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And he provided both to his son Hezekiah the king, on the one hand by commanding the sun to turn back in heaven, and on the other hand by punishing the Assyrians on earth and indeed also granting him bodily health. 12And Ahaz said: I will not ask, nor will I tempt the Lord. But he used these words not as one believing even without a sign |108 b| but as one contradicting. For which reason the prophet no longer speaks to him but to the whole family of David and says: 13Hear then, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men? And how do you weary the Lord? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Symmachus and Aquila interpreted this more clearly: “Is it not enough for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?” Is it not enough for you, he says, to contradict the prophets, to oppose the divine servants, but you also openly disobey the Master himself when he commands? but nevertheless, even to you who are unwilling, he will give you a new and paradoxical sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive in her womb and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. This is truly a sign both into the depth and into the height. For both Theodotion and Aquila interpreted this thus: “Make it deep unto Hades or exalt it on high.” But Emmanuel has both descended into Hades and has ascended into heaven and has brought up to the heavens Adam who lay in Hades. However, he did not bring forth this prophecy at the present moment by chance but, since they feared the attack of the enemies who were threatening to destroy the Davidic kingdom, he necessarily teaches that they are attempting impossible things: For, he says, the Davidic lineage must be preserved, “until he comes for whom it is reserved” and grants the expected blessing to the nations. But I marvel at the shamelessness of the Jews for not accepting the prophecy of the virgin; for they say Aquila and Theodotion and Symmachus interpreted it not as 'virgin' but as 'young woman.' But they ought to have understood, first, that the testimony of the seventy men is truer than that made by three, especially having agreement in so great a number. And they also have trustworthiness from the time; for before the incarnation of our Savior they translated the divine scripture into the Greek language, having no pretext for maliciousness. In addition to this, divine grace also worked with them toward their agreement. But Theodotion and Aquila and Symmachus, after the Lord's epiphany, interpreted the divine scripture, and, thinking as Jews, they maliciously suppressed the Lord's prophecies. But nevertheless not even this has overshadowed the truth. For Moses the lawgiver is shown to have used the name of 'young woman' instead of the term 'virgin': “For if someone,” he says, “finds a young woman in the field and lies with her,” do this and that. But let us not grant that the lawgiver has said even this. For the term 'sign' is sufficient for a proof. For this birth is called a sign and a very great sign; but no one calls a sign that which happens every day; for if the birth is not virginal but from marriage, how is that which proceeds customarily according to nature addressed as a sign? But let us leave for the present the accusation of the Jews, and let us hold to the interpretation. Having prophesied the virgin's conception and the paradoxical birth, the prophet also added the name; for he named the infant Emmanuel. And the name signifies God with us, |109 a| the incarnate God, the God who has taken up human nature, the God who was united to this, the form of God and the form of a servant being known in one son. Then he foretells at the same time both the human and the divine things: 15Butter and honey he shall eat. This is human. Before he knows or chooses evil, he will choose the good. 16Because before the child knows good or evil, he refuses evil to choose the good. This is not according to man but beyond man. For the nature of men, as soon as it is born, does not receive the discernment of good and evil, but

