§1.18Στιχ. ιη΄.
Verse 18.
Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ ἡ γέννησις οὕτως ἦν. . . . . . . . (1–2) Ὧδε μὲν γεννήσεως μέμνηται ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, κατʼ ἀρχὰς δὲ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, τῆς γενέσεως.
"Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise..." (1–2) Here indeed the evangelist mentions birth, but at the beginning of the Gospel, generation.
Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ λέγει· Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ λριστοῦ ἡ γέννησις οὕτως ἦν, ἐκεῖ δὲ, Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τίς οὖν ἡ διαφορὰ τῆς γεννήσεως καὶ τῆς γενέσεως;
For here he says: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise," but there: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ." What then is the difference between birth and generation?
καὶ ὡς ἀμφότερα ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ λαμβάνεται;
And how are both taken in reference to Christ?
Ὥσπερ ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὁ προφορικὸς κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν ἀναφής ἐστι καὶ ἀόρατος· ὅταν δὲ ἐν βιβλίῳ γραφῇ, καὶ οἱονεὶ σωματωθῇ, τότε καὶ ὁρᾶται καὶ ψηλαφᾶται· οὕτως καὶ ὁ ἄσαρκος τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος καὶ ἀσώματος, οὕτε ὁρώμενος, οὕτε γραφόμενος κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, ἐπειδὴ ἐσαρκώθη, καὶ ὁρᾶται καὶ γράφεται.
Just as this spoken word is by its own nature intangible and invisible, but when it is written in a book, and as it were embodied, then it is both seen and touched; so also the fleshless and incorporeal Word of God, being neither seen nor written according to His divinity, because He became flesh, is both seen and written.
Διὰ τοῦτο, ὡς σαρκωθέντος, καὶ βίβλος ἐστὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γενέσεως.
Therefore, since He has become flesh, there is also a book of His generation.
Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐξήτηται ἐνθάδε τὸ, διὰ τί εἶπε βίβλος, καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ὅρασις (3), ἢ λόγος· ἀλλὰ τὸ, τί ἐστι γέννησις, καὶ τί γένεσις;
But what is investigated here is not why he said "book" and did not say "vision" (3) or "word," but this: what is birth, and what is generation?
Διαφέρει γένεσις καὶ γέννησις.
Generation and birth differ.
Γένεσις μὲν γάρ ἐστι παρὰ Θεοῦ πρώτη πλάσις γέννησις δὲ ἡ ἐκ καταδίκης τοῦ θανάτου διὰ τὴν παράβασιν ἐξ ἀλλήλων διαδοχή.
For generation is the first creation by God; but birth is the succession of one from another out of the condemnation of death due to the transgression.
Καὶ ἔτι, ἡ μὲν γένεσις τὸ ἄφθαρτον ἔχει (4) καὶ ἀναμάρτητον· ἡ δὲ γέννησις τὸ παθητὸν καὶ ἁμαρτητικόν.
And further, generation has incorruptibility and sinlessness, whereas birth has passibility and sinfulness.
Ὁ οὖν Κύρος, τῆς μὲν γενέσεως τὸ ἀναμάρτητον φυσικῶς λαβὼν, τὸ ἄφθαρτον οὐ προσέλαβε· τῆς δὲ γεννήσεως τὸ παθητὸν εἰληφὼς, τὸ ἁμαρτητικὸν οὐ προσέλαβε, τὸν πρῶτον τοῖς κατʼ ἄμφω μέρεσιν Ἀδὰμ φέρων ἀμείωτον.
The Lord, therefore, having naturally taken the sinlessness of generation, did not assume its incorruptibility; and having taken the passibility of birth, did not assume its sinfulness, bearing the first Adam undiminished in both aspects.
Οὐκοῦν εἴη ἂν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ γένεσις μὲν, οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι πρόοδος, ἀλλʼ ὀδὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχειν εἰς τὸ ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν· ἡ δὲ γέννησις αὐτοῦ διπλῆ γέγονε, καθʼ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς.
Therefore, in the case of Christ, generation would be not a progression from non-being into being, but a path from existing in the form of God to assuming the form of a servant; while His birth has become twofold, according to us and beyond us.
Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ γυναικὸς γεννηθῆναι καθʼ ἡμᾶς· τὸ δὲ μὴ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, ἢ ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλʼ ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς.
For to be born of a woman is according to us; but to be born not of the will of the flesh, nor of man, but of the Holy Spirit, is beyond us.
Ὅπερ καὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν προανεφώνει γέννησιν, ἣν ἡμῖν ἔμελλεν ἐκ Πνεύματος χαρίσεσθαι.
Which also heralded beforehand the future birth, which He was to grant to us from the Spirit.