The nations' joy and the king's inheritance
Apollinaris is commenting on the argument of Psalm 46 (47), explaining that the psalm announces joy to the nations who go up to Jerusalem and are joined to Abraham's descendants.
The psalm before this one is addressed to Israel, but this one is addressed to the nations who go up together to Jerusalem and are joined to those descended from Abraham. So it announces joy to the nations, victory applause, and shouts of triumphant praise because of the manifestation of the Lord from on high, which will come with great fear. For he will take hold of the earth, according to the vision of Daniel, handing over the kingdom to his holy ones. As one of the successors of the apostles has said, he will appear to the king of the world in Jesus—not taking any kingdom of his own into glory for himself, but for his own people, who are established in the kingdom through the chosen bride, the queen (Psalm 47:3-4). As it was said beforehand in David: “You will make them rulers over all the earth” (Psalm 44:17 (45:16)).
“You have shown us to be a kingdom over all the nations,” he says, “and he has given us back our inheritance from our fathers, the land of Israel, which is precious in his eyes.” The prophets and apostles from Israel call the land of Israel their own inheritance, and it is given back to them according to their lineage, just as the Lord himself was not outside the succession of his fleshly descent. They say that land was loved, not because it could differ from any other land in God’s sight—for nothing is precious or beautiful to him, nor is one thing more precious or more beautiful than another—but because he loved its inhabitants, who were the firstfruits of piety in the world (Psalm 47:4). And he keeps his love toward them and toward the land where they dwelt, having nothing that ceases, but all things eternal.
Without distinction he signifies the divinity in the Son. For this is surely the one who ascends, the one who reigns, the one who sits on the heavenly throne. And having seated himself on earth before his ascension, gathering around himself the rulers of the nations and all that is strongest among humanity, and lifting them up to heavenly glory (Psalm 47:9).
“This is your righteousness,” he says, “which has no partiality.” And Peter, perceiving the calling of the nations, says: “In truth I understand that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34). When the wise Israel sees the nations brought in and understands the mercy, he will not envy, but will rejoice in God’s judgment, just as Peter and the apostles did then (Psalm 48:11).
“I will touch upon a wise and hidden word,” he says, “mixing the riddle with song.” Why did he not say he opens his mouth for a parable, but that he inclines his ear? Is it because he wants to show himself as a hearer of the Spirit speaking rather than as the interpreter himself—or that the Spirit speaks the words through his mouth? For it is also said in Psalm 84 (85): “I will hear what God will speak in me.”
But he says he will undergo death willingly, as far as this age is concerned, dying to the world and being taken from the earth of his life, yet living to God (Psalm 49:9).
The suffering of death, he says, was not attached to man as he was made, but came upon him from dishonor. For though he was honored with growth toward immortality, he did not perceive it, having a good from honor greater than his nature (Psalm 49:12). And so, having fallen away from the likeness of God that consists in immortality, he is made like the beasts in death. For as Ecclesiastes says: “As the death of this one, so the death of that one, and one spirit is in them all; and what advantage does man have over the beast? Nothing, for all is vanity. All things go to one place; all things came from the dust, and all things return to the dust” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20).
But when the coming age arrives, he says—which is the early morning of the coming day—the kingdom of good things will be present, when every human power has ceased and the power from God prevails (Psalm 49:14). Then the race of the good will be glorious and royal, and the race of the not-good will be subject and enslaved, since the strength that comes from wealth has passed away, but the strength that comes from virtue remains (Psalm 49:16-17). And all that is left of humanity on earth will obey the good, who reign according to God.
Greek
74 Ps 46 arg Εἰς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ὁ πρὸ τούτου ψαλμός, οὗτος δὲ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη
συναναβαίνοντα εἰς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ συναπτόμενα τοῖς ἐκ γένους Ἀβραάμ. χαρὰν οὖν τοῖς ἔθνεσι προαγγέλλει καὶ κρότους ἐπινικίους καὶ ἀλαλαγμοὺς ὑμνητικοὺς δι' ἐπιφάνειαν κυρίου τὴν ἐξ ὕψους τὴν σὺν φόβῳ μεγάλῳ γενησομένην, ὅτι κρατήσει τῆς γῆς κατὰ τὴν ὀπτασίαν τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ παραδιδοὺς τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν, καθὰ καὶ τῶν διαδόχων τις τῶν ἀποστόλων εἴρηκεν ὅτι Ὀφθήσεται τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦ κόσμου ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ οὐκ αὐτοῦ βασιλείαν τινὰ ταύτην εἰς δόξαν προσλαμβάνοντος εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀλλ' εἰς τοὺς ἰδίους τοὺς διὰ τῆς ἐκλεκτῆς νύμφης τῆς βασιλίδος εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν καθισταμένους, ὡς ἐν τῷ ∆αυὶδ προείρηται Καταστήσεις αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. 75 Ps 46,4.5 Βασιλείας, φησίν, ἀπέδειξας ἡμᾶς πάντων ἐθνῶν. καὶ τὸν κλῆρον ἀπέδωκεν ἡμῖν τὸν ἐκ πατέρων ἡμέτερον τὴν Ἰσραηλιτικὴν χώραν τὴν παρ' αὐτῷ τιμίαν. ἰδίαν δὲ κληρονομίαν λέγουσι τὴν Ἰσραηλιτικὴν χώραν οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ προφῆται καὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ κατὰ γένος αὐτοῖς ἀποδιδομένην, ὥσπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος οὐκ ἔξω τῆς τοῦ σαρκικοῦ γένους διαδοχῆς ἦν. ἠγαπημένην δὲ τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην φασίν, οὐχ ὅτι παρὰ θεῷ διαλλάττειν ἑτέρας δύναται ᾧ μηδὲν τίμιον μηδὲ καλὸν μηδὲ τιμιώτερον ἢ κάλλιον, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοὺς οἰκήτορας ἠγάπησεν ἀπαρχὴν εὐσεβείας ὄντας ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην φυλάττει πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς ἣν ᾤκησε γῆν οὐδὲν παυόμενον ἔχων ἀλλ' αἰώνια πάντα. 76 Ps 46,9 Ἀδιαστόλως ἐν τῷ υἱῷ σημαίνει τὴν θεότητα. οὗτος γὰρ δήπουθεν ὁ ἀναβαίνων, οὗτος ὁ βασιλεύων, οὗτος ὁ καθήμενος ἐν οὐρανίῳ θρόνῳ, καθεσθεὶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς πρὸ τῆς ἀναβάσεως συναθροίζων περὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἐθνῶν ἡγεμόνας καὶ πᾶν τὸ κράτιστον ἐξ ἀνθρώπων καὶ ὑψοῦν εἰς δόξαν οὐράνιον. 77 Ps 47,11c.12 Αὕτη δικαιοσύνη σου, φησίν, οὐκ ἔχουσα προσωποληψίαν· καὶ ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῆς ἐθνῶν αἰσθανόμενος κλήσεως Ἐπ' ἀληθείας καταλαμβάνομαι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήπτης ὁ θεός. προσαχθέντα δὲ ἰδὼν τὰ ἔθνη καὶ τὸν ἔλεον συνιεὶς ὁ σοφὸς Ἰσραὴλ οὐ φθονήσει, ἀλλ' εὐφρανθήσεται τῷ θεοῦ κρίματι, ὥσπερ ὁ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι τότε. 10 78 Ps 48,4.5 Λόγου, φησίν, ἅψομαι σοφοῦ κεκρυμμένου, μιγνὺς ᾠδῇ τὸ αἴνιγμα. πῶς οὐχὶ τὸ στόμα εἶπεν ἀνοίγειν εἰς παραβολὴν ἀλλὰ τὸ οὖς κλίνειν; ἢ ὅτι δεικνύειν ἑαυτὸν βούλεται μᾶλλον ἀκροατὴν ὄντα πνεύματος λαλοῦντος ἢ αὐτὸν ἐξηγητὴν ἢ καὶ διὰ στόματος αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ τὰ λεγόμενα. καὶ γὰρ Ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν Π∆ λέγεται ψαλμῷ. 79 Ps 48,10a Ἀλλὰ θάνατον μέν φησιν ἑκὼν ὅσον πρὸς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον ὑποστήσεται κόσμῳ τελευτῶν, αἰρόμενος ἀπὸ γῆς τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, θεῷ δὲ ζῶν. 80 Ps 48,13 Τὸ δὲ τοῦ θανάτου πάθος, φησίν, οὐ γενομένῳ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ συνῆπτο, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀτιμίας ἐπισυμβέβηκεν, ὅτι τῇ πρὸς ἀθανασίαν αὐξήσει τετιμημένος οὐκ ᾔσθετο, μεῖζον ἔχων τῆς φύσεως τὸ ἐκ τιμῆς ἀγαθόν, ὅθεν ἀποπεσὼν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁμοιώσεως τῆς ἐν ἀθανασίᾳ κτήνεσιν ὁμοιοῦται κατὰ τὸν θάνατον. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ θάνατος τούτου, οὕτως ὁ θάνατος τούτου, φησὶν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής, καὶ πνεῦμα ἓν τοῖς ἅπασιν· καὶ τί ἐπερίσσευσεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρὰ τὸ κτῆνος; οὐδέν, ὅτι πάντα ματαιότης. τὰ πάντα εἰς τόπον ἕνα· τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τοῦ χοός, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐπιστρέφει εἰς τὸν χοῦν. 81 Ps 48,15bc Τοῦ δὲ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, φησίν, ἐνστάντος, ὅπερ ἐστὶ πρωῒ τῆς μελλούσης ἡμέρας, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ βασιλεία ἔσται, πάσης ἀνθρωπίνης δυνάμεως πεπαυμένης, τῆς δὲ παρὰ θεοῦ κρατούσης, ὅτε τὸ μὲν τῶν ἀγαθῶν γένος ἔνδοξον καὶ βασιλικόν, τὸ δὲ τῶν οὐκ ἀγαθῶν ὑπήκοον καὶ δοῦλον, ἐπειδὴ παρελήλυθεν ἡ κατὰ πλοῦτον ἰσχύς, μένει δὲ ἡ κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ πᾶν τὸ ὑπολειπόμενον ἀνθρώπων ἐν γῇ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ὑπακούσεται βασιλεύουσι κατὰ θεόν.