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Ἀμφότερα δὲ τῷ τούτου παρέσχε παιδὶ Ἐζεκίᾳ τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐν οὐρανῷ μὲν ἀναστρέψαι κελεύσας τὸν ἥλιον, ἐν δὲ τῇ γῇ τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους κολάσας καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὴν σωματικὴν αὐτῷ δωρησάμενος ὑγείαν. 12Καὶ εἶπεν Ἄχαζ· Οὐ μὴ αἰτήσω οὐδὲ μὴ πειράσω κύριον. Τούτοις δὲ τοῖς λόγοις οὐχ ὡς καὶ δίχα σημείου πιστεύων |108 b| ἀλλ' ὡς ἀντιλέγων ἐχρήσατο. Οὗ δὴ χάριν ὁ προφήτης οὐκ αὐτῷ λοιπὸν ἀλλὰ πάσῃ τῇ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ διαλέγεται συγγενείᾳ καί φησιν· 13Ἀκούσατε δὴ οἶκος ∆αυίδ· Μὴ μικρὸν ὑμῖν ἀγῶνα παρέχειν ἀνθρώποις; Καὶ πῶς κυρίῳ παρέχετε ἀγῶνα; 14∆ιὰ τοῦτο δώσει κύριος αὐτὸς ὑμῖν σημεῖον. Τοῦτο σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσαν· «Μὴ οὐκ αὔταρκες ὑμῖν κοποῦν ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι κοποῦτε ἔτι καὶ τὸν θεόν μου;» Οὐκ ἀπόχρη φησὶν ὑμῖν τὸ τοῖς προφήταις ἀντι λέγειν, τὸ τοῖς θείοις ἀντιτείνειν θεράπουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ δεσπότῃ κελεύοντι προφανῶς ἀπειθεῖτε; ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ μὴ βουλομένοις σημεῖον ὑμῖν δώσει καινὸν καὶ παρά δοξον. Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ λήψεται καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ. Τοῦτο ἀληθῶς σημεῖον καὶ εἰς βάθος καὶ εἰς ὕψος. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεοδοτίων καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας οὕτως τοῦτο ἡρμήνευσαν· «Βάθυνον εἰς ᾅδην ἢ ὕψωσον ἄνω.» Ὁ δὲ Ἐμμανουὴλ καὶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην κατελήλυθε καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνελήλυθε καὶ τὸν εἰς τὸν ᾅδην κείμενον Ἀδὰμ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεβίβασεν. Ταύτην μέντοι τὴν προφητείαν οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος προήνεγκεν ἀλλ', ἐπειδὴ ἐδεδίεσαν τῶν πολεμίων τὴν προσ βολὴν καταλύσειν ἀπειλούντων τὴν ∆αυιτικὴν βασιλείαν, ἀναγκαίως διδάσκει ὡς ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειροῦσιν· ∆εῖ γάρ φησι φυλαχθῆναι τὸ ∆αυιτικὸν γένος, «ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ᾧ ἀπόκειται» καὶ παράσχῃ τὴν προσδοκωμένην εὐλογίαν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν ἀναίδειαν Ἰουδαίων θαυμάζω μὴ δεχομένων τῆς παρθένου τὴν πρόρρησιν· Ἀκύλας γάρ φασι καὶ Θεοδοτίων καὶ Σύμμαχος οὐ παρθένον ἀλλὰ «νεᾶνιν» ἡρμήνευσαν. Ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν πρῶτον μὲν ὡς τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἀνδρῶν ἡ μαρτυρία τῆς ὑπὸ τριῶν γιγνομένης ἀληθεστέρα, μάλιστα ἐν πλήθει τοσούτῳ τὸ σύμφωνον ἔχουσα. Ἔχουσι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ τὸ ἀξιόπιστον· πρὸ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνανθρωπήσεως μετέβαλον τὴν θείαν γραφὴν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν οὐδεμίαν πρόφασιν ἔχοντες κακουργίας. Πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ, ὅτι καὶ θεία χάρις αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν συμφωνίαν συνήργησεν. Θεοδοτίων δὲ καὶ Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος μετὰ τὴν δεσποτικὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἡρμήνευσαν τὴν θείαν γραφὴν καὶ τὰ Ἰουδαίων φρονοῦντες κακοήθως τὰς δεσποτικὰς προρρήσεις κατέβαλον. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ τοῦτο συνεσκίασε τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ τῆς νεάνιδος ὄνομα Μωυσῆς ὁ νομοθέτης ἀντὶ τῆς παρθένου προσηγορίας δείκνυται τεθεικώς· «Ἐὰν γάρ τίς» φησιν «εὕρῃ νεᾶνιν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ καὶ κοιμηθῇ μετ' αὐτῆς», τόδε καὶ τόδε ποιήσατε. Πλὴν μηδὲ τοῦτο δῶμεν εἰρηκέναι τὸν νομοθέτην. Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ἡ τοῦ σημείου προση γορία. Σημεῖον γὰρ καὶ σημεῖον μέγιστον οὗτος ὁ τόκος καλεῖται· οὐδεὶς δὲ σημεῖον καλεῖ τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν γιγνόμενον· εἰ γὰρ μὴ παρθενικός ἐστιν ἀλλὰ γαμικὸς ὁ τόκος, πῶς τὸ συνήθως κατὰ φύσιν ὁδεῦον σημεῖον προσαγορεύεται; Ἀλλὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίων κ ατηγορίαν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος καταλίπωμεν, τῆς δὲ ἑρμηνείας ἐχώμεθα. Προθεσπίσας τῆς παρθένου τὴν σύλληψιν ὁ προφήτης καὶ τὸν παράδοξον τόκον, καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐπέθηκεν· Ἐμμανουὴλ γὰρ τὸ βρέφος ὠνόμασεν. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τοὔνομα τὸν μεθ' ἡμῶν |109 a| θεόν, τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα θεόν, τὸν τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν ἀνειληφότα θεόν, τὸν ἑνωθέντα ταύτῃ θεόν, τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ μορφὴν καὶ τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν ἐν ἑνὶ υἱῷ γνωριζομένην. Εἶτα προαγορεύει κατὰ ταὐτὸν καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπεια καὶ τὰ θεῖα· 15Βούτυρον καὶ μέλι φάγεται. Τοῦτο ἀνθρώπειον. Πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι αὐτὸν ἢ προελέσθαι πονηρίαν ἐκλέξεται τὸ ἀγαθόν. 16∆ιότι πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακόν, ἀπειθεῖ πονηρίᾳ τοῦ ἐκλέξασθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν. Τοῦτο οὐ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον. Τῶν γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις οὐκ εὐθὺς τικτομένη τὴν διάκρισιν δέχεται τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τοῦ χείρονος, ἀλλὰ