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For indeed clearly in what follows the same psalm, addressing Christ by name, presents this through what it says: “For the sake of David your servant, do not turn away the face of your Christ,” and again: “There I will make a horn to spring forth for David, I have prepared a lamp for my Christ; I will clothe his enemies with shame, but upon him my holiness shall flourish.” 7.2.41 But where does it say, “There I will make a horn to spring forth for David,” but in Bethlehem of Ephrathah? From there, therefore, the horn of David, Christ according to the flesh, rose like some great light, and there the lamp of Christ was prepared beforehand by the God of all. 7.2.42 And his lamp, as of an intelligible light, 7.2.42 would be the human tabernacle, through which, like an earthen vessel, as through a lamp, he shone forth the rays of his own light to all who were oppressed in ignorance of God and deep darkness. 7.2.43 But in these things I think it has also been clearly shown that the God of Jacob, being from the beginning and “from the days of eternity,” would visit men, and would be born not elsewhere on earth but in the place of Bethlehem, a spot still shown even now near Jerusalem, where no other one after the times of the prophets, illustrious and famous among all men, except Jesus the Christ alone, is witnessed by all the inhabitants to have been born, in accordance with the voices of the gospels. 7.2.44 And Bethlehem is interpreted “house of bread,” being aptly named for our Savior who came forth from it, being God the Word who nourishes rational souls, which he himself also indicates, saying: “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 7.2.45 But since this also became the homeland of David, it is fitting that the son of David “according to the flesh” also made his advent from it, in accordance with the prophetic predictions, so that the reason why he was registered with Bethlehem as his homeland is not unclear. 7.2.46 But it is also said that he was brought up in Nazareth and again that he would be called a “Nazarene.” It must be known, therefore, that the name Nazirite is Hebrew and appears in Leviticus in reference to the anointing of their Christ; and this was the ruler in the image of the great and truly high priest, Christ the God, bearing a certain shadowy and typical Christ; 7.2.47 in which, for example, it is said according to the Septuagint concerning the high priest: “and he shall not profane what is sanctified of his God, because the holy oil is the anointing of his God,” while the Hebrew has “because the nazer oil,” and Aquila: “because the token of the anointing oil of his God is upon him,” and Symmachus: “because the inviolable anointing oil of his God is upon him,” and Theodotion: “because the nazer oil, the anointing from his God, is upon him,” 7.2.48 so that nazer is, according to the Septuagint, “holy,” and according to Aquila, “a token,” and according to Symmachus, “inviolable,” so that from this the name Nazirite signifies either the holy one or the one set apart or the inviolable one. But the priests of old, being anointed with prepared oil, which in Moses is called nazer, were derivatively called Nazirites from nazer. 7.2.49 But our Savior and Lord, having by nature that which is holy and inviolable and set apart, and not needing a human anointing, nevertheless received the name of Nazirite among men, not having become a Nazirite from the oil called nazer, but being such by nature, he was also called a Nazarene among men from Nazareth, where he had his upbringing in childhood with his parents according to the flesh. 7.2.50 Therefore it is said in Matthew: “And having been warned in a dream,” obviously Joseph, “he withdrew into the region of Galilee, and coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he shall be called a Nazarene.” 7.2.51 For it was necessary for him, being by all means a Nazirite by nature and in truth, that is, holy and inviolable and set apart from men, to be called by this name; but since he did not receive this name from the nazer oil, not needing a human

