Three Dignities

Jesu Christi, filii David, filii Abrahae Quare autem non illi suffecit dicere illum filium abrahae solius, aut David solius? Quia ad ambos de Christo nascituro ex eis, promissio fuerit facta. Ad Abraham quidem sic: Et in semine tuo benedicentur omnes tribus terrae: quod intelligi non potest nisi in Christo, quoniam inter caeteros Judaeos et gentes numquam amicitia stabilis fuit. Ad David autem ita dicit: Juravit autem Dominus David veritatem et non frustrabitur eum: de fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam. Ideo ergo utrius quae filium dicit, ut utriusque promissiones in Christo impletas ostenderet. Deinde quia Christu tres dignitates fuerat habiturus, rex, propheta, sacerdos; Abraham autem habuit duos filios, et duas dignitates: propheta enim fuit, et sacerdos, sicut Deus ad illum dicit in Genesi: Accipe vaccam triennem, etc, propheta autem, sicut ait Dominus ad Abimelech de illo: Quoniam propheta est et orabit pro te, et salvus eris tu, et domus tua ; ideo ergo dictus est filius Abrahae et David, ut propheta quidem intelligatur et sacerdos ex Abraham, rex autem ex David. Item ideo non dictus est tantummodo David filius, quia David rex fuit et propheta, sacerdos autem non fuit. Ideo ergo amborum filius nominatus est, ut utriusque patris triplex dignitas originali jure congnosceretur in Christo. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia Prima Source: Migne PG 56.612-613

'Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.' 1 Why did it not suffice to say the son of Abraham alone, or the son of David alone? Because to both the promise was made concerning the birth of Christ from them. To Abraham it was said, 'And by your seed all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves,' 2 which cannot be understood but as referring to Christ, because between the Jews and the Gentiles there was no stable friendship. And to David it was said, 'The Lord swore to David a truth and it shall not be in vain; the fruit of your womb I shall place on your throne.' 3 Therefore to both He spoke of a son, that both promises in Christ he show to be fulfilled. Then because in Christ three dignities were to dwell, king and prophet and priest, Abraham had two sons and two dignities, for he was a prophet and a priest, a priest since God said to him in Genesis, 'Take a three year old cow' 4 and a prophet since the Lord spoke of him to Abimelech, saying, 'Because he is a prophet and he shall pray for you and you shall be saved, you and all your house.' 5 Therefore it is said 'the son of Abraham and David' that the prophet and the priest be understood from Abraham and the king from David. We may not say the son of David alone, because though David was a king and a prophet, he was not a priest. Therefore the son of both He is named that with the paternity of both the triple dignity of Christ be known. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from the First Homily 1 Mt 1.1 2 Gen 22.18 3 Ps 131.11 4 Gen 15.9 5 Gen 20.7