§12quis enim facta Christi potuit adaequare? tum praeterea immaculatus et castus de hoc terreno deuorsorio et inpuritatis auctoribus manubias reportauit, locum stupris et flagitiis uacantem ad incolatum sanctorum uerbis caelestibus et gladio capiens spiritali, ut ubi inhabitatores ante lasciuiae et principes luxuriae uersabantur, ubi fuerant incentiua libidinis et fomenta nequitiae, ibi nunc sancti sacerdotes magisteria doceant castitatis et plurima uirginalis integritatis exempla quodam supernae lucis fulgore resplendeant.
For who could equal the deeds of Christ? Moreover, the immaculate and chaste one brought back spoils from this earthly lodging-house and the authors of impurity, taking with heavenly words and a spiritual sword a place free from defilements and crimes for the habitation of the saints, so that where formerly inhabitants of wantonness and princes of luxury used to dwell, where there had been incentives of lust and fuel for wickedness, there now holy priests may teach the lessons of chastity and numerous examples of virginal integrity may shine with a certain brightness of heavenly light.
§13Tribus igitur sunt quae designanturnominibus patriarcharum, quia de tribu Svmeon scribae sunt, de tribu Leui principes sacerdotum, qui perfecerunt nequitiam suam in domini passione mensuram omnem paternae inpietatis inplentes.
Therefore, there are three tribes that are designated by the names of the patriarchs, because from the tribe of Simeon are the scribes, and from the tribe of Levi are the chief priests, who completed their wickedness in the passion of the Lord, filling up every measure of paternal impiety.
ipsi consilium cogitauerunt aduersum dominum Iesum, ut occiderent eum, sicut Esaias dicit: uae animae ipsorum, quia cogitauerunt consilium malum aduersum se dicentes: alligemus iustum, quia inutilis est nobis. ipsi occiderunt prophetas et apostolos adnuntiantes domini salutaris aduentum, passionis eius et resurrectionis gloriam praedicantes.
They themselves devised counsel against the Lord Jesus, to kill Him, as Isaiah says: "Woe to their soul, because they have devised evil counsel against themselves, saying: Let us bind the just, because he is useless to us." They themselves killed the prophets and apostles announcing the saving coming of the Lord, preaching the glory of His passion and resurrection.
ipsi postea in sua cupiditate. quia terrena flagitia desiderabant diuina consortia refugientes, corporis castimoniam, sobrietatem mentis, contemptum pecuniae, lucrum gratiae, subneruauerunt taurum, illum uidelicet cornua producentem et ungulas, quem uident pauperes et laetantur, quoniam uerbo dei exaltauit cornum populi sui, quo et inimicos reppulit et praemium coronae caelestis emeruit.
They themselves afterwards in their desire (because desiring earthly crimes they shrank from divine fellowship) hamstrung the bull, denying chastity of body, sobriety of mind, contempt of money, and the gain of grace—that bull, namely, that puts forth horns and hoofs, whom the poor see and rejoice, because by the word of God He exalted the horn of His people, by which He both repelled enemies and earned the reward of the heavenly crown.
hic est taurus, quo ecclesia figuratur in luna tunc plenior, cum uelut cornibus nixa taurinis spatium totius orbis includit.
This is the bull by which the church is figured in the moon, then fuller when, as if leaning on bull's horns, it encloses the space of the whole world.
§14tamen prophetiae huic etiam gratiam uidetur benedictionis adiungere.
Yet he seems also to add the grace of blessing to this prophecy.
nam et ad primogenitum Ruben dicendo: nonefferuescasut aqua peccatum statuit, quia aqua mundare magis delicta mentesque nostras ab omni solet uitiorum feruore reuocare, et iterum dicendo ad Symeon et Leui: diuidam uos in Iacob et dispergam in Istrahel ostendit gentium congregatione redimendos; percusso enim pastore grex ille dispersus est, qui fuerat ante conlectus, ut qui non erat introiret et sic omnis Istrahel saluus fieret.
For both by saying to the firstborn Reuben: "Do not boil over like water," he established the sin (since water is accustomed rather to cleanse offenses and to recall our minds from all fervor of vices), and again by saying to Simeon and Levi: "I will divide you in Jacob and scatter you in Israel," he showed that they were to be redeemed by the gathering of the nations; for when the shepherd was smitten, that flock which had been gathered before was scattered, so that he who was not of it might enter, and thus all Israel might be saved.
et maxime propter tribum Leui debemus hoc credere, quia ex ea tribu dominus Iesus uidetur secundum corporis susceptionem genus ducere.
And we ought to believe this especially on account of the tribe of Levi, because from that tribe the Lord Jesus seems to draw His lineage according to the assumption of the body.
ex qua tribu sunt sacerdotes Leui et Nathan, quos sanctus Lucas in euangelii libro, quem ipse scripsit, inter maiores domini conputauit.
From which tribe are the priests Levi and Nathan, whom holy Luke, in the book of the Gospel which he himself wrote, computed among the ancestors of the Lord.
sacerdos enim patris et princeps omnium sacerdotum, sicut scriptum est: tu es sacerdos in aeternum, sacerdotalis originis successionem debuit uindicare.
For the priest of the Father and prince of all priests, as it is written: "You are a priest forever," ought to claim the succession of priestly origin.
§15unde et Moyses benedixit hanc tribum dicens: date Leui sortem suffragii sui et ueritatem eius uiro sancto. benedixit Moyses etiam tribum Ruben, sicut habes scriptum: uiuat Ruben et non moriatur et sit multus in numero. neque enim benedixisset, si secundum patriarchae sententiam benedictionis scisset indignos.
Whence also Moses blessed this tribe, saying: "Give to Levi his lot of suffrage, and his truth to the holy man." Moses also blessed the tribe of Reuben, as you have written: "Let Reuben live and not die, and let him be great in number." For he would not have blessed them if, according to the patriarch's sentence, he had known them to be unworthy of blessing.
certe quod strictim ille praeteriit iste conpleuit.
Certainly what that one passed over briefly, this one completed.
Et quia per admixtionem generis Iuda et Leui tribus iunctae sunt, ideo Matthaeus ex tribu Iuda discribit eius familiam.
And because by the admixture of lineage the tribes of Judah and Levi were joined, therefore Matthew describes His family from the tribe of Judah.
§16et apostolus ait: quoniam de Iuda ortus est dominus noster, ut ex tribu Leui sacerdotalis et plena sanctitatis adnumeretur hereditas, ex tribu autem Iuda, ex qua Dauid et Solomon et reliqui reges fuerunt. regalis successionis splendor effulgeat, ut idem rex et sacerdos scripturarum testimonio demonstretur.
And the apostle says: "Since our Lord arose from Judah," so that from the tribe of Levi the priestly heritage full of holiness might be numbered, and from the tribe of Judah, from which David and Solomon and the rest of the kings were, the splendor of royal succession might shine forth, so that the same person might be demonstrated as king and priest by the testimony of the Scriptures.
meritoque se circa gratiam Iudae Iacob sanctus effudit dicens: Iuda, te laudabunt fratres tui; manus tuae super dorsum inimicorum tuorum, adorabunt te filii patris tui.
And deservedly did holy Jacob pour himself out concerning the grace of Judah, saying: "Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hands shall be upon the back of your enemies; the sons of your father shall adore you.
catulus leonis Iuda. ex germine, fili, mihi ascendisti.
Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
recumbens dormisti ut leo et tamquam catulus: quis suscitabit eum? non deerit index ex Iuda et princeps de femoribus eius, donec uenit cui repositum est, et ipse exspectatio gentium: alligans ad uitem asinam suam et cilicio pullum asinae suae lauabit in uino stolam suam et in sanguine uuae anaboladium suum: hilares oculi eius a uino et dentes \'candidiores quam lac.
Couching, you slept as a lion and as a whelp: who shall rouse him? A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until he comes to whom it is laid up, and he shall be the expectation of the nations: binding his ass to the vine, and his ass's colt to the haircloth, he shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape. His eyes are cheerful with wine, and his teeth whiter than milk."