2 Apodosis of the Annunciation of the Theotokos
Leavetaking of Annunciation; Synaxis of Archangel Gabriel
Vespers
Genesis 27.1-41
§ 27
AND it came to pass after Isaac was old, that his eyes were dimmed so that he could not see; and he called Esau, his elder son, and said to him, My son; and he said, Behold, I [am here].
ΕΓΕΝΕΤΟ δὲ μετὰ τὸ γηράσαι τὸν ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ἠμβλύνθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὁρᾶν, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ῾Ησαῦ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν πρεσβύτερον καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· υἱέ μου· καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ ἐγώ.
Бы́сть же, повнегда̀ состарѣ́тисѧ і҆саа́кови, и҆ притꙋпи́шасѧ ѻ҆́чи є҆гѡ̀ є҆́же ви́дѣти: и҆ призва̀ и҆са́ѵа сы́на своего̀ старѣ́йшаго, и҆ речѐ є҆мꙋ̀: сы́не мо́й. И҆ речѐ: сѐ, а҆́зъ.
And he said, Behold, I am grown old, and know not the day of my death.
καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ γεγήρακα καὶ οὐ γινώσκω τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς τελευτῆς μου·
И҆ речѐ і҆саа́къ: сѐ, состарѣ́хсѧ, и҆ не вѣ́мъ днѐ сконча́нїѧ моегѡ̀:
and make me meats, as I like them, and bring them to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless thee, before I die.
καὶ ποίησόν μοι ἐδέσματα, ὡς φιλῶ ἐγώ, καὶ ἔνεγκέ μοι, ἵνα φάγω, ὅπως εὐλογήσῃ σε ἡ ψυχή μου πρὶν ἀποθανεῖν με.
и҆ сотвори́ ми снѣ̑ди, ꙗ҆́коже люблю̀ а҆́зъ: и҆ принеси́ ми, да ꙗ҆́мъ, ꙗ҆́кѡ да бл҃гослови́тъ тѧ̀ дꙋша̀ моѧ̀, пре́жде да́же не ᲂу҆мрꙋ̀.
And Rebecca heard Isaac speaking to Esau his son; and Esau went to the plain to procure venison for his father.
Ρεβέκκα δὲ ἤκουσε λαλοῦντος ᾿Ισαὰκ πρὸς ῾Ησαῦ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. ἐπορεύθη δὲ ῾Ησαῦ εἰς τὸ πεδίον θηρεῦσαι θήραν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ·
Реве́кка же слы́ша глаго́люща і҆саа́ка ко и҆са́ѵꙋ сы́нꙋ своемꙋ̀. И҆зы́де же и҆са́ѵъ на по́ле ᲂу҆лови́ти ло́въ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ своемꙋ̀.
And Rebecca said to Jacob her younger son, Behold, I heard thy father speaking to Esau thy brother, saying,
Ρεβέκκα δὲ εἶπε πρὸς ᾿Ιακὼβ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς, τὸν ἐλάσσω· ἰδέ, ἤκουσα τοῦ πατρός σου λαλοῦντος πρὸς ῾Ησαῦ τὸν ἀδελφόν σου λέγοντος·
Реве́кка же речѐ ко і҆а́кѡвꙋ сы́нꙋ своемꙋ̀ ме́ньшемꙋ: сѐ, а҆́зъ слы́шахъ ѻ҆тца̀ твоего̀ бесѣ́дꙋюща ко и҆са́ѵꙋ бра́тꙋ твоемꙋ̀, глаго́люща:
Bring me venison, and prepare me meats, that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord before I die.
ἔνεγκόν μοι θήραν καὶ ποίησόν μοι ἐδέσματα, ἵνα φαγὼν εὐλογήσω σε ἐναντίον Κυρίου πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν με.
принеси́ ми ло́въ, и҆ сотвори́ ми снѣ̑ди, да ꙗ҆ды́й бл҃гословлю́ тѧ пред̾ гдⷭ҇емъ, пре́жде не́же ᲂу҆мре́ти мѝ:
Now then, my son, hearken to me, as I command thee.
νῦν οὖν, υἱέ μου, ἄκουσόν μου, καθὰ ἐγώ σοι ἐντέλλομαι.
нн҃ѣ ᲂу҆̀бо, сы́не мо́й, послꙋ́шай менѐ, ꙗ҆́коже а҆́зъ заповѣ́даю тѝ:
See a mother's affection, or rather God's designs: He it was who prompted her to make plans and also made sure all turned out well. Do you see the mother's excellent planning? See also Jacob's circumspection in showing his mildness of manner in his reply. "He replied to his mother, 'My brother Esau is hairy, whereas my skin is smooth. Perhaps my father may touch me, and I will appear ridiculous to him and bring on myself a curse, and not blessing' " Remarkable the child's dutifulness and his respect for his father: "I am afraid," he says. "My efforts may have the contrary effect. I may seem out of step with my father's wishes and win a curse instead of a blessing." So what does Rebekah do, this extraordinary woman of great affection? Since she was not concocting this only out of her own thinking but was also implementing the prediction from on high, she took every care to banish fear from the child and instill courage so as to bring off the plan. Instead of promising him that he would be able to deceive his father and elude detection, what did she say? "Let the curse on you fall on me, child; just heed my word, and go and fetch it for me." "Even if anything like this should happen," she is saying, "you personally will suffer no harm. So don't be afraid: Take heart, 'heed my word,' and do what I advise you." This really is a mother's love, readily accepting everything for her child's sake.
HOMILIES ON GENESIS 53.5I will try to explain briefly how wonderful, great and full of mysteries according to the promises of God are the events that occurred in these two twins. Isaac, their father, who had become blind in his physical eyes while his interior light continued to shine, promised Esau, his firstborn son, to give him the blessing, if he would prepare a tasteful dish of game for him. And Esau immediately hurried to carry out what had been ordered. The mother, who had heard the promise of the blessing for the elder brother, since she was divinely inspired, prepared a mystical plot made with prophetical art in order to direct the blessing to Jacob, the younger son. She took the garments of the firstborn son that she had at home, and dressed the younger brother with them, and put skins of young goats on his arms and his naked neck and dressed him in such a way that who he was would not be recognized. And this symbolical action in a sense shows us the Christ: he did not take the sinful flesh but "the likeness of sinful flesh" by receiving also the law of the Old Testament as the garments of the firstborn, since the Lord said that he had come not in order to abolish the law, but in order to accomplish it. In this attire Jacob, the younger son, who had already taken away from his brother the right of primogeniture, also gets hold of the blessing.
BOOK OF PROMISES AND PREDICTIONS OF GOD 1.21.28And go to the cattle and take for me thence two kids, tender and good, and I will make them meats for thy father, as he likes.
καὶ πορευθεὶς εἰς τὰ πρόβατα λαβέ μοι ἐκεῖθεν δύο ἐρίφους ἁπαλοὺς καὶ καλούς, καὶ ποιήσω αὐτοὺς ἐδέσματα τῷ πατρί σου, ὡς φιλεῖ,
и҆ ше́дъ во ѻ҆́вцы, поимѝ мнѣ̀ ѿтꙋ́дꙋ два̀ кѡ́злища мѧ̑гка и҆ дѡбра̀, и҆ сотворю̀ ѧ҆̀ снѣ̑ди ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ твоемꙋ̀, ꙗ҆́коже лю́битъ:
On the one hand, Rebekah, who bears the image of the church, already prefigures the future events that would be accomplished through her younger son. She says to him, "Go to the pasture of the sheep, and fetch me from there two small, tender and beautiful young goats." Esau is sent to the plain as if he lived abroad in the world; but Jacob is sent [to the pasture] of the sheep, in order that the words of the Lord, "I have been sent only to the lost sheep of Israel," might come true.On the other hand, by saying, "Fetch me from there two small, tender and beautiful young goats," she signified the two calls that appear to have been addressed by the Gospel. In fact, even though we are originally goats, because we are all sinners, through obedience we become tender and beautiful, justified by faith in Christ. No more [are we] like condemned goats but like sheep in pure sacrifice, in "sweet savor," offered to God and made nourishment for the Word, who gives similes their full accomplishment by saying to his disciples, "I have food to eat that you do not know."
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 4And thou shalt bring them in to thy father, and he shall eat, that thy father may bless thee before he dies.
καὶ εἰσοίσεις τῷ πατρί σου καὶ φάγεται, ὅπως εὐλογήσῃ σε ὁ πατήρ σου πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτόν.
и҆ внесе́ши ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ твоемꙋ̀, и҆ бꙋ́детъ ꙗ҆́сти, ꙗ҆́кѡ да бл҃гослови́тъ тѧ̀ ѻ҆те́цъ тво́й, пре́жде да́же не ᲂу҆́мретъ.
And Jacob said to his mother Rebecca, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I a smooth man.
εἶπε δὲ ᾿Ιακὼβ πρὸς Ρεβέκκαν τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ· ἔστιν ῾Ησαῦ ὁ ἀδελφός μου ἀνὴρ δασύς, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀνὴρ λεῖος·
Рече́ же і҆а́кѡвъ къ реве́кцѣ ма́тери свое́й: и҆са́ѵъ бра́тъ мо́й є҆́сть мꙋ́жъ косма́тъ, а҆́зъ же мꙋ́жъ гла́дкїй:
How clearly Jacob has shown here his piety!… In other respects it was also true what was said by Jacob, that is: "My brother Esau is a hairy man," that is, a sinner, "but I am a man of smooth skin." In fact, through these words the faultless and sinless character of the flesh of the Lord is revealed.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 5(Chapter XXVII, Verse 11) Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Where it is written that he was hairy, in Hebrew it is written Seir (). Therefore, afterwards the mountains of Seir and the region in which he lived were called Seir: we have spoken of this before and above.
Hebrew Questions on GenesisAnd that no man may imagine that his simplicity was natural foolishness, see how attentive he was to the curses of his father, and how he returned answer concerning the things which were set forth by knowledge, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Peradventure my father will feel me, and I shall be in his eyes as a mocker, and curses shall come upon me and not blessings." But his mother in faith, being certain of those early promises which were revealed to her, made answer unto him, saying, "Upon me be thy curses, my son, only hear my voice, and do what I command thee;" and straightway he was obedient to his mother like a child.
13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on SimplicityPeradventure my father may feel me, and I shall be before him as one ill-intentioned, and I shall bring upon me a curse, and not a blessing.
μή ποτε ψηλαφήσῃ με ὁ πατήρ, καὶ ἔσομαι ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ὡς καταφρονῶν καὶ ἐπάξω ἐπ᾿ ἐμαυτὸν κατάραν καὶ οὐκ εὐλογίαν.
да не ка́кѡ ѡ҆сѧ́жетъ мѧ̀ ѻ҆те́цъ мо́й, и҆ бꙋ́дꙋ пред̾ ни́мъ ꙗ҆́кѡ презира́ѧй, и҆ наведꙋ̀ на себѐ клѧ́твꙋ, а҆ не бл҃гослове́нїе.
And his mother said to him, On me be thy curse, son; only hearken to my voice, and go and bring [them] me.
εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ἡ μήτηρ· ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἡ κατάρα σου, τέκνον· μόνον ὑπάκουσόν μοι τῆς φωνῆς καὶ πορευθεὶς ἔνεγκέ μοι.
Рече́ же є҆мꙋ̀ ма́ти: на мнѣ̀ клѧ́тва твоѧ̀, ча́до: то́чїю послꙋ́шай гла́са моегѡ̀, и҆ ше́дъ принеси́ ми.
We can see that the words spoken by Rebekah a long time ago have now been fulfilled in the church. The words "Let your curse be on me, my son" show that now certain people offend the church by their blasphemies, because she worships the Crucified, and for that reason they throw curses and contempt at us. In fact, the passion of the Lord is held to be a curse for the unbelievers, whereas his life is peace for those who believe. The apostle says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." That is what the Savior has now accomplished by receiving in himself, through his body, death on the cross. By his obedience he has erased the curse of Adam, which was received in the law: "You are dust, and to dust you shall return."
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 5So he went and took and brought them to his mother; and his mother made meats, as his father liked [them].
πορευθεὶς δὲ ἔλαβε καὶ ἤνεγκε τῇ μητρί, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ ἐδέσματα, καθὰ ἐφίλει ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ.
Ше́дъ же взѧ̀ и҆ принесѐ ма́тери, и҆ сотворѝ ма́ти є҆гѡ̀ снѣ̑ди, ꙗ҆́коже люблѧ́ше ѻ҆те́цъ є҆гѡ̀.
And Rebecca having taken the fine raiment of her elder son Esau which was with her in the house, put it on Jacob her younger son.
καὶ λαβοῦσα Ρεβέκκα τὴν στολὴν ῾Ησαῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τὴν καλήν, ἣ ἦν παρ᾿ αὐτῇ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ, ἐνέδυσεν αὐτὴν ᾿Ιακὼβ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν νεώτερον
И҆ взе́мши реве́кка ѻ҆де́ждꙋ и҆са́ѵа сы́на своегѡ̀ старѣ́йшагѡ до́брꙋю, ꙗ҆́же бы́сть ᲂу҆ неѧ̀ въ домꙋ̀, ѡ҆блечѐ ѻ҆́ною і҆а́кѡва сы́на своего̀ ме́ньшаго,
Accordingly Jacob received his brother's clothing, because he excelled the elder in wisdom. Thus the younger brother took the clothing of the elder because he was conspicuous in the merit of his faith. Rebekah presented this clothing as a symbol of the church; she gave to the younger son the clothing of the Old Testament, the prophetic and priestly clothing, the royal Davidic clothing, the clothing of the kings Solomon and Hezekiah and Josiah. She gave it too to the Christian people, who would know how to use the garment they had received, since the Jewish people kept it without using it and did not know its proper adornments. This clothing was lying in shadow, cast off and forgotten; it was tarnished by a dark haze of impiety and could not be unfolded further in their confined hearts. The Christian people put it on, and it shone brightly. They made it bright with the splendor of their faith and the light of their holy works. Isaac recognized the familiar fragrance that attached to his people. He recognized the clothing of the Old Testament, but the voice of the people of old he did not recognize; therefore he knew that it had been changed. For even today the same clothing remains, but the confession of a people of greater devotion begins to sound harmonious; Isaac was right to say, "The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." And Isaac "smelled the fragrance of his garments." And perhaps that means that we are not justified by works but by faith, because the weakness of the flesh is a hindrance to works, but the brightness of faith puts the error that is in humanity's deeds in the shadow and merits for us the forgiveness of our sins.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 2, Section 9The fact that Jacob wears the robe signifies that the Word has been clothed by the flesh, while the skins of the kids wrapped around his arms show that he has received in himself all our sins by stretching his hands and arms on the cross, as Isaiah himself has said: "He has borne our sins and carried our diseases."
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 6(Verse 15) And Rebecca took the garments of her elder son Esau, which were greatly desired by him at home. And in this place, the Hebrews tradition holds that the firstborns, who had fulfilled the duties of the priests, had a priestly garment, which they wore to offer sacrifices to God before Aaron was chosen for the priesthood.
Hebrew Questions on GenesisNotice here, I ask you, along with Rebekah's affection, her great wisdom as well. Since it was mentioned previously that one was hairy and the other smooth-skinned, she clad him in Esau's clothing, the text says, and covered his skin, disguising him all over so as to bring off the deception. And after putting the food and bread into Jacob's hands she had him take it to his father.Consider here again, I ask you, how it was all due to grace from above. I mean, whereas we contribute our utmost, we enjoy in generous measure as well cooperation from God. You see, in case we show indifference and prove recalcitrant, he wants us also to make an effort so that in this way our contribution may be demonstrated. It is neither the case that everything is due to help from on high (rather we, too, must contribute something), nor on the other hand does he require everything of us, knowing as he does the extra-ordinary degree of our limitations. On the contrary, out of fidelity to his characteristic love and wishing to find some occasion for demonstrating his own generosity, he awaits the contribution of what we have to offer.
HOMILIES ON GENESIS 53.6-7And she put on his arms the skins of the kids, and on the bare parts of his neck.
καὶ τὰ δέρματα τῶν ἐρίφων περιέθηκεν ἐπὶ τοὺς βραχίονας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ γυμνὰ τοῦ τραχήλου αὐτοῦ
и҆ ко́жицами козлѧ́чими ѡ҆бложѝ мы̑шцы є҆гѡ̀, и҆ наго́е вы́и є҆гѡ̀:
And she gave the meats, and the loaves which she had prepared, into the hands of Jacob her son.
καὶ ἔδωκε τὰ ἐδέσματα καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους, οὓς ἐποίησεν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ᾿Ιακὼβ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς.
и҆ дадѐ снѣ̑ди и҆ хлѣ́бы, ꙗ҆̀же сотворѝ, въ рꙋ́цѣ і҆а́кѡвꙋ сы́нꙋ своемꙋ̀.
And he brought [them] to his father, and said, Father; and he said, Behold I [am here]; who art thou, son?
καὶ εἰσήνεγκε τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ. εἶπε δέ· πάτερ. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ ἐγώ· τίς εἶ σὺ τέκνον;
И҆ внесѐ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ своемꙋ̀ и҆ речѐ: ѻ҆́тче. Ѻ҆́нъ же речѐ: сѐ, а҆́зъ: кто̀ є҆сѝ ты̀, ча́до;
And Jacob said to his father, I, Esau thy first-born, have done as thou toldest me; rise, sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιακὼβ τῷ πατρί· ἐγὼ ῾Ησαῦ ὁ πρωτότοκός σου· πεποίηκα καθὰ ἐλάλησάς μοι· ἀναστὰς κάθισον καὶ φάγε ἀπὸ τῆς θήρας μου, ὅπως εὐλογήσῃ με ἡ ψυχή σου.
И҆ речѐ і҆а́кѡвъ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀: а҆́зъ и҆са́ѵъ пе́рвенецъ тво́й, сотвори́хъ, ꙗ҆́коже ре́клъ мѝ є҆сѝ: воста́въ сѧ́ди и҆ ꙗ҆́ждь ѿ ло́ва моегѡ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ да бл҃гослови́тъ мѧ̀ дꙋша̀ твоѧ̀.
The words of Jacob to his father, "I have done as you told me," demonstrate that the Word is always obedient to his Father, as is confirmed by what he says in Ezekiel: "I did just as I was commanded."
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISSAC AND JACOB 6And Isaac said to his son, What is this which thou hast quickly found? And he said, That which the Lord thy God presented before me.
εἶπε δὲ ᾿Ισαὰκ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ· τί τοῦτο, ὃ ταχὺ εὗρες, ὦ τέκνον; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ὃ παρέδωκε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ἐναντίον μου.
Рече́ же і҆саа́къ сы́нꙋ своемꙋ̀: что̀ сїѐ, є҆́же ско́рѡ ѡ҆брѣ́лъ є҆сѝ, ѽ ча́до; Ѻ҆́нъ же речѐ: є҆́же дадѐ гдⷭ҇ь бг҃ъ тво́й предо мно́ю.
And Isaac said to Jacob, Draw nigh to me, and I will feel thee, son, if thou art my son Esau or not.
εἶπε δὲ ᾿Ισαὰκ τῷ ᾿Ιακώβ· ἔγγισόν μοι καὶ ψηλαφήσω σε, τέκνον, εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ῾Ησαῦ ἢ οὔ.
Рече́ же і҆саа́къ і҆а́кѡвꙋ: прибли́жисѧ ко мнѣ̀, и҆ ѡ҆сѧжꙋ́ тѧ, ча́до, а҆́ще ты̀ є҆сѝ сы́нъ мо́й и҆са́ѵъ, и҆лѝ нѝ.
And Jacob drew nigh to his father Isaac, and he felt him, and said, The voice [is] Jacob's voice, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau.
ἤγγισε δὲ ᾿Ιακὼβ πρὸς ᾿Ισαὰκ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐψηλάφησεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν· ἡ μὲν φωνὴ φωνὴ ᾿Ιακώβ, αἱ δὲ χεῖρες χεῖρες ῾Ησαῦ.
Прибли́жисѧ же і҆а́кѡвъ ко і҆саа́кꙋ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ своемꙋ̀, и҆ ѡ҆сѧза̀ є҆го̀ и҆ речѐ: гла́съ ᲂу҆́бѡ гла́съ і҆а́кѡвль, рꙋ́цѣ же рꙋ́цѣ и҆са́ѵѡвѣ.
This signifies that the Word, who in Jacob prefigured the mysteries, has also become the voice of the prophets, since he is the one who predicts in them what will happen. On the contrary, his hands have become hands of Esau. In fact he [the Word] was executed because of the sins of the people.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 6And he knew him not, for his hands were as the hands of his brother Esau, hairy; and he blessed him,
καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνω αὐτόν· ἦσαν γὰρ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ὡς αἱ χεῖρες ῾Ησαῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ δασεῖαι· καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτὸν
И҆ не позна̀ є҆гѡ̀: бѣ́стѣ бо рꙋ́цѣ є҆гѡ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ рꙋ́цѣ и҆са́ѵа бра́та є҆гѡ̀ косма̑тѣ. И҆ бл҃гословѝ є҆го̀
and he said, Art thou my son Esau? and he said, I [am].
καὶ εἶπε· σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ῾Ησαῦ; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἐγώ.
и҆ речѐ: ты́ ли є҆сѝ сы́нъ мо́й и҆са́ѵъ; Ѻ҆́нъ же речѐ: а҆́зъ.
And he said, Bring hither, and I will eat of thy venison, son, that my soul may bless thee; and he brought [it] near to him, and he ate, and he brought him wine, and he drank.
καὶ εἶπε· προσάγαγέ μοι, καὶ φάγομαι ἀπὸ τῆς θήρας σου, τέκνον, ἵνα εὐλογήσῃ σε ἡ ψυχή μου. καὶ προσήνεγκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἔφαγε· καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν αὐτῷ οἶνον, καὶ ἔπιε.
И҆ речѐ: принеси́ ми, и҆ ꙗ҆́мъ ѿ ло́ва твоегѡ̀, ча́до, да бл҃гослови́тъ тѧ̀ дꙋша̀ моѧ̀. И҆ принесѐ є҆мꙋ̀, и҆ ꙗ҆дѐ, и҆ принесѐ є҆мꙋ̀ вїно̀, и҆ пѝ.
Now although this meat is a burden unto the wise and prudent, yet was it given by promise unto Noah, and it was sent unto Elijah in a gift, and Abraham received God and His angels thereby, and Isaac was pleased to pour out blessings upon Jacob thereby, and Samuel offered this gift beforehand to Saul as to a king, and David and all the righteous kings made use of such meat, and it was employed by all the righteous; and they were not blamed therefor, because they were superior to lust. And they did not eat like slaves with lust, but they made use of every thing with authority like free men.
13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On AbstinenceAnd Isaac his father said to him, Draw nigh to me, and kiss me, son.
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ισαὰκ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ· ἔγγισόν μοι καὶ φίλησόν με τέκνον.
И҆ речѐ є҆мꙋ̀ і҆саа́къ ѻ҆те́цъ є҆гѡ̀: прибли́жисѧ ко мнѣ̀ и҆ ѡ҆блобыза́й мѧ̀, ча́до.
And he drew nigh and kissed him, and smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said, Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of an abundant field, which the Lord has blessed.
καὶ ἐγγίσας ἐφίλησεν αὐτόν, καὶ ὠσφράνθη τὴν ὀσμὴν τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ ὀσμὴ τοῦ υἱοῦ μου ὡς ὀσμὴ ἀγροῦ πλήρους, ὃν εὐλόγησε Κύριος.
И҆ прибли́живсѧ лобыза̀ є҆го̀: и҆ ѡ҆бонѧ̀ воню̀ ри́зъ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ бл҃гословѝ є҆го̀ и҆ речѐ: сѐ, вонѧ̀ сы́на моегѡ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ вонѧ̀ ни́вы и҆спо́лнены, ю҆́же блгⷭ҇вѝ гдⷭ҇ь:
For of him it is written, "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field." He had been made perfect in virtue's every flower and was fragrant with the grace of the holy blessing and of the happiness of heaven. He is indeed the field that the Lord has blessed. [This field is] not the earthly field with its rugged woods and crashing torrents, its swampy, sluggish waters, unproductive grain lands, and barren vineyards, filled with sterile rock and gravel, pockmarked and arid with drought or wet with blood, and choked over with brambles and thorns, but the field of which the church speaks in the Canticle, "I have adjured you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and virtues of the field." This is the field of which the Lord also says, "With me is the beauty of the field." In this field the grape is found that was pressed and poured out blood and washed the world clean. In this field is the fig tree, and beneath it the saints will find rest and be renewed by a good and spiritual grace. In this field is the olive tree fruitful in the overflowing ointment of the Lord's peace. In this field flourish the pomegranate trees that shelter many fruits with the one bulwark of faith and, so to speak, nurture them with the warm embrace of love.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 1, Section 3And so Jacob was fragrant with the fragrance of such fruits; he followed God amid dangers and believed that he was safe everywhere, led by the Lord. Although the fragrance of the field is pleasant and sweet because it is a natural fragrance, still there breathed in the holy patriarch the fragrance of grace and virtue. How moderate and restrained he was! He did not claim the food that had been prepared for him but yielded without delay to his brother's request for it and received from him the birthright of the firstborn. How respectful he was toward his parents! Through his mother's love he earned the preference over his elder brother, and through the gift of his father's blessing he was made holy. How respectful of God's commands he was! He refused to do wrong to his brother. How honorable! He resisted practicing deceit upon his father. How respectful! He could not refuse his mother what she ordered.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 1, Section 4"He smelled his clothes and said, 'Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of an abundant field, which the Lord has blessed.' " This field is the church. Let's prove that the church is a field. Listen to the apostle telling the faithful: "You are God's tilled field; you are God's building." Not only is the church a field, but also God is the tiller of the field. Listen to the Lord himself: "I am the vine, you the branches, and my Father is the vinedresser." Toiling in this field as a laborer and hoping for an eternal reward, the apostle claims no credit for himself, except a laborer's due. "I planted," he says, "Apollo watered, but God gave the increase. And so neither the one who plants is anything, nor the one who waters, but God who gives the increase." Notice how Paul safeguards humility to make sure of belonging to Jacob, to that field which is the church, and of not losing the robe whose scent was as the smell of an abundant field. He does not pass over to the pride of Esau, materialistic in thought and abounding in arrogance. So the smell of the field comes from the garment of the son. But this field is nothing in itself. That's why he added, "which the Lord has blessed. And the Lord will give you from the dew of heaven above and from the fruitfulness of the earth, and quantities of corn and wine. And nations will serve you, and you shall be lord of your brother, and the sons of your father shall pay you homage. Whoever curses you shall be cursed, and whoever blesses you shall be blessed." That is the blessing of Jacob. If Esau had not been blessed too, there would be no problem. But he is blessed too, not with this blessing, and yet one not altogether different from this one.
SERMON 4.28What advice does Rebekah give? That Jacob should take the skins of the kids and go to his father. The father is expecting the elder and blesses the younger. The Old Testament has the Jews in mind according to its literal meaning, and by the spiritual understanding of it, it is a blessing to Christians. Would your holinesses please concentrate on this great mystery, this great sacrament.Isaac says, "Your brother came with guile" about a man without guile. Isaac undoubtedly knew what was happening since he had the spirit of prophecy, and he himself was acting symbolically. He stakes everything on the sublime truths being symbolically, sacramentally enacted. For if he hadn't known what he was doing, he would surely have been angry with his son for deceiving him. The elder comes and says, "Here, father, eat; I have done just as you ordered me." He says, "Who are you?" He replies, "I am your elder son, Esau." "And who is the one," Isaac says, "at whose hands I have already eaten, and I blessed him, and blessed he shall be?" He seemed to be angry; Esau was expecting from his lips some sort of curse upon his brother. While he is expecting a curse, Isaac confirms the blessing. What splendid anger, what marvelous indignation! But he knew the mystery being enacted. The blindness of his bodily eyes stood for the mental blindness of the Jews. But the eyes of his heart were able to see the sublimity of the mysteries being unfolded.
SERMON 4.21This dew is the influence of the Holy Spirit's grace which visits the Scriptures and in which it is sweetly found. Hence, in Genesis: "The fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field which the Lord has blessed! God give you dew from heaven, and fruitfulness of the earth, abundance of grain and wine." Jacob, that spiritual man, is well learned in the Sacred Scriptures. Out of him comes forth an odor that abounds throughout the Scriptures in their threefold meaning: the grain referring to allegory, the wine to tropology, and the oil to anagogy.
Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 14In fact, these things were not completely fulfilled in Jacob but in Christ and in those who were justified through faith, who were also made sons according to the promise in Isaac. Therefore the meaning of the prophecy will also suit the new people and Christ himself, who is beginning and leading. He is also considered to be a second Adam and was born as a second root of humanity. For that which is in Christ is a new creation, and we are renewed in him to sanctification, incorruption and life. The words of the blessing, I believe, signify the sweetness of the spiritual perfume in Christ, like that of a garden or a plentiful field spreading a sweet and beautiful perfume from its spring flowers. And so Christ described himself to us in the Song of Songs: "I am the flower of the field, the lily of the valleys." He was actually a lily and a rose born of the earth for the sake of humanity. Since he did not know sin, he was the most divine of all those who inhabited the whole world and produced a perfume though his works. For this reason [Scripture] compares Christ with a field blessed by God, and with very good reason, because he is the perfume of the knowledge of God the Father. So again the divine Paul says, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him." Our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed through the holy apostles like the perfume of the knowledge of God the Father. "If someone knows the Son, he also fully knows the Father," because of the sameness of nature, as in everything he possesses the same things in the same degree.
GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, 3.5And may God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and abundance of corn and wine.
καὶ δῴη σοι ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ τῆς δρόσου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πιότητος τῆς γῆς καὶ πλῆθος σίτου καὶ οἴνου.
