God's retribution is certain and the righteous must wait in hope
Apollinaris is commenting on Psalm 35-38, explaining that God's justice will repay both the wicked and the righteous, and that the righteous must endure present afflictions in hope of future goods.
This carries a threat of retributions, because it is impossible for anything to happen contrary to what is just when righteousness is the overseer of what takes place. So even those who now escape the punishing retributions, or who do not receive their retributions, will certainly receive them later. And this is unchangeable with God, as Paul said with confidence that God, the righteous judge, will give him the crown of righteousness on that day (2 Timothy 4:8) (Ps 35:10a).
On Psalm 35:10a (36:9a). The things that lead to life are supplied abundantly by God, and if they were not supplied, life would be destroyed (Psalm 36:9).
On Psalm 35:10b (36:9b). He is illuminated, he says, by the light from heaven, by the one who set the sun as the light of day. But these things are common to the righteous and the unrighteous, and in them he marveled at God's philanthropy, since the ungrateful are not excluded from enjoying what comes from God. But what is exceptional and proper to God's own is something else.
On Psalm 36:7 (37:7). He commands to be still and wait for God, not being disturbed by present things but hoping for future things, according to the apostolic word: Rejoicing in hope, enduring in affliction (Romans 12:12), and Jeremiah's word: It is good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth (Lamentations 3:27). He will sit alone and be silent; he will give his cheek to the one who strikes him; he will be filled with reproaches.
On Psalm 36:9 (37:9). He commands us to look far off and not be astounded by present things, and to foresee the destruction of the wicked and the preservation of the good (Psalm 37:9). These things clearly reach their end in another age, since the present age does not have the outcomes of these things, but rather the wicked prevail over the things on earth. Therefore he says, The whole world lies in the evil one (1 John 5:19).
On Psalm 36:14ab (37:14ab). He says that the wicked set in motion against themselves the very things they prepare against the righteous, as if someone drew a sword and was slain by it, and the plot too will be futile, like a bow shattered in the hand of an archer (Psalm 37:15). In David's case this was also fulfilled bodily: David struck with their own sword, the one they had drawn against David (cf (Psalm 37:15). 1 Samuel 17:51).
On Psalm 36:27 (37:27). Such an exhortation again comes from the prediction: to flee from evil and practice the doing of good in hope of eternal rest, and the reasoning about the matter is that the overseer is righteous and does not overlook his own.
On Psalm 37:4a (38:4a). He compares his great suffering and many afflictions to a body entirely afflicted, as in Isaiah: From the soles of the feet to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises, the burning inflammation of a threat (Isaiah 1:6) (Psalm 38:3). These are signs of wrath, and the cause of the wrath is sins, so that the sufferings bring awareness of sins, and in this way they benefit souls, just as bodies are brought from insensibility to sensation (Ps 37:12).
On Psalm 37:12 (38:12). He laments the desertion of friends and the uprising of enemies, which are also seen in the Savior's sufferings, when the disciples were scattered in fear, and the wicked used every bitterness and malice against him, toward whom he also fulfilled the silence predicted here.
On Psalm 37:14 (38:14). Having, he says, just grounds to answer those who slandered him, but knowing that speech would not be for their benefit, I bore the false accusations without resentment (Psalm 38:13). And as one who does not hear, I was silent, and as one who has no reproof. For what would I say and answer? It was for nothing, as the Lord also said: If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask you, you will not answer (Luke 22:67-68). When people do not listen, speech is useless toward them, but useful toward God who hears.
On Psalm 37:22-23 (38:22-23). Human beings would not say these things about themselves, but Christ, in place of human beings and for human beings, suffering as a righteous one at the hands of the unrighteous and taking what is theirs upon himself, would say them: in one place, Why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1) in another, Do not forsake me, and Do not depart from me, since this is impossible for him (Psalm 38:21). For I am not alone, he says, because my Father is with me. He asks for the salvation of human beings as his own, having something proper to the request as far as the human element in the mixture with divinity is concerned—this was the passible element naturally united to the flesh—and also having the dignity of the nature that transcends, by which he fulfilled the things of the request.
On Psalm 38:4 (39:4). And hearing, he says, and reckoning up the bold and abusive words of the enemy, and seeing how great an authority of speech he used, to whom it was not fitting even to speak, I was kindled with indignation on behalf of the righteousness that was being dishonored (Psalm 39:3).
On Psalm 38:8a (39:8a). I do not, he says, have anything in myself worthy of expectation, but I wait, expecting what is with you and what is yours, enduring in present labors in hope of future good things (Psalm 39:7).
