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working the corruption of souls, and having shown that the ruler of Damascus bears the image of the one, that is, of idolatrous error, and that the one of Samaria is a type of the other, that is, of those who have fallen from the temperate and healthy life, he says that the “earth”—so he calls the men dwelling upon the earth—will not be rid of these things before God Emmanuel appears on the earth; and when he has shone forth and reigns over the human soul, none of those who formerly held sway over it any longer remain. 7.1.104 Thus, therefore, you will understand here too that it is said about the same things: “he shall take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria,” with the power of our savior Jesus Christ at once destroying all our invisible enemies, who indeed long before besieged all men with the aforementioned godless and harmful activities. 7.1.105 And again, literally, you would see that with the birth and appearance of our savior, the “power of Damascus” was destroyed and “the spoils of Samaria” were taken away, that is, their kingdoms, which, having lasted until the indicated times, have ceased from that time until now according to the divine prophecies. 7.1.106 But some also say otherwise that the magi who came from the east and worshiped Christ when he was a child are this “power of Damascus,” and you might say more generally that all those who turned away from godless and polytheistic idolatry and were brought into subjection by the word of Christ, especially if any were powerful in word and in the “wisdom of this age,” are themselves the ones called “the power of Damascus.” 7.1.107 In the same way also you will understand “the spoils of Samaria” to be the disciples and apostles of our savior from the Jewish nation, whom, having taken under himself as spoils from the enemies of the circumcision who had waged war against him, he armed against the king of the Assyrians, the ruler of this age being thus again tropically signified. 7.1.108 But since Aquila translated “before the king of the Assyrians” more clearly, saying: “in the face of the king of the Assyrians,” consider whether perhaps in these words he also indicates the Roman empire, if indeed “Assyrians” is translated as “those who direct” or “those who are directed,” according to what was stated a little earlier. Since, therefore, the king of the Assyrians is now also entwined in the prophecy about our savior, the Roman empire is fittingly understood by us here as well, because it is directed by God toward the subjugation of the nations. 7.1.109 It is prophesied, therefore, that the child being born will take “the power of Damascus” and “the spoils of Samaria,” and will deliver them “in the face” of the Assyrians and in the eyes of those who are directed by God, and that he will do these things at the same time as his birth, managing so many things among men by an ineffable and divine power, while still an infant in body. 7.1.110 And the prophet is commanded to deliver all these things on a new and large scroll with a man's writing, this method also signifying the new covenant. And he takes as “witnesses” for the things said a priest and a prophet, the word teaching that in the proofs concerning Christ it will be necessary to take the testimonies from the priestly service in the law and from the prophets after these. And he also wishes the witnesses who are to oversee the birth of the indicated child to be “faithful,” so that they may be able to understand the things prophesied. 7.1.111 For “if you do not believe, you will not understand,” was said above, and that the one has “the light of God”—for this is how Uriah is interpreted—and the other, being a son of “blessing,” bears in himself “the memory of God”—for this is what Zechariah son of Barachiah also signifies. We, then, have applied these things to the passages; 7.1.112 but if one of the circumcision does not wish for these things to be so, it is time for him to show us who among them has ever become Emmanuel, and how the prophet approached the prophetess, and who she was, and how immediately

