Mary's Miraculous Conception
The Virgin Mary kept her breasts untouched and nursed a child without knowing the child's father. She became a mother without becoming a bride, a remarkable and unprecedented event. A son was being raised, and yet, a father was not found. The field was bearing fruit, but the fruit had no farmer to tend to it. The beast gave birth, but it did not receive seed. A river was flowing, and its source was closed from everywhere, signifying that Mary had become a mother without suffering the things that mothers normally experience. She gave birth like a woman, but she was not corrupted like a woman. Her pregnancy was according to the law of nature, as she waited for the appointed time of childbirth. However, her conception was contrary to the law of nature. You introduced the king, with the doors closed, but again you led him out. For neither when he was being conceived nor when he was being born did the king of glory open the doors of your womb or loosen the bonds of your virginity. The bridegroom has called you 'a garden enclosed' and 'a fountain sealed', for you have remained untouched by the forces of corruption and decay. The flower that has blossomed from the rod of Jesse presents itself to humanity in all its purity, cultivated by the pure and unmixed Spirit. You are a fountain sealed, for the river of life that flows from you has filled the world, yet no one has been able to draw from your fountain. David, inspired by you, continues to sing your praises, calling out to the Lord to arise and take his rest (Psalm 132:8). This is not a call for the Lord to separate himself from the Father, but rather to fulfill the plan that was ordained for him before the ages. The Lord must arise to raise the fallen, to straighten the bent, and to take possession of his rightful inheritance, which has been tyrannized by the enemy until now. He must arise to take his rest, which he has determined to take on earth.
Greek
γάλα καὶ τοὺς μασθοὺς ἀψηλαφήτους ἐφύλαξεν, ἐβάστασε παιδίον καὶ τοῦ παι δίου πατέρα οὐκ ἐγίνωσκεν, ἐγένετο μήτηρ καὶ οὐκ ἐγένετο νύμφη. Υἱὸς ἐτρέφετο καὶ πατὴρ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο· ὁ ἀγρὸς ἐκαρποφόρει καὶ ὁ καρπὸς γεωργὸν οὐκ ἐκέκτητο, θέρος ἀπέδωκε καὶ σπόρον οὐκ ἐδέξατο· ποταμὸς ἔτρεχε καὶ ἡ πηγὴ πανταχόθεν ἐκέ κλειστο, εἰς ἔνδειξιν ὅτι καὶ μήτηρ ἐγένου καὶ τὰ μητέρων οὐκ ἔπαθες· ἔτεκες ὡς γυνὴ καὶ οὐκ ἐφθάρης ὡς γυνή· κατὰ νόμον ἐκυοφόρεις τῆς φύσεως, ἐπειδὴ τὸν τεταγμένον καιρὸν τῶν ὠδίνων ἀνέμενες· ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ συνέλαβες παρὰ νόμον τῆς φύσεως. Ἕτερός σε Πύλην κεκλεισμένην, ἐν ἀνατολαῖς δὲ κειμένην προσηγόρευσε καὶ τὸν βασιλέα, τῶν θυρῶν κεκλει σμένων, εἰσάγουσαν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐκφέρουσαν 1 Πύλην σε κέ κληκεν, ἐπειδὴ θύρα τοῦ παρόντος βίου τῷ μονογενεῖ γέγονας, Πύλην ἐν ἀνατολαῖς κειμένην, ἐπειδὴ «τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν τὸ φωτίζον πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον» ἐκ τῆς σῆς γαστρὸς καθάπερ ἔκ τινος παστάδος βασιλικῆς προέρχε ται. Σὺ τὸν βασιλέα, τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων, εἰσήγαγες, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἐξήγαγες· οὔτε γὰρ συλλαμβανόμενος, οὔτε ὅλως τικτόμε νος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης τὰς θύρας τῆς σῆς μήτρας ἠνέῳξεν, οὔτε τῆς παρθενίας τοὺς συνδέσμους ἐχαύνωσεν. Σὲ «Κῆπον κεκλεισμένον» ὠνόμασε καὶ «Πηγὴν ἐσφραγισμένην» ὁ ἐκ σοῦ νυμφίος, προεῖπεν ἐν τοῖς Ἄσμασι «Κῆπον κεκλεισμένον», ἐπειδὴ σοῦ μὲν δρεπάνη φθορᾶς ἢ τρύγητος οὐχ ἥψατο, ἄνθος δὲ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ῥάβδου τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ καθαρῶς τῷ γένει τῶν ἀν θρώπων καὶ καθαρῶς παρίστησιν, ὑπὸ μόνου γεωργηθέν σοι τοῦ καθαροῦ καὶ ἀκηράτου Πνεύματος· «Πηγὴν ἐσφραγισμέ νην», ὅτι ποταμὸς ζωῆς ἐκ σοῦ προελθὼν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐ πλήρωσεν, ἀλλὰ κλάδος γαμικὸς τὴν σὴν πηγὴν οὐκ ἤντλησε. 3 Περὶ σοῦ ∆αυὶδ τὸν ἐκ σοῦ κιθαρίζων οὐ παύεται· «Ἀνά στηθι, κύριε, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, σὺ καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ ἁγιά σματός σου.» «Ἀνάστηθι»· Πόθεν; Ἐκ τῶν κόλπων τοῦ Πατρός, οὐχ ἵνα χωρισθῇς τοῦ Πατρός–τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ θέμις ἢ νοεῖσθαι ἢ λέγεσθαι–, ἵνα δὲ τὴν οἰκονομίαν πράξῃς ἥτις ἄνωθέν σοι πρὸ αἰώνων καὶ πρὸ τῶν γενεῶν προώριστο. «Ἀνά στηθι», ἵνα τοὺς πεσόντας ἐγείρῃς, ἵνα τοὺς σκελισθέντας ὀρ θώσῃς, ἵνα τὸ σὸν ἀναλάβῃς κτῆμα, παρὰ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν τυραννούμενον. «Ἀνάστηθι, κύριε, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου», ἣν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὥρισας
About this text
Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homilia i de sancta Maria deipara (Greek).
Original English Translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem’s Homilia i de sancta Maria deipara — new OET from PG 93 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 93 (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.