Cyril of Alexandria: Fragments on Matthew · §11

Matthew 2:7–11

Did the magi arrive at the birth itself and see Christ in swaddling clothes, or find him later sitting in a house with his mother? I think the truer reading is the swaddling clothes.

That is also why, as we said above, the star appeared before the Lord’s birth. From this it is clear that the star also preceded the magi’s arrival.

Greek

Ἰσραὴλ πρῶτος ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἐκλήθη, ὅτε ἑώρακε τὴν κλίμακα καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπ' αὐτὸν δι' αὐτῆς καὶ προσεπάλαισε τῷ ὀφθέντι αὐτῷ καὶ πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἤκουσεν· "οὐκέτι τὸ ὄνομά σου Ἰακώβ, ἀλλὰ Ἰσραήλ". τούτῳ δὲ τῷ ὀνόματι ἅπας ὁ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐκλήθη λαὸς ὡς ἐξαιρέτῳ τε καὶ θείῳ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν διαστέλλοντι αὐτούς. ἔστι δὲ Ἰσραὴλ νοῦς ὁρῶν τὸν θεόν. διὸ καὶ ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησία Ἰσραὴλ ὠνομάσθη οὐ κατὰ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ θείαν χάριν.

About this text

Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.

English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.

Witnesses

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.