и҆ да да́стъ тебѣ̀ бг҃ъ ѿ росы̀ небе́сныѧ и҆ ѿ тꙋ́ка землѝ, и҆ мно́жество пшени́цы и҆ вїна̀:
These things therefore fit with Christ and also fit quite reasonably with the new people: "May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine." The dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth, that is, the Word, was given to us by the Father, together with the participation through the Spirit, and therefore we were made participants in the divine nature through him. And we also received plenty of grain and wine, that is, strength and happiness. In fact, it is said truly, "Bread strengthens the heart of man, and wine makes glad his heart." Bread is the symbol of spiritual strength, wine of the physical. They are given to those who are in Christ through him. In which other way were we made stable and firm in piety and immovable and aware to think the right things? Certainly the power "to trample serpents and scorpions underfoot and the whole power of the enemy" was given to us. This, I believe, is the meaning of the abundance of grain. But we have also received wine. "We rejoice in hope," and "we have become glad," according to Scripture. We expect heavenly dwellings, an eternal life in incorruption, and to reign together with Christ. Therefore these things may be said about us.
GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, 3.5If one believes that this blessing was accomplished in Jacob, he is mistaken. Nothing of this ever happened to Jacob. First we find him in Mesopotamia at the service of Laban for twenty years; then he prostrates himself before his brother Esau and tries to make himself pleasing to him by offering presents; after this he goes down to Egypt to avoid starvation with his children. In whom then have the words "Ah, the smell of the clothes of my son is like the smell of a fruitful field that the Lord has blessed" been accomplished? In nobody else but Christ, Son of God. In fact, the field is the world, and the smell of his clothes are all those who believe in him, according to what the apostle says: "We are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life."The words "May God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine" signify clearly the Word, who came down from heaven like dew. The earth is the flesh that he has assumed from the Virgin. Through the words "plenty of grain and wine," the prophet signifies the saints, who are gathered together like the grain in a barn and are justified by the Spirit as by wine.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 7And let nations serve thee, and princes bow down to thee, and be thou lord of thy brother, and the sons of thy father shall do thee reverence; accursed is he that curses thee, and blessed is he that blesses thee.
καὶ δουλευσάτωσάν σοι ἔθνη, καὶ προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι ἄρχοντες· καὶ γίνου κύριος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, καὶ προσκυνήσουσί σε οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ πατρός σου. ὁ καταρώμενός σε ἐπικατάρατος, ὁ δὲ εὐλογῶν σε εὐλογημένος.
и҆ да порабо́таютъ тебѣ̀ ꙗ҆зы́цы, и҆ да покло́нѧтсѧ тебѣ̀ кнѧ̑зи, и҆ бꙋ́ди господи́нъ бра́тꙋ твоемꙋ̀, и҆ покло́нѧтсѧ тебѣ̀ сы́нове ѻ҆тца̀ твоегѡ̀: проклина́ѧй тѧ̀ про́клѧтъ, бл҃гословлѧ́ѧй же тѧ̀ бл҃гослове́нъ.
Let peoples serve thee, and let their princes bow down to thee, and be thou Lord over thy brethren, and let thy father's sons bow down to thee; cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be every one that blesseth thee. But we see not all these things accomplished upon Jacob, but see rather that Jacob, having prostrated himself seven times upon the ground, made obeisance to Esau. And thirty kings, sprung from Esau, reigned before ever a king reigned in Israel; so that these blessings await Him who was expected to descend from them, namely, the Lord Christ, whom the whole scope of divine scripture has in view.
The Christian Topography, Book 5Afterward the power of blessing is transferred again to the Immanuel himself. "And let nations serve you, and princes bow down to you, and be lord of your brother." The Immanuel was called "the firstborn" when he became so with reference to us, "among many brothers." But for this reason we must not forget that he is God and the Lord of the universe. We worship him as God, and he has reigned as God over those who are called from the brothers through grace. "Who in the heavens shall be compared to the Lord, and who shall be likened to the Lord among the sons of God?" Therefore the Immanuel has reigned as God over those who were received into the brotherhood, and to him "every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father." And cursed is he who curses, "and blessed is he that blesses." These words are quite clear. Those who curse are detestable and hateful to God; those who bless, that is, who announce his divine glory, are filled with heavenly and divine goods. This is the blessing of Jacob, whose strength refers to the Immanuel himself and to those who are justified in the faith.
GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, 3.173B-CAnd also the words "Let peoples serve you, and princes bow down to you" have been accomplished now. Whom else do the faithful peoples serve and the princes of the church worship but Christ, in whose name they also receive their salvation? The Word has predicted all this through Isaiah by saying, "My servants shall be called by a new name, which will be blessed on the earth; for they shall bless the true God, and those who swear upon the earth shall swear in the name of the true God." And he adds, "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall hunger; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall thirst; behold, my servants shall exult with joy, but you shall be ashamed and shall cry for the vexation of your spirit."45Then he continues by saying, "Be lord of your brother, and the sons of your father shall bow to you." But nobody adored Jacob, nor did he become lord of his brother Esau; on the contrary, he ran away from him in a fright and was the first to adore him, for seven times. Therefore the words of Isaac have been accomplished in the Savior: He has become lord and master of those who are considered to be his brothers by the flesh, in order to be adored by them as their king. That is why Isaac says, "Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you."
THE BLESSINGS OF THE PATRIARCHS 7And it came to pass after Isaac had ceased blessing his son Jacob, it even came to pass, just when Jacob had gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὸ παύσασθαι ᾿Ισαὰκ εὐλογοῦντα ᾿Ιακὼβ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγένετο, ὡς ἐξῆλθεν ᾿Ιακὼβ ἀπὸ προσώπου ᾿Ισαὰκ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ῾Ησαῦ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἦλθεν ἀπὸ τῆς θήρας.
И҆ бы́сть по є҆́же преста́ти і҆саа́кꙋ бл҃гословлѧ́ющꙋ і҆а́кѡва сы́на своего̀: и҆ бы́сть є҆гда̀ и҆зы́де і҆а́кѡвъ ѿ лица̀ і҆саа́ка ѻ҆тца̀ своегѡ̀, и҆ и҆са́ѵъ бра́тъ є҆гѡ̀ прїи́де съ лови́твы.
Afterward, when the blessing had been pronounced, the elder brother arrived. By this it is revealed that the kingdom was predestined to be bestowed on the church rather than on the synagogue but had secretly entered the synagogue so that sin might abound, and, when sin had abounded, that grace might also abound. At the same time, it would be clear that the candidate for the kingdom of heaven must be quick to carry off the blessing and to appropriate the prerogative for which he has been recommended. On this account the younger son was not blamed by his father but praised, for Isaac says, "Your brother came deceitfully and received your blessing." For deceit is good when the plunder is without reproach. Now the plunder of piety is without reproach, because "from the days of John the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent bear it away." Our fathers celebrated the Passover in haste and ate the lamb in haste, not making delay, and the holy Joseph summoned his brother Benjamin by a holy fabrication and deceit.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 3, Section 10The other one, you see, comes along in the evening, and brings what his father ordered, and finds his brother has been blessed instead of himself and is not blessed with a second blessing. Because those two men were two peoples. One blessing signifies the unity of the church. But they are two peoples.… But the two peoples who belong to Jacob are represented in other ways. You see, our Lord Jesus Christ, who had come to Jews and Gentiles, was repudiated by the Jews, who belonged to the elder son. However, he chose some of them who belonged to the younger son, who had begun to desire and understand the Lord's promises, not taking that land they desired materialistically but spiritually desiring that city where no one is materially born, because in it no one either materially or spiritually dies.
SERMON 4.17And he also had made meats and brought them to his father; and he said to his father, Let my father arise and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
καὶ ἐποίησε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέσματα καὶ προσήνεγκε τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἶπε τῷ πατρί· ἀναστήτω ὁ πατήρ μου καὶ φαγέτω ἀπὸ τῆς θήρας τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὅπως εὐλογήσῃ με ἡ ψυχή σου.
Сотвори́ же и҆ то́й снѣ̑ди и҆ принесѐ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ своемꙋ̀, и҆ речѐ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀: да воста́нетъ ѻ҆те́цъ мо́й, и҆ да ꙗ҆́стъ ѿ ло́ва сы́на своегѡ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ да бл҃гослови́тъ мѧ̀ дꙋша̀ твоѧ̀.
The dishes of Esau signify the cult of the people under the law. Since they are inflated with pride and are certain of being justified by circumcision, they offer the pagan converts as nourishment, whereas they themselves need nourishment because they cannot touch the heavenly bread.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 8And Isaac his father said to him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy first-born son Esau.
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ισαὰκ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ· τίς εἶ σύ; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ υἱός σου ὁ πρωτότοκος ῾Ησαῦ.
И҆ речѐ є҆мꙋ̀ і҆саа́къ ѻ҆те́цъ є҆гѡ̀: кто̀ є҆сѝ ты̀; Ѻ҆́нъ же речѐ: а҆́зъ є҆́смь сы́нъ тво́й пе́рвенецъ и҆са́ѵъ.
And Isaac was amazed with very great amazement, and said, Who then is it that has procured venison for me and brought it to me? and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed.
ἐξέστη δὲ ᾿Ισαὰκ ἔκστασιν μεγάλην σφόδρα καὶ εἶπε· τίς οὖν ὁ θηρεύσας μοι θήραν καὶ εἰσενέγκας μοι; καὶ ἔφαγον ἀπὸ πάντων πρὸ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν σε καὶ εὐλόγησα αὐτόν, καὶ εὐλογημένος ἔσται.
Оу҆жасе́сѧ же і҆саа́къ ᲂу҆́жасомъ ве́лїимъ ѕѣлѡ̀ и҆ речѐ: кто̀ ᲂу҆̀бо ᲂу҆лови́вый мнѣ̀ ло́въ и҆ принесы́й мѝ; и҆ ꙗ҆до́хъ ѿ всѣ́хъ, пре́жде не́же прїитѝ тебѣ̀, и҆ бл҃гослови́хъ є҆го̀, и҆ бл҃гослове́нъ бꙋ́детъ.
What had actually occurred from the action of Jacob was a mystery of the [divine] economy in view of the Christ prefigured [by Jacob], [of the Christ] who, blessed by the Father, has been blessed forever after his [temporal] birth.The words of Scripture, "Besides himself, Isaac was seized with great amazement," have the same meaning as "Isaac was filled with admiration" for what had happened, because he foresaw that the Gentiles, according to the will of God, had to be blessed and take part in the covenant of the promise made to the fathers through the younger son. That is why Jacob, when he was brought forth and emerged the last from his mother's womb, took hold on Esau's heel. This means that by closely following the footsteps of the prophets the last peoples had to take hold of the right of primogeniture, since they are the first ones to be found in the New Testament.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF THE ISAAC AND JACOB 8And it came to pass when Esau heard the words of his father Isaac, he cried out with a great and very bitter cry, and said, Bless, I pray thee, me also, father.
ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα ἤκουσεν ῾Ησαῦ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ᾿Ισαάκ, ἀνεβόησε φωνὴν μεγάλην καὶ πικρὰν σφόδρα καὶ εἶπεν· εὐλόγησον δή κἀμέ, πάτερ.
Бы́сть же є҆гда̀ ᲂу҆слы́ша и҆са́ѵъ глаго́лы ѻ҆тца̀ своегѡ̀ і҆саа́ка, возопѝ гла́сомъ ве́лїимъ и҆ го́рькимъ ѕѣлѡ̀, и҆ речѐ: бл҃гословѝ ᲂу҆́бѡ и҆ менѐ, ѻ҆́тче.
And Esau cried out and wailed bitterly, not because he lost his spiritual blessings but because he was now deprived of the bountiful produce of the blessed earth. [Esau wept] not because he was no longer able to be righteous but because he would not be able to make his brother his servant; not because he would not inherit eternal life but because the land of the Canaanites would not be his portion. Since Esau had such spite for his brother that he wished to kill him, Rebekah persuaded Jacob to go to the house of Laban lest they kill each other in their strife, and she became bereft of both of them at the same time.
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 25:3And he said to him, Thy brother has come with subtlety, and taken thy blessing.
εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ· ἐλθὼν ὁ ἀδελφός σου μετὰ δόλου ἔλαβε τὴν εὐλογίαν σου.
Рече́ же є҆мꙋ̀: прише́дъ бра́тъ тво́й съ ле́стїю, взѧ̀ бл҃гослове́нїе твоѐ.
So what can it mean when it says, "Your brother came with guile and stole the blessing"?… So what can it mean when it says, "He came along with guile and stole the blessing"?First of all, let us note what guile means, and so see what Jacob ought to do. He is bearing the sins of others, and he is bearing them patiently although they are other people's. That is what it means to have the skins of the kids on him; he is bearing the sins of others, not clinging to his own. In this way all those who put up with the sins of others for the sake of unity in the church are imitating Jacob. Because Jacob too is in Christ, inasmuch as Christ is in the seed of Abraham; as it was said, "In your seed shall all the nations be blessed." So our Lord Jesus Christ, who committed no sin, bore the sins of others. And will those whose sins have been forgiven disdain to bear the sins of others? So if Jacob turns into Christ, he bears the sins of others—that, is the skins of the kids. And where is the guile in that?
SERMON 4.15-16What then is guile? Guile is when one thing is done and another pretended. When there is one thing in intention and another in deeds, it is called guile. So guile in the proper sense is reprehensible, just like rock in the proper sense. If you said Christ was a rock in the proper sense, it would be a blasphemy, just as if you said Christ was a calf in the proper sense it would be blasphemy. In the proper sense a calf is a beast; in the figurative sense it is a victim in a sacrifice. In the proper sense a stone is compacted earth; in the figurative sense it is firmness. Guile in the proper sense is deceit; in the figurative sense.… Every figurative and allegorical text or utterance seems to mean one thing materially and to suggest another thing spiritually. So he called this figurative sense by the name of guile. At long last then, what does it mean, "He came with guile and stole your blessing"? The reason it says "He came with guile" is that what was being done had a figurative sense. Isaac, after all, would not have confirmed the blessing on a guileful, deceitful man who more justly would deserve a curse. So it wasn't a case of real guile, especially since he did not in fact lie when he said, "I am your elder son Esau." For that one had already made a bargain with his brother and sold him his rights as firstborn. So he told his father that he had what he had bought from his brother; what that one had lost had passed to this one. The title of firstborn had not been eliminated from Isaac's household. The title of firstborn was still here—but not with the one who had sold it. Where else was it but with the younger brother? Because he knew the symbolic mystery in all this, Isaac confirmed the blessing and said to this other son, "What am I to do for you?" He answered, "Bless me too, father; you do not only have one blessing." But Isaac knew only of one.
SERMON 4.23The fact that he says to him, "Your brother came by trickery and took away your blessing" means, in a way that implies a mystery, that the Word of God, after his incarnation, had to take the form of a slave. [Thus] thanks to him who was unknown in his generation, he might receive the blessing of the Father and transmit it to us, who believe in him.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 8And he said, Rightly was his name called Jacob, for lo! this second time has he supplanted me; he has both taken my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing; and Esau said to his father, Hast thou not left a blessing for me, father?
καὶ εἶπε· δικαίως ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Ιακώβ· ἐπτέρνικε γάρ με ἰδοὺ δεύτερον τοῦτο· τά τε πρωτοτόκιά μου εἴληφε καὶ νῦν ἔλαβε τὴν εὐλογίαν μου· καὶ εἶπεν ῾Ησαῦ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ· οὐχ ὑπελίπου μοι εὐλογίαν, πάτερ;
И҆ речѐ (и҆са́ѵъ): пра́веднѡ нарече́сѧ и҆́мѧ є҆мꙋ̀ і҆а́кѡвъ: запѧ́ бо мѧ̀ сѐ ᲂу҆жѐ втори́цею, и҆ пе́рвенство моѐ взѧ̀, и҆ нн҃ѣ взѧ̀ бл҃гослове́нїе моѐ. И҆ речѐ и҆са́ѵъ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ своемꙋ̀: не ѡ҆ста́вилъ ли є҆сѝ (и҆) мнѣ̀ бл҃гослове́нїѧ, ѻ҆́тче;
"And Esau said, 'Rightly is his name called Jacob.' " Tripping up is what Jacob means. And not even tripping up is empty of meaning, because it is to be taken figuratively, like guile. Jacob, you see, was not yet so malicious as to plan to trip his brother up, when he was given his name. He was called a tripper-up when as his brother was being born he held his foot with his own hand. That is when he was called "Tripper-up." Now tripping up the materialistically minded is the very life of the spiritually minded. All the materialists are tripped up when they envy the spiritual people in the church, and they thereby become worse. Listen to the apostle saying this very thing, especially because he there mentions the smell that Isaac talked about here, saying, "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of an abundant field, which the Lord has blessed." So the apostle says, "We are the sweet smell of Christ in every place," and he says, "For some indeed the smell of life, for life; for the others the smell of death, for death. And for this who is sufficient?" Sufficient, that is, to understand how we can be the smell of death for the death of other people, without any fault of ours. Spiritual people walk their ways, knowing nothing except how to live a good life. And those who are spiteful about their innocent lives commit grave sins, which is why God will punish them. And thus a person who is a sweet smell for life to others becomes to them a smell for death. For the Lord himself was the first to become a sweet smell for life to believers and a bad smell for death to persecutors. Because so many people had believed him, the Jews were full of spite and committed that enormous crime of killing the innocent one, the saint of saints. If they had not done this, the sweet smell of Christ would not have meant death for them. So Esau was tripped up in his father's blessing.
SERMON 4.28(Verse 36.) And Esau said, rightly is his name called Jacob: for he hath supplanted me these two times. Jacob is interpreted supplanter. And therefore, because he had deceived his brother by art, he alluded to the name. Therefore, he was called Jacob before, because he had taken hold of his brother's heel in his birth.
Hebrew Questions on GenesisNow this is the first lust which conquered the world, and because of it the first transgression of the law took place. It dismissed from Esau his birthright and his blessings. For the lust of the belly is the captain of the host of the left side, and to it are fettered all the hosts of sin, and as captains of hosts go forth to war at the head of their companies against the enemy, even so also doth it, as the captain of the host of all wickedness, go forth to war against that which is good.
13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On AbstinenceAnd Isaac answered and said to Esau, If I have made him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants, and have strengthened him with corn and wine, what then shall I do for thee, son?
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ᾿Ισαὰκ εἶπε τῷ ῾Ησαῦ· εἰ κύριον αὐτὸν πεποίηκά σου καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφούς αὐτοῦ πεποίηκα αὐτοῦ οἰκέτας, σίτῳ καὶ οἴνῳ ἐστήριξα αὐτόν, σοὶ δὲ τί ποιήσω, τέκνον;
Ѿвѣща́въ же і҆саа́къ, речѐ и҆са́ѵꙋ: а҆́ще господи́на є҆го̀ сотвори́хъ тебѣ̀, и҆ всю̀ бра́тїю є҆гѡ̀ сотвори́хъ рабы̑ є҆мꙋ̀, пшени́цею и҆ вїно́мъ ᲂу҆тверди́хъ є҆го̀: тебѣ́ же что̀ сотворю̀, ча́до;
And Esau said to his father, Hast thou [only] one blessing, father? Bless, I pray thee, me also, father. And Isaac being troubled, Esau cried aloud and wept.
εἶπε δὲ ῾Ησαῦ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ· μὴ εὐλογία μία σοί ἐστι, πάτερ; εὐλόγησον δὴ κἀμέ, πάτερ. κατανυχθέντος δὲ ᾿Ισαὰκ ἀνεβόησε φωνῇ ῾Ησαῦ καὶ ἔκλαυσεν.
Рече́ же и҆са́ѵъ ко ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ своемꙋ̀: є҆да̀ є҆ди́но є҆́сть бл҃гослове́нїе ᲂу҆ тебє̀, ѻ҆́тче; бл҃гословѝ ᲂу҆́бѡ и҆ менѐ, ѻ҆́тче. Оу҆мили́вшꙋсѧ же і҆саа́кꙋ, возопѝ гла́сомъ ве́лїимъ и҆са́ѵъ и҆ воспла́касѧ.
And Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ᾿Ισαὰκ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἰδοὺ ἀπὸ τῆς πιότητος τῆς γῆς ἔσται ἡ κατοίκησίς σου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δρόσου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἄνωθεν.
Ѿвѣща́въ же і҆саа́къ ѻ҆те́цъ є҆гѡ̀, речѐ є҆мꙋ̀: сѐ, ѿ тꙋ́ка землѝ бꙋ́детъ вселе́нїе твоѐ, и҆ ѿ росы̀ небе́сныѧ свы́ше:
But why was it after being "roughly handled" that Isaac gave his blessing? For in the last resort what Isaac said to Esau was spoken under constraint and force: "Behold, your dwelling will be by the fruitfulness of the earth and by the dew of heaven." And in case you should imagine yourself for that reason to be good—"You shall live by your sword and be servant to your brother." But in order that you shouldn't despair of yourself, since you can after all correct yourself—"But the time will come when you will put off and undo the yoke from your neck." There you are, he will receive of the fruitfulness of the earth and of the dew of heaven. But when Isaac is roughly handled, he throws this blessing at him. He does not give it to him. Doesn't it happen now in the church with evil people who want to cause trouble in the church that they are tolerated for the sake of peace, that they are admitted to share in the common sacraments? And sometimes it is public knowledge that they are evil, but for some reason or other they cannot be convicted of it. No proof or conviction can be obtained so that they may be corrected and removed from office, excluded, excommunicated. If someone presses charges, it sometimes comes to the disruption of the church. The church leader is forced in effect to say, "Here you are with the fruitfulness of the earth and the dew of heaven; make use of the sacraments; you are eating judgment to yourself, you are drinking judgment to yourself. "Whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself." "You know that you are being admitted to the sacraments for the sake of the peace of the church; all you have at heart is stirring up trouble and causing divisions. That is why you will live by the sword. For as to what you receive from the dew of heaven and the fruitfulness of the earth, you won't live by that. That gives you no delight; you do not see that the Lord is sweet. If this did give you delight, if you did find the Lord sweet, you would imitate the Lord's humility instead of the devil's pride." So although he receives the mystery of the Lord's humility from the dew of heaven and the fruitfulness of the earth, he does not set aside the pride of the devil (may I have nothing to do with him!) who always takes pleasure in quarrels and dissension. "Yes, you may have this communion in the dew of heaven and the fruitfulness of the earth, but all the same you are living by your sword, and either rejoicing in the quarrels and dissension, or being scared out of your wits by them. So change yourself, and take the yoke from your neck."
SERMON 4.35Are the words spoken there by the blessed Isaac meant either as a blessing or as a prophecy? It is necessary to understand the previous statement. This is what he says: "By the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and by the dew of heaven above." In fact, it happens that the people settled down in the land of the Canaanites, which they shared with Joshua, son of Nun. And the words of Isaac "and by the dew of heaven above" signify that the prophets, like a cloud, left them soaked in dew after revealing to them the oracles of God.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 10And thou shalt live by thy sword, and shalt serve thy brother; and there shall be [a time] when thou shalt break and loosen his yoke from off thy neck.
καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ μαχαίρᾳ σου ζήσῃ καὶ τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου δουλεύσεις· ἔσται δὲ ἡνίκα ἐὰν καθέλῃς, καὶ ἐκλύσῃς τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ τραχήλου σου.
и҆ мече́мъ твои́мъ жи́ти бꙋ́деши, и҆ бра́тꙋ твоемꙋ̀ порабо́таеши: бꙋ́детъ же (вре́мѧ) є҆гда̀ низложи́ши и҆ ѿрѣши́ши ꙗ҆ре́мъ є҆гѡ̀ ѿ вы́и твоеѧ̀.
Nevertheless Esau brought it about by his demands and entreaties that he did receive a blessing but such a blessing as was in agreement and correspondence with the earlier one, namely, that he should serve his brother. Indeed, the one who could not command and rule the other ought to have served him, in order to be ruled by the one who was wiser. It was not the role of the holy patriarch to deliver his own son to the ignoble state of slavery. But since he had two sons, one without moderation and the other moderate and wise, in order to take care for both like a good father, he placed the moderate son over the immediate one, and he ordered the foolish one to obey the one who was wise. For the foolish man cannot of his own accord be a disciple of virtue or persevere in his intent, because the fool changes like the moon. Isaac was right to deny Esau freedom to make his own choices; else he might drift like a ship in the waves without a helmsman. But Isaac made him subject to his brother according to that which is written, "The unwise man is the slave of the wise man." Therefore the patriarch was right to make him subject, so that he might amend his dispositions under rule and guidance. And so Isaac says, "By your sword shall you live; you shall serve your brother," for holiness has mastery over cruelty and kindness excels over emotions that are harsh.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 3, Section 11Everyone who does not possess the authority conferred by a clear conscience is a slave; whoever is crushed by fear or ensnared by pleasure or seduced by desires or provoked by wrath or felled by grief is a slave. In fact, every passion is servile, because "everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin," and, what is worse, he is the slave of many sins. The person who is subject to vices has sold himself to many masters, so that he is scarcely permitted to go out of servitude. But take the one who is the master over his own will, judge over his counsels, agent of his judgment, the man who restrains the longing of his bodily passions and does well what he does. (Note that by acting well he acts rightly, and one who acts rightly acts without blame or reproach because he has power over his actions.) Such a person is assuredly free. For the one who does all things wisely and in complete accord with his will is the only free man. It is not accidental status that makes the slave but shameful and foolish conduct. Indeed, the wise servant rules the foolish master, and "their own servants will lend to the masters." What will they lend? Not money, surely, but wisdom, just as the law also says, "You will lend to many nations and will not borrow." For the Jew lent to the proselyte the prophecies of God's law.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 3, Section 12This then is what the patriarch Isaac says, "You shall serve your brother. But the time will be, when you shall shake off and loose his yoke from your neck." He means that there will be two peoples, one the son of the slave girl, the other of the free woman—for the letter is a slave, whereas grace is free16—and that the people that attends to the letter is going to be a slave as long as it needs to follow the expounder of learning in the spirit. Then that will also come to pass which the apostle says, "that the remnant may be saved by reason of the election made by grace." "You shall serve your brother," but then you will perceive your advancement in servitude only when you begin to obey your brother voluntarily and not under compulsion.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 3, Section 13And the words: "You shall live by your sword" mean that the people never stop being in defensive or aggressive war with the nations living around them, as Scripture itself shows. And the sentence "You shall be the servant of your brother" indicates the age that still continues, the age in which the Savior was present and came to visit his own brothers according to the flesh, and the Savior the prophet here suggests to serve after humanity has become obedient. That is why he said: "There will come a time when you shall shake and break the yoke from your neck." Which yoke, but the yoke that lies in the law? Provided that they do not live any more as slaves under the yoke of the law but believe in the gospel as free men, they can still be saved.
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 10(Verse 40.) And you shall serve your brother, and it shall come to pass when you shall have removed it, and shall have taken away his yoke from your neck. This signifies that the Edomites will serve the Jews, and that a time will come when they shall throw off the yoke of servitude from their neck and resist their dominion. However, according to the Seventy Interpreters, who said: 'But it shall come to pass when you shall have removed it, and shall have taken away his yoke from your neck,' it seems that the decision is uncertain and not yet complete.
Hebrew Questions on GenesisAnd Esau was angry with Jacob because of the blessing, with which his father blessed him; and Esau said in his mind, Let the days of my father's mourning draw nigh, that I may slay my brother Jacob.
Καὶ ἐνεκότει ῾Ησαῦ τῷ ᾿Ιακὼβ περὶ τῆς εὐλογίας ἧς εὐλόγησεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ· εἶπε δὲ ῾Ησαῦ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτοῦ· ἐγγισάτωσαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πένθους τοῦ πατρός μου, ἵνα ἀποκτείνω ᾿Ιακὼβ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου.
И҆ враждова́ше и҆са́ѵъ на і҆а́кѡва ѡ҆ бл҃гослове́нїи, и҆́мже бл҃гословѝ є҆го̀ ѻ҆те́цъ є҆гѡ̀. Рече́ же и҆са́ѵъ во ᲂу҆мѣ̀ свое́мъ: да прибли́жатсѧ дні́е пла́ча ѻ҆тца̀ моегѡ̀, да бы́хъ ᲂу҆би́лъ і҆а́кѡва бра́та моего̀.
But we shouldn't leave his parents without excuse for having preferred their younger son to the elder. At the same time we must take care so that no one, in turning to their example, would make an unfair judgment between his sons or suppose that he should love the one and esteem the other less. From this line of conduct fraternal hatreds are aroused and the crime of fratricide is contrived to gain a worthless sum of money. Let children be nurtured with an equal measure of devotion. Granted that one's love may fasten more upon some trait in a child who is more agreeable or similar to oneself, the exercise of justice ought to be the same in regard to all. The more that is given to the child that is loved and who seeks his brother's love, the more is taken away from the one who is burdened with jealousy at the unfair preferment. Esau threatened that he would kill his brother. Neither the fact of brotherhood nor respect for their parents kept him from his fratricidal madness, and he grieved that the blessing had been snatched away from him, whereas he should have proved himself worthy of it by forbearance rather than by crime.However, Rebekah did not prefer one son to another son but a just son to an unjust one. And indeed, with that pious mother, God's mysterious plan was more important than her offspring. She did not so much prefer Jacob to his brother; rather, she offered him to the Lord, for she knew that he could protect the gift that the Lord had bestowed. In the Lord she took counsel also for her other son; she withdrew him from God's disfavor, lest he incur graver culpability if he lost the grace of the blessing he did receive.
On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter 2, Sections 5-6Every kind of honour and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, "My beloved ate and drank, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked." [Deuteronomy 32:15] Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity. So the worthless rose up against the honoured, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years. For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as every one abandons the fear of God, and has become blind in His faith, neither walks in the ordinances of His appointment, nor acts a part becoming a Christian, but walks after his own wicked lusts, resuming the practice of an unrighteous and ungodly envy, by which death itself entered into the world. [Wisdom 2:24]
For thus it is written: "And it came to pass after certain days, that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice unto God; and Abel also brought of the firstlings of his sheep, and of the fat thereof. And God had respect to Abel and to his offerings, but Cain and his sacrifices He did not regard. And Cain was deeply grieved, and his countenance fell. And God said to Cain, Why are you grieved, and why is your countenance fallen? If you offer rightly, but do not divide rightly, have you not sinned? Be at peace: your offering returns to yourself, and you shall again possess it. And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go into the field. And it came to pass, while they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." [Genesis 4:3-8] You see, brethren, how envy and jealousy led to the murder of a brother. Through envy, also, our father Jacob fled from the face of Esau his brother [Genesis 27:41-45]. Envy made Joseph be persecuted unto death, and to come into bondage. [Genesis 37:18-28] Envy compelled Moses to flee from the face of Pharaoh king of Egypt, when he heard these words from his fellow-countryman, "Who made you a judge or a ruler over us? Will you kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" [Exodus 2:14] On account of envy, Aaron and Miriam had to make their abode without the camp. [Numbers 12:14-15] Envy brought down Dathan and Abiram alive to Hades, through the sedition which they excited against God's servant Moses. [Numbers 16:33] Through envy, David not only underwent the hatred of foreigners, but was also persecuted by Saul king of Israel. [1 Samuel 21:10-15]
Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapters 3-4
Proverbs 19.16-25
§ 95
He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he that despises his ways shall perish.
ὃς φυλάσσει ἐντολήν, τηρεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν, ὁ δὲ καταφρονῶν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ὁδῶν ἀπολεῖται.
И҆́же храни́тъ за́пѡвѣди, соблюда́етъ свою̀ дꙋ́шꙋ, а҆ нерадѧ́й ѡ҆ свои́хъ пꙋте́хъ поги́бнетъ.
He that has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; and he will recompense to him according to his gift.
δανείζει Θεῷ ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχόν, κατὰ δὲ τὸ δόμα αὐτοῦ ἀνταποδώσει αὐτῷ.
Ми́лꙋѧй ни́ща взаи́мъ дае́тъ бг҃ови, по даѧ́нїю же є҆гѡ̀ возда́стсѧ є҆мꙋ̀.
If you help a poor person in the Name of the Lord, you are making a gift and at the same time granting a loan. You are making a gift because you have no expectation of being reimbursed by that poor person. You are granting a loan because the Lord will settle the account. It is not much that the Lord receives by means of the poor, but He will pay a great deal on their behalf.
"He who has mercy on the poor lends to the Lord," etc. The Lord himself proves the truth of this statement, when he predicts that he will say to those who give alms: "Insofar as you did it to one of these least of my brethren, you did it to me" (Matt. XXV). "Discipline your son, lest you despair; but do not set your heart on putting him to death." Be diligent in chastising any subject whom you see erring. But if he refuses correction, act towards him with such caution and temperance that he may find nothing in your words or actions wherewith he might sin more. The following also supports this sense:
Commentary on ProverbsIf a trustworthy man said to you, Give me one gold coin, and I will repay you one hundred solid gold coins, would you not gladly give him the one in order that you might receive the hundred? Now the God of heaven and earth says to you, "He who has compassion on the poor lends to God"; moreover, "As long as you did it for one of the least of these, you did it for me"; and in the Psalms, "Well for the man who is gracious and lends." How much more, then, should you lend to God on earth, in order that you may receive a manifold return in eternal life? Then you will deserve to come before the tribunal of the eternal judge in the sight of the angels and can say with assurance and a clear conscience, Give, Lord, because I have given; have mercy because I have shown mercy.
SERMON 158:6The lesson, therefore, which he teaches us is love for the poor, which is precious in the sight of God. Do you feel pleasure in being praised when you have any friends or relatives feasting with you? I tell you of something far better: angels shall praise your bounty, and the rational powers above, and holy men as well; and he too shall accept it who transcends all, and who loves mercy and is kind. Lend to him fearing nothing, and you will receive with interest whatever you gave, for "he," it says, "who has pity on the poor lends unto God."
COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 103Let us lend to God almsgiving so we may receive from him clemency in exchange. Oh, how wise is this statement! "Whoever has mercy upon the poor lends to God." Why did he not say, "Whoever has mercy upon the poor gives to God" instead of "lends"? Scripture recognizes our greediness; it understood that our insatiate desire, which looks longingly toward greediness, asks for an excess. This is why it did not say simply, "Whoever has mercy upon the poor gives to God," so you may not think that the recompense will be customary; rather, it said, "Whoever has mercy upon the poor lends to God." Since God borrows from us, then, he is our debtor. How do we want to have him, as judge or debtor? The debtor is ashamed before his lender; the judge does not put to shame the one who borrows.
HOMILIES ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING 7:6.23Chasten thy son, for so he shall be hopeful; and be not exalted in thy soul to haughtiness.
παίδευε υἱόν σου, οὕτως γὰρ ἔσται εὔελπις, εἰς δὲ ὕβριν μὴ ἐπαίρου τῇ ψυχῇ σου.
Наказꙋ́й сы́на твоего̀, та́кѡ бо бꙋ́детъ благонаде́женъ: въ досажде́нїе же не взе́млисѧ дꙋше́ю твое́ю.
"He who is patient will sustain loss," etc. For if provoked by the hardness of the opposing brother, whom you began to teach, you fall into the vice of impatience, you indeed incur the loss of your own virtue. And when by scolding him too harshly, you snatch away the hope of obtaining salvation and fulfilling repentance that he had, you will give an account for having scandalized your brother to the strict judge. The sense of the text is clear, because he who by impatience serves the theft of poverty or robbery, causes harm to his own soul, and when he takes the property of his neighbor; and if not to man through this, surely he will have to give an account to the eternal judge. Hence another version has translated this verse as: A man thinking evil will be afflicted with much loss; and if he is pernicious, he will also add his soul, because evidently, when he violently takes away money, he will unwillingly give his life for it.
Commentary on ProverbsA malicious man shall be severely punished, and if he commit injury, he shall also lose his life.
κακόφρων ἀνὴρ πολλὰ ζημιωθήσεται· ἐὰν δὲ λοιμεύηται, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ προσθήσει.
Ѕлоꙋ́менъ мꙋ́жъ мно́гѡ ѡ҆тщети́тсѧ: а҆́ще же гꙋби́тель є҆́сть, и҆ дꙋ́шꙋ свою̀ приложи́тъ.
Hear, son, the instruction of thy father, that thou mayest be wise at thy latter end.
ἄκουε, υἱέ, παιδείαν πατρός σου, ἵνα σοφὸς γένῃ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων σου.
Слꙋ́шай, сы́не, ѻ҆тца̀ твоегѡ̀ наказа́нїѧ, да мꙋ́дръ бꙋ́деши въ послѣ̑днѧѧ твоѧ̑.
[There are] many thoughts in a man’s heart; but the counsel of the Lord abides for ever.
πολλοὶ λογισμοὶ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνδρός, ἡ δὲ βουλὴ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένει.
Мнѡ́ги мы̑сли въ се́рдцы мꙋ́жа: совѣ́тъ же гдⷭ҇ень во вѣ́къ пребыва́етъ.
What lies hidden in the designs of God I confess I do not know—I am only a man—but this I know with full certainty, that, whatever it is, it is more just, more wise, and more solidly based on incomparable perfection than all the judgments of people.
LETTER 104Mercy is a fruit to a man: and a poor man is better than a rich liar.
καρπὸς ἀνδρὶ ἐλεημοσύνη, κρείσσων δὲ πτωχὸς δίκαιος ἢ πλούσιος ψεύστης.
Пло́дъ мꙋ́жеви ми́лостынѧ: лꙋ́чше же ни́щь првⷣный, не́жели бога́тъ лжи́въ.
A needy man is merciful. He calls the needy humble, who continually remembers that he is in need of eternal goods. Such a one, so that he may obtain mercy from the Lord, never refuses to show mercy to his neighbor. About whom he subsequently adds:
Commentary on ProverbsAnd a poor man is better than a lying man. Indeed, better is the humble in heart, who trusts nothing in his own works, than he who, by the excellence of virtues, considering himself worthy of the name of man, is deceived; unaware that while he transfers the glory of God to himself, by pride he loses the goods he has done.
Commentary on ProverbsThe fear of the Lord is life to a man: and he shall lodge without fear in places where knowledge is not seen.
φόβος Κυρίου εἰς ζωὴν ἀνδρί, ὁ δὲ ἄφοβος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τόποις, οὗ οὐκ ἐπισκοπεῖται γνῶσις.
Стра́хъ гдⷭ҇ень въ живо́тъ мꙋ́жеви: а҆ безстра́шный водвори́тсѧ на мѣ́стѣхъ, и҆дѣ́же не наблюда́етсѧ ра́зꙋмъ.
He that unjustly hides his hands in his bosom, will not even [bring] them up to his mouth.
ὁ ἐγκρύπτων εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ χεῖρας ἀδίκως, οὐδὲ τῷ στόματι οὐ μὴ προσαγάγῃ αὐτάς.
Скрыва́ѧй въ нѣ́дрѣхъ рꙋ́цѣ своѝ непра́веднѡ нижѐ ко ᲂу҆стѡ́мъ свои̑мъ принесе́тъ ѧ҆̀.
The slothful man hides his hand under his armpit, etc. No one is so slothful that he considers it labor to bring his hand to his mouth while eating. But for the slothful, it is labor to bring the hand to the mouth, for a lazy preacher does not even want to do what he says. To bring hand to mouth, indeed, means to align actions with words. A false witness mocks judgment, namely, that which is said, "You shall not bear false witness." Or certainly the future judgment, of which it is said above, "A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he who speaks lies shall perish; and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity." As a hungry man desires to be filled with food, so the wicked eagerly seek to be satisfied with the excuse of iniquity.
Commentary on ProverbsWhen a pestilent character is scourged, a simple man is made wiser: and if thou reprove a wise man, he will understand discretion.
λοιμοῦ μαστιγουμένου, ἄφρων πανουργότερος γίνεται· ἐὰν δὲ ἐλέγχῃς ἄνδρα φρόνιμον, νοήσει αἴσθησιν.
Гꙋби́телю ра̑ны прїе́млющꙋ, безꙋ́мный кова́рнѣе бꙋ́детъ: а҆́ще же ѡ҆блича́еши мꙋ́жа разꙋ́мна, ᲂу҆разꙋмѣ́етъ чꙋ́вство.
If you want to take Scripture as a witness that sinners are punished for the education of others, even if those unabashed may be beyond treatment, hear Solomon in the Proverbs who says, "When a pest is being whipped, the fool will be more astute." He did not say that he who is being whipped will be more astute and more sensible through the whips, but he said that the fool will change from foolishness into common sense through whips employed on the pest. For this is signified here by the term astute, and the fool changes because he sees others who are whipped. Hence the punishment of others is useful for us if we learn greater readiness for salvation through others who are punished.
HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 12:6Hours
Isaiah 48.17-49.4
§ 150
Chapter 48
Thus saith the Lord that delivered thee, the Holy One of Israel; I am thy God, I have shewn thee how thou shouldest find the way wherein thou shouldest walk.
οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ ῥυσάμενός σε, ὁ ἅγιος ᾿Ισραήλ· ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεός σου, δέδειχά σοι τοῦ εὑρεῖν σε τὴν ὁδόν, ἐν ᾗ πορεύσῃ ἐν αὐτῆ.
Та́кѡ гл҃етъ гдⷭ҇ь, и҆зба́вивый тѧ̀, ст҃ы́й і҆и҃левъ: а҆́зъ є҆́смь гдⷭ҇ь бг҃ъ тво́й, наꙋчи́хъ тѧ̀, є҆́же ѡ҆брѣстѝ тебѣ̀ пꙋ́ть, по немꙋ́же по́йдеши.
The authority of the one commanding ought to move us to observe the commandments of God. He is of great authority, because by His wondrous wisdom He governs us. Whence Isaiah says: "I am the Lord, teaching you profitable things, governing you in the way in which you walk. Would that you had heeded my commandments! Your peace would have been as a river."
Collationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 1He says, "I AM your God." This "I AM" means "I am the beginning." He explained all this to the all-wise Moses saying "I am the one who is." For he as Lord is truly the God of everything. Those things that are brought into being by him are said to be "beings" also and to share in the source of being.… Again he works in them a steadfast thinking and a well-established mind that they can see God to be truly existing in nature. To these he reveals his glory so that they are not carried away by deceitful voices.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:3.48:17-19(Verse 17, 18 and following) Thus says the Lord, your holy Redeemer, the God of Israel: I am the Lord your God, teaching you what is profitable, leading you in the way you should go. Oh, that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like sand, and the offspring of your womb like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me. Because God has promised future blessings to Israel, he explains why he afflicted them before. If they avoid the same mistakes, they will not suffer similar consequences. Yes, he said, if you had followed my commands: as the Seventy translated; or at least, with a desire for it, if you had followed my commands: if you had done so, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea, signifying abundance of all things. And what follows: and your offspring would have been like the sand, and the descendants of your womb like its grains: indeed, it seems to remain in the Jewish people, who to this day, like worms, produce children and grandchildren; but how is this to be understood in terms of the promise, when they do not have peace and righteousness? For either he is angry with them, or appeased. If he is angry, how is his seed multiplied every day? If he is appeased, how do they serve and not possess peace and justice? From this it is clear that it is said now of the apostolic seed, of which we also read above (In Chapter I): Unless the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we would have become like Sodom. And because it seems at that time not to have been fulfilled, it is fulfilled in the coming of Christ: and before his face the seed of Israel remains.
Commentary on Isaiah892. Second, where it says, thus says the Lord, he sets out the reason for their captivity, showing on the part of God, ready help: that teach, against their ignorance, and that govern you in the way, of works, against the weakness of their working: I will give you understanding, and I will instruct you in this way, in which you shall go (Ps 32:8).
895. The words of God are profitable
for the illumination of the intellect: the commandment is a lamp (Prov 6:23);
for the delight of the affections: how sweet are your words to my palate (Ps 119:103);
for the kindling of love: there came in my heart as a burning fire (Jer 20:9); the word of the Lord inflamed him (Ps 105:19);
for the uprightness of works: direct me in your truth (Ps 25:5);
for the obtainment of glory: keep the law (Prov 3:21);
for the instruction of others: all divine doctrine (2 Tim 3:16).
Commentary on IsaiahAnd if thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, [then] would thy peace have been like a river, and thy righteousness as a wave of the sea.
καὶ εἰ ἤκουσας τῶν ἐντολῶν μου, ἐγένετο ἂν ὡσεὶ ποταμὸς ἡ εἰρήνη σου καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου ὡς κῦμα θαλάσσης·
И҆ а҆́ще бы є҆сѝ послꙋ́шалъ за́повѣдїй мои́хъ, то̀ бы́лъ бы ᲂу҆́бѡ а҆́ки рѣка̀ ми́ръ тво́й, и҆ пра́вда твоѧ̀ ꙗ҆́кѡ волна̀ морска́ѧ,
Set before yourself any river. It springs from its fountain but is of one nature, of one brightness and beauty. And you assert rightly that the Holy Spirit is of one substance, brightness and glory with the Son of God and with God the Father. I will sum up everything in the oneness of the qualities without any dispute over degrees of greatness. For in this point also Scripture has provided for us. For the Son of God says, "Whoever shall drink of the water that I will give him, it shall become in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life." This well is clearly the grace of the Spirit, a stream proceeding from the living Fountain. The Holy Spirit, then, is also the fountain of eternal life.You observe, then, from his words that the unity of the divine greatness is pointed out and that Christ cannot be denied to be a fountain even by heretics, since the Spirit, too, is called a fountain. The Spirit is called a river, too, just as the Father said, "Behold, I come down on you like a river of peace, and like a stream overflowing the glory of the Gentiles." And who can doubt that the Son of God is the river of life from whom the streams of eternal life flowed forth?
On the Holy Spirit 1.16.180-81This water is good, then. I mean here the grace of the Spirit. Who will give this Fountain to my heart? Let it spring up in me, let that which gives eternal life flow on me. Let that Fountain overflow on us and not flow away. For Wisdom says, "Drink water out of your own vessels and from the fountains of your own wells, and let your waters flow abroad in your streets." How shall I keep this water so that it does not seep out or glide away? How shall I preserve my vessel, lest any crack of sin penetrating it should let the water of eternal life exude? Teach us, Lord Jesus, teach us as you taught your apostles, saying, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where rust and moth destroy and where thieves break through and steal."8Our rust is wantonness, our rust is lust, our rust is luxury, which dim the keen vision of the mind with the filth of vices. Again, our moth is Arius, our moth is Photinus, who rend the holy vesture of the church with their impiety, and desiring to separate the indivisible unity of the divine power, gnaw the precious veil of faith with sacrilegious tooth. The water is spillled if Arius has imprinted his tooth, it flows away if Photinus has planted his sting in anyone's vessel.… If you seek Jesus, forsake the broken cisterns, for Christ did not make it his custom to sit by a pool but by a well. There that Samaritan woman found him, she who believed, she who wished to draw water. Although you ought to have come in early morning, nevertheless if you come later, even at the sixth hour, you will find Jesus wearied with his journey. He is weary, but it is because of you, because he has long looked for you, your unbelief has long wearied him. Yet he is not offended if you only come now. He asks to drink who is about to give. But he drinks not the water of a stream flowing by, but your salvation. He drinks your good dispositions. He drinks the cup, that is, the passion that atoned for your sins, that you, drinking of his sacred blood, might quench the thirst of this world.
On the Holy Spirit 1.16.182-84The authority of the one commanding ought to move us to observe the commandments of God. He is of great authority, because by His wondrous wisdom He governs us. Whence Isaiah says: "I am the Lord, teaching you profitable things, governing you in the way in which you walk. Would that you had heeded my commandments! Your peace would have been as a river."
Collationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 1He also shows the harm from the fault of the Jews: O that you had hearkened to my commandments, keeping them; as a river, abounding, as the waves, the same: if my people had heard me: if Israel had walked in my ways: I should soon have humbled their enemies, and laid my hand on them that troubled them (Ps 81:13-14).
Commentary on IsaiahThy seed also would have been as the sand, and the offspring of thy belly as the dust of the ground: neither now shalt thou by any means be utterly destroyed, neither shall thy name perish before me.
καὶ ἐγένετο ἂν ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας σου ὡς ὁ χοῦς τῆς γῆς· οὐδὲ νῦν οὐ μὴ ἐξολοθρευθῇς, οὐδὲ ἀπολεῖται τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ. -
и҆ бы́ло бы ꙗ҆́кѡ песо́къ сѣ́мѧ твоѐ, и҆ и҆сча̑дїѧ чре́ва твоегѡ̀ ꙗ҆́кѡ пе́рсть землѝ: нижѐ нн҃ѣ потреби́шисѧ, нижѐ поги́бнетъ и҆́мѧ твоѐ предо мно́ю.
"Your offspring would have been like the sand and your descendants like its grains." This promise seems still to apply to the Jewish people.… But how can this be taken as a real promise to them since they do not have peace and justice? For he is either angry with them or pleased with them. If angry, how can their seed grow every day? If pleased, then how can they serve and yet not have peace and justice? For this becomes clear concerning the apostolic seed about which we read above, "Unless the Lord of the sabbath left us a seed we would have been like Sodom." At that time it did not seem fulfilled, but in the advent of Christ it was, and before his face the seed of Israel endures.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 13:17"I am the Lord your God. I have shown how to find my way so that you may benefit by traveling on that way." … But since the Jews did not desire to pay attention to these commandments, by reason of their attachment to a fleshly manner of thinking, they viewed having many children as a sign of blessing.… Nevertheless, although you have despised my laws, I will consider you worthy of consideration and, once again, you will be called "my people."
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 15:48.18-19Go forth of Babylon, thou that fleest from the Chaldeans: utter aloud a voice of joy, and let this be made known, proclaim it to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath delivered his servant Jacob.
῎Εξελθε ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος φεύγων ἀπὸ τῶν Χαλδαίων· φωνὴν εὐφροσύνης ἀναγγείλατε, καὶ ἀκουστὸν γενέσθω τοῦτο, ἀπαγγείλατε ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, λέγεται· ἐρρύσατο Κύριος τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ ᾿Ιακώβ·
И҆зы́ди ѿ вавѷлѡ́на, бѣжа́й ѿ халде́євъ: гла́съ ра́дости возвѣсти́те, и҆ да слы́шано бꙋ́детъ сїѐ, возвѣсти́те да́же до послѣ́днихъ землѝ, глаго́лите: и҆зба́ви гдⷭ҇ь раба̀ своего̀ і҆а́кѡва.
Now my beloved, our will ought to keep pace with the grace of God and not fall short; lest while our will remains idle, the grace given us should begin to depart, and the enemy finding us empty and naked, … as was the case with him spoken of in the Gospel, from whom the devil went out. … For the departure from virtue gives place for the entrance of the unclean spirit.
FESTAL LETTERS 3:3"Come forth out of Babylon." If we take the command of the prophet in a spiritual sense, it means that we should fly from the city of this world, from the fellowship of wicked angels and wicked [people], with the feet of that faith that works through love, and we should press onward unceasingly toward the living God.
City of God 18.18(Verse 20, 21, 22.) Go out of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; proclaim it with a shout of joy, make it heard, proclaim it to the ends of the earth, and say: The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob. They did not thirst when he led them through the desert; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out. There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord. Those above in that place, where it is written: I have spoken and called it; I have brought him and his way is straight; they understand it concerning Cyrus and Darius; even this refers to those times when the people went out of Babylon and fled from the Chaldeans, and they were redeemed by their Lord God. This also, which is said: They did not thirst in the desert when he led them out, he brought water from the rock for them; and he split the rock, and water flowed. Although they cannot teach that it was fulfilled according to history; for they did not come through the desert under Zerubbabel and Ezra, and the split rock provided them water, as is narrated to have happened to those coming out of Egypt: however, they testify hyperbolically that it was fulfilled in likeness to the previous happiness, when they came through the desert of nations into Judaea, and were liberated from captivity. And so, they say, it is not about Christ, but about Cyrus that it is prophesied: There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord. And it is understood to mean that perfect happiness will not exist except under Christ, which is reserved for the last time. Moreover, those who interpret this more truly and rightly refer it to the coming of the Savior, of whom it is said: He has sent me to announce good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for prisoners. They understand it as an exhortation for those who proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Savior himself, so that we may come out of Babylon, that is, the confusion of this world, and flee from the Chaldeans, of whom it is often said: For the Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob with his precious blood and led him through the desert of the world and split the rock to give water. The Apostle speaks excellently: But the rock was Christ (I Cor. X, 4). However, the divine word is divided and divided into many parts, so that we may receive it in parts, since we cannot receive it all at once. And so that it may not be thought that this preaching is directed to all the descendants of Jacob and not only to those who will believe through the Apostles, it is added and connected: There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord, namely those who have remained in their original error; those who do not deserve to drink from the rock. Whose side pierced with a spear, flowed with water and blood (John 19), giving us baptism and martyrdom.
Commentary on Isaiah893. Third, where it says, come forth, he foretells their liberation. And concerning this, he does three things.
First, he proclaims to them their going forth from captivity, so certain of their liberation as if it were present: come forth: go out from her (Rev 18:4); and he enjoins that they should declare the benefit of God: declare: the voice of them that flee, and of them that have escaped out of the land of Babylon: to declare in Zion the revenge of the Lord our God (Jer 50:28).
Commentary on IsaiahAnd if they shall thirst, he shall lead them through the desert; he shall bring forth water to them out of the rock: the rock shall be cloven, and the water shall flow forth, and my people shall drink.
καὶ ἐὰν διψήσωσι, δι᾿ ἐρήμου ἄξει αὐτούς, ὕδωρ ἐκ πέτρας ἐξάξει αὐτοῖς· σχισθήσεται πέτρα, καὶ ρυήσεται ὕδωρ, καὶ πίεται ὁ λαός μου.
И҆ а҆́ще вжа́ждꙋтъ, пꙋсты́нею проведе́тъ и҆̀хъ и҆ во́дꙋ и҆з̾ ка́мене и҆зведе́тъ и҆̀мъ: разсѧ́детсѧ ка́мень, и҆ потече́тъ вода̀, и҆ и҆спїю́тъ лю́дїе моѝ.
The three interpreters treat this as if it were something that had already occurred: "You made water flow for them from a rock; the waters broke the hard rock and flowed out." According to the Septuagint, the text alludes to the prophetic grace the Jews enjoyed drinking in divine draughts even while in Babylon from the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel. Because they found themselves in a desert of sorts as a result of the impiety of the Babylonians, they possessed a kind of rock in the prophecy that poured for them the drink of salvation. Further, even after the return from exile, it was Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi who presented to them these divine waters, while the admirable Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, the son of Jozadek, wore their piety like a necklace. They offered divine teaching to them like water to the thirsty.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 15:48.20-21Second, he designates to the liberated the past benefit of consolation: they thirsted not, that is, the Lord will so provide for them in all things, as when they came forth from Egypt: he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out (Ps 78:20), Numbers 21:16.
Commentary on IsaiahThere is no joy, saith the Lord, to the ungodly.
οὐκ ἐστι χαίρειν, λέγει Κύριος, τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν.
Нѣ́сть ра́доватисѧ нечести̑вымъ, гл҃етъ гдⷭ҇ь.
No one found that this happened when they came out of Babylon and went into Judah. For this is said with reference to the economy of salvation so as to show that God, who was formerly able and is still now able, being of undiminished power, to perform similar miracles with great strength, now, as if calling out, proclaims a universal law, that "there is no peace for the wicked."
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:3.48:20-22Some say that so we might know that this prophecy is not about Christ but about Cyrus, the phrase is added, "there is no peace for the ungodly, says the Lord." This would mean that there will be no perfect happiness except under Christ, which is reserved for the last times. Yet those who more truly and rightly apply these words to the advent of the Savior, about whom it is said, "He has sent me to announce to the poor, to preach liberty to the captives," understand it to be an encouragement of those who preach the gospel or of the Lord and Savior, that we leave Babylon, that is, the confusion of this world, and flee the Babylonians.… For the Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob with his most precious blood and led him through the desert and made a way for water to come out of a rock, about which the apostle said, "The Rock was Christ." … And lest it be thought that the prophecy is said about all the seed of Jacob, and not those only who would believe through the apostles, mention is also made concerning this: "there is no peace for the ungodly."
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 13:18Third, he removes the comfort of peace from the wicked: there is no peace, below (Isa 57:21); what have you to do with peace? (2 Kgs 9:18).
Commentary on IsaiahChapter 49
Hearken to me, ye islands; and attend, ye Gentiles; after a long time it shall come to pass, saith the Lord: from my mother’s womb he has called my name:
ΑΚΟΥΣΑΤΕ μου, νῆσοι, καὶ προσέχετε, ἔθνη· διὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ στήσεται, λέγει Κύριος. ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομά μου
Послꙋ́шайте менѐ, ѻ҆́строви, и҆ внемли́те, ꙗ҆зы́цы. Вре́менемъ мно́гимъ стоѧ́ти бꙋ́детъ, гл҃етъ гдⷭ҇ь: ѿ чре́ва ма́тере моеѧ̀ наречѐ и҆́мѧ моѐ,
He calls to "the islands," which we take to be the churches of Christ, just as they are lying in the sea or the waves of this present existence and surrounded by the insulting attacks of "the waves," or the persecutions and afflictions that the enemies of the truth inflict on the churches as they war against the divine call. Concerning these islands the divinely inspired Scripture often speaks. There the blessed David sang a psalm and said, "The Lord reigns, and let the earth be glad and many islands rejoice." So when Christ taking all things in his hands reigned over it from heaven and ejected the demons' tyranny, then did they rejoice, that is, the churches over all the earth were filled with happiness.… [Isaiah] promised that our Savior Jesus Christ would be revealed to everyone and that God as the Word would come on the earth among them in a form "after our likeness." … That this is so, the person of the Savior himself attests, "Out of my mother's womb he called my name." Mixed into these words is a deep and great mystery that requires mystical understanding from above.… For he was and is God the Word, equal and sharing the throne with God the Father, coexisting and coeternal.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:4.49:1-3Consider how he who was not yet born could have a people, unless he were in being before he was born. The prophet says this in his person, "From my mother's womb he gave me my name"; because the angel foretold that he would be called Jesus. Again, concerning the plots of Herod, he says, "He … concealed me in the shadow of his arm."
Catechetical Lecture 10:12(Chapter 49—Verse 1 onwards) Listen, O islands, and pay attention, O peoples from afar: The Lord called me from the womb; from the body of my mother he remembered my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword; in the shadow of his hand he protected me. He made me like a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me: You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified. And I said: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God. LXX: Hear me, O islands, and pay attention, O nations. After a long time, I will stand, says the Lord. From the womb, He called me, and from my mother's womb, He pronounced my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, and He hid me in the shadow of His hand. He made me like a chosen arrow and concealed me in His quiver. And He said to me: You are my servant, Israel, and in you I will be glorified. And I said, I have labored in vain and have spent my strength for nothing. Therefore, my judgment is before the Lord, and my work is before my God. I know that both these things and the things beneath, which we are about to discuss, pertain to the knowledge or understanding of one chapter, and all should be understood from the person of Christ. But I did not want to burden the reader's mind by presenting everything at once, nor did I want to confuse the magnitude of what can be said in parts. Therefore, I have provided both editions: so that what seems obscure in one may be revealed by the reading of the other. Therefore, after calling the remnant of Israel and rejecting the unbelieving people, of whom it was said: 'There is no peace for the wicked,' says the Lord (Isaiah 48:22), he turns to the Churches gathered from the nations and speaks to them under the name of islands. These, being exposed to the attacks of the persecutors, are like the waves of the sea, and are battered on all sides by a raging storm, rather than being moved. And lest anyone think that our interpretation is forced and does not apply to the Gentiles, but to the synagogues of the Jewish people, it follows: 'And listen, O peoples from far away, that is, from the ends of the earth.' Just as the Seventy translated, it will stand for a long time, that is, not in this time in which they are being said; but after many times have passed. The Lord, He says, called me from the womb, and He remembered my name from my mother's womb. Which now, in the meantime, seems obscure to those who hear it, but afterwards it will become known to all nations, when Gabriel said to Joseph about the birth from the Virgin: 'And you shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people' (Matt. 1:21). He has also made His mouth like a sharp sword, in order to kill the wicked with the breath of His mouth. Regarding this sword, he himself speaks in the Gospel: I have not come to bring peace upon the earth, but a sword, separating the wicked from the good: For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law (Matthew 10:34-35). And in shadow, he says, his hand protected me, so that the lowliness of flesh would be covered by the power of divinity, as the Angel announced to the Virgin: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (Luke 1:35). He has set me like an arrow chosen, in his quiver he has hidden me. When he says 'an arrow chosen', he shows that God has many arrows, but not chosen ones: which arrows are the Prophets and Apostles, who run throughout the whole world. Of whom it is also sung in another place: Your arrows are sharp, O mighty one; the peoples fall beneath you (Psalm 45:6); and again: Your arrows are sharp, with coals of desolation (Psalm 119:41). But Christ, out of many arrows and many sons, is the chosen arrow, and He is the Only Begotten Son: whom He has hidden in His quiver, that is, in a human body, so that the fullness of divinity might dwell bodily in Him. And rare indeed is the faith of believers, to whom it is also said above (Chap. XLV, 15): You are a hidden God, and we did not know. With this arrow, and as a wounded bride, the Song of Songs speaks and says: I am wounded with love. And he said to me: You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified (Cant. IV, 9). A servant, because although he was in the form of God, he chose to take on the form of a servant (Philippians II), and Israel, because he was born from the seed of the Jews. And what can be understood about no other servant is joined together: In you I will be glorified (or I will be glorified). For he himself says in the Gospel, Father, glorify your name (John XII, 28). He who speaks in the psalm to the Son: Arise, my glory, and arise, psaltery and harp (Ps. LVI, 9), that is, the chorus of all virtues. But when I said these things to my Father, I responded to him: How have you been glorified in me, Father, because I have labored in vain, and I have not been able to bring back a great part of the Jewish people to you? But all these things are said in order to show the free will of man. For it is God's job to call and our job to believe; and if we do not believe immediately, it does not mean that God is impossible; but he leaves his power to our free will so that the righteous will receive the reward of their will. Because, therefore, they did not want to believe in you through me, my judgment is before you, that I have done all that I should have done for them, saying in the Gospel: I have glorified you on earth, having completed the work which you gave me to do (John 17:4); and again: I have made your name known to men. And my work or labor and my suffering (for this is what πόνος signifies) are before your eyes. For he wept over Jerusalem in the Gospel (Luke 19), and in a certain manner, in Psalm, he says that he suffered in vain on account of the multitude of unbelievers: What profit is there in my blood, when I descend into corruption? (Psalm 29:10). And hanging on the cross, he speaks according to the Hebrew: Far from my salvation are the words of my lamentations (Ps. 21:1).
