# Of the blessing which Jacob promised in Judah his son explained — The City of God

> Chapter companion for The City of God by Augustine of Hippo.

## What happens

Augustine interprets Jacob's prophetic blessing of Judah as a direct prophecy of Christ, emphasizing the voluntary nature of His death, His resurrection, and the establishment of the Church. He connects the imagery of the lion, the wine, and the teeth to Christ's power, the Eucharist, and spiritual nourishment, concluding that Christ is the fulfillment of the promise to Judah and the expectation of the nations.

## Themes in this chapter

### Sin, Grace, and Redemption

Christ's voluntary death and resurrection redeem humanity; His blood cleanses sin, symbolized by washing the robe in wine.

### True Worship and the One God

The prophecy of Judah points to Christ as the true object of worship, the expectation of the nations, in contrast to pagan deities.

### Eschatology and the Last Things

The prophecy looks forward to Christ's coming and the fulfillment of God's promises, culminating in the expectation of the nations.

## Character check-ins

### Jacob

Jacob, also called Israel, blesses his son Judah prophetically while dying in Egypt.

### Judah

Judah is the tribe from which Christ sprang; Jacob's blessing foretells Christ's coming.

### Jesus Christ

Christ is the fulfillment of the prophecy: He voluntarily lays down His life, rises again, and is the expectation of the nations.

### Abraham

Abraham is the patriarch through whose seed the flesh of Christ is traced, via Isaac and Jacob.

### Isaac

Isaac is the son of Abraham through whom the lineage to Christ continues, excluding Esau.

## Key lines

> Judah, thy brethren shall praise thee: thy hands shall be on the back of thine enemies; thy father's children shall adore thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the sprouting, my son, thou art gone up: lying down, thou hast slept as a lion, and as a lion's whelp; who shall awake him? A prince shall not be lacking out of Judah, and a leader from his thighs, until the things come that are laid up for him; and He shall be the expectation of the nations. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's foal to the choice vine; he shall wash his robe in wine, and his clothes in the blood of the grape: his eyes are red with wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

Jacob prophesies that Judah will be praised by his brothers and victorious over enemies. He compares Judah to a lion's cub that lies down and sleeps, asking who will rouse him, signifying Christ's voluntary death and resurrection. A ruler will always come from Judah until the promised one arrives, who will be the hope of all nations. This ruler will tie his donkey to a vine, wash his garments in wine (symbolizing his blood), and have eyes red with wine and teeth white with milk, representing spiritual intoxication and nourishing teaching.

_Augustine interprets this as a clear prophecy of Christ's death, resurrection, and the Church._

> I have the power of laying down my life, and I have the power of taking it again. No man taketh it from me; but I lay it down of myself, and take it again.

Christ declares that He alone has authority over His own death and resurrection; no one can take His life against His will.

_Augustine cites this to show the voluntary nature of Christ's death, as foretold by the lion imagery._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-ii-xli
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_city_of_god_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters