{"id":1077,"date":"2021-02-28T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-02-28T18:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingthechurchfathers.wordpress.com\/?p=1077"},"modified":"2023-01-08T14:40:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-08T22:40:05","slug":"hippolytus-on-genesis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nemoslibrary.com\/patristics\/hippolytus-on-genesis\/","title":{"rendered":"Hippolytus: On Genesis"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Interpretation of Jacob’s Blessings<\/h4>\n

Gen. xlix. 3 Reuben, my first-born, thou art my strength, and the first of my children; hard to bear with, and hard and self-willed: thou hast waxed wanton as water; boil not over.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For there was a great display of strength made by God in behalf of His first-born people from Egypt. For in very many ways was the land of the Egyptians chastised. That first people of the circumcision is meant by \u201cmy strength, and the first of my children:\u201d even as God gave the promise to Abraham and to his seed. But \u201chard to bear with,\u201d because the people hardened itself against the obedience of God. And \u201chard, self-willed,\u201d because it was not only hard against the obedience of God, but also self-willed so as to set upon the Lord. \u201cThou hast waxed wanton,\u201d because in the instance of our Lord Jesus Christ the people waxed wanton against the Father. But \u201cboil not over,\u201d says the Spirit, by way of comfort, that it might not, by boiling utterly over, be spilt abroad,\u2014giving it hope of salvation. For what has boiled over and been spilt is lost.<\/p>\n

Gen. xlix. 4 For thou wentest up to thy father\u2019s bed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First he mentions the event,\u2014that in the last days the people will assault the bed of the Father, that is, the bride, the Church, with intent to corrupt her; which thing, indeed, it does even at this present day, assaulting her by blasphemies.<\/p>\n

Gen. xlix. 5 Simeon and Levi, brethren, fulfilled iniquity of their own choice. Into their counsel let not my soul enter, and in their assembly let not my heart contend; for in their anger they slew men, and in their passion they houghed a bull.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This he says regarding the conspiracy into which they were to enter against the Lord. And that he means this conspiracy, is evident to us. For the blessed David sings, \u201cRulers have taken counsel together against the Lord,\u201d and so forth. And of this conspiracy the Spirit prophesied, saying, \u201cLet not my soul contend,\u201d desiring to draw them off, if possible, so that that future crime might not happen through them. \u201cThey slew men, and houghed the bull;\u201d by the \u201cstrong bull\u201d he means Christ. And \u201cthey houghed,\u201d since, when He was suspended on the tree, they pierced through His sinews.<\/p>\n

But though as man He became one of the dead, He remained alive in the nature of divinity. For Christ is the bull,\u2014an animal, above all, strong and neat and devoted to sacred use. And the Son is Lord of all power, who did no sin, but rather offered Himself for us, a savour of a sweet smell to His God and Father. Therefore let those hear who houghed this august bull: \u201cCursed be their anger, for it was stubborn; and their wrath, for it was hardened.” But this people of the Jews dared to boast of houghing the bull: \u201cOur hands shed this.\u201d For this is nothing different, I think, from the word of folly: \u201cHis blood\u201d (be upon us), and so forth.<\/p>\n

Gen. xlix. 21\u201325 Nephthalim is a slender thing, showing beauty in the shoot. Joseph is a goodly son; my goodly, envied son; my youngest son. Turn back to me. Against him the archers took counsel together, and reviled him, and pressed him sore. And their bows were broken with might, and the sinews of the arms of their hands were relaxed by the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob. Thence is he who strengthened Israel from the God of thy father. And my God helped thee, and blessed thee with the blessing of heaven above, and with the blessing of the earth which possesseth all things, with the blessing of the breasts and womb, with the blessing of thy father and thy mother.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The word of prophecy passes again to Immanuel Himself. For, in my opinion, what is intended by it is just what has been already stated in the words, \u201cgiving increase of beauty in the case of the shoot.\u201d For he means that He increased and grew up into that which He had been from the beginning, and indicates the return to the glory which He had by nature. This, if we apprehend it correctly, is (we should say) just \u201crestored\u201d to Him. For as the only begotten Word of God, being God of God, emptied Himself, according to the Scriptures, humbling Himself of His own will to that which He was not before, and took unto Himself this vile flesh, and appeared in the \u201cform of a servant,\u201d and \u201cbecame obedient to God the Father, even unto death,\u201d so hereafter He is said to be \u201chighly exalted;\u201d and as if well-nigh He had it not by reason of His humanity, and as if it were in the way of grace, He \u201creceives the name which is above every name,\u201d according to the word of the blessed Paul. But the matter, in truth, was not a \u201cgiving,\u201d as for the first time, of what He had not by nature; far otherwise. But rather we must understand a return and restoration to that which existed in Him at the beginning, essentially and inseparably. And it is for this reason that, when He had assumed, by divine arrangement, the lowly estate of humanity, He said, \u201cFather, glorify me with the glory which I had,\u201d etc. For He who was co-existent with His Father before all time. and before the foundation of the world, always had the glory proper to Godhead. \u201cHe\u201d too may very well be understood as the \u201cyoungest (son).\u201d For He appeared in the last times, after the glorious and honourable company of the holy prophets, and simply once, after all those who, previous to the time of His sojourn, were reckoned in the number of sons by reason of excellence.<\/p>\n

Gen. xlix. 27 \u201cBenjamin is a ravening wolf; in the morning he shall devour still, and till evening he apportions food.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This thoroughly suits Paul, who was of the tribe of Benjamin. For when he was young, he was a ravening wolf; but when he believed, he \u201capportioned\u201d food. This also is shown us by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the tribe of Benjamin is among the first persecutors, which is the sense of \u201cin the morning.\u201d For Saul, who was of the tribe of Benjamin, persecuted David, who was appointed to be a type of the Lord.<\/p>\n

References:<\/h4>\n