Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
Read Chapter 49
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
“Gad, trial shall try him, and he shall try them at their heels.” The trial is the cunning assembly of scribes and priests who tried the Lord Jesus about Caesar’s tribute and John’s baptism, as Scripture teaches. In his holiness, Jesus turned the trial back upon them. “At their heels,” that is, replying immediately without any deliberation, so that he might rather corner those trying him. For when they said, “By what authority do you do these things?” Christ did not respond to their inquiries but rather he himself inquired, saying, “I also will ask you one question, and if you answer me this, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things.” Again, when they said, “Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” he said, “Why do you try me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin of the tribute.” And when they offered it, again he asked, “Whose are the image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” And thereupon he bound them in their own words and tied them in their own e...
Gad, being girded It seems to allude to the tribe of Gad; when, after they had received for their lot the land of Galaad, they marched in arms before the rest of the Israelites, to the conquest of the land of Chanaan: from whence they afterwards returned loaded with spoils. See Josue i. and xxii. (Challoner)
He alludes continually to the name of Gad, which signifies one "girded, or a troop."(Calmet)
Through the expression “a gang of enemies” (or “a place of trial”) the prophet signifies the evil Sanhedrin of the high priests and scribes, who tested the Savior with different pretenses in order to find some ground to move accusations against him and then take hold of him and execute him. But he, knowing their intentions, put them to test in his justice and delivered them to death for their sin.
And therefore, according to a similar process, the moral sense develops: that man of ours, after confessing his error, by his repentance turns out to be converted through knowledge and shows a significant progress, so that he is tempted by the enemy and the strength of his soul and the soundness of his intentions are tested. In fact, the Scripture says, “The one who is not tempted is not credible.” No one will ever reach perfection if he is not first tested in temptations.
