Psalm 21:21 — rescue my soul from the sword; the only-begotten from the dog
“Rescue my soul from the sword” (Psalm 22:20). And to the holy God-bearer Simeon says: “And a sword will pass through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35). “And my only-begotten from the hand of the dog.”
And now in the singular he names, by the race, those whom he called dogs above. And he called his own soul only-begotten, as alone not having known sin; but also because it alone through all had the union of the God-Word.
And perhaps he calls the church that stood beside him only-begotten, not having spot or wrinkle, perfectly completed from the blameless, which according to progress is divided into various ranks: “sixty are queens, and eighty concubines, and maidens of whom there is no number; but above all is a perfect dove, being only-begotten to the mother, the Jerusalem above” (Song of Songs 6:8-9).
Greek
21.21 ̔Ρῦσαι ἀπὸ ῥομφαίας τὴν ψυχήν μου. Καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἁγίαν θεοτόκον ὁ Συμεών φησι· Καὶ σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν διελεύ σεται ῥομφαία. Καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς κυνὸς τὴν μονογενῆ μου. ̔Ενικῶς δὲ νῦν, ου ς ει πεν α νω κύνας, διὰ τὸ γένος καλεῖ. –Μονογενῆ δὲ τὴν ἰδίαν ψυχὴν ει πεν, ὡς μόνην ἁμαρτίαν μὴ γνοῦ σαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ο τι μόνη διὰ παντὸς ει χε τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τὴν ε νωσιν. Τάχα δὲ τὴν παραστᾶσαν ἐκκλησίαν αὐτῷ λέγει μονο γενῆ, μὴ ε χουσαν σπῖλον η ῥυτίδα, ἐκ τῶν ἀμώμων τελείως συμπληρωμένην, ω ν κατὰ προκοπὴν εἰς διάφορα τάγματα διῃ ρημένην· ἑξήκοντα μέν εἰσι βασιλίδες, ὀγ δοήκοντα δὲ παλακαὶ, καὶ νεάνιδες ω ν οὐκ ε στιν ἀριθμός· ὑπὲρ δὲ πάσας ἐστὶ περισ τερὰ τελεία, μονογενὴς ου σα τῇ μητρὶ τῇ α νω ̔Ιερουσαλήμ.