Emmanuel Hirschauer

Notre-Dame de Vie Institute

Philippines

ORIGEN’S INTERPRETATION OF LUKE 1:35:

“THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH
WILL OVERSHADOW YOU”

Introduction
Origen has been considered a Marian doctor by the Latin 12th cen-
tury.1 According to him, Mary is the type, the model of the spiritual,
the “pneumatic.” The words of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, answer-
ing her question on how the conception of Jesus might occur, oěer a
key passage to enter Origen’s Mariology: “The angel said to her, ‘The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be
called the Son of God’” (Lk 1:35).
We will focus on these words: “The power of the Most High will
overshadow you.” According to Origen what is this “power”? What
does its “overshadowing” Mary mean? Our method will consist in
reading the most signięcant passages where Lk 1:35 is quoted and in-
terpreted by Origen. We will start with the Homilies on Saint Luke and
then, following in chronological order, we will open the Peri Archon,
the Commentary and Homilies on the Song of Songs and the Homilies on
Joshua.

1. Homilies on Luke
Let us ęrst listen to the third-century teacher as he comments in
his Homilies on Luke. Actually the only homilies on the New Testa-
ment which we have from Origen are the 39 homilies on Luke which
survived in Jerome’s Latin translation. This translation is remarkably
faithful.2 Origen also wrote a Commentary on Luke in ęve books, which

(1) Cf. H. CџќѢzђљ, Introduction, in: іёђњ (ed.), Homélies sur S. Luc (Paris:
Cerf, 1962) (SC 87) 10ě.
(2) “Contemporary scholarship has a high estimate of the accuracy of
Jerome’s translation; it can be read with conędence that one is reading Ori-
gen himself, and not some other Origen whom it pleased Jerome to constuct”
(J. T. Lіђћѕюџё, Introduction, in: Origen. Homilies on Luke — Fragments on Luke
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 Emmanuel Hirschauer 33

are lost.3 Only a few commentaries on the Gospel according to Luke

have survived and Origen’s homilies on Luke are the only extant work
on either the Infancy Narrative before Hilary’s commentary on Mat-
thew (ca. 355).4 The date of Origen’s Homilies on Luke must be some-
where between Origen’s moving to Caesarea (probably in 233) and the
Commentary on MaĴhew (244), which mentions the Homilies on Luke.5
The 39 homilies on Luke are focused on the ęrst four chapters of
the Gospel. Homilies 1 to 33 treat Luke 1:1 to 4:27, with the exception of
three passages: 1:33–38, 2:3–7 and 2:18–20.6 Since Origen’s homilies on
Luke treat six to ten verses each, it seems that three homilies were lost,
and one of them may have contained some explanations on Luke 1:35.
In the sixth homily, commenting on the ęrst part of the narrative of the
Annunciation (cf. Lk 1:26–33),7 as expected Origen says nothing about
Lk 1:35; and then in the seventh homily he passes over to the narrative
of the Visitation (cf. Lk 1:39–45). Nevertheless, insights into Lk 1:35 can
still be read in three homilies.
First one has to go to the fourth homily. There Origen comments
on the annunciation to Zachary (cf. Lk 1:13–17).8 “With the spirit and
power of Elħah he will go before him” (Lk 1:17): Zachary’s prophecy
about his son oěers an interesting distinction between spirit and power;
in order to give an account of it, Origen quotes Lk 1:35:
“He will go before Christ in the spirit and power of Elħah” (cf. Lk
1:17). Luke does not say, “in the soul of Elħah”, but, “in the spirit and
power of Elħah — in spiritu et virtute Heliae.” Power and spirit dwelt
in Elħah — fuit in Heliae virtus et spiritus — as in all the prophets and,
with regard to his humanity, in the Lord and Savior as well. A liĴle

(Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1996) (The Fa-
thers of the Church, A New Translation 94) xxxvi).
(3) Jerome refers to this work in his preface to the Homilies on Luke (cf. SC
87, 93–94).
(4) The Fathers commented and preached mainly on MaĴhew and John,
saying liĴle about Luke, and practically ignoring Mark. Apart from Origen’s
homilies on Luke, we still have 156 homilies by Cyril of Alexandria, preser-
ved in Syriac, and Ambrose’s Exposition of the Gospel according to Luke, in ten
books.
(5) Cf. Lіђћѕюџё, Introduction..., xxiv.
(6) Homilies 34 to 39 treat isolated passages from Luke, from chapter 10
to chapter 20.
(7) Cf. Homilies on Luke, 6, 3–9; SC 87, 145–153.
(8) Cf. Ibid., 4; SC 87, 129–135.
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34 Scrinium IV (2008). Patrologia Pacięca

later in the Gospel the angel says to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you — Spiritus sanctus superveniet in te et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit
tibi” (Lk 1:35). So the spirit that had been in Elħah came upon John
as well, and the power that Elħah had also appeared in John.9
Thus, according to Origen, spiritus and virtus are two distinct re-
alities.10 The quotation of Lk 1:35 as an illustration of this distinction
seems to lead to the conclusion that the power of the Most High is
not the Holy Spirit. One has to distinguish the coming of the Spirit
from the overshadowing of the power of the Most High. Two passages
where Lk 1:35 is quoted point out the identity of the spiritus:
The fourteenth homily gives the beginning of Origen’s exegesis
on the presentation of Jesus in the Temple (cf. Lk 2:21–24).11 Joseph
and Mary were fulęlling the scriptural commands: “As it is wriĴen in
the law of Moses, every male that opens the womb shall be called holy
to the Lord” (Lk 2:23, formulated from Ex 13:2 and Num 8:16); and:
“Three times in the year every male shall appear in the sight of the
Lord God” (Ex 34:23). In a very concrete manner, Origen reĚects upon
the opening of Mary’s womb:
“Every male that opens the womb…” This phrase has a spiritual
meaning. For you might say that “every male is brought forth from
the womb” but does not open the womb of his mother, in the way
that the Lord Jesus did. In the case of every other woman, it is not the
birth of an infant but intercourse with a man that opens the womb.
[8.] But the womb of the Lord’s mother was opened at the time when
her oěspring was brought forth, because before the birth of Christ a

(9) Homilies on Luke, 4, 5, Lіђћѕюџё, 19; SC 87, 133–135.

(10) In the Commentary on MaĴhew, Origen comments on this same verse
(Lk 1:17), underlying that John had the spirit of Elħah and not his soul. The
spirit that John received from Elħah was not Elħah’s own spirit but the pneuma
which may happen simply to be in him. Thus, Elħah had a special spirit, but
it aĞerwards rested on Eliseus, and when John was born it passed to him (cf.
Commentary on MaĴhew, 13, 2; GCS, 40, 178, 14–17). See J. DѢѝѢіѠ, « L’esprit de
l’homme », Etude sur l’anthropologie religieuse d’Origène (Desclée de Brouwer,
1967) (Museum Lessianum section théologique 62) 129–131. Cf. also M. Mюџі-
ѡюћќ, L’argomenta£ione scriĴuristica di Origene contro i sostenitori della me-
tensomatosi, in: G. Dќџіѣюљ and A. Lђ BќѢљљѢђѐ (eds.), Origeniana Sexta, Ori-
gène et la Bible / Origen and the Bible, Actes du Colloquium Origenianum Sextum,
Chantilly, 30 août – 3 septembre 1993 (Leuven: University Press, 1995) 254–255.
(11) Cf. Homilies on Luke, 14; SC 87, 217–231.
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 Emmanuel Hirschauer 35

male did not even touch her womb, holy as it was and deserving of
all respect. I dare to say something. At that moment of which Scrip-
ture says, “The Spirit of God — Spiritus Dei — will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Lk 1:35), the
seed was planted and the conception took place; without an opening
of the womb, a new oěspring began to grow.12
Since Mary is a virgin mother, her womb was opened only at the very
moment of Jesus’ birth and not at the very moment of his conception.
Let us notice that here Origen modięes the original text of Luke which
has: “The Holy Spirit.” Thus quoted, Lk 1:35 clearly aĴests to the divine
origin of Jesus: the Spiritus is “the Spirit of God — Spiritus Dei.”
Next, in the seventeenth homily Origen comments on Lk 2:35–38,
that is, on Symeon’s prophecy about the Child Jesus and his mother.
ReĚecting on Joseph’s fatherhood, Origen quotes Lk 1:35. Through the
words of Gabriel at the Annunciation, Luke “clearly handed down to
us that Jesus was the son of a virgin, and was not conceived by human
seed.”13
Then, reĚecting on the nature of the sword which will pierce Mary’s
soul, according to Symeon’s prophecy, Origen speaks of the scandal
endured during Jesus’ passion by Mary as well as by the Apostles:
You know, Mary, that you bore as a virgin, without a man. You heard
from Gabriel, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). The “sword” of
inędelity “will pierce” you, and you will be struck by the blade of
uncertainty, and your thoughts will tear you in pieces when you see
him. You had heard him called the Son of God. You knew he was
begoĴen without a man’s seed.14
Mary’s scandal and suěering come from the violent contrast be-
tween her certainty of the divine origin of her son and his passion. Ac-
cording to Origen, Lk 1:35 is the plain aĴestation of the divine origin
of Jesus: he was not conceived by a human seed, but he is the Son of
God and son of Mary.
Listening to the Homilies on Luke, we learn that the power of the
Most High has to be distinguished from the Holy Spirit who is the
“Spirit of God.” According to Origen, when giving the account of the

(12) Homilies on Luke, 14, 7–8, 60; SC 87, 227.

(13) Ibid., 17, 1, 70; SC 87, 251.
(14) Ibid., 17, 7, 73; SC 87, 259.
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36 Scrinium IV (2008). Patrologia Pacięca

descent of the Holy Spirit upon the virgin Mary for the conception of
her son, Luke clearly aĜrms Jesus’ divine origin. But here, due to the
fact that the homily on Lk 1:33–38 has not passed down to us, we have
no specięc development on the “overshadowing” of the power of the
Most High.
In order to discover what Origen draws from this expression about
the identity of Jesus, one has to open his commentary and Homilies on
the Song of Songs, his Homilies on Joshua and, ęrst of all, his great work:
the Peri Archon.

2. Peri Archon
Prior to the Homilies on Luke, Origen may have begun writing the
Peri Archon, addressed to educated Christians who had philosophical
training, in 222 when Origen was thirty-seven years old and had been
the head of the Didaskaleion for nineteen years.
Let us ęrst of all try to ęnd out what is for Origen the “power of
the Almighty.” In Book I, Origen distinguishes the diěerent πΔϟΑΓ΍΅΍
of the Son of God, that is, many insights we can have on him, many
scriptural or non-scriptural ways we have of considering him.15 The
Son of God is Wisdom, the Word, Life, Light, Resurrection, Truth, etc.
He is also “Power”:
According to the expression of the apostle, that Christ “is the power
of God,” it ought to be termed not only the breath of the power of
God, but power of power.16
The power (ΈϾΑ΅ΐ΍Ζ) of the Most High is nothing but his Wisdom
and his Word, that is, his Son, who performs all the activity of God ad
extra, who is born from the Father like the Will that comes from the
Intelligence.17 The Peri Archon calls him the Virtus Dei, the Vigor Dei.

(15) Cf. Peri Archon, I, 2, and Commentary on John, I, 23–42 (SC 120, §§ 125–
289). See also H. CџќѢzђљ, Le contenu spirituel des dénominations du Christ
selon le livre I du Commentaire sur Jean d’Origène, in: H. CџќѢzђљ, A. QѢюѐ-
ўѢюџђљљі (eds.), Origeniana Secunda (Rome, 1980) 131–150; J. WќљіћѠјі, Le
recours aux πΔϟΑΓ΍΅΍ du Christ dans le Commentaire sur Jean d’Origène, in:
Dќџіѣюљ, Lђ BќѢљљѢђѐ, Origeniana Sexta... 465–492.
(16) Peri Archon, I, 2, 9, A. RќяђџѡѠ and J. DќћюљёѠќћ (eds.), Ante-Nicene
Fathers, vol. 4 (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994) 249; SC 252, 131.
(17) Cf. H. CџќѢzђљ, Théologie de l’image de Dieu chez Origène (Paris: Aubier,
1955) (Théologie, 34) 89–90.
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 Emmanuel Hirschauer 37

So, the “power of the Most High” which has come over the Blessed
Virgin Mary could be the Son of God. How can it be said as “overshad-
owing her”? What is this shadow?
In the short chapter 6 of Book II, Origen meditates on the Incar-
nation of Christ.18 He begins by reminding his readers of the Word’s
remarkable aĴributes, and then shows what an extraordinary thing
it was that he should come down and live among men. Existing from
all eternity like all souls, the soul of Jesus (cf. Jn 10:18) is aĴached to
him, “inseparably and indissolubly in Him, as being the Wisdom and
the Word of God, and the Truth and the true Light, and receiving Him
wholly, and passing into His light and splendor.”19 The soul of Christ
has always been immersed in the Word.20 To illustrate this, Origen
takes the comparison of iron heated in ęre,21 and then he comments on
an inspiring expression found in the book of Lamentations: the soul of
Christ is like the “shadow of Christ.” Let us quote this subtle passage:
7. I think, indeed, that Jeremiah the prophet, also, understanding
what was the nature of the wisdom of God in him [Christ], which was
the same also which he had assumed for the salvation of the world,
said, “The breath of our countenance is Christ the Lord — Spiritus
vultus nostri Christus Dominus —, to whom we said, that under His
shadow we shall live among the nations — in umbra eius vivemus in
gentibus” (Lam 4:20). And inasmuch as the shadow of our body is
inseparable from the body, and unavoidably performs and repeats
its movements and gestures, I think that he, wishing to point out the
work of Christ’s soul, and the movements inseparably belonging to
it, and which accomplished everything according to His movements
and will, called this the shadow of Christ the Lord, under which
shadow we were to live among the nations.22
As the nations who came to salvation through faith we live hidden
in this “shadow of Christ.” In order to grasp something of this mys-
tery which is perhaps beyond “the apprehension of the human mind,”
Origen quotes other passages referring to the “shadow” and ęrst of all
Luke 1:35:

(18) Cf. Peri Archon, II, 6; SC 252, 308–325.

(19) Ibid., II, 6, 3, 282; SC 252, 315.
(20) Scholars do not agree as to the nature of this union according to Ori-
gen. Cf. C. Vюєюєєіћі, Maria nelle opere di Origene (Roma: Pont. Institutum
Orientalium Studiorum, 1942) (Orientalia Christiana 131) 102–103.
(21) Cf. Peri Archon, II, 6, 6, 283; SC 252, 321.
(22) Ibid., II, 6, 7, 284; SC 252, 323.
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We see also very many other statements in holy Scripture respecting

the meaning of the word “shadow,” as that well-known one in the
Gospel according to Luke, where Gabriel says to Mary, “The Spirit
of the Lord shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). And the apostle says with refer-
ence to the law, that they who have circumcision in the Ěesh, “serve
for the similitude and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb 8:5). And
elsewhere, “Is not our life upon the earth a shadow?” (Job 8:9). If,
then, not only the law which is upon the earth is a shadow, but also
all our life which is upon the earth is the same, and we live among the
nations under the shadow of Christ, we must see whether the truth
of all these shadows may not come to be known in that revelation,
when no longer through a glass, and darkly, but face to face, all the
saints shall deserve to behold the glory of God, and the causes and
truth of things (cf. 1 Cor 13:12).23
Here Luke 1:35 is quoted in a passage dedicated to the explana-
tion of a verse very dear to Origen: “The breath of our countenance is
Christ the Lord — ΔΑνΙΐ΅ ΔΕΓΗЏΔΓΙ ψΐЗΑ ΛΕ΍ΗΘϲΖ ΎΙΕϟΓΙ — [has
been taken with us in our corruptions], to whom we said, that under
His shadow we shall live among the nations” (Lam 4:20). The literal
sense refers to king Sedecias, the Anointed, that is, the “Christ of the
Lord,” who was the last king of Judah: made prisoner by Nebuchad-
ne££ar, he was brought to Babylon. Already present in the literature
of early Christianity,24 Lam 4:20, tirelessly quoted and interpreted by
Origen, is a key text for his Christology. Usually omiĴing the words
“has been taken with us in our corruptions,” he applies it to Christ,
stating that the “shadow” of the Anointed one is the soul of Christ, his
humanity, in which we live here below on earth.25

