Moyses blessing the tribes of Israel (Simeon omitted) prophesieth particularly of every one. 26. Again exhorteth them, that as God hath chosen them his peculiar people, so they love and honour him their only God.Moyses blessing the tribes of Israel (Simeon omitted) prophecyeth particularly of euerie one. 26. Againe exhorteth them, that as God hath chosen them his peculiar people, so they loue and honour him their onlie God.
This is the blessing, wherewith Moyses the man of God blessed the children of Israel, before his death.THIS is the blessing, wherwith Moyses the man of God blessed the children of Israel, before his death.Hæc est benedictio, qua benedixit Moyses, homo Dei, filiis Israël ante mortem suam.
2And he said: Our Lord came from Sinai, and from Seir he is risen to us: he hath appeared from mount Pharan, and with him thousands of Saints. In his right hand a fiery law.And he said: Our Lord came from Sinai, and from Seir he is risen to vs : he hath appeared from mount Pharan, and with him thousandes of Sainctes. In his right hand a fyrie law.Et ait : Dominus de Sinai venit, et de Seir ortus est nobis : apparuit de monte Pharan, et cum eo sanctorum millia. In dextera ejus ignea lex.
3He hath loved the peoples, all the saints are in his hand: and they that approach to his feet, shall receive of his doctrine.He hath loued the peoples, al the saintes are in his hand : and they that approch to his feete, shal receiue of his doctrine.Dilexit populos, omnes sancti in manu illius sunt : et qui appropinquant pedibus ejus, accipient de doctrina illius.
4Moyses commanded us a law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.Moyses commanded vs a law, the inheritance of the multitude of Iacob.Legem præcepit nobis Moyses, hæreditatem multitudinis Jacob.
5He shall be king with the most right, the princes of the people being assembled with the tribes of Israel.He shal be king with the most right, the princes of the people being assembled with the tribes of Israel.Erit apud rectissimum rex, congregatis principibus populi cum tribubus Israël.
6Live Ruben, and die he not, and be he little in number.Liue Ruben, and die he not, and be he litle in number.Vivat Ruben, et non moriatur, et sit parvus in numero.
7This is the blessing of Juda: Hear Lord the voice of Juda, and bring him in unto his people: his hands shall fight for him, and he shall be his helper against his adversaries.This is the blessing of Iudas: Heare Lord the voice of Iudas, and bring him in vnto his people: his handes shal fight for him, and he shal be his helper against his aduersaries.Hæc est Judæ benedictio : Audi, Domine, vocem Judæ, et ad populum suum introduc eum : manus ejus pugnabunt pro eo, et adjutor illius contra adversarios ejus erit.
8To Levi also he said: Thy perfection, and thy doctrine be to thy holy man, whom thou hast proved in not enticement to sin: a trial, a testing, a proving · Vulgate: *tentatione*, and judged at the Waters of contradiction.To Leui also he said: Thy perfection, and thy doctrine be to thy holie man, whom thou hast proued in tentation, and iudged at the Waters of contradiction.Levi quoque ait : Perfectio tua, et doctrina tua viro sancto tuo, quem probasti in tentatione, et judicasti ad aquas contradictionis.
9He that said to his father, and to his mother: I know you not; and to his brethren: I know you not: and they knew not their children. These kept thy word, and observed thy covenant,He that said to his father, and to his mother: I know you not; and to his brethren: I know you not: & they knew not their children. These kept thy word, and obserued thy couenant,Qui dixit patri suo et matri suæ : Nescio vos : et fratribus suis : Ignoro vos : et nescierunt filios suos. Hi custodierunt eloquium tuum, et pactum tuum servaverunt.
10thy judgments O Jacob, and thy law O Israel: they shall put incense in thy fury, and not the modern sense of mass slaughter: a whole burnt offering, wholly consumed on the altar · Vulgate: *holocaustum* upon thine altar.thy iudgementes o Iacob, and thy law o Israel: they shal put incense in thy furie, and holocaust vpon thyne altar.Judicia tua, o Jacob, et legem tuam, o Israël : ponent thymiama in furore tuo, et holocaustum super altare tuum.
11Bless Lord his strength, and receive the works of his hands. Strike the backs of his enemies, and they that hate him, let them not rise up.Blesse Lord his strength, and receiue the workes of his handes. Strike the backes of his enemies, and they that hate him, let them not rise vp.Benedic, Domine, fortitudini ejus : et opera manuum illius suscipe. Percute dorsa inimicorum ejus : et qui oderunt eum, non consurgant.
