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"Seven times a day I praised you for the judgments of your righteousness." Some have interpreted "seven times" as "many times." And both this and that show the fervent love of the Prophet; for he could not get enough of the divine hymnody. ρξεʹ. "Great peace have they who love your law, and for them there is no stumbling block." Those who are set on fire by the divine love-potion, and acquire peace with him through the keeping of the commandments, even if they are warred against by all men, live a pleasant life. And the divine Paul is a witness, crying out, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." And the Lord, sending the holy apostles as sheep in the midst of wolves into the whole world, said to them, "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you." ρξʹ. "I have hoped for your salvation, O Lord, and I have loved your commandments. Not even when encompassed by misfortunes did I cut off my better hopes; but I continued to await your salvation, and to follow your commandments. ρξζʹ, ρξηʹ. "My soul has kept your testimonies, and has loved them exceedingly. I have kept your commandments and your testimonies, for all my ways are before you, O Lord." For knowing that you watch over all things, living as under you as a spectator, I not only fulfilled your commandments, but I also did this with a fervent disposition. ρξθʹ. "Let my supplication draw near before you, O Lord; according to your word give me understanding." Having offered all his entreaty, he beseeches that his supplication be received and not rejected; and he asks to receive understanding, not human, but the knowledge of the divine oracles. ροʹ. "Let my petition come before you, O Lord; according to your word, deliver me." He calls his entreaty a petition (axioma); for I have found this also among the other 80.1873 interpreters. Using different words, however, he propitiates the Master. ροαʹ. "My lips shall pour forth a hymn, when you have taught me your statutes." The belching is appropriate to the food; for, he says, learning your statutes, to you the teacher of such things I will offer hymnody. ροβʹ. "My tongue shall speak of your oracles, for all your commandments are righteousness." I will dedicate my tongue to the study of your oracles, knowing that your commandments are adorned with all your righteousness. ρογʹ. "Let your hand be to save me, for I have chosen your commandments." Symmachus has "I chose," while Aquila and Theodotion have said "I selected." He calls "hand" the divine energy, by which he beseeches to obtain divine salvation. ροδʹ. "I have longed for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my meditation." I desire, he says, to obtain salvation from you, having your law as my constant meditation. ροεʹ. "My soul shall live, and shall praise you, and your judgments shall help me." And I know that I will not fail in my hope, but I will obtain true life from you, and I will praise you, the giver of good things. ροʹ. "I have gone astray like a lost sheep." It was fitting for the Prophet to say this after his sin, and for the whole nature of men. "Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commandments." For even if he transgressed some, he did not receive a complete forgetting of them. But the Prophet offered this prayer; and the whole nature of men has obtained salvation. For the good shepherd ran after the lost sheep, and went about the mountains and the hills; for it was wandering among these, worshipping demons; he found it, and brought it back on his shoulders; and he rejoiced over it more than over the ninety-nine that had not gone astray. And we, having made the interpretation of the psalm in summary, exhort those who read it not to be content with what has been written, nor to think that these things pertain only to the Prophet; but for each to receive the appropriate benefit from them, and to prepare a saving remedy for his own passions.

