David’s promise: eternal King from the Virgin of his line
In the same way he has filled the promise made to David. God had promised to raise up from the fruit of his inward parts an eternal King, whose kingship would have no end. (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 132:11; Lk 1:32-33)
And that King is Christ, the Son of God, who became son of man — that is, he was conceived and born of that Virgin from David’s race. Therefore the promise was fulfilled through the fruit of the womb; what is particular and unique in this birth is that the child is the fruit of a woman’s singular conception, not of fleshly desire or mixed blood, (Jn 1:13) so that this singular fact may be plain: the child is the offspring of a virgin of David’s house, king forever over David’s house, and his kingship will know no end.
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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.