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ὅτι γε σαφῶς ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς ὁ αὐτὸς ψαλμὸς ὀνομαστὶ τὸν Χριστὸν προσαγορεύων τοῦτο παρίστησιν δι' ὧν φησιν· «ἕνεκεν ∆αβὶδ τοῦ δούλου σου, μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ χριστοῦ σου», καὶ πάλιν· «ἐκεῖ ἐξανατελῶ κέρας τῷ ∆αβίδ, ἡτοίμασα λύχνον τῷ χριστῷ μου· τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ ἐνδύσω αἰσχύνην, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐξανθήσει τὸ ἁγίασμά μου» 7.2.41 ποῦ δέ φησιν «ἐκεῖ ἐξανατελῶ κέρας τῷ ∆αβίδ» ἢ ἐν τῇ Βηθλεὲμ τῇ Ἐφραθά; ἐντεῦθεν γοῦν τὸ κέρας τοῦ ∆αβίδ, ὁ Χριστός, τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, οἷόν τι μέγα φῶς ἐξανέτειλεν, ἐνταῦθά τε προητοίμαστο ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λύχνος. 7.2.42 εἴη δ' ἂν λύχνος αὐτοῦ, οἷα νοεροῦ φωτός, 7.2.42 τὸ ἀνθρώπειον σκῆνος, δι' οὗ δίκην ὀστρακίνου σκεύους, ὥσπερ διὰ λύχνου, τὰς τοῦ ἰδίου φωτὸς ἀκτῖνας πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ θεοῦ καὶ σκότῳ βαθεῖ πιεζομένοις ἐξέλαμψεν. 7.2.43 ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἀποδεδεῖχθαι σαφῶς ἡγοῦμαι θεὸν Ἰακώβ, ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ «ἐξ ἡμερῶν» τυγχάνοντα «αἰῶνος», ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδημήσειν, καὶ γεννηθήσεσθαι οὐκ ἀλλαχόθι γῆς ἀλλ' ἢ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Βηθλεὲμ τόπῳ, πρὸς τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις εἰσέτι καὶ νῦν ἐπιδεικνυμένῳ χωρίῳ, ἔνθα οὐδ' ἄλλος μετὰ τοὺς τῶν προφητῶν χρόνους ἐπιφανὴς καὶ εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐπίδοξος ἢ μόνος Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς πρὸς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἁπάντων ἀκολούθως ταῖς εὐαγγελικαῖς φωναῖς γεγονὼς μαρτυρεῖται. 7.2.44 ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ ἡ Βηθλεὲμ «οἶκος ἄρτου», φερώνυμος οὖσα τοῦ προελθόντος ἐξ αὐτῆς σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ὄντος θεοῦ λόγου ψυχῶν λογικῶν θρεπτικοῦ, ὃ καὶ παρίστησιν αὐτὸς λέγων· «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς». 7.2.45 ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ γέγονεν αὕτη πατρίς, εἰκότως καὶ ὁ «κατὰ σάρκα» γενόμενος υἱὸς ∆αβὶδ τὴν πρόοδον ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐποιήσατο, ἀκολούθως ταῖς προφητικαῖς προρρήσεσιν, ὥστε οὐκ ἄδηλον εἶναι καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν πατρίδα τὴν Βηθλεὲμ ἐπεγράψατο. 7.2.46 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν Ναζάροις ἀνατραφεὶς λέγεται καὶ πάλιν «Ναζωραῖος» κληθήσεσθαι. ἰστέον οὖν ὅτι καὶ τὸ ναζιραῖον ὄνομα ἑβραϊκὸν τυγχάνει ἐν Λευιτικῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ χρίσματος τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῖς χριστοῦ ἦν δὲ οὗτος ὁ ἄρχων κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ ἀληθῶς ἀρχιερέως τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, σκιώδη τινὰ καὶ τυπικὸν Χριστὸν ἐπιφερόμενος· 7.2.47 ἐν οἷς γοῦν εἴρηται κατὰ τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα περὶ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως· «καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸν ἡγιασμένον τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαιον χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ», τὸ μὲν Ἑβραϊκὸν «ὅτι ναζὲρ ἔλαιον» περιέχει, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας· «ὅτι ἀφόρισμα ἔλαιον ἀλείμματος θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῷ», ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· «ὅτι ἄθικτον ἔλαιον τοῦ χρίσματος τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῷ», ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων· «ὅτι τὸ ναζὲρ ἔλαιον τὸν χριστὸν παρὰ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῷ», 7.2.48 ὥστε εἶναι τὸ ναζὲρ κατὰ μὲν τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα «ἅγιον», κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκύλαν «ἀφόρισμα», κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον «ἄθικτον», ὥστε ἐκ τούτου τὸ ναζιραῖον ὄνομα σημαίνειν ἤτοι τὸν ἅγιον ἢ τὸν ἀφωρισμένον ἢ τὸν ἄθικτον. ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν πάλαι ἱερεῖς δι' ἐλαίου σκευαστοῦ, τοῦ παρὰ Μωσεῖ ναζὲρ καλουμένου, χριόμενοι, παραγώγως ἀπὸ τοῦ ναζὲρ ἐκαλοῦντο ναζιραῖοι. 7.2.49 ὁ δὲ σωτὴρ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν κατὰ φύσιν ἔχων τὸ ἅγιον καὶ τὸ ἄθικτον καὶ τὸ ἀφωρισμένον, οὐ δεόμενός τε χρίσματος ἀνθρωπίνου, ὅμως τῆς τοῦ ναζιραίου προσηγορίας παρ' ἀνθρώποις ἔτυχεν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ καλουμένου ναζὲρ ἐλαίου ναζιραῖος γεγονώς, ἀλλ' ὢν μὲν τῇ φύσει τοιοῦτος, κληθεὶς δὲ καὶ παρ' ἀνθρώποις Ναζιραῖος ἀπὸ τῆς Ναζαρέθ, ἔνθα παρὰ τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα γονεῦσι τὴν ἐν παισὶν ἀνατροφὴν ἔσχηκεν. 7.2.50 διὸ λέλεκται παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ· «χρηματισθεὶς δὲ κατ' ὄναρ» δῆλον δ' ὅτι ὁ Ἰωσήφ, ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς πόλιν λεγομένην Ναζαρά· ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, ὅτι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται». 7.2.51 ἔδει μὲν γὰρ αὐτόν, ἐξ ἅπαντος φύσει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ ναζιραῖον ὄντα, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἅγιον καὶ ἄθικτον καὶ ἀφωρισμένον ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, κληθῆναι ταύτῃ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐκ τοῦ ναζὲρ ἐλαίου ταύτης ἔτυχεν τῆς προσηγορίας, μὴ δεηθεὶς ἀνθρωπίνου