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with good things, priding themselves as if on permanent and lasting things. But the one instructed in divine things knows the temporary nature of life. For this reason indeed he also calls himself a sojourner, and he beseeches in no way to be ignorant of the divine commandments. 20. "My soul has longed to desire your judgments at all times." Many desire the divine judgments, and they long for the kingdom of heaven, but not always. Now they are pleased by divine things, but now they follow the passions of the body; but the prophet desires to have this longing continuously. 21. "You have rebuked the proud." Those who despise the divine laws fall into the disease of pride; but they receive punishment from the just judge. This Absalom suffered, this Saul, this Pharaoh, and Sennacherib, and Nebuchadnezzar, and countless others. The Prophet, seeing this, being indeed a prophet, added: "Cursed are those who turn aside from your 80.1829 commandments." This same curse the law also brings upon transgressors; "For cursed," it says, "is everyone who does not continue in the things written in the book of the law, to do them. 22. "Take away from me reproach and contempt, for I have sought out your testimonies." Nabal reproached the Prophet, calling him a runaway slave; the Gittites reproached him. Being grieved, therefore, by these things, he prays that the reproaches be wiped away, since indeed he has sought out the divine testimonies; the present sayings therefore do not fit the reproaches from Shimei. For those happened after the sin; but those of Nabal, and of the others, were before the sin. 23. "For indeed rulers sat, and spoke against me." Both Saul, and Abner, and Ahithophel, and Absalom, reviled David. "But your servant was meditating on your statutes." But I, confessing your lordship, had as my meditation your statutes. 24. "For indeed your testimonies are my meditation, and your statutes my counselors." For having rejected all human counsel, I follow your precepts. 25. "My soul clings to the ground." The excess of humiliation he showed through these things. For thus also he said in the forty-third psalm: "For our soul is humbled to the dust; our belly clings to the earth." -"Give me life according to your word." He does not ask for life indefinitely, but the life according to the law. 20. "I have declared my ways, and you heard me; teach me your statutes." To you, O Master, all my deeds I have made known; and I did not allow any of my affairs to escape your notice. For this very reason grant my supplications; and I beseech to learn precisely your statutes. 27. "Make me understand the way of your statutes, and I will meditate on your wondrous works." We need divine understanding, so that we may pursue virtue according to the divine law, and that the one practicing philanthropy might not look to vainglory, and the ascetic might not hunt for human praise, and the self-controlled person might pursue self-control not because of the shame of licentiousness, but through the desire for virtue. Rightly, therefore, the Prophet beseeches to partake of divine understanding, so as to discern the way of righteousness. 28. "My soul has slumbered from despondency; strengthen me in your words." The continuous assault of sin often dissolves the tension of one's thoughts, and prepares the 80.1832 athlete to give up, and produces what is called despondency; and the soul, becoming slack, admits sleep; and sleep brings on death. For which reason the Prophet beseeches to be confirmed and strengthened. And this also he said in another psalm: "Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep in death;" calling sin death. 29, 30. "Remove from me the way of iniquity, and have mercy on me with your law. I have chosen the way of truth, your judgments I have not forgotten." This prayer is also necessary. For it is fitting for us to ask for help from the God of all, so as to turn away from the way of iniquity, and to choose the path of truth, and to carry an unforgotten memory of the testimonies of God. 31. "I have clung to your testimonies, O Lord, do not

