Bonaventure
Medieval
c. A.D. 1221–1274
“Of these twelve modes of generation, it is said in Genesis: "I had another dream," he said. "The sun, the moon and eleven stars were worshiping me." Now, this One is the most comely Joseph whom all things worship: temporal beings cry out by means of the moon, and spiritual beings, by means of the sun and the eleven stars. The modes of generation of creatures correspond to eleven of the conditions, while the twelfth is lacking: it came about in the generation of the Son of God. Wherefore there are here eleven stars, a quantity short of twelve which is a rising number, for all beings are defective in relation to the mode of generation of this One, and tend toward the generation of the Word: for all beings point to the generation of the Word.”