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the building of Jerusalem. For Jerusalem will not be built again, as the Jews expect, but the prophetic word foretells the building already accomplished by Zerubbabel. "Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; let praise be sweet to our God." The singing of hymns, he says, is beneficial and a source of good things; but what is pleasing to God is not the hymn, but the purpose of those who sing it; for he himself, being without need, rejoices in the salvation of men. 2. "The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he will gather the dispersed of Israel." And for this reason, he says, it is fitting that he be praised, because he will both build the ruined Jerusalem and will deem those taken captive worthy of return. But if not all returned, the divine word was not proven false, but their wickedness was exposed. For he himself, through Cyrus, urged all to return, but those who had a contrary opinion preferred the foreign land to their homeland. 3. "Who heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their bruises." He joined the spiritual with the corporeal, and showed himself not only granting freedom to the captives, but also bestowing healing on those who have received the wounds of sin. 4. "Who counts the multitude of stars, and calls them all by their names." Through all things he proclaims the power of God. Here "who counts" he called "knowledge," and "names of stars" the differences of the stars, and their position and arrangement, and their relation to one another. For the God of all does not use names to call the stars; for these are inanimate and deprived of reason. But men, using an impious mind, gave names to the stars from myths fabricated by them. 5. "Great is our Lord, and great is his strength, and of his understanding there is no number." All things are immeasurable: both his greatness, and his strength, and his praise. Yet we praise him as we are able. 6. "The Lord lifts up the meek; but he humbles sinners to the ground." Symmachus said, "recovering them." And this too is characteristic of divine providence; for he deems those who are plotted against by some on account of their gentleness worthy of care; but those who unjustly attack them, he sends to death. And some he makes conspicuous and renowned; but the memory of others he consigns to oblivion. Thus the choir of the holy apostles is renowned; thus the multitudes of the martyrs are much celebrated. But the memory of those who warred against them has been handed over to oblivion. 80.1981 7. "Begin to the Lord with confession; sing praise to our God with the harp." Knowing, therefore, this goodness and wisdom and power of God, begin the hymnody, using the customary instruments. 8. "Who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth." Both are demonstrations of his power and of his goodness. For as he is good and benevolent, he provides for those on earth; and as he is all-powerful, he bears the nature of the waters aloft, and conceals the sight of the sky, fashioning a kind of roof between heaven and earth by means of the clouds, and waters the earth with their travail. Then he shows the need that springs from this. "Who makes grass to grow on the mountains, and green herb for the service of men." For he waters not only the land cultivated by men, but also the mountains and the desert places, offering the fodder that grows from them to the cattle. And this he does for the benefit of men; for he commanded the cattle to serve men. 9. "And giving to the cattle their food, and to the young ravens that call upon him." The nature of ravens is not rational, nor do they rationally call upon the creator; but their cry on account of need imitates a request. Hence I think that the Lord Christ, leaving aside the mention of other birds, remembered the ravens, and said to his disciples, "Look at the ravens, that they do not sow, nor do they gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them." 10, 11. "He will not take pleasure in the strength of the horse, nor in the legs of the

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Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοδομίαν. Οὐ γὰρ, ὡς Ἰουδαῖοι προσδοκῶσιν, αὖθις Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοδομηθήσεται, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἤδη γεγενημένην ὑπὸ Ζοροβάβελ οἰκοδο μίαν, ὁ προφητικὸς προθεσπίζει λόγος. "Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, ὅτι ἀγαθὸς ψαλμὸς, τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἡδυνθείη αἴνεσις." Ὀνήσιμος, φησὶν, ἡ ὑμνῳδία, καὶ πρόξε νος ἀγαθῶν· θυμήρης δὲ τῷ Θεῷ οὐχ ὁ ὕμνος, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὑμνούντων ὁ σκοπός· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀνενδεὴς χαίρει τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. βʹ. "Οἰκοδομῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ Κύριος, τὰς διασπορὰς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπισυνάξει." Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, φησὶν, αὐτὸν ὑμνεῖσθαι προσήκει, ὅτι καὶ τὴν κατα λυθεῖσαν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοδομήσει, καὶ τοὺς δο ρυαλώτους γεγενημένους ἀξιώσει τῆς ἐπανόδου. Εἰ δὲ μὴ πάντες ἐπανῆλθον, οὐχ ὁ θεῖος διεψεύσατο λό γος, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐκείνων ἠλέγχθη πονηρία. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ Κύρου πᾶσιν ἐπανελθεῖν παρεγγύησεν, οἱ δὲ ἀντίτυπον ἐσχηκότες γνώμην, τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν ἀντὶ τῆς πατρίδος προείλοντο. γʹ. "Ὁ ἰώμενος τοὺς συντετριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ δεσμεύων τὰ συντρίμματα αὐτῶν." Συνῆψε τοῖς σωματικοῖς τὰ πνευματικὰ, καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτὸν οὐ μό νον τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις τὴν ἐλευθερίαν δωρούμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς τὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τραύματα δεξαμένοις τὴν ἴασιν χαριζόμενον. δʹ. "Ὁ ἀριθμῶν πλήθη ἄστρων, καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα καλῶν." ∆ιὰ πάντων τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δύναμιν κηρύττει. Ὁ ἀριθμῶν δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν γνῶσιν ἐκάλεσε, καὶ ἄστρων δὲ ὀνόματα τὰς τῶν ἀστέρων διαφορὰς, καὶ τὴν τούτων θέσιν τε καὶ διάταξιν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα σχέσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὀνόμασι κεχρη μένος ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τοὺς ἀστέρας καλεῖ· ἄψυχα γὰρ ταῦτα, καὶ λόγου ἐστερημένα. Ἄνθρωποι δὲ, ἀσεβεῖ γνώμῃ χρησάμενοι, ἀπὸ μύθων ὑπ' αὐτῶν πεπλασμένων ἔθεσαν τοῖς ἄστροις ὀνόματα. εʹ. "Μέγας ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός." Ἀμέτρητα πάντα, καὶ τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς, καὶ ἡ αἴνεσις. Ὡς χωροῦμεν δὲ ὅμως ὑμνοῦμεν. ʹ. "Ἀναλαμβάνων πραεῖς ὁ Κύριος, ταπεινῶν δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἕως γῆς." Ὁ Σύμμαχος ἀνακτώμε νος εἴρηκεν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῆς θείας ἴδιον προμηθείας· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ δι' ἐπιείκειαν ὑπό τινων ἐπιβουλευομέ νους κηδεμονίας ἀξιοῖ· τοὺς δὲ ἀδίκως αὐτοῖς ἐπιόν τας παραπέμπει θανάτῳ. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν περιβλέπτους ποιεῖ καὶ περιφανεῖς· τῶν δὲ τὴν μνήμην παραδίδωσι λήθῃ. Οὕτω τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων ἀοίδιμος ὁ χορός· οὕτω πολυθρύλλητοι τῶν μαρτύρων οἱ δῆμοι. Τῶν δὲ τούτοις πεπολεμηκότων ἡ μνήμη παραδέδοται λήθῃ. 80.1981 ζʹ. "Ἐξάρξατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει· ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἐν κιθάρᾳ." Ταύτην τοίνυν εἰδότες τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ σοφίαν, καὶ δύναμιν, ἄρχεσθε τῆς ὑμνῳδίας ὀργάνοις τοῖς συν ήθεσι χρώμενοι. ηʹ. "Τῷ περιβάλλοντι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐν νεφέλαις, τῷ ἑτοιμάζοντι τῇ γῇ ὑετόν." Ἀμφότερα καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ τῆς ἀγαθότητος δείγματα. Ὡς ἀγα θὸς μὲν γὰρ, καὶ φιλάνθρωπος, προμηθεῖται τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς· ὡς παντοδύναμος δὲ, μετέωρον φέρει τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ συγκαλύπτει τὴν θέαν, ὄροφόν τινα μέσον οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς διὰ τῶν νεφῶν τεκταινόμενος, καὶ ταῖς ὠδῖσι τούτων ἄρδων τὴν γῆν. Εἶτα τὴν ἐντεῦθεν φυομένην δείκνυσι χρείαν. "Τῷ ἐξανατέλλοντι ἐν ὄρεσι χόρτον, καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων." Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὴν ὑπ' ἀνθρώπων γεωργουμένην ἄρδει γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὄρη, καὶ τοὺς ἐρήμους χώρους, τὸν ἐκ τούτων φυόμενον χιλὸν προσφέρων τοῖς κτήνεσι. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν διὰ τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους εὐεργεσίαν ποιεῖ· τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γὰρ ὑπουργεῖν τὰ κτήνη προσέταξεν. θʹ. Καὶ διδόντι κτήνεσι τροφὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ τοῖς νεοσσοῖς τῶν κοράκων τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτόν." Οὐ λογικὴ τῶν κοράκων ἡ φύσις, οὐδ' ὅτι λογικῶς ἐπικαλεῖται τὸν ποιητήν· ἀλλ' ἡ διὰ τὴν χρείαν κραυγὴ μιμεῖται τὴν αἴτησιν. Ἐντεῦθεν ἡγοῦμαι καὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστὸν, τῶν ἄλλων πτη νῶν καταλιπόντα τὴν μνήμην, τῶν κοράκων μνη σθῆναι, καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς εἰπεῖν, "Ἀποβλέψατε εἰς τοὺς κόρακας, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν, οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτούς." ιʹ, ιαʹ. "Οὐκ ἐν τῇ δυναστείᾳ τοῦ ἵππου θελήσει, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς κνήμαις τοῦ