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born without a man from an undefiled virgin? His majesty and preeminence are demonstrated by His being hymned and worshipped by His brothers and the sons of His own mother. And He is shown to be a trophy-bearing king from having His hands on the back of His enemies who have been turned to flight. 2.39 What was promised by God in the prophet Ezekiel also harmonizes with what was written concerning the resurrection of the one who is hymned, saying to those whom He wishes to benefit and save: “I will raise up for you one shepherd, my servant David,” the one who said in the Gospel: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” of whom He is the flock-leader and best shepherd, facing danger for them; 2.40 for He dies, “by the grace of God having tasted death for everyone,” so that, having shown them to be alive, He might give glory to the Lord Almighty. For about Him Micah the holy prophet, prophesying, proclaimed beforehand in the manner of a hymn, saying: “And He will stand and see and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, and they will exist in the name of their God Almighty,” partaking, that is, of Him who said to the hierophant Moses: “I am who I am.” 2.41 And just as the best shepherd, the one mighty in hand being the true David, was raised up to pasture the sheep that hear the voice of Jesus, being “the sheep of the hand” of Jesus and “the people of His pasture,” so the best general, sent by the good pleasure of the Father, He who sprang up from a shoot as was recently said, turned the frightened enemies to flight, laying his hands upon their back. 2.42 He is hymned and glorified by His own brothers, having been shown to be their firstborn, according to the voice of the Apostle: “Those whom He foreknew and predestined,” that is, God, “to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers”; concerning whom the firstborn says to God: “I will declare Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the church I will sing praise to You.” 2.43 And these things are said about the one who is glorified being from Abraham and David, as Matthew writes: “The book of the genealogy [of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.” 2.44 Appropriately to the brothers who praise Him, the sons of His mother also, clearly that of the Jerusalem above, worship Him “in spirit and in truth,” in the same way as the angels, concerning whom it is said: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 2.45 And all the mighty deeds have been accomplished, with the prophecy which runs thus having received its fulfillment: “There shall be the root of Jesse, and He who rises to rule the nations; in Him will the nations hope.” 2.46 The saying of Jeremiah just mentioned has the same force as the ruler of all the nations rising from the root of Jesse. For “the king of the nations rising from the root of Jesse” is the same as this: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, and I will raise to David a righteous branch, a king who will reign, in whose days he who confesses, called “Judah” in the Hebrew language, will be saved,” and the mind that sees God, addressed as “Israel,” “will dwell in confidence,” according to what is said by those who give thanks to the Master of all: “Have mercy on us, Lord, for in You we have put our trust.” About everyone who stands so confidently and courageously it is written: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his hope.” 2.47 And what name shall be called for the king who reigns, who rose from David, who understood when the Spirit of God rested upon Him—being a spirit of wisdom and understanding— who brought judgment and righteousness upon the earth, other than “Josedech among the prophets”? “Josedech” is interpreted as righteousness being in the prophets, who foretell its coming to us, according to what is announced in the hymns, in one place: “Righteousness has looked down from heaven,” and in another: “In His days righteousness will spring up.” 2.48

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ἄνευ ἀνδρὸς ἐξ ἀχράντου παρθένου τεχθείς; Παρίσταται ἡ μεγαλειότης καὶ ὑπεροχὴ αὐτοῦ τῷ ὑμνεῖσθαι καὶ προσκυνεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ υἱῶν τῆς μητρὸς τῆς ἰδίας. ∆είκνυται δὲ καὶ τροπαιοῦχος βασιλεὺς ὑπάρχων ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ νώτου τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἑαυτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας ἔχειν εἰς φυγὴν τραπέντων. 2.39 Συνᾴδει τοῖς γραφεῖσι περὶ ἀναστάσεως τοῦ ὑμνουμένου καὶ τὸ ἐν Ἰεζεκιὴλ τῷ προφήτῃ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ ἐπαγγελλόμενον, λέγοντος πρὸς οὓς εὐεργετῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι βούλεται· «Ἀναστήσω ὑμῖν ποιμένα ἕνα, τὸν δοῦλόν μου ∆αυίδ», τὸν εἰρηκότα ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός. Ὁ καλὸς ποιμὴντὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων», ὧν ἐστιν ἀγελάρχης καὶ νομεὺς ἄριστος, προκινδυνεύων αὐτῶν· 2.40 ἀποθνῄσκει γάρ, «χάριτι Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γευσάμενος θανάτου», ἵνα, ζῶντας αὐτοὺς ἀποδείξας, δόξαν Κυρίου παντοκράτορος παράσχῃ. Περὶ αὐτοῦ γὰρ θεσπίζων Μιχαίας ὁ ἅγιος προφήτης, τρόπῳ ὑμνῳδίας προανεφών̣η̣σεν φήσας· «Καὶ στήσεται καὶ ὄψεται καὶ ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύϊ Κύριος, καὶ ἐν ὀνόματι Θεοῦ παντοκράτορος αὐτῶν ὑπάρξουσιν», μετέχοντες δηλαδὴ τοῦ εἰπόντος τῷ ἱεροφάντῃ Μωϋσεῖ· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν.» 2.41 Ὥσπερ δὲ ποιμὴν ἄριστο̣ς, ὁ ἱκανὸς τῇ χειρὶ ἀληθινὸς ὢν ∆αυίδ, ἀνέστη ἐπὶ τῷ νέμειν τὰ πρόβατα τὰ τῆς φωνῆς Ἰησοῦ ἀκούοντα, «πρόβατα τῆς χειρὸς» τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ «λαὸς τῆς νομῆς αὐτοῦ» ὑπάρχοντα, οὕτω ἄριστος στρατηγὸς ἀποσταλεὶς εὐδοκίᾳ Πατρὸς ὁ ἐκ βλαστοῦ ἀνατείλας ὡς ὑπόγυον ἐλέχθη, εἰς φυγὴν τοὺς πολεμίους φοβηθέντας τρέψας, τὰς χεῖρας ἐπαγαγὼν τῷ νώτῳ αὐτῶν. 2.42 Ὑμνεῖται καὶ δοξολογεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ἀδελφῶν πρωτότοκος αὐτῶν ἀποδειχθείς, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου φωνήν· «Οὓς προέγνω καὶ προώρισεν», ὁ Θεὸς δηλαδή, «συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς»· περὶ ὧν τῷ Θεῷ ὁ πρωτότοκός φησιν· «Ἀπαγγελῶ τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου· ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε.» 2.43 Λέγεται δὲ ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ δοξολογουμένου ὄντος ἐκ τοῦ ᾿Α̣βραὰμ καὶ ∆αυίδ, ὡς ὁ Ματθαῖος γράφει· «Βίβλος γενέσεως [ ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ ∆αυὶδ υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ.» 2.44 Καταλλήλως τοῖς αἰνοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἀδ̣ελφοῖς, καὶ οἱ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ υἱοί, δῆλον δ' ὅτι τῆς ἄνω Ἰερουσαλήμ, προσκυνοῦσιν αὐτὸν «ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ», τῷ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· «Προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ.» 2.45 Κατώρθωνται δὲ πᾶσαι αἱ ἀριστεῖαι, τέλος λαβούσης τῆς ὧδε ἐχούσης προφητείας· «Ἔσται ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ καὶ ὁ ἀνιστάμενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν· ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.» 2.46 Ἰσοδυναμούντως τῷ ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ ἀνίστασθαι τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν ἐθνῶν πάντων, καὶ τὸ ἀρτίως εἰρημένον ἔχει τοῦ Ἰερεμίου ῥητόν. Ταὐτὸν γὰρ τῷ «ἀνίστασθαι ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν ἐθνῶν», τό· «Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἀναστήσω τῷ ∆αυὶδ ἀνατολὴν δικαίαν, βασιλεύοντα βασιλέα, οὗ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις σωθήσεται» ὁ ἐξομολογούμενος, «Ἰούδας» Ἑβραίων φωνῇ καλούμενος, καὶ ὁ νοῦς ὁρῶν Θεόν, «Ἰσραὴλ» προσαγορευόμενος, «κατασκη̣νώσει πεποιθώς», κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθομολογουμένων τῷ πάντων δεσπότῃ· «Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐπί σοι πεποίθαμεν.» Περὶ παντὸς τοῦ οὕτω θαρραλέως καὶ ἀνδρείως ἑστηκότος γέγραπται· «Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃς πέποιθεν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἔσται Κύριος ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ.» 2.47 Τί δὲ κληθήσεται ὄνομα τῷ ἀναστάντι ἐκ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ βασιλεύοντι βασιλεῖ, συνήσαντι ἀναπαέντος ἐπ' αὐτὸν Πνεύματος τοῦ Θεοῦ-σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως πνεῦμα τυγχάνον, - ποιήσαντι κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἢ τὸ «Ἰωσεδὲκ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις»; Ἑρμηνεύεται τὸ «Ἰωσεδὲκ» δικαιοσύνη ἐν τοῖς προφήταις οὖσα, προθεσπίζουσιν αὐτῆς τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιδημίαν, κατὰ τὸ ἐν ὕμνοις ἀπαγγελλόμενον ὅπου μέν· «∆ικαιοσύνη ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν», ὅπου δέ· «Ἀνατελεῖ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνην». 2.48