Commentary on IsaiahInstead of "after a long time," Symmachus has said, "Lend your ear, O Gentiles, [who come] from afar." The text therefore calls [those of] the islands, the continents and even those who inhabit the extremities [of the earth] to listen to the prophecy. But the expression of the Septuagint, "after a long time," should be understood as follows: the Lord of the universe promised to Abraham to bless all nations in his posterity. This promise he also made to Isaac and to Jacob. Jacob, in his turn, gave it to Judah as a blessing: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, or a lawgiver from between his feet, until he comes for whom it is reserved, he who is also the expectation of nations." Now, a very great number of years had passed from the promise made to Abraham until the call of the Gentiles. This is why the prophetic text says, "Listen, you Gentiles, after a long time." Then he adds, "It shall stand, says the Lord," that is, to say the word of the promise, for the promise of God is trustworthy.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 15:49.1896. Give ear, you islands. In this part, he describes more particularly the order of liberation. And concerning this, he does two things:
first, the people confess the benefits they received;
second, they receive the promise of future benefits, where it says, and I said: I have labored in vain (Isa 49:4).
Concerning the first, they confess four benefits.
First, the privilege of divine election; and this continues why the prophet had enjoined above upon the people that they should declare (Isa 48:20); thus, immediately the voice of the people is added, declaring and saying: give ear; the Lord has called me from the womb, choosing me in my fathers: from my mother's womb you are my God (Ps 21:11–12[22:10–11]).
897. According to others, this is the voice of Cyrus, whose name was foretold by Isaiah before he was born, above (Isa 45:1). It is otherwise explained of Christ, whose name was foretold by the angel.
Commentary on Isaiahand he has made my mouth as a sharp sword, and he has hid me under the shadow of his hand; he has made me as a choice shaft, and he has hid me in his quiver;
καὶ ἔθηκε τὸ στόμα μου ὡσεὶ μάχαιραν ὀξεῖαν καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἔκρυψέ με, ἔθηκέ με ὡς βέλος ἐκλεκτὸν καὶ ἐν τῇ φαρέτρᾳ αὐτοῦ ἔκρυψέ με.
и҆ положѝ ᲂу҆ста̀ моѧ̑ ꙗ҆́кѡ ме́чь ѻ҆́стръ, и҆ под̾ кро́вомъ рꙋкѝ своеѧ̀ скры̀ мѧ̀: положѝ мѧ̀ ꙗ҆́кѡ стрѣлꙋ̀ и҆збра́ннꙋ, и҆ въ тꙋ́лѣ свое́мъ скры̀ мѧ̀,
Make for yourself, O man, a case; stripping off the old man with his actions, put on the new. Your case, your sheath, is Christ, who protects and hides you in the evil day. Do you want to know why the case is protection? My quiver, He says, protected him. Therefore, your case is faith: fill it with the good scents of your virtues; that is, chastity, mercy, and justice, and in it, enter completely fragrant with the sweet scent of excellent deeds of faith.
The Six Days of Creation, 5.80This arrow signifies his divinity, resting in a quiver signifying the body assumed from the Virgin, in whose cloth of flesh his divinity was clothed.
TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 2:4The name Christ is not appropriate for God the Word before the generation that, as I said, was according to the flesh. If he was then not yet anointed, how could he be called "Christ"? But when the man came forth from his mother's womb, then he received the name at the same time as the generation according to the flesh. For it says that he "set his mouth like a sharp sword" … for no one can overcome his all-powerful right hand, but the Word is kept distinct from the dimensions of the humanity. For he is the Word from the Father and himself is the Lord of hosts. When he became man, the Father did not remove the power of the mystery but confirmed him in the economy of salvation.… There have been several arrows of God hidden in his quiver, in his foreknowledge, and brought out at the time prepared for each, but the chosen arrow above all others is the Christ hidden in the quiver or foreknowledge of God. For he was known before the creation of the world and brought forth in the middle of time when it was necessary that the earth be visited as it was falling into destruction.… This chosen arrow, as I said, got rid of Satan and the evil powers with him … yet he wounds in another way, for benefit and salvation. Thus it says in the Song of Songs, "I am wounded with love."
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:4.49:1-3When it says "chosen arrow," it implies that God has many arrows but not choice ones—these arrows are the prophets and apostles, who go shooting off around the world.… But Christ is the one arrow chosen from many arrows and one son from many sons, which he hid in his quiver, that is, in his human body, so that the fullness of divinity could dwell in him bodily and that the faith of believers be distributed.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 13:19If anyone has been able to hold in the breadth of his mind and to consider the glory and splendor of all those things created in him, he will be struck by their very beauty and transfixed by the magnificence of their brilliance or, as the prophet says, "by the chosen arrow." And he will receive from him the saving wound and will burn with the blessed fire of his love.
COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS, PROLOGUESuch is the word, the source of division that he presented to all people; likewise he declared, "I have not come to bring peace to the earth, but a sword." And moreover, the divine apostle says, "The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." … "He has set me like a chosen arrow and hidden me in his quiver." Similarly, Isaiah said this metaphorically; he speaks of an arrow that wounds the souls of those who love him. Each cries, "I am wounded by love." The quiver represents the mystery of the economy of the incarnation.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 15:49.2Second, the efficacy of their prayer: and he has made my mouth, my prayer, like a sharp sword, penetrating unto the ears of God and the heart of his mercy: and the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17).
Third, the help of divine protection: in the shadow of his hand, that is, under the protection of his power; as an archer hides a chosen arrow, to preserve it: protect me under the shadow of your wings (Ps 16[17]:8); he has hidden me in his tabernacle (Ps 26[27]:5).
897. According to others, of Cyrus, whose threatening words were like a sword; and who was protected lest his grandfather kill him, and was preserved like a chosen arrow for the appointed time. Or of Christ, whose word of preaching is a sword penetrating hearts; who was protected from the weakness of the flesh by the power of his divinity; and who was chosen among all to complete the salvation of the human race.
Commentary on Isaiahand said to me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, and in thee I will be glorified.
καὶ εἶπέ μοι· δοῦλός μου εἶ σύ, ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐν σοὶ δοξασθήσομαι.
и҆ речѐ мѝ: ра́бъ мо́й є҆сѝ ты̀, і҆и҃лю, и҆ въ тебѣ̀ просла́влюсѧ.
With the Father saying these things to me which I have registered, I replied to him, "How are you glorified in me, Father, since I have worked in the void and have not been able to summon back to you the great part of the Jewish people?" Now this reveals a universal principle, in that it shows the free will of the human being—it is for God to call and for us to believe. And if we do not believe immediately, God is not powerless but leaves his power for our will so that the will fittingly gains the award.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 13:19"You are my servant Israel, and I will glorify myself in you." This is to be understood according to Christ's human nature. For according to his human nature Christ is called Israel, Jacob, the son of David, the seed of Abraham, and so on. Christ is called "servant" since the servile nature God the Word assumed was the form of a slave. For "he has given him the name above every name," that is, to be the Son. As God, Christ the master was always Son, but as man he became Son. For there is not one that is "that Son" and another that is "this Son," but the one who is God the Son also became the Son as a human being.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 15:49.3Fourth, the glory of divine service: and he said to me: in you will I glory, through the wonders shown in you, I will appear glorious, above: every one that calls upon my name, I have created him for my glory (Isa 43:7).
897. According to others, of Cyrus, to whom it was declared that the people of Israel was the servant of God. Or of Christ, who is called "Israel," because he was born from the people of Israel according to the flesh.
Commentary on IsaiahThen I said, I have laboured in vain, I have given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgment with the Lord, and my labour before my God.
καὶ ἐγὼ εἶπα· κενῶς ἐκοπίασα, εἰς μάταιον καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν ἔδωκα τὴν ἰσχύν μου· διὰ τοῦτο ἡ κρίσις μου παρὰ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ὁ πόνος μου ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ μου.
А҆́зъ же реко́хъ: вотщѐ трꙋди́хсѧ, всꙋ́е и҆ ни во что̀ да́хъ крѣ́пость мою̀: сегѡ̀ ра́ди сꙋ́дъ мо́й пред̾ гдⷭ҇емъ и҆ трꙋ́дъ мо́й пред̾ бг҃омъ мои́мъ.
For it was a labor for the Word to come among us and to surrender himself to human fragility. But "my judgment" is the punishment of the Father that I [the Savior] have turned into a feast for their salvation. For that reason the judgment was taken away from him [the servant]. Just what sort of judgment was that? [Sinners] have been cast out of his company, to be placed outside the people of God, no longer sharers in the salvation wrought by him, and they have no longer any taste of the hope of the saints, to which many of the nations have been called in their place.
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:4.49:4It is necessary to recognize that he says these things as a human. For in the holy Gospels Christ as a human makes a number of humble declarations. For instance, … "I do nothing from myself."
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 15:49.4898. And I said. Here the Lord promises future benefits.
And first, he promises exaltation to the prophet Isaiah;
second, he promises liberation to the people: thus says the Lord the redeemer (Isa 49:7).
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First is set out the claim of the prophet who puts forth his labor in preaching, even though, due to the fault of those who heard it, it bore no fruit, and he concludes: therefore my judgment, for myself, is with the Lord, before him, and my work with my God, as though pleasing to him: the founder has melted in vain (Jer 6:29).
Commentary on IsaiahDivine Liturgy
Theotokos
(Song of the Teotokos): My soul magnifies the Lord / and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
Verse: For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed
Brethren, both He that sanctifies and they who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the congregation will sing praise unto Thee.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Behold, I and the children which God hath given Me.” Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed, He took not upon Himself the nature of Angels, but He took upon Himself the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make expiation for the sins of the H people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.
Arise, O Lord, and go to Thy resting place , Thou and the Ark of Thy might
Verse: The Lord has sworn to David a sure oath and will not change His mind!
Theotokos
And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
μετὰ δὲ ταύτας τὰς ἡμέρας συνέλαβεν Ἐλισάβετ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ περιέκρυβεν ἑαυτὴν μῆνας πέντε,
[Заⷱ҇ 3] По си́хъ же дне́хъ зача́тъ є҆лїсаве́тъ жена̀ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ таѧ́шесѧ мцⷭ҇ъ пѧ́ть, глаго́лющи:
During the time of their course, the priests of the temple were so occupied by their office, that they kept themselves not only from the society of their wives, but even from the very threshold of their houses. Hence it is said, And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days were accomplished, &c. For as there was then required a priestly succession from the root of Aaron, of necessity then a time was appointed for keeping up the inheritance. But as now not a carnal succession, but spiritual perfection, is looked for, the priests are enjoined (in order that they might ever be able to serve the altar) the perpetual observance of chastity. It follows: But after those days, &c. that is, after the days of Zacharias's ministration were completed. But these things were done in the month of September, the twenty-second day of the month, upon which the Jews were bound to observe the feast of the Tabernacles, just before the equinox, at which the night began to be longer than the day, because Christ must increase, but John must decrease. And those days of fasting were not without their meaning; for by the mouth of John, repentance and mortification were to be preached to men. It follows: And she hid herself. (see John 3:30.)
Catena Aurea by AquinasNow mystically by Zacharias may be signified the Jewish Priesthood, by Elisabeth the law itself; which, well administered by the teaching of the Priests, ought to have borne spiritual children to God, but was not able, because the Law made no one perfect. (Heb. 7:19, 1 Tim. 1:8.) Both were just, because the law is good, and the Priesthood for that time holy; both were well stricken in years, because at Christ's coming both the Law and Priesthood were just bending to old age. Zacharias enters the temple, because it is the priest's office to enter into the sanctuary of heavenly mysteries. There was a multitude without the doors, because the multitude cannot penetrate mysteries. When he places frankincense on the altar, he discovers that John will be born; for while the teachers are kindled with the flame of divine reading, they find the grace of God flow to them through Jesus: and this is done by an angel, for the Law was ordained by angels. (Gal. 3:19.)
And yet Elisabeth conceives John, because the more inward parts of the Law abound with sacraments of Christ. She conceals her conception five months, because Moses in five books set forth the mysteries of Christ; or because the dispensation of Christ is represented by the words or deeds of the saints, in the five ages of the world.
Catena Aurea by AquinasGreat care is given to modesty by the saints, so that often shame is in their very desires; as we observe in this place the holy Elizabeth, who desired to have children and concealed herself for five months. What is the reason for this concealment, if not modesty? For there is a prescribed age for everyone's duty: and what is fitting at one time is not fitting at another; the change of age often changes the nature of an action.
Commentary on LukeShe who was hiding herself, because she had conceived a son, began to boast because she was giving birth to a prophet. And she who was ashamed before, now gives blessings; and she who was doubtful before, is strengthened. Behold, she says, how the voice of your greeting has become in my ears, the baby in my womb rejoiced with joy. Therefore, she cried out with a loud voice when she sensed the coming of the Lord; because she believed in the religious birth. For there was no cause for shame, when she bore a prophet, not acquiring faith in the generation by pretense.
Commentary on LukeWhat reason then for concealment, except shame? For there are certain allowed times in wedlock, when it is becoming to attend to the begetting of children; while the years thrive, while there is hope of child-bearing. But when in good time old age has come on, and the period of life is more fitted for governing children, than begetting them, it is a shame to bear about the signs of pregnancy, however lawful. It is a shame to be laden with the burden of another age, and for the womb to swell with the fruit of not one's own time of life. It was a shame then to her on account of her age; and hence we may understand the reason why they did not at this time come together, for surely she who blushed not at their coming together in their old age, would not blush at her child-bearing; and yet she blushes at the parental burden, while she yet is unconscious of the religious mystery. But she who hid herself because she had conceived a son, began to glory that she carried in her womb a prophet.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAfter these days, Elizabeth, his wife, conceived. Specifically, after the days of Zacharias' duty were completed. John, the bishop of the city of Constantinople, mentioning this most holy conception, said: "These events occurred in the month of September, on the eighth day before the Kalends of October, when the moon was beginning its eleventh day, at the time when it was necessary for the Jews to celebrate the fast of Scenopegia. And it was found that the same day, the eighth day before the Kalends of October, was the equinox, on which the beginning of the night is longer than the day. For he must increase, but I must decrease," (John 3). Indeed, the light had been diminished by the darkness, when the Jews, according to the law and prophecy, offered sacrifices to God; in which time John was conceived. For these are the things that were offered for the people's sins, which were to cease when John, the Baptist, was conceived. And therefore, Zacharias, his father, a priest of the Jews, became mute, because their sacrifices, which were offered for the people's sins, had to cease and fall silent. For the only priest was coming, who from his own lamb offered as a sacrifice, would offer the sacrifice to God for the sins of all. From the words of the Blessed John, we are taught that on the first day after the day of atonement, the change of the priestly order was celebrated, and therefore on this day the conception of the Lord's forerunner occurred. This day, not by chance, is a day of fasting and affliction foretold by the angel, because through him affliction of repentance was to be preached to men.
On the Gospel of LukeAnd Elisabeth rightly hides her conception for five months, whether because the lawgiver Moses in five books mystically designated the mysteries of Christ, or because the entire series of the Old Testament prefigures that same dispensation of Christ through the deeds or words of saintly people in the five ages of the world. And therefore, because the incarnation of Christ would happen either in the sixth age of the world or to fulfill the law, it is rightly in the sixth month of Elisabeth's conception that the angel was sent to Mary to announce that the Savior would be born, as the following lesson in order explains.
On the Gospel of LukeSecondly, a fruitful conception is intimated, when he says: But after these days Elizabeth conceived: as is said in 1 Kings 1: "After the cycle of days Anna conceived." After the days of his office: in which it is shown that carnal things are to be set after spiritual things; and therefore below in chapter ten: "Mary has chosen the best part."
Thirdly, a modest concealment is described, when it is said: And she hid herself for five months. For this was a sign of humility and modesty: not like Hagar the handmaid, of whom it is said in Genesis 16 that "seeing that she had conceived, she despised her mistress." The reason for this is well given in the Gloss of Ambrose. — But spiritually we are instructed that the conception of a holy purpose is to be hidden at the beginning, as is said in Matthew 13: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field"; where Gregory says: "The found treasure is hidden, so that it may be preserved, because he who does not hide it from human praise does not suffice to guard the zeal of heavenly desire from malign spirits."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1Elizabeth hid herself because of Zechariah's grief. Or alternatively, she hid herself because she was ashamed on account of the fact that she had resumed intercourse. So it was because of her old age that Elizabeth hid herself. But see, Moses did not write in relation to Sarah that she hid herself, when at the age of ninety she carried Isaac, nor with regard to Rebecca, who was pregnant with twins. Elizabeth hid herself for five months, until her infant would be sufficiently formed in his members to exult before his Lord, and because Mary was about to receive the annunciation.
COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.24Truly He has loosed her barrenness, a supernatural gift He has bestowed upon her, and the unfruitful rock has produced the green blade. He has taken away her disgrace, in that He has made her to bring forth. Hence it follows: In the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
(Homil. de Anna.) Her joy therefore is twofold. The Lord has taken away from her the mark of barrenness, and also given her an illustrious offspring. In the case of other births, the coming together of the parents only occurs; this birth was the effect of heavenly grace.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAnd therefore he says, Five months, that is, until Mary should conceive, and her babe leaping with joy should prophesy.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
λέγουσα ὅτι οὕτω μοι πεποίηκεν ὁ Κύριος ἐν ἡμέραις αἷς ἐπεῖδεν ἀφελεῖν τὸ ὄνειδός μου ἐν ἀνθρώποις.
ꙗ҆́кѡ та́кѡ мнѣ̀ сотворѝ гдⷭ҇ь во дни̑, въ нѧ́же призрѣ̀ ѿѧ́ти поноше́нїе моѐ въ человѣ́цѣхъ.
And though she might blush at the time of her child-bearing, on the other hand she rejoiced that she was free from reproach, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me.
For it is a shame among women not to receive that reward of marriage, which is the only cause of their being married.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAnd she hid herself for five months, saying, "Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." How much care the saints take to admit nothing shameful that should make them blush is shown by Elisabeth, who is even embarrassed by the gifts she desired to receive. And although she rejoices in the removal of the reproach of sterility, she is modest regarding the birth in her advanced age. But the burden of motherhood is a cause of shame only as long as the honor of having a child remains hidden. For she who concealed herself because she had conceived a son, when the blessed Mother of God came in, joyfully exclaimed, because she was about to bear a prophet.
On the Gospel of LukeFourthly, a joyful exultation is touched upon in recognition of the benefit, at: Saying, Because the Lord has done thus for me. Similarly Genesis 21: "The Lord has made laughter for me: whoever hears of it will laugh with me." — In the days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men, the reproach, namely, of barrenness: Genesis 30: "Rachel conceived and bore a son, saying: God has taken away my reproach." This was a reproach among men, on account of that passage in Deuteronomy 7: "There shall not be one barren among you of either sex." Whence it is said in 1 Kings 1 that "her rival afflicted Anna so greatly as to reproach her that the Lord had closed her womb." And on account of this she rejoiced, according to that passage of the Psalm: "Who makes the barren woman to dwell in a house, a joyful mother of children."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1Elizabeth, being chaste, was ashamed and, having conceived in old age, "hid herself five months," until Mary also conceived. When she (Mary) also conceived, and the baby "leaped in her womb" (Elizabeth's), she no longer hid herself and even carried herself boldly, as the mother of such a son who even before his birth was honored with the dignity of a prophet.
Commentary on LukeAnd in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Ἐν δὲ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ ἕκτῳ ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος Γαβριὴλ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς πόλιν τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ᾗ ὄνομα Ναζαρέτ,
Въ мцⷭ҇ъ же шесты́й по́сланъ бы́сть а҆́гг҃лъ гаврїи́лъ ѿ бг҃а во гра́дъ галїле́йскїй, є҆мꙋ́же и҆́мѧ назаре́тъ,
Scripture has rightly mentioned that she was espoused, as well as a virgin, a virgin, that she might appear free from all connection with man; espoused, that she might not be branded with the disgrace of sullied virginity, whose swelling womb seemed to bear evident marks of her corruption. But the Lord had rather that men should cast a doubt upon His birth than upon His mother's purity. He knew how tender is a virgin's modesty, and how easily assailed the reputation of her chastity, nor did He think the credit of His birth was to be built up by His mother's wrongs. It follows therefore, that the holy Mary's virginity was of as untainted purity as it was also of unblemished reputation. Nor ought there, by an erroneous opinion, to be left the shadow of an excuse to living virgins, that the mother of our Lord even seemed to be evil spoken of. But what could be imputed to the Jews, or to Herod, if they should seem to have persecuted an adulterous offspring? And how could He Himself say, I came not to abolish the law, but to fulfil it, (Matt. 5:18.) if He should seem to have had his beginning from a violation of the law, for the issue of an unmarried person is condemned by the law? (Deut. 23:17.) Not to add that also greater credit is given to the words of Mary, and the cause of falsehood removed? For it might seem that unmarried becoming pregnant, she had wished to shade her guilt by a lie; but an espoused person has no reason for lying, since to women child-birth is the reward of wedlock, the grace of the marriage bed. Again, the virginity of Mary was meant to baffle the prince of the world, who, when he perceived her espoused to a man, could cast no suspicion on her offspring.
But still more has it baffled the princes of the world, for the malice of devils soon detects even hidden things, while they who are occupied in worldly vanities, can not know the things of God. But moreover, a more powerful witness of her purity is adduced, her husband, who might both have been indignant at the injury, and revenged the dishonour, if he also had not acknowledged the mystery; of whom it is added, Whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(in Esai. 6.) The heavenly spirits visit us, not as it seems fit to them, but as the occasion conduces to our advantage, for they are ever looking upon the glory and fulness of the Divine Wisdom; hence it follows, The angel Gabriel was sent.
Catena Aurea by AquinasIn the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. Therefore, angels are called by private names so that it may be understood by the names even in their activities what they are capable of. For neither in that holy city, which He perfects with full knowledge of the vision of Almighty God, do they thus receive proper names, nor can their persons be unknown without names: but when they come to minister something to us, they also take names from their ministries among us. To Mary the virgin, then, Gabriel is sent, who is named the strength of God. For he was indeed coming to announce Him who deigned to appear humble to wrestle down the airy powers. Of whom the Psalmist says, "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" (Psalm 24). And again, "The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory" (ibid.). Therefore, by the strength of God He was to be announced, who is the Lord of powers and mighty in battle, coming to war against the airy powers. Understand the sixth month as March, on the twenty-fifth day of which our Lord is said both to have been conceived and to have suffered, just as He is said to have been born on the twenty-fifth day of the month of December. Because whether we believe that the vernal equinox happens today (as some think) or that the winter solstice occurs at that time, it is surely fitting that He who illuminates every man coming into the world should be conceived or born with the increase of light. But if someone should prove that before the time of the Lord's nativity and conception, light either increased or overcame the darkness, we also say that John then preached the kingdom of heaven before His face and now too, preachers are commanded, "Prepare the way for him who ascends above the sunset" (Psalm 68). Why John was conceived around the autumn equinox and born around the summer solstice, he himself teaches either from his own or from the persona of the Old Testament (as many claim); "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3).
On the Gospel of LukeNow Gabriel means "strength of God." Rightly he shone forth with such a name, since by his testimony he bore witness to the coming birth of God in the flesh. The prophet said this in the psalm, "The Lord strong and powerful, the Lord powerful in battle"—that battle, undoubtedly, in which he [Christ] came to fight "the powers of the air" and to snatch the world from their tyranny.
Homilies on the Gospels 1.3The first cause of human perdition occurred when a serpent was sent by the devil to a woman who was to be deceived by the spirit of pride. Moreover, the devil himself came in the serpent, who, once he had deceived our first parents, stripped humankind of the glory of immortality. Because death made its entrance through a woman, it was fitting that life return through a woman. The one, seduced by the devil through the serpent, brought a man the taste of death. The other, instructed by God through the angel, produced for the world the Author of salvation.
Homilies on the Gospels 1.3And yet Elisabeth conceives John, because the more inward parts of the Law abound with sacraments of Christ. She conceals her conception five months, because Moses in five books set forth the mysteries of Christ; or because the dispensation of Christ is represented by the words or deeds of the saints, in the five ages of the world.
Because either the Incarnation of Christ was to be in the sixth age of the world, or because it was to serve to the fulfilling of the law, rightly in the sixth month of John's conception was an angel sent to Mary, to tell her that a Saviour should be born. Hence it is said, And in the sixth month, &c. We must understand the sixth month to be March, on the twenty-fifth day of which our Lord is reported to have been conceived, and to have suffered, as also to have been born on the twenty-fifth day of December. But if either the one day we believe to be the vernal equinox, or the other the winter solstice, it happens that with the increase of light He was conceived or born Who lighteneth every man that cometh into the world. But if any one shall prove, that before the time of our Lord's nativity or conception, light began either to increase, or supersede the darkness, we then say, that it was because John, before the appearance of His coming, began to preach the kingdom of heaven.
(in Homil. de fest Annunt.) It was a fit beginning for man's restoration, that an angel should be sent down from God to consecrate a virgin by a divine birth, for the first cause of man's perdition was the Devil sending a serpent to deceive a woman by the spirit of pride.
(in Homil. de Annunt. sup.) Which last applies not only to Joseph, but also to Mary, for the Law commanded that every one should take a wife out of his own tribe or family. It follows, And the virgin's name was Mary.
Maria, in Hebrew, is the star of the sea; but in Syriac it is interpreted Mistress, and well, because Mary was thought worthy to be the mother of the Lord of the whole world, and the light of endless ages.
Catena Aurea by AquinasIn the sixth month, etc. The author treated above of the conception of the precursor, which was in the fecundation of a barren woman: in this part he treats of the conception of the Savior, which was in the fecundation of the Virgin. Now this fecundation was accomplished by God effecting, by the Angel announcing, and by the Virgin consenting, so that the restoration might correspond to the fall, as Bernard says: "It pleased God to reconcile man to himself in the same manner and order in which he knew him to have fallen."
He indicates the congruence of the time when he says: In the sixth month, namely from the conception of John, which was March, in which month man and the world had been created, in which also through Christ's incarnation it was to be renewed, so that the restoration might correspond to the first creation, so that what is said in Isaiah sixty-six might be seen to be fulfilled: "As the new heavens and the new earth, which I make to stand before me, says the Lord: so shall your seed and your name stand. And it shall be month after month, and Sabbath after Sabbath." Nor is the number six devoid of mystery: for since it is perfect, therefore man, perfect among the other works of God, was created on the sixth day. And so Christ came in the sixth age and in the sixth millennium of years and was conceived in the sixth month and suffered on the sixth day of the week and was suspended on the cross at the sixth hour, so that it might be signified that he who was conceived in the sixth month comes in the fullness of times and perfection; Galatians four: "But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son," etc.
He notes the congruence of the legate when he says: The Angel Gabriel was sent by God, so that the restoration might correspond to the fall, and, just as man fell through the suggestion of an evil angel, so he might rise again through the ministry of a good one; Proverbs thirteen: "The messenger of the wicked shall fall into evil: a faithful ambassador is health"; and also that the fulfillment might correspond to the promise, so that, just as through Gabriel that mystery was foretold to Daniel, so it was revealed to the Virgin; Daniel nine: "Behold, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice and instructed me"; and afterward: "Seventy weeks are shortened upon your people and upon your holy city, that transgression may be consummated, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be blotted out, and everlasting justice may be brought in, and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled, and the Holy of Holies may be anointed." And note that he is said to be sent by God. Bernard: "He is declared to be sent by God himself"; in which it is noted that "to none of the blessed spirits is he thought to have revealed his counsel before the Virgin, except only the Archangel Gabriel"; and because he was from God, he was fitting for the announcement of the divine mystery.
He notes the fittingness of the place in that he says: To a city of Galilee, whose name was Nazareth, according to what the Lord had foretold through Isaiah, chapter nine: "The way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, was made glorious; the people who walked in darkness saw a great light." Therefore, in that he was sent to a city of Galilee, which was on the border of the Jews and the Gentiles, it is signified that he came to announce the one who had been promised to Abraham in Genesis twenty-two: "In your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed"; and that word of Jacob, in the penultimate chapter of Genesis: "He shall be the expectation of the nations." In that the city is called Nazareth, which is interpreted as flower, it is signified that he came to foretell the one who is "the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys," Song of Songs two; and Isaiah eleven: "A rod shall come forth from the root of Jesse, and a flower shall ascend from his root"; where Jerome says that according to the Hebrew truth it reads: "A Nazarene shall ascend from the root of Jesse." Therefore, from Nazareth something good can come — indeed, the flower of all good. For it was fitting that the flower be conceived in a flower, nourished in a flower, and announced in the season of flowers, that is, in spring and in March. Whence Bernard says: "The flower from the root of Jesse loves a flower-bearing homeland." And therefore he could already sing: "The flowers have appeared in our land," Song of Songs two.
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1We, with our modern democratic and arithmetical presuppositions would so have liked and expected all men to start equal in their search for God. One has the picture of great centripetal roads coming from all directions, with well-disposed people, all meaning the same thing, and getting closer and closer together. How shockingly opposite to that is the Christian story! One people picked out of the whole earth; that people purged and proved again and again. Some are lost in the desert before they reach Palestine; some stay in Babylon; some becoming indifferent. The whole thing narrows and narrows, until at last it comes down to a little point, small as the point of a spear—a Jewish girl at her prayers. That is what the whole of human nature has narrowed down to before the Incarnation takes place. Very unlike what we expected, but, of course, not in the least unlike what seems, in general, as shown by Nature, to be God's way of working.
The Grand Miracle, from God in the Dock(interlin.) But the place is also added whither he is sent, as it follows, To a city, Nazareth. For it was told that He would come a Nazarite, (i. e. the holy of the holy.)
Catena Aurea by AquinasGabriel, who is called the strength of God, is also sent to Mary. For he came to announce him who deigned to appear humble to conquer the powers of the air. Of whom it is said through the Psalmist: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." And again: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Therefore, he who was the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle, coming to wage war against the powers of the air, was to be announced through the strength of God.
It should also be known that the word "angel" is a name of office, not of nature. For those holy spirits of the heavenly homeland are indeed always spirits, but they cannot always be called angels, since they are angels only when something is announced through them. Moreover, those who announce lesser things are called angels, while those who announce the greatest things are called archangels. This is why not just any angel, but the archangel Gabriel, was sent to the Virgin Mary. For it was fitting that the highest angel should come for this ministry, since he was announcing the highest of all things.
Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 34(Hom. 34, in Evan.) To the virgin Mary was sent, not any one of the angels, but the archangel Gabriel; for upon this service it was meet that the highest angel should come, as being the bearer of the highest of all tidings. He is therefore marked by a particular name, to signify what was his effectual part in the work. For Gabriel is interpreted, "the strength of God." By the strength of God then was He to be announced Who was coming as the God of strength, and mighty in battle, to put down the powers of the air.
Catena Aurea by AquinasBut concerning the creation of this (Jesus), he expresses himself thus: That powers emanating from the second tetrad fashioned Jesus, who appeared on earth, and that the angel Gabriel filled the place of the Logos, and the Holy Spirit that of Zoe, and the "Power of the Highest" that of Anthropos, and the Virgin that of Ecclesia. And so it was, in Marcus' system, that the man (who appeared) in accordance with the dispensation was born through Mary. And when He came to the water, (he says) that He descended like a dove upon him who had ascended above and filled the twelfth number. And in Him resides the seed of these, that is, such as are sown along with Him, and that descend with (Him), and ascend with (Him). And that this power which descended upon Him, he says, is the seed of the Pleroma, which contains in itself both the Father and the Son, and the unnameable power of Sige, which is recognised through these and all the Aeons. And that this (seed) is the spirit which is in Him and spoke in Him through the mouth of the Son, the confession of Himself as Son of man, and of His being one who would manifest the Father; (and that) when this spirit came down upon Jesus, He was united with Him. The Saviour, who was of the dispensation, he says, destroyed death, whereas He made known (as) the Father Christ (Jesus). He says that Jesus, therefore, is the name of the man of the dispensation, and that it has been set forth for the assimilation and formation of Anthropos, who was about to descend upon Him; and that when He had received Him unto Himself, He retained possession of Him. And (he says) that He was Anthropos, (that) He (was) Logos, (that) He (was) Pater, and Arrhetus, and Sige, and Aletheia, and Ecclesia, and Zoe.
Hippolytus Refutation of All Heresies Book VI[Daniel 8:16-17] "And I heard the voice of a man in the midst of the Ulai, and he cried out and said: 'Gabriel, make this vision intelligible (Vulgate: make this man to understand the vision).' And he came and stood near to where I was standing." The Jews claim that this man who directed Gabriel to explain the vision to Daniel was Michael. Quite appropriately it was Gabriel, who has been put in charge of battles, to whom this duty was assigned, inasmuch as the vision had to do with battles and contests between kings and even between kingdoms themselves. For Gabriel is translated into our language as "the strength of, or the mighty one of, God." And so at that time also when the Lord was about to be born and to declare war against the demons and to triumph over the world, Gabriel came to Zacharias (Luke 1:11-20) and to Mary (Luke 1:26-27). And then we read in the Psalms concerning the Lord in His triumph: "Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle; He is the King of glory" (Psalm 24:8). But whenever it is medicine or healing that is needed, it is Raphael who is sent, for his name is rendered as "the healing of," or "the medicine of God" - that is, if one cares to accept the authority of the Book of Tobias (Tobit 12:11-15). And then, when favorable promises are made to the people, and hilasmos, which we might render as "propitiation" or "expiation," is the thing required, then it is Michael who is directed to go, for his name means, "Who is like God?" Of course the significance of the name indicates the fact that the only true remedy is to be found in God.
"And he said to me: 'Son of man, understand that in the time of the end the vision shall be fulfilled.'" Inasmuch as Ezekiel and Daniel and Zechariah behold themselves to be often in the company of angels, they were reminded of their frailty, lest they should be lifted up in pride and imagine themselves to partake of the nature or dignity of angels. Therefore they are addressed as sons of men, in order that they might realize that they are but human beings.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER EIGHT(sup. Mat. Hom. 4.) The angel announces the birth to the virgin not after the conception, lest she should be thereby too much troubled, but before the conception he addresses her, not in a dream, but standing by her in visible shape. For as great indeed were the tidings she receives, she needed before the issue of the event an extraordinary visible manifestation.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Hieron. vol. xi. 92. De Assumpt.) And rightly an angel is sent to the virgin, because the virgin state is ever akin to that of angels. Surely in the flesh to live beyond the flesh is not a life on earth but in heaven.
Catena Aurea by AquinasClearly enough is the nativity announced by Gabriel. But what has he to do with the Creator's angel? The conception in the virgin's womb is also set plainly before us.
On the Flesh of ChristLet us now see whether the apostle withal observes the norm of this name in accordance with Genesis, attributing it to the sex; calling the virgin Mary a woman, just as Genesis (does) Eve. For, writing to the Galatians, "God," he says, "sent His own Son, made of a woman," who, of course, is admitted to have been a virgin, albeit Hebion resist (that doctrine). I recognise, too, the angel Gabriel as having been sent to "a virgin." But when he is blessing her, it is "among women," not among virgins, that he ranks her: "Blessed (be) thou among women." The angel withal knew that even a virgin is called a woman.
On the Veiling of VirginsTo a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
πρὸς παρθένον μεμνηστευμένην ἀνδρί, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰωσήφ, ἐξ οἴκου Δαυΐδ, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς παρθένου Μαριάμ.
къ дв҃ѣ ѡ҆брꙋче́ннѣй мꙋ́жеви, є҆мꙋ́же и҆́мѧ і҆ѡ́сифъ, ѿ до́мꙋ дв҃дова: и҆ и҆́мѧ дв҃ѣ мр҃їа́мь.
Therefore he who undertook to prove the mystery of the Incarnation in its incorrupt state, did not think it necessary to pursue at length the testimony of the Virgin Mary's virginity, lest he should be thought to be a defender rather than an assertor of the mystery. Certainly, when Joseph had made lawful the marriage he was about to contract, he sufficiently showed that the temple of the Holy Ghost, the abode of the mystery, the mother of the Lord could not have been violated.
We have learned the series of truth, we have learned the counsel: let us also learn the mystery. Well betrothed, but a virgin; for she is a type of the Church, which is immaculate, but married. The virgin conceives us by the Spirit, the virgin gives birth to us without groaning. And therefore perhaps holy Mary is married to one, filled by another; for indeed individual Churches and souls are filled by the Spirit and grace; yet they are joined to the outward appearance of a temporal priest.
Commentary on Luke(de san. Virg. cap. vi.) To a virgin, for Christ could be born from virginity alone, seeing He could not have an equal in His birth. It was necessary for our Head by this mighty miracle to be born according to the flesh of a virgin, that He might signify that his members were to be born in the spirit of a virgin Church.
Catena Aurea by AquinasTo a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. For many reasons, the Savior wished to be born not of a simple virgin, but of one betrothed. Firstly, evidently, so that through Joseph's lineage, to whom Mary was a relative, Mary's origin could also be known. For it is not the custom of Scripture to trace the genealogy of women. For it can be understood from both that it is said of the house of David. Next, lest she should be stoned by the Jews as an adulteress, preferring that some should doubt her origin rather than the chastity of the parent. At the same time, it removes the occasion for impudent virgins, lest they say the mother of the Savior was defamed by false suspicions. Thirdly, so that while fleeing to Egypt and then returning, she would have the solace of a husband, who would exist equally as a protector and witness of her intact virginity. Fourthly, lest her birth be exposed to the devil; who if he knew he was born of a virgin, might perhaps fear to hand him over to death as eminently as other men. But Mary is called in Hebrew the star of the sea, and in Syriac lady; and rightly so, because she deserved to give birth to the Lord of the whole world, and the perpetual light for the ages.
On the Gospel of LukeAs to why he wished to be conceived and born not of a simple virgin but of one who was betrothed to a man, several of the Fathers have put forward reasonable answers. The best of these is to prevent her from being condemned as guilty of defilement if she were to bear a son when she had no husband. Then too, in the things the care of a home naturally demands, the woman in labor would be sustained by a husband's care. Therefore blessed Mary had to have a husband who would be both a perfectly sure witness to her integrity and a completely trustworthy foster father for our Lord and Savior, who was born of her. He was a husband who would, in accordance with the law, make sacrificial offerings to the temple for him when he was an infant. He would take him, along with his mother, to Egypt when persecution threatened. He would bring him back and would minister to the many other needs consequent upon the weakness of the humanity which he had assumed. It did no great harm if, for a time, some believed that he was Joseph's son, since from the apostles' preaching after his ascension it would be plainly evident to all believers that he had been born of a virgin.
Homilies on the Gospels 1.3He indicates the fittingness of the person in what he says: To a virgin espoused: whose fittingness is shown as chaste, when he says: A virgin: First Corinthians seven: "The unmarried woman and the virgin thinks about the things of God, how she may be holy in body and spirit." Bernard: "He was sent to a Virgin, a virgin in flesh, a virgin in mind, a virgin by profession, a virgin such as the Apostle describes, holy in mind and body." — She is also shown to be approved, when he says: Espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, etc., so that "Joseph, a just man," according to what is said in Matthew one, might be a witness of her chastity, according to that saying of Proverbs last: "And her husband shall praise her." Bernard: "He names a man, not because he was a husband, but because he was a man of virtue and was just"; and therefore he was a legitimate witness. Bernard: "By this one plan, a witness is admitted to the heavenly secrets, and the enemy is excluded, and the reputation of the Virgin Mother is preserved intact: otherwise, how would the just man have spared an adulteress?" "Because jealousy and the fury of a man will not spare," Proverbs six. — She is also shown to be promised in what he says: Of the house of David: which refers to the Virgin and to Joseph, because both were of the seed of David, to whom the promise had been made in the Psalm: "The Lord swore truth to David and will not frustrate it: of the fruit of your womb," etc. Bernard: "Both were of the house and family of David; but in the one the truth was fulfilled which the Lord swore to David, with the other serving only as witness and confidant," namely Joseph himself. — She is also shown to be forenamed in what he says: And the name of the Virgin was Mary. Mary is interpreted as star of the sea, and thus is shown to be fulfilled that prophecy of Balaam, Numbers twenty-four: "A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall rise out of Israel"; Ecclesiasticus fifty: "As the morning star in the midst of a cloud"; Revelation last: "I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star."
Therefore he names the Virgin, to show that she was prepared, not found by chance. Bernard: "She was not newly or accidentally found, but chosen from eternity, foreknown by the Most High, prepared for Himself, preserved for Himself, prefigured by the Patriarchs, promised by the Prophets." For what was shown to Moses in the bush and fire, to Aaron in the rod and flower, to Gideon in the fleece and dew—this Solomon foresaw in the valiant woman and her worth, Jeremiah foretold concerning the woman and the man, Isaiah most clearly declares concerning the virgin and the house, and Gabriel at last presented the Virgin herself by greeting her. — Or he names the Virgin to teach us to invoke her name in our necessities; whence Bernard in a Homily: "O whoever you are who understands yourself in the flood of this world to be tossed about among storms and tempests rather than walking upon solid ground: look to the star, call upon Mary! If you are cast about by the waves of pride, of ambition, of detraction, of rivalry: look to the star, call upon Mary. If anger, or avarice, or the allurement of the flesh has shaken the little ship of your mind: look to the star, call upon Mary. If troubled by the enormity of your crimes, if confused by the foulness of your conscience, you begin to be swallowed up by the abyss of desperation: look to Mary." Whence he also says: "With her holding you, you do not fall; with her protecting you, you do not fear; with her leading, you do not grow weary; with her favorable, you arrive." — Or he names her to intimate that her name is full of mystery according to a threefold interpretation, through which we understand the threefold state of those to be saved: the active through "bitter sea," the contemplative through "star," prelates through "dominion."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1Holy Mary, blessed Mary, mother and virgin, virgin before giving birth, virgin after giving birth! I, for my part, marvel how a virgin is born of a virgin, and how, after the birth of a virgin, the mother is a virgin.Would you like to know how he is born of a virgin and, after his nativity, the mother is still a virgin? "The doors were closed, and Jesus entered." There is no question about that. He who entered through the closed doors was neither a ghost nor a spirit. He was a real man with a real body. Furthermore, what does he say? "Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." He had flesh and bones, and the doors were closed. How do flesh and bones enter through closed doors? The doors are closed, and he enters, whom we do not see entering. Whence has he entered? Everything is closed up. There is no place through which he may enter. Nevertheless he who has entered is within, and how he entered is not evident. You do not know how his entrance was accomplished, and you attribute it to the power of God. Attribute to the power of God, then, that he was born of a virgin and the virgin herself after bringing forth was a virgin still.
HOMILY 87For if she had had no husband, soon would the thought have stolen into the Devil's mind, how she who had known no man could be pregnant. It was right that the conception should be Divine, something more exalted than human nature.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas" For to none of men was the universal aggregation of spiritual credentials appropriate, except to Christ; paralleled as He is to a "flower" by reason of glory, by reason of grace; but accounted "of the root of Jesse," whence His origin is to be deduced,-to wit, through Mary. For He was from the native soil of Bethlehem, and from the house of David; as, among the Romans, Mary is described in the census, of whom is born Christ.
An Answer to the JewsThe text says that the Virgin was betrothed to a man "of the house of David" in order to show that she too was descended from the same lineage of David, for there was a law that both parties (in a marriage) should be from one and the same lineage and from one and the same tribe (Num. 36:6–9).
Commentary on LukeAnd the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
καὶ εἰσελθὼν ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπε· χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη· ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ· εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν.
И҆ вше́дъ къ не́й а҆́гг҃лъ речѐ: ра́дꙋйсѧ, блгⷣтнаѧ: гдⷭ҇ь съ тобо́ю: блгⷭ҇ве́на ты̀ въ жена́хъ.
Mark the virgin by her manner of life. Alone in an inner chamber, unseen by the eyes of men, discovered only by an angel; as it is said, And the angel came in unto her. That she might not be dishonoured by any ignoble address, she is saluted by an angel.
But mark the Virgin by her bashfulness, for she was afraid, as it follows; And when she heard, she was troubled, It is the habit of virgins to tremble, and to be ever afraid at the presence of man, and to be shy when he addresses her. Learn, O virgin, to avoid light talking. Mary feared even the salutation of an angel.
She wondered also at the new form of blessing, unheard of before, reserved for Mary alone.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Geometer) But that she was judged worthy of the nuptials is attested by his saying, Full of grace. For it is signified as a kind of token or marriage gift of the bridegroom, that she was fruitful in graces. For of the things which he mentions, the one appertains to the bride, the other to the bridegroom.
(Geometer) But this is the sum of the whole message. The Word of God, as the Bridegroom, effecting an incomprehensible union, Himself, as it were, the same both planting, and being planted, hath moulded the whole nature of man into Himself. But comes last the most perfect and comprehensive salutation; Blessed art thou among women. i. e. Alone, far before all other women; that women also should be blessed in thee, as men are in thy Son; but rather both in both. For as by one man and one woman came at once both sin and sorrow, so now also by one woman and one man hath both blessing and joy been restored, and poured forth upon all.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAnd the angel entered to her and said, Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. It is rightly that she is called full of grace, because she obviously attained the grace that no other had merited, that she would conceive and bear the author of grace himself.
On the Gospel of LukeTruly full of grace was she, upon whom it was conferred by divine favor that, first among women, she should offer God the most glorious gift of her virginity. Hence she who strove to imitate the life of an angel was rightfully worthy to enjoy the experience of seeing and speaking with an angel. Truly full of grace was she to whom it was granted to give birth to Jesus Christ, the very one through whom grace and truth came. And so the Lord was truly with her whom he first raised up from earthly to heavenly desires, in an unheard of love of chastity, and afterwards sanctified, by means of his human nature, with all the fullness of his divinity. Truly blessed among women was she who without precedent in the womanly state rejoiced in having the honor of parenthood along with the beauty of virginity, inasmuch as it was fitting that a virgin mother bring forth God the Son.
Homilies on the Gospels 1.3Maria, in Hebrew, is the star of the sea; but in Syriac it is interpreted Mistress, and well, because Mary was thought worthy to be the mother of the Lord of the whole world, and the light of endless ages.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAfter man fell through sin, divine wisdom provided a mode of condescension through the Word incarnate, through which man might be adapted unto grace. And because this was accomplished in the womb of the glorious Virgin, therefore it was said to her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." Thus therefore at first sight there meets us the Father of mercies and the mother of mercies and the Son, who is the light of mercies. Thus is manifest the first origination of grace in us, which comes about through the Word incarnate. O most unhappy ones! Those who are ignorant of this beginning cannot have grace.
Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 1The Angel said: "Hail, full of grace," because she was holy and modest: holy in flesh and modest in mind. On that text, "The Angel Gabriel was sent," Bernard says: "Gabriel was sent to the Virgin, such as the Apostle describes, holy in mind and body, not newly nor by chance discovered, but chosen from eternity, foreknown by the Most High and prepared for himself, guarded by Angels, prefigured by the Patriarchs, promised by the Prophets." To this Virgin Gabriel had to be sent as a bridesman. She alone pleased the Most High. Likewise Bernard: "The royal Virgin, resplendent with the twofold beauty of her mind, drew upon herself the gaze of the citizens of heaven, so that she both inclined the heart of the King to desire of her and drew the heavenly messenger down to herself from on high."
Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6And the Angel entering, etc. After the sending of the messenger has been described, here the execution of the ministry is described, which indeed consisted in the announcement of the future conception, in which the Angel proceeds, like a good rhetorician, in very orderly fashion, and the Evangelist explains perfectly. The Evangelist introduces the Angel as having taken his beginning from a salutation upon his entrance: in which salutation he captures her goodwill, raises her confidence, and shows her reverence. For he shows her to be commendable by the fullness of goodness, and therefore lovable; by the loftiness of dignity, and therefore venerable; by the breadth of praise, and therefore worthy of proclamation. And on account of these three things she was prefigured by the Ark of the Covenant, of which it is said in Hebrews nine that it contained three things, namely "the rod of Aaron, the tablets of the Law, and manna"; so that it might thus be shown that she was sweet and lovable through the manna, venerable through the rod, and worthy of proclamation and commendation through the divine law. And accordingly there was in her a threefold excellence, namely of dignity, of virtue, and of charity: Sirach twenty-four: "I am the mother of fair love and of fear and of knowledge and of holy hope."
Therefore, to show her lovable in graciousness, he says: The Angel, having entered to her, said: Hail, full of grace. And therefore she was fittingly prefigured by Esther, of whom it is said in Esther two that she was exceedingly beautiful and of incredible loveliness, and appeared gracious and lovable in the eyes of all. Whence of her can be said that word from Sirach twenty-four: "In me is all grace of life and of truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue." Nor is this a wonder, because she was to conceive him of whom it is said in John one: "We have seen his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth"; and therefore afterwards it is added: "Of his fullness we have all received."
But to show her venerable by reason of dignity, he adds: The Lord is with you: this is said in a distinctive sense, because in an excellent and singular manner, as in his own tabernacle: Sirach twenty-four: "He who created me rested in my tabernacle"; the Psalm: "The Lord is in his holy temple," that is, in the womb of the Virgin; and again: "The Most High has sanctified his tabernacle; God is in the midst of it, it shall not be moved." Bernard: "The Lord is with you: you will be the mother of him whose Father is God: the Son of the Father's love will be the crown of your chastity"; from which you obtain an inestimable dignity above all, and for this reason she is called queen in the Psalm: "The queen stood at your right hand."
That he might also show her praiseworthy by reason of blessing, he adds: Blessed art thou among women, on account of the universal remedy: 1 Kings 25: "David said to Abigail: Blessed art thou, who hast kept me from avenging myself with my own hand." Blessed, I say, among women, that is, among women; Judges 5: "Blessed among women is Jael, blessed shall she be in her tent." Or: blessed among women, that is, above all women: Judith 13: "Blessed art thou, daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth"; and again in chapter 15: "They all blessed her with one voice, saying: Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou the joy of Israel, thou the honor of our people, because thou hast acted manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened, because thou hast loved chastity, and after thy husband hast not known another; therefore also the hand of the Lord has strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed." Or: blessed by women: Song of Songs 6: "The daughters of Sion saw her and declared her most blessed, and the queens and concubines praised her."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1(Diem Nat. Orat. in Christi.) Far different then to the news formerly addressed to the woman, is the announcement now made to the Virgin. In the former, the cause of sin was punished by the pains of childbirth; in the latter, through gladness, sorrow is driven away. Hence the angel not unaptly proclaims joy to the Virgin, saying, Hail.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThe angel greeted Mary with a new address, which I could not find anywhere else in Scripture. I ought to explain this expression briefly. The angel says, "Hail, full of grace." … I do not remember having read this word elsewhere in Scripture. An expression of this kind, "Hail, full of grace," is not addressed to a male. This greeting was reserved for Mary alone.
HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 6.7"The Lord is with you." Why is the Lord with you? Because he is coming to you not merely to pay a visit, but he is coming down into you in a new mystery, that of being born. Fittingly did the angel add, "You are blessed among women." Through the curse she incurred, Eve brought pains upon the wombs of women in childbirth. Now, in this very matter of motherhood, Mary, through the blessing she received, rejoices, is honored, is exalted. Now too womankind has become truly the mother of those who live through grace, just as previously by nature are subject to death.
SERMON 140(Aug. in Serm. de Annunt. iii. app. 195.) More than with me, for He Himself is in thy heart, He is (made) in thy womb, He fills thy soul, He fills thy womb.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Jerome sup.) And it is well said, Full of grace, for to others, grace comes in part; into Mary at once the fulness of grace wholly infused itself. She truly is full of grace through whom has been poured forth upon every creature the abundant rain of the Holy Spirit. But already He was with the Virgin Who sent the angel to the Virgin. The Lord preceded His messenger, for He could not be confined by place Who dwells in all places. Whence it follows, The Lord is with thee.
Catena Aurea by AquinasSince the Lord said to Eve, "In pain you shall bear children" (Gen. 3:16), now that pain is dissolved by the joy which the Angel brings to the Virgin, saying, "Rejoice, O Full of Grace!" Since Eve was cursed, Mary now hears, "Blessed are you."
Commentary on LukeIn this salutation three things are contained. One part the Angel wrought, that is, "Hail full of grace, the Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou among women". Another part Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, wrought, that is, "Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb". The third part the Church added, that is, "Mary": for the Angel did not say, "Hail Mary", but "Hail, full of grace". And this name, that is Mary, according to its interpretation befits the things said by the Angel, as will be made clear.
Therefore, the first thing to be considered about it is, that in antiquity it was a very great thing that angels appeared to men; and/or because men would make reverence to them, they held them in the greatest praise. Whence to praise Abraham it is written, that he received the Angels with hospitality, and that he exhibited reverence to them. Moreover, that an angel would make reverence to a man, was a thing never heard, except after he saluted the Blessed Virgin, reverently saying, "Hail!" Moreover, the reason that in antiquity an angel did not revere a man, but a man an angel, is that an Angel is greater than a man; and this as much as it regards three things.
First as much as regards dignity: the reason is, an angel is of a spiritual nature. Psalm 103:4, "Who makes His angels of spirit"; but a man is of a corruptible nature: whence Abraham use to say, Gen. 18:27, "I will speak to my Lord, although I am dust and ashes." It was not, therefore, decent that a spiritual and incorruptible creature exhibit reverence to a corporal one, that is to a man.
Second, as much as regards familiarity before God. For an angel is familiar with God, as one assisting. Dan 7:10, "Thousands of thousands were ministering to Him, and tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands assisted Him." But man is as if a stranger, and distanced from God by means of sin. Psalm 54:8, "I have distanced myself as one fleeing." For that reason it is fitting that a man revere an angel, as one who is near and familiar with his King.
Third, he was pre-eminent on account of the plenitude of the splendor of divine grace: for angels are participants in that Divine Light in the highest plenitude. Job. 25:3, "What is the number of His soldiers, and upon which does His light not rise?" And for that reason he always appears with light. But men, even if some participate from the light of grace, however in a little manner, and in a certain obscurity. Therefore it was not decent that he exhibit reverence to a man, so long as someone in human nature was not found, who exceeded angels in these three. And this was the Blessed Virgin. And for that reason, to designate that She exceeded him in these three, the Angel wanted to exhibit reverence to Her: whence he said, "Ave!" Whence the Blessed Virgin exceeded angels in these three.
And first in a plenitude of grace, which is greater in the Blessed Virgin than in any angel; and for that reason to insinuate this, the Angel exhibited reverence to Her, saying, "full of grace", as if he said, "For that reason I exhibit reverence to Thee, because Thou dost excell me in the plenitude of grace." Moreover the Blessed Virgin is said to be full of grace as much as regards three things. First as much as regards Her soul, in which She had every plenitude of grace. For the grace of God is given for two things: that is, for working the good, and for avoiding the evil; and as much as regards those two the Blessed Virgin had the most perfect grace. For She Herself avoided every sin, more holy than anyone after Christ. For sin is either original, and from this she was cleansed in the womb; or mortal or venial, and from these She was free. Whence Cant. 4:7, "Thou are entirely beautiful, My love, and there is not a stain in Thee". St. Augustine in the book On Nature and Grace says: "Except the holy Virgin Mary, if all the saints, when they were living here, had been asked whether they were without sin, all would have shouted with one voice: 'If we said that we did not have sin, we seduce ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' (1 Jn. 1:8) Except, I say, this holy Virgin, of whom for the sake of the honor of the Lord, when one deals with sin, I want, plainly, to have no questioning." For we know that upon Her there was conferred more grace to conquer sin on every side, She who merited to conceive and bear Him, who it is established never had sin.
But Christ excelled the Blessed Virgin in this, that He was conceived and born without original sin. Moreover the Blessed Virgin was conceived in original sin, but not born in it. She Herself also exercised the works of all virtues, but the other saints only certain special ones: because one was humble, another chaste, another merciful; and for that reason they are given as an example of special virtues, just as blessed Nicholas is an example of mercy etc. But the Blessed Virgin is an example of all virtues: because in Her you find the example of humility: Lk. 1:38, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord", and after this, verse 48, "He has looked back upon the humility of His handmaid", of chastity, "since I do not know a man", verse 34, and of all virtues; as is sufficiently clear. Thus, therefore, the Blessed Virgin is full of grace both as much as regards the working of good, and as much as regards the avoiding of evil.
Second, She was full of grace as much as regards it redounding from the soul to the flesh and/or body. For it is a great thing among the Saints that they have so much of grace that it sanctifies their soul; but the soul of the Blessed Virgin was so full that from it there overflowed grace into Her flesh, so that from it She might conceive the Son of God. And for that reason Hugh of St. Victor says: "Because in Her heart the love of the Holy Spirit burned in a singular manner, for that reason She worked wonders in Her flesh, inasmuch as that from it there was born God and man." Lk 1:35, "For that which shall be born from Thee holy, shall be called the Son of God."
Third, as much as regards it overflowing unto all men. For it is a great thing in any saint, when he has so much of grace that it suffices for the salvation of many; but when one had so much that it would suffice for the salvation of all men of the world, this would be the greatest; and this is in Christ, and in the Blessed Virgin. For in every danger you can obtain salvation from the glorious Virgin Herself. Whence Cant. 4:4, "A thousand round shields," that is the remedy against dangers, "hang from her." Likewise in every work of virtue you can have Her as a helper; and for that reason Eccli. 24:25 says of Her, "In Me ever hope of life and virtue." Thus, therefore She is full of grace, and exceeds the angels in the plenitude of grace; and on this account She is fittingly called Mary, which is interpreted "She who is illuminated in Herself"; whence Isaiah 58:11, "He shall fill Thy soul with splendors"; and She is an Illuminatrix unto others, as much as regards the whole world; and for that reason She is likened to the sun and to the moon.