12And to Benjamin he said: The best beloved of our Lord shall dwell not in a self-assured manner: securely, in safety, without fear · Vulgate: *confidenter* in him: as in a bride chamber all the day shall he abide, and between his shoulders shall he rest.And to Beniamin he said: The best beloued of our Lord shal dwel confidently in him : as in a bride chamber al the day shal he abide, and betwen his shoulders shal he rest.Et Benjamin ait : Amantissimus Domini habitabit confidenter in eo : quasi in thalamo tota die morabitur, et inter humeros illius requiescet.
13To Joseph also he said: Of the blessing of our Lord be his land, of the fruits of heaven, and the dew, and the depth lying underneath.To Ioseph also he said: Of the blessing of our Lord be his land, of the fruites of heauen, and the dew, & the depth lying vnderneth .Joseph quoque ait : De benedictione Domini terra ejus, de pomis cæli, et rore, atque abysso subjacente.
14Of the archaic: fruits, the apple-like produce of trees · Vulgate: *pomis* of the fruits of the sun and moon,Of the pomes of the fruites of the sunne and moone,De pomis fructuum solis ac lunæ,
15of the tops of the old mountains, of the pomes of the eternal hills:of the toppes of the old mountaynes, of the pomes of the eternal hilles :de vertice antiquorum montium, de pomis collium æternorum :
16and of the fruits of the earth, and of the fulness thereof. The blessing of him, that appeared in the bush, come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Vulgate: *nazaræi*: one separated and consecrated, here Joseph set apart among his brethren among his brethren.and of the fruites of the earth, and of the fulnes therof. The blessing of him, that appeared in the bush, come vpon the head of Ioseph, and vpon the crowne of the nazarite among his brethren.et de frugibus terræ, et de plenitudine ejus. Benedictio illius qui apparuit in rubo, veniat super caput Joseph, et super verticem nazaræi inter fratres suos.
17His beauty as of the first born of an ox, his horns the horns of an not the mythical one-horned horse: a beast of great strength, the wild ox or rhinoceros · Vulgate: *rhinocerotis*, in them shall he archaic: to scatter and drive away, as chaff is tossed from the grain · Vulgate: *ventilabit* the Nations even to the ends of the earth. these are the multitudes of Ephraim, and these the thousands of Manasses.His beautie as of the first borne of an oxe, his hornes the hornes of an vnicorne, in them shal he winow the Nations euen to the endes of the earth. these are the multitudes of Ephraim, and these the thousandes of Manasses.Quasi primogeniti tauri pulchritudo ejus, cornua rhinocerotis cornua illius : in ipsis ventilabit gentes usque ad terminos terræ. Hæ sunt multitudines Ephraim : et hæc millia Manasse.
18And to Zabulon he said: Rejoice Zabulon in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tabernacles.And to Zabulon he said: Reioyse Zabulon in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tabernacles.Et Zabulon ait : Lætare, Zabulon, in exitu tuo, et Issachar in tabernaculis tuis.
19They shall call the people to the mountain: there shall they not to burn alive: to offer in sacrifice, to slay as a victim · Vulgate: *immolabunt* the victims of justice. Who shall suck the inundation of the sea as milk, and the hidden treasures of the sands.They shal cal the people to the mountaine: there shal they immolate the victimes of iustice. Who shal sucke the inundation of the sea as milke, and the hidden treasures of the sandes.Populos vocabunt ad montem : ibi immolabunt victimas justitiæ. Qui inundationem maris quasi lac sugent, et thesauros absconditos arenarum.
20And to Gad he said: Blessed be Gad in breadth: as a lion hath rested, and taken the arm and the top of the head.And to Gad he said: Blessed be Gad in breadth: as a lion hath rested, and taken the arme and the toppe of the head.Et Gad ait : Benedictus in latitudine Gad : quasi leo requievit, cepitque brachium et verticem.
21And he saw his principality, that in his part the not a physician: a teacher, an expounder of the law · Vulgate: *doctor* was reposed: which was with the princes of the people, and did the justices of our Lord, and his judgment with Israel.And he saw his principalitie, that in his part the doctor was reposed: which was with the princes of the people, and did the iustices of our Lord, and his iudgement with Israel.Et vidit principatum suum, quod in parte sua doctor esset repositus : qui fuit cum principibus populi, et fecit justitias Domini, et judicium suum cum Israël.
