Emmanuel and the wonder of the Virgin birth
As for the word Emmanuel, it is translated ‘God with us’; or else, if the word was spoken by the prophet as a wish — ‘May God be with you!’ — then it explains and makes plain the gospel’s message. ‘Behold,’ says Isaiah, ‘the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son,’ who, being God, ‘will be with us.’ And as if seized with wonder at this event, he adds what follows from it — namely that ‘God will be with us.’ (Isa 7:14; Mt 1:23)
And again concerning his birth the same prophet says elsewhere: ‘Before she was in labor and before she suffered the pains of childbirth, she was delivered and brought forth a male child.’ (Isa 66:7) Thus he reveals his miraculous and inconceivable birth by means of the Virgin.
The same prophet also says: ‘A son is born to us and a child is given to us, and he has been named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God.’ (Isa 9:6)
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About this text
Irenaeus’s short handbook of the apostolic preaching (Epideixis), preserved in Armenian. English here is a densified reading translation for study. Prior English exists (Robinson / Wilson) — this is not an Original English Translation.
English follows the Armenian of Patrologia Orientalis XII.5. Barthoulot’s French was used as a sense-check only. Robinson (1920) and Wilson’s prior English exist and were checked for independence — this page is densified English, not Original English Translation / no-previous-English.
Witnesses
- Copy-text PO XII.5 Epideixis (Armenian, Matenadaran M3710) (Armenian · §§1–10)
- Checked print Barthoulot French (PD) (French · §§1–10)
- Prior English Check Robinson 1920 / Wilson English (English · full work (prior complete English exists))
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.