The Trinity's undivided work and the righteous one's hope
Apollinaris is commenting on Psalm 33 (34), explaining that the psalm's human-sounding words about God's mouth and word must be understood spiritually, and then moving through the psalm's verses on the righteous person's deliverance.
Then God is spoken of in divine terms as the Creator, and the creation is the work of the Word and the Spirit. It is clear that the words are human, since a mouth is mentioned from which word and spirit come, but they are understood differently when applied to God, according to his uncompounded and entirely bodiless nature. That is, the Word exists with God who exists, and the Spirit exists. The Word is the manifestation of the Father, and for this reason he is named Word. The Spirit is the participation in the Word, as Spirit from the mouth. When he says heavens and powers of the heavens, he does not divide the creation, assigning the heavens to the Word and the powers to the Spirit, for the works of the Trinity are undivided. Rather, he expresses the same thing in different ways. As in the verse, Jacob entered into Egypt and Israel sojourned in the land of Ham, the entrance does not refer to one person, Jacob, and the dwelling to another, Israel. The parallel expresses the same thing, and we would find this custom in many places.
On Psalm 33:7 (34:7). David, showing himself, says that he became poor, that he was in anguish in his flight, and that he escaped this danger by the will of God, since the scheme of madness would not otherwise have prevailed if not for God's will (Psalm 34:6).
On Psalm 33:9 (34:9). He uses taste metaphorically for the experience of things, which was present to him at that time (Psalm 34:8). What happened to him through God's goodness, that he was not overlooked while being pursued by a foreign king but was saved from two most severe and powerful enemies, this he sets before all in common, as something that did not happen only to him but would also happen to others, as many as join themselves to God through hope in God. Blessedness must consist in this, and in nothing else, as David says in the verse, Why do you love vanity and seek falsehood? And know that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful.
On Psalm 33:20 (34:20). He commands us to look to the end and to take courage in the release from afflictions, not to be distressed at the beginning itself whenever affliction happens to occur (Psalm 34:19). For the soul must be prepared in this way, not as one that will not suffer, but as one that will not be defeated by its sufferings.
On Psalm 34:1-3 (35:1-3). He shapes the speech about God into complete likeness of a human being, as Isaiah also does, in order to show that what is impossible in him is possible for God, asking him to wage war and to be armed with shield and spear and to shut off the attacks of enemies with a middle wall. Isaiah also shows this in Christ, foreseeing him coming from the punishment of the unjust with his garment reddened from the slaughter of the foreigners: Who is this who has come from Edom, redness of garments from Bozrah, and the rest? (Isaiah 63:1). So the things that are referred to the Father in divine terms clearly belong to the Son and are fulfilled in the Son.
On Psalm 34:5 (35:5). That they become invisible is turned against them, like dust driven by the wind. They are driven out not by a human hand, for the righteous suffer this rather at the hands of the unjust, but this happens through angels, as the Lord says: The holy ones will go out and will choose the unjust from the midst of the righteous and will separate them (Matthew 13:49). For now the discordant elements are mixed together, but then they will be divided according to the difference of their manner, according to what was said again by the Savior: And many dwelling places are with my Father (John 14:2).
On Psalm 34:6 (35:6). The ways of the impious, he says, are dark; they do not know how they advance (Psalm 35:6; LXX 34:6). He asks that this be accomplished, praying that the deed of the unjust be held in darkness, since it belongs to darkness, and that they fall after slipping, because they walk a slippery road, for nothing in injustice has firmness, and that they become invisible, pursued by angels, which is what they themselves do against the righteous (Psalm 35:6).
On Psalm 34:13 (35:13). He flees, he says, to his own strength, which is God. For a person seeks God with fastings and humiliations, turning the whole soul to invocations of God through freedom from bodily pleasures, when the invocations linger in the mind during prayer and slip into the bosom of the soul.
On Psalm 35:6 (36:6). For the things ordered by God are firm and unshaken, such as what was said to Noah, that he would no longer bring a flood for the destruction of living creatures, which agrees with the word about God's forbearance (Psalm 36:6; LXX 35:6). For the firmness of the word has been fixed forever, being great and manifest. So also whatever else has been ordered and fixed according to the righteousness and goodness of God has a solid and unshaken permanence forever (Psalm 36:6). Such is also the verse, Once I swore in my holy one, if I will lie to David (Psalm 88:36 (89:35)). To this also tends the saying, For the gifts of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
On Psalm 35:7a (36:7a). Again he compares the height of righteousness to mountains (Psalm 36:6).
