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and celebrating the customary rites outside the customary places. 5. "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget. Let my tongue cleave to my throat, if I do not remember you." They are taught by the Prophet to say these things, so that they may have an unforgettable memory of the holy city, being cheered by the hopes of their return, and not learn the impiety of their enslavers. So they say, "Not even being far from you, O Jerusalem, have I given over the memory to forgetfulness; but if I should do this, may I suffer this, and may I not receive help from above." For he calls this the "right hand." "If I do not set Jerusalem above, as the beginning of my joy." The chief part, he says, of my joy is to have the sight of you, and your renewal, and the festivals in you. For through them I reap true gladness. 7. "Remember, O Lord, the sons of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, those who said: Raze it, raze it, to its foundations." The Idumeans, being descended from Esau, continued to have their ancestral enmity. These, when Jerusalem was being set on fire and destroyed, said, gloating: "80.1929 Raze it, raze it, to its foundations;" that is, Tear it up from its depths, so that not even the traces of its foundations remain. 8. "O wretched daughter of Babylon." Thus, having handed over the judgment to the God of the Jews, he also foretells to Babylon the coming destruction. He calls her "wretched," as one who will be miserable. But Aquila, instead of "wretched," said "the one plundered." "Blessed is he who will repay you with your recompense, which you have rendered to us." And what is this? 9. "Blessed is he who will seize and dash your infants against the rock." For since they too treated their own infants cruelly, the Prophet has foretold an equal punishment for them. Blessed therefore is Cyrus, who both punished them and freed these, not because he was a foster-child of sincere piety, but because he deemed the pious people worthy of freedom, and commanded the divine temple to be built. But God accepts even small fruits, and provides great rewards; thus he proclaimed the two mites of the widow.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 137. 1. For David. After the return from Babylon, the Jews, having overthrown the nations that rose up against them through divine intervention, offer a hymn of thanksgiving to God. These things, therefore, the divine David foretells. "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart." They were not ungrateful to their benefactor. But having offered supplication, and having received help, they repay the good deeds with their might, and offer hymns for the assistance. "And before angels I will sing praise to you." We will imitate, he says, the choirs of angels; and just as in the heavens they, forming choirs, hymn the God of all, so also we on earth will offer to you the spiritual melody. 2. "I will worship toward your holy temple, and I will give thanks to your name, for your mercy and for your truth." And the temple consecrated to your name will be for me instead of heaven. In it I will worship you, and I will offer the doxology of thanksgiving, seeing the loving-kindness toward me, and the justice against my enemies. For against them, as being unjust, using truth you decreed destruction; but me you saved by your mercy. For you have magnified over all things your holy name." For your name is revered through all things; and it is sung by all who have seen your strength. 3. "In whatever day I call upon you, hear me speedily." I beseech to enjoy this joy continually. "You will strengthen me in my soul 80.1932 with your power." That is, in your power you will strengthen my soul, and fill it with encouragement and courage. But Symmachus has it thus: You have sustained my soul with power. Me, with much,

