Reuben/Simeon/Gad = hard Israel; free Rachel sons before slave-born; fullness of nations

Cyril: …born, and Simeon and Gad, who is from a slave-woman. And through these Israel is signified. And come let us say the upon each, gathering from the prophecy that came to be upon them from Jacob. So then all-divine Jacob said: ‘Reuben my firstborn, you my strength, and beginning of my children, hard to bear and hard stubborn’ (Genesis 49:3–7); and again: ‘Simeon and Levi brothers finished injustice from their choice. Unto their counsel let my soul not enter, and upon their standing let my livers not lean; because in their anger they killed humans, and in their desire they hamstrung a bull. Accursed is their anger, because stubborn, and their wrath, because it has been hardened.’ (Genesis 49:19) And concerning Gad he said again these: ‘A pirate-band will pirate, and he himself will pirate him according to feet.’ (Matthew 23:37) So then in Reuben would reasonably be signified Israel, the firstborn according to time, and hard and stubborn and hubristic; and in at least Simeon, to whom also Levi has been joined, as ready unto bloodshed, and having killed saints; ‘For which,’ he says, ‘of the prophets did your fathers not kill?’ (Luke 20:22) and having hamstrung as it were also a bull, who is Christ. For not alone is the of the Jews caught having dared the darings against the saints and against Christ, and Levi has also run together with these—that is, the sacred race, who sit beside the altar, both Scribes and Pharisees. On account of this, in the prophecies of the forefather Jacob, Levi has also been yoked with Simeon. And in at least Gad, who is from a slave-woman and a pirate-band, as ill-born according to mind, and testing Jesus, and setting snares, unto evils for him; for they were approaching saying, ‘Is it allowed to give taxes to Caesar, or not?’ (Romans 11:25–26) So then—for I will bring the word up again unto the in beginnings—the in time firstborn Israel, the hard and stubborn and hubristic, the ready unto bloodshed, and having accursed wrath, and having killed humans, and having hamstrung a bull, the ill-born and bitter unto tricks, and setting snares and a pirate-band, has been ordered behind those in Christ and free, and if free with us, as in face scarcely to come of God.

Palladius: You have spoken well.

Cyril: And you would learn what I say, also setting the mind upon the successive. For three holding one another were bringing forward successively, from free Rachel, both Ephraim and Manasseh. Then three holding one another and after those the from servant-girls, and I say again, Dan, both Asher and Naphtali. So then you understand that those from free woman enter beforehand and have been honored very much, and those from servant-girls follow at least; or is this not clear, which also all-divine Paul himself writes for us? ‘For when,’ he says, ‘the fullness of the nations should enter, then all Israel will be saved.’