The Oil and the Two Nations
Therefore, even the oil did not pour idly to the top of the column; but this was indeed a sign of that which Mary was diligently performing, pouring myrrh from the top onto the feet of Christ. And this again happened to be that message of the burial, as the Lord himself clearly made known without ambiguity. And this stone represents that cornerstone, which those building rejected, but it became a head of the corner (Psalm 118:22).
Two nations and two peoples the divine writings declare. And Moses is a witness to this; for in the creation, indeed, recounting the life of Rebekah, he says how she went forth to inquire of the Lord concerning those things which she had conceived. And then again he says: 'The Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your belly' (Genesis 25:23).
Greek
Τοιγαροῦν οὐδὲ τὸ ἔλαιον ἀργῶς ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον ἐπέχεε τῆς στήλης· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἐκείνου δηλωτικὸν ἦν οὗ διεπράττετο σπουδαίως ἡ Μαρία, μύρον ἐξ ἄκρων ἐπιχέουσα τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποσίν· αὐτὸ δὲ πάλιν ἐτύγχανεν ἐκεῖνο μήνυμα τῆς ταφῆς, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐσαφήνισεν ἀναφανδὸν ὁ Κύριος· ὁ δὲ λίθος οὗτος εἰκονίζει τὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἐκεῖνον λίθον, ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν μὲν οἰ οἰκοδομοῦντες, εἰς γωνίας δὲ κεφαλὴν ἐγένετο. 8 ∆ύο ἔθνη καὶ δύο λαοὺς αἱ θεῖαι δηλοῦσι γραφαί. Καὶ τούτου μάρτυς Μωϋσῆς· ἐν τῇ κοσμοποιΐᾳ γοῦν τὸν τῆς Ῥεβέκκας διηγούμενος βίον, λέγει μὲν ὅπως ἐπορεύθη πυθέσθαι παρὰ Κυρίου περὶ ὧν εἶχε συλλαβοῦσα. Τηνικαῦτα δέ φησι· ὁ Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῇ· δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού εἰσιν, καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου