Naphtali is a hind let loose: he gives beautiful words.
All Commentaries on Genesis 49:21 Go To Genesis 49
Hippolytus of Rome
AD 235
“A spreading vine branch” signifies the people that are called to freedom through faith, so that all may bring fruits to God. In fact, the Savior was the spiritual vine, its branches and trunks are the saints who believe in him. Its bunches of grapes are the martyrs; the trunks of wood which are bound to vines indicate the passion. The grape pickers are the angels; the baskets where the fruits of the vine are gathered are the apostles. The winepress is the church; the wine is the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the words “spreading vine branch” signify those who have been freed from the chains of death, as Isaiah [actually Malachi] himself says, “You shall go forth and rejoice as young calves let loose from bonds.” On the other hand, the sentence “bestowing beauty on its fruits” means that in the regeneration through water they receive the grace and beauty of the Word, who was richer than the sons of men in beauty.
