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A SONG OF A PSALM FOR ASAPH. 82. O God, who shall be likened to you? Do not be silent, nor be still, O God. The 79th psalm foretold the destruction of the vineyard and the fall of the Jewish nation, and the burning and desolation of the place honored among them; the next two taught the cause for which they suffered these things; but the present one, connected with those, makes a supplication and prayer on behalf of the people. For it was necessary after the gloomy things to offer, as it were, some remedy to what was said before, as the Psalms of Asaph were to be concluded in this one. Therefore the present discourse is also inscribed a Song of a psalm, because it prays for good things for the people. The present one is the 11th of those inscribed "Of Asaph," of which the first was the 72nd, with the 49th also being included among the preceding ones, because it too is of Asaph. There would be 12 in all. And the Prophet says through the present psalm in his supplication to God: O God, who shall be likened to you? Do not be silent, nor be still, O God. For, he says, no one is like God, who is long-suffering and forbearing, and for this reason endures all things. For who could bear the blasphemies and arrogances of godless and impious men in a way similar to you? Therefore to you, O God, no one shall be likened; but I, as a man, overcome by my own weakness, dare to pray, and to say to you, O God, with supplication: Do not be silent, nor be still, O God. God is said to be silent when, as godless and wicked men are exalted, he remains unconcerned, not immediately bringing his wrath upon them, nor using punishments against them. Therefore also to those who sin, the same Asaph in the 49th psalm introduces God saying: These things you have done, and I was silent; you supposed iniquity, that I would be like you. And the Apostle teaches the causes of God's silence and forbearance and long-suffering, writing: Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But you, he says, as God enduring all things, bear all men 23.993 gently, and are silent toward those who sin impiously and godlessly, and blaspheme against you, O God; but I, unable to see these things, pray and beseech to receive forgiveness for being unable to bear them in a way similar to you, O God; for who shall be likened to you? Therefore as a man, having zeal for your piety, I dare to bring a supplication to you; so that you might cease from your ineffable long-suffering and forbearing silence; and be moved at last against those who have dared incurable deeds. Therefore I say: Do not be silent, nor be still; instead of which Aquila said, "Do not be quiet," and Symmachus, "Do not be desolate." Then he adds next: For behold, your enemies have made a noise, and those who hate you have lifted up their head. And according to Aquila: For behold, your enemies have caused a disturbance, and those who hate you have lifted up their head; and according to Symmachus: For behold, your enemies, he says, are roaring together, and those who hate you are lifting up their head. And the enemies of God make a noise and cause a disturbance, when they no longer dare to utter their blasphemies against God secretly, nor sparingly; but now openly and all at once they all bring forth godless words against God, such as they dare to do during the times of persecutions. Then also, being high-necked and insolent, they lift up their head, when the silence of God especially works destruction for them. And as these lift up their head, the people of God are worn down and humbled; just as, conversely, when the enemies of God are humbled, the heads of the holy and God-loving men are exalted. Therefore it is said somewhere from their person: And now he has lifted up my head above my enemies. They have devised a cunning plan against your people, and

