Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on the Psalms: Ps. 51 (52) [Migne PG 2, !ols. ""1#"52$[!ol. ""1$ (1) To the end. Of understanding. Of David. 51.[1](2) When Doeg the Idumaean came and reported to au! and said to him" #David came to the house of $hime!ech.#The %%rd &sa!m 'as spo(en )* David 'hen he #changed his countenance )efore $)ime!ech" and he sent him a'a*" and he !eft.#[2] The current &sa!m 'ou!d )e the one fo!!o'ing that &sa!m in historica! se+uence. ,or the cripture sa*s in -ingdoms" #$nd one of the servants of au! 'as there that da*.#[%] $nd this indicates the time at 'hich Davidcame into the house of $)ime!ech[.] and ate the #!oaves of offering"# receiving them from the high priest. ,or at the ver* same point in time" Doeg the *rian" the tender of au!/s mu!es" came to au! and said" #I have seen the son of 0esse having come to 1o)" to $)ime!ech the son of $hitu)" the priest" and a!! the sons of his father2 and [!ol. """$ hein+uired on his )eha!f through 3od" and he gave him provisions. $nd the (ing sent someone to ca!! $)ime!ech the priest" and a!! the sons of his father" the priests of the 4ord in 1o)" and the* a!! came )efore the (ing"#[5] at 'hich point" on au!/s order" this same Doeg put to death the priests of the 4ord5#%65 men 'ho )ore the ephod" and he smote the cit* of 1o) 'ith the edge of the s'ord" inc!uding men and 'omen" infants and )a)ies" and ca!ves and don(e*s and sheep.#[7] o 'hen David !earned that this had )een done in this 'a*" he uttered the 'ords )efore us" 'hich contain neither an ode" nor a hymn" nor an*thing e!se of that sort. ,or ho'" in the face of the disaster that happened to so man* priests" cou!d he have sung odes of theirs and psa!ms8 9ence" nothing of the (ind is 'ritten as epigraph" )ut it 'as on!* said%to the en&% and %of un&erstan&ing%: [#To the end"#] since the fina! e!ements of his 'ords recount the good things" 'hen he sa*s" %'ut ( am li)e a fruitful oli*e tree,% etc.2[;] and [#of understanding"# since discerning] the meaning of the 'ords put forth here re+uires the understanding that comes from 3od. 1o' then" 'hen he 'as 'ith $)ime!ech and tasted the priest!* nourishment" he changed his #taste#5or his #'a*s"# according to the interpretation of the others5and raised )!essings and than(sgivings to 3od" sa*ing: #I 'i!! )!ess the 4ord at a!! times2 the praise of him is a!'a*s in m* mouth"# etc.[]5ho' he had destro*ed so man* priests" doing a dia)o!ica![16] deed5he marsha!!ed the 'ords of the present passage as though against him" sa*ing:(%) Wh* do *ou )oast in 'ic(edness"[11] O po'erfu! one8 4a'!essness a!! da* !ong" (.) and in?ustice" *our tongue devised.[12]The materia! 'e have )efore us 'as spo(en much ear!ier in time than the histor* pertaining to the 56th &sa!m. ,or [the histor* of Doeg] too( p!ace" and [the 'ords] 'ere spo(en" 'hi!e au! 'as sti!! a!ive" and )efore David/s (ingship. @an* !ong *ears !ater" after the death of au!" and at the end of his o'n (ingship" David made the confession contained in the 56th &sa!m" 'hich he p!aced )efore [the 51st] )ecause of its connection to the .>th &sa!m" as I have a!read* sho'n. Those &sa!ms" 26 in num)er" from 51 to ;6" 'ith epigraphs #of David"# too( their su)?ectAmatter from a different point of origin: indeed" the* appear to have )een spo(en 'hi!e au! 'as sti!! a!ive" )efore David reigned. ,or the one )efore us no' 'as spo(en 'hi!e au! 'as sti!! a!ive" %+hen ,oeg the (&umaean !ame an& re-orte& to .aul/0,a*i& !ame to the house of 1bimele!h.0% =ut the 5%rd &sa!m too 'as spo(en #'hen the Biphites came and to!d au!" /4oo(AAis not David hidden 'ith us8/#[1%] $!so" the 55th &sa!m has this epigraph: #When the &hi!istines seiCed him in 3ath#[1.]5and this period too precedes David/s (ingship" 'hi!e au! sti!! survived a!ive. $nd the 57th &sa!m gives the epigraph: #Of David" 'hen he 'as running a'a* from au! into the cave.#[15] In the same 'a* a!so" the 5[76].2[1].[1]. 1LT: #I 'i!! 'ait for *our name"# 'ith a different pronoun (#*our# rather than #his#) in the 3ree(. =ut Luse)ius/ su)se+uent citation of the same phrase has #*our"# so perhaps this shou!d )e corrected to conform 'ith it. On the other hand" as Luse)ius s!ips from paraphrase to citation and )ac( again" he e+ua!!* seems to s!ip )et'een 1st" 2nd and %rd person references 'ith disconcerting freedom.[.%] 3(. i[_]^VS" 'hich )* Luse)ius/ time 'ou!d have sounded identica! to j[N]^VS.[..] &s. 51[52].11[>]. 1LT: #*our devout# rather than #*our ho!* ones.#