Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsGenesis 49

English College of Douai–Rheims

Genesis 49:4

Because thou didst ascend thy father's bed.

^◦ For this crime of incest Ruben was deprived of his first-birth-right. Who being by order of birth former in gifts, whereby he should have had double portion; and greater in empire, whereby he should have been Prince or Lord over his brethren, the former prerogative was given to Joseph, whose two sons were heads of two Tribes, the other was given to the Tribe of Juda, in David and his posterity. He was also deprived of his prerogative in Priesthood, which was after annexed to the Tribe of Levi, whereupon the Chaldee paraphrasis speaketh thus to Ruben: It belonged to thee to have received three better letters than thy brethren, Priesthood, Best-portion, and the Kingdom: But because thou hast sinned, the double portion is given to Joseph, the Kingdom to Judas, and Priesthood to Levi.

◦ Ruben for his sin was put from the prerogatives of the first-born.

Genesis 49:5

Vessels of iniquity.

^[1] ^[2] Albeit Simeon and Levi were moved with just zeal to punish the foul crime committed by Sichem against their sister and whole family; yet in their manner of revenging were many sins worthily condemned by Jacob, both immediately after the fact, and here at his death. For before the slaughter they committed three great sins; in that they rashly did it unknown to their father, thereby putting him and themselves in extreme danger, if God had not marvelously protected them; in falsely pretending agreement and league with the Sichemites, which they meant not to perform; and in sacrilegiously abusing the Sacrament of Circumcision, making it a cloak to deceive their enemies. In the fact also they committed other four gross crimes: cruelly killing those that offered other aboundant satisfaction; murdering others that were altogether innocent; sacking and destroying the city, and carrying away women and children captive. Mystically S. Ambrose, Ruffinus, Isidorus, and others understand this prophecy of the Scribes and the Priests ^[3], descending of Simeon and Levi, who were most eager against our Saviour, as himself more plainly foretold, saying: The son of man shall be betrayed to the chief Priests, and to the Scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. ^[4] Their fury was cursed above all fury, Because (as Jacob here saith) it was stubborn, or obstinate, for they did not only condemn Christ to death in their wicked Councel ^[5], but also urged and pressed Pilate, endeavouring to save him, and stirred up the people to cry: Take him away, Crucify him ^[6]. Yea their indignation was so hard, that they preferred Barabbas before Christ.

1 The zeal of Simeon and Levi was commendable: but their manner of revenge, was many ways faulty.
2 Judith. 9.
3 The Priests' & Scribes' fury, obstinacy, and hard hearts against Christ.
4 Mat. 20.
5 Ioan. 11.
6 Ioan. 18.

Genesis 49:10

The sceptre shall not be taken away.

Here the Patriarch Jacob foretelleth the time, when the promised Messias should come into the world, by this sign that the sceptre should not be taken from Juda, till the same Redeemer of mankind were at hand ^◦. Not that the regal sceptre should remain in the Tribe of Juda from Jacob's death till Christ's coming: for that Kingdom began first in David, about six hundred years after Jacob's death, and after the captivity of Babylon the high Priests of the Tribe of Levi did govern also the state, and not only the Church, other six hundred years. But the sense is, that of the Tribe of Juda should rise most glorious Kings, whose crown and Kingdom should remain with the Jewish Nation, until their expected Messias should draw near, and then be taken from them by the Gentiles. Which was done by Herod, whose father was an Idumean, his mother an Arabic. thus the Ancient fathers with one accord understood this Prophecy. S. Justinus 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. Ho. 67. in Gen. S. Augustin lib. 18. c. 45. de civit. Theodoretus q. ult. in Gen.

◦ Taking away of the regal sceptre from the Jews a sign of Christ's coming.

Genesis 49:11

He shall wash his stole in wine.

^[1] By wine, and blood of the grape, what other thing is shewed (saith S. Cyprian Epist. ad Coecil. 63.) ^[2] but the wine of the Chalice of our Lord's blood? Likewise Tertullian (lib. 4. contra Marcionem) expoundeth the stole to signify Christ's flesh, and the wine his blood. In all which book his drift is to shew that Christ did not destroy the old Testament, but fulfilled the figures and prophecy thereof. And not that Christ gave his body in figure only, as our adversaries allege him.

1 Our Lord's real presence in the B. Sacrament prophesied.
2 li. 2. ep. 3.

Genesis 49:17

Be Dan a snake in the way.

^[1] This prophecy most ancient Fathers understood of Anti-Christ, namely S. Irenæus, lib. 5. advers. Hæres. S. Hyppolytus Martyr Ort. de consummat. soeculi. S. Ambrose. c. 7. de Benedict. Patriarch. S. Augustin. q. 12. in Iosue. Prosper. lib. de promiss. & prædict. Dei. P. 4. Theodoret. q. ult. in Gen. S. Gregory, lib. 30. Moral. c. 18. and many others upon the 7. chap. of the Apocalypse. Where they suppose S. John did omit Dan from amongst the Elect of the Israelitical Tribes, in detestation of Antichrist, to be born of that Tribe. And certain it is, that the Jews will receive and follow him for their Messias ^[2], as our Saviour himself saith: Which maketh it very probable, that he shall be a Jew born, else they would not so easily admit him.

1 Ancient Fathers suppose that Antichrist shall be of the tribe of Dan.
2 Ioan. 5.

Genesis 49:22

Joseph a child increasing.

^◦ Joseph was in many respect a figure of Christ, especially in that he was loved of his father before all his brethren, sold by his brethren to the Gentiles of envy and for money, advanced to dignity and authority, the deliverer of Ægypt from famine, and called Saviour of the world; all performed in Christ, the true Child increasing.

◦ Joseph in many things prefigured Christ.

Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0