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But the effort of those who cast ropes around the righteous man is fruitless, when with intense eagerness he remembers the law. The circumstances brought upon the righteous man by sinners can also be their ropes; but even bearing these patiently, the righteous man does not forget the law of God. And those who call one to sin through deceitful words also weave ropes; but if one is sober, one does not forget the law of God. 1103 Ps 118,63 Let us understand 'companion' as the friend and partner, as Ecclesiastes says, That if one falls, the other will lift up his companion. Perhaps then he means to say this: that I am a friend and partner of all who fear God and keep his commandments, I myself also fearing him and keeping his commandments. 1104 Ps 118,65.66a Since there is about God both goodness and severity, according to the apostle, the goodness is for those who stand firm in the faith, but the severity for those who have fallen away from it. Since then the holy one was confirmed in the faith, he said, You have dealt in goodness with your servant. He said 'your', wishing to show that God's goodness is not with someone by allotment, but with the one who serves him, whoever this may be. And the appended phrase, According to your word, shows that the Lord's goodness comes to someone with reason and a rational cause. Therefore, wishing to know what is rational and wise in it, he deems no other worthy to be his teacher concerning it, so that with it he might learn both discipline and knowledge, calling discipline moral virtue, and knowledge intellectual virtue. And in Proverbs, the saying, Take discipline and not silver, and knowledge rather than tested gold, must be referred to practical and theoretical benefit. 1105 Ps 118,66b Since having approached your commandments rightly and prudently I have believed in them so as to keep them, grant me wisdom, by teaching me goodness and discipline and knowledge. In accord with these things is the saying, If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will grant it to you. 1106 Ps 118,67 For although the way such things are brought upon one is twofold—for on some they are brought because of sin, on others so that they may be tested and revealed—he attributed the lesser of these to himself and said he had transgressed. But nevertheless, he says, 'I have kept your word', so that just as having transgressed I was humbled, so having acted rightly and kept your word I might be released from the humiliation. 1107 Ps 118,68 Not looking to my own worth (for I have transgressed) but to your goodness, since being good you have goodness, I ask to be taught your statutes by no other than you yourself. 1108 Ps 118,69 Since many deceivers have raged against your commandments and said countless things for their slander and overthrow, a great injustice has been done to me. But nevertheless, even if they seemed to say terrible things which are able to make the ungrounded fall away from them, I, intensifying my diligence and desire for them, searched them out with my whole heart, so that having contemplated their beauty from my great and intense searching of them, I strongly condemned those who slandered them. One who is oppressed and wronged in the affairs of life by certain proud and powerful men could also say these things; for from your commandments, he says, I will be able to learn that it is more base to do wrong and to defraud than to be wronged and to be defrauded. 1109 Ps 118,70 For since, having been given to drink the rational and pure milk by their teachers, they did not manage or digest it, it curdled and congealed in them and their heart was turned to cheese. But even if they have suffered this through their own fault, I, holding to your law through meditation, was eager to understand it, as the understanding of it dissolves not only the mist but also the denseness of the material disposition. Ps 118,72 Since the law is twofold, the one spiritual and for the mind, the other according to the letter and the shadow ordained by angels in the hand of

