§52Unde et conualuit super omnes montes et desideria collium aeternorum.
And so, he (Christ) prevailed over all the mountains and the desires of the everlasting hills.
super omnes enim illos sublimis meriti uiros patriarchas et prophetas et apostolos, sed etiam ultra solem lunam archangelos tamquam caeli lumen emicuit, sicut ipse ait: non est discipulus super magistrum nec seruus super dominum.
For he shone forth like the light of heaven, transcending all those men of sublime merit — patriarchs, prophets, and apostles — and even beyond the sun, moon, and archangels, as he himself says: "A disciple is not above his master, nor a servant above his lord." For who among them was there to whom all things were subjected, to which he himself granted that they exist?
quis enim illorum fuit cui subiecta essent omnia, quibus ipse donauit quod erant? in quo benedicuntur omnes sancti eius, quia ipse est super capita omnium caput omnium — caput enim mulieris uir, caput uiri Christus — et super uertices omnium, quia ipse est supereminens uertex uniuersorum, sed iustorum est uertex altissimus, quos fratres uocat adquisitos per gratiam et quoddam regenerationis consortium.
In whom all his saints are blessed, because he himself is the head of all heads above all — for the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the man is Christ — and above the summits of all, because he himself is the pre-eminent summit of all, but he is the highest summit of the righteous, whom he calls "brothers" acquired through grace and a certain fellowship of regeneration.
unde et fratribus Ioseph illos magis fratres intellegimus, de quibus dicit in psalmo: narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis, in medio ecclesiae cantabo tibi. §53Denique et Moyses completurus uitae istius cursum, cum benediceret tribum Ioseph, non illum utique iam defunctum Ioseph, sed Christum benedicebat, sicut habes scriptum de Ioseph: a benedictione domini terra eius, a finibus caeli et a rore et ab abyssis fontium deorsum et secundum horam factum solis cursus et a conuenientibus mensibus et a uertice montium ab initio et a uertice collium aeternorum et ad horam terrae plenitudinis et ab eo qui uisus est in rubo ueniat super caput Ioseph et super uerticem ipsius.
Wherefore also, rather than the brothers of Joseph, we understand those to be his brothers, concerning whom he says in the Psalm: "I will declare your name to my brethren, in the midst of the church I will sing to you." Finally, Moses also, when about to complete the course of this life, in blessing the tribe of Joseph, was by no means blessing that Joseph who was already dead, but was blessing Christ, as you have it written of Joseph: "By the blessing of the Lord is his land, from the limits of heaven and from the dew and from the abysses of the fountains below, and according to the season produced by the course of the sun, and from the coming months, and from the summit of the mountains from the beginning, and from the summit of the everlasting hills, and to the season of the fullness of the earth; and may the blessing of him who appeared in the bush come upon the head of Joseph and upon his summit, who is honorable among his brethren.
honorificus inter fratres. primogenitus tauri decus eius, cornua unicornui.
His beauty is as the firstling of a bullock, his horns as the horns of a unicorn.
in ipsis gentes uentilabit simul usque ad extremum terrae.
With them he shall push the nations together even to the end of the earth.
ipsae myriades Ephraem et ipsae chiliades Manasses. §54benedictio eadem est, quae omnem habet caelestium et terrestrium plenitudinem et specialem Christi gratiam, qui uisus in rubo dixit ad ipsum Moysen: solue calciamentum pedum tuorum, qui est super omnes deus, quia ipse caput corporis, ecclesiae, qui est principium, primogenitus ex mortuis, ut fiat in omnibus ipse primatum tenens, quoniam in ipso conplacuit omnem plenitudinem inhabitare.
These are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh." This blessing is the same which possesses all the fullness of heavenly and earthly things, and the special grace of Christ, who, appearing in the bush, said to Moses himself: "Loose the shoe from your feet," who is God over all, because he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold the primacy in all things, since it pleased him that all fullness should dwell in him.
et ideo soli benedictionis huius praerogatiua defertur a summitate caeli usque ad extremum terrae.
And therefore, the prerogative of this blessing is deferred to him alone, from the height of heaven even to the end of the earth.
ipse est enim ante omnes, in quo constant omnia, qui etiam per sanguinem crucis suae pacificauit omnia siue quae in terris siue quae in caelo sunt.
For he himself is before all, in whom all things consist, who also through the blood of his cross pacified all things, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
cuius typum praeferens pulcre benedicitur sanctus Ioseph, ut honorificetur inter fratres.
Foreshadowing his type, holy Joseph is beautifully blessed, so that he might be honored among his brethren.
§55Primogenitus tauri decus eius habens cornua unicornui, in quibus gentes uentilabit. et bonus taurus quasi hostia pro delictis et totius mundi uictima, ut pacificaret omnia.
"His beauty is as the firstling of a bullock, having the horns of a unicorn, with which he shall push the nations." And the good bullock is like a host for sins and a victim for the whole world, so that he might pacify all things.
cuius decus sanctum; omne enim sanctum primogenitum, sicut alibi demonstrauimus, unde Leui non aetatis ordine, sed sacrae successionis praerogatiua primogenitus meruit nuncupar.
Whose beauty is holy; for every holy thing is the firstborn, as we have demonstrated elsewhere, whence Levi, not by order of age, but by the prerogative of sacred succession, deserved to be called the firstborn.
et uere sanctum decus eius, de quo scriptum est resurgente: speciosus forma prae filiis hominum, quia ipse est primogenitus ex mortuis, habens cornua unicornui.
And truly holy is his beauty, of whom it is written at his resurrection: "Beautiful in form above the sons of men," because he himself is the firstborn from the dead, having the horns of a unicorn.
sed cum dixerit cornua, quomodo unicornui posuerit requirendum, cum ipsum unicornuum inter generationes ferarum, ut periti aiunt, non inueniatur.
But when he spoke of "horns" (plural), how he placed "of a unicorn" (singular) must be inquired, since the unicorn itself is not found among the generations of wild beasts, as the learned say.
et ideo uerbum unicum magis aestimare debemus, quia substantiuum uerbum dei unum est.
And therefore, we ought rather to value the "unique Word" (uerbum unicum), because the substantial Word of God is one.
non multa uerba.
Not many words.
unde et Anna ait: dominus iudicat finis terrae, et dabit uirtutem regi et exaltabit cornum christi sui, et Esaias ait: uinea facta est dilecto in cornu in loco uberi, quoniam in dei filio unigenito floret ecclesia tenens unicum dei uerbum, in quo est uirtutis atque sapientiae plenitudo, cuius ubertate seges fidei pullulauit.
Whence also Hannah says: "The Lord judges the ends of the earth, and he will give power to his king, and will exalt the horn of his Christ," and Isaiah says: "A vineyard was made for my beloved on a horn (hill) in a fruitful place," since in the Son of God the only-begotten the church flourishes, holding the unique Word of God, in whom is the fullness of power and wisdom, by whose fertility the harvest of faith has germinated.
quod uerbum sequuntur sancti.
Which Word the saints follow.