God's promise to David and the hope of resurrection
Apollinaris is commenting on Psalm 88 (89), explaining how God's promise to David through Nathan the prophet was fulfilled in David's victories, and then how the psalmist's lament over human mortality points to the heavenly king who rescues from death.
He says that God declared he had shared his power with David and brought him forward into glory, choosing him according to the words, "I took you from the sheepfold, from behind the flocks, to be leader over my people Israel" (2 Samuel 7:8). And when he found him pleasing, he anointed him with holy oil for the kingdom. God was present with him, working together with him in everything, making the uprisings of his enemies ineffective, shattering their armies, and putting them to flight, according to the words, "I was with you in all that you undertook, and I destroyed all your enemies before your face" (2 Samuel 7:9) (Psalm 89:20). These things were spoken through Nathan the prophet. He says that David was exalted by the mercy that is from God and by the care that is fitting toward the righteous man, just as he also won victories in wars beyond all expectation and was undefeated.
God swears by himself, since he has no one greater by whom to swear, as Paul says. For he says, "I swore by my holiness," or as the Fifth Edition renders it, "By my sanctification," instead of "By my holiness" (Psalm 88:36 (89:35)) (Psalm 89:35). [On Psalm 88:39–46 (89:38–45): Theodoret set out these things in the same way as Apollinaris.]
He appears to be seeking something greater and beyond human capacity, belittling the life we now live as being nothing (Psalm 89:48). He says that human beings pass into something vain—not that they came into being for vanity—and he asks that they not be handed over to corruption, since clearly the kingdom will also be restored then, when corruption is dissolved and life for the ages is given. From where could escape from death come to us? From where, except from you? For this could not come to a human being from himself. No one exists who will live and not die, nor will anyone be able to rescue himself from death. These words plainly seek the heavenly king, the redeemer from vanity, the one who is stronger than death and the Savior of human beings from death, who changes the vanity of the present life into truth and establishes an eternal kingdom upon eternal life.
He did not despair of mercy, but he seeks the promise and calls upon the righteousness of God against the impious nations who reproach the righteous man for having suffered misfortune in his offspring and having fallen (Psalm 89:50-51). He says these are enemies of God, and they reproach the footprint of the righteous king as if it had been wiped out. After making these appeals, he blesses. The blessing belongs to one who hopes. And what does he hope for, except that the prayers will be fulfilled, that the promise will be accomplished and not fail, as he appears to have believed from the beginning? As Paul also says, "It is not as though the word of God has failed" (cf. Romans 9:6).
If he has spoken this way about a thousand years, it is clear that the span of a human life will be the thinnest possible, as if indivisible (Psalm 90:10; LXX 89:10).
The whole of human life, he says, is bounded by about seventy years. He says this from the greater part. And not even this is given in ease, but almost entirely in hardship. For either we are disciplined as infants, or we labor as young men, or we suffer hardship as old men. So he rightly said, "And the greater part of them is labor and pain" (Psalm 89:10 (90:10)) (Psalm 90:10). For since the order of life follows age in this way, very little time is found that is stolen away for gladness.
He fittingly called this entire time "night," in which a human being sleeps while being put to death, and "morning" the time that is coming, in which we will live when the Lord appears and mercy comes down from heaven. He asks that the sun come and the day shine forth, and that enduring gladness be given to the righteous in place of the days in which we were afflicted, falling into countless evils. These were the times of refreshing that Peter also foretells, into which he says the appointed Jesus our Lord will be sent (Acts 3:20).
Next he says that a thousand will fall on the left and ten thousand on the right, before they can even draw near and inflict any harm, so that he will look without fear, by the recompense from God, upon those falling and being destroyed (Psalm 91:8; LXX 90:8). This is what happened to Jehoshaphat according to the promise, so that without fighting—but singing and praising God through one another—he saw the enemies destroyed. For it says, "They came to the watchtower of the wilderness and looked and saw the multitude, and behold, all were dead, fallen on the ground, and there was no one saved" (2 Chronicles 20:24). Something similar to this also happened with other kings who hoped in God, as the promise of God proved true, which says, "I will be an enemy to your enemies and oppose those who oppose you" (Exodus 23:22). But one must not always suppose that victories come to the righteous without battle. For they often won by going through battle as well, but he speaks here of the most manifest help, in which God the helper is especially seen (Psalm 91:8).
He introduced the person of the one who hopes, saying from himself to God that he has made him his hope. And again he declares to such a person: "Since you have chosen the Most High like a house of security, you will be mastered by no evil, nor will your house be struck by divinely sent blows" (Psalm 91:10; LXX 90:10).
Greek
φησὶ δὴ εἰρηκέναι τὸν θεὸν ὅτι δυνάμεως μετέδωκε τῷ ∆αυὶδ καὶ εἰς δόξαν προήγαγεν αὐτὸν ἐπιλεξάμενος κατὰ τὸ Ἔλαβόν σε ἐκ τῆς μάνδρας ἐξόπισθεν τῶν ποιμνίων τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἡγούμενον ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν μου Ἰσραήλ, εὑρών τε αὐτὸν ἀρεστὸν ἐλαίῳ τῷ ἁγίῳ πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ἔχρισε παρῆν τε αὐτῷ συγκατεργαζόμενος ἅπαντα καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὰς ἐπαναστάσεις ἀκύρους ποιῶν καὶ συγκόπτων τὰς ἐκείνων στρατιὰς καὶ εἰς φυγὴν καθιστὰς κατὰ τὸ Ἤμην μετὰ σοῦ ἐν
πᾶσιν οἷς ἐπορεύθης καὶ ἐξωλόθρευσα πάντας τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ἀπὸ προσώπου σου, 21 ἅπερ εἴρηται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Νάθαν. ἐλέῳ δὲ τῷ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῇ προσηκούσῃ περὶ τὸν δίκαιον σπουδῇ φησιν ὑψοῦσθαι αὐτόν, καθὰ καὶ παραδόξως ἤρατο νίκας ἐν πολέμοις καὶ ἀήττητος ἦν. 152 Ps 88,36 Καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ὄμνυσι θεός, ἐπεὶ κατ' οὐδενὸς ἔχει μείζονος ὀμόσαι, καθάπερ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν. Ὤμοσα γάρ φησιν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ μου, ἢ ὡς ἡ Ε ἔκδοσις Κατὰ τοῦ ἁγιασμοῦ μου ἀντὶ τοῦ Κατὰ τῆς ἁγιωσύνης μου. 153 Ps 88,39®46 [Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Θεοδώρητος ὁμοίως Ἀπολιναρίῳ ἐξέθετο.] 154 Ps 88,49 Μεῖζόν τι καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἐπιζητῶν φαίνεται, τὸν μὲν βίον ὃν ζῶμεν ἐξευτελίζων ὡς ὄντα οὐδέν, εἰς μάταιόν τι χωρεῖν φάσκων ἀνθρώπους, οὐ μὴν εἰς ματαιότητα γενέσθαι ὅπερ λέγων ἀξιοῖ μὴ προσθῆναι φθορᾷ ὡς τότε καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀνορθωθησομένης δηλαδή, ἐπειδὰν καὶ φθορᾷ λυθῇ καὶ τὸ εἰς αἰῶνας ζῆν δοθῇ. πόθεν δ' ἂν ἡμῖν ἡ θανάτου γένοιτο ἀποφυγή; πόθεν δὲ εἰ μὴ παρὰ σοῦ; οὐ γὰρ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἂν τοῦτό γε ὑπάρξειεν ἀνθρώπῳ· οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς ζήσεται καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται, οὐδ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκ θανάτου δυνήσεται ῥύσασθαι. ταῦτα δὲ ἄντικρυς τὸν οὐράνιον ἐπιζητεῖ βασιλέα τὸν λυτῆρα τῆς ματαιότητος τὸν αὐτόν τε θανάτου κρείττονα καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἐκ θανάτου σωτῆρα καὶ τὸ μάταιον τῆς νῦν ζωῆς εἰς ἀλήθειαν μεταβάλλοντα καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αἰώνιον ἐπ' αἰωνίου ζωῆς κατασκευάζοντα. 155 Ps 88,51®53a Οὐκ ἀπέγνω τὸν ἔλεον, ἀλλ' ἐπιζητεῖν τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν καὶ τὸ δίκαιον ἐπικαλεῖται τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων τὸν δίκαιον κακοπραγήσαντα περὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γένος καὶ πεπτωκότα· οὓς θεοῦ μὲν εἶναί φησιν ἐχθρούς, ὀνειδίζειν δὲ τὸ τοῦ δικαίου βασιλέως ἴχνος ὡς ἐξαληλιμμένον. ταῦτα παρακαλέσας εὐλογεῖ. ἐλπίζοντος δὲ ἡ εὐλογία. τί δὲ ἐλπίζοντος ἢ τὰς εὐχὰς περαιωθήσεσθαι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν καὶ μὴ διαπεσεῖσθαι καθὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς πιστεύων φαίνεται, ὡς καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν Οὐχ οἷόν τε ὅτι ἐκπέπτωκεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ; 156 Ps 89,4a Εἰ δὲ περὶ χιλίων ἐτῶν οὕτως εἴρηκεν, δῆλον ὅτι βίος ἀνθρώπου διάστημα ἔσται τὸ λεπτότατον καὶ ὥσπερ ἀμέριστον. 