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from the West, he has removed our iniquities far from us." If he had found even greater distances than these, he would certainly have brought these forward too, striving to show the infinity of divine goodness; but human reason found neither a measure higher than heaven, nor one longer than the distance between west and east. 13. "As a father has compassion on his sons, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him." Being creator and maker, he imitated the goodness of a father, and showed the same tender affection for his servants that a father has for his children. 14. "For he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust." For the creator of our nature knows our weakness, he knows also from where we were formed, and where we shall go again. 15. "As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes." We are no different from grass and a flower, which flourishes in spring but after a short time withers and falls away. 16. "For a spirit has passed through it, and it will not exist, and it will no longer recognize its place." But Symmachus puts it thus: Because a wind passes over it, then it is no more. -By spirit he means the soul; when it is present the body lives and is active; but when it flies away it is extinguished and decays, so that not even its former features are recognizable, nor is it known as this person's body or that person's body. And one might see this more clearly by peering into a tomb; for all things alike become the prey of decay, and do not preserve their former features. 80.1692 17, 18. "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children. To those who keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to do them." So then, nature is thus perishable; but the divine love for humanity grants a long life to live, and preserves until grandchildren the recompense of righteousness owed to their ancestors. Thus for Jehu he preserved the kingdom until the fourth generation, even though he had not acquired perfect piety, but had shown zeal at the beginning of his reign. Thus for the divine David he kept the spark of his lineage unquenched, and this even though many impious men had sprouted in its midst. This mercy, he says, he will extend to those who keep his covenant. And not simply to those who remember his commandments, but to those who add deeds to words, and regulate their own lives according to them. 19. "The Lord has prepared his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all." This resembles what is said in another psalm: "He who dwells on high, and looks upon the humble things." For here also the prophetic word teaches us that the Lord of all has his throne in heaven, but he oversees and governs creation, since indeed he is creator, king, and master of all. 20. "Bless the Lord, all you his angels, mighty in strength, who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his words." Rightly he has called the invisible powers into communion of hymnody. For human nature is not sufficient to worthily hymn you the benefactor; but the incorporeal and holy natures, having a life free from passions, are able to fulfill the divine commands. 21. "Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, his ministers who do his will." Many and various are the orders of the heavenly beings; for there are Principalities and Powers, and Thrones, and Dominions, and Seraphim, and Cherubim, and other names unknown to us, as the divine Apostle says; but the prophetic word has included all of them through these two names. For he called them Angels, as those who minister to the divine commands and convey the divine words; and Powers, as those able to do what is commanded, having received the power in their nature from the one who made them. 22. "Bless the Lord, all his works, in every place of his dominion." Nor does this 80.1693 befit the Jews. For they, when commanded by their captors to sing from the songs of Zion, said, acting lawfully,

