48

of evil. For at his very birth, being a judge by nature, he will be a doer of good things and a rejector of evil things; which also represents his universal judgment. Wickedness being cast away, but virtue obtaining its due rewards; but the Jews oppose the version of the Seventy, because it says Virgin, and not young woman, as the Hebrew Scripture has it, which signifies one in her prime, but not necessarily a woman inexperienced in marriage. And how is it a sign, that is, a wonder, for a woman to bear a child from a man? For a sign is the manifestation of something monstrous and altered from the custom of men. And how is he who was born from the will of the flesh called Emmanuel? For if what is given is a sign, the birth also will be paradoxical. How is it a sign? And how again is he called Emmanuel? But that Scripture has also specifically called a Virgin a young woman is clear from what it says in Deuteronomy: "But if he find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her, then ye shall kill the man only. And unto the young woman you shall do nothing," and so on. And in the second book of Kings, the virgin Abishag who kept David warm is called a young woman, concerning whom it says: And the king knew her not. Therefore, Emmanuel is from a holy Virgin, the one who said: And how shall this be to me, since I know not a man? To whom the angel said: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. She is not subject to the law concerning purification. For it says in Deuteronomy: A woman who has conceived seed and borne a male child shall be unclean for seven days. But the mother of Emmanuel, not having conceived seed, is both pure and undefiled. For since the first Adam was not made from marital union, but was formed, having been taken from the earth, so also the last Adam, renewing his corruption, receives the body 1965 formed in the virginal womb, so that he might be in the likeness of sinful flesh. And lest the paradox of the birth become unbelievable to those who do not accept the divine economy, the Creator made certain animals to be born from the female alone, without males. For such things are recorded concerning vultures in the writing on animals. But again the Jews say that these things are said concerning the wife of Ahaz, indicating Hezekiah who was born from her. And who called him Emmanuel? And how did he refuse evil before he knew good or evil? and how is this a sign? And we shall say the same thing again: What was the purpose now of speaking about his birth? but he had already been born, if one were to examine the times of both the present prophecy and of his birth. Therefore, Emmanuel is the Word of God incarnate, whom you also, it says, shall call, O house of David; that is, you shall confess God having appeared in human form, re-creating Adam. Therefore, as he was before sin, in ignorance of known good and evil by experience; so also Emmanuel, in his child-like state, imitated the still innocent and invulnerable state of Adam. And in rejecting evil, he corrected the transgression that came from disobedience. Now, therefore, it says, take courage because of my love for mankind. For the kings shall not take your land; rather, later on because of the wonder that is to happen concerning Emmanuel, let him now take as a trustworthy pledge the deliverance of the land, because of which you have been afraid. For it is not possible, when the Savior has been announced, that freedom should not now come to you who are besieged. But there will also come upon you, O house of David, such things as never were; signifying the terrible things brought on by the Assyrians, and according to some, by the Romans, such as has not happened since those who dwell in Samaria drew upon themselves the attack of the Assyrians. For having committed greater impiety, they did not allow you to suffer first. But as for the land being abandoned, some have interpreted it thus: when the virgin, having conceived in her womb, shall bear a child, and you shall call his name Emmanuel, then all those who trouble the holy land will abandon it. For those who warred against the Church, seeing her invincibility, gave up and left her, as from God