157 Ps 89,10 Ὅλος μὲν οὖν, φησίν, ὁ ἀνθρώπινος βίος ἐν ἑβδομηκοστῷ που περιγράφεται χρόνῳ. ἐκ τοῦ πλείστου δὲ λέγει τοῦτο. οὐδὲ οὗτος δὲ ἐν ἀνέσει δοθεὶς ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν ὅλος ἐν ταλαιπωρίᾳ· ἢ γὰρ ὡς νήπιοι παιδευόμεθα ἢ ὡς νεανίσκοι κάμνομεν ἢ ὡς γέροντες ταλαιπωρούμεθα. καλῶς οὖν εἶπεν Καὶ τὸ πλεῖον αὐτῶν κόπος καὶ πόνος. οὕτως γὰρ τῆς τάξεως τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐχούσης ὀλίγος ἄγαν ὁ ὑποκλεπτόμενος εἰς εὐφροσύνην εὑρίσκεται χρόνος. 158 Ps 89,17 Νύκτα μὲν εἰκότως τὸν χρόνον ἐκάλεσεν ἅπαντα τοῦτον ἐν ᾧ καθεύδει θανατούμενος ἄνθρωπος, πρωΐαν δὲ τὸν ἐπιόντα ἐν ᾧ ζησόμεθα φανέντος κυρίου καὶ τοῦ ἐλέου κατελθόντος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ. ἀξιοῖ δὲ παραγενέσθαι τὸν ἥλιον καὶ ἡμέραν διαλάμψαι καὶ δοθῆναι διηνεκῆ τοῖς δικαίοις εὐφροσύνην ἀντὶ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐν αἷς ἐκακώθημεν μυρίοις κακοῖς περιπίπτοντες. οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ Καιροὶ τῆς ἀναψύξεως οὓς καὶ Πέτρος προλέγει, εἰς οὓς ἀποσταλήσεσθαί φησι τὸν προκεχειρισμένον Ἰησοῦν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν. 159 Ps 90,7.8 Ἑξῆς χιλιάδα μὲν ἐξ εὐωνύμων πεσεῖσθαί φησιν, μυριάδα δ' ἐκ δεξιῶν πρὶν καὶ συνεγγίσαι καὶ κακόν τι προστρίψασθαι ὥστε αὐτὸν ἀδεῶς ἐπόψεσθαι πίπτουσι καὶ ἀπολλυμένοις ἀνταποδόσει τῇ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, οἷον τῷ Ἰωσαφὰτ ὑπῆρξε κατ' ἐπαγγελίαν ὥστε μὴ διαπολεμήσαντι ψάλλοντι δὲ καὶ αἰνοῦντι θεὸν δι' ἀλλήλων ἰδεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους ἀπολλυμένους· Ἦλθον γάρ φησιν ἐπὶ τὴν σκοπιὰν τῆς ἐρημίας καὶ ἐπέβλεψαν καὶ εἶδον τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ἰδοὺ πάντες νεκροὶ πεπτωκότες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ οὐκ ἦν σῳζόμενος. παραπλήσιον δὲ τούτῳ καὶ ἐφ' 22 ἑτέρων βασιλέων εἰς θεὸν ἐλπιζόντων γέγονεν, ἀληθευομένης τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς λεγούσης Ἐχθρεύσω τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου καὶ ἀντικείσομαι τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις σου. οὐ δεῖ δὲ πάντως ἀεὶ νομίζειν ἀμάχους τὰς νίκας τοῖς δικαίοις περιγίνεσθαι. ἐπεὶ καὶ διὰ μάχης ἐλθόντες πολλάκις ἐνίκησαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπιφανεστάτην ἐν τούτοις λέγει βοήθειαν ἐν ᾗ μάλιστα θεὸς ὁ βοηθῶν φαίνεται. 160 Ps 90,9.10 Πρόσωπον τὸ τοῦ ἐλπίζοντος παρεισήγαγε λέγων παρ' ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς θεὸν ὅτι αὐτὸν ἔθετο τὴν ἐλπίδα. καὶ πάλιν ἐπιφωνεῖ τῷ τοιούτῳ ὅτι Ἐπειδήπερ εἵλου τὸν ὕψιστον ὥσπερ οἶκον ἀσφαλείας, πρὸς οὐδενὸς κρατηθήσῃ κακοῦ οὐδὲ οἶκος ὁ σὸς πληχθήσεται θεηλάτοις πληγαῖς.