Ambrose of Milan

On the Patriarchs

This theological commentary focuses on the blessings bestowed by the patriarch Jacob upon his sons and grandsons in Genesis, as well as the blessings of Moses in Deuteronomy. The author rejects a purely historical or literal Jewish interpretation, instead reading these prophetic words spiritually and allegorically as prefigurations of the coming of Christ, His incarnation, passion, and the ultimate triumph of the Church. In the opening sections, the blessings on Reuben, Levi, and especially Judah are analyzed in detail, linking them to Christ's divinity, kingship, death, and resurrection. As the work progresses, the blessings of the other brothers are interpreted as symbols representing the temptations of the devil, the rise of the Antichrist, the salvation of the Gentiles, and the spiritual nourishment provided by Christ. Finally, the commentary turns to Joseph and Benjamin, associating them with the supremacy of Christ and the conversion and mission of the Apostle Paul. Throughout the work, the Old Testament prophecies are shown to find their ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament Church.