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at his footstool, for he is holy." Repay therefore the benefactor with what you are able, and offer to him fitting reverence; and the "exalt" is instead of "preach his loftiness." And his footstool, long ago the temple in Jerusalem was considered to be, but now it is the Churches throughout all the earth and sea, in which we offer worship to the all-holy God. ʹ. "Moses and Aaron among his priests; and Samuel among them that call upon his name." He did not simply leave out the other prophets and mention only these, but he teaches of the ingrained madness and tyranny of the Jews. For indeed in the time of Moses and Aaron they tried to seize the priesthood; 80.1668 and in the time of Samuel, having dishonored the divine kingship, they loved the human one. The word therefore teaches that they do nothing new by raging against the Savior and not accepting the saving kingship; for this madness has been customary for them from the beginning. "They called upon the Lord, and he heard them. [7] In a pillar of cloud he spoke to them." And yet, he says, they had great boldness before God. For they would call, and he would hearken, and he granted their requests, and in the sight of all he would hold discourse with them, showing his own presence through the cloud. Then he teaches that he did not unjustly impart this grace to them. "Because they kept his testimonies, and his commandments, which he gave to them." For to those who lived lawfully, and lived according to his commandments, he granted this grace. 8. "O Lord our God, you heard them; O God, you were gracious to them." You are, O Master, he says, the one preached by us, who imparted such boldness to them, and deemed them worthy of great favor. "And taking vengeance on all their practices." But Symmachus has it thus: And an avenger for their insolences. For those who acted tyrannically against the great Moses he delivered to fire, and those who escaped the flame he sent living to the tomb, commanding the earth to open, and he made the place of their tyranny a makeshift grave for them, and those who traveled through the sea, and crossed that abyss on foot, he made to be submerged in the earth, using paradoxical waves; and those who rebelled against the prophet Samuel he delivered to the dynasty of Saul, and surrounded them with all kinds of misfortunes. 9. "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy." Therefore, imitating the piety of these wondrous men, offer to God the fitting reverence. And the holy mountain, long ago was called Sion, but now it is the height of the knowledge of God. For so both Isaiah and Micah prophesied: "In the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest," that is, the knowledge of God will become clear to all. And the divine Apostle knows a spiritual mountain of Sion: "For you have come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." We are commanded, therefore, according to the knowledge given to us by God, to offer worship to him, [and 80.1669 to confess God from God and the only-begotten Son to the Father, who for our sakes became man. Amen.]

INTERPRETATION OF THE 9TH PSALM. 1. "A Psalm for David, For confession; without inscription among the Hebrews." The

prophet here calls all people to hymnody, exhorting them through all things to serve the Savior God. 2. "Shout unto the Lord, all the earth." All people, offer the victory hymn to God; for by "earth" he means the inhabitants of the earth. "Serve the Lord with gladness." For the kingdom of our God and Savior is not like the bitter tyranny of the devil, but his dominion is gentle and loving to mankind. Therefore, approach his service rejoicing. "Enter into his presence with exultation." But Symmachus has said, with praise; and Aquila,

