§33unde nos cum bene in uia currimus, caueamus necubi serpens lateat in semita et subruat uestigium equi, hoc est corporis nostri et deiciat subito equitem dormientem.
Therefore, when we run well in the way, let us take care lest a serpent lie hid anywhere in the path and undermine the track of the horse, that is, of our body, and suddenly cast down the sleeping rider.
nam si uigilemus, cauere debemus aliquatenus et morsus declinare serpentis.
For if we are awake, we ought to take care to some extent and avoid the bites of the serpent.
non ergo nos opprimat somnus neglegentiae, somnus saeculi, non opprimat somnus diuitiarum, ne et de nobis dicatur: obdormierunt somnum suum, et nihil inuenerunt omnes uiri diuitiarum. sed sunt et equites dormientes, de quibus scriptum est: dormitauerunt qui ascenderunt equos. si auaritia pectus tuum uulneret, si libido inflammet, dormis eques, et ideo corpus tuum, hoc est equum tuum non potes refrenare.
Therefore, let not the sleep of negligence, the sleep of the world, oppress us, nor let the sleep of riches oppress us, lest it be said also of us: "They have slept their sleep, and all the men of riches have found nothing." But there are also sleeping riders, of whom it is written: "They have slumbered who mounted horses." If avarice wounds your breast, if lust inflames you, you sleep, O rider, and therefore you cannot rein in your body, that is, your horse.
uigila ergo, ut etiamsi deiectus fueris, hoc est mortuus fueris, non obdormias.
Watch therefore, so that even if you are cast down, that is, have died, you may not fall asleep.
qui enim obdormiunt somnum suum nihil inueniunt; tu autem expecta salutem a domino, uenturam respice, ut gratiam resurrectionis inuenias.
For those who sleep their sleep find nothing; but you, expect salvation from the Lord, look to that which is to come, so that you may find the grace of resurrection.
dormiebat Iudas: denique uerba Christi non audiebat.
Judas was sleeping; hence he did not hear the words of Christ.
dormiebat ludas et quidem somnum diuitiarum, qui mercedem de proditione quaerebat.
Judas was sleeping, and indeed the sleep of riches, since he was seeking a reward from betrayal.
uidit eum dormientem diabolus et oppressum auaritiae somno graui: misit se in cor eius, uulnerauit equum, deiecit equitem, quem separauit a Christo.
The devil saw him sleeping and oppressed by the heavy sleep of avarice; he entered into his heart, wounded the horse, cast down the rider, whom he separated from Christ.
§34hanc trib um benedixit Moyses dicens: Dan catulus leonis et effugiet ex Basan, hoc est ex confusione.
Moses blessed this tribe, saying: "Dan is a lion's whelp, and he shall escape from Bashan," that is, from confusion.
unde secundum Graecum magis intellegere debemus, ex quo Latinus transtulit, quod Dan ipse factus sit serpens in uia sedens.
Whence we ought rather to understand according to the Greek, from which the Latin translated, that Dan himself became a serpent sitting in the way.
Dan iudicium interpretatur, et ideo graue periculum iudicii tribus ista subiit, cui serpens inlapsus antichristus est, qui currentem suis sauciaret uenenis.
Dan is interpreted as "judgment," and therefore that tribe underwent a heavy danger of judgment, into which the serpent that glided is the Antichrist, who would wound the runner with his poisons.
sed tamen ipsa tribus liberabitur a confusione, cum fuerit confessa equitem resurgentem, qui ait: qui me confusus fuerit coram hominibus, confundam et ego eum coram patre meo, qui caelis est.
But nevertheless the tribe itself will be freed from confusion when it has confessed the rising rider, who says: "He who is ashamed of me before men, I also will shame him before my Father who is in heaven.
qui autem me confessus fuerit coram hominibus, confitebor et ego eum coram patre meo, qui in caelis est. §35Gad, temptatio temptabit eum, et ipse temptabit eos secus pedes. temptatio est congregatio et astutia scribarum et sacerdotum, qui dominum Iesum de tributo Caesaris et de Iohannis baptismate, ut docuit scriptura, temptabant, quibus dominus Iesus in sua iustitia temptamentum retorsit.
But he who confesses me before men, I also will confess him before my Father who is in heaven." "Gad, temptation shall tempt him, and he himself shall tempt them at their feet." The temptation is the gathering and craftiness of the scribes and priests, who, as the scripture taught, were tempting the Lord Jesus concerning the tribute to Caesar and the baptism of John, upon whom the Lord Jesus in his justice threw back the temptation.
secus pedes, hoc est continuo sine ulla deliberatione referens, quo temptantes magis ipse concluderet.
"At their feet," that is, immediately returning [the question] without any deliberation, by which he might rather shut in those who were tempting him.
dicentibus enim: in qua potestate haec facis? non ad quaesita respondit, sed etiam ipse proposuit dicens: interrogabo uos et ego unum uerbum.
For when they said: "By what authority do you do these things?" he did not answer what was asked, but also himself proposed, saying: "I also will ask you one word.
quod si dixeritis mihi, et ego uobis dicam in qua potestate haec facio. iterum dicentibus: licet tributum dare Caesari an non? ait: quid me temptatis, hypocritae? ostendite mihi nomisma census.
If you tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things." When they said again: "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?" he said: "Why do you tempt me, hypocrites?
et offerentes iterum interrogauit: cuius est imago et superscriptio? dicunt ei: Caesaris. ibi igitur eos ligauit ipsorum sermonibus, ipsorum obligatione constrinxit — tunc ait illis: reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari et quae sunt dei deo —, ut contra uerba sua uenire non possent.
Show me the coin of the tribute." And when they offered it, he asked again: "Whose image and inscription is this?" They say to him: "Caesar's." There, therefore, he bound them by their own words, and constrained them by their own obligation—then he said to them: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's"—so that they could not go against their own words.
denique mirati abierunt ab eo.
Finally, wondering, they departed from him.
sed non est mirum, si secus pedes » respondebat, qui ante pedes uidebat.
But it is no wonder if he answered "at their feet," who saw before his feet.
§36exposuit euidenter Moyses hanc prophetiam Iacob sancti esse de Christo; sic enim ait:. benedictus qui ampliauit Gad.
Moses evidently showed that this prophecy of holy Jacob is concerning Christ; for he says: "Blessed is he who enlarged Gad.
sicut leo requieuit confringens bracchia et principes.
He rested like a lion, breaking arms and princes.
et uidit ab initio suo quia ibi diuisa est terra principum collectorum simul cum principibus populorum; iustitiam dominus fecit et iudicium Istrahel.
And he saw from his beginning that there was divided the land of the princes gathered together along with the princes of the peoples; the Lord did justice and the judgment of Israel."