The Star and the Gifts of the Magi
Look at the wonder and the sign! Because of this, the star was hidden from them, so that when the unbelieving priests asked about it, the mystery of heaven and earth might be made manifest to all. Therefore, after everyone had come to know, the star was revealed again to the Magi, until it came and stood over the Child in the cave, or rather, in heaven. For where Christ is, there is heaven; for the cave appeared as heaven upon the earth.
Those who saw the star, and even more so the Savior, rejoiced with great joy; they bowed down and worshiped, and brought out their gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold, as for a king; frankincense, as for God; and myrrh, as for a mortal—but rather so that they might also signify the burial of Christ, the Creator and Maker of all, whom the heavenly bride Mary brought forth, she who is the heaven, the temple, and the throne of the Divinity, the ineffable treasure of Paradise.
Angels once praised Eve, but now they glorify Mary; she who, having glorified the weakest of women, raised up the fallen Eve, and sent Adam, who was cast out of Paradise, into the heavens, and she who opened the closed Paradise, and through the thief again...
Greek
βλέπε τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ τὴν μήνυσιν. Ἕνεκεν τούτου κρύπτεται ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὁ ἀστὴρ, ἵνα τούτων ἐρωτώντων παρὰ τῶν ἀπίστων ἱερέων, φανερὸν γένηται πᾶσι τὸ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς μυστήριον. Ὅθεν μετὰ τὸ 43.501 γνῶναι πάντας, φανεροῦται πάλιν μάγοις ὁ ἀστὴρ, ἕως οὗ ἐλθὼν ἔστη ἐπάνω τοῦ βρέφους ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, ἢ μᾶλλον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ὅπου γὰρ Χριστὸς, ἐκεῖ ὁ οὐρανός· τὸ γὰρ σπήλαιον οὐρανὸς ὤφθη ἐπὶ γῆς. Οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες τὸν ἀστέρα, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην, οἳ καὶ κύψαντες προσεκύνησαν, καὶ ἐκβαλόντες τὰ δῶρα, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν. Χρυσὸν μὲν ὡς βασιλεῖ· λίβανον δὲ ὡς Θεῷ· καὶ σμύρναν ὡς θνητῷ· μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα καὶ τὸν ἐνταφιασμὸν μηνύσωσι τοῦ πάντων κτίστου καὶ δημιουργοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃν ἔτεκεν ἡ οὐράνιος νύμφη Μαρία, ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ναὸς καὶ θρόνος τῆς θεότητος, τὸ ἀνεκλάλητον τοῦ παραδείσου κειμήλιον. Ἄγγελοι τὴν Εὔαν ἐμέμφοντο, νυνὶ δὲ τὴν Μαρίαν δοξάζουσιν· ἡ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τῶν γυναικῶν κυρίως δοξάσασα, ἡ τὴν πεσοῦσαν Εὔαν ἀναστήσασα, καὶ τὸν ἐκβληθέντα τοῦ παραδείσου Ἀδὰμ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀποστείλασα, ἡ τὸν κλεισθέντα παράδεισον ἀνοίξασα, καὶ διὰ λῃστοῦ πάλιν τὸν
About this text
Epiphanius preaches Mary's glory as Mother of God, weaving Scripture into praise.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 41–43 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.