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About the blessing of the twelve patriarchs The purpose of my present conversation is to set forth in particular what the forefather Jacob said about what happened in time to the sons born of him. But it seems clear in advance that the meaning of what he said is very incomprehensible, inaccessible to most, mysterious and unclear in meaning. Mixed in with the words of blessing is something that is not that and is even more difficult to understand. For the divine Jacob promises to foretell to his children what will happen in the last times; and meanwhile he makes a reminder of the past and measures the sins, first of Reuben, then - close to him and immediately following him - Simeon and Levi. But who would dare to say that this is how a blessing is expressed, in which the remembrance of past sins is made? Will he not be called a liar and lacking the ability to reason correctly? Thus, the speech about this is truly profound and incomprehensible for those who want to understand. So what do we say, applying the previous measure of testing and research to what we have proposed? The fact that the very explanation of the prophecy will in any case show us the image of the Jewish synagogue, or in general of the entire family, or those who belong to a certain tribe, what this image will be like in time, to whom the accusation or, on the contrary, praise will extend, on whom and how what relates to it will be fulfilled. Notice how for some, from the past, it already depicts what is going to happen in the future, while for others, from an explanation or interpretation of names, it makes, as it were, some kind of indication and a clear foreshadowing of the future. It is written as follows: “And Jacob called his sons and said: Gather yourselves together, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come; Come together and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father” (Gen. 49: 1–2). 1. “Reuben, my firstborn! You are my strength and the beginning of my strength, the height of dignity and the height of power; but you raged like water - you will not prevail, for you ascended to your father’s bed, you desecrated my bed... ascended” (Gen. 49: 3-4). Reuben secretly desecrated his father's marriage bed and was very clearly exposed as having done something that should not have been done. Therefore, Jacob’s very decision condemned his case as evil. For “evil,” it is said, “appeared before” Jacob (Gen. 35:22). But I don’t think that anyone would imagine what had already happened in the past as having to happen in the future. It would be completely unreasonable to even think about it. But transferring, as it were, the image of a sin to something similar, we will see in it the sin of the people—the “firstborn,” that is, Israel (Ex. 4:22); because God brought a synagogue from Egypt, like a certain wife, who through mental communication according to the law became such for Him. He brought her closer to Himself, honored her with kinship with Himself, made her fruitful and the mother of children, and almost the manager of the marriage was the wise Moses, and the genus of mediators of the marriage union was represented by the Angels. But the synagogue, brought to this by God, offended the law of kinship, in some way entering into a marriage union with the sons of its spouse, committing fornication with them and no longer bearing fruit from its lawful partner, but rather feeding its mind with other seeds, that is, mental ones and arising from teaching. For despising devotion to God as something empty, she turned to the commandments and teachings of men, and not paying attention to the teachings from above, generally did only what she wanted. Therefore, the prophet Isaiah says: “How the faithful capital, full of justice, became a harlot! The truth lived in her, and now - the murderers. Your silver has become dross, your wine has been spoiled by water” (Isa. 1:21-22). Truth, that is, God, rested and had shelter in it. But she received murderers, adulterers and molesters, who gave her untested silver and mixed wine with water. For truly the word of those who persuade her to prefer the teachings and commandments of men is not tested. They also, as it were, spoil their teaching and confuse it with the worst. This, I think, means what was said that they mix wine with water. And that this offended the God of all, and that He justly accused Jerusalem as a fornicating city, listen to His words spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah about this: “Lift up your eyes to the heights and see where they have not committed fornication with you? You sat by the roadside for them, like an Arabian in the desert, and you desecrated the land with your fornication and your wickedness. Therefore the rains were withheld, and there was no latter rain; but you had the forehead of a harlot, you threw away shame. Will you not cry to Me from now on: “My Father! You were the guide of my youth! (Jer. 3:2-4.) And then again: “If a husband lets his wife go, and she leaves him and becomes the wife of another husband, can she return to him? Wouldn't that country be defiled by this? But you have committed fornication with many lovers, and yet return to Me, says the Lord” (Jer. 3:1). The Savior himself clearly showed us this same type of wandering. The Pharisees, who always loved to accuse and were foolish, approached Him, saying: “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” Christ answered them: “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded: honor your father and mother; and: He who curses his father or mother shall die by death. And you say: if someone says to his father or mother: “Whatever you would use from me is a gift to God,” he may not honor his father or his mother; Thus you have made void the commandment of God by your tradition” (Matthew 15:2–6; sn.: Mark 7:11; Exodus 20:12). Do you hear how, being under the leadership of other leaders, they could be convicted, and very easily, of having decided to think and do something different from what the legislator wanted? So the synagogue of the Jews has gone astray. But a pure and immaculate virgin, free from any “filth or vice” (Eph. 5:27), that is, the Church, promises Christ to maintain an honest and undamaged image of marriage, saying: “My brothers are mine and I am His” (Song. 2:16). So, in the image of the Jewish synagogue we will imagine Jacob’s concubine, I mean Bilhah, with whom Reuben had communication, that is, the people’s firstborn, especially because Bilhah means “decrepit”, and Reuben means “son of defilement.” For the Jewish synagogue fell into disrepair and became defamed, and in its place a new and believing people arose. And rejoicing over it, David sings: “the generation to come will praise the Lord” (Ps. 101:19); because “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” according to the Scriptures (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Israel can be seen as vile and unclean, as having not accepted cleansing through Christ. But what am I saying? He even laid hands on those who called for cleansing. Therefore, through the mouths of the holy prophets themselves it is said, in one case: “Can an Ethiopian change his skin and a leopard his spots? So can you do good when you are accustomed to doing evil?” (Jer. 13, 23), in another case, to Jerusalem, as it were, to the wife: “Even if you washed your face with soap and used a lot of lye on yourself, your wickedness is marked before Me, says the Lord God” (Jer. 2, 22). So, “Reuben,” says Jacob, “is my firstborn! You are my strength and the firstfruits of my strength” (Gen. 49:3). For on the firstborn and on the people brought out of Egypt, much strength from God was revealed. Thus, the country of Egypt was punished in many different ways and in an amazing way: first the waters were turned into blood, then scnips (midges) were sent, then toads were brought in, then hail was sent down, then the firstborn were destroyed, and what’s more, those who were still delivered from slavery walked through the middle of the sea, as if on dry land. That is why Reuben is called “the fortress of God.” But he was “the height of dignity and the height of power” (Gen. 49:3), that is, inapplicable and unyielding, wild and prone to attacks. The Jews are truly prone to attack and are very unbridled. Therefore, they rightly hear the following words about themselves: “Stiff-necked! people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! you always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). And even Christ Himself: “Who,” he says, “of the prophets did not your fathers persecute?... as your fathers did, so did you” (Acts 7:52; Matt. 23:32). So, Israel is reckless and quick to anger, and makes an attack unbearable, and annoys “like water,” that is, it rushes with madness when attacking the one it wants to attack. For this is in some way the attacks of the waters. But yes, “do not boil,” it is said (Gen. 49:4). What does it mean? Boiling water rushes upward, overflowing over the edges of the cauldrons, and it seems that there is a lot of it. Thus, when he attributes the pressure of water to him, he uses this expression in a figurative sense and says: “let it not boil,” that is, do not rise to the level of multitude, do not be great. For the Israelites, saved through faith in Christ, can easily be numbered in comparison with the multitude of Greeks. Then he