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before it happened, it was foreseen by the holy prophets of God, for this reason the Word says: “Your goings were seen, O God.” But what goings? but first his descent at Sinai, and again the ascent on high, and again the descent upon Bashan and the return from there, and the descent even to death, and from there his goings forth, and above all the return from the depths of the sea? All these were the goings of the Lord who is indicated, which were seen by the prophets of God before they happened; for this reason they were also handed down in the prophetic Scriptures. Rightly, therefore, has it been said: “Your goings were seen, O God.” Then he secures it by teaching whose God the goings were seen; for this reason he adds: “The goings of my God, of my king.” For not simply of God, nor of a king, but of “my God.” This is similar to, “The Lord said to my Lord;” for the first would be the God over all; but the second Lord who hears, “Sit at my right hand,” happens to be my Lord; therefore, “The Lord said to my Lord.” And here, therefore, indicating the second one, the same prophet says: “The goings of my God, of my king, who is in the holy place.” For if I speak of goings being seen, let no one think I speak of the God over all; but the goings of my God and of my king. But since “the princes went before, joined with the singers, in the midst of the damsels playing on timbrels.” For these very princes who went before, or those who sing and prophesy the future by the Holy Spirit, foresaw the goings of my God and of my king. And these were the prophets, who went before the apostles who came after these things. For with two choirs having delivered the theology of our Savior to men, the choir that went before was the prophetic one, and the second which came after was that of the apostles and disciples of the Savior. But nevertheless the goings of the indicated God were seen; or they were seen by the apostles, who also received by sight the things long ago proclaimed by foreknowledge. These, therefore, saw the goings of God with their own eyes; but certain princes went before them, these who were joined with the singers. The word indicates David himself and those with him who were leaders of the people at the same time; who, joined with the singers, went before in the midst of the damsels playing on timbrels. Such were the Jewish synagogues, imperfect and still young damsels, knowing nothing more than to use timbrels, the bodily instruments constructed from the skin of dead animals. For this reason they are called damsels playing on timbrels, because they knew nothing else than the bodily commands of the law. “In the congregations bless God the Lord from the fountains of Israel.” After those who foresaw the goings of the indicated God, the word consequently addresses certain others who came after the first, saying: “In the congregations bless God;” 23.712 and since these were different from the princes who went before, it is fitting that he calls their assemblies congregations, with the prophecy almost with unveiled head proclaiming the churches of our Savior. But these second ones are commanded not in the midst of damsels playing on timbrels, but in congregations to bless God. And which God, he again adds next, “the Lord.” And from where it was necessary for those drawing water to deliver the theology of the Lord to the congregations he necessarily shows, saying: “the Lord from the fountains of Israel,” with the Lord being signified here again by more common characteristics. The fountains of Israel happen to be the prophetic Scriptures, and the legislation of Moses; from which, as if drawing from fountains the testimonies concerning our Savior, he exhorts the second ones to bless him in the congregations. Then he adds: “There is Benjamin, the younger, in a trance.” But instead of “there,” Symmachus says, “where Benjamin the youngest is;” and Aquila likewise: “There,

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πρὶν γενέσθαι προεθεωρεῖτο τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῦ Θεοῦ προφήταις, διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ λόγος· «Ἐθεωρήθησαν αἱ πορεῖαί σου, ὁ Θεός.» Ποῖαι δὲ πορεῖαι; ἀλλὰ πρώτη μὴν ἡ κάθοδος αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐν Σιναῒ, καὶ πάλιν ἡ ἀνάβασις ἡ εἰς ὕψος, καὶ αὖθις ἡ κάθοδος ἡ ἐπὶ Βασὰν καὶ ἡ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπιστροφὴ, ἥ τε μέχρι τοῦ θανάτου κατάβασις, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν διέξοδοι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἡ ἐκ τῶν βυθῶν τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπάνοδος; Αὗται πᾶσαι πορεῖαι ἦσαν τοῦ δηλουμένου Κυρίου, αἵτινες τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ προφήταις ἐθεωρήθησαν πρὶν γενέσθαι· διὸ καὶ ταῖς προφητικαῖς παρεδόθησαν Γραφαῖς. Εἰκότως οὖν εἴρηται· «Ἐθεωρήθησαν αἱ πορεῖαί σου, ὁ Θεός.» Εἶτ' ἀσφαλίζεται διδάσκων ποίου Θεοῦ αἱ πορεῖαι ἐθεωρήθησαν· διὸ ἐπιλέγει· «Αἱ πορεῖαι τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, τοῦ βασιλέως μου.» Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς Θεοῦ, οὐδὲ βασιλέως, ἀλλὰ τοῦ «Θεοῦ μου.» Τοῦτο δὲ ὅμοιον τυγχάνει τῷ, «Εἶπε Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου·» ὁ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτος ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων εἴη ἂν Θεός· ὁ δὲ δεύτερος Κύριος ὁ ἀκούων· «Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου,» ἐμὸς τυγχάνει Κύριος· διὸ, «Εἶπε Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου.» Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν τὸν δεύτερον σημαίνων ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης φησίν· «Αἱ πορεῖαι τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, τοῦ βασιλέως μου, τοῦ ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ.» Ἐὰν γὰρ λέγω θεωρουμένας πορείας, μή τις νομιζέτω με λέγειν τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως μου πορεῖαι. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ «προέφθασαν ἄρχοντες ἐχόμενοι ψαλλόντων ἐν μέσῳ νεανίδων τυμπανιστριῶν.» Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὗτοι οἱ προφθάσαντες ἄρχοντες, ἢ οἱ ᾄδοντες καὶ Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ τὸ μέλλον θεσπίζοντες, προεθεώρησαν τὰς πορείας τοῦ Θεοῦ μου καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως μου. Οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ προφῆται, οἱ προφθάσαντες τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα προελθόντας ἀποστόλους. ∆ύο γὰρ χορῶν τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεολογίαν ἀνθρώποις παραδεδωκότων, ὁ μὲν προφθάσας χορὸς ἦν ὁ προφητικὸς, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος ἐπελθὼν ὁ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ μαθητῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ ἐθεωρήθησαν αἱ πορεῖαι τοῦ δηλωθέντος Θεοῦ· ἢ τοῖς μὲν ἀποστόλοις ἐθεωρήθησαν, οἳ καὶ ὄψει παρέλαβον τὰ πάλαι προγνώσει προπεφωνημένα. Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τὰς πορείας ἐθεώρησαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· προέφθασαν δὲ αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντές τινες οὗτοι οἱ ἐχόμενοι τῶν ψαλλόντων. Σημαίνει δὲ ὁ λόγος τὸν ∆αυῒδ αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους ἡγουμένους τοῦ λαοῦ· οἵτινες ἐχόμενοι τῶν ψαλλόντων προέφθασαν ἐν μέσῳ νεανίδων τυμπανιστριῶν. Τοιαῦται δὲ ἦσαν αἱ Ἰουδαϊκαὶ συναγωγαὶ, ἀτελεῖς καὶ εἰσέτι νεάνιδες, πλέον οὐδὲν ἐπιστάμεναι ἢ τυμπάνοις χρῆσθαι τοῖς σωματικοῖς ὀργάνοις ἐκ δορᾶς νεκρῶν ζώων κατεσκευασμένοις. ∆ιὸ τυμπανίστριαι εἴρηνται, τῷ μηδὲν ἕτερον εἰδέναι ἢ τὰ σωματικὰ τοῦ νόμου παραγγέλματα. «Ἐν Ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν Κύριον ἐκ πηγῶν Ἰσραήλ.» Μετὰ τοὺς προθεωρήσαντας τὰς τοῦ δηλωθέντος Θεοῦ πορείας, ἀκολούθως ὁ λόγος ἑτέροις τισὶ μετὰ τοὺς πρώτους γενομένους προσφωνεῖ λέγων· «Ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Θεόν·» 23.712 καὶ ἐπειδήπερ ἕτεροι ἦσαν οὗτοι παρὰ τοὺς προφθάσαντας ἄρχοντας, εἰκότως καὶ τὰς συνόδους αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίας ἀποκαλεῖ, μονονουχὶ γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ τὰς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐκκλησίας προαγορευούσης τῆς προφητείας. Κελεύονται δὲ οὗτοι οἱ δεύτεροι οὐκ ἐν μέσῳ νεανίδων τυμπανιστριῶν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖν τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ ποῖον Θεὸν, πάλιν ἐπιλέγει ἑξῆς, «Κύριον.» Καὶ πόθεν ἀρυομένους χρῆν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου παραδιδόναι θεολογίαν ἀναγκαίως παρίστησι λέγων· «Κύριον ἐκ πηγῶν Ἰσραὴλ,» τοῖς κοινοτέροις χαρακτῆρσι κἀνταῦθα πάλιν τοῦ Κυρίου σημαινομένου. Πηγαὶ δὲ Ἰσραὴλ αἱ προφητικαὶ Γραφαὶ τυγχάνουσιν, ἥ τε Μωϋσέως νομοθεσία· ἐξ ὧν ὥσπερ ἀπὸ πηγῶν ἀρυομένους τὰς περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαρτυρίας εὐλογεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τοῖς δευτέροις παρακελεύεται. Εἶτα ἐπιλέγει· «Ἐκεῖ Βενιαμὶν νεώτερος ἐν ἐκστάσει.» Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ «ἐκεῖ,» ὁ Σύμμαχος, «ὅπου, φησὶ, Βενιαμὶν ὁ μικρότατος·» καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας ὁμοίως· «Ἐκεῖ,