On Psalm 38:9b (39:9b). I bear, he says, being reproached now and not answering back, knowing in some such way that God wills me to be trained by reproaches (Psalm 39:9; LXX 38:9). So David himself bore being reviled by Shimei, saying that the Lord had told him to curse David (2 Samuel 16:10).
Greek
τοῦτο δὲ ἀπειλὴν ἔχει τῶν ἀνταποδόσεων, ὅτι ἀδύνατον δικαιοσύνης οὔσης ἐφόρου τῶν γινομένων γενέσθαι τι παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον, ὥστε καὶ οἱ νῦν διαφεύγοντες τὰς κολαστικὰς ἀνταποδόσεις ἢ τῶν ἀνταποδόσεων οὐ τυγχάνοντες πάντως εἰς ὕστερον κομιοῦνται· καὶ τοῦτο ἄτρεπτον
παρὰ θεῷ, ὡς θαρρῶν ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν ὅτι αὐτῷ τὸν στεφανὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀποδώσει θεὸς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ δίκαιος κριτής. 19 Ps 35,10a Τὰ γὰρ εἰς ζωὴν ἄφθονα χορηγεῖται παρὰ θεοῦ, ὧν μὴ χορηγουμένων διαφθείροιτο ἡ ζωή. 20 Ps 35,10b Καταλάμπεται, φησίν, τῷ ἐξ οὐρανῶν φωτὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεμένου τὸν ἥλιον εἰς φῶς ἡμέρας· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς κοινὸν δικαίοις τε καὶ ἀδίκοις ἐφ' οἷς καὶ τὸ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐθαύμαζεν μὴ χωριζομένων τῶν ἀχαρίστων τῆς ἀπολαύσεως τῶν παρὰ θεοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἐξαίρετον ἤδη καὶ ἴδιον τῶν οἰκείων θεοῦ. 21 Ps 36,7 Ἡσυχάζοντας ἐκδέχεσθαι θεὸν παρακελεύεται μὴ ταραττομένους τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀλλ' ἐλπίζοντας τοῖς μέλλουσι κατὰ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν Τῇ ἐλπίδι χαίροντες, τῇ θλίψει ὑπομένοντες, καὶ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου τὸ Ἀγαθὸν ἀνδρὶ ὅταν ἄρῃ ζυγὸν ἐν νεότητι αὐτοῦ. καθήσεται κατὰ μόνας καὶ σιωπήσεται, δώσει τῷ πταίοντι αὐτὸν σιαγόνα, ἐμπλησθήσεται ὀνειδισμῶν. 22 Ps 36,9 Μακρὰν ἀφορᾶν κελεύει καὶ μὴ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐκπλήττεσθαι, καὶ ἀπώλειαν μὲν προορᾶν τῶν πονηρῶν, κράτησιν δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν· ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τέλους δηλαδὴ καὶ ἐν ἑτέτῳ αἰῶνι, ὡς ὅ γε παρὼν οὐκ ἔχει τὰς τούτων ἐκβάσεις, ἀλλ' ἐπικρατεῖται μᾶλλον τοῖς πονηροῖς τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ. διὸ καὶ Ὅλος, φησίν, ὁ κόσμος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται. 23 Ps 36,14ab Αὐτούς φησι καθ' ἑαυτῶν κινεῖν τοὺς πονηροὺς ἃ κατὰ τῶν δικαίων παρασκευάζονται, ὡσεὶ ξίφος τις σπασάμενος τούτῳ σφαγείη, μάταιόν τε ἔσεσθαι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ὥσπερ τόξον χειρὶ τοξότου συντριβόμενον. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ καὶ σωματικῶς τοῦτο πεπλήρωται τὸ τῇ ἰδίᾳ μαχαίρᾳ παίσειν τὸν ∆αυὶδ ἣν κατὰ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ ἐσπάσαντο. 24 Ps 36,27 Παραίνεσις ἐκ τῆς προρρήσεως ἡ τοιαύτη πάλιν τὸ φεύγειν μὲν ἀπὸ κακοῦ, ἀσκεῖν δὲ πρᾶξιν τὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς αἰωνίου ἡσυχίας, καὶ λογισμὸς ἐπὶ τῷ πράγματι ὅτι δίκαιος ὁ ἐπόπτης καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους οὐχ ὑπερορῶν. 