Cassiodorus : "In a pillar of cloud he used to speak to them, because they were keeping his testimonies and the commandments which he gave them." The words "in a pillar of cloud" are not empty words, for a pillar is always placed in a house to strengthen and beautify it. So the Lord was communicating to them by this image, announcing the imminent building that is the church. Though at that time he imparted these words to them through the cloud, he has deigned to speak to us and to appear to us more visibly through the sacred footstool, that is, through the incarnation. O footstool more exalted than every temple and more excellent than all spiritual creatures! As the Apostle says: "To which of the angels did he say, 'Sit at my right hand'?" But why is it surprising if he is called a footstool since he also compares himself to a worm, to a beetle, to the fullers' herb, and to a cornerstone, not with respect to his ordinariness, but because of his humble disposition. — EXPOSITION OF THE Psalms 98.7 Cassiodorus : We have heard a psalm which is amazing in its heavenly arrangement. In this text, it is clear that the humility in his humanity is as great as the power in his divinity. The holy Word took upon himself the nature of our weakness, as the heading of the psalm says, "for those who will be changed," so that through his undeserving death he might free us from a death that was well deserved. He entered the gates of hell so that the regions of hell might be thrown open. Destruction was conquered by the arrival of the Savior, and it rightly gave up perpetual darkness after it received eternal light. He vanquished the devil through the very human nature that Satan held subject, and the strong man was overcome through the weakness of the flesh when God exalted above all rational creatures what was even weaker than all spiritual creatures. As the Apostle says: "For to which of the angels did he say, 'Sit at my right hand'?" For no other nature was united with Christ, but only the nature of our flesh, which was taken up and glorified. He is truly omnipotent and merciful who blessed what was damned, restored what was lost, freed what was subject, rendered our miseries strangers to us, and through his death made it possible for humanity to live, an immortal creature, which the devil had caused to die. Grant, almighty God, that, since you deigned to suffer in the flesh for us, you may grant us the crown which for which you considered us worthy. — EXPOSITION OF THE Psalms 68.37 Didymus the Blind : If all created nature worships Christ, for through the friendly speech of the angels He gives signs to nature, so it is said, "For which of the angels has He said anytime; sit at my right hand (Heb. 1:13); and He is over them- and the word of the Scripture forbade the worshipping of the created things, "And do not, when you look up to the sky and see the sun and the moon and the stars, even any ornament of the sky, be led astray and worship them and serve them.(Deut. 4:19)" But they should stop worshiping these things, because they are created things, which is certainly disrespectful. And just as it has been said before, and positively assert that Christ is not created but is the Creator, and even so He is being worshipped as God above all the creation. To all time, and season to all the matters above Heaven. John Chrysostom : "But to which of the Angels said He at any time, Sit thou on My right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" Behold, again he encourages them, inasmuch as their enemies were to be worsted, and their enemies are the same also with Christ's. This again belongs to Sovereignty, to Equal Dignity, to Honor and not weakness, that the Father should be angry for the things done to the Son. This belongs to His great Love and honor towards the Son, as of a father towards a son. For He that is angry in His behalf how is He a stranger to Him? Which also he saith in the second Psalm, "He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure." And again He Himself saith, "Those that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither before Me, and slay them." For that they are His own words, hear also what He saith in another place, "How often would I have gathered thy children together, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left desolate." And again, "The kingdom shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." And again, "He that falleth upon that stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever It shall fall, It will grind him to powder." And besides, He who is to be their Judge in that world, much more did He Himself repay them in this. So that the words "Till I make thine enemies thy footstool" are expressive of honor only towards the Son. — Homily on Hebrews 3 Justin Martyr : And that God the Father of all would bring Christ to heaven after He had raised Him from the dead, and would keep Him there until He has subdued His enemies the devils, and until the number of those who are foreknown by Him as good and virtuous is complete, on whose account