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of your wrath, for having lifted me up, you cast me down. He appropriates what has happened to the people and to the place, teaching that 23.1257 the people having been raised to great glory, so as to be named the people of God, this house was called the house of God because of the sanctuary in it. Having lifted up and honored them, God, in a manner befitting the glory to which they had been raised, bringing them to the opposite, cast them down; delivering the place to siege and complete desolation, and the people to captivity. My days have declined like a shadow, and I have withered like grass. For all flesh is grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. Again, making the word about the people common, he adds: And I have withered like grass. But you, O Lord, abide forever, and your remembrance to generation and generation. Mortal things, he says, and human affairs are of such a kind, as has been shown, being changeable and irregular, never remaining in the same state; but being lifted up and cast down, exalted and humbled, and undergoing all sorts of turns and changes because of the wickedness that prevails among men; but you, O Lord, having nothing mortal or perishable, abide forever, always being in the same state and in the same way, as eternal and unchangeable, and the things once established by you, and decreed in a promise, remain for an eternal memorial, if not in the present generation, then in the one to come according to the psalmody. And this, therefore, ought especially to move you to compassion, O Master, that I both have such a perishable and short-lived nature, and have been yoked with so many calamities; but you are eternal and immortal, so that you could easily grant me some change from my present evils. For this he adds: You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to have mercy on her, for the time has come. Grant, he says, a better change from the calamity; for the time demands mercy; for the time of our hardship has been completed. And through these things he alludes to the end of the punishment and captivity limited to the 70 years. Thus also the wondrous Daniel, having calculated the time of the captivity, offers his supplication, and with these things the words of the spiritual melody accord. And Zechariah also praying said: O Lord Almighty, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, which you have overlooked? this is the seventieth year. And I think that here is also prophesied the epiphany of Christ among men, which will be the cause of the rebuilding of Zion, that is, of the opening of the polity of piety. But what is the much-prayed-for and thrice-desired time, in which it is said that the things promised by Zion are to be fulfilled? The time of your resurrection, O Lord. For since you have come to take away the sin of the world; and it was not fitting for so great a one to come and suffer for a few sinners; when the time was at hand, of which it is said that, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, then you tasted death for everyone." 23.1260 For your servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and they will have pity on her dust. And the nations will fear your name, O Lord, and all the kings your glory. And reasonably, between the taking pleasure in the stones of the former people, he adds the calling of the nations, and more clearly shows that they will one day receive the fear that brings salvation, and will worship God. And he said kings instead of kingdoms. For there is no nation, no kingdom, that does not worship the glory of Christ, either in whole or in part. For the Lord will build up Zion, and he will be seen in his glory. In another sense, the Lord will build up Zion, that is, the Church; and I mean a building according to which the nations were created through faith; and then he will be glorified in them. He has regarded the prayer of the humble, and has not despised their supplication. Let this be written for another generation, and a people yet to be created will praise the Lord; for he looked down from his holy height, the Lord from heaven looked upon the earth, to hear

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θυμοῦ σου, ὅτι ἐπάρας κατέῤῥαξάς με. Τὰ συμβεβηκότα τῷ λαῷ καὶ τῷ τόπῳ ἰδιοποιεῖται διδάσκων, ὅτι 23.1257 εἰς μέγα δόξης ἀρθέντα τὸν λαὸν, ὡς Θεοῦ λαὸν χρηματίσαι, τόνδε τὸν οἶκον Θεοῦ ὀνομασθῆναι διὰ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ ἁγίασμα. Ἐπάρας καὶ τιμήσας ὁ Θεὸς ἐφαμίλλως τῇ εἰς ὕψος ἀρθείσῃ αὐτῶν δόξῃ, εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον παραγαγὼν, κατέῤῥαξε· τὸν μὲν τόπον πολιορκίᾳ παραδοὺς καὶ παντελεῖ ἐρημίᾳ, τὸν δὲ λαὸν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ. Αἱ ἡμέραι μου ὡσεὶ σκιὰ ἐκλίθησαν, κἀγὼ ὡσεὶ χόρτος ἐξηράνθην. Πᾶσα γὰρ σὰρξ χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα αὐτῆς ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου. Πάλιν κοινοποιούμενος τὸν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ λόγον, ἐπιλέγει· Καὶ ἐγὼ ὡσεὶ χόρτος ἐξηράνθην. Σὺ δὲ, Κύριε, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένεις, καὶ τὸ μνημόσυνόν σου εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν. Τὰ μὲν θνητὰ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀνθρώπινα τοιαῦτα, οἷα καὶ δεδήλωται, τυγχάνει, εὐμετάβολα καὶ ἀνώμαλα, οὐδέποτε ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς μένοντα· ἀλλ' ἐπαιρόμενα, καὶ καταῤῥηγνύμενα, ὑψούμενά τε καὶ ταπεινούμενα, καὶ παντοίας τροπὰς καὶ μεταβολὰς ὑπομένοντα διὰ τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολιτευομένην κακίαν· σὺ δὲ, Κύριε, οὐδὲν ἔχων θνητὸν οὐδὲ ἐπίκηρον, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένεις, ἀεὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχων, ὡς ἀΐδιος καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος, καὶ τὰ ἅπαξ ὑπὸ σοῦ σαλευθέντα, καὶ ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ θεσπισθέντα μένει εἰς μνημόσυνον ἀΐδιον, ἢ κἂν μὴ τῇ παρούσῃ γενεᾷ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐρχομένῃ κατὰ τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν. Καὶ τοῦτο οὖν σε μάλιστα ἐπικάμψαι ὀφείλει, ∆έσποτα, ὅτι ἐγὼ μὲν καὶ τὴν φύσιν τοιαύτην ἔχω ἐπίκηρον καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιον, καὶ συμφοραῖς συνεζύγην τοσαύταις· σὺ δὲ αἰώνιος καὶ ἀθάνατος, ὥστε μεταβολήν τινα τῶν παρόντων κακῶν ῥᾳδίως ἄν μοι χαρίσαιο. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπιφέρει· Σὺ ἀναστὰς οἰκτειρήσεις τὴν Σιὼν, ὅτι καιρὸς τοῦ οἰκτειρῆσαι αὐτὴν, ὅτι ἥκει καιρός. ∆ὸς, φησὶν, ἀμείνω μεταβολὴν τῆς συμφορᾶς· ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς τὸν ἔλεον ἀπαιτεῖ· συντετέλεσται γὰρ ὁ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας ἡμῶν χρόνος. Αἰνίττεται δὲ διὰ τούτων τῆς τοῖς οʹ ἔτεσι περιωρισμένης τιμωρίας καὶ αἰχμαλωσίας τὸ τέλος. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ θαυμάσιος ∆ανιὴλ ἀριθμήσας τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τὸν χρόνον προσφέρει τὴν ἱκετηρίαν, καὶ συνᾴδει τούτοις τῆς πνευματικῆς μελῳδίας τὰ ῥήματα. Καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας δὲ προσευχόμενος ἔλεγε· Κύριε παντόκρατορ, μέχρι πότε οὐ μὴ ἐλεήσῃς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὰς πόλεις Ἰούδα, ἃς ὑπερεῖδες; τοῦτο ἑβδομηκοστὸν ἔτος. Προφητεύεσθαι δὲ ἐνταῦθα οἶμαι καὶ τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις Χριστοῦ ἐπιφάνειαν, αἰτίαν ἐσομένην τοῦ ἀνοικοδομηθῆναι τὴν Σιὼν, τουτέστι τοῦ ἀνεῳχθῆναι τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας πολίτευμα. Τίς δὲ ὁ πολύευκτος καὶ τριπόθητος καιρὸς, ἐν ᾧ πληρωθῆναι λέγεται τὰ παρὰ τῆς Σιὼν ἐπηγγελμένα; Ὁ τῆς ἀναστάσεώς σου, Κύριε. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου ἁμαρτίαν ἆραι ἐλήλυθας· οὐκ ἔδει δὲ τὸν τηλικοῦτον ὑπὲρ ὀλίγων ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐλθεῖν καὶ παθεῖν· ὅτε ἐνέστη ὁ χρόνος, καθ' ὃν εἴρηται ὅτι, «Πάντες ἥμαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, τότε ὑπὲρ παντὸς ἐγεύσω θανάτου.» 23.1260 Ὅτι εὐδόκησαν οἱ δοῦλοί σου τοὺς λίθους αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸν χοῦν αὐτῆς οἰκτειρήσουσι. Καὶ φοβηθήσονται τὰ ἔθνη τὸ ὄνομά σου, Κύριε, καὶ πάντες οἱ βασιλεῖς τὴν δόξαν σου. Εἰκότως δὲ μεταξὺ τοῦ εὐδοκεῖσθαι τοὺς λίθους τοῦ προτέρου λαοῦ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπισυνάπτει κλῆσιν, καὶ λευκότερον παρίστησιν, ὅτι τὸν σωτήριον ἀναλήψονταί ποτε φόβον, καὶ θεοσεβήσουσιν. Οἱ βασιλεῖς δὲ εἶπεν ἀντὶ τοῦ, αἱ βασιλεῖαι. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔθνος, οὐ βασιλεία, ἡ μὴ προσκυνοῦσα τὴν δόξαν Χριστοῦ, ἢ καθόλου ἢ ἀπὸ μέρους. Ὅτι οἰκοδομήσει Κύριος τὴν Σιὼν, καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ. Ἑτέρως δὲ οἰκοδομήσει τὴν Σιὼν ὁ Κύριος, τουτέστι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν· οἰκοδομὴν δέ φημι καθ' ἣν ἐκτίσθη τὰ ἔθνη διὰ τῆς πίστεως· καὶ τότε δοξασθήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴν τῶν ταπεινῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐξουδένωσε τὴν δέησιν αὐτῶν. Γραφήτω αὕτη εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν, καὶ λαὸς ὁ κτιζόμενος αἰνέσει τὸν Κύριον· ὅτι ἐξέκυψεν ἐξ ὕψους ἁγίου αὐτοῦ, Κύριος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπέβλεψε, τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι