# XLII explained — The City of God

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

## What happens

Augustine interprets the blessing of Joseph's two sons by Jacob as a prophetic type of the two peoples: the Jews (the elder) and the Christians (the younger), showing that the younger brother's seed becomes a multitude of nations, signifying the spread of faith beyond Israel.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Two Cities

The typology of Jacob's two sons and Joseph's two sons illustrates the two peoples (Jews and Christians) that correspond to the earthly and heavenly cities.

### Sin, Grace, and Redemption

The younger son's blessing prefigures the grace given to the Gentiles, fulfilling the promise of redemption through faith.

## Character check-ins

### Jacob

Blesses Joseph's sons, prophetically crossing his hands to place the right hand on the younger.

### Isaac

Mentioned as the father of Esau and Jacob, whose sons also typified the two peoples.

### Abraham

Referenced as the patriarch whose seed includes both the people of Israel and the multitude of nations by faith.

## Key lines

> Now, as Isaac’s two sons, Esau and Jacob, furnished a type of the two people, the Jews and the Christians... so the same thing happened in Joseph’s two sons; for the elder was a type of the Jews, and the younger of the Christians.

Just as Isaac's sons Esau and Jacob symbolized the Jewish and Christian peoples, Joseph's two sons also prefigured these two groups, with the elder representing the Jews and the younger the Christians.

_Augustine draws a parallel between two patriarchal blessings to reinforce the typological interpretation of Scripture._

> He also shall become a people, and he also shall be exalted; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

The elder son will become a nation and be honored, but the younger son will surpass him, and his descendants will grow into a multitude of nations.

_Jacob's blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh is cited as a prophecy of the Gentile inclusion in God's people._

## Links

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