gives the reason for what was to come true and says: “for you ascended to your father’s bed, you desecrated my bed... you ascended” (Gen. 49:4). As I said before, this is because they were no longer concerned with testing the things contained in the law and in the sayings from above and in the commandments of men, and therefore they fell into error regarding the knowledge of Christ. Therefore, He Himself says: “Search the Scriptures, for through them you think you have eternal life; and they testify of Me. But you do not want to come to Me in order to have life” (John 5:39–40). And again: “For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed Me, because he wrote about Me” (John 5:46). He greatly accused the leaders of the Jews, saying: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you close the Kingdom of Heaven to men, for you yourself do not enter and you do not allow those who want to enter” (Matthew 23:13). And again: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who go around sea and land to convert even one; and when this happens, you make him a son of Gehenna, twice as bad as you” (Matthew 23:15). But he would not have been a son of Gehenna if he had not been imbued with the opinions of adulterers. So, the Israelites ascended to their father’s bed, rejecting what was pleasing to the legislator as vain, and imparting their words and thoughts to those raised by them and casting into them the seeds of wickedness. 1. “Simeon and Levi are brothers, their swords are instruments of cruelty; Let not my soul enter into their council, and let not my glory join their assembly, for in their anger they killed the husband and, at their whim, cut the veins of the calf; cursed is their anger, for it is cruel, and their wrath, for it is fierce; I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49:5-7). When Jerusalem fell into fornication and subjected its mind to the wicked seductions of those who were accustomed to teach something other than what the law taught, the God of all was indignant and spoke very clearly through the mouth of Isaiah: “For this people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their tongue, but their heart is far from Me, and their reverence for Me is the study of the commandments of men” (Is. 29:13). Since God and the Father, having fallen into such great madness and frivolity, intended to return the desecrated Jerusalem to a better state, he sent from heaven his Son, who became like us, that is, man, so that, since the series of holy prophets who had not completed their work ceased (because they said: Lord, “Who believed what was heard from us” (Is. 53, 1), the Jews finally accepted the one who came Son. And they even reached such a degree of recklessness that they thought that they could take the master’s inheritance if only they killed the saints; and then they reached the highest degree of wickedness: they attacked the Son himself with fury. They added others to the prophets, I mean the holy Apostles; they did not spare the blood of these latter. This is the meaning of the prophecy we are considering. For, it seems, the divine Jacob again recalled what was done in Sikim. This is truly the meaning of the speech of the righteous; because how could anyone accept what has already happened as if it were going to happen in time? So, from what happened in Sikim, he elevates to the same degree of sin what was committed in relation to Christ, as undoubtedly in relation to the firstborn Reuben. But what did Simeon and Levi do in Sikim? Dinah, the sister of Simeon and Levi, left her father's tent to see the daughters of the surrounding places. Shechem, the son of Hamor, committed violence against her and deprived her of her virginity. Then they, indignant at this and plotting murder against them through deception, persuaded the Sicilians to accept the circumcision they themselves had inherited from their fathers, adding that they would immediately enter into kinship with them as soon as they wanted to do this. And when they did this, Simeon and Levin unexpectedly beat them, thinking that in their defense they had sufficient justification for saying: “Is it really possible to treat our sister like a harlot!” (Gen. 34, 31.) 2. Now we must proceed to what is appropriate and to process our speculation as best as possible, collecting from everywhere that serves to clarify the matter. In spreading the word about Jacob, we reported how and in what manner he spent his life, what kind of wives he had and how many children he was the father of. We said that his first wife was Leah, the oldest of Laban’s daughters, and his second wife was Rachel, not much younger. We also argued that Leah could be for us an image of the Jewish synagogue, and Rachel - the Church of the Gentiles. For Leah means “worker,” and had weak eyesight and ugly eyes. The Jewish synagogue also worked very hard, burdened with the Law of Moses and seeing the mystery of the Savior with weak eyesight. Rachel was beautiful to look at and very beautiful. So the Church of the pagans is also very beautiful. Leah had Dean's last daughter. And this last could be an image of the society of the circumcision, which existed in the last times, when the Only Begotten became man. So, when the last society of the circumcised, having only slightly stepped beyond the boundaries of the paternal tent, that is, legal customs, adhered or mixed according to teaching with the local inhabitants, I mean the holy Apostles, who no longer lived like Jews, but were considered as if they were foreigners: then and only then did they mentally lose their virginity, having received from them the seeds of life in Christ and the Gospel. But some of the sons of Jacob were indignant at this, namely Simeon and Levi, that is, those who were among those obedient to the law, and with them the sacred and chosen race. For Simeon means “obedience,” and Levi means “accepted” or “chosen.” And that the holy Apostles were strongly attacked by those who received the glory of the priesthood according to the law, and the people agreed with them, how can one doubt this? They gnashed their teeth, calling the treatment they were committing corruption and bringing the most inappropriate accusations against them. For behold, they said, “you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching” (Acts 5:28). When they reproached them as no longer living like Jews, they learned that circumcision was honored by them; at the same time, they would have learned that they are no different from them at all, if only they wanted to properly understand the teaching of Moses. “For he is not a Jew,” it is said, “who is one outwardly, and not that circumcision that is outwardly in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and that circumcision that is in the heart is in the Spirit, and not in the letter” (Rom. 2:28-29). You see how those who were thought to be foreigners were conformed to the Jews, carrying in themselves circumcision in the spirit and the Jew "which is in the heart." But even before that, they took the prophets and killed them and even Emmanuel himself. Thus, “Simeon and Levi are brothers, their swords are instruments of cruelty” (Gen. 49:5); from his will it was put instead of words: by reasoning and will. For these disasters did not happen simply and by chance, and it was not without prior consultation that the brothers began such daring actions and displayed such inappropriate courage; but, as a result of mutual agreement, they began to commit an atrocity that exceeds any atrocity. Therefore, the divine Jacob refuses to consent to their conspiracy, rejects the correctness of their deliberation and assumptions. “Let not my soul enter into their counsel,” he says, “and let not my glory join their assembly” (Gen. 49:6). This is as if he had said: “Neither with the eyes of my mind would I ever listen to such advice, nor in my heart would I ever accept such evil plans of the wicked.” So the prophet Isaiah mourned the people of Judah, saying: “Woe to their soul! for they bring evil upon themselves. Tell the righteous that it is good for him" (Isa. 3:9-10). David also sings: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, who does not stand in the way of sinners, and who does not sit in the seat of the wicked” (Ps. 1:1). And again: “I have hated the gathering of evil-minded people, and I will not sit with the wicked” (Ps. 25:5). Therefore, the divine Jacob withdraws from the Jewish councils; He also adds the reasons for this and says: “For in their anger they killed the man and, at their whim, cut the veins of the calf” (Gen. 49:6). For the Jews killed the saints, as I said, guided by ungodly rage towards cruelty and inhumanity, and having completely accepted vain and reckless lust into their souls, they, the unfortunate ones, “cut the veins of the calf,” that is, Christ. What kind of lust this is, we have already said in advance; namely, having learned that He was the heir, they were inflamed with the lust of possessing His inheritance. 