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a part of the interpretation will teach. "Blessed be the Lord my God, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war." For having just returned from Babylon, and being deprived of weapons and walls, through divine assistance they overcame the enemies who returned. But what has been said also applies to us. For having been delivered from the tyranny of the devil, we have been taught by God to fight; our hands, by working righteousness; and through our fingers, by placing the seal of the cross on our foreheads. 2. "My mercy, and my refuge, my defender, my helper and my deliverer, and in him I have hoped." He made the appellations from the deeds. For you, he says, are "my mercy;" for from you I have received the fountains of mercy. You are "my refuge;" for fleeing to you I was saved. You are "my helper;" for having enjoyed your aid, I became stronger than my enemies. You are "my deliverer and my defender." For you 80.1961 both fortified me when I was being warred against, and rescued me when I was being besieged. I will therefore have a firm hope in you. "Who subjects my people under me." This is fitting for Zerubbabel, and for Joshua the priest; for these were leading the people at that time. 3. "Lord, what is man, that you have been made known to him? or the son of man, that you take account of him?" Instead of "you have been made known," Symmachus translated "you make known." I greatly admire, he says, your immeasurable love for mankind; that being God, and creator of all things, you show such great care for this insignificant creature; then he shows the mortal nature of the creature. 4. "Man has become like vanity, his days pass away like a shadow." Theodotion says, Man is like a vapor; but Symmachus, like steam. For like a vapor that forms and easily dissolves, the nature of men is destroyed, and their life travels in a similar way to a shadow; since you care so much for mortal men. 5. "Lord, bow your heavens, and come down." He used the words in a human way, not knowing the divine nature to be circumscribed by heaven, but calling on the helper for the punishment of the enemies. "Touch the mountains, and they will smoke." For this also happened on Mount Sinai. For the mountain, it says, was smoking. 6. "Flash forth lightning, and you will scatter them, send out your arrows, and you will throw them into confusion." He shapes the words in the form of a wish; but he foretells the things that will be, which God foretold through the prophet Ezekiel; for thus he consumed all of them. 7. "Send forth your hand from on high." Teaching that you are sufficient by a nod to grant salvation to those who ask. And he called the energy "hand," as we have often said. "Deliver me, and rescue me from many waters." He called the multitude of enemies "many waters." Thus also in the 123rd psalm he said, "Our soul has passed through a torrent, the irresistible water." And teaching that he tropically called the enemies "waters," he added; "From the hand of strange children." And he addressed them as "strange," not as foreigners, but as impious. 8. "Whose mouth has spoken vanity." With blasphemies, he says, O Master, they have used against your glory. "And their right hand is a right hand of iniquity." And their deeds agree with their words. For just as they blaspheme with their words, so they do wrong with their deeds. For this right hand of theirs accomplishes nothing right, but has appeared an instrument of iniquity. 9. "O God, I will sing a new song to you, on a ten-stringed psaltery 80.1964 I will sing praise to you." For I will not be ungrateful, having obtained salvation, but using the customary instruments I will offer a hymn of thanksgiving. 10. "To him who gives salvation to kings." For thus, he says, you also saved our forefathers who were entrusted with the kingdom by you, and when enemies rose up you made them victorious, David, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and if anyone else sought your aid. "Who redeems David his servant." For because of the covenants with them, you show all care for us. "From the evil sword. [11] Rescue me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children."

