On the Blessings of the Patriarchs

Contents

Reading pages: 1–35 · 36–59

1. 1The patriarchs' blessings teach reverence for parents, whose final blessing is a greater inheritance than wealth.
2. 2Jacob's blessing of Joseph's two sons, making thirteen tribes, prefigures Paul as the thirteenth apostle.
3. 3Jacob crossed his hands to bless the younger Ephraim above Manasseh, signifying the preference of the younger people.
4. 4Manasseh ('forgetfulness') and Ephraim ('fruitfulness') signify the forgetful older people and the fruitful younger people.
5. 5Jacob refused to change his hands, prophesying that the younger Ephraim would be greater, and adopted both grandsons as sons.
6. 6Jacob then called his sons in order of age, giving them a prophecy of the future rather than a second blessing.
7. 7Jacob's words to Reuben are a rebuke and a prophecy rather than a blessing.
8. 8Ambrose rejects the Jewish reading of Reuben's rebuke as about his sin with Bilhah and reads it instead as a prophecy against the people who would put Christ to death.
9. 9Ambrose reads the defiling of the father's bed as the crucifixion and the cross as the bed on which the saints rest.
10. 10Jacob's words on Simeon and Levi refer to the tribes descended from them; Ambrose reports the Jewish reading that they concern the slaughter at Shechem.
11. 11Ambrose argues that Jacob did not condemn Simeon and Levi's revenge for Dinah, since he later gave Shechem to Joseph, whose 'shoulders' signify good works.
12. 12Joseph's portion figures Christ, who captured a place of impurity and made it a dwelling of chastity and virginity.
13. 13Simeon and Levi signify the scribes and priests who plotted Christ's death; the hamstrung bull is Christ, whose horns lift up his people.
14. 14Jacob's words also contain blessing: water cleanses sin, and the scattering of Simeon and Levi points to the redemption of Israel through the gathering of the nations; Christ descends in part from Levi.
15. 15Moses' blessings of Levi and Reuben complete Jacob's words; because Judah and Levi intermarried, Matthew traces Christ's line from Judah.
16. 16Christ is both priest from Levi and king from Judah; Jacob's blessing of Judah speaks of him.
17. 17The blessing of Judah applies to Christ, praised by his brothers, who by his passion subdued the hostile powers and is worshiped by those who call God Father.
18. 18Lion and whelp signify the Father and the Son of one nature, the Son being no less than the Father.
19. 19'From a shoot you went up' signifies the incarnation: Christ the flower from Mary, the rod from Jesse's root.
20. 20The sleeping lion signifies Christ resting in the tomb and raising himself by his own power.
21. 21The scepter remained in Judah until Christ came; after Herod the succession failed, and the inheritance passed to Christ, who gathers the church of the nations.
22. 22Christ is the expectation of the nations and the bridegroom of the church; Moses, Joshua, and John loosed their sandals as not being the bridegroom.
23. 23Binding the ass's colt to the vine figures the gentiles joined to Christ the vine, as at the entry into Jerusalem.
24. 24Washing his robe in wine and the blood of the grape signifies Christ's baptism and his passion, in which water and blood from his side washed and redeemed us.
25. 25The glad eyes and white teeth signify the prophets who foresaw Christ and the apostles cleansed by him; milk also signifies the first teaching of the faith.
26. 26Zebulun, interpreted as 'deliverance from the night,' signifies the one protected by God from the terrors of the night.
27. 27Zebulun dwelling by the sea figures the church, firm on faith, a harbor for those shipwrecked by heresy and the storms of the world.
28. 28The princes of Zebulun and Naphtali in the churches are those delivered from darkness and the apostles with enlarged hearts, as Isaiah foretold.
29. 29Zebulun reaching to Sidon signifies the church's mission to the gentiles, freeing even the accursed from their guilt.
30. 30Issachar, 'reward,' signifies Christ, who desired only the good from the beginning and rested between the Old and New Testaments, as between Moses and Elijah.
31. 31Issachar putting his shoulder to labor figures Christ bearing the cross for our sins and sowing the good seed.
32. 32The serpent from Dan signifies the Antichrist, and the fallen rider signifies Christ, betrayed by Judas, who fell in order to raise up all.
33. 33Morally, we must stay awake against the serpent of avarice and lust, unlike Judas, who slept the sleep of riches and was thrown down by the devil.
34. 34Moses' blessing of Dan, 'from Bashan' (confusion), signifies that the tribe of Dan will be freed from confusion by confessing Christ.
35. 35Gad tested and testing in turn figures Christ answering the scribes' and priests' traps at once, as with authority and Caesar's tribute.
36. 36Moses' blessing of Gad confirms that Jacob's prophecy refers to Christ.
37. 37The resting lion who broke the arms of the mighty is Christ, who foresaw his testers.
38. 38Asher, 'riches,' signifies Christ, rich yet made poor for us, whose rich bread is the eucharist consecrated daily by the priest.
39. 39The bread is Christ's flesh, the bread of life, which gives eternal life and forgiveness of sins to those who receive it worthily.
40. 40Moses' blessing of Asher also speaks of God's protection and the abundance he gives his people.
41. 41Naphtali, the vine let loose, signifies the pruned branch that bears fruit and adorns the vine.
42. 42Spiritually, the branch signifies believers who bear fruit by remaining in Christ the vine.
43. 43Moses' blessing of Naphtali signifies the people of God, freed from death by faith, spread through the world and glorying in Christ even in persecution.
44. 44One freed from fear and nourished by the sacraments of regeneration bears the beauty of the word and is taken into Christ's grace.
45. 45Christ, beautiful above all, gives his beauty to the church, made radiant in baptism, as the Song of Songs says.
46. 46As an epilogue Ambrose quotes Jacob's blessing of Joseph.
47. 47Joseph, 'to be increased,' prefigures Christ, whose grace always grows and who was envied by his own people.
48. 48Joseph as son of Jacob's old age prefigures Christ, born late in the world's old age, though eternal with the Father.
49. 49'Return to me' signifies the Father raising the Son and frustrating his enemies, as Isaiah foretold.
50. 50The blessings of heaven and earth signify that all things in heaven and on earth are subject to Christ.
51. 51The blessings of breasts and womb signify the two Testaments or Mary, and the two births of Christ, from the Father before the ages and from the Virgin, in two natures.
52. 52Christ prevailed above the everlasting hills, above saints and angels, and is the head and crown of his brothers, the just.
53. 53Moses' blessing of Joseph, which Ambrose quotes, was a blessing of Christ.
54. 54This blessing belongs to Christ, who appeared in the bush, the head of the church and firstborn from the dead, who made peace by his cross.
55. 55The firstborn bull with the unicorn's horns signifies Christ, the sacrifice for the world, and the one Word of God, in whom the church flourishes.
56. 56Ephraim's ten thousands signify the church from Jews and gentiles; the horns signify the strength of Christ and of the saints in the spiritual warfare.
57. 57Benjamin the ravening wolf prefigures Paul, a persecutor turned shepherd, who later fed rulers with the word of God.
58. 58Moses' blessing of Benjamin signifies Paul, the beloved chosen vessel converted by grace and overshadowed by God when Christ appeared to him.
59. 59Resting between the shoulders signifies Paul's good works; like a farmer he planted the young plants of faith.