3. And pay attention to the accuracy of speech. They beat the people and cut the veins of the young man. For they gave the saints over to death and remained dead, waiting for the time of resurrection. But like a calf whose veins are torn by an eagle, Christ fell, so to speak, to the ground, voluntarily suffering the death of the flesh, although he was not held down by death; but even if he was dead as a man, he remained alive by the nature of the Divinity. Christ is represented as a youth (ox); because this animal is very strong, pure and sacred. The Son is the Lord of hosts, “He committed no sin” (1 Pet. 2:22); on the contrary, “he gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” and to the Father (Eph. 5:2). So, let those who cut the sinews of such a sacred youth hear: “Cursed be their anger, for it is cruel, and their wrath, for it is fierce” (Gen. 49:7). What did they suffer? They were expelled from their land, left their native land, were scattered and appeared everywhere as strangers, strangers and those in need. It is true that as a bird is when it flies from its nest, so is a man when he is expelled from his places. But I think it is appropriate to add that while for those who cut the veins of the youth this deed will serve as a curse, for those who grieve and remove such a terrible crime from themselves, it will be redemption, cleansing and remission of sins. We will find this depicted as legal. For in Deuteronomy it reads like this: “If in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess, a murdered man is found lying in the field, and it is not known who killed him, then let your elders and your judges go out and measure the distance to the cities that are around the murdered man; and the elders of the city that is nearest to the one killed, let them take a heifer that was not worked on, [and] which did not bear a yoke, and let the elders of that city take that heifer into a wild valley, which is not developed or sown, and kill the heifer there in the valley; and the priests, the sons of Levi, will come...; and all the elders of that city who are closest to the slain man shall wash their hands over [the head of] the heifer that was slain in the valley, and shall declare and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen; cleanse Your people Israel, whom You, O Lord, have liberated... and do not impute innocent blood to Your people Israel. And they will be cleansed of blood. So you must wash away the blood of the innocent” (Deut. 21:1-9). But although this will be said in detail in due time, we will now say the following: you understand how some free themselves from accusations of shedding blood, and the young woman represents Emmanuel for us. I think those who are freeing themselves from this should say the following words: “our hands did not shed this blood.” But the Jewish people will not be found ever shouting this. On the contrary, cutting the veins of the youth, the Jews dared to say: “Our hands shed this blood.” For, I think, nothing else but what they foolishly said regarding Christ: “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). 1. “Judas! Your brothers will praise you. Your hand is on the back of your enemies; the sons of your father will worship you. The young lion Judah, my son, rises from his prey. He bowed down, lay down like a lion and like a lioness: who will raise him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until the Reconciler comes, and to Him is the submission of the nations. He binds his donkey's colt to the vine, and the son of his donkey to the best vine; he washes his clothes in wine and his garments in the blood of grapes; [his] eyes were shining from wine, and his teeth were white... from milk” (Gen. 49:8-12). The method of blessing seems very clear to us, introducing into the ears of the listeners a prediction about the economy of our Savior. But at the very beginning of the blessing, it seems to preface the latter with a sign of the name and the advantage of the tribe of Judah in glory over other tribes. For if anyone wanted to explain the word or name: “Judas,” he would receive the meaning of “praise”, or “glorification,” or “glorified.” But this speech also relates to Christ, who came from the tribe of Judah according to the flesh. From Judas, Jesse and David came the Virgin who gave birth to Him according to the flesh. So the prophet (Patriarch Jacob), foreseeing His origin from the tribe of Judah, seems to say: true is Your name, as the very power of things can show; for you will be glorified and receive the glory due to God. For it is fitting for no one else to be glorified but the one, truly existing and known God; because even though You appeared as a man and emptied Yourself, yet You will be known as holy and glorious. The brethren of humanity will be devoted to You not as a person, but as among the brethren of the appointed Master, they will glorify You, they will sing as the Creator, although one who is with them among the creatures, they will recognize the King and Lord of all, although overshadowed by the image of a slave. And that Emmanuel would easily overcome all those who opposed and defeat his enemies, he proclaimed this, saying: “Your hand is on the back of your enemies” (Gen. 49:8). Christ Himself proclaimed this through the mouth of David. He said: “I pursue my enemies and overtake them, and I do not return until I have destroyed them; I strike them, and they cannot get up, they fall under my feet” (Ps. 17:38-39). So, “on the back of the enemy” there will be a “hand”, it is said in the sense that He pursues rather than runs, rather does not suffer blows, but strikes himself. For what is truly sung in the book of Psalms: “The enemy will not prevail against him, and the son of iniquity will not oppress him” (Ps. 88:23). If He Himself gives us “Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19), then is it not necessary to admit that He himself will have those lying under His hands before us who want to speak out against Him and wickedly rebel against Him? So, that He does not know flight, but on the contrary pursues and takes possession of whomever He wants, moreover, without difficulty, since He conquered “the world” (John 16:33), this was foretold by the divine Jacob, saying: “Your hand is on the back of your enemies; the sons of your father will worship you” (Gen. 49:8). What difference can be conceivable between the brethren who praise, and the sons of the father, who are numbered among the worshipers? Isn't it necessary to say this? Blessed Joseph (betrothed to Mary the Ever-Virgin) was placed in the position of father to Christ, although in truth he was not His father. But he had sons and daughters from his first marriage. since they were also table diners with Christ, seeing Him doing signs, but not very diligently following the dictates of the law due to indifference in food and little respect for the rest of the Sabbath day, since He says: “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11) and: “The Son of Man is the lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8): then They were divided in opinion and did not want to fully honor Him, since it seemed to them that He was sinning against the law, and they did not consider it possible to allow a man so glorious not to seek glory. Therefore, at one time they approached Him clearly saying: “If You do such things, then reveal Yourself to the world, for no one does anything in secret, but seeks to be known” (John 7:4). And to this the Evangelist added: “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5). But those who said this at the beginning, after time passed, believed, because they were convinced that although He was in the flesh and appeared as a man, He was also God by nature. This is the blessed prophet Jeremiah, who knew this in advance in the spirit, and says to Emmanuel himself: “For both your brothers and your father’s house, they treat you treacherously, and they cry after you with a loud voice. Don’t believe them when they tell you good things” (Jer. 12:6). For those who had previously cried out against Him with others were now gathered together in faith and spoke good things about Him. So blessed James writes in his Epistle to the twelve tribes, saying: “James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes” (James 1:1). So, those who, through faith and the sanctification bestowed through faith, are called to brotherhood will praise Him as God; no less will the sons of the father bow down. But it is obvious that those who worship will praise, and those who give praise will no less be admirers. And the “skimen of the lions” is also Christ, who descended from Judas, the Son of Almighty God, who tends to win without a fight and is able to defeat opponents with one word, as the prophet says: “A lion will roar, and who will not fear?” (Amos. 3, 8.) So, Christ is the “skymen of the lions,” as if from the “summer growth” and from a noble root, from the Holy Virgin. He is also “the rod of strength that God sent us ... from Zion” (Ps. 109:2), the comforting and supporting “club” (Ps. 22:4), the rod of “righteousness and kingdom” (Ps. 44:7), rightly and meekly shepherding the flocks of the saints, but crushing “like the vessels of the poor” (Ps. 2:9), those who do not tolerate being shepherded by Him. He himself is also the rod of Aaron, which had its place in the Divine Tabernacle and was brought into the Holy of Holies, sprouting nuts (Num. 17:8), which serves as a sign of the resurrection. For the walnut tree drives away sleep. And the mystery of the resurrection is revered in the churches of God. Therefore, blessed Jacob, having called “summerbloom,” immediately mentions what is to take place at the end of the economy, and says: “You lay down and fell asleep like a lion,” that is, you did not involuntarily undergo death, but, although like a lion you could