267
and the citizens and the heirs of the things promised in the divine Scriptures will dwell in them; wherefore it is said: “And they shall inherit it.” But also “the seed of his servants shall possess it.” And who would his servants be, but surely the disciples of our Savior, and the seed sown throughout the whole world, which will possess the inheritance promised in the divine Scriptures? But also “they that love his name shall dwell therein,” that is, clearly, in the inheritance; to whom it will be said: “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 23.768 But if Zion is the heavenly city of God, about which the Apostle taught, saying: “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all;” and, “But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,” would they be a city of Judea? on account of which, corresponding to the heavenly Zion, are the many mansions with the Father, in which all his servants will dwell, and which they will inherit; both the prophets and God-loving men of old, and after them the ministers and deacons of His Gospel. But also their seed, that is, those born of them according to God, having advanced and come to the perfection of the love of God, will have this as a prize and a worthy reward from him, to dwell in the inheritance promised to them. TO THE END. FOR DAVID, FOR A REMEMBRANCE. 69. “O God, attend to my help.” The present words are neither an ode, nor a psalm, nor anything of the sort; except they refer to the end, since they make their supplication concerning future things. And they are said to be “for David, for a remembrance;” as if said for this very purpose, that he might have them ready at hand to recite from memory, and use them as a charm in difficult circumstances. There are two inscribed “for a remembrance,” both the one at hand, and the 37th, also inscribed “for a remembrance.” But that one did not refer to the end, but was “a psalm of David, for a remembrance;” whereas this one is inscribed “to the end.” The 37th, then, was not predictive of future things, but a reminder of things past; wherefore it had the same beginning as the 6th, saying: “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor chasten me in your wrath.” And both contained one theme. For the sixth, proceeding, adds: “I am weary with my groaning; every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears;” and the 37th teaches similar things, saying: “There is no peace in my bones because of my sins. For my iniquities are gone over my head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds have become foul and are corrupt because of my foolishness.” These and such things referred to the memory of the transgression committed by him. Therefore, he inscribed it “for a remembrance,” recalling past events through continuous confession. For this reason, he did not inscribe it “to the end.” But the present one is said to be “to the end,” since it is a supplication for expected things, the Prophet anticipating and praying; so that, if ever uprisings and plots of enemies should happen against him, using the preceding charms he might bring upon them antidotes, as it were, apotropaic charms against every evil. But perhaps what is said is also referred prophetically to the person of the Savior? since in the one before this, which clearly prophesied his passion, it was said from his own person: “I am poor and 23.769 in sorrow: your salvation, O God, has helped me;” and likewise also in the one at hand he proceeds to say: “But I am poor
267
καὶ κατοικήσουσιν ἐν αὐταῖς οἱ πολῖται καὶ οἱ κληρονόμοι τῶν ἐν ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς ἐπηγγελμένων· διὸ λέλεκται· «Καὶ κληρονομήσουσιν αὐτήν.» Ἀλλὰ καὶ «τὸ σπέρμα τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ καθέξουσιν αὐτήν.» ∆οῦλοι δὲ αὐτοῦ τίνες ἂν εἶεν, ἢ πάντως οἱ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαθηταὶ, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα τὸ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης κατασπαρὲν, ὅπερ τὴν κληρονομίαν τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην ἐν ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς καθέξει; Ἀλλὰ καὶ «οἱ ἀγαπῶντες τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ κατασκηνώσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ,» δῆλον δ' ὅτι τῇ κληρονομίᾳ· οἷς λεχθήσεται· «∆εῦτε οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.» 23.768 Εἰ δὲ ἐπουράνιός ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ πόλις Σιὼν, περὶ ἧς ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐδίδαξεν εἰπών· «Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν, ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ ἡμῶν·» καὶ, «Προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει, καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ,» εἶεν ἂν πόλις τῆς Ἰουδαίας; δι' ἃς ἀκολούθως τῇ ἐπουρανίῳ Σιὼν αἱ πολλαὶ παρὰ τῷ Πατρὶ μοναὶ, ἐν αἷς κατοικήσουσι, καὶ ἃς κληρονομήσουσι πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ· οἵ τε πάλαι γενόμενοι προφῆται καὶ θεοφιλεῖς ἄνδρες, καὶ οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα ὑπηρέται καὶ διάκονοι τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν, οἱ ἐξ αὐτῶν δηλαδὴ κατὰ Θεὸν γεγενημένοι, προκόψαντες καὶ εἰς τὸ τέλειον ἐλθόντες τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγάπης, τοῦτο γέρας ἕξουσι καὶ μισθὸν ἐπάξιον παρ' αὐτοῦ, τὸ κατασκηνῶσαι ἐν τῇ ἐπηγγελμένῃ αὐτοῖς κληρονομίᾳ. ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΤΩ ∆ΑΥΙ∆ ΕΙΣ ΑΝΑΜΝΗΣΙΝ. ΞΘʹ. «Ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὴν βοήθειάν μου πρόσχες.» Οὔτε ᾠδὴ, οὔτε ψαλμὸς, οὔτε τι τῶν τοιούτων οἱ προκείμενοι τυγχάνουσι λόγοι· πλὴν ἀναπέμπουσιν εἰς τὸ τέλος, ἐπεὶ περὶ μελλόντων τὴν ἱκετηρίαν ποιοῦνται. Εἴρηνται δὲ «τῷ ∆αυῒδ εἰς ἀνάμνησιν·» ὡς ἂν εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο λεχθέντες, ἵν' ἔχοι προχείρως διὰ στόματος ἀπομνημονεύειν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀντὶ ἐπῳδῆς αὐτοῖς ἐν ταῖς περιστάσεσι χρῆσθαι. ∆ύο δέ εἰσιν οἱ «εἰς ἀνάμνησιν» ἐπιγεγραμμένοι, ὅ τε μετὰ χεῖρας, καὶ ὁ λζʹ ἐπιγεγραμμένος καὶ αὐτὸς «εἰς ἀνάμνησιν.» Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὐκ εἰς τὸ τέλος ἀνέπεμπεν, ἀλλ' ἦν «ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αυῒδ εἰς ἀνάμνησιν·» Οὗτος δὲ «εἰς τὸ τέλος» ἐπιγράφει. Ὁ μὲν οὖν λζʹ, οὐ μελλόντων ἦν προαγορευτικὸς, ἀλλὰ παρῳχηκότων πραγμάτων ὑπομνηστικός· διὸ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρχὴν εἶχε τῷ ʹ λέγων· «Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με, μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με.» Μίαν τε οἱ ἀμφότεροι ὑπόθεσιν περιεῖχον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἕκτος προϊὼν ἐπιλέγει· «Ἐκοπίασα ἐν τῷ στεναγμῷ μου· λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου· ἐν δάκρυσί μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω·» ὁ δὲ λζʹ τὰ ὅμοια διδάσκει λέγων· «Οὐκ ἔστιν εἰρήνη ἐν τοῖς ὀστέοις μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου· ὅτι αἱ ἀνομίαι μου ὑπερῇραν τὴν κεφαλήν μου ὡσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ ἐβαρύνθησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ. Προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου.» Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπὶ τὴν μνήμην τοῦ πραχθέντος αὐτῷ πλημμελήματος ἀνέφερε. ∆ιόπερ «εἰς ἀνάμνησιν» ἐπέγραφεν, ἐπαναλαμβάνων τὰ παρελθόντα διὰ τῆς συνεχοῦς ἐξομολογήσεως. ∆ιὸ οὐκ ἐπέγραφεν «εἰς τὸ τέλος.» Ὁ δὲ παρὼν «εἰς τὸ τέλος» εἴρηται, ἐπειδήπερ ἱκετηρία ἐστὶ προσδοκωμένων πραγμάτων, τοῦ Προφήτου προλαμβάνοντος καὶ εὐχομένου· ἵν', εἴ ποτε συμβαῖεν ἐχθρῶν ἐπαναστάσεις καὶ ἐπιβουλαὶ κατ' αὐτοῦ, ταῖς προκειμέναις ἐπῳδαῖς χρώμενος ἀλεξιφάρμακα ὥσπερ ἀποτρόπαια παντὸς πονηροῦ ἀντιπεριάμματος ἐπάγοιτο. Μήποτε δὲ καὶ προφητικῶς εἰς πρόσωπον ἀναφέρεται τὰ λεγόμενα τοῦ Σωτῆρος; ἐπειδήπερ ἐν μὲν τῷ πρὸ τούτου σαφῶς θεσπίζοντι τὸ πάθος αὐτοῦ ἐλέγετο ἐξ αὐτοῦ προσώπου· «Πτωχὸς καὶ 23.769 ἀλγῶν ἐγώ εἰμι, ἡ σωτηρία σου, ὁ Θεὸς, ἀντελάβετό μου·» ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ μετὰ χεῖρας προϊὼν φάσκει· «Ἐγὼ δὲ πτωχὸς