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of a man He is well pleased. The Lord is well pleased in those who fear Him, and in those who hope in His mercy." Not in the strength of the body, he says, nor in equestrian skill, nor in the swiftness of feet does God delight; but in good deeds, of which piety is the creator. He not only earnestly provides for these, but also for those who have fallen into sins, but have used repentance, and have been strengthened by the hope of loving-kindness. For He said that God is not only well pleased with the perfect athletes of virtue, but also with those who await the divine mercy. INTERPRETATION OF THE 147TH PSALM. Alleluia. Here too the prophetic word exhorts to sing hymns. It also foretells the victory that came after the return. And in addition to this, it prophesies the preachings of the apostles, which as quickly as possible ran through the whole world. 80.1984 12, 13. "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For He has strengthened the bars of your gates." Because of the invincible might of God, and having been delivered from your enemies, and remaining unbesieged, O Jerusalem, repay your benefactor with hymns. He calls Jerusalem not the buildings, but its inhabitants. "He has blessed your children within you." For having received the blessing of fine and many children, you have increased to a multitude. 14. "Who makes your borders peace." He has also granted you peace from all sides. For others, terrified by the fear of those who were slain, do not dare to return again. "And fills you with the finest of the wheat." And He has inundated you with the good things from the earth. For he called the abundance of fruits 'finest of the wheat,' naming the whole from the part. For wheat is of fire, and the finest of the wheat is the best bread. And through this He has signified the other fruits as well. But the Jews long ago enjoyed this providence; but having raged against the Savior, they became destitute of all good things. Therefore, the prophetic word, having recounted these things concerning them, prophesies the salvation of the gentiles. 15. "Who sends forth His saying to the earth; His word runs very swiftly." Here he called 'word' the evangelical preaching. And this He sent not only to the Jews, but also to all other men. "For go," he says, "make disciples of all nations." And he showed the swiftness of its course. For in a short time they filled all land and sea with the teaching. The Prophet, foreseeing this, said, "His word runs very swiftly." And nothing new, nor paradoxical. For all things yield to the divine will. Therefore, straightway He wills to change the one nature of the waters into countless forms. 16, 17. "Who gives His snow like wool; who scatters the mist like ashes. Who casts forth His ice like morsels." For from the one substance of waters is made hard ice; and is made snow, both thin and soft, and imitating a flock of wool; and is also made wet dust. For such is the nature of mist. "Who can stand before His cold?" And He changes the air easily, and what was just now fiery, a little later He makes frosty. 18. "He will send out His word, and melt them; His wind will blow, and the waters will flow." But again, willing it, He easily dissolves the frozen water, and makes it flow in streams. For when the south wind blows, both snow and ice are melted. He did not simply make this narration, but to signify other things through them. For just as the snow 80.1985 falling fills the mountains, and when it melts it flows into the nearby rivers, and irrigation is brought to other lands; so the abundance of God-given goods was first brought to the Jews; but when they rejected the grace, through the holy apostles, as through certain rivers, the irrigation of teaching was brought to the gentiles. 19. "Who sends His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel." Long ago the law, and after these things also grace; but they were shown to be unworthy of either. 20. "He has not dealt thus with any nation; and His judgments He has not made known." For to none of the gentiles the