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μέρος ἑρμηνεία διδάξει. "Εὐλογη τὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεός μου, ὁ διδάσκων τὰς χεῖράς μου εἰς παράταξιν, τοὺς δακτύλους μου εἰς πόλεμον." Ἄρτι γὰρ ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπανελθόντες, καὶ ὅπλων καὶ περιβόλων ἐστερημένοι, διὰ τῆς θείας ῥοπῆς τῶν ἐπανελθόντων περιεγένοντο δυσμενῶν. Ἁρμότ τει δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν τὰ εἰρημένα. Τῆς γὰρ τοῦ διαβό λου τυραννίδος ἀπαλλαγέντες, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πολε μεῖν ἐδιδάχθημεν· τὰς χεῖρας μὲν, ἐργαζόμενοι δι καιοσύνην· διὰ δὲ τῶν δακτύλων, τοῖς μετώποις ἐπιτιθέντες τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν σφραγῖδα. βʹ. "Ἔλεός μου, καὶ καταφυγή μου, ὑπερασπι στής μου ἀντιλήπτωρ μου καὶ ῥύστης μου, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ἤλπισα." Ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τὰς προσηγορίας ἐποιήσατο. Σὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, "ἔλεός μου·" παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ ἐδεξάμην τὰς τοῦ ἐλέους πηγάς. Σὺ "καταφυγή μου·" πρὸς σὲ γὰρ καταφυγὼν διεσώ θην. Σὺ "ἀντιλήπτωρ μου·" τῆς γὰρ σῆς ἀπολαύ σας ῥοπῆς, κρείττων ἐγενόμην τῶν πολεμίων. Σὺ "ῥύστης μου καὶ ὑπερασπιστής μου." Σὺ γάρ με 80.1961 καὶ περιέφραξας πολεμούμενον, καὶ ἐῤῥύσω πολιορ κούμενον. Τὴν εἰς σὲ τοίνυν ἐλπίδα σχήσω βεβαίαν. "Ὁ ὑποτάσσων τὸν λαόν μου ὑπ' ἐμέ." Τοῦτο τῷ Ζοροβάβελ ἁρμόττει, καὶ Ἰησοῦ τῷ ἱερεῖ· οὗτοι γὰρ ἡγοῦντο τοῦ λαοῦ τηνικαῦτα. γʹ. "Κύριε, τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι ἐγνώσθης αὐτῷ; ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι λογίζῃ αὐτόν;" Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐγνώσθης, γνωρίζῃ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσε. Σφόδρα, φησὶν, ἄγαμαι τὴν ἄμετρόν σου φιλανθρωπίαν· ὅτι Θεὸς ὢν, καὶ τῶν ἁπάντων δημιουργὸς, τοσαύτην τοῦ εὐτελοῦς τούτου ζώου κηδεμονίαν ποιῇ· εἶτα τῆς φύσεως τὸ ἐπίκηρον δεικνύει. δʹ. "Ἄνθρωπος ματαιότητι ὡμοιώθη, αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ σκιὰ παράγουσιν." Ὁ Θεοδοτίων, Ἄνθρωπος, φησὶν, ἀτμίδι ὡμοιώθη· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, ἀτμῷ. Ἀτμοῦ γὰρ δίκην συνισταμένου καὶ δια λυομένου ῥᾳδίως φθείρεται τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις, καὶ σκιᾷ τούτων ὁ βίος παραπλησίως ὁδεύει· ἐπειδὴ οὕτω μέλει σοι τῶν ἐπικήρων ἀνθρώπων. εʹ. "Κύριε, κλῖνον οὐρανούς σου, καὶ κατάβηθι." Ἀνθρωπίνως τοῖς λόγοις ἐχρήσατο, οὐκ οὐρανῷ πε ριγεγραμμένην τὴν θείαν φύσιν εἰδὼς, ἀλλ' εἰς τιμω ρίαν τῶν πολεμίων καλῶν τὸν ἐπίκουρον. "Ἅψαι τῶν ὀρέων, καὶ καπνισθήσονται." Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ Σινᾷ ἐγένετο ὄρει. Τὸ γὰρ ὄρος, φησὶν, ἐκαπνί ζετο. ʹ. "Ἄστραψον ἀστραπὴν, καὶ σκορπιεῖς αὐτοὺς, ἐξαπόστειλον τὰ βέλη σου, καὶ συνταράξεις αὐτούς." Εὐκτικῶς μὲν σχηματίζει τοὺς λόγους· προλέγει δὲ τὰ ἐσόμενα, ἃ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἰεζεκιὴλ προείρη κεν ὁ Θεός· οὕτω γὰρ ἐκείνους ἅπαντας κατανάλω σεν. ζʹ. "Ἐξαπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐξ ὕψους." ∆ι δάσκων ὡς ἀρκεῖς νεύων παρασχεῖν τοῖς αἰτοῦσι τὴν σωτηρίαν. Χεῖρα δὲ τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν. "Ἐξελοῦ με, καὶ ῥῦσαί με ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν." Πολλὰ ὕδατα τὸ πλῆθος πολε μίων ἐκάλεσεν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ ρκγʹ ἔφη ψαλμῷ, "Χείμαῤῥον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν, τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἀνυπόστατον." Καὶ διδάσκων ὅτι τροπικῶς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὕδατα ἐκάλεσεν, ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἐκ χειρὸς υἱῶν ἀλλοτρίων." Ἀλλοτρίους δὲ αὐτοὺς, οὐχ ὡς ἀλ λοφύλους, ἀλλ' ὡς δυσσεβεῖς προσηγόρευσεν. ηʹ. "Ὧν τὸ στόμα ἐλάλησε ματαιότητα." Βλασφη μίαις, φησὶ, ∆έσποτα, τῆς σῆς ἐχρήσαντο δόξης. "Καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν, δεξιὰ ἀδικίας." Τοῖς δὲ λόγοις συμβαίνει τὰ πράγματα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς λόγοις βλασφημοῦσιν, οὕτω τοῖς ἔργοις ἀδικοῦσιν. Αὕτη γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ δεξιὰ οὐδὲν ἐργάζεται δεξιὸν, ἀλλ' ἀδικίας πέφηνεν ὄργανον. θʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς, ᾠδὴν καινὴν ᾄσομαί σοι, ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ 80.1964 δεκαχόρδῳ ψαλῶ σοι." Οὐκ ἔσομαι γὰρ ἀγνώμων τῆς σωτηρίας τυχὼν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς συνήθεσιν ὀργάνοις χρη σάμενος τὸν χαριστήριον ὕμνον ἐκτίσω. ιʹ. "Τῷ διδόντι τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν." Οὕτω γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ τοὺς ἡμετέρους προγόνους ὑπὸ σοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐγχειρισθέντας διέσωσας, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἐπαναστάντων νικηφόρους ἀπέφηνας, τὸν ∆αβὶδ, τὸν Ἰωσαφὰτ, τὸν Ἐζεκίαν, καὶ εἴ τις ἕτερος τὴν σὴν ἐπικουρίαν ἐξῄτησεν. "Τῷ λυτρου μένῳ ∆αβὶδ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ." ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὰς πρὸς ἐκείνους συνθήκας πᾶσαν ἡμῶν κηδεμονίαν ποιῇ. "Ἐκ ῥομφαίας πονηρᾶς. [ιαʹ] Ῥῦσαί με, καὶ ἐξελοῦ με ἐκ χειρὸς υἱῶν ἀλλοτρίων."