2

22.884 it was ordained; for if it had happened that she conceived while still with her own parents, it would have been likely for the matter to be cried out that she was pregnant by no obvious man, and she would have been quickly done away with according to the law; or if not this, at any rate she would not have been freed from shameful disgrace; for she herself was surely not a trustworthy witness for herself and for the things done concerning her; nor would anyone have been persuaded by her narrating either the appearance of an angel, and the things said to her by Gabriel, nor would Joseph have taken her, already pregnant, into his own house, being a man testified to be just; wherefore it was fitting that not with her own parents, but already with him she became pregnant, being with him, at the very, so to speak, order of the marriage; for before they came together, as the Scripture testifies, she was found to be with child.

3. By whom then was she found, but by Joseph? And how and in what manner was this found by Joseph, the account will teach by saying, it was made known thus also to Joseph by the Holy Spirit; for he was just; and being just, it is not surprising if he was also deemed worthy of the divine Spirit so as to understand the conception of his future wife, and to restrain from intercourse as a husband. Immediately upon understanding and being astonished he wished to send her away secretly; reckoning the things that had been done to be greater than according to his life with her. And this then was the reason why, being a just man, he did not judge it just to make an example of her, but wished to send her away secretly; and yet if he had not been persuaded that she had conceived from the Holy Spirit, knowing precisely that she did not bear that in her womb from him, why then, being a just man, did he not, bringing her out to all who was corrupted before the hour of marriage, hand her over to those who judge such things to make an example of her for what she had done? And how is he just who is eager to overshadow and conceal the lawless deed? But it is not likely that the evangelist would call him just on these grounds, but rather because he perceived through the Holy Spirit that the Virgin's conception had been more divine, and considering the economy to be greater than his life with her, he rightly says that he had it in mind to send her away secretly, not having been made an example of by him, nor having been made manifest to the many; well, at any rate, "not willing to make an example of her" also seems to have been said by the evangelist; for he did not say, "not willing to make a public example of her," but "not willing to make an example of her"; there being a great difference in these; for just as "to write" and "to miswrite" do not mean the same, and "to reckon" and "to miscalculate," and "to vote for" and "to vote against"; so neither do "to make an example of" and "to make a public example of"; for "to make a public example of" implies both a manifestation to all and a slander against one who has done evil; but "to make an example of," simply to make manifest.

4. But since, if this had happened, even if he had sent her away secretly, the matter was too great to escape the notice of the many, an angel rightly appeared in a dream and said to Joseph: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." And see how he first calls him son of David, referring him to his forefather, because of the one expected by all from the seed of David; for why did he not call him son of Jacob? For this was his father according to the flesh, as the evangelist testifies: "and Matthan begot Jacob; and Jacob begot Joseph;" but now, omitting the mention of the father, he reminds him of the forefather; all but signifying that he who was promised to David was this one who was paradoxically conceived by Mary, not from him, but from the Holy Spirit; then he exhorts him to be of good courage concerning the fear he had; for it was no ordinary fear for him, perceiving that Mary had conceived not from a man; and then he teaches him not what he did not know, but the cause of what was already known; so he says: "For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

2

22.884 ᾠκονόμητο· εἰ γὰρ δὴ παρὰ τοῖς αὑτῆς γονεῦσιν οὖσαν ἔτι συνέβη κατὰ γαστρὸς λαβεῖν, κἂν εἰκὸς ἦν βοηθῆναι τὸ πρᾶγμα ὅτι μὴ ἐκ προδήλου ἀνδρὸς ἐκυοφορήθη, θᾶττον δ' ἂν καὶ ἀνῄρητο κατὰ τὸν νόμον· ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, αἰσχρᾶς δ' οὖν οὐκ ἂν ἠλευθέρωτο ὕβρεως· οὐ γὰρ δήπου μάρτυς αὐτὴ ἑαυτῆς καὶ τῶν περὶ αὐτῇ πεπραγμένων ἀξιόπιστος ἦν· οὐδ' ἂν ἐπείσθη τις ἢ ἀγγέλου ἐπιφάνειαν, καὶ τὰ πρὸς αὐτὴν εἰρημένα πρὸς τοῦ Γαβριὴλ αὐτῇ διηγουμένῃ, οὐδ' ἂν κύουσαν ἤδη προσήκατο εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ οἶκον Ἰωσὴφ, ἀνὴρ δίκαιος εἶναι μεμαρτυρημένος· διόπερ εἰκότως οὐ παρὰ τοῖς αὑτῆς γονεῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἤδη παρ' αὐτῷ γενομένη ἐγκύμων σὺν αὐτῷ γενομένη, παρ' αὐτὴν ὡς εἰπεῖν τὴν τοῦ γάμου τάξιν· πρὸ γὰρ τοῦ συνελθεῖν αὐτοὺς, ὡς ἡ Γραφὴ μαρτυρεῖ, εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα.