Greek
εἶτα θεολογεῖται μὲν ὡς δημιουργὸς ὁ θεός, ἡ δὲ δημιουργία τοῦ λόγου ἐνέργημα καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος· καὶ δῆλον μὲν ὅτι ἀνθρώπιναι μὲν αἱ φωναὶ ὅπου καὶ στόμα εἴρηται ἀφ' οὗ λόγος καὶ πνεῦμα, ἑτέρως δὲ ἐπὶ θεοῦ νοούμεναι κατὰ
τὸ ἀσύνθετον καὶ πάντῃ ἀσώματον, τουτέστιν ὢν ὁ λόγος παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ὄντι καὶ ὂν τὸ πνεῦμα, ὁ μὲν ἔκφανσις ὢν τοῦ πατρὸς (κατὰ τοῦτο λόγος ὀνομαζόμενος), τὸ δὲ τοῦ λόγου μετάληψις ὡς πνεῦμα ἐκ στόματος. οὐρανοὺς δὲ εἰπὼν καὶ δυνάμεις οὐρανῶν οὐκ ἐκείνων μὲν τῷ λόγῳ, τούτων δὲ τῷ πνεύματι τὴν δημιουργίαν μερίζει (ἀμέριστα γὰρ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς τριάδος ἐνεργούμενα), ἀλλὰ διαφόρως φράζει ταὐτόν, ὡς ἐν τῷ Εἰσῆλθεν Ἰακὼβ εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ Ἰσραὴλ παρῴκησεν ἐν γῇ Χὰμ οὐ διαιρεῖται εἴσοδος μὲν ὡς ἑτέρῳ τῷ Ἰακώβ, κατοίκησις δὲ ὡς ἑτέρῳ τῷ Ἰσραήλ· ἐκ παραλλήλου γὰρ ταὐτὸν δηλοῖ, καὶ τοῦτο ἐν πολλοῖς τὸ ἔθος εὕροιμεν ἄν. 10 Ps 33,7 Ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδεικνὺς λέγει πτωχεύσαντα, τῇ φυγῇ ἀγωνιάσαντα, τὸν κίνδυνον ἀποφυγόντα τοῦτον βουλήσει θεοῦ, ὡς οὐκ ἄλλως ἰσχύσαντος ἂν τοῦ τῆς μανίας τεχνάσματος εἰ μὴ κατὰ θεοῦ βούλησιν. 11 Ps 33,9 Γεῦσιν λέγει τὴν πείραν τῶν πραγμάτων, ἥτις καὶ αὐτῷ παρῆν τότε. τὸ οὖν διαγεγονὸς ἐν αὐτῷ κατὰ χρηστότητα θεοῦ, τὸ μὴ περιοφθῆναι διωκόμενον ὑπὸ βασιλέως ἀλλοτρίου ἀλλ' ἐκ δύο χαλεπωτάτων πολεμίων καὶ δυνατωτέρων σωθῆναι, τοῦτο εἰς κοινὸν ἅπασιν προστίθησιν ὡς οὐκ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ μόνου γινόμενον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐσόμενον, ὅσοι τῇ πρὸς θεὸν ἐλπίδι συνάπτουσιν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ θεῷ. ἐν τούτῳ δεῖ εἶναι τὸ μακάριον, οὐκ ἐν ἑτέρῳ τινί, ὅπερ ὁ ∆αυὶδ λέγει ἐν τῷ Ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσεν κύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ. 12 Ps 33,20 Εἰς τὸ τέλος ἀφορᾶν κελεύει καὶ θαρσεῖν τῇ ἐκ τῶν θλίψεων ἀπαλλαγῇ, μὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτόθεν δυσχεραίνειν, ἐπειδὰν θλίβεσθαι συμβαίνῃ. οὕτω γὰρ δεῖ παρασκεύασθαι τὴν ψυχήν, οὐχ ὡς μὴ πονήσουσαν ἀλλ' ὡς μὴ τῶν πόνων ἡττηθησομένην. 13 Ps 34,1®3 Εἰς ὅλην ὁμοίωσιν ἀνθρώπου τὸν περὶ θεοῦ σχηματίζει λόγον καθὰ καὶ Ἡσαΐας, ἵνα τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀδύνατον θεῷ δυνατὸν ἐπιδείξῃ πολεμεῖν ἀξιῶν καὶ ὁπλίζεσθαι ἀσπίδι τε καὶ λόγχῃ καὶ τὰς ἐφόδους τῶν πολεμίων ἀποκλείειν τειχίσματι μέσῳ. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἐν Χριστῷ δείκνυσιν Ἡσαΐας, ἐκ τιμωρίας τῶν ἀδίκων ἐρχόμενον προορῶν ᾑμαγμένον τε τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων σφαγῆς (Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ, ἐρύθημα ἱματίων ἐκ Βοσόρ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς;), ὥστε τὰ εἰς πατέρα θεϊκῶς ἀναγόμενα σαφές ἐστιν υἱοῦ τε εἶναι καὶ εἰς υἱὸν πληροῦσθαι. 14 Ps 34,5 Εἰς ἐκείνους τὸ ἀφανεῖς γενέσθαι περιίσταται, ὥσπερ ὁ ἀνέμῳ διωκόμενος χοῦς, ἐξωθεῖσθαι δ' αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνῃ χειρὶ ὅτι δίκαιοι τοῦτο μᾶλλον ὑπ' ἀδίκων πάσχουσιν ἀλλὰ δι' ἀγγέλων τοῦτο γίνεσθαι, καθά φησιν ὁ κύριος ὅτι Ἐξελεύσονται οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ ἐκλέξουσιν ἐκ μέσου τῶν δικαίων τοὺς ἀδίκους καὶ ἀφοριοῦσιν αὐτούς. νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἀναμέμικται τὰ ἀσύμφωνα, τότε δὲ διαιρεθήσεται 2 κατὰ τὸ διαλλάττον τοῦ τρόπου κατὰ τὸ ῥηθὲν καὶ πάλιν παρὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ὅτι Καὶ πολλαὶ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ πατρί μου. 15 Ps 34,6 Αἱ ὁδοί, φησίν, τῶν ἀσεβῶν σκοτειναί, οὐκ οἴδασι πῶς προκόπτουσιν. τοῦτο δὲ ἐπιτελεσθῆναι ἀξιοῖ, σκότῳ κατασχεθῆναι τὴν πρᾶξιν τῶν ἀδίκων εὐχόμενος, ἅτε δὴ καὶ σκότῳ προσήκουσαν, καὶ καταπεσεῖν αὐτοὺς ὀλισθόντας, ὅτι καὶ ὀλισθηρὰν ὁδὸν πορεύονται (οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐν ἀδικίᾳ στηριγμοῦ ἐχόμενον), ἀφανεῖς δὲ αὐτοὺς ὑπ' ἀγγέλων γενέσθαι διωκομένους ὅπερ αὐτοὶ κατὰ τῶν δικαίων ποιοῦσιν. 16 Ps 34,13 Ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἰσχύν, φησίν, καταφεύγει, ἥτις ἐστὶ θεός. θεὸν γάρ τις ἐκζητεῖ νηστείαις καὶ ταπεινώσεσιν, ἐπιστρέφων τὴν ὅλην ψυχὴν εἰς ἐπικλήσεις θεοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀπὸ σωματικῶν ἡδονῶν εὐσχολίαν, ὅτε ἐνσχολάζουσι τῇ διανοίᾳ κατὰ τῆς εὐχῆς καὶ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τῆς ψυχῆς παρεισδύονται. 17 Ps 35,6 Βέβαια γὰρ καὶ ἀσάλευτα τὰ παρὰ θεοῦ τεταγμένα οἷον τὸ πρὸς Νῶε ῥηθὲν τὸ μηκέτι κατακλυσμὸν ἐπάξαι εἰς διαφθορὰν ζῴων ὃ συμβαίνει τῷ περὶ ἀνεξικακίας θεοῦ λόγῳ. ὥρισται γὰρ καὶ ἡ βεβαιότης τοῦ λόγου διὰ παντός, μεγάλη τις οὖσα καὶ ἐπιφανής. οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τέτακται καὶ ὥρισται κατὰ δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀγαθότητα θεοῦ, στερρὸν καὶ ἀσάλευτον ἔχει τὸ διαμένειν εἰς ἀεί· οἷόν ἐστιν καὶ τὸ Ἅπαξ ὤμοσα ἐν τῶν ἁγίῳ μου εἰ τῷ ∆αυὶδ ψεύσομαι. εἰς τοῦτο καὶ τὸ Ἀμεταμέλητα γὰρ τὰ χαρίσματα τοῦ θεοῦ τείνει. 18 Ps 35,7a Πάλιν τὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑψηλὸν ὄρεσι παραβάλλει.