Second, She excelled the angels in divine familiarity. And for this reason the Angel, designating this, said: "the Lord is with Thee"; as if he were to say: "For this reason I exhibit reverence to Thee, because Thou are more familiar with God than I, for the Lord is with Thee." "The Lord," he said, the Father with the same Son; which no angel, nor any creature had. Lk 1:35, "For that which shall be born from Thee holy, shall be called the Son of God." The Lord, the Son, in Her womb. Isaiah 12:6, "Exult and praise, O habitation of Sion, because great in thy midst is the Holy One of Israel." Therefore, the Lord is with the Blessed Virgin in a manner other than with an angel; because He is with Her as Son, He is with an angel as Lord. The Lord, the Holy Spirit, as in a temple; whence She is called: "temple of the Lord", "sacrarium of the Holy Spirit", because She conceived of the Holy Spirit: Lk. 1:35, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon Thee." Thus, therefore, the Blessed Virgin was more familiar with God than an angel; because He was with Her as the Lord, the Father, the Lord the Son, the Lord, the Holy Spirit, that is as the whole Trinity. And for that reason there is sung of Her: "Of the whole Trinity the noble Triclinium". Moreover this word, "The Lord is with Thee," is the more noble word which can be said to Her. Deservedly, therefore, does the Angel revere the Blessed Virgin, because She is the Mother of the Lord, and for that reason is the Lady. Whence this name Mary befits Her, which in the Syriac tongue is interpreted, "the Lady."
Third, She exceeds angels as much as regards purity: because the Blessed Virgin was not only pure in Herself, but also procured purity for others. For She Herself was the most pure even as much as regards fault, because the Virgin Herself incurred neither mortal nor venial sin. Likewise as much as regards punishment. For three maledictions have been given to men on account of sin. The first was given to the woman, that is, that she would conceive with corruption, would carry with a burden, and would give birth in pain. But from this the Blessed Virgin was immune: because She conceived without corruption, carried in solace, and gave birth to the Savior in joy. Isaiah 35:2, "Sprouting forth she shall sprout forth, leaping for joy and praising." The second was given to man, that is that in the sweat of his face he would eat his bread. From this the Blessed Virgin was immune: because, as the Apostle says, 1 Cor. 7, virgins are released from the cares of this world, and make time for God alone. The third was common to men and women, that is that they would return into dust. And from this the Blessed Virgin was immune, because She was assumed into Heaven with Her body. For we believe that after death She was resuscitated, and born into Heaven. Psalm 131:8, "Rise, Lord, unto Thy rest; Thou and the ark of Thy sanctification."
Thus, therefore, was She immune from every malediction, and for that reason blessed among women; because She alone endured the malediction, and carried the Blessing, and She has opened the gate of Paradise; and for that reason the name Mary befitted Her, that which is interpreted "Star of the Sea"; because just as sailors are directed to port by means of a star of the sea, so Christians are directed by means of Mary to glory.
On the Angelic SalutationAnd when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
ἡ δὲ ἰδοῦσα διεταράχθη ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ διελογίζετο ποταπὸς εἴη ὁ ἀσπασμὸς οὗτος.
Ѻ҆на́ же ви́дѣвши смꙋти́сѧ ѡ҆ словесѝ є҆гѡ̀ и҆ помышлѧ́ше, каково̀ бꙋ́детъ цѣлова́нїе сїѐ.
Learn the virgin in morals, learn the virgin in modesty, learn the virgin in prayer, learn the virgin in mystery. To tremble is for virgins, and to fear the approach of every man, to fear the speech of every man. Let women learn to imitate the purpose of modesty. Alone in the inner chambers, where no man could see, only the angel would find her: alone without a companion, alone without a witness; lest she be corrupted by any improper speech, she is greeted by the angel. Learn, O virgin, to avoid lascivious words: even Mary feared the greeting of the angel.
Commentary on Luke(sup.) But as she might be accustomed to these visions, the Evangelist ascribes her agitation not to the vision, but to the things told her, saying, she was troubled at his words. Now observe both the modesty and wisdom of the Virgin; the soul, and at the same time the voice. When she heard the joyful words, she pondered them in her mind, and neither openly resisted through unbelief, nor forthwith lightly complied; avoiding equally the inconstancy of Eve, and the insensibility of Zacharias. Hence it is said, And she cast in her mind what manner of salutation this was, it is not said conception, for as yet she knew not the vastness of the mystery. But the salutation, was there aught of passion in it as from a man to a virgin? or was it not of God, seeing that he makes mention of God, saying, The Lord is with thee.
Catena Aurea by AquinasWhen she heard this, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of salutation this might be. Learn the virgin by her manners, learn the virgin by her modesty, learn the virgin by her prophecy, learn the virgin by her mystery. It is the nature of virgins to be startled and to fear every man's approach, to revere every man's speech. Let women learn to imitate the resolve of modesty. Alone in her innermost chambers where no men might see her, the angel alone found her, alone without a companion, alone without a witness, lest she be corrupted by any degenerate affection, she is greeted by the angel. Learn, virgin, to avoid the wantoness of words. Even Mary feared the angel's salutation. Nevertheless, she was thinking, he said, what manner of salutation this might be. And so with modesty, because she was afraid; with prudence, because she marveled at the new formula of blessing, which had been nowhere read, nowhere before discovered.
On the Gospel of LukeWhen she had heard, etc. He first introduced the Angel greeting; here he introduces the Virgin listening, in which listening he shows the Virgin to be commendable in three ways: in hearing, namely, affection, and thought. — In hearing, modesty is commended, when it is said: When she had heard, that is, had listened in silence and taciturnity, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus 32: "Listen in silence, and for thy reverence good grace shall come to thee." Thus she was ready to hear, though not to speak, according to that passage of James 1: "Let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak." And therefore it says: had heard, that is, she had given her attention perfectly: "for a good ear will hear wisdom with all desire," Ecclesiasticus 3.
In affection, bashfulness is commended, when it is said: She was troubled at his saying, namely from bashfulness. Bede: "It is proper to virgins to tremble and to fear at every man's approach, to be wary of every man's gaze"; Habakkuk 3: "I heard, and my belly was troubled; at the voice my lips trembled"; so that her spirit might say that passage of Job 23: "At his face I am troubled, and considering him, I am seized with fear." An example of this is in Esther, in the penultimate chapter: "I saw thee, lord, as an Angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy glory."
In thought, prudence is praised, when it is said: And she was thinking what manner of salutation this might be; and this was great prudence. For it contained the depth of wisdom, concerning which Wisdom 6 says: "To think upon her is the perfection of understanding"; whence Daniel 4: "Daniel, whose name was Balthassar, began to think silently within himself for about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him." But the thoughts of the Virgin, although they disturbed her on account of the modesty of innocence, did not nevertheless throw her into confusion on account of the splendor of understanding. Bernard: "She was troubled, but not thrown into confusion; indeed, according to that word of the Psalm: I was troubled and I did not speak, but I thought upon the days of old," etc.
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1For if Mary had known that similar words had been addressed to others, such a salutation would never have appeared to her so strange and alarming.
Catena Aurea by AquinasShe soon realized that she was receiving within herself the heavenly judge, there in that same place where with lingering gaze she had just seen the harbinger from heaven. It was by a soothing motion and holy affection that God transformed the virgin into a mother for himself and made his handmaid into a parent. Nevertheless her bosom was disturbed, her mind recoiled, and her whole state became one of trembling when God, whom the whole of creation does not contain, placed his whole Self inside her bosom and made himself a man.
SERMON 140Mary was pondering about the greeting, what kind it was: whether it was vile and corrupt, as a man's address to a maiden, or divine, since God was also mentioned in the greeting: "The Lord is with you."
Commentary on LukeAnd the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος αὐτῇ· μὴ φοβοῦ, Μαριάμ· εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ.
И҆ речѐ а҆́гг҃лъ є҆́й: не бо́йсѧ, мр҃їа́мь: ѡ҆брѣла́ бо є҆сѝ блгⷣть ᲂу҆ бг҃а.
(Photius.) As if he said, I came not to deceive you, nay rather to bring down deliverance from deception; I came not to rob you of your inviolable virginity, but to open a dwelling-place for the Author and Guardian of thy purity; I am not a servant of the Devil, but the ambassador of Him that destroyeth the Devil. I am come to form a marriage treaty, not to devise plots. So far then was he from allowing her to be harassed by distracting thoughts, lest he should be counted a servant unfaithful to his trust.
(ubi sup.) For the Virgin found favour with God, in that decking her own soul in the bright robes of chastity, she prepared a dwelling-place pleasing to God. Not only did she retain her virginity inviolate, but her conscience also she kept from stain. As many had found favour before Mary, he goes on to state what was peculiar to her. Behold, thou shall conceive in thy womb.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAnd the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. Having seen that she was troubled by an unusual greeting, as it were, which was kept for her alone, calling her more familiarly by her name, he bids her not to fear. And because he had called her full of grace, he further establishes that grace and explains it more abundantly, saying:
On the Gospel of LukeTherefore the Angel, expressing the good pleasure of divine acceptance, strengthens and addresses the Virgin by name: Fear not, Mary. Fear not, I say, but rejoice, because your name is written in heaven, according to what is said below to the Apostles, in chapter ten: "Rejoice that your names are written in the heavens." And he gives the reason: For you have found grace with God, the grace, namely, of election, as Moses: Exodus 33: "You have found grace before me, and I have known you by name"; so it is said to the Virgin Mary. Also the grace of perfection, as Noah: Genesis 6: "Noah found grace before God"; and shortly after: "Noah was a just and perfect man, and he walked with God." The grace of espousal, that she might become the spouse of God and the mother of the Son of God; Esther 2: "Esther found grace and mercy before Ahasuerus above all women, and he set the royal crown upon her head." Moreover, she found grace on account of her exceeding humility and meekness: James 4: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"; and Sirach 3: "The greater you are, humble yourself in all things, and you shall find grace before God."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1That Christ was to be born of the seed of David, according to the flesh. In the second of Kings: "And the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shall not build me an house to dwell in; but it shall come to pass, when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shall sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee who shall come from thy loins, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build me a house in my name, and I will set up His throne for ever; and I will be to; Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son; and His house shall obtain confidence, and His kingdom for ever in my sight." Also in Isaiah: "And a rod shall go forth of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall go up from his root; and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and piety; and the spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill Him." Also in the cxxxist Psalm: "God hath sworn the truth unto David himself, and He has not repudiated it; of the fruit of thy belly will I set upon my throne." Also in the Gospel according to Luke: "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary. For thou hast found favour before God. Behold, thou shall conceive, and shalt bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. The same shall be great, and He shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end." Also in the Apocalypse: "And I saw in the right hand of God, who sate on the throne, a book written within, and on the back sealed with seven seals; and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to receive the book, and to open its seals? Nor was there any one either in heaven or upon the earth, or under the earth, who was able to open the book, nor even to look into it. And I wept much because nobody was found worthy to open the book, nor to look into it. And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose its seven seals."
Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews(Orat. in Diem Nat.) While the expectation of child-birth strikes a woman with terror, the sweet mention of her offspring calms her, as it is added, And thou shall call his name Jesus. The coming of the Saviour is the banishing of all fear.
Catena Aurea by AquinasBut he who earns favour in the sight of God has nothing to fear. Hence it follows, For thou hast found favour before God. But how shall any one find it, except through the means of his humility. For God giveth grace to the humble. (James 4:6, 1 Pet. 5:5.)
Catena Aurea by AquinasWonder! God is come among humanity; he who cannot be contained is contained in a womb; the timeless enters time, and great mystery: his conception is without seed, his emptying past telling! So great is this mystery! For God empties himself, takes flesh and is fashioned as a creature, when the angel tells the pure Virgin of her conception: "Rejoice, you who are full of grace; the Lord who has great mercy is with you!"
STICHERA OF ANNUNCIATIONFor if Mary had known that similar words had been addressed to others, such a salutation would never have appeared to her so strange and alarming. When the angel saw that she was troubled at this unusual salutation, calling her by her name as if she was well known to him, he tells her she must not fear, as it follows; And the angel said, Fear not, Mary.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThe Angel, first of all, calms Her heart from fear, so that She might receive the divine response in an undisturbed state; for in a state of confusion she could not properly hear what was about to come to pass — then, as if in explanation of the aforementioned word "Full of grace," he says: "You have found favor with God." For to be graced means to receive grace from God, that is, to please God. But this happiness is common, for many others also found favor with God, whereas the greeting brought to Mary has not yet been addressed to anyone.
Commentary on LukeAnd, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
καὶ ἰδοὺ συλλήψῃ ἐν γαστρὶ καὶ τέξῃ υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν.
И҆ сѐ зачне́ши во чре́вѣ, и҆ роди́ши сн҃а, и҆ нарече́ши и҆́мѧ є҆мꙋ̀ і҆и҃съ:
But all are not as Mary, that when they conceive the word of the Holy Spirit, they bring forth; for some put forth the word prematurely, others have Christ in the womb, but not yet formed.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Geometer.) By the word behold, he denotes rapidity and actual presence, implying that with the utterance of the word the conception is accomplished.
(Sev. Antiochenus.) Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, that he might show that our Lord from the very Virgin's womb, and of our substance, took our flesh upon Him. For the Divine Word came to purify man's nature and birth, and the first elements of our generation. And so without sin and human seed, passing through every stage as we do, He is conceived in the flesh, and carried in the womb for the space of nine months.
(Geometer.) But since it happens also that to the spiritual mind is given in an especial manner to conceive the Divine Spirit, and bring forth the Spirit of salvation, as says the Prophet; therefore he added, And thou shalt bring forth a Son. (Is. 26:18.)
Catena Aurea by AquinasBehold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus. Jesus is interpreted as savior or saving. The angel addressing Joseph explained the sacrament of this name: For he, he said, shall save his people from their sins. He did not say the people of Israel, but his people, that is, called into the unity of faith from among the uncircumcision and the circumcision, where, gathered from different parts, there might be one shepherd and one flock.
On the Gospel of LukeWe should carefully note the order of the words here, and the more firmly they are engrafted in our heart, the more evident it will be that the sum total of our redemption consists in them. For they proclaim with perfect clarity that the Lord Jesus, that is, our Savior, was both the true Son of God the Father and the true Son of a mother who was a human being. "Behold," he says, "you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son" - acknowledge that this true human being assumed the true substance of flesh from the flesh of the Virgin! "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" - confess too that this same Son is true God of true God, coeternal Son forever of the eternal Father!
Homilies on the Gospels 1.3The full accord of the witnesses is found in the words of Scriptures. Isaiah says: The virgin shall be with child; and Luke: Thou shalt conceive. One says: Christ shall be slain; and the Evangelist: Put Him to death. Whatever, then, had been foretold by the prophets was fulfilled through Christ.
Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 9Expressing also the benefit of the salvific conception or fecundation, he shows that it is at hand, when he says: Behold, you shall conceive in your womb and shall bear a son; so that thus may be fulfilled in you that word of Isaiah 7: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son." And he says pointedly: Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, to show that this very thing is great and wondrous and new, that she should conceive within, receiving nothing from without: Jeremiah 31: "The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall encompass a man." And because conception without lust is followed by birth without travail and pain, therefore he adds: And you shall bear a son, according to that word of the last chapter of Isaiah: "Before she travailed, she brought forth. Who has ever heard such a thing, or who has seen the like?" And because birth without pain is followed by the fruit of the womb with salvation, therefore he adds: You shall call his name Jesus: because, as is said in Acts 4, "neither is there any other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved." The prefiguration of this name preceded in Jesus, son of Nave: Ecclesiasticus 46: "Mighty in war was Jesus of Nave, who was great according to his name, very great for the salvation of God's elect." The prefiguration of this also preceded in Joseph, of whom it is said in Genesis 41 that "Pharaoh changed his name and called him in the Egyptian tongue Savior of the world."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1(de fide ad Theod.) But this name was given anew to the Word in adaptation to His nativity in the flesh; as that prophecy saith, Thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord hath named. (Is. 62:2.)
(contra Julian lib. viii.) Not however from Joseph proceeded the most pure descent of Christ. For from one and the same line of connection had sprung both Joseph and the Virgin, and from this the only-begotten had taken the form of man.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThe words "in the sixth month" are reckoned in relation to Elizabeth's pregnancy. "The angel was sent to a virgin," and he said to her, "Behold, in your virginity you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." He was speaking about him who was to appear in the body. He did not say to her, "that name which is called Jesus," but "you shall call his name." This shows that this name is of the economy which is through the body, since Jesus in Hebrew means "Savior." For the angel said, "You shall call his name Jesus," that is, Savior, "for he shall save his people from sins." This name therefore refers not to his nature but to his deeds.
COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 25(non occ.) But since it seems shocking or unworthy to some men that God should inhabit a body, is the Sun, I would ask, the heat whereof is felt by each body that receives its rays, at all sullied as to its natural purity? Much more then does the Sun of Righteousness, in taking upon Himself a most pure body from the Virgin's womb, escape not only defilement, but even show forth His own mother in greater holiness.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAnd hear again how Isaiah in express words foretold that He should be born of a virgin; for he spoke thus: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a son, and they shall say for His name, `God with us.'" For things which were incredible and seemed impossible with men, these God predicted by the Spirit of prophecy as about to come to pass, in order that, when they came to pass, there might be no unbelief, but faith, because of their prediction. But lest some, not understanding the prophecy now cited, should charge us with the very things we have been laying to the charge of the poets who say that Jupiter went in to women through lust, let us try to explain the words. This, then, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive," signifies that a virgin should conceive without intercourse. For if she had had intercourse with any one whatever, she was no longer a virgin; but the power of God having come upon the virgin, overshadowed her, and caused her while yet a virgin to conceive. And the angel of God who was sent to the same virgin at that time brought her good news, saying, "Behold, thou shalt conceive of the Holy Ghost, and shalt bear a Son, and He shall be called the Son of the Highest, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins," -as they who have recorded all that concerns our Saviour Jesus Christ have taught, whom we believed, since by Isaiah also, whom we have now adduced, the Spirit of prophecy declared that He should be born as we intimated before. It is wrong, therefore, to understand the Spirit and the power of God as anything else than the Word, who is also the first-born of God, as the foresaid prophet Moses declared; and it was this which, when it came upon the virgin and overshadowed her, caused her to conceive, not by intercourse, but by power. And the name Jesus in the Hebrew language means Σωτήρ (Saviour) in the Greek tongue. Wherefore, too, the angel said to the virgin, "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." And that the prophets are inspired by no other than the Divine Word, even you, as I fancy, will grant.
The First Apology, Chapter XXXIIIBut is this the only statement of prophecy which will be frustrated? Will not the angel's announcement also be subverted, that the virgin should "conceive in her womb and bring forth a son? " And will not in fact every scripture which declares that Christ had a mother? For how could she have been His mother, unless He had been in her womb? But then He received nothing from her womb which could make her a mother in whose womb He had been.
On the Flesh of Christ"And behold, you will conceive" — no other virgin has ever been deemed worthy of this privilege. He said "in your womb"; by this it is shown that the Lord was substantially incarnated from the very womb of the Virgin. He who came for the salvation of our race was rightly named "Jesus," for this name translated into the Greek language means "salvation from God." Jesus, by interpretation, means Savior, because salvation is also called "iao."
Commentary on LukeHe shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
οὗτος ἔσται μέγας καὶ υἱὸς ὑψίστου κληθήσεται, καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὸν θρόνον Δαυῒδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ,
се́й бꙋ́детъ ве́лїй, и҆ сн҃ъ вы́шнѧгѡ нарече́тсѧ: и҆ да́стъ є҆мꙋ̀ гдⷭ҇ь бг҃ъ прⷭ҇то́лъ дв҃да ѻ҆тца̀ є҆гѡ̀:
It was said also of John, that he shall be great, but of him indeed as of a great man, of Christ, as of the great God. For abundantly is poured forth the power of God; widely the greatness of the heavenly substance extended, neither confined by place, nor grasped by thought; neither determined by calculation, nor altered by age.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Geom. sup.) And he says, Thou shalt call, not His father shall call, for He is without a father as regards His lower birth, as He is without a mother in respect of the higher.
(sup.) But as this name was common to Him with the successor of Moses, the angel therefore implying that He should not be after Joshua's likeness, adds, He shall be great. (Josh. 1.)
(Photius.) The assumption of our flesh does not diminish ought from the loftiness of the Deity, but rather exalts the lowness of man's nature. Hence it follows, And he shall be called the Son of the Highest. Not, Thou shalt give Him the name, but He Himself shall be called. By whom, but His Father of like substance with Himself? For no one hath known the Son but the Father. (Matt. 11:27.) But He in Whom exists the infallible knowledge of His Son, is the true interpreter as to the name which should be given Him, when He says, This is my beloved Son; (Matt. 17:5.) for such indeed from everlasting He is, though His name was not revealed till now; therefore he says, He shall be called, not shall be made or begotten. For before the worlds He was of like substance with the Father. Him therefore thou shalt conceive; His mother thou shalt become; Him shall thy virgin shrine enclose, Whom the heavens were not able to contain.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Epist. 236. ad Amphil.) Our Lord sat not on the earthly throne of David, the Jewish kingdom having been transferred to Herod. The seat of David is that on which our Lord reestablished His spiritual kingdom which should never be destroyed. Hence it follows, And he shall reign over the house of Jacob.
Catena Aurea by AquinasHe will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. It is said of John that he will be great, but he as a great man, this one however as a great God. For he will be great before the Lord, but this one, it says, will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. Therefore, the same Son of the Most High who was conceived and born in the virginal womb. The same man in time, created from the mother, who is God born from the Father before all times. But if the same man who is God, Nestorius must cease to say that only a man was born from a virgin, and that he was received by the Word of God, not into the unity of person, but into an inseparable association. Otherwise, he is found to assert not one Christ, true God and man, but two (which is impious to say), and thus to preach not the Trinity, but a quaternity. However, the Catholic faith rightly confesses one Christ as one man of both flesh and soul, just as the angelic words signify, which had asserted that the throne of David his father was to be given to him. For he who would have the same father David, whom he declares will be called the Son of the Most High, demonstrates one person of Christ in two natures. He received the throne of David, so that certainly he might call to the eternal kingdom the people to whom David once and his sons provided temporal rule, which has been prepared for them from the foundation of the world.
On the Gospel of LukeThe time had come when, having redeemed the world through his blood, he was to be acknowledged as king not of the house of David alone but also of the whole church; moreover, that he was maker and governor of all generations. Hence the angel properly said afterwards, "and the Lord God will give him the seat of David his father," and he immediately added, "and he will reign in the house of Jacob forever." Now the house of Jacob refers to the universal church, which through its faith in and confession of Christ pertains to the heritage of the patriarchs—either among those who took their physical origin from the stock of the patriarchs or among those who, though brought forth with respect to the flesh from other countries, were reborn in Christ by the spiritual washing.
Homilies on the Gospels 1.3Let Nestorius then cease to say that the Virgin's Son is only man, and to deny that He is taken up by the Word of God into the unity of the Person. For the Angel when he says that the very same has David for His father whom he declares is called the Son of the Highest, demonstrates the one Person of Christ in two natures. The Angel uses the future tense (vocabitur, regnabit) not because, as the Heretics say, Christ was not before Mary, but because in the same person, man with God shares the same name of Son.
Catena Aurea by AquinasLastly, expressing the eminence of the offspring to be born, he shows him to be great, when he says: He shall be great. He shows, moreover, that his greatness is most excellent on account of singular grace, on account of royal excellence, on account of eternal power. — He touches upon singular grace when he says: And he shall be called the Son of the Most High, namely through the grace of union: the Son, I say, the Only-begotten, according to that word of John 1: "We saw his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father." And thus he shall be equal to the Most High, according to that word of the Psalm: "You, Lord, are most high over all the earth." Who is this but Christ the Lord? of whom it is said in Philippians 2: "He gave him a name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow," etc. This, however, he gave to no other, because in the Son of the Virgin alone is the grace of union.
He intimates royal excellence when he says: And the Lord God shall give him the throne of David, his father, that is, the royal seat, according to what was promised to David: "Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne"; and according to what was promised through Jeremiah the Prophet, Jeremiah 23: "Behold, the days come, says the Lord. And I will raise up to David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and shall be wise." This also was first shown in Daniel 7, concerning the Son of man, of whom he says that "the Ancient of Days gave him power and honor and a kingdom, and all peoples and tribes and tongues shall serve him."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1And again, speaking in reference to the angel, he says: "But at that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God, who did also say to the virgin, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God." [Luke 1:26, etc.] And he says concerning the Lord: "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." [Luke 1:32-33] For who else is there who can reign uninterruptedly over the house of Jacob for ever, except Jesus Christ our Lord, the Son of the Most High God, who promised by the law and the prophets that He would make His salvation visible to all flesh; so that He would become the Son of man for this purpose, that man also might become the son of God?
Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter 10), Section 2See then the greatness of the Saviour, how it is diffused over the whole world. Go up to heaven, see there how it has filled the heavenly places; carry thy thoughts down to the deep, behold, there too He has descended. If thou seest this, then, in like manner, beholdest thou fulfilled in very deed, He shall be great.
Catena Aurea by AquinasGreat was John too, but he was not yet a Son of the Most High, whereas the Savior was great in His teaching and "Son of the Most High" also by His teaching, for He taught as One having authority, and by the performance of wondrous miracles. The visible Man is called "Son of the Most High," for since the Person was one, the Man, the Son of the Virgin, was truly the Son of the Most High. The Word was the Son of the Most High even before the ages, but was not so called and was not known as such; but when He became incarnate and appeared in the flesh, then the Visible One who works miracles was also called the Son of the Most High. Hearing of "the throne of David," do not think of a sensible kingdom, but understand the Divine one, by which He reigned over all nations through the Divine preaching.
Commentary on LukeAnd he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
καὶ βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.
и҆ воцр҃и́тсѧ въ домꙋ̀ і҆а́кѡвли во вѣ́ки, и҆ црⷭ҇твїю є҆гѡ̀ не бꙋ́детъ конца̀.
Peter said: We preach one God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that has made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that therein is, who is the true King; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. [Luke 1:33] Nero said: What king is lord? Paul said: The Saviour of all the nations. Simon said: I am he whom you speak of. Peter and Paul said: May it never be well with you, Simon, magician, and full of bitterness.
The Acts of Peter and Paul(Severus Antiochenus.) And to make the Virgin mindful of the prophets, he adds, And the Lord God shall give unto him the seat of David, that she might know clearly, that He Who is to be born of her is that very Christ, Whom the prophets promised should be born of the seed of David.
(Geometer.) But to reign for ever is of none save God alone; and hence though because of the incarnation Christ is said to receive the seat of David, yet as being Himself God He is acknowledged to be the eternal King. It follows, And, his kingdom shall have no end, not in that He is God, but in that He is man also. Now indeed He has the kingdom of many nations, but finally he shall reign over all, when all things shall be put under Him. (1 Cor. 15:25.)
Catena Aurea by AquinasAnd he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Isaiah said: His empire will be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace. Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in judgement and in justice (Isa. IX). He did not say in the acquisition of earthly glories and treasures, not in the victory over many nations or the subjugation of proud cities, but in judgment and justice. For by these the kingdom of Christ is multiplied and established, both in each of the faithful and in the universal Church throughout the earth. For he calls the whole Church the house of Jacob, which, whether born from a good root or grafted in, although it was a wild olive, is rightfully grafted into a good olive tree by faith. After the triumph of his passion, the Savior addressing it says: "You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you offspring of Jacob, glorify him" (Psal. XXI). However, Jesus is not said to be great in future words and to be called the Son of the Most High, to accept the scepter of David, and to reign over the house of Jacob, because, as the heretics senselessly think and fall away from the truth, Christ did not exist before Mary, but that the man assumed into God was glorified by that glory which the Word of God had with the Father before the world was; that is, the same name of the Son would mean the same person of Christ, man with God, full of grace and truth.
On the Gospel of LukeOr by the house of Jacob he means the whole Church which either sprang from a good root, or though formerly a wild olive branch, has yet been for a reward of its faith grafted into the good olive tree. (Rom. 11:17.)
Catena Aurea by AquinasEternal power he notes, when he says: And he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, according to what was promised to David, according to that passage of 2 Kings 7: "I will raise up your seed, which shall come forth from your womb, and I will establish his kingdom: and I will make firm the throne of his kingdom forever." Daniel 7 says this same thing: "His power is an everlasting power, which shall not be taken away, and his kingdom, which shall not be destroyed."
But to show that this eternity is properly spoken of through the absence of an end, he adds: And of his kingdom there shall be no end: so that that passage of Isaiah 9 might be fulfilled: "He shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to confirm it and strengthen it in judgment and justice, from henceforth and forever." And therefore the Psalmist rightly says: "Your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages, and your dominion endures throughout every generation."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1if that expression for ever be taken as applying to the Lord Christ, it signifies endless duration, in accordance with what Gabriel also says to the Virgin: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end
The Christian Topography, Book 2(Hom. vii. in Matt.) Now He assigns to the present house of Jacob all those who were of the number of the Jews that believed on Him. For as Paul says, They are not all Israel which are of Israel, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas"The house of Jacob" are those who believed both from the Jews and equally from other nations, for such are properly Jacob and Israel. How then is it said that He sat on the throne of David? Listen. David was the least among his brothers; and the Lord was in contempt and reproach as one who loves to eat and drink wine, and the Son of a carpenter, and in dishonor even among His own brothers, the sons of Joseph. "For even His brothers," it says, "did not believe in Him" (John 7:5). David, despite his beneficence, was persecuted; and the Lord, working miracles, was slandered and had stones cast at Him. David conquered and reigned through meekness; and the Lord reigned, having accepted the cross through meekness. So then, do you see in what sense it is said that He sat on the throne of David? As David received a physical kingdom, so the Lord received a spiritual reign, which "will have no end." For the reign of Christ, that is, the knowledge of God and Christianity, will have no end. For even in persecution we shine by the grace of Christ.
Commentary on LukeThen said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
εἶπε δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον· πῶς ἔσται μοι τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω;
Рече́ же мр҃їа́мь ко а҆́гг҃лꙋ: ка́кѡ бꙋ́детъ сїѐ, и҆дѣ́же мꙋ́жа не зна́ю;
It seems that Mary did not believe here, unless you pay careful attention; for it is not right for the chosen one to be seen as unbelieving in conceiving the only-begotten Son of God. But in what way could it happen (although the prerogative of the mother is preserved, to whom it certainly had to be deferred to a greater extent: but as a greater prerogative, a greater faith should also have been reserved for her), therefore in what way could it happen, that Zacharias, who did not believe, was condemned to silence: but Mary, if she had not believed, would be exalted by the infusion of the Holy Spirit? But Mary neither should not believe, nor should she rashly usurp: not believe the angel, usurp divine things. For it was not easy to know the mystery hidden in God from the ages, which even the higher Powers could not know. And yet she did not refuse faith, did not reject the duty: but she adjusted her emotions, promised obedience. For when she says: How will this be done? she did not doubt the outcome, but sought the quality of the effect itself.
EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.14It was Mary's part neither to refuse belief in the Angel, nor too hastily take unto herself the divine message. How subdued her answer is, compared with the words of the Priest. Then said Mary to the Angel, How shall this be? She says, How shall this be? He answers, Whereby shall I know this? He refuses to believe that which he says he does not know, and seeks as it were still further authority for belief. She avows herself willing to do that which she doubts not will be done, but how, she is anxious to know. Mary had read, Behold, she shall conceive and bear a son. (Is. 7:14.) She believed therefore that it should be, but how it was to take place she had never read, for even to so great a prophet this had not been revealed. So great a mystery was not to be divulged by the mouth of man, but of an Angel.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Geometer.) But mark, how the Angel solves the Virgin's doubts, and shows to her the unstained marriage and the unspeakable birth. And the Angel answered, and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee.
(Victor Presbyter.) But observe, how the Angel has declared the whole Trinity to the Virgin, making mention of the Holy Spirit, the Power, and the Most High, for the Trinity is indivisible.c
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Ep. ad Epictetum.) For we confess that which then was taken up from Mary to be of the nature of man and a most real body, the very same also according to nature with our own body. For Mary is our sister, seeing we have all descended from Adam.
Catena Aurea by AquinasHer virginity also itself was on this account more pleasing and accepted, in that it was not that Christ being conceived in her, rescued it beforehand from a husband who would violate it, Himself to preserve it; but, before He was conceived, chose it, already dedicated to God, as that from which to be born. This is shown by the words which Mary spoke in answer to the Angel announcing to her her conception; "How," says she, "shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" Which assuredly she would not say, unless she had before vowed herself unto God as a virgin. But, because the habits of the Israelites as yet refused this, she was espoused to a just man, who would not take from her by violence, but rather guard against violent persons, what she had already vowed. Although, even if she had said this only, "How shall this take place?" and had not added, "seeing I know not a man," certainly she would not have asked, how, being a female, she should give birth to her promised Son, if she had married with purpose of sexual intercourse. She might have been bidden also to continue a virgin, that in her by fitting miracle the Son of God should receive the form of a servant, but, being to be a pattern to holy virgins, lest it should be thought that she alone needed to be a virgin, who had obtained to conceive a child even without sexual intercourse, she dedicated her virginity to God, when as yet she knew not what she should conceive, in order that the imitation of a heavenly life in an earthly and mortal body should take place of vow, not of command; through love of choosing, not through necessity of doing service. Thus Christ by being born of a virgin, who, before she knew Who was to be born of her, had determined to continue a virgin, chose rather to approve, than to command, holy virginity. And thus, even in the female herself, in whom He took the form of a servant, He willed that virginity should be free.
Of Holy Virginity, Section 4The first sinner, the first transgressor, begot sinners liable to death. To heal them, the Savior came from the Virgin; because he didn't come to you the way you came, seeing that he did not originate from the sexual appetite of male and female, not from that chain of lust. The Holy Spirit, it says, will come upon you. That was said to the Virgin glowing with faith, not seething with carnal lust. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [Luke 1:35]. Being overshadowed like that, how could she be seething with the heat of sexual desire? So, because he didn't come to you the way you came, he sets you free.
Sermon 153.14(235. Ep. Amph.) Knowledge is spoken of in various ways. The wisdom of our Creator is called knowledge, and an acquaintance with His mighty works, the keeping also of His commandments, and the constant drawing near to Him; and besides these the marriage union is called knowledge, as it is here.
(Lib. de Spirit. Sanct. c. v.) Hence also, St. Paul says, God sent forth his Son, born not (through a woman) but of a woman. For the words through a woman might convey only a notion of birth as a passing through, but when it is said, of a woman, (Gal. 4:4.) there is openly declared a communion of nature between the son and the parent.
Catena Aurea by AquinasBut Mary said to the angel: How will this be, since I do not know a man? She reverently expressed the purpose of her mind, that is, that she had decided to lead a virginal life. Because she was the first among women to devote herself to such great virtue, she rightfully deserved, by unique merit, to excel in blessedness above other women. How, she said, will this be? She did not say: How will I know this; but, How will this be, she said, since I do not know a man. She inquired about the order of obedience to which she should submit, not asking for a sign to believe. For it did not befit the virgin chosen to bear God to exist in doubtful mistrust but in cautious prudence, since man could not easily know the mystery that was hidden in God through the ages. Therefore, because she had read, Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, but had not read how it could happen, rightfully believing in what she had read, she asked the angel about what she did not find in the prophet (Isaiah VII).
On the Gospel of LukeLet Nestorius then cease to say that the Virgin's Son is only man, and to deny that He is taken up by the Word of God into the unity of the Person. For the Angel when he says that the very same has David for His father whom he declares is called the Son of the Highest, demonstrates the one Person of Christ in two natures. The Angel uses the future tense (vocabitur, regnabit) not because, as the Heretics say, Christ was not before Mary, but because in the same person, man with God shares the same name of Son.
Thou shalt conceive then not by the seed of man whom thou knowest not, but by the operation of the Holy Spirit, with which thou art filled. There shall be no flame of desire in thee when the Holy Spirit shall overshadow thee.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThus animated to cast out fear by a spirit of faith, she said to the angel: "How shall this be done, for I know not man?" She doubts not the fact, but only inquires about the manner of its accomplishment. She says not "Will it be done?" but "How will this be done?" As if she would say: "Since my Lord knows, and my conscience bears me witness, that His handmaid has made a vow to know no man, by what law shall it please Him to work this wonder? If I must break my vow that I may bring forth such a Son, I rejoice on account of the Son, but I grieve because of my vow. Nevertheless, His will be done. If, however, as a Virgin I may bring forth this Son and it is not impossible if He so will it then I shall know that He hath had regard to the humility of His handmaid. How, then, shall this be done, for I know not man?"
Sermons, On The 'Missus Est', Homily IVBut Mary said to the Angel. The Evangelist first introduced the Angel narrating; here he adds the most prudent Virgin inquiring: in which inquiry three things are explained to us, namely, a fitting doubt, a moving reason, and a satisfying solution. — A fitting doubt is noted, when it is said: How shall this be done? For since there is a threefold mode of conceiving — one carnal, another spiritual, and a third wondrous and singular — I ask, by which of these modes shall it come about? Nicodemus asked the Lord in this way, when he heard that he must be born again, in John 3: "How, he said, can these things come to pass?" And note that she does not ask for the mode of knowing or a sign to produce faith, as Zacharias did, who was punished, above in the same chapter: "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days"; but she asks for the mode of its coming to be, so that she might consent, according to that passage of Proverbs 4: "Let your eyelids go before your steps."
He touches upon the moving reason when he says: Because I know not a man, that is, I propose not to know one, and thus I am a virgin in mind and flesh and purpose, so that that passage concerning Rebecca, Genesis 24, rightly applies to her, that she was "a maiden exceedingly fair and a most beautiful virgin and unknown to man." And according to the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 7, she was no longer thinking of the things of the flesh, but "of the things of the Lord, how she might be holy both in body and in spirit"; and therefore she not unreasonably asked how she ought to conceive offspring, she who did not propose to know a man, so that, if it could be that she might have both virginity and fruitfulness at once, then she would give her consent.
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1It was fitting that the Architect of the works of creation should come and raise up the house that had fallen and that the hovering Spirit should sanctify the buildings that were unclean. Thus, if the Progenitor entrusted the judgment that is to come to his Son, it is clear that he accomplished the creation of humanity and its restoration through him as well. He was the live coal, which had come to kindle the briars and thorns. He dwelt in the womb and cleansed it and sanctified the place of the birth pangs and the curses. The flame, which Moses saw, was moistening the bush and distilling the fat lest it be inflamed. The likeness of refined gold could be seen in the bush, entering into the fire but without being consumed. This happened so that it might make known that living fire which was to come at the end, watering and moistening the womb of the Virgin and clothing it like the fire that enveloped the bush.
COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.25If any one affirms that Christ was born of the seed of man by the Virgin, in the same manner as all men are born, and refuses to acknowledge that He was made flesh by the Holy Spirit and the holy Virgin Mary, mad became man of the seed of David, even as it is written, let him be anathema.
Explication: How could one say that Christ was born of the seed of man by the Virgin, when the holy Gospel and the angel, in proclaiming the good tidings, testify of Mary the Virgin that she said, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? " [Luke 1:34] Wherefore he says, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of the Highest." [Luke 1:35] And to Joseph he says, "Fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins." [Matthew 1:20-21]
Twelve Topics on the Faith, Topic 4Then the virgin was initiated into the mystery by Gabriel. The words of the mystagogy were a blessing. "Hail," he says, "blessed woman, the Lord is with you." [...] He says, "You will conceive in your womb and will bear a son and you shall call his name 'Jesus'." [Luke 1:31, Protevangelium of James 11.3] And what did Mary do? Listen to the pure virgin's utterance. The angel declared the birth, and she clings to her virginity, judging incorruption to be nobler than the angelic appearance and could neither disbelieve the angel nor abandon her judgments. She says, I have no experience of intercourse with a husband: "How will this happen to me, since I have not known a husband?" [Luke 1:34] Mary's very utterance is proof of what is narrated in the apocryphal book [the Protevangelium of James]. For if she had been taken by Joseph for marriage, how could she be totally astonished at the one who announced the birth to her if she was quite favorably disposed to becoming a mother according to the law of nature? But since the flesh that had been consecrated to God had to be kept inviolate like one of the holy dedicated things, this is why she says, "Even if you are an angel, even if you have come from heaven, even if the appearance was beyond humanity, still for a husband to know me is not possible. How will I become a mother without a husband? I know Joseph as a fiancé, but I have not known a husband." And what did Gabriel (the bridal escort) do? What sort of bridal chamber did he announce for the pure and undefiled marriage? "The Holy Spirit," he says, "will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." [Luke 1:35, Protevangelium of James 11.3]
Oration on the Savior's Nativity (Greek)(Orat. in Diem Nat. Christi.) Hear the chaste words of the Virgin. The Angel tells her she shall bear a son, but she rests upon her virginity, deeming her inviolability a more precious thing than the Angel's declaration. Hence she says, Seeing that I know not a man.
(sup.) These words of Mary are a token of what she was pondering in the secrets of her heart; for if for the sake of the marriage union she had wished to be espoused to Joseph, why was she seized with astonishment when the conception was made known unto her? seeing in truth she might herself be expecting at the time to become a mother according to the law of nature. But because it was meet that her body being presented to God as an holy offering-should be kept inviolate, therefore she says, Seeing that I know not a man. As if she said, Notwithstanding that thou who speakest art an Angel, yet that I should know a man is plainly an impossible thing. How then can I be a mother, having no husband? For Joseph I have acknowledged as my betrothed.
(Orat. in Diem Nat.) O blessed is that womb which because of the overflowing purity of the Virgin Mary has drawn to itself the gift of life! For in others scarcely indeed shall a pure soul obtain the presence of the Holy Spirit, but in her the flesh is made the receptacle of the Spirit.
(Lib. de Vita Moysis.) For the tables of our nature which guilt had broken, the true Lawgiver has formed anew to Himself from our dust without cohabitation, creating a body capable of taking His divinity, which the finger of God hath carved, that is to say, the Spirit coming upon the Virgin.
(in Diem Natal.) Moreover, the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Christ is the power of the most high King, who by the coming of the Holy Spirit is formed in the Virgin.
(Orat. in Diem Nat.) Or he says, overshadow thee, because as a shadow takes its shape from the character of those bodies which go before it, so the signs of the Son's Deity will appear from the power of the Father. (non occ. in Greg. Nyss.). For as in us a certain life-giving power is seen in the material substance, by which man is formed; so in the Virgin, has the power of the Highest in like manner, by the life-giving Spirit, taken from the Virgin's body a fleshly substance inherent in the body to form a new man. Hence it follows, Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(18 Moral. c. 20. super Job 27:21.) By the term overshadowing, both natures of the Incarnate God are signified. For shadow is formed by light and matter. But the Lord by His Divine nature is light. Because then immaterial light was to be embodied in the Virgin's womb, it is well said unto her, The power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, that is, the human body in thee shall receive an immaterial light of divinity. For this is said to Mary for the heavenly refreshing of her soul.
(18 Moral. c. 52. super Job 28:19.) To distinguish His holiness from ours, Jesus is stated in an especial manner to be born holy. For we although indeed made holy, are not born so, for we are constrained by the very condition of our corruptible nature to cry out with the Prophet, Behold, I was conceived in iniquity. (Ps. 51:5.) But He alone is in truth holy, who was not conceived by the cementing of a fleshly union, nor as the heretics rave, one person in His human nature, another in His divine; not conceived and brought forth a mere man, and afterwards by his merits, obtained that He should be God, but the Angel announcing and the Spirit coming, first the Word in the womb, afterwards within the womb the Word made flesh. Whence it follows, Shall be called the Son of God.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Hom. 49 in Gen.) As if he said, Look not for the order of nature in things which transcend and overpower nature. Dost thou say, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Nay rather, shall it happen to thee for this very reason, that thou hast never known a husband. For if thou hadst, thou wouldest not have been thought worthy of the mystery, not that marriage is unholy, but virginity more excellent. It became the common Lord of all both to take part with us, and to differ with us in His nativity; for the being born from the womb, He shared in common with us, but in that He was born without cohabitation, He was exalted far above us.
Catena Aurea by AquinasIn this nativity also, Isaiah's saying is fulfilled, "let the earth produce and bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together." [Isaiah 45:8] For the earth of human flesh, which in the first transgressor, was cursed, in this Offspring of the Blessed Virgin only produced a seed that was blessed and free from the fault of its stock. And each one is a partaker of this spiritual origin in regeneration; and to every one when he is re-born, the water of baptism is like the Virgin's womb; for the same Holy Spirit fills the font, Who filled the Virgin, that the sin, which that sacred conception overthrew, may be taken away by this mystical washing.
Sermon 24, Section IIIBut the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ exceeds all understanding and goes beyond any precedent.
SERMON 30.4.2Each one is a partaker of this spiritual origin in regeneration. To every one, when he is reborn, the water of baptism is like the Virgin's womb, for the same Holy Spirit fills the font, who filled the Virgin, that the sin, which that sacred conception overthrew, may be taken away by this mystical washing.
SERMON 24.3He had to be redeemed: my Spirit came down And impregnated flesh made from the dust With the divine nature; God has assumed Humanity, joining it with divinity, And kindled in men's hearts new love of me.
AGAINST SYMMACHUS 2.265-69When God's coming draws near, the angel Gabriel advances From the Father's high throne and enters the house of the Virgin. "Mary," he says, "the Holy Spirit will render you fruitful, And you shall give birth to the Christ, O glorious Virgin."
SCENES FROM SACRED HISTORY 25A heavenly fire engenders him, not flesh Nor blood of father, nor impure desire. By power of God a spotless maid conceives, As in her virgin womb the Spirit breathes. The mystery of this birth confirms our faith That Christ is God: a maiden by the Spirit Is wed, unstained by love; her purity Remains intact; with child within, untouched Without, bright in her chaste fertility, Mother yet virgin, mother that knew not man. Why, doubter, do you shake your silly head? An angel makes this known with holy lips. Will you not hearken to angelic words? The Virgin blest, the shining messenger Believed, and by her faith she Christ conceived. Christ comes to men of faith and spurns the heart Irresolute in trust and reverence. The Virgin's instant faith attracted Christ into her womb and hid him there till birth.
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST 566-84Theotokos: Make plain to me, how I, a virgin, shall bear him?
The angel: You seek to know from me the manner of your conceiving, Virgin, but this is beyond all interpretation! The Holy Spirit will overshadow you in his creative power and shall make this come to pass!
Theotokos: When she accepted the suggestion of the serpent, my mother Eve was banished from divine delight. Therefore I fear your strange greeting, for I take care that I not slip.
The angel: I am sent as God's messenger to disclose the divine will to you. Why are you afraid of me, undefiled one? I rather am afraid of you! Why do you stand in awe of me, O lady, who stand in reverent awe of you?
[...]
The angel: Rejoice, lady; rejoice, most pure virgin! Rejoice, God-containing vessel! Rejoice, candlestick of the light, the restoration of Adam and the deliverance of Eve! Rejoice, holy mountain, shining sanctuary! Rejoice, bridal chamber of immortality!
Theotokos: The descent of the Holy Spirit has purified my soul; it has sanctified my body; it has made me a temple containing God, a divinely adorned tabernacle, a living sanctuary and the pure mother of life.
The angel: I see you as a lamp with many lights; a bridal chamber made by God! Spotless maiden, as an ark of gold, receive now the giver of the law, who through you has been pleased to deliver humankind's corrupted nature!
Canon of AnnunciationThe Virgin said, "How will this be?" not because she disbelieved, but because she, being wise and understanding, wished to learn the manner of the present event, for nothing like it had ever happened before, nor would it happen after. Therefore the Angel pardons Her and does not condemn Her as he did Zacharias, but further explains the manner of the event. Zacharias is justly condemned: he had many examples, since many barren women had given birth, but the Virgin had not a single example.
Commentary on LukeArticle 4. Whether the Mother of God took a vow of virginity?
Objection 1. It would seem that the Mother of God did not take a vow of virginity. For it is written (Deuteronomy 7:14): "No one shall be barren among you of either sex." But sterility is a consequence of virginity. Therefore the keeping of virginity was contrary to the commandment of the Old Law. But before Christ was born the old law was still in force. Therefore at that time the Blessed Virgin could not lawfully take a vow of virginity.
Objection 2. Further, the Apostle says (1 Corinthians 7:25): "Concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give counsel." But the perfection of the counsels was to take its beginning from Christ, who is the "end of the Law," as the Apostle says (Romans 10:4). It was not therefore becoming that the Virgin should take a vow of virginity.
Objection 3. Further, the gloss of Jerome says on 1 Timothy 5:12, that "for those who are vowed to virginity, it is reprehensible not only to marry, but also to desire to be married." But the Mother of Christ committed no sin for which she could be reprehended, as stated above (III:27:4). Since therefore she was "espoused," as related by Luke 1:27 it seems that she did not take a vow of virginity.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Sanct. Virg. iv): "Mary answered the announcing angel: 'How shall this be done, because I know not man?' [Luke 1:34] She would not have said this unless she had already vowed her virginity to God."
I answer that, As we have stated in the II-II:88:6, works of perfection are more praiseworthy when performed in fulfilment of a vow. Now it is clear that for reasons already given virginity had a special place in the Mother of God. It was therefore fitting that her virginity should be consecrated to God by vow. Nevertheless because, while the Law was in force both men and women were bound to attend to the duty of begetting, since the worship of God was spread according to carnal origin, until Christ was born of that people; the Mother of God is not believed to have taken an absolute vow of virginity, before being espoused to Joseph, although she desired to do so, yet yielding her own will to God's judgment. Afterwards, however, having taken a husband, according as the custom of the time required, together with him she took a vow of virginity.
Reply to Objection 1. Because it seemed to be forbidden by the law not to take the necessary steps for leaving a posterity on earth, therefore the Mother of God did not vow virginity absolutely, but under the condition that it were pleasing to God. When, however, she knew that it was acceptable to God, she made the vow absolute, before the angel's Annunciation.
Reply to Objection 2. Just as the fulness of grace was in Christ perfectly, yet some beginning of the fulness preceded in His Mother; so also the observance of the counsels, which is an effect of God's grace, began its perfection in Christ, but was begun after a fashion in His Virgin Mother.
Reply to Objection 3. These words of the Apostle are to be understood of those who vow chastity absolutely. Christ's Mother did not do this until she was espoused to Joseph. After her espousals, however, by their common consent she took a vow of virginity together with her spouse.
Summa Theologiae, Third Part, Question 28, Article 4And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι· διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον κληθήσεται υἱὸς Θεοῦ.
И҆ ѿвѣща́въ а҆́гг҃лъ речѐ є҆́й: дх҃ъ ст҃ы́й на́йдетъ на тѧ̀, и҆ си́ла вы́шнѧгѡ ѡ҆сѣни́тъ тѧ̀: тѣ́мже и҆ ражда́емое ст҃о нарече́тсѧ сн҃ъ бж҃їй:
And the angel, responding, said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Not by the seed of man, which you do not know, he said, but by the work of the Holy Spirit by which you are filled, you will conceive. There will be conception in you, desire will not be. There will be no heat of lust, where the Holy Spirit makes a shadow. Indeed, in that he said, And the power of the Most High will overshadow you, both natures of the incarnate Savior can also be indicated. For a shadow is usually formed by both light and a body. And to whom it is overshadowed, indeed by the light or heat of the sun it is refreshed as much as is sufficient, but the heat of the sun itself, lest it be unbearable, is moderated by an intervening light cloud or some other body. Therefore, to the Blessed Virgin, because as a pure human she could not fully contain all the fullness of the divinity bodily, the power of the Most High overshadowed, that is, the incorporeal light of divinity assumed a body in her of humanity. Of which the prophet beautifully says: Behold, the Lord, he says, ascends upon a light cloud, and will enter Egypt (Isaiah 19), which is to say: Behold, the Word of God coeternal with the Father, and light from light born before the ages, will assume flesh at the end of the ages and a soul not weighed down by any burden of sin, and from the virginal womb, as a bridegroom from his chamber, (Psalm 18) will come forth into the world.
On the Gospel of LukeTherefore, the holy one to be born from you will be called the Son of God. In distinction from our holiness, Jesus is asserted to be uniquely holy in his birth. For we, even if we are made holy, are not born holy, because we are constrained by the condition of corruptible nature itself. Rightly, then, we each lament with the Prophet, saying: "Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 50). But He alone is truly holy who, to overcome the condition of corruptible nature itself, was not conceived from a commingling of carnal union. "The holy one," He says, "will be called the Son of God." What do you say here, Nestorian, who denies the blessed Mary to be the Mother of God, trying to attack the clearly open truth? Behold, It said that God will come, the Son of God will be born. How, then, either is the Son of God not God, or the one who bore God, how can she not be Θεοτόκος, that is, the Mother of God?
On the Gospel of LukeWhen the Angel announced to the most blessed Virgin Mary the mystery of the incarnation to be accomplished in her, the Virgin believed, desired, and consented; the Holy Spirit came upon her to sanctify and to make fruitful, by whose power the Virgin conceived the Son of God, whom the Virgin brought forth, and after the birth she remained a Virgin.
She conceived, however, not only flesh, but also flesh animated and united to the Word, subject to no sin, but wholly holy and immaculate, by reason of which the most sweet Virgin Mary is called and is the Mother of God.
Since the human race had fallen through diabolic suggestion and through the consent of the deceived woman and through concupiscent generation, transmitting original sin to offspring: it was necessary that on the contrary there be here a good Angel persuading to good, and a believing Virgin consenting to the good proposed, and the charity of the Holy Spirit sanctifying and making fruitful for an immaculate conception: so that thus "contraries might be cured by contraries." And through this, just as the woman, deceived by the devil and known and corrupted by man through concupiscence, transfused into all guilt, disease, and death; so the woman, instructed by the Angel and sanctified and made fruitful by the Holy Spirit, without any corruption of either mind or body, would generate offspring who would give to all coming to him grace, health, and life.
Although that work is from the whole Trinity, nevertheless by appropriation the Virgin is said to have conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Of four modes of producing man, three modes had preceded: the first neither from man nor woman, as in Adam; the second from man without woman, as in Eve; the third from woman and man, as in all those born through concupiscence; it was fitting that, for the completion of the universe, a fourth mode be introduced, which namely would be from woman without male seed through the power of the supreme Worker.
In the conception of the Son of God there concurred simultaneously an innate power, an infused power, and an uncreated power: the innate power prepared the matter, the infused power by purifying segregated it, the uncreated power instantly accomplished what could not be done by created power except successively. And thus the most blessed Virgin Mary was a mother in the most complete manner, conceiving the very Son of God without a man, the Holy Spirit rendering her fruitful. For because in the mind of the Virgin the love of the Holy Spirit burned in a singular way, therefore in her flesh the power of the Holy Spirit worked wonders, namely grace partly exciting, partly assisting, partly elevating nature, according to what that wondrous conception required.
BreviloquiumThe Angel Gabriel said to her: "Blessed are you among women. The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you. And therefore the holy one that shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God." Augustine: The Holy Spirit is love, and although he is given with his gifts, there is no gift from which he cannot be separated except the gift of love. While the other virtues are common to the good and the wicked, the love of God and neighbor is proper to the good and the pious: it alone is what sanctifies. "The Holy Spirit came upon her," because love was added to love, so that she might transcend the bounds of all others. Whence Hugo says: "Because the love of God burned singularly in the mind of the Virgin, therefore it worked wonders in her flesh."
"And therefore that which shall be born of you," through undefiled love and keeping her unstained, "shall be called the Son of God." Just as from the love of a man with a woman a carnal son is born, so from the love of the Virgin with God the Son of God was born.
Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6And because her doubt had a reason rightly prompting it, she therefore merited a satisfying response, which is noted there: And the Angel answering said to her: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you: as if the Angel were saying: you ask how you will conceive? To this I respond that you will be made fruitful without corruption, you will conceive without lust, you will give birth without pain, because not from virile seed but from the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus it is said in Matthew 1: "That which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit." And rightly he says: The Holy Spirit shall come upon, that is, shall come from above: James 1: "Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights." On account of this it is said in Acts 1: "You shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you"; and thus there will be no corruption, because it is of the Holy Spirit. Nor will there be lust, because the power of the Most High shall overshadow you, namely so that you may not feel the heat of concupiscence, according to that passage in Song of Songs 2: "I sat under the shadow of him whom I had desired."
And note that a threefold figure preceded the three foregoing points: because without virile seed is prefigured in the rod of Aaron, which blossomed, Numbers 17; Isaiah 11: "A flower shall ascend from his root," etc.; because without lust is prefigured in the bush and fire, Exodus 3, because the bush burned and was not consumed; because birth without pain is signified in the dew and the fleece of Gideon, Judges 6. "For the fleece, as Jerome says, although it is from the body, nevertheless does not know the body's suffering"; and therefore in the Psalm: "He shall descend like rain upon the fleece."
And therefore that which shall be born of you, the Holy One, etc. After the entrance of the salutation and the progression of the narration have been described, there is set down here lastly the terminus of the conclusion: and the conclusion is that the Virgin Mary would conceive, and from her the Son of God would be born. The conclusion he draws when he says: And therefore that which shall be born of you, the Holy One, shall be called the Son of God. For because, being made fruitful by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will not bear the offspring of a man but the offspring of God, not a sinner but a holy one: Daniel 9: "That vision and prophecy may be fulfilled, and the Holy of Holies may be anointed." For if, as it is said in John 3, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," then it necessarily follows that what is born of the Holy Spirit is holy. Bernard: "If he had said 'holy flesh' or 'holy man,' he would seem to have said too little: therefore he put indefinitely the Holy One, because whatever it was that the Virgin bore was without doubt holy and singularly holy." And because the sons of men are born defiled, Ephesians 2: "We are all born by nature children of wrath"; therefore he is now not a son of man, but shall be called the Son of God: Isaiah 9: "And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, the Mighty," etc. He shall be called by God himself: Mark 9: "This is my most beloved Son"; and Matthew 17: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him." He shall be called by the believers themselves: Matthew 16: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"; and Romans 1: "Who was predestined the Son of God in power." He shall be called by all: in the penultimate chapter of Matthew, the centurion said: "Truly this was the Son of God."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1There is an activity of God displayed throughout creation, a wholesale activity let us say which men refuse to recognize. The miracles done by God incarnate, living as a man in Palestine, perform the very same things as this wholesale activity, but at a different speed and on a smaller scale. One of their chief purposes is that men, having seen a thing done by personal power on the small scale, may recognize, when they see the same thing done on the large scale, that the power behind it is also personal – is indeed the very same person who lived among us two thousand years ago. The miracles in fact are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see...
I can understand the man who denies the miraculous altogether; but what is one to make of the people who admit some miracles but deny the Virgin Birth? Is it that for all their lip service to the laws of Nature there is only one law of Nature that they really believe? Or is it that they see in this miracle a slur upon sexual intercourse which is rapidly becoming the one thing venerated in a world without veneration? No miracle is in fact more significant. What happens in ordinary generation? What is a father's function in the act of begetting? A microscopic particle of matter from his body fertilizes the female: and with that microscopic particle passes, it may be, the color of his hair and his great grandfather's hanging lip, and the human form in all its complexity of bones, liver, sinews, heart, and limbs, and pre-human form which the embryo will recapitulate in the womb. Behind every spermatozoon lies the whole history of the universe: locked within it is no small part of the world's future. That is God's normal way of making a man – a process that takes centuries, beginning with the creation of matter itself, and narrowing to one second and one particle at the moment of begetting. And once again men will mistake the sense impressions which this creative act throws off for the act itself or else refer it to some infinite being such as Genius. Once, therefore, God does it directly, instantaneously; without a spermatozoon, without the millenniums of organic history behind the spermatozoon. There was of course another reason. This time He was creating not simply a man, but the man who was to be Himself: the only true Man. The process which leads to the spermatozoon has carried down with it through the centuries much undesirable silt; the life which reaches us by that normal route is tainted. To avoid that taint, to give humanity a fresh start, he once short-circuited the process. There is a vulgar anti-God paper which some anonymous donor sends me every week. In it recently I saw the taunt that we Christians believe in a God who committed adultery with the wife of a Jewish carpenter. The answer to that is that if you describe the action of God in fertilizing Mary as "adultery" then, in that sense, God would have committed adultery with every woman who ever had a baby. For what He did once without a human father, He does always even when He uses a human father as His instrument. For the human father in ordinary generation is only a carrier, sometimes an unwilling carrier, always the last in a long line of carriers, of life that comes from the supreme life. Thus the filth that our poor, muddled, sincere, resentful enemies fling at the Holy One, either does not stick, or, sticking, turns into glory.
