Jacob’s prophetical blessings of his twelve sons: his death.
Iacob replenished with the spirite of prophecie, a litle before his death, fortelleth his sonnes manie things, that shal happen to their posteritie. Chargeth some of them with faultes past, blesseth euerie one. 29. Appointeth where to burie him. 32. and dyeth.
1And Jacob called his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days.E chiamò Giacobbe i suoi figliuoli, e disse loro: Raunatevi, affinché vi annunzi le cose, che a voi succederanno ne' giorni avvenire.AND Iacob called his sonnes, and said to them: Come together, that I may shew you the things that shal come to you in the last dayes.Vocavit autem Jacob filios suos, et ait eis: Congregamini, ut annuntiem quæ ventura sunt vobis in diebus novissimis. 2Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to Israel, your father:Raunatevi, e ascoltate, figliuoli di Giacobbe, ascoltate Israele vostro padre.Come together, and heare you sonnes of Iacob, heare ye Israel your father:Congregamini, et audite, filii Jacob, / audite Israël patrem vestrum: 3Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow; excelling in gifts, greater in command.Ruben mio primogenito, tu mia fortezza, e principio del mio dolore: il primo ai doni, il più grande in potestà.Ruben my first begotten, thou art my strength, and the begining of my sorow: former in giftes, greater in empyre.Ruben, primogenitus meus, / tu fortitudo mea, et principium doloris mei; / prior in donis, major in imperio. 4Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed, and didst defile his couch.Tu ti sei disperso, come acqua: tu non crescerai; perché sei salito sul letto del padre tuo, e hai profanato il suo talamo.Thou art poured out as water, encrease thou not: because thou diddest ascend thy fathers bed, and diddest defile his coutch.Effusus es sicut aqua, non crescas: quia ascendisti cubile patris tui, / et maculasti stratum ejus. 5Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity waging war.Simeon, e Levi fratelli, strumenti micidiali d'iniquità.Simeon and Leui brethren: vessels of iniquitie warringSimeon et Levi fratres / vasa iniquitatis bellantia. 6Let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their self-will they undermined a wall.Non abbia parte ai loro consigli l'anima mia, e la mia gloria non intervenga alle loro adunanze; perché nel loro furore uccisero l'uomo, e nel loro mal talento atterrarono la muraglia.Into their counsel come not my soule, and in their congregation be not my glorie: because in their furie they slew a man, and in their wilfulnes they vndermined a wall.In consilium eorum non veniat anima mea, / et in cœtu illorum non sit gloria mea: / quia in furore suo occiderunt virum, / et in voluntate sua suffoderunt murum.
7Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath, because it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.Maledetto il loro furore perché ostinato, e la loro indegnazione, perché inflessibile: io li dividerò in Giacobbe, e li dispergerò in Israele.Cursed be their furie, because it is stubborne: and their indignation, because it is hard: I wil diuide them in Iacob, and wil disperse them in Israel.Maledictus furor eorum, quia pertinax: / et indignatio eorum, quia dura: / dividam eos in Jacob, / et dispergam eos in Israël. 8Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hand shall be on the necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.Giuda, a te daran laude i tuoi fratelli: tu porrai la tua mano sulla cervice dei tuoi nemici: te adoreranno i figliuoli del padre tuo.Iudas, thee thy brethren shal praise: thy hand shalbe in the neck of thyne enemies: thy fathers children shal adore thee.Juda, te laudabunt fratres tui: / manus tua in cervicibus inimicorum tuorum, / adorabunt te filii patris tui. 9Juda is a lion’s whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?Giuda giovin lione tu, figliuol mio, sei corso alla preda: poi riposandoti ti sei sdraiato, qual lione, e qual lionessa: chi anderà a stuzzicarlo?A lions whelp Iudas: to the pray my sonne thou didst ascend: taking thy rest thou didst lye as a lion, and as it were a lyonesse, who shal raise him vp?Catulus leonis Juda: / ad prædam, fili mi, ascendisti: / requiescens accubuisti ut leo, / et quasi leæna: quis suscitabit eum ? 10The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.Lo scettro NON SARÀ TOLTO da Giuda, e il condottiero della stirpe di lui, fino a tanto che venga colui, che dee esser mandato, ed ei sarà l'espettazione delle nazioni.The scepter shal not BE TAKEN away from Iudas, and a duke out of his thigh, til he doe come that is to be sent, and the same shal be the expectation of the gentilesNon auferetur sceptrum de Juda, / et dux de femore ejus, / donec veniat qui mittendus est, / et ipse erit expectatio gentium. 11Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.Egli legherà alla vigna il suo asinello, e la sua asina, o figlio mio, alla vite. Laverà la sua veste col vino, e il suo pallio col sangue dell'uva.Tying to the vineyard his colt, and to the vine, o my sonne, his •he asse. He shal wash his stole in wine, and in the bloud of the grape his cloke.Ligans ad vineam pullum suum, / et ad vitem, o fili mi, asinam suam, / lavabit in vino stolam suam / et in sanguine uvæ pallium suum.
12His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.Gli occhi suoi son più belli del vino, e i suoi denti più candidi del latte.His eyes are more beautiful then wine, and his teeth whiter then milke.Pulchriores sunt oculi ejus vino, / et dentes ejus lacte candidiores. 13Zabulon shall dwell on the seashore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.Zabulon abiterà sul lido del mare, e dove le navi hanno stazione, si dilaterà fino a Sidone.Zabulon shal dwel in the shore of the sea, and in the road of shippes reaching as farre as Sidon.Zabulon in littore maris habitabit, / et in statione navium / pertingens usque ad Sidonem. 14Issachar shall be a strong ass, lying down between the borders.Issachar asino forte giacerà dentro i suoi confini.Issachar a strong asse lying at rest betwen the borders.Issachar asinus fortis / accubans inter terminos. 15He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.Egli ha considerato, come buona cosa è il riposo, e che la sua terra è ottima: e ha spiegato i suoi omeri a portar pesi, e si è soggettato al tributo.He saw rest that it was good: and the earth that it was very good: and he put vnder his shoulder to cary, and became seruing vnder tributes.Vidit requiem, quod esset bona / et terram, quod optima: / et supposuit humerum suum ad portandum, / factusque est tributis serviens. 16Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel.Dan giudicherà il suo popolo, come qualunque altra tribù d'Israele.Dan shal iudge his owne people as also an other tribe in Israel.Dan judicabit populum suum / sicut et alia tribus in Israël. 17Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels, that his rider may fall backward.Divenga Dan un serpente sulla strada, nel sentiero un ceraste, che morde l'unghie del cavallo per far cadere il cavaliere all'indietro.Be Dan a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, byting the hoosses of the horse, that his ryder may fal backward.Fiat Dan coluber in via, / cerastes in semita, / mordens ungulas equi, / ut cadat ascensor ejus retro. 18I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.LA SALUTE tua aspetterò io, o Signore.I wil expect THY SALVATION O Lord.Salutare tuum expectabo, Domine. 19Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.Gad armato di tutto punto combatterà dinanzi a lui: e si allestirà per tornare all'indietro.Gad, the gyrded shal fight before him: and himself shal be gyrded backward.Gad, accinctus præliabatur ante eum: / et ipse accingetur retrorsum.
20Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings.Grasso è il pane di Aser, e sarà la delizia de' re.Aser, his bread is sat, and he shal geue daynties to kinges.Aser, pinguis panis ejus, / et præbebit delicias regibus. 21Nephthali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty.Nephtali, cervo messo in libertà, egli pronunzia parole graziose.Nepthali, a hart let forth, & geuing speaches of beautie.Nephthali, cervus emissus, / et dans eloquia pulchritudinis. 22Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold: the daughters run to and fro upon the wall;Figliuolo crescente Giuseppe, figliuolo crescente, e bello di aspetto: le fanciulle corsero sulle mura.Ioseph a child encreasing, encreasing and comelie to behold: the daughters coursed to and for vpon the wall.Filius accrescens Joseph, filius accrescens et decorus aspectu: / filiæ discurrerunt super murum. 23But they that held darts, provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him.Ma lo amareggiarono e contesero con lui, e gli portarono invidia i maestri di tirar frecce.But the dart men did exasperate him, & brawled, and enuied him.Sed exasperaverunt eum et jurgati sunt, / invideruntque illi habentes jacula. 24His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel.L'arco di lui si appoggiò sul (Dio) forte, e i legami delle braccia e delle mani di lui furono disciolti per mano del possente (Dio) di Giacobbe: indi uscì egli pastore, e pietra d'Israele.His bowe sate vpon the strong, & the bands of his armes and his handes were dissolued, by the handes of the mightie of Iacob: thence came forth a pastour, the stone of Israel.Sedit in forti arcus ejus, / et dissoluta sunt vincula brachiorum et manuum illius / per manus potentis Jacob: / inde pastor egressus est, lapis Israël. 25The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.Il Dio del padre tuo sarà tuo aiutatore, e l'Onnipotente ti benedirà colle benedizioni di su alto del cielo, colle benedizioni dell'abisso, che giace giù basso, colle benedizioni delle mammelle, e degli uteri.The God of thy father shal be thy helper, & the Almightie shal blesse thee with the blessinges of heauen from aboue, with the blessinges of the deapth, that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the pappes and of the wombe.Deus patris tui erit adjutor tuus, / et omnipotens benedicet tibi / benedictionibus cæli desuper, benedictionibus abyssi jacentis deorsum, / benedictionibus uberum et vulvæ.
26The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come: may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.Le benedizioni del padre tuo sorpassano quelle dei padri di lui; fino al venire di lui, che è il desiderio dei colli eterni: posino elle sul capo di Giuseppe, sul capo di lui Nazareno tra' suoi fratelli.The blessinges of thy father were strengthned with the blessings of his fathers: vntil the desire of the eternal hilles came: be they vpon the head of Ioseph, & vpon the crowne of the Nazarite among his brethren.Benedictiones patris tui confortatæ sunt benedictionibus patrum ejus, / donec veniret desiderium collium æternorum: / fiant in capite Joseph, / et in vertice Nazaræi inter fratres suos. 27Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil.Beniamino lupo rapace, la mattina divorerà la preda, e la sera spartirà le spoglie.Beniamin a rauening woolfe, in the morning shal eate the pray, and in the euening shal diuide the spoile.Benjamin lupus rapax, / mane comedat prædam, / et vespere dividet spolia. 28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one with their proper blessings.Tutti questi capi delle dodici tribù d'Israele. Queste cose disse loro il padre, e ciascheduno di essi benedisse colla propria sua benedizione.Al these in the tribes of Israel twelue: these things spake their father to them, and he blessed euerie one, with their proper blessingsOmnes hi in tribubus Israël duodecim: hæc locutus est eis pater suus, benedixitque singulis benedictionibus propriis. 29And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite,Diede poi loro ordine, dicendo: Io vo ad unirmi al mio popolo: seppellitemi coi padri miei nella doppia caverna, che è nel campo di Ephron Hetheo,And he commanded them, saying: I am geathered vnto my people: burie you me with my fathers in the duble caue, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite,Et præcepit eis, dicens: Ego congregor ad populum meum: sepelite me cum patribus meis in spelunca duplici quæ est in agro Ephron Hethæi, 30Over against Mambre, in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field, of Ephron the Hethite, for a possession to bury in.Dirimpetto a Mambre nella terra di Chanaan, la quale Abramo comprò insieme col campo da Ephron Hetheo per avervi un sepolcro.against Mambre in the Land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to burie in.contra Mambre in terra Chanaan, quam emit Abraham cum agro ab Ephron Hethæo in possessionem sepulchri.
31There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca, his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.Ivi fu sepolto egli, e Sara sua moglie: ivi fu sepolto Isacco con Rebecca sua moglie: ivi fu sepolta anche Lia.There they buried him, & Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.Ibi sepelierunt eum, et Saram uxorem ejus: ibi sepultus est Isaac cum Rebecca conjuge sua: ibi et Lia condita jacet. 32And when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people.Finiti poi gli avvertimenti dati da lui per istruzione de' figliuoli, raccolse i suoi piedi nel letticciuolo, e si morì: e andò ad unirsi al suo popolo.And when he had finished the precepts wherwith he instructed his sonnes, he plucked vp his feet vpon the bed, and died: & he was put vnto his people.Finitisque mandatis quibus filios instruebat, collegit pedes suos super lectulum, et obiit: appositusque est ad populum suum.
49:1
Calmet
Last. Hebrew, "future days." It was an ancient and commendable custom, for parents to assemble their children in their last moments, to give them salutary instructions. They often also foretold to them what should happen. See Deuteronomy 36; Josue 24; 1 Kings 12; Tobias 4:3; 1 Machabees 2; Cyrus and Socrates both believed that they had then an insight into futurity. (Calmet)
49:3
My strength, etc. He calls him his strength, as being born whilst his father was in his full strength and vigour: he calls him the beginning of his sorrow, because cares and sorrows usually come on with the birth of children.
Challoner
Excelling in gifts, etc., because the first-born had a title to a double portion, and to have the command over his brethren, which Ruben forfeited by his sin; being poured out as water; that is, spilt and lost. (Challoner)
Worthington
In command. He ought to have succeeded to his father in authority. But Joseph entered in upon his rejection, 1 Paralipomenon 5:1. The priesthood was given to Levi's descendants; and the regal power, partly to those of Joseph, who reigned over the ten tribes, for a long time; and partly to the posterity of Juda, who exercised dominion over all the people of Israel. (Chaldee) (Worthington)
49:4
Challoner
Grow thou not. This was not meant by way of a curse or imprecation; but by way of a prophecy, foretelling that the tribe of Ruben should not inherit the pre-eminences usually annexed to the first birth-right, viz., the double portion, the being prince or lord over the other brethren, and the priesthood: of which the double portion was given to Joseph, the princely office to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi. (Challoner)
Calmet
Thou hast abandoned thyself to thy brutal passion; do so no more, ne adjicias. (St. Jerome, q. Heb.) Let Ruben live, and die not; let him be small in number, Deuteronomy 33:6. His tribe never became very considerable. (Calmet)
Haydock
Couch. See chap 35:22. Eternal infamy attends the name of Ruben. (Haydock)
49:5
Brethren. Born of the same parents; similar in disposition.
Calmet
Vessels; instruments. Septuagint and Chaldean, "they have completed wickedness," as they read calu, instead of the present Hebrew cele, which is adopted by Aquila. (Calmet)
49:6
Challoner
Slew a man, viz., Sichem, the son of Hemor, with all his people, Genesis 34. Mystically and prophetically it alludes to Christ; whom their posterity, viz., the priests and the scribes, put to death. (Challoner)
Haydock
A wall, Sichem, which they destroyed: or, according to the Septuagint, "they ham-strung" a bull, as the same Hebrew word signifies; both which may refer to the prince of the town, or to Joseph, (Calmet) in whose persecution these two were principally concerned. Jacob declares, he had no share in their attack upon the people of Sichem: his soul, or his glory, was not impaired by their misconduct. (Haydock)
49:7
Du Hamel
Scatter them. Levi had no division allotted to him, but only some cities among the other tribes; and Simeon had only a part of Juda's lot, which was so small, that his descendants were forced to seek for a fresh establishment; some in Gader, others in Mount Seir. (1 Paralipomenon 4:39; Josue 11:2.) Simeon alone was not blessed by Moses, Deuteronomy 33. (Du Hamel)
49:8
Haydock
Praise. He alludes to his name, his martial prowess, and dominion over all his brethren; who should be all called Jews, and submit to his sway. Some explain all this of Jesus Christ; others refer the first part of the prophecy to Juda. (Haydock)
49:9
Challoner
A lion's whelp, etc. This blessing of Juda foretelleth the strength of his tribe, the fertility of his inheritance, and principally that the sceptre, and legislative power, should not be utterly taken away from his race till about the time of the coming of Christ: as in effect it never was: which is a demonstration against the modern Jews, that the Messias is long since come; for the sceptre has long since been utterly taken away from Juda. (Challoner)
This none can deny. Juda is compared to a lion, which was the emblem of his royal dignity, and was borne in the standards of that tribe.
Calmet
To the prey. Hebrew, "from the prey." He proceeds from victory to victory. He couches, ready to fall upon his prey; and, retiring to the mountains, is still eager to renew the attack. (Calmet)
Read the history of David and of Solomon, who, both in peace and war, were a terror to the surrounding nations.
49:10
The sceptre. Almost every word in this verse has been explained in a different manner. But all the ancient Jews agree with Christians, that it contains a prediction of the Messias, and points out the period of his coming. Whether this was verified when Herod, a foreigner, got possession of the throne, and was acknowledged by the Jews, just about the time of our Saviour's nativity, as most of the fathers suppose; or it only took its full effect when Agrippa II lost all his power, the temple and the city were laid in ruins, and the whole nation dispersed for ever, it is not perhaps so easy to determine. In either supposition, the Messias has long since come. Jacob foretels, either that Christ would make his appearance as soon as the Jews should fall under a foreign yoke, and in this sense he was born about the 37th year of Herod the great
or he should come just before the kingdom of Juda should have an end, which took place in the 70th year of the Christian era, or about 37 years after the public appearance and death of our Saviour. The sceptre shall not depart irrevocably from the Jews; over whom the tribe of Juda had always the greatest authority in appointing the princes, when they were not selected from the tribe itself, or from his thigh; till the Messias, who has been expected so long, shall come and gather all nations into his Church. Then the designs of Providence, in watching over the Jews, being accomplished, their republic shall be dissolved, because they have shed his blood, instead of acknowledging his celestial beauty, ver. 12. The evident signs of decay in the kingdom of the Jews, were sufficient to excite the attention of all to look for the Messias; and we read, both in St. John 4:25, in Tacitus, and Suetorius, that his appearance was fully expected about that time. The sceptre is the emblem of sovereign, though not always independent, power. Juda and his posterity were always at the head of their brethren. They marched first in the wilderness; two of the judges were of this tribe. But their chief glory began with David, whose posterity the whole nation obeyed, till Jeroboam tore away the ten tribes. Still the tribe of Benjamin and the Levites adhered to Juda. During the captivity, there were judges admitted to superintend over their brethren; and King Joakim was raised to high authority. The rulers who came into power after the return of the Jews, were either of this tribe, at least by the mother's side, or were chosen and recognized by the tribe of Juda. Even Herod, in this sense, might be considered as a Jewish king, though a foreigner, as well as a Thracian might be counted a Roman emperor, without any diminution of the imperial authority of Rome. Perhaps indeed he was an usurper, till the nation acknowledged his authority two years after the birth of Christ. (Philo, de Temp. ii; Josephus, Antiquities 17:3.) "Herod was the first foreign king admitted by the Jews." (St. Augustine, City of God 18:45.) If, therefore, no stranger was to be acknowledged by the nation, till He came, who was to establish a spiritual and everlasting kingdom, the moment was arrived, when the Jews submitted to Herod, and Christ had actually been born two years.
From Juda, or from that tribe; for Jacob gave peculiar blessings to each; (ver. 28,) and hence the fathers gather, that the Messias should spring from Juda.
Ruler from his thigh, lineally descended from him, or acknowledged at least by his posterity, as all the legal princes were till the coming of Christ.
Calmet
Mechokek might also signify a teacher or scribe expounding the law of Moses, which subsisted for the same period; but this is more probably a farther explication of the sceptre, etc. (Calmet)
Helvicus
Till had ci, which words being joined together, are always taken in this sense. (Helvicus.)
Calmet
Sent. Schiloach (or Ssolue) seems to have been in St. Jerome's copy, though we now read Shiloh (or Ssole) "to whom" the authority belongs; Septuagint, "to whom all things are reserved; or till the things arrive, which are laid up for him. (Calmet)
Haydock
Expectation, or congregation of nations, as Aggeus afterwards foretold, 2:8. If we examine all the plausible explications which have been given to this verse, we shall find that they all tend to convey the same truth. "The sceptre (shebet, rod, crook, power or tribe) shall not depart (cease, be taken off) from Juda, (the tribe or the Jews) nor a leader (scribe, lawyer, or legislator) from his thigh, (between his feet, or from his banners) till He, who shall be sent, (shio, the pacific, his son, to whom it is, or the things are, reserved) arrive; and Him shall the nations expect, (and obey) to Him they shall look up (and be gathered). Whom will the Jews point out to whom all these characters agree, except our divine Lord, whom they also must one day adore? (Haydock)
49:11
Foal. The nations, which had not been subjected to the yoke of the old law.
Vineyard; the house of Israel, the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, Isaias 5:7. Christ broke down the wall of separation, and made both one, Ephesians 2:14.
His ass, or the Jews.
Menochius
O my son; Juda, the Saviour king, who shall be born of thee, shall tie both Jews and Gentiles to the vine, which is himself, John 15. To the Jews he shall preach in person; but the Gentiles he shall call by his apostles, chosen out of the vineyard of the Jewish church. (Menochius)
Worthington
He shall wash his robe, his flesh, and his garment, or all his disciples, in his own blood; adorning them with all graces by means of his death, which must be applied to their souls, in the holy sacraments devoutly received, and in the Mass, where his blood is offered under the appearance of wine. (Haydock) See St. Ambrose, etc. Tertullian, (against Marc. iv.) shewing that Christ fulfilled the figures of the old law, interprets the stole to mean his body, and wine his blood. (Worthington)
Calmet
Jacob alludes also to fertility and abundance of vines, which should enrich the portion of Juda, particularly about Engaddi, Canticle of Canticles 1:13. (Calmet)
49:12
Menochius
Beautiful. The eyes and teeth contribute much to the beauty of a face. Our Saviour, rising form the dead, filled the hearts of the beholders with joy, as wine exhilarates the heart of man. (Menochius)
Calmet
The spouse in the Canticle of Canticles, (ver. 12,) compares the eyes of the bridegroom to the shining reddish, or fiery ones of pigeons: chaclili, beautiful, means shining red, etc. Jesus Christ seems to allude to this prophecy of Jacob, (Matthew 21:43.; John 10:16.) telling the Jews, that the kingdom of God should be taken from them, and one fold should be established for all. God would then cease to distinguish the Jews by any other marks than those of his wrath. He would no longer be their king and shepherd. His sceptre, or pastoral crook, should be taken off the tribe of Juda, and it should be confounded with the rest, as it is at this day. (Calmet)
49:13
Menochius
Road. The territory of Zabulon was famous for good harbours, being situated between the Mediterranean and the sea of Genezareth. (Menochius)
Jacob marks out the limits to be assigned his children, 200 years before Chanaan was conquered; and Moses wrote this before they possessed a foot of land in it. The reason why Zabulon is placed before his elder brother Issachar, is not known.
Calmet
Sidon: not the city, but the territory of Sidon, or Phenicia. (Calmet)
49:14
Calmet
Strong. Hebrew, "bony ass." Many of Jacob's children are compared to animals, which was customary in the eastern style. Homer compares Ajax with the ass, for his strength and patience, Iliad XII. Jacob thus indicates the laborious disposition of Issachar's tribe, which did not delight in war. Their country was the most fruitful of all Galilee. (Calmet)
49:16
Challoner
Dan shall judge, etc. This was verified in Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan, and began to deliver Israel, Judges 13:5. But as this deliverance was but temporal and very imperfect, the holy patriarch (ver. 18,) aspires after another kind of deliverer, saying: I will look for thy salvation, O Lord. (Challoner)
Haydock
Many have supposed, that Antichrist will be one of his descendants, which makes Jacob break out into this exclamation. (Haydock)
Menochius
See St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5:30, etc. Samson exercised his ingenuity in discomfiting the Philistines. But Antichrist will be far more subtle in deluding the faithful. (Menochius)
Tirinus
The Danites took Lais, afterwards called Caesarea Philippi, by stratagem, Judges 18. (Tirinus)
49:19
Challoner
Gad, being girded, etc. It seems to allude to the tribe of Gad; when, after they had received for their lot the land of Galaad, they marched in arms before the rest of the Israelites, to the conquest of the land of Chanaan: from whence they afterwards returned loaded with spoils. See Josue 1; and Josue 22. (Challoner)
Calmet
He alludes continually to the name of Gad, which signifies one "girded, or a troop." See Osee 6:8; Numbers 32:17. (Calmet)
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Menochius
Fat, delicious. This country was very luxuriant, Deuteronomy 33:24. (Menochius)
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Calmet
A hart. Barach was of this tribe, and seemed rather timid, till he was encouraged by Debora; and his victory gave occasion to that beautiful hymn, Judges 5. (Calmet)
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Challoner
Run to and fro, etc. To behold his beauty; whilst his envious brethren turned their darts against him, etc. (Challoner)
Haydock
Joseph continued increasing, in spite of the envy of his brethren, and the calumny of Putiphar's wife, who was too much enamoured of his beauty. (Haydock)
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His bow rested upon the strong, etc. That is, upon God, who was his strength: who also loosed his bands, and brought him out of prison to be the pastor, that is, the feeder and ruler of Egypt; and the stone, that is, the rock and support of Israel.
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Blessings, etc. 1. Of rain; 2. of springs; 3. of milk, (uberum); and 4. (vulvae) of children and cattle.
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The blessings of thy father, etc. That is, thy father's blessings are made more prevalent and effectual in thy regard, by the additional strength they receive from his inheriting the blessings of his progenitors Abraham and Isaac.
The desire of the everlasting hills, etc. These blessings all looked forward towards Christ, called the desire of the everlasting hills, as being longed for, as it were, by the whole creation. Mystically, the patriarchs and prophets are called the everlasting hills, by reason of the eminence of their wisdom and holiness.
Challoner
The Nazarite. This word signifies one separated; and agrees to Joseph, as being separated from, and more eminent than, his brethren. As the ancient Nazarites were so called from their being set aside for God, and vowed to him. (Challoner)
Calmet
Nazir denotes also one chosen or crowned, and is a title of one of the chief courtiers or ministers of the Persian kings. Such was Joseph. (Calmet)
Tirinus
These blessings were perhaps forfeited by the misconduct of his posterity, when Jeroboam set up the worship of the golden calves; though probably many would subsist of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasses till the coming of the Messias. (Tirinus)
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Haydock
Proper blessings, or predictions; for Ruben received no blessing. (Haydock)
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Challoner
To be gathered to my people. That is, I am going to die, and so to follow my ancestors that are gone before me, and to join their company in another world. (Challoner)
Jacob's life was embittered with many afflictions, which he bore with admirable patience, and thus deserved to be considered as an excellent figure of Jesus Christ.
Calmet
The man of sorrows. His faith in the promises of God, made him contemplate the land of Chanaan as his own, and parcel it out among his children. (Calmet)
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Year of the World 2315, Year before Christ 1689.
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My strength, etc.... He calls him his strength, as being born whilst his father was in his full strength and vigour: he calls him the beginning of his sorrow, because cares and sorrows usually come on with the birth of children. Excelling in gifts, etc., because the firstborn had a title to a double portion, and to have the command over his brethren, which Ruben forfeited by his sin; being poured out as water, that is, spilt and lost.
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Grow thou not.... This was not meant by way of a curse or imprecation; but by way of a prophecy foretelling that the tribe of Ruben should not inherit the pre-eminences usually annexed to the first birthright, viz., the double portion, the being prince or lord over the other brethren, and the priesthood: of which the double portion was given to Joseph, the princely office to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi.
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Slew a man, ... viz., Sichem the son of Hemor, with all his people, Gen. 34.; mystically and prophetically it alludes to Christ, whom their posterity, viz., the priests and the scribes, put to death.
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A lion’s whelp, etc.... This blessing of Juda foretelleth the strength of his tribe, the fertility of his inheritance; and principally that the sceptre and legislative power should not be utterly taken away from his race till about the time of the coming of Christ: as in effect it never was: which is a demonstration against the modern Jews, that the Messiah is long since come; for the sceptre has long since been utterly taken away from Juda.
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Dan shall judge, etc.... This was verified in Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan, and began to deliver Israel. Judges 13.5. But as this deliverance was but temporal and very imperfect, the holy patriarch (ver. 18) aspires after another kind of deliverer, saying: I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.
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Gad being girded, etc.... It seems to allude to the tribe of Gad; when after they had received for their lot the land of Galaad, they marched in arms before the rest of the Israelites, to the conquest of the land of Chanaan: from whence they afterwards returned loaded with spoils. See Jos. 4. and 12.
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Run to and fro, etc.... To behold his beauty; whilst his envious brethren turned their darts against him, etc.
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His bow rested upon the strong, etc.... That is, upon God, who was his strength: who also loosed his bands, and brought him out of prison to be the pastor, that is, the feeder and ruler of Egypt, and the stone, that is, the rock and support of Israel.
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The blessings of thy father, etc.... That is, thy father’s blessings are made more prevalent and effectual in thy regard, by the additional strength they receive from his inheriting the blessings of his progenitors Abraham and Isaac. The desire of the everlasting hills, etc.... These blessings all looked forward towards Christ, called the desire of the everlasting hills, as being longed for, as it were, by the whole creation. Mystically, the patriarchs and prophets are called the everlasting hills, by reason of the eminence of their wisdom and holiness. The Nazarite.... This word signifies one separated; and agrees to Joseph, as being separated from, and more eminent than, his brethren. As the ancient Nazarites were so called from their being set aside for God, and vowed to him.
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To be gathered to my people.... That is, I am going to die, and so to follow my ancestors that are gone before me, and to join their company in another world.
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These are predictiōs not al blessings. S. Amb. li. de Benedict Patriar.
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4. Because thou didest ascend thy fathers bed] For this crime of incest Ruben Ruben for his sinne was put from the prerogatiues of the first borne was depriued of his first birth-right. VVho being by order of birth former in guiltes, wherby he should haue had duble portion; and greater in Empire, wherby he should haue bene Prince or Lord ouer his bretheren, the former prerogatiue was geuen to Ioseph, whose two sonnes were heades of two Tribes, the other was geuen to the Tribe of Iuda, in Dauid and his posteritie. He was also depriued of his prerogatiue in Priesthood, which was after annexed to the Tribe of Leui, wherupon the Chaldee paraphrasis speaketh thus to Ruben: It belonged to thee to haue receaued three better lettes then thy brethren, Priesthood, Best portion, and the Kingdome: But because thou hast sinned, the duble portion is geuen to Ioseph, the Kingdome to Iudas, and Priesthood to Leui.
A prophecie not an imprecation. S Aug. li. 16 c 22. ont. Faust.
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5. Veselles of iniquitie] Albeit Simeon and Leui were moued with iust The zeale of Simeon & Leui was cōmendable: but their maner of reuenge, was manie wayes faultie. zeale to punish the soule crime committed by Sichem, against their sister and Iudith. •. whole familie: yet in their maner of reuenging were manie sinnes worthely condemned by Iacob, both immediatly after the fact, and here at his death. For before the slaughter they committed there greate sinnes; in that they rashly did it vnknowne to their father therby putting him & themselues in extreme danger, if God had not maruelously protected them; in falsly pretending agreement and league with the Sichamites, which they ment not to performe; and in sacrilegiously abusing the Sacrament of Circumcision, making it a cloke to deceiue their ennemies. In the fact also they committed other foure grosse crimes: cruelly killing those, that offered other abundant satisfaction; murthering others that were altogether innocent; sacking and destroying the citie, and carying away wemen and children captiue. Mystically S. Ambrose, Ruffinus, Isidorus, and others vnderstand this prophecie, The Priests & Scribes furie, obstinacie, & hard harts against Christ. of the Scribes and the Priestes, descending of Simeon and Leui, who were most eagre against our Sauiour, as himself more plainely fortold, saing: The sonne of man. balbe betrayed to the chiefe Priestes, and to the Scribes, and they shal Mat. 20. condemne him to death. Their furic was cursed aboue al surie, Because (as Iacob here saith) it vvas stubborne, or obstinate, for they did not only condemne Christ Ioan. 11. to death in their wicked councel, but also vrged and pressed Pilat, endeuoringe to saue him, & sturred vp the people to crye: Take him avvay, Crucisie him. Ioan. 18. Yea their indignation was so hard, that they preferred Barabbas before Christ.
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That these are most profound Mysteries, is easie to conceiue, but most hard to vnderstand them. In some the Patriarch recounteth things past in his life, for telling the effects therof to come. Other things he forsheweth pertayning to the diuision of the Land of Chanaan, others to the times of the Iudges, of the Kings, of the Captiuitie, of Deliuerie from thence, of Christ, of Antichrist, and of the end of this world. Of al which diuers anciēt fathers haue written large cōmentaries, & godlie treatises.
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10. The scepter shal not be taken avvay.] Here the Patriarch Iacob fortelleth the time, when the promised Messias should come into the world, Taking away of the regal scepter from the Iewes a signe of Christs coming. by this signe that the scepter should not be taken from Iuda, til the same Redeemer of mankind were at hand. Not that the regal scepter should remaine in the Tribe of Iuda, from Iacobs death •il Christes comming: for that Kingdome beganne first in Dauid, aboue six hundred yeares after Iacobs death, and after the captiuitie of Babylon the highe Priests of the Tribe of Leui did gouerne also the state, & not only the Church, other six hundred yeares. But the sense is, that of the Tribe of Iuda should rise most gloriouse Kinges, whose crowne and Kingdome should remaine with the Iewish Nation, vntil their expected Messias should drawe nere, and then be taken from them by the Gentiles VVhich was downe by Herod, whose father was an Idumean, his mother an Arabique. Thus the Ancient fathers with one accorde vnderstood this prophecie. S. Iustinus Martyr. Ser. cum Triphone. Eusebius Cesarien lib Hist. Eccles. cap 6. S. Athanasius. lib. de Incarnat. S. Ambrose lib de Benedict. Patriarch c. 4. S. Chrysostom. Ilo. 67. in Gen. S. Augustin lib. 18. c. 45. de ciuit. Theodoretus. q. vlt. in Gen.
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11. He shal vvash hisstole in vvyne.] By wine, and bloud of the grape, what Our Lords real presence in the B. Sacrament prophecied. li. 2. Ep. 3. other thing is shewed (saith S. Cyprian Epist ad Coecil. 63) but the wine of the Chalice of our Lordes bloud? Likwise Tertullian (lib 4. contra Marcionem) expoundeth the stole to signifie Christs flesh, and the wine his bloud. In al which booke his drift is to shewe that Christ did not destroy the olde Testament, but fulfilled the figures and prophecie therof. And not that Christ gaue his bodie in figure only, as our aduersaries alleadge him.
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17. Be Dan a snake in the vvay.] This prophecie most ancient Fathers vnderstood Ancient Fathers suppose that Antichrist shal be of the tribe of Dan. of Anti Christ. namely S. Irenaeus, lib. 5. aduers. Haeres: S. Hyppolitus Martyr Orat. de consumma•. soeculi. S. Ambrose. c. 7 de Benedict. Patriarch. S. Augustin. q. 12. in Iosue. Prosper, lib. de promiss. & praedicts Dei. P. 4. Theodoret. q. vlt. in Gen. S. Gregorie, lib. 30. Moral. c. 18, and many others vpon the 7. chap. of the Apocalips. where they suppose S. Ioan did omitt Dan from amongst the Elect of the Israelitical Tribes, in detestation of Antichrist, to be borne of that Ioan. 5. Tribe. And certayne it is, that the Iewes wil receiue, and folowe him for their Messias. as our Sauiour himselfe saith; VVhich maketh it very probable, that he shal be a Iewe borne, else they would not so easily admitt him.
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22. Ioseph a childe encreasing] Ioseph was in manie respectes a figure of Ioseph in manie things prefigured Christ. Christ, especially in that he was loued of his father before al his bretheren, solde by his brethrn to the Gentiles of enuie, and for money, aduanced to dignitie and authoritie, the deliuerer of Aegypt from famine, and called Sauiour of the world; al performed in Christ, the true Childe encreasing.
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This prophecie S. Augustin vnderstandeth of S. Paul, of the tribe of Beniamin; who was first a persecutor, and after an Apostle of Christ. Ser. 14. de Sanctis.
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Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 3.5.1
… But with regard to the consummation of the world, Jacob is the first who gives any information, in addressing his children in the words: “Gather yourselves together unto me, ye sons of Jacob, that I may tell you what shall be in the last days,” or “after the last days.”
Origen † AD 254 A Letter from Origen to Africanus 1
… Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Reuben, my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my children, hard to be born, hard and stubborn. Thou wert wanton, boil not over like water; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou the couch to which thou wentest up.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 7.7
… Or if you will go back to more remote times, think of the life of Noah, who prophesied; and of Isaac, who gave his son a prophetic blessing; or of Jacob, who addressed each of his twelve sons, beginning with “Come, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 12.42
… He also is the desire of nations: binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt with sackcloth, he shall wash his garment in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: his eyes are bright with wine, and his teeth whiter than milk."
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Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.37
… seeing as it were His right hand red with blood and His whole person covered with the marks of His valour, “Why are Thy garments red, and Thy clothes like the treading of the full winefat when it is trodden?” And to this He answers, “I have crushed them.” For this cause He had need to wash “His robe in wine, and His garment in the blood of the grape.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 1
Orth. —Since then it is agreed that the body of the Lord is called by the patriarch “robe” and “mantle”
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St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
Gen. xlix. 3 Reuben, my first-born, thou art my strength, and the first of my children; hard to bear with, and hard and self-willed: thou hast waxed wanton as water; boil not over.
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 8.8
… Thou hast gone astray; as water, thou shalt not abide, because thou wentest up father’s bed. Truly thou defilest my couch and wentest up .
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.19
… for no one says that He begets what He creates, nor calls His proper offspring creatures; and again, if He is Only-begotten, how becomes He ‘beginning of the ways?’ for of necessity, if He was created a beginning of all things, He is no longer alone, as having those who came into being after Him. For Reuben, when he became a beginning of the children
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.21
… for he says not, ‘He is First-born above the rest of the creatures,’ lest He be reckoned to be as one of the creatures, but it is written, ‘of the whole creation,’ that He may appear other than the creation . Reuben, for instance, is not said to be first-born of all the children of Jacob
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 78.34
34. “And He rejected,” he saith, “the tabernacle of Joseph, and the tribe of Ephraim He chose not” ( ver. 68 ). “And He chose the tribe of Judah” ( ver. 69 ). He hath not said, He rejected the tabernacle of Reuben, who was the first-born son of Jacob;
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Tertullian † AD 220 On Modesty 13
… But if ye shall have forgiven any, so (do) I; for I, too, if I have forgiven ought, have forgiven in the person of Christ, lest we be overreached by Satan, since we are not ignorant of his injections.” What (reference) is understood here to the fornicator? what to the contaminator of his father’s bed?
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
Gen. xlix. 4 For thou wentest up to thy father’s bed.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 78.8
… or better than the house of Abraham, regarding which it was said, “Cast out the bondwoman and her son;” or better than the house of Isaac, regarding whose twin sons it was said, “I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau;” or better than the house of Jacob himself, in which Reuben defiled his father’s bed;
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St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 52
“And it was prophesied by Jacob the patriarch
Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 10
He, again, will be the “bull” elsewhere too in the same scripture.
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
Gen. xlix. 5 . Simeon and Levi, brethren.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 78.34
… nor them that follow, and precede Judah in order of birth; so that they being rejected and not chosen, the tribe of Judah was chosen. For it might have been said that they were deservedly rejected; because even in the blessing of Jacob wherewith he blessed his sons, he mentioneth their sins,
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 3.18
… Like Simeon and Levi, they consummated their wickedness by their heresy, with which they persecuted Christ. “Into their counsel let not my soul enter; to their assembly let not my heart be united: for in their anger they slew men,” that is, the prophets; “and in their self-will they hacked the sinews of a bullock,”
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St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
… And the Son is Lord of all power, who did no sin, but rather offered Himself for us, a savour of a sweet smell to His God and Father. Therefore let those hear who houghed this august bull: “Cursed be their anger, for it was stubborn; and their wrath, for it was hardened.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 8
… we would tell them, This is a law of prophecy, that in many cases much that is spoken of one set of persons is fulfilled in another; of which kind is that which is said touching Simeon and Levi, “I will divide them,” saith He, “in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 29
… i. 22 ); and, “A passionate man is not seemly” ( Prov. xi. 25 ); and such like: and again, “A man full of words shall not prosper” ( Ps. cxl. 11 ); and Christ again, “He that is angry with his brother without a cause” ( Matt. v. 22 ); and again the Prophet, “Be ye angry, and sin not” ( Ps. iv. 4 ); and, “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce.” (
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St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 52
… and he shall be the desire of nations, binding his foal to the vine, and the foal of his ass to the tendril of the vine. He shall wash his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of the grape. His eyes shall be bright with wine, and his teeth white like milk.’
St Hippolytus † AD 235 Treatise on Christ and Antichrist 6
6. Now, as our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also God, was prophesied of under the figure of a lion,
St Hippolytus † AD 235 Treatise on Christ and Antichrist 7
… and he shall be the expectation of the nations. Binding his ass to a vine, and his ass’s colt to the vine tendril; he shall wash his garment in wine, and his clothes in the blood of the grapes. His eyes shall be gladsome as with wine, and his teeth shall be whiter than milk.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 A discourse by the most blessed Hippolytus, bishop and martyr, on the end of the world, and on Antichrist, and on the second coming of our lord Jesus Christ 18
… thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from a sprout, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lion’s whelp: who shall rouse him up? A ruler shall not depart from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until what is in store for him shall come, and he is the expectation of the nations.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 1.22
… and he is the hope of the nations: binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the branch of the vine; he shall wash his garments in wine, and his clothing in the blood of the grape: terrible are his eyes with wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 12.17
… Recur, he says, to what has been written by me: examine carefully Jacob’s prophecy addressed to Judah: Judah, thee may thy brethren praise , and afterwards, not to quote the whole, A prince shall not fail out of Judah, nor a ruler from his loins, until He come, for whom it is reserved; and He is the expectation, not of the Jews but of the Gentiles
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 13.9
… And again, Their words were softer than oil, yet be they spears . Hail, Master ; yet he was betraying his Master to death; he was not abashed at His warning, when He said, Judas, betrayest than the Son of Man with a kiss ? for what He said to him was just this, Recollect thine own name; Judas means confession
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 16.41
… and He shall be the expectation of the nations. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s foal to the choice vine; he shall wash his robe in wine, and his clothes in the blood of the grape: his eyes are red with wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 22.60
… It has conquered the world, not by violence and warfare, but by the resistless force of truth. Where, then, is Judah praised in Scripture? Where is anything good said of him, except that in the blessing pronounced by his father he is distinguished above the rest, because of the prophecy that Christ would come in the flesh from his tribe?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 60.10
10. “Juda is my king: Moab the pot of my hope” ( ver. 7 ). What Juda? He that is of the tribe of Juda. What Juda, but He to whom Jacob himself said, “Juda, thy brethren shall praise thee”?
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St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 10.3
… This Sheep again is called a Shepherd, who says, I am the Good Shepherd : a Sheep because of His manhood, a Shepherd because of the loving-kindness of His Godhead. And wouldst thou know that there are rational sheep? the Saviour says to the Apostles, Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves . Again, He is called a Lion
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 14
… and, that the righteous is taken out of the way of unrighteousness : and, His burial shall be in peace : and, I will give the wicked for His burial . There is also the prophecy of Jacob saying in the Scriptures, He lay down and couched as a lion, and as a lion’s whelp : who shall rouse Him up
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Answer to Eunomius' Second Book 1
… But if this is not agreeable to our opponents, let it be as each of them pleases. In his ignorance, however, of the figures of Scripture, our opponent contradicts what is said. For if he had learned the Divine names, he must have known that our Lord is called a Curse and Sin , and a Heifer , and a lion’s Whelp
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Against Marcionists and Manichæans 1
Hear at least how variously all announce the cross. First of all the patriarch Jacob: for directing his discourse to Him he says “Out of a tender shoot didst thou spring up:”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Against Marcionists and Manichæans 3
… Inasmuch then as that which was to happen was so strange as to be disbelieved by many even when it had taken place, He first of all sends prophets beforehand, announcing this very fact. For instance the patriarch predicted it saying “Thou didst spring from a tender shoot my son: thou didst lie down and slumber as a lion;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 2 Timothy 8
… xi. 7 .) But the Prophet says, “Man walketh in an image.” ( Ps. xxxix. 9 , Gr.) And the Scripture sometimes takes a lion to represent royalty, as, “He couched as a lion, and as a lion’s whelp, who shall raise him up?” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 68
… Thus Isaiah puts them together, saying, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter” ( Isa. liii. 7 ), and all that follows. David also in the second Psalm, and in many other places, connects these two things. The Patriarch too after saying, “He lay down, He couched as a lion,” addeth, “And as a lion’s whelp, who shall raise Him up?” (
Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed 27
… Here are yet others, “The righteous hath been taken away from beholding iniquity, and his place is in peace.” And in another place, “I will give the malignant for his burial;” and yet once more, “He hath lain down and slept as a lion, and as a lion’s whelp; who shall rouse Him up?”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 89.34
… Thus when our Lord Himself was speaking of the threatening Herod, He said, “Go ye, and tell that fox.” The king who fears no man, is not a fox: like that Lion of Judah, of whom it is said, “Stooping down Thou didst rise up, and didst sleep as a lion.”
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St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Philadelphians: Shorter and Longer Versions 9
… But the Gospel possesses something transcendent [above the former dispensation], viz. the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, His passion, and the resurrection itself. For those things which the prophets announced, saying, “Until He come for whom it is reserved, and He shall be the expectation of the Gentiles,”
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 The First Apology 32
Moses then, who was the first of the prophets, spoke in these very words: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until He come for whom it is reserved; and He shall be the desire of the nations, binding His foal to the vine, washing His robe in the blood of the grape.”
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 The First Apology 54
… and by him, as we have also said before, it was thus predicted: “There shall not fail a prince from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until He come for whom it is reserved; and He shall be the desire of the Gentiles, binding His foal to the vine, washing His robe in the blood of the grape.”
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 120
… He speaks therefore in the passage relating to Judah: ‘A prince shall not fail from Judah, nor a ruler from his thighs, till that which is laid up for him come; and He shall be the expectation of the nations.’
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.10
… binding His foal to the vine, and His ass’s colt to the creeping ivy. He shall wash His stole in wine, and His upper garment in the blood of the grape; His eyes shall be more joyous than wine, and His teeth whiter than milk.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus i.53
… “The ruler will not fail from Judah, and the governor from his loins, until that which is reserved for him come.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 1.23
… “Having, therefore, a great High-Priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” And the prophets have other names for Him besides these. Jacob in his blessing of his sons
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 10.21
… And then I think was fulfilled that which was spoken as follows by Jacob to Judah: “A ruler shall not depart from Judah, nor a leader from Israel, until that come which is laid up in store, and he is the expectation of the Gentiles.”
Novatian † AD 258 A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity 9
… Genesis itself anticipates Him, when it says: “To thee will I give it, and to thy seed.” He is spoken of when it shows how a man wrestled with Jacob; He too, when it says: “There shall not fail a prince from Judah, nor a leader from between his thighs, until He shall come to whom it has been promised; and He shall be the expectation of the nations.”
Archelaus † fl. AD 278 The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes 43
… This, therefore, is the word of censure upon the children of Israel, because they read Moses and yet do not understand him, and refuse to turn to the Lord; for it is He that was prophesied of by Moses as about to come. This, then, is the veil which was placed upon the face of Moses, and this also is his testament; for he says in the law:
St Methodius † AD 311 Oration on the Palms 1
… “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” To-day, also, the patriarch Jacob keeps feast in spirit, seeing his prophecy brought to a fulfilment, and with the faithful adores the Father, seeing Him who bound his foal to the vine
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius 1.6.1
1. When Herod, the first ruler of foreign blood, became King, the prophecy of Moses received its fulfillment, according to which there should “not be wanting a prince of Judah, nor a ruler from his loins, until he come for whom it is reserved.”
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 5.23
… For since it exists now, it will not be willing to be subjected to the power of the King, Who shall come and take to Himself His Kingdom. But it will guard His pledges with honour, that when He shall come to bring to nought the Kingdom, he may come upon them not in anger. For when He, Whose is the Kingdom ,
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 5.24
24. For first, He gave the Kingdom to the sons of Jacob, and subdued to them the children of Esau; as Isaac said to Esau:— Thou shalt serve Jacob thy brother . And when again they did not prosper in the Kingdom, He took it away from the children of Jacob and gave it to the children of Esau until He should come Whose it is .
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 17.10
10. And if thou shouldest say that Christ has not yet come, I will grant this also to thy contentiousness. For it is written that when He shall come, the Gentiles shall expect Him .
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 On the Incarnation of the Word 25-2
… 3. So when the Holy of Holies was come, naturally vision and prophecy were sealed and the kingdom of Jerusalem ceased. For kings were to be anointed among them only until the Holy of Holies should have been anointed; and Jacob prophesies that the kingdom of the Jews should be established until Him, as follows:—“The ruler
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 236.3
… The kingdom of Judæa was transferred to Herod, the son of Antipater the Ascalonite, and his sons who divided Judæa into four principalities, when Pilate was Procurator and Tiberius was Master of the Roman Empire. It is the indestructible kingdom which he calls the throne of David on which the Lord sat. He is the expectation of the Gentiles
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 2
… And the patriarch Jacob also foretold that He should arise out of the tribe of Judah, saying on this wise: “there shall not fail a ruler out of Judah, nor a governor out of his loins, until He come for whom it is appointed, and He is the expectation of the Gentiles.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 6
… For, “A ruler,” saith he, “shall not fail out of Judah, nor a leader out of his loins, until He come for whom it is appointed, and He is the expectation of the Gentiles.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 68
… You will charge Jacob with sin, whose vision became so dim that he could not see Ephraim and Manasseh, although with the inner eye and the prophetic spirit he could foresee the distant future and the Christ that was to come of his royal line.
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 108.10
… “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” At that time also the words of Jacob were fulfilled concerning Him, “A prince shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until He come for whom it is laid up, and He shall be for the expectation of the nations.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 18.6
… and He is the expectation of the nations.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 18.45
… For the time had now come signified by the prophetic Spirit through the mouth of the patriarch Jacob, when he says, “There shall not be lacking a prince out of Judah, nor a teacher from his loins, until He shall come for whom it is reserved; and He is the expectation of the nations.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 22.85
85. The time when the kingdom was removed from the tribe of Judah was the time appointed for the coming of Christ our Lord, the true Saviour, who should come not for harm, but for great good. Thus was it prophesied, "A prince shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his loins, till He come for whom it is reserved: He is the desire of nations."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 45.11
11. What does he mean to express by the “thigh”? The flesh. Whence those words, “A prince shall not depart from Judah; and a lawgiver from his thighs”?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 76.1
… after there was given from the tribe of Judah King David, and out of him from the tribe of Judah were the Kings. But Jacob had spoken of this, when he blessed his sons, “there shall not fail a prince out of Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until there come He to whom the promise hath been made.”
Sozomen † AD 450 The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen 1.1
… Jacob predicted that the expectation of the nations would be for Christ, as it now is; and he likewise foretold the time in which he came, when he said “the rulers of the Hebrews of the tribe of Judah, the tribal leader, shall fail.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 1
Orth. —I will make you yourself testify to the truth of the promise. You know how the Patriarch Jacob, when he was addressing Judah, limited the sovereignty of Judah by the birth of the Lord.
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 33
… that the rising of the true King might be attested by the voice of prophecy, which had said: “a prince shall not fail from Juda, nor a leader from his loins, until He come for whom it is reserved
Pseudo-Clement The Recognitions of Clement 1.50
… but that the Gentiles should be averse to Him, since neither promise nor announcement concerning Him had been made to them, and indeed he had never been made known to them even by name. Yet the prophets, contrary to the order and sequence of things, said that He should be the expectation of the Gentiles, and not of the Jews.
Pseudo-Clement The Recognitions of Clement 5.11
“But that which a prophet of the Jews foretold, that He was to be waited for by the Gentiles,
Pseudo-Clement The Clementine Homilies 3.49
Then Peter said: “I shall tell you forthwith. It is written in the first book of the law, towards the end: ‘A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until He come whose it is; and He is the expectation of the nations.’
49:11
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.40
… Much more clearly still does the book of Genesis foretell this, when (in the blessing of Judah, out of whose tribe Christ was to come according to the flesh) it even then delineated Christ in the person of that patriarch, saying, “He washed His garments in wine, and His clothes in the blood of grapes”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
Gen. xlix. 11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt to the choice vine,—the tendril of the vine,—he will wash his garment in wine, and his clothes in the blood of the grape.
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 The Epistles of Cyprian 62.6
… and that He Himself is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and should couch sleeping in His passion, and should rise up, and should Himself be the hope of the Gentiles. To which things divine Scripture adds, and says, “He shall wash His garment in wine, and His clothing in the blood of the grape.”
Novatian † AD 258 A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity 21
… And therefore by consequence He was, as we have said, the Word of God, who is revealed to be at one time invested, at another time divested of the flesh . For this, moreover, He before predicted in blessings: “He shall wash His garment in wine, and His clothing in the blood of the grape.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 12.17
… For I am ashamed to tell of their recent doings concerning those who are now called Patriarchs among them, and what their descent is, and who their mother: but I leave it to those who know. But He that cometh as the expectation of the Gentiles , what further sign then hath He? He says next, Binding his foal unto the vine
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Virgins 1.1.3
… Would that at least that Gospel dresser of the vineyard, perhaps already bidden to cut down my fig-tree, would let it alone this year also, until he dig about it and dung it, that he may perchance lift the helpless out of the dust, and lift the poor out of the mire. Blessed are they who bind their horses under the vine and olive,
St Jerome † AD 420 To Pammachius against John of Jerusalem 34
… Bosor either flesh, or in tribulation. In few words he shows the whole mystery of the resurrection, that is, both the reality of the flesh and the growth in glory. And the meaning is: Who is he that cometh up from the earth, cometh up from blood? According to the
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 1
Orth. —Remember then what follows; for he says “And unto him shall the gathering of the people be…he shall wash his robe in wine and his mantle in the blood of the grape.”
49:12
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
Gen. xlix. 12–15 His eyes are gladsome with wine, and his teeth white as milk. Zabulun shall dwell by the sea, and he shall be by a haven of ships, and he shall extend to Sidon. Issachar desired the good part, resting in the midst of the lots. And seeing that rest was good, and that the land was fat, he set his shoulder to toil, and became a husbandman.
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose 41.11
… some perchance eyes, as the prophets; others teeth, as the apostles, who have passed the food of the Gospel preached into our breasts, and rightly is it written: “His eyes shall be bright with wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 16.41
… “And his eyes are red with wine,” [these are] His spiritual people drunken with His cup, of which the psalm sings, “And thy cup that makes drunken, how excellent it is!” “And his teeth are whiter than milk,”
49:14
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 13
5. Now to this the example of Issachar, the patriarch, may persuade, as the Scripture
49:16
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
… And let Dan become a serpent by the way, lying on the path, stinging the horse’s heel; and the horseman shall fall backward, waiting for the salvation of the Lord. Gad—a robber’s troop shall rob him; and he shall spoil it at the heels. Aser—his bread shall be fat, and he shall furnish dainties to princes.
St Hippolytus † AD 235 Treatise on Christ and Antichrist 15
15. That it is in reality out of the tribe of Dan, then, that that tyrant and king, that dread judge, that son of the devil, is destined to spring and arise, the prophet testifies when he says, “Dan shall judge his people, as (he is) also one tribe in Israel.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 A discourse by the most blessed Hippolytus, bishop and martyr, on the end of the world, and on Antichrist, and on the second coming of our lord Jesus Christ 19
… For it is certain that he is destined to spring from the tribe of Dan, and to range himself in opposition like a princely tyrant, a terrible judge and accuser, as the prophet testifies when he says, “Dan shall judge his people, as one tribe in Israel.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.12
… for he said, Jeroboam also being present at the altar, “Thus saith the Lord, Behold a son is born to David, his name is Josiah.” There are some also who say that Samson was predicted by Jacob, when he said,
49:17
St Hippolytus † AD 235 Treatise on Christ and Antichrist 14
… For as Christ springs from the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist is to spring from the tribe of Dan. And that the case stands thus, we see also from the words of Jacob: “Let Dan be a serpent, lying upon the ground, biting the horse’s heel.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 A discourse by the most blessed Hippolytus, bishop and martyr, on the end of the world, and on Antichrist, and on the second coming of our lord Jesus Christ 18
… To the same effect, moreover, does the patriarch express himself regarding Antichrist. Wherefore, as he prophesied with respect to Judah, so did he also with respect to his son Dan. For Judah was his fourth son; and Dan, again, was his seventh son. And what, then, did he say of him? “Let Dan be a serpent sitting by the way, that biteth the horse’s heel?”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 15.11
… who shall seize for himself the power of the Roman empire, and shall falsely style himself Christ; by this name of Christ deceiving the Jews, who are looking for the Anointed
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 1.23
… And although Samson continues to be a type of the Saviour because he loved a harlot from among the Gentiles, which harlot corresponds to the Church, and because he slew more enemies in his death than he did in his life, yet he does not set an example of conjugal chastity. And he surely reminds us
49:18
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.10.2
… but [it did not consist in] another God, nor another Father, nor Bythus, nor the Pleroma of thirty Æons, nor the Mother of the (lower) Ogdoad: but the knowledge of salvation was the knowledge of the Son of God, who is both called and actually is, salvation, and Saviour, and salutary. Salvation, indeed, as follows: “I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 The Refutation of All Heresies 6.40
… “Thou didst regard as contemptible this discourse which you have heard from the mouth of Truth. And yet this which you know and seem long since to possess is not the name; for you have merely the sound of it, but are ignorant of the power. For Jesus is a remarkable name, having six letters,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 25.21
… 21 ). The innocent and the upright, not in bodily presence only, as the evil, are mingled with me, but in the agreement of the heart in the same innocence and uprightness cleave to me: for I have not fallen away to imitate the evil; but I have waited for Thee, expecting the winnowing of Thy last harvest.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 85.6
… When He calls thee, He converts thee: when He converts thee, He healeth thee: when He hath healed thee, thou shalt see thy Converter, unto whom it is said, “Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation” ( ver. 7 ): Thy salvation, that is, Thy Christ.
49:21
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
… It prevailed above the blessings of abiding mountains, and above the blessings of everlasting hills; which (blessings) shall be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the temples of his brothers, whose chief he was.
49:22
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 42.5
… What more marvellous than this? What greater proof of the generosity of God, when from men without means He wills to supply the means for public affairs? And the land of promise is distributed through one who was hated, and he who was sold
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 2.16
… My God hath helped thee and blessed thee with the blessing of heaven above and the blessing of the earth, the earth that hath all things, on account of the blessings of thy father and thy mother. It hath prevailed over the blessings of the everlasting hills and the desires of the eternal hills.”
49:24
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 86
… And Jacob, having poured oil on a stone in the same place, is testified to by the very God who appeared to him, that he had anointed a pillar to the God who appeared to him. And that the stone symbolically proclaimed Christ, we have also proved by many Scriptures; and that the unguent, whether it was of oil, or of stacte ,
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 2.17
… For there is no other name given to men under heaven in which we must be saved.” This is the stone in Genesis, which Jacob places at his head, because the head of the man is Christ; and as he slept he saw a ladder reaching to heaven, on which the Lord was placed, and angels were ascending and descending.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 78.34
34. “And He rejected,” he saith, “the tabernacle of Joseph, and the tribe of Ephraim
49:27
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.1
… Because even the book of Genesis so long ago promised me the Apostle Paul. For among the types and prophetic blessings which he pronounced over his sons, Jacob, when he turned his attention to Benjamin, exclaimed, “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall impart nourishment.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
Gen. xlix. 27 “Benjamin is a ravening wolf; in the morning he shall devour still, and till evening he apportions food.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 38.1
… When Hezekiah is panic-stricken at the near approach of death, his tears and prayers obtain for him a respite of fifteen years. If the faith of the apostle, Peter, is shaken by his Lord’s passion, it is that, weeping bitterly, he may hear the soothing words: “Feed my sheep.” If Paul, that ravening wolf,
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 60.8
… It is said “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” The soul therefore that has not sinned shall live. Neither the virtues nor the vices of parents are imputed to their children. God takes account of us only from the time when we are born anew in Christ. Paul, the persecutor of the church, who is in the morning the ravening wolf of Benjamin,
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 69.6
… The Jewish people repenting of their misdoing are sent forthwith by Peter to be baptized. Before Sion travails she brings forth children, and a nation is born at once. Paul the persecutor of the church, that ravening wolf out of Benjamin,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 79.2
… Hence so many Churches of Judæa, which were in Christ, unto whom Paul was unknown by face, but known for an infamous ferocity, and more known for Christ’s most merciful grace. Hence even he, according to the prophecy sent before concerning him, “a wolf ravening, in the morning carrying off, and in the evening dividing morsels;”
49:28
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 1.18.4
4. As to the Duodecad, in connection with which the mystery of the passion of the defect occurred, from which passion they maintain that all things visible were framed, they assert that is to be found strikingly and manifestly everywhere [in Scripture]. For they declare that the twelve sons of Jacob,
49:29
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 8.7
… And from that which I am writing unto thee, understand and observe that they were looking forward to the Resurrection. For Jacob our father, when he was dying, bound Joseph his son with an oath, and said to him, Bury me in the tomb of my fathers, with Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebecca.
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Decease of His Brother Satyrus 2.23
23. The holy patriarch Israel fled from his country, was exiled from his father, relatives, and home, he mourned over the shame of his daughter and the death of his son, he endured famine, when dead he lost his own grave, for he entreated that his bones should be translated,
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 3
Orth. —And when you hear the Patriarch Jacob saying “Bury me with my Fathers,”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 145
… nevertheless the body alone was spoken of by the common name. Similarly the blessed Jacob said to his sons “Bury me with my fathers.”
49:31
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 46.13
… Thence we shall pass to the folds of the shepherds, we shall pray together in the mausoleum of David. We shall see the prophet, Amos, upon his crag blowing his shepherd’s horn. We shall hasten, if not to the tents, to the monuments of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and of their three illustrious wives.
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 3
Eran. —“There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife and there I buried Leah.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 145
… nevertheless the body alone was spoken of by the common name. Similarly the blessed Jacob said to his sons “Bury me with my fathers.” He did not say “Bury my body.” Then he went on “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.”
