O admirabile commercium

Song Meaning

This text centers on a profound, almost paradoxical exchange: the Creator of humanity taking on a human body, born of a virgin, to bestow divinity upon us. It's a concept framed as a "wondrous commerce," where the divine willingly embraces the human condition. The lyrics highlight the miraculous nature of this event, emphasizing that it fulfills ancient prophecies, like rain falling on a fleece, a direct reference to Gideon's fleece. This sets up a core tension between the divine and the human, the eternal and the temporal, being bridged by this singular, miraculous birth. The imagery employed is rich with Old Testament allusions, drawing parallels between the birth of the savior and significant moments in religious history. The unburnt bush seen by Moses, a symbol of divine presence without destruction, is invoked to represent the Virgin Mary's preserved purity. Similarly, the root of Jesse and a star from Jacob point to the lineage and prophesied arrival of a savior. These layered references underscore the idea that this event is not sudden but part of a grand, unfolding divine plan, reinforcing the miraculous nature of the incarnation. The core of the lyrics revolves around the mystery of the Incarnation itself: "Deus homo factus est" – God became man. The text grapples with how this is possible, stating that what was (divine) remained, and what was not (human) was assumed, without confusion or division. This theological puzzle is presented as a "great mystery of inheritance," where a womb becomes a temple, and the divine takes on flesh without pollution. The ultimate effect is a sense of awe and reverence, with all nations called to give glory to God for this inexplicable union.