Christmas paremias. Text, translation and interpretation

What is paremia? Where did she come from?

"Paremia" in Greek is a parable. In fact, these are passages from the Holy Scriptures, most often from the Old Testament, which in ancient times were read at liturgy, and from the 7th-8th centuries began to be read at vespers. Today, proverbs are read at worship services in order to convey the essence of the holiday more deeply. Various passages could be read from the Old Testament, although often it was the Book of Proverbs, which is why the readings were called parables. If you look into the modern liturgical charter for Lent, you can see how the ancient Christian tradition of reading the book of Genesis, the prophet Isaiah and the Book of Proverbs has been preserved to prepare the catechumens. During Lent, these three Old Testament books are read in full.

It is important to understand that some liturgical texts that are read, for example, at an all-night vigil, are not intended for prayer, but for listening. According to the charter, they are followed by sermons, in which the priest must explain the meaning of what was read. Proverbs are just such texts, listening to which, the believer is more deeply imbued with the meaning of what the Church celebrates.

Usually there are few proverbs. Thus, on holidays in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, three proverbs are read. It’s the same on days of remembrance, for example, of saints. When the Church remembers an apostle, they read not the Old Testament, but the New Testament proverbs. But on holidays such as Christmas, Epiphany or Easter, the number of proverbs is much greater. And this is due not only to the fact that these services are especially solemn. The fact is that in the Ancient Church they baptized while reading these proverbs. And so, while the priest led the future Christians to the font, the faithful listened to passages from the Holy Scriptures.

The concept of proverbs in Russian

The concept of proverb

Traditionally, philology and lingua-folkloristics consider the status, terminological features of proverbs, and the problem of distinguishing between proverbs and sayings, but there is still no consensus on resolving these issues. When comparing well-known definitions of paremia, a variety of views and a breadth of understanding of the issue opens up to the researcher.

An analysis of modern domestic encyclopedic dictionaries, as well as terminological and special dictionaries of the Russian language showed that the non-linguistic term proverb

today it is used much more often than
paremia
(with the same meaning), which indicates the versatility, debatability, complexity of this linguistic phenomenon and the unresolved question of its status.
Thus, in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary “Linguistics” a proverb
is defined as “a short, stable in speech, usually rhythmically organized saying of an edifying nature, in which the centuries-old experience of the people is recorded; has the form of a complete sentence (simple and complex)”1 (a similar definition is found in the Linguistic Encyclopedic Dictionary edited by V.N. Yartseva).

Comparing the definitions presented in dictionaries of linguistic terms edited by O.S. Akhmanova, D.E. Rosenthal, N.V. Vasilyeva et al., we have revealed that the essence of the concept comes down to the determination of a proverb as a judgment belonging to a small genre of folklore, a saying with a certain set of properties, which includes: stability, versatility, generality, syntactic independence, imagery, timelessness, special rhythm and intonation and phonetic design, didacticism, reflection of mentality. Some sources (for example, a dictionary of the Russian language, speech culture and stylistics edited by T.V. Matveeva) indicate that the proverb belongs to phraseology, according to other sources (“Russian language: encyclopedia” edited by Yu.N. Karaulov and others) question the inclusion or non-inclusion of a proverb in the phraseological system of the language remains open and unresolved.

It is interesting to note that the term proverb

, synonymous with
proverb
, is used in modern dictionaries aimed at covering the terminological base of “speech” disciplines, such as speech culture, stylistics, rhetoric, and in general linguistic dictionaries, including terminological dictionaries, in most cases the term proverb is still used
without
specifying on the iconic nature of this unit, in contrast, for example, to the term
phraseological unit
.
In addition, in no domestic dictionary a proverb
(or
proverb
) correlate with the concept
of an idiom
, which, in our opinion, must be considered (along with phraseological units) in connection with determining the linguistic essence of a proverb and its place in the structure of phraseological knowledge.
( Proverbs
as a special church term is reflected in the dictionary edited by V.I. Dahl and denotes an excerpt from the book of the Old Testament that is read in the Orthodox Church during worship, containing a prophecy or teaching, moral teaching).

In the articles of the largest foreign encyclopedic and special linguistic dictionaries (The New encyclopedia Britannica, The Cambridge encyclopedia of language, The encyclopedia of Language and linguistics, The Oxford English Dictionary), as a rule, one term proverb is taken as a basis

, which is covered with sufficient completeness in cultural, linguistic, etymological and communicative aspects.
The closest to the domestic interpretation of a proverb
is the definition given in the Britannica encyclopedia: “A proverb is a short and energetic statement of general meaning, expressing general thoughts and opinions. Proverbs are part of every spoken language and belong to folk forms of literature such as riddles and fables, which originate from oral tradition.”2 Like the previously listed sources, foreign publications characterize the proverb as “statements expressed in a condensed form”, “indirect statements” that are characteristic of oral speech, short and concise. Proverbs are stylistically designed; they contain religious and moral instructions, are intended for posterity, for moral education, for the expression of philosophical ideas, etc., they conclude observations about the nature of life, wise and foolish behavior, express the universality of human experience, inherited wisdom and codes of behavior.

In addition to the mentioned words of the proverb, the cited sources especially emphasize rhetorical functions (the proverb is considered in the context of oratory), didacticism; the role of the proverb in the strategy of speech behavior is noted and the discursive basis of the proverb is briefly examined. It seemed to us important that Western scientists strive to present a proverb as a cognitive unit capable of developing imagination, sense of humor, wit, creativity, and training individual prudence. However, to a lesser extent in the analyzed articles, proverbs are presented as linguistic units with a specific syntactic structure. One more noticeable difference in the presentation of proverbs is that despite the fact that the Oxford Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics gives a description of the proverb in relation to the idiom (the idiom is considered as a broader concept and is defined as “an idiosyncretic part of any language”), there are parallels with the phraseological fund in the encyclopedia, as well as in other specified sources, are not carried out.

In our opinion, the definition of proverb

as a linguistic term, first of all, it requires an analysis of the semantic content of the meaning of the words
paremia
and
proverb
, as evidenced by the words of E.S. Kubryakova about the determination of discourse: “like every term, its meanings (in our case - paremias) were ultimately determined by the meanings of the word to which this term goes back, but at the same time by those subsequent implications and processes of semantic inference (inference) that characterized its further development and played a significant role in the formation of the term as polysemantic, a term behind which stands a complex structure of knowledge”3.

paremia is based on

lies the Greek word, translated meaning
parable
;
Latin synonyms – proverbium, parabola. According to M. Vasmer's dictionary, the etymology of the term is associated with church service activities and religious purposes: “selected passages for reading from the Old Testament,” ... “From the Greek. parable, proverb"4. In a similar statement, the term paremia
is used in some analyzed linguistic dictionaries, but the etymological component in the dictionary entries is absent or reduced to a minimum.

The situation is different with the etymological presentation of the term proveb

, which we find in the Oxford Dictionary: “... an old expression in general and recognized use, a saying, a saying, in late Latin - also a saying, a catchword, formed from the prefix pro+ the word verbum + ium, a collective suffix, as a result, obviously, goes to turnover is a generally recognized phrase"5. Next, the dictionary entry presents a detailed multi-stage disclosure of the term, the key points of which are constant features such as brevity, taciturnity, metaphor, longevity, universality of use, anonymity, allegoricality, allegory, special alliterated or poetic form, transmission of life experience or observation. Moreover, the proverb has a number of synonyms: phrase, statement, saying, book of proverbs (didactic book), wisdom in the form of a proverb, linguistic game (using proverbs).

In this interpretation of the term proverb

The information that makes up its semantic paradigm is presented quite fully.
The definition of a proverb is the core of the semantic structure of the term; in subsequent meanings we read implied semes that complement and expand the idea of a proverb, for example, this is a didactic book consisting of maxims; something. The proverbial; a cryptic statement that requires interpretation; allegory, allegory; games using proverbs (which means the use of proverbs in a certain speech situation, i.e. the implementation of its (proverbs) discursive essence). The knowledge that lies on the surface about a proverb as a short, laconic statement with a specific, often metaphorical form, which contains a true thought, familiar to everyone and extending to everyone, established by experience or observation, is confirmed by the shades of meaning of the term hidden in other formulations. These “shades” can enter both the periphery of the definitional field and form an independent new meaning of the term, but, of course, they will be part of the general structure of meaning about the term proverb
. It should be noted that, along with the general linguistic description of the term, the definition contains mandatory etymological accompaniment of all its components.

The English Synonyms and Antonyms Dictionary gives the following synonyms for the word proverb

: adage, saing, maxim, aphorism, apophtegm, saw, dictum, byword.
The definitions of these synonyms were taken by us from the Oxford Dictionary and analyzed to complement the structure of knowledge contained in the term proverb
.
As a result of observing the content of these synonyms, the semantic field of the term proverb
expanded with additional meanings: “a maxim originating from antiquity, a proverb” (translated from the Latin root it meant: I say); “any principle or instruction expressed in a few words; a short, condensed statement containing a truth of general importance...”; “a short, pointed statement that sets out an important truth in a few words...”, “a sentence (especially in an aphoristic or sententious form) purporting to express some general truth of science or experience; rule or principle of behavior”, etc. Finally, the native English words “Saw” and “Saying”, included in the synonymous series, in addition to traditional interpretations associated with the reference to a proverb and its attribute, contain the following “statement, discourse, speech [Saw] ; act of speech [Saying]"6.

As can be seen from the above facts, the synonymous series of the term proverb

enriches the definition, complementing, clarifying and expanding its field.
According to a complete definitional analysis of the presented dictionary entries devoted to synonyms of the term, we can conclude that proverb
is:

Proverb, a statement related to a proverb;
A short aphoristic statement (often in a figurative sense), consisting of several words in the form of a sentence, setting out a general important truth, instruction, rules or principles of behavior, moral laws, formulated on the basis of life experience;
Statement, discourse, speech; act of speech.

Since the Latin word Proverbium

lies at the basis of both terms (
proverb and proverb
- a parable, an old expression in general and recognized use, a saying, a saying), we consider it possible to consider the previously identified semantics
of proverb
in application to
the proverb
and use it to form a more complete and linguistically adequate structure of the term.

In a general theoretical sense, we define the proverb

in the following way:

Proverb; statement, saying, judgment related to a proverb;
A short figurative stable statement (often used in a figurative meaning), syntactically designed as a simple or complex sentence (sometimes may consist of several sentences), reflecting a generalized formal situation, raised into a formula, setting out an important truth, instruction, rules or principles of behavior, moral laws formulated based on life experience.

This idea, in our opinion, also needs a special linguistic commentary on the proverb

as a minimal text consisting of one or several sentences with a certain syntactic structure (such a definition of
paremia
has become an integral part of the work of the paremiological direction in recent decades).

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What is special about Christmas paremias?

Christmas paremias focus on the event of the birth of the Savior. This is an Old Testament touch on the mystery of the appearance of God in the world. The texts reveal to those listening the miracle of the birth of the Messiah from the Virgin - the Most Holy Theotokos, the place of his birth - Bethlehem, and the wonderful events associated with this holiday.

In addition, Christmas proverbs show the commonality and continuity of the Old and New Testaments. It is very common among believers today to notice some disdain for the Old Testament. They say, why do we need it if there is Christ, who seemed to abolish everything that came before him and gave people everything new. But this position is wrong. The Lord fulfills everything that people were waiting for before His birth. And the Savior himself in the Gospel constantly refers to the Old Testament. And it is precisely the prophecies that are read on Christmas Eve before Christmas that show this commonality of the two Testaments - how the expectations of antiquity come true.

Examples of proverbs

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Features of the all-night vigil. At Great Vespers after entering the following are read:

The first paremia is about the ladder seen by the patriarch Jacob and prefiguring the Most Holy Virgin, through Whom God himself descended to earth and became incarnate (Gen. 28:10-17).
The second paremia is about the closed gates seen by the prophet Ezekiel: no one passed through them, but the Lord God of Israel will pass through them, and they will be closed. These closed gates are a prototype of the Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God (Ezek. 44:2-4).
the third paremia is about Wisdom, who created a house for herself and clearly points to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, from Whom the Savior of the world was incarnated and born (Prov. 9: 1-11).

1st proverb. Genesis reading. [Chapter 1]

Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament. It contains legends about the origin of the world, the ancient history of mankind and the emergence of the Jewish people. The book of Genesis itself does not indicate an author, but it is traditionally believed that Moses wrote it. He is considered the author of the first five books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, which are called the Pentateuch of Moses. According to modern scholarship, Genesis was written between 1440 and 1400 BC. BC e., in the period between the exit of the Israelites from Egypt and the death of Moses.

Text: In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was invisible and unsettled, and darkness was on the top of the deep; and the Spirit of God was carried on the top of the waters. And God said: let there be light, and there be light. And God saw the light as good: and God separated between the light and the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness Night. And there was evening, and there was morning, one day. And God said: let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let there be a parting in the midst of the waters and the waters: and so it was. And God created the firmament: and God separated between the waters that were under the firmament, and between the waters that were above the firmament. And God called the firmament, the sky: and God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the second day. And God said: let the waters that are under heaven be gathered together into one, and let the dry land appear: and so it was. And the waters that were under heaven were gathered into their own congregations, and the dry land appeared. And God called the dry land: and the gathering together of the waters was called the sea. And God saw that it was good. And God said: Let the earth sprout the former grass, sowing seed according to its kind and likeness, and let the fruitful tree produce fruit, the seed of which is in it according to its kind, upon the earth: and so it was. And the earth brought forth old herbs, sowing seed after their kind and after their likeness, and a fruitful tree producing fruit, the seed thereof according to its kind, upon the earth: and God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the third day.

Translation: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the abyss, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And God said: Let there be light. And there was light. And God saw the light that it was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day and the darkness night. And there was evening and there was morning: one day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate water from water. [And it became so.] And God created the firmament, and separated the water that was under the firmament from the water that was above the firmament. And so it became. And God called the firmament heaven. [And God saw that it was good.] And there was evening, and there was morning: the second day. And God said: Let the water that is under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear. And so it became. [And the waters under heaven were gathered into their places, and dry land appeared.] And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth green grass, grass yielding seed [after its kind and after its likeness, and] a fruitful tree bearing fruit after its kind, in which is its seed on the earth.” And so it became. And the earth brought forth grass, grass yielding seed according to its kind [and likeness], and a tree [fruitful] bearing fruit, in which is its seed according to its kind [on the earth]. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning: the third day.

Meaning : The first Christmas proverb is an excerpt from the book of Genesis about the creation of the world. And the question may immediately arise: what does this text have to do with it? Why is the creation of the world remembered before Christmas?

Firstly, this is how the Church indicates exactly who is born and what kind of God we worship. Christians celebrate the birth of the One who created the entire Universe. God fulfills His promise to the ancient people by sending His Son into the world to correct the deformed and distorted condition of man by sin and death. God Himself comes to us.

Interestingly, the prophet Isaiah also has a story about the creation of the world, and it begins like this: Comfort

, comfort my people (Isaiah
40
:1), says God. And the consolation lies in the fact that the prophet talks about the creation of the world. What's the consolation here? The fact is that for the pagan consciousness everything is simple: if you lose, that means your god is weak, and if you win, that means he is strong. And the captive Jews succumb to this attitude. Being in Babylonian captivity, they feel crushed, defeated and humiliated. As if God abandoned them or turned out to be weaker than the pagans. But God, through the prophet, seems to remind them that He is the Creator of the world, who created heaven and earth. This means everything is in His hands. And this is an endless consolation for them.

In addition, the Nativity of Christ is a rebirth or even “re-creation” of the world. As the Savior will say later: “Now I am making all things new” ( And He who sat on the throne said: Behold, I am making all things new

(Rev 21:5). Through Him, a new reality of the world is “born”, in which a person can become immortal and like God.

Proverbs for the Feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God

Holidays are not only church-wide celebrations of one or another event related to our salvation, but also an occasion to renew Old Testament events in our memory.

For what? Yes, it’s very simple - the Old Testament, in fact, is just the history of the Jewish people and, in isolation from the events of the New Testament, it remains so. Why do we need to know how many years the Jews wandered in the desert and why the prophets scolded them in their time, if this is absolutely not connected with our own history and even more so with our life today.

But the Old Testament is not just the history of the Jews, it is the greatest prophecy and prototype of our salvation, which would have been impossible without Christ and, of course, His Most Pure Mother. That is why at festive evening services, proverbs are read - special passages from the Old Testament (in the overwhelming majority), which in one way or another correlate with the immediate festive events. Often they may not be entirely understandable - not only because few people are familiar with the Holy Scriptures in Church Slavonic and few people know the events of the Old Testament as well as the events of the Gospel, but also because The dull, “fortune-telling” glass of prototypes and prophecies does not always make it possible to understand what or Whom they are talking about. Take, for example, the proverbs that are read on the Intercession of the Virgin Mary...

Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran, and came to a certain place, and stayed there to spend the night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it at his head, and lay down in that place. And I saw in a dream: behold, a ladder stands on the ground, and its top touches the sky; and behold, the angels of God ascend and descend on it. And behold, the Lord stands on it and says: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; don't be afraid. The land on which you lie will I give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants will be like the sand of the earth; and you will spread to the sea, and to the east, and to the north, and to the noonday; and in you and in your seed all families of the earth will be blessed; and behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go; and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you. Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: Truly the Lord is present in this place; but I didn’t know! And he was afraid and said: How terrible is this place! this is nothing other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven. (Gen. 28, 10-17).

The Holy Scripture is revealed to everyone gradually, as everyone progresses spiritually. Someone can see here only a description of the disturbing dream of Jacob, fleeing from the revenge of his brother in the vicinity of the “well of oath”, where, even under Patriarch Abraham, an agreement was concluded on the non-aggression of the Jews and Philistines against each other. And someone, following the holy fathers who discern the fullness of the semantic shades of Scripture, can also see the prototype of the Mother of God Herself, contained in the patristic understanding of “Jacob’s Ladder.”

Firstly, the staircase itself, as an image of ascent from earth to heaven, cannot but recall the basic principle of spiritual life - communion with God. Of those who lived on earth, even the forefather Adam hardly had such complete communion with God as the Mother of God. Secondly, none of the stairs can be climbed at once - gradualism, “step-by-step” is its integral property, just as the Holy Virgin Mary did not immediately become the Mother of God, but was first born, raised, brought to the temple, taught the Scriptures, betrothed to Joseph ... Here, too, is the prototype and great mystery of how a person who has fallen low as a result of the Fall can rise thanks to the humility that the Blessed Virgin revealed in its fullness.

Finally, the ladder is based on the ground. If we turn to the image of the Mother of God, then She is also from the earth, from the human race. She did not neglect anything earthly: she did not disdain work, did not consider sorrow unnecessary for herself, did not avoid communication, and was not burdened by solitude. Only sin on earth harms everything, and so, without sin, the whole earth is blessed by God and the best flower of the earth is the Mother of God - our Hope and Confirmation. But Jacob's Ladder is not only established on earth, but also reaches heaven. Who else has achieved the highest of the gifts of communication with God in the most perfect form? And if the desire for God becomes the meaning of all quests in life, then who else, if not the Mother of God, will become a Helper and Intercessor in this field.

Also, “Jacob’s Ladder” is full of Angels rising from the earth and descending to the earth. From the earth, from us, they bring to God the prayers of all faithful people, and to people (and not only the faithful) from God - gifts of His love. The memory of this can encourage everyone, especially when it seems lonely and sad in a world that has long suffered from despondency caused by the general impoverishment of holiness. For believers, this deficiency is filled by the Angels and the mercy of their Queen - the Most Holy Theotokos.

Finally, “Jacob’s Ladder” is the connection between heaven and earth, man and God. Her unique and perfect example is the Most Pure Virgin. She herself became the ladder that leads to God. That is why this passage from the book of Genesis is read at the all-night vigil on the day of the Intercession of the Mother of God and indeed on all the feasts of the Mother of God.

Now a few words about the second proverb, which is an excerpt from the prophetic words of St. Ezekiel.

At the end of these days, on the eighth day and beyond, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and thanksgiving offerings on the altar; and I will be merciful to you, says the Lord God. And he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, facing east, and it was shut. And the Lord said to me, “This gate will be shut, and it will not be opened, and no man will enter through it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it, and it will be shut.” As for the prince, he, like a prince, will sit in them to eat bread before the Lord; He will enter by the porch of this gate, and will come out the same way. Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the face of the temple, and I saw, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord (Ezek. 43:27, 44:1-4)

This proverb, in a historical context, already through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel promises the captive Jews liberation and even the restoration of their devastated temple. The prophet speaks about the construction of the future temple and its consecration. The future temple will be consecrated for seven days, and on the eighth day the priests must make a sacrifice, but not to consecrate the temple, but to appease the Lord and as a sign of gratitude to Him and an expression of devotion. The prophet saw the entire temple in a vision, and then he was again shown the eastern gate of the sanctuary. They were closed, and he was told about them that the Lord had passed through them, and no one should not only pass through them, but even see them open. From the eastern gate the prophet was led to the northern, from where a majestic spectacle of all the glory of God was revealed to him.

Blessed Theodoret, whose opinion was accepted by the Fathers of the Church, considers the eastern gate through which the Lord once entered to be a symbol of the Mother of God. She seemed to open the door to the Lord into the human world, without, however, losing her virginal purity either before or after the birth of Christ. The Mother of God served the one and only sacrament of the Incarnation of the Lord. This proverb is a prophecy about the ever-virginity of the Mother of God, but for its complete understanding, as well as for understanding the very mystery of ever-virginity, the strength of the human mind alone will clearly not be enough. However, how insufficient they will be for understanding the Divine mysteries in general.

And finally, the third passage from the Book of Proverbs, read at this all-night vigil.

Wisdom built herself a house, hewed out its seven pillars, slaughtered a sacrifice, dissolved her wine and prepared a meal for herself; sent her servants to proclaim from the heights of the city: “Whoever is foolish, turn here!” And she said to the weak-minded: “Come, eat my bread and drink the wine that I have dissolved; leave foolishness, and live and walk in the way of reason.” He who teaches a blasphemer will gain disgrace for himself, and he who reproaches the wicked will bring shame upon himself. Do not reprove the blasphemer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you; give instruction to a wise man, and he will be even wiser; teach the truthful, and he will increase knowledge. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding; because through me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. (Prov. 9, 1 – 11).

The third proverb is dedicated to Wisdom. Under Wisdom, Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Saint Ambrose of Milan, Blessed Augustine and other fathers see the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Gospel (Matthew 28:20), the Church is considered to be the House of Wisdom. Fathers have different opinions on what to consider as seven pillars. Some believe that this is an indication of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, others that of the seven Sacraments, and still others of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Is. 11, 12). The meal, especially with the mention of bread and wine dissolved in the cup, of course, symbolizes the Eucharist, but you can also include here all the blessings of the Church, among which is the word of God (Matthew 4, 4 and 1 Cor. 1, 4 - 5) .

Whom did Wisdom send to invite to her meal? This is a speech about preachers of the Gospel, who are commanded to proclaim to the whole world: as you go, teach all languages (Matthew 28:19). Who's name is it? The insane, that is, those who are not satisfied with the wisdom of this age, who seek justification by the blood of the Lamb, which in the Church is possible in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Those invited are invited to part with madness, that is, with doubt, disbelief, delusions and conquer the mind to faith. Not everyone will follow the call of God, and therefore the Lord, with the words Punish (not in the sense of “punishing,” but calling, setting an example, convincing) the evil, will accept dishonor for himself and further warns against close communication with the evil. You can’t correct them if they don’t want it themselves, but you will only irritate them and even harm yourself. Moreover, by bringing danger upon yourself, you will hinder the work of God. This should be a warning to those who are called to be God's messenger to save the wise, that is, those who are able to heed instructions. Turning to the fear of God (to the fear of somehow violating the will of God, and not to the fear of punishment) as the beginning of wisdom will make everyone who loves wisdom and truth equal, humble and experienced. From the advice of the saints such a person will only become richer in intelligence. If you take care of this, then your temporary life will be calmer (and therefore longer), and your eternal life will be more reliable.

But what does all this have to do with the Mother of God? The most direct thing is that the Church calls Her the “Most Pure Temple of the Savior”, and the “Chamber of the King of All”, and other comparisons that indicate that She is the living temple of God and the words about the House of Wisdom can easily be attributed to Her. If every soul can become a temple to God, according to the apostle, then even more so is His Most Pure Mother. And the stronger should be our own desire on this Feast to partake of that Shrine that She bore in Her most pure womb - our Lord and God Jesus Christ.

Priest Dmitry Vasiliev, January 18, 2021

2nd proverb. Numbers reading. [Chapter 24]

Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch of Moses. The name of the book is explained by the fact that it provides various recommendations for counting the Jewish people, separate tribes (tribes), clergy, and so on. The book covers the events between the stay of "God's chosen people" at Mount Sinai and their arrival "on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, opposite Jericho." The authorship of the test is traditionally attributed to the prophet Moses.

Text : The Spirit of God came upon Valaam, and let us receive our parable, saying: If thy house is good to Jacob, and thy tabernacle to Israel! Like the overshadowing lands, like the garden by the rivers, and like the tabernacle that the Lord set up, and like cedar trees by the waters. From his seed a man will come forth and have many languages, and his kingdom will be exalted and increased. God will guide him out of Egypt like the glory of his unicorn. The enemy will gird his tongues, and wear out their thickness: and he will shoot the enemy with his arrows. He lies down like a lion, and like a scalpel, who will raise him up? Those who bless you, blessings, and those who curse you, curses. A star will rise from Jacob, and a man will arise from Israel, and he will cut off the princes of Moab: and all the sons of Seth will be taken captive, and Edom will be an inheritance, and Esau his enemy will be an inheritance, and Israel will make a stronghold.

Translation: The Spirit of God was on Valaam. And he spoke his parable and said: How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel! they spread out like valleys, like gardens by the river, like aloe trees planted by the Lord, like cedars by the waters; Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will be like great waters; his king will surpass Agag and his kingdom will be exalted. God brought him out of Egypt, he has the speed of a unicorn, devours the nations hostile to him, crushes their bones and strikes [the enemy] with his arrows. He bowed down, lying like a lion and like a lioness, who will raise him? He who blesses you is blessed, and he who curses you is cursed! I see Him, but now I am not there yet; I see Him, but not close. A star rises from Jacob, and a rod arises from Israel, and smite the princes of Moab and crush all the sons of Seth. Edom will be in possession, Seir will be in the possession of its enemies, and Israel will show its strength.

Meaning: This proverb must be approached from two positions. The first includes the historical context of this reading. There was a certain Balaam, whom a pagan king called to himself so that he could curse the people of Israel, whom he was very afraid of. And so Balaam, looking at the Israeli camp, instead of bringing a curse on it, blesses it. He predicts victory for Israel in the war with this pagan king. And this prophecy comes true in a specific historical situation. But behind these words there is another, deeper meaning.

It turns out that the most important thing is not contained in the words of blessing: Beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwellings, Israel!

Israel is wonderful as God's chosen people.
But it is especially beautiful because it is from him that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, will come. Therefore Balaam then says: I see Him, but not yet
. He knows that the Savior will come, but only in the future. Balaam prophesies: A star will rise from Jacob and a rod will arise from Israel. And here we are not just talking about the star of Bethlehem, which the Magi saw. This star is the image of Christ himself. He is the guide who illuminates our lives in the night.

3rd proverb. Reading the prophecies of Micah. [Chapters 4 and 5]

The book of the prophet Micah is the 33rd book in the Bible. The approximate time of writing is the era of the reign of Jotham (750–735 BC). The prophet Micah is usually lost in the shadow of his great contemporary and perhaps even teacher, the prophet Isaiah. Their prophecies are consonant with each other, even to the point of literal coincidence. But if Isaiah was a priest of the Jerusalem temple, then Micah, apparently, was a simple and ignorant man. This is why the denunciations of the rich, who rob the people at their own will, acquired special poignancy in his mouth.

Text: In these days, says the Lord: I will gather up what is broken, and I will receive what is cast away, even as I have cast off: and I will put what is erased into a remnant, and what is cast off into a strong tongue, and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion, from now and forever. And you, Bethlehem, house of Euphrates, have you little food, even if you were among the thousands of Judah? From you will come forth an Elder for Me to become a Prince in Israel: and He has come forth from the beginning, from the days of the world. For this reason, I will give until the time of giving birth, and give birth, and the rest of His brethren will turn to the children of Israel. And the Lord will stand, and see, and provide for His flock with His strength. And they will remain in the glory of the name of the Lord their God; now they will be magnified even to the end of the earth.

Translation: On that day, says the Lord, I will gather what is lame and gather together what is scattered and those upon whom I have brought disaster. And I will make the lame a remnant and the scattered far away a mighty people, and the Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion from now on and forever. And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are you small among the thousands of Judah? from you will come to me one who is to be a ruler in Israel and whose origin is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. Therefore He will leave them until the time when she who is about to give birth gives birth; then their remaining brothers will return to the children of Israel. And He will stand and feed in the power of the Lord, in the greatness of the name of the Lord His God, and they will live in safety, for then He will be great to the ends of the earth.

Meaning: I will gather what is lame and gather together what is scattered, says the Lord, promising to heal the people of Israel suffering from troubles and misfortunes. And this promise is fulfilled after the Birth of Jesus Christ. And then the Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion from now on until forever. These prophetic words reveal the future of the new Israel, that is, the New Testament Church, which will always be faithful to Him, and the Lord will reign over it even when this world ends.

Also in this reading we hear that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. That is why, when King Herod the Great called the scribes and asked them where the Savior would come from, they answered him - from Bethlehem, referring to this prophecy: And you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah... from you will come to me He who is to be Ruler in Israel.

We again feel this emphasis that it is God Himself who is born, “Whose origin is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.”

».

Are you small among the thousands of Judas? - the prophet indicates that the Lord will come not in glory and power, not as a conqueror, but in the form of a slave. And he will not even be born in a warm house, but somewhere on the outskirts of the city - in a stable. In theology, this is called kenosis, the belittlement of God, who takes upon himself all human weaknesses and misfortunes. He conquers death by his humiliation - from God to man. So the Lord, saving people, does not violate the most important thing in them - freedom.

Finally, then their remaining brothers will return to the children of Israel - hence the Church knows that many of those Jews who still persist in not recognizing Jesus Christ as the Messiah will eventually repent and convert.

Parimia for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Table of contents

Genesis reading.

Jacob left the student who swore an oath and went to Harran. And you will find a place, and sleep there: for the sun went down, and was taken from the stone of that place, and set the head for yourself, and sleep in the place thereof. And I saw a dream. And the ladder was established on the earth, its head reaching to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. The Lord established himself on it and said: I am the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac, do not be afraid: the earth where you sleep on it, I will give it to you and to your seed. And your seed will be like the sand of the earth, and will spread over the sea, and the valley, and the north, and to the east; and all the tribes of the earth will be blessed because of you and because of your seed. And behold, I am with you, keep you on every path, even if you go. And I will return you to this land, as the imam will not leave you until I can create all that I can say for you. And Jacob arose from his sleep, and said: for the Lord is in this place, but I know not. And I was afraid, and said: How terrible is this place; not to bear this, but the house of God and this gate of Heaven.

Gen 28:10–17

Reading the prophecies of Ezekiel.

Thus says the Lord: from the day of osmago, and so forth, the priests will make on the altar your burnt offering and even your salvation, and you will receive it, says the Lord Adonai. And turn me to the path of the outer gates of the holy ones, looking to the east, and this gate will be closed. And the Lord said to me: this gate will be shut and not open, and no one will pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel will pass through them, and they will be shut. Like the abbot will sit in them to bring bread, he will enter along the path of the Elam Gate and will leave along his path. And I brought me along the path of the gates of the holy ones, which are towards the north, straight to the temple, and I saw, and behold, the temple of the Lord was full of glory.

Eze 43:27; 44:1–4

Proverbs reading.

Wisdom built herself a house and established seven pillars. He sacrificed his sacrifice, and dissolved his wine in his cup, and prepared his meal. I sent my servants, calling with a high sermon to the cup, saying: if anyone is foolish, let him turn aside to Me. And to those who require intelligence, I say: Come, eat My bread, and drink the wine that I have mixed for you. Leave madness, and you will live, and seek reason, and you will live and correct your reason in knowledge. He who punishes the wicked will receive dishonor; If you reprove the wicked, you will discredit yourself, for reproach will wound the wicked. Do not reprove the evil, lest they hate you. Reprove the wise, and he will love you. Give wine to the wise, and he will be wise. Tell the righteous, and he will receive it. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord and the counsel of saints, the understanding. Understand the law of thought is good. In this way, live a lot of time, and life will be added to you.

Proverbs 9:1–11

4th proverb. Reading the prophecies of Isaiah. [Chapter 11]

The book of the prophet Isaiah consists of individual speeches spoken by the prophet approximately between 733 and 701. BC e. The main pathos of the first half of the book is the denunciation of the people of Israel who apostatized from God, and the second is the consolation of the Jews who were captured in Babylon and the prophecies about the coming Incarnation.

Text: Thus says the Lord: A rod will come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will come up from its root. And the Spirit of God will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding: the spirit of counsel and strength: the spirit of knowledge and piety: the spirit of the fear of God will fill him. He does not judge by glory, he will reprove by the words below: but the court will judge the humble with righteousness, and will convict with the righteousness of the glorious lands. And he will smite the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the breath of his mouth he will slay the wicked. And he will be girded about His loins with righteousness, and entwined with Truth along His side. Then the wolf and the lamb will devour, and the lynx will lie down with the goat: the calf, the lion, and the youngling will devour together, and the young man will lead them little, the calf and the lion will graze together, and their children will be together: and the lion will take off the chaff like the ox. And as a young man he laid his hand on the cave of the Asp, and on the bed of the Asp tribe. And they will not do evil, nor will they destroy a single one on My holy mountain: before the whole earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters covered the sea. And one day he will be the root of Jesse, and he will arise to rule the tongues: in him the nations will trust, and his honor will rest.

Translation: And a branch shall come forth from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his root; and the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and piety; and he will be filled with the fear of the Lord, and will not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide matters by the hearing of his ears. He will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide the affairs of the afflicted of the earth with truth; and with the rod of his mouth he will smite the earth, and with the breath of his mouth he will slay the wicked. And righteousness will be the girdle of His loins, and truth will be the girdle of His thighs. Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them. And the cow will feed with the she-bear, and their cubs will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. And the child will play over the asp's hole, and the child will stretch out his hand into the snake's nest. They will not do evil or harm in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And it will happen in that day that the Gentiles will turn to the root of Jesse, which will become like a banner for the nations, and its rest will be the glory.

Meaning: He will judge the poor with justice, and decide the affairs of the sufferers of the earth with truth. Here the prophet reveals to us what will happen after the Second Coming of the Savior - the Last Judgment, but the most important thing in this reading lies elsewhere. The Lord appears as the One who will bring peace to this earth. This world will be like a heavenly state of general reconciliation and harmony. So that even the wolf, who is “supposed” to eat the lamb, will not touch it. This will be a world in which even completely natural and understandable instinctive cruelty between animals will be abolished. And a small child will be able to play with a snake without fear of anything. The example, I must say, is very clear for Palestine, where there really are a lot of dangerous and poisonous snakes. The prophet seems to be saying: Christ will overcome enmity not only between people, but even between animals.

And his peace will be his glory. Peace is the peace of God that rests among people. At the same time, it is important to understand that this world will not come like in a fairy tale, simply because the Lord has come. No, God always respects human freedom. It will be everyone’s internal decision whether to accept this God’s peace or not. That is why the Church sings at the Christmas All-Night Vigil: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will

" The peace that Christ brought will be possible between people only if they themselves want it - according to their “good will”.