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ὑποποδίῳ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἅγιός ἐστιν." Ἀμείψασθε τοίνυν τὸν εὐεργέτην, οἷς δύνα σθε, καὶ τὸ πρόσφορον αὐτῷ προσενέγκατε σέβας· τὸ δὲ ὑψοῦτε, ἀντὶ Τὸ ὑψηλὸν αὐτοῦ κηρύττετε. Ὑποπόδιον δὲ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ, πάλαι μὲν ὁ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις νεὼς ἐνενόμιστο, νῦν δὲ αἱ κατὰ πᾶ σαν γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν Ἐκκλησίαι, ἐν αἷς τῷ παν αγίῳ Θεῷ προσφέρομεν τὴν προσκύνησιν. ʹ. "Μωσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν αὐτοῦ· καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα αὐ τοῦ." Οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοὺς ἄλλους προφήτας καταλιπὼν, τούτων ἐμνημόνευσε μόνον, ἀλλὰ τὴν σύντροφον Ἰου δαίων λύτταν καὶ τυραννίδα διδάσκων. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ Μωσοῦ καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἁρπάσαι τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἐπειρά 80.1668 θησαν· καὶ ἐπὶ Σαμουὴλ τὴν θείαν ἀτιμάσαντες βα σιλείαν, τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν ἠγάπησαν. ∆ιδάσκει τοίνυν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι καινὸν οὐδὲν δρῶσι κατὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος λυττῶντες, καὶ τὴν σωτήριον οὐ δεχόμενοι βασιλείαν· ἄνωθεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἡ μανία συνήθης. "Ἐπεκαλοῦντο τὸν Κύριον, καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσήκουεν αὐτῶν. [ζʹ] Ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης ἐλάλει πρὸς αὐτούς." Καί τοι, φησὶ, πολλὴν εἶχον πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν παῤ ῥησίαν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ παρεκάλουν, ὁ δὲ ὑπήκουε, καὶ τὰς αἰτήσεις παρεῖχε, καὶ πάντων ὁρώντων τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐποιεῖτο διάλεξιν, διὰ τῆς νεφέλης τὴν οἰκείαν δεικνὺς ἐπιφάνειαν. Εἶτα διδάσκει, ὡς οὐκ ἀδίκως ταύτης αὐτοῖς μετεδίδου χάριτος. "Ὅτι ἐφύλασσον τὰ μαρτύρια αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ, ἃ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς." Ἐννόμως γὰρ πολιτευο μένοις, καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ βιοτεύουσι, ταύτην ἐδωρεῖτο τὴν χάριν. ηʹ. "Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, σὺ ἐπήκουες αὐτῶν· ὁ Θεὸς σὺ εὐΐλατος ἐγένου αὐτοῖς." Σὺ εἶ, ∆έσποτα, φησὶν, ὁ ὑφ' ἡμῶν κηρυττόμενος, ὁ τῆς τοσαύτης ἐκείνοις μεταδοὺς παῤῥησίας, καὶ πολλῆς αὐτοὺς ἀξιῶν εὐμενείας. "Καὶ ἐκδικῶν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα αὐτῶν." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Καὶ ἔκδικος ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐπηρείαις αὐτῶν. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ μεγάλου Μωσοῦ τυραννήσαντας πυρὶ πα ραδέδωκε, καὶ τοὺς τὴν φλόγα διαφυγόντας ζῶν τας τῷ τάφῳ παρέπεμψε, χάναι κελεύσας τὴν γῆν, καὶ τάφον αὐτοῖς αὐτοσχέδιον τῆς τυραννίδος τὸ χωρίον ἀπέφηνε, καὶ τοὺς διὰ θαλάσσης ὁδεύσαντας, καὶ τὸν βυθὸν ἐκεῖνον πεζεύσαντας, πεποίηκεν ὑπο βρυχίους ἐν γῇ, παραδόξοις χρησάμενος κύμασι· τοὺς δὲ κατὰ τοῦ προφήτου Σαμουὴλ στασιάσαντας τῇ τοῦ Σαοὺλ δυναστείᾳ παρέδωκε, καὶ παντοδαπαῖς περιέβαλε συμφοραῖς. θʹ. "Ὑψοῦτε Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ προσ κυνεῖτε εἰς ὄρος ἅγιον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἅγιος Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν." Τούτων τοιγαροῦν τῶν θαυμασίων ἀν δρῶν μιμούμενοι τὴν εὐσέβειαν, τὸ προσῆκον σέβας τῷ Θεῷ προσενέγκατε. Ὄρος δὲ ἅγιον, πάλαι μὲν τὸ Σιὼν ἐκαλεῖτο, νῦν δὲ τῆς θεογνωσίας τὸ ὕψος. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Ἡσαΐας, καὶ Μιχαίας ἐθέσπισαν· "Ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐμφανὲς τὸ ὄρος Κυρίου," τουτέστιν, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσις δήλη πᾶσι γενήσεται. Οἶδε καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος νοητὸν ὄρος Σιών· "Προσεληλύθατε γὰρ Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πό λει Θεοῦ ζῶντος Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ." Προστε τάγμεθα τοίνυν κατὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσιν προσφέρειν αὐτῷ τὴν προσκύνησιν, [καὶ 80.1669 Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ὁμολογεῖν καὶ μονογενῆ τῷ Πατρὶ Υἱὸν, τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς ἐνανθρωπήσαντα. Ἀμήν.]

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ Θʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβὶδ, Εἰς ἐξομολόγησιν· ἀν επίγραφος παρ' Ἑβραίοις." Ὁ

προφήτης ἐνταῦθα πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν καλεῖ, παρεγγυῶν διὰ πάντων θεραπεῦσαι τὸν Σωτῆρα Θεόν. βʹ. "Ἀλαλάξατε τῷ Κυρίῳ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ." Ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι τὸν ἐπινίκιον ὕμνον προσενέγκατε τῷ Θεῷ· γῆν γὰρ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν καλεῖ. "∆ουλεύσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ." Οὐ γάρ ἐστι κατὰ τὴν πικρὰν τοῦ διαβόλου τυραννίδα, τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἡ βασιλεία, ἀλλ' ἥμερος αὐτοῦ καὶ φιλάνθρωπος ἡ δεσποτεία. Γεγηθότες τοίνυν τῇ δουλείᾳ προσέλθετε. "Εἰσέλθετε ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, μετ' εὐφημίας εἴρη κεν· ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας,