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"release to the captives," and to those blind in their minds "sight again." 4.15.29 For again the prophet teaches that this one has been made Christ not with a prepared ointment, but with the intelligible and divine anointing of the paternal Godhead, having been anointed not by men but by the Father. 4.15.30 So he says in his own person: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and sight again to the blind." 4.15.31 Let this first be observed, that Isaiah, similarly to David, prophesies that the one he said would come among men and "proclaim release to the captives and sight again to the blind," was made Christ not with a prepared ointment but by the unbegotten, paternal and all-good power. And according to a certain prophetic custom the prophet proclaims the future as if it were past, and reveals it as if concerning himself who is prophesying. 4.15.32 So far, then, we have learned that those who are called christs according to the true word are anointed by God and not by men, and with the divine Spirit and not with a prepared oil. 4.15.33 But it is time to see that the word among the Hebrews also knows that the true Christ of God happens to be a certain divine power superior to human nature. Listen then again to David, saying that he knows a certain eternal priest of God, and proclaiming this one his own Lord, and confessing him to be enthroned with the most high God in the one hundred and ninth psalm, in which he says something like this: "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will send forth for you a rod of power out of Sion, and you will rule in the midst of your enemies. With you is the dominion in the day of your power, in the brightness of your saints. From the womb before the morning star I have begotten you. The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." 4.15.34 And see how in these things David, being king of the whole Hebrew nation and in addition to his kingship being adorned with the divine spirit, perceived the one who was revealed by him and contemplated in the spirit to be so great and supernaturally wonderful, as to call him his own Lord. "For he said," he says, "The Lord to my Lord." 4.15.35 But he also knows him as an eternal high priest, and a priest of the most high God, and enthroned with the God over all, and his offspring. And without anointing it was impossible among the Hebrews to serve as priest to God, for which reason it was their custom to call them all christs. Therefore the priest revealed in the psalm would also be a christ. 4.15.36 For how was he testified to be a priest without first having become a christ? But he is also said to serve as priest "forever." This would no longer apply to human nature. 4.15.37 For it is not for man to live forever, since our race is mortal and ephemeral. Therefore the priest of God revealed in these words was someone greater than a man, having received from God with the confirmation of an oath a lasting and unending priesthood. "For he has sworn," he says, "the Lord, and will not repent, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." 4.15.38 For since Moses records that Melchizedek was a priest of the most high God, not anointed with prepared ointment, and having become a priest of the most high God long before his legislation, and was much greater in virtue than the renowned Abraham; - 4.15.39 So he says: "And Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, blessed Abraham," "And without any dispute," says the apostle, "the lesser is blessed by the greater"—Since, therefore, Melchizedek, whoever he was, is introduced as such, not anointed with a prepared ointment, but serving as priest to the most high God, it is fitting that the one prophesied through David "according to the order of Melchizedek" is proclaimed as someone great and surpassing all in nature, as being a priest of the God over all and enthroned with the unbegotten power, of the prophet and king