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ἀνδρὸς εὐδοκεῖ. Εὐδοκεῖ Κύριος ἐν τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐλπίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ." Οὐ ῥώμῃ σώματος, φησὶ, καὶ ἱππικῇ τέχνῃ, καὶ ταχύτητι ποδῶν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπιτέρπεται· ἀλλὰ καλαῖς πράξεσιν, ὧν δη μιουργὸς ἡ εὐλάβεια. Οὐ μόνον δὲ τούτων προμη θεῖται σπουδαίως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν περιπεπτωκότων ἁμαρτίαις, μεταμελείᾳ δὲ χρησαμένων, καὶ στηρι χθέντων τῇ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐλπίδι. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τοῖς τελείοις τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀθληταῖς ἔφη τὸν Θεὸν εὐδοκεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς τὸν θεῖον προσμένουσιν ἔλεον. ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΡΜΖʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. Ἀλληλούϊα. Ὑμνεῖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα παρακελεύεται ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος. Προλέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον γεγενημένην νίκην. Πρὸς δὲ ταύτῃ, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων προθεσπίζει κηρύγ ματα, πᾶσαν ὅτι τάχιστα διαδραμόντα τὴν οἰκου μένην. 80.1984 ιβʹ, ιγʹ. "Ἐπαίνει, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, τὸν Κύριον, αἴνει τὸν Θεόν σου, Σιών. Ὅτι ἐνίσχυσε τοὺς μοχλοὺς τῶν πυλῶν σου." ∆ιὰ τὴν ἄμαχον τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπὴν, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἀπαλλαγεῖσα, καὶ ἀπολιόρκητος, ὦ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, μείνασα, ὕμνοις ἀμείβου τὸν εὐεργέτην. Ἱερουσαλὴμ δὲ οὐ τὰς οἰκοδομίας καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ταύτης οἰκήτορας. "Εὐλόγησε τοὺς υἱούς σου ἐν σοί." Εὐπαιδίας γὰρ καὶ πολυπαιδίας εὐλογίαν λα βοῦσα εἰς πλῆθος ηὐξήθης. ιδʹ. "Ὁ τιθεὶς τὰ ὅριά σου εἰρήνην." ∆εδώρηταί σοι καὶ πανταχόθεν εἰρήνην. Ἐκδειματωθέντες γὰρ τῷ δέει τῶν ἀναιρεθέντων ἕτεροι πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν οὐ τολμῶσιν." Καὶ στέαρ πυροῦ ἐμπιπλῶν σε." Ἐπέκλυσέ τε καὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ γῆς ἀγαθοῖς. Στέαρ γὰρ πυροῦ τῶν καρπῶν τὴν ἀφθονίαν ἐκάλεσεν, ἀπὸ τοῦ μέρους τὸ πᾶν ὀνομάσας. Πυρὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ σῖτος, στέαρ δὲ πυροῦ ὁ κάλλιστος ἄρτος. ∆εδήλωκε δὲ διὰ τούτου καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καρπούς. Ἀλλὰ ταύτης πάλαι τῆς προνοίας ἀπήλαυον Ἰουδαῖοι· κατὰ δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆ ρος λυττήσαντες ἔρημοι πάντων ἐγένοντο τῶν ἀγα θῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος ταῦτα περὶ ἐκείνων διεξελθὼν, τῶν ἐθνῶν προθεσπίζει τὴν σω τηρίαν. ιεʹ. "Ὁ ἀποστέλλων τὸ λόγιον αὑτοῦ τῇ γῇ, ἕως τάχους δραμεῖται ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ." Λόγον ἐνταῦθα εὐαγγελικὸν ἐκάλεσε κήρυγμα. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀπ έστειλε. "Πορευθέντες γὰρ, φησὶ, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη." Ἔδειξε δὲ καὶ τὴν ὀξύτητα τοῦ δρό μου. Ἐν ὀλίγῳ γὰρ χρόνῳ πᾶσαν γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν τῆς διδασκαλίας ἐπλήρωσαν. Τοῦτο προορῶν ὁ Προ φήτης ἔφη, "Ἕως τάχους δραμεῖται ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ." Καὶ καινὸν οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ παράδοξον. Πάντα γὰρ εἴκει τῷ θείῳ βουλήματι. Αὐτίκα τοίνυν τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν φύσιν μίαν οὖσαν εἰς μυρίας ἰδέας βουληθεὶς μετα βάλλει. ιʹ, ιζʹ. "∆ιδόντος χιόνα αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ ἔριον, ὁμί χλην ὡσεὶ σποδὸν πάσσοντος. Βάλλοντος κρύσταλλον αὑτοῦ ὡσεὶ ψωμούς." Ἐκ γὰρ τῆς μιᾶς τῶν ὑδά των οὐσίας γίνεται μὲν ἀντίτυπος κρύσταλλος· γίνε ται δὲ χιὼν μανή τε καὶ μαλακὴ, καὶ ἐρίου κάταγμα μιμουμένη· γίνεται δὲ καὶ κόνις ὑγρά. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῆς ὁμίχλης ἡ φύσις. "Κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ ψύχους αὐτοῦ τίς ὑποστήσεται;" Καὶ τὸν ἀέρα δὲ μεταβάλ λει ῥᾳδίως, καὶ τὸν ἄρτι φλογώδη μετ' ὀλίγον κρυ μώδη ποιεῖ. ιηʹ. "Ἐξαποστελεῖ τὸν λόγον αὑτοῦ, καὶ τήξει αὐτά· πνεύσει τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ῥυήσεται ὕδα τα." Ἀλλὰ πάλιν βουληθεὶς τὸ παγὲν ὕδωρ διαλύει ῥᾳδίως, καὶ κρουνηδὸν φέρεσθαι τοῦτο ποιεῖ. Τοῦ γὰρ νότου πνέοντος, καὶ χιὼν, καὶ κρύσταλλος λύεται. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ τούτων ἐποιήσατο τὴν διήγησιν, ἀλλὰ ἕτερα διὰ τούτων σημαίνων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ χιὼν 80.1985 καταφερομένη τὰ ὄρη πληροῖ· τηκομένη δὲ εἰς τοὺς παρακειμένους χωρεῖ ποταμοὺς, καὶ χωρίοις ἑτέροις ἀρδεία προσφέρεται· οὕτω τῶν θεοσδότων ἀγαθῶν ἡ φορὰ πρώτοις μὲν προσηνέχθη τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· ἐκείνων δὲ παραπεμψαμένων τὴν χάριν, διὰ τῶν ἱε ρῶν ἀποστόλων, ὥσπερ διά τινων ποταμῶν, ἡ τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀρδεία προσηνέχθη τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. ιθʹ. "Ὁ ἀποστέλλων τὸ λόγιον αὑτοῦ τῷ Ἰακώβ· δικαιώματα καὶ κρίματα αὑτοῦ τῷ Ἰσραήλ." Πάλαι μὲν τὸν νόμον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τὴν χάριν· ἀλλ' ἀνάξιοι ἑκατέρων ἐδείχθησαν. κʹ. "Οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὕτως παντὶ ἔθνει, καὶ τὰ κρί ματα αὑτοῦ οὐκ ἐδήλωσεν." Οὐδενὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὸν