{"slug":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nyssa-de-occursu-domini","id":null,"title":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nyssa-de-occursu-domini","title_source":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nyssa-de-occursu-domini","author":null,"genre":null,"date":null,"tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T17:34:24Z","cost_usd":0.003653},"source":{"registry_id":null,"work_id":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nyssa-de-occursu-domini","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":null},"stats":{"passages":28,"english_words":7487,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":31237,"commentary_units":6,"commentary_kinds":5,"derived_notes":1,"ambiguities":1,"work_notes":0,"external_links":0,"timeline":0},"summary":{},"links":[],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nyssa-de-occursu-domini","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":28,"translated":28,"commentary_passages":1,"commentary_units":6,"english_words":7487,"source_letters":31237,"commentary_kinds":5},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Greek; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: Christian literature in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 28 narrative."},{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","text":"1 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: Luke 2:14."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Licence: Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":28},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΥΠΑΠΑΝΤΗΝ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ, ΚΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΝ, ΚΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΝ ΣΥΜΕΩΝΑ.\n\nὉ τῇ φρονήσει τῶν οὐρανίων μετέωρος, ὁ τῇ κατα φρονήσει τῶν ἐπιγείων μετάρσιος, Παῦλος ὁ θεόληπτος νοῦς, ἡ Χριστοκίνητος γλῶττα, ὁ τοῦ ὀξυγράφου γραμματέως ὡραιότατος κάλαμος, ὁ καλλιγραφήσας τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῆς ἀληθείας τὰ δόγματα, τὸ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ δυνατοῦ θεοχάλκευτον βέλος, τὸ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τοῦ κοσμοκράτορος τοῦ σκότους καιρίαν ἐμπῆξαν πληγὴν, ἡ ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ μέχρι τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς φάνασα ἀστραπὴ, ἡ τῆς θείας βροντῆς ἐν τῷ μυστικῷ τροχῷ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, τῷ κατὰ πάσης κυλισθέντι τῆς οἰ κουμένης, ἡ διειδεστάτη καὶ μεγαλόθρους φωνή· οὗτος ὡς ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ παραδείσου ἀδύτων φθεγγόμενος, ἔνθα τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ῥημάτων αὐτήκοος γέγονε· μᾶλλον δὲ ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ τε καὶ ἐπηρμένου τῆς δόξης ἔνθα παρίσταται· προπομπὴν ἔντιμον τῇ παρούσῃ ἁγίᾳ καὶ Δεσποτικῇ ἑτοιμαζόμενος ἑορτῇ, πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς δόξης· καθάπερ τινὰ μυστικωτάτην σύγκλητον, τὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας λαὸν, τὸ βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα στιχηδὸν, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, παρασκευάζει τῆς εὐσχήμονος πολι τείας τὴν τάξιν, ῥυθμίαν τε καὶ εὐαρμοστίαν διατατ τόμενός φησιν, Ἀδελφοὶ, μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσὶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε· ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶ τέλειοι γίνεσθε. Οὕτω γὰρ τῷ παντελείῳ καὶ αἰωνίῳ Θεῷ, ᾧ τὴν πανήγυριν ἄγομεν σήμερον, τῷ δι' ἡμᾶς κατὰ σάρκα ἐπ' ἐσχάτων νηπιάσαντι· ἐξ οὗ πᾶν δώρημα καὶ τελειωτικόν·","english":"By the same author, on the Meeting of the Lord, and on the Theotokos, and on the Righteous Symeon.\n\nHe who is elevated by the understanding of heavenly things, he who is raised high by the contempt of earthly things, Paul the God-seized mind, the Christ-moved tongue, the most beautiful pen of the swift-writing scribe, who beautifully inscribed the doctrines of truth for the Church, the God-forged arrow in the hand of the mighty one, which struck a mortal wound in the heart of the world-ruler of darkness, the lightning that flashed from Jerusalem and in a circle as far as Illyricum, or rather to the ends of the earth, the most clear and great-sounding voice of the divine thunder in the mystic wheel of the Gospel, which rolled over the whole inhabited world; this one, as if speaking from the innermost sanctuary of paradise itself, where he became an ear-witness of ineffable words, or rather as if from the high and lofty throne of glory where he stands, preparing an honorable escort for the present holy and Lordly feast, for the reception of the King of glory, like a most mystical assembly, he arranges the people of the Church, the royal priesthood, in rows, as one might say, ordering the rank, rhythm, and harmony of seemly conduct, and says: \"Brethren, do not become children in your minds, but be infants in wickedness; and in your minds be perfect. For thus to the all-perfect and eternal God, for whom we hold the festival today, who for our sake became an infant in the flesh at the last, from whom comes every gift and perfection.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"τῷ τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ὑπερφυῶς τῆς ἀρετῆς τελειότητα καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀνθρω πίνῳ ἑαυτοῦ καταστήματι ἐπιδείξαντι σύσσωμοί τε καὶ συμμέτοχοι γενησόμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τιμὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ δόξαν ἡ Ἐκκλησίας ἔσται συνέλευσις. Οὕτω γὰρ τὴν ἀρτιγενῆ αὐτοῦ σωματικῶς θεοφάνειαν ὁ προφη τικὸς αἰνιττόμενος λόγος, τοῖς χαρακτῆρσι τῆς θεοπρεποῦς αὐτοῦ ὑπογράφει τελειότητος. Διότι· πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι, φησὶ, τὸ παιδίον καλὸν ἢ κακὸν, ἀπειθεῖ πονηρίᾳ, ἐκλέξεται τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ὅπερ ἄκρας καὶ τελειοτάτης διακρίσεώς τε καὶ ὄντως φρονήσεως γνώρισμα. Πρὸς οὗπερ ἡμᾶς ὁμοιότητα διασκευάζων ὁ μέγας ἀπόστολος, τὸ προτεθὲν αὐτοῦ θεόπνευστον λόγιον ἔφησεν· ὡς ἐν τούτῳ τῆς κατ' εἰκόνα τε καὶ ὁμοίωσιν θεοτευξίας ἐμφερῶς ἐν ἡμῖν γνωριζομένης, καὶ τῆς τοῦ πρωτοτύπου κάλλους ὑπεραγιότητος γινωσκομένης. Καθάπερ γὰρ βασιλεῖ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ στρατευμάτων προπεμπτήριον ἑτοιμαζομένων μεγαλαυχίαν, χρυσορόφους τε καὶ ἐξειλεγμένους εἶναι τοὺς πρὸς δορυφορίαν αὐτοῦ συνειλεγμένους προσῆκε, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου θέας τὸ ἐκτύπωμα εὐσημότατα προβεβλῆσθαι· οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἀναγκαῖον μεταμορφουμένους τῇ ἀνακαινίσει τοῦ νοὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποθεμένους, καὶ τῆς θείας εἰκόνος τὴν ὁμοίωσιν, κατὰ τὸ ἐφικτὸν ἀνθρώποις, ἐν ἑαυτοῖς περιφέροντας, οὕτως ἐν ταῖς σωτηρίοις καὶ πνευματικαῖς ἀπαντᾷν ἑορταῖς, ἵνα ἔσωνται ἡμῖν, κατὰ τὸν τοῦ προφήτου λόγον, νηστεία ἡ τετάρτη, καὶ νηστεία ἡ πέμπτη, καὶ νηστεία ἡ ἑβδόμη, καὶ νηστεία ἡ δεκάτη εἰς εὐφροσύνην καὶ εἰς ἑορτὰς ἀγαθάς.","english":"we shall become of the same body and partakers with him who supernaturally displayed the perfection of virtue according to nature even in his human condition, and the assembly of the Church will be for his honor and glory. For thus the prophetic word, hinting at his newly-born bodily theophany, delineates the characters of his godly perfection. Because: before knowing, it says, whether the child is good or evil, it disobeys evil, it will choose the good, which is a sign of the highest and most perfect discernment and true wisdom. The great apostle, preparing us for likeness to him, uttered the divinely inspired saying set before us, as in this the likeness according to image and likeness of divine making is manifestly known in us, and the surpassing holiness of the beauty of the prototype is recognized. For just as it befits a king, when a procession is prepared by his armies, that those gathered for his bodyguard be adorned with gold and chosen, and that the image of his appearance be most clearly set forth, so it is necessary for us, being transformed by the renewal of our mind, and having put off the old man, and bearing in ourselves the likeness of the divine image, as far as is possible for men, thus to meet in the saving and spiritual feasts, so that, according to the word of the prophet, the fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh fast, and the tenth fast may be for us for joy and for good feasts.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Τῆς νηστείας ἀναγωγικῶς δηλαδὴ νοουμένης, ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀποχῆς τε καὶ ἐγκρατείας παντὸς μολυσμοῦ, καὶ σαρκός τε καὶ πνεύματος τρόπῳ. Διὰ γὰρ τετράδος τε καὶ πέμπτης, καὶ μὴν ἑβδόμης τε καὶ δεκάτης πᾶσα σαρκική τε καὶ τῷ εὐεξαπα τήτῳ τῶν αἰσθήσεων προσφυὴς, καὶ τῷ παρόντι βίῳ συγκλειομένη σημαίνεται ἔμφασις. Τὴν γὰρ σωματικωτέραν τε καὶ φιλόσαρκον διαγωγὴν διὰ τῆς τετράδος μανθάνομεν, ὡς ἐκ τεσσάρων στοιχείων τῶν σωμά των συγκεκραμένων· τὸ δὲ διὰ\n\nτῶν αἰσθήσεων εὐόλισθον (ὡς πέντε καθεστωσῶν), τὸ τῆς πέμπτης ὄνομα ὑπαινίσσεται. Ἡ ἑβδόμη δὲ, καὶ κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶντα τὸν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἑβδοματικῶς ἀνακυκλούμενον τῆς κάτω λήξεως αἰῶνα ἐμφαίνειν ἐπίσταται. Ἥ γε μὴν δεκάτη τοῦ ἐντὸς ἀνθρώπου τὴν τῶν αἰσθήσεων κάθαρσιν πρὸς τὰ ἔξωθεν ἀνηγμένου ὑποδείκνυσιν· ὥστε τὸν τοῦ νοῦ ὀφθαλμὸν ἁπλοῦν τε καὶ διαυγῆ ὑπάρχειν, ἵνα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα φωτεινὸν ἔσται, ὥς φησι τὸ ἅγιον Εὐαγγέλιον· ἥ τε τῆς ψυχῆς ἀκοὴ τῆς θείας πληροῦ ται ἀγαλλιάσεώς τε καὶ εὐφροσύνης, ἣν ἀκουτισθῆναι καὶ Δαβὶδ ὁ μέγας ἐπεύχεται· τὴν δὲ γευστικὴν αὐ τῆς δύναμιν ἐν τῇ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐγγεγυμνᾶσθαι χρηστότητι, ὡς ὁ ψάλλων ἐν προφήταις ἀναφθέγγεται, καὶ ἐν ἀντιλήψει τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ εὐωδίας, ἣν ὁ θεῖος Παῦλος ἀπέπνεε, τὴν ὀσφραντικὴν ἕξιν καθίστασθαι· καὶ ταῖς ἔσω τῆς διακρίσεως χερσὶ ψηλαφᾷν τὸν λόγον τῆς ζωῆς, ὡς ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸς διηγόρευσεν. Ἡ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις τῶν νοητῶν αἰσθήσεων γυμνασία, ἐν τῇ τῶν ἐναντίων τούτοις ἀποχῇ τε καὶ ἀλλοτριώσει τὴν ἐπαινουμένην παρὰ Θεοῦ νηστείαν ἀπεργάζεσθαι πέφυκεν·","english":"Fasting is understood in an anagogical sense, namely in the manner of abstinence and continence from all defilement, both of flesh and of spirit. For through the fourth and the fifth, and indeed the seventh and the tenth, every fleshly impression is signified, both that which clings to the senses so easily deceived and that which is confined to the present life. For we learn the more bodily and flesh-loving manner of life through the fourth, as bodies are compounded of the four elements; and the slippery tendency through the senses (since there are five) is hinted at by the name of the fifth. The seventh, according to Solomon, is able to signify the age of the lower existence revolving upon itself in a sevenfold manner. The tenth, however, indicates the purification of the senses of the inner man toward things outside, so that the eye of the mind may be simple and clear, in order that the whole body will be full of light, as the holy Gospel says; and the hearing of the soul is filled with divine exultation and gladness, which David the great one prays to be given hearing; and its power of taste is exercised in the goodness of the Lord, as the singer among the prophets declares, and its faculty of smell is established in the reception of the fragrance of Christ, which the divine Paul breathed forth; and with the inner hands of discernment it touches the word of life, as the son of thunder recounted. For the exercise of the intelligible senses in these things is naturally disposed to accomplish, in abstinence and alienation from their opposites, the fasting that is praised by God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"οὕτω τε κατορθοῦν ἡμᾶς περιγίνεται τὸ τῇ κακίᾳ μὲν νηπιάζειν, τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν δὲ φρονήσεως ἐν τελειότητι γίνεσθαι. Οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἄρδουσα ἡ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν τε καὶ προφητικῶν διδαγμάτων ἐκ τῶν κρουνῶν τοῦ Πνεύμα τος συῤῥέουσα μεγαλόνοια, καὶ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ποταμὸν τῶν μυστικῶν ὑδάτων πληρώσασα, τὴν ἐπουράνιον πόλιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν ταῖς ὑπερκοσμίοις συγκροτουμένην δυνάμεσι, τοῖς τοῦ ποταμοῦ τούτου ὁρμήμασιν εὐφραίνειν ἐπίσταται, ὡς τῆς ψαλμῳδίας βοώσης ἠκούσαμεν. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἄνω πνευμάτων ἁγία ὁμήγυρις τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίᾳ λίαν ἐφήδεται. Οὕτω γὰρ κοινῇ πανηγυρίζειν σὺν τοῖς ἐπιγείοις τὰ οὐράνια εἴωθεν, τὴν ἀγγελοπρεπῆ πολιτείαν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀσπαζομένων. Ὅ τε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν οὗτος, ὃν προδεικτικῶς ὁ προφήτης διήγγειλεν, ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη, καὶ τὴν ἄνω μακαριότητα ἐπὶ γῆς φυτευομένην ἐθεάσαντο ἄγγελοι, Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, ἀνεφθέγγοντο, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνην εὐηγγελίζοντο (θείας εὐδοκίας ἐν ἀνθρώποις γεγενημένης)· οὕτω τε τῆς θείας λειτουργίας ἐξαίρε τον καὶ ὄντως καθαρόν τε καὶ μονότροπον αὐχοῦντες οἱ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων μακάριοι θίασοι, τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἁγιότητος ἐν ἡμῖν ὁρῶντες τοὺς χαρακτῆρας, οὐκ ἀποβλήτους ποιήσονται κοινωνοὺς τῆς ἀκηράτου εὐφροσύνης συμπαραλήψεσθαι· καθάπερ τὸν ῥυπώσῃ ἐστολισμένον ἐσθῆτι ἀπόκριτον τοῦ θείου γάμου ὁ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς παραβολῆς ἐποιήσατο λόγος.","english":"Thus it is that we succeed in being infants in vice, while attaining perfection in wisdom according to God. Thus the great-mindedness flowing from the apostolic and prophetic teachings, drawing from the springs of the Spirit and filling the river of God with mystical waters, knows how to delight the heavenly city of God, which is assembled by supramundane powers, with the currents of this river, as we heard the psalmody proclaim. For the holy assembly of the higher spirits greatly rejoices in the salvation of men. For it is customary for the heavenly to celebrate together with the earthly in a common festival, when those on earth embrace an angelic way of life. For this God of ours, whom the prophet announced prophetically, appeared on earth and lived among men, and angels beheld the planting of heavenly blessedness on earth, and they proclaimed, \"Glory to God in the highest,\" and they announced peace on earth (divine good will having come among men). Thus the blessed throngs of the holy angels, boasting of the divine liturgy as exceptional and truly pure and singular, seeing in us the marks of true holiness, will not reject us but will take us as partners in their undefiled joy, just as the word of the Gospel parable made the one clothed in a filthy garment an outcast from the divine wedding.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνην εὐηγγελίζοντο","severity":"info","text":"The phrase echoes the angelic hymn at Luke 2:14 (Doxa en hypsistois Theō kai epi gēs eirēnē). Gregory adapts it to describe the angels' response to the incarnation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν ῥυπώσῃ ἐστολισμένον ἐσθῆτι ἀπόκριτον τοῦ θείου γάμου","severity":"info","text":"Alludes to the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22:11-13, where a guest without proper attire is excluded. Gregory uses it to illustrate angelic acceptance of the virtuous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς ψαλμῳδίας βοώσης","severity":"info","text":"Gregory refers to a psalmody heard in the liturgical context, likely Psalm 24 or a festal hymn for the Nativity, common in 4th-century Cappadocian worship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"μεγαλόνοια","severity":"info","text":"This rare term, 'great-mindedness,' likely Gregory's coinage, denotes the expansive wisdom from apostolic and prophetic teachings, flowing from the Spirit's springs.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὕτω... Οὕτως... Οὕτω γὰρ... οὕτω τε","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured by anaphoric 'Thus' clauses, each developing a stage: human moral progress, angelic joy, divine manifestation, and final inclusion in angelic joy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν ἐπουράνιον πόλιν τοῦ Θεοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The 'heavenly city' motif, familiar from Platonic and Philonic traditions, is here Christianized as the angelic assembly, anticipating Augustine's later use in De civitate Dei.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τὸν ῥυπώσῃ ἐστολισμένον ἐσθῆτι' is ambiguous: it could mean 'clothed in a filthy garment' (as translated) or 'clothed in a garment that causes filth'; the reading taken follows the Gospel parable's sense of exclusion due to appearance."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"Luke 2:14","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “glory to god in the highest”, which matches Luke 2:14. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε κατὰ τὸν ἀρχέτυπον καιρὸν (ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι) τῆς παρούσης ἑορτῆς ὁ ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, καὶ μορφὴν δούλου ἑλόμενος, ὁ μεσίτης Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, τὴν νομικὴν πληρῶν διαγόρευσιν τεσσαρά κοντα ἡμερῶν ὑπάρχων βρέφος, ὁ ἀΐδιος Λόγος ἐπὶ τὸν ναὸν ἐχώρει σὺν τῇ τεκούσῃ, καὶ τῇ καταλλήλῳ τῆς διατεταγμένης θυσίας διαγωγῇ, αἱ τῶν ἀσωμάτων ταξιαρχίαι δουλικῶς τὸν αὐχένα ὑποκλίνουσαι, ἐκ τοῦ ἀοράτου θεοπρεπῆ τὴν προπομπὴν ἡτοιμάζοντο, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου σοφίας ἐξεθείαζον πέλαγος· καὶ τὴν περαίωσιν τῆς προχειροτέρας τοῦ νομικοῦ γράμμα τος διατάξεως, φανέρωσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου ἐν τῷ Θεῷ τῷ τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι ἐξεδέχοντο· οὗ τινος ἡμεῖς τὴν ἀνάμνησιν ἑορτάζοντες σήμερον, πνευματικαῖς θεωρίαις κατὰ τοὺς ἀσωμάτους νόας τρυφήσωμεν, καὶ τῶν θείων θαυμασίων τὸ μεγαλεῖον δοξάζοντες, κοινωνοὶ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀξίας ἐσόμεθα· οὐ τῇ νομικῇ σκιᾷ τὸ ὄμμα τῆς ψυχῆς ἀμαυρούμενοι, ἀλλὰ τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον τῷ σοφωτάτῳ Παύλῳ, ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι. Τοῦ γὰρ Νόμου λέγοντος, πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἁγιάζεσθαι, δεῖν δὲ τὴν ἀρτιτόκον γυναῖκα ἄρσενος παιδὸς γενομένην μητέρα, τεσσαρά κοντα ἡμερῶν μετὰ τὸ τεκεῖν καθηραμένην διαστή ματι, οὕτω μετά τινος εὐκρινῶς διωρισμένης θυσίας ἐπὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πορεύεσθαι τέμενος· οἱ μὲν τὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς Παλαιᾶς Διαθήκης τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν περιφέροντες,","english":"For when at the archetypal time (so to speak) of the present feast, he who exists in the form of God and chose the form of a servant, who became mediator between God and men, fulfilling the legal ordinance as a forty-day-old infant—the eternal Word proceeded to the temple with her who gave him birth, and with the conduct of the sacrifice appointed in fitting manner—the ranks of the incorporeal powers, bowing their necks in servile fashion, prepared from the invisible realm a procession befitting God, and glorified the sea of ineffable wisdom; and they awaited the completion of the more readily grasped ordinance of the legal letter, namely the manifestation of the mystery hidden in God who created all things. Celebrating today the remembrance of this, let us feast with spiritual contemplations like the incorporeal minds, and glorifying the greatness of the divine wonders, we shall become partakers of their worth—not with the eye of the soul dimmed by the legal shadow, but, as the most wise Paul says, beholding the glory of the Lord with unveiled face as in a mirror. For since the Law says that every male that opens the womb shall be sanctified, and that the woman who has just given birth, having become the mother of a male child, must after forty days' interval from the birth be purified, and so with a sacrifice clearly and distinctly appointed go to the sanctuary of God—those who carry the veil over their heart at the reading of the Old Testament,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"ταῖς αὐταῖς κατ' ἐνιαυ τὸν θυσίαις, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω (αἳ οὐδέποτε δύνανται τοὺς προσερχομένους τελειῶσαι), νηπιοφρόνως τὴν τοιαύτην νομοθεσίαν νομιζέτωσαν πληροῦν. Ἡμῖν δὲ, οἷς ἐν τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν ἐπιστροφῇ τὸ τοιοῦτον περιῄρηται κάλυμμα, ἅπαξ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος εἰς ἀθέτησιν ἁμαρτίας διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ πεφανερῶσθαι τὸ μέγα τῆς εὐσεβείας πεπιστευκόσι μυστήριον, ἐπαξίως τοῦ θείου τῆς ἀληθείας φωτὸς, τῇ δᾳδουχίᾳ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὸ τῆς παρούσης πανηγύρεως θεω ρητέον μυστήριον, μικρὸν ἄνωθεν προσβαλοῦσι τῷ θεωρήματι, κἀκεῖνό γε μὴν εὐκαίρως προσημηναμένοις· ὅτι κατὰ τὸ τῆς ἐξετάσεως ἀκόλουθον τὸ προτεθὲν τοῦ Νόμου θέσπισμα ἐπὶ μόνῳ τῷ σαρκωθέντι Θεῷ ὡρισμένως τε καὶ ἀνεπισυμβάτως ἑτέρῳ ὁρᾶται πληρούμενον.\n\nΜόνος γὰρ αὐτὸς ἀῤῥήτως συλληφθεὶς, καὶ ἀφράστως κυηθεὶς, μὴ προδιηνοιγμένην τῷ γάμῳ τὴν παρθενικὴν μήτραν ἀνέῳξεν, τὰ σήμαντρα τῆς παρθενίας ἀπαράτρωτα καὶ μετὰ τὴν παράδοξον πρόοδον φυλαξάμενος, καὶ μόνος ἄῤῥην πνευματικῶς εἶναι πεπίστευται μηδὲν τῆς θηλυπρεποῦς ἁμαρτίας ἐπαγόμενος, ὅθεν καὶ ὄντως ἅγιος ἐπαξίως κέκληται· ὥσπερ καὶ Γαβριὴλ τὰ τοῦ ζωοποιοῦ τόκου τῇ Θεοτόκῳ φέρων εὐαγγέλια, οἱονεὶ τὴν περὶ τούτου προδιωρισμένην τε καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν μόνον ὁρῶσαν νομοθεσίαν ἐν ἀναμνήσει ποιούμενος· Διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον, ἔλεγε, κληθήσεται Υἱὸς Θεοῦ· ὡς κυρίως τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου ἁρμοζούσης ἐπωνυμίας τῷ τὴν παρθένον μήτραν τῇ θείᾳ διανοίξαντι θαυματουργίᾳ.","english":"Let them not think childishly that they fulfill such legislation by the same annual sacrifices, so to speak (which can never perfect those who approach). But for us, for whom such a veil has been removed in our turning toward God, since we believe that once at the consummation of the age the great mystery of piety has been revealed for the abolition of sin through his sacrifice, we must contemplate the mystery of the present festival worthily of the divine light of truth, by the torch-bearing of the Spirit, having approached the contemplation a little from above, and having also duly indicated this beforehand: that, according to what follows from the examination, the proposed decree of the Law is seen to be fulfilled definitely and without any other addition in the incarnate God alone.\n\nFor he alone, conceived ineffably and carried in the womb inexpressibly, opened the virginal womb not previously opened by marriage, keeping the seals of virginity unbroken even after the wondrous birth, and he alone is believed to be spiritually male, bringing nothing of womanish sin; whence he is also truly and worthily called holy. Just as Gabriel also, bringing the good tidings of the life-giving birth to the Mother of God, as it were calling to remembrance the legislation predetermined concerning this and looking to him alone: Therefore also the child being born, he said, will be called the Son of God; since the title of holy properly belongs to him who opened the virginal womb by divine miracle-working.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων πρωτοτόκων, ἅγια ταῦτα κληθήσεσθαι, βεβασανισμένως τῷ βάθει τοῦ Νόμου ἐγκύψασα ἡ εὐαγγελικὴ ἀκρίβεια, διηγόρευσεν, ὡς τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀφιερώσει τὸ οὕτω καλεῖσθαι κληρωσαμένων· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ πρωτοτόκου πάσης κτίσεως, Ἅγιον τὸν γεννώμενον ὁ ἄγγελος εἴρηκεν, ὡς τοῦτο κυρίως ὑπάρχων, καὶ τὴν ὄντως ἁγιότητα ἐν τῇ ἀποπομπῇ τῆς κακίας, καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἐκλογῇ, ἅμα τῷ γεννηθῆναι, ὥς φησιν ὁ προφήτης, ἐπιδειξάμενος. Ἀλλ' ἐπανακτέον ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς θεωρίας, ὡς ἡ θεία προστάσσει τῷ νομοθέτῃ φωνὴ, τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος, ὡς ἐν στύλῳ πυρὸς καὶ νεφέλης, τῇ τῶν Γραφῶν λαμπρότητι τοῦ ἐνθέου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας στρατοπέδου προηγουμένης, ἵνα τῇ ῥάβδῳ τῆς δυνάμεως τῇ ἀποστελλομένῃ ἐκ τῆς ἄνω Σιὼν, ὡς Ψάλλων φησὶν, δι' ἧς οἱ ἐχθροὶ κυριεύονται, τὸ τοῦ γράμμα τος περάσαντες πέλαγος, ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διῃρημένον ἐν τῇ εὐκρινεῖ διαβάσει τῶν νοημάτων, τὸ Αἰγύπτιον τῶν ἀπειθούντων τῇ χάριτι διαδράσωμεν φρόνημα, συγκλυσθέντων αὐτῶν τῆς ἀληθείας τῷ ῥείθρῳ· οἷς διὰ σπουδῆς ἐστιν, ἐμποδίζειν ἡμῖν τὴν ἐπὶ πνευματικὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ὁδὸν, ἐθέλειν τε ἐν τῇ σιδηρᾷ καμίνῳ τοῦ γράμματος (ὅπερ ἡ Αἴγυπτος ὠνόμασται) προσμένειν ἡμᾶς, τῷ πηλῷ καὶ τῇ πλινθείᾳ δουλεύοντας, τουτέστι ταῖς σωματι καῖς τοῦ Νόμου παρατηρήσεσιν. Ἔφη τοίνυν τῷ Μωϋσῇ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ἤδη τὴν κατὰ τῶν πρωτοτόκων Αἰγύπτου διορισάμενος, πληγήν· Ἁγίασόν μοι πᾶν πρωτότοκον πρωτογενὲς διανοῖγον πᾶσαν μήτραν ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἕως κτήνους·","english":"And concerning the other firstborn, the evangelical precision, having scrutinized the depth of the Law with exactness, declared that these would be called holy, as having been allotted that name by consecration to God. But concerning the firstborn of all creation, the angel said that the one being born is Holy, as being this in the true sense, and having manifested genuine holiness in the rejection of evil and the choice of the good at the moment of birth, as the prophet says. But we must return to the sea of contemplation, as the divine voice commands the lawgiver, the grace of the Spirit, as in a pillar of fire and cloud, leading the brightness of the Scriptures of the inspired encampment of the Church, so that by the rod of power sent from the upper Zion, as the Psalmist says, through which enemies are subdued, having crossed the sea of the letter, divided here and there in the clear passage of meanings, we may escape the Egyptian mindset of those disobedient to grace, who are overwhelmed by the stream of truth. For it is their concern to hinder our journey to the spiritual land of the promise of the Gospel, and to wish us to remain in the iron furnace of the letter (which is called Egypt), serving mud and brick, that is, the bodily observances of the Law. So then, God of all, already in Egypt, having ordained the plague against the firstborn of Egypt, said to Moses: Consecrate to me every firstborn, every first-opening womb among the sons of Israel, from man to beast.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"ἧς τινος θείας νομοθεσίας τὸ συνεπτυγμένον ὥσπερ ἐξαπλώσας ὁ μακάριος Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῇ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν διαλέξει ἀποφαίνεται· Καὶ ἔσται ὡς ἂν εἰσαγάγῃ σε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου εἰς τὴν γῆν τῶν Χαναναίων, ὃν τρόπον ὤμοσέ σοι καὶ τοῖς πατράσι σου· Καὶ δώσω σοι αὐτὴν, ἀφοριεῖς πᾶν διανοῖγον μήτραν, τὰ ἀῤῥενικὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ πᾶν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἐκ τῶν βουκολίων, ἢ ἐν τοῖς κτήνεσί σου, ὅσα ἂν γένηταί σοι, τὰ ἀῤῥενικὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ· πᾶν δὲ διανοῖγον μήτραν ὄνου, ἀλλάξεις προβάτῳ· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀλλάξῃς, λυτρώσῃ αὐτὸ, καὶ πᾶν πρωτότοκον τῶν υἱῶν σου λυτρώσῃ, τουτέστιν, λύτρα δώσεις ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῶν Ἀριθμῶν ὁ θεῖος σαφηνίζει χρησμὸς, τῷ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἐπειλημμένῳ διαλεγόμενος· Καὶ πᾶν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἀπὸ πάσης σαρκὸς ἃ προσφέρουσι τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἕως κτήνους, σοὶ ἔσται· ἀλλ' ἢ\n\nλύτροις λυτρωθήσεται τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν κτηνῶν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων λυ τρώσῃ· Καὶ ἡ λύτρωσις αὐτοῦ· Ἀπὸ μηνιαίου λυτρώσῃ, ἡ συντίμησις ἀργυρίου πέντε σίκλων, κατὰ τὸν σίκλον τὸν ἅγιον. Πλὴν τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν μόσχων, καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν προβάτων, καὶ τῶν αἰγῶν οὐ λυτρώσῃ· ἅγια γάρ ἐστι· καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν προσέχεις πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον. Ἤδη μὲν οὖν τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις τῶν κτηνῶν συμπαρ έζευξέ τε καὶ συγκατέλεξε τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὰ πρωτότοκα ἡ θεία φωνή· ὡς τὸ ὄντως κεκαθαρμένον καὶ ἅγιον ἐν τῇ κατὰ Νόμον λατρείᾳ οὐκ ἔχοντα, εἰ καὶ ἁγιά ζεσθαι αὐτὰ τῇ ἀποκληρώσει τῆς νομοθεσίας ἐνομίζετο. Ὁμοίως γὰρ εἰς θυσίαν Θεοῦ ἀποβλήτοις, λύτρα δίδοσθαι ἀντὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐτεθέσπιστο·","english":"Of this divine legislation, the blessed Moses, as it were unfolding what had been folded up, declares in his discourse to the people: And it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and I will give it to you, you shall set apart every one that opens the womb, the males to the Lord; and every one that opens the womb from the herds, or among your cattle, as many as you shall have, the males to the Lord; and every one that opens the womb of a donkey you shall exchange for a sheep; but if you do not exchange it, you shall redeem it, and every firstborn of your sons you shall redeem, that is, you shall give a ransom for him. For so the divine oracle makes clear in the book of Numbers, speaking to the one who has taken up the high priesthood: And every one that opens the womb of all flesh which they offer to the Lord, from man to beast, shall be yours; but the firstborn of men shall be redeemed with a ransom, and the firstborn of unclean cattle you shall redeem; and its redemption: from a month old you shall redeem it, its valuation being five shekels of silver, according to the holy shekel. Only the firstborn of calves, and the firstborn of sheep, and of goats you shall not redeem; for they are holy; and you shall apply their blood to the altar. Now indeed the divine voice has yoked together and counted the firstborn of Israel with the unclean cattle, since they did not have what is truly purified and holy in the worship according to the Law, even if they were thought to be sanctified by the allotment of the legislation. For in like manner it was ordained among them that a ransom be given on behalf of men, just as for things rejected for the sacrifice of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"ὡς τῆς παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἀλογωτέρας καταστάσεως ἀναξίας ὑπαρχούσης τὴν λογικὴν ἀναφέρειν λατρείαν, καὶ τῷ τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης μυστικωτάτῳ εἰς πνευματικὴν ὁλοκάρπωσιν προσάγεσθαι θυσιαστηρίῳ. Λύτρα δὲ, ὥσπερ ἑαυτῇ κατάλληλα εἰθισμένῃ προσάγειν τὰς κατὰ Νόμον δι' αἱμάτων θυσίας (ἃς ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας, ὡς ἐκπροσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηδὲ ἐξῃτη κέναι παρὰ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν διορίζεται), ὡς πνευματικὴν δηλαδὴ τελείωσιν τοῦ σκοποῦ νομοθέτου ὁρῶντος. Τὰ δὲ εἰς θυσίαν προσαγόμενα, ὧν τὸ αἷμα προχεῖσθαι τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ἐνενόμιστο, Ἅγια διεσταλμένως ὠνόμασται· κἀν τούτῳ δηλαδὴ τῆς ἀλη θείας προδιαγραφομένης τῷ τύπῳ. Ὁ γὰρ ἑαυτὸν προσαγαγὼν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶθυσίαν, καὶ προσφορὰν εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, οὗτος μόνος κυρίως καὶ ἀληθῶς ἅγιος ἔστι τε καὶ ὀνομάζεται. Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ ὁ ἀπειθὴς Ἰουδαῖος, ὡς τῇ κατὰ νόμον θυσίᾳ οὐ δυνάμενα προσάγεσθαι τῶν κατ' αὐ τὸν ἀκαθάρτων κτηνῶν τὰ πρωτότοκα, λύτροις ἀντικαταλλάσσεσθαι εἴωθεν· ὁμοίως καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πρωτοτόκων εἰς θυσίαν μὴ κατασφαττομένων (καὶ γὰρ ἀπεικὸς τοῦτό γε, καὶ θείας νομοθεσίας ἀλλότριον), ταῦτα τῇ τῶν λύτρων ἀμείψει καθιεροῦσθαι εἰκός. Ἀλλ' ἐπισκεψάσθω, εἴγε μὴ τῷ ἐπιπροσθοῦντι ταῖς τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν ὄψεσι καλύμματι ἐμποδίζεται, ὡς ἤδη ἐν ἑτέρᾳ νομοθεσίᾳ τοὺς Λευΐτας εἰληφέναι εἰς ἀφιέρωσιν ἀντὶ τῶν πρωτοτόκων, τὸ ἱερὸν ἐδίδαξε Γράμμα, οὑτωσὶ φάσκον ἐν τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς ἐπὶ λέξεως· Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωϋσῆν λέγων·","english":"Since the irrational condition among the Jews is unworthy to offer rational worship, it is brought to the most mystical altar of the New Covenant for a spiritual whole-burnt offering. But as for ransom, just as it was accustomed to offer sacrifices according to the Law through bloods—which the prophet Isaiah, as speaking for God, determines that he did not even require from their hands—the lawgiver was evidently looking to the spiritual perfection of his purpose. But the things brought for sacrifice, whose blood was reckoned to be poured out at the altar, have been distinctly called holy; and in this too, of course, the truth is prefigured by the type. For he who offered himself to God and the Father as a sacrifice and an offering for a sweet-smelling savor, our Lord Jesus Christ, he alone is and is called holy in the proper and true sense. But perhaps the disobedient Jew will say that, since the firstborn of the unclean cattle among them cannot be brought for sacrifice according to the Law, they are customarily exchanged for ransoms; likewise, since human firstborn are not slaughtered for sacrifice (for this is indeed absurd and alien to divine legislation), it is reasonable that these are consecrated by the exchange of ransoms. But let him consider, if he is not hindered by the veil that lies over the eyes of their soul, that in another legislation already the Levites were taken for dedication in place of the firstborn, as the sacred Scripture taught, speaking thus word for word in Numbers: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"Ἰδοὺ εἴληφα τοὺς Λευΐτας ἐκ μέσου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ἀντὶ παντὸς πρωτοτόκου διανοίγοντος μήτραν παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ· λύτρα αὐτῶν ἔσονται, καὶ ἔσονταί μοι οἱ Λευῗται. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ πᾶν πρωτότοκον ἡγίασα ἐν Ἰσραὴλ, ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπάταξα πᾶν πρωτότοκον ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ. Εἶτα τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῆς ἀμείψεως διαγορεύων ὁ νόμος, Εἶπεν Κύριος, φησὶ, πρὸς Μωσῆν λέγων· Ἐπίσκεψαι πᾶν πρω τότοκον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ μηνιαίου καὶ ἐπ άνω, καὶ λαβὲ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐξ ὀνόματος αὐτῶν. Καὶ λήψῃ τοὺς Λευΐτας ἐμοὶ ἀντὶ πάντων τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Εἶτα τῆς συναριθμήσεως τῶν πρωτοτόκων πρὸς τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν Λευϊτῶν ἐν πλεονασμῷ εὑρημένης, φησίν· Ἐλάλησε Κύριος τῷ Μωϋσῆ λέγων· Λάβε τὰ λύτρα τῶν πλεοναζόντων παρὰ τοὺς Λευΐτας ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτό κων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ λήψῃ πέντε σίκλους κατὰ κεφαλὴν κατὰ τὸ δίδραχμον τὸ ἅγιον. Εἴπερ οὖν κατὰ τὸ ἱερὸν Γράμμα οἱ Λευῗται λύτρα εἰσὶ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ὡς καὶ ἡ τῆς συναριθμήσεως ἀκρίβεια δηλοῖ, ὥστε τῶν πλεοναζόντων ἐν αὐ τοῖς στάθμιον ὡρισμένον τῷ νόμῳ ἀντιδοθῆναι· ποίῳ λόγῳ καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν πρωτοτόκων λύτρα δίδοσθαι ὁ νόμος διηγόρευσεν; Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀπροσδέκτων εἰς θυσίαν κτηνῶν, ἢ καταλλάττεσθαι, ταῦτα, ἢ λύτρα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δίδοσθαι ὁ νόμος φησίν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀν θρώπων, καὶ λύτρα δίδοσθαι, καὶ ἤδη τὴν ἀντάμειψιν διὰ τῶν Λευϊτῶν γενέσθαι μανθάνομεν· ὅπερ ἀσύμφωνον καὶ αὐτῷ νομικῷ γράμματι φαίνεται, ὡς ἡ ἐν τοῖς κτήνεσι νομοθεσία δηλοῖ, καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ φύσις ὑφηγεῖται τοῦ πράγματος.","english":"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of every firstborn that opens the womb among the children of Israel; they shall be their ransom, and the Levites shall be mine. For every firstborn in Israel is mine; on the day when I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt. Then the law, declaring the exactness of the exchange, says: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Number every firstborn of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number by their names. And you shall take the Levites for me instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. Then, when the reckoning of the firstborn against the number of the Levites was found to have a surplus, it says: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Take the ransom of those who are over and above the Levites, from the firstborn of the children of Israel, and you shall take five shekels per head, according to the holy didrachm. If, then, according to the sacred Scripture, the Levites are the ransom of the firstborn of the children of Israel, as the exactness of the reckoning also makes clear, so that for those who are over and above among them a weight fixed by the law was given in exchange—by what reasoning did the law ordain that a ransom be given for each of the firstborn? For in the case of cattle not acceptable for sacrifice, the law says that these are either to be exchanged or a ransom given for them; but in the case of human beings, we learn that a ransom is given and that the exchange has already been made through the Levites—which appears inconsistent even with the legal text itself, as the legislation concerning cattle makes clear, and the nature of the matter itself suggests.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν τῶν Λευϊτῶν πρὸς λειτουργίαν Θεοῦ ἀντὶ τῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀποκλήρωσιν λύτρα δίδοσθαι ἀντ' αὐτῶν διηγόρευται, δῆλον\n\nὡς τῶν Λευϊτῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων τὸ εἰς ἀντίλυτρον ἰσοστάσιόν τε καὶ ἀξιόδεκτον. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀναξιωτέρα ἡ διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἀργυρίου προσαγομένη λύτρωσις, ὅσον πᾶσα ἡ ἄλογος καὶ ἀναίσθητος φύσις τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης οὐσίας ἀτιμοτέρα καθέστηκεν. Πλὴν ἐπείπερ κατὰ τὸν προφήτην τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τούτου ἀκόλουθον βλέπειν οὐ δύνανται· ἆρα δυνήσονται ἀκούειν κ' αὐτοῦ σοφωτάτου διακεκραγότος Μιχαίου; Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶμαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν βαρέως ἀκούουσιν· ὅμως ἱκέτω ὁ μακάριος οὗτος προφήτης μεγαλοφώνως ταῦτα βοῶν, καὶ τῷ προφητικῷ προαινισσόμενος πνεύματι τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀποβολὴν, ὁμοίως τῇ τῶν σωματικῶν θυσίων προσαγωγῇ· φησὶ γάρ· Ἐν τίνι καταλάβω τὸν Κύριον, ἀντιλήψομαι Θεοῦ μου ὑψίστου; Εἰ καταλήψομαι αὐτὸν ἐν μόσχοις ἐνιαυσιαίοις; Εἰ προσδέξεται Κύριος ἐν χιλιάσι κριῶν, ἢ ἐν μυριάσι χιμάρων πιόνων; Εἰ δῶ πρωτότοκά μου ἀσεβείας, καρπὸν κοιλίας μου ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν μου, Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ τὴν καρδίαν παχεῖαν ἔχοντες, ὅπερ αὐτῶν ὁ προφήτης περὶ ἡμῶν κατηγόρησεν, ὡς πρωτότοκα ἀσεβείας ὁ μακάριος Μιχαίας τὰ κατὰ σάρκα Ἰσραὴλ πρωτότοκα ἐξωνόμασε. Πῶς οὖν ἅγια ταῦτα ὑπειλήφασιν, ἅπερ προφητικῷ λόγῳ ἀσεβείας πρωτότοκα ὠνομάσθησαν; Λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν αἱ ὄντως ψελλίζουσαι γλῶσσαι, αἱ μὴ δυνάμε ναι ὀρθολεκτεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, πῶς ὁ προφήτης, ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ φθεγγόμενος, καρπὸν ἀσεβείας ταῦτα καλεῖν ἀπετόλμησε;","english":"For if, after the allotment of the Levites to the service of God in place of the firstborn, it has been declared that a ransom is given in their stead, it is clear that the Levites did not possess what is of equal standing and acceptable as a ransom. But if this is so, far more unworthy is the redemption brought about through silver, inasmuch as all irrational and senseless nature is held in less honor than human substance. However, since according to the prophet they have shut their eyes, and consequently cannot see, will they be able to hear the most wise Micah himself crying out? I do not think so. For indeed they hear heavily with their ears; nevertheless let this blessed prophet come forward, crying these things with a great voice, and foretelling by the prophetic Spirit the rejection of the Jewish firstborn, just as with the offering of bodily sacrifices. For he says: With what shall I reach the Lord, shall I take hold of my God most high? Shall I reach him with yearling calves? Will the Lord accept with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of fat goats? Shall I give my firstborn for my ungodliness, the fruit of my womb for my sins? Let those who have a fat heart hear, which the prophet has charged against them concerning us, that the blessed Micah named the firstborn according to the flesh of Israel firstborn of ungodliness. How then have they supposed these things to be holy, which by the prophetic word were called firstborn of ungodliness? Let the truly stammering tongues tell us, those unable to speak the truth correctly, how the prophet, speaking in the Holy Spirit, dared to call these things fruit of ungodliness?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Πῶς ὁ περὶ τῆς τούτων λυτρώσεως λόγος τὸ ὁμαλὸν καὶ ἀκόλουθον ἑαυτῷ ἔχων οὐ φαίνεται, ὅσον κατὰ τὸ τοῦ γράμματος πρόχειρον; καίτοιγε τοῦ νόμου παρ' ἡμῖν ἁγίου τε καὶ πνευματικοῦ εἶναι νοουμένου τε καὶ πιστευομένου. Ὁρᾶτε τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν ἁρμάτων συνδεδεμένους ἄξονας, καθάπερ πάλαι τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τοὺς δίφρους ἐπὶ τῶν Ἐρυθραίων ναμάτων. Ἀλλ' ἐπαφείσθω ἀντὶ ῥάβδου τῇ θαλάσσῃ τοῦ λόγου ἡ τοῦ ἀληθοῦς νομοθέτου καὶ βασιλέως τῆς δόξης Χριστοῦ δύναμις καὶ βοήθεια, καὶ ὁδηγησάτω τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδὸν εὐ θεῖαν ἀναγωγῆς τε καὶ θεωρίας, τοῦ πορευθῆναι εἰς πόλιν κατοικητηρίου γνώσεώς τε καὶ ἀληθείας, καὶ ἐπικαλυψάτω τοὺς ἐναντίους τῆς θείας δόξης τὸ ἀπροσμάχητον· ἧστινος πεπλήρωται ἡ σύμπασα γῆ, τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον, ὥς φησιν ἡ Γραφὴ, ὡς ὕδωρ πολὺ καλύψαι θαλάσσας.\n\nἌρτι μὲν τὴν πρωτότοκον τοῦ διαβόλου γονὴν, ἤγουν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὁ σαρκωθεὶς Θεὸς ἐνέκρωσέ τε καὶ ἐξηφάνισεν, ἅμα τῷ γεννηθῆναι κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, τὴν κατάκρισιν ἑαυτῷ τῆς κακίας ποιησάμενος, καὶ τὸν παντελῆ ταύτης ἀφανισμὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἐργασάμενος, θρήνων τὰς ἐναντίας δυνάμεις ἐπλήρωσεν, καθάπερ σκεύη τινὰ παρ' αὐτῶν λαβὼν τοὺς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἐλθόντας Μάγους, καὶ τῇ προσκυνήσει καὶ ἐπιγνώσει τῆς αὐτοῦ δεσποτείας εὔχρηστα σκεύη τῷ Δεσπότῃ γεγενημένους εἰς συνεργίαν τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τῆς ὄντως θεοτεύκτου σκηνῆς, ἣν ἔπηξεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος·","english":"How is it that the account of their ransom, possessing as it does consistency and coherence in itself, does not appear so, at least according to the surface of the letter? And yet the law is understood and believed by us to be holy and spiritual. You see the axles of the Jewish songs bound together, as once the chariots of the Egyptians at the Red Sea waters. But let the power and help of the true Lawgiver and King of glory, Christ, be sent forth upon the sea of our discourse in place of a rod, and let him guide his people into the straight way of anagogy and contemplation, to journey to the city of habitation of knowledge and truth, and let the invincible might of divine glory cover the adversaries—that glory with which the whole earth is filled, to know the Lord, as the Scripture says, as much water covers the seas.\n\nJust now the incarnate God put to death and utterly destroyed the firstborn offspring of the devil, that is, sin, at the very moment of his birth according to the flesh, making condemnation of evil for himself and working in himself its complete destruction; he filled the opposing powers with lamentation, as though taking from them certain vessels—the Magi who came from the East—who through worship and recognition of his lordship became vessels useful to the Master for cooperation in the building of the Church, the tabernacle truly made by God, which the Lord pitched, and not man.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"ἄρτι δὲ καθάπερ πηλοῦ καὶ πλινθείας πάλαι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, οὕτω τοῦ γηΐνου φρονήματος τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος ἐν αὑτῷ λυτρωσάμενος, φυγεῖν μὲν Αἴγυπτον τοῦτο πεποίηκε, τουτέστι τὸ τοῦ θανάτου στυγητὸν καὶ ζοφῶδες φρούριον. Ἁγιάζει δὲ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶοὐ μόνον τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρωτότοκα, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ πᾶν τὸ ἀνθρώπινον φῦλον, διὰ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ ἀπαρχῆς τοῦ ἡμετέρου φυράματος, τουτέστι τῆς ἐξ ἡμῶν ληφθείσης αὐτῷ σαρκὸς ἐψυχωμένης νοερῶς, ὅλον ὥσπερ ἀναζυμώσας εἰς ἁγιασμὸν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης οὐσίας τὸ σύγκριμα. Εἰ γὰρ ἀπαρχὴ ἁγία, καὶ τὸ φύραμα, φήσαιμι ἂν νῦν εἰκότως κἀγὼ κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον. Καὶ καθάπερ πάλαι τὴν ἱερατεύειν λαχοῦσαν φυλὴν ἀντὶ τῆς τῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀπαρχῆς ὁ νομοθέτης λόγος τυπικῶς τῷ Θεῷ προσηγάγετο· οὕτω νῦν ἐν τῷ λαμπρῷ χαρακτῆρι τῆς ἀληθείας τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ Ἀπόστολον τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν, τὸν ὅσιόν τε καὶ ἄκακον καὶ ἀμίαντον, καὶ παντὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ κεχωρισμένον ῥύπου τε καὶ φρονήματος, τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ σωματικῶς","english":"But now, just as long ago he ransomed Israel through clay and brickmaking, so too he has ransomed the human race in itself from the earthly mindset, and has made it flee Egypt—that is, the hateful and dark fortress of death. And he sanctifies to God and the Father not only the firstborn of human beings, but already the whole human race, through the firstfruits of our lump within him—that is, the flesh taken from us by him, ensouled with a rational soul—having leavened, as it were, the whole compound of human nature into sanctification. For if the firstfruits is holy, so also is the lump, I too would now reasonably say according to the divine Apostle. And just as long ago the legislative word, in place of the firstfruits of the firstborn, figuratively brought to God the tribe that obtained the lot of priesthood; so now, in the bright stamp of the truth, the high priest and Apostle of our confession, the holy and guileless and undefiled one, separated from every sinful stain and mindset, to God and the Father bodily","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"προσενηνέχθαι γινώσκομεν ἀντὶ τῆς καθαγιασθείσης αὐτῷ διὰ πίστεως ἀνθρωπότητος· καὶ το σούτῳ μᾶλλον, ὅσῳπερ οὐδὲ ὑπερτεροῦσαν καὶ ὑπερ πλεονάζουσαν παρὰ τὸν ἑαυτὸν δεδωκότα λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν ὅλην ὁρῶμεν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἁγιότητος λόγον (καθάπερ ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ τοῦ νόμου ἐν πλεονασμῷ παρὰ τοὺς Λευΐτας τὰ πρωτότοκα εὕρηνται), ἀλλὰ κατόπιν αὐτοῦ παμπληθὲς ἀπειλειμμένην, καθόσον χωρὶς πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ εὐλογούμενον ἔλαττον τοῦ εὐλογοῦντος καθέστηκε. Καὶ τότε μὲν εἰς μόνον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὸ ἔθνος τὸ τῆς Λευϊτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα ἐχρημάτιζε, καὶ μόνον τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς πρωτοτόκων λύτρα εἶναι οἱ Λευῗται μεμαρτύρηνται· Χριστὸς δὲ ὁ παραγενόμενος ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ὡς ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλός φησιν, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρὼν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ, καθὼς τὸ θεῖον προεχρησμῴδησε λόγιον, τῇ μὲν μεταθέσει τῆς ἱερωσύνης τῷ ἐξ ἑτέρας αὐτὸν εἶναι φυλῆς (πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς) καὶ τὴν τοῦ νόμου μετάθεσιν ἀπειργάσατο, ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ νόμον σκιᾶς ἐπὶ τὸ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐ ρανῶν μεταθέμενος ἡμᾶς Εὐαγγέλιον, καθάπερ ἀπὸ τῆς Λευϊτικῆς ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν φυλὴν τὸ τῆς ἱερω σύνης ἀξίωμα· τῇ δὲ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἀφομοιώσει οὐχ ὑπὲρ μόνου τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν λύτρον ἑαυτὸν τῷ Πατρὶ προσηγάγετο, καὶ τῆς πάντων ἀνθρώπων ὁμολογίας ἀρχιερεὺς καθέστηκεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ ἐκ τῆς ἐθνικῆς μοίρας εἶναι γνωρίζεται, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γένους εὑρίσκεται.","english":"we know that he has offered himself in place of the humanity sanctified to him through faith; and all the more, inasmuch as we see that all humanity is not surpassing and exceeding the ransom he gave for himself in place of many, according to the word of holiness (just as in the shadow of the law the firstborn were found in excess compared to the Levites), but is left far behind him, inasmuch as without any dispute the one blessed is less than the one who blesses. And then the honor of the Levitical priesthood belonged to the nation of Israel alone, and the Levites are testified to be the ransom for their firstborn alone; but Christ, who has come as high priest of the good things to come, as the all-wise Paul says, and not according to the order of Aaron but according to the order of Melchizedek, as the divine oracle foretold, by the change of the priesthood—since he is from another tribe (for it is evident that our Lord Jesus Christ has arisen from Judah)—also brought about the change of the law, transferring us from the shadow according to the law to the Gospel of the kingdom of the heavens, just as the honor of the priesthood passed from the Levitical tribe to the royal tribe; and by the assimilation to the order of Melchizedek he offered himself to the Father as a ransom not for Israel alone but for all the nations, and he has been established as high priest of the confession of all people, since Melchizedek too is recognized as being from the Gentile portion, and is found to be from the race of Abraham.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"Ἡ δὲ κατὰ νόμον τῶν πέντε διδραχμά των ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου τῶν πρωτοτόκων συντίμησις ἐμ φαίνειν οἶδεν αἰνιγματωδῶς, ὡς χρὴ ἕκαστον ἡμῶν πᾶσαν αἴσθησιν ἁγιάζειν Θεῷ, καὶ τὰ ἐν τούτοις, καθαρὸν καὶ ἡδονῆς πάσης ἀτόπου ἀλλότριον προσ άγειν τῷ κτίσαντι καθάπερ τι λύτρον εὐαγές τε καὶ ἔννομον. Ταύτης ἡμεῖς σήμερον τῆς ἱερᾶς τελετῆς τὴν ἀνάμνησιν ἑορτάζομεν, αὕτη ἡμῖν ἡ πνευματικὴ τοῦ μυστηρίου ἀνάπτυξις τὴν παροῦσαν συνεκρότησεν ἁγίαν πανήγυριν· καθ' ἣν νομικῶς μὲν προσήγετο ὁ Σωτὴρ κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον, νοητῶς δὲ καὶ πνευματικῶς τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ ἡμετέρου φυράματος τῷ Πατρὶ προσαγαγὼν, ὅλον αὐτὸ ἱερὸν ἀπεδείκνυε, καὶ πρὸς θείαν προσαγωγὴν ἐπιτήδειον. Τοῦτο γὰρ πάλαι ὁ νόμος ὤδινε, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ἑώρα ἥ τε περὶ τῶν πρωτοτόκων νομοθεσία καὶ τῆς τῶν Λευϊτῶν ἀντιδόσεως καὶ τῆς τῶν διδραχμάτων συντιμήσεως. Οὕτως ἡμᾶς διεβίβασε διὰ τῆς θαλάττης τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν ἡ χάρις τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἀλλ' εἴδωμεν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων σύγκλεισίν τε καὶ ἀπόδειξιν. Ἤδη μὲν οὖν ἀνωτέρω κατάδηλος ἡμῖν ἡ περὶ τῶν Λευϊτῶν τε καὶ πρωτοτόκων πᾶσα νομοθεσία γεγένηται, ἀλλὰ κα θὼς ὁ μέγας Μωϋσῆς παραθαρσύνων τὸν λαὸν μηκέτι ὄψεσθαι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους διεβεβαιώσατο· οὕτω κἀγὼ νῦν προάγομαι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ περιούσιον λαὸν εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, ὡς οὐκέτι τῆς σκιώδους λατρείας τὸ σωματικὸν στρατόπεδον θεασόμεθα. Ποῦ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν φανέρωσιν τοῦ μεγάλου Ἀρχιερέως ἡ τῶν Λευϊτῶν ἱερουργία; Ποῦ μετὰ τὸ τοῦ κόσμου καθάρσιον λύτρον ἡ τῶν πρωτοτόκων συντίμησις; Ποῦ ἡ λοιπὴ τῆς νομικῆς τελετῆς ἀκρίβεια;","english":"The valuation, according to the law, of the five double-drachmas for each of the firstborn is able to show in riddling fashion that each of us must sanctify every sense to God, and bring the things that are in them, pure and estranged from every improper pleasure, to the Creator as a kind of ransom, holy and lawful. Today we celebrate the remembrance of this sacred rite; this spiritual unfolding of the mystery has brought together for us the present holy festival, at which the Savior was brought forward legally according to appearance, but intelligibly and spiritually, having brought the firstfruits of our lump to the Father, he showed the whole to be sacred and fit for divine presentation. For the law was in travail with this long ago, and the legislation concerning the firstborn, and that of the exchange of the Levites, and the valuation of the double-drachmas looked toward this. Thus the grace of the Spirit carried us across the sea of the Holy Scriptures. But let us also consider the confinement and demonstration of the adversaries. Now indeed above, the whole legislation concerning the Levites and the firstborn has become clear to us, but just as the great Moses, encouraging the people, assured them that they would no longer see the Egyptians, so I too am now led to proclaim to the people of God's possession that we shall no longer see the bodily army of the shadowy worship. For where, after the manifestation of the great High Priest, is the priestly service of the Levites? Where, after the purification of the world, is the ransom, the valuation of the firstborn? Where is the remaining exactness of the legal rite?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἕως ὅτε ἡ νὺξ τῆς ἀγνοίας κατεῖχε τὰ σύμπαντα, ἀστέρων δίκην ἀμυδράν τινα καὶ σύμμετρον αὐγὴν ἡ κατὰ νόμον παρεῖχε λατρεία· ὅτε δὲ ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀνέτειλεν ἥλιος, καὶ ἡ ἐξ ὕψους ἀνατολὴ ἐπέφανε, καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμέρα ἐπέλαμψεν, ἀφανὴς ἡ τῶν νομικῶν διατάξεων δᾳδουχία ἐγένετο, τῷ ὑπερλάμποντι φωτὶ νικωμένη τῆς χάριτος; Οὐκ ἠδάφισται, καθάπερ οἱ τριστάται καὶ τὰ ἅρματα, ὁ περιώνυμος ἐκεῖνος ναὸς, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐπ' αὐτῷ μεγαλοφροσύνη καὶ ἔπαρσις; Οὐ πᾶσα κατεκλύσθη αὐτῶν καὶ συνεχέθη ἡ νομικὴ εὐταξία; Οὐκ ἄρδην ἀπόλωλε τῶν παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἐθῶν ἡ ἀκρίβεια; Ποῦ γὰρ τὰς θυσίας τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀρτιτόκων γυναικῶν προσαγάγοιεν, τοῦ ἐκλελεγμένου τόπου διαπεπτωκότος, καὶ σαφῶς διορισθέντος, μὴ ἐξεῖναι ἑτέρωθί που παρ' αὐτῶν τὰς θυσίας προσάγεσθαι; Ποῦ ἡ ἱερατικὴ στολή τε\n\nκαὶ ἀξία καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἅπαντα; Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον διεξιόντες, καθάπερ νεκρῶν συνεχεῖ ἐπαφῇ τε καὶ θεωρίᾳ τὸ ὄμμα τῆς ψυχῆς δειδιξώμεθα, ἐκείνους μὲν ἐάσωμεν τεθνηκότας παρὰ τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ νομικοῦ γράμματος· ἡμεῖς δὲ τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ τὸν ἐπινίκιον ὕμνον ᾄσωμεν, καὶ τῇ ὄντως οὐρανίῳ τραφέντες τροφῇ, καὶ τῷ ἐκ τῆς ἀληθινῆς πέτρας νάματι ποτισθέντες, ἔλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Θεοῦ Χωρήβ· τουτέστι, τὴν ὑψηλὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου διδασκαλίαν, ἵνα τῇ φωνῇ τῶν θείων σαλπίγγων, τοῖς ῥήμασι τοῦ μακαρίου Λουκᾶ τὴν ἔσω ἀκοὴν προσβάλωμεν, καθάπερ ἐξ ἁγίων ἀδύτων βοῶντος τῆς μυσταγωγίας τοῦ Πνεύματος·","english":"Do you not see that while the night of ignorance held all things, the worship according to the law provided a faint and moderate gleam, like that of stars? But when the Sun of righteousness arose, and the Dayspring from on high appeared, and the day of salvation shone forth, the torch-bearing of the legal ordinances became invisible, overcome by the surpassing light of grace. Has not that famous temple been leveled to the ground, like the three-ranked soldiers and the chariots, and all the pride and arrogance of the high priests over it? Has not all their legal order been flooded and confounded? Has not the precision of the customs among the Jews utterly perished? For where could they offer the sacrifices for women who have just given birth, since the chosen place has fallen, and it has been clearly decreed that it is not permitted to offer the sacrifices anywhere else by them? Where is the priestly robe and dignity and all the rest? But so that we, going through each detail, may not be terrified in the eye of the soul by the continuous contact with and sight of the dead, let us leave those dead by the water of the legal letter; but let us sing the victory hymn to the philanthropic God, and having been nourished with the truly heavenly food, and having drunk of the stream from the true rock, let us come to the mountain of God, Horeb—that is, the lofty teaching of the Gospel—so that with the voice of the divine trumpets, with the words of the blessed Luke, we may apply our inner hearing, as one crying from the holy sanctuaries of the Spirit's mystic initiation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, ἀνήγαγον οἱ γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν παραστῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμω Κυρίου, ὅτι Πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν, ἅγιον τῷ Κυρίῳ κληθήσεται· καὶ τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου, ζεῦγος τρυ γόνων, ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ᾧ ὄνομα Συμεὼν, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβὴς, προσδεχόμενος παράκλησιν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ, καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ κεχρηματισμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνα τον, πρὶν ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν Χριστὸν Κυρίου ἐν σαρκὶ, καὶ ἦλθεν ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν. Τί ἐστι, Προσδεχόμενος παράκλησιν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; Τουτέστιν, ἀναμένων τὴν φανέρωσιν τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ταύτην τοῦ Ἰσραηλίτου λαοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς νομικῆς σκιᾶς μεταχώρησιν· ἐπὶ τῷ ἀφεθέντα τοῦ ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου εἶναι τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας στοι χειοῦσθαι διδασκαλείῳ, καὶ τῇ κατ' αὐτὴν καταρτίζεσθαι τελειότητι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἔχοι τις εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἐν δυσπαθείᾳ ὄντων τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ τινὶ κατεχομένων, τὴν τούτων ἀνάκτησιν καὶ πρὸς τὸ εὔθυμον καὶ ἀρχαῖον ἐπάνοδον ἐξεδέχετο· πάσης αὐ τοῖς τῆς παλαιᾶς συνηθείας εὐνομουμένης, καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ ἑστῶτος, καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ θυσιῶν προσαγομένων, καὶ πάσης ἑτέρας ἰδιωτικῆς τῷ γένει αὐτῶν ὑπαρχούσης πολιτείας πεφυλαγμένης. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίους αὐτοὺς εἶναι προβάλλεται, καὶ τὸ καθεστάναι τὸν Ἡρώδην βασιλέα τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἀλλόφυλον τὸ γένος ὑπάρχοντα·","english":"And it came to pass, when the days of their purification were fulfilled, that the parents brought the child Jesus up to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, that Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord; and to give a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him, and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord in the flesh, and he came in the Spirit into the temple. What is it, waiting for the consolation of Israel? That is, awaiting the manifestation of the truth, and the transition of the people of Israel to this from the shadow of the law; so that, released from being under the elements of the world, they might be instructed in the school of the truth, and be perfected in the perfection according to it. For no one could say that, while the Jews were in distress and held in some captivity, he was awaiting their recovery and return to cheerfulness and their ancient state; since all of their old custom was lawfully ordered, and the temple was standing, and the sacrifices in it were being offered, and every other private constitution of their race was preserved. But if it is objected that they were under the Romans, and that Herod was established as king of Judea, being of foreign race:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"γινωσκέτω ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὡς οὐδὲν παρὰ τοῦτο ἡ κατὰ νόμον πολιτεία παρεβλάπτετο ἐκ τοῦ ὑπὸ ἀλλοεθνοῦς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ βασιλεύεσθαι, ὥστε τὴν περὶ τούτου παράκλησιν τὸν δίκαιον πρεσβύτην ἐκδέχεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ διαφόρως συμβέβηκε, καθάπερ τινὰ στασιώδη υἱὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐστηρῷ τινι παιδαγωγῷ πρὸς σωφρονισμὸν παραδοθῆναι, οὕτω τὸν Ἰσραὴλ πολλάκις ὑπὸ βασιλείαν γενέσθαι ἀλλόφυλον. Καὶ δηλοῖ ἡ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὅσον διατριβὴ, καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις Σεδεκίου τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκ θείου προστάγματος πρὸς αὐτόν τε καὶ τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λαὸν διαλεγόμενος, ὑπὸ τὸ σκῆπτρον τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ γενέσθαι, καὶ προσχωρῆσαι τοῖς Χαλδαίοις.\n\nΟὐ μόνον δὲ τούτους ἀξίους καθεστῶτας πληκτικωτέρας διαγωγῆς, ἀλλοφύλῳ σκήπτρῳ ὑποτετάχθαι οὐκ ἦν ἀπεικός· ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τῶν δικαίων τινὰς, καὶ ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος, κατὰ Παῦλον εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἄρχοντας, ἀλλ' ἀρχομένους ὑπὸ βαρβάρων καὶ ἀθέων ἀνδρῶν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμία παρέδειξεν· ὥστε τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας αὐτῶν δόκιμον ἰσχυρῶς διαφανήσεσθαι. Καὶ δείκνυσιν ὅ τε Ἀβραὰμ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ γενόμενος, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαραὼ ἀφαιρούμενος, καὶ ἐν παροικίᾳ τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην αὐτῷ γῆν οἰκῶν. Ὡσαύτως τε ὁ τούτου υἱὸς, καὶ ἐκείνου γόνος, τὸν Ἰσαάκ φημι καὶ τὸν Ἰακὼβ, αὖθίς τε ὁ ἐκείνου σωφρονέστατος παῖς Ἰωσὴφ, δοῦλος γενόμενος, καὶ τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκεῖν καταδικαζόμενος. Οὐκοῦν οὐ τὴν εἰς κοσμικὴν εὐδοξίαν τε καὶ μεγαλαυχίαν παρά κλησιν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ σοφὸς Συμεὼν ἐξεδέχετο· ἀλλὰ τὴν ὄντως ἀληθῆ, τὴν εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας κάλλος μετάθεσιν.","english":"Let such a person know that the lawful constitution was in no way harmed by this—by Israel being ruled by a foreign nation—so that the righteous elder awaited the consolation concerning this. For it has happened in various ways that, just as a rebellious son is handed over by his father to some strict tutor for correction, so Israel often came under the rule of a foreign people. The sojourn of the people in Egypt for as long as it lasted makes this clear, and the prophet Jeremiah in the times of Zedekiah the king, speaking by divine command to him and to the people under him, that they should come under the scepter of Nebuchadnezzar and join themselves to the Chaldeans.\n\nNor was it unreasonable that these, having shown themselves worthy of a more punitive mode of life, should be subjected to a foreign scepter; but already even some of the righteous—men of whom the world was not worthy, to speak with Paul—the forbearance of God showed forth not as rulers but as ruled by barbarian and godless men, so that the proven character of their piety might shine forth mightily. And Abraham demonstrates this, having been in Egypt and having his wife taken away by Pharaoh, and dwelling as a sojourner in the land promised to him. Likewise his son and the offspring of that one—I mean Isaac and Jacob—and again that one's most temperate son Joseph, who became a slave and was condemned to dwell in the prison. Therefore the wise Symeon did not await the calling of Israel to worldly glory and boastfulness, but the truly real one—the transformation into the beauty of the truth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"Χρηματισθέντος γὰρ αὐτῷ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ βίου μεταλλαγῆς ἰδεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν Κυρίου συνανα φανήσεσθαι, πνευματικῶς τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ παράκλησιν ἐξεδέχετο. Ἦλθεν οὖν\n\nοὗτος ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν, καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσαγαγεῖν τοὺς γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν, τοῦ ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸ εἰθισμένον τοῦ νόμου περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς ἀγκάλας αὑτοῦ, καὶ εὐλόγησεν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ εἶπεν· Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, Δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ· ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ Σωτήριον, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ. Ὦ μακάριε ἀληθῶς καὶ τρισμακάριε πρεσβύτα! Ὡς μακαρία σου ἐκείνη ἡ ὄντως ἱερὰ εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν εἴσ οδος, δι' ἧς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ βίου ἔξοδον ἔδραμες! Ὡς μακάριά σου τὰ ὄμματα τῆς ψυχῆς ὁμοῦ καὶ σώμα τος! Τὰ μὲν τῆς ὁρατῆς θεοφανείας ἐν ἀντιλήψει γενόμενα· τὰ δὲ μὴ πρὸς τὸ ὁρώμενον ἀπιδόντα μόνον, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ τῷ τοῦ Πνεύματος κατηυγασμένα φωτὶ, καὶ τὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι Θεὸν Λόγον γνωρίσαντα, τὰ τὸ θεῖον εἰδότα σωτήριον, τὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον πάν των τῶν λαῶν ἡτοιμασμένον. Ὡς μακάριαί σου αἱ χεῖρες αἱ τὸν Λόγον τῆς ζωῆς ψηλαφήσασαι! Ὡς μακαρία σου ἡ γλῶττα ἡ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ ζωτικοῦ φωτὸς εὐαγγελισαμένη! Καὶ τί ἄν σοι καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν μελῶν ἰδικῶς ἁρμόζειν ἐπείγομαι ἔπαινον, ἤδη σε ὅλον ἐπαινετὸν καὶ μακάριον, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύ ματι κάτοχον τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ προδιδάξαντος;","english":"For it had been revealed to him before his departure from life that he would see the Christ of the Lord appear together with him, and he was awaiting the consolation of the people in a spiritual sense. So this man came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do according to the custom of the law concerning him, he himself received him into his arms and blessed God and said: Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace; for my eyes have seen your Salvation, which you prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for revelation to the nations and the glory of your people Israel. O truly blessed and thrice-blessed elder! How blessed was that truly sacred entrance of yours into the temple, through which you ran toward the departure from life! How blessed were the eyes of your soul and of your body alike! The one set of eyes was granted the visible manifestation of God; the other did not look only at what was seen, but was illuminated by the very light of the Spirit and recognized the God-Word in the body, knowing the divine Salvation prepared before the face of all peoples. How blessed were your hands, which touched the Word of life! How blessed was your tongue, which proclaimed the good news of the revelation of the life-giving light! And why do I hasten to compose for you a fitting praise for each of your members individually, when you are already wholly praiseworthy and blessed, and possessed by the Holy Spirit, as the evangelist foretold?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"Ἀλλὰ δεῦρο, ὦ μακάριε Πάτερ, τῇ ἐν σοὶ ὑπηχήσει τοῦ Πνεύματος δίδαξον ὡς τέκνα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὰ θρέμματα τὸν ἀποκεκρυμμένον θησαυρὸν, καθάπερ ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσι τοῖς ὀλίγοις σου ῥήμασιν· ἐπείπερ πρὸς ὑμᾶς τε καὶ τοὺς καθ' ὑμᾶς τῇ πολιᾷ τῆς ἄνω φρονήσεως κεκοσμημένους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους ὄντως ὑπάρχοντας, καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας Πατέρας χρηματίζοντας, ὁ θεῖος ἡμᾶς ὁδηγεῖ λόγος μαθητευσομένους τὰ σωτηριώδη διδάγματα, Ἐπερώτησον, λέγων, τὸν πατέρα σου· καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ σοι τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους σου, καὶ ἐροῦσί σοι. Ἡ τὴν ἐκείνου τοιγαροῦν γλῶτταν κινήσασα τότε πρὸς θεολογίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος δύναμις, καὶ ἡμῖν διδότω λόγον νῦν ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματος. Νῦν ἀπο λύεις, φησὶ, τὸν δοῦλόν σου, Δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Ἐξότε γὰρ Χριστὸς ἐνηνθρώπησε, καὶ τὴν πολεμοποιὸν ἁμαρτίαν ἐξηφάνισεν, καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡμᾶς κατήλλαξεν, ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἡ τῶν ἁγίων μετάστασις γίνεται. Τοῦτο γὰρ προφητικῶς καὶ ὁ μέγας Δαβὶδ προενδεικνύμενος ἔλεγεν· Ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κοιμηθήσομαι καὶ ὑπνώσω· τὸ μὴ παρὸν, ἀλλὰ μέλλον κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν αἰνιττόμενος. Καὶ ὡς μονοτρόπως τῆς τοιαύτης ἐλπί δος (τῆς εἰρηναίας φημὶ ἐν Χριστῷ κοιμήσεως), τοῖς ἁγίοις εἰσοικισθείσης διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, φησίν· Ὅτι σὺ, Κύριε, καταμόνας ἐπ' ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος πρεσβύτης Συμεὼν, ἤδη παρόντα τὸν καιρὸν θεασάμενος, φησὶ, Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, Δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ· τὸ ἐνεστηκὸς τῆς θείας δεικνύων ἐπαγγελίας.","english":"But come now, blessed Father, teach us, the children of the Church, the hidden treasure by the inspiration of the Spirit that is in you, as in earthen vessels, by your few words; since it is to you and to those like you, adorned with the gray hair of heavenly wisdom and truly being elders, and bearing the title of Fathers of the Church, that the divine word leads us to be taught the saving doctrines, saying, \"Ask your father, and he will declare to you; your elders, and they will tell you.\" Therefore let the power of the Spirit that then moved his tongue to theology give us also a word now in the opening of the mouth. \"Now you are releasing your servant, Master,\" he says, \"according to your word, in peace.\" For since Christ became man, and destroyed the war-making sin, and reconciled us to the Father, the departure of the saints takes place in peace. For the great David also, foretelling this prophetically, said: \"In peace I shall both sleep and rest together\"; hinting at what is not present but future at the coming of Christ. And since such hope—I mean the peaceful sleep in Christ—has been established in the saints in a singular way through the Spirit, he says: \"For you, Lord, have made me dwell alone in hope.\" And the blessed elder Symeon, seeing that the time was already present, says, \"Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace,\" showing the present fulfillment of the divine promise.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"Ὅτι εἶδον, φησὶν, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ Σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν· τουτέστι τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ γενομένην παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ σωτηρίαν, καὶ οὐ μόνῳ τῷ Ἰσραήλ. Πῶς οὖν ἀνωτέρω μεμαρτύρηται τὴν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ προσδέχεσθαι παράκλησιν, νῦν δὲ ὤφθη τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ σωτήριον ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν λαῶν ἀναφθεγγόμενος; Ἐπειδὴ τότε τὴν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἔσεσθαι παράκλησιν ἔγνω τῷ Πνεύματι, ὅτε καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς λαοῖς ἡτοίμασται τὸ σωτήριον. Ὅρα δὲ τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῆς θείας ἐμπνεύσεως. Φῶς γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν, καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ· ὁμόλογα τῷ μεγάλῳ Παύλῳ ἐν τῇ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ὑπαριθμήσει φθεγγόμενος. Ὅτε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται. Οὐκοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς προτάξας τὴν κλῆσιν τῶν ἐθνῶν, τελευταῖον κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν τὴν τοῦ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ ἐταμιεύσατο ἐπιστροφήν· κἂν ὅτι ἤδη τὸ κατάλειμμα σέσωσται διὰ τῶν ἤδη ἐξ Ἰουδαίων προσδραμόντων τῇ χάριτι. Θέα δέ μοι καὶ τὸ τῶν ὑψηλῶν νοημάτων κυριόλεκτον. Φῶς γὰρ εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν εἰρηκὼς, τὴν τοῦ θείου σωτηρίου ἀποκάλυψιν νοεῖν ἡμῖν δίδωσιν, ὡς ἐν σκότῳ παντελεῖ καὶ τελείᾳ ζοφώσει μηδένα αὐγασμὸν θεογνωσίας ἔχοντα. Πρὸ γὰρ τῆς","english":"For my eyes,\" he says, \"have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all the peoples\"—that is, the salvation that came through Christ for the whole world, and not for Israel alone. How then is it testified above that he receives the consolation of Israel, but now he declares aloud that the salvation of God has been seen before all the peoples? Because he knew in the Spirit that then the consolation of Israel would come, when the salvation had also been prepared for all the peoples. And observe the precision of the divine inspiration. For \"a light,\" he says, \"for the revelation of the nations, and the glory of your people Israel\"—uttering words in agreement with the great Paul in his reckoning of Israel. For \"when,\" he says, \"the fullness of the nations has come in, then all Israel will be saved.\" Therefore he too, having placed the calling of the nations first, reserved the conversion of all Israel last according to the prophecy—although indeed the remnant has already been saved through those from among the Jews who have already run to grace. And observe for me the sovereignly spoken character of these lofty thoughts. For having said \"a light for the revelation of the nations,\" he grants us to understand the revelation of the divine salvation, as for those who are in complete darkness and total gloom, having no radiance of the knowledge of God. For before the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"Χριστοῦ παρουσίας καθειστήκει τὰ ἔθνη, καθὼς καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἡσαΐας τὸν ἐν σκότει λαὸν καθήμενον εὐαγγελιζόμενος, τὸ μέγα φῶς αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν διηγόρευσεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, εἰ καὶ μετρίως, ὅμως γοῦν τῷ τυπικῷ ἐφωτίζετο νόμῳ, φῶς μὲν ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ οὐκ εἴρηκεν· δόξαν δὲ αὐτὸν κληρώσασθαι προεφήτευσε, παλαιᾶς ἱστορίας ἀναμιμνήσκων· ὅτι καθάπερ πάλαι ὁ θαυμάσιος Μωϋσῆς, τοῦ Θεοῦ συνόμιλος γεγονὼς, δεδοξασμένον ἔσχε τὸ πρόσωπον· οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ, τῷ θείῳ τῆς ἐναν θρωπήσεως διὰ πίστεως προσομιλήσαντες φωτὶ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος καταλαμφθέντες δυνάμει, ἐν δόξῃ φανήσονται, τὸ παλαιὸν ἀποθέμενοι κάλυμμα, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμενοι, ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, καθάπερ ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος Τὸ εἰρηκέναι δὲ τὸν θεόφρονα Συμεῶνα εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ κεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον, δείκνυσι τῇ συμβάσει τῶν νοημάτων πρὸς τὰ προφητικὰ διαγγέλματα, ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν Θεόν τε καὶ νομοθέτην ἔν τε προφήταις καὶ τῇ Καινῇ Διαθήκῃ λελαληκέναι. Τὸν γὰρ λίθον τοῦ προσκόμματος καὶ τοῦ σκανδάλου τὴν πέτραν αἰτίαν τοῦ μὴ καταισχυνθήσεσθαι τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτὸν πιστεύοντας, ὁ προφητικὸς διηγόρευσε λόγος. Οὐκοῦν πτῶσις μὲν ἔστι τοῖς τῷ ταπεινῷ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐξ ἀπιστίας προσπταίουσιν· ἀνάστασις δὲ, τοῖς τὸ στεῤῥὸν τῆς θείας οἰκονομίας ἐπεγνωκόσιν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς Θεοτόκου ψυχῆς ῥομφαίαν διελαθῆναι λέγων, σαφῶς τὸ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ προφητεύει πάθος.","english":"The nations had been established by the coming of Christ, just as the blessed Isaiah also, proclaiming good tidings to the people sitting in darkness, declared that they would see the great light. But since Israel, even if moderately, was nevertheless enlightened by the typical law, he did not call it light in their case; but he prophesied that they would obtain glory as their lot, reminding them of ancient history: that just as long ago the wonderful Moses, having become a companion of God, had a glorified face, so also they themselves, having through faith communed with the divine light of the incarnation and having been illumined by the power of the Spirit, will appear in glory, having put aside the old veil and being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as the Apostle says, even as from the Lord, the Spirit. And the statement of the God-minded Symeon, that the Lord is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, shows by the agreement of the thoughts with the prophetic declarations that one and the same God and lawgiver has spoken both in the prophets and in the New Testament. For the prophetic word declared the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense to be the cause that those who believe in him will not be put to shame. Therefore there is a fall for those who stumble in unbelief at the lowliness of the flesh; and a rising for those who have recognized the firmness of the divine economy. But also, in saying that a sword would pass through the very soul of the Theotokos, he clearly prophesies the passion on the cross.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"Τοῖς γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς παραδόξου συλλήψεως μέχρι τοῦ κατὰ τοῦ πάθους καιροῦ θεο πρεπῶς εἰς αὐτὸν εἰρημένοις τε καὶ πεπραγμένοις, ἓν ὥσπερ ἂν ἀδιάτμητον σῶμα, ὑψηλοτέραν τε καὶ θεοπρεπεστέραν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐχούσης τῆς Θεοτόκου ὑπόληψιν, τομὴν ὥσπερ τινὰ πεπονθέναι αὐτὴν νομιούμεθα, ἐν τῷ ἀδόξῳ τῆς σταυρώσεως, εἰ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως θαῦμα συνούλωσιν παντελῆ τῆς το μῆς ἀπειργάσατο. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μόνην αὐτὴν τῷ τοιού τῳ πάθει ἐνσχεθῆναι σημαίνει, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλῶν καρδιῶν διαλογισμοὺς ἀμφιβολίας τε καὶ διχονοίας ἀναφανῆναι προλέγει· ὡς ἂν ἐν τῷ διαφόρῳ τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ ὑπολήψεων, μή τινα κλόνον σχοίη ἡ Θεομήτωρ Παρθένος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ προφῆτις Ἄννα ἐκ τοῦ γήρως ἀδρανές τι καὶ οὐ λίαν ἐξακουστὸν φθέγγεται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ ὑψηλὸν Εὐαγγέλιον αὐτολεξεὶ τὰ ἐξ αὐτῆς λεχθέντα παρήγαγε· πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ πυθώμεθα, τίς τε καὶ πόθεν αὕτη καθέστηκε, καὶ ἐπὶ ποίοις καὶ πότε τῷ ἱερῷ ἐφέστηκεν, αὖθίς τε τίνων ἔλεγε διάνοιαν ἐρευνήσωμεν. Φησὶ τοίνυν ὁ μακάριος Λουκᾶς, ὡς Ἦν Ἄννα ἡ προφῆτις θυγάτηρ Φανουὴλ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἀσήρ· αὕτη προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ἡμέραις πολλαῖς ζήσασα μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἔτη ἑπτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς παρθενίας αὐτῆς· καὶ αὐτὴ χήρα ὡς ἐτῶν ὀγδοήκοντα τεσσάρων· ἣ οὐκ ἀφίστατο ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, νηστείαις καὶ δεήσεσι λατρεύουσα νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν· καὶ αὕτη, αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐπιστᾶσα, ἀνθωμολογεῖτο τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐλάλει περὶ αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς προσδεχομένοις λύτρωσιν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.","english":"For with respect to the things spoken and done concerning him in a manner befitting God, from that paradoxical conception itself until the time of his passion, the Mother of God holding a higher and more divine opinion of him, we are considered to have suffered, as it were, a certain cutting, as though she were one indivisible body, in the dishonor of the crucifixion, even if the wonder of the resurrection accomplished a complete healing of the cut. But it does not indicate that she alone was caught up in such suffering; rather, it foretells that out of many hearts reasonings and doubts and divisions would appear—so that amid the differing opinions concerning him, the Virgin Mother of God might have no disturbance. But since the prophetess Anna, from old age, utters something feeble and not very widely heard, and the lofty Gospel has not brought out her words verbatim, let us first learn from the evangelist who she was and from where, and for what purposes and when she stood in the temple, and again let us examine whose minds she was searching out. The blessed Luke says, then: Anna the prophetess was the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher; she, advanced in many days, had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about eighty-four years; she did not depart from the temple, serving with fasts and supplications night and day; and she, coming up at that very hour, gave thanks to God and spoke about him to all who were awaiting redemption in Jerusalem.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"Τίς ὁ λόγος τοῦ τοιαύτην ἀκριβῆ τὴν περὶ τῆς προφήτιδος ταύτης τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀφήγησιν, ὥστε καὶ τὸν ταύ της πατέρα, καὶ τὴν φυλὴν ἐν ἐπιμνήσει ποιήσασθαι, καὶ ὅπερ ἐπ' οὐδενὶ ἑτέρῳ σχεδὸν ἱστορημένον εὕρηται; Τὸν μὲν περὶ τούτου ἀκριβῆ λόγον μόνος ἂν εἰδείη αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ἁγίων Θεὸς, καὶ οἱ τῇ αὐτοῦ ἐπιπνοίᾳ Πνεύματι λαλεῖν κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον δεδιδαγμένοι μυστήρια· κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἡμῖν ἐφικτὸν, καὶ ἑτέρας κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τῇ μακαρίᾳ ταύτῃ συνωνύμους ὑπάρχειν φαμὲν, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνῃ ἔχεσθαι ἱερῶν σπουδασμάτων, τοῦ ἐν νηστείαις καὶ προσευχαῖς προσκαρτερεῖν. Πρὸς οὖν τὸ εὐκρινὲς εἶναι τὸ ταύτης πρόσωπον, τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς ἐπιμνήσει καὶ τῆς φυλῆς τὸ ἴδιον προσεγράψατο· μεγάλοις δὲ αὐτὴν ἐγκωμίοις ἐστέψατο, καὶ πάντως τὸ παρὰ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν ἀξιόπιστον ἔχουσιν, οἷς καὶ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου διελέγετο. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ, ὡς εἴρηται, τὸ τοῦ λόγου διηχημένον καὶ μεγαλόφωνον ὑπὸ τοῦ γήρως ἀφῄρηται, πλησίον αὐτῆς ὥσπερ τοῦ στόματος τὸ οὖς","english":"What is the reason that the evangelist made such an exact account concerning this prophetess, so as to make mention of her father and her tribe as well—something that is found recorded of scarcely any other? The exact account of this matter only the God of the saints himself could know, and those who by his inspiration have been taught by the Spirit to speak mysteries, according to the divine Apostle. But as far as is attainable by us, we say that at that time there were others bearing the same name as this blessed woman, and that they held to the same sacred pursuits as she did—namely, persisting in fastings and prayers. Therefore, in order that this woman's person might be clearly distinguished, he added in writing what was peculiar to her by mention of her father and her tribe; and he crowned her with great praises, and altogether with what carries credibility among those who hear, to whom he also spoke concerning the Lord. But since, as has been said, the resonant and loud-voiced quality of her speech had been taken away by old age, her ear was near her mouth, as it were.