γʹ. Τίνι δ' ἄρα εὑρέθη, ἀλλ' ἢ τῷ Ἰωσήφ; πῶς δὲ καὶ τίνα τρόπον εὕρηται τοῦτο τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, ὁ λόγος διδάξει φὰς, ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου γνωστὸν γέγονεν οὕτω καὶ τῷ Ἰωσήφ· δίκαιος γὰρ ἦν· δίκαιος δὲ τυγχάνων, οὐ θαυμαστὸν εἰ καὶ θείου Πνεύματος ἠξίωτο πρὸς τὸ συνεῖναι μὲν τῆς μελλούσης γαμετῆς κύησιν, ἐπισχεῖν δὲ τὴν κατὰ ἄνδρα κοινωνίαν. Αὐτίκα συνεὶς καὶ καταπλαγεὶς ἐβουλήθη λάθρα ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν· μείζονα ἢ κατὰ τὴν σὺν αὐτῷ διατριβὴν τὰ πεπραγμένα εἶναι λογισάμενος. Καὶ τοῦτο ἄρα ἦν τὸ αἴτιον, δι' ὃ, δίκαιος ὢν, οὐκ ἔκρινε μὲν δίκαιον εἶναι δειγματίσαι αὐτὴν, ἐβουλήθη δὲ λάθρα ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν· καὶ μὴν εἰ μὴ ἐξ ἁγίου Πνεύματος πέπειστο αὐτὴν συνειληφέναι, ἀκριβῶς εἰδὼς ὅτι μηδὲ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸ κατὰ γαστρὸς ἔφερε, τί δῆτα δίκαιος ὢν ὁ ἀνὴρ, οὐκ εἰς πάντας ἐξάγων τὴν διαφθαρεῖσαν πρὸ γάμου τὴν ὥραν, τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα κρίνειν παρεδίδου δράσασαν δειγματίσαι; πῶς δὲ δίκαιος ὁ τὴν παράνομον πρᾶξιν ἐπισκιάζειν καὶ ἐπικρύπτειν προθυμούμενος; ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰκὸς τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν δίκαιον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις φάναι, ἀλλὰ γὰρ συναισθόμενον διὰ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν θειοτέραν τῆς Παρθένου γεγονέναι κύησιν, καὶ κρείττονα τῆς σὺν αὐτῷ διατριβῆς ἡγησάμενον εἶναι τὴν οἰκονομίαν, εἰκότως φησὶν αὐτὸν διανενοῆσθαι λάθρα ἀπολῦσαι αὐτὴν μὴ δειγματισθεῖσαν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς φανερὰν γενομένην· εὖ γοῦν καὶ τὸ μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν δειγματίσαι εἰρῆσθαι δοκεῖ ὑπὸ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἔφησε μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν παραδειγματίσαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ δειγματίσαι θέλων· πολλῆς οὔσης ἐν τούτοις διαφορᾶς· ὡς γὰρ οὐ ταυτὸν σημαίνει τὸ γράψαι καὶ παραγράψαι, καὶ τὸ λογίσασθαι καὶ παραλογίσασθαι, καὶ ψηφίσαι καὶ παραψηφίσαι· οὕτως οὐδὲ τὸ δειγματίσαι καὶ παραδειγματίσαι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ παραδειγματίσαι, τὴν ἐπὶ κακῶς πράξαντι εἰς πάντας φανέρωσίν τε καὶ διαβολὴν ὑποβάλλει νοεῖν· τὸ δὲ δειγματίσαι, τὸ φανερὸν ἁπλῶς ποιῆσαι.

δʹ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τούτου γενομένου, εἰ καὶ λάθρα αὐτὴν ἀπολελύκει, μεῖζον ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἢ κατὰ τὸ λαθεῖν τοὺς πολλοὺς, εἰκότως ἐπιστὰς ὄναρ ὁ ἄγγελος ἔφη τῷ Ἰωσήφ· «Ἰωσὴφ Ἰωσὴφ υἱὸς ∆αβὶδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου.» Καὶ θέα γε ὡς πρῶτον υἱὸν ∆αβὶδ ἀνακαλεῖ, ἀναπέμπων ἐπὶ τὸν προπάτορα, διὰ τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αβὶδ τοῖς πᾶσι προσδοκώμενον· ἐπεὶ διὰ τί μὴ υἱὸν αὐτὸν ἔφησεν Ἰακώβ; οὗτος γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῦ κατὰ σάρκα πατὴρ, ὡς μαρτυρεῖ ὁ εὐαγγελιστής· «Ματθὰν δὲ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰακώβ· Ἰακὼβ δὲ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰωσήφ·» νῦν δὲπαρεὶς τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν μνήμην, τοῦ προπάτορος ὑπομιμνήσκει· μονονουχὶ σημαίνων ὡς ἄρα ὁ ἐπηγγελμένος τῷ ∆αβὶδ, οὗτος ἦν ὁ παραδόξως ὁ μὴ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἐκ Πνεύματος δὲ ἁγίου ὑπὸ τῆς Μαρίας κυούμενος· ἔπειτα δὲ αὐτῷ θαρσεῖν παρακελεύεται δι' ὃν εἶχεν φόβον· οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν γὰρ φόβος ἦν αὐτῷ συναισθομένῳ μὴ ἐξ ἀνδρὸς κεκυηκέναι τὴν Μαρίαν· κἄπειτα αὐτὸν διδάσκει οὐχ ὃ μὴ ἠγνόει, ἀλλὰ τοῦ καὶ πρότερον γιγνωσκομένου τὴν αἰτίαν· λέγει δ' οὖν· «Τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν, ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου.»