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first those who are of a mature age. 12. "Young men and maidens." Then each extreme, "Old men with younger men, let them praise the name of the Lord." And the untimely, he says, and the out of season age, let it praise God. 13. "For his name alone is exalted." For the memory of the falsely named gods is extinguished, and the venerable name of the only true God has appeared. 14. "His praise is on earth and in heaven." For no longer do the heavenly things alone hymn him, but "The whole earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water covers the seas." -"And he will exalt the horn of his people." He will show his own people, he says, to be invincible and conspicuous. For he called strength "horn," from the metaphor of horned animals, which are proud to have their strength in them. "A hymn for all his holy ones." For he makes not only those who have believed in him strong, but also renowned among all. "To the sons of Israel, a people near to him." And Israel enjoyed this good repute when it drew near to God; but now its renown has passed away along with its piety, and while they have been stripped of this, the Gentiles exult in the divine gifts.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 149. 1. Hallelujah, hallelujah. They exhort to offer this hymn

those who after the return conquered those many nations by divine impulse. It also has a prophecy of the things accomplished by the Maccabees. 2. "Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the holy ones." For it is not for the lawless, but for the holy ones to hymn God. 80.1993 3. "Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, and let the sons of Zion exult in their king." While the God of all is God of all, he was in a special way king of the Israelites. Therefore, when they were sick with ingratitude and asked for another to become their king, God says to Samuel, "They have not rejected you, but me, that I should not reign over them." 4. "Let them praise his name in the dance, with the timbrel and psaltery let them sing to him." With every instrument, he says, according to our law, let us hymn the benefactor. 5. "For the Lord is well pleased in his people." He has deemed us worthy of great love for humanity, he says, and has shown us his own goodness. "And he will exalt the meek in salvation." But those who are destitute of help, and who use good ways, he will make high and conspicuous. 6. "The holy ones shall boast in glory, and they shall exult upon their beds." And those who honor justice shall be in good repute, enjoying much rest. For he called rest "bed"; for a bed is a sign of rest. 7. "The high praises of God in their throat." And they perpetually proclaim the divine benefits, hymning the cause of them. "And two-edged swords in their hands. [8.] To execute vengeance upon the nations, and reproofs among the peoples." To conquer in wars is not contrary to rest. For to conquer is more gratifying than any rest. Nevertheless, through these things he foretells the courage of the Maccabees, using which they both subjugated their neighbors and conquered the Macedonians. 9. "To bind their kings in fetters, and their nobles in iron manacles." History teaches that many such things were accomplished by them, and it is easy for those who wish to encounter it to learn the truth of the prophecy. 10. "To execute upon them the judgment written." For what they justly wrought against them has been written down, and to this day their glory has remained ever-memorable. For he added this: "This glory shall be for all his holy ones." For holiness is the mother of good repute, and its workers become renowned through it.

INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 150.

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πρώτας τοὺς τελείαν ἄγοντας τὴν ἡλικίαν. ιβʹ. "Νεανίσκοι καὶ παρθένοι." Εἶτα ἑκάτερον ἄκρον, "Πρεσβύτεροι μετὰ νεωτέρων αἰνεσάτω σαν τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου." Καὶ ἡ ἄωρος, φησὶν, καὶ ἔξωρος ἡλικία τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνείτω. ιγʹ. "Ὅτι ὑψώθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μόνου." Ἔσβεσται γὰρ ἡ μνήμη τῶν ψευδωνύμων θεῶν, καὶ μόνου τοῦ ὄντος Θεοῦ σεπτὸν τὸ ὄνομα πέφηνεν. ιδʹ. "Ἡ ἐξομολόγησις αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ οὐρα νοῦ." Οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ αὐτὸν μόνον ὑμνεῖ τὰ ἐπουρά νια, ἀλλ' "Ἐπληρώθη ἡ σύμπασα γῆ τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον· ὡς ὕδωρ πολὺ κατακαλύψαι θαλάσσας." -"Καὶ ὑψώσει κέρας λαοῦ αὐτοῦ." Ἄμαχον δὲ, φησὶ, δείξει καὶ περίβλεπτον τὸν οἰκεῖον λαόν. Κέρας γὰρ τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐκάλεσεν, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν κερασ φόρων ζώων, ἃ τὴν ἰσχὺν ἔχειν ἐν ἐκείνοις σεμνύνε ται. "Ὕμνος πᾶσι τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ." Οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἰσχυροὺς τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀοιδίμους παρὰ πᾶσι ποιεῖ. "Τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, λαῷ ἐγγίζοντι αὐτῷ." Ταύτης δὲ τῆς εὐκλείας καὶ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπήλαυσεν, ἡνίκα ἐπέλαζε τῷ Θεῷ· μετέβη δὲ νῦν μετὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἡ περιφάνεια, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐγυμνώθησαν ταύτης, τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ταῖς θείαις ἀγάλ λεται δωρεαῖς.