49:1
In the last days. — In future times. For the Hebrew אחרית acharit, which our translator renders as last, signifies following, later, to come hereafter: for Jacob here predicts some things which followed soon after, some which occurred under Joshua, some which occurred under the Judges, some which occurred under Christ, and some which shall occur under Antichrist.
Prophecy and Blessing of Reuben 3. Reuben my firstborn, — as to generation and birth; for otherwise Jacob here deprives him of the right of primogeniture on account of his incest with Bilhah. Reuben was in this year, which was Jacob's 147th and last, sixty-two years old, Simeon sixty-one, Levi sixty, Judah fifty-nine, Joseph fifty-six, as is evident from what was said in chapter thirty. Thou art my strength, — whom namely I begot first in the vigor of my age. And the beginning of my sorrow. — Because children born bring new cares, sorrows and anxieties to parents; or rather, as if to say, Thou hast been to me the chief cause of sorrow and sadness, on account of thy incest. In Hebrew it is, ראשית אוני rescit oni, which secondly, with the Chaldean, Vatablus and others, can be translated, the beginning of my strength, that is, of my generative power, as if to say, In begetting thee I first showed forth my manly vigor and generative force. Whence the Septuagint translates it, the beginning of my children. Thus also our Interpreter translated it, Deuteronomy twenty-one, seventeen. Whence it is evident that Jacob, before his marriage with Leah, lived chastely, and knew no woman. First in gifts, greater in power, — namely thou shouldest have been, as the firstborn; which the Chaldean clearly explains thus translating: Thou wast to receive three portions, namely the primogeniture, the priesthood and the kingdom; but thou shalt not receive them, because thou hast sinned with Bilhah. For the priesthood was transferred from Reuben to Levi; the kingdom of two tribes was given to Judah, and that of ten tribes was given to Ephraim; the primogeniture, namely the double portion of inheritance in Canaan, and consequently the double tribe, was assigned to Joseph, namely to his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Whence in First Paralipomenon five, one, it is said that the primogeniture was transferred from Reuben to Joseph. Our Interpreter understood this right of primogeniture, likewise the right of priesthood, when he translated, first in gifts; just as he understood the right of kingship when he translated, greater in power. The Hebrew has, יתר שאת ויתר עז vieter seet veieter oz, which Pagninus clearly translates, excelling in dignity (or in gifts and honors), excelling in strength, supply, thou shouldest have been. Note: Reuben being deprived of the primogeniture, Simeon, the second-born, ought to have succeeded to it; but because he was impious toward Joseph, and because his tribe with its leader adored Beelphegor, Numbers twenty-five, fourteen, hence to the third-born, namely Levi, the more noble dignity of primogeniture, namely the priesthood, and to the fourth-born, namely Judah, the other right of primogeniture, namely the kingdom, was transferred. Greater in power. — For the firstborn had a certain quasi-regal principality and dominion over all his brothers, as is evident Genesis twenty-seven, twenty-nine. Eight, says Pererius, are recorded to have been the prerogatives of firstborns among the people of God, even before the law of Moses. First, they were priests. Second, the firstborn sat first at table, and a greater portion was given to him, Genesis forty-three, thirty-three. Third, he blessed the other brothers, they submitted themselves to him, and adored him, Genesis twenty-seven, twenty-nine. Fourth, he had power and dominion over his brothers, in the same place. Fifth, he received a double portion of paternal inheritance, Deuteronomy twenty-one, seventeen. Sixth, firstborns were redeemed for five shekels, but other sons not at all, as if they were specially consecrated and devoted to God. Seventh, they used, he says, a certain singular kind of garment, that is, more delicate and precious than the other brothers; for which reason Jacob, seeking the primogeniture of Esau, put on his garments, although this does not sufficiently prove it. Eighth, the firstborn was singularly blessed by his father when dying. And Reuben lost almost all these prerogatives. 4. Thou art poured out as water. — Thou hast flowed away in lust and incest, thy lust has been poured forth. Lyra and Abulensis translate less significantly: Thou art depressed, cast down as water. For our Interpreter translates far more significantly, "thou art poured out as water," because just as, when water is poured out, nothing of it remains in the cup or bucket, neither color, nor odor, nor taste: so the lust of man pours forth and squanders his strength, judgment, reason, wisdom, fame, wealth, conscience and all good things along with seed and blood. Thou shalt not increase, — thou shalt not grow: for it is rather a prophecy than a curse, as if to say, Because thou hast sinned in incest, God will punish thee with sterility, so that thou shalt not increase in number of offspring and descendants, nor also in excellence, wealth and glory. Hence the tribe of Reuben was one of the smallest. Moses predicted the same thing, Deuteronomy chapter thirty-three, verse six. Thou wentest up to thy father's bed, — thou didst commit incest with Bilhah, thy father's wife. Concerning this matter, and concerning the wonderful repentance of Reuben, would that it were true, the apocryphal Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs has much, which I remember at the beginning of the chapter. Allegorically: Reuben, says St. Ambrose, is the Jew who violated and killed the humanity of Christ, which is as it were the couch of divinity, and therefore he is cursed by God. In like manner tropologically: Reuben are the Eutychians, Nestorians and other heretics, says Rupertus; again, wicked Prelates and princes, who, given over to the pleasures of the flesh, scandalize, violate and profane the Church. Finally, learn here first, that God's vengeance is slow but never ineffectual. Behold, the crime of Reuben, after 30 years from when it was committed and concealed by Jacob, vengeance and punishment were pronounced. Second, for how trivial a cause men lose the greatest goods. Did not Reuben lose all the goods of the firstborn, for the most shameful price of the briefest pleasure? Did not Esau lose the same through a dish of lentils? Third, how great a crime it is to be contumacious and contumelious toward parents; of which matter there are three illustrious examples in Scripture: one Ham, son of Noah; second Reuben, son of Jacob; third Absalom, son of David.
Prophecy and Blessing of Simeon and Levi 5. Simeon and Levi brethren, — not only brothers by nature, but most similar and most closely joined in crime, namely in ferocity, audacity, deceit, cruelty toward the Shechemites. Vessels of iniquity, — that is, instruments of iniquity, and of the unjust slaughter and destruction of the Shechemites. For the Hebrews call כלי keli, that is, vessel, any instrument whatsoever. The Chaldean paraphrast translated it unfaithfully and wrongly: Simeon and Levi, most mighty men, in the land of their sojourning wrought might; as if Jacob here praised them for strength, when he is accusing their fury and cruelty, as is evident from what follows. Waging war. — These vessels, or instruments, were not idle, but inflicted unjust war and slaughter upon the Shechemites. In Hebrew it is, מכרותיהם mecherotehem, which Arias, Oleaster and Vatablus translate, their swords, that is to say, their swords were vessels, namely, weapons of iniquity. This is very apt, and the name sword, like many other Latin and Greek words, appears to descend from the Hebrew, although the Eugubine denies it. 6. Let not my soul come into their counsel. — "Into their counsel," namely, by which they treacherously plotted the slaughter of the Shechemites, that is to say, I once abhorred this their counsel and crime, and even now I abhor it. Second, allegorically Jacob here foresaw the counsel which the Scribes and Pharisees, who were descended from Simeon, took against Christ; and the Pontiffs and priests, who descended from Levi. Therefore Jacob here detests and curses their counsel, by which they plotted death for Christ, and thus imitated the crime of their ancestors Simeon and Levi; for this is a prophecy: thus St. Ambrose, Isidore, Rupertus and others. And let not my glory be in their assembly, — that is to say, they gloried in this slaughter, as if in a proof of their strength: may such honor and glory be far from me. The Septuagint translates, let not my liver contend in their assembly, that is to say, let not my love, not my heart, not my liver be in their assembly: for the liver is the seat of love and desire; and the Hebrew כבד cabod, if you read it with other points as cabed, signifies liver. They killed a man, — men, namely the Shechemites, with their prince, and the cause of evil, Shechem. It is a synecdoche. And in their will. — In their lust for raging. Whence the Septuagint translates, in their concupiscence. They dug down a wall, — that is, walls, that is to say, they themselves overthrew and laid waste the walled city of Shechem, and tore down its walls. From this place, therefore, it appears that Simeon and Levi with theirs, when they furiously invaded the city of Shechem, not only killed its citizens, but also overthrew its fortifications. So allegorically, the Scribes and priests, descended from Simeon and Levi, through Titus overthrew Jerusalem, because by killing Christ, they gave cause for its destruction, and as it were called Titus to it. Others, like Procopius, understand by walls Hamor and Shechem, the princes of the city, who protected it by their power as with a wall. Hence also the Septuagint, reading scor, that is, bull, for שור schur, that is, wall, translate, they hamstrung a bull, namely they themselves cut down and destroyed Shechem. Finally the Jerusalem Targum translates, they sold Joseph, who is likened to a bull: which if true, then Simeon and Levi were leaders in the sale of Joseph, so that Joseph rightly shut up only Simeon in prison, cap. xlii, vers. 25. 7. Cursed be their fury. — This curse was taken away from Levi and the Levites through zeal, both of Moses and Aaron, and of other Levites in the slaughter of those worshipping the golden calf; and of Phinehas the Levite, who both killed the Hebrew committing incest with a Midianite woman, and overthrew Baal-peor, Num. xxv, vers. 5 and 6: and therefore the tribe of Levi received both priesthood and blessing from Moses, Deut. xxxiii, 10. But in Simeon this curse remained, because of the fornication and idolatry of Zimri, who was a leader of the tribe of Simeon, whom Phinehas killed, Numer. xxv. Whence Simeon alone was not blessed by Moses, Deut. xxxiii: thus Procopius. I will divide them in Jacob, and disperse them in Israel, — namely, lest they again confer together as leaders, and by their counsel devise destruction for others. This was fulfilled in Levi, because the Levites obtained no inheritance in Canaan, but were dispersed throughout all the tribes; in Simeon also, because to him was given a portion and a dwelling in the midst of the tribe of Judah, Joshua xix, verses 2 and 9. Again, when the tribe of Simeon increased, it sought new dwellings, and part went to Gador, part to the mountain of Seir, I Paralipomenon iv, verses 27, 39 and 42. Finally, the Scribes and lawyers, descended from Simeon, equally with the priests, were scattered throughout all the tribes, that they might instruct the people in the law, God turning this punishment to their praise and the good of the people. And in this respect this prophecy is at once a blessing of Simeon and Levi; although even the earlier rebuke, being paternal, can and ought to be reckoned a blessing, as I shall say at verse 28.
Prophecy and Blessing of Judah Jacob commends the tribe of Judah, first, from the name: Judah is the same as confession and praise; second, from warlike strength; third, from dignity and reverence, namely that Judah shall be adored by his brothers; fourth, from victories; fifth, from kingdom and scepter; sixth, from riches and abundance of fruits; seventh, from Christ to be born from him. And all these things he predicts and prophesies from this verse to the 12th. 8. Judah, thy brethren shall praise thee. — In Hebrew there is an elegant paronomasia of the name Judah: יהודה יהודוך jehuda, jehoducha, as if to say, Rightly art thou called Judah, that is, praise, because thy brethren shall praise thee. His mother Leah had called him Judah at chapter xxix, last verse, as if giving thanks and praising God for this offspring given; now his father Jacob also calls him Judah, for another reason and allusion, namely that he should be praised by his brethren. For the tribe of Judah was the first after Moses to dare to enter the Red Sea. This, after Joshua's death, was the leader of the other tribes in battles, Judges 1. From this arose the most mighty and glorious king David, Solomon and other kings, until the Babylonian captivity. This waged great wars against the Ishmaelites, Edomites, Moabites, Arabs, and all neighboring peoples. From this was born Zorobabel, leader of the people returning from Babylon. Finally, from this was born Christ. Thy hand shall be on the necks of thy enemies, — so that thou mayest put them to flight, pursue them, capture them, slay them; whence the Chaldean translator renders it, thy hand shall prevail against thy enemies. Thy father's children shall bow down to thee. — Behold, here is transferred from Reuben the right of primogeniture, and that is consigned to Judah. For the firstborn, as the prince of his brethren, was honored and adored by them, that is, his brethren bowed themselves before him, and exhibited to him civil reverence, such as is exhibited to a father or a prince. Again, there is signified here the royal power to be given to Judah; for kings are adored by their subjects, when they humble themselves and prostrate themselves before them, for the sake of honor and reverence. Allegorically, Judah is Christ, who continually praised God, and thus was as it were a continuous praise of God, whom all martyrs confessed even unto death, whom all brethren, that is, angels and holy men praise and adore, who most mightily snatched us from the jaws of the demon. Whence "his hand is on the neck" of the demon, the world, the flesh and sin, which he himself conquered. Father's children. — He does not say of the mother, but of the father, because the brethren of Judah had different mothers, but the same father; Jacob here predicts that all brethren, born of whatsoever mother, shall adore Judah.
Verse 9: The Whelp of the Lion Judah 9. The whelp of the lion Judah. — Just as Judas was among his brothers, so the tribe of Judah among the other tribes was like a lion, first, most strong; second, fearless; third, most warlike; fourth, most victorious; fifth, of most noble spirit. St. Hilarius alluded to this cleverly, when a certain person called him a Gaul by calumny: "I am not, he said, born a Gaul, but from Gaul; you, however, are a Lion (for this was his name), but not of the tribe of Judah." John Selethus reports this, cap. xxii. Let leaders have these leonine spirits of Judah, let the faithful have them. A strong leader is like adamant, which can neither be broken by iron nor consumed by fire. Frederick II the Emperor, hearing the threats of princes: "The noise of threats, he said, is the braying of asses." So Leonidas, when a certain Persian threatened that the Spartans would not see the sun the next day from a shower of arrows: "In the shade, therefore, he replied, we shall fight conveniently." Alphonsus, king of Aragon, saw shipwrecked men imploring aid; while others were afraid, he himself set sail, saying: "It is better to perish together with my companions, men most brave, than to see them suffer extremities in the tempest." The Panormitanus is witness to this. Charles V, standing in the line of battle within a rampart and fortifications, when the enemy was hurling showers of stones, being warned to withdraw, replied: "Dogs that bark are not to be feared: nor is there reason for you to fear, since we are sufficiently fortified by the protection of God." Again, Charles V near Ingolstadt, being attacked by the enemy with frequent volleys: "Be confident, he said, no emperor ever perished from the blow of a cannon." The same, when about to set out for Spain, hearing that plague was raging on the way: "We must go, he said, nor should such good weather be passed by: plague never touched Augustus, plague never touched Caesar, plague never touched Charles." Louis XII, going to Milan, learning that a small town where he intended to lodge had been intercepted by the enemy, went on and said: "I shall take lodging over their bodies, or they shall take it over mine." Albert, marquis of Brandenburg, had captured Louis of Bavaria, demanding much from him and threatening; to whom Louis: "Whatever you can obtain from me free, demand in the same way from me captive. If you wish anything more, my body is in your power; but you will find my spirit not subject to you, but to myself." Otho IV the Emperor ordered a knight to be killed, who had been falsely accused of attempting the chastity of the Empress: his wife, holding her husband's head in her lap, approaches the Emperor and asks what punishment an unjust judge should suffer: "Death, said the Emperor; then she: "You therefore, Emperor, die, who killed my innocent husband. That he was innocent, I prove by the red-hot iron which I handle unharmed in my hands." Thus Bernard Corius in the Life of Otho. Note: The Hebrews give the lion several names, by which they distinguish and separate his age; for first, גור gur is called a lion, when he is a whelp and as it were an infant. Second, it is called כפיר kephir, when he now grows up and becomes adult, so that he begins to rage and prey. Third, it is called אריה arie, or ari when he is in his strength, and a perfect lion. Fourth, when he is in confirmed and full strength and age, it is called לאבי labi, as it were prudent, from לב leb, that is heart. Fifth, it is called ליש lais, when he now grows old, and as it were a veteran soldier exercised in preying, yet still flourishes and is vigorous. From these names, three are here given to Judah, namely first, gur, under which he includes also kephir, signifies the infancy and adolescence of the tribe of Judah in the wars in the time of Joshua. Second, arie signifies its manly strength, which it had under David. Third, labi signifies its confirmed strength and dominion under Solomon, who was labi, that is, prudent in wisdom, fortitude, liberality, magnificence. Thou hast gone up from the prey, my son. — For "gone up from the prey," the Hebrew, Symmachus and Aquila have כטרף mittereph, that is from the prey, by which they signify the continuous succession of preys and victories, as if to say: From prey to prey thou hast gone up, thou art continually preying, constantly returning from prey and with prey. This was especially true in David, who, his whole life spent in wars, made continual preys from enemies, and gradually ascended from lesser prey to greater: namely from the tearing apart of a bear and a lion, he progressed to single combat with Goliath and his spoils; thence to the command of the army and the prey of a hundred foreskins, I Kings xviii, verse 43; soon he drove off preys from the Philistines, I Kings xxvii; afterwards he almost tore the tribe of Judah away from the kingdom of Saul, II Kings ii, 7. Finally, made king of all the tribes, he carried off the greatest preys from the Ammonites, Moabites, Syrians and other nations. Thus Delrio. From this prophecy it came to pass that the tribe of Judah, David, Solomon, etc., held the image of a lion as their distinctive emblem. Whence also Prester (or, as others call him, Presbyter) John, king of the Abyssinians, who boasts of descending from the queen of Sheba and Solomon, and consequently from Judah, bears as his emblem or coat of arms a lion, which holds an upright cross in its paw. For the lion is the emblem of the lineage from Judah, the cross is the emblem of Christianity. Resting thou hast lain down. The Aquila: bending thou hast reclined; Symmachus: limping thou hast sat down; that is to say, Just as a lion, having obtained its prey, bows itself to the ground, and reclines as if sluggish and lame, so that it may devour it, and no one dares to molest or interrupt it while eating: so thou, O Judah, after thou didst subdue all the tribes to thy scepter through David, and didst establish thy kingdom, didst commit thyself securely to peace and quiet, and as a lioness nursing her cubs, like one sleeping, didst place thyself upon thy bed, as a good shepherd feeding and cherishing thy people, so that no one dares to molest thee with war. Thus Delrio. Note: All these things expressed in the past tense are to be understood as future: for it is prophecy. As a lioness — which, nursing her cubs, is more savage and stronger than a lion. Who shall rouse him up? — who dares to rouse him up and molest him with war? whoever does this shall not bear it with impunity, shall suffer loss. Allegorically, Christ sprung from Judah, "went up to the prey," because his name is: "Make haste to take away the spoils, hasten to seize the plunder" (Isaiah VIII, 3). Hence he rested, that is, he died, as a lion: because in his death he moved the whole world, and by dying destroyed the devil and death. Thus St. Ambrose, in the book On the Blessing of the Patriarchs, in the blessing of Judah: "Who," he says, "shall rouse him up, that is, whom the Lord shall take up? Who is there other than himself who can raise himself up, except by his own power and that of his Father? I see him born by his own authority, I see him dead by his own will, I see him sleeping by his own power; he who did all things by his own judgment, whose aid would he need in order to rise again? He himself therefore is the author of his own resurrection, he who is the arbiter of death." The whelp of a lioness sleeps three days. Eucherius here relates from the Physics that the whelp of a lion, when born, sleeps for three days; on the third day, terrified by the roar of its father shaking the den, it is awakened: thus Christ on the third day by his own power and that of his Father, by which he also brought about an earthquake, rose again. Epiphanius and Eucherius incorrectly refer this to dead whelps of a lion, which the father lion raises up and vivifies by his roar; for this is false and fabulous.
Verse 10: The Scepter Shall Not Be Taken Away 10. The scepter shall not be taken away from Juda. The Septuagint: a ruler shall not fail from Juda, that is to say, When the tribe of Juda received the kingdom in David, it shall preserve this principality and leadership of its own, until the Messias or Christ shall come. I say therefore that to the tribe of Juda is here assigned the kingdom and principality, and that it indeed obtained that very thing until the Messias, namely Christ, by a twofold reason and title. First, because the tribe of Juda alone obtained the kingdom from David until Sedeciah, for 470 years, and that in great glory, riches and strength until the Babylonian captivity. Again, because the tribe of Juda alone returned from this captivity, with a few others descended from the tribe of Benjamin, Levi and other tribes. Hence the whole people of the Jews thereafter took the name from Juda, and all, although descended from other tribes, were reckoned to be the tribe of Juda, because they were mixed with Juda, and were grafted into and incorporated into the tribe and commonwealth of Juda. In like manner the Romans are said to have ruled; and Roman Emperors are called, whosoever obtained the Roman Empire at Rome, even if they were descended from Thrace, Spain, or elsewhere, because all these had coalesced with the Romans into one commonwealth and one empire. Secondly and rather, precisely the scepter did not fail from Juda until Christ, because the crown, or the right and power of the kingdom properly belonged always to the tribe of Juda: both because this right of the kingdom was attributed by God to David and to his family descended from Juda, so that namely the descendants of David should always succeed to it in continuous succession by hereditary right; and because the seat, dominion and metropolis of the kingdom, namely Jerusalem, belonged to the tribe of Juda. From this place therefore we convince the Jews, and we demonstrate to them that the Messias has already come, and that he was born in the time of Herod: for then the scepter failed from Juda, and consequently our Christ is the Messias, predicted and promised here by Jacob. I answer that so small an interval of 35 years, in so great a series of times, is here reckoned as nothing; for it suffices for the truth of this prophecy, that under the same king Herod, in whom the scepter of Juda failed, Christ was born. For the word "until" does not signify precisely a determined year, month, or day of the advent of Christ; but only confusedly signifies that under that same time, namely under the same king in whom the scepter of Juda shall fail, Christ is about to be born. Anagogically, the scepter of Christ shall not be taken away from his Pontiff, until he himself shall come in his second advent, to beatify and glorify us. Thus from St. Ambrose and Origen, Pererius. And a ruler. In Hebrew it is mechokek, that is a legislator, namely a ruler or prince, whose office it is to enact laws and to govern the people by them. From his loins. Loins by metonymy signifies the genital parts, which are between the thighs and between the feet, as the Hebrew has it.
Until He Come Who Is to Be Sent (Shiloh) Until he come who is to be sent. The Chaldean clearly translates: Until the Messiah come, whose is the kingdom; for his name at that time was He Who Is to Be Sent, or He Who Is to Come. In Hebrew it is, until there come שילה Shiloh, which they derive and explain in various ways, yet all before concerning Christ. First, the Septuagint reading for Shiloh שלה Schelo translate, until there come (namely Christ) to whom it is laid up, namely the scepter and kingdom of Judah, as St. Ignatius, Irenaeus, Jerome and Ambrose read and understand. For to Christ alone, and consequently to Judah, is laid up first, the kingdom of Judah and Jacob; second, the right of saving Israel; third, all the promises made to Abraham and David; fourth, all the treasures of grace and glory; fifth, the faith and obedience of all nations; sixth, the judgment of the living and the dead. Second, Leo Castrius for Shiloh with other points reads Sailach, that is, a gift, or promise made to him. Third, R. David Kimchi thinks Shiloh signifies his son, namely of Judah, and rather of God; as if Shiloh were he to whom God the Father says: "Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee" (Psalm II). Fourth, Galatinus and Hamerus for Shiloh read שלה Schela, that is, he who is of her, namely of the woman and virgin, a son lacking a father — He of whom St. Paul says in Galatians IV: "When the fullness of time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman." Fifth, Vatablus and Oleaster think Shiloh is said by metathesis as if שלים schalom, that is, peaceful, author of peace. For Christ was born for this, that he might make peace between God and men, and that he might leave peace, and give us his peace. Sixth, it is most probable that for Shiloh it should be read by he as שילוח Shiloach by chet, that is, legate, sent or to be sent, from the root שלח schalach, that is, he sent: thus our Interpreter translates, and this was already of old a common name of the Messiah, as appears from Exodus cap. IV, 13. Whence to this his name Siloach Christ alluded, when about to give light to the blind he sent him to the pool of Siloe, which in Hebrew is called Siloach, "which is interpreted Sent," as St. John says, cap. IX, 7. For the proper office of Christ was to act as the legate of God among men: therefore his proper name was Siloach, that is, legate, or sent. Note: By these words: "There shall not be wanting, etc., until he come who is to be sent," Jacob implicitly prophesies that Christ shall be born from Judah. For Jacob here, as he assigns to each of his sons his own blessing, so to Judah he assigns Christ and the generation of Christ, as it were an eminent blessing. Thus all the Hebrews understood this prophecy; whence Paul to the Hebrews, VII, 14: "It is manifest," he says, "that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah."
The Expectation of the Gentiles And he shall be the expectation of the Gentiles. In Hebrew for expectation is יקהת iikkehat, which is derived and explained in various ways. First, some derive it from a root signifying to make innocent, clean and pure; whence they translate: He himself shall purify the Gentiles, namely from their sins; as Gabriel alludes to this, when speaking of Christ about to be born he says: "And he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew I). Second, others derive it from a root signifying to obey. Whence Kimchi, Pagninus and the Chaldean translate, peoples shall obey him. Third, others by metathesis derive it from the root קהלה kehilla, that is, church, congregation, so that the sense is, as if to say, the Messiah shall be a preacher and teacher of the Gentiles; the Messiah shall preach his Gospel to the Gentiles. Fourth, and most rightly, you should translate iikkehat as expectation: thus our Interpreter, the Septuagint, Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion translate it, from the root קוה kava, that is, he hoped, he expected; whence word for word from the Hebrew you should thus translate, to him (Shiloh, namely the Messiah) shall be the expectation of the Gentiles, as if to say, the Messiah shall expect the faith, obedience, dominion and kingdom of all the Gentiles, because God promised him this as it were as an inheritance, as it is said in Psalm II: "Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." For the sense is: "He shall be the expectation of the Gentiles," as if to say, Not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles shall receive the Messiah, as it were most eagerly expected, most avidly; they shall believe in him and obey him; in him they shall place and fix the hope, heart and love of their salvation. Christ is therefore called "the expectation of the Gentiles," in act, after he was born, known and believed by the Gentiles: but before the nativity of Christ, Christ was "the expectation of the Gentiles," by virtue only, or rather interpretatively, as if to say, the Gentiles after they shall have heard and known Christ, shall embrace him so eagerly, as if they had always expected him. By a similar prosopopoeia the land of promise is said "to expect rains from heaven," Deuteronomy XI, 14, because if it were animate, it would expect rains from there. Now just as the earth needs rain, so the Gentiles had need of Christ, and Christ brought them the greatest goods. Deservedly therefore here, and in Haggai cap. II, 8, Christ is called "the desired of all nations"; and in this chapter, verse 26, he is called "the desire of the everlasting hills."
Verses 11–12: Vineyard and Wine Vers. 11 and 12. Binding his firstborn son to the vineyard, and to the vine, O my son, his ass. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape. His eyes are fairer than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk; as if to say, The land of Judah, or the portion which fell to him in Chanaan, shall be so fertile in wine, that some man might be able to bind his ass to a single vine-shoot, and to load the ass with its fruit; for each vine is of such virtue, and so rich in grapes and wine, that it not only suffices for domestic use, but from it also a burden might be placed upon an ass, which is to be carried to market, and there sold. The first interpretation is that of Vatablus: this interpretation is cold, earthly, Jewish; and it is opposed by the fact that all these things are said, not of Judah, but of Shiloh, or the Messiah. Whence Jacob, addressing Judah in the second person, passes from him to the third person, namely to the Messiah. Secondly, both the Chaldean paraphrases, namely Onkelos and Jonathan, refer these things partly to Judah, partly to the Messiah. But these too are imperfect, and not sufficiently connected, and are in part Jewish. Third and true interpretation of the Fathers. I say therefore: Almost all the Fathers, except one Diodorus, explain this passage literally of Christ, namely Tertullian, St. Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom, Clement, Cyprian, Theodoret and others, whom Pererius cites: to whom certainly more credence should be given than to Calvin deriding them. Not Judah therefore, but Christ is he who binds with the cord of faith, hope and charity, to the vineyard, that is, to the primitive Church gathered from the Jews, his firstborn son, that is, the people of the Gentiles, who had not yet borne the yoke of the law, when he joined them to the Jews in one Church, and gathered them together; and to the vine, that is, to himself (for Christ is the true and fruitful vine, John cap. xv, 1, from which the whole vineyard hangs and springs forth), O my son, O Judah, the same Christ shall bind his ass, that is, the people of the Jews accustomed and worn down by the yoke of the law. Jerome says, Christ is said to have bound the ass to himself, because he preached to the Jews through himself; but he bound the firstborn son to the vine, because he preached to the Gentiles through the Jews, namely through the Apostles, and through them gathered the Gentiles to himself. He shall wash (Christ) in wine (the blood of his own, shed with supreme charity for mankind) his robe (that is his flesh), most pure and innocent, so that by it not only reddened, but also whitened, that is, made purer, washed away all the miseries of mortality and of this life, it may rise glorious. Thus from Tertullian St. Ambrose, lib. De Benedictione Patriarch. cap. IV. And in the blood of the grape his garment. "The blood of the grape" is the wine of the blood of Christ already mentioned. "The garment" of Christ is the Church, because Christ is clothed with the Church as with a garment. For Christ washed the Church in his blood on the cross, and washes her daily being born in baptism, "cleansing her by the washing of water in the word of life." 12. Fairer. In Hebrew חכלילי chachlile, that is more ruddy, more ardent, more radiant and shining are "thine eyes" (O Christ), than wine; because washed through thy passion, and through the most splendid glory of thy resurrection, which shines forth especially in thy face, mouth, teeth and eyes, they gleam and radiate, and wonderfully gladden the eyes of all the Saints beholding them, more than wine gladdens and rejoices the heart of man. Thus Diodorus, Cyril, Theodoret. And his teeth whiter than milk. By this whole phrase is signified the beauty of Christ, especially rising again. Symbolically however, by the eyes the most acute and most efficacious science and providence of Christ, by which he rules and protects the Church; by the teeth whiter than milk, the sweetness, integrity, purity and splendor of his doctrine and preaching of the Gospel is signified. Whence allegorically, the eyes of Christ are the Apostles and Prophets: these are fairer through the clarity of their wisdom, preaching, life, zeal and miracles, by which they illuminated the whole world, than wine, that is, than the acrimony and harshness of the old law. Thus St. Ambrose, Augustine, Eucherius, Rupert. But the teeth are the doctors and preachers, who, as it were, pre-chew and divide the food of doctrine and exhortation for the faithful, and bite off, cut away and cast aside their vices. These are whiter than milk, that is, than the doctrine of the old law, which was as it were milk and food for little ones. Thus the Fathers cited.
Prophecy and Blessing of Zebulun Jacob places Zebulun before others, although he was younger (for he was the tenth son of Jacob), because Christ, of whom he has just spoken in Judah, was conceived and dwelt in the lot and land of Zebulun: for in the lot of Zebulun is first, Nazareth, where Christ was conceived; second, Mount Tabor, on which He was transfigured; third, Capernaum, where Christ preached and dwelt for the greatest part of the time. In Zebulun therefore the preaching of the Gospel began, Isaiah chapter IX: In the first time the land of Zebulun was lightened, etc. And from Zebulun many of the Apostles were born. 13. Zebulun shall dwell on the shore of the sea, namely beside the Mediterranean sea and the sea of Galilee, or the lake of Gennesareth: for Capernaum, a celebrated emporium, is adjacent to it; Bethsaida, Tiberias, and other cities which were in the lot of Zebulun. In the station of ships. From the Hebrew you would translate, he shall dwell in the harbor of ships. Thus Vatablus, that is to say, Zebulun shall have the best harbors, through which all merchandise shall be brought in, and thus he shall become rich. Extending even to Sidon -- not immediately, but by means of the tribe of Asher, which lies between. Allegorically, Zebulun, that is, a dwelling, is the Church rich, peaceful and devoted to the commerce of souls. For from Zebulun Christ and the Apostles, preaching, advanced even to Sidon, Tyre and other nations. Thus St. Ambrose, book On the Blessing of the Patriarchs, chapter V.
Prophecy and Blessing of Issachar 14. Issachar a strong ass. In Hebrew it is, Issachar a bony ass, that is, robust and strong like bone, for the labors of agriculture, and for carrying his fruits and produce to the sea. For the lot of Issachar was pleasant and fertile in oil, wine and grain. Thus St. Jerome. Lying down between the borders, that is to say, Issachar shall not be devoted to navigation, as Zebulun; but feeding on his own lot and land, he shall dwell at home, and there shall dwell quietly between the limits and boundaries of other tribes. Whence Moses, Deuteronomy XXXIII: Rejoice, he says, Issachar, in thy tabernacles. 15. He saw that rest was good, that is to say, Issachar knew, and therefore preferred and embraced the comforts of a quiet and rustic life. For in a quiet life wisdom, virtue, peace, agriculture flourish, and from these the fruits and riches of fields. Hence the Issacharites, being quiet, were devoted to the studies of wisdom, as appears in I Paralipomenon chapter XII, verse 32. And the land that it was best. He bent his shoulder to bear the rustic burdens already mentioned. And he became subject to tribute, that is to say, Issachar preferred to live a quiet life with tribute, rather than to be free from it and be agitated by wars, or to be enlisted in the army of Solomon and other kings; for rustics are burdened more than others with taxes, from which soldiers are exempt. Allegorically, by Issachar St. Ambrose understands Christ, St. Hippolytus the Apostles. Issachar, says St. Ambrose, is called merchandise, and therefore is referred to Christ, who is our merchandise, whom we merit for ourselves for the hope of eternal salvation not with gold, not with silver, but with faith and devotion. Tropologically, Issachar is the Christian quiet and peaceful, and especially he who lives a religious life. Piously and aptly Abba Nestero in the Lives of the Fathers, book V, chapter XV, when asked how he had lived so peacefully in the monastery, and in any tribulation had learned to keep silence and patience, answered: When at the beginning I entered the congregation, I said in my heart: You and the ass be one. For just as the ass is beaten and does not speak; suffers injury and does not answer: so also you; as also is read in the psalm: I am become as a beast before thee, and I am always with thee.
Prophecy and Blessing of Dan 16. Dan shall judge. In Hebrew it is Dan jadin, that is to say, A judge shall judge. Here Jacob confirms the name to his son Dan; but for another reason, namely that Dan through Samson who shall be born from him, shall be about to judge, that is to vindicate and deliver Israel from the servitude of the Philistines. For Samson was a judge, that is a vindicator, of his people. Thus St. Jerome, Procopius, Gennadius, Rupertus and the Chaldean. Just as also another tribe, which gave its judge to Israel; for not all tribes gave judges: for it is more true that Reuben, Gad, Simeon and Asher gave no judge. 17. Let Dan be a serpent in the way, a cerastes in the path. In Hebrew Dan is in the nominative case, and so the sense is as if he should say: Let it be, that is it shall be, or will be, Dan, that is Samson the Danite, as a serpent and cerastes. For first, just as serpents in ways and paths lying hidden under fronds, or in sands, from their hiding places and unexpectedly attack a man and bite him: so Samson secretly by arts and deceits attacked the Philistines and laid them waste and killed them, as is evident in the three hundred foxes, whose tails Samson bound with burning torches, and set fire to the crops of the Philistines: again in the collision of the columns of the house, by which he buried their leaders with himself, and so he killed more dying than living. A cerastes in the path biting the hooves of a horse, so that the rider falls backward. The cerastes, says Pliny, lib. VIII, cap. XXIX, is a serpent, having four-fold horns, very similar to those of rams, which when it cannot reach the rider, bites the heel of the horse, so that it may throw down the horse, and consequently the rider. In like manner Samson not only by his strength, but also by deceits and snares, invaded the Philistines, supplanted and killed them. Note: Jacob predicted these things literally concerning Samson, allegorically concerning Antichrist the antitype of Samson. For from Dan shall Antichrist be born, as the Fathers commonly hand down. Antichrist therefore shall have the horns and manners of a serpent and cerastes, because by his deceits, arts, flatteries, hypocrisy, knowledge, eloquence, feigned miracles, power and torments he shall deceive, throw down, bite and kill very many men like a serpent and cerastes. Thus St. Augustine, St. Irenaeus, St. Ambrose, Prosper, Hippolytus, Rupertus, Aretas, Haymo, Richard and Anselm, whom Pererius cites and follows. 18. Thy salvation I will look for, O Lord. For thy salvation, in Hebrew it is iescuatecha, that is thy salvation, which namely our Saviour Shiloh shall bring, namely Christ. Note: Jacob foreseeing that the liberation of Israel through Samson who was to come would be small and of short duration, after which the Israelites would again be subdued by the Philistines: again foreseeing through this serpent and cerastes, or especially signifying Antichrist -- being deeply grieved and shuddering, exclaims: Salvation, that is a saviour, I will look for, O Lord, as if to say: Not Samson, but Christ, the true, constant and perpetual saviour of Israel and the world, of whom Samson was only a type and shadow. Whence the Chaldean translates: I do not look for the salvation of Gideon, son of Joash, whose salvation is temporal; nor the salvation of Samson, son of Manoah, whose salvation is transitory; but I look for the redemption of Christ son of David, who is to come to gather to himself the sons of Israel, whose redemption my soul desires.
Prophecy and Blessing of Gad 19. Gad, girded about, shall fight before him, and he himself shall be girded behind. Before him, namely before Israel, of which mention was made in the preceding blessing, verse 16. In the Hebrew there is a continuous paronomasia and allusion to the etymology of the name Gad. For Gad is said to be from gedud, that is, girded, as if to say: The tribe of Gad according to its name shall be girded, armed and warlike, and this shall be evident, both otherwise (as is clear from 1 Paralipomenon V, 18 and 19), and when it, armed, shall go before Israel, namely the remaining tribes, as a leader, and shall lead them across the Jordan into Chanaan. It shall then be girded behind, when the brethren, properly placed in their lot and enjoying that peace, it itself after the fourteenth year of its leadership and of wars waged for the brethren, girded again and laden with spoils, shall gloriously return home to its own lot beyond the Jordan. See the history in the book of Josue, chapter XXII. Thus the Chaldean, St. Jerome and Procopius. Allegorically, Gad girded is Christ, and the Church as an army arrayed in camp, and each faithful one, especially a Martyr, says Rupertus, who generously contends against the world, the flesh and the demon, and therefore shall be glorious and most happy in heaven. For Gad in Hebrew signifies both girded and happy. Such was St. Lawrence, who when roasted said to Decius: "Turn over, and eat." John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, condemned to death by Henry VIII because he would not confess his ecclesiastical primacy, when he approached the place of execution, casting away the staff on which the old man leaned: "Come now," he said, "feet, do your duty; there remains but a short journey." St. Agatha to Quintianus: "Are you not ashamed," she said, "cruel tyrant, to cut off from me the breasts which I sucked at my mother? but you accomplish nothing; I have others which you cannot tear away, the inner breasts of faith and hope, by whose nourishment the virtue of endurance is restored in me." St. Agnes to the executioner: "Why do you delay? Let the body perish which can be loved by eyes to which I am unwilling." She stood, prayed, bent her neck, and thus as one victim she underwent a twofold martyrdom, of modesty and of religion. Thus St. Ambrose. Such also was Gad, that is, girded and happy, St. Felicity, who under Antoninus Pius suffered martyrdom with her seven sons. For when Publius the prefect wished her to worship the gods, and added threats to his entreaties, she answered: "Neither am I moved by these blandishments, nor am I broken by terrors and threats. I have the Holy Spirit, who suggests to me strength, so that I am willing to endure anything for the faith." And turning to her sons: "Sons," she said, "most dear, persist in the confession of faith; Christ already awaits you with his Saints; fight for your souls, and show yourselves faithful to Christ."
Prophecy and Blessing of Aser 20. Aser, his bread is fat, and he shall furnish delights to kings. This signifies Jacob, and he predicts the riches and fertility, and the fruits of the tribe of Aser so savory and delicate, that they shall be in the delights of the kings of Juda, Israel, Tyre, and others; and this partly from the goodness of the soil, partly because it was situated near the sea, partly because it was near the Tyrians and Sidonians. Moses predicts the same of Aser, Deuteronomy XXXIII, when he says: Let him dip his foot in oil, iron and brass his shoe. Allegorically, Aser is Christ making us joyful, fattening and beatifying us with the delights of the Eucharist. For what is good, says Zacharias, chapter IX, verse 17, and what is beautiful of it, except the wheat of the elect, and wine producing virgins? Thus Procopius, Eucherius, Rupertus. Beautifully St. Ambrose: "The poverty of Christ," he says, "enriches us, infirmity heals, hunger satisfies, death vivifies, burial resurrects."
Prophecy and Blessing of Naphtali 21. Naphtali is a hind let loose, and giving words of beauty. For hind in Hebrew is aiala, which signifies both a stag and a doe. Just as a hind let loose and free plays exultantly in grassy and fertile land, so also Naphtali shall play and exult in his fertile lot. Second, "he shall give words of beauty," that is, he shall be gracious, mild and humane, and by his urbanity shall win over all to himself. For this is what Moses foretold concerning Naphtali, Deut. XXXIII: Naphtali shall enjoy abundance, and shall be in the blessing of the Lord. Third, this passage properly and directly regards and foretells the victory of Barak and Deborah against Sisera, Judges IV. For Barak was the commander of the army of Israel, sprung from Naphtali, who is rightly compared to a hind, which by nature is timid, but when it sees itself surrounded by hunters and enemies, and perceives that its life is at stake, it raises up its spirit and horns, and like a creature in fury breaks through the midst of the enemy ranks with great force and speed and escapes. Thus indeed Barak at first feared like a hind, and dared not engage in battle except with Deborah as his companion; but animated by her presence, like a lion he rushed upon the innumerable and well-arrayed enemy forces, broke through them, and in breaking through them laid them low and struck them down, and that most swiftly, like a hind and like lightning (Barak in Hebrew signifies lightning), so that with Caesar he could say: "I came, I saw, I conquered." Hence he shall give words of beauty, that is, he shall sing a most beautiful, congratulatory and eucharistic song to God the author of victory, namely that renowned song of Barak and Deborah, which is found in Judges V. Allegorically, Naphtali is Christ, who like a hind bounding forth in the power of the Spirit, Luke IV, 14, near and around the Sea of Gennesareth, which is a lake in Naphtali, swiftly and speedily broke through the camps of the devil, and gave words of beauty, saying in his Gospel: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," etc., and there he gathered the Apostles, who preached these most beautiful words of the Gospel throughout the whole world. Thus St. Jerome, Procopius, Ambrose.
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22. SON INCREASING JOSEPH. In Hebrew it is ben porat Joseph, that is, son of fruitfulness, that is, bearing fruit, Joseph. Jacob alludes to the name Ephraim, who was the son of Joseph. For Ephraim was called as it were bearing fruit, from the same root para, that is, he bore fruit, Gen. XLI, 52; for the tribe of Ephraim was most fertile, most numerous, most mighty and royal. Now Joseph was increasing, or bearing fruit, on account of the two sons whom he begat, namely Manasseh and Ephraim, who constituted two tribes in Israel: whence the increasing is repeated here twice. For Joseph succeeded with Judah in the birthright of Reuben; whence just as Judah obtained the kingdom of Judah, so Joseph obtained a double tribe and a double inheritance in Chanaan, and a kingdom in Israel. COMELY IN APPEARANCE. In Hebrew it is ale ain, which can be translated in two ways: First, over a fountain, as if to say Joseph is and shall be a son of fruitfulness, that is, fertile like a tree planted and bearing fruit beside a fountain. Second, it can be translated, over the eye, as if to say Joseph was so beautiful that he ruled over the eyes of those beholding him. DAUGHTERS (namely Egyptian) RAN ABOUT UPON THE WALL, — upon the walls of houses and cities, that they might see thee, O Joseph, so handsome a youth distinguished by royal attire, as if the saviour of the country and world, and that in turn they might be seen by thee. Thus Cajetan and Lipomanus. Allegorically, Joseph is Christ, fair in form above the sons of men, whom therefore Abraham and the Patriarchs desired to see. 23. BUT THEY PROVOKED HIM, — the brothers embittered Joseph with bitterness, although he was so handsome and lovable. AND THEY QUARRELLED, — saying: "Shalt thou be our king?" and: "Behold the dreamer cometh; come, let us kill him." HAVING ARROWS, — both of words, namely biting mockeries, lies and calumnies, and of blows: for when they stripped him, thrust him out, cast him into the cistern, and finally sold him into Egypt, they pierced him with arrows of words and blows! Allegorically, Joseph is Christ, against whom the Jews hurled all their arrows of tongues, nails and scourges, crying out: "Take him away, take him away, crucify him." 24. HE SAT IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS BOW. "Bow," that is, strength and protection, as if to say In such great hatred and persecutions of his brothers, in servitude, in the Egyptian prison, Joseph did not fall in spirit, did not grow faint, but stood, nay sat constant and strong, with all his hope fixed in the most mighty God. Joseph committed his bow to the most mighty God, most skilled in shooting, that he might be directed from his hand. THE BANDS OF HIS ARMS AND HIS HANDS WERE LOOSED. The Hebrew japhozu, whose proper meaning is uncertain, the Interpreters translate variously. Our version and the Septuagint translate: the bands were loosed, that is, the chains of his arms and his hands. Behold how the hope of Joseph in the strong God did not deceive him. Hear Wisdom cap. X: "This (eternal and uncreated Wisdom, which is God himself) did not forsake the just man when he was sold, until she brought him a sceptre," etc. BY THE HAND OF THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB. For mighty in Hebrew is abbir, which is one of the names of God. The Hebrews hand down that this name is full of mysteries; for the first letter aleph signifies ab, that is, the Father. The second letter bet signifies ben, that is, the Son. The third letter res signifies ruach, that is, the Holy Spirit. For just as these three letters are in one name abbir, so these three persons are in one divine essence. FROM THENCE THE SHEPHERD CAME FORTH, THE STONE OF ISRAEL. The word thence does not signify place, but cause, and is the same as therefore: Because Joseph was surrounded by the aid of abbir, that is, the mighty God — therefore the shepherd came forth, that is, he became ruler and prince of the Egyptians, and stone, that is, the firmament, of his people Israel. For Joseph fed and nourished both his father Israel and his brothers and their families, as well as the Egyptians in the seven years of famine, and thus strengthened and established them lest they perish from hunger. Allegorically, Joseph the shepherd, says Rupert, is Christ, who is the shepherd and rock and cornerstone of the Church. Again, the shepherd and rock of the Church is St. Peter and the other Pontiffs, vicars of Christ. For Christ said to Peter: "Feed my sheep;" and: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." 25. THE GOD OF THY FATHER — God who in all things directed thy father Jacob, will also help and direct thee as the son of Jacob, and the heir of his faith and piety. HE SHALL BLESS THEE WITH BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN, — by giving thee from heaven timely rain, dew, snow, serenity of the air, and a benign influence of the sun and sky, by which thy land may be made fruitful. WITH BLESSINGS OF THE ABYSS LYING BENEATH — the abyss properly is that chasm of waters, which lies hidden under the earth, and which is joined with the sea, and through its veins and streams irrigates and makes the earth fruitful. WITH BLESSINGS OF THE BREASTS AND OF THE WOMB, — that is, so that thou mayest have abundant milk, offspring, and progeny, both of animals and of men. Allegorically, Joseph is Christ, whom all things above and below, all angels and Saints in heaven, and the fathers in limbo bless and adore, and whom on earth all the faithful praise, saying with Elizabeth: "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb;" and with another, who cried out in the crowd: "Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked." 26. THE BLESSINGS OF THY FATHER ARE STRENGTHENED WITH THE BLESSINGS OF HIS FATHERS. That is to say, I Jacob, before the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac, was blessed both by my father Isaac and by God; therefore I in turn bless thee, O Joseph, and consequently thou shalt be blessed more than the patriarchs and than myself, because thou shalt obtain not only the blessings of the fathers, as I did, but also my blessing. Thus Lyra, Abulensis, Pererius. UNTIL THE DESIRE OF THE ETERNAL HILLS SHOULD COME, — namely Christ, who is the last and greatest of all blessings and promises, and the conclusion of all, whom therefore all men, indeed all irrational creatures, such as earth, sea, hills and mountains, from their beginning have most eagerly awaited as the redeemer of men, and the restorer and reformer of the whole universe. The sense therefore is, as if Jacob said: This blessing of mine, O Joseph, is greater than the blessing of the fathers, and shall endure until Christ, who will bring the greatest blessing to thee and to the whole world. Secondly, symbolically Christ is the desire of the eternal hills, that is of the Patriarchs, Prophets and illustrious Saints, who excel other men in wisdom, virtue and holiness, and shall excel eternally in heaven, just as hills excel valleys. Thus Rupert, Cajetan and Lipomanus. LET THEM COME UPON THE HEAD OF JOSEPH, AND UPON THE CROWN OF THE NAZARITE AMONG HIS BRETHREN. Note: Joseph is here called a Nazarite, that is separated, as the Chaldean translator renders it, crowned and consecrated. For Nezer signifies both separation, and a crown, and consecration. For Joseph was separated from his brethren: first, in morals and innocence; secondly, in place and manner of life; thirdly, in prison, where Joseph was left with uncut hair, devoted and consecrated to God alone, like the Nazarites, who devoted themselves and their abstinence, as well as their hair, to God, Numb. VI. Fourthly, by the crown of kingship, or principality in Egypt. Certainly Joseph the Nazarite was an express type of Christ the Nazarite, that is, separated by the Jews and from the common life of men, and consecrated to God, and crowned as the supreme king and pontiff of the world.
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27. BENJAMIN A RAVENOUS WOLF, IN THE MORNING HE SHALL DEVOUR THE PREY, AND IN THE EVENING HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOILS. Literally, Jacob here predicts that the tribe of Benjamin shall be like a ravenous and warlike wolf, which places its right in strength and arms. And this was indeed confirmed in the war of Gibeah, which the Benjamites alone, on account of the outrage committed by them upon the wife of the Levite, waged with all the other tribes, and sustained even to utter destruction; and finally they seized the daughters of Shiloh, Judg. XX. Thus Procopius, Eusebius, Theodoret, Abulensis and others. Again, Jacob here alludes to and predicts the plunders and victories of Saul, the first king of the Jews; likewise of Esther and Mordecai: for all these were born from Benjamin. Allegorically, whatever Calvin may object, almost all the Latin Fathers, namely St. Jerome, Ambrose, Rupert, Eucherius, Bede and St. Augustine, Sermon I On the Conversion of St. Paul, understand by this wolf St. Paul, who, being descended from Benjamin, and called Saul, in the morning, that is in his youth, like a wolf raged against Christ and the Christians, seizing men and women and dragging them to prisons, causing Stephen to be stoned by the hands of others, breathing out threats and slaughter against all: but converted by Christ, and changed from Saul to Paul, from the wolf of the devil into the wolf of God, in the evening, that is, when he had become an old man, he divided the spoils of the Gentiles taken from the devil, to Christ and the Church. "Paul," says St. Ambrose, "was a wolf, when he devoured the sheep of the Church; but he who came as a wolf became a shepherd. Therefore Rachel, when she bore Benjamin, called his name, Son of my sorrow, prophesying that from that tribe would come Paul, who would afflict the children of the Church, and vex the mother with grievous sorrow: but the same Paul afterwards divided food, preaching to the Gentiles, and drawing many to the faith."
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ALL THESE IN THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. In Hebrew it is, All these tribes of Israel are twelve, that is to say, From these twelve sons of Jacob descended and were named the twelve tribes of Israel. For here are numbered individually each of Jacob's sons (who were twelve in number), and consequently both Levi and Joseph are numbered: so that each son of Jacob constitutes one tribe. But in the division of the holy land Levi is not numbered, because he had no part of it: for the portion of Levi was the Lord, that is, the victims and firstfruits offered to the Lord; nor is Joseph numbered, but his two sons, namely Ephraim and Manasseh: for these were substituted in place of Levi and Joseph, and received a double tribe, and consequently a double lot in Chanaan. AND HE BLESSED EACH WITH THEIR OWN BLESSINGS. Hence the sense is, "he blessed each," that is, the blessings hitherto recounted, he pronounced and assigned to each their own. For although he did not properly bless Simeon and Levi, but reproved them, yet this paternal reproof of his was truly a blessing. Thus St. Chrysostom, Cajetan, Lipomanus.
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31. AND THERE LEAH IS BURIED AND LIES. In Hebrew it is, and there I buried Leah: whence it is evident that Leah died in Chanaan, and was buried there by Jacob, and not that she died in Egypt and was thence translated with her husband's body to Chanaan, as some wish. 32. AND WHEN HE HAD FINISHED HIS COMMANDMENTS. The Hebrews relate that Jacob dying commanded his sons mutual peace and concord, and fear of the one true God, obedience and worship, and flight from the idolatry of the Egyptians. HE GATHERED UP HIS FEET UPON THE BED. Jacob prophesying and blessing his sons had raised himself up, and sat in the bed with his feet hanging down; now when his discourse was finished, bidding farewell to his own, he gathers his feet into the bed, and gradually expires. See here how peaceful is the death of the just. Thus St. Lucius the Martyr, condemned to death by Urbicus the prefect, gave thanks saying: "I am freed from evil masters, and I pass to God my Father most good." Babylas the Martyr, when he offered his neck to be struck, said: "Return, O my soul, to thy rest: for the Lord hath been bountiful to thee. He hath delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living." For death, says St. Chrysostom, is a tranquil port, true rest, sleep, a migration to better things, a liberation from evils, a migration from earth to heaven, from men to angels, and to the Lord of the angels himself. WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE,—he died, and as to his soul descended to the fathers and the just dwelling in limbo in the bosom of Abraham. Thus Scripture speaks, to signify that the souls of the Saints after death do not live a solitary and sad life, but a social and joyful one: but the souls of the wicked, although they are joined in fire, are nevertheless divided by perpetual hatreds and quarrels, and lacerate one another with curses and blasphemies, after the manner of dogs. Note the period of Jacob's life: Jacob was born after the flood in the year 452. Fleeing Esau he went to Haran to Laban, in the year of his age 77; thence after 20 years, namely in the year 97, he returned to Chanaan. After 10 years, namely in the year 107, Rachel died, and Benjamin was born, and Joseph was sold into Egypt. Thence Jacob remained still in Chanaan for 23 years. For in the year of his age one hundred thirty he was called by Joseph, and with his whole family set out for Egypt, and there he lived for 17 years, and died in the year of his age 147, which was the year of the world 2256. Finally, the epitaph and eulogies of Jacob see in Wisdom, cap. X, vers. 10, and Ecclesiasticus cap. XLIV, vers. 25.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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v. 1 « Vocavit autem lacob filios suos et ait ets : Congregamini, ut annunttem , quae ventura sunt vobis in diebus novissimis ». Annuntiat Iacob libere futurorum vaticinium, unde recte Syr. caput inscribit : « Benedictio Iacob, quod dictum fuit per prophetiam ». « n'as, ab »nxs post, notat quod posterius est, et de tempore adhibitum significat quod futurum est » (Lam). In prophetis quidem expressio « tempus dicit messianicum, ultimam illam periodum, ad quam praeparandam et significandam tempora antecedentia diriguntur, et quae ipsa iam non alia periodo erit excipienda hisce in terris » (Knabenbauer in Mich. 4,1). At h. 1. expressio certe non restringitur ad tempus messianicum , cum de eo caput nonnisi perpauca habeat, pleraque autem tempus distributae inter tribus terrae promissae respiciant. Reapse, si memineris, quam alteillud patriarchae menti inhaeserit, posteros ex Aegypto quondam reduces terram promissam fore possessuros, si advertas eo se ordine filiorum in vaticinio nomina excipere, quo e Sichimis circumspectans parens distributas circa se tribus conspiceret, facile intelliges futurum, de quo h. l. agatur, tempus imprimis distributam tribubus terram sanctam respicere. Cf. Tost., Per., Bonfr. aliosque.
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v. 2 « Congregamani et audite, filii Iacob, audite Israel patrem vestrum ». Rubenum primogenitum manebat excellens dignitas et specialis foecunditatis benedictio : qua ipse ob incestum privatur.
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v. 3 « ftuben, primogenitus meus tu » es, « fortitudo mea et principium doloris mei », seu verius roboris met (Chald. Si yr. ) quod apte explicant LXX Theod. &pyl, véxvov pou, Ps. lon. « principium roboris generationis meae ». Quo altero parallelismi membro repetitur vel evolvitur prius fortitudo mea. Dicitur igitur patris fortitudo Ruben non ideo potissimum, quod ipsum maxime decuerit patrem adiuvare familiaeque dignitatem defendere (Ca?.), licet hoc etiam e primogenitura consequatur : « Quia te in aetate robustiore genui, et tu ceteris fortior et dignior esse debueras » (Tos/.). Sed vocatur Ruben fortitudo pairis, quia exstitit « filius iuventutis » (Ephr.), quem pater integra virtute generativa, ceteros eadem iam hebescente genuit. Et coniicit idem auctor, Iacob usque ad Liae connubium illibatam servasse virginitatem. « Prior tn. donis , maior in imperio » esse debebas, supplendum est (Per.). nNv excellentiam significat primogeniturae , *? non crudum robur, sed legitimam potestatem , quae primogenito competit : sicut nativa praestabas excellentia, ita praefuturus eras potestate fratribus, princeps eorum futurus. Cum *3*N T'UN^ etiam secus (Deut. 21, 17; Ps. 77, 51; 104, 36) de filiis primogenitis scribatur, non licet h.1. cum Vulg. Aq. Symm. recurrere ad TN dolor, sed sistendum est in significatione robur. Idem suadet contextus : « Quia uno contextu Iacob dignitatis elogia recenset, quae in primogenitum competunt, non dubium, quin principium suae virilitatis nominet » (Vat.). — *r*^, pro qua voce LXX Theod. videntur legisse gps durus, verti quidem etiam potest reliquiae (Syr.), at h. 1: cum Aq. Symm. vertendum est abundantia, itemque interpretabantur Vulg. Chald. Inde & Targumim placuit Iudaeis interpretatio haec : « Competebat tibi primogenitura et dignitas sacerdotalis et regia : quia vero peccasti, data est primogenitura Ioseph, regnum Iudae, sacerdotium Levi ». Ipsi igitur '1NV) ad dignitatem sacerdotalem referunt, 3 ad regiam : at dignitatem sacerdotalem ad primogenitum íuisse devolvendam, gratuito plane adstruitur. Eidem traditioni adhaerens Hier. TV ad dona retulit, sc. duplicem portionem primogenito tribuendam, 5y sine dubio ad sacerdotium et regnum simul. Explicata eminentia, quae Rubeno tamquam primogenito debebatur, eius scelus commemoratur, in cuius poenam ea eminentia privabitur. v. kh « Effusus es sicut aqua ». Egisti similiter atque aqua, quae ebulliens effunditur: pulchre peccator concupiscentiae impetu actus comparatur aquae, quae ebulliens e vase prosilit praeter eius, qui ignem supposuit, intentionem. Omissa comparatione dicere poteris cum Menoch. : « praeceps in scelus ruisti ». Non petitur imago a flumine ripas transgrediente (Ephr.) vel aggerem perrumpente. Neque iam sceleris depingitur poena : « fluxa tibi et humilia sunt omnia » (Calm.); vel: sicut aqua effusa nihil omnino aut saporis aut odoris post se relinquit, ita tu primogeniturae privilegiis omnibus privaberis (Lyr.). Sed ipse incestus imagine exprimitur, cui illico subnectitur poena : « Non crescas ». Cum "nmn eiusdem radicis sit atque praecedens ^T, reapse eadem etiam illi significatio concedenda est : non abundabis neque excellentia neque potestate, non eminebts (Ag. Symm. et etiam Chald.). Ita Hier. Proc. Cat. Vat. Sa; atque Tost. ipsum Vulgatae textum sic interpretatur, et iure merito quidem : « Non crescas inter fratres tuos, sc. recipiendo aliquam praeeminentiam ». Ergo Rubeno unum tantum, et illud mere negativum, praenuntiatur, eum privatum iri primatu, qui primogenito debebatur. Quod egregie comprobavit eventus, cum tribus Ruben nunquam, ne iudicum quidem 8evo, primatum obtinuerit. Sed affectu abripitur patriarcha, ne iam permittat filii scelus sub honesta latere imagine : « Qwia ascendisté cubile patris tui et maculasti stratum etus ». non eminebis. — Deut. 33, 6: « Vivat Ruben et non moriatur, et sit parvus in numero » : at hinc non licet inferre, h. 1. ^r edicere Rubenitas paucos futuros esse numeris. Nam h. 1. non necessario idem edicitur, quod ibi. Syr. sane minus accurate non perdurabis; quare Ephr. suggerit sententiam h. 1. latam Deut. 33, 6 mitigari : nihil mitigatur, nihil mutatur. Hier., qui vocem prius verterat « ne adiicias », i. e. ne iterum pecces, sensum ita explicat : « sis in fratrum numero, poenam peccati luens, quod primogeniti ordinem perdidisti ». Ergo hic quoque nm ON exponit, non de exiguo futuro numero, sed de amissa eminentia. — Hebr. alteram versus partem vigorosius ita construit : quía conscendisti cubile patris tui. Tum desecrasti. Stratum meum conscendit! Primum filio incestum erudis verbis in memoriam revocat Iacob. Affirmat hanc tori paterni violationem unicam exstitisse amissae eminentiae rationem. Dein ad reliquos conversus sceleris immanitatem exaggerat, quo latae sententiae iustitia nulli iam subsit dubio. Cogita, quantopere is tori violationem perhorrescere debuit, e cuius toro messias tandem proditurus speraretur.
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Simeon et Levi coniuncti Sichemitas dolo oppressere ; unde, uti initio sequentis benedictionis Iacob in nomine Iudae ludit, quasi dieat : Iuda, tu vere es [uda i. e. laudatus; ita h. 1l. ludit in nomine fratrum. v. 5 « Simeon et Levi fratres », non origine tantum, sed « in scelere socii » (Bonfr.). « Vasa sniquitatis bellantia ». Hebr. - Instrumenta violentiae (cf. 6,11. 13) fuere glad? eorum. LXX Sam. Chald. pro :55 habent *52 : Perfecerunt violentiam gladii eorum. Enuntiato scelere, se ipsum ab illis secernit.