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"Ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ᾔνεσά σε, ἐπὶ τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου." Τινὲς τὸ ἑπτάκις, πλειστάκις ἡρμήνευσαν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ κἀκεῖνο τὸν θερμὸν ἔρωτα τοῦ Προφήτου δηλοῖ· τῆς γὰρ θείας ὑμνῳδίας οὐκ ἐλάμβανε κόρον. ρξεʹ. "Εἰρήνη πολλὴ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν νόμον σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς σκάνδαλον." Οἱ τῷ θείῳ πυρ πολούμενοι φίλτρῳ, καὶ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰρήνην διὰ τῆς τῶν ἐντολῶν προσκτώμενοι φυλακῆς, κἂν ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πολεμῶνται, θυμήρη ζῶσι ζωήν. Καὶ μάρτυς ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος βοῶν, "Ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι· ἀπορούμε νοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι· διωκόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγκαταλιμπανόμενοι· καταβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπ ολλύμενοι." Καὶ ὁ Κύριος δὲ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους, ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων, εἰς πᾶσαν ἀποστείλας τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτούς· "Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν." ρξʹ. "Προσεδόκων τὸ σωτήριόν σου, Κύριε, καὶ τὰς ἐντολάς σου ἠγάπησα. Οὐδὲ συμφοραῖς περι στοιχιζόμενος ἀπέκοψα τὰς χρηστοτέρας ἐλπίδας· ἀλλὰ τὴν σὴν ἀναμένων διετέλεσα σωτηρίαν, καὶ ταῖς σαῖς ἑπόμενος ἐντολαῖς. ρξζʹ, ρξηʹ. "Ἐφύλαξεν ἡ ψυχή μου τὰ μαρτύριά σου, καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὐτὰ σφόδρα. Ἐφύλαξα τὰς ἐντολάς σου, καὶ τὰ μαρτύριά σου, ὅτι πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοί μου ἐναντίον σου, Κύριε." Εἰδὼς γὰρ ὡς ἅπαντα ἐφορᾷς, ὡς ὑπὸ σοὶ θεατῇ πολιτευόμενος, οὐ μόνον ἐπλήρωσά σου τὰς ἐντολὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ θερμῆς τοῦτο δέδρακα διαθέσεως. ρξθʹ. "Ἐγγισάτω ἡ δέησίς μου ἐνώπιόν σου, Κύ ριε, κατὰ τὸ λόγιόν σου συνέτισόν με." Πᾶσαν τὴν ἱκετείαν προσενεγκὼν, ἀντιβολεῖ δεχθῆναι καὶ μὴ ἀποῤῥιφθῆναι τὴν δέησιν· καὶ παρακαλεῖ σύνεσιν λαβεῖν, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην, ἀλλὰ τῶν θείων λογίων τὴν γνῶσιν. ροʹ. "Εἰσέλθοι τὸ ἀξίωμά μου ἐνώπιόν σου, Κύριε· κατὰ τὸ λόγιόν σου ῥῦσαί με." Ἀξίωμα τὴν ἱκετείαν καλεῖ· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις 80.1873 εὗρον ἑρμηνευταῖς, ∆ιαφόροις μέντοι χρώμενος λόγοις, τὸν ∆εσπότην μειλίσσεται. ροαʹ. "Ἐξερεύξαιντο τὰ χείλη μου ὕμνον, ὅταν διδάξῃς με τὰ δικαιώματά σου." Κατάλληλος ἡ ἐρυγὴ τῇ τροφῇ· τὰ γὰρ σὰ, φησὶ, μανθάνων δικαιώ ματα, σοὶ τῷ τῶν τοιούτων διδασκάλῳ προσοίσω τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν. ροβʹ. "Φθέγξαιτο ἡ γλῶσσά μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὅτι πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαί σου δικαιοσύνη." Εἰς μελέτην τῶν σῶν λογίων τὴν γλῶτταν ἀφιερώσω, εἰδὼς πάσῃ σου δικαιοσύνῃ κεκοσμημένας τὰς ἐντολάς. ρογʹ. "Γενέσθω ἡ χείρ σου τοῦ σῶσαί με, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολάς σου ᾑρετισάμην." Ὁ μὲν Σύμμαχος εἱλόμην, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας καὶ Θεοδοτίων ἐξελεξάμην εἰρήκασι. Χεῖρα δὲ καλεῖ τὴν θείαν ἐνέργειαν, ὑφ' ἧς ἀντιβολεῖ τῆς θείας σωτηρίας τυχεῖν. ροδʹ. "Ἐπεπόθησα τὸ σωτήριόν σου, Κύριε, καὶ ὁ νόμος σου μελέτη μου ἐστί." Ἱμείρομαι, φησὶ, παρὰ σοῦ σωτηρίας τυχεῖν, τὸν σὸν νόμον μελέτην ἔχων ἐνδελεχῆ. ροεʹ. "Ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ αἰνέσει σε, καὶ τὰ κρίματά σου βοηθήσει μοι." Οἶδα δὲ ὡς οὐχ ἁμαρτήσομαι τῆς ἐλπίδος, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀληθοῦς ζωῆς παρὰ σοῦ τεύξομαι, καὶ αἰνέσω σε τὸν δοτῆρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν. ροʹ. "Ἐπλανήθην ὡς πρόβατον ἀπολωλός." Τοῦτο καὶ τῷ Προφήτῃ λέγειν μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἥρμοττεν, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσει. "Ζήτησον τὸν δοῦλόν σου, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολάς σου οὐκ ἐπελαθόμην." Εἰ γὰρ καὶ παρέβη τινὰς, ἀλλὰ λήθην τούτων οὐκ ἐδέξατο παντελῆ. Ἀλλὰ ταύτην μὲν ὁ Προφήτης προσενήνοχε τὴν εὐχήν· τετύχηκε δὲ πᾶσα τῶν ἀν θρώπων ἡ φύσις τῆς σωτηρίας. Ἔδραμε γὰρ ὁ καλὸς ποιμὴν ἐπὶ τὸ πλανώμενον πρόβατον, καὶ περιελθὼν τὰ ὄρη καὶ τοὺς βουνούς· παρὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἐπλανᾶτο λατρεῦον τοῖς δαίμοσιν· εὗρε, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἐπανήγαγεν· καὶ εὐφράνθη ἐπ' αὐτῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐννενήκοντα ἐννέα τοῖς μὴ πεπλα νημένοις. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ἐν κεφαλαίῳ ποιησάμενοι, παρακαλοῦμεν τοὺς ἐν τυγχάνοντας, μὴ ἀρκεσθῆναι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις, μηδὲ νομίσαι μόνον ταῦτα τῷ Προφήτῃ προσήκειν· ἀλλ' ἕκαστον τὴν πρόσφορον ἐκ τούτων ὠφέλειαν λαβεῖν, καὶ φάρμακον ἀλεξητήριον τοῖς οἰκείοις κατασκευάσαι παθήμασιν.