seize and frighten, and get rid of the hands of those who caught you, you nevertheless lay down voluntarily and were not held by death, as those who decided to crucify Him thought, but His death was, as it were, sleep, and He only closed His eyes for a short time. So, “who will lift it?” said (Gen. 49:9). This is the same as if someone said: He lay down voluntarily, but he will not need the assistance of anyone else for the uprising. For He Himself is omnipotent, like the power of the Father; and has no shortage of opportunities to revive, and very easily, his church. This is what He speaks about when addressing the Jews: “Destroy this church, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19) Thus, no one was His accomplice for this, but Himself alone was enough, as the power of the Parent; the very word of Scripture can clearly indicate this. But he also makes clear what the time of His coming will be, saying: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until the Reconciler comes, and to Him the submission of the nations” (Gen. 49:10). The Jews ruled the country, and their leaders were from the tribe of Israel, until Herod, the son of Antipater, a Palestinian, was named tetrarch and received power into his own hands. It was under him that Christ Himself, the aspiration of the tongues, was born. That many pagans were saved when He was born does not require many words to prove this, when the fact itself cries out for it. However, the fact that first the newly born of the pagans and a new people will be admitted through faith, but that after him Israel will also be called, He taught, saying immediately: “he binds his colt to the vine” (Gen. 49:11). For the true vine, that is, Christ, bound to itself, as it were, through faith, a people of the pagans, which he likens to a colt. And what did He bind “to the vine, that is, to the love of his stallion and his donkey,” I mean the people who believed, descended from the most ancient mother of the Jews, or the synagogue, how could anyone doubt this, when everything, so to speak, inspired Scripture tells us about this sacrament? Then, that He had to stain the flesh with His own blood, nailed to the tree and pierced with a spear, this is clear from the words: “he washes his clothes in wine and his clothing in the blood of grapes” (Gen. 49:11). So the divine Isaiah, narrating the ascension of Christ into heaven, said that the holy angels or the highest powers said: “Who is this who comes from Edom, wearing scarlet robes from Bozrah”? (Isa. 63:1.) And again: “Why is Your robe red, and Your garments are like those of one who has trodden in a winepress?” (Is.63, 2). And that although He was among the dead, although He suffered insolence from the Jews, being strangled and reproached, He did not care much about this, enduring it for our sake and saving the heavenly places, that, on the contrary, all this was always very pleasant for Him and did not change His usual complacency, this can be indicated by the words: “His eyes were shining with wine” (Gen. 49:12). By this, as I think, can be understood, so to speak, the pleasantness, as it were, the everlasting complacency and cheerfulness of His Divinity. For those who have drunk wine seem to always have a cheerful soul and are most distant from everything that upsets them. When, as it were, a word passes through the teeth, then they themselves, it is said, appear white, as if emitting from the tongue a pure and whitened word. For Christ is by no means flawed in his word, on the contrary, he is true and frank. And everything that He says is holy, wondrous, and brings the greatest lightness into the soul and mind of the listeners. “Zebulun will dwell by the shore of the sea and by the pier of the ship, and his border will be as far as Sidon” (Gen. 49:13). We have already said before that by examining the word of the prophecy set before us and trying to consider what it is and how well it was fulfilled, we affirm that one thing happened in it in the likeness of what had already been done before, and the other, I believe, anyone with intelligence will consider almost clearly depicted in the very meaning of the names and revealing the image of the future. This again can best be seen in Zebulun and the others. The name Zebulun is interpreted by people who are very well accustomed to explaining such things as “success” and “blessing.” So we will already find some of the Israelites blessed and enriched with success in everything pleasing to God. But only those justified through faith in Christ and enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit are truly blessed and prosperous, so that without any lies they can exclaim: “Blessed are you by the Lord, who created heaven and earth” (Ps. 113:23). I think what the blessed prophet Isaiah said also applies to them: “The path of the righteous is straight; You make the path of the righteous smooth. And in the way of Your judgments” (Is.26:7-8). God of all kinds commanded to call these so bright and blessed ones into the sacred and Divine court, saying: “Open the gates; let a righteous people enter in, keeping the truth. You will keep him who is strong in spirit in perfect peace” (Is.26:2-3). But so that, stumbling over the temptations encountered along the way, they would not be delayed on the path to good, God seemed to have commanded that there be a good path and that the entrance be cleared, thus saying to the holy clergy: “Come in, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people!” (Isa. 62:10). So, those of the Israelites who honor faith in Christ can be blessed and prosperous. It is also clearly stated that they, or “Zebulun... will move in” in the coastal country. This seems to say that Israel will finally mix with the pagans, since the two peoples will be united into one flock and will be under the leadership of one, by nature a good archpastor, that is, Christ. And that this fortune-telling indication is true, the word of inspired Scripture will easily convince you of this, separating the coastal country from the pagans. For it is written thus: “The former times made the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali humble; but what follows will magnify the seaside path.... The people walking in darkness will see a great light” (Isa. 9:1–2; Matt. 4:15–16). Do you understand how the Scripture called the country of Zebulun the country of the pagans, who saw the “great light,” obviously through Christ. Thus, Israel, who lived with them, was enlightened along with those who inhabited the coastal country. But this success, I believe, can only come from God. For that illumination in any case and everywhere must be followed by prosperity, we can again know about this from the words of the Savior to the people of Judea: “For a little while yet, the light is with you; walk while there is light, so that darkness does not overtake you” (John 12:35). So, the ancient people, who lived separately from others and refused to apply to the pagans, will live with them, since nothing will separate them from each other: “in the middle of the barrier” was destroyed by Christ, “the law of the commandments by teaching” was abolished and the two peoples finally made up “one new man” in Christ through the Spirit (Eph. 2:14-15). It will be, it is said, “at the ship’s pier” (Gen. 49:13), that is, as if in a pier safe and free from excitement, and establishing the anchor of one’s hope in Christ. For, as if having escaped the great storm, he will finally rest in His grace, as undoubtedly the ships at anchor in the piers. And the saying: “and its border is as far as Sidon” (Gen. 49:13) seems to indicate that the desire of the two peoples for spiritual unity among themselves will be so great that those descended from the tribe of Israel will fill the very cities that were very guilty and rejected before God, as having once deceived and kidnapped His admirers in some way. For He said in one place through the mouth of the prophets: “And what are you to me, Tire and Sidon and all the districts of the Philistines? Do you want to give Me retribution? Do you want to reward Me? I will easily and quickly turn your retribution on your heads, because you took My silver and My gold, and brought My best jewels into your churches, and sold the sons of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, to remove them from their borders” (Joel 3:4-6). So look how the ancient strong and very warlike cities, which were the cause of destruction for the Israelites, will now receive those who believed from them, free from all fear, since our Savior Christ binds the two peoples in peace and unanimity, destroys enmity and settles Israel in the same place with the pagans through love. I think that in this way and not in another way it should be understood that Zebulun will settle in a coastal country. “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying between the channels of water; and he saw that the rest was good, and that the earth was pleasant: and he bowed his shoulders to bear the burden and began to work to pay the tribute” (Gen. 49: 14-15). Issachar means “reward” (cf. Gen. 30:16–17). Judging by this meaning, it may be some kind of pre-image and a clear image of those who are in a position as if separated by God and the Father to Christ for a reward. For “Ask me,” says David, “and I will give your tongues your inheritance, and your possession the ends of the earth” (Ps. 2:8). He also sings in