The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors unto the utmost bounds 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 brothers.
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Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
From here “he grew strong over all the mountains and the desires of the everlasting hills.” For he shone forth like a heavenly light above all those men of exalted merit, patriarchs and prophets and apostles, and beyond the sun and moon and archangels as well, even as he says, “No disciple is above his teacher, nor is the servant above his master.” Who indeed among them was there to whom all things were subject? Rather, Christ gave to them their nature. In him all his saints are blessed, because he is the head of all, above the heads of all—for “the head of the woman is the man, the head of the man is Christ”—and above the crowns of the heads of all men, because he is the surpassing crown of the whole of humanity. But the highest crown belongs to the just, because he won them through grace and through a sharing of his resurrection, as it were, and calls them brothers. On this account also we understand by the brothers of Joseph those brothers, rather, of whom the psalmist says, “I will...
The blessings of thy father That is, thy father's blessings are made more prevalent and effectual in thy regard, by the additional strength they receive from his inheriting the blessings of his progenitors Abraham and Isaac.
The desire of the everlasting hills These blessings all looked forward towards Christ, called the desire of the everlasting hills, as being longed for, as it were, by the whole creation. Mystically, the patriarchs and prophets are called the everlasting hills, by reason of the eminence of their wisdom and holiness.
The Nazarite. This word signifies one separated; and agrees to Joseph, as being separated from, and more eminent than, his brethren. As the ancient Nazarites were so called from their being set aside for God, and vowed to him. (Challoner)
Nazir denotes also one chosen or crowned, and is a title of one of the chief courtiers or ministers of the Persian kings. Such was Joseph. (Calmet)
These blessings were perhaps forfeited by the misconduct of his pos...
Now then, with regard to the third sense, that man, being renewed and increased through the spiritual steps, ascends to the greatness of Joseph, who, thanks to the progress of his faith and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, rose to such an extent that he became the victim of envy. Therefore by what garlands braided by our words will that man be crowned for whom, after fighting, and completing his race and preserving his faith, God, the just Judge, keeps in store the crown of justice? About him the father says, “Joseph is a son increased.” And who is so increased as that one who, after his errors and fall, is renewed and returned through the different stages of virtue to such a degree that he reaches the greatest victory? But since he rises little by little, for this reason he is said to be increased in the single stages. In fact, first he began to be increased in Judah through confession. Then he is increased again in Zebulun because he dispelled the obscurity of darkness. Then he is incre...