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v. 6 « In consilium eorum non veniat anima mea, et ?n coetu illorum non sit gloria mea » , quo altero nomine ipsa anima designatur. Censet Mar., hic scribi « futurum pro praeterito : non venit. Ostendit, se eius proditionis participem non fuisse ». Reprobavi (35,30) , ait, et reprobo. Potest etiam futurum seu optativus retineri, ut verba non ad praeteritum destruendae Sichem consilium referantur, sed ad omne scelestorum fratrum consilium : nihil cum illis mihi est commune, non agnovi ut filios et hinc certam illis inter filios portionem non concedo. — Repetitur iam distinctius eorum scelus : .« quia in furore suo occiderunt virum », i. e. universim, « et in voluntate sua, » , arbitratu suo « suffoderunt murum » urbis Sichem. Scelus maledicto oneratur, non scelesti
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v. 7 : « Maled?ctus furor eorum, quia pertinax » seu violentus, « et indignatio eorum, quia dura ». Non omnis furor et indignatio reprobanda , cum haec etiam de Deo praedicentur. — « Sequitur poena, et est conformis peccato eorum » (Tost.), ut qui una peccaverint, communem ferant sententiam et, qui in scelus conspiraverint, ab invicem divulsi inter reliquos dispergantur. « Dividam eos in lacob, et dispergam eos in Israel. ». Haec poena evidenter impleta est in iuniore fratre Levi, at in ipso simul versa est in honorem et benedictionem, sacerdotio illi delato. Impleta est item in Simeone, quae tribus, quod parva esset, intra fines haereditatis fratrum suorum habitavit (EpAr.), « in alieno quasi hospitio intra tribum Iuda recepta est » (Bonfr.) : cf. Yos. 19,9.9. Hier. etiam appellat 1 Par. 4,39 sqq., ubi narrantur Simeonitae plures tempore Ezechiae latiores sibi sedes in deserto australi procurasse. Pro suffoderunt murum verti etiam potest subnervaverunt bovem (LXX), qua poetica locutione dicendum erit nihil aliud exprimi, nisi ipsam Sichimitarum caedem. Certe bos non intelligitur Ioseph a fratribus traditus (Cai.), cuius iniurias prophetia haec non attingit, sed condonatas supponit. — Immerito Ephr. textu censet affirmari, Simeon et Levi divisum iri « alterum ab altero », idque impletum pronuntiat, quando Num. 25, 14 Phinees Levita confecit Zambri Simeonitam : non hoc duorum virorum factum respicit prophetia, sed tribuum fata. Neque ideo illi dividuntur, quia, quod violenti sint, unitis nemo possit resistere (Ps. Ion. et Targ. Hier.) : sed unice in sceleris poenam. Etiam Iuda peccaverat, sed peccata luerat poenitentia. Nurum scortum arbitratus cognoverat, sed eam cum suo etiam dedecore 38,26 a crimine liberaverat; in loseph cum reliquis coniuraverat, sed vitam eius 37,26 servaverat et pro Beniamino 44,18 sqq. se vinculis obtulerat. Cui igitur ignoratis delictis excellens conceditur benedictio. Exinde, quod Simeon et Levi in poenam propriis finibus sint privati, sequitur reliquis et imprimis Iudae proprios in terra saneta fines concedi. Prophetia respicit Iudam non per desertum itinerantem, non primum agmen (Iud. 1) in terram sanctam inducentem, sed in suis finibus considentem. Non antea adoraverunt eum filii patris eius, quin potius et Iacobi et Iosue tempore adorabant Ioseph; non antea principatum ipse obtinuit a patre Iosepho collatum. Sed neque necessario, ubi primum proprias in terra sancta sedes Iuda obtinuit, haec omnia impleri debuere ; sufficit, ut decursu temporum evenerint. Benedictio orditur a paronomasia nominis Iuda.
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v. 8 « Juda, te laudabunt fratres tut ». VnuN qu nnN 77V. Duda, in fe reapse habebunt fratres, quod laudent, principatum, qui constat obsequio fratrum, neque sine hostium caede perseverare potest. lungi etiam potest : Juda tu! te laudabunt fratres tui. « Merito tu diceris Iuda, merito a laude nomen habes, quia laudabunt te fratres tui » (Cai.). Et comparat Per. Matth. 16,18 : Tu es Petrus, etc. « Manus tua n cervicibus inimicorum tuorum ». Cur in cervicibus? Sive quod in fugam vertas (Vat.), sive quod imo fugientium terga caedas (Ma/v.), sive quod hostes comprimas et humilies (70s£.), sive quod eorum cervices iugo supponas (Per.). Exprimitur plena de hostibus victoria, quae certe tum habetur, quando illi cervices, non pectora victori obiiciunt. Cha/d. praevalebit. « Adorabunt te filii patris tui ». Quid sibi verba velint perspicies, si adverlas, idem et Iosepho fuisse praedictum et, superstite adhuc cum fratribus parente, impletum. | Iudae principatus porro describitur sub imagine /eon?s, qui animalium censetur rex.
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v. 9 « Catulus leonis Iuda ». Iuda cum tribu a se gignenda unus est leo : quare ipse Iuda coram patre adstans catulus leonis vocatur, qui decursu temporis in leonem seu leaenam adolescat. « Ad praedam, fili mi, ascendisti » : sed reliqui omnes a praeda. Describitur leo a praeda redux, princeps parta victoria. « Heqwuiescens accubussti ut leo, et quasi leaena », « quae catulos lactans saevior et fortior est leone » (Menoch.). En iam leo adultus, terribilis in bello et in pace, accumbens « in sua haereditate » (EpAr.) , non quod viribus sit decrepitus, sed ut praedam digerat. « Quis suscitabit eum? » Sane « nullus sapiens » (Caz.). Quibus omnibus neque Davidis victoriae neque messiae regnum explicite demonstratur, sed Iudae principatus universim describitur. | Praenuntiaveratigitur Iacob Iudae principatum in terra sancta exercendum, cui praeter ipsam tribum Iudae etiam aliae tribus sint subfuturae : iam. ultra progressus et reliquae veluti prophetiae limites excedens, quae rerum in Palaestina post Mosen et ante captivitatem conditionem potissimum respiciat, illius principatus durationem saltem negative definit.
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v. 10 « Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda et dux de femore eius, donec veniat qui mittendus est, et ipse » — Hebr. Sam. Chald. Syr. Ag. ipsi — « erit exspectatio gentium ». Praedicitur igitur sceptrum seu principatus duraturus, usque dum veniat n^". . Non dicitur tum cessaturus : si tamen aliquando cessaverit, signum est indubium illum jam advenisse. Non promittuntur omnes reliquae tribus aut aliquae earum usque ad eius adventum esse duraturae. Neque e v. 8 necessario sequitur principatus super omnes tribus, multoque minus super omnes semper iribus. De facto prophetia ita impleta est, ut sub Davide et Salomone tribus Iuda obtineret principatum omnium, post illos solarum tribuum Beniamin et Levi. Perseveravit autem principatus usque ad Christi tempus, quo interempto Iudaeorum respublica brevi interiit et inter dispersos tribuum distinctio penitus obliterata est. "ND recedere plerumque construitur cum ner quandoque absolute : cf. Zach. 10, 11 « et sceptrum Aegypti recedet ». — 'O3U primitus baculum significat , hinc scipionem seu sceptrum pastoris, principis, regis : vox hoc sensu accepta non est necessario dat. Praeterea vox saepissime usurpatur significatione translata tribus. Cum vero nativa significatio non sit ramus, sed baculus, hinc non ideo vox ad significandam tribum descendit, quod tribus sint velut unius stipitis rami (F. X. Patrizi S. J. : De interpretatione S. Scr., lib. II q. VI art. 1 n. 5, Romae 1844), sed quod tribus una communi auctoritate contineatur, cuius symbolum sit scipio. Porro vox significatione nativa sceptrum accepta non est necessario restringenda ad principatum regium (Ps. Ion. et Targ. Hier.), licet illum minime excludat, imo cum aliis formis autonomiae politicae etiam ipsum includat. Sceptro exclusive designari auctoritatem regiam, non sequitur e 17, 6. 16 et 35, 11, quia prophetiae posteriores non ita serviliter antiquiorum vestigiis adhaerent, sed eas extendunt et amplificant; non sequitur e posterioribus vaticiniis (v. g. Ez. 21, 27), cum haec ea, quae antea edita fuerint, soleant applicare et definire. Quaeritur iam, utro sensu, nativo an translato, O3WU h. 1l. sumatur. Tribus vertit Pulchre concluditur versus : e/ ?ps;, sc. alteri illi Selae venturo, erit. exspectatio gentium. Sed aànp* e Prov. 30,17 exprimit non tam exspectationem , quam reverentiam ; Chald. erunt. obedientes; Syr. suspicient. En post sceptrum suae tribus et aliarum tribuum promittitur ludae principatus gentium, praerogativa vere messianica. Reverentia gentium v. 10 omnino correspondet adorationi fratrum v. 8. Et nunc visione messiae et abundantiae eius regni bonorum in ecstasin abripitur moribuudus vates
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v. 11 : « Lzgans ad vineam pullum suum » asini, « eL ad vitem, o fili mi, asinam suam ». 22 Vulg. interpretata est vocativum, melius LXX Syr. statum constructum : filium asinae suae , quo perfectus habetur parallelismus. L?gans est ipse Iuda, qualis v. 10 intelligebatur, aut, quod in idem recidit, a/iquis : ligabit aliquis, ligabit quilibet tempore messiae (De/.). npe genus vitis nobilissimum. Tanta erit in messiae regno vitium etiam nobilissimarum abundantia, « ut passim obviae prostent, non secus atque alti vepres vel infrugifera arbusta. Nam cum ad sepes ligari soleant asini, vites ad hunc contemptibilem usum deputat » (Vat.). Neque sollicitus est, easne asini depascantur. « Lavabit in vino stolam suam , et tn sanguine uvae pallium suum ». « Tantam significat fore vini abundantiam, ut id non modo sufficiat bibendo, sed etiam supersit ad lavandas vestes; quod accipiendum est quasi hyperbolice dictum » (Per.).
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v. 12 « Pulchriores sunt oculi eius vino , et dentes eius lacte candidiores ». Verte : obscurati sunt oculi eius vino, et dentes eius lacte albescunt (Caz?.). Abunde item vescentur tempore messiae lacte et vino. His indicari « nihil] aliud », nisi fertilitatem terrae Iuda, sentire videntur Mar. aliique. At indicari benedictiones regni messianici perspexere Targ. itemque Patres (Chrys., Theodoret. etc.), licet in spiritualiter exponendis singulis vocibus (vino, pullo) quandoque longius procedant. Dicas cum Tir. intelligi utique fertilitatem, sed principalius dona regni messianici. Ubi spiritualia exhibentur imaginibus materialium, efferturque eorum tam abundantia quam excellentia. Terra promissa secus exhibetur ut regio fluens lacte et melle (Ex. 3, 8. 17; 13, 5. ctc.) : hic ut fluens vino et lacte. Rursum in nominis etymologia luditur (Bonfr.), cum 52: habitare significet; cf. 30,90.
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v. 13 « Zabulon in littore maris habitabit , et in statione navtum pertingens usque ad Sidonem ». Verbotenus : Zabulon prope litus marium habitabit, idemque prope litus navium, et latus eius versus Sidonem. m» h. l. vel uti Iud. 5,17 solum Mare Mediterraneum designat, vel etiam Lacum Genesareth (Bon/r.). Ex hoc textu et Jos. (V. 1. 21) patet, Zabulon reapse ad Mare Mediterraneum pertigisse : Za6owXwwtzat 85 vi» p£ypu l'evvqcapívibog , xa0fjxoucav 8E mpl KápymqAov xai 0&Aacozv» fAayow. Loci obscuriores Ios. 17,10 et 19,10-16 secundum hoc explicandi sunt. Cum n2" secus de parte posteriore et remotiore praedicetur, hinc fingas h. 1. Zabulonem inter duo maria consistentem, prospicientem Sichimam versus, tergum vero obvertentem Phoeniciae. Non dicitur pertingere usque ad ipsam Sidonem, cum potius intercesserit Aser. Describitur autem opulentia e vicino mari et commercio cum thalassocratoribus procurata.
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v. 14 « Issachar asinus fortis accubans tnter terminos ». « luxta Hebr. habetur osseus » (m3 an), « quod est plàs quam fortis » , ait Cai. ; certe dubitare licet, sitne idem atque fort?s, cum sit imago plane insolita, et robur musculis potius constet quam ossibus. Mire dissonaní versiones. Ág. $vos 6oxo2nc ; sed LXX «x» xaXov (9) &xs09poev (1121); Chald. dives (an forte ma?) substantia; Syr., fortasse explicans, homo gigas. Omnino praeferenda videtur lectio Sam. 23 mn, asinus peregrinorum. Cum benedictiones Iudae, Zabulon inceperint ab aliqua ad etymologiam nominum allusione, merito in benedictione Issachar exspectabis allusionem ad *^2v , mercedem : qualem non habet asinus fortis, habet autem asinus peregrinorum, qui sc. & peregrinis mercede conductus onera comportet. Hic asinus describitur primum quiete fruens, dein ob emolumenta relicta quiete oneri dorsum supponens. De aà'n2v5n vide quae ad Iud. 5,16 (cf. Ps. 67,15) diximus: designat caulas, recumbere autem inter caulas describit felicitatem hominis otio fruentis. — Porro
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v. 15 « vidit requiem quod. esset bona, et terram quod optima : et supposuit humerum suum ad portandum , factusque est tributis serviens ». 13v DO sonat angariam ei hinc nequit cum LXX de solis agriculturae laboribus exponi : &v5p vyeopyós. Relinquitur hoc versu imago asini, qui sane considerata requie minime inducitur ad dorsum oneribus supponendum. Describitur tribus ingenium sobrium, minime ambitiosum, fortasse etiam nonnihil sordidum. Requiem, qua terrae feracissimae bonis vescereniur, unice appetentes duplici ratione facti sunt mercenarii : primum suas fruges asinorum instar comportabant ad alios, puta Phoenices, a quibus opimam nanciscerentur mercedem; malueruntque tributa pendere oppressoribus, quam pro libertate pugnare. Cf. Caém. « licet ex concubina sit natus » (Vat.). Idemque per analogiam dicendum erit de reliquis ancillarum filiis (Malv.). Populum suum interpretatur Rosenm. ipsos Danitas, qui ipsi suis rebus consulturi sint, non per moderatores aliunde arcessitos. Veteres interpretabantur reliquos Israelitas, quibus iudex praefuerit Samson Danita. Neque tamen cogimur dicere, lacobum explicite hic de Samsone cogitasse : dicit, in pugnis contra inimicos Dan, haud secus atque alias tribus, iura Israelis esse defensurum eiusque salutem effecturum (DZ/m.).
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v. 17 « F:at Dan coluber in via, cerastes in semita, mordens ungulas equi , ut cadat ascensor eius retro ». « Illud fíat more prophetico positum est pro fiet » (Per.). Possumus tamen sententiam concipere ut propheticum desiderium seu petitionem, in patri perspecta Dani patriarchae indole fundatam. Petitioni assensus cst Deus factique sunt Danitae genus durum et perseverans, qui in angustis etiam rebus astutia et audacia feliciter egere. Huius exempla fuere subacta Lais, Samsonis gesta et alia bene multa, quae nos latent quaeque non sunt necessario supponenda a Iacobo distincte esse praecognita.
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v. 18 « Sa/utare tuum exspectabo , Domine ». Quae verba Masor. a prioribus et a sequentibus distinguunt, quasi neque ad benedictionem Dan neque ad benedictionem Gad pertineant. LXX prioribus intime iungunt : Tf» cw r6piav xepuuévov xupíov, secuti sane opinionem antiquitus vulgatissimam, Dan colubrum alium non esse nisi antichristum e tribu Dau oriturum. Cuius opinionis argumentum princeps & scriptoribus postea christianis quibusdam afferebatur hoc, Ap. 7 tribum Dan omitti : infirmius sane tam portentosae asserlionis fundamentum. Ps. lon. et Targ. Hier. Xa praecedentibus iungunt, ut lacob affirmet se exspectare non meram per Gedeonem aut Samsonem, sed per messiam salutem. Sed nequit demonstrari Iacob de Gedeone aut Samsone distinete aliquid novisse. Recordare, quam constanter hae benedictiones ad nominum etymologias alludant; recole, primarium omnino tudicts (Dan) officium esse, ut salvet, cuius rei totum Iudicum librum habes argumentum : perspicies igitur, etiam hac invocatione alludi ad nomen Dan. Salus autem, quae exspectatur, est tota illa, ad quam Dan sicut reliquae tribus cooperatur, salus tot civilibus in V. T. salvationibus praefigurata, per messiam tandem complenda : verba messiam non unice, licet potissimum respiciunt. Cf. Vat. Postquam Dan, primus inter concubinarum filios recensitus, sex articulis celebratus est, reliqui tres concubinarum filii disticho singuli expediuntur.
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v. 19 » Gad accinctus proeliabitur ante eum », quod pronomen Bonfr. ait referri ad populum v. 16; sed hoc nomen longius abest, et 11712! non est proeliabitur ante eum, sed adorietur eum. « Et ipse accingetur retrorsum ». Hebr. : Gad, exercitus adorietur eum , et ipse aggredietur calcaneum. Sed quid h. 1. ca/caneus? Sa censet hostes fugientes Gado calcaneum obvertisse; Ges. , uti los. 8,13, calcaneum intelligit novissimum agmen ; cum id nomen etiam pro adverbio usurpari consueverit, praeplacet Va. « in fine ». Ergo : Gad vastum exercitum habebit adorientem se, sed non deficiet et in fine aggressores ipse aggredietur. Nota, hanc benedictionem plus ceterisin paronomasia ludere : 3py 72» xvm 127132 7112 72. At vix fieri potest, ut tam artificiosa paronomasia omni vacet obscuritate. 30,11 nomen a 73 felicitas derivabatur, hic comparatur cum radice n penetrare, adoriri, ita ut tandem felicitas certamine parta demonstretur. Sam. verbi 131 formas hiphilicas *zr'aài et 2! habet : Gad, exercitus laudabit ipsum, et zpse demonstrabit praedam. Uteunque interpreteris, bellica Gad praedicitur excellentia. Post Chald. plures censuere ad illud alludi, Gadum in primo agmine transgressum esse lordanem, pugnaturum pro fratre, dein ultra flumen regressum esse ad proprias sedes occupandas. Sed vis infertur verbis neque ullo indubio exemplo demonstrari potest, praeter messiae adventum ullum distinctum historiae populi electi eventum lacob praenovisse : singularum tribuum indolem vel fata generali prorsus ratione attingit. Aser 30,13 significat fortunatus, et in hac significatione ludit sententia : in hoc sc. fortunatus praedicatur Aser, quod terram nactus sit eximie fertilem.
49:20
v. 20 « Aser, pinguis panis eius, et praebebit delicias regibus », « dignas regibus » (Vat.). Hebr. : De Aser (venit) pinguedo, panis eius ; vel : De Aser — pinquis est panis etus. Sed praepositionem D ignorant LXX Vulg. Syr. Chald., et reliquae benedictiones ordiuntur nominibus, nulla praefixa praepositione. Monet Ca?., per panem intelligi « universum alimentum » ; et Mar. comparat Deut. 33,25, ubi Aser propter oleum celebratur. Ubi advertas, pro ^32v Sam. habere 15v, quod verti potest : oleum est fructus etus.
49:21
v. 91 « Nephthali cervus emissus et dans eloguia pulchritudinis ». Admirationem illud facit, quod, dum reliquae benedictiones ludant aut etymologia aut significatione nominis, nihil eiusmodi h. 1. deprehendatur : quid enim aut cervo aut pulchre loquenti cum radice 5nz, verti, torqueri, pugnare (cf. 30,8)? Duabus vocibus aliter punctatis vertebat LXX : cx£Aeyog àvew£vov £x og &» 50 evt v XA Aog; accuratius : Zerebinthus procera producens cacumina pulchritudinis. Haec sane imago est una et perspicua. At, quid illi cum nomine Nephthali? Adverte, n5n2 arabice inter alia designare folliculum, quod grano seu semini circumvolvitur. Sine dubio apud Hebraeos quoque aliqua forma a radice bna derivata teneram plantam eiusve partem designabat, et sensus benedictionis lacobaeae fere hic.est : Nephthali, tenella planta, in celsam et luxuriantem arborem excrescet. Longior ceteris et facundior filio prae aliis dilecto tribuitur benedictio.
49:22
v. 22 « Filius accrescens Ioseph, filéus accrescens et decorus adspectu, filiae discurrerunt super murum ». lam Ps. Ion. et Targ. Hier. perspexere, losephum arbori comparari, et ipsi quidem scripsere vitem (cf. Ps. 79,9): Revera 13 et n2, quae tropice de quibusque rebus ex aliis quomodovis natis usurpari consuevere, h. l. arborem designant et ramos (Vat., Malv., Calm.) : Arbor fructifera Ioseph, arbor fructifera prope fontem, rami discurrerunt super murum. Describitur arbor prope fontem et ad murum plantata, quae muro jam non continetur, sed ramos fruclibus graves supra murum protendit. Pulchra imago eius patriarchae, cuius progenies, angustos limites posteritatis frairum eius transgressa, non in unam sed in duas tribus effloruit. Duas tribus etiam repetito n*5 12 designari censet Malv. me 12 fitus ubertatis seu filius frugifer, non « propago arboris frugiferae » (Kn.), quod esset laus Iacob potius quam Ioseph. Eum sensum habeat *»5 Is. 17, 6, quae tamen non est eadem vox atque i112. — Veteres latini fere hune sensum eruunt : « O fili mi Ioseph, qui tam pulcher es, ut te tota de muris et turribus ac fenestris puellarum Aegypti turba prospectet » (Hier.). — Sam, LXX in altera versus parte corruptam sequuntur lectionem *'*yy *33.
49:23
v. 93 « Sed ezasperaverunt eum et turgati sunt » — warm : ita Sam. LXX Vulg. et, ut puto, etiam Chald. contra Masor. 331 taculati sunt, et Syr. 33? multiplicati sunt — « invideruntque illi habentes iacula ». v 9k « Sedit in forti arcus eius, et dissoluta sunt [vincula] brachiorum [et] manuum illius per manus potentis Iacob : inde pastor [egressus est] lapis Israel ». Verte : Et confractus est potenter arcus etus , et dissoluti sunt nervi manuum eius — sc. qui modo plurali Aabentes iacula exprimebantur, ii nunc ut una concreta persona cum Ioseph luetans coneipiuntur, quare recte quoad sensum LXX abxóv — a manu potentis lacob, a nomine pastoris lapidis Israel. loseph inimicos specialiter a Deo adiutus penitus devincet. Pro 3Unrm legebant LXX 429, «ei owvetzplón; etiam Chald. Syr. passivum verbi exprimunt, et Syr. eius quidem verbi, quod etiam delendi significationem habeat. Of. Bonfr. — *35*1 LXX Vulg. Syr. vertunt et dissoluti sunt. Piel 2 Reg. 6, 16 saltandi significationem induit : et reapse, qui saltat, quodammodo solvit membra. — Cum y"? brachium etiam ad significationem robur descendat (2 Par. 32, 8; Dan. 11, 15. 22. 31), aliqui apte verterunt z& veópa (vincula) , quae versio alteri brachiorum conglutinata habetur in LXX Vulg. — Qua LXX Vulg. vertunt inde, verius Syr. et Ps. Ion. a nomine : inimici funduntur Dei manu et nomine. Dci, inquam , nam "*QN est titulus Dei Is. 1, 24; 49, 26; Ps. 131 (132), 2. 5. Ergo propter parallelismum etiam P RIPE ]2N n3 est titulus divinus. Pastor lapidis fingi nequit; ergo pastor lapis. At cur hi duo tituli, et quidem sine copula scribuntur? cur dicuntur hostes fundi virtute nominis lapidis Israel, cum ,Deus secus nunquam P BUE IP nominetur? Corrige ONU *33 "y^, et habetur omnimodus cum ap» *"2N parallelismus : e nomine pastoris filiorum Israel .
49:25
v. 95 « Deus patris tut erit adiutor tuus, et » Deus « omnipotens benedicet (ibi benedictionibus coeli desuper, benedictionibus abyssi tacentis deorsum », fontium, fluminum, « óenedictionibus uberum et vulvae ». Triplex benedictio Iosepho conceditur : numerosae prolis v. 92, victoriae de hostibus v. 23 sq., affluentiae bonorum v. 95 sq. —
49:26
v. 96 « Benedictiones patris tui » — Sam. LXX Chald. et matris tuae — « confortatae sunt » — praevaluerunt prae, maiores sunt — « Óenedictionibus patrum eius, donec veniret desiderium colltum aeternorum ». Verte : usque ad spem collium aeternorum. « Fiant in capite loseph, et in vertice Nazaraei » — 3 electus, princeps (ef. etiam LX X) : principatus Iosepho collatus explicite commemoratur — « :?nter fratres suos ». quae ad paronomasias spectant, quam planus sit semper Iacobi sermo, quam obviae et lucidae imagines : et facile intelligemus, eum h. 1. non introducturum fuisse miram illam et nulla ope explanandam imaginem de montibus benedictionem impertientibus. *y etiam Masor. a praecedentibus separant. — Sed quid est TYwn "Y pow ny23? "Azet Aevóuevov ost YIN et incertae praeterea derivationis. npn spes legebat Syr., P et N inter se perquam simillimis. Idem crediderim legisse LXX et Targ: Hier., liberius vertentes benedictiones. — Durum cst illud Doy nya2a. Chald. intellexit principes saeculi,i.e. sane patriarchas Abrahamo antiquiores; Ps. lon. eosdem, quos tamen ipse interpretatur Ismael, Esau filiosque Ceturae; Targ. Hier. personas, quas supra recensuimus. Personas, non colles contextus omnino exigit. Expressio aut est imago aliqua ad tales personas exprimendas : Benedictiones patris tui maiores sunt benedictionibus patrum meorum Abraham et Isaac, usque ad spem (seu Aut correctione opus est, v. g. 123 pro Ty23 : usque ad spem heroum antiquorum. Maiores sunt, quia antiquas illas benedictiones Iacob transmittit, suis additis; maiores sunt, quatenus ipse utique abundantissimas in filium prae ceteris dilectum conferre nititur benedictiones : attamen non promittuntur Iosephi florentes permansurae res usque ad messiae adventum.
49:27
v. 275 « Beniamin lupus rapax », « tribus fortis » (Ps. Ion.). « Praedicit tribum Beniamin instar lupi fortem et bellicosam futuram » (Menoch.) , imo violentam, hoc enim habet lupi natura, et abunde confirmatur Beniaminitarum gestis tempore Iudicum, Saulis et aliorum. « Mane comedet praedam et vespere dividet spolia ». « Idem est comedere praedam et dividere spolia, nimirum praedari » (Menoch.). Mane et vespere idem sonat atque « saepe » (Sa; cf. Soph. 3,3). Beniamin semper erit audax, turbulentus, saepe praeda pascetur, quandoque ut lupus utique retundetur. Hebr. : Beniamin, lupus, discerpet. 1*9 praedam significare (cf. Soph. 3, 8; Is. 33, 23) docet parallelismus cum 59w; non &x (LXX). Iam Tert. (c. Marc. V. 1; M. 11. 469) textum applicat ad S. Paulum primum persecutorem , inde apostolum : gratuito inter mane et vespere oppositio adstruitur et, si admittenda esset, gratuito supponeretur Iacob de S. Paulo explicite cogitasse. Ceterum tacito S. Pauli nomine eandem explanationem habet Testamentum XII Patr. (M. 2. 1149). v. 98 « Omnes hi Zn tribubus Israel duodecim ». n*xN vertendum est bus Israel duodecim. Numerale non refertur ad tribus, quae reapse fuere tredecim numero, sed ad viros. « Haec locutus est eis pater suus, benedixitque singulis benedictionibus propriis ». an» commode ad tribus trahitur : promissiones Iacob non individuis factae sunt, sed tribubus. Dubitabat 7ost., an benedictiones eaedem sint atque modo recensita vaticinia, cum nihil benedictionis tributum sit Ruben, Simeon etLevi. Respondet Es/., hos quoque aliquid benedictionis nactos esse : reapse, quod perseveraturi essent usque ad « dies novissimos » benedictionis erat, licet Rubeno negaretur incrementum, Simeoni et Levi continuae sedes. ^v'N post v'x ignorat Sam. et, uti videtur, etiam Vw/g. LXX Syr. : x»N in ?vx defiguratum etiam indicat keri ad 2 Reg. 23, 21; cf. Num. 21,30 ( Del.). v. 29« Et praecepit eis dicens : Ego congregor ad populum meum » (cf. 295,8.1'7) : « sepelite me cum patribus meis in spelunca duplici » , seu potius Macphela (cf. 23,9), « quae est in agro Ephron Hethaei »,
49:30
v. 30 « contra Mambre, zn terra Chanaan, quam | emit Abraham cum agro 'ab Ephron Hethaeo in possessionem sepulcri ».
49:31
v. 94 « Ibi sepelierunt eum et Saram uxorem etus; ibi sepultus est Isaac cum Rebecca coniuge sua; ibi et Lia condita iacet ». Hic reliqui textusinserunt sententiam , quam tamen merito ut glossam expungas (Del.) : Possessio agri et speluncae, quae in eo est, a filiis Heth.
49:32
v. 39 « Fini- (isque mandatis, quibus filios instruebat, collegit pedes suos super lectulum et obiit ; appositusque est ad populum suum ». « Prius in sponda lectuli sedebat, cruribus pendentibus (cf. 48,2) : colligit ergo pedes in lectulum. » (Menoch.). Auctor « exprimit placidam saneti viri quietem : acsi diceret, sanctum senem tranquillo animi statu membra direxisse, quo voluit, qualiter sani et vegeti se ad somnum componere solent » (Vat.). Cap. L
49:1
… The expression bē-'aḥārith haj-jāmīm, in a prophetic context, simply expresses the future, "in the times to come" (Gen. 49:1; Num. 24:14 etc.). …
49:2
… There are few cases in which St. Jerome misunderstood the text (cf. Gen. 49, 2; Jer. 31, 15, etc.); more often he supposes (cf. Is. 16, 1) or accentuates (cf. Is. 11, 10; 12, 3; 51, 5) the messianic sense.
49:3
… In polygamy there could be several firstborn; the firstborn, in relation to the father, "firstfruits of his strength" (Gen. 49:3; Deut. 21:17), in ancient families held a place of privilege over his brothers; he inherited a double portion and the father's place as head of the lineage; a privilege that could …
… Significant in this regard are the words of the dying Jacob: "R., you are my firstborn, my strength and the firstfruits of my vigor (not sorrow, as the Vulgate reads), eminent in rank and eminent in passion: boiling like water, you shall not enjoy preeminence..." (ibid. 49:3-4).
49:4
The law against consanguineous marriages explains the horror of incestuous relations (cf. Gen. 19:30-37; 35:22; 49:4; Lev. 20:11 ff.; Deut. 27:20, 22 f.; Ex. 22:11). The holiness of marriage, with evident allusion to the primitive monogamous form, stands out from the constant use in the prophets …
49:5
… Two of these, however (Simeon and Levi), carried out in the cruelest and most treacherous manner a merciless vengeance against Shechem and against all the men of the city (Gen. 34). This aroused the indignation of Jacob, who even before his death recalls the grim episode (Gen. 49:5-6). A rabbinic legend identifies her with the wife of Job. Angelo Penna
Levites (Heb. Lēwī, pl. Lēwījīm; Gr. Lēwījī, pl. -ai)
The "curse" of the tribal chief (Gen. 49:5-7) was atoned for by religious zeal and replaced (so also R. Kittel, Die Religion des Volkes Isr., Leipzig 1921, pp. 39, 44) by the Mosaic rehabilitation (Deut. 33:8-11). Jacob's …
Simeon (Heb. Šim'ôn; Gr. Symzōn)
… "because I have heard (šāma') that I am unloved, and he gave me this one also." He took part with Levi in the fierce and treacherous repression of the Shechemites, who had dishonored their sister Dinah (ibid. 34:1-31): the deed incurred Jacob's reproach (ibid. 49:5 ff.), but for a certain aspect of heroism and religious-patriotic zeal it was also celebrated (Judg. 9:2). On the first journey he made to Egypt during the famine, S. was kept by Joseph …
49:7
The name J. (in the manuscripts of 'Ajn Feshah discovered in 1947, in which the "plena" spelling Ja'āqābh is constant) indicates, especially in the prophetic and poetic literature, the entire people (Gen. 49, 7), in parallelism with "Israel" (cf. Num. 23, 10, 21; 24, 5; Is. 2, 5; 40, 27; Jer. 2, 4, etc.). …
Simeon (Heb. Šim'ôn; Gr. Symzōn)
… which the tribe appears to be joined (ibid. 19:1) and by which it was in fact absorbed: it is the Negeb, a vast desert zone, in which the tribe appeared scattered rather than settled (1 Chron. 4:39-43), an idea reflected in Jacob's menacing prophecy (Gen. 49:7) and in the fact that in the blessing of Moses (Deut. 33) the tribe is omitted.
49:8
… A strong and faithful character; by his eloquence, by the nobility of his sentiments, he holds a pre-eminent place in the family of Jacob (Gen. 43:3-10; 44:14-34; 46:28), which passes also to the tribe that took its origin from him (Gen. 49:8-12).
… To the descendants of L. were reserved the most honorable prerogatives among the people of Israel: to the tribe of Judah the royal dignity and the messianic scepter (cf. Gen. 49:8-12), and to the tribe of Levi the honor of the priestly line. …
… He confirms the universality of salvation and the intermediary mission of the people descended from Abraham, through the line of Isaac and Jacob (ibid. 26:3 ff.; 27:28 ff.; cf. A. Bea [v. bibl.], pp. 203-206). In the blessing of Jacob (Gen. 49:8-12), everything is restricted to the tribe of Judah. …
… For centuries Israel had kept its eye fixed on the future Messiah; he was awaited clothed in royal power (Gen. 49:8 ff.; Num. 24:17 ff.). …
49:9
the lion over the beasts of the forest (ibid. 5:7 ff.; cf. Gen. 49:9). Messianic characteristics: sovereign peace and an immaculate worship (Mic. 5:10-14).
49:10
… Jacobi Gen. 49, 10, libri V; a complete commentary on Romans and on Jeremiah.
… But B. renews his gesture a fourth time, proclaiming among other things: "A star shall rise out of Jacob, a scepter shall arise from Israel" (24:17); an oracle announcing the appearance among the chosen people of a personage distinguished for his splendor (symbolized by the star: cf. Gen. 49:10; Is. 14:2; Apoc. 22:16), a powerful king ("scepter").
… has as its subject the passage: Minit Herodes rex annus, ut affligeret quandam de Ecclesia (Act. 12, 1) and the second with the title Tractatus contra Iudaeos, in which he demonstrates that the prophecy of Jacob Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda (Gen. 49, 10) was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. …
… The words of Jacob (Gen. 49:10) receive light in fact from prophetic teaching (Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), from the work of the Chronicler (Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah), and from the later prophets (Haggai, …
M. was the first to discover and to evaluate the law of Hebrew parallelism, which he called "epesegesi" (I, pp. 44 f., 67, 168, 224 ff.; notes to Gen. 4, 23 f.; 11, 4; 49, 10 f.; II, pp. 102 f., 268; notes to Num. 23, 7; Is. 63, 1) already in the unpublished opuscule De poesi Hebraeorum of 1740; whereas the book of R. Lowth, to whom this discovery was attributed, …
49:11
… The neghebh was ceded to Simeon (Josh. 19:2-7). A fertile territory, famous for its vineyards (Num. 13:13, 25; Song 1:13; II Chron. 26:10; cf. Gen. 49:11 ff.), for its extensive pastures and numerous flocks (I Sam. 25:2; Am. 1:1 ff.). …
R.'s original output is far more limited; besides the aforementioned De adulteratione and the two books of the History, it comprises the two books De benedictionibus Patriarcharum, a commentary on Jacob's blessings to his sons (Gen. 49, 11 ff.), written at the request of bishop Pao-
49:13
… remained synonymous with Phoenicians (1 Kings 16:31). In the Bible S. is remembered both as a city (Judg. 1:31; 18:28; Isa. 23:2; Ezek. 27:8) and as a territory that marked the northern frontier of Canaan (Gen. 10:19) and bordered on the tribes of Zebulun (ibid. 49:13) and of Asher (Josh. 19:28). It is called "great S." (ibid. 11:8; 19:28) with its suburbs and surroundings, as opposed to the original "small city," distinguished in the list of the …
… In the blessing of Jacob (Gen. 49:13) only the territory of the tribe in the north of Palestine along the coast as far as Sidon is mentioned. …
49:14
… As Jacob (Gen. 49:14-15) and Moses (Deut. 33:18) had foretold, the tribe, settled in the valleys adjacent to Thabor and to Nebī Dāhī, did not profit from the richness of the soil except at the expense of …
49:16
… In Rev. 7:5-18 D. is missing from the count of the "sealed." The Danites were distinguished for their boldness (Gen. 49:16-18) and their military power (Deut. 33:22), which were expressed in the deeds of Samson (v.).
49:17
… The sad privilege of Dan is deduced from Gen. 49, 17, and from the omission of his name in Apoc. 7, 5-8. Sometimes Nero redivivus is considered as the A. (Cyril of Jerusalem), with the title of "king of the Jews" (Victorinus of Pettau) …
49:19
… Of this personage only his offspring are recorded (ibid. 46:16). In the blessing pronounced upon him (ibid. 49:19; cf. Deut. 33:20, 21) there is an allusion to the warlike skill of the tribe rather than to the qualities of the ancestor.
49:20
Gen. 30:13 explains his name with Leah's words: "In my happiness, yes, the women call me happy!" He had four sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah, besides his daughter Serah (Gen. 46:17; 1 Chron. 7:30). The narrative of the fortunes of Jacob's family never mentions A.; Jacob's blessing (Gen. 49:20) assigns to his descendants agricultural prosperity ("rich bread and oil in abundance").
49:21
… He is mentioned only with his four sons in the list of the sons of Jacob who moved to Egypt (Gen. 46:24) and in the prophetic farewell of his father, in tenth place (Gen. 49:21).
49:22
… The beauty of this country was sung by Jacob (Gen. 49:22) and by Moses (Deut. 33:12-16). To the fertility of the place is added security from enemy incursions.
49:26
… Others, insisting, believe that St. Matthew alludes to the prophecies that present the Messiah as a nāsir (Nazirite [v. NAZIRITE], consecrated, sanctified, prince: cf. Judg. 13:5-7; 16:17; Am. 2:11-12; Gen. 49:26, etc.). …
Nazaraeus in the Vulgate (Heb. názir) is also found in Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16 (of Joseph), where it means "prince," or "chosen one," and in Mt. 8:23 (Greek Ναζωραῖος), said of Jesus, in this last case explained variously (Zolli: "the preacher"), …
49:27
… Its principal cities were: Bethel, Gibeon, Jericho and above all Jerusalem (Josh. 18:11-28). It was warlike, daring and obstinate (Gen. 49:27). Ehud (v.) is a Benjaminite (Judg. 3:15-30). The warriors of B. took part in the decisive battle against the Canaanites of the north, with Barak and Deborah (Judg. 5:14).
49:29
… the body: the body returns to the earth, whence it had come (Gen. 3:19; Ps. 145:4; Eccles. 12:7); the soul, before the Redemption, was gathered to those who had previously departed this life in Sheol, as is said in the Old Testament (Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 49:29; v. LIMBO. …
… At their death all men descend to the f. (Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31; Num. 16:30, 33; etc.) where they "are gathered to their fathers" (Gen. 25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:29, 33). All the dead are under the dominion of the f. (Os. 13:14; Ps. 15:10; 48:16; 88:49; Prov. 5:5; 23:14), which lies beneath the ocean (Job 26:5) and swallows all without distinction …
… often family ones, and this desire for cohabitation after death finds its realization in the successive Jewish cemeteries, cut into rocky walls, but also artificial ones (cf. for Abraham and Sarah: Gen. 23, 4-20; for Deborah: ibid. 35, 8; for Jacob, ibid. 49, 29-30; for Moses: Deut. 34, 6; for Joshua: Ios. 24, 30-33; for David: I Reg. 2, 10; for Solomon: ibid. 11, 43; etc.). …
49:30
… The phrase that M. is "opposite" Hebron (ibid. 25:9; 49:30) and the designation "M. civitatem Arbe" (ibid. 35:27) led some to believe that M. was located at Hebron; however, tradition has always placed it further north.
49:31
I. died in Hebron at the age of 180 years, and was buried by his two sons Esau and Jacob in his father's tomb, in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre (Gen. 35, 27 ff.; cf. 49, 31). The most important event in the life of I. is the sacrifice
… She was buried by Jacob in the tomb of the patriarchs in Hebron (Gen. 49:31).
… beloved Jacob to obtain his father's blessing by stealth, and then, removing him from Esau's anger, sent him to Haran to Laban his brother (ibid. 27). She probably did not see Jacob's return (cf. ibid. 35:27); she was buried at Hebron in the family tomb (ibid. 49:31).
49:50
… It belonged to Ephron the Hittite, and Abraham (v.) bought it as a family burial place (Gen. 23:9-19). There were buried Sarah (ibid. 23:19), Abraham (ibid. 25:9), Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah (ibid. 49:50; 50:13).
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.