Apostles And Poverty

Ὅτι ἐῥῥύσατο πτωχὸν ἐκ δυνάστου, καὶ πένητα ᾦ οὐχ ὑπῆρχε βοηθός. Ἀντὶ του· Ὅτι ἐῥῥύσατο πτωχὸν ἐκ δυνάστου ὁ Σύμμαχος· Ὅτι ἐξελεῖται πένητα οἰμώζοντα. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἤδη γεγενημένα, ἀλλ' ὡς μέλλοντα ἔσεσθαι ταῦτα θεσπίζει. Ὅρα δὲ ὀσάκις τοῦ πτωχοῦ μνημονεύει, πρῶτον εἰπῶν· Κρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ τους πτωχοὺς ἐν κρίσει· δεύτερον, Κρινεῖ τοὺς πτωχοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ σώσει τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν πενήτων· καὶ νῦν πάλιν· Ὅτι ἐῥῥύσατο πτωχὸν ἐκ δυνάστου καὶ πένητα ᾦ οὐχ ὑπῆρχε βοηθός· καὶ αὖθις· Φείσεται πτωχοῦ καὶ πένητος, καὶ ψυχὰς πενήτων σώσει. Οἶμαι δὲ διὰ τούτων ἀπάντων πτωχοὺς καὶ πένητας καλεῖν τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, οἵ, τὴν δι' αὐτὸν πτωχείαν ἀνειληφότες, τὴν εἰς ἄκρον ἀρετῆς ἐλαύνουσαν κατώρθουν φιλοσοφίαν· δι' ὃ περὶ αῡτῶν Ἠσαϊας μὲν προανεφώνει λέγων· Εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκέ με. Αὐτος δὲ ὁ Σωτὴρ, αὐτοῖς προσομιλῶν, ἔλεγε· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστι ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισάρειος, Ὑπομνηματα Ἐις Τους ψαλμους, ψαλμος ΟΑ' Source Migne PG 23.809

For He freed the poor man from power, and the needy one who had no helper. 1   And in distinction to 'For he freed the poor man from power,'  the translation of Symmachus has:'For He will deliver the poor man who cries out.'   For not concerning things already done but about things to be it makes prophecy. And observe how many times the poor man is mentioned in this Psalm. First it says, 'To judge your people in justice and your poor ones in judgement.' 2 Secondly, 'He shall judge the poor of the people and He shall save the sons of the poor.' 3 And now again. 'Because He freed the poor man from power and the needy one who had no helper.' 4 And again, 'He is merciful to the poor and needy, and He saves the souls of the poor.' 5 I judge that this, in every place, tells of the Apostles and disciples of the Lord our Saviour, and they are called poor and needy who on account of their taking up of poverty, carried off the high and pure philosophy of virtue. And concerning this Isaiah declares: 'To evangelize the poor He sent me.' 6 And the Saviour Himself speaking to them says, 'Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' 7 Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 71 1 Ps 71. 12 2 Ps 71. 2 3 Ps 71.4 4 Ps 71. 12 5 Ps 71.13 6 Isai 61. 1 7 Mt 5.3