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he indicated motion, and change. For that which is moved is shaken; and that which is changed is moved. 8. "The rivers will clap their hands together." Again he named as rivers those who partake of the grace of teaching, and like rivers pour forth the divine streams; whom he said to clap and to praise God. For again the clapping belongs to those who have conquered. "The mountains will rejoice [9] before the face of the Lord, for he comes; for he has come to judge the earth." Here he called mountains those who have a high and lofty mind, upon whom the city of God is built. "For," he says, "a city set on a mountain cannot be hidden." And: "His foundations are in the holy mountains." These he said rejoice and are glad, learning of the epiphany of our God and Savior. For, expecting the rewards for their labors, they rejoice, knowing the justice of the judge. "He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in uprightness." For the first epiphany had much mercy; but the second will have justice. "For," he says, "we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." This the prophet also said: "God has spoken once, these two things I have heard, that power belongs to God, and mercy to you, O Lord, for you will render to each one according to his works." INTERPRETATION OF THE 8TH PSALM. 1. "A Psalm of David, without an inscription among the Hebrews." This psalm both prophesies the return of the Jews from Babylon, and foretells the epiphany of our Savior, and the unbelief of the Jews. "The Lord has reigned, let the peoples be angry." For both Jews and Greeks are maddened and rage when they hear of the kingdom of the Lord Christ. And when the Jews enjoyed their freedom, all their neighbors were enraged, seeing their unexpected return. And this revealed the power of the one worshiped by them. "He who sits upon the Cherubim, let the earth be shaken." This one, he says, who is preached by us, is both God and Lord of the powers above; but he said, "sitting," as one speaking to men. For the incorpo 80.1665 real nature, the uncontainable and uncircumscribable, which holds the circle of the earth, and those who dwell in it as grasshoppers, what sort of throne does it need? Nevertheless, he figures in his word the God of all things, royally borne upon the Cherubim, astonishing and terrifying his hearers. 2. "The Lord is great in Zion, and he is high above all the peoples." And when the Jews returned, and built the divine temple, the power of God was shown to all. For pre-eminently he who endured the cross was revealed as Lord of the whole world, when the holy apostles brought the proclamation of salvation to the nations. 3. "Let them confess your great name, for it is fearful and holy." It is necessary, therefore, for all to praise you, and to recount your benefits, and not to pry into your ineffable nature, but to offer reverence to your name, which is both fearful and all-holy. For it sanctifies those who believe, but terrifies those who disbelieve. 4. "And the king's honor loves judgment." It is fitting for us to fear him as a king who also uses righteousness; for it is a property of a true kingdom to govern its subjects justly. For the king's honor loves judgment, that is, to cherish justice makes a king honorable. This the following also shows: "You have prepared uprightness; you have wrought judgment and righteousness in Jacob." For as a just king, you have brought forth a right and just decree, and you have freed Israel from the dominion of those who had enslaved them, [and the nations from the slavery of the devil.] But according to the other prophecy it is to be understood thus: You have shown the truth of your promise, having fulfilled the promises made to the forefathers of Israel, and having granted salvation through the seed of Abraham. 5. "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at the
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κίνησιν ἐδήλωσε, καὶ με ταβολήν. Σαλεύεται γὰρ τὸ κινούμενον· κινεῖται δὲ τὸ μεταβαλλόμενον. ηʹ. "Ποταμοὶ κροτήσουσι χειρὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό." Πάλιν ποταμοὺς τοὺς τῆς διδασκαλικῆς μεταλαγχά νοντας ὠνόμασε χάριτος, καὶ ποταμῶν δίκην τὰ θεῖα προχέοντας νάματα· οὓς κροτεῖν ἔφη, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖν. Νενικηκότων γὰρ πάλιν ὁ κρότος. "Τὰ ὄρη ἀγαλλιάσονται [θʹ] Ἀπὸ προσ ώπου Κυρίου, ὅτι ἔρχεται· ὅτι ἥκει κρῖναι τὴν γῆν." Ἐνταῦθα ὄρη προσηγόρευσε τοὺς ὑψηλὸν καὶ μετ άρσιον ἔχοντας φρόνημα, ἐφ' ὧν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ᾠκο δόμηται πόλις. "Οὐ δύναται γὰρ, φησὶ πόλις κρυ βῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη." Καί· "Οἱ θεμέλιοι αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι τοῖς ἁγίοις." Τούτους ἔφη ἀγάλ λεσθαι καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μανθάνοντας ἐπιφάνειαν. Προσμένοντες γὰρ τῶν πόνων τὰς ἀντιδόσεις, ἀγάλλονται τοῦ κριτοῦ τὸ δίκαιον ἐπιστάμενοι. "Κρινεῖ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ λαοὺς ἐν εὐθύτητι." Προτέρα μὲν γὰρ ἐπιφάνεια πολὺν ἔσχε τὸν ἔλεον· ἡ δὲ δευτέρα ἕξει τὸ δίκαιον. "Πάντες γὰρ, φησὶν, παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομί σηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος, πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν, εἴτε κακόν." Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔφη· "Ἅπαξ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Θεὸς, δύο ταῦτα ἤκουσα, ὅτι τὸ κράτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ σοῦ, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεος, ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ." ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Ηʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ἀνεπίγραφος παρ' Ἑ βραίοις." Οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς προθεσπίζει μὲν καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος Ἰουδαίων ἐπάνοδον, προαγορεύει δὲ καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ἀπιστίαν. "Ὁ Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, ὀργιζέσθωσαν λαοί." Καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι γὰρ, καὶ Ἕλληνες, μεμήνασι καὶ λυττῶσι τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀκούοντες. Καὶ ἡνίκα δὲ τῆς ἐλευθε ρίας ἀπήλαυσαν Ἰουδαῖοι, πάντες οἱ πλησιόχωροι διεπρίοντο, τὴν παράδοξον αὐτῶν ἐπάνοδον θεασά μενοι. Ἐδήλου δὲ τοῦτο τοῦ ὑπ' αὐτῶν προσ κυνουμένου τὴν δύναμιν. "Ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ, σαλευθήτω ἡ γῆ." Οὗτος δὲ, φησὶν, ὁ παρ' ἡμῶν κηρυττόμενος, καὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων Θεὸς ὑπάρχει καὶ Κύριος· τὸ δὲ, καθήμενος, ὡς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους διαλεγόμενος εἴρηκεν. Ἡ γὰρ ἀσώ 80.1665 ματος φύσις, ἡ ἀπερίληπτος, καὶ ἀπερίγραπτος, κατέχουσα τὸν γύρον τῆς γῆς, καὶ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦν τας ἐν αὐτῇ ὡσεὶ ἀκρίδας, ποίας δεῖται καθέδρας; Σχηματίζει δὲ ὅμως τῷ λόγῳ τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, βασιλικῶς τοῖς Χερουβὶμ ἐποχούμενον, καταπλήτ τοντα καὶ δεδιττόμενον τοὺς ἀκούοντας. βʹ. "Κύριος ἐν Σιὼν μέγας, καὶ ὑψηλός ἐστιν ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς λαούς." Καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐπανελ θόντων, καὶ τὸν θεῖον δειμαμένων νεὼν, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις ἅπασιν ἀπεδείχθη. ∆ιαφερόντως γὰρ ὁ τὸν σταυρὸν ὑπομείνας οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης ἀπ εφάνθη ∆εσπότης, τῶν ἱερῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ σωτή ριον κήρυγμα προσενεγκάντων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. γʹ. "Ἐξομολογησάσθωσαν τῷ ὀνόματί σου τῷ μεγάλῳ, ὅτι φοβερὸν καὶ ἅγιόν ἐστι." Χρὴ τοίνυν ἅπαντας ἀνυμνεῖν σε, καὶ τὰς σὰς εὐεργεσίας διεξιέ ναι, καὶ τὴν ἄῤῥητόν σου μὴ περιεργάζεσθαι φύ σιν, τῷ δὲ ὀνόματί σου προσφέρειν τὸ σέβας, καὶ φοβερῷ ὄντι, καὶ παναγίῳ. Ἁγιάζει μὲν γὰρ τοὺς πιστεύοντας, ἐκδειματοῖ δὲ τοὺς ἀπιστοῦντας. δʹ. "Καὶ τιμὴ βασιλέως κρίσιν ἀγαπᾷ." Προσ ήκει δὲ ἡμᾶς δεδιέναι ὡς βασιλέα, καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ χρώμενον· ἴδιον γὰρ τῆς ἀληθοῦς βασιλείας τὸ δι καίως ἰθύνειν τοὺς ὑπηκόους. Τιμὴ γὰρ βασιλέως κρίσιν ἀγαπᾷ, τουτέστι τίμιον ποιεῖ βασιλέα τὸ στέρ γειν τὸ δίκαιον. Τοῦτο δὲ δηλοῖ καὶ τὸ ἐπαγόμενον· "Σὺ ἡτοίμασας εὐθύτητας· κρίσιν καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐν Ἰακὼβ σὺ ἐποίησας." Ὡς γὰρ δίκαιος βασιλεὺς, ὀρθὴν καὶ δικαίαν τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκας, καὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ τῆς τῶν καταδουλωσαμένων ἠλευθέρωσας δυναστείας, [καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου δου λείας.] Κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἑτέραν προφητείαν οὕτω νοη τέον· Ἔδειξας τῆς ἐπαγγελίας σου τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὰς πρὸς τοὺς προγόνους τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ γεγενημένας ὑποσχέσεις πληρώσας, καὶ τὴν διὰ τοῦ σπέρματος τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ δωρησάμενος σωτηρίαν. εʹ. "Ὑψοῦτε Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ προσ κυνεῖτε τῷ