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steps. 2. "The proud have hidden a snare for me, and with cords they have spread a net for my feet; they have set stumbling blocks for me beside the path." He calls Saul himself proud. "A snare, and cords, and stumbling blocks" mean the various plots, the ambushes, the snares. He has said these things tropically, from the metaphor of those who hunt and spread nets, and foot-traps, and snares. 7. "I said to the Lord: You are my God." But I, having despised all human things, have dedicated myself to you, and I know you as Lord and God, and I await help from you. "Give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplication. [8.] O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation." The doubling is of one who believes and longs. In you, he says, I have the hope of salvation; for you alone are strong enough to provide salvation. "You have overshadowed my head in the day of battle." And this I have learned by experience. For when I undertook the single combat against Goliath, and when I drew up in battle against the Philistines, you fenced me about with your might as with a shield. 80.1945 9. "Do not hand me over, O Lord, from my desire to the sinner." But Symmachus has it thus: Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the lawless one. Likewise also Theodotion and Aquila. To the one who desires my slaughter, he says, do not grant the enjoyment of his desire. And according to the Seventy it should be understood thus, May he not enjoy through me what he craves. For I desire to be saved; but he desires to destroy me. Therefore, do not grant my desire to him. "They have plotted against me; do not forsake me, lest they be exalted." They set every plot in motion for my slaughter; therefore, do not strip me of your providence, so that you do not give them a pretext for arrogance. 10. The head of their encirclement, the trouble of their own lips will cover them." From this point he foretells the evils that will befall them. But Symmachus has interpreted this more clearly: Let the bitterness of those who surround me, the toil of their lips, cover them. May they fall into their own plots, he says, and may they endure what they contrive against me, and may the bitterness devised against me completely cover those who use it. This is like what is said in the seventh psalm: "He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and he will fall into the ditch which he has made." 11. "Coals will fall upon them, and in fire you will cast them down." For you will consume them with your wrath as with a kind of fire. "In miseries, and they shall not stand." They will fall into calamities, and they will not survive them. And these things happened to Saul in the war against the Philistines. For there he was slain and received the end of his life. 12. "A talkative man will not be directed aright on the earth." Through these words he alludes to those who continually slandered him before Saul: Doeg, the Ziphites, and the others, who used many slanders. And he teaches that those who use falsehood for the sake of wealth and power miss their mark, and do not obtain what they desire. "Evils will hunt the unjust man to destruction." For Saul also endured these things; for he was captured in the war, and received the death-dealing blow. 13. "I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the poor, and the right of the needy." I have learned, he says, the justice of the divine decree, and I know that he will not allow those who are destitute of all human help to be readily available for harm to their enemies, but will exact worthy penalties from the unjust. 14. "Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name, and the upright shall dwell with your presence." For this very reason the choir of the righteous praises you, receiving this care from you. And they love your presidency, always envisioning you, and supposing that they see your face. Such is what is said in the fifteenth psalm, "I foresaw the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, that I might not be shaken." INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 140. 1. "A Psalm of David." This psalm also has the same meaning as the one preceding it; for being persecuted by Saul, he beseeches God. "Lord, I have cried to you, hear me."

