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your servants." Do not for long, Master, overlook those in pain, but receive the supplication, and deem your servants worthy of your loving-kindness. 14. "We were filled in the morning with your mercy, and we rejoiced, and we were made glad in all our days." The tense is changed in the Septuagint. For Aquila and the others have said thus, 'Fill us in the morning with your mercy, and we shall praise, and we shall be made glad in all our days.' They call the change of misfortunes 'morning' and 'dawn'; and they supplicate that that darkness be scattered, and that a light might rise for them, not because of their own virtue, but because of the divine mercy. For when this happens, he says, being filled with all gladness, we will offer up the fitting hymnody. 15. "We were made glad for the days in which you humbled us; for the years in which we saw evil." And here likewise the tense is changed. For Symmachus and the rest have said, 'Make us glad.' Grant, he says, cheerfulness instead of despondency, and bestow a change from the misfortune that lies upon us. 16. And look upon your servants and upon your works. And from this it is clear that they have not said these things as having happened, but as about to happen. For they did not say, "You looked upon your servants and upon your works." For we, he says, are your works, and we are servants of your dominion; therefore we entreat to receive your providence. "And guide their sons." That is, your servants; for those in Babylon offering the supplication entreat God to bring back the sons of his deceased 80.1608 servants, and human nature exhorts the people found at the epiphany of our Savior to be guided to the truth. 17. "And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us." [He calls the incarnation of God the Word 'brightness'; for then] the light of the knowledge of God also made us bright and renowned. [For concerning this the son of thunder said: "The light shines in the darkness."] And the Jews after the return became conspicuous again. "And direct the works of our hands upon us; and direct the work of our hands." The addition of 'upon us' is good. For the profit of righteousness is ours; and while God works with the lovers of virtue, and accomplishes its deeds with them, yet those who sow reap their fruit. For God is without need; yet he rejoices in the good fortune and well-doing of men, [whenever they offer their whole selves to him as a sacrifice; just as Paul teaches: "I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Amen.]

INTERPRETATION OF THE 6TH PSALM. "A praise of a song for David, without inscription among the Hebrews." Although without inscription, the

psalm teaches the invincible nature of hope in God. For the blessed David, having seen from afar with spiritual eyes the things concerning the blessed Hezekiah, and having seen how, by hoping in God, he destroyed the army of the Assyrians, uttered this psalm, teaching all men how great a harvest of good things there is in trusting God, [which each person, being guided by this song, securing his own life and having his own confidence in the Savior, entreats]. 1. "He that dwells in the help of the Most High, shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven." He who trusts in the divine care, he says, will enjoy the protection of the God of heaven, and will have this as a strong rampart, and an inviolable security. [And when he should wear this shield and, being helped by it, should be kept unwounded, then he will say.] 2. "He will say to God: You are my helper, and my refuge, my God, and I will hope in 80.1609 him." For having a firm hope in him, he will call him protector, and guardian, and an indestructible rampart. 3. "For he shall deliver me from the snare of the hunt-

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δούλους σου." Μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, ∆έσποτα, παρίδῃς ὀδυνωμένους, ἀλλὰ δέξαι τὴν ἱκε τείαν, καὶ φιλανθρωπίας τοὺς σοὺς ἀξίωσον δούλους. ιδʹ. "Ἐνεπλήσθημεν τὸ πρωῒ τοῦ ἐλέους σου, καὶ ἠγαλλιασάμεθα, καὶ ηὐφράνθημεν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἡμῶν." Ὁ χρόνος ἐνήλλακται παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα. Ὁ γὰρ Ἀκύλας καὶ οἱἄλλοι οὕτως εἰρήκασιν, Ἔμπλησον ἡμᾶς ἐν πρωΐᾳ ἐλέους σου, καὶ αἰνέσομεν, καὶ εὐφραν θησόμεθα ἐν πάσαις ἡμέραις ἡμῶν. Πρωΐαν καὶ ὄρθρον καλοῦσι τῶν συμφορῶν τὴν μεταβο λήν· καὶ ἱκετεύουσιν ἐκεῖνο μὲν σκεδασθῆναι τὸ σκότος, ἀνατεῖλαι δὲ αὐτοῖς φῶς, οὐ διὰ τὴν οἰ κείαν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν θεῖον ἔλεον. Τούτου γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐσομένου, πάσης θυμηδίας ἐμφορηθέντες, τὴν προσήκουσαν ὑμνῳδίαν προσοίσομεν. ιεʹ. "Εὐφράνθημεν ἀνθ' ὧν ἡμερῶν ἐταπεί νωσας ἡμᾶς· ἐτῶν, ὧν εἴδομεν κακά." Καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁμοίως ὁ χρόνος ἐνήλλακται. Ὁ Σύμμαχος γὰρ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ, Εὔφρανον ἡμᾶς, εἰρήκασι. Παράσχου, φησὶν, εὐθυμίαν ἀντὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας, καὶ χάρισαι τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἡμῖν δυσκληρίας μεταβολήν. ιʹ. Καὶ ἴδε ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους σου καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα σου. Καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς γεγενη μένα ταῦτα εἰρήκασιν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐσόμενα. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπον, "Εἶδες ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους σου καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα σου." Σὰ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡμεῖς ποιήματα, καὶ τῆς σῆς ὑπάρχομεν δεσποτείας οἰκέται· διὸ τῆς σῆς προνοίας ἀντιβολοῦμεν τυχεῖν. Καὶ ὁδήγησον τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν." Τουτέστι τοὺς δούλους σου· οἵ τε γὰρ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι τὴν ἱκετείαν προσφέ ροντες ἀντιβολοῦσι τὸν Θεὸν τῶν τετελευτηκότων 80.1608 αὐτοῦ δούλων ἐπαναγαγεῖν τοὺς υἱοὺς, καὶ ἡ ἀν θρωπεία φύσις ὁδηγηθῆναι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν πα ρακαλεῖ τοὺς εὑρισκομένους ἀνθρώπους ἐν τῇ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφανείᾳ. ιζʹ. "Καὶ ἔστω ἡ λαμπρότης Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς." [Λαμπρότητα τὴν ἐνανθρώ πησιν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου καλεῖ· τότε γὰρ] καὶ ἡμᾶς λαμπροὺς καὶ περιφανεῖς ἀπέφηνε τῆς θεογνωσίας τὸ φῶς. [Περὶ γὰρ τούτου ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸς ἔφησε· "Τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει."] Καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον περίβλεπτοι πάλιν ἐγένοντο. "Καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν κατεύ θυνον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς· καὶ τὸ ἔργον τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν κατεύθυνον." Καλὴ τοῦ, ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ἡ προσ θήκη. Ἡμέτερον γὰρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸ κέρδος· καὶ ὁ μὲν Θεὸς συνεργεῖ τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐρασταῖς, καὶ τὰ ταύτης συγκατορθοῖ, τὸν δὲ τούτων καρπὸν οἱ σπείροντες δρέπονται. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἀνεν δεής· χαίρει δὲ ὅμως τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐκληρίᾳ τε καὶ εὐπραξίᾳ, [ὅτ' ἂν ὅλους ἑαυτοὺς αὐτῷ θυσίαν προσκομίζωσι· καθάπερ Παῦλος ἐκπαιδεύει· "Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, ἁγίαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ, τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν. Ἀμήν.]

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ςʹ. ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. "Αἶνος ᾠδῆς τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ἀνεπίγραφος παρ' Ἑβραίοις." Ἀνεπίγραφος μὲν ὁ

ψαλμὸς, διδάσκει δὲ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίδος τὸ ἄμαχον. Ὁ γὰρ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ πνευματικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τὰ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Ἐζεκίαν πόῤῥωθεν θεασάμενος, καὶ ἰδὼν ὅπως εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίσας τὴν Ἀσσυρίων κατέλυσε στρατείαν, τοῦτον εἴρηκε τὸν ψαλμὸν, πάντας διδάσκων ἀνθρώπους, ὅσην ἀγαθῶν ἔχει φορὰν τὸ πεποιθέναι Θεῷ, [ἣν ἕκαστος διὰ ταύ της ποδηγούμενος τῆς ᾠδῆς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον ἀσφα λιζόμενος καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πεποίθησιν ἔχων πρὸς τὸν Σωτῆρα ἀντιβολεῖ]. αʹ. "Ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν βοηθείᾳ τοῦ Ὑψίστου, ἐν σκέπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐλισθήσεται." Ὁ τῇ θείᾳ, φησὶ, κηδεμονίᾳ θαῤῥῶν, τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ φυλακῆς ἀπολαύσεται, καὶ τοῦτον ἕξει περίβολον ὀχυρὸν, καὶ ἀσφάλειαν ἄσυλον. [Ὅτε δὲ φορέσειε τὸν θυρεὸν τοῦτον καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ βοη θούμενος ἄτρωτος φυλαχθείη, τότε ἐρεῖ.] βʹ. "Ἐρεῖ τῷ Θεῷ· Ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ, καὶ καταφυγή μου, ὁ Θεός μου, καὶ ἐλπιῶ ἐπ' 80.1609 αὐτόν." Βεβαίαν γὰρ ἔχων τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλπίδα, καὶ προστάτην καλέσει, καὶ κηδεμόνα, καὶ περί βολον ἀκατάλυτον. γʹ. "Ὅτι αὐτὸς ῥύσεταί με ἐκ παγίδος θηρευ