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Ω∆Η ΨΑΛΜΟΥ ΤΩ ΑΣΑΦ. ΠΒʹ. Ὁ Θεὸς, τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι; Μὴ σιγήσῃς, μηδὲ καταπραΰνῃς, ὁ Θεός. Ὁ μὲν οθʹ ψαλμὸς προανεφώνει τὸν ἀφανισμὸν τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος καὶ τὴν πτῶσιν τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, τοῦ τε παρ' αὐτοῖς τετιμημένου τόπου τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν καὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν· οἱ δ' ἑξῆς αὐτῷ δύο τὴν αἰτίαν ἐδίδασκον δι' ἣν πεπόνθασι ταῦτα· ὁ δὲ παρὼν, συνημμένος ἐκείνοις, ἱκετηρίαν καὶ δέησιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ ποιεῖται. Ἔδει γὰρ μετὰ τὰ σκυθρωπὰ ὥσπερ τινὰ θεραπείαν προσάγειν τοῖς προλεχθεῖσι, μέλλοντας ἐν τούτῳ περιγράφεσθαι τοὺς Τοῦ Ἀσὰφ ψαλμούς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Ὠδὴ ψαλμοῦ ἐπιγέγραπται ὁ παρὼν λόγος, διὰ τὸ τὰ χρηστὰ ὑπερεύχεσθαι τοῦ λαοῦ. Ἔστι δὲ ὁ παρὼν τῶν ἐπιγεγραμμένων Τοῦ Ἀσὰφ ιαʹ, ὧν πρῶτος ἦν ὁ οβʹ, συμπαραλαμβανομένου τοῖς προκειμένοις τοῦ μʹ καὶ θʹ, διὰ τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ Ἀσάφ. Γένοιντ' ἂν οἱ πάντες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ιβʹ. Λέγει δὲ διὰ τοῦ παρόντος ὁ Προφήτης ἐν τῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετηρίᾳ· Ὁ Θεὸς, τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι; Μὴ σιγήσῃς, μηδὲ καταπραΰνῃς, ὁ Θεός. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ Θεῷ μακροθύμῳ ὄντι καὶ ἀνεξικάκῳ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πάντων ἀνεχομένῳ, οὐδεὶς ὅμοιος. Τίς γάρ σοι παραπλησίως τὰς τῶν ἀθέων καὶ ἀσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν δυσφημίας καὶ ὑπερηφανίας οἷός τ' ἂν εἴη φέρειν; ∆ιὸ σοὶ μὲν, ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδεὶς ὁμοιωθήσεται· ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἡττώμενος ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ ἀσθενείας, τολμῶ δεῖσθαι, καὶ σοὶ τῷ Θεῷ μεθ' ἱκετηρίας λέγειν· Μὴ σιγήσῃς, μηδὲ καταπραΰνῃς, ὁ Θεός. Σιγᾷν δὲ λέγεται ὁ Θεὸς, ἐπειδὰν ἐπαιρομένων τῶν ἀθέων καὶ δυσσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν, ἀπροσποίητος μένει, μὴ ἐπάγων παραχρῆμα τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν ὀργὴν, μηδὲ ταῖς κατ' αὐτῶν τιμωρίαις χρώμενος. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ὁ αὐτὸς Ἀσὰφ ἐν τῷ μʹ καὶ θʹ τὸν Θεὸν εἰσάγει λέγοντα· Ταῦτα ἐποίησας, καὶ ἐσίγησα· ὑπέλαβες ἀνομίαν, ὅτι ἔσομαί σοι ὅμοιος. Τὰ δὲ αἴτια τῆς σιγῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας παιδεύει ὁ Ἀπόστολος γράφων· Ἢ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονεῖς, ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει; Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν, φησὶν, ὡς Θεὸς πάντων ἀνεχόμενος, πάντας φέρεις 23.993 πράως, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀσεβῆ καὶ ἄθεα ἁμαρτάνουσι, καὶ κατὰ σοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημοῦσι, σιωπᾷς· ἐγὼ δὲ, μὴ δυνάμενος ταῦτα ὁρᾷν, δέομαι καὶ ἱκετεύω συγγνώμης τυχεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι φέρειν σοι τῷ Θεῷ παραπλησίως· τίς γάρ σοι ὁμοιωθήσεται; ∆ιὸ ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ζῆλον ἔχων τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας, τολμῶ ἱκετηρίαν σοι προσάγειν· ὥστε παύσασθαι μὲν τῆς ἀφάτου μακροθυμίας καὶ τῆς ἀνεξικάκου σιωπῆς· ἤδη δέ ποτε κινηθῆναι κατὰ τῶν τὰ ἀνήκεστα τετολμηκότων. ∆ιό φημι· Μὴ σιγήσῃς, μηδὲ καταπραΰνῃς· ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, Μὴ καθησυχάσῃς, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Μὴ ἐρημάσῃς, εἰρήκασιν. Εἶτ' ἐπιλέγει ἑξῆς· Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ ἐχθροί σου ἤχησαν, καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές σε ἦραν κεφαλήν. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ ἐχθροί σου ὤχλασαν, καὶ μισοποιοῦντές σε ἦραν κεφαλήν· κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ οἱ ἐχθροί σου, φησὶ, συνηχοῦσι, καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές σε ἐπαίρουσι κεφαλήν. Ἠχοῦσι δὲ καὶ ὀχλάζουσιν οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτε οὐκέτι κρύβδην, οὐδὲ πεφεισμένως τολμῶσι παραφθέγγεσθαι τὰς κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημίας· ἤδη δὲ ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς καὶ ἀθρόως οἱ πάντες κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ ἄθεα προφέρονται ῥήματα, ὁποῖα τολμῶσι πράττειν κατὰ τοὺς τῶν διωγμῶν καιρούς. Εἶτα δὲ καὶ ὑψαυχενοῦντες καὶ φρυαττόμενοι τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπαίρουσιν, ὅτε μάλιστα ἐπιτριβὴν αὐτοῖς ἡ σιωπὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατεργάζεται. Τούτων δὲ τὴν κεφαλὴν αἰρόντων, οἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι καταπονούμενοι ταπεινοῦνται· ὡς ἔμπαλιν ταπεινουμένων τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ αἱ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ θεοφιλῶν ἀνδρῶν κεφαλαὶ ὑψοῦνται. ∆ιὸ εἴρηταί που ἐξ αὐτῶν προσώπου τό· Καὶ νῦν ὕψωσε κεφαλήν μου ἐπ' ἐχθρούς μου. Ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου κατεπανουργεύσαντο γνώμην, καὶ