another place, almost pointing, I think, to those given to Emmanuel: “This is the heritage of the Lord: children; the reward from Him is the fruit of the womb” (Ps. 126:3). Given, as it were, he says, to Emmanuel, in the form of a certain reward, those who believed from the tribe of Israel and from another multitude, I mean the pagans. Calling Jesus Lord, he said that this Jesus became the fruit of the womb because he was like us. For He was born of a woman and was the fruit of a virgin’s womb. So Christ gained believers. And it is about them that He speaks to Heavenly Father and God: “Which You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours, and You gave them to Me” (John 17:6) It was they who desired “good,” that is, everything that can be called and truly is chosen and most dear to God. They consider this important and try to do this so that from a pure heart, when they proclaim, they say: “The judgments of the Lord are true, all are righteous; they are more desirable than gold and even much pure gold” (Ps. 18:10-11). Moreover, it is a good thing to desire to be subordinate to Christ Himself, as the bride says in the Song of Songs: “I love to sit in her shadow” (Song 2:3). Having achieved such a disposition, the people accurately discern the limits (lots) of the inheritance appointed by God, that is, the blessings promised to the pious, which constitute the object of their hope. The divine David said about this: “My days are in Your hand” (Ps. 30:16). He will, as it were, rest on them, and in any case, he will certainly rest, because he will achieve the object of his expectation. Thus, having praised his advice and judgment and been honored with no small surprise by the tranquility of this, that is, eternal honor, life in perfect sanctification, endless glory, an everlasting kingdom and that which transcends mind and tongue, he will finally be patient. For when he sees that the earth is fat, he will put on frames, as it is said (Gen. 49:15), and will love labor. An example was taken from those who are accustomed to cultivating the land, who are very fond of work and are attached to the spade, and work diligently on the plow, if only they have received rich soil, imagining, as I think, abundant fruits and what will come from it. The wise Hosea in some way encourages us to do this, saying: “Sow for yourselves in righteousness, and you will reap mercy; plow open your new ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, so that when He comes, He will rain down righteousness on you” (Hos. 10:12). And blessed Paul prayed for us, saying: “Whoever gives seed to the sower and bread for food will provide abundance for what you sow and will multiply the fruits of your righteousness;... always having all sufficiency in everything, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9, 10, 8). “Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel; Dan will be a serpent on the road, an adder on the way, biting the horse's leg, so that his rider will fall backward. I hope for your help, Lord!” (Gen. 49, 16–18). Again, first of all, we are talking about the word production of the name. Dan means "judge" or "court". He, too, can show in himself the image of the glorious and wondrous face of the holy Apostles, who were laid as the foundation of those who believed and received the right to judge, but this right was given to them by Christ. So the divine Paul says: “Do you not know that we will judge angels, much less the deeds of this life?” (1 Cor. 6, 3.) Thus, “There is one Lawgiver and Judge,” according to the Scriptures (James 4, 12), Christ. If His Apostles do the work for Christ, and they are entrusted with the “word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19), then there is nothing strange if they too are presented as judges in the likeness of Christ. The great Isaiah exclaimed in one place, bringing into clarity the magnificent Kingdom of Christ and the preaching of the holy Apostles themselves: “Behold, the King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in accordance with the law” (Is. 32:1). For from ancient times kings who came from the tribe of Judah reigned over Jerusalem; and those who were in charge of the holy tabernacle and who had received the lot of the priesthood were appointed for judgment. “For the mouth of the priest must keep knowledge, and the law is sought from his mouth” (Mal. 2:7). When the shadow of the law seemed to have shrunk, and through Christ ministry was introduced in spirit and in truth, then the world began to need more glorious judges, and to this the Divine disciples were called, who accepted the lot that belonged to the legal teachers. Therefore, the mother of the Jews, that is, Jerusalem, was told by God through the mouth of the Psalmist: “In place of Your fathers, Your sons will be” (Ps. 44:17), that is, the sons who pronounce judgment on You received the place of their fathers. To our Lord Jesus Christ: “You will make them princes over all the earth” (Ps. 44:17). Anyone can see this and it is carried out. For we consider as princes and have as universal judges the holy disciples, in whose teaching the very sacrament of Christ is expressed, since they themselves are both the dispensers of the saving word and the authors of the actions performed. They separate as worthless that which is useless for those they educate, and, on the contrary, advise doing that which is useful. So, Dan, it is said, that is, those who, in general, in time could have been wounded for judgment over languages ​​​​and nations, will rule so powerfully and with such great glory, as, without a doubt, only one of the tribes of Israel could. In this case, of course, I think, in any case, the reigning tribe of Judah, and not any other. That those chosen by Him as leaders and teachers of the entire sunflower are venerable and have reached the pinnacle of glory on the part of the fans of the Savior, how can it be possible to doubt this? However, that leadership for them will not be completely without sorrows, that, on the contrary, they have experienced many and countless calamities, that they will experience obstacles and find the course of their apostleship not entirely free from dangers, Jacob pointed out this, as if in a type, saying: “Let Dan be given” (Gen. 49, 17), instead of saying: the persecuting people will be given as “a serpent in the road, an adder in the way, biting the horse’s foot” (Gen. 49, 17), that is, offering difficult and inexplicable teachings. Therefore, the bites of echidnas (snakes) in some way inevitably entail danger, even if they were directed at the heel. For it is said, “It will bruise your head, and you will bruise its heel” (Gen. 3:15). Likewise, some made slander against the holy Apostles, leading them to their very physical death. And in this case, we say, they are subjected to the same thing that a rider is sometimes subjected to when his horse stumbles and falls on its hind legs. For at the same time the rider also leans back and, falling to the ground, waits for someone who would save him. And the Divine disciples await the time of their glory and salvation, at which time they will be called into the unshakable and eternal Kingdom, when Christ calls to them: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). For they finished the course and kept the faith. Therefore, they will receive an “unfading crown of glory” (1 Pet. 5, 4; Sn.: 2 Tim. 4, 7–8). If anyone wanted, not against Dan, that some would be in ambush on the way like snakes, but that Dan himself would slander others: then we will say that the scribes and Pharisees who had to judge and teach the people, like the most evil vipers (snakes), attacked Christ and, as it were, a certain horseman riding along a bare and narrow path, bitten and wickedly seized. But even if the horseman fell, voluntarily suffering bodily death, He will nevertheless rise again, having the Father as his assistant and helper. For, being by the power of God the Father, the Son himself gave life to his church. Therefore, it is said that He was saved by the Father when He was in danger as a man, although, being by nature God, He Himself supports all visible and invisible creation in its well-being. Understanding this, the divine Paul says about Him: “For, although He was crucified in weakness, He lives by the power of God” (2 Cor. 13:4). “Gad, temptation will tempt him; he will tempt him at his feet” (Gen. 49:19). Again Jacob explained what the name Gad means: it means “temptation” or “torture.” I think that by it it is proper to understand the God-hating and arrogant crowd of scribes and Pharisees, who, rejecting the Divine and Gospel preaching and not considering anything necessary for benefit, gnashed their teeth against Christ, who taught about what was above the canopy and the law, who acquired for Himself great glory and wonder for His deeds, who amazed those who lived throughout Judea with the glory of His miracles and teaching everything that pleases God, bringing something strange to their ears. So when, according to the voice of the prophet, leaving Bethany, He entered Jerusalem, “meek, sitting on a donkey and a colt” (Zech. 9:9), the children, walking ahead and praising Him, said: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9). And of those who fled together, some spread their clothes on the way and made His very entrance marvelous. They were torn with indignation and struck by the sharpest arrows of