(23) Peri Archon, II, 6, 7, 284; SC 252, 325.

(24) On the quotations of Lam 4:20 in the literature of early christianity,
see J. DюћіѼљќѢ, Christos, Kyrios, Mélanges J. Lebreton, t. 1, Recherches de Science
Religieuse 39 (1951) 338–352.
(25) See other passages where Origen quotes and interprets Lam 4:20:
Commentary on John, II, 4 (A. RќяђџѡѠ, J. DќћюљёѠќћ (eds.), Ante-Nicene Fa-
thers, vol. 9 (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994) 326); Commentary on the
Song of Songs, III, 5 1957) (T. C. LюѤљђџ, W. J. BѢџєѕюџёѡ (eds.), Origen, the
Song of Songs: Commentary & Homilies (ACW 26) 182; SC 376, 531); Homilies
on Joshua, VIII, 4 (C. Wѕіѡђ (ed.), B. BџѢѐђ (trans.), Origen, Homilies on Joshua
(Washington, D. C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2002) (The Fathers
of the Church 105) 88; SC 71, 227); Dialogue with Heraclides, 27 (R. DюљѦ (trans.),
Origen: Treatise on the Passover and Dialogue with Heraclides (New York: Pau-
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 Emmanuel Hirschauer 39

According to this exegetical context of Peri Archon II, 6, 7, the shad-

ow of the Power of the Almighty in Lk 1:35 is the soul of Christ which
was united with the human body born of the Blessed Mother. Indeed
the union of the soul of Christ with the Word models it entirely on
him. But, although it possesses the plenitude of the divinity, it is only
a shadow, it soĞens the divine light, so that our human eyes could
bear it. Let us notice that here the theology of the Incarnation comes
into line with the exegesis. Studying the Scriptures we proceed from
the visible leĴer to the invisible Word; enjoying the visible humanity
of Christ, the believer is led towards the treasure of Wisdom which is
hidden in him. The shadows are the starting point; they already oěer
presence and knowledge of the Beloved, but not yet in their fullness.
One has to walk from shadow to Reality, from the soĞ radiance of the
humanity of Jesus to the splendor of the Word.26
This enables us to understand the meaning for Origen of Lk 1:35,
“The power of the Most High will overshadow you”: the shadow of
the power of God who will come upon Mary is nothing else but the
Shadow of the Word, the preexistent soul of Jesus. Origen concludes
in a very humble way, aware of the grandeur of the mystery he tries
to explore:
The above, meanwhile, are the thoughts which have occurred to us,
when treating of subjects of such diĜculty as the incarnation and de-
ity of Christ. If there be any one, indeed, who can discover something
beĴer, and who can establish his assertions by clearer proofs from
holy Scriptures, let his opinion be received in preference to mine.27

3. Commentary on the Song of Songs

According to historians, Origen began composing the great com-
mentary on the Song of Songs around 240. Eusebius says that Origen
composed the ęrst ęve books in Athens around the year 240, and wrote
the other ęve somewhat later at Caesarea in Palestine.28

list Press, 1992) (ACW, 54) 78); Commentary on MaĴhew, XV, 12; FragLam. 116
(GCS, III, 276).
(26) Cf. J. DюћіѼљќѢ, W. Mіѡѐѕђљљ (trans.), Origen (London: Sheed and
Ward, 1955) 264–265.
(27) Peri Archon, II, 6, 7, 284; SC 252, 325. Such a kind of statement is
frequent; it can be found also for instance in Peri Archon, II, 3, 7; SC 252, 271–
273.
(28) Cf. EѢѠђяіѢѠ, The History of the Church…, VI, 32,2.
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40 Scrinium IV (2008). Patrologia Pacięca

Since the Commentary has not survived in its original text, one has
to make use of the Latin version made by Ruęnus. Whatever may be
the possible shortcomings of the translation, here we listen to Origen
as a mystic master. As Jerome says, referring to this commentary in the
Prologue to the translation of the homilies, “while Origen surpassed
all writers in his other books, in his Song of Songs he surpassed him-
self.”29 Origen sings of the nuptials of Christ and the Church, and, with
increasing importance as the commentary goes on, of the bridal union
of the Logos with the human soul.
In book III, section 5, Origen explains Ct 2:3: “As the apple tree
among the trees of the wood, so is my Nephew among the sons; in
his shadow I desired and sat, and his fruit was sweet in my throat”
(Ct 2:3). What is this shadow in which the Church is looking forward
to sit? To understand something of its mystery, according to his usual
method, Origen quotes other passages containing the same expres-
sion. AĞer having cited Lam 4:20, his commentary draws upon a new
quotation:
You see, then, how the prophet, moved by the Holy Spirit, says that
life is aěorded to the Gentiles by the shadow of Christ; and indeed
how should His shadow not aěord us life, seeing that even at the
conception of His very body it is said to Mary: “The Holy Spirit shall
come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow
you” (Lk 1:35). As therefore, at His body’s conception the overshad-
owing was that of the Most High, His own shadow will justly give
life to the Gentiles. And justly does His Bride the Church desire to
sit beneath the shadow of the apple tree, in order, surely, that she
may be made partaker of the life that is in His shadow.30
The shadow under which the Church is willing to sit is a shadow
which gives life: it is the life-giving shadow of Christ. Quoting and
interpreting Lk 1:35, it seems that Origen distinguishes the overshad-
owing of the Most High and the very shadow of Christ. According to
the insights received from the reading of the Peri Archon and from the
text of Luke himself, we can say that the “overshadowing of the Most
High” is precisely the overshadowing of the Power of the Most High,
that is, the overshadowing of the Son himself, the Word; at the same

(29) Prologue to the Homilies on the Song of Songs (ACW, 26) 265; SC 37, 59.
(30) Commentary on the Song of Songs, III, 5, R. P. LюѤѠќћ (trans.), Origen:
The Song of Songs, Commentary and Homilies (Westminster, MD: New Press,
1957) (ACW 26) 182; SC 376, III,5,10–11, 529–531.
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 Emmanuel Hirschauer 41

time we can also aĜrm that the very shadow of Christ is his soul, his
humanity.

4. Homilies on the Song of Songs

The two Homilies on the Song of Songs were pronounced very likely
only a few years aĞer the composition of the Commentary, probably be-
fore 244. In other words, they are works of maturity, since Origen was
more than ęĞy-ęve years old. They survive only in the Latin transla-
tion made by St. Jerome. Although the identięcation of the Bride with
the Church is predominant, some passages still make room for the in-
dividual soul as Christ’s bride.
In his second homily, commenting again on “Beneath His shadow
I desired and sat” (Ct 2:3), Origen tries to unveil the nature of the
“shadow” in which the Bride is willing to sit. He explains:
Indeed, strictly speaking, we cannot converse with Him at ęrst;
rather, we enjoy at the beginning what may be called a sort of
shadow of His majesty; and it is for that reason that we read also in
the prophets: “The breath of our face, the Lord Christ, to whom we
said: ‘Under His shadow shall we live among the Gentiles’” (Lam
4:20), and pass over from one shadow to another; for “to them that
dwelt in the region and shadow of death, to them light is arisen”
(Isa 9:2); so that our passing over is from the shadow of death to the
shadow of life. Advances are always on this paĴern: a person desires
at the outset to be at least in the shadow of the virtues. And I think
myself that the birth of Jesus also originated from — not in — the
shadow, but was consummated in the truth. “The Holy Spirit,” it is
said, “shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall
overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). The birth of Christ took its inception
from the shadow; yet not in Mary only did His nativity begin with
overshadowing; in you too, if you are worthy, the Word of God is
born. See, then, that you may be able to receive His shadow; and,
when you have been made worthy of the shadow, His body, from
which the shadow is born, will in a manner of speaking come to
you; for “he that is faithful in a liĴle will be faithful also in greater
things” (Lk 16:10).31
Following the paĴern of Jesus’ birth which originated from (ab) the
shadow, the dialogue with the Bridegroom has to start from his life-
giving shadow, in order to be consummated in the Truth. Contrasted

(31) Homilies on the Song of Songs, II, 6 (LюѤѠќћ, Origen: The Song of
Songs…, 293–294; SC 37, 91).
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42 Scrinium IV (2008). Patrologia Pacięca

with image and shadow, Truth is the divine realities which are preęg-
ured by the earthly symbols. If Jesus’ soul is the shadow of the Word,
the Word is the Truth of this shadow. From shadow into Truth, the
birth and growth of the Word within the soul of the faithful is one of
the favorite themes of Origen. In this way, the motherhood of Mary
has an exemplary role: she has to be imitated by every Christian.32
Luke 1:35 expresses the fruitful starting point of this path. The concep-
tion of Jesus in the Virgin bears its fruit of salvation only if Christ is
born in each one of us:
For what does it proęt if I should say that Jesus has come in that
Ěesh alone which he received from Mary and if I should not show
also that he has come in this Ěesh of mine?33
But it is not enough to allow Christ to be born within oneself,
one has to make room for him in order to allow him to grow. One
has to move forward in order to reach the Truth, to move from
Christ’s humanity to his divinity.
5. Homilies on Joshua
The Homilies on Joshua seem to belong to the last years of Origen.
They could be contemporaries of the persecution of Decus (249/250).34
They were preserved only in Ruęnus’ Latin translation, the faithful-
ness of which is very reliable. Bearing witness to the concerns of a
pastor for his Ěock, these homilies draw the story of the Christian life
from baptism to resurrection and the heavenly rewards.
In the eighth homily, Origen tries to explore the “mystery” of Jos
8:29, “the king of Ai was hanged on twofold wood — rex Gai in ligno
gemino dicitur esse suspensus — ΘϲΑ Ά΅Η΍Ών΅ ΘϛΖ ̆΅΍ πΎΕνΐ΅ΗΉΑ πΔϠ
ΒϾΏΓΙ Έ΍ΈϾΐΓΙ” (Jos 8:29). Looking for the deep meaning of this verse,
Origen says:
Truly, one coming of Christ in lowliness has been accomplished,
but another is expected in glory. By a certain mystic word in Holy

(32) Cf. C. Vюєюєєіћі, Maria nelle opere di Origene (Roma, Pont. Institutum
Orientalium Studiorum, 1942) 113–114.
(33) Homilies on Genesis, 3 (R. E. Hђіћђ (trans.), Origen. Homilies on Genesis
and Exodus (Washington, D. C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1982)
(The Fathers of the Church 71) 101; SC 7, III, 7, 123.
(34) P. Nautin favored other dates: according to him they could have been
pronounced earlier in the years 239–242 (cf. P. NюѢѡіћ, Origène. Sa vie et son
œuvre (Paris: Beauchesne, 1977) 401–405).
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 Emmanuel Hirschauer 43

