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sinners to destroy me, I have understood your testimonies." The word *waited for*, Symmachus and Theodotion have said *expected*. They indeed hoped to deliver me to death; but I, paying attention to your testimonies, reaped life from them. 96. "I have seen an end of all perfection; your commandment is exceedingly broad." But Symmachus [has it] thus: I have seen an end of all preparation, your commandment is exceedingly spacious. All human things, he says, both wealth, and abundance, and power, and princedoms, and generalships, tyrannies and kingdoms, have an end, and a swift end; but your commandment is broad, and imperishable, and for those who keep it, it procures that boundless and eternal life, and the good things that receive no change. 97. "O how I have loved your law, O Lord! it is my meditation all the day." Not everyone who fulfills the divine law fulfills it by loving it, but some do so out of dread and fear of punishment, and others while hunting for glory from men. But the genuine lovers of virtue, by their disposition towards good things, hasten to fulfill the divine commands. 98. "You have made me wiser than my enemies by your commandment, for it is mine for ever." The Prophet, having confessed to ardently loving the divine law, ascribes the whole to divine grace. For from you, he says, having received wisdom and knowledge, I have loved your law; for you have given me more knowledge than my enemies. Therefore they are eager to destroy me, but I do not endure even to defend myself against those who wrong me. For I imagine the eternal gain of virtue. 99, 100. "I have understood more than all my teachers, because your testimonies are my meditation. I have understood more than the elders, because I have sought out your commandments." It is the business of kings to teach, but of subjects, to be taught. Saul reigned, and he was an elder also in age; but nevertheless, neither the authority of the kingdom, nor his length of age, prepared him to be temperate 80.1853, but he desired to destroy his benefactor. But the great David, still numbered among the subjects, and being of a young age, loved wisdom, and neither did he bear to begin unjust hands, nor to defend himself against those who wronged him. 101. "I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep your words." For it is not possible to travel two ways at the same time, of licentiousness and of temperance, of righteousness and of unrighteousness; but one must flee the contrary ways, and travel the straight one; for thus it is possible to become guardians of the divine words. 102. "I have not departed from your judgments, because you have legislated for me." For knowing you to be the lawgiver of these things, I embraced them with every disposition. 103. "How sweet are your oracles to my throat! more than honey to my mouth." For the sweetness of honey does not so please the sense of my mouth, as the meditation of your oracles gladdens my soul. For he has put the throat, as being the instrument of the voice; and meditation is by voice. And the soul, making use of these things, reaps the benefit from them. 104. "From your commandments I have gained understanding; therefore I have hated every way of unrighteousness." For understanding what things please you, I have turned away from all the forms of wickedness. 105. "Your law is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths." For I do not walk in darkness, being illuminated by your law as by some lamp; However, one must know that the law is called a lamp, but our Savior and Lord is the sun of righteousness. For the one, as a lamp, barely illuminated one nation, but the other has enlightened the whole inhabited world. Thus also the Lord Christ called the divine John a lamp, who appeared to the Jews while it was still night. Then the true light, which enlightens every man coming into the world, arose. And He called the holy apostles light, as having partaken of that light, and having enlightened all men through their teaching. 100. "I have sworn, and have established it, to keep the judgments of your righteousness." He called the firm judgment of the soul an oath, since most things are confirmed by an oath. 107. "I have been humbled exceedingly, O Lord, quicken me according to your word." He did not simply say

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ἁμαρτωλοὶ τοῦ ἀπολέσαι με, τὰ μαρτύριά σου συνῆκα." Τὸ ὑπέμειναν, προσεδόκησαν ὁ Σύμμαχος καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων εἴρη καν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἤλπισάν με παραδοῦναι θανάτῳ· ἐγὼ δὲ τοῖς σοῖς προσέχων μαρτυρίοις τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκαρπούμην ζωήν. ʹ. "Πάσης συντελείας εἶδον πέρας, πλατεῖα ἡ ἐντολή σου σφόδρα." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Πά σης κατασκευῆς εἶδον πέρας, εὐρύχωρος ἡ ἐν τολή σου σφόδρα. Πάντα, φησὶ, τὰ ἀνθρώπεια, καὶ πλοῦτος, καὶ περιουσία, καὶ δυναστεία, καὶ ἡγεμο νίαι, καὶ στρατηγίαι, τυραννίδες καὶ βασιλεῖαι, τέλος ἔχουσι, καὶ τέλος ταχύ· ἡ δὲ σὴ ἐντολὴ πλατεῖά ἐστι, καὶ ἀνώλεθρος, καὶ τοῖς φυλάττουσι προξενεῖ τὸν ἀπέραντον ἐκεῖνον καὶ αἰώνιον βίον, καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ μεταβολὴν οὐδεμίαν δεχόμενα. ζʹ. "Ὡς ἠγάπησα τὸν νόμον σου, Κύριε, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μελέτη μού ἐστιν." Οὐ πᾶς τὸν θεῖον νόμον πληρῶν ἀγαπῶν τοῦτον πληροῖ, ἀλλὰ οἱ μὲν δέει καὶ φόβῳ τῆς τιμωρίας, οἱ δὲ δόξαν τὴν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων θηρώμενοι. Οἱ δὲ γνήσιοι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐρα σταὶ τῇ περὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ διαθέσει πληροῦν ἐπείγονται τὰ θεῖα προστάγματα. ηʹ. "Ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἐσόφισάς με τὴν ἐντολήν σου, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐμοί ἐστιν." Θερ μῶς τὸν θεῖον ἀγαπᾷν ὁ Προφήτης ὁμολογήσας νόμον, τῇ θείᾳ χάριτι τὸ πᾶν ἀνατίθησι. Παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ, φησὶ, σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν δεξάμενος, τὸν σὸν ἔστερξα νόμον· πλείονα γάρ μοι τῶν ἐχθρῶν εἴδησιν ἔδωκας. ∆ιὸ οἱ μὲν ἀνελεῖν με σπουδάζουσιν, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδὲ ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας ἀνέχομαι. Τὸ γὰρ αἰώνιον τῆς ἀρετῆς φαντάζομαι κέρδος. θʹ, ρʹ. "Ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς διδάσκοντάς με συν ῆκα, ὅτι τὰ μαρτύριά σου μελέτη μού ἐστιν. Ὑπὲρ πρεσβυτέρους συνῆκα, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολάς σου ἐξεζή τησα." Βασιλέων ἴδιον τὸ διδάσκειν, τὸ δὲ διδά σκεσθαι, τῶν ἀρχομένων. Ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ Σαοὺλ, πρεσβύτερος ἦν καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὔτε ἡ ἐξου σία τῆς βασιλείας, οὔτε τῆς ἡλικίας ὁ χρόνος, σωφρο 80.1853 νεῖν αὐτὸν παρεσκεύαζεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀνελεῖν ἐπεθύμει. Ὁ δὲ μέγας ∆αυῖδ, τοῖς ὑπηκόοις ἔτι συν τεταγμένος, καὶ νέαν ἄγων τὴν ἡλικίαν, τὴν φιλοσο φίαν ἠγάπησε, καὶ οὔτε ἄρξαι χειρῶν ἀδίκων ἠνέσ χετο, οὔτε τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας ἀμύνασθαι. ραʹ. "Ἐκ πάσης ὁδοῦ πονηρᾶς ἐκώλυσα τοὺς πό δας μου, ὅπως ἂν φυλάξω τοὺς λόγους σου." Οὔτε γὰρ δυνατὸν δύο κατὰ ταὐτὸν ὁδεύειν ὁδοὺς, ἀκολα σίας καὶ σωφροσύνης, δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀδικίας· ἀλ λὰ δεῖ τὰς ἐναντίας φυγεῖν, καὶ τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδεῦσαι· οὕτω γὰρ οἷόν τε γίνεσθαι τῶν θείων φύλακας λόγων. ρβʹ. "Ἀπὸ τῶν κριμάτων σου οὐκ ἐξέκλινα, ὅτι σὺ ἐνομοθέτησάς με." Σὲ γὰρ τούτων ἐπιστάμε νος νομοθέτην, μετὰ πάσης αὐτὰ διαθέσεως ἠσπαζό μην. ργʹ. "Ὡς γλυκέα τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου." Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἡδύνει μου τὴν τοῦ στόματος αἴσθησιν ἡ γλυκύτης τοῦ μέ λιτος, ὡς εὐφραίνει μου τὴν ψυχὴν ἡ τῶν σῶν λο γίων μελέτη. Τὸν γὰρ λάρυγγα τέθεικεν, ὡς ὄργανον ὄντα φωνῆς· διὰ φωνῆς δὲ ἡ μελέτη. Τούτοις δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ κεχρημένη τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὠφέλειαν καρποῦται. ρδʹ. "Ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου συνῆκα· διὰ τοῦτο ἐμίσησα πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἀδικίας." Συνεὶς γὰρ τίσιν ἀρέ σκῃ, ἀπεστράφην ἅπαντα τῆς κακίας τὰ εἴδη. ρεʹ. "Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου, καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου." Οὐ γὰρ ἐν σκότει βαδίζω, οἷόν τινι λύχνῳ τῷ σῷ φωτιζόμενος νόμῳ· Εἰδέναι μέντοι χρὴ, ὡς ὁ μὲν νόμος λύχνος ὠνόμασται, ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ καὶ Κύριος ἡμῶν δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ οἷα δὴ λύχνος μόγις ἓν κατηύγασεν ἔθνος, ὁ δὲ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐφώτισεν. Οὕτω καὶ τὸν θεσπέσιον Ἰωάννην λύχνον προσηγόρευσεν ὁ ∆εσπό της Χριστὸς, ἔτι νυκτὸς οὔσης ἐπιφανέντα τοῖς Ἰου δαίοις. Ἔπειτα δὲ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἀνέτειλεν. Καὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους φῶς προσηγόρευσεν, ὡς ἐκείνου τοῦ φωτὸς μετειληφότας, καὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους φωτίσαντας διὰ τῆς αὑτῶν διδαχῆς. ρʹ. "Ὤμοσα, καὶ ἔστησα τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου." Τὴν βεβαίαν τῆς ψυχῆς κρίσιν ὅρκον ὠνόμασεν, ἐπειδὴ ὅρκῳ βεβαιοῦ ται τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ πλεῖστα. ρζʹ. "Ἐταπεινώθην ἕως σφόδρα, Κύριε, ζῆσόν με κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου." Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἔφη