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of God being able to be called so in comparison with him. But another, because of the addition to all these things, "for You alone are God," might say that all the preceding things are sent up through prayer to the Father and God of all; for by his gift and grace the calling of the nations has happened through his Son; and he was the founder and creator and maker of all things, having established all things through the Son, both the things in heaven and the things on earth; and he was the one who worked all wonders through the Son, both those recorded in the Old Testament and those written in the New; wherefore it is said, "There is none like your works;" and, "You are great, and do wondrous things, you alone are God." But the word "alone" was also spoken by our Savior to the Father in the phrase, "that they may know you, the only true God." But since the Son is a partaker of the Father's divinity, being a sharer of the same kingdom, as he is the only-begotten Son and Word of God, and wisdom of God, he himself would also reasonably be included in the present theology which teaches that there is no one like the God over all among the many who are called gods; for in his one only-begotten Word alone the likeness of the Father is preserved. Therefore he is also called the image of God, and, "the Word was God," as in him alone the likeness of the Father is preserved, and no longer also in the many gods. Lead me, O Lord, in your way, and I will walk in your truth, let my heart rejoice to fear your name. So as not to be led astray from the truth of God, we need a guide; wherefore Aquila says, "Enlighten me, O Lord, in your way, I will walk in your truth;" but Symmachus, "Show me, O Lord, your way, that I may walk in your truth." And again, instead of, "Let my heart rejoice to fear your name," Aquila says: "Make my heart one to fear your name;" but Symmachus, "Unite my heart to fear your name." I will give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Having said many good things before, he necessarily brings to memory the confession concerning the sin he committed, so that he might not seem, on account of the forgiveness granted to him and of the things that came to him after this, to be puffed up and to behave more carelessly. Therefore he turns himself back and makes mention of his sin, so that the thanksgiving to God may become greater; wherefore he says: "I will give thanks to you;" and adds: "You have delivered my soul from the lowest hades." For the sin unto death is of such a kind, dragging one down to the lowest hades. For there being many sins, it seems that some bring one to the upper parts of hades, but others to the lowest parts, and, as one might say, to the very 23.1037 bottom, about which it is said: "The ways of a man that seem to be right, yet their end looks to the bottom of hades." But from there, he says, you delivered me, because your mercy has been great upon me. For having prayed to receive great mercy in the 50th psalm, in which he said, "Have mercy on me according to your great mercy," in these words he confesses to have obtained his prayer; wherefore also he gives thanks not simply, but with his whole heart. O God, lawless men have risen up against me, and the assembly of the mighty has sought my soul, and has not set you before them. And you, O Lord God, are compassionate and merciful, longsuffering and full of mercy and true. Having changed from prayer to thanksgiving, and having confessed the grace to God, that he delivered his soul from the lowest hades, he justifies himself by declaring the reason for which he sinned, and says that he suffered this from the plot of many invisible enemies, who envied his progress according to God. Therefore he says: "O God, lawless men have risen up against me." But all the other interpreters have said, "arrogant men," alluding to the invisible and arrogant powers. But what kind of

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ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ παραθέσει δυναμένου χρηματίζειν Θεοῦ. Ἄλλος δὲ διὰ τὸ ἐπιφέρεσθαι πᾶσι τούτοις τὸ, ὅτι Σὺ εἶ Θεὸς μόνος, εἴποι ἂν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων τὰ προκείμενα πάντα διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς ἀναπέμπεσθαι· τῇ γὰρ αὐτοῦ δωρεᾷ καὶ χάριτι ἡ κλῆσις τῶν ἐθνῶν διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ γέγονε· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ τῶν ὅλων κτίστης καὶ δημιουργὸς καὶ ποιητὴς διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὰ πάντα συστησάμενος, τά τε ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ πάντα θαυματουργήσας διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τά τε κατὰ τὴν Παλαιὰν ∆ιαθήκην ἱστορούμενα, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ Καινῇ ἀναγεγραμμένα· διὸ λέγεσθαι, Οὐκ ἔστι κατὰ τὰ ἔργα σου· καὶ, Μέγας εἶ σὺ, καὶ ποιῶν θαυμάσια, σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς μόνος. Τὸ δὲ, μόνος, εἴρηται καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἐν τῷ, Ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεόν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς θεότητος κοινωνὸς ὑπάρχει ὁ Υἱὸς, τῆς αὐτῆς μέτοχος ὢν βασιλείας, ἅτε μονογενὴς Υἱὸς ὢν καὶ Θεοῦ Λόγος, καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία, εἰκότως ἂν καταλέγοιτο καὶ αὐτὸς τῇ παρούσῃ θεολογίᾳ διδασκούσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὅμοιος τῷ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεῷ ἐν τοῖς πολλοῖς ὀνομαζομένοις θεοῖς· ἐν ἑνὶ γὰρ μόνῳ τῷ μονογενεῖ αὐτοῦ Λόγῳ ἡ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁμοιότης σώζεται. ∆ιὸ καὶ εἰκὼν χρηματίζει Θεοῦ, καὶ, Θεὸς ἦν Λόγος, ὡς ἐν αὐτῷ μὲν σώζεσθαι μόνῳ τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁμοίωσιν, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς πολλοῖς θεοῖς. Ὁδήγησόν με, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου, καὶ πορεύσομαι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου, εὐφρανθήτω ἡ καρδία μου τοῦ φοβεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομά σου. Εἰς τὸ μὴ ἀποσφαλῆναι τῆς ἀληθείας Θεοῦ, ποδηγοῦ δεόμεθα· διόπερ ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, Φώτισόν με, φησὶ, Κύριε, τῇ ὁδῷ σου, περιπατήσω ἐν ἀληθείᾳ σου· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Ὑπόδειξόν μοι, Κύριε, τὴν ὁδόν σου, ἵνα ὁδεύσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου. Καὶ πάλιν ἀντὶ τοῦ, Εὐφρανθήτω ἡ καρδία μου τοῦ φοβεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας φησί· Μονάχωσον τὴν καρδίαν μου τοῦ φοβεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομά σου· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Ἕνωσον τὴν καρδίαν μου εἰς φόβον τοῦ ὀνόματός σου. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, Κύριε, ὁ Θεός μου, ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, καὶ δοξάσω τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Πολλὰ χρηστὰ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἰρηκὼς, ἀναγκαίως ἀναφέρει τῇ μνήμῃ τὴν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἧς ἥμαρτεν ἐξομολόγησιν, ὡς ἂν μὴ δοκοίη διὰ τῆς παρασχεθείσης αὐτῷ συγχωρήσεως καὶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα ὑπαρχθέντων αὐτῷ, χαυνοῦσθαι, καὶ ῥᾳθυμότερον ἀναστρέφειν. Ἐπιστρέφει τοίνυν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ μνήμην ποιεῖται τῆς αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτίας, ἵνα μείζων γένηται ἡ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχαριστία· διό φησιν· Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι· καὶ ἐπάγει· Ἐῤῥύσω τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐξ ᾅδου κατωτάτου. Ἡ γὰρ πρὸς θάνατον ἁμαρτία τοιαύτη τυγχάνει, εἰς τὸν κατώτατον ᾅδην κατασπῶσα. Πολλῶν γὰρ οὐσῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, ἐοίκασιν αἱ μὲν τοῦ ᾅδου εἰς τὰ ἐπιπόλαια φέρειν, αἱ δὲ εἰς τὰ κατώτατα, καὶ, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, εἰς αὐτὸν 23.1037 τὸν πυθμένα, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· Ὁδοὶ ἀνδρὸς αἱ δοκοῦσαι ὀρθαὶ εἶναι, τὰ μέντοι τελευταῖα αὐτῶν βλέπει εἰς πυθμένα ᾅδου. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖθεν, φησὶν, ἐῤῥύσω με, ἐπειδὴ γέγονε τὸ ἔλεός σου μέγα ἐπ' ἐμέ. Εὐξάμενος γὰρ μεγάλου τυχεῖν ἐλέους ἐν τῷ νʹ ψαλμῷ, ἐν ᾧ εἴρηκεν, Ἐλέησόν με κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου, ἐν τούτοις ὁμολογεῖται τετυχηκέναι τῆς εὐχῆς· διὸ καὶ ἐξομολογεῖται οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἐν ὅλῃ αὐτοῦ τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ὁ Θεὸς, παράνομοι ἐπανέστησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ, καὶ συναγωγὴ κραταιῶν ἐζήτησε τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ οὐ προέθετό σε ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν. Καὶ σὺ, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς, οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων, μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ ἀληθινός. Μεταβαλὼν ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς εἰς τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν, καὶ ὁμολογήσας τῷ Θεῷ τὴν χάριν, ὅτι ἐῤῥύσατο τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐξ ᾅδου κατωτάτου, ἀπολογεῖται τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξαγορεύων δι' ἣν ἥμαρτε, καί φησιν, ὅτι ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς πολλῶν ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν τοῦτο πέπονθε, φθονησάντων αὐτοῦ τῇ κατὰ Θεὸν προκοπῇ. ∆ιό φησιν· Ὁ Θεὸς, παράνομοι ἐπανέστησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ. Οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ πάντες ἑρμηνευταὶ, ὑπερήφανοι, εἰρήκασι, τὰς ἀοράτους καὶ ὑπερηφάνους δυνάμεις αἰνιξάμενοι. Ὁποίαν δὲ