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Of the things set forth, it has been said in the inscription "For the winepresses;" and next it is added: How beloved are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! The word all but clarifies what the aforementioned winepresses might be. For it indicates that these are the tabernacles of the Lord, that is, his churches, which, proceeding, he again names more clearly, saying: My soul longs, and faints for the courts of the Lord. And again, proceeding, he says: Your altars, O Lord of hosts. And see if the tabernacles, and courts, and the altars are not spoken of in the plural, in harmony with the inscription containing "For the winepresses," with the word clearly indicating no longer the one old tabernacle in Jerusalem, nor the one altar established there, nor the one court there, but 23.1005 the altars and the tabernacles and the courts throughout the whole inhabited world of men. Others, then, he says, love other things, and hold them in high regard; but to me, O Lord, your tabernacles are dear and beloved, in which you yourself, having spent your time with men, deigned to dwell, saying: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." And so dear and beloved to me are the things mentioned, that through an excess of desire for them I confess my soul faints, overcome by the longing for them, and prefers the time spent in your courts to life itself. And not only does my soul faint, but also my heart and, in addition to my heart, my very body and the flesh with which I am clothed. For these too are filled with joy and gladness from the memory of the life with you; so that I speak truly when I say: My heart and my flesh have exulted in the living God. For our God is living, and he alone possesses life as his own and by nature, or rather, being himself the source of all life, he imparts it to all who draw near. Therefore even my flesh, mortal and corruptible by nature, rejoices and shares in joy, since through it I will partake of eternal life and receive the grace of God. The Prophet says these things, teaching what love and longing he had for the things prophesied by him. Therefore our Savior said: "Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and did not see it." But he says the flesh exults together with the heart in the living God, alluding, as I think, also to the Savior's resurrection from the dead. For since the so-called gods of the nations are lifeless corpses; "For the idols of the nations are silver and gold, the works of men's hands;" and these the men of that time revered; I, he says, foreseeing not such a God, but a living God, rejoice in my heart; and this flesh of mine also exulted in this God, as in a God truly living and life-giving to the dead, who will also give life to my flesh through his own resurrection. Therefore, along with the soul, my flesh also has exulted. For the sparrow has found a home for itself, and the turtledove a nest for herself, where she may lay her young: your altars, O Lord of hosts. And how is it not just, he says, to confess that your tabernacles are dear and beloved, O Lord, since they have become a refuge for everyone able to say: "Our soul has been delivered like a sparrow from the snare of the fowlers;" and again to the one who says: "In the Lord I have put my trust, how will you say to my soul: Flee to the mountains like a sparrow?" "For behold, the sinners have bent their bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver." For with many trying to turn the God-loving soul with snares and to hunt it as with nets, flying this way and that, and wandering everywhere, having no rest in this mortal life, only the tabernacles of God have become a refuge for such a one. Therefore it is said: "For the sparrow has found a home for itself," but 23.1008 also the turtledove a nest; the one practicing gravity and sobriety in the present life

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τῶν προκειμένων εἴρηται μὲν ἐν τῇ προγραφῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν· ἑξῆς δὲ ἐπιλέγεται· Ὡς ἀγαπητὰ τὰ σκηνώματά σου, Κύριε τῶν δυνάμεων! μονονουχὶ σαφηνίζοντος τοῦ λόγου τὰς προτεταγμένας ληνοὺς, τίνες ποτὲ εἶεν. ∆ηλοῖ γὰρ ταύτας εἶναι τὰ σκηνώματα τοῦ Κυρίου, δηλαδὴ τὰς ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ, ἃς προϊὼν λευκότερον πάλιν ὀνομάζει λέγων· Ἐπιποθεῖ καὶ ἐκλείπει ἡ ψυχή μου εἰς τὰς αὐλὰς τοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ αὖθις προϊών φησι· Τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου, Κύριε τῶν δυνάμεων. Καὶ ὅρα εἰ μὴ συμφώνως τῇ προγραφῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν περιεχούσῃ πληθυντικῶς τὰ σκηνώματα εἴρηται, καὶ αὐλαὶ καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια, σαφῶς τοῦ λόγου οὐκέτι τὸ παλαιὸν ἓν σκήνωμα ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, οὐδὲ τὸ ἓν θυσιαστήριον τὸ αὐτόθι ἱδρυμένον, οὐδὲ τὴν αὐτόθι μίαν αὐλὴν, ἀλλὰ 23.1005 τὰ καθ' ὅλης τῆς ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένης θυσιαστήρια καὶ τὰ σκηνώματα καὶ τὰς αὐλὰς δηλοῦντος. Ἄλλοι μὲν οὖν ἄλλα, φησὶν, ἀγαπῶσι, καὶ περὶ πολλοῦ ποιοῦνται· ἐμοὶ δὲ, ὦ Κύριε, τὰ σὰ σκηνώματα προσφιλῆ καὶ ἀγαπητὰ τυγχάνει, ἐν οἷς κατηξίωσας αὐτὸς ἅμα ἀνθρώποις τὰς διατριβὰς ποιησάμενος κατασκηνῶσαι, φήσας· Ὅπου δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰσὶν εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. Οὕτω δέ μοι προσφιλῆ καὶ ἀγαπητὰ τυγχάνει τὰ εἰρημένα, ὥστε δι' ὑπερβολὴν ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν ὁμολογεῖν ἐκλείπειν τὴν ψυχήν μου τῷ περὶ αὐτὰς πόθῳ νικωμένην, καὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς προτιμᾷν τὰς ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου διατριβάς. Καὶ οὐ μόνη γε ἡ ψυχή μου ἐκλείπει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ καρδία μου καὶ πρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ μου καὶ αὐτό μου τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἡ σὰρξ ἣν περιβέβλημαι. Καὶ ταῦτα γὰρ ἐκ τῆς μνήμης τῆς παρὰ σοὶ ζωῆς χαρᾶς πληροῦται καὶ εὐφροσύνης· ὥστ' ἀληθεύοντά με λέγειν· Ἡ καρδία μου καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου ἠγαλλιάσαντο ἐπὶ Θεὸν ζῶντα. Ζῶν γὰρ ὁ ἡμέτερος Θεὸς, καὶ μόνος ἰδιόκτητον καὶ φυσικὴν ἐν αὐτῷ κεκτημένος ζωὴν, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτὸς ὢν ἡ πηγὴ πάσης ζωῆς, πᾶσι τοῖς πλησιάζουσι ταύτης μεταδίδωσι. ∆ιόπερ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ φύσει θνητὴ καὶ φθαρτή μου σὰρξ χαίρει καὶ συγχαίρει, ἅτε δι' αὐτῆς κοινωνήσουσα αἰωνίου ζωῆς, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος μεταληψομένη. Ταῦτα δέ φησιν ὁ Προφήτης διδάσκων, ὁποῖον εἶχε ἔρωτα καὶ πόθον περὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ προφητευόμενα. ∆ιόπερ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἔλεγε· Πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ ὑμεῖς βλέπετε, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον. Τὴν σάρκα δέ φησιν ἅμα τῇ καρδίᾳ ἀγαλλιᾶσθαι ἐπὶ Θεὸν ζῶντα, αἰνιττόμενος, ὡς οἶμαι, καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἱ τῶν ἐθνῶν νομιζόμενοι θεοὶ νεκροὶ ἄψυχοι τυγχάνουσι· Τὰ γὰρ εἴδωλα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον, ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων· ταῦτα δὲ ἔσεβον οἱ τότε ἄνθρωποι· ἐγὼ, φησὶν, οὐ τοιοῦτόν τινα Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ ζῶντα Θεὸν προθεωρῶν, τῇ καρδίᾳ εὐφραίνομαι· καὶ αὕτη δέ μου ἡ σὰρξ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἠγαλλιάσατο, ὡς ἐπὶ Θεῷ ἀληθῶς ζῶντι καὶ ζωοποιοῦντι τοὺς νεκροὺς, ὃς καὶ αὐτήν μου ζωοποιήσει τὴν σάρκα διὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀναστάσεως. ∆ιὸ πρὸς τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου ἠγαλλιάσατο. Καὶ γὰρ στρουθίον εὗρεν ἑαυτῷ οἰκίαν, καὶ τρυγὼν νοσσιὰν ἑαυτῇ, οὗ θήσει τὰ νοσσία αὐτῆς, τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου, Κύριε τῶν δυνάμεων. Καὶ πῶς γὰρ οὐ δίκαιον, φησὶ, προσφιλῆ καὶ ἀγαπητὰ ὁμολογεῖν εἶναι τὰ σκηνώματά σου, ὦ Κύριε, ὁπότε καταφυγὴ γέγονε παντὶ τῷ οἵῳ τε λέγειν· Ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὡς στρουθίον ἐῤῥύσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηρευόντων· καὶ πάλιν τῷ φάσκοντι· Ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ πέποιθα, πῶς ἐρεῖτε τῇ ψυχῇ μου· Μεταναστεύου ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη ὡς στρουθίον; Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐνέτειναν τόξον, ἡτοίμασαν βέλη εἰς φαρέτραν. Πολλῶν γὰρ τὴν τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς ψυχὴν παγίσι μεταβάλλειν καὶ δικτύοις ὥσπερ θηρεύειν αὐτὴν πειρωμένων, διιπταμένην ὧδε κἀκεῖσε, καὶ πάντη περινοστοῦσαν, τῷ μὴ ἔχειν ἀνάπαυσιν ἐν τῷ θνητῷ βίῳ, μόνα τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ σκηνώματα καταφυγὴ τῇ τοιαύτῃ γέγονε. ∆ιὸ εἴρηται· Καὶ γὰρ στρουθίον εὗρεν ἑαυτῷ οἰκίαν, ἀλλὰ 23.1008 καὶ τρυγὼν νοσσιάν· ἡ κατὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ζωὴν σεμνότητα καὶ σωφροσύνην ἀσκοῦσα