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of the world,” and again: “all the nations shall serve him,” “and in you shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed.” And a certain place again, designated for the birth of the one prophesied, is declared by Micah, saying: “and you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are too little to be among the thousands of Judah; out of you shall come forth for me a leader, who will shepherd my people Israel. And his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” 3.2.47 It is acknowledged by all that in Bethlehem Jesus the Christ was born, so that a cave is even shown there by the locals to those who come from abroad to see it. 3.2.48 And this was the place, where he was to be born, foretold. And the wonder of his birth Isaiah presents sometimes through riddles, and sometimes more clearly; through riddles, when he says: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? We announced before him as a child, as a root in a thirsty land,” 3.2.49 for which Aquila interpreted thus: “and he will be spoken of as a nursling in his presence, and as a root from an impassable land,” and Theodotion: “and he will come up as a suckling before him, and as a root in a thirsty land.” 3.2.50 For by means of these things the prophet, having mentioned the arm of the Lord, who was the Word of God, says, “before him we announced as a child” “suckling” and “nursling,” and “as a root from an impassable land.” The child, then, “nursling” and “suckling,” clearly signifies the birth of Christ, and the “impassable and thirsty land” the virgin who bore him, whom no man had approached, from whom, though being impassable, came forth the blessed root, and the “nursling” and “suckling” child. 3.2.51 But these things he intimated obscurely; but the same prophet interprets the meaning more plainly when he says: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name ‘God with us’”; for this is what Emmanuel means. 3.2.52 Such things concerning the birth of Christ among men were studied long ago among the Hebrews. Do they then describe the one prophesied as some glorious potentate or tyrant or one otherwise able to do great things in life? It cannot be said, since no such person has appeared. 3.2.53 But as he appeared in life, so also they prophesied he would be, having in no way fallen short of the truth. So then Isaiah, having said, “we announced before him, as a child, as a root in a thirsty land,” next connects this, saying: “He has no form nor glory. And we saw him, and he had no form nor beauty, and his form was dishonored, failing beyond the sons of men; a man in suffering and knowing how to bear sickness, he was dishonored and not esteemed.” 3.2.54 What then is left after these things? For if they foretold his tribe and race and manner of birth and the wonder of the virgin and his way of life, it was fitting that they should next not be silent about his death. What then does Isaiah also prophesy concerning this? “A man,” he says, “in suffering and knowing how to bear sickness, he was dishonored and not esteemed.” 3.2.55 This one bears our sins and is in pain for us, and we considered him to be in trouble and in suffering and in affliction. But he was wounded for our sins, and was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, by his stripe we were healed. 3.2.56 We all went astray like sheep, and the Lord delivered him up for our sins. And he, because he was afflicted, does not open his mouth; he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth. Who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth,” and the rest. 3.2.57 And by these things he signifies that Christ, being without any fault, will take upon himself the sins of men. Therefore he will also suffer the things of sinners and will be in pain for us, but not for himself. And if also

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οἰκουμένης», καὶ αὖθις· «πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ», «καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς». Καὶ τόπος δέ τις πάλιν ἀφωρισμένος τῆς τοῦ προφητευομένου γενέσεως θεσπίζεται ὑπὸ Μιχαίου λέγοντος· «καὶ σὺ Βηθλεὲμ οἶκος Ἐφραθά, ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ. καὶ αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος». 3.2.47 ὡμολόγηται δὲ παρὰ τοῖς πᾶσιν ὅτι ἐν Βηθλεὲμ ἐγεννήθη Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, ὡς καὶ σπήλαιον δείκνυσθαι πρὸς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων αὐτόθι τοῖς ἐπὶ θέαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀλλοδαπῆς ἀφικνουμένοις. 3.2.48 καὶ ὁ μὲν τόπος οὗτος, ἔνθα γεγεννῆσθαι ἔμελλεν, προείρητο. Τῆς δὲ γενέσεως αὐτοῦ τὸ θαῦμα ποτὲ μὲν δι' αἰνιγμάτων, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ λευκότερον ὁ Ἡσαΐας παρίστησι· δι' αἰνιγμάτων μέν, ὅταν λέγῃ· «κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσε τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη; ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ὡς παιδίον, ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ», 3.2.49 ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσεν οὕτως· «καὶ ἀναρρηθήσεται ὡς τιθιζόμενον εἰς πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὡς ῥίζα ἀπὸ γῆς ἀβάτου», ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων· «καὶ ἀναβήσεται ὡς θηλάζον ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ». 3.2.50 διὰ γὰρ τούτων μνημονεύσας ὁ προφήτης τοῦ βραχίονος τοῦ κυρίου, ὃς ἦν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, «ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ», φησίν, «ἀνηγγείλαμεν ὡς παιδίον» «θηλάζον» καὶ «τιθιζόμενον», καὶ «ὡς ῥίζαν ἀπὸ γῆς ἀβάτου». τὸ μὲν οὖν παιδίον τὸ «τιθιζόμενον» καὶ «θηλάζον» ἄντικρυς τὴν γένεσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δηλοῖ, ἡ δὲ «γῆ ἡ ἄβατος καὶ διψῶσα» τὴν ἀποκυήσασαν αὐτὸν παρθένον, ἧς οὐδεὶς ἀνὴρ ἐπιβέβηκεν, ἀφ' ἧς καίπερ ἀβάτου τυγχανούσης προῆλθεν ἡ εὐλογημένη ῥίζα, καὶ τὸ «τιθιζόμενον» καὶ «θηλάζον» παιδίον. 3.2.51 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπεσκιασμένως ᾐνίξατο· γυμνότερον δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς ἑρμηνεύει προφήτης τὴν διάνοιαν, ἐπὰν λέγῃ· «ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ λήψεται, καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ θεός»· τοῦτο γὰρ ἑρμηνεύει τὸ Ἐμμανουήλ. 3.2.52 Τοιαῦτα περὶ τῆς εἰς ἀνθρώπους γενέσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ πάλαι πρότερον παρ' Ἑβραίοις ἐμελετᾶτο. μή τι οὖν ἐπίδοξόν τινα δυνάστην ἢ τύραννον ἤ τινα ἄλλως τῶν τὰ μεγάλα κατὰ τὸν βίον δυναμένων τὸν προφητευόμενον ὑπογράφουσιν; οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι μηδὲ ἐφάνη τοιοῦτος. 3.2.53 ἀλλ' οἷος ἐφάνη τῷ βίῳ, τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν καὶ ἐθέσπισαν ἔσεσθαι, τῆς ἀληθείας κατ' οὐδὲν ἀπολελειμμένοι. εἰπὼν δ' οὖν ὁ Ἡσαΐας «ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ὡς παιδίον, ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ», ἑξῆς συνάπτει λέγων· «οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος αὐτῷ οὐδὲ δόξα. καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος, καὶ ἦν τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον, ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἄνθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὢν καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ἠτιμάσθη καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη». 3.2.54 Τί οὖν λείπεται ἐπὶ τούτοις; εἰ γὰρ προεῖπον αὐτοῦ φυλὴν καὶ γένος καὶ τρόπον γενέσεως καὶ τῆς παρθένου τὸ θαῦμα καὶ βίου τρόπον, ἀκόλουθον ἦν ἑξῆς μηδὲ τὴν τελευτὴν ἀποσιωπῆσαι αὐτοῦ. τί οὖν καὶ περὶ ταύτης Ἡσαΐας θεσπίζει; «ἄνθρωπος», φησίν, ἐν πληγῇ ὢν καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ἠτιμάσθη καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη. 3.2.55 οὗτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλογισάμεθα αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐν πληγῇ καὶ ἐν κακώσει. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ μεμαλάκισται διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ' αὐτόν, τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν. 3.2.56 πάντες ὡς πρόβατα ἐπλανήθημεν, καὶ κύριος παρέ δωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν. καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τὸ κεκακῶσθαι οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα· ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἔναντι τοῦ κείροντος ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα. τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ», καὶ τὰ λοιπά. 3.2.57 σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων ὡς ἄρα ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκτὸς πάσης ὑπάρχων πλημμελείας τὰς ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτίας εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀναδέξεται. διὸ καὶ πείσεται τὰ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὀδυνηθήσεται, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ. εἰ δὲ καὶ