He has still delayed the consummation-hear what was said by the prophet David. These are his words: "The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. The Lord shall send to Thee the rod of power out of Jerusalem; and rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. With Thee is the government in the day of Thy power, in the beauties of Thy saints: from the womb of morning have I begotten Thee." That which he says, "He shall send to Thee the rod of power out of Jerusalem," is predictive of the mighty, word, which His apostles, going forth from Jerusalem, preached everywhere; and though death is decreed against those who teach or at all confess the name of Christ, we everywhere both embrace and teach it. And if you also read these words in a hostile spirit, ye can do no more, as I said before, than kill us; which indeed does no harm to us, but to you and all who unjustly hate us, and do not repent, brings eternal punishment by fire. — The First Apology, Chapter XLV Oecumenius : Therefore, he offered the first fruits of our nature to the Father. And the Father marveled at the gift, both for the worthiness of the one who presented it and for the purity of what was offered, as if to receive it with His own hands and place the gift beside Him, and said, "Sit at My right hand." — The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews Oecumenius : He said that he did not want to show that he would not have dared to sit otherwise unless commanded: certainly not; but do not think that he lacks a beginning. For that this is so is indicated by the place of the chair, designating a similar honor, and by what was said above: He sat, when it is not previously read that he was told: Sit. Or because the Prophet could not signify the harmony and will of the Father in any other way than to sit, he used the word, Sit. Therefore, this is also great, not only over human nature but also over every creature. Nevertheless, this is also proclaimed on account of human nature. For as far as He is God, the Son has an eternal throne: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever." (Heb. 1:8) For he was not honored with this distinction after the cross and passion as God: but as a man he received what he already had as God. Nor was he exalted when he was humble, but when he was sublime and in the form of God, he humbled himself by taking the form of a servant. (Phil. 2:6-7) The evangelist also cries out: "The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared." (Jn. 1:18) And the Lord: "I am in the Father, and the Father is in me." (Jn. 14:11) And elsewhere: "Glorify me, O Father, with the glory I had with you before the world was made." (Jn. 17:5) Therefore, as a man hears: "Sit at my right hand." (Ps. 101:1) For God has eternal dominion. "until I make Your enemies Your footstool." Notice the demonstration that the Son is legitimate. The Father is angry against the enemies of the Son. And He did not say that the Son is powerless to put them under His feet, but to reveal the identity of will. What He says "until" is not indicative of time, as if when the enemies are placed as a footstool, it would again be that He would rise: far from it; but He wants to show that He will not be powerless to put all as a footstool. Indeed, until [ἕως] or as long as something exists, it brings forth what is up to that point, but does not remove what comes after it. Thus Gregory says in the second book "On the Son": "Are they not all ministering spirits?" He comforts them, saying: Christ is indeed the natural Son of God, but the angels are our servants: having been assigned this ministry, that they may do and administer all things so that we humans may be saved.For indeed, angels have frequently become ministers to men, as to Mary (Luke 1:26) and at the Lord's tomb (Matt. 28:2-7) and to Cornelius. (Acts 10:3) — The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews Photios I of Constantinople : He lifted up the first offering of our nature to the Father, and the Father marveled at this offering. And because of the high esteem of the one who offered it and because of the purity of the offering, he, as the father of the household shows him with his hand the place close to himself and also places the offering nearby and says, "sit at my right hand." — FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE Hebrews 1.13 Severian of Gabala : "But to what angel has he ever said?" Leaving aside all the rest of creation he speaks about that which is higher than the rest of creation, namely, the angels. For if the Son differed from the angels in that they were created but he was not, how much more does he differ from all invisible things? — FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE Hebrews 1.12-14 Theodoret of Cyrus : Having thus dealt with divine things, he shifts once more to the human. It is not to him as God that he says, "Sit at my right hand": how could it be, when "his throne is for ever and ever"? So as human he shared in this honor, having as God the eternal throne. — INTERPRETATION OF Hebrews 1