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1. Alleluia, alleluia. This hymn is also one of victory; it foretells the coming knowledge of God for all people. 2. "Praise God in His saints." For this is a sufficient occasion for hymnody. For if we have been commanded to take an occasion for thanksgiving 80.1996 from plants, and wild beasts, and reptiles, it is much more just to look to the saints, and to hymn their God. For who, being taught the things concerning blessed Paul, or the divine Peter, or the most godly John, or the other apostles, or the victorious martyrs, or the other saints, or the present athletes of virtue, does not move his tongue to hymnody for the one who has bestowed such an abundance of good things on humanity? "Praise Him in the firmament of His power." But Symmachus has it thus: Praise Him in His indestructible firmament. For He alone has power that is strong, and imperishable, and eternal. 3. "Praise Him for His mighty acts." For unspeakable are the things continually accomplished through His saints. Praise Him according to the multitude of His greatness. This is like what has already been interpreted by us: "For of His greatness there is no end." For His magnitude, he says, is boundless, His power immeasurable; therefore continue hymning Him for all things. 4. "Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet." This was a priestly instrument; for the priests used the trumpets, calling to mind the trumpets that sounded on Mount Sinai. "Praise Him with the psaltery and kithara. [5, 6.] Praise Him with the timbrel and choir; praise Him with strings and organ. Praise Him with well-sounding cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of jubilation." The Levites of old used these instruments in the divine temple, hymning God; not because God took pleasure in their sound, but because He accepted the purpose of what was being done. For that the Divinity does not take pleasure in songs and musical performances, we hear Him saying to the Jews: "Take away from Me the sound of your songs, and the voice of your instruments I will not hear." He permitted these things to be done, therefore, wishing to deliver them from the error of idols. For since they were somewhat fond of play and fond of laughter, and all these things were performed in the temples of idols, He permitted these things, drawing them through these means, and with the lesser harm preventing the greater, and through the imperfect pre-instructing them in the perfect. "Let every breath praise the Lord." Not Jews only, but all people. For He is not God of the Jews only, according to the divine Apostle, but also of the Gentiles. Therefore, in the 144th psalm he said: "Let all flesh bless His holy name." But here, "Let every breath praise the Lord." And neither there did he call upon the flesh alone, nor here upon the breath alone; but through both that and this, he exhorts to hymn the God of all with both body and soul. The end of the whole treatise of the psalms is admirable, 80.1997 and in accord with the purpose of the prophecy. For the prophecy proclaims salvation to the nations, and the end of the prophecy exhorts those who have obtained it to hymn their benefactor. But we not only hear the words, but we also here behold the realities. For in every city, and village, and field, and in the remotest parts, and on mountains, and hills, and in the uninhabited and utterly desert places, the God of all is hymned. But I ask those who come upon this book, if it should seem to be interpreted well and rightly, to reap the benefit from these things. But if somewhere we have not grasped the hidden mysteries of the Spirit, do not blame us severely. For what we were able to find, we have set forth ungrudgingly to all, and what we were taught by the Fathers, we have been eager to offer to those after us. And we have endured the labor, but we offer a effortless benefit to others. Whom I ask to repay the labor with prayers; so that, supported by these, we may add deeds to our words, and reap the blessing composed of both. "For he who has done," it says, "and has taught, shall be called great in the