3 25 Ps 37,4a Σώματι διόλου κακουμένῳ παραβάλλει τὸ πολύπονον καὶ πολυπαθὲς αὐτοῦ, οἷον καὶ παρὰ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ τὸ Ἀπὸ ποδῶν ἕως τῆς κεφαλῆς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῷ ὁλοκληρία ἀλλὰ τραῦμα καὶ μώλωψ ἡ ἀπειλῆς φλεγμαίνουσα· ὀργῆς οὖν εἶναι ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα, τῆς δ' ὀργῆς πρόφασιν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ὥστε εἰς αἴσθησιν ἄγει τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὰ παθήματα καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ὠφελεῖ τὰς ψυχὰς ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ σώματα ἐξ ἀναισθησίας εἰς αἴσθησιν ἀγόμενα. 26 Ps 37,12 Φίλων ἀπόστασιν ὀδύρεται καὶ ἐχθρῶν ἐπανάστασιν, ἅπερ καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοῦ σωτῆρος παθήμασι θεωρεῖται, φόβῳ μὲν τῶν μαθητῶν σκεδασθέντων, πικρίᾳ δὲ πάσῃ καὶ κακοηθείᾳ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐπ' αὐτὸν κεχρημένων πρὸς οὓς καὶ τὴν σιωπὴν τὴν ἐνταῦθα προλεγομένην ἐπλήρωσεν. 27 Ps 37,14 Ἔχων μέν, φησίν, τὰ δίκαια ἀντειπεῖν πρὸς τοὺς συκοφαντοῦντας, εἰδὼς δὲ οὐκ ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τὸν λόγον ἐσόμενον ἀνεξικάκως ἔφερον τὰς ψευδολογίας. καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀκούων ἐσιώπων καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔχων ἐλέγχειν· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἔλεγον καὶ ἀπεκρινόμην; εἰς οὐδὲν δὲ ὡς καὶ ἔλεγεν ὁ κύριος Ἐὰν ὑμῖν εἴπω, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε· ἐὰν δὲ ἐρωτήσω, οὐ μὴ ἀποκριθῆτε. ἀνθρώπων δὲ οὐκ ἀκουόντων πρὸς μὲν ἐκείνους ὁ λόγος ἄχρειος, χρήσιμος δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀκούοντα θεόν. 28 Ps 37,22.23 Ἄνθρωποι μὲν οὐ ταῦτα λέγοιεν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν, Χριστὸς δὲ ἀντ' ἀνθρώπων ἀνθρώποις καὶ πάσχων δίκαιος ἀπό περ ἀδίκων τὰ ἐκείνων εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἄγων ἂν λέγοι· ὅπου μὲν τὸ Ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλειπές με; ὅπου δὲ τὸ Μὴ ἐγκαταλείπῃς με, καὶ τὸ Μὴ ἀποστῇς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὡς ἐπ' αὐτοῦ γε τοῦτο ἀδύνατον. Οὐ γάρ εἰμι, φησίν, μόνος, ἐπεὶ ὁ πατήρ μου μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐστιν. τὴν σωτηρίαν γε τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὡς ἰδίαν αἰτεῖται, ἔχων μέν τι καὶ πρὸς τὴν αἴτησιν οἰκεῖον ὅσον πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἐν συμμίξει θεότητος (τοῦτο δὲ ἦν τὸ παθητικὸν τὸ σαρκὶ συμφυές), ἔχων δὲ καὶ τὸ τῆς ὑπερανεστηκυίας ἀξίωμα φύσεως ᾧ καὶ τὰ τῆς αἰτήσεως ἐξεπλήρου. 29 ps 38,4 Καὶ ἀκούων, φησίν, καὶ ἀναλογιζόμενος τὰ θρασέα καὶ λοίδορα τοῦ ἐχθροῦ καὶ ὁρῶν, ὅσῃ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῶν λόγων χρῆται ᾧ μηδὲ φθέγγεσθαι προσῆκον ἦν, ἐξηπτόμην ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀτιμαζομένης δικαιοσύνης. 30 Ps 38,8a Οὐ δὴ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ, φησίν, ἔχω τι προσδοκίας ἄξιον, ἀλλὰ παρὰ σοὶ καὶ τὰ σὰ προσδοκῶν ἀναμένω, διακαρτερῶν ἐν τοῖς παροῦσι πόνοις ἐπ' ἐλπίδι μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν. 31 Ps 38,9b Φέρω, φησίν, ὀνειδιζόμενος νῦν καὶ οὐδὲ ἀντιφθεγγόμενος, οὕτω πως εἰδὼς βουλομένου με τοῦ θεοῦ τοῖς ὀνείδεσιν ἐκγυμνάζεσθαι. οὕτως ἤνεγκεν αὐτὸς ὁ ∆αυὶδ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σεμεεὶ λοιδορούμενος λέγων ὅτι κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ καταρᾶσθαι τὸν ∆αυίδ.