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διαβήματα. ʹ. "Ἔκρυψαν ὑπερήφανοι παγίδα μοι, καὶ σχοι νίοις διέτειναν παγίδα τοῖς ποσί μου, ἐχόμενα τρίβου σκάνδαλα ἔθεντό μοι." Ὑπερήφανον αὐτὸν καλεῖ τὸν Σαούλ. "Παγίδα δὲ, καὶ σχοινία, καὶ σκάνδαλα, τὰς διαφόρους ἐπιβουλὰς, τοὺς λόχους, τὰς ἐνέδρας. Εἴρηκε δὲ ταῦτα τροπικῶς, ἐκ μετα φορᾶς τῶν θηρευόντων καὶ ἁρπεδόνας, καὶ ποδά γρας, καὶ δίκτυα διατεινόντων. ζʹ. "Εἶπα τῷ Κυρίῳ· Θεός μου εἶ σύ." Ἐγὼ δὲ, τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἁπάντων καταφρονήσας ἐμαυτόν σοι ἀνέθηκα, καὶ σὲ οἶδα Κύριον καὶ Θεὸν, καὶ τὴν παρὰ σοῦ προσμένω βοήθειαν. "Ἐνώτισαι, Κύριε, τὴν φωνὴν τῆς δεήσεώς μου. [ηʹ.] Κύριε, Κύριε, δύναμις τῆς σωτηρίας μου." Πιστεύοντος καὶ ποθοῦντος ὁ διπλασιασμός. Ἐν σοὶ, φησὶν, ἔχω τὴν τῆς σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα· σὺ γὰρ μόνος παρέχειν τὴν σωτηρίαν ἰσχύεις. "Ἐπεσκίασας ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου." Καὶ τοῦτο τῇ πείρᾳ μεμάθηκα. Καὶ γὰρ ἡνίκα τὴν πρὸς τὸν Γολιὰθ ἀνεδεξάμην μονομαχίαν, καὶ ὅτε τοῖς Ἀλλοφύλοις παρεταξάμην, καθάπερ ἀσπίδι με τῇ σῇ ῥοπῇ περιέφραξας. 80.1945 θʹ. "Μὴ παραδῷς με, Κύριε, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας μου ἁμαρτωλῷ." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Μὴ δῷς, Κύριε, τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ παρανόμου. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων, καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας. Τῆς ἐμῆς, φησὶν, ἐφιεμένῳ σφαγῆς μὴ δῷς τὴν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἀπόλαυσιν. Καὶ κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα οὕτω νοητέον, Μὴ δι' ἐμοῦ ἀπολαύσαι ὧν γλίχεται. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιθυμῶ σωθῆναι· ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἀνελεῖν με. Μὴ τοίνυν τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκείνῳ παράσχῃς. "∆ιελογίσαντο κατ' ἐμοῦ· μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με, μήποτε ὑψωθῶσιν." Πάντα λογισμὸν κινοῦσι κατὰ τῆς ἐμῆς σφαγῆς· μὴ τοίνυν με τῆς σῆς γυμνώσῃς προνοίας, ἵνα μὴ πρόφασιν αὐτοῖς ἀλαζονείας παράσχῃς. ιʹ. Ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ κυκλώματος αὐτῶν, κόπος τῶν χειλέων αὐτῶν καλύψει αὐτούς." Ἐντεῦθεν προλέγει τὰ ἐσόμενα αὐτοῖς κακά. Τοῦτο δὲ σαφέ στερον ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν· Ὁ πικρασμὸς τῶν κυκλούντων με, ὁ μόχθος τῶν χειλέων αὐτῶν πωμασάτω αὐτούς. Ταῖς οἰκείαις, φησὶν, ἐπιβουλαῖς περιπέσοιεν, καὶ ἃ κατ' ἐμοῦ τεκταίνουσιν ὑπομεί ναιεν, καὶ ἡ κατ' ἐμοῦ τυρευομένη πικρία τοὺς ταύτῃ χρωμένους παντελῶς συγκαλύψαι. Τοῦτο ἔοικε τῷ ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ εἰρημένῳ ψαλμῷ· "Λάκκον ὤρυξε καὶ ἔσκαψεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς βόθρον, ὃν εἰργάσατο." ιαʹ. "Πεσοῦνται ἐπὶ αὐτοὺς ἄνθρακες, καὶ ἐν πυρὶ καταβαλεῖς αὐτούς." Οἷον γάρ τινι πυρὶ τῇ ὀργῇ καταναλώσεις αὐτούς. "Ἐν ταλαιπωρίαις, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑποστῶσιν." Περιπεσοῦνται συμφοραῖς, καὶ οὐ περιέσονται τούτων. Ταῦτα δὲ συνέβη τῷ Σαοὺλ ἐν τῷ κατὰ τοὺς Ἀλλοφύλους πολέμῳ. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ σφαγεὶς ἐδέξατο τοῦ βίου τὸ πέρας. ιβʹ. "Ἀνὴρ γλωσσώδης οὐ κατευθυνθήσεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς." Τοὺς διαβάλλοντας αὐτὸν συνεχῶς παρὰ τῷ Σαοὺλ διὰ τούτων αἰνίττεται, τὸν ∆ωὴκ, τοὺς Ζιφαίους, τοὺς ἄλλους, οἳ πολλαῖς συκοφαντίαις ἐκέχρηντο. Καὶ διδάσκει ὡς διαμαρτάνουσι τοῦ σκοποῦ οἱ πλούτου χάριν καὶ δυναστείας τῇ ψευδο λογίᾳ χρώμενοι, καὶ οὐ τυγχάνουσιν ὧν ἐφίενται. "Ἄνδρα ἄδικον κακὰ θηρεύσει εἰς διαφθοράν." Ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σαοὺλ ὑπέμεινεν· ἥλω γὰρ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ ἐδέξατο τὴν θανατηφόρον πληγήν. ιγʹ. "Ἔγνων ὅτι ποιήσει Κύριος τὴν κρίσιν τῶν πτωχῶν, καὶ τὴν δίκην τῶν πενήτων." Μεμά θηκα, φησὶ, τῆς θείας ψήφου τὸ δίκαιον, καὶ οἶδα ὅτι τοὺς πάσης ἀνθρωπείας βοηθείας ἐρήμους οὐκ ἐάσει προχείρους τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν εἰς βλάβην, ἀλλὰ πράξεται δίκας τοὺς ἀδίκους ἀξίας. ιδʹ. "Πλὴν δίκαιοι ἐξομολογήσονται τῷ ὀνόματί 80.1948 σου, καὶ κατοικήσουσιν εὐθεῖς σὺν τῷ προσώπῳ σου." Τούτου δὴ χάριν ὁ τῶν δικαίων ἀνυμνεῖ σε χορὸς, ταύτης παρὰ σοῦ τῆς κηδεμονίας τυγχάνων. Καὶ τὴν σὴν ἀγαπῶσι προεδρείαν, ἀεί σε φανταζό μενοι, καὶ τὸ σὸν ὁρᾷν ὑπολαμβάνοντες πρόσωπον. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ καὶ δεκάτῳ εἰρη μένον ψαλμῷ, "Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ." ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΡΜʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. "Ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αβίδ." Καὶ οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει τῷ προτεταγμένῳ διάνοιαν· διωκό μενος γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἀντιβολεῖ τὸν Θεόν. "Κύριε, ἐκέκραξα πρὸς σὲ, εἰσάκουσόν μου."