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αʹ. Ἀλληλούϊα, ἀλληλούϊα. Ἐπινίκιος καὶ οὗτος ὁ ὕμνος· προλέγει δὲ τὴν ἐσομένην πᾶσιν ἀνθρώ ποις θεογνωσίαν. βʹ. "Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ." Ἱκανὴ γὰρ ἀφορμὴ εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν αὕτη." Εἰ γὰρ ἀπὸ 80.1996 φυτῶν, καὶ θηρίων, καὶ ἑρπετῶν, πρόφασιν εἰς εὐ χαριστίαν λαβεῖν προσετάχθημεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους ἀφορᾷν, καὶ τὸν τούτων Θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖν δικαιότερον. Τίς γὰρ τὰ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον διδα σκόμενος Παῦλον, ἢ τὸν θεσπέσιον Πέτρον, ἢ τὸν θειότατον Ἰωάννην, ἢ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀποστόλους, ἢ τοὺς νικηφόρους μάρτυρας, ἢ τοὺς ἄλλους ἁγίους, ἢ τοὺς νῦν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀθλητὰς, οὐ κινεῖ τὴν γλῶτταν εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν τοῦ τοσαύτην τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τῶν ἀγα θῶν δωρησαμένου φοράν; "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν στε ρεώματι δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν στερεώματι τῷ ἀκαθαιρέτῳ αὐτοῦ. Μόνος γὰρ στεῤῥὸν, καὶ ἀνώλεθρον, καὶ αἰώνιον ἔχει τὸ κράτος. γʹ. "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ ταῖς δυναστείαις αὐτοῦ." Ἄῤῥητα γὰρ τὰ διὰ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ διηνεκῶς κατ ορθούμενα. Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς με γαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ. Ἔοικε τοῦτο τοῖς ἤδη παρ' ἡμῶν ἑρμηνευομένοις·" Ὅτι τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστι πέρας." Ἄπειρον γὰρ αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, τὸ μέγε θος, ἀμέτρητος ἡ δύναμις· διὰ πάντα τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὑμνοῦντες διατελέσατε. δʹ. "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν ἤχῳ σάλπιγγος." Ἱερατι κὸν ἦν τοῦτο τὸ ὄργανον· οἱ ἱερεῖς γὰρ ἐχρῶντο ταῖς σάλπιγξι, τῶν ἐν Σινᾷ ὄρει γενομένων σαλπίγ γων ἀναμιμνήσκοντες. "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ καὶ κιθάρᾳ. [εʹ, ʹ.] Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν τυμπάνῳ καὶ χορῷ· αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν χορδαῖς καὶ ὀργάνῳ. Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν κυμβάλοις εὐ ήχοις, αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν κυμβάλοις ἀλαλαγμοῦ." Τού τοις οἱ Λευῖται πάλαι τοῖς ὀργάνοις ἐχρῶντο ἐν τῷ θείῳ νεῷ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνοῦντες· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ Θεὸς ἐτέρπετο τῇ τούτων ἠχῇ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῶν γιγνομένων τὸν σκοπὸν ἀπεδέχετο. Ὅτι γὰρ ᾠδαῖς καὶ κρούμασι τὸ Θεῖον οὐκ ἐπιτέρπεται, ἀκούομεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος Ἰουδαίοις· "Ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ἦχον ᾠδῶν σου, καὶ φωνῆς ὀργάνων σου οὐκ ἀκούσομαι." Ταῦτα τοίνυν γίνε σθαι συνεχώρησε, τῆς τῶν εἰδώλων αὐτοὺς πλάνης ἀπαλλάξαι θελήσας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ φιλοπαίγμονές τι νες ἦσαν, καὶ φιλογέλωτες, ταῦτα δὲ ἅπαντα ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλων ἐπετελεῖτο ναοῖς, συνεχώρησε ταῦτα, διὰ τούτων αὐτοὺς ἐφελκόμενος, καὶ τῇ ἐλάττονι βλάβῃ κωλύων τὴν μείζονα, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀτελῶν προπαι δεύων τὰ τέλεια. "Πᾶσα πνοὴ αἰνεσάτω τὸν Κύ ριον." Οὐκ Ἰουδαῖοι, μόνον, ἀλλὰ πάντες ἄνθρωποι. Οὐ γὰρ Ἰουδαίων Θεὸς μόνον, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐθνῶν. Ἐν μὲν οὖν τῷ ρʹ καὶ μδʹ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· "Εὐλογείτω πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ." Ἐνταῦθα δὲ, "Πᾶσα πνοὴ αἰνεσάτω τὸν Κύριον." Οὔτε δὲ ἐκεῖ μόνην τὴν σάρκα, οὔτε ἐνταῦθα μόνην ἐκάλεσε τὴν πνοήν· ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἐκείνου καὶ διὰ τούτου, καὶ σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ ὑμνεῖν παρακελεύεται τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν. Ἀξιάγαστον δὲ 80.1997 τῆς ὅλης τῶν ψαλμῶν πραγματείας τὸ τέλος, καὶ τῷ σκοπῷ τῆς προφητείας συμβαῖνον. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ προφητεία τοῖς ἔθνεσι κηρύττει τὴν σωτηρίαν, καὶ τῆς προφητείας τὸ τέλος τοὺς ταύτης τετυχηκότας ὑμνεῖν τὸν εὐεργέτην παρακελεύεται. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ μόνον τῶν ῥημάτων ἀκούομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα θεωροῦμεν τὰ πράγματα. Ἐν ἑκάστῃ γὰρ καὶ πόλει, καὶ κώμῃ, καὶ ἀγροῖς, καὶ ἐν ἐσχατιαῖς, καὶ ὄρεσι, καὶ βουνοῖς, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀοικήτῳ καὶ παντελῶς ἐρήμῳ, ὁ τῶν ὅλων ὑμνεῖται Θεός. Ἐγὼ δὲ τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τῇδε τῇ βίβλῳ παρα καλῶ, εἰ μὲν εὖ καὶ καλῶς ἑρμηνεύεσθαι δόξειε, τὴν ἐκ τούτων ὠφέλειαν καρπώσασθαι. Εἰ δέ που τῶν κεκρυμμένων τοῦ Πνεύματος οὐκ ἐφικόμεθα μυστηρίων, μὴ σφόδρα ἡμῖν ἐπιμέμψασθαι. Ἃ γὰρ εὑρεῖν ἠδυνήθημεν ἀφθόνως ἅπασι προτεθείκαμεν, καὶ ἃ παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ἐδιδάχθημεν, τοῖς μεθ' ἡμᾶς προσενεγκεῖν ἐσπουδάσαμεν. Καὶ τὸν μὲν πόνον ἡμεῖς ἠνεσχόμεθα, ἄπονον δὲ ἄλλοις ὠφέλειαν προσφέρομεν. Οὓς ἀξιῶ εὐχαῖς τὸν πόνον ἀμείψασθαι· ἵνα ταύταις ἐρειδόμενοι, προσθῶμεν τοῖς λόγοις τὰ ἔργα, καὶ τὸν ἐξ ἑκατέρων συγκείμενον μα- καρισμὸν καρπωσώμεθα. "Ὁ γὰρ ποιήσας, φησὶ, καὶ διδάξας, μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