§56Decem milia inquit Ephraem et milia Manasse, id est: et Iudaeorum et gentium dominetur et ex utroque populo adquirat sibi ecclesiae plenitudinem.
"Ten thousands," he says, "of Ephraim, and thousands of Manasseh," that is: may he rule over both Jews and Gentiles, and from both peoples acquire for himself the fullness of the church.
ideoque dextram suam super Ephraem posuit sanctus Iacob, eo quod legis dicentem illam in Canticis canticorum: fraternus meus candidus et rubeus, electus de decem milibus. denique etiam iuuenculae Dauid Mariae auctorem, ex cuius successione Christus est natus per uirginis partum, in decem milibus praedicabant, Saul autem in milibus, cum reuerentiae gratia circa regem magis praeponderare debuissent.
And for this reason holy Jacob placed his right hand upon Ephraim, because you read that she (the church) says in the Song of Songs: "My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of ten thousand." Finally, the young maidens also praised David, that is, the progenitor of Mary (from whose succession Christ was born through the virgin birth), among ten thousands, but Saul among thousands, although out of reverence they ought to have given more weight to the king.
qui ergo cornum Christi exaltauerit confessus eius gloriam ipse quoque accipit cornua.
He, therefore, who has exalted the horn of Christ by confessing his glory, himself also receives horns.
unde etiam sancti unicornui dicti sunt in psalmi uersiculo: et dilectus tamquam filius unicornuorum. etenim sicut animal huiusmodi, cum ei oriuntur cornua, processum plenioris significat aetatis, ita cum e capite quodam nostrae animae cornua pullulare coeperint, processum uidentur perfectioris significare uirtutis et tamdiu crescunt, quamdiu conpleantur.
Wherefore also the saints are called "unicorns" in a verse of the Psalm: "And the beloved is as the son of unicorns." For just as in an animal of this kind, when horns grow on it, this signifies the progress of a fuller age, so when from a certain head of our soul horns begin to sprout, they seem to signify the progress of a more perfect virtue, and they grow as long as they are completed.
hoc cornu dominus Iesus comminuit gentes, ut superstitionem obtereret, salutem redderet, sicut ipse ait: percutiam et sanabo. ideoque tamquam imitator tauri huius propheta dicit: in te inimicos nostros uentilabimus, id est altitudinem omnem eleuantem se aduersus dei scientiam destruentes.
With this horn the Lord Jesus shattered the nations, so that he might crush superstition and restore salvation, as he himself says: "I will strike and I will heal." And therefore, as an imitator of this bullock, the prophet says: "In you we shall push our enemies," that is, destroying every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
et ideo iuxta legem munda animalia cornua habent; lex enim spiritalis est.
And therefore, according to the law, clean animals have horns; for the law is spiritual.
qui enim possunt saeculi huius inlecebras uerbo dei et uirtutis obseruantia propulsare cornibus uelut quibusdam capitis sui armis uidentur esse muniti.
For those who are able to repel the allurements of this world by the word of God and the observance of virtue seem to be fortified with horns as if with certain weapons of their head.
meritoque et tuba cornea dicitur uirtus sermonis mirabilis, quae bonos milites Christi accendit ad proelium, ut de hoste diabolo manubias reportemus.
And deservedly is the power of the wondrous word called a "horn trumpet," which kindles the good soldiers of Christ to battle, so that we may bring back spoils from the enemy, the devil.
in acie igitur sumus et plurimos ex nobis uidemus in aduersariis castris esse captiuos.
We are, therefore, in the battle line, and we see very many of us captive in the adversaries' camp.
ii nobis iugo grauissimo seruitutis exuendi sunt.
These must be stripped of the most heavy yoke of servitude by us.
§57Plurimos lupos habet diabolus, quos ad Christi oues dirigit.
The devil has very many wolves, which he directs against the sheep of Christ.
et ideo intellegibilis Ioseph, ut oues seruaret suas, ipsum inimicum uenientem ad diripiendas oues rapuit lupum Paulum faciens ex persecutore doctorem.
And therefore the spiritual Joseph, in order to save his sheep, snatched the very enemy coming to plunder the sheep, making Paul a wolf from a persecutor into a teacher.
de quo dicit Iacob, sicut scriptum est: Beniamin lupus rapax, mane edet adhuc et ad uesperum diuidet escam principibus. lupus erat, cum dispergeret et deuoraret oues ecclesiae: sed qui lupus uenerat pastor est factus.
Concerning whom Jacob says, as it is written: "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning he shall still devour, and in the evening he shall divide the food to the rulers." He was a wolf, when he dispersed and devoured the sheep of the church; but he who had come as a wolf was made a shepherd.
lupus erat cum Saulus esset, quando intrabat in domos et uiros ac mulieres trahebat in carcerem.
He was a wolf when he was Saul, when he entered into houses and dragged men and women into prison.
lupus erat, quando spirans minas et homicidia in discipulos domini petebat epistulas a principibus sacerdotum, ut inuaderet seruulos Christi.
He was a wolf when, breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, he sought letters from the chief priests, so that he might invade the servants of Christ.
quem tamquam lupum nocturnis tenebris oberrantem offusa Iesus luce caecauit.
Jesus blinded him with shed light, as he was wandering about like a wolf in the darkness of night.
ideo Rachel cum pareret Beniamin, uocauit nomen eius filius doloris mei futurum prophetans ex ea tribu Paulum, qui adficeret filios ecclesiae persecutionis suae tempore et graui matrem dolore uexaret.
Therefore Rachel, when she gave birth to Benjamin, called his name "the son of my pain," prophesying that from that tribe would come Paul, who would afflict the sons of the church in the time of his persecution and vex his mother with heavy pain.
sed tamen idem postea principibus escam posteriore diuisit tempore euangelizans gentibus dei uerbum et plurimos ad fidem prouocans, qui eo disputante sicut legatus Pauli proconsulis et Publius princeps domini gratiam receperunt.
But yet the same man afterwards divided food to the rulers in the latter time, evangelizing the word of God to the Gentiles and provoking very many to faith, who, while he was disputing, received the grace of the Lord, just as the envoy of the proconsul Paulus and Publius the chief did.
§58pulchre autem etiam Moyses, cum benediceret Beniamin tribum, dixit: dilectus a domino habitabit fidens, et deus obumbrabit super eum omnibus diebus, et inter umeros requiescet dilectus a domino. qui etiam uas electionis est factus; neque enim aliter nisi domini est miseratione et amore conuersus.
Beautifully also Moses, when blessing the tribe of Benjamin, said: "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in confidence, and God shall overshadow him all his days, and the beloved of the Lord shall rest between his shoulders." Who was also made a chosen vessel; for he was not converted otherwise than by the mercy and love of the Lord.
unde et ipse nihil merito tribuens suo, sed totum deferens Christo ait: ego enim sum minimus apostolorum, qui non sum dignus uoeari apostolus, quoniam persecutus sum ecclesiam dei.
Wherefore also, attributing nothing to his own merit but deferring everything to Christ, he says: "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
gratia autem dei sum quod sum, et gratia eius egena in me non fuit. habitauit fidens in domo, quam ante uastabat, habitauit in tabernaculis Christi, qui ante sicut lupus errabat m siluis, et deus obumbrauit super eum, quando uisus est ei Christus.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace in me was not needy." He dwelt in confidence in the house which he formerly laid waste; he dwelt in the tabernacles of Christ, who formerly wandered in the forests like a wolf; and God overshadowed him when Christ appeared to him.
qui licet apertis oculis nihil uideret, tamen Christum uidebat.
Who, although with open eyes he saw nothing, yet saw Christ.
et merito uidebat praesentem, quem etiam audiebat loquentem.
And deservedly did he see him present, whom he also heard speaking.
non caecitatis est obumbratio ista, sed gratiae.
This is not an overshadowing of blindness, but of grace.
denique Mariae dicitur: spiritus sanctus superueniet in te et uirtus altissimi obumbrabit tibi. §59et inter umeros requiescet, hoc est inter bonos actus et opera pretiosa.
Finally, it is said to Mary: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you." "And he shall rest between his shoulders," that is, between good deeds and precious works.
nam et supra habes quod Isachar supposuit umerum suum ad laborandum et factus est uir agricola.
For also above you have that Issachar submitted his shoulder to labor and was made a husbandman.
quem Paulus imitatus posuit fidei nouella plantaria ideoque quasi bonus agricola dixit: ego plantaui, Apollo rigauit.
Paul, having imitated him, planted the young seedlings of faith, and therefore, like a good husbandman, he said: "I have planted, Apollos watered."