Praise for the Mother of God
Having received, and having brought forth the branch, she is the spiritual furnace, she who holds the fire and the bread of life; the holy Mother of the Savior, she who gave birth to the Word of the Father having become flesh from you, to whom Isaiah spoke: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name, Emmanuel.' O holy Virgin, holy Mother of the Lord; blessed Bride of the inseparable Trinity; blessed are you among women, you who bore upon the earth as an infant the Creator of all; blessed are you among women, you alone on earth who conceived the heavenly God; blessed are you among women, whom the Nourisher of the universe suckled; blessed are you among women, you who have now given birth to Him who once formed Adam from clay in Paradise, holy Mother of God, Virgin Mary.
For you are the Mother of God, you who gave birth to the Word having become flesh from you; you are the Mother of God, you who conceived God the Word in the form of a servant; you are the Mother of God, because having received God the Word, you gave birth to Him becoming flesh; you are the Mother of God, you alone who gave birth to the only begotten Son of God, the Only One; you did not give birth to a God for a fleeting moment, but to the eternal God, who was before you and before all things, having become flesh from you. She is the spotless lamb, she who bore Christ the Lamb; she is the heifer of the unyoked yoke, she who bore the calf; she is the spiritual table of faith, she who provided the bread of life to the world.
What shall I say? And what shall I speak of this overwhelming glory? Concerning this holy maiden, who is ever-youthful and a virgin, as God says through the prophet: 'A ruler shall come forth from you, to be a leader in Israel; and his exits are from of old, from the days of eternity. Therefore he shall give them until the time of birth, and shall give birth, and the remnant of his brothers shall return to the sons of Israel; and he shall stand and shall feed, and the Lord shall be the strength of his flock.'
O holy Virgin, being the mother of eternal light; the light of Him who illuminates the armies of angels in the heavens; the light of Him who illuminates the ineffable eye of the Seraphim; the light of Him who illuminates the sun with bright torches; the light of Him who illuminates the ends of the inhabited world with the Trinity; the light of Him who said: 'I am the light of the world'; the light of Him who said: 'I have come as the light into the world'; the light of Him who was taken up and illuminated in...
In the heavens and upon the earth, throughout the entire universe. O all-holy Virgin, who has welcomed the army of angels! For it is a strange wonder in the heavens, a woman carrying the Light in her arms; a strange wonder in the heavens, another cherubic throne; a strange wonder in the heavens, a son of a woman who is also the Father of all ages; a strange wonder in the heavens, a virgin's chamber, holding Christ, the Son of God, as a divine bridegroom; a strange wonder in the heavens, the child of the Virgin has become the Lord of the angels.
O all-holy Virgin, Mother of the Savior, who gave birth to the unoriginated Word, the Son who is co-throned with the Father, consubstantial with the Father and the Holy Spirit, who is from eternity with the Father and the Holy Spirit, who arched the heavens and established himself upon the earth. Hail, all-holy Virgin, who holds the fire of divinity unconsumed, like a spiritual bush; the spiritual furnace, who brought forth the fire and the bread of life, warm for the world to eat; about which the Savior of the world, Christ, says: 'Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you for the forgiveness of sins.'
O beloved ones, the most excellent table of virginal abundance, which the holy Virgin and Mother of Christ bestowed upon the inhabited world for the enjoyment of all good foods, she who carried Christ, the shining lamp gleaming in heaven and upon the earth; to whom the prophet Zechariah says: 'Behold, a golden lampstand with its lamp upon it.' Likewise, David cries out this melodic song: 'Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths.'
O virgin lamp, who drives away the darkness and radiates the light. O virgin lamp, who brought forth the fire and the oil inseparable for illumination. O virgin lamp, a triple-light, an unquenchable fire, receiving from the Highest Throne that which is consubstantial with it, and shining forth for the illumination of the world. O virgin lamp, concerning whom God says through the Prophet: 'There I will raise up for David a horn; I have prepared a lamp for my Christ.'
The royal crown, possessing the precious pearl-like stone, Christ; the royal purple, having clothed the King of the whole world in a purple garment of heaven and earth; the unfading faith of Christians; the incomprehensible book,
Greek
δεξαμένη, καὶ τὸ δράγμα βλαστήσασα, ἡ νοερὰ κλίβανος, ἡ τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς ἔχουσα· ἡ ὁσία μήτηρ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, 43.493 ἡ τὸν Λόγον τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα τεκοῦσα, πρὸς ἣν Ἡσαΐας· Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Ἐμμανουήλ. Ὦ Παρθένος ἁγία, ἁγία μήτηρ Κυρίου· μακαρία νύμφη Τριάδος ἀχωρίστου· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἡ τεκοῦσα ἐπὶ γῆς ὡς βρέφος τὸν πάντων κτίστην Θεόν· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἡ μόνη ἐπὶ γῆς κυήσασα τὸν οὐράνιον Θεόν· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἧς μασθοὺς ἐθήλασεν ὁ τρέφων τὰ σύμπαντα· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἡ νῦν γεννήσασα τὸν ποτὲ πλάσαντα πηλῷ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, Θεοτόκε ἁγία παρθένε Μαρία. Θεοτόκος γὰρ ὑπάρχεις, ἡ τὸν Λόγον ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα τεκοῦσα· Θεοτόκος ὑπάρχεις ἡ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον ἐν μορφῇ δούλου κυήσασα· Θεοτόκος ὑπάρχεις, ὅτι Θεὸν Λόγον δεξαμένη σαρκωθέντα ἔτεκες· Θεοτόκος ὑπάρχεις ἡ μόνη τοῦ μόνου μονογενῆ Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ γεννήσασα· οὐ πρόσκαιρον Θεὸν γεννήσασα, ἀλλ' αἰώνιον τὸν πρὸ σοῦ καὶ πάντων Θεὸν, ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα· τὸ ἄσπιλον πρόβατον, ἡ τὸν ἀμνὸν τεκοῦσα Χριστόν· ἡ δάμαλις ἡ ἀπειρόζυγος, ἡ τὸν μόσχον γεννήσασα· ἡ νοερὰ τῆς πίστεως τράπεζα, ἡ τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς τῷ κόσμῳ χορηγήσασα. Τί εἴπω; καὶ τί λαλήσω τὴν ὁλόῤῥιζον δόξαν; Περὶ ταύτης τῆς ὁσίας κόρης τῆς ἀείπαιδος καὶ παρθένου, διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος ὁ Θεός φησιν· Ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δώσει αὐτοὺς ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης, τέξεται, καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπιστρέψουσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ· καὶ στήσεται, καὶ ὄψεται, καὶ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύϊ Κύριος. Ὦ Παρθένε ἁγία, φωτὸς αἰωνίου ὑπάρχουσα μήτηρ· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὰς τῶν ἀγγέλων στρατιάς· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος τῶν σεραφεὶμ τὸ ἀνεκλάλητον ὄμμα· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος λαμπραῖς λαμπάσι τὸν ἥλιον· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης τῇ Τριάδι· φωτὸς τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· φωτὸς τοῦ εἰρηκότος· Ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθα· φωτὸς τοῦ ἀναληφθέντος καὶ φωτίσαντος ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τὰ σύμπαντα. Ὦ παναγία Παρθένε, ἡ στρατιὰς ἀγγέλων ξενίσασα! Ξένον γὰρ θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, γυνὴ τὸ φῶς ἐν ἀγκάλαις βαστάσασα· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, χερουβικὸς θρόνος ἕτερος· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, γυναικὸς υἱὸς, αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν αἰώνων πατὴρ ὑπάρχων· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, Παρθένου θάλαμος, Υἱὸν Θεοῦ, Θεὸν νυμφίον ἔχουσα Χριστόν· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, τὸ βρέφος τῆς Παρθένου, ∆εσπότης τῶν ἀγγέλων πέφυκεν. Ὦ παναγία Παρθένε, μήτηρ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἡ τὸν ἄναρχον γεννήσασα Λόγον, τὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς σύνθρονον Υἱὸν, τὸν ὁμοούσιον τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, τὸν προαιώνιον σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, τὸν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καμαρώσαντα, τὸν τὴν γῆν ἑδράσαντα. Χαῖρε, παναγία Παρθένε, ἡ τὸ πῦρ τῆς θεότητος 43.496 ἀφλέκτως, ὡς νοερὰ βάτος, κατέχουσα, ἡ νοερὰ κλίβανος, ἡ τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς θερμὸν τῷ κόσμῳ πρὸς βρῶσιν ἐνέγκασα· περὶ οὗ λέγει ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου Χριστός· Λάβετε, φάγετε· τοῦτό μου ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμα, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κλώμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Πλουσία τῆς παρθενικῆς ἡ πανάρετος τράπεζα, ὦ ἀγαπητοὶ, παντοίων καλῶν βρωμάτων πρὸς ἀπόλαυσιν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ἐδωρήσατο ἡ ὁσία Παρθένος καὶ μήτηρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἡ τὸν φωτεινὸν λύχνον τὸν ἐκλάμποντα ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς βαστάσασα Χριστόν· πρὸς ἣν ὁ προφήτης Ζαχαρίας· Ἰδοὺ λυχνία χρυσῆ καὶ τὸ λαμπάδιον ἐπάνω αὐτῆς. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ὁ ∆αβὶδ τὸ μελῳδικὸν ᾆσμα τοῦτο βοᾷ· Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ λόγος σου, καὶ φῶς τοῖς τρίβοις μου. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, ἡ τὸ σκότος ἀπελαύνουσα καὶ τὸ φῶς καταυγάζουσα. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, ἡ τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον ἀχώριστον πρὸς φωτισμὸν ἐνέγκασα. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, τρίφωτον ἓν πῦρ ἄσβεστον, ὁμοούσιον ἀφ' ὑψηλοτάτου θρόνου λαβοῦσα, καὶ πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκλάμψασα. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, περὶ ἧς διὰ τοῦ Προφήτου λέγει ὁ Θεός· Ἐκεῖ ἐξανατελῶ κέρας τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ἡτοίμασα λύχνον τῷ Χριστῷ μου. Ὁ βασιλικὸς στέφανος, τὸν μαργαριτοειδῆ πολύτιμον ἔχουσα λίθον Χριστόν· ἡ βασιλικὴ πορφύρα, τὸν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ἐνδύσασα βασιλέα τὸ οἰκουμενικὸν τοῦ σώματος πορφυροειδὲς ἔνδυμα· ἡ ἀκηλίδωτος τῶν Χριστιανῶν πίστις· ἡ ἀκατάληπτος βίβλος,
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.