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their thought." I will have this zeal for your commandments, knowing that those who transgress them have become shameful and ridiculous. 119. "I have reckoned all the sinners of the earth as transgressors; therefore I have loved your testimonies." Instead of "transgressors," Theodotion said "as nothing;" but Symmachus "dross." But the Prophet has declared that, despising the transgressors himself in a manner similar to God, he offered all zeal for the fulfillment of the divine oracles, since he knew the penalty of lawlessness. 120. "Nail my flesh with your fear; for I was afraid of your judgments." My soul, he says, is surrounded by your fear. But since the body rises up against it, and its members, I pray that it be nailed with this fear, so that they, having become dead to sin, may follow the guidance of the soul. This resembles that apostolic saying, "Mortify your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idola 80.1860 try." And again, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." 121. "I have done judgment and justice; do not deliver me to those who wrong me." Having chosen, he says, to follow your laws, may I not become an easy prey to my enemies. Who now has such purity of soul as to use such words with confidence? Yet the divine Apostle also said similar things: "For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience. 122. "Receive your servant for good." But Symmachus, "Undertake for me your servant for good." But Aquila, and Theodotion, "be surety;" instead of, Speaking the truth, I do not lie, believe your servant who promises; you yourself become a surety of my promise, that I will hasten to fulfill your laws. "Let not the proud slander me." Slander is painful, even if it has a great reward. To this the wonderful Joseph also fell victim, and countless others. And the Lord also commands us to pray not to enter into temptation. Therefore, the Prophet has done nothing unreasonable in asking this request. For the slander of the arrogant and powerful is particularly more grievous. For injustice, having acquired power, works greater harm. 123. "My eyes have failed for your salvation, and for the word of your righteousness." Here again he calls the promise "word". Continually, he says, I await salvation from you, and I await the fulfillment of the promise. But he has put "have failed" to show intense desire. 124. "Deal with your servant according to your mercy, and teach me your statutes." The worker of such virtue deems it worthy to receive mercy, and through this he asks to enjoy salvation. And he does not demand a reward, but asks for loving-kindness. 125. "I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies." All men are by nature servants of God, but by disposition are those who gladly choose the lordship of God. Being of this company, the Prophet calls himself a servant, and asks to be deemed worthy of understanding, so that he may know the testimonies of God. 120. "It is time for the Lord to act; they have scattered your law." God, who governs all things by weight and measure, bears for a very long time the sins of men; but when he sees wickedness increased by long-suffering, then he brings on the punishment. This, therefore, he also says here. It is time to rise up to the aid of the wronged, O Master; for the enemies have completely trodden upon your law. 80.1861 127. "Therefore I have loved your commandments above gold and topaz." They, therefore, have despised your law. But I consider your commandments more lovely than gold and precious stones. For topaz is among the precious stones; and from the one he has indicated all of them. It is likely that in that time this one was preferred to the others. 128. "Therefore I was directed toward all your commandments; I have hated every unjust way."

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τὸ ἐνθύ μημα αὐτῶν." Ταύτην δὲ περὶ τὰς σὰς ἐντολὰς σχήσω τὴν προθυμίαν, ἐπονειδίστους καὶ καταγε λάστους γεγενημένους τοὺς τούτων παραβάτας εἰδώς. ριθʹ. "Παραβαίνοντας ἐλογισάμην πάντας τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς τῆς γῆς διὰ τοῦτο ἠγάπησα τὰ μαρτύριά σου." Ἀντὶ τοῦ παραβαίνοντας, ὁ μὲν Θεοδοτίων εἰς οὐδὲν εἴρηκεν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος σκωρίαν. Ὁ δὲ Προφήτης δεδήλωκεν, ὡς ἐξουθενῶν καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ Θεῷ παραπλησίως τοὺς παραβάτας, πᾶσαν προθυ μίαν εἰς τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τῶν θείων λογίων προσ ήνεγκεν· ἅτε δὴ τὴν τῆς παρανομίας ζημίαν εἰδώς. ρκʹ. "Καθήλωσον ἐκ τοῦ φόβου σου τὰς σάρκας μου· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν κριμάτων σου ἐφοβήθην." Ἡ ψυχή μου, φησὶ, τὸν σὸν περίκειται φόβον. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ σῶμα κατεξανίσταται ταύτης, καὶ τὰ τού του μέλη, παρακαλῶ τούτῳ καθηλωθῆναι τῷ φόβῳ· ὥστε αὐτὰ νεκρὰ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ γενόμενα, τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀκολουθεῖν ποδηγίᾳ. Τοῦτο ἔοικε τῷ ἀποστο λικῷ ἐκείνῳ ῥητῷ, "Νεκρώσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακὴν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολα 80.1860 τρεία." Καὶ πάλιν, "Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι, ζῶ δὲ οὐκ ἔτι ἐγὼ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός." ρκαʹ. "Ἐποίησα κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην, μὴ πα ραδῷς με τοῖς ἀδικοῦσί με." Τοῖς σοῖς, φησὶν, ἀκο λουθεῖν προελόμενος νόμοις, μὴ γένωμαι τοῖς δυσ μενέσιν εὐάλωτος. Τίς δὲ νῦν ἔχει τοσαύτης ψυχῆς καθαρότητα, ὥστε σὺν παῤῥησίᾳ τοιούτοις χρήσασθαι λόγοις; Τούτοις μέν τοι καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος προσόμοια εἴρηκεν, "Ἡ γὰρ καύχησις ἡμῶν αὕτη ἐστὶ, τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεως ἡμῶν. ρκβʹ. "Ἔκδεξαι τὸν δοῦλόν σου εἰς ἀγαθόν." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Ἀνάδεξαί με εἰς ἀγαθὸν τὸν δοῦλόν σου. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων, ἐγγύησαι· ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἀληθεύων, οὐ ψεύδομαι, πί στευσον ὑποσχομένῳ τῷ δούλῳ σου αὐτὸς ἐγγυητὴς γενοῦ τῆς ἐμῆς ὑποσχέσεως, ὅτι σου πληρῶσαι σπου δάσω τοὺς νόμους. "Μὴ συκοφαντησάτωσάν με ὑπερήφανοι." Ἀλγεινὸν ἡ συκοφαντία, κἂν μέγαν ἔχῃ μισθόν. Ταύτῃ καὶ ὁ θαυμάσιος περιπέπτωκεν Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ ἕτεροι μυρίοι. Παρακελεύεται δὲ καὶ ὁ Κύριος εὔχεσθαι μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἀπεικὸς οὐδὲ ὁ Προφήτης πεποίηκε, ταύτην αἰτήσας τὴν αἴτησιν. ∆ιαφερόντως γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἀλα ζόνων καὶ δυνατῶν συκοφαντία χαλεπωτέρα. Ἀδικία γὰρ προσλαβοῦσα τὴν δυναστείαν μείζονα τὴν λώ βην ἐργάζεται. ρκγʹ. "Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἐξέλιπον εἰς τὸ σωτήριόν σου, καὶ εἰς τὸ λόγιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου." Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα λόγιον τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν καλεῖ. ∆ιηνεκῶς, φησὶ, τὴν παρὰ σοῦ σωτηρίαν προσμένω, καὶ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως ἀναμένω τὸ τέλος. Τὸ δὲ ἐξέλιπον τέ θεικε, τὴν ἐπιτεταμένην ἐπιθυμίαν δηλῶν. ρκδʹ. "Ποίησον μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου κατὰ τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ τὰ δικαιώματά σου δίδαξόν με." Ὁ τοσαύ της ἀρετῆς ἐργάτης ἐλέους τυχεῖν ἀξιοῖ, καὶ διὰ τούτου σωτηρίας ἀπολαῦσαι αἰτεῖ. Καὶ οὐκ ἀπαιτεῖ μισθὸν, ἀλλὰ φιλανθρωπίαν αἰτεῖ. ρκεʹ. "∆οῦλός σού εἰμι ἐγὼ, συνέτισόν με, καὶ γνώσομαι τὰ μαρτύριά σου." Πάντες μὲν ἄνθρωποι φύσει δοῦλοι Θεοῦ, διαθέσει δὲ οἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δεσπο τείαν ἀσπασίως αἱρούμενοι. Ταύτης ὢν τῆς συμμο ρίας ὁ Προφήτης δοῦλον ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει, καὶ συν έσεως ἀξιωθῆναι παρακαλεῖ, ὥστε γνῶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ μαρτύρια. ρκʹ. "Καιρὸς τοῦ ποιῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, διεσκέδα σαν τὸν νόμον σου." Ὁ πάντα σταθμῷ καὶ μέτρῳ πρυτανεύων Θεὸς φέρει μὲν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τῶν ἀν θρώπων τὰς ἁμαρτίας· ὅταν δὲ αὐξηθεῖσαν ἴδῃ τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ τὴν πονηρίαν, τότε τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπ άγει. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ἐνταῦθά φησι. Καιρὸς διανα στῆναι εἰς ἐπικουρίαν τῶν ἀδικουμένων, ὦ ∆έσποτα· κομιδῆ γάρ σου τὸν νόμον ἐπάτησαν οἱ πολέμιοι. 80.1861 ρκζʹ. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἠγάπησα τὰς ἐντολάς σου ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ τοπάζιον." Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν τοῦ σοῦ κατεφρόνησαν νόμου. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀξιεραστοτέρας ἡγοῦ μαι τὰς σὰς ἐντολὰς χρυσίου καὶ λίθων πολυτελῶν. Τῶν γὰρ τιμίων λίθων τοπάζιος· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἑνὸς παρεδήλωσεν ἅπαντας. Εἰκὸς δὲ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον προτιμᾶσθαι τῶν ἄλλων. ρκηʹ. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο πρὸς πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς σου κατωρθούμην· πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἄδικον ἐμίσησα."