Scriptures, this ęrst coming in the Ěesh is called his shadow, just as
the prophet Jeremiah declares saying, “The Spirit of our countenance,
Christ the Lord, of whom we said to ourselves, ‘In his shadow we
shall live among the nations — Spiritus vultus nostri Christus Dominus
cuius nos diximus: in umbra eius vivemus in gentibus’” (Lam 4:20). But
also Gabriel, when he was proclaiming to Mary concerning his birth,
says, “The power of the Most High will overshadow you — Virtus
altissimi obumbrabit tibi” (Lk 1:35). Because of that, we understand how
many things are dimly shadowed at his ęrst coming, the completion
and even perfection of which will be consummated by the second
coming. And the apostle Paul says, “He raised us with him and made
us sit with him in the heavens” (Eph 2:6). Certainly we do not yet
see believers either to have been already raised or to have sat down
in the heavens, yet these things have indeed been dimly shadowed
through faith; for by the mind and by hope we are liĞed up from
earthly and dead works, and we raise up our heart to heavenly and
eternal things. In his second coming, however, this will be fulęlled:
those things that to now we have only anticipated by faith and hope,
we shall then also physically hold in their eěective reality.35
Once again quoted in connection with Lam 4:20, which is chris-
tologically interpreted, Luke 1:35 expresses the same event: the ęrst
coming of Christ in our Ěesh. Origen invites his audience to the jour-
ney already exposed in the second homily on the Song of Songs: start-
ing with the shadow one is called to enter the plenitude of truth. The
ęrst coming of Christ in our Ěesh is a shadow: the shadow of a reality
that his second coming will bring to completion. Nevertheless, one
has to start, by faith, with what is oěered in the Incarnation. In this
shadow the anticipation of what is to come is present.

Conclusion
The reading of Origen’s exegesis of Lk 1:35 provides us with some
of his major theological and mystical themes. It is linked with the ex-
egesis of Lam 4:20, a key verse for Origen’s Christology. According to
the three passages of the Homilies on Saint Luke, Lk 1:35 clearly bears
witness to the divine origin of the Son of Mary. Not explored in these
remaining homilies on Luke, the nature of the “overshadowing” of
the power of the Most High is unveiled in the Peri Archon: this shadow
which will come upon Mary is the shadow of the Word, the preexis-

(35) Homilies on Joshua, VIII, 4 (Wѕіѡђ, BџѢѐђ, Origen. Homilies on Joshua…,

88–89; SC 71, 227.
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44 Scrinium IV (2008). Patrologia Pacięca

tent soul of Jesus. Quoted and interpreted both in the Commentary and
the Homilies on the Song of Songs in reference to Ct 2:3, Lk 1:35 is an
invitation to commune with Christ in the shadow of his glory. From
shadow to reality, Lk 1:35 describes the initial and fruitful stage of the
journey of the soul. The preparation for the full revelation of his glory
is the contemplation of his incarnation. At last, in the Homilies on Josh-
ua, quoting Lk 1:35 in order to explain the twofold wood of Jos 8:39,
Origen invites his listener to enter the very dynamism which links the
two comings of Christ: from shadow to reality.
Reading and studying our ęle of texts, we are able to observe Ori-
gen at work: he is inseparably exegete and mystic, and he invites his
hearer or reader to become both as well. His exegesis corresponds to
Christian growth. Lk 1:35 expresses the fruitful shadow from which
everybody has to start: “The birth of Christ took its inception from the
shadow; yet not in Mary only did His nativity begin with overshad-
owing; in you too, if you are worthy, the Word of God is born.”36

SUMMARY
Starting from the Homilies on Saint Luke, this paper intends to inves-
tigate Origen’s understanding of Lk 1:35. The power of the Most High
is nothing but his Wisdom and his Word, i.e. his Son. The shadow of the
Word seems to be the preexistent soul of Jesus. The maternity of Mary
has an exemplary role, since our life here below on earth also takes place
in the shadow of the Word, which is his humanity. The growth of Christ
within the soul leads from the shadow of his humanity to the Truth of his
divinity. Thus, Origen’s interpretation of Lk 1:35 enables us to discover
some of his major mystical themes.

(36) Homilies on the Song of Songs, II, 6 (LюѤѠќћ, Origen: The Song of
Songs…, 293; SC 37, 91).
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