22To Dan also he said: Dan a lion's whelp, he shall flow largely from Basan.To Dan also he said: Dan a lions whelpe, he shal flow largely from Basan.Dan quoque ait : Dan catulus leonis, fluet largiter de Basan.
23And to Nephthali he said: Nephthali shall enjoy abundance, and shall be full of the blessings of our Lord: the sea and the south he shall possess.And to Nephthali he said: Nephthali shal enioy abundance, and shal be ful of the blessinges of our Lord: the sea and the south he shal possesse.Et Nephthali dixit : Nephthali abundantia perfruetur, et plenus erit benedictionibus Domini : mare et meridiem possidebit.
24To Aser also he said: Blessed be Aser in children, be he acceptable to his brethren, and dip he in oil his foot.To Aser also he said: Blessed be Aser in children, be he acceptable to his brethren, and dippe he in oile his foote.Aser quoque ait : Benedictus in filiis Aser, sit placens fratribus suis, et tingat in oleo pedem suum :
25His shoe iron and brass. As the days of thy youth, so also thy old age.His shoe yron and brasse. As the daies of thy youth, so also thy old age.ferrum et æs calceamentum ejus. Sicut dies juventutis tuæ, ita et senectus tua.
26There is no other God as the God of the rightest: the archaic: one who ascends or rides upon; the rider · Vulgate: *ascensor* of heaven is thy helper. By his magnificence the clouds run hither and thither,There is no other God as the God of the rightest: the mounter of heauen is thy helper. By his magnificence the cloudes runne hither and thither,Non est deus alius ut Deus rectissimi, ascensor cæli, auxiliator tuus. Magnificentia ejus discurrunt nubes,
27his habitation is above, and under the everlasting arms: he shall cast out the enemy from thy face, and shall say: Be destroyed.his habitation is aboue, and vnder the euerlasting armes: he shal cast out the enemie from thy face, and shal say: Be destroyed.habitaculum ejus sursum, et subter brachia sempiterna ejiciet a facie tua inimicum, dicetque : Conterere.
28Israel shall dwell confidently, and alone. The eye of Jacob in the land of corn and wine, and the heavens shall be misty with dew.Israel shal dwel confidently, and alone. The eie of Iacob in the land of corne and wine, and the heauens shal be mistie with dew.Habitabit Israël confidenter, et solus. Oculus Jacob in terra frumenti et vini, cælique caligabunt rore.
29Blessed art thou Israel: who is like to thee O people, that art saved in our Lord? the shield of thy help, and the sword of thy glory: thy enemies shall deny thee, and thou shalt tread their necks.Blessed art thou Israel: who is like to thee o people, that art saued in our Lord? the shield of thy helpe, and the sword of thy glorie: thy enemies shal denie thee, and thou shalt treade their neckes.Beatus es tu, Israël : quis similis tui, popule, qui salvaris in Domino ? Scutum auxilii tui, et gladius gloriæ tuæ : negabunt te inimici tui, et tu eorum colla calcabis.
Annotations
2Came from Sinai. According to the history Moyses recounteth here three benefits. First that God gave the Law in Sinai. (Exod. 20.) Secondly, he cured those which were bitten with serpents near to Seir. (Num. 21.) Thirdly in mount Pharan he appointed Seventy ancients to assist Moyses in judgments (Num. 11.) But according to the Mystery, which (specially) is intended, S. Augustin (q. 56. in Deut.) saith this prophecy is not so negligently passed over. For it evidently appeareth that this benediction pertaineth to a new people, whom Christ our Lord hath sanctified, in whose person Moyses spake and not in his own. So in this prophetical and proper sense (saith this Doctor) our Lord and Saviour cometh from Sinai, which is interpreted tentation, when he passed the tentation of his passion and death, Heb. 2. 7. 18. Christ riseth from Seir, interpreted hairy, for that is the similitude of the flesh of sin, even of sin, he damned sin in the flesh. Rom. 8. v. 3. He appeareth from mount Pharan interpreted fruitful mountain, in that he giveth abundance of grace in his Church of the new Testament; which is a city set upon a hill. Mat. 5.