5th proverb. Reading the prophecies of Jeremiah. [Baruch, chapters 3 and 4]

The Book of the Prophet Baruch is a non-canonical book (texts of the Holy Scriptures that have not reached our time in Hebrew) of the Old Testament and joins the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. The main point of the message is to show the Jews that all the disasters that befell them, including the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity, occurred due to apostasy. The prophet encourages his people to repent and wait for consolation from God.

Text: This is our God, no one will be added to Him. Invent every way of art, and give to Jacob to His servant, and to His beloved Israel. Therefore, he appeared on earth and lived with people. This is the book of God's commandments, and this law forever; all who adhere to it and leave it will die. Turn to Jacob and follow her, go straight to the radiance of her light. Do not give your glory to another, nor to a foreign tongue that benefits you. Blessed are we to Israel, for what is pleasing to God is reasonable.

Translation: This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him. He found all the ways of wisdom and gave it to His servant Jacob and His beloved Israel. After that He appeared on earth and spoke among people. This is the book of God's commandments and the law that endures forever. All who hold on to it will live, but those who leave it will die. Turn, Jacob, and take it, walk in the brightness of its light. Do not give your glory to another, or what is useful to you - to a foreign people. Happy are we, Israel, that we know what is pleasing to God.

Meaning: This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him. When the Old Testament prophets exalt God, they do so not only to remind the erring Israelites from whom they had fallen away. Such praise to the Creator is a consolation in all the sorrows that haunted the people of God. The Prophet reminds that their God found all the paths of wisdom, which means that only from Him can one obtain true knowledge. And further in the text we hear and bestowed it (wisdom - T.S.) on His servant Jacob and His beloved Israel. How did you bestow it? Through Divine Revelation, that is, the Bible.

Then there is a direct reference to the Nativity of Christ: After that He appeared on earth and spoke among people

.
And again the Church reminds us: it was God who appeared, the Creator of the world became incarnate, Who will give the Gospel commandments. At the same time, a rather strict clarification is made: All who hold on to it will live, and those who leave it will die
. God will not force a person to follow these commandments, but at the same time he gives a warning that he awaits those who neglect them. And here the listener may be outraged by the seeming cruelty of God. Why is it that the one who follows these commandments will live? Is there no other way? Why should God be so cruel? But the point is not in God, but in ourselves. Man is designed in such a way that he must breathe oxygen in order to exist. It’s the same with fulfilling the commandments: only in communion with God, in following His will, does our life turn out to be fulfilling and happy.

Russian Orthodox Church

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25, old style) is one of the most important holidays of the entire church year. It can be called both the Lord's and the Theotokos at the same time, since it combines the celebration in honor of the Incarnation with the remembrance of the good news of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin. Even the date of the holiday itself is of particular importance - already the authors of the 3rd century sschmch. Hippolytus of Rome (In Dan. IV. 23) and Tertullian (Adv. Jud.) called March 25 the date of the Crucifixion of Christ according to the Roman calendar; in the writings of St. Athanasius of Alexandria (PG. 28. Col. 632) it is said that March 25 is also the day of the creation of man, and the day of the Incarnation; finally, in the so-called Byzantine era, adopted after the 7th century in the Orthodox Church, March 25 is considered the date of the Resurrection of Christ according to the Roman calendar. That is why, if the Annunciation coincides with Easter, the holiday receives the name Kyriopascha, that is “true, correct [that is, correct not only according to the lunar, but also according to the Roman calendar - D. M. Zh.

] Easter" (from Greek to kyrion Pasсha, but not Pascha Kyriou; see:
Lebedev D., priest.
Why is the Easter holiday on March 25 called "Kyriopaskha"? // Theological Bulletin. Sergiev Posad, 1905. Vol. 2. No. 5. pp. 118–128).

But the Annunciation can coincide not only with Easter, but also with many other days of the moving circle. In most cases, the Annunciation falls on one of the ordinary days of Lenten, therefore the normative charter of Annunciation services in the Typikon describes just such a case. Cases of coincidence of the Annunciation with various special days of the Triodion are regulated by a special section of the Typikon - the Annunciation chapters. This year, the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary fell on Holy Saturday, therefore, when worshiping on this day, one should be guided by the corresponding Annunciation chapter: “On the same feast [of the Annunciation - Dr. M. Zh.

], if it happens on the Great Saturday.” This note is devoted to the question of how the content of this chapter changed in the history of Orthodox worship.

Like other Annunciation chapters, the indication of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday in the Byzantine tradition is first recorded in the Typikon of the Great Church,

monument to the Constantinople cathedral worship of the 9th–11th centuries.
(Le Typicon de la Grande Église: Ms. Saint-Croix n. 40, Xe siècle / Introd., texte critique, trad. et notes par J. Mateos. R., 1962. T. 1. (OCA; 165). P. 256). It says here that the divine service in this case must be performed in the same way as when the Annunciation coincides with Maundy Thursday, namely: “After the tritekti [the fast analogue of the daytime hours in the ancient cathedral tradition - D. M. Zh
.]... comes the lithium and ascends to the Forum, and goes to Chalcopratia [one of the main Theotokos churches of Constantinople -
d.M.Zh.
], and there the singers sing: “Glory... and now...” - and immediately the Trisagion, prokeimenon, Apostle, Alleluia, Gospel, a solemn and petitionary litany and “Let us depart in peace.” Vespers, paremias (after the first of which the Patriarch of Constantinople went to the baptistery to teach the sacrament of Baptism to the catechumens, and during the last he returned with the newly baptized to the temple and, when they entered, anointed them with holy oil), liturgical readings and the liturgy of St. Basil the Great were performed in the Church of St. Sophia at their appointed time. In other words, in the ancient cathedral practice of Constantinople, when the Annunciation coincided with Holy Saturday, in honor of the Annunciation, a procession of the cross was held (the festive procession of the cross was one of the main liturgical features of the feast of the Annunciation in the Byzantine tradition) through the streets of the city and the liturgy of the catechumens - without the liturgy of the faithful - in the Chalcopratian Church . Thus, the liturgical readings of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday were distributed among independent services and sounded at different times in different churches; and the Typicon of the Great Church says nothing about how the hymnography of these most important days of the year was connected (if connected).

But already in the contemporary Typikon of the Great Church, the Studian synaxar - the post-iconoclast liturgical charter of the Constantinople monasteries - it is described exactly how to combine the hymnographic texts of the Annunciation and Great Saturday (sets of which in the Byzantine tradition were already basically formed and had a form close to that contained in the currently accepted in the Orthodox Church Menaion and Triodion) during Vespers on the evening of Good Friday, Matins on the night from Good Friday to Great Saturday and Vespers on the evening of Great Saturday, and also indicates the order in which the Annunciation and Great Saturday liturgical readings follow each other within the same service.

The edition of the Studite Synaxarion closest to the original text is preserved in the so-called Studite-Alexievsky Typikon

1034, which has come down to us only in a Slavic translation (see:
Pentkovsky A. M.
Typikon of Patriarch Alexy the Studite in Byzantium and Russia. M., 2001).
As in the Typikon of the Great Church, the service of the Annunciation on Holy Saturday is proposed to be performed here by analogy with the charter of connecting the Annunciation with the service of Maundy Thursday. The general order, therefore, is as follows. At Vespers on Good Friday:
stichera of the day (i.e., Great Saturday) and the holiday (i.e., the Annunciation), “Glory... and now...” - the holiday;
there is an entrance with the Gospel; the proverbs of the day and the holiday are read (as is known, in the post-iconoclast lectionary of Constantinople the Annunciation has 5 proverbs - 3 general Theotokos and 2 special ones, Exodus 3. 1b - 8a and Proverbs 8. 22-30, prophesying about the Incarnation; only 3 general Theotokos proverbs are read here ); followed by singing “Let it be corrected...”; the Apostle and the Gospel of the day are read and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is performed (in ancient Constantinople practice, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was always performed on Good Friday). At Matins on Holy Saturday:
on “God is the Lord” - the troparion of the holiday and the troparion of the day (“Blessed Joseph”);
after the kathisma (it should be noted that the famous praises of Holy Saturday were not yet in the charters of the studio tradition - they appear only in the Jerusalem charter, and even then not immediately - the kathisma was sung with the usual refrain "Alleluia") - sedals of the holiday and day; then - sedate, prokeimenon, "Every Breath" and the Gospel of the Feast; after the 50th psalm - the canons of the holiday and the day (3 songs each - kontakion of the day, 6 songs each - kontakion of the holiday); on the praises of the stichera of the holiday and day; Readings at the end of Matins - Great Saturday. During the day on Holy Saturday there should be a procession of the cross. At Vespers on Holy Saturday:
stichera of the day and the holiday, “Glory... and now...” - the holiday; there is an entrance with the Gospel; the first proverb of the day is read, and then 2 special proverbs of the holiday and, finally, the remaining proverbs of the day; after the small litany - “Elitsa was baptized into Christ” (this feature of the service of Holy Saturday, associated with its baptismal character, is specially noted as the difference between the charter of connecting the Annunciation with Holy Saturday from the charter of its connecting with Maundy Thursday); prokeimenon of the day; The Apostle and the Gospel - a holiday and a day; The liturgy of St. is celebrated. Basil the Great (Ibid. pp. 337–339).

In general, the same charter for combining the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation with the service of Holy Saturday is also given in two derivatives from the original editions of the Studite Charter - Athos-Italian (represented by the Typikon of St. George Mtatsmideli compiled on Athos around 1042 and a number of Greek South Italian Typikons, among of which the oldest surviving is the Messina Typikon of 1131) and Asia Minor (represented by the liturgical Synaxarions of the Evergetid Monastery (compiled c. 80s of the 11th century) and the Monastery of Christ the Lover of Mankind (compiled at the beginning of the 12th century)). The differences from the instructions of the Studios-Alexievsky Typikon are small: in the Typikon, St. Georgiy Mtatsmideli

(
Kekelidze K., Archpriest.
Liturgical Georgian monuments in domestic book depositories and their scientific significance. Tiflis, 1908. P. 259) they boil down to the fact that on “God is the Lord” the troparion of the day “Noble Joseph” precedes the troparion of the holiday, and in a different order readings of the Annunciation biblical beginnings: firstly, the proverbs of the holiday are read only at vespers on Good Friday (but not on Holy Saturday);
secondly, at the liturgy of Great Saturday, the Apostle of the holiday follows the Apostle of the day, the singing before the Gospel only “Rise up, O God...” is specially emphasized (as is known, the replacement of the liturgical alleluiary with this chant is one of the most striking features of the service of Great Saturday), and about the liturgy Gospel readings say this: “Gospel: “On the Sabbath evening...”. After this Gospel there is an exclamation: “Wisdom, forgive me!”, and another deacon reads the Gospel of the feast” - in other words, the Gospels of the day and the feast are emphatically separated with the help of an additional exclamation, as well as the fact that they are read by different clergy. In the Messinian Typicon
(
Arranz M.
Le Typicon du monastère du Saint-Sauveur à Messine: Codex Messinensis gr. 115, AD 1131. R., 1969. (Orientalia Christiana Analecta; 185). P. 141–142) among the differences - only the instruction to sing instead of kathisma at matins three festive antiphons (here - Ps 44, 71 and 148; the replacement of morning kathismas with antiphons on holidays is a common feature of the Athos-Italian branch of the Studite Rule; it subsequently influenced the appearance of the so-called selected psalms), as well as additional detail given in the Typikon: “On praise... on “Glory...” - the self-vocal of the day, on “And now...” - “Blessed art thou...”;
The instructions about the troparia for “God is the Lord” and about the liturgical readings on Holy Saturday completely coincide with what is said in the Typikon of St. Georgiy Mtatsmideli. In the Evergetid Synaxar
(
Dmitrievsky A.A.
Description of liturgical manuscripts stored in the libraries of the Orthodox East. T. 1:
Typika.
K., 1895. P. 439–441) the instructions differ from those contained in the Studian-Aleksievsky Typikon in a greater degree of detail (for example , only here it is said about the abolition of the Gospel and other principles on the hours of Good Friday and about the reading of the hours according to the cells;
the incipita
of the glories of all stichera are indicated (in particular, on “And now ...” on the praises - not “Blessed are you ...”, but the stichera of the day “ Dressing for you...")); one of the differences is the singing of the monastery pannikhis (a service that should not be confused with the cathedral pannikhis; on the basis of the monastic pannikhis, the rites of general prayer and memorial service subsequently arose) before Matins (at pannikhis there are canons for the Lamentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation (pre-celebration or dedication)); the same order of troparions for “God is the Lord” as in the Athos-Italian Typicons; an indication of three stichologies at Matins (it is unclear whether we are talking about three different kathismas or three articles of the immaculate), and after the first and second stichologies - the sedals of the holiday, after the third - the sedals of the day; unusual (in comparison with other statutes) order of canons at Matins: the canon of the day precedes the canon of the holiday; the paremias are read in the same way as in the Studian-Alexievsky Typikon (i.e., three common Theotokos - at Vespers on Good Friday; two Annunciation paremias - after the first paremia at Vespers on Great Saturday); the prokeimenon at the liturgy is only for the day (“Rise up, O God...” is also not combined with the alleluia), and the Apostle and the Gospel are for both the holiday and the day (unfortunately, the Typikon does not say anything about the order in which they follow each other).

In the Jerusalem Rule,

which - contrary to its name - is not directly related to the ancient Jerusalem worship, but is a reworking of the original and Asia Minor editions of the Studite Synaxarion, made in Palestine, the instructions on the order of combining the services of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday initially completely coincided with the instructions of the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion.
Thus, in one of the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Jerusalem Rule, Sinait. gr. 1094, XII century ( Lossky A.
Le Typicon byzantine: édition d'une version grecque (partiellement inédite); analyze de la partie liturgique: Diss. P., 1987. T. 2. P. 203–205), for the case of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday a reference is made to the charter for connecting the celebration of the Annunciation with the service of Maundy Thursday - the same as in the Studian-Alexievsky Typikon - and this charter coincides in everything (except for the one and only additional indication about the celebrant at the “Lord I cried” on Good Friday) with the instructions of the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion (including even the preserved (perhaps inadvertently) instruction to celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on the eve of the Annunciation - despite the fact that, according to the main text of the Jerusalem Rule, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is no longer celebrated on Good Friday). The same picture is observed in the Shio-Mgvim Typikon - the Georgian version of the Divnogorsk edition of the Jerusalem Charter of the 12th century. - the only differences compared to the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion are that the slavniks of the day are indicated on all stichera (on “And now...” - everywhere of the holiday), and at Matins the canon of the holiday follows the canon of the day; Otherwise, the instructions are the same - including the instructions on the insertion of two Annunciation proverbs after the first proverb of Holy Saturday, and the instructions on the liturgical readings (the prokeimenon - only the day; the Apostle and the Gospel - first the holiday, then the day).

In later editions of the Jerusalem Charter

a new difficulty arises in connecting the Annunciation with Holy Saturday - on the one hand, in the XIII-XIV centuries. choruses of “praise” are added to the immaculates at Matins on Holy Saturday; on the other hand, to the polyeleos (which by this time had become a completely integral part of the festive matins - including the Matins of the Annunciation) from the XIII-XIV centuries. certain selected psalms and choruses of magnification could be added; therefore, the problem arose of combining the immaculate with praise and the polyeleos with the chosen psalm and magnification. This problem could be solved in different ways: for example, in the first printed Greek edition of the Typicon (Venice, 1545), where the instructions about connecting the sequences of the Annunciation and Great Saturday are basically the same as in the most ancient editions of the Jerusalem Rule (and, therefore, approximately the same the same as in the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion), at Matins it is prescribed to sing the polyeleos, but nothing is said about the immaculates. On the other hand, in Russian handwritten charters of the 15th–17th centuries. (for example, RSL. TSL. main. 239, XV century; 240, XV century; 241, mid-XVI century; 246, early XVII century) on the morning of Holy Saturday if this day coincides with the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy The Virgin Mary is ordered to sing both the Immaculates and the Polyeleos. The text of the corresponding chapter in the indicated manuscripts is practically unchanged (the only difference concerns the indication of the liturgical Apostle on Holy Saturday - the Charter of the RSL. TSL. main. 239, 240 and 241 prescribe reading the Apostle of the day and holiday, and the Charter of the RSL. TSL. main. 246 - only Apostle of the Day) and is reproduced in the same form in the first printed Russian edition of the Typikon (Moscow, 1610), prepared by the charterer of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Longin (Korova) (and here, as in the RSL. TSL. main. 246, it talks about reading at the liturgy on Holy Saturday only the Apostle of the day. The omission of the apostolic conception of the Annunciation can be justified by the fact that this reading - Heb 2. 11-18 - is read not only during the liturgy of the feasts of the Annunciation and the Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but also during the rite that became very widespread in later times small blessing of water).

The charter for combining the observances of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and Holy Saturday in accordance with the version of the Jerusalem Charter now accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church

almost completely coincides with what is described in the Typikon of 1610;
there are only five differences: the option of a service with an all-night vigil is not provided (the first printed charter allowed, if desired, to sing the Annunciation Small Vespers on Good Friday, and to combine the Vespers of Good Friday with the Matins of Great Saturday (in this case, “Blessed is the Man” and lithiums appeared at Vespers with Annunciation stichera); in the modern Typicon these instructions are omitted); according to the ninth song of the Matins canon, an order appeared to sing a double catavasia - both from the canon of the day (irmos) and from the canon of the holiday (chorus and irmos); the incipita
is not indicated (for example, on the praises, the old printed Typikon allowed one to choose between “Ask Joseph...” and “The day [day] secretly...”; in the post-reform Typikon it simply says: “Glory...” - to the day);
liturgical Apostle - both day and holiday; instructions about the liturgical “Arise, O God...” and the Gospels are missing. The text of the charter (the text is slightly Russified and accompanied by some comments) is as follows: “ On Friday in the evening,
at the 10th hour of the day, marks the Great Day, and the Great Day, and we sing Vespers.
On “The Lord I cried”: the stichera are self-concordant on the 6th day, and the holiday on the 4th. “Glory...” - the day, “And now...” - the holiday. Entrance with the Gospel. “The world is quiet.” Prokeimenon, and the reading of the day, and the holiday 5 (NOTE: thus, in the modern Russian Typicon, unlike the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion, the general Theotokos and special proverbs of the Annunciation are not separated - D. M. Zh
.).
Also the Prokeimenon, the Apostle, Alleluia, and the Gospel of the day. Therefore, the litany “Rtsem all.” Also “Lord grant this evening”, “Let us perform the evening prayer”. On the poem are the stichera of the day with their choruses. “Glory...” - the holiday, “And now...” - the day. Also “Now you let go.” According to the Trisagion: the troparion of the holiday: “Glory... and now” - “Noble Joseph.” Priest: “Wisdom”, and dismissal. We sing Compline in the cell
(NOTE: the omission of the secondary daily services is characteristic of all the rules for combining the services of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday; in particular, all editions of the Jerusalem Rule prescribe the reading of Compline in cells (or are completely silent about it); the canon for the Lamentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also read according to cells or is completely omitted - of all the statutes of the pre-printing era, only the Evergetid Synaxarion speaks about the preservation of this canon, which is not surprising: the canon on the Lamentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary first appears in this statute -
D. M. Zh.
);
Kontakion of the day, “Glory... and now...” - the holiday. At the 1st hour of the night it marks the Great, and the Great, and we sing Matins.
On “God is the Lord” troparion of the day, tone 2: “Blessed Joseph” (once), “When you descended to death” (once), “Glory...” - “Myrrh-bearing women”, “And now...” - holiday: “Today our salvation."
We also sing blameless, on tone 5. The priest censes on the 1st glory, and also on the 2nd and 3rd, as is custom. After the death of the immaculates, we sing the resurrection troparia: “The Council of Angels...” and so on. The same small litany and sedalian of the day. Also the polyeleos, and the sedals of the holiday, and the reading of the holiday. Degree, 1st antiphon of the 4th tone. Prokeimenon of the holiday. "Every breath." Gospel of the holiday. Psalm 50, stichera of the holiday. Canon of the holiday with Irmos on 8, Irmos twice; and day, with irmos at 8 (NOTE: thus, both canons must be sung with irmos, which clearly separates them from each other: irmos of the canon of the holiday and troparia of the canon of the holiday, then - irmos of the canon of the day and troparia of the canon of the day - - d. M . AND.
).
Katavasia is the Irmos of the day, both faces together. According to the 3rd song: kontakion and ikos of the day; and sedalen of the day, “Glory... and now...” - the holiday; and holiday reading. According to the 6th song: kontakion and ikos of the holiday; Prologue and synaxarium. On the 9th song, we don’t sing “The Most Honest,” but we sing the chorus of the holiday, as indicated. At the end of the 9th song there is the irmos of the day: “Don’t cry for Me, Mati,” the same holiday chorus and irmos. “Holy is the Lord our God” in tone 2. The luminary of the holiday is twice. On the praises: three self-vocal stichera of the day and three similar feasts, the same self-vocal feast, tone 8: “Let the heavens rejoice...”, with the refrain: “Teach good news day by day the salvation of our God”; “Glory...” - day, “And now...” - “Blessed are you, the Virgin Mary...”. The doxology is great, and there is an entrance, as it is written in the Triodion. Therefore, the prokeimenon and proverbs of the day. Prokeimenon, Apostle, Alleluia and Gospel - of the day. Litany and dismissal; and at the 1st hour we eat in the vestibule. The other hours
are sung at their own time.
On the clock: troparion of the holiday and day; kontakia is a verb changing. Blessed we say quickly, without singing. “Remember us, Lord...” and so on. According to “Our Father”: kontakion of the day, “Glory... and now...: - holiday. “Lord, have mercy” (40 times) and the prayer: “All-Holy Trinity...”, and dismissal. On Holy and Great Saturday evening, about the hour of the 10th day, it marks great things, and all serious things.
And having gathered in the temple, having blessed the priest, we eat Vespers according to custom, without kathisma. On “The Lord I cried”: there are three resurrection stichera, tone 1: “Our Vespers prayers...”, and three self-concords on Holy Saturday, tone 8, and four feasts; “Glory...” - day, tone 6: “This day is secretly...”; “And now...” - the holiday: “He was sent...”. Entrance with the Gospel. “Quiet light.” We do not say the prokeimenon, but the priest abiye says: “Wisdom,” and the readings of the day according to their order. At the end of the reading: small litany and exclamation. And we sing instead of the Trisagion: “Be baptized into Christ.” Hallelujah.” Prokeimenon of the day and holiday. Apostle of the day and holiday. (NOTE: the omission of instructions about the liturgical Gospels is more than noticeable). Instead of the Cherubic song, the following is sung: “Let all flesh be silent” - and, in sequence, the Divine Liturgy of the Great Basil. Instead of “It is worthy,” we sing irmos: “Don’t cry for Me, Mother”; In the Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos we sing the irmos: “Like the ark of God that is animated.” Involved - day and holiday."

Almost the same charter as in the Russian editions of the Jerusalem Charter is given in the “Typikon” by Archpriest. George Riga,

authoritative Greek charterer 1st half. XX century (2nd ed.: Thessaloniki, 1994). The only differences are in the choice of slavniks among some groups of stichera; in the number of troparions of the Matins canon (the canon of the holiday is sung on 6, and not on and the number of stichera on praises (self-concords of the day - on 4, and not on 3; the stichera of the Annunciation have not one, but two additional verses); in the choice of the liturgical prokemna (only Days). Extremely interesting regulations for the connection of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday are contained
in the handwritten cathedral Typikons of the Athonite monasteries
of the 18th–19th centuries, which to this day regulate the liturgical life of the Holy Mountain. Thus, in the cathedral Typikons of Dionysiatas (one of the most authoritative on Athos) and Filotheou (founded on the Typikon of Dionysiatus), Xenophon and Kostamonit (based on the Typikon of Xenophon), in case the Annunciation coincides with Great Saturday, an all-night vigil is provided - as in the Russian pre-Nikon Typikons. On
Good Friday, in this case, two vespers are served
- but, unlike the Russian pre-Nikon practice, this is not the small vespers of the Annunciation performed separately and the great vespers of the Annunciation and Good Friday performed as part of the all-night vigil, but the full vespers of Good Friday performed separately (according to the Athonite Typicons, it is served entirely according to the usual rite of Good Friday;
of the Annunciation hymns here - only the stichera on “And now...” on “I cried to the Lord” (according to the Dionysian Typikon, on “I called to the Lord” the Annunciation stichera are also sung from Little Vespers) and the stichera on “Glory...” on the stichera) and performed as part of the All-Night Vigil vigil, great vespers of the Annunciation (all hymns are only the Annunciation; prokeimenon: “Who is the great God ..."; according to the Typicons of Xenophon and Costamonitus - but not Philotheou - the all-night vigil is preceded by a small compline with a canon for the Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos; the Dionysiatic Typikon mentions the celebration of compline before the vigil , but does not talk about canon). At Matins
(as part of the same vigil) on “God is the Lord”: two troparions of the day (“Blessed Joseph” and “To the Myrrh-Bearing Women”) and twice the troparion of the holiday;
immaculate with the praises of Holy Saturday (the polyeleos are omitted according to the Typikons of Xenophon and Costamonitus; according to the Typikons of Dionysiatus and Philotheou, it is sung after the immaculates, the troparions “Angelic Council...”, the small litany and sedals - just as in the Russian Typikons); sedate, prokeimenon, “Every breath”, Gospel and stichera according to Psalm 50 - Annunciation; canon - on 16 (holiday with Irmos on 8 and day with Irmos on 8), chaos from both canons - not only in the 9th, but in all songs; the instructions for chanting the 3rd, 6-1 and 9th songs of the canon are practically the same as in the Russian Typicons; on the praises stichera on 6 (i.e. without an additional verse), “Glory...” - day (Typicon of Philotheu: “The day is secretly...”; Typicons of Xenophon and Costamonite: “Ask Joseph...”; Dionysiatic Typikon prescribes the singing of the glory of the holiday) , “And now...” - the holiday: “Let the heavens rejoice...” (but not “Most blessed art thou...”; the Dionysian Typikon prescribes singing “Most blessed art thou...”); the end of Matins - according to modern Greek practice, with a three-time circumambulation of the temple with the Gospel and the Shroud, etc. The rules for Vespers and the liturgy on Holy Saturday
in the Typicons of Xenophon, Costamonite and Dionysiatus are practically the same as in the Russian Typicons (but according to the Typicons of Xenophon and Kostamonita stichera on “I cried to the Lord” - not 3 Sundays, 3 days and 4 holidays, but 4 Sundays, 3 days and 3 holidays), while according to the Typicon of Philotheus, when the Annunciation coincides with Holy Saturday, the liturgy is served not at Vespers, but at its usual time (at the 3rd hour of the day; the transfer of the liturgy from Vespers to the usual morning time is due to the fact that the Philotheou Catholicon is dedicated to the Annunciation);
at the liturgy - pictorial antiphons and the blessed one from the canon of the holiday; entrance verse of the holiday; readings - as in Russian Typicons. Vespers on Holy Saturday is served in the evening; the order of singing the stichera on “I cried to the Lord” is the same as in the Typicons of Xenophon and Costamonite; after the proverbs - “Rtsem all” and the rest of the vespers (stichera on the verse - only for the holiday; at the end of vespers - the troparion of the holiday three times and dismissal). In the “Typikon of Christ the Great Church”, accepted in modern Greek parish and cathedral practice , compiled by the protopsalt George Violakis,
which - despite the name - is a special edition of the Jerusalem Rule (but not the ancient cathedral Typikon of the Great Church), in the event of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday the holiday is simply transferred to Easter Day: this was already done in the Typikon of the protopsalt of Constantine (Constantinople, 1838), on which the Typikon of George Violakis is based.