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ψυχῶν διαφθορὰν κατεργαζομένων, καὶ τοῦ μέν, τῆς εἰδωλολάτρου πλάνης, εἰκόνα φέρειν ἀποδείξας τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ∆αμασκοῦ, τοῦ δέ, τῶν ἐν ἀποπτώσει τοῦ σώφρονος καὶ ὑγιοῦς βίου, τύπον εἶναι τὸν τῆς Σαμαρείας, οὐ πρότερόν φησιν τούτων ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι τὴν «γῆν» οὕτω καλῶν τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς κατοικοῦντας ἀνθρώπους ἢ φανῆναι ἐπὶ γῆς τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ θεόν· τούτου δὲ ἐπιλάμψαντος καὶ βασιλεύοντος ἀνθρώπου ψυχῆς, μηδένα ἔτι λείπεσθαι τῶν πάλαι κατακρατούντων αὐτῆς. 7.1.104 οὕτω δὴ οὖν καὶ ἐνθάδε περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν εἰρῆσθαι νοήσεις τὸ «λήψεται δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ καὶ τὰ σκῦλα Σαμαρείας», τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δυνάμεως καθαιρούσης ἀθρόως πάντας τοὺς ἀοράτους ἡμῶν ἐχθρούς, οἳ δὴ πάλαι πρότερον ταῖς προειρημέναις ἀθέοις καὶ ἐπιβλαβέσιν ἐνεργείαις πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐπολιόρκουν. 7.1.105 καὶ πρὸς λέξιν δὲ πάλιν ἴδοις ἂν ὁμοῦ τῇ γενέσει καὶ ἐπιφανείᾳ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν «δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ» καθῃρημένην καὶ «τὰ σκῦλα Σαμαρείας» ἠρμένα, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὰς βασιλείας αὐτῶν, αἳ μέχρι τῶν δηλουμένων χρόνων διαρκέσασαι ἐξ ἐκείνου καὶ εἰς δεῦρο διαλελοίπασιν κατὰ τὰς θείας προρρήσεις. 7.1.106 Φασὶ δέ τινες καὶ ἄλλως τοὺς ἀπ' ἀνατολῆς ἐληλυθότας μάγους καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ παιδίῳ ὄντι προσκεκυνηκότας τούτους εἶναι τὴν «δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ», εἴποις δ' ἂν καθολικώτερον πάντας τοὺς τὴν μὲν ἄθεον καὶ πολύθεον εἰδωλολατρίαν ἀποστραφέντας, τῷ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγῳ καταδουλωθέντας, μάλιστα εἰ δυνατοί τινες εἶεν ἐν λόγῳ καὶ «σοφίᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου», αὐτοὺς εἶναι τοὺς ὀνομαζομένους «δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ». 7.1.107 κατὰ ταὐτὰ δὲ καὶ «τὰ σκῦλα Σαμαρείας» νοήσεις τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαθητὰς καὶ ἀποστόλους, οὓς ὥσπερ ἐκ πολεμίων τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς κατ' αὐτοῦ στρατευσαμένων σκῦλα ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν λαβὼν ἐξ ἐναντίας καθώπλισεν τοῦ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέως, οὕτω πάλιν τροπικῶς δηλουμένου τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 7.1.108 ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ «ἐναντίον βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων» σαφέστερον ὁ Ἀκύλας ἐξέδωκεν εἰπών· «εἰς πρόσωπον βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων», ἐπίστησον, μή ποτε ἄρα καὶ ἐν τού τοις τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν δηλοῖ, εἴ γε «κατευθύνοντες» ἢ «κατευθυνόμενοι» Ἀσσύριοι μεθερμηνεύονται κατὰ τὰ μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἀποδεδομένα. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τῇ περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν προρρήσει καὶ νῦν ὁ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων συμπέπλεκται βασιλεύς, εἰκότως ἡμῖν κἀνταῦθα ἡ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴ παρείληπται, διὰ τὸ πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ὑποταγὴν κατευθύνεσθαι. 7.1.109 λήψεσθαι τοιγαροῦν τὸ τικτόμενον παιδίον τὴν «δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ» καὶ «τὰ σκῦλα Σαμαρείας», καὶ παραδώσειν «εἰς πρόσωπον» Ἀσσυρίων καὶ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κατευθυνομένων θεσπίζεται, καὶ ταῦτα ποιήσειν ἅμα τῇ αὐτοῦ γενέσει, ἀρρήτῳ καὶ ἐνθέῳ δυνάμει, ἔτι νηπιάζοντι σώματι τοσαῦτα ἐν ἀνθρώποις οἰκονομούμενον. 7.1.110 Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ὁ προφήτης ἐν τόμῳ καινῷ καὶ μεγάλῳ γραφῇ παραδοῦναι ἀνθρώπου προστάσσεται, τοῦτον καὶ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης δηλουμένης τὸν τρόπον. προσπαραλαμβάνει δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων «μάρτυρας» ἱερέα καὶ προφήτην, τοῦ λόγου παιδεύοντος ὡς ὅτι δεήσει ἐν ταῖς ἀποδείξεσιν ταῖς περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν νόμῳ ἱερουργίας καὶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα προφητῶν μαρτυρίας παραλαμβάνειν. «πιστοὺς» δὲ βούλεται καὶ ἄλλως μάρτυρας εἶναι τοὺς τὴν γένεσιν τοῦ δηλουμένου παιδίου μέλλοντας ἐποπτεύειν, εἰς τὸ συνιέναι δύνασθαι τὰ προφητευόμενα 7.1.111 «ἐὰν» γὰρ «μὴ πιστεύσητε, οὐδὲ μὴ συνῆτε», ἐλέγετο ἀνωτέρω, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἔχειν «φῶς θεοῦ» τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Οὐρίας ἑρμηνεύεται, τὸν δὲ υἱὸν ὄντα «εὐλογίας» τὴν «μνήμην τοῦ θεοῦ» ἐν ἑαυτῷ φέρειν τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ τοῦ Βαραχίου Ζαχαρίας δηλοῖ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰς τοὺς τόπους ἡμεῖς ἐπιβεβλήκαμεν· 7.1.112 εἰ δέ τις τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς οὐ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν βούλεται, ὥρα ἡμῖν αὐτὸν ἀποδεικνύναι, τίς πώποτε παρ' αὐτοῖς Ἐμμανουὴλ γέγονεν, καὶ πῶς ὁ προφήτης προσῆλθεν πρὸς τὴν προφῆτιν, καὶ τίνα ταύτην, καὶ πῶς παραχρῆμα