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"τῆς διανοίας ἐνθέμενοι διὰ τῆς παρούσης ὑποθέσεως ἐρεύνης, ἴδωμεν τί καὶ αὕτη διελέγετο τοῖς τὴν λύτρωσιν προσδεχομένοις ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸ τῆς ἐννοίας ἀκόλουθον ἐκ τῶν προφητικῶν λόγων, τὴν περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐποιεῖτο διάλεξιν· ἐπεὶ καὶ οὗτοι, πρὸς οὓς ταῦτα λαλεῖν αὐτὴν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἔφησεν, πάντως ἐκ τῶν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις ἐκφερομένων θείων χρησμῶν προσδέχεσθαι λύτρωσιν μεμαθήκασιν. Πάντως αὐτῇ πρόχειρος εἰς ὑπογραφὴν τοῦ μυστηρίου ὁ τοῦ μεγάλου Ἡσαΐου λόγος καθέστηκε· Παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν, υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν, οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐγεννήθη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεγάλης βουλῆς Ἄγγελος. Καὶ μὴν, Φωτί ζου, φωτίζου, Ἱερουσαλήμ· ἥκει γάρ σου τὸ φῶς, καὶ ἡ δόξα Κυρίου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνατέταλκεν. Καὶ Δαυῒδ ὁ μέγας παρήγετο· Ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια συνήντησαν, δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη κατεφίλησαν· καὶ, Εἴδοσαν πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν. Καὶ ἐνδεικτικῶς εἰς αὐτόν· Πρὸ τοῦ ἡλίου διαμένει τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν αὐτῷ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη μακαριοῦσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ· καὶ ὅτι Ἐγνώρισε Κύριος τὸ σωτήριον αὑτοῦ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ. Αὖθίς τε ἡ τιμία καὶ ἀγγελοπρεπὴς τοῦ σοφοῦ Μαλαχίου φωνή· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστελῶ τὸν ἄγγελόν μου, καὶ ἑτοιμάσει ὁδὸν πρὸ προσώπου σου καὶ ἐξαίφνης ἥξει εἰς τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ Κύριος, καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς διαθήκης, ὃν ὑμεῖς θέλετε.","english":"Having set this before our mind through the present investigation of the subject, let us see what she also was saying to those who were awaiting redemption in Jerusalem. For in accordance with the sequence of the thought, from the prophetic words she was holding her discourse concerning the Lord; since these too, to whom the Gospel said she was speaking these things, had certainly learned from the divine oracles uttered among the prophets to await redemption. Altogether ready at hand for her, for the delineation of the mystery, is the word of the great Isaiah: A child was born to us, and a son was given to us, whose beginning was born upon his shoulder, and that his name is called Angel of great counsel. And indeed, Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. And David the great was brought forward: Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other; and, All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. And indicatively concerning him: Before the sun his name endures, and in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed. All the nations shall call him blessed, and shall serve him and worship him; and that the Lord has made known his salvation to the sons of Israel. And again the precious and angelic voice of the wise Malachi: Behold, I send my angel, and he will prepare the way before your face, and suddenly the Lord will come into his temple, and the angel of the covenant, whom you desire.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"Καὶ ἄλλοις ἄλλοθεν προφητικῶν λογίων μυστικοῖς ἄνθεσι τὸ θεολόγον καὶ μακάριον στέφος ἐπλέξατο, ἀσθενεῖ μὲν ἔτι καὶ ὑποτρόμῳ χειρὶ, ὡς δὴ προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ἡμέραις πολλαῖς. Οὐ γάρ που ἐχωρεῖτο τότε τοῖς ἀκούουσιν ἡ τῶν ὑψηλῶν περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου νοημάτων ἀφήγησις, ὅτε καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην τῶν σημείων ἐπίδειξιν καὶ τῶν ἐνθέων μυστηρίων ἀνακήρυξιν ὁ τῶν τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως θησαυρῶν ταμίας Χριστὸς τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἔλεγε μαθηταῖς· Πολλὰ ὑμῖν ἔχω λαλῆσαι, ἀλλ' οὐ δύνασθε βαστάζειν ἄρτι.\n\nὍμως εἰ καὶ ἀμυδρῶς ἡ γηραλέα καὶ προφῆτις τὸν περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐποιήσατο λόγον, ὡς τοῦ νόμου ἔχουσα πρόσωπον, ὅπερ παλαιωθέν τε καὶ γηράσαν καὶ ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ γεγονὸς, τῇ Καινῇ Διαθήκῃ παρεχώρησεν· ἀλλ' οὖν οὐκ ἀσυντελὴς ἡ παρ' αὐτῆς διάλεξις τοῖς συνετοῖς ἀκροαταῖς γέγονεν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἡ παρὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐν σκιαῖς καὶ αἰνίγμασι τοῦ μεγάλου μυστηρίου προαναφώνησις. Δεῦτε οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς, Πατέρες καὶ ἀδελφοὶ πνευματικοὶ, οἱ ἑορτάζειν δεδιδαγμένοι ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος, καὶ οὐ παλαιότητι γράμματος, οἱ ἐν ἀζύμοις εἰλικρινείας καὶ ἀληθείας τὸ τίμιον καὶ ζωοποιὸν Πάσχα τῆς θυσίας Χριστοῦ ἑορτάζειν ὀφείλοντες· οἱ τῇ θείᾳ ἀναγεννήσει τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποθέμενοι, τὸν κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης φθειρόμενον, καὶ τὸν νέον ἐνδυσάμενοι, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος· Δεῦτε, ἀγαλλιασώμεθα τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀλαλάξωμεν τῷ Θεῷ τῷ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν. Εἴπωμεν τὸ, Ὡς φοβερὰ τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε!","english":"And with other mystical flowers of prophetic oracles gathered from various places she wove the theological and blessed crown, though still with a weak and trembling hand, as one advanced in many days. For the narration of the lofty thoughts concerning the Lord was not then comprehended by those who heard, at the time when even after so great a display of signs and the proclamation of divine mysteries Christ, the steward of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, said to his own disciples: I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.\n\nNevertheless, even if faintly, the aged prophetess made her discourse concerning the Lord, as having the person of the Law, which, having grown old and aged and come near to vanishing, gave way to the New Testament; but her discourse was not without profit to discerning hearers, just as neither was the Law's foretelling of the great mystery in shadows and riddles. Come then, you also, fathers and spiritual brothers, who have been taught to celebrate in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter, who ought to celebrate the precious and life-giving Passover of the sacrifice of Christ in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth; who by the divine regeneration of holy baptism have put off the old man, which is corrupted according to the desires of deceit, and have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto knowledge according to the image of the one who created him: Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us shout aloud to God our Savior. Let us say, How fearful are your works, O Lord!","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"εἰ καὶ ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῆς δυνάμεώς σου οἱ ἐχθροί σου ἐψεύσαντο, ἑκουσίως πρὸς τὸ φανὲν τῷ κόσμῳ θεῖόν σου φῶς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπομύσαντες. Προφθάσωμεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει, καὶ ἐν ψαλμοῖς ἀλαλάξωμεν αὐτῷ. Ἀνενέγκωμεν θυσίαν αἰνέσεως διαπαντὸς τῷ Θεῷ, τουτέστι καρπὸν χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ, τῆς τε εὐποιίας καὶ κοινωνίας μὴ ἐπιλαθώμεθα· τοιαύταις γὰρ θυσίαις εὐαρεστεῖται ὁ Θεὸς ἵνα τὸν ῥύπον τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπονιψώμεθα, καὶ ἀνακαινισθήσεται ὡς ἀετοῦ ἡ πνευματικὴ ἡμῶν νεότης· καθάπερ καὶ τοῦ μακαρίου πρεσβύτου Συμεῶνος, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰρηνικῶς τε καὶ περιχαρῶς ἐν ἀγαθῇ πεποιθήσει καὶ σωτηρίῳ ἐλπίδι πρὸς τὴν τοῦ βίου ἔξοδον δράμωμεν, καὶ μὴ μετ' αἰσχύνης καὶ δέους τὸν παρόντα βίον ὑπεξέλθωμεν, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ μὴ βουλόμενοι, καθάπερ οἱ πονηρὰ ἑαυτοῖς συνεγνωκότες, ἀηδῆ τε καὶ κατεστυγημένην τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἐπιστασίαν ἔχουσι.\n\nΜιμησώμεθα τῆς μακαρίας Ἄννης τὸ ἐν νηστείαις τε καὶ προσευχαῖς σύντονον καὶ ἀνένδοτον· μὴ γυναικὸς χείρους φανείημεν, καὶ ταῦτα ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν πολιτευομένης τοῦ νόμου, ἔνθα τὸ ἐν τούτοις εὐδόκιμον σπάνιον. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς τῷ φωτὶ καταλαμπόμενοι τῆς χάριτος, καὶ τῷ τρανῷ τε καὶ ἐκτυπωτέρῳ τῆς ἐλπίδος βοηθούμενοι, καὶ τῷ κράτει τοῦ Πνεύματος δυναμούμενοι, μὴ χωρισθῶμεν τῶν ἱερῶν διδαγμάτων, ἐξ ὧν ἡ σωτήριος ἕξις ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐντίκτεσθαι εἴωθεν·","english":"Even if your enemies lied in the abundance of your power, willingly shutting their eyes against your divine light that appeared to the world. Let us come before his face with confession, and let us shout aloud to him with psalms. Let us bring to God a sacrifice of praise continually, that is, the fruit of lips confessing his name, and let us not forget beneficence and fellowship; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased, so that we may wash away the filth of sin, and our spiritual youth shall be renewed as an eagle's; just as also with the blessed elder Symeon, so that we too may run peacefully and with great joy, in good confidence and saving hope, toward the departure from this life, and may not slip out of the present life with shame and fear, and in a manner unwilling, like those who are conscious of evil deeds against themselves and find the master's oversight unpleasant and detestable.\n\nLet us imitate the intensity and unyieldingness of the blessed Anna in fastings and prayers; let us not appear worse than a woman, and that too one who lived under the shadow of the law, where distinction in these things is rare. But let us, illuminated by the light of grace, and helped by the clear and more distinct hope, and strengthened by the power of the Spirit, not be separated from the sacred teachings, from which the saving disposition is accustomed to be engendered in souls;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"καθάπερ κἀκείνη ἀχώριστος εἶναι τοῦ ἱεροῦ μεμαρτύρηται, μὴ περιπλαζώμεθα τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ θείου φόβου, ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτοῦ τε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὰς σάρκας ἡμῶν καὶ τὰ νοήματα, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου εὐχὴν, καθηλώσωμεν. Ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ μεγάλου Παύλου διδάσκοντος· Ἡρμοσάμην ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ μὴ τὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν συνθήκας ἀθετήσωμεν διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν φθορέα τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἐπιμιξίας ἐκ τοῦ ποιεῖν τὰ ἐκείνου θελήματα· κἀν τούτῳ μιμούμενοι τῆς προφήτιδος τὸ σῶφρόν τε καὶ μονόζυγον· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον μὴ ἀπολειφθείητε τῆς μιμήσεως, ὅσοι μονογαμίας ἐλύθητε, καὶ εἰ δυνα τὸν πρὸς δεύτερον γάμον μὴ ἔλθητε. Οὕτω γὰρ μακαριώτερον ἔσεσθαι Παῦλος ὑμᾶς περὶ τούτου διαβεβαιοῦται. Προσαγάγωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω θυσιαστήριον ὡς ζεῦγος τρυγόνων τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος καθαρότητα· ἢ ὡς δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν τὸ προνοεῖσθαι καλὰ, οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων, ἵνα πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς πνευματικῶς κατὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον τελέσαντες, ἐν σοφίᾳ τε καὶ χάριτι προκόπτοντες, καὶ εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ φθάνοντες, καὶ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον τελειούμενοι, καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου γινόμενοι ἐνδιαίτημα, ὑποστρέψωμεν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῶν τὴν ἀληθινὴν, τὴν ἐπουράνιον Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν ᾗ καταξιωθείημεν τῆς μακαρίας καὶ διηνεκοῦς εὐφροσύνης τε καὶ βασιλείας ἀπολαύειν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ᾧ δόξα καὶ κράτος σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"Just as she too is testified to be inseparable from the sanctuary, let us not let our thoughts wander away from the divine fear, but from it and in it let us nail down our flesh and our thoughts, according to the prophet's prayer. Let us hear the great Paul teaching: I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ, and let us not nullify the covenants made with him through intercourse with the corrupter of our life by doing his will—even in this imitating the prophetess's chastity and single yoke; but, as is readily at hand, do not fall short of the imitation, all you who have been released from monogamy, and if possible do not come to a second marriage. For thus, Paul assures you, it will be more blessed. Let us also bring up to the altar above, as a pair of turtledoves, the purity of soul and body; or, as two young pigeons, the taking thought for things noble, not only before the Lord but also before men, so that we too, having accomplished all things spiritually according to the divine law, progressing in wisdom and grace, and reaching the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and being perfected in the inner man, and becoming a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, may return to our true fatherland, the heavenly Jerusalem, in which may we be deemed worthy to enjoy the blessed and unceasing gladness and kingdom in Christ Jesus, to whom be glory and might with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]}]}