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And I pray to hasten, before the race of men should suffer a complete downfall. For who is there of men who is able to deliver himself from the hand of Hades, except one alone who first delivered himself, and then also all those who have believed in him, from the gates of death? Even if he will suffer such things as the prophecy comprehended, saying, from the words, "But now you have cast off and despised, you have put off your Christ"; nevertheless he will also obtain your promises to David. For your mercies, O Lord, and your truth endure forever, and not one word of your promises will fall away. And if I now also say, having come to the remembrance of the sorrowful things that are to happen, "Where are your former mercies, O Lord, which you swore to David in your truth?" but I am not ignorant that you swore in truth; wherefore also at the beginning of the whole discourse, looking to the good end, I said: "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; to generation and generation I will declare your truth with my mouth"; and again I said: "Mercy shall be built up forever, your truth shall be prepared in heaven." Those very mercies of yours, then, O Lord, I desire to learn where they are, and where they lie hidden, and when they will come. But indeed I beseech, let it hasten now and come, and overtake our weakness. For if you should not show your former mercies, which you did not simply promise, but also swore to David in your truth, no hope of salvation is left for men. As therefore the word was fulfilled concerning the sorrowful things, and all has come to pass and happened, so it is consistent that the better things of the promises also not be proven false, through which the word evangelized to us an eternal seed of David and his throne, shining like the light of the sun over all the inhabited world of men. These things, then, lay in the prayers of the ancients, and were expected by those who had studied the prophetic voices; but to us they are seen fulfilled in the deeds themselves, through the results relating to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. 23.1121 Remember, O Lord, the reproach of your servants, which I have received in my bosom from many nations; with which your enemies have reproached, O Lord, with which they have reproached the exchange of your Christ. Blessed be the Lord forever; let it be, let it be. From the preceding Diapsalma, it seems to me a change of thought has occurred. The divine Spirit, therefore, having prayed for the people through the preceding words, calls forth the promises of God from the words, "Where are your former mercies, O Lord?" and asks that at last the results of the better things may come, which God swore to David in his truth. Then he exhorts to remember the reproach of his servants. For as now at length, according to what was passed over in silence, the foretold sorrowful things having come to pass, and many enemies and nations attacking and reproaching the servants of God for what has happened, he sends up the prayer on their behalf, saying: "Remember, O Lord, the reproach of your servants." Instead of, "Which I have received in my bosom from many nations," Aquila rendered it more clearly, saying, "I bearing in my bosom all the iniquities of peoples"; and Symmachus, "I have borne in my bosom of all the nations." Those being reproached, then, are the servants of God; wherefore he said: "Remember, O Lord, the reproach of your servants"; but those reproaching are the enemies of God; wherefore he adds next, "With which your enemies have reproached, O Lord, with which they have reproached the exchange of your Christ." And he who says these things to God would be the saving Word, who bears in his own bosom the iniquities of the peoples. But as to how "exchange of Christ" is said, you will understand from the interpretation of Symmachus, by which it is said, "With which they have reproached the footsteps of your Christ." For the journey of the Christ of God and his way according to the passion, and the footsteps of the economy according to human life, he hinted at in this manner. For these things they are accustomed

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∆έομαι δὲ ἐπιταχῦναι πρὶν κατάπτωσιν παντελῆ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑποστῆναι γένος. Τίς γάρ ἐστιν ἀνθρώπων ὁ δυνάμενος αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐκ χειρὸς ᾅδου ῥύσασθαι, εἰ μὴ εἷς μόνος ὁ πρῶτος μὲν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν, εἶτα δὲ καὶ πάντας τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότας ἐκ τῶν τοῦ θανάτου πυλῶν ῥυσάμενος; Εἰ καὶ τοιαῦτα πείσεται, οἷα διείληφε ἡ προφητεία τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ, Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπώσω καὶ ἐξουδένωσας, ἀνεβάλου τὸν Χριστόν σου, φήσασα· ὅμως καὶ τῶν σῶν πρὸς τὸν ∆αυῒδ ἐπαγγελιῶν τεύξεται. Τὰ γὰρ ἐλέη σου, Κύριε, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένει καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς λόγος τῶν σῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν διαπεσεῖται. Εἰ δὲ καί φημι νῦν εἰς ὑπόμνησιν ἐλθὼν τῶν συμβησομένων σκυθρωπῶν, Ποῦ ἐστι τὰ ἐλέη σου τὰ ἀρχαῖα, Κύριε, ἃ ὤμοσας τῷ ∆αυῒδ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀγνοῶ, ὅτι ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ὤμοσας· διόπερ καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ παντὸς λόγου εἰς τὸ χρηστὸν τέλος ἀποβλέπων ἔλεγον· Τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ᾄσομαι· εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν ἀπαγγελῶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου ἐν τῷ στόματί μου· καὶ πάλιν ἔλεγον· Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔλεος οἰκοδομηθήσεται, ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἑτοιμασθήσεται ἡ ἀλήθειά σου. Αὐτὰ δ' οὖν ἐκεῖνα τὰ ἐλέη σου, Κύριε, ποῦ ἐστι μαθεῖν ἀξιῶ, καὶ ποῦ λανθάνει κρυπτόμενα, καὶ πότε ἥξει. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἱκετεύω, σπευσάτω νῦν καὶ ἡκέτω, καὶ καταλαβέτω τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσθένειαν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐπιδείξειάς σου τὰ ἐλέη τὰ ἀρχαῖα, ἅπερ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐπηγγείλω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὤμοσας τῷ ∆αυῒδ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου, οὐδεμία λείπεται ἀνθρώποις ἐλπὶς σωτηρίας. Ὡς οὖν ἐπηλήθευσεν ὁ λόγος ἐπὶ τῶν σκυθρωπῶν, καὶ γέγονε καὶ ἀπήντησεν ἅπαντα, οὕτως ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι καὶ τὰ κρείττονα τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν μὴ διαψεύσασθαι, δι' ὧν ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν εὐηγγελίσατο αἰώνιον σπέρμα ∆αυῒδ καὶ θρόνον αὐτοῦ δίκην ἡλίου φωτὸς καταλάμψαντα πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένην. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν εὐχαῖς ἔκειτο τοῖς παλαιοῖς, καὶ προσεδοκᾶτο τοῖς τὰς προφητικὰς φωνὰς μεμελετηκόσιν· ἡμῖν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ὁρᾶται πεπληρωμένα, διὰ τῶν εἰς τὸν Σωτῆρα καὶ Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀποτελεσμάτων. 23.1121 Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τοῦ ὀνειδισμοῦ τῶν δούλων σου, οὗ ὑπέσχον ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ μου πολλῶν ἐθνῶν· οὗ ὠνείδισαν οἱ ἐχθροί σου, Κύριε, οὗ ὠνείδισαν τὸ ἀντάλλαγμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου. Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· γένοιτο, γένοιτο. Ἀπὸ τοῦ προτεταγμένου διαψάλματος δοκεῖ μοι μεταβολὴ γεγονέναι τῆς διανοίας. Τὸ γοῦν θεῖον Πνεῦμα, εὐξάμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν, τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ Θεοῦ προκαλεῖται ἀπὸ τοῦ, Ποῦ ἐστι τὰ ἐλέη σου τὰ ἀρχαῖα, Κύριε; ἀξιοῖ δὲ ἤδη ποτὲ ἐπιστῆναι τῶν χρηστοτέρων τὰ ἀποτελέσματα, ἃ ὤμοσεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ∆αυῒδ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ αὐτοῦ. Εἶτα παρακαλεῖ μνησθῆναι τοῦ ὀνειδισμοῦ τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ. Ὡς γὰρ ἤδη λοιπὸν, κατὰ τὸ σεσιωπημένον, χωρησάντων εἰς ἔργα τῶν προηγορευμένων σκυθρωπῶν, πολλῶν τε ἐχθρῶν καὶ ἐθνῶν ἐπικειμένων καὶ ὀνειδιζόντων τοὺς δούλους τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὰ συμβεβηκότα, τὴν ὑπὲρ τούτων εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει λέγον· Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τοῦ ὀνειδισμοῦ τῶν δούλων σου. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Οὗ ὑπέσχον ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ μου πολλῶν ἐθνῶν, σαφέστερον ὁ Ἀκύλας ἐξέδωκεν εἰπὼν, Αἴροντός μου ἐν κόλπῳ πάσας ἀδικίας λαῶν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Ἐβάστασα ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ μου πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ὀνειδιζόμενοι οἱ δοῦλοί εἰσι τοῦ Θεοῦ· διὸ ἔφασκε· Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τοῦ ὀνειδισμοῦ τῶν δούλων σου· οἱ δὲ ὀνειδίζοντες οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ· διὸ ἐπιλέγει ἑξῆς, Οὗ ὠνείδισαν οἱ ἐχθροί σου, Κύριε, οὗ ὠνείδισαν τὸ ἀντάλλαγμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου. Ὁ δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν λέγων εἴη ἂν ὁ σωτήριος Λόγος, ὁ αἴρων ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ κόλπῳ τὰς ἀδικίας τῶν λαῶν. Ἀντάλλαγμα δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὅπως εἴρηται, νοήσεις ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Συμμάχου ἑρμηνείας, δι' ἧς εἴρηται, Οὗ ὠνείδισαν τὰ ἴχνη τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου. Τὴν γὰρ πορείαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ τὴν κατὰ τὸ πάθος, τά τε ἴχνη τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον οἰκονομίας, τοῦτον ᾐνίξατο τὸν τρόπον. Ταῦτα γὰρ εἰώθασιν