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and with the Spirit the Son is also hymned and glorified. Then we say that a hymn is said to the Son alone, when we say the things indicative of his hypostasis, such as "the Son of God," "the Word," the Wisdom of God and Power, the one begotten of the Father, the one incarnate, the one crucified in the flesh, the one risen, the one ascended into the heavens, the one sitting at the right hand of the Father, and such things. Just as, therefore, these things are indicative of the one hypostasis and in no way have a place for another hypostasis or for the commonality of the Godhead, so also the Trisagion hymn, being indicative of the three hypostases, does not have a place for one of the hypostases. For just as we call each hypostasis of humanity a man, but we call a city containing many men populous, but we cannot call each man populous, so also in the case of the Trisagion we call each of the hypostases holy, but the tri-hypostatic Godhead thrice-holy, but we cannot call one of the hypostases thrice-holy; and just as in counting we say one and one and one and cannot say of each one 'three-numbered,' so also in the case of the Trisagion; and just as we say light and light and light and, having joined them, we say a three-light splendor, but we do not call each one three-light, so also in the case of the Trisagion. All things that are said of the whole Godhead are said unitarily and simply and absolutely of each of the hypostases as well, but the number three is indicative of the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. For well and very opportunely did the God-bearing Epiphanius say, that "Why do the Seraphim not say '3holy'3 twice or four times, but thrice, if not because they are indicating the number of the hypostases, united in one lordship and Godhead?" "Holy God" and Father, from whom the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God; "Holy Mighty," the Son, the enhypostatic power of God; "Holy Immortal," the Holy Spirit, the life-giving, as the Apostle says: "The law of the Spirit of life." Not that the Son or the Holy Spirit is not God, nor that the Father or the Holy Spirit is not mighty, nor that the Father or the Son is not immortal, but, as the Apostle, wishing to show the hypostases, says: "But for us there is one God and Father, from whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and one Holy Spirit, in whom are all things," so it is also here. And David also proclaimed this beforehand, saying: "As the deer longs for the fountains of waters, so my soul longs for you, O God." Behold, having spoken of the Godhead in common, he added, wishing also to signify the hypostases: "My soul has thirsted for the God, the mighty, the living," that is, the immortal, the ever-living; for the ever-living is immortal. By saying, "My soul longs for you, O God," he signified the one Godhead. Then by saying, "My soul has thirsted for the God, the mighty, the living," he showed the triadic nature of the hypostases. And again he returned to the unity of the nature: "When shall I come and appear before the face of God?" 4 But if someone should say that "thrice-blessed" and "thrice-desired" and "thrice-blessed" are often said of one hypostasis, let him know that "treis" (three), when written with the diphthong -ei, signifies the number three, but when written with a simple iota, it is used for "many times," as we say three men and "there are three that bear witness, the water and the blood and the spirit," and "tris" (thrice) with an iota adverbially instead of "many times," as the Apostle says: "Concerning this I besought the Lord thrice," instead of "many times." It should be known that, in the case of the number three, when it is said adverbially, it is written with a simple iota, such as once and twice and thrice and four times. And also in composition, whether it signifies the number three or a large number, it is written with an iota; "trionymos" the three
