Chapter Forty-Nine
Jacob Blesses His Sons
49:1 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. 2 “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.
While probably still sitting up in bed, Jacob now calls all his sons to come together and listen to him. He states that he has something to tell them about their future. Similar to the prophecies given by Noah to his sons (see Genesis 9:24-27), Jacob begins to offer a blessing and a prophetic insight to their future. Many refer to this as Jacob “speaking in the Spirit,” as he will accurately describe the nature of each son’s tribal behavior, information that only God could have provided (each son will be the progenitor of a family referred to as a tribe and later the name of land allocated in Canaan). He calls them Jacob’s sons and then tells them to listen to Israel, perhaps calling attention that these words will be from God, not his own.
Israel’s words will contain vivid imagery that, like much of the prophecy found in the Bible, will not be immediately understood or direct the actions of the members of their tribes, but will be recognized by readers as being true in history.
49:3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. 4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!
Israel begins with Reuben, his first son, and because he was his first, he was his pride and joy. The New International Version renders this verse: “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.” (Genesis 49:3, NIV) But Reuben did not live up to his father’s hopes, as he failed to be an effective leader, who later became reckless and lustful as an adult (the Hebrew word translated here as ‘unstable’ is ‘pǎ’·ḥǎz’,[1] referring to be without self-control or discipline). Israel also recalled Reuben’s act of adultery and incest with Rachel’s servant and later Jacob’s concubine, Bilhah. As a result of these things, Israel revoked Reuben’s right of firstborn. The phrase, “you shall not have preeminence” also carries the meaning that he will never excel. History paints a bleak picture of the tribe of Rueben, never producing any major leaders, being the first tribe to ask for land east of the Jordan River (outside of God’s will, see Numbers chapter 32) and participated in constructing an unsanctioned and unacceptable place of worship (see Joshua 22:10-34). The tribe indeed never excelled in anything favorable.
49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. 6 Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
Israel then spoke to the two next oldest sons, Simeon and Levi, seemingly always together. These two grew up in anger and cruelty, perhaps what might be called today, “hotheads.” Their outrageous behavior while the family was living in Shechem not only caused serious embarrassment, forcing the family to leave, but it put the whole family at risk. During that incident they killed the entire adult male population of a Canaanite city because one of them had raped their sister Dinah (see Genesis 34:1-31), they next captured their families and plundered their homes. The word recorded here as ‘swords’ is the Hebrew word ‘meḵē·rō·ṯê’,[2] found only this one time in the Bible, most often translated as ‘sword’, but actual meaning is unknown (the usual Hebrew word for ‘sword’ is ‘ḥě’·rěḇ’).[3] The Septuagint reads very differently, “they perpetrated injustice by their choice.” (Genesis 49:5b, NETS)
Israel first disassociates himself from these two full-blood brothers (both had the same mother, Leah), due to their killing and later of hamstrung oxen (the Hebrew implies the intentional laming of the animals, not for food but to prevent them from doing anything). Then he cursed them for their fierce and cruel anger, that he will divide them and scatter them among the others. Later, we will see that Simeon was given an inheritance in the midst of Judah (see Joshua 19:1), while others were scattered around (see 1 Chronicles 4:39-43; 2 Chronicles 15:9).
The future for the Levites was not looking good, except before entering the Promised Land, the Levites were able to redeem themselves and once again find favor with God, as a result of them taking a stand against idolatry and helping Moses fight after the Golden Calf incident (see Exodus 32:26-30). Instead of land, their inheritance was to be God (see Joshua 13:33). They were also given many special privileges, including being the tribe their revered leader Moses came from, the priesthood bloodline through Moses’ brother Aaron and, even though no inheritance of land, they were given a few cities scattered throughout all the other tribes (see Joshua 21:1-3).
49:8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Israel did not have anything favorable to say about his first three sons, however that trend radically changes with his fourth son, Judah. He starts off with something we might call a play on words, saying to Judah, that his brothers will praise him, as the name ‘Judah’ means ‘praise’. He would not only be the family leader, a role that he has already excelled in, but through his tribe will come the leader of all the other tribes of Israel. With his hand on the neck of their enemies, he and his tribe would also be successful in war. All of Israel’s family will bow down to him and, like “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?” (Genesis 49:9b, NLT), he was as strong as a young lion that has overwhelmed and eaten its prey, as secure as a mature lion resting in its den, which no one would dare to rouse. The tribe of Judah does indeed become the leading tribe, but not for another 640 years, during which time Israel’s leaders come from other tribes. For example: Moses from Levi, Joshua from Ephraim, Gideon from Manasseh, Samson from Dan, Samuel from Ephraim, and Saul from Benjamin. Then came King David from the tribe of Judah, which became the dominant tribe from that time on. What was so special about the tribe of Judah that Israel would prophesy about something that will not happen for another 640 years? The answer to that question lies within the next verse, and like most pivotal sections in the Bible, verse ten is often misunderstood.
Before reviewing the next verse, there are three terms that need to be examined and thoroughly understood first. The first one is the word ‘scepter’; this is the first appearance of the Hebrew word ‘šē’·ḇěṭ’,[4] meaning rod, staff, scepter, or tribe. While that definition doesn’t seem to help much, we see in Scripture that it is often used as a symbol of rulership. The prophets, Amos and Zechariah predicted that the ‘scepter’ of Israel’s enemies would be removed (see Amos 1:5-8; Zechariah 10:11) and the psalmist predicted that the rule of Israel’s king would endure forever (see Psalm 45:6). The same Hebrew word is often translated as ‘rod’ in Psalm 2:9, referring to ruling the nations with a scepter (or rod) of iron (see also Psalm 125:3; Isaiah 14:5; Ezekiel 19:11, 14). The second word is ‘meḥō·qēq’,[5] translated here as “ruler’s staff,” means to cut, inscribe, engrave, or decree. In this context it is referring to a ruler or lawmaker (see Numbers 21:18; Psalm 60:7; 108:8). The third word is ‘šî·lō(h)’,[6] it is either transliterated as ‘Shiloh’, or not translated at all (as seen here in the ESV, the word ‘tribute’ is used instead), referring to the scepter and staff not departing from Judah’s lineage until the one, to whom they belong has come. The word appears only this one time in Scripture and is believed to be a proper noun, however, that does not stop people from speculating, resulting in the wide variety of ideas devised through the years. Most agree that the word and context within this verse to be Messianic in nature (referring to the Messiah, Jesus). It is interesting to note that a fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q252, fragment 2) quotes this verse and applies it to the Messiah.
The sceptre [shall not] depart from the tribe of Judah … [Gen. 49:10]. Whenever Israel rules, there shall [not] fail to be a descendant of David upon the throne. For the ruler’s staff is the Covenant of kingship, [and the clans] of Israel are the divisions,* until the Messiah of Righteousness comes, the Branch of David. For to him and his seed is granted the Covenant of kingship over his people for everlasting generations which he is to keep.[7]
Some scholars point out that another way to interpret would be to consider the word ‘šî·lō(h)’ (or Shiloh) to be a possessive pronoun. Making the phrase translated more like “whose it is,” or “whose right it is,” which would be similar to the Septuagint rendering, “until the things stored up for him come,” (NETS). Either noun or pronoun, the context makes it clear that Shiloh is intended to be the name or title of a person “and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” All people, including Gentiles, will one day, be obedient to Jesus (see also Ezekiel 21:26-27).
The promise of a Messiah began in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:15), from that time on, people have been looking for the coming Savior. The New Testament clearly identifies the Jesus Christ with this prophecy concerning Judah, calling Him “the Lion from the tribe of Judah” (see Revelation 5:5). However, perhaps the greatest evidence of how to interpret this verse comes from the fact that it has already been partially fulfilled. Once David became king over the nation of Judah and then Israel, the position of leadership (the ‘scepter), never departed from the tribe of Judah, until after Christ came. And since He is from the tribe of Judah and alive forevermore, the scepter (rulership) will never depart from Judah. However, from an earthly perspective, it was thought to have departed from Judah. The definition of leadership (scepter) by most Jews was the authority to render capital punishment. When the Sanhedrin was restricted by Roman law from putting someone to death, many Jews thought God had turned His back on them, if true that would have been a very serious concern.
Little did the Sanhedrin know that just a few years before Augustus made his decree revoking their ‘supreme’ power, in the town of Bethlehem was one born, in the line of Judah, the Messiah, the King of Kings, our Savior! He who lives forever! Strictly speaking, the scepter never did depart and never will depart from the Tribe of Judah![8]
49:11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
Still speaking about the Messiah, Jacob now uses some odd and definitely enigmatic language, which is why this and the next verses are widely (and often wildly) interpreted. Before attempting to analyze these verses, we should first take a close look at some of the words. The word ‘foal’ is the Hebrew masculine noun ‘î·rō’,[9] referring to a young, usually male, donkey (although the term foal can be a horse, donkey, or a mule). This is the only place in the Old Testament where this word is used in this context (the word can have several meanings and is most often a reference to a gathering place of people, such as a city).[10] The next line refers to “his donkey’s colt,” and two things are notable. First, the word translated as ‘donkey’ is ‘ǎṯōn’,[11] a female donkey, and the word ‘colt’ is ‘benî’,[12] referring to a male offspring, which in the English language, would, of course, be the definition of a colt. Second, the Hebrew word for ‘vine’ here is ‘gě’·pěn’,[13] even though the word can refer to any form of vine, we see in the Bible that it always refers to a grape-bearing vine (with the possible exception of 2 Kings 4:39). The phrase “choice vine,” is actually a single Hebrew word (‘śō·rē·qā(h),’[14] referring to what would be considered the best vine that produces the best or select grapes that would be used to make choice wine.
Here is the first question, we know that donkeys were domesticated very early in time as working animals and are often called in the Bible, “beasts of burden,” so why would someone tie their powerful donkey to a delicate vine, let alone tie one to a choice vine? The vine would soon be destroyed, and the choice vine would soon be ruined. The quick answer would be, “you wouldn’t!” So, what is Jacob talking about?
The term ‘vine’ is often used symbolically to refer to the nation of Israel (for a few examples, see Psalm 80:1-19; Ezekiel 15:1-8; 17:1-24; Hosea 10:1). Could the vine in this verse also be a reference to Israel? We know that the Messiah was promised to be in Israel’s (Jacob’s) lineage and now Jacob gives further evidence that the Messiah, the choice vine, would be ‘tied’ to the lineage of Judah. It is interesting to note that Jesus fulfilled an odd Old Testament prophecy regarding a coming king riding on a donkey, note the language: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9, see Matthew 21:1-11; John 12:12-19, see also Considerations below regarding the Triumphal Entry). That prophecy is odd in the sense that the king is coming to them, riding on a humble “beast of burden,” not what would be described as typical royalty.
The second half of this verse confirms that it refers to a person and not a donkey’s colt as some suggest, as donkeys do not typically need to wash their clothes. Another question one might want to ask would be, is he washing clothes in wine and the blood of grapes? Let’s begin again by looking at the Hebrew words, the word translated as ‘washed’ is ‘kib·bēs’[15] referring to the act of washing clothes, often for ceremonial purposes (for example see Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 11:25, 28, 40; 13:6; Numbers 19:10, 19). The same word is used to refer to God cleansing one’s heart from sin (see Psalm 51:1-10; Jeremiah 4:14). The word ‘garments’ is the Hebrew word ‘leḇǔš’,[16] a masculine noun that refers to either men’s or women’s clothing. The word translated ‘vesture’ is the Hebrew word ‘sû·ṯō’,[17] found only this one time in the Bible, which also refers to clothing in general, however, in this context seems to be a reference to royal clothing. The Hebrew words translated as wine, blood, and grapes require no additional defining.
Now back to the verse, this person, the Messiah, washes His clothes in wine and His royal robes in the blood of grapes. Obviously, this requires some investigation as it doesn’t seem likely that someone would intentionally wash their clothes in wine. Some commentators say this is hyperbole to emphasize the abundance of wine in Judah’s territory (blood of grapes being grape juice to produce wine) or that the people of Judah’s tribe will prosper greatly (as indicated by a large number of vineyards). Others point to the use of winepresses to depict God’s wrath and judgment in the future (see Isaiah 63:1-6; Revelation 14:14-20; 19:15). However, instead of focusing on physical abundance or God’s wrath, perhaps we should remember the primary role of the Messiah as Savior. Remember, the night before Jesus was crucified, He had an important meeting with His twelve closest disciples in what is simply referred to as a large upper room. During that time, He shared with them a Passover meal and explained the connection between wine and His blood. Referring to the third cup of wine in the Passover celebration, Jesus said. “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28b, see also Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:18-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-25). Even before the law was given to Moses or even the institution of Passover, a new covenant was announced to come. It is likely that Jacob was pointing to Jesus, from the tribe of Judah who would wash our sins with His own blood. It is interesting to note that both Jesus’ father and mother were in the lineage of Judah.
49:12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
The focus of this verse seems to be on the eyes and teeth of the Messiah. While we should avoid comparing Jesus to a bright-eyed and glistening-tooth hero, the image that Jacob is painting for us is difficult to understand. As pointed out above, this verse has been interpreted in many ways, regarding, “eyes are darker than wine,” commentators have suggested an abundance of wine; someone who is wealthy and blessed; one that is drunk with wine; that the Messiah will be of perfect stature; etc. And regarding the text, “teeth whiter than milk,” commentators have offered the interpretation of peace and abundance in a perfect kingdom; that milk is for children and wine is for adults, and the list goes on. These are only mentioned to emphasize, as pointed out earlier, that God’s Word uses a wide range of literary devices, which can lead to a wide range of interpretations (see Appendix 1). In all fairness, these are indeed difficult verses and since they involve prophecy, they may be impossible to properly interpret until after a future event.
We can use the hermeneutic rule of expositional constancy and look how these terms are used elsewhere in Scripture, especially how they are first used. Starting with the colors, we see that the Hebrew word translated here as ‘darker’ is used only this one time in the Bible, so expositional constancy would not work, but the word for wine (same word for wine as seen in the previous verse), implies something dark and possibly red. The word ‘whiter’ is the Hebrew word ‘leḇěn’,[18] which refers to the color white (same word used as Jacob’s father-in-law’s name), first used to describe the color white (purity) on Laban’s livestock that Jacob was tending (see Genesis 30:35). Next would be the objects themselves, eyes and teeth. The first use of the Hebrew words ‘ě·nǎ’·yim’[19] and ‘šin·nǎ’·yim’[20] can be found in Genesis chapter three, verse five talking about how the ‘eyes’ of one’s mind would be opened and be like God, knowing good and evil. Then in verse six the word is used to describe Eve’s desire to eat of the fruit of the tree. All followed by in verse seven when both Adam’s and Eve’s eyes were opened, notice the word takes us back to the beginning of sin! Next are the teeth, this is the first time the word ‘šēn’[21] (tooth singular) is used in Scripture, the next seven appearances incorporate the word in what is often called the “law of retaliation,” (tooth for tooth). However, the word also appears several times relating to judgment (see Numbers 11:33; Deuteronomy 32:24; Job 4:10; 29:17; Psalm 3:7; 58:6; 124:6; Proverbs 30:14; Joel 1:6; Micah 3:5; Zechariah 9:7) or in response to oppression (often referred to as the gnashing of teeth, see Psalm 35:16; 37:12; 112:10).
Our first observation would be to take note of the contrasts, we see one dark and one bright white. Can we interpret one pointing to the origin of sin and the other possibly pointing to judgment? From these contrasts, we can begin to see a faint outline of a model of the Messiah starting to emerge. Because of sin we are all condemned, however, due to Jesus living a sinless life, having suffered, died, and rose to life again, He offers mankind an alternative, salvation through His righteousness (through no effort of our own). In God’s eyes we become white, purified from sin, because of Jesus’ blood. There is no greater contrast! All mankind needs to do is accept the free gift He is offering.
49:13 “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. 14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. 15 He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.
Jacob now turns to Zebulun and Issachar, very little is mentioned in Genesis regarding the actions of these other two sons of Leah. Here we only learn that Zebulun will settle near water and that he will provide a safe haven, perhaps a harbor, for ships, that will border Sidon. Later as recorded in the book of Joshua, Zebulun’s tribe will be allocated land “westward and on to Mareal and touches Dabbesheth, then the brook that is east of Jokneam. From Sarid it goes in the other direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-tabor. From there it goes to Daberath, then up to Japhia.” (Joshua 19:11b-12) It is interesting to note that this is the same location where Jesus began His public ministry. “Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:12-17)
Regarding Issachar, we see another potential prophetic puzzle. It appears that Jacob was describing the tribe of Issachar as a strong, but possibly apathetic people. They would find the land assigned to them enjoyable but then would not defend or make the effort to keep it. Considered among the most fertile and richest territories in Israel (the west side was known as the “seed-plot of God”),[22] made it also appealing to unwanted intruders as indicated by the number military incursions in its Jezreel Valley (which is also the location of the future battle of Armageddon, see Revelation 16:16).
49:16 “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward. 18 I wait for your salvation, O LORD.
It seems that Jacob wanted to make it clear that even his sons that were born of a concubine would share in his inheritance, as he now turns to Dan (his first son born of a concubine, Rachel’s servant Bilhah) and tells him that he will indeed judge as one of the tribes of Israel (interesting play on words as the name Dan sounds similar to the Hebrew word referring to the act of judging, see commentary under Genesis 30:1-8). But then Jacob compares Dan to a dangerous and poisonous snake that bites a horse’s heel that causes its rider to fall off the horse. Once again, we are faced with unclear reference. Was Jacob talking about a mounted soldier or some other analogy? Some commentators suggest that this is a reference to their territory’s smaller size (the land allocated to Dan was the smallest of all the tribes and being on the northern seacoast, they were especially vulnerable), but they were, in fact, able to defend their land. Others believe this may be a reference to the famous Samson (who was from the tribe of Dan) and his exploits. However, there are also others that advocate that this is a reference to the corruption that came into Israel through this tribe (they introduced the nation of Israel to idolatry, see Judges 18:1-31, and Dan was the location of one of the two golden calves placed in the Northern Kingdom for false worship by Jeroboam, see 1 Kings 12:28-30).
The interpretation of Israel’s corruption through idolatry seems more likely as Jacob immediately states, “I wait for your salvation, O LORD,” a reference to the fulfillment of the promise by God in Genesis 3:15 when He spoke to the Serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” The term ‘serpent’ in Genesis 49:17 could be a reference to Satan[23] and the word ‘salvation’ in verse 18 be a reference to Jesus, as this is the first appearance of the Hebrew word ‘yešû·’ā(h)’[24] (or ‘yšư̂·’āṯ’), meaning salvation and deliverance, to be rescued from distress or danger, which is nearly identical to the Hebrew name for Jesus.
49:19 “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. 20 “Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. 21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.
Now turning to Gad, Jacob prophesied that raiders would invade their land, but he will be able to defeat them. The territory of Gad was east of the Jordan River near the Ammonites and other enemies who regularly attacked. Scripture referred to the Gadites as being well-trained warriors (see 1 Chronicles 5:18-22; 12:8-15).
Next was Asher, here Jacob claims that their food shall be rich (Hebrew word ‘šemē·nā(h)’,[25] can mean fat, rich, plentiful, or robust). Asher was later allocated a northern seacoast around Mount Carmel (see Joshua 19:24-31). Perhaps due to their inability to fully conquer the area, the tribe became less significant, some believe that was due to their laid-back lifestyle, others believe it was due to their close proximity to the Phoenicians, who while mostly friendly to the Israelites, had a different religion and lifestyle.
Then Jacob turns to Naphtali (the other son given birth by Bilhah) and describes him as a female deer that was let loose that will bear beautiful offspring. The best known of Naphtali’s descendants was Barak, who, with Deborah’s leadership, won a major victory over Jabin and Sisera of the Canaanites (see Judges 4:1-24). There is a debate on the meaning of the Hebrew word ‘im·rě,’[26] translated here as ‘fawns’, as some believe that the word refers to a speech, decree, or some form of expression (thought to be derived from the word ‘āmar’[27] meaning speaking or declaring) as rendered in the NKJV, “Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.” Some believe this could have been fulfilled by the victory song of Deborah and Barak (see Judges 5:1-31). Then there are others who believe that this reference to a deer to not only refer to their swiftness but also to their inability to defend themselves.
This, like the other blessings of the patriarch, was intended to shadow forth under poetic imagery the future character and history of the tribe. “Naphtali is a hind let loose,” or “a graceful hind”—timid and distrustful of its own powers, swift of foot to elude its enemies; but when brought to bay fierce and strong to defend its life. These were the qualities shown by Naphtali. They left several of their cities in the hands of the Canaanites (Judg. 1:33); they had not confidence to fight alone, but when assailed they made a noble defence (Judg. 5:18), and united with others in pursuit of a flying foe (6:35). Their want of self-confidence was chiefly shown in the case of Barak; and then, too, they displayed in the end heroic devotion and unwearied alacrity. “He (that is, Naphtali; the masc. חַנֹּתֵן proves this) giveth goodly words.” The tribe was to be famous for the beauty of its language. It probably possessed poets and writers whose names have not come down to us. We have one noble ode ascribed in part at least to a Naphtalite (Judg. 5:1. See Kalisch, On Gen. 49:21).[28]
49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. 23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, 24 yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), 25 by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 26 The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
Then it was Joseph’s turn to receive a blessing, being Jacob’s favorite son, his blessing was comparable to the blessing given to Judah. He compares Joseph to a “Fruitful bough,” (Hebrew phrase “bēn’ põ·rāṯ,”[29] referring to having abundant offspring), in this context compared to a vine or fruit tree near a spring that continues to provide water, allowing his branches to climb over the wall. What wall? Cities were walled for protection; this may be an allusion to his tribe being able to protect their people. As we learned from Genesis chapter 48, the tribe of Joseph is actually two tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh), this blessing would extend to them together. One interpretation would be that Jacob is saying that the offspring of Joseph will be strong and numerous. Possibly to emphasize their strength, Jacob adds that their enemies will try to destroy them but will remain strong and unmoved, as they will be made agile by the “Mighty One of Jacob.” Who is this Mighty One? Jacob calls Him, “the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.” In the previous chapter we read how the work of the Lord was compared to shepherding (see Genesis 48:15), this is the first time God is called a shepherd, the Shepherd. This is also the first time God is called the Stone, a metaphor that will be used consistently throughout Scripture referring to the Messiah (see also Matthew 21:42-44; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17-18; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 9:30-33; 1 Corinthians 10:1-5; 1 Peter 2:1-12). Jacob further emphasizes that he will be abundantly blessed by his God, the One and only God, the God of heaven.
Jacob acknowledges that he had received a greater blessing than his own parents, as he had a large family and bountiful land. He then pronounced a blessing on Joseph saying that these same blessings be given to Joseph, who was set apart from his brothers. The phrase, “of him who was set apart” is the single Hebrew word ‘nezîr’,[30] this is the first time this word is used in Scripture, which can be translated as one consecrated, one that is separated, devoted, or refer to a Nazirite. Later in the book of Numbers the concept of taking a consecrated vow to God will be identified as the vow of a Nazirite (see Numbers 6:1-21, do not confuse with a person from Nazareth, known as a Nazarene).[31] Although not a Nazarite, Joseph certainly was devoted to God far greater and distinctive than his brothers. Many of Israel’s leaders were from these tribes: Joshua, Deborah, and Samuel were from Ephraim; and Gideon and Jephthah were from Manasseh. Both Manasseh and Ephraim were strong in war, and their lands were both fertile and productive.
49:27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”
Now Jacob turns to his youngest son, Benjamin. Here he states that Benjamin will be a ravenous wolf that devours its prey in the morning and divides the spoil in the evening. This certainly seems strange considering that Benjamin was dearly loved by Jacob. It appears to be both a promise and a warning. The people of Benjamin would be strong and successful in war, but at the same time potentially cruel and ravenous. Interestingly both attributes became evident many years later as demonstrated by the less-than-appealing story recorded in the book of Judges chapters 19 and 20, which resulted in a major setback for the tribe. This prophecy seems to also apply to the first