Genesis49
New Living Translation
1Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
2“Come and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.
3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power.
4But you are as unruly as a flood, and you will be first no longer. For you went to bed with my wife; you defiled my marriage couch.
5“Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence.
6May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport.
7A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel.
8“Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you.
9Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.
11He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
12His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
13“Zebulun will settle by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to Sidon.
14“Issachar is a sturdy donkey, resting between two saddlepacks.
15When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor.
16“Dan will govern his people, like any other tribe in Israel.
17Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse’s hooves so its rider is thrown off.
18I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!
19“Gad will be attacked by marauding bands, but he will attack them when they retreat.
20“Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings.
21“Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
22“Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey, the foal of a wild donkey at a spring— one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.
23Archers attacked him savagely; they shot at him and harassed him.
24But his bow remained taut, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25May the God of your father help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and blessings of the watery depths below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.
26May my fatherly blessings on you surpass the blessings of my ancestors, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers.
27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening.”
28These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.
29Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
30This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site.
31There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah.
32It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”
33When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 49.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Jacob calls his sons to bless them. (1, 2). Reuben, Simeon, Levi. (3–7). Judah. (8–12). Zebulun, Issachar, Dan. (13–18). Gad, Asher, Naphtali. (19–21). Joseph and Benjamin. (22–27). Jacob's charge respecting his burial, His death. (28–33).
vv1-2
All Jacob's sons were living. His calling them together was a precept for them to unite in love, not to mingle with the Egyptians; and foretold that they should not be separated, as Abraham's sons and Isaac's were, but should all make one people. We are not to consider this address as the expression of private feelings of affection, resentment, or partiality; but as the language of the Holy Ghost, declaring the purpose of God respecting the character, circumstances, and situation of the tribes which descended from the sons of Jacob, and which may be traced in their histories.
vv3-7
Reuben was the first-born; but by gross sin, he forfeited the birthright. The character of Reuben is, that he was unstable as water. Men do not thrive, because they do not fix. Reuben's sin left a lasting infamy upon his family. Let us never do evil, then we need not fear being told of it. Simeon and Levi were passionate and revengeful. The murder of the Shechemites is a proof of this. Jacob protested against that barbarous act. Our soul is our honour; by its powers we are distinguished from, and raised above, the beasts that perish. We ought, from our hearts, to abhor all bloody and mischievous men. Cursed be their anger. Jacob does not curse their persons, but their lusts. I will divide them. The sentence as it respects Levi was turned into a blessing. This tribe performed an acceptable service in their zeal against the worshippers of the golden calf, Ex 32. Being set apart to God as priests, they were in that character scattered through the nation of Israel.
vv8-12
Judah's name signifies praise. God was praised for him, chap. 29:35, praised by him, and praised in him; therefore his brethren shall praise him. Judah should be a strong and courageous tribe. Judah is compared, not to a lion raging and ranging, but to a lion enjoying the satisfaction of his power and success, without creating vexation to others; this is to be truly great. Judah should be the royal tribe, the tribe from which Messiah the Prince should come. Shiloh, that promised Seed in whom the earth should be blessed, “that peaceable and prosperous One,” or “Saviour,” he shall come of Judah. Thus dying Jacob at a great distance saw Christ's day, and it was his comfort and support on his death-bed. Till Christ's coming, Judah possessed authority, but after his crucifixion this was shortened, and according to what Christ foretold, Jerusalem was destroyed, and all the poor harassed remnant of Jews were confounded together. Much which is here said concerning Judah, is to be applied to our Lord Jesus. In him there is plenty of all which is nourishing and refreshing to the soul, and which maintains and cheers the Divine life in it. He is the true Vine; wine is the appointed symbol of his blood, which is drink indeed, as shed for sinners, and applied in faith; and all the blessings of his gospel are wine and milk, without money and without price, to which every thirsty soul is welcome. Isa 55:1.
Key Words
יַעֲקֹב: Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch
קָרָא: to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
אָסַף: to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
נָגַד: properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise
קָרָא: to encounter, whether accidentally or in a hostile manner
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
אַחֲרִית: the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity
Cross References
Genesis 49Reuben lost his birthright due to defiling his father's bed; his double portion was given to Joseph.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Jesus Christ, descending from Judah, is explicitly crowned as the 'Lion of the tribe of Judah.'
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Moses' blessing on Joseph directly echoes Jacob's language of deep, womb, and heaven blessings.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Repeats blessing on the head of Joseph, "him that was separate from his brethren."
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The historical account of Reuben's sin with Bilhah, which prompted Jacob's dying rebuke.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The violent assault on Shechem by Simeon and Levi, which Jacob severely condemns here.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Jacob's prior solemn oath requested of Joseph to bury him in the family buryingplace.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Detailed historical record of the purchase of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Fulfilment of Jacob's dying command; his sons carry him to the cave of Machpelah.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Simeon's inheritance was scattered within Judah's territory, fulfilling Jacob's prophecy of dispersion.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The Levites were scattered throughout Israel in forty-eight designated cities, turning judgment into blessing.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
New Testament confirmation that our Lord Jesus Christ sprang physically from the tribe of Judah.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Moses' later prophetic blessing of Dan, paralleling Jacob's description of Dan's sudden, martial power.
Supported by JFB
Jacob's dying expectation of salvation reflects the patriarchs living and dying in active faith.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses also blesses Asher with exceptional material prosperity, dipping his foot in rich oil.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Moses' blessing of Naphtali, echoing the theme of a satisfied and blessed inheritance.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel tribal blessing detailing the massive numbers and strength of Joseph's sons.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The historical reality of Joseph being sold by his envious brethren (the archers).
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Though imprisoned and sorely grieved, Jehovah was with Joseph in Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identifies God as the Shepherd of Israel who leads Joseph like a flock.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The legal definition of the firstborn son as the 'beginning of strength' in Israel's law.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The poetic idiom of the firstborn being called 'the chief of all their strength.'
Supported by Matthew Poole
Leah names Judah 'praise,' directly matching Jacob's play on words: 'thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Balaam employs identical poetic imagery comparing Israel to a couching lion whom none dare rouse.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Poetically declares Ephraim as strength and Judah as the lawgiver or sceptre-bearer.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Moses links Zebulun's maritime outgoing and Issachar's domestic tents in a shared blessing.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Samson of Dan judged Israel twenty years, proving Dan would judge his people.
Supported by JFB
Samson's final act demonstrates Dan's subtle, devastating victory over superior Philsitine force.
Supported by JFB
Moses describes Gad as a lion dwelling securely, ready to tear the arm and crown.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Stephen's speech recalling the patriarchs, moved with envy, selling Joseph into Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses' blessing on Benjamin, complementing Jacob's depiction of Benjamin's tribal destiny.
Supported by Matthew Henry
These all died in faith, embracing the promises from afar as strangers on earth.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Matches the formulaic patriarchal language of being "gathered unto my people."
Supported by Matthew Henry
Isaac's gathering to his people and burial in the family tomb.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jacob's immediate, fearful protest after Simeon and Levi's slaughter of the Shechemites.
Supported by John Calvin
Isaac's original blessing that brethren would bow down, now legally concentrated on Judah.
Supported by John Calvin