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καὶ ἔξω τῶν νενομισμένων χω ρίων ἐπιτελούντων τὰ νόμιμα. εʹ, ʹ. "Ἐὰν ἐπιλάθωμαί σου, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐπιλησθείη ἡ δεξιά μου. Κολληθείη ἡ γλῶσσά μου τῷ λάρυγγί μου, ἐὰν μή σου μνησθῶ." Ταῦτα ὑπὸ τοῦ Προφήτου διδάσκονται λέγειν, ἵνα τὴν τῆς ἱερᾶς πό λεως ἄληστον ἔχωσι μνήμην, ἐν ταῖς ἐλπίσι τῆς ἐπ ανόδου ψυχαγωγούμενοι, τῶν ἀνδραποδισάντων μὴ μάθωσι τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Λέγουσι τοίνυν, ὅτι Οὐδὲ πόῤ ῥω σου τυγχάνων, ὦ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, λήθῃ τὴν μνήμην παραδέδωκα· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ποιήσαιμι, τοῦτο πάθοι μι, καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν βοηθείας μὴ τύχοιμι. Ταύτην γὰρ καλεῖ δεξιάν. "Ἐὰν μὴ προσανατάξωμαι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὡς ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς εὐφροσύνης μου." Τὸ κεφάλαιον, φησὶ, τῆς εὐφροσύνης τὴν σὴν ἔχω θέαν, καὶ τὴν σὴν νεουργίαν, καὶ τὰς ἐν σοὶ πανηγύ ρεις. ∆ι' ἐκείνων γὰρ καρποῦμαι τὴν ἀληθῆ θυμηδίαν. ζʹ. "Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τῶν υἱῶν Ἐδὼμ τὴν ἡμέραν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, τῶν λεγόντων· Ἐκκενοῦτε, ἐκκενοῦτε ἕως τῶν θεμελίων αὐτῆς." Ἐκ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ οἱ Ἰδουμαῖοι καταγόμενοι διέμειναν τὴν πατρῴαν δυσμένειαν ἔχοντες. Οὗτοι τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐμπιπρα μένης καὶ καταλυομένης, ἔλεγον ἐφηδόμενοι· "Ἐκ 80.1929 κενοῦτε, ἐκκενοῦτε ἕως τῶν θεμελίων αὐτῆς·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἐκ βάθρων αὐτὴν ἀνασπάσατε, ὥστε μηδὲ αὐτὰ μεῖναι τῶν θεμελίων τὰ ἴχνη. ηʹ. "Θυγάτηρ Βαβυλῶνος ἡ ταλαίπωρος." Οὕτω παραδοὺς τῷ Θεῷ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν κρίσιν, προλέγει καὶ τῇ Βαβυλῶνι τὸν ἐσόμενον ὄλεθρον. Ταλαίπωρον δὲ αὐτὴν, ὡς ἀθλίαν ἐσομένην, καλεῖ. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, ἀντὶ τοῦ ταλαίπωρος, ἡ προνενομευμένη εἴρηκεν. "Μακάριος ὃς ἀνταποδώσει σοι τὸ ἀνταπόδομά σου, ὃ ἀνταπέδωκας ἡμῖν." Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; θʹ. "Μακάριος ὃς κρατήσει, καὶ ἐδαφιεῖ τὰ νήπιά σου πρὸς τὴν πέτραν." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῖς αὑτῶν νηπίοις ὠμῶς ἐχρήσαντο, τὴν ἴσην αὐ τοῖς τιμωρίαν ὁ Προφήτης προείρηκε. Μακαρίζεται τοίνυν ὁ Κῦρος, ὁ κἀκείνους κολάσας, καὶ τούτους ἐλευθερώσας οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τῆς εἰλικρινοῦς εὐσεβείας τρόφιμος ἦν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸν εὐσεβῆ λαὸν τῆς ἐλευθε ρίας ἠξίωσε, καὶ τὸν θεῖον νεὼν οἰκοδομηθῆναι προσ έταξε. ∆έχεται δὲ Θεὸς καὶ τοὺς ὀλίγους καρποὺς, καὶ τὰς μεγάλας ἀντιδόσεις παρέχει· οὕτω τοὺς δύο τῆς χήρας ὀβολοὺς ἀνεκήρυξεν.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΡΑΖʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. Τῷ ∆αβίδ. Μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπ άνοδον, τὰ ἐπαναστάντα αὐτοῖς οἱ

Ἰουδαῖοι καταλύ σαντες ἔθνη διὰ τῆς θείας ῥοπῆς, ὕμνον χαριστήριον προσφέρουσι τῷ Θεῷ. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ὁ θεῖος προαγο ρεύει ∆αβίδ. "Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, Κύριε, ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου." Οὐκ ἐγένοντο περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀχά ριστοι. Ἀλλ' ἱκετείαν προσενεγκόντες, καὶ βοηθείας τετυχηκότες, τοῖς δυνατοῖς τὰς εὐεργεσίας ἀμείβον ται, καὶ ὕμνους ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐπικουρίας προσφέρουσιν. "Καὶ ἐναντίον ἀγγέλων ψαλῶ σοι." Μιμησό μεθα, φησὶ, τῶν ἀγγέλων τοὺς δήμους· καὶ καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἐκεῖνοι χορεύοντες ὑμνοῦσι τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὴν πνευμα τικήν σοι μελῳδίαν προσοίσομεν. βʹ. "Προσκυνήσω πρὸς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου, καὶ ἐξομο λογήσομαι τῷ ὀνόματί σου, ἐπὶ τῷ ἐλέει σου, καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου." Ἔσται δέ μοι ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ ἀφ ιερωμένος τῷ ὀνόματί σου νεώς. Ἐν ἐκείνῳ προσκυ νήσω σε, καὶ τὴν χαριστήριον δοξολογίαν ποιήσομαι, τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τῶν πολε μίων δικαιοσύνην ὁρῶν. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ, ὡς ἀδικούν των, ἀληθείᾳ χρησάμενος κατεψηφίσω τὸν ὄλεθρον· ἐμὲ δὲ τῷ σῷ ἐλέῳ διέσωσας. Ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνας ἐπὶ πᾶν τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιόν σου." ∆ιὰ πάντων γὰρ σεπτὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου· καὶ παρὰ πᾶσιν ᾄδεται τοῖς τὴν σὴν θεασαμένοις ἰσχύν. γʹ. "Ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπικαλέσωμαί σε, ταχὺ ἐπ άκουσόν μου." Ταύτης τῆς εὐφροσύνης διηνεκῶς ἀπολαύειν ἀντιβολῶ. "Πολυωρήσεις με ἐν ψυχῇ μου 80.1932 δυνάμει σου." Τουτέστιν, Ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου τὴν ψυχήν μου πολυωρήσεις, καὶ ψυχαγωγίας καὶ θάρ σους ἐμπλήσεις. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως, Συνέστης τῆς ψυχῆς μου δυνάμει. Πολλῆς με,