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ἀπὸ ∆υσμῶν, ἐμάκρυνεν ἀφ' ἡμῶν τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν." Εἰ καὶ τούτων εὗρε μακρότερα διαστήματα, πάντως ἂν καὶ ταῦτα εἰς μέσον παρήγαγε, δεῖξαι τὸ ἄπειρον τῆς θείας φιλονεικῶν ἀγαθότητος· ἀλλ' οὐχ εὗρεν ὁ ἀν θρώπινος λογισμὸς, οὔτε οὐρανοῦ ὑψηλότερον μέτρον, οὔτε τοῦ μέσου τῆς ἑσπέρας καὶ τῆς ἑῴας μακρό τερον. ιγʹ. "Καθὼς οἰκτείρει πατὴρ υἱοὺς, ᾠκτείρησε Κύριος τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν." ∆ημιουργὸς ὢν καὶ ποιητὴς, ἐμιμήσατο πατρὸς ἀγαθότητα, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν περὶ τοὺς οἰκέτας, ἣν πατὴρ περὶ τοὺς παῖ δας, φιλοστοργίαν ἐπέδειξεν. ιδʹ. "Ὅτι αὐτὸς ἔγνω τὸ πλάσμα ἡμῶν, ἐμνή σθη ὅτι χοῦς ἐσμεν." Οἶδε γὰρ ὁ δημιουργὸς τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν, οἶδε καὶ πόθεν διεπλά σθημεν, καὶ ποῦ πάλιν χωρήσομεν. ιεʹ. "Ἄνθρωπος, ὡσεὶ χόρτος αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ, ὡσεὶ ἄνθος τοῦ ἀγροῦ οὕτως ἐξανθήσει." Οὐδὲν χόρ του καὶ ἄνθους διενηνόχαμεν, ὃ ἐν ἦρι μὲν τέθηλε μετὰ βραχὺ δὲ μαραίνεται καὶ διαῤῥεῖ. ιʹ. "Ὅτι πνεῦμα διῆλθεν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπάρ ξει, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιγνώσεται ἔτι τὸν τόπον αὑτοῦ." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Ὅτι πνεῦμα διέρχεται αὐ- τὸν, εἶτα οὐχ ὑπάρχει. -Πνεῦμα τὴν ψυχὴν λέ γει· ἧς παρούσης καὶ ζῇ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἐνεργεῖ· ἀπο πτάσης δὲ κατασβέννυται καὶ φθείρεται, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς προτέρους ἐπιγινώσκεσθαι χαρακτῆρας, μηδὲ γινώσκεσθαι, ὡς τοῦτο τοῦ δεῖνος, ἐκεῖνο τοῦ δεῖνος τὸ σῶμα. Καὶ τοῦτο ἴδοι τις ἂν ἀκριβέστερον διακύ ψας εἰς τάφον· πάντα γὰρ ὁμοίως φθορᾶς γίνεται παρανάλωμα, καὶ τοὺς προτέρους χαρακτῆρας οὐ διασώζει. 80.1692 ιζʹ, ιηʹ. "Τὸ δὲ ἔλεος τοῦ Κυρίου ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτὸν, καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ υἱοῖς υἱῶν. Τοῖς φυ λάσσουσι τὴν διαθήκην αὐτοῦ, καὶ μεμνημένοις τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτάς." Ἡ μὲν οὖν φύσις οὕτως ἐπίκηρος· ἡ δὲ θεία φιλανθρωπία τὸν μακρὸν αἰῶνα χαρίζεται βιοῦν, καὶ μέχρις ἐγγόνων διατηρεῖ τὴν τοῖς προγόνοις ὀφειλομένην τῆς δικαιο σύνης ἀντίδοσιν. Οὕτω τῷ Ἰηοῦ μέχρι τετάρτης γενεᾶς τὴν βασιλείαν τετήρηκε, καί τοι μηδὲ τε λείαν εὐσέβειαν κτησαμένῳ, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιδειξαμένῳ τὸν ζῆλον. Οὕτω τῷ θεσπε σίῳ ∆αβὶδ ἄσβεστον διετήρησε τὸν τοῦ γένους σπιν θῆρα, καὶ ταῦτα πολλῶν δυσσεβῶν ἐν μέσῳ βεβλα στηκότων. Τοῦτον δὲ, φησὶν, ὀρέξει τὸν ἔλεον τοῖς φυλάσσουσι τὴν διαθήκην αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς με μνημένοις τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐπιτιθεῖσι τοῖς λόγοις τὰ ἔργα, καὶ κατὰ ταύτας τὸν οἰκεῖον ῥυθμί ζουσι βίον. ιθʹ. "Κύριος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἡτοίμασε τὸν θρόνον αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ πάντων δεσπόζει" Τοῦτο ἔοικε τοῖς ἐν ἑτέρῳ εἰρημένοις ψαλμῷ· "Ὁ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατοικῶν, καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορῶν." Καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ὁ προφητικὸς ἡμᾶς διδάσκει λόγος, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ μὲν ἔχει τὸν θρόνον τῶν ὅλων ὁ Κύριος, ἐφορᾷ δὲ καὶ πρυτανεύει τῇ κτίσει, ἅτε δὴ πάν των ὢν δημιουργὸς, καὶ βασιλεὺς, καὶ δεσπό της. κʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐ τοῦ, δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ." Εἰκότως τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ὑμνῳδίας ἐκάλεσεν. Οὐκ ἀπόχρη γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρωπεία φύσις ἀξίως ὑμνεῖν σε τὸν εὐεργέτην· αἱ δὲ ἀσώματοι καὶ αἱ ἅγιαι φύσεις, ἐλευθέραν ἔχουσαι παθημάτων ζωὴν, ἱκαναὶ πληροῦν τὰ θεῖα προστάγματα. καʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐ τοῦ, λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα αὐ τοῦ." Πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα τῶν οὐρανίων τὰ τάγ ματα· Ἀρχαὶ γὰρ καὶ Ἐξουσίαι, καὶ Θρόνοι, καὶ Κυριότητες, καὶ Σεραφὶμ, καὶ Χερουβὶμ, καὶ ἕτερα ἡμῖν ὀνόματα ἄγνωστα, ᾗ φησιν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος· ἀλλὰ πάντα διὰ τῶν δύο τούτων ὀνομάτων ὁ προφη τικὸς συμπεριέλαβε λόγος. Ἀγγέλους μὲν γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς τοῖς θείοις ὑπουργοῦντας προστάγ μασι, καὶ τοὺς θείους λόγους διαπορθμεύοντας· ∆υ νάμεις δὲ, ὡς ἱκανὰς τὸ κελευόμενον πράττειν, καὶ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐν τῇ φύσει παρὰ τοῦ πεποιηκότος λα βόντας. κβʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ τῆς δεσποτείας αὐτοῦ." Οὐδὲ τοῦτο 80.1693 τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἁρμόττει. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀν- δραποδισάντων ᾆσαι προσταχθέντες ἐκ τῶν ᾠδῶν Σιὼν, ἔφασαν ἔννομα δρῶντες,