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καὶ τῷ πνεύματι ὁ υἱὸς καὶ συνυμνεῖται καὶ συνδοξάζεται. Τότε εἰς τὸν υἱὸν μόνον φαμὲν ὕμνον λέγεσθαι, ὅτε τὰ ἐνδεικτικὰ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ λέγομεν, οἷον «ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ», «ὁ λόγος», ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δύναμις, ὁ ἐκ πατρὸς γεννηθείς, ὁ σαρκωθείς, ὁ σταυρωθεὶς σαρκί, ὁ ἀναστάς, ὁ ἀνελθὼν εἰς οὐρανούς, ὁ καθήμενος ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ πατρός, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. Ὥσπερ οὖν ταῦτα ἐνδεικτικὰ τῆς μιᾶς ὑποστάσεως καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἐφ' ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως ἢ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῆς θεότητος χώραν ἔχει, οὕτω καὶ ὁ τρισάγιος ὕμνος ἐνδεικτικὸς ὢν τῶν τριῶν ὑποστάσεων ἐπὶ μιᾶς τῶν ὑποστάσεων χώραν οὐκ ἔχει. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἑκάστην ὑπόστασιν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἄνθρωπον λέγομεν, φαμὲν δὲ τὴν πολλοὺς ἀνθρώπους περιέχουσαν πόλιν πολυάνθρωπον, οὐ δυνάμεθα δὲ εἰπεῖν ἕκαστον ἄνθρωπον πολυάνθρωπον, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τρισαγίου ἑκάστην τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἅγιον λέγομεν, τρισάγιον δὲ τὴν τρισυπόστατον θεότητα, μίαν δὲ τῶν ὑποστάσεων τρισάγιον εἰπεῖν οὐ δυνάμεθα· καὶ ὥσπερ ἀριθμοῦντες ἕνα καὶ ἕνα καὶ ἕνα λέγομεν καὶ οὐ δυνάμεθα ἐφ' ἑκάστου λέγειν τρισάριθμον, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τρισαγίου· καὶ ὥσπερ φέγγος καὶ φέγγος καὶ φέγγος λέγομεν καὶ συνάψαντες τριφεγγὲς σέλας φαμέν, οὐ λέγομεν δὲ ἕκαστον τριφεγγές, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τρισαγίου. Πάντα μὲν ἑνιαίως καὶ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀπολύτως τὰ ἐφ' ὅλης τῆς θεότητος λεγόμενα καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστης τῶν ὑποστάσεων λέγονται, ὁ δὲ τρὶς ἀριθμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος τῶν τριῶν ὑποστάσεών ἐστιν δηλωτικός. Καλῶς γὰρ ἔφη καὶ λίαν καιρίως ὁ θεοφόρος Ἐπιφάνιος, ὅτι «διὰ τί μὴ δὶς ἢ τετράκις τὸ "3ἅγιος"3 λέγει τὰ σεραφίμ, ἀλλὰ τρίς, εἰ μὴ ὅτι τὸν τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἀριθμὸν καταμηνύουσιν εἰς μίαν κυριότητά τε καὶ θεότητα ἑνούμενον;» «Ἅγιος ὁ θεὸς» καὶ πατήρ, ἐξ οὗ θεὸς ὁ υἱὸς καὶ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, «ἅγιος ἰσχυρὸς» ὁ υἱὸς ἡ ἐνυπόστατος τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμις, «ἅγιος ἀθάνατος» τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ ζωοποιόν, καθώς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· «Ὁ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς.» Οὐχ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς ὁ υἱὸς ἢ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐδ' ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἰσχυρὸς ὁ πατὴρ ἢ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐδ' ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀθάνατος ὁ πατὴρ ἢ ὁ υἱός, ἀλλά, καθὼς ὁ ἀπόστολος τὰς ὑποστάσεις δεῖξαι βουλόμενός φησιν· «Ἡμῖν δὲ εἷς θεὸς καὶ πατήρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα», οὕτω κἀνταῦθα. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ∆αυὶδ προανεφώνησεν εἰπών· «Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρός σε, ὁ θεός.» Ἰδοὺ κοινῶς τὴν θεότητα εἰπὼν ἐπήγαγε καὶ τὰς ὑποστάσεις σημᾶναι βουλόμενος· «Ἐδίψησεν ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἰσχυρόν, τὸν ζῶντα», τουτέστιν τὸν ἀθάνατον, τὸν ἀεὶ ζῶντα· ὁ γὰρ ἀεὶ ζῶν ἀθάνατος. Εἰπών· «Ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρός σε, ὁ θεός», ἐσήμανεν τὴν μίαν θεότητα. Εἶτα εἰπών· «Ἐδίψησεν ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἰσχυρόν, τὸν ζῶντα», τὸ τριαδικὸν τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἔδειξε. Καὶ πάλιν ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ἑνιαῖον τῆς φύσεως· «Πότε ἥξω καὶ ὀφθήσομαι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ;» 4 Εἰ δέ τις εἴποι, ὅτι πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ μιᾶς ὑποστάσεως λέγεται τὸ τρισόλβιος καὶ τριπόθητος καὶ τρισμακάριστος, γινωσκέτω, ὅτι τὸ τρεῖς, ὅτε μὲν διὰ τῆς ˉεˉι διφθόγγου γράφεται, τὸν τριαδικὸν ἀριθμὸν σημαίνει, ὅτε δὲ διὰ ψιλοῦ τοῦ ἰῶτα, ἀντὶ τοῦ πολλάκις τάττεται, ὥς φαμεν τρεῖς ἄνθρωποι καὶ «τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες, τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα», καὶ τρὶς διὰ τοῦ ἰῶτα ἐπιρρηματικῶς ἀντὶ τοῦ πολλάκις, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· «Περὶ τούτου τρὶς τὸν κύριον παρεκάλεσα,» ἀντὶ τοῦ πολλάκις. Ἰστέον δέ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦ τριαδικοῦ ἀριθμοῦ, ὅταν ἐπιρρηματικῶς λέγηται, διὰ ψιλοῦ τοῦ ἰῶτα γράφεται, οἷον ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς καὶ τετράκις. Καὶ ἐν τῇ συνθέσει δέ, εἴτε τὸν τριαδικόν, εἴτε τὸν πολὺ ἀριθμὸν σημαίνει, διὰ τοῦ ἰῶτα γράφεται· τριώνυμος ὁ τρία