envy, talking to each other and almost accusing those who were still slow to kill Him. For they said: “Do you see that you don’t have time to do anything? the whole world follows Him” (John 12:19). When they were afraid of the multitude of those who had already believed, they began to hold back their hands and beware of an open attack on Christ. And in order for Him to insult the Roman military leaders, they send to Him some of their disciples with the so-called Herodians, who said to Him: “Teacher! we know that You are just: so tell us: what do you think? Is it permissible to give tribute to Caesar or not?” (Matthew 22:16-17.) But they were immediately exposed, since Christ, after the denarius was shown to Him, said to them: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (v. 21). And while they should have been ashamed of this and refrained from tempting Him in the future, they made another experience of tempting Him (v. 23ff.), Jesus, making something like a scourge out of rope, drove out of the church all those who were selling sheep and oxen, saying: “Take this from here, and do not make My Father’s house a house of trade” (John 2:14–16; cf.: Matt. 21:13 and par.). They, indignant, approached Him with the question: “By what authority are You doing this? and who gave you such power? (Matthew 21:23.) What does Christ have to do with this? “I will ask,” He said, “and I will ask you about one thing,” and tell Me: “Where did the baptism of John come from: from heaven, or from men? They reasoned among themselves: if we say: from heaven, then He will tell us: why didn’t you believe him? and if we say: from men, we are afraid of the people, for everyone reveres John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” What does Christ have to do with this? “And I will not tell you by what authority I do this” (Matthew 21:24–27). So, Gad means temptation, that is, the Pharisees are always tempting. But only they, in turn, are tempted “at their feet,” that is, immediately. For Christ, according to the word of the prophet, “caught the wise men in their own wickedness,” skillfully changing them into seeking the opposite (Job 5:13; cf. Is. 29:14; 1 Cor. 1:20). “For Asher his bread is too fat, and he will deliver the royal dishes” (Gen. 49:20). Asir again means “wealth.” This is the sign of the name. But I think that by him we mean the one “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3), that is, Christ, “the treasure hidden in the field” (Matthew 13:44), pearls of great value (Matthew 13:46), and under the image of wisdom he very clearly says: “wealth and glory are mine, an unperishable treasure and righteousness” (Proverbs 8, 18). He is also the one who visits the earth, as David says: “You enrich it abundantly” (Ps. 64:10). The wise Paul also writes to us in one place about Him: “I thank my God for you without ceasing, because of the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus, because in Him you have been enriched in all things, in all speech and in all knowledge” (1 Cor. 1:4-5). For He became poor with us, although “He, being rich, became poor for your sake, so that through His poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Here, of course, lies “fat bread,” that is, very fatty and nutritious; because our Lord Jesus Christ feeds us, not sending down sensual manna, as of old to the Israelites, but placing Himself in the souls of believers through the Holy Spirit. Therefore He said to the people of Judah: “Truly I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32–33). And again: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Perhaps we understand that He is like life-giving bread, and in some more mysterious sense. He gives food to the prince. For I could say that Thrones and Powers, Principalities and Powers, Angels and Archangels, and all holy and intelligent creation make Christ their food. But this must be understood properly. However, He also distributes food, obviously spiritual, to the leaders of the flocks on earth, the revelation of the mysteries of the Divine, the knowledge of every virtue, so that they too can feed the people entrusted to their leadership with teachings that lead to life. Therefore He says to them: “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Likewise in another place: “Who is the faithful and prudent servant whom his master made over his servants, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, finds doing so; Truly I tell you that he will put him over all his possessions” (Matthew 24:45–47; Luke 12:42–44). We will find church teachers doing this and, before them, the holy Apostles. So blessed Paul writes in his Epistle to some: “For I greatly desire to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift for your strengthening” (Rom. 1:11). But they also say that they receive consolation from God, as filling them with blessings from above and abundantly enriching them with gifts given through the Spirit. So, Asher represents Christ or those who were enriched by Christ, for whom He is also understood as “fat bread.” “Naphtali is a tall terebeth, spreading beautiful branches” (Gen. 49:21). Not without reason, I think, anyone can apply this to Emmanuel Himself and, if he wants, also to those justified by faith and sanctified in the spirit. For it was said to the mother of the Jews, I mean Jerusalem, through the mouth of Jeremiah: “The Lord called you a green olive tree, full of pleasant fruits. And now, at the sound of great confusion, He kindled a fire around her, and her branches were broken. The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has spoken evil against you” (Jer. 11:16–17). When it would have been necessary to take proper care of it (because this, I think, and nothing else means circumcision), then he says that it is obscene and burned, because he did not want to recognize the real farmer, who, as if with some sharp sickle, by the action of the Spirit, cuts off from us the obscene, that is, the earthly and carnal, so that desire and readiness for everything wonderful arises in us. So, about this you can hear the clear words of the Savior of us all: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of Me that does not bear fruit He cuts off; and she cleanses every one that bears fruit, so that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2). For as a certain root and stem of the grapevine, abounding in such a multitude of grape berries, leading to renewal of life, is our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are like rods, who are, as it were, fused with Him through unity in the Spirit, suspended to Him mentally, bound by love for Him, abounding in the fatness we receive from Him, and nourished by Divine grace to bear fruit in virtue. Together with the Son, the Father Himself also takes care of what concerns us. But it is obvious that if Christ is represented as a vine, and the Father as a worker, then in Christ He, of course, cuts off the indecent and deigns to His care what can be best and will bear fruit in Him. So, when the mother of the Jews should have seemed better, “a green olive tree, showing off pleasant fruits,” as the prophet says (Jer. 11:16), then she died and “a fire kindled around her” (Jer. 11:16). Therefore, the wise John says: “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). And that this glorious city was about to undergo extreme calamities, the prophet Zechariah predicted about this, saying: and it will be “On that day there will be a great cry in Jerusalem, like the cry of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon” (Zechariah 12:11). And as if he were saying to her: “Open your gates, Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars. Howl, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for even the great ones are desolate; howl, O oaks of Bashan, for the impenetrable forest has fallen” (Zechariah 11:1–2). Lebanon is a mountain strewn with cedars. And this tree is fragrant and is one of the most amazingly beautiful. Thus, the prophet compares Jerusalem to Lebanon, which had an amazing number of priests, I mean as regards honors under the law. They were appointed leaders and were likened to strong and very tall oak trees, surpassing all others in the measure of their importance and standing much higher than the people under their leadership. But Lebanon, that is, Jerusalem, was burned. The glorious and most famous in it, and those who were at the height of glory, burst into tears among themselves, falling and dying, and being exposed, as it were, to some of the strongest woodcutters, Roman generals. But our Lord Jesus Christ became a “buding stem” for those who, being evil, “evilly” perished (cf. Matt. 21:41). For He always delights in unceasing exaltations on high and spreads, so to speak, throughout the whole of heaven. And God clearly foretold this very thing through the mouth of Ezekiel, saying: “And I will take from the top of a high cedar and plant it; I will tear off a tender branch from its upper shoots and plant it on a high and majestic mountain. I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel, and it will put forth branches and bear fruit, and it will become a majestic cedar, and all kinds of birds will live under it, all kinds of birds will live in the shade of its branches. And all the trees of the field will know that I, the Lord, bring down the high tree, I make the low tree high, I wither the green tree, and make the dry tree to