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80.1749 41. "And he helped the poor man out of poverty." For the nations that were once poor enjoyed the divine assistance, and acquired spiritual wealth. "And he made families like a flock." But Aquila has it thus: And he will greatly lift up the poor man from poverty, and will make kindred like a flock. For he cares for them as his own sheep, and provides and cares for them as kinsmen according to the flesh. 42. "The upright will see and be glad, and all iniquity will shut its mouth." For seeing these things, those who are endowed with uprightness of thought are filled with gladness; but those who choose to live with impiety and lawlessness are forced to bow down to the earth and be silent, bridled by the just decree. 43. "Who is wise and will keep these things, and will understand the mercies of the Lord?" For it is not for everyone to understand and discern the philanthropic dispensations of the Savior, nor to keep the divine laws; but for the one who uses wisdom and understanding, and cries out to the Master: "Uncover my eyes, and I will understand the wonderful things out of your law."

INTERPRETATION OF THE 107TH PSALM. 1. "A song of a psalm for David." This psalm likewise also the of the Jews

prophesies the return, and foretells the salvation of the nations; and it has a great affinity both with the 50th and with the 59th psalm. 2. "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready; I will sing and give praise with my glory." And we have already said before that the prophet calls the prophetic grace his own glory. Using the melody of prophecy, he says, I say to you, the Master, that I have my heart wide and ready for the reception of your divine grace. 3, 4. "Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I will awake early. I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O Lord; I will sing praises to you among the nations." The prophet calls himself a psaltery and a harp. For as on a musical instrument, the grace of the Spirit struck up the prophetic melody in him. Having therefore stirred himself up to the hymnody of the Master, he responds again, and promises to do this early in the morning. since at that time he would not offer the hymn alone, but having composed the divine song with countless nations and peoples; 80.1752 and he calls the incarnation of our God and Savior "early in the morning." For from that time the light of truth has dawned; from that time throughout the whole world in the mouths of all men the blessed David sings, and hymns the divine benefactions. 5. "For your mercy is great above the heavens, and your truth reaches to the clouds." The greatness of your mercy surpasses the vaults of the heavens; the rays of your truth have spread everywhere. And we have already said that he calls the prophets, and the apostles, and those who have received the grace of teaching, "clouds". For through these, as through certain clouds, he offers spiritual watering to men; through them we have learned the true doctrines. 6. "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and your glory over all the earth." This the blessed Habakkuk also said: "His excellence covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise." This the blessed David also said in the eighth psalm: "O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth! for your magnificence is exalted above the heavens." Therefore, "be exalted," instead of, "be shown to be high, and superior to all, and let all the earth learn your glory." 7. "That your beloved ones may be delivered, save with your right hand, and hear me." And the salvation of those who have been deemed worthy of your household will show your power to all men; receive, therefore, my supplication, and extend your right hand. And he calls the good energy the "right hand." 8. "God has spoken in his sanctuary." That is, through the grace of the all-holy Spirit. "I will be exalted, and I will divide Shechem, and I will measure out the valley of the tents." Which the prophet asked for

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80.1749 μαʹ. "Καὶ ἐβοήθησε πένητι ἐκ πτωχείας." Τὰ γὰρ πάλαι πτωχεύσαντα ἔθνη τῆς θείας ἐπικου ρίας ἀπήλαυσαν, καὶ τὸν πνευματικὸν ἐκτήσαντο πλοῦτον. "Καὶ ἔθετο, ὡς πρόβατα, πατριάς." Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας οὕτως· Καὶ ὑπερεπαρεῖ πτωχὸν ἐκ πε νίας, καὶ θήσει ὡς ποίμνιον συγγενείας. Ὡς προβάτων γὰρ τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιμελεῖται, καὶ ὡς συγ γενῶν κατὰ σάρκα προμηθεῖται καὶ κήδεται. μβʹ. "Ὄψονται εὐθεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήσονται, καὶ πᾶσα ἀνομία ἐμφράξει τὸ στόμα αὑτῶν." Ταῦτα γὰρ ὁρῶντες οἱ μὲν εὐθύτητι λογισμῶν κεχρημένοι, θυμηδίας ἐμπίμπλανται· οἱ δὲ δυσσεβείᾳ καὶ παρανομίᾳ συζῇν προαιρούμενοι, κύπτειν εἰς γῆν, καὶ σιγᾷν ἀναγκάζονται, τῇ δικαίᾳ χαλινούμενοι ψήφῳ. μγʹ. "Τίς σοφὸς καὶ φυλάξει ταῦτα, καὶ συν ήσει τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ Κυρίου;" Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ συνιέ ναι καὶ διαγνῶναι τὰς φιλανθρώπους τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἰκονομίας, οὔτε φυλάξαι τὰς θείας νομοθεσίας παντός· ἀλλὰ τοῦ σοφίᾳ καὶ συνέσει χρωμένου, καὶ βοῶντος πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην· "Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσια ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου."

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΡΖʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ὠδὴ ψαλμοῦ τῷ ∆αβίδ." Καὶ οὗτος ὡσαύτως ὁ ψαλμὸς καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίων

ἐπάνοδον προθεσπίζει, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν προαγορεύει τὴν σωτηρίαν· πολλὴν δ' ἔχει τὴν συγγένειαν πρός τε τὸν νʹ καὶ πρὸς τὸν νθʹ ψαλμόν. βʹ. "Ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ Θεὸς, ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ᾄσομαι καὶ ψαλῶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ μου." Καὶ ἤδη προειρήκαμεν, ὡς δόξαν οἰκείαν ὁ προ φήτης τὴν προφητικὴν χάριν καλεῖ. Τῇ τῆς προ φητείας, φησὶ, χρώμενος μελῳδίᾳ, λέγω σοι τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, ὡς εὐρεῖαν ἔχω τὴν καρδίαν μου, καὶ ἑτοίμην εἰς ὑποδοχὴν τῆς θείας σου χάριτος. γʹ, δʹ. "Ἐξεγέρθητι, ἡ δόξα μου, ἐξεγέρθητι, ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάρα, ἐξεγερθήσομαι ὄρθρου. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν λαοῖς, Κύριε, ψαλῶ σοι ἐν ἔθνεσιν." Ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν ἑαυτὸν ὁ προ φήτης καλεῖ. Ὡς ἐν ὀργάνῳ γὰρ μουσικῷ, τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡ χάρις ἐν αὐτῷ τὴν προφητικὴν ἀν εκρούετο μελῳδίαν. ∆ιεγείρας τοίνυν ἑαυτὸν εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν τοῦ ∆εσπότου, ἀποκρίνεται πάλιν, καὶ ὑπισχνεῖται ὄρθρου τοῦτο ποιήσειν. Ἅτε δὴ τηνι καῦτα οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνος προσοίσων τὸν ὕμνον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ μυρίων ἐθνῶν καὶ λαῶν τὴν θείαν ᾠδὴν ποιη 80.1752 σάμενος· ὄρθρον δὲ καλεῖ, τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν. Ἐξ ἐκείνου γὰρ ἀνέτειλε τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ φῶς· ἐξ ἐκείνου κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν τοῖς ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων στόμασιν ὁ μακάριος ᾄδει ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τὰς θείας εὐεργεσίας ὑμνεῖ. εʹ. "Ὅτι μέγα ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν ἡ ἀλήθειά σου." Νικᾷ τῶν οὐρανῶν τὰ κύτη τοῦ σοῦ ἐλέους τὸ μέγεθος· παν ταχόσε τῆς σῆς ἀληθείας αἱ ἀκτῖνες διέδραμον. Καὶ ἤδη δὲ εἰρήκαμεν, ὡς νεφέλας τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ τοὺς διδασκαλικῆς χάρι τος τετυχηκότας καλεῖ. ∆ιὰ τούτων γὰρ, ὥσπερ διά τινων νεφελῶν, τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀρδείαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσφέρει· δι' αὐτῶν τὰ ἀληθῆ με μαθήκαμεν δόγματα. ʹ. "Ὑψώθητι ἐπὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἡ δόξα σου." Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μα κάριος ἔφησεν Ἀββακούμ· "Ἐκάλυψεν οὐρανοὺς ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς αἰνέσεως αὐτοῦ πλήρης ἡ γῆ." Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ ἐν τῷ ὀγδόῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· "Κύριε, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, ὡς θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ· ὅτι ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγα λοπρέπειά σου ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν." Τὸ οὖν, ὑψώθητι, ἀντὶ τοῦ, δείχθητι ὑψηλὸς, καὶ πάντων ὑπέρτερος, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ μαθέτω τὴν σὴν δόξαν. ζʹ. "Ὅπως ἂν ῥυσθῶσιν οἱ ἀγαπητοί σου, σῶσον τῇ δεξιᾷ σου, καὶ ἐπάκουσόν μου." ∆είξει δέ σου πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τὴν δύναμιν τῶν τῆς σῆς οἰκειώ σεως ἀξιωθέντων ἡ σωτηρία· δέξαι μου τοίνυν τὴν ἱκετείαν, καὶ τὴν σὴν ὄρεξον δεξιάν. ∆εξιὰν δὲ κα λεῖ τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐνέργειαν. ηʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ αὑτοῦ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, διὰ τῆς τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος χάριτος. "Ὑψωθήσομαι καὶ διαμεριῶ Σίκιμα, καὶ τὴν κοιλάδα τῶν σκηνῶν διαμετρήσω." Οὗπερ ᾔτησεν ὁ προφήτης