[57]. lihht ⁊ leome: often in O.; comp. 114/70, 77, 115/107; ‘Ah swuch leome ⁊ liht | leitede þrinne,’ SK 1582. leome is flame, a bright and flashing light. With 57-70 comp. ‘Bene autem vigilantibus pastoribus angelus apparet, eosque Dei claritas circumfulget. Quia illi prae ceteris videre sublimia merentur, qui fidelibus gregibus praeesse sollicite sciunt, dumque ipsi pie super gregem vigilant, divina super eos gratia largius coruscat,’ Bede, v. 235.
[63]. þessterrnesse: comp. ‘Þiss þessterrnesse iss hæþenndom | ⁊ dwillde inn hæfedd sinness,’ O. ii. 303/18855.
[64]. Inn—sinne, in sin of all kinds; comp. 114/71, 116/157, ‘O fele kinne wise,’ O. i. 123/3573, and see [132/9 note].
[67]. stanndenn inn: comp. 116/158; ‘Affterr þatt he beoþ fullhtnedd, | Birrþ stanndenn inn to þeowwtenn Crist,’ O. ii. 43/11434, where Mätzner says it = perseverare: in Specimens it is translated, continue. Orm is, in his literal way, translating L. instare, to press on, to be zealous, a meaning which suits well here and elsewhere: the phrase is peculiar to him.
[71]. god innsihht, ‘recta sapere,’ ‘a right judgement in all things.’
[72]. hiss þeww, to his servant.
[74]. þohh swa þehh, notwithstanding: OE. þēah, yet, was reinforced by the addition of swā, swā þēah meaning even so yet: to this in Orm is prefixed the Scandinavian þoh, although. See Björkman, 73.
[75]. starrke, rigid, stern: ‘se hearda dæg,’ Christ, 1065.
[76-91]: this passage is mainly a repetition of O. 20/657-80, which comments on the appearance of Gabriel to Zacharias, S. Luke i. 11: it is drawn from Bede’s Commentary: ‘Trementem Zachariam confortat Angelus: quia sicut humanae fragilitatis est spiritalis creaturae visione turbari, ita et angelicae benignitatis est paventes de aspectu suo mortales mox blandiendo solari. At contra daemonicae est ferocitatis quos sui praesentia territos senserit ampliori semper horrore concutere, quae nulla melius ratione quam fide superatur intrepida,’ v. 220.
[78]. hihht, joyful expectation.