bloom: I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it” (Ezek. 17:22-24). Do you understand that, having taken the chosen cedar, God and the Father planted for us the tree of life, that is, Christ? By the chosen one of the cedar he means the tribe of Judah, which has always ruled and is more glorious than others, from which came Jesse, David, and the Holy Virgin who gave birth to Jesus. And what was hung on the tree for our sake, taken from the chosen cedar, and is a beautiful and very flowering plant, how can you doubt this? According to the will of the Father, we too, the trees of old that were dry and had no fruit, grew up, just as those who were in the moisture and life of the law, that is, the Israelites, were dry and withered in some way. And they were high, but we are humble and outcast. But we are exalted in Christ through faith. They lost their ancient glory and became humble. So, God is the Lord of all, who with His magnations humbles the high and lifts up the humble, withers the tree of the earth and sprouts the dry tree. For that those who belonged to the ancient synagogue, producing nothing but thorns into thistles, were almost expelled from the holy land, and in their place a multitude of believers seemed to grow, and were likened to the most fragrant of trees, you can learn about this from the words of God: and “I will make the desert a lake and the dry land springs of water; I will plant cedar, shittim, myrtle, and olive in the desert; I will plant cypress, sycamore and beech together in the desert” (Is. 41:18–19). And then again: and “Instead of the thorn the cypress will grow; Myrtle will grow instead of nettles” (Is. 55:13). For by cedar you will understand the hope of those who believe in incorruption, since cedar is a tree that does not rot. By beech (tornadoes) it would be appropriate to mean that Christians are not distinguished by either lightness of mind or fickleness of mood. They are all reasonable, because they have Christ as their mind. Beech wood is thick and has great density within it. By the myrtle tree (myrsina) we mean the fragrance in consecration and the everlasting preservation of greenery in grace. Cypress means height and fragrance. I mean height in virtue and glory in teachings. By poplar we mean, as it were, lightness and whiteness in justice. For bright are Christians who are enveloped in the grace that comes from Christ. So, the spreading “stem” is Naphtali, or Christ Himself, or those who know Him. When he says: “spreading beautiful branches” (Gen. 49:21), then this, I think, can mean the following: in the beginning they did not believe that Christ, visible in a similar image to ours, is God by nature, although he was made flesh, the Jews wanted to boldly stone Him, placing the blame on Him: “that You, being a man, make Yourself God” (John 10:33 ; cf. John 10, 31–32). We will find that even the holy Apostles themselves marveled at Him as a miracle worker, but did not yet clearly understand the mystery about Him. Therefore, when, at the command of Christ, the sea was tamed and the movement of the strong winds ceased, they, it is said, reasoned within themselves, saying: “Who is this, that both the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:27; Mark 4:40.) Do you see how in what He was by nature, that is, God, although He was made flesh, He was not yet recognized by those who were in the world, and in glory He was not yet complete. When our knowledge of Him increased, then the faith that He is God by nature increased, and “every knee will bow to Him” (Phil. 2:10), since all under heaven worships Him. So, when our knowledge of Him reaches perfection, then, and only then, He, being “fair in kindness more than the sons of men” (Ps. 44:3), will be known. But if the saying “who puts forth beautiful branches” (Gen. 49:21) was also meant about us, then the meaning would be clear. For, always progressing in virtue and striving for the best, or “stretching forward,” according to the word of blessed Paul (Phil. 3:13), we ascend to beauty (kindness) more and more glorious. I mean spiritual beauty, so that it could finally be said to us: “The King desires your beauty” (Ps. 44:12). “Joseph is the branch of the fruitful tree, the branch of the fruitful tree above the source; its branches extend over the wall; They upset him, and the archers shot and fought at him, but his bow remained strong, and the muscles of his hands were strong, from the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. From there is the Shepherd and the stronghold of Israel, from the God of your father, who will help you, and from the Almighty, who will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, the blessings of the deep that lies below, the blessings of the breasts and the womb, the blessings of your father, which exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the delights of the everlasting hills; let them be on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the chosen one among his brothers” (Gen. 49:22–26). The words of this prophecy again refer to Emmanuel himself. And its meaning, I think, can be no other than that which I recently outlined when explaining the saying: “who puts forth beautiful branches” (Gen. 49, 21); because to be “restored,” as it is said about Joseph, if this expression is understood correctly, in any case means to be added to what he was at first, to increase the glory that naturally belonged to him. since the only-begotten Word of God, being God and from God, emptied “Itself”, according to the Scriptures (Phil. 2:7), voluntarily descending to a state in which it was not before, clothed itself in this most inglorious flesh and appeared in the form of a servant, becoming obedient to God and the Father “even to death” (Phil. 2:8): now it is said that He is exalted and received (which humanity did not have), as if through the communion of grace, “the name that is above every name,” according to the word of blessed Paul (Phil. 2:9). However, truly this was not a gift of something that in the beginning would not have belonged to Him by nature. Far from it. Rather, it can be thought of as a return and ascent to that which was in the beginning and that which essentially and incessantly belonged to Him. That is why He said, carefully taking upon Himself the humiliated state of humanity: “Glorify Me, Father, with You, with the glory that I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). For He was always in divine glory, existing together with His Parent before every age and time and before the foundation of the world. Thus, the return to Christ should be understood in the sense of the addition of glory, which God always seems to have in a wider scope and in a more obvious form for everyone; because He is conceptualized as such by nature by those living in the world, and He is also conceptualized as the Lord of all, glorified and worshiped by God and the Father. However, being Himself the creator of centuries, He is rightly thought of as having become the youngest. For He appeared in the last times of the century after the glorious and most wondrous face of the holy prophets and, simply to say, after all who, for virtue, were numbered among the ranks of sons. And that Emmanuel became worthy of competition or “zealous”, how is it possible to doubt? He also excites competition in the saints, who, trying to follow in His footsteps, conforming to His Divine goodness and making Him the model of their actions, acquire glory that surpasses the glory of all others. But He can be represented as “zealous” in another respect, in relation to those who did not love Him, I mean the leaders of the Jews, or the scribes and Pharisees, who were denounced in many ways as having harbored bitter jealousy towards Him and as making His incomparable glory the object of their envy. For Christ raised the dead, already stinking and given over to corruption, and was greater than death itself. They, while they should have been surprised at this and through this come to faith in Him, without allowing any doubt, did not do this, but were overwhelmed by envy and took into their souls bitter sorrow about this. He healed a man born blind, and they called Him a sinner (John 9:1ff. 24). Legions of unclean demons were driven out by Him, and they falsely said that Beelzebub was His assistant in this (Matthew 12:22 et al.). They threw stones at Him, very wickedly saying: “We do not want to stone You for a good deed, but for blasphemy and because You, being a man, make Yourself God” (John 10:33). They gnashed their teeth, saying: “This is the heir; let’s go and kill him” (Matthew 21:38). He was also zealous for those who hated Him, but were not entirely able to take Him captive. For, although He endured the Cross, yet, as God, He came to life, trampling death, and God and the Father almost cried out to Him and spoke to Him; “turn to Me” (Gen. 49:22). He ascended into heaven in order to hear him say: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool” (Ps. 109:1). That they were ashamed, although they showed the greatest madness against Him, He taught this, saying: “They grieved him, and the archers shot at him and fought against him” (Gen. 49, 23) For in gathering councils, the “archers” plotted cruel things, that is, the leaders of the nations, who, as if inciting against Him those who could wound Him, and themselves, almost like the tip of a spear, pierced Him in order to do what they should not have dared to do, and to attack Him like wild beasts. But only “but his bow remained strong, and the muscles of his hands were strong, from the hands of the mighty God of Jacob” (Gen. 49:24), that is, God and the Father, who is the Lord of hosts, and who prepared everything so that the Son would be blessed in heaven and on earth. For the divine Paul writes: “Also, when he introduces the Firstborn into the universe, he says: And let all the angels of God worship him” (Heb. 1:6). The great David also says in one place: “Let all the earth worship You and sing to You” Ps. 65, 4). This, we say, is a blessing from above, and a blessing that contains in itself everything that is on earth below, that is, one in which, because of Christ, lies every virtue and the very diverse fruits of piety in relation to God. For it is said in one place to the Son: “You visit the earth and quench its thirst, you enrich it abundantly” (Ps. 64:10). Further, that He was given a blessing from above, as well as from the earth, this is clearly confirmed by the words: “with the blessings of the breasts and the womb, the blessings of your father” (Gen. 49:25-26). Through this, the birth of the Only Begotten is clearly and clearly signified, both from God the Father and through the Holy Virgin, insofar as He is conceived and appeared as a man. For being naturally and truly the Son of God the Father, for our sake He suffered both birth from a woman and a false birth and was fed from breasts. He did not become a man ghostly, as some thought (various heretics), but he truly appeared as such, just like us, following the laws of nature, and took food, although he himself gives life to the world. Therefore, blessed Isaiah made some indication that the Lord truly became human and needed food like ordinary babies, saying: “to eat milk and honey” (Is. 7:15). So, He is blessed for the sake of “the breasts and the womb.” For, as I said before, since He became man and was obedient to the Father, He inherited “the name that is above every name... and to Him every knee bowed, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth..., who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). But only, although He appeared as similar to us, He nevertheless surpasses every saint and divinely exceeds even those who were before Him and named by the fathers. For the Psalmist says, “For who in heaven can compare with the Lord?” or who “who among the sons of God will be like the Lord?” (Ps. 88:7). Blessed Jacob also teaches this, saying: you have overcome “more than the blessing of the abiding mountains and... the eternal hills” (Gen. 49:26). He calls the saints eternal and always abiding mountains, as well as eternal hills, because they are raised from the earth and do not think about anything base, but seek the highest and very diligently strive for the heights of virtues. So, below Christ in glory are even the most famous of the fathers and those who have reached the pinnacle of Virtue. For they were servants, although at last they were placed in the Row of sons; The Lord, as the Son, is Himself the giver of that through which they became glorious. That is why they say: “And from His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16). So, the crown of glory will naturally be placed on the head of our Savior; but nevertheless it will pass, and then it will be, as it were, a kind of gift, to the saints themselves, subordinate to Him, who will receive an “unfading crown of glory” (1 Pet. 5:4); and being partakers of His sufferings, they will also partake of His glory. For it is certain that those who suffered with Him will also reign with Him (Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12). “Benjamin, the ravenous wolf, will eat the catch in the morning and divide the spoil in the evening” (Gen. 49:27). Rachel gave birth first to the divine Joseph, and after him Benjamin; but Joseph was named the youngest from his father. We agree to recognize the matter as such. But let's say that in this case Benjamin was younger than the youngest. Benjamin was the youngest, and in justice can be the image and prototype of the youngest people, who were called through the holy disciples after Christ rose from the dead and returned to the Heavenly Father and God. The wolf is likened to a predator because, I think, of the ardor in the desire to learn and to constantly raid, and very quickly, as if for some kind of prey, for everything that serves for well-being, obviously spiritual. For such people are very keen to see what is beneficial and admire what is useful, and are quick to avoid what is unjust. They are very little susceptible to fear, even if they were surrounded, like dogs on the hunt, by those who decided to divert them from good deeds and words; on the contrary, they steadfastly withstand their attack. For they are taught and very boldly say: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?” (Rom. 8:35.) They will not be seduced at all from their beloved path by the false shepherds, who cast them into the pit without mercy, as it is written (Zech. 11:5). Having endured very much, such people consider suffering to be life, and thus exclaim: “For for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). So, although they are likened to predatory wolves, in the way that we showed recently, this, it seems, cannot serve as an insult to them at all, since the Savior himself calls Himself a lion, a tiger and a panther, saying: “For I am like a lion to Ephraim, and like a tent to the house of Judah; I, I will tear it to pieces and leave; I will carry you away, and no one will save you” (Hos. 5:14). He also calls those who believe in Him the beasts of the field, speaking thus through the mouth of Isaiah: “The beasts of the field will glorify Me, jackals and ostriches, because I will give water in the deserts, and rivers in the dry steppe, to give water to My chosen people. I formed this people for Myself; he will proclaim My glory” (Is. 43:20–21). Do you understand how He called the chosen race the beasts of the field and the sirens, that is, the most singing of birds? And they are beasts, because they do not succumb to Satan, who tries to seduce them and subjugate them to his power, on the contrary, they even attack him and almost bring harm to those who want to persuade them to do what they should not do; sirens, because they perfectly sing the works of Christ with their speeches and songs of praise in His honor. So, the wolf Benjamin is a new and believing people, whose great readiness to understand what serves for the benefit, and also to be able to benefit others, is shown by saying: “He eats early, and gives food for the evening” (Gen. 49:27). The student is always likened to someone who eats, since learning enters the mind, just as food undoubtedly enters the belly. And the teacher is no different from the one who feeds. Likewise, the divine Paul likens the image of teaching to food, because he said that “solid food is characteristic of those who are perfect” (Heb. 5:14), that is, those who, through skill, have made their senses already experienced in distinguishing between good and evil. So, “Benjamin is a predatory wolf, he eats early and gives food in the evening” (Gen. 49:27). It is as if he had said: he who continues to study and has not yet achieved perfection can benefit others, and it does not take much time for those who have recently believed to be able to teach others. For about the Israelites, due, I think, to their ignorance and spiritual coarseness, it was said: “a stupid and foolish people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear” (Jer. 5:21). And again: “those who were received by Me from the womb, who were carried by Me from the womb: until you are old” (Isa. 46:3-4). The wise John also writes in the Epistle to Those who are in faith and in Christ, saying: “And you have no need that anyone should teach you; but just as this very anointing teaches you all things” (1 John 2:27). For they have the mind of Christ the Omniscient and do not lack to teach and comfort one another. If it is proper to say that the prediction about Benjamin was fulfilled on blessed Paul himself, then this too will be good and true; because, persecuting the Church and attacking those who love Christ like a wolf, in a very short time he changed into the completely opposite. He began to preach the faith that he had hitherto persecuted, and sent thanks to God for having been appointed to the apostleship, although previously “he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an offender” (1 Tim. 1:13). Because that’s what he says about himself. He also came from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5). I affirm that the divine David himself clearly mentions his history, saying in the sixty-seventh psalm: “There Benjamin the younger is their prince; the princes of Judah are their rulers, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali” (Ps. 67:28). For, being Jews and descended from the tribe of Israel, the blessed disciples became leaders of those justified in Christ through faith; among whom was himself descended from the tribe of Benjamin, who wrote in the Epistle and said: “If we lose our temper, it is for God; if you are modest, then for you” (2 Cor. 5:13). He preached to the pagans and Jews our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to God and the Father with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: