Your name is ointment poured out
Your name is ointment poured out. It is a prophetic mystery. No sooner has the name of Jesus come into the world than ointment is proclaimed poured out. As ointment, when it is poured, spreads its fragrance far and wide, so Christ’s name, wherever it is named, scatters sweetness everywhere. Many have had spices. The queen of the South brought spices to Solomon, and many others have possessed spices; yet however many anyone may have had, they cannot be compared with Christ’s fragrances, of which the Bride now says: The fragrance of your ointments is above all spices. I judge that Moses too had spices, and Aaron, and each of the prophets; but if I see Christ and catch by smell the sweetness of his ointments, at once I give sentence and say: The fragrance of your ointments is above all spices.
Latin
Unguentum effusum nomen tuum. Propheticum sacramentum est. Tantummodo nomen Iesu venit in mundum et unguentum praedicatur effusum. Quomodo unguentum ad effusionem suam odorem longe lateque dispergit, sic Christi nomen, ubi nominatum fuerit, ubique suavitatem spargit. Multi habuerunt aromata. Regina Austri detulit aromata Solomoni et plures alii aromata possederunt, sed habuerit quis quantalibet, non possunt Christi odoribus comparari, de quo nunc sponsa ait: Odor unguentorum tuorum super omnia aromata. Ego arbitror quia et Moyses habuerit aromata et Aaron et singuli prophetarum; verum, si videro Christum et suavitatem unguentorum eius odore percepero, statim sententiam fero dicens: Odor unguentorum tuorum super omnia aromata.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia I on the Song of Songs (Jerome’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–10.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VIII (GCS 33, 1925), Jerome’s Latin of Homilia I. Lawson ACW 26 was not used as wording. This page is Homilia I §§1–10 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VIII = GCS 33 (1925) (Latin · Homilia I §§1–10)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.