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ἀγαθοῖς, ὡς ἐπὶ μονίμοις καὶ διαρκέσι βρενθύοντες. Ὁ δὲ τὰ θεῖα πεπαιδευμένος οἶδε τοῦ βίου τὸ πρόσ καιρον. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ πάροικον ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει, καὶ ἱκετεύει τὰς θείας ἐντολὰς μηδαμῶς ἀγνοῆσαι. κʹ. "Ἐπεπόθησεν ἡ ψυχή μου τοῦ ἐπιθυμῆσαι τὰ κρίματά σου ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ." Ἐπιθυμοῦσι τῶν θείων κριμάτων πολλοὶ, καὶ τῆς οὐρανῶν ἐφίενται βασιλείας, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀεί. Νῦν μὲν θείοις ἀρέσκον ται, νῦν δὲ τοῖς τοῦ σώματος ἀκολουθοῦσι παθήμα σιν· ὁ δὲ προφήτης ἱμείρεται τοῦτον ἔχειν τὸν πόθον διηνεκῶς. καʹ. "Ἐπετίμησας ὑπερηφάνοις." Οἱ τῶν θείων νόμων καταφρονοῦντες τῇ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας περι πίπτουσι νόσῳ· ἀλλὰ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ δέχονται τιμωρίαν. Τοῦτο δὲ πέπονθε Ἀβεσσα λὼμ, τοῦτο Σαοὺλ, τοῦτο Φαραὼ, καὶ Σενναχηρεὶμ, καὶ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ ἕτεροι μυρίοι. Τοῦτο εἰ δὼς ὁ Προφήτης, ἅτε δὴ προφήτης, ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἐπικατάρατοι οἱ ἐκκλίνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν 80.1829 σου." Ταύτην καὶ ὁ νόμος τὴν ἀρὰν τοῖς παραβά ταις προσφέρει· "Ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ, φησὶ, πᾶς, ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει τοῖς ἐγκειμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά. κβʹ. "Περίελε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὄνειδος καὶ ἐξουδένωσιν, ὅτι τὰ μαρτύριά σου ἐξεζήτησα." Ὠνείδισε τὸν Προφήτην ὁ Νάβαλ, δοῦλον δραπέτην ἀποκαλέσας· ὠνείδισαν αὐτὸν οἱ Γετθαῖοι. Ἀλγυνόμενος τοίνυν ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἀποτρίψασθαι τὰ ὀνείδη παρακαλεῖ, ἅτε δὴ τὰ θεῖα ἐκζητήσας μαρτύρια· οὐχ ἁρμόττει τοί νυν τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Σεμεεὶ ὀνείδεσι τὰ παρόντα ῥητά. Ἐκεῖνα γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐγένετο· τὰ δὲ τοῦ Νάβαλ, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. κγʹ. "Καὶ γὰρ ἐκάθισαν ἄρχοντες, καὶ κατελά λουν κατ' ἐμοῦ." Καὶ Σαοὺλ, καὶ Ἀβενὴρ, καὶ Ἀχιτόφελ, καὶ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, ἐλοιδόρουν τὸν ∆αβίδ. "Ὁ δὲ δοῦλός σου ἠδολέσχει ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασί σου." Ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν σὴν δεσποτείαν ὁμολογῶν, μελέτην εἶ χον τὰ σὰ δικαιώματα. κδʹ. "Καὶ γὰρ τὰ μαρτύριά σου μελέτη μού ἐστι, καὶ αἱ συμβουλαί μου τὰ δικαιώματά σου." Πᾶσαν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνην εἰσήγησιν ἀπωσάμενος, ταῖς σαῖς ὑποθήκαις ἀκολουθῶ. κεʹ. "Ἐκολλήθη τῷ ἐδάφει ἡ ψυχή μου." Τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ταπεινώσεως διὰ τούτων ἐδήλωσεν. Οὕτω καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ τρίτῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· "Ὅτι ἐταπεινώθη εἰς χοῦν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν· ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν." -"Ζῆσόν με κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου." Οὐκ ἀορίστως αἰτεῖ ζωὴν, ἀλλὰ τὴν κατὰ νόμον ζωήν. κʹ. "Τὰς ὁδούς μου ἐξήγγειλα, καὶ ἐπήκουσάς μου· δίδαξόν με τὰ δικαιώματά σου." Πάσας σοι, ∆έσποτα, τὰς ἐμὰς δεδήλωκα πράξεις· καὶ οὐδέν σε λαθεῖν τῶν ἐμῶν ἀνεσχόμην. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἱκεσίαις ἐπίνευσον· ἀντιβολῶ δὲ μαθεῖν ἀκριβῶς τὰ σὰ δικαιώματα. κζʹ. "Ὁδὸν δικαιωμάτων σου συνέτισόν με, καὶ ἀδολεσχήσω ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις σου." Θείας ἡμῖν συνέσεως δεῖ, ὥστε κατὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον τὴν ἀρε τὴν μετελθεῖν, καὶ τὸν φιλανθρωπίᾳ χρώμενον μὴ πρὸς κενοδοξίαν ἰδεῖν, καὶ τὸν ἀσκητικὸν μὴ θηρᾶσαι τὸν ἀνθρώπειον ἔπαινον, τὸν σώφρονα μὴ διὰ τὴν τῆς ἀκολασίας αἰσχύνην, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν πόθον τῆς ἀρετῆς, μετιέναι τὴν σωφροσύνην. Εἰκότως τοίνυν ὁ Προφήτης ἀντιβολεῖ συνέσεως θείας μεταλαχεῖν, ὡς διαγνῶναι τὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὁδόν. κηʹ. "Ἐνύσταξεν ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ ἀκηδίας· βεβαίωσόν με ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου." Ἡ συνεχὴς προσβολὴ τῆς ἁμαρτίας διαλύει πολλάκις τὸν τόνον τῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ ἀπαυδῆσαι παρασκευάζει τὸν 80.1832 ἀθλητὴν, καὶ τὴν καλουμένην ἀκηδίαν ἐργάζεται· χαυνουμένη δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ τὸν ὕπνον εἰσδέχεται· ὁ δὲ ὕπνος ἐπάγει τὸν θάνατον. ∆ιόπερ βεβαιωθῆναι καὶ στηριχθῆναι ὁ Προφήτης ἀντιβολεῖ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· "Φώτισον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, μήποτε ὑπνώσω εἰς θάνατον·" θάνατον τὴν ἁμαρ τίαν καλῶν. κθʹ, λʹ. "Ὁδὸν ἀδικίας ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ τῷ νόμῳ σου ἐλέησόν με. Ὁδὸν ἀληθείας ᾑρετισά μην, τὰ κρίματά σου οὐκ ἐπελαθόμην." Ἀναγκαία καὶ αὕτη ἡ δέησις. Προσήκει γὰρ ἡμᾶς αἰτεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων βοήθειαν, ὥστε τῆς ἀδικίας ἐκ τρέπεσθαι τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας προαιρεῖ σθαι πορείαν, καὶ ἄληστον ἐπιφέρειν τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρίων τὴν μνήμην. λαʹ. "Ἐκολλήθην τοῖς μαρτυρίοις σου, Κύριε, μή με