Origen · a new plain-English translation from the Greek and Latin
The reasoning behind both what is said and what is reported as done ought to be worthy of the Holy Spirit and of the faith of Christ, to which we who believe are called. Hence now too we must ask why Mary, after conceiving, came to Elizabeth and stayed with her for three months; or what the reason was that Luke, who was writing the history, included this too, that
she stayed with her for three months, and afterward returned to her own house. There must be some reason for this, which, if the Lord opens our heart, the following discourse will show. For if merely from Mary's coming to Elizabeth and greeting her, the infant leaped for joy and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied the things that are written, and in a single hour
attained such great progress, it is left to our conjecture what progress John made in the three months, while Mary was staying beside Elizabeth. For it would be quite unworthy that the infant leaped in a single instant and moment, and in a certain way frolicked with joy, and that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, but that over three whole months neither John nor Elizabeth made any progress from the nearness of the mother of the Lord and of the Savior himself, and his presence. He was therefore being trained, and in a certain way
anointed in the athletic training-ground for three months, and John was being prepared in his mother's womb, so that, born in a marvelous way, he might be nourished still more marvelously. For because he was nourished outside the ordinary custom, it is not recorded in writing how he was suckled at his mother's breasts, how he was set in the bosom of a nurse, but immediately what follows is: and he was in the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Then we read: Elizabeth
'now the time was completed for her to give birth, and she bore a son' — it might seem superfluous to say: 'Now for Elizabeth the time was completed for her to give birth, and she bore a son.' For what woman can give birth unless the time for giving birth has first been completed? But one who examines the scriptures most diligently, and who hears Paul saying: 'Give heed to reading,' will find, whether in the old or in the new instrument, if it is anywhere written, in connection with the birth of a sinner, that
'the time was completed for her to give birth' — he will never find this at all. But wherever a righteous person is born, there the days are completed, there his coming into the world is completed. The birth of a righteous person has fullness, but the nativity of a sinner has, so to speak, emptiness and vanity. This is enough concerning what is written: 'the time was completed for her to give birth.' Next follows the fact that, when John was born, his neighbors and
relatives rejoiced with his mother, and wanted to give the child a name in honor of his father, that he should be called Zacharias. But Elizabeth, prompted by the Holy Spirit, said: 'John is his name.' When they sought just reasons why he should be called John above all, since no one in his family bore this name, they asked the father, who, not being able to answer, spoke by hand and by letters. For he wrote on
a writing-tablet: 'John is his name.' And as soon as the stylus was pressed into the wax, his tongue, which before had been bound, was loosed — an utterance not human. As long as his tongue was bound, it was human; for unbelief had bound it. As soon as it was loosed, it ceased to be merely human, and he spoke, blessing God, and the things that are written in the Gospel, concerning which, with the Lord Jesus Christ granting it,
...when the time comes, we shall discuss it: to whom belong glory and dominion for ages of ages. Amen. HOMILY X. On what is written: "full of the Holy Spirit," as far as the place where it says "to prepare his ways." Full of the Holy Spirit, Zacharias announces two prophecies in general, the first concerning Christ, the second concerning John. This is clearly shown from his own words, in
which he speaks of the Savior as if he were already present and dwelling in the world, and then of John. For he prophesied by the Holy Spirit, saying: "Blessed be the God of Israel, because he has visited and worked redemption for his people." For when God was visiting and willing to redeem his people, Mary remained with Elizabeth, after the angel had spoken to her, for months, so that by a certain ineffable power
the Savior, being present, might instruct not only John, as we said before, but also Zacharias, as the gospel text now makes clear. For little by little, over these three months, he too was receiving increases of the Holy Spirit, and, without knowing it, was being taught, and prophesied concerning Christ, saying: "who gave redemption to his people, and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David" -- "born according to the flesh from the seed of David"
is Christ. And there truly was a horn of salvation in the house of David, for this prophecy is sung together with it: "For a vineyard was made into a horn." In what horn? In Jesus, in him of whom it is now written: he raised up for us a horn of salvation within the house of his servant David, even as he spoke of old through the mouth of his holy prophets. "Salvation from our enemies"
-- let us not think this is now said of bodily enemies, but of spiritual ones. For the Lord Jesus came, mighty in battle, to destroy all our enemies, that he might free us from their snares: "out of the grip of every enemy of ours, and out of the grip of all who hate us." "To show mercy to our fathers" -- I think that at the coming of the Lord and Savior, both Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob enjoyed the mercy of God. For it is not credible that those who earlier saw his day and rejoiced should afterward, at his coming and his birth from the virgin, have received no benefit. And why do I speak of the patriarchs? Following the authority of the scriptures I will boldly rise to higher things, since the presence of the Lord Jesus and his dispensation benefited not only earthly things, but
heavenly things as well. Hence the Apostle also says: "making peace through the blood of his cross, whether on earth or in heaven." But if the presence of the Lord benefited both in heaven and on earth, why should you be afraid to say that his coming also benefited even the greater ones, so that this might be fulfilled which is said: "to show mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which"
he swore to Abraham our father" -- that we should be delivered "without fear from the hand of our enemies"? Often some are delivered from the hand of enemies, but not without fear. For when fear and danger have gone before, and someone is thus rescued from the hand of enemies, he is indeed delivered, but not without fear. But the coming of the Lord Jesus rescued us "from the hand of our enemies" without fear. For it was not our enemies
nor did we see them fighting back, but, while we did not know it, we were suddenly snatched from their jaws and their snares. >In a moment< we were brought into the inheritance and portion of the just, >and freed from the hand of our enemies without fear, that we might serve God in holiness and righteousness before him all our days<. >And you, prophet of the Most High, you will be called<. Seeking within myself the reason why not as if from
John, but speaking to John himself, prophesying: and you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High—and—for it would have been superfluous to speak to one who could not hear, and to make an apostrophe to a little one still at the breast—this I think I am able to find: that just as John was born wondrously, and came into the world with an angel proclaiming it, and while for three months Mary stayed with Elizabeth
he was poured out onto the ground, so too all the things that are written about him are reported as having come about wondrously. But if you doubt that one just poured out from his mother's womb could hear and know his father's words, what this means, that is said to him: and you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High—it was far more wondrous, what came before: >behold, as the sound of your greeting came into
my ears, the infant leapt for joy in my womb<. For if, while still shut up in his mother's womb, he heard Jesus and, on hearing him, leapt out and rejoiced, why would you not believe that, once already born, he was able both to hear and to understand his father's prophecy, saying to him: >and you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High; for you shall walk ahead of the Lord's face, making his paths ready<? For this reason Zechariah
hastened to speak to the little child, because he knew that after a little while he would be dwelling in the desert, and that he would no longer be able to have his presence. >For the child was in the deserts until the day of his showing forth to Israel<. And Moses too dwelt in the desert, but only after completing forty years of his life did he flee from Egypt, and for another forty years he kept Jethro's flocks; John, however,
as soon as he was born, passed over into the deserts, and he who >was the greatest among those born of women< proved worthy of a greater upbringing. Of him the prophet speaks: >behold, I send my angel before your face<. Rightly is he called an angel, since he had been sent before the Lord, and, as soon as he was born, was able to hear and understand his father as he prophesied. For this reason let us, who believe such great wonders, likewise believe
in the resurrection, and let us believe also the promises that are to come, of the kingdom of heaven, which the Holy Spirit daily pledges to us. All these things, since they are written wondrously, we shall receive beyond what we are able to perceive, in Christ Jesus, to whom is glory and power for ages of ages. Amen.