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the psalm is spoken? Some things are about Judas, with the Spirit prophesying through David, and the rest are about others. For this is again a manner of prophecy. And in many places we shall find it so composed, with the introductory parts spoken of one person, and the remaining parts of another. And that you may also see this very thing from another side, when the Jews were entering the land of promise, the son of Nun is commanded by God, dividing the twelve tribes into twelve parts, that some should bless and others should curse. And both the blessing and the curse were prophecies of things to come. For it said: Cursed are you in the city, cursed in the field; and composing myriad such curses, the tribes completed a long discourse. This indeed can be said here also, that a prophecy is composed in the form of a curse, both announcing and proclaiming beforehand the things that would happen to Judas, and then after him raising another subject, and taking a stand against certain ones who had risen up against the priesthood; so that we may learn how great an evil it is to rise up against the priests of God, and to use deceit and injustice against them. For the things that have been said are nothing other than a teaching of the things that will happen to those who wrong their neighbors, to those who rise up with deceit and a corrupt mind against those who have done no wrong. And if it deems the children worthy to be punished, do not be disturbed, beloved; for here it calls children those who have partaken in the wickedness of such men. For Scripture knows to call children both those who are so by kinship, and those who have lived together in wickedness, even if they are not children by nature, as when it says: You are sons of the devil. And yet by nature the Jews were not sons of the devil. For how could those clothed in flesh be of the incorporeal one? But by fellowship in wickedness they drew upon themselves the kinship. Thus he also casts them out from Abraham, saying: If you were of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham. For that a son is not punished for the father, nor a father for the son, is surely clear to everyone. And in the Law this is shown to be said, unless one should raise him badly; and even then it is not for the son, but for his own negligence, as was the case with Eli. 3. But if you please, let us go through the psalm from the beginning. O God, do not pass over my praise in silence. But another interpreter says: O God, do not be deaf to my hymn. Another, Do not be silent; that is, do not pass over the punishment, but prosecute what has been done. For you are the glorious, the great, and able to correct such things. Because the mouth of the sinner, and the mouth of the deceitful has been opened against me. They have spoken against me with a deceitful tongue and with words of hatred they have surrounded me, and they have fought against me without a cause. Instead of loving me they slandered me; but I prayed. Have you seen widespread wickedness? have you seen fellowship in 55.262 counsel? have you seen premeditation? For this especially provokes God, when those who pursue wicked things do so from counsel, and thought, and much practice. For it is one thing, having been carried away and deceived, to be tripped up; another, to make wickedness a business; and another, a very great crime, when they also act wickedly against one who is not acting wickedly. For to say, "Instead of loving me they slandered me," shows nothing else than that toward a certain benefactor, and one worthy of being loved, and of receiving good returns, they showed the opposite. But I prayed. Have you seen philosophy? have you seen forbearance? have you seen meekness? have you seen reverence of soul? I did not arm myself, he says, nor did I set myself in array against them, but I fled to you for refuge; I called upon your alliance, the decisive force, the greatest weapon, the invincible aid. Then, after saying the things concerning Judas—how he condemned himself, how he brought the sentence of death against himself, how he hanged himself, how his apostleship was transferred to another—he again takes up the former subject. And

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ὁ ψαλμὸς εἴρηται; Ἔνια περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα, τοῦ Πνεύματος προφητεύοντος διὰ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ περὶ ἑτέρων. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτος προφητείας πάλιν τρόπος ἐστί. Καὶ πολλαχοῦ αὐτὸν εὑρήσομεν οὕτω συγκείμενον, καὶ τὰ μὲν προοίμια εἰς ἕτερον, τὰ δὲ λειπόμενα εἰς ἄλλον λεγόμενα. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθεν ἴδῃς τοῦτο αὐτὸ, ἡνίκα εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας εἰσῄεσαν Ἰουδαῖοι, διαιρῶν τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς εἰς δώδεκα μέρη, τὰς μὲν εὐλογεῖν, τὰς δὲ ἀρᾶσθαι κελεύεται ὑπὸ Θεοῦ ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ. Καὶ ἡ εὐλογία δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀρὰ προφητεῖαι τῶν γενησομένων ἦσαν Καὶ γὰρ ἔλεγεν· Ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἐν πόλει, ἐπικατάρατος ἐν ἀγρῷ· καὶ μυρίας τοιαύτας ἀρὰς συντιθεῖσαι αἱ φυλαὶ μακρὸν λόγον ἀπήρτισαν. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐν τάξει ἀρᾶς προφητεία συντέθειται, τά τε τῷ Ἰούδᾳ συμβησόμενα ἀπαγγέλλουσα καὶ προαναφωνοῦσα, εἶτα καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἑτέραν τινὰ ἀνακινοῦσα ὑπόθεσιν, καὶ ἱσταμένη κατά τινων ἱερωσύνῃ ἐπαναστάντων· ἵνα μάθωμεν ἡλίκον κακόν ἐστι τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπανίστασθαι, καὶ δόλῳ καὶ ἀδικίᾳ κατ' αὐτῶν κεχρῆσθαι. Τὰ γὰρ εἰρημένα οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν, ἢ διδασκαλία τῶν συμβησομένων τοῖς τοὺς πλησίον ἀδικοῦσι, τοῖς κατεξανισταμένοις μετὰ δόλου καὶ γνώμης διεφθαρμένης τῶν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότων. Εἰ δὲ τοὺς παῖδας ἀξιοῖ κολάζεσθαι, μὴ θορυβηθῇς, ἀγαπητέ· παῖδας γὰρ ἐνταῦθά φησι τοὺς τῇ πονηρίᾳ τῶν τοιούτων κεκοινωνηκότας. Οἶδε γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ παῖδας καλεῖν καὶ τοὺς κατὰ συγγένειαν, καὶ τοὺς πονηρίᾳ συνεζηκότας, κἂν μὴ τῇ φύσει παῖδες ὦσιν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Ὑμεῖς υἱοὶ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ. Καίτοι γε κατὰ φύσιν υἱοὶ τοῦ διαβόλου οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι οὐκ ἦσαν. Πῶς γὰρ τοῦ ἀσωμάτου οἱ σάρκα περικείμενοι; Ἀλλὰ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς πονηρίας τὴν συγγένειαν ἐπεσπάσαντο. Οὕτως αὐτοὺς καὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἐκβάλλει, λέγων· Εἰ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἦτε, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἂν ἐποιεῖτε. Ὅτι γὰρ υἱὸς οὐ κολάζεται διὰ τὸν πατέρα, οὔτε πατὴρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ υἱοῦ, παντί που δῆλον. Καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τοῦτο δείκνυται εἰρημένον, πλὴν εἰ μὴ κακῶς αὐτὸν ἀναγάγοι· καὶ τότε δὲ οὐχ ὑπὲρ υἱοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκείας ῥᾳθυμίας, ὥσπερ ὁ Ἠλεί. γʹ. Εἰ δὲ δοκεῖ, καὶ τὸν ψαλμὸν ἄνωθεν ἐπέλθωμεν. Ὁ Θεὸς, τὴν αἴνεσίν μου μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς. Ἕτερος δὲ ἑρμηνευτής φησι· Θεὲ, ὑμνήσεώς μου μὴ κωφεύσῃς. Ἄλλος, Μὴ σιγήσῃς· τουτέστι, μὴ παραδράμῃς τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἀλλ' ἐπέξελθε τοῖς γεγενημένοις. Σὺ γὰρ εἶ ὁ ἔνδοξος, ὁ μέγας, καὶ δυνατὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα διορθοῦν. Ὅτι στόμα ἁμαρτωλοῦ, καὶ στόμα δολίου ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἠνοίχθη. Ἐλάλησαν κατ' ἐμοῦ γλώσσῃ δολίᾳ καὶ λόγοις μίσους ἐκύκλωσάν με, καὶ ἐπολέμησάν με δωρεάν. Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀγαπᾷν με ἐνδιέβαλλόν με· ἐγὼ δὲ προσηυχόμην. Εἶδες πονηρίαν ἐκτεταμένην; εἶδες κοινωνίαν ἐπι 55.262 βουλῆς; εἶδες μελέτην; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα παροξύνει τὸν Θεὸν, ὅταν τὰ φαῦλα ἀπὸ βουλῆς, καὶ σκέψεως, καὶ πολλῆς τῆς γυμνασίας ἐργάζωνται οἱ μετιόντες. Ἕτερον γάρ ἐστι, συναρπαγέντα καὶ ἀπατηθέντα ὑποσκελισθῆναι· ἕτερον, ἔργον ποιούμενον τὴν πονηρίαν· καὶ ἕτερον, ἔγκλημα μέγιστον, ὅταν καὶ πονηρεύωνται κατὰ τοῦ μὴ πονηρευομένου. Τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀγαπᾷν με ἐνδιέβαλλόν με, οὐδὲν ἕτερον δείκνυσιν, ἢ ὅτι εἰς εὐεργέτην τινὰ, καὶ ἄξιον τοῦ φιλεῖσθαι, καὶ χρηστὰς ἀμοιβὰς λαμβάνειν, τὰ ἐναντία ἐπεδείκνυντο. Ἐγὼ δὲ προσηυχόμην. Εἶδες φιλοσοφίαν; εἶδες ἐπιείκειαν; εἶδες πραότητα; εἶδες ψυχῆς εὐλάβειαν; Οὐχ ὡπλιζόμην, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ἀντιπαρεταττόμην, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ σὲ κατέφευγον· τὴν σὴν ἐκάλουν συμμαχίαν, τὴν ῥοπὴν, τὸ μέγιστον ὅπλον, τὴν βοήθειαν τὴν ἀχείρωτον. Εἶτα εἰπὼν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰούδαν, πῶς ἑαυτὸν κατεδίκασε, πῶς τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτου ἐξήνεγκε ψῆφον καθ' ἑαυτοῦ, πῶς ἀπήγξατο, πῶς ἡ ἀποστολὴ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἕτερον μετέστη, πάλιν ἔχεται τῆς προτέρας ὑποθέσεως. Καὶ