48

κακοῦ. Παρ' αὐτὴν γὰρ τὴν γέννησιν κριτὴς ὢν, ἐκ φύσεως, ἀγαθῶν ἔσται ποιητικὸς καὶ κακῶν ἀφοριστικός· ὅπερ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν καθόλου κρίσιν παρίστησιν. Πονηρίας μὲν ἀποῤῥιπτομένης, ἀρετῆς δὲ τῶν προσηκόντων τυγχανούσης γέρων· ἀνθίστανται δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι τῇ ἐκδόσει τῶν Ἐβδομήκοντα, διὰ τὸ Παρθένον εἰρῆσθαι, καὶ μὴ νεᾶνιν, ὡς ἡ τῶν Ἑβραίων ἕχει Γραφὴ, ὅπερ δηλοῖ τὴν ἀκμάζουσαν, ἀλλ' οὐ γάμων ἄπειρον πάντως γυναῖκα. Καὶ πῶς σημεῖον, ἤτει θαυμαστὸν, ἐξ ἀνδρὸς γυναῖκα τεκεῖν; τὸ γὰρ σημεῖον, τεραστίου τινὸς καὶ παρηλλαγμένου τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων συνηθείας ἐστὶν ἐπίδειξις. Πῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ θελήματος σαρκὸς γεννηθὲν Ἐμμανουὴλ ὀνομάζεται; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ σημεῖόν ἐστι τὸ δοθὲν, παράδοξος ἔσται καὶ ἡ γέννησις. Πῶς σημεῖον; Πῶς δὲ πάλιν Ἐμμανουὴλ προσηγόρευται; Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τὴν Παρθένον νεᾶνιν ἰδίως κέκληκεν ἡ Γραφὴ, δῆλον ἐξ ὧν ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ φησίν· "Ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ εὕρῃ τὴν παῖδα τὴν μεμνηστευμένην, καὶ ἐκβιασάμενος κοιμηθῇ μετ' αὐτῆς, ἀποκτενεῖτε τὸν ἄνθρωπον μόνον. Καὶ τῇ νεάνιδι ποιήσετε οὐδὲν," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Βασιλειῶν, ἡ θάλπουσα τὸν ∆αβὶδ παρθένος ἡ Ἀβισὰκ νεᾶνις εἴρηται, περὶ ἧς φησιν· Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν. Ἐκ Παρθένου τοίνυν ἁγίας ὁ Ἐμμανουὴλ, τῆς εἰπούσης· Καὶ πῶς ἔσται μοι τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω; Πρὸς ἣν εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος· Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σὲ, καὶ δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι. Αὐτὴ ὑπόδικος οὐκ ἔστι τῷ περὶ καθαρισμοῦ νόμῳ. Φησὶ γὰρ ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ· Γυνὴ ἥτις ἂν σπερματισθῇ καὶ τεκῇ ἄρσεν, ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας. Μὴ σπερματισθεῖσα δὲ τοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ ἡ μήτηρ, καθαρά τέ ἐστι καὶ ἀμίαντος. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ πρῶτος Ἀδὰμ οὐκ ἐκ συνόδου γέγονε γαμικῆς, ἐκ δὲ τῆς γῆς ἐπλάσθη ληφθεὶς, καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος ἀνακαινίζων αὐτοῦ τὴν φθορὰν, ἐν τῇ παρθενικῇ μήτρᾳ διαπλασθὲν τὸ σῶμα 1965 λαμβάνει, ὡς ἂν ἐν ὁμοιώματι γένηται τῷ τῆς ἁμαρτίας διὰ σαρκός. Ὡς ἂν δὲ μὴ τὸ παράδοξον τῆς γεννήσεως τοῖς μὴ παραδεχομένοις τὴν θείαν οἰκονομίαν, ἄπιστον γένηται· ἔκτισέ τινα τῶν ζώων ὁ ∆ημιουργὸς ἐκ θηλείας μόνης, χωρὶς ἀῤῥένων τικτόμενα. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ περὶ γυπῶν ἐν τῇ περὶ ζώων ἱστορεῖται συγγραφῇ. Πάλιν δέ φασιν Ἰουδαῖοι περὶ τῆς Ἄχαζ ταῦτα λέγεσθαι γυναικὸς τὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς γενόμενον Ἐζεκίας μηνύοντα. Καὶ τίς ἐκάλεσε τοῦτον Ἐμμανουήλ; Πῶς δὲ ἠπείθησε πονηρίᾳ πρὶν γνῶναι ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακόν; πῶς δὲ τοῦτο σημεῖον; Τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἐροῦμεν· Τί δὲ προὔκειτο νῦν περὶ τῆς τούτου λέγειν γενέσεως; ἀλλὰ καὶ ἦν ἤδη τεχθεὶς, εἴ τις τοὺς χρόνους σκοπήσειε τῆς τε παρούσης προφητείας, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου γενέσεως. Οὐκοῦν Ἐμμανουὴλ Θεοῦ Λόγος ὁ σαρκωθεὶς, ὃν καὶ σὺ, φησὶν, καλέσεις, ὦ οἶκος ∆αβίδ· τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ὁμολογήσεις τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἀνθρωπείᾳ μορφῇ πεφηνότα, τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀνακτίζοντα. Τοιγαροῦν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἦν πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ γνωστοῦ καλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ κατὰ πεῖραν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ἐν τῇ παιδικῇ διαθέσει, τὸ ἀκέραιον καὶ ἄτρωτον ἔτι τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἐμιμήσατο. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀθετεῖν πονηρίαν, τὴν ἐκ τῆς παρακοῆς παρανομίαν ἐπηνωρθώσατο. Νῦν μὲν οὖν, φησὶ, διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν φιλανθρωπίαν θαῤῥήσατε. Οὐ γὰρ λήψονται τὴν γῆν τὴν ὑμετέραν οἱ βασιλεῖς· μᾶλλον δὲ, τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ μέλλοντος γίνεσθαι θαύματος ὕστερον, ἀξιόπιστον νῦν ἐνέχυρον λαμβανέτω, τὴν γῆν ἐλευθερωθῆναι, δι' ἥνπερ πεφόβησαι. Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε τοῦ Σωτῆρος εὐαγγελισθέντος μὴ γενέσθαι νῦν ὑμῖν πολιορκουμένοις ἐλευθερίαν. Πλὴν ἥξει καὶ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, ὁ οἷκος ∆αβὶδ, οἷα μηδέ ποτε· σημαίνων τὰ ἐκ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων, κατὰ δέ τινας, Ῥωμαίων ἐπενεχθέντα δεινὰ, καθὰ οὐ γέγονεν, ἐξ οὗπερ οἱ τὴν Σαμάρειαν οἰκοῦντες εἰς ἑαυτοὺς περιέσπασαν τὴν Ἀσσυρίων ἔφοδον. Μείζω γὰρ ἀσεβήσαντες, οὐκ ἀφῆκαν ὑμᾶς πρώτους παθεῖν. Τὸ δὲ καταλειφθῆναι τὴν γῆν, τινὲς οὕτως ἑρμήνευσαν· ὅταν ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ λαβοῦσα τέκῃ, καὶ σὺ καλέσῃς τοὔνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, τότε πάντες οἱ παρενοχλοῦντες τῇ ἁγίᾳ γῇ, καταλείψουσιν αὐτήν. Οἱ γὰρ πολεμήσαντες τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, τὸ ἄμαχον αὐτῆς ἰδόντες, ἀπεῖπον ἀφέντες αὐτὴν, ὡς παρὰ Θεοῦ