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«αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν» καὶ τοῖς τὰς διανοίας «τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν». 4.15.29 τοῦτον γὰρ πάλιν ὁ προφήτης οὐ σκευαστῷ μύρῳ ἀλλὰ τῷ τῆς πατρικῆς θεότητος νοητῷ καὶ θεοπρεπεῖ χριστὸν γεγεννῆσθαι διδάσκει, οὐχ ὑπ' ἀνθρώπων ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς κεχρισμένον. 4.15.30 λέγει δ' οὖν ἐξ αὐτοῦ προσώπου· «πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέν με εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς, ἀπέσταλκέν με κηρῦξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν». 4.15.31 τοῦτο μὲν οὖν πρῶτον τετηρήσθω, ὡς καὶ Ἡσαΐας τῷ ∆αβὶδ παραπλησίως ὃν ἥξειν ἔφησεν εἰς ἀνθρώπους καὶ «κηρῦξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν», οὐ σκευαστῷ μύρῳ ἀλλὰ τῷ τῆς ἀγενήτου πατρικῆς τε καὶ παναγάθου δυνάμεως χριστὸν γεγονέναι θεσπίζει. κατά τινα δὲ συνήθειαν προφητικὴν τὸ μέλλον ὁ προφήτης ὡς παρῳχηκὸς ἀναφωνεῖ, καὶ ὡς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τοῦ προφητεύοντος δηλοῖ. 4.15.32 Τέως μὲν οὖν ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπ' ἀνθρώπων καὶ πνεύματι θείῳ ἀλλ' οὐ σκευαστῷ ἐλαίῳ χριομένους τοὺς κατὰ τὸν ἀληθῆ λόγον χριστοὺς ὀνομαζομένους ἔγνωμεν. 4.15.33 καιρὸς δὲ συνιδεῖν ὅτι καὶ θείαν τινὰ δύναμιν κρείττονα ἢ κατ' ἀνθρώπου φύσιν τὸν ἀληθῆ Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τυγχάνειν ὁ παρ' Ἑβραίοις ἐπίσταται λόγος. ἄκουε δ' οὖν αὖθις τοῦ ∆αβὶδ αἰώνιόν τινα ἱερέα τοῦ θεοῦ φάσκοντος εἰδέναι, κύριόν τε ἑαυτοῦ τοῦτον ἀναγορεύοντος, καὶ σύνθρονον εἶναι τοῦ ἀνωτάτου θεοῦ ὁμολογοῦντος ἐν ἑκατοστῷ καὶ ἐνάτῳ ψαλμῷ, καθ' ὃν ὧδέ πώς φησιν· «εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου, κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου. ῥάβδον δυνάμεως ἐξαποστελεῖ σοι κύριος ἐκ Σιών, καὶ κατακυριεύσεις ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου. μετὰ σοῦ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς δυνάμεώς σου, ἐν τῇ λαμπρότητι τῶν ἁγίων σου. ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά σε. ὤμοσεν κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ.» 4.15.34 καὶ θέα γε ὡς ἐν τούτοις ∆αβίδ, βασιλεὺς ὢν τοῦ παντὸς Ἑβραίων ἔθνους καὶ πρὸς τῇ βασιλείᾳ θείῳ πνεύματι κεκοσμημένος, τοιοῦτόν τινα μέγαν καὶ ὑπερφυῶς θαυμάσιον τὸν πρὸς αὐτοῦ δηλούμενον καὶ τῷ πνεύματι θεωρούμενον συνεῖδεν, ὡς κύριον αὐτὸν ἑαυτοῦ προσειπεῖν. «εἶπεν γάρ», φησίν, «κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου». 4.15.35 ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰώνιον αὐτὸν ἀρχιερέα οἶδεν, καὶ ἱερέα τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, καὶ σύνθρονον τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων θεοῦ, καὶ γέννημα αὐτοῦ. δίχα δὲ χρίσεως ἀδύνατον ἦν παρ' Ἑβραίοις ἱερᾶσθαι τῷ θεῷ, διόπερ καὶ χριστοὺς ὀνομάζειν αὐτοὺς πάντας ἦν αὐτοῖς φίλον. χριστὸς ἄρα καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ δηλούμενος ἱερεὺς εἴη ἄν. 4.15.36 πῶς γὰρ ἐμαρτυρήθη ἱερεὺς εἶναι μὴ οὐχὶ πρότερον χριστὸς γεγονώς; ἀλλὰ καὶ «εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα» λέγεται ἱερᾶσθαι. τοῦτο δ' οὐκέτ' ἀνθρωπείᾳ φύσει ἐφαρμόττοι ἄν. οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου τὸ διαιωνίζειν, ἐπειδὴ θνητὸν καὶ ἐπίκηρον τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς γένος. 4.15.37 κρείττων ἄρα τις ἢ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ὁ δηλούμενος ἦν ἐν τούτοις ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ, μετὰ ὅρκου διαβεβαιώσεως διαρκῆ καὶ ἄπειρον τὴν ἱερωσύνην παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ δεδεγμένος. «ὤμοσεν γάρ», φησίν, «κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ». 4.15.38 ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸν Μελχισεδὲκ ὁ Μωσῆς ἱερέα τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου γεγονέναι ἱστορεῖ, οὐ μύρῳ σκευαστῷ κεχρισμένον, πολὺ πρότερόν τε τῆς κατ' αὐτὸν νομοθεσίας γενόμενον ἱερέα τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, καὶ κατὰ πολὺ κρείττονα τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ βεβοημένου Ἀβραάμ· - 4.15.39 λέγει δ' οὖν· «καὶ Μελχισεδὲκ βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, εὐλόγησεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ», «χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας», φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος, «τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται»-ἐπεὶ τοίνυν καὶ ὁ Μελχισεδέκ, ὅστις ποτὲ ἦν ἐκεῖνος, τοιοῦτος εἰσῆκται, οὐ σκευαστῷ μύρῳ κεχρισμένος, ἱερωμένος δὲ τῷ ὑψίστῳ θεῷ, εἰκότως καὶ ὁ διὰ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ προφητευόμενος «κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ» ἀνείρηται μέγας τις ὢν καὶ πάντας ὑπερβεβηκὼς τὴν φύσιν, ὡς ἂν ἱερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀγενήτου δυνάμεως σύνθρονος, τοῦ τε προφήτου καὶ βασιλέως