So, the charter for connecting the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Holy Saturday in the Byzantine and post-Byzantine tradition was developed in great detail. The basic principles of this connection were laid down a thousand years ago and represent, although a small, but valuable part of the diverse and rich liturgical heritage of the Orthodox Church. They should be guided when performing divine services on this day - in the form in which they are presented in the Typikon accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church and approved by its hierarchy at the end of the 17th century (you can also pay attention to the possibility of celebrating the all-night vigil in the Russian pre-Nikon Typikons vigil in the event of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday and on the charter for performing such a vigil and Vespers on Good Friday in the cathedral Typicons now accepted in the practice of Athonite monasteries; probably, the use of this charter could be especially appropriate in churches dedicated to the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos). The main problem is the order of reading the Gospel at the liturgy of Holy Saturday, about which there is nothing

not said. The problem here is that reading the Gospel of the holiday after the Gospel of the day will contradict the order of Sacred history - in this case, after the story of the Resurrection of Christ (Gospel of Great Saturday), there will be a story about the Annunciation, which in fact happened not after, but before the Resurrection. The Charter avoids cases of violation of the order of events of Sacred History - as an example, we can cite the instruction of the Typikon and the Colored Triodion that on weekdays during the period of Pentecost, Sunday hymns are sung first and after them - the day, but on Wednesdays and Fridays the hymns of the day (of the Cross) are sung first. , and only then - the Resurrection: “Be aware that on Wednesdays and Fridays the stichera of the Cross are preceded...before our Lord was first crucified, therefore He rose from the dead.” Examples of reading at the liturgy of Great Saturday, when it coincides with the Annunciation, first the Gospel of the holiday and only then the day, are contained in such important monuments of the history of Orthodox worship as the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion (according to the Studite-Alexievsky Typikon, adopted in Rus' until the end of the 14th century c.) and the most ancient editions of the Jerusalem Charter. However, this solution to the problem seems unsatisfactory for two reasons - it contradicts the instructions of the Russian pre-Nikon Typikons (on which the charter for combining the services of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday in the modern Russian Typikon is based), but most importantly, it breaks the connection between the famous chant of Great Saturday “Rise, O God... ” and following this hymn is the great Gospel of the Resurrection of Christ. The Good News of the Resurrection, proclaimed by the deacon in snow-white vestments, is closely connected with the preceding prayer singing “Rise, O God...”, during which the clergy change the dark vestments of sorrow to the light vestments of joy. Therefore, the Gospel of the day should still be read before the Gospel of the holiday. But how then can we solve the problem of violating the order of presentation of the events of Sacred History? It seems that for this one could resort to the instructions of the Typicons of the Athos-Italian edition of the Studite Rule (especially since the Menaion and Triodion corresponding to this edition underlie the Old Russian Menaion and Triodion of the Studite era): the first deacon reads the Gospel of the day, then the exclamation follows: “Wisdom, forgive me, we will hear...” and the second deacon (or priest) reads the Annunciation Gospel.

Deacon Mikhail Zheltov

Patriarchy.ru

6th Proverbs. Reading the prophecies of Daniel. [Chapter 2]

The book of the prophet Daniel describes the events that happened to the Israeli people in Babylonian captivity (598–539 BC). Traditionally, the author of the book is considered to be Daniel, a noble Jew who was brought up at the royal court. He had a special gift from God to understand and interpret dreams, for which he became famous under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who brought him closer to himself.

Text: Daniel's speech to Nebuchadnezzar: you have seen the king, and behold, there is one image, a great image, and his round appearance, standing before your face: and the vision of him is terrible, the image of his head is pure from gold: his arm and chest and his muscles are silver. : the belly and the thighs are copper: the legs are iron: the nose part is shabby iron, and a certain part is scanty. Thou hast seen how the stone was torn away from the mountain without hands, and smote the image on the feet of iron and meagerness, and I was born to the end. Then the iron, copper, silver, gold, and gold were consumed in one, like dust from the threshing floor of the harvest, and I was taken away from the abundance of inspiration, and no place was found for it: but the stone, striking the image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is a dream: and its telling is in speech before the king: God of Heaven will raise up a Kingdom that will not decay forever, and His Kingdom will not be left to others by people, and will exhaust and exhaust all the kingdoms, and then it will arise forever. In the same way you saw how a stone without hands was cut off from a mountain, and the stone, iron, copper, silver, gold were erased. The Great God told the king that the dream must still be, and the dream is true, and his saying is true.

Translation: You, king, had such a vision: behold, some kind of large idol; This idol was huge, it stood before you in extreme splendor, and its appearance was terrible. This image had a head of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of copper, its legs of iron, its legs partly of iron and partly of clay. You saw him until the stone came off the mountain without the help of hands, struck the image, his iron and clay feet, and broke them. Then everything was crushed together: iron, clay, copper, silver and gold became like dust on the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away, and no trace remained of them; and the stone that broke the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. What a dream! Let us tell the king its meaning. The God of heaven will erect a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be transferred to another people; it will crush and destroy all kingdoms, but itself will stand forever, since you saw that the stone was torn from the mountain not by hands and crushed iron, copper, clay, silver and gold. The Great God let the king know what would happen after this. And this dream is true, and its interpretation is accurate!

Meaning: This reading is connected with one biblical story, when Nebuchadnezzar had a strange dream. None of the court interpreters of dreams (in ancient times, many superstitious pagan kings kept such especially gifted people at their court) could unravel it. And then the king called to him the prophet Daniel, who, with the help of God, was able to give the correct interpretation of the dream.

The image of a stone that will come off the mountain without the help of hands

, - an indication of the supernatural birth of the Savior from the Virgin Mary.
This stone crushed iron,
copper, clay, silver and gold.
Parts of the idol, which is described in the dream, consists of different metals - these are pagan kingdoms that will perish, because the God of heaven will erect a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this
will not be handed over to another people; it will crush and destroy all kingdoms…. What kind of kingdom is this? The New Testament Church, in which people will worship not soulless idols, but Christ. The end of pagan kingdoms is the end of idolatry. Therefore, the Kingdom of Christ conquers not by force and weapons, but spiritually, by the death and resurrection of the Savior.

7th Proverbs. Reading the prophecies of Isaiah. [Chapter 9.]

Text: From a child was born to us, a Son was given to us, whose rulership was on His frame: and His name was called the great angel of counsel. Wonderful is the Counselor, Mighty God, Ruler, Ruler of the world, Father of the age to come: for He will bring peace to rulers, and His health. And His great rule, and His peace knows no bounds, on the throne of David, and on the kingdom of David, to correct it, and to intercede with fate and righteousness, from now to eternity: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Translation: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; the government is upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David and in his kingdom, so that He may establish it and strengthen it with judgment and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Meaning: If you open the Church Slavonic text, then after the words for a Child is born to us - a Son is given to us, we meet and His name is given :

great
council
angel. The Great Council is the so-called Eternal Council between the Persons of the Holy Trinity, which is depicted on the icon of St. Andrei Rublev. The side Angels on it, with their internal contours, create a bowl, and in front of it is Christ - an Angel in red and blue robes. This Angel Himself blesses the cup opposite itself with the sacrificial animal. So Andrei Rublev symbolically reveals how at the Eternal Council the Word of God, the Son accepts the sacrifice that He will then have to make on the Cross.

And then we hear His amazing names: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His name :

Great Council
Angel
. “Angel” is translated as “messenger” and the Lord, incarnate, brings us the news of salvation. And Wonderful because his beauty is different from ours. Strong - because this is the God you can hope for, who will never leave you.

The prince of the world - because Christ in the Gospel says: Now the prince of this world will be cast out,” and this “prince of this world” is the head of a sinful society, or Satan, who will be cast out by the resurrection of the Lord. Then the true Prince of Peace will reign on earth. Father of eternity - because eternity itself exists only because God exists. He is her Father.

And what is this jealousy of the Lord of hosts? After all, in the second commandment the Lord calls himself “a jealous God.” Now we are accustomed to perceiving jealousy from an everyday perspective - between a wife and husband. But biblical “jealousy” is a very strong religious feeling that “eats” a person or God at the sight of an inappropriate attitude towards the commandments, towards people, at the sight of injustice. We say “jealousy for the Fatherland” when we see how it suffers, in what a humiliated position it is in. And our jealousy is the desire to do everything so that our Fatherland prospers. With the same feeling, God wants to save man. He is not an outside observer, but a caring and therefore zealous Father.