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unavenged. But here he calls poor not simply the needy, but those who are exceedingly humble, the contrite. He says these things, both comforting the wronged and chastening the wrongdoers, so that neither the former may despair at the delay, nor the latter may become more careless because of the postponement. For the postponement leads to repentance; but it punishes the persistent one more harshly; and very justly so. Why? Because having enjoyed such goodness, they did not become better. For consider how great is God's love for humanity, when He endures those who are dedicated to him to suffer evil, and does not proceed against them, wishing to make you better through repentance. But the righteous will give thanks to your name. What is it that he says? Whatever may happen, he says, they will give thanks; even if they see the humble being abused, and the wicked being exalted, they will not demand an account of what is happening. For this especially belongs to the righteous, to give thanks always and in all things. And the upright will dwell with your presence; that is, Having enjoyed help from you, having the thought of you, always being with you, they will never fall away; whatever may happen, they will never be displeased, they will never find fault with what happens. For this is characteristic of an unwavering soul, this of an unbending will, not to demand an account from the Master. Wherefore Paul also said: But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? Let us therefore also always maintain this gratitude, giving thanks to God for all things; because to him is the glory, and the thanksgiving, and the worship, now and always, and to the unending ages of ages. Amen.

ON THE 140TH PSALM. Lord, I cried to you, hear me; attend to the voice of the supplication

of me.

1. As to the words of this psalm, almost everyone knows them, and they continue chanting them through every age; but they are ignorant of the meaning of what is said. 55.427 Which is no small matter for accusation, that chanting daily, and uttering the words with the mouth, they have not sought the power of the thoughts that lie hidden in the words. But one seeing clear and pure water would not endure not to approach, and touch, and drink; and one entering continually into a meadow would not bear to depart without gathering some of the flowers; but you, from earliest youth to extreme old age, continue to study this psalm, knowing only the words, and you sit beside a hidden treasure, and carry about a sealed purse, and not even out of curiosity has anyone been moved to learn what is being said; he has not sought, he has not searched. And yet one cannot even say this, that the psalm, being clear, has sent everyone to sleep, and has not allowed them to seek what lies readily at hand. For it is obscure, and capable of rousing one who is not sleeping soundly, or rather, even one who is sleeping. For what is, Incline not my heart to evil words? And what is, The righteous shall chasten me in mercy, and shall reprove me? And what comes after this, tell me, is it not darker than all darkness? That my prayer also shall be in their good pleasures. Their judges have been swallowed up near the rock. But although there are so many obscurities, the many simply run through it as if it were some song. But lest by extending the accusation further we make our discourse burdensome, come, let us proceed to the investigation of what has been said. But pay attention with accuracy; for I do not think the

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ἀνεκδίκητα. Πτωχοὺς δὲ ἐνταῦθα οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοὺς πένητας καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τοὺς σφόδρα ταπεινοὺς, τοὺς συντετριμμένους. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, καὶ τοὺς ἀδικουμένους παραμυθούμενος, καὶ τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας σωφρονίζων, ἵνα μήτε ἐκεῖνοι τῇ μελλήσει ἀπογνῶσι, μήτε οὗτοι διὰ τὴν ἀναβολὴν ῥᾳθυμότεροι γένωνται. Ἡ γὰρ ἀναβολὴ εἰς μετάνοιαν ἄγει· τὸν δὲ ἐπιμένοντα χαλεπώτερον κολάζει· καὶ μάλα δικαίως. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσαντες ἀγαθότητος, οὐκ ἐγένοντο βελτίους. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ὅση τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία, ὅταν τοὺς ἀνακειμένους αὐτῷ ἀνέχηται πάσχειν κακῶς, καὶ μὴ ἐπεξίῃ, τῇ μετανοίᾳ σε βελτίω ποιῆσαι βουλόμενος. Πλὴν δίκαιοι ἐξομολογήσονται τῷ ὀνόματί σου. Τί ἐστιν ὃ λέγει; Ὅπερ ἂν γένηται, φησὶν, ἐκεῖνοι εὐχαριστήσουσι· κἂν τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἴδωσιν ἐπηρεαζομένους, καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐπαιρομένους, οὐκ ἀπαιτήσουσιν εὐθύνας τῶν γινομένων. Τοῦτο γὰρ δικαίων μάλιστα, τὸ διαπαντὸς καὶ ἐν ἅπασιν εὐχαριστεῖν. Καὶ κατοικήσουσιν εὐθεῖς σὺν τῷ προσώπῳ σου· τουτέστι, Τῆς βοηθείας ἀπολαύσαντες τῆς παρὰ σοῦ, τὴν ἔννοιαν ἔχοντες τὴν περὶ σοῦ, ἀεὶ μετὰ σοῦ ὄντες, οὐδέποτε ἀποστήσονται· ὅπερ ἂν γένηται, οὐδέποτε δυσχερανοῦσιν, οὐδέποτε μέμψονται τοῖς γινομένοις. Τοῦτο γὰρ ψυχῆς ἀπεριτρέπτου, τοῦτο γνώμης ἀκλινοῦς, μὴ ἀπαιτεῖν τὸν ∆εσπότην εὐθύνας. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Μενοῦν γε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ, Μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι, Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως; Ταύτην τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς διαπαντὸς τηρῶμεν τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην, ὑπὲρ πάντων εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ Θεῷ· ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα, καὶ ἡ εὐχαριστία, καὶ ἡ προσκύνησις, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΜʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Κύριε, ἐκέκραξα πρὸς σὲ, εἰσάκουσόν μου· πρόσχες τῇ φωνῇ τῆς δεήσεώς

μου.

αʹ. Τούτου τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τὰ μὲν ῥήματα ἅπαντες, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἴσασι, καὶ διὰ πάσης ἡλικίας διατελοῦσι ψάλλοντες· τὴν δὲ διάνοιαν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀγνοοῦσιν. 55.427 Ὅπερ οὐ μικρὸν εἰς κατηγορίας λόγον, τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ψάλλοντας, καὶ διὰ στόματος τὰ ῥήματα προφέροντας, μὴ ζητῆσαι τῶν νοημάτων τὴν δύναμιν τῶν ἐναποκειμένων τοῖς ῥήμασιν. Ἀλλ' ὕδωρ μέν τις διαυγὲς καὶ καθαρὸν ὁρῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιτο μὴ προσελθεῖν, καὶ ἅψασθαι, καὶ πιεῖν· καὶ εἰς λειμῶνά τις συνεχῶς εἰσιὼν, οὐκ ἂν ὑπομείνειε μὴ συλλέξας τι τῶν ἀνθῶν ἐξελθεῖν· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας εἰς ἔσχατον γῆρας τοῦτον μελετῶντες τὸν ψαλμὸν διατελεῖτε, τὰ ῥήματα εἰδότες μόνον, καὶ παρακάθησθε θησαυρῷ συνεσκιασμένῳ, καὶ βαλάντιον περιφέρετε ἐσφραγισμένον, καὶ οὐδὲ ὑπὸ πολυπραγμοσύνης παρωξύνθη τις μαθεῖν, τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον· οὐκ ἐζήτησεν, οὐκ ἠρεύνησε. Καίτοι γε οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνο ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι σαφής τις ὢν ὁ ψαλμὸς πάντας εἰς ὕπνον ἤγαγε, καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκε ζητῆσαι τὸ προχείρως κείμενον. Καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἀσαφὴς, καὶ ἱκανὸς διεγεῖραι τὸν μὴ σφόδρα καθεύδοντα, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τὸν καθεύδοντα. Τί γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς τὴν καρδίαν μου εἰς λόγους πονηρίας; τί δὲ τὸ, Παιδεύσει με δίκαιος ἐν ἐλέει, καὶ ἐλέγξει με; Τὸ δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο, εἰπέ μοι, οὐκ ἔστι παντὸς ζόφου ζοφωδέστερον; Ὅτι ἔτι καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου ἐν ταῖς εὐδοκίαις αὐτῶν. Κατεπόθησαν ἐχόμενα πέτρας οἱ κριταὶ αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσούτων ὄντων ἀσαφῶν, ὥσπερ τινὰ ᾠδὴν ἁπλῶς παρατρέχουσιν οἱ πολλοί. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τὴν κατηγορίαν ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐπιτείνοντες, φορτικὸν τὸν λόγον ἐργασώμεθα, φέρε δὴ πρὸς τὴν ἔρευναν τῶν εἰρημένων βαδίσωμεν. Ἀλλὰ προσέχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς οἶμαι τὸν