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ἀλλ' ἀνήνυτος ἡ σπουδὴ τῶν περιβαλλόντων τὰ σχοινία τῷ δικαίῳ, οταν συντόνῳ σπουδῇ μνημονεύοι τοῦ νόμου. τὰ αὐτὰ δύνανται καὶ αἱ περιστάσεις αἱ πρὸς τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τῷ δικαίῳ προσαγόμεναι σχοινία αὐτῶν ὑπάρχειν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτας καρτερῶς φέρων οὐκ ἐπιλανθάνεται τοῦ νόμου τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ δίκαιος. καὶ οἱ δι' ἀπατηλῶν δὲ λόγων εἰς ἁμαρτίαν παρακαλοῦντες σχοινία περιπλέκουσιν· ἀλλ' ἐὰν νήφῃ τις, οὐκ ἐπιλανθάνεται τοῦ νόμου τοῦ θεοῦ. 1103 Ps 118,63 Μέτοχον δὲ νοήσωμεν τὸν φίλον καὶ κοινωνόν, ῃ φησιν ὁ ̓Εκκλησιαστὴς Οτι ἐὰν πέσῃ, ὁ εις ἐγερεῖ τὸν μέτοχον αὐτοῦ. μήποτ' ουν τοῦτο βούλεται λέγειν οτι φίλος καὶ κοινωνός εἰμι πάντων τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν θεὸν καὶ τῶν φυλασσόντων τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς φοβούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ φυλάσσων τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ. 1104 Ps 118,65.66a Ουσης περὶ τὸν θεὸν χρηστότητος καὶ ἀποτομίας κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον, ἡ μὲν χρηστότης γίνεται ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑστηκότας τῇ πίστει, ἡ δὲ ἀποτομία ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας αὐτῆς. ἐπεὶ ουν ὁ αγιος ἐβεβαίωτο ἐν τῇ πίστει, Χρηστότητα, ειπεν, ἐποίησας μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου. σοῦ δὲ εφη, παραστῆσαι βουλόμενος μὴ κατὰ ἀποκλήρωσιν γινομένην μετά τινος τὴν χρηστότητα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοῦ δουλεύοντος αὐτῷ, οστις ποτ' αν ῃ ουτος. Τὸ δὲ Κατὰ τὸ λόγιόν σου προσκείμενον δηλοῖ σὺν λόγῳ καὶ αἰτίᾳ λογικῇ γίνεσθαι μετά τινος τὴν τοῦ κυρίου χρηστότητα. διὸ καὶ τὸ λογικὸν καὶ τὸ σοφὸν αὐτῆς γνῶναι θέλων οὐκ αλλον ἀξιοῖ διδάσκαλον αὐτῷ περὶ αὐτῆς γενέσθαι, ινα σὺν αὐτῇ καὶ παιδείαν καὶ γνῶσιν μάθῃ, παιδείαν μὲν τὴν ἠθικήν, γνῶσιν δὲ τὴν διανοητικὴν ἀρετὴν καλῶν. καὶ ἐν Παροιμίας τὸ Λάβετε παιδείαν καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκιμασμένον ἀνοιστέον ἐπὶ πρακτικὴν καὶ θεωρητικὴν ὠφέλειαν. 1105 Ps 118,66b ̓Επεὶ ὀρθῶς καὶ φρονίμως ταῖς παρὰ σοῦ ἐντολαῖς προσελθὼν ἐπίστευσα αὐταῖς ὡς τηρῆσαι αὐτάς, ορεξόν μοι σοφίαν, διδάξας με χρηστότητα καὶ παιδείαν καὶ γνῶσιν. συνᾴδει τούτοις τὸ ̓Επιθυμήσας σοφίαν διατήρησον ἐντολάς, καὶ κύριος χορηγήσει σοι αὐτήν. 1106 Ps 118,67 Εἰ γὰρ καὶ διττὸς ὁ τρόπος τοῦ ἐπάγεσθαι τὰ τοιαῦτα· τοῖς μὲν γὰρ δι' ἁμαρτίας, τοῖς δ' ἐπὶ τῷ δοκιμασθῆναι καὶ φανερωθῆναι αὐτῶν ἐπαγομένων, τούτων τὸ ελαττον ἑαυτῷ διδοὺς πεπλημμεληκέναι ειπεν. ἀλλ' ομως, φησίν, ἐφύλαξα τὸ λόγιόν σου, ιν' ωσπερ πλημμελήσας ἐταπεινώθην, ουτως κατορθώσας καὶ φυλάξας τὸ λόγιόν σου ἀφεθῶ τῆς ταπεινώσεως. 1107 Ps 118,68 Οὐκ εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀξίαν ἀφορῶν ( ̓Επλημμέλησα γὰρ) ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν σὴν χρηστότητα, ἐπεὶ χρηστὸς ων χρηστότητα εχεις, ἀξιῶ διδαχθῆναι οὐ παρ' ἑτέρου η σοῦ αὐτοῦ τὰ δικαιώματά σου. 1108 Ps 118,69 Πολλῶν ἀπατεώνων ἀπονενοημένων κατὰ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου καὶ μυρία οσα πρὸς διαβολὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνατροπὴν δῆθεν λεγόντων, ἀδικία πολλὴ ἐπ' ἐμὲ γεγένηται. ομως δὲ εἰ καὶ δεινὰ ἐδόκουν λέγειν α τοὺς ἀνερματίστους ἀποστῆσαι αὐτῶν δύναται, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐπιτείνων τὴν σπουδὴν καὶ τὸν πόθον εἰς αὐτὰς ἐν ολῃ καρδίᾳ ἐξηρεύνουν αὐτάς, ὡς τὸ κάλλος αὐτῶν τεθεωρηκότα με ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς καὶ ἐπιτεταμένης αὐτῶν ἐρεύνης κατεγνωκέναι σφόδρα τῶν διαβαλλόντων αὐτάς. Ειποι δ' αν ταῦτα καὶ ὁ πρός τινων ὑπερηφάνων τε καὶ δυναστῶν καταπονούμενος καὶ ἀδικούμενος ἐν τοῖς τοῦ βίου πράγμασιν· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου, φησίν, δυνήσομαι μαθεῖν φαυλότερον ειναι τὸ ἀδικεῖν καὶ ἀποστερεῖν τοῦ ἀδικεῖσθαι καὶ ἀποστερεῖσθαι. 1109 Ps 118,70 ̓Επεὶ γὰρ ποτισθέντες τὸ λογικὸν καὶ αδολον γάλα πρὸς τῶν παιδευόντων οὐ διῴκησαν οὐδ' επεψαν αὐτὸ συστραφὲν καὶ παγὲν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐτύρωσε τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν. ἀλλ' ουν εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι τοῦτο πεπόνθασι παρ' ἑαυτούς, ἐγὼ τὸν νόμον σου διὰ μελέτης εχων ἐσπούδαζον αὐτὸν νοεῖν, τῆς τούτου νοήσεως λυούσης οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀχλὺν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν παχύτητα τῆς ὑλικῆς διαθέσεως. Ps 118,72 ∆ιττοῦ οντος τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ μὲν πνευματικοῦ καὶ πρὸς διάνοιαν, τοῦ δὲ κατὰ γράμμα καὶ τὴν σκιὰν διαταγέντος δι' ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