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and from a troubling word." From here, then, he addresses his words to the believer, and encourages him, saying that He makes him superior not only to manifest enemies, but also to those who lie in wait, and set ambushes, and secretly watch for a plot. For by the trap he has indicated the secret plots. But the troubling word, Symmachus has called a word of insolence. Such are those who stitch together falsehood and slander. But nevertheless many became superior to these through their hope in God. Thus the great Joseph, having endured the slander of adultery, escaped its snares; thus the wonderful Susanna enjoyed the help from above. [And not only this, but even to the present time we have both heard and known of countless multitudes being saved.] 4. "He will overshadow you with his shoulders, and under his wings you will hope." For he will become your champion, and will cover you when you are warred against. And he has put this from the metaphor of those standing in the front lines in wars, and with their backs covering those behind. And he calls the energies of Providence "wings". And he has put this using the image of birds; for they too cover their young with their wings. Thus the blessed Moses described the care of God. He guarded them, he says, as the apple of his eye, as an eagle, covering its nest, and he yearned for his young, spreading his wings he received them, and took them up on his back. This the Master also said to Jerusalem: "How often would I have gathered your children together, as a bird gathers its young, and you were not willing?" 5. "His truth will surround you as a shield." Since he mentioned above a troubling word and falsehood, it is fitting that here he promised that his truth would become a full suit of armor. "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow 80.1612 that flies by day, [6] Of the thing that walks in darkness, nor of the mishap and demon of noonday." And not only of perceptible enemies, but also of intelligible ones you will be victorious through divine hope, and you will escape both the plots that come by night, and the attacks made by enemies during the day, and having courage, since you are guarded by God, you will drive out fear, and you will not be anxious even in the middle of the day, but you will escape the plots of demons, partaking of the help from above. And he has put "noonday demon" according to the opinion held by the many. It is likely also that those who plot against men, after food and satiety, run as if to a ready prey, and easily enslave those who are bereft of care from above. 7, 8. "A thousand shall fall at your side; and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you behold, and see the reward of the wicked." Instead of "at your side," Symmachus and Aquila have put "from your flank." And he says that even if from your right, even if from your left, an infinite multitude should come forth, no harm befalls you, but you will see them cast down by a divine blow. This also happened in the time of Hezekiah; for one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians were struck down without instruments of war. Thus in the time of Gideon, thus in the time of Jonathan, and indeed also in the time of Jehoshaphat, and in the time of the prophet Elisha, this very thing happened. 9. "Because you, Lord, are my hope, you have made the Most High your refuge." And of this providence, he says, you would enjoy, having used hope in God, and having made him your refuge. For the phrase "you said" is missing in the composition of the sentence, "you, Lord, are my hope." For this is an idiom of prophetic writing, and especially of the psalms. But nevertheless the context makes the ambiguous clear. For since, he says, you hope in God, and call on him for help, you receive care from him. 10. "No evil shall come near you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling." You will be superior to the diabolical

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τῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ λόγου ταραχώδους." Ἐντεῦθεν λοιπὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν ποιεῖται τὸν πεπιστευκότα τοὺς λόγους, καὶ παραθαῤῥύνει λέγων, ὡς οὐ μόνον προ φανῶν αὐτὸν πολεμίων ἀποφαίνει κρείττονα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐνεδρευόντων, καὶ λοχώντων, καὶ λάθρα τυρευόντων τὴν ἐπιβουλήν. ∆ιὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς παγίδος τὰς λαθραίας ἐπιβουλὰς παρεδή λωσε. Τὸν δὲ ταραχώδη λόγον, ἐπηρείας λόγον ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκε. Τοιοῦτοι δὲ οἱ ψεῦδος καὶ συκο φαντίας ῥάπτοντες. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τούτων κρείτ τους ἐγένοντο διὰ τῆς εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδος πολλοί. Οὕτως ὁ μέγας Ἰωσὴφ, μοιχείας ὑπομείνας συκοφαντίαν, τοὺς ταύτης παγίδας ἀπέφυγεν· οὕτως ἡ θαυμασία Σουσάννα τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐπικου ρίας ἀπήλαυσεν. [Καὶ οὐ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος μυριάδας ἀναριθμήτους καὶ ἠκούσαμεν καὶ ἔγνωμεν σωθείσας.] δʹ. "Ἐν τοῖς μεταφρένοις αὑτοῦ ἐπισκιάσει σοι, καὶ ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ ἐλπιεῖς." Πρόμαχος γάρ σου γενήσεται, καὶ καλύψει σε πο λεμούμενον. Τέθεικε δὲ τοῦτο ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν πρώτων ἐν πολέμοις ἑστώτων, καὶ τοῖς μεταφρένοις καλυπτόντων τοὺς ὄπισθεν. Πτέρυγας δὲ καλεῖ τῆς Προνοίας τὰς ἐνεργείας. Τέθεικε δὲ τοῦτο τῇ τῶν ὀρνίθων εἰκόνι χρησάμενος· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τοῖς πτεροῖς τοὺς νεοττοὺς συγκαλύπτουσιν. Οὕτως ὁ μακάριος Μωσῆς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίαν ἐκάλεσε. ∆ιεφύλαξεν αὐτοὺς, φησὶν, ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ, ὡς ἀετὸς, σκεπάσαι νοσσιὰν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς νεοσσοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐπεπόθησε, διεὶς τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ ἐδέξατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν μετα φρένων αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης πρὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔφη· "Ποσάκις ἐθέλησα συναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα σου, ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις ἐπισυνάγει τὰ νοσσία ἑαυτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε;" εʹ. "Ὅπλῳ κυκλώσει σε ἡ ἀλήθεια αὐτοῦ." Ἐπειδὴ λόγου ταραχώδους καὶ ψεύδους ἐμνημό νευσεν ἄνω, εἰκότως ἐνταῦθα ὑπέσχετο πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. "Οὐ φοβηθήσῃ ἀπὸ φόβου νυκτερινοῦ, ἀπὸ βέ 80.1612 λους πετομένου ἡμέρας, [ʹ] Ἀπὸ πράγματος ἐν σκότει διαπορευομένου, ἀπὸ συμπτώματος καὶ δαιμονίου μεσημβρινοῦ." Οὐ μόνων δὲ τῶν αἰσθη τῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν νοητῶν περιγενήσῃ δυσμενῶν διὰ τῆς θείας ἐλπίδος, καὶ διαφεύξῃ καὶ τὰς νύκτωρ ἐπιούσας ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ τὰς μεθ' ἡμέραν γενο μένας παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν προσβολὰς, καὶ θάρσος ἔχων, ἅτε δὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ φρουρούμενος, ἐξελάσεις τὸ δέος, καὶ οὔτε μεσούσης ἡμέρας ἀγωνιάσεις, ἀλλὰ τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιβουλὰς διαδράσεις, τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐπικουρίας μεταλαγχάνων. ∆αιμόνιον δὲ μεσημβρινὸν κατὰ τὴν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς κατ έχουσαν τέθεικε δόξαν. Εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἀν θρώπων ἐπιβούλους, μετὰ τροφὴν καὶ τὸν κόρον, ὡς ἐφ' ἕτοιμον θήραμα τρέχειν, καὶ τοὺς ἐρήμους τῆς ἄνωθεν κηδεμονίας καταδουλοῦσθαι ῥᾳδίως. ζʹ, ηʹ. "Πεσεῖται ἐκ τοῦ κλίτους σου χιλιάς· καὶ μυριὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου· πρὸς σὲ δὲ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ. Πλὴν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου κατανοήσεις, καὶ ἀνταπόδοσιν ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄψει." Ἀντὶ τοῦ κλίτους σου, ὁ Σύμμαχος καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας, ἐκ πλαγίου τεθείκασιν. Λέγει δὲ, ὅτι Κἂν ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, κἂν ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου, πλῆθος ἄπειρον ἐξέλθῃ, σοὶ μὲν οὐ δεμία προσγίνεται λώβη, ὄψῃ δὲ ἐκείνους θείᾳ κατα βαλλομένους πληγῇ. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐζεκίου γε γένηται· ὀκτωκαίδεκα γὰρ μυριάδες, καὶ πέντε χι λιάδες τῶν Ἀσσυρίων κατηκοντίσθησαν πολεμικῶν ὀργάνων χωρίς. Οὕτως ἐπὶ τοῦ Γεδεὼν, οὕτως ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν, καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωσαφὰτ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ προφήτου Ἐλισσαίου αὐτὸ τοῦτο γεγέ νηται. θʹ. "Ὅτι σὺ, Κύριε, ἡ ἐλπίς μου, τὸν Ὕψιστον ἔθου καταφυγήν σου." Ταύτης δὲ, φησὶ, τῆς προ μηθείας ἀπολαύσαις, τῇ εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίδι χρησά μενος, καὶ τοῦτον καταφυγὴν ποιησάμενος. Ἐλ λείπει γὰρ τῇ συνθήκῃ τοῦ λόγου τὸ εἶπας, σὺ, Κύριε, ἡ ἐλπίς μου. Ἰδίωμα γὰρ τοῦτο τῆς προφητικῆς συγγραφῆς, διαφερόντως δὲ τῶν ψαλμῶν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡ ἀκολουθία δῆλον ποιεῖ τὸ ἀμφίβολον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐλπίζεις εἰς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἰς ἐπικουρίαν αὐτὸν καλεῖς, τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ κηδεμο νίας τυγχάνεις. ιʹ. "Οὐ προσελεύσεται πρὸς σὲ κακὰ, καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ ἐν τῷ σκηνώματί σου." Κρείττων ἔσῃ τῶν διαβολικῶν