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Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching

St Irenaeus of Lyons, tr. Robinson, 1920

Chapter 63

And again the prophet Micah speaks of the place where Christ should be born, that it should be in Bethlehem of Judaea, saying thus: And1 thou, Bethlehem of Judaea, art thou the least among the princes of Judah? for out of thee shall come a prince who shall feed my people Israel.2 But Bethlehem is the native place3 of David: so that not only in respect of the Virgin who bore Him is He of David’s race, but also in respect of His birth in Bethlehem the native place of David.

Notes

  1. Matt. ii. 6 (Micah v. 2.)
  2. Irenaeus quotes the prophecy in the Matthaean form, which differs much from the LXX rendering. Moreover he agrees with Codex Bezae in reading τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας for γῆ ᾿Ιούδα, and μή for οὐδαμῶς. Justin quotes the words twice in the Matthaean form, but with the usual γῆ Ἰούδα and οὐδαμῶς (Ap. I, 34, Dial. 78).
  3. The Arm. word renders πάτρις in Matt. xiii. 54, 57.

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