 ὁτὲ δὲ ἀντὶ ὅρκου λαμβάνεται· ὅταν γὰρ λέγῃ· "ἀληθῶς λέγω ὑμῖν", τὴν αὐτὴν λέξιν γράφει Μαθθαῖος καὶ Λουκᾶς, καὶ ὁ μὲν Μαθθαῖος λέγει· "ἀμὴν ἀμ̣ὴν λέγω ὑμῖν", ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς· "ἀληθῶς λέγω ὑμῖν". ἀμέλει γοῦν καὶ ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς λέγεται· "ἰδοὺ" γοῦν "ἡ δούλη κυρίου· γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου". λέγεται δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἑρμηνευόντων τὰς Ἑβραϊκὰς φωνὰς ὅτ̣ι̣ τὸ πε̣π̣ιστευμένον σημαίνει.

296 1 Εἰς τὸ τέλος· εἰς σύνεσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Κόρε ψαλμός. υἱοὶ τοῦ Κόρε τρεῖς

ἱεροψάλται ἐγένοντο. καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν φέρεται ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ καὶ ἐν ταῖς Παραλειπομέναις. οὗτοι, ὥσπερ τινὲς ἀπὸ πίστεως μίαν ψυχὴν και`̣ μίαν καρδίαν λαμβάνουσιν, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι ἀπὸ τοῦ συνόντος πνεύματος τοῦ τὸ ψάλλειν χαριζομένου λαβόντες ψυχη`̣ν μίαν, διὰ τοῦτο ἑνικῶς ἐκφέρουσιν τοὺς στίχους τοῦ ψαλμοῦ. ἐστὶν δὲ ὁ ψαλμὸς οὗτος οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν μυστηρίων πεπληρωμένος. διὰ τοῦτο "εἰς σύνεσιν" ἐπιγέγραπται. οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἐν τῷ τριακοστῷ πρώτῳ ἐλέγομεν, ὅτι ε᾿̣στὶν τῆς "σ̣υνέσεως τῷ ∆αυίδ", ὅτι μυστ̣ήρια περιεῖχεν καὶ αἰνίγματα. καὶ ὧδε οὖν πολλὰ αἰνίγματα κεῖται. συνέσεως̣ οὖν χρεία τῷ ἐντυγχάνοντι τοῖς τοιούτοις ψαλμοῖς τοῖς οὕτως ἐπιγεγραμμένοις. καὶ ὥσπερ "προςε´̣χ̣ειν" δ̣εῖ "τῇ ἀναγνώσει" "τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς", οὐ μόνης τῆς τῶν γραφῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ "πάσης", οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι μετα`̣ συνέσεως καὶ λέγεσθαι ὀφείλ̣ουσιν καὶ ἀκούεσθαι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ τῆς συνέσεως ὄνομα πρὸς τῷ προχ̣είρως δηλουμένῳ καὶ ἄλλο δηλοῖ ἐν τῷ· "σύνεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν". ὧδε ἡ γινομένη καὶ πραττομε´̣νη σύνεσις η῾̣ ἠθική ἐσ̣τιν ἀρ̣ετή· μάλιστα γὰρ αὕτη ῥυθμίζει τὸ ἦθος τῶν ἀνθρώπων. λέγει τοίνυν, ὅτι ὁ ψαλμὸς οὗτος οὐ φωνῇ μόνῃ λέγεσθαι ὀφείλει, ἀλλὰ καὶ νοεῖσθαι καὶ πράττειν τὰ κατάλληλα αὐτῷ ἔργα κατὰ τὸ ἕτε ρον τῆς συνέσεως σημ̣αινόμενον, περὶ οὗ καὶ