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Therefore may God have mercy on us first, then having had mercy may he bless us. But this will not be otherwise, unless he make his face shine upon us, so that we too may say: "The light of your countenance has been signed upon us, O Lord." But what is said next, "and have mercy on us," not being found either in the Hebrew, or in the other interpreters, has necessarily been obelized. We pray to receive the aforementioned things, so that we may be able to make his way known in all the earth. Wherefore it has been said: "That we may know your way upon the earth." But what is the earth and what is the way of God? The earth is all the men who inhabit the earth and all the nations throughout the whole world; and the way of God is the godly life, whose end leads to God himself, as to a metropolis of good things. And the saving word itself would be the way of God. Wherefore, next, as if interpreting the thought, it adds: "In all nations your salvation." Therefore, that we may be able to make your way and your salvation known in all the earth and in all the nations that inhabit the earth—for it is the same thing—have mercy on us, O God, and bless us, and make your face shine upon us, so that, being filled with light from your face, we may enlighten all men. For if these things are not available to us, we are nothing for the accomplishment of so great a matter. "Let the peoples confess to you, O God; let all the peoples confess to you. Let them rejoice." The preachers to the nations first prayed for themselves; but the present words are for those who have accepted the preaching through them. And indeed, they first pray that room for confession be given to them, so that they may wash away their former transgressions and the impieties of idolatry through confession; second, they supplicate that, having been cleansed, they may obtain joy and gladness from God. Wherefore they first say: "Let the peoples confess to you, O God." But since it happened that we did not yet understand which peoples they meant—since the Jewish nation also possessed assemblies and peoples—necessarily, that we might understand which peoples they mentioned, they repeat, clarifying the thought by saying: "Let all the peoples confess to you." But perhaps through the former they allude to the peoples among the Jews, offering up the prayer first for them, and through the latter, the peoples from the nations? That this might become known to the readers, the word clarifies, saying: "Let the nations rejoice and be glad." And since "let them confess to you" is said twice, see if perhaps the first indicated the confession of former sins, and the second, thanksgiving for the good things they received. For confession is also taken for thanksgiving. Thus, at any rate, the Savior 23.676 gave thanks, saying: "I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth." And after the first and second confession, they pray for third things for the nations that have confessed. And what are these? "Let the nations rejoice and be glad." And for what reason, it teaches next, saying: "For you will judge the peoples in uprightness," and that it is peoples, not some but not others, but all, according to what was shown before. Moreover, knowing that it will be guided by you to walk the way made known to them by us, it will reasonably be filled with joy and gladness. But instead of "and let them be glad," Aquila translated "and they will praise"; and Symmachus, "and let them acclaim." "Let the peoples confess to you, O God; let all the peoples confess to you; the earth has given its fruit." The Holy Spirit, rejoicing in the kind and good promises, dwells on the same words, as if delighting in the common salvation of all men. Wherefore it repeats a second and third time, and does not wish to depart from the saving and evangelical song. Therefore it says again:

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οὖν ὁ Θεὸς οἰκτειρήσαι ἡμᾶς πρότερον, εἶτ' οἰκτειρήσας εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἄλλως ἔσται, εἰ μὴ ἐπιφάναι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ὥστε καὶ ἡμᾶς εἰπεῖν· «Ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, Κύριε.» Τὸ δὲ ἐπιλεγόμενον ἑξῆς, «καὶ ἐλεήσαι ἡμᾶς,» μὴ κείμενον μήτε ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ, μήτε ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἑρμηνευταῖς, ἀναγκαίως ὠβέλισται. Τῶν δὲ προλεχθέντων εὐχόμεθα τυχεῖν, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ γνωστὴν ποιῆσαι ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται· «Τοῦ γνῶναι ἐν τῇ γῇ τὴν ὁδόν σου.» Τίς δὲ ἡ γῆ καὶ τίς ἡ ὁδὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ; Γῆ μὲν πάντες οἱ τὴν γῆν οἰκοῦντες ἄνθρωποι καὶ πάντα τὰ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔθνη· ὁδὸς δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ θεοσεβὴς βίος· οὗ τὸ τέλος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἄγει τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἐπὶ μητρόπολιν ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ σωτήριος λόγος εἴη ἂν ὁδὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. ∆ιὸ ἑξῆς ὥσπερ διερμηνεύων τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπιλέγει· «Ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὸ σωτήριόν σου.» Ὅπως οὖν δυνηθῶμεν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι τοῖς τὴν γῆν οἰκοῦσι τὴν ὁδόν σου καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν σου, ταὐτὸν γάρ ἐστι, γνωστὸν ποιῆσαι, οἰκτείρησον ἡμᾶς, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ εὐλόγησον ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἐπίφανον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ἵνα πληρωθέντες φωτὸς ἐκ τοῦ προσώπου σου, καταλάμψωμεν πάντας ἀνθρώπους. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ταῦθ' ἡμῖν ὑπάρξειεν, οὐδέν ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ τηλικούτου πράγματος κατόρθωσιν. «Ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ, ὁ Θεὸς, ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ πάντες. Εὐφρανθήτωσαν.» Τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἑαυτοῖς ἐπηύξαντο οἱ τῶν ἐθνῶν κήρυκες· τὰ δὲ προκείμενα τοῖς τὸ δι' αὐτῶν κήρυγμα παραδεξαμένοις. Καὶ δὴ καὶ πρῶτον μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐξομολογήσεως ἐνδοθῆναι χώραν εὔχονται, ὅπως τὰ πρότερα ἑαυτῶν πλημμελήματα καὶ τὰς ἐν εἰδωλολατρείᾳ δυσσεβείας ἀποῤῥύψωνται διὰ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως· δεύτερον καθαρθέντας αὐτοὺς τυχεῖν εὐφροσύνης καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεως τῆς παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἱκετεύουσι. ∆ιὸ πρῶτον φασίν· «Ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ, ὁ Θεός.» Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ συνέβαινε μήπω συνεῖναι ἡμᾶς ποίους εἰρήκασι λαούς· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος ἀθροίσματα καὶ λαοὺς ἐκέκτητο· ἀναγκαίως, ἵνα νοήσωμεν ποίων ἐμνημόνευσαν λαῶν, δευτεροῦσι τρανοῦντες τὴν διάνοιαν ἐν τῷ λέγειν· «Ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ πάντες.» Μήποτε δὲ διὰ τῶν προτέρων τοὺς παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις λαοὺς αἰνίττονται, ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν πρῶτον τὴν εὐχὴν ἀναπέμψαντες, διὰ δὲ τῶν δευτέρων τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαούς; Ὅπερ ἵνα γνώριμον γένηται τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι, διασαφεῖ φάσκων ὁ λόγος· «Εὐφρανθήτωσαν καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν ἔθνη.» Ἐπειδὴ δὲ δὶς τὸ, «ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι,» εἴρηται, ὅρα μήποτε τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐδήλου τῶν προτέρων ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ὁμολογίαν, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον, τὴν ἐφ' οἷς ἔτυχον ἀγαθοῖς εὐχαριστίαν. Λαμβάνεται γὰρ ἡ ἐξομολόγησις καὶ ἐπὶ εὐχαριστίας. Οὕτω γοῦν ὁ Σωτὴρ 23.676 ηὐχαρίστει λέγων· «Ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, Πάτερ, Κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς.» Μετὰ δὲ τὴν πρώτην καὶ δευτέραν ἐξομολόγησιν ἐπεύχονται τοῖς ἔθνεσι τοῖς ἐξομολογησαμένοις τὰ τρίτα. Τίνα δὲ ταῦτα; «Εὐφρανθήτωσαν καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν ἔθνη.» Καὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν, ἑξῆς διδάσκει λέγων· «Ὅτι κρινεῖς λαοὺς ἐν εὐθύτητι,» καὶ ὅτι λαοὺς, οὐ τινὰς μὲν, τινὰς δὲ οὔ· ἀλλὰ πάντας κατὰ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν δεδηλωμένα. Ἔτι δὲ γνόντα, ὅτι ὁδηγηθήσεται ὑπὸ σοῦ πρὸς τὸ βαδίσαι τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ὑφ' ἡμῶν αὐτοῖς γνωριζομένην, εἰκότως εὐφροσύνης καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεως πλησθήσεται. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν,» «καὶ αἰνέσουσιν» ὁ Ἀκύλας· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, «καὶ εὐφημείτωσαν,» ἡρμήνευσαν. «Ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ, ὁ Θεὸς, ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ πάντες· γῆ ἔδωκε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς.» Ἐπὶ ταῖς χρησταῖς καὶ ἀγαθαῖς ἐπαγγελίαις εὐφραινόμενον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ταῖς αὐταῖς ἐνδιατρίβει φωναῖς, ὥσπερ ἐντρυφῶν τῇ κοινῇ πάντων ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίᾳ. ∆ιὸ ἐπαναλαμβάνει δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον, καὶ οὐ βούλεται ἀναχωρεῖν τοῦ σωτηρίου καὶ εὐαγγελικοῦ ᾄσματος. Πάλιν οὖν φησιν·