The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Ver. 26. Above the blessings of my progenitors.] Chiefly because Jacob pointed them out the particular tribe whereof, and the very time wherein, Shiloh should come. This mystery was made known to the Church, not all at once, but by degrees. Adam was told "the seed of the woman should break," &c.; but whether Jew or Gentile, he heard not a word. Abraham, the Hebrew, long after was certified that "in his seed all nations should be blessed"; but of what tribe Christ should come, till now, the world never heard. After this, David was made to know that Christ should be a male; but that he should be born of a virgin was not known till Isaiah's time. Thus God crumbles his mercies to mankind; and we have his blessings by retail, saith one, to maintain trading and communion betwixt him and us. So the cloud empties not itself at a sudden burst, but dissolves upon the earth, drop after drop.
Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.] "Spiritual blessings in heavenly things," Eph 1:3 whereof those temporals afore promised were but types and pledges. Whence David doubts not to argue from temporals to spirituals. Psa 23:5-6 God in the Church's infancy fed them and led them along by earthly to heavenly blessing, speaking unto them as they could hear.