ΕΡΜΗΝ. ΤΟΥ ΡΜΘʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΥ. αʹ. Ἀλληλούϊα, ἀλληλούϊα. Τοῦτον προσφέ ρειν τὸν ὕμνον παρακελεύονται

οἱ μετὰ τὴν ἐπάν οδον τὰ πολλὰ ἔθνη ἐκεῖνα διὰ τῆς θείας νενικηκότες ῥοπῆς. Ἔχει δὲ πρόῤῥησιν καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν Μακ καβαίων κατορθωθέντων. βʹ. "Ἄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινὸν, ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ὁσίων." Οὐ γὰρ τῶν παρανόμων, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὁσίων ἴδιον τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖν. 80.1993 γʹ. "Εὐφρανθήτω Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐ τὸν, καὶ υἱοὶ Σιὼν ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν ἐπὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτῶν." Πάντων μὲν Θεὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, ἰδίως δὲ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἐχρημάτιζε βασιλεύς. Αὐτίκα τοίνυν τὴν ἀχαριστίαν νενοσηκότων, καὶ ἕτερον αὐ τοῖς αἰτησάντων βασιλέα γενέσθαι, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν Σαμουὴλ ὁ Θεὸς, "Οὐ σὲ ἐξουδενήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἐμὲ, τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν αὐτῶν." δʹ. "Αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐν χορῷ, ἐν τυμπάνῳ καὶ ψαλτηρίῳ ψαλάτωσαν αὐτῷ." ∆ιὰ παντὸς ὀργάνου, φησὶ, κατὰ τὸν νόμον τὸν ἡμέτερον ὑμνήσωμεν τὸν εὐεργέτην. εʹ. "Ὅτι εὐδοκεῖ Κύριος ἐν τῷ λαῷ αὑτοῦ." Πολ λῆς ἡμᾶς, φησὶ, φιλανθρωπίας ἠξίωσε, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἡμῖν ἔδειξεν ἀγαθότητα. "Καὶ ὑψώσει πραεῖς ἐν σωτηρίᾳ." Τοὺς δὲ ἐρήμους βοηθείας, καὶ τρόποις ἀγαθοῖς κεχρημένους, ὑψηλοὺς ἀποφανεῖ καὶ περιβλέπτους. ʹ. "Καυχήσονται ὅσιοι ἐν δόξῃ, καὶ ἀγαλλιά σονται ἐπὶ τῶν κοιτῶν αὑτῶν." Καὶ οἱ τὸ δίκαιον τιμῶντες, ἐν εὐκλείᾳ γενήσονται, πολλῆς ἀπολαύον τες ἀναπαύλης. Κοίτην γὰρ τὴν ἀνάπαυλαν ἐκά λεσεν· ἀναπαύλης γὰρ ἡ κλίνη σημαντική. ζʹ. "Αἱ ὑψώσεις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν." ∆ιηνεκῶς δὲ τὰς θείας εὐεργεσίας κηρύττουσι, τὸν τούτων αἴτιον ἀνυμνοῦντες. "Καὶ ῥομφαῖαι δίστομοι ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῶν. [ηʹ.] Τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἐλεγμοὺς ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς." Οὐκ ἐναντίον τῇ ἀναπαύλῃ τὸ ἐν πολέ μοις νικᾷν. Πάσης γὰρ ἀναπαύλης τὸ νικᾷν θυμηρέ στερον. Προλέγει μέντοι διὰ τούτων τὴν τῶν Μακκα βαίων ἀνδρίαν, ᾗ χρησάμενοι, καὶ τοὺς πλησιοχώρους ἐχειρώσαντο, καὶ τοὺς Μακεδόνας κατηγωνίσαντο. θʹ. "Τοῦ δῆσαι τοὺς βασιλεῖς αὐτῶν ἐν πέδαις, καὶ τοὺς ἐνδόξους αὐτῶν ἐν χειροπέδαις σιδηραῖς." Πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ὑπ' ἐκείνων κατορθῶσθαι ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει, καὶ ῥᾴδιον τοῖς ἐντυχεῖν βουλομένοις τῆς προφητείας καταμαθεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ιʹ. "Τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐν αὐτοῖς κρῖμα ἔγγραπτον." Ἃ γὰρ εἰς ἐκείνους ἐνδίκως εἰργάσαντο, ἀνάγραπτα γέγονα καὶ μέχρι τήμερον ἀείμνηστον αὐτῶν τὸ κλέος διέμεινε. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγε· "∆όξα αὕτη ἔσται πᾶσι τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ." Μήτηρ γὰρ τῆς εὐκλείας ἡ ὁσιότης, καὶ οἱ ταύτης ἐργάται δι' αὐτὴν ἀοίδιμοι γίνονται.

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