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For they make understanding not something other than virtue; there will be a benefit, from which benefit they learn its good. Over all the things theologized in the present psalm, it is conveyed as the end that his praise remains. For this is a fitting end for those who theologize, to say 'His praise' (of the one theologized, clearly) 'remains forever.' For since the one who is hymned is immortal, it is necessary that his praise also be unending, so as to last for all ages.

1051 Ps 111,1bc He who does not do them for the sake of something else or for their own sake, for instance for human glory or in order not to fall into the punishment brought upon sinners or for a reward, but choosing and doing them for the good itself—for thus such a one will truly be blessed. 1052 Ps 111,2.3 Of the man who is called blessed for having the fear of the Lord, the seed which he sows into the good ground, his earnest and good heart, is able to bear fruit a hundredfold. For the seeds of the wicked which they sow into the flesh, their material and earthly state, are weak (which is why they also reap corruption from the flesh), but of those who have sown into the spirit, the seed is powerful, from which they also reap eternal life. Therefore, to each of those who are thus perfect and to all at once the Word commands, Sow for yourselves unto righteousness, reap for yourselves unto the fruit of life. Glory and wealth are in his house. He who has turned the words of Jesus which he heard into deeds builds his own house upon the rock, laying the foundations of his contemplative and practical life upon the unbreakable word of God. This house, therefore, which each of those who fear the Lord has built because he has delighted in the commandments of the Lord (that is, delighted greatly in the words of Jesus) he fills with the glory of the thoughts of truth and with wealth composed of all reason and all knowledge and good works. whence also the promise of his righteousness extends unto the age of the age. Such houses the midwives built for themselves, having feared the Lord, so that they might not be found homeless, wandering in the wilderness like Esau, but might inhabit a house like the guileless Jacob. But others have understood the preceding things literally. 1053 Ps 111,5b 1053 But the words must not be considered human. For the words which they are entrusted to dispense, are in a way also called their own. For instance, one has prefixed to a prophecy given by God the phrase 'The words of Amos which came concerning Accaron,' and Solomon, laying the matter bare, says, 'My words have been spoken by God.' Of course the divine gospel is named sometimes after the one who gave it, and sometimes after those who minister it. From those who minister it, when Paul says, 'My gospel,' but from the one who entrusted it, when Paul says again, 'As we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel,' and 'Because we have been set apart for the gospel of God'; and it is not surprising. For the Holy Spirit itself, which fills the holy men with divine things, is sometimes called of God, and sometimes of those who have it, as in 'The spirit of Elijah has rested,' and 'In the spirit and power of Elijah'1054 Ps 111,8b But do not suppose, because it says temporally of his not being shaken 'Until he look upon his enemies,' that he is shaken after the destruction of his enemies. For how could he be shaken, when his enemies have been destroyed, he who did not suffer this when they were threatening and pressing upon him? For it is customary for Scripture to use this manner of speech in many cases, for instance concerning Mary the Gospel says she remained a virgin, 'Until she brought forth her firstborn son,' and so on. For since it was fitting to show that the birth of Jesus occurred from a virgin without marriage, it was reasonable where there was doubt. lest perhaps the virgin underwent corruption; he said and she conceived; removing this doubt, it says she remained a virgin until the birth. For if up to the

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γὰρ ποιοῦσι τὴν σύνεσιν οὐχ ἑτέραν ουσαν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὠφέλεια εσται, ἐξ ης ὠφελείας μανθάνουσι τὸ ἀγαθὸν αὐτῆς. ̓Επὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ ψαλμῷ θεολογηθεῖσι φέρεται τέλος μένειν τὴν αινεσιν αὐτοῦ. τοῦτο γὰρ κατάλληλον πέρας τοῖς θεολογοῦσι τὸ λέγειν ̔Η αινεσις αὐτοῦ (τοῦ θεολογηθέντος δηλονότι) μένει ἐπ' απειρον. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ ὑμνούμενος ἀθάνατος, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὴν αινεσιν αὐτοῦ ἀτελεύτητον ειναι ὡς διαρκεῖν εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας.

1051 Ps 111,1bc ̔Ο μὴ αλλου του χάριν η αὐτῶν ενεκα ἐνεργῶν αὐτὰς οιον

διὰ δόξαν ἀνθρωπίνην η διὰ τὸ μὴ περιπεσεῖν τῇ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐπαγομένῃ κολάσει η διὰ μισθόν, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸ τὸ ἀγαθὸν αἱρούμενος καὶ ἐνεργῶν-ουτω γὰρ εσται ἀληθῶς ὁ τοιοῦτος μακάριος. 1052 Ps 111,2.3 Τοῦ μακαριζομένου ἀνδρὸς ἐπὶ τῷ τὸν τοῦ κυρίου φόβον εχειν τὸ σπέρμα ο σπείρει εἰς τὴν ἀγαθὴν γῆν, τὴν σπουδαίαν καὶ καλὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, δυνατόν ἐστιν ὡς ἑκατονταπλασίονα καρπὸν ἐνεγκεῖν. τῶν μὲν γὰρ φαύλων τὰ σπέρματα α σπείρουσιν εἰς τὴν σάρκα, τὴν ὑλικὴν καὶ γεώδη εξιν αὐτῶν, ἀσθενῆ (διὸ καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίζουσι φθοράν), τῶν δὲ σπειράντων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα δυνατὸν τὸ σπέρμα, οθεν καὶ θερίζουσιν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. ἑκάστῳ γοῦν τῶν ουτω τελείων καὶ αμα πᾶσι προστάττει ὁ λόγος Σπείρατε ἑαυτοῖς εἰς δικαιοσύνην, τρυγήσατε ἑαυτοῖς εἰς καρπὸν ζωῆς. ∆όξα καὶ πλοῦτος ἐν τῷ οικῳ αὐτοῦ. ὁ τοὺς ̓Ιησοῦ λόγους ους ηκουσεν εἰς εργα μεταβαλὼν οἰκοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκίαν, ἐπὶ τὸν ἀρραγῆ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον τὰς κρηπίδας τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ καὶ πρακτικοῦ βίου ἑαυτοῦ καταβαλλόμενος. ταύτην ουν ην ᾠκοδόμησεν οἰκίαν εκαστος τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν κύριον ἐπὶ τῷ ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ κυρίου τεθεληκέναι (τουτέστι τοῖς ̓Ιησοῦ λόγοις σφόδρα τεθεληκέναι) πληροῖ δόξης νοημάτων τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ πλούτου συγκειμένου ἐκ παντὸς λόγου καὶ πάσης γνώσεως καὶ εργων ἀγαθῶν. οθεν καὶ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ παρατείνει ἐπὶ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. τοιαύτας αἱ μαῖαι οἰκίας ἑαυταῖς ᾠκοδόμησαν φοβηθεῖσαι τὸν κύριον, ινα μὴ αοικοι τὴν ἐρημίαν πλανώμεναι κατὰ τὸν ̓Ησαῦ τυγχάνωσιν ἀλλ' οἰκῶσι κατὰ τὸν απλαστον ̓Ιακὼβ οἰκίαν. Αλλοι δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν ἐξειλήφασι τὰ προκείμενα. 1053 Ps 111,5b 1053 Οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνους δὲ τοὺς λόγους ἡγητέον ειναι. ους γὰρ πιστεύονται οἰκονομεῖν λόγους, καὶ αὐτῶν πως λέγονται. προτέταχε γοῦν ης ετυχε προφητείας θεόθεν τις τὸ Λόγοι ̓Αμὼς οι ἐγένοντο ἐπὶ ἀκκάρων, καὶ Σολομὼν δὲ ἀπογυμνῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα Οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι, φησίν, ειρηνται ὑπὸ θεοῦ. ἀμέλει καὶ τὸ θεῖον εὐαγγέλιον ὁτὲ μὲν τοῦ δεδωκότος ὁτὲ δὲ τῶν διακονούντων χρηματίζει, ἀπὸ μὲν τῶν διακονούντων οταν λέγῃ Παῦλος Τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἐγχειρίσαντος οταν πάλιν Παῦλος λέγῃ Καθὼς δεδοκιμάσμεθα ὑπὸ θεοῦ πιστευθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ Οτι ἀφωρισμένοι εἰς εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ· καὶ οὐ θαυμαστόν. αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ αγιον πνεῦμα τὸ πληροῦν τῶν θείων τοὺς ἱεροὺς ανδρας ὁτὲ μὲν θεοῦ ὁτὲ δὲ τῶν ἐχόντων λέγεται, ὡς ἐν τῷ ̓Επαναπέπαυται τὸ πνεῦμα ̓Ηλιοῦ, καὶ ̓Εν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει ̓Ηλιοῦ1054 Ps 111,8b ̓Αλλὰ μὴ νομίσῃς διὰ τὸ χρονικῶς εἰρῆσθαι Μέχρις ου ἐπίδῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ μὴ σαλεύεσθαι αὐτόν, οτι μετὰ τὴν κατάλυσιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν σαλεύεται. πῶς γὰρ αν κλονηθείη, καθαιρεθέντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀπειλεῖν καὶ ἐπικεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς τοῦτο μὴ παθών; σύνηθες γὰρ τῇ γραφῇ ἐπὶ πολλῶν ουτω χρῆσθαι, οιον περὶ τῆς Μαρίας φησὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον μεμενηκέναι παρθένον αὐτήν, Εως ου ετεκε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον, καὶ ἀκολούθως. ἐπεὶ γὰρ προσήκει τὸ δεῖξαι ανευ γάμου ἐκ παρθένου γεγονέναι τοῦ ̓Ιησοῦ τὴν γέννησιν, εἰκότως ενθα ἀμφίβολον ην. μὴ αρα φθορὰν ὑπέμεινεν ἡ παρθένος· εφη καὶ συνείληφε· τὴν ἀμφιβολίαν ταύτην περιελὼν παρθένον αὐτὴν μεμενηκέναι μέχρι τῆς ἀποτέξεως λέγει. εἰ γὰρ μέχρι τοῦ