John Chrysostom, On Matthew

what was said was easily received. For this reason the angel did not speak from the beginning; and the Virgin also was silent for the same reason. For she did not think she would be believed by her betrothed, announcing a strange matter; but rather that she would provoke him, as if concealing a sin that had been committed. For if she herself, who was about to receive so great a grace, 57.45 suffers something human, and says: How shall this be, since I know not a man? much more would he have doubted; and especially hearing it from the woman who was under suspicion. 5. For these reasons the Virgin says nothing to him, but the angel appears when the time calls for it. For what reason then, he says, did he not do this in the case of the Virgin also, and announce the good news to her after the conception? So that she might not be in confusion and great turmoil. For it was likely, not knowing the clear truth, that she would have contrived something dreadful for herself, and resorted to a noose, and to a sword, not bearing the shame. For the Virgin was wonderful, and Luke shows her virtue, saying that when she heard the salutation, she did not immediately pour herself out, nor did she accept what was said; but was troubled, seeking what manner of salutation this might be. But she, being so discerning, would have been driven out of her mind by despair, considering the shame, and not expecting, whatever she might say, to persuade any of her hearers that what had happened was not adultery. Therefore, that these things might not happen, the angel came before the conception. For it was necessary for that womb, which the Creator of all had entered, to be free from disturbance. And for the soul, which was deemed worthy to become the minister of such mysteries, to be delivered from all turmoil. For these reasons he speaks to the Virgin before the conception, but to Joseph at the time of the birth-pangs; which many of the simpler sort, not understanding, said was a discrepancy, because Luke says that he announced the good news to Mary, but Matthew that he announced it to Joseph, not knowing that both happened. Which it is necessary to observe throughout the entire history; for in this way we will resolve many seeming discrepancies. The angel therefore comes, when Joseph was troubled. For both for the reasons stated, and that his wisdom might be shown, he delays his appearance. But when the deed was about to come to pass, he then appears. And as he thought on these things, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream. Do you see the forbearance of the man? Not only that he did not punish her, but that he did not even speak of it to anyone, not even to her who was suspected, but reasoned within himself, and was eager to hide the cause even from the Virgin herself. For it does not say, He wished to cast her out, but to put her away; so gentle and forbearing was the man. And as he thought on these things, the angel appears in a dream. And why not openly, as to the shepherds and to Zacharias and to the Virgin? The man was exceedingly faithful, and had no need of this kind of vision. For the Virgin, since she was receiving very great good news, even greater than that of Zacharias, and before the event, needed an extraordinary vision as well; and the shepherds, since they were of a more rustic disposition. But he, after the birth, when his soul was now possessed by wicked suspicion, and was ready to change to better hopes, if someone should appear to guide him to this, easily accepts the revelation. Therefore after the 57.46 suspicion he receives the good news, so that this very thing might become for him a proof of what was said. For his having spoken to no one, but hearing the angel say the very things he had thought in his mind, provided him with an indisputable sign that the one speaking had come from God; for it is His alone to know the secrets of the heart. See then how many things happen: both the wisdom of the man is shown, and what was spoken opportunely contributes to his faith, and the account becomes free from suspicion, showing that he suffered what a man would likely suffer. 2. How then does the angel convince him? Hear, and marvel at the wisdom of what was said. For coming he says: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife. Immediately he reminds him of David, from whom the Christ was to be, and does not let him

εὐπαράδεκτον ἦν τὸ λεγόμενον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ ἄγγελος· καὶ ἡ Παρθένος δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκεν αἰτίας ἐσίγησεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐνόμιζε πιστεύεσθαι παρὰ τῷ μνηστῆρι, πρᾶγμα ἀπαγγέλλουσα ξένον· ἀλλὰ καὶ παροξύνειν μᾶλλον αὐτὸν, ὡς ἁμάρτημα γεγενημένον συσκιάζουσα. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὴ ἡ ὑποδέχεσθαι μέλλουσα τοσαύτην χάριν, 57.45 ἀνθρώπινόν τι πάσχει, καί φησι· Πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω; πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνος ἀμφέβαλλεν ἄν· καὶ μάλιστα παρὰ γυναικὸς ἀκούων τῆς ὑποπτευομένης. εʹ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ἡ Παρθένος μὲν οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγει, ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος τοῦ καιροῦ καλοῦντος ἐφίσταται. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, οὐχὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Παρθένου τοῦτο ἐποίησε, καὶ μετὰ τὴν κύησιν αὐτὴν εὐηγγελίσατο; Ἵνα μὴ ἐν ταραχῇ ᾖ καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ. Καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν, τὸ σαφὲς οὐκ εἰδυῖαν, καὶ βουλεύσασθαί τι περὶ ἑαυτῆς ἄτοπον, καὶ ἐπὶ βρόχον ἐλθεῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ ξίφος, οὐ φέρουσαν τὴν αἰσχύνην. Καὶ γὰρ θαυμαστὴ ἦν ἡ Παρθένος, καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτῆς τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁ Λουκᾶς, λέγων ὅτι ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἀσπασμὸν ἤκουσεν, οὐκ εὐθέως ἑαυτὴν ἐξέχεεν, οὐδὲ ἐδέξατο τὸ λεχθέν· ἀλλ' ἐταράχθη ζητοῦσα τὸ, ποταπὸς εἴη ὁ ἀσπασμός. Ἡ δὲ οὕτως οὖσα διηκριβωμένη, κἂν ἐξέστη τῇ ἀθυμίᾳ τὴν αἰσχύνην λογιζομένη, καὶ οὐ προσδοκῶσα, ὅσα ἂν λέγῃ, πείσειν τινὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων, ὅτι οὐ μοιχεία τὸ γεγενημένον. Ἵν' οὖν ταῦτα μὴ γένηται, ἦλθε πρὸ τῆς συλλήψεως ὁ ἄγγελος. Καὶ γὰρ ἔδει ταραχῆς ἐκτὸς εἶναι τὴν νηδὺν ἐκείνην, ᾗ ὁ πάντων ∆ημιουργὸς ἐπέβη. Καὶ παντὸς ἀπηλλάχθαι θορύβου τὴν ψυχὴν, τὴν καταξιωθεῖσαν τοιούτων γενέσθαι διάκονον μυστηρίων. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα τῇ μὲν Παρθένῳ πρὸ τῆς κυήσεως, τῷ δὲ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῶν ὠδίνων διαλέγεται· ὃ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀφελεστέρων οὐ συνειδότες, διαφωνίαν ἔφασαν εἶναι, διὰ τὸ τὸν μὲν Λουκᾶν λέγειν, ὅτι τῇ Μαρίᾳ εὐηγγελίζετο, τὸν δὲ Ματθαῖον, ὅτι τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι ἀμφότερα γέγονεν. Ὅπερ ἀναγκαῖον παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἱστορίαν παρατηρεῖν· καὶ γὰρ πολλὰς οὕτω λύσομεν δοκούσας εἶναι διαφωνίας. Ἔρχεται τοίνυν ὁ ἄγγελος, θορυβουμένου τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἕνεκεν, καὶ ἵνα φανῇ αὐτοῦ ἡ φιλοσοφία, ἀναβάλλεται τὴν παρουσίαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ ἔργον ἔμελλεν ἐκβαίνειν, παραγίνεται λοιπόν. Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμηθέντος, ἄγγελος κατ' ὄναρ φαίνεται τῷ Ἰωσήφ. Ὁρᾷς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν ἐπιείκειαν; Οὐ μόνον ὅτι οὐκ ἐκόλασεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξεῖπέ τινι, οὐδὲ αὐτῇ τῇ ὑποπτευομένῃ, ἀλλὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐλογίζετο, καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ Παρθένῳ σπουδάζων κρύψαι τὴν αἰτίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτὴν ἤθελεν, ἀλλ' Ἀπολῦσαι· τοσοῦτον ἦν ἥμερος καὶ ἐπιεικὴς ὁ ἀνήρ. Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμουμένου, κατ' ὄναρ φαίνεται ὁ ἄγγελος. Καὶ διὰ τί μὴ φανερῶς, καθὼς τοῖς ποιμέσι καὶ τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ καὶ τῇ Παρθένῳ; Σφόδρα πιστὸς ἦν ὁ ἀνὴρ, καὶ οὐκ ἐδεῖτο τῆς ὄψεως ταύτης. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ Παρθένος, ἅτε πολὺ μέγα εὐαγγελιζομένη, καὶ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου μεῖζον, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πράγματος, ἔχρῃζε καὶ παραδόξου ὄψεως· οἱ δὲ ποιμένες, ἅτε ἀγροικικώτερον διακείμενοι. Οὗτος δὲ μετὰ τὸν τόκον, τῆς ψυχῆς λοιπὸν ὑπὸ τῆς πονηρᾶς ὑποψίας καταληφθείσης, καὶ ἑτοίμου οὔσης πρὸς χρηστὰς μεταθέσθαι ἐλπίδας, εἰ φανείη τις ὁ πρὸς τοῦτο ὁδηγῶν, εὐκόλως δέχεται τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν. ∆ιὸ μετὰ τὴν 57.46 ὑποψίαν εὐαγγελίζεται, ἵνα αὐτὸ τοῦτο γένηται αὐτῷ τῶν λεγομένων ἀπόδειξις. Τὸ γὰρ μηδενὶ ἐξειπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἃ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐνεθυμήθη, ταῦτα ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος τοῦ ἀγγέλου, ἀναμφισβήτητον αὐτῷ παρεῖχε σημεῖον τοῦ παρὰ Θεοῦ λέγοντα ἀφῖχθαι· αὐτοῦ γὰρ μόνου τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς καρδίας εἰδέναι ἐστίν. Ὅρα γοῦν πόσα γίνεται· καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς φιλοσοφία διαδείκνυται, καὶ πρὸς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῷ συμβάλλεται τὸ εὐκαίρως λεχθὲν, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἀνύποπτος γίνεται, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἔπαθεν ἅπερ εἰκὸς ἦν παθεῖν ἄνδρα. ʹ. Πῶς οὖν αὐτὸν πιστοῦται ὁ ἄγγελος; Ἄκουσον, καὶ θαύμασον τὴν σοφίαν τῶν εἰρημένων. Ἐλθὼν γάρ φησιν· Ἰωσὴφ υἱὸς ∆αυῒδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου. Εὐθέως αὐτὸν ἀναμιμνήσκει τοῦ ∆αυῒδ, ὅθεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν