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"How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" But to us the divine Apostle exhorts, praying in every place to lift up holy hands. This the Lord Christ also said to the Samaritan woman, "Amen, amen, I say to you, woman, that the hour is coming, and now is, when neither in this place, nor in Jerusalem, will they worship the Father. For God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." -"Bless the Lord, O my soul." The end is in harmony with the beginning. For having called the intelligible beings into the fellowship of hymnody, he also teaches us how it is possible to honor the Creator, and to offer the hymn of thanksgiving in measure with our ability.

INTERPRETATION OF THE 103RD PSALM 1. "A Psalm of David." The grace of the all-holy Spirit not only offers moral and dogmatic teaching to men, but also instructs precisely how it is fitting to hymn the Creator. For this reason, it composed this psalm, using the blessed David as its minister, so that we all might learn with what hymns we ought to repay the benefactor. Indeed, here it recounts the common benefactions, and shows the Creator of all things together, and the Lord of the universe, to be God. "Bless the Lord, O my soul." It teaches every nursling of piety to hymn God the benefactor. "O Lord my God, how you were magnified exceedingly!" Here also the *hōs* [how] is for emphasis. And the *emegalynthēs* [you were magnified] is not indicative of increase, but signifies immeasurable greatness. For so also Symmachus interpreted it, And my God, you are exceedingly great. For he was not magnified being small, but being great by nature, this was shown to the pious; not the whole greatness, but as much as the nature of men could contain. "You have put on confession and majesty." Symmachus thus, You have clothed yourself with praise and glory. For those who enjoy your good things no longer are ignorant of you, nor do they offer your worship to idols, but they hymn you, and to you they pay the debt of doxology. 2. "Who covers yourself with light as with a garment." In harmony with these things the Apostle also said: "Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light." For that light is so great, that no one dares to approach; for the excess of its splendor turns away the eyes. For if the perceptible sun compels this for those 80.1696 who try to gaze insatiably, who is capable of coming to a conception of the unapproachable light? He himself is, therefore, true light; and he covers himself with light as with a garment, and dwells in unapproachable light, and a cloud and darkness are around him, and he made darkness his hiding place. And these things are not contrary to each other; for the unapproachable light is the same as the gloom and the darkness to those who are not able to see. For it is possible to perceive neither the things in the one, nor in the other. And indeed both this and that declare the invisibility of the divine nature. "Stretching out the heaven like a skin." Through these things he taught the ease of creation. For as it is easy for a man to stretch out a skin and make a tent, so the God of the universe spread out the great expanses of the heavens, using only a word. 3. "Who covers his upper chambers with waters." This the blessed Moses also taught. For he said that God had spoken, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water," and it will be dividing between the water which is above the firmament, and between the water which is under the firmament. "Who makes the clouds his chariot, who walks on the wings of the winds." Through these things he declared the providence that extends everywhere. For he is set over, he says, both winds and clouds; and he himself directs and steers them; and he gives the need that arises from them in due season. And it teaches at the same time, that the divine nature is present everywhere, and flies over all things. For since of all perceptible things, the nature of the winds is the swiftest; for in an instant it runs from the western parts to the east, and from the east to

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"Πῶς ᾄσομεν τὴν ᾠδὴν Κυρίου ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας;" Ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος παρεγγυᾷ, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ προσευχομέ νους αἴρειν ὁσίας χεῖρας. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς πρὸς τὴν Σαμαρεῖτιν ἔφη, "Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα, καὶ νῦν ἔστιν, ὅτε οὔτε ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, οὔτε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις προσκυνήσουσι τῷ Πατρί. Πνεῦμα γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν." -"Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον." Σύμφωνον τῷ προοιμίῳ τὸ τέλος. Καλέσας γὰρ εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ὑμνῳδίας τὰς νοητὰς οὐσίας, διδά σκει καὶ ἡμᾶς, ὡς δυνατὸν γεραίρειν τὸν Ποιητὴν, καὶ ἰσόμετρον τῇ δυνάμει προσφέρειν τὸν χαριστή ριον ὕμνον.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΡΓʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ." Ἡ τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος χάρις οὐ μόνον ἠθικὴν

καὶ δογματικὴν διδασκαλίαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσφέρει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπως ὑμνεῖν προσήκει τὸν Ποιητὴν ἀκριβῶς ἐκπαι δεύει. ∆ιάτοι τοῦτο τόνδε συγγέγραφε τὸν ψαλμὸν, τῷ μακαρίῳ ∆αβὶδ ὑπουργῷ χρησαμένη· ὡς ἂν μά θοιμεν ἅπαντες, τίσιν ὕμνοις χρὴ τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀμείβεσθαι. Τὰς μέντοι κοινὰς εὐεργεσίας ἐνταῦθα διέξεισι, καὶ δείκνυσι ποιητὴν ἁπάντων ὁμοῦ, καὶ πρύτανιν τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν. "Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον." Ἕκαστον εὐσεβείας τρόφιμον ὑμνεῖν διδάσκει τὸν εὐεργέτην Θεόν. "Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθης σφόδρα!" Ἐπιτάσεως καὶ ἐν ταῦθα τὸ ὡς. Τὸ δὲ ἐμεγαλύνθης, οὐκ αὐξή σεως δηλωτικὸν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ· ἀμετρήτου μεγέθους σημαντικόν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσε, Καὶ ὁ Θεός μου μέγας εἶ σφόδρα. Οὐ γὰρ μι κρὸς ὢν ἐμεγαλύνθη, ἀλλὰ φύσει μέγας ὢν τοῦτο τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἐδείχθη· οὐχ ἅπαν τὸ μέγεθος, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἡ φύσις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐχώρει. "Ἐξομολόγη σιν καὶ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσω." Ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως, Ὕμνον καὶ εὐδοξίαν ἠμφιάσω. Οὐκ ἔτι γάρ σε ἀγνοοῦσιν οἱ τῶν σῶν ἀπολαύοντες ἀγα θῶν, οὐδὲ τοῖς εἰδώλοις τὸ σὸν σέβας προσφέρουσιν, ἀλλά σε ὑμνοῦσι, καί σοι τὸ τῆς δοξολογίας ἐκτί νουσι χρέος. βʹ. "Ἀναβαλλόμενος φῶς ὡς ἱμάτιον." Συνῳδὰ τούτοις καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἔφη· "Ὁ μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν, φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρόσιτον." Τοσοῦτον γάρ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο τὸ φῶς, ὡς μηδένα πελάζειν τολμᾷν· ἀποστρέφει γὰρ τὰς ὄψεις ἡ τῆς αἴγλης ὑπερβολή. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ αἰσθητὸς τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἥλιος ἀναγκάζει τοὺς 80.1696 ἀπλήστως καθορᾷν πειρωμένους, τίς ἱκανὸς τοῦ ἀπρο σίτου φωτὸς ἐν περινοίᾳ γενέσθαι; Ἔστι μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς φῶς ἀληθινόν· ἀναβάλλεται δὲ καὶ φῶς ὡς ἱμάτιον, καὶ φῶς οἰκεῖ ἀπρόσιτον, καὶ νεφέλη καὶ γνόφος κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὑτοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ ἐναντία ταῦτα ἀλλήλοις· τὸ γὰρ ἀπρό σιτον φῶς τοῖς ὁρᾷν μὴ δυναμένοις τῷ γνόφῳ καὶ τῷ σκότει ταυτόν ἐστιν. Οὔτε γὰρ τὰ ἐν τούτῳ, οὔτε τὰ ἐν ἐκείνῳ δυνατὸν κατιδεῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο μέντοι κἀκεῖνο τῆς θείας φύσεως δηλοῖ τὸ ἀόρατον. "Ἐκ τείνων τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡσεὶ δέῤῥιν." Τὴν τῆς δημιουρ γίας εὐκολίαν διὰ τούτων ἐδίδαξεν. Ὡς γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ ῥᾴδιον δέῤῥιν ἐκτεῖναι καὶ ποιῆσαι σκηνὴν, οὕτως ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὰ μεγάλα τῶν οὐρανῶν διεπέτασε κήτη, λόγῳ μόνῳ χρησάμενος. γʹ. "Ὁ στεγάζων ἐν ὕδασι τὰ ὑπερῷα αὑτοῦ." Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἐδίδαξε Μωσῆς. Ἔφη γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν εἰρηκέναι, "Γενηθήτω στερέωμα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὕδατος," καὶ ἔσται διαχωρίζον ἀναμέσον ὕδα τος τοῦ ἐπάνω τοῦ στερεώματος, καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ὑποκάτω τοῦ στερεώματος. "Ὁ τιθεὶς νέφη τὴν ἐπίβασιν αὑτοῦ, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ πτερύ γων ἀνέμων." ∆ιὰ τούτων τὴν πανταχοῦ διήκουσαν ἐδήλωσε πρόνοιαν. Ἐφέστηκε γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀνέμοις καὶ νέφεσιν· καὶ αὐτὸς ἰθύνει ταῦτα, καὶ κυβερνᾷ· καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν φυομένην εἰς καιρὸν δίδωσι χρείαν. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ κατὰ ταυτὸν, ὡς ἡ θεία φύσις πανταχοῦ πάρεστι, καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐφίπταται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἁπάντων ὀξυτάτη τῶν ἀνέμων ἡ φύ σις· ἐν ἀκαρεῖ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑσπερίων ἐπὶ τὴν ἕω διατρέχει, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἕω πρὸς