Miracles, from God in the DockThat Christ is both man and God, compounded of both natures, that He might be a Mediator between us and the Father. In Jeremiah: "And He is man, and who shall know Him? Also in Numbers: "A Star shall arise out of Jacob, and a man shall rise up from Israel." Also in the same place: "A Man shall go forth out of his seed, and shall rule over many nations; and His kingdom shall be exalted as Gog, and His kingdom shall be increased; and God brought Him forth out of Egypt. His glory is as of the unicorn, and He shall eat the nations of His enemies, and shall take out the marrow of their fatnesses, and will pierce His enemy with His arrows. He couched and lay down as a lion, and as a lion's whelp. Who shall raise Him up? Blessed are they who bless Thee, and cursed are they who curse Thee." Also in Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; on account whereof He hath anointed me: He hath sent me to tell good tidings to the poor; to heal the bruised in heart, to preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of retribution." Whence, in the Gospel according to Luke, Gabriel says to Mary: "And the angel, answering, said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Wherefore that holy thing which is born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Also in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "The first man is of the mud of the earth; the second man is from heaven. As was he from the soil, such are they also that are of the earth; and as is the heavenly, such also are the heavenly. As we have borne the image of him who is of the earth, let us also bear the image of Him who is from heaven."
Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the JewsThe Lord rests in those hearts which the love of the present age does not inflame, which the desires of the flesh do not burn up, which, set ablaze by their anxieties, do not wither in the lusts of this world. Hence it is also said to Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Therefore, the young deer seeks shady places at midday for feeding, because the Lord is fed by such minds as are not burned by bodily desires through the regard of tempering grace.
Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 33All the prophets, therefore, and the law spoke by means of the Demiurge,-a silly god, he says, (and themselves) fools, who knew nothing. On account of this, he says, the Saviour observes: "All that came before me are thieves and robbers." And the apostle (uses these words) "The mystery which was not made known to former generations." For none of the prophets, he says, said anything concerning the things of which we speak; for (a prophet) could not but be ignorant of all (these) things, inasmuch as they certainly had been uttered by the Demiurge only. When, therefore, the creation received completion, and when after (this) there ought to have been the revelation of the sons of God-that is, of the Demiurge, which up to this had been concealed, and in which obscurity the natural man was hid, and had a veil upon the heart;-when (it was time), then, that the veil should be taken away, and that these mysteries should be seen, Jesus was born of Mary the virgin, according to the declaration (in Scripture), "The Holy Ghost will come upon thee"-Sophia is the Spirit-" and the power of the Highest will overshadow thee"-the Highest is the Demiurge,-"wherefore that which shall be born of thee shall be called holy." For he has been generated not from the highest alone, as those created in (the likeness of) Adam have been created from the highest alone-that is, (from) Sophia and the Demiurge. Jesus, however, the new man, (has been generated) from the Holy Spirit-that is, Sophia and the Demiurge-in order that the Demiurge may complete the conformation and constitution of his body, and that the Holy Spirit may supply his essence, and that a celestial Logos may proceed from the Ogdoad being born of Mary.
Hippolytus Refutation of All Heresies Book 6Now this (mystery) was not made known to previous generations, as he says, it has been written, "By revelation was made known unto me the mystery; " and, "I have heard inexpressible words which it is not possible for man to declare." The light, (therefore,) which came down from the Ogdoad above to the Son of the Hebdomad, descended from the Hebdomad upon Jesus the son of Mary, and he had radiance imparted to him by being illuminated with the light that shone upon him. This, he says, is that which has been declared: "The Holy Spirit will come upon thee," (meaning) that which proceeded from the Sonship through the conterminous spirit upon the Ogdoad and Hebdomad, as far as Mary; "and the power of the Highest will overshadow thee," (meaning) the power of the anointing, (which streamed) from the (celestial) height above (through) the Demiurge, as far as the creation, which is (as far as) the Son. And as far as that (Son) he says the world consisted thus. And as far as this, the entire Sonship, which is left behind for benefiting the souls in Formlessness, and for being the recipient in turn of benefits,-(this Sonship, I say,) when it is transformed, followed Jesus, and hastened upwards, and came forth purified. And it becomes most refined, so that it could, as the first (Sonship), hasten upwards through its own instrumentality. For it possesses all the power that, according to nature, is firmly connected with the light which from above shone down (upon earth).
Hippolytus Refutation of All Heresies Book VIIThis is the Spirit that at the beginning "moved upon the thee of the waters; " by whom the world moves; by whom creation consists, and all things have life; who also wrought mightily in the prophets, and descended in flight upon Christ. This is the Spirit that was given to the apostles in the form of fiery tongues. This is the Spirit that David sought when he said, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Of this Spirit Gabriel also spoke to the Virgin, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee." By this Spirit Peter spake that blessed word, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." By this Spirit the rock of the Church was stablished. This is the Spirit, the Comforter, that is sent because of thee, that He may show thee to be the Son of God.
Fragments - Dogmatic and HistoricalFor the one and the same Spirit of God, who proclaimed by the prophets what and of what sort the advent of the Lord should be, did by these elders give a just interpretation of what had been truly prophesied; and He did Himself, by the apostles, announce that the fulness of the times of the adoption had arrived, that the kingdom of heaven had drawn nigh, and that He was dwelling within those that believe on Him who was born Emmanuel of the Virgin. To this effect they testify, [saying,] that before Joseph had come together with Mary, while she therefore remained in virginity, "she was found with child of the Holy Ghost;" [Matthew 1:18] and that the angel Gabriel said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God;" [Luke 1:35] and that the angel said to Joseph in a dream, "Now this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, Behold, a virgin shall be with child." [Matthew 1:23] But the elders have thus interpreted what Esaias said: "And the Lord, moreover, said unto Ahaz, Ask for thyself a sign from the Lord thy God out of the depth below, or from the height above. And Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. And he said, It is not a small thing for you to weary men; and how does the Lord weary them? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son; and ye shall call His name Emmanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat: before He knows or chooses out things that are evil, He shall exchange them for what is good; for before the child knows good or evil, He shall not consent to evil, that He may choose that which is good." [Isaiah 7:10-17] Carefully, then, has the Holy Ghost pointed out, by what has been said, His birth from a virgin, and His essence, that He is God (for the name Emmanuel indicates this). And He shows that He is a man, when He says, "Butter and honey shall He eat;" and in that He terms Him a child also, [in saying,] "before He knows good and evil;" for these are all the tokens of a human infant. But that He "will not consent to evil, that He may choose that which is good,"— this is proper to God; that by the fact, that He shall eat butter and honey, we should not understand that He is a mere man only, nor, on the other hand, from the name Emmanuel, should suspect Him to be God without flesh.
Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter 21), Section 4After a space of two days, on the third day" -which is His glorious resurrection-He received back into the heavens (whence withal the Spirit Himself had come to the Virgin ) Him whose nativity and passion alike the Jews have failed to acknowledge.
An Answer to the JewsThese facts he had also received from the angel, according to our Gospel: "Wherefore that which shall be born of thee shall be called the Holy One, the Son of God; " and, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus.
Against Marcion Book IVForasmuch, however, as it has been declared concerning the Son Himself, Thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels" how will it appear that He put on the nature of angels if He was made lower than the angels, having become man, with flesh and soul as the Son of man? As "the Spirit of God." however, and "the Power of the Highest," can He be regarded as lower than the angels,-He who is verily God, and the Son of God? Well, but as bearing human nature, He is so far made inferior to the angels; but as bearing angelic nature, He to the same degree loses that inferiority.
On the Flesh of ChristI will not here largely use the support of the other Gospels, which confirm our belief by the Lord's nativity: it is sufficient to remark that He who had to be born of a virgin is announced in express terms by the angel himself as the Son of God: "The Spirit of God shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also the Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." On this passage even they will wish to raise a cavil; but truth will prevail.
Against PraxeasSee, say they, it was announced by the angel: "Therefore that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Therefore, (they argue, ) as it was the flesh that was born, it must be the flesh that is the Son of God.
Against PraxeasOf them Jesus consists-Man. of the flesh; of the Spirit, God-and the angel designated Him as "the Son of God," in respect of that nature, in which He was Spirit, reserving for the flesh the appellation "Son of Man.
Against Praxeas"The Holy Spirit," he says, "shall come upon Thee," making Thy womb fruitful and fashioning flesh for the consubstantial Word. "And the power of the Most High" — the Son of God, for Christ is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24) — "shall overshadow Thee," that is, shall cover Thee, shall surround Thee on all sides. For as a bird completely overshadows its chicks, covering them with its wings, so the power of God encompassed the Virgin completely; this is what "overshadow" means. Perhaps someone might say: just as a painter first sketches in shadow, then applies the final colors, so too the Lord, fashioning flesh for Himself and composing the form of a man, first shadowed forth the flesh in the Mother's womb, blending it from the blood of the Ever-Virgin, and then formed it. But this is uncertain. For some say that at the very moment the Lord overshadowed the Virgin's womb, a perfect infant came into being at once, while others do not accept this. Listen, then, to what he says: "therefore also the Holy Thing being born," that is, growing in thy womb gradually, and not appearing all at once in perfect form. From this the mouth of Nestorius is also stopped. For he said that it was not the Son of God dwelling in the Virgin's womb who became incarnate, but a mere man, born of Mary, who later came to have God as his companion. Let him hear, then, that what was being born in the womb — that very thing — was the Son of God; it was not one who was carried in the womb and another who was the Son of God, but one and the same was the Son of the Virgin and the Son of God. See how he also pointed to the Holy Trinity, naming the Holy Spirit, the power — the Son, and the Most High — the Father.
Commentary on LukeAnd, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
καὶ ἰδοὺ Ἐλισάβετ ἡ συγγενής σου καὶ αὐτὴ συνειληφυῖα υἱὸν ἐν γήρει αὐτῆς, καὶ οὗτος μὴν ἕκτος ἐστὶν αὐτῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ στείρᾳ·
и҆ сѐ, є҆лїсаве́тъ ю҆́жика твоѧ̀, и҆ та̀ зача́тъ сы́на въ ста́рости свое́й: и҆ се́й мцⷭ҇ъ шесты́й є҆́сть є҆́й нарица́емѣй непло́ды:
And behold, your cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who was called barren, for with God, nothing will be impossible. Lest the Virgin doubt her ability to give birth, she receives the example of the barren old woman who is to give birth, in order to learn that all things are possible with God, even those that seem contrary to the natural order. If anyone is troubled by how he calls Elizabeth the cousin of Blessed Mary, since one comes from the house of David and the other from the daughters of Aaron, let him note that their ancestors of both tribes could have joined in marriage by children given to each other. And if this explanation is not sufficient for one arguing more contentiously, as though this could not have happened contrary to the interdiction of the law, let him read Exodus, where it is written: "Aaron took Elizabeth, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as a wife, and she bore him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar" (Exodus 6). And let him see that before the law's decree, by divine providence, the priestly and royal lineage had already been joined. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ, who according to the flesh was to be a true King and Priest, would take this flesh from both lineages, namely David and Aaron. Hence, in this dual lineage, the mystical chrism was celebrated according to the law, a foretelling of both the name and generation of Christ. And David himself, entering the house of God, received the holy bread and the sword as a king and priest. He was prefiguring the one who would come from his seed, who would fight for our freedom by the right of a king, and for our absolution would offer the bread of his flesh.
On the Gospel of LukeNow when the mediator between God and human beings appeared in the world, it was fitting that he had his physical origin from both tribes because, in the humanity which he assumed, he would possess the roles of both priest and king.
Homilies on the Gospels 1.3So it was then, lest the virgin should despair of being able to bear a son, that she received the example of one both old and barren about to bring forth, in order that she might learn that all things are possible with God, even those which seem to be opposed to the order of nature. Whence it follows, For there shall be no word (verbum) impossible with God.
Catena Aurea by AquinasHe adds the proof or confirmation when he says: Behold, Elizabeth, your kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age. If therefore God gave conception to an aged woman, he can also give it to a young woman, although the latter is new while the former had already occurred: Genesis 21: "Sarah conceived and bore a son in her old age." — So that the Virgin may be more firmly assured, it is added: And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren. And thus, since her barrenness was manifest, her fruitfulness is now manifest. Now therefore signs and wonders begin to be wrought on earth, according to Sirach 36: "Renew signs and work new wonders." And therefore it is firm and certain that you also, O Virgin, shall now conceive above nature; and this is what Bede says in the Gloss: "Lest the Virgin despair of giving birth, she receives the example of a barren and aged woman about to bear, so that she may learn that all things are possible to God which seem contrary to the order of nature." And therefore the Lord sent beforehand so many conceptions of barren women, so that they might prefigure this conception, and by prefiguring, foretell it, and by foretelling, give testimony to it and make it credible.
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1From what the angel said to Mary, namely, "Elizabeth, your kinswoman," it could be supposed that Mary was from the house of Levi. Nevertheless up to this, the prophecy was established within the framework of the husbands. The family of David continued as far as Joseph, who had espoused her, and the birth of her child was reckoned through the framework of the men, for the sake of the family of David. It is in Christ that the seed and family of David are brought to completion. Scripture is silent about Mary's genealogy since it is the generations of men that it numbers and reckons. If Scripture had been accustomed to indicate the family line through the mothers, it would be in order for one to seek the family of Mary. But, lest the words "Elizabeth, your kinswoman" were to show that Mary was also from the house of Levi, take note that the Evangelist has said elsewhere, concerning Joseph and Mary, that "they were both of the house of David." The angel did not say to Mary that Elizabeth was her sister but "Elizabeth, your kinswoman."
COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.25(Carm. 18. de Geneal. Christi.) But some one will ask, How is Christ related to David, since Mary sprang from the blood of Aaron, the angel having declared Elisabeth to be her kinswoman? But this was brought about by the Divine counsel, to the end that the royal race might be united to the priestly stock; that Christ, Who is both King and Priest, might be descended from both according to the flesh. For it is written, that Aaron, the first High Priest according to the law, took from the tribe of Judah for his wife Elisabeth, the daughter of Aminadab. (Exod. 6:23.) And observe the most holy administration of the Spirit, in ordering that the wife of Zacharias should be called Elisabeth, so bringing us back to that Elisabeth whom Aaron married.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThat the Lord then was manifestly coming to His own things, and was sustaining them by means of that creation which is supported by Himself, and was making a recapitulation of that disobedience which had occurred in connection with a tree, through the obedience which was [exhibited by Himself when He hung] upon a tree, [the effects] also of that deception being done away with, by which that virgin Eve, who was already espoused to a man, was unhappily misled — was happily announced, through means of the truth [spoken] by the angel to the Virgin Mary, who was [also espoused] to a man. For just as the former was led astray by the word of an angel, so that she fled from God when she had transgressed His word; so did the latter, by an angelic communication, receive the glad tidings that she should sustain (portaret) God, being obedient to His word. And if the former did disobey God, yet the latter was persuaded to be obedient to God, in order that the Virgin Mary might become the patroness (advocata) of the virgin Eve. And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so is it rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience having been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience. For in the same way the sin of the first created man (protoplasti) receives amendment by the correction of the First-begotten, and the coming of the serpent is conquered by the harmlessness of the dove, those bonds being unloosed by which we had been fast bound to death.
Against Heresies (Book V, Chapter 19), Section 1(49 in Gen.) Seeing that his previous words had overcome the mind of the virgin, the angel drops his discourse to a humbler subject, persuading her by reference to sensible things. Hence he says, And, behold, Elisabeth thy cousin, &c. Mark the discretion of Gabriel; he did not remind her of Sarah, or Rebecca, or Rachel, because they were examples of ancient times, but he brings forward a recent event, that he might the more forcibly strike her mind. For this reason also he noticed the age, saying, She also hath conceived a son in her old age; and the natural infirmity also. As it follows, And this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For not immediately at the beginning of Elisabeth's conception did he make this announcement, but after the space of six months, that the swelling of her womb might confirm its truth.
Catena Aurea by AquinasFor with God nothing shall be impossible.
ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν ρῆμα.
ꙗ҆́кѡ не и҆знемо́жетъ ᲂу҆ бг҃а всѧ́къ гл҃го́лъ.
(contra Faust. l. xxvi. c. 5.) But whoever says, "If God is omnipotent, let Him cause those things which have been done to have not been done," does not perceive that he says, "Let Him cause those things which are true, in that very respect in which they are true to be false." For He may cause a thing not to be which was, as when He makes a man who began to be by birth, not to be by death. But who can say that He makes not to be that which no longer is in being? For whatever is past is no longer in being. But if aught can happen to a thing, that thing is still in being to which any thing happens, and if it is, how is it past? Therefore that is not in being which we have truly said has been, because the truth is, in our opinions, not in that thing which no longer is. But this opinion God can not make false; and we do not so call God omnipotent as supposing also that He could die. He plainly is alone truly called omnipotent, who truly is, and by whom alone that is, whatever in any wise exists, whether spirit or body.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThe reason for this he adds when he says: For no word shall be impossible with God. Ecclesiastes 8: "Whatever he has willed, he shall do, and his word is full of power"; Matthew 19: "With God all things are possible," as was said to Sarah, Genesis 18: "Is anything difficult for God?" Bernard: "With the Lord, to do is the same as to speak, and to speak is the same as to will. Rightly therefore you should know that no word is impossible"; and therefore, when God promises something, it must be believed without doubt, because, since he can do all things and cannot lie, it is necessary that it come to pass just as he promises. Numbers 23: "God is not as a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should change. Has he said then, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" — And thus the Angel shows his conclusion to be necessary, so that the Virgin can now neither doubt nor be able to dissent.
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1For the Lord of nature can do all things as He will, Who executes and disposes all things, holding the reins of life and death.
Catena Aurea by AquinasIt has learnt not to respect life; how much more food? [You ask] "How many have fulfilled these conditions? "But what with men is difficult, with God is easy. Let us, however, comfort ourselves about the gentleness and clemency of God in such wise, as not to indulge our "necessities" up to the point of affinities with idolatry, but to avoid even from afar every breath of it, as of a pestilence.
On IdolatryPerhaps someone is puzzled how Elizabeth was a relative of the Virgin, when the Virgin was from the tribe of Judah, and Elizabeth was from the daughters of Aaron, for the Law required that marriages be from one and the same tribe, and therefore kinship was found among those descended from one and the same tribe. To this one can say, on the one hand, that since the time of the captivity the families became mixed, but better still the following: Aaron had as his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Amminadab, and he was from the tribe of Judah. Do you see that the Mother of God was a relative of Elizabeth from the very beginning, from Aaron? Since Aaron's wife was from the tribe of Judah, from which the Mother of God also came, and Elizabeth was from the daughters of Aaron, consequently Elizabeth was a relative of the Mother of God. For her foremother, the wife of Aaron, was from the tribe of Judah. Notice also the succession of kinship: Aaron's wife was Elizabeth, and Zacharias's wife was Elizabeth, as one descended from her.
Commentary on LukeAnd Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
εἶπε δὲ Μαριάμ· ἰδοὺ ἡ δούλη Κυρίου· γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ρῆμά σου. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς ὁ ἄγγελος.
Рече́ же мр҃їа́мь: сѐ, раба̀ гдⷭ҇нѧ: бꙋ́ди мнѣ̀ по глаго́лꙋ твоемꙋ̀. И҆ ѿи́де ѿ неѧ̀ а҆́гг҃лъ.
Behold now the humility, the devotion of the virgin. For it follows, But Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord. She calls herself His handmaid, who is chosen to be His mother, so far was she from being exalted by the sudden promise. At the same time also by calling herself handmaid, she claimed to herself in no other way the prerogative of such great grace than that she might do what was commanded her. For about to bring forth One meek and lowly, she was bound herself to show forth lowliness. As it follows, Be it unto me according to thy word. You have her submission, you see her wish. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, signifies the readiness of duty. Be it unto me according to thy word, the conception of the wish.
Catena Aurea by Aquinas(Geometer.) Some men will highly extol one thing, some another, in these words of the virgin. One man, for example, her constancy, another her willingness of obedience; one man her not being tempted by the great and glorious promises of the great archangel; another, her self-command in not giving an instant assent, equally avoiding both the heedlessness of Eve and the disobedience of Zacharias. But to me the depth of her humility is an object no less worthy of admiration
Catena Aurea by AquinasBut Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word. How great the humility with devotion, who wishes for the angel's promise to be fulfilled, and calls herself, though chosen to be the mother, the handmaid. She most explicitly insinuates that she claims no merit for herself in that she complies with the Lord's commands. Let it be (she says), conceived without a man's seed in the virgin, let it be born of the Holy Spirit in full flesh, let the Holy one be born from a mother woman without a human father, let him be called the Son of God.
On the Gospel of LukeAnd the angel departed from her. Rising in those days, Mary went into the hill country with haste to a city of Judah. With the virgin's consent granted, the angel soon returned to the heavens, she sought the mountains. She hastens to visit Elizabeth, not as one who is incredulous about the oracle, nor doubtful about the example, but joyful for the vow, and devout for the duty. At the same time, she provides a typical example, that every soul which has conceived the word of God in the mind immediately ascends the lofty peaks of virtues with the step of love, so as to penetrate the city of Judah, that is, of confession and praise, and to be able to dwell as it were for three months in it, up to the perfection of faith, hope, and charity.
On the Gospel of LukeHaving received the consent of the virgin, the angel soon returns heavenward, as it follows, And the angel departed from her.
Catena Aurea by AquinasAnd Mary said, etc. Here lastly is set forth the attainment of the purpose, which consisted in the consent of the Virgin, through which she immediately conceived the Son of God. This consent he describes as duly and orderly made: because it proceeded from humility predisposing and charity perfecting and belief pronouncing.
Therefore first is introduced the pronouncement from belief, when it is said: And Mary said to the Angel. For because she believed the Angel's word to be true, she therefore gives an express and consonant response. Romans 10: "With the heart one believes unto justice, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"; and in the Psalm: "I believed, therefore I spoke." She said: concerning this word of faith it is said in Romans 10: "The word is near in your mouth and in your heart; this is the word of faith which we preach." Because therefore she conceived the word of faith in her heart, she conceived the Son of God in her womb. Below in the same chapter: "Blessed is she who believed," etc.; and chapter 11: "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you."
Then follows the preparation from humility, when it is said: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. A similar response was given by Abigail, a prudent woman, when David wished to take her as his wife. 1 Kings 25: "Behold, let your servant be a handmaid to wash the feet of the servants of my lord"; and that Ruth, who prefigures the blessed Virgin, Ruth 2: "How is it that I have found grace before your eyes?" since "you have spoken to the heart of your handmaid, who am not like one of your maidens." And because the Virgin Mary humbled herself, she prepared herself for grace. Bernard: "The response is given humbly, so that a seat may be prepared." And because her humility was singular, therefore her grace was also singular. Whence Bernard: "It is no great thing to be humble in abjection; a truly great and rare virtue is humility when honored"; this "is the luminary that diminishes at its fullness," Ecclesiasticus 43.
Finally there is added the perfect consent from charity, when it is said: Let it be done to me according to your word. "Let it be done, as Bernard says, is a sign of desire, not an indication of doubt"; it is also a sign of assertion, as it is said in the Psalm: "Let all the people say: So be it, so be it"; and again of affection, as in the Psalm: "Let your hand be present, that it may save me" — for the Word and the hand of the Father are the same — and it can be a word of prayer, so that thus it may be: desiderative, because from charity; precatory, because from humility; assertory, because from faith. — This is the sweetest voice to men, to Angels, and to the Spouse himself. He sought this in the second chapter of the Song of Songs: "Let your voice sound in my ears: for your voice is sweet, and your face is comely"; which she does when she said to the Angel: Let it be done to me according to your word. "The Word, which was in the beginning with God, let it be made flesh from my flesh, according to your word." Whence Bernard: "Let there be done to me, I beseech, a Word not uttered so as to pass away, but conceived so as to remain. Let the Word be not only audible to the ears, but also visible to the eyes, palpable to the hands, able to be carried on the shoulders," so that by the word of his power he may carry me. "The Word was made flesh."
And since in such consent the Son of God was conceived, and the Angel achieved his purpose, therefore there follows: And the Angel departed from her. For he was showing by deed what Raphael said to Tobias in word, Tobit 12: "It is time that I return to him who sent me"; and concerning Peter it is said in Acts 12 that when he had been led out of prison, "immediately the Angel departed from him." The Angel withdrew from her, but the Son of God remained with her: he departed as to appearance, but many remained as to guardianship: Song of Songs 3: "Behold, the bed of Solomon: sixty mighty men surround it, from the mightiest of Israel." These are the most blessed Angels, who guarded her as the most chosen "place of divine habitation." Whence she was designated by that ladder, upon which the Lord was leaning, and the Angels ascended through it, which Jacob saw, Genesis 28: and afterward follows: "This is nothing other than the house of God and the gate of heaven," because no one can now enter heaven unless he passes through Mary as through a gate. For just as God came to us through her, so through her we must return to God. And therefore she is called house, gate and ladder: house on account of the conception of Christ, gate on account of the birth of Christ, and ladder on account of the ascent to God. — Let us therefore not depart from her, but prostrate at her feet, let us always greet her: Hail, full of grace, so that through her who found grace and mercy above all women in the sight of that great Ahasuerus, we may "find grace and obtain mercy for timely help."
Commentary on Luke, Chapter 1That this reaction does not spring from any contempt for women is, I think, plain from history. The Middle Ages carried their reverence for one Woman to a point at which the charge could be plausibly made that the Blessed Virgin became in their eyes almost 'a fourth Person of the Trinity'. But never, so far as I know, in all those ages was anything remotely resembling a sacerdotal office attributed to her. All salvation depends on the decision which she made in the words Ecce ancilla; she is united in nine months' inconceivable intimacy with the eternal Word; she stands at the foot of the cross. But she is absent both from the Last Supper and from the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost. Such is the record of Scripture. Nor can you daff it aside by saying that local and temporary conditions condemned women to silence and private life. There were female preachers. One man had four daughters who all 'prophesied', i.e. preached. There were prophetesses even in Old Testament times. Prophetesses, not priestesses.
God in the Dock: Priestesses in the Church?(vel Geometer.) Not only having obtained what he wished, but wondering at her virgin beauty, and the ripeness of her virtue.
Catena Aurea by AquinasThrough an ineffable sacrament of a holy conception and a birth inviolable, agreeable to the truth of each nature, the same virgin was both the handmaid and mother of the Lord.
Catena Aurea by AquinasIn accordance with this design, Mary the Virgin is found obedient, saying, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." [Luke 1:38] But Eve was disobedient; for she did not obey when as yet she was a virgin. And even as she, having indeed a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise "they were both naked, and were not ashamed," [Genesis 2:25] inasmuch as they, having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient, was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race; so also did Mary, having a man betrothed [to her], and being nevertheless a virgin, by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race. And on this account does the law term a woman betrothed to a man, the wife of him who had betrothed her, although she was as yet a virgin; thus indicating the back-reference from Mary to Eve, because what is joined together could not otherwise be put asunder than by inversion of the process by which these bonds of union had arisen; so that the former ties be cancelled by the latter, that the latter may set the former again at liberty. And it has, in fact, happened that the first compact looses from the second tie, but that the second tie takes the position of the first which has been cancelled. For this reason did the Lord declare that the first should in truth be last, and the last first. And the prophet, too, indicates the same, saying, "instead of fathers, children have been born unto thee." For the Lord, having been born "the First-begotten of the dead," and receiving into His bosom the ancient fathers, has regenerated them into the life of God, He having been made Himself the beginning of those that live, as Adam became the beginning of those who die. Wherefore also Luke, commencing the genealogy with the Lord, carried it back to Adam, indicating that it was He who regenerated them into the Gospel of life, and not they Him. And thus also it was that the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.
Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter 22), Section 4The handmaid of God dwells amid alien labours; and among these (labours), on all the memorial days of demons, at all solemnities of kings, at the beginning of the year, at the beginning of the month, she will be agitated by the odour of incense.
To His Wife Book III am the painter's board; let the painter paint what he wishes; let the Lord create what is pleasing to Him. It is evident that what was said before — "how will this be" — was an expression not of unbelief, but of a desire to learn the manner; for if she had not believed, she would not have said: "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Know also that Gabriel means "man of God," Mary means "lady," and Nazareth means "sanctification." Therefore, when God was about to become man, it is fitting that Gabriel is sent, whose name means "man of God"; and the greeting takes place in a holy place, that is, in Nazareth, for where God is, there is nothing unclean.
Commentary on Luke
Now then take the weapons, both thy quiver and thy bow, and go into the plain, and get me venison,
νῦν οὖν λαβὲ τὸ σκεῦός σου, τήν τε φαρέτραν καὶ τὸ τόξον, καὶ ἔξελθε εἰς τὸ πεδίον καὶ θήρευσόν μοι θήραν
нн҃ѣ ᲂу҆̀бо возмѝ ѻ҆рꙋ́дїе твоѐ, тꙋ́лъ же и҆ лꙋ́къ, и҆ и҆зы́ди на по́ле, и҆ ᲂу҆лови́ ми ло́въ:
The fact that the prophet asks Esau for food by giving him an order signifies the call that the Word addresses to the first people when he asks them for the fruit of the works of justice, that justice which was considered to be a nourishment for the Father. In fact, the words "go out to the field, and hunt game for me" signify worldly life. On the other hand, the fact that he says, "Take your quiver and your bow" shows that the people, inflated with their personal glory, would not be justified by their faith but by being proud of their wars would ask for a tyrant as their king, just as Moses had said to them: "And the sword is your boast."
ON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 3Notice in this, dearly beloved, God's ineffable wisdom: Whereas the father gave evidence of natural affection by giving these directions to Esau, the wise and resourceful Lord caused his own prediction to be brought to pass by means of Rebekah, thus teaching us the power of virtue and mildness of manner. I mean, one son considered himself to hold pride of place by birthright and by his father's preference for him, and yet he was suddenly found to be bereft of all this. The other son, on the contrary, being endowed with homely virtues and enjoying the help of favor from above, won his father's blessing against his will. Nothing is more powerful than the person helped by that mighty right hand.In any case, look carefully at all this so as to learn the extraordinary nature of God's designs: One man enjoyed favor from that source and was accorded great cooperation in everything so that the father's blessing was transferred to him. The other lost everything, forfeiting what was his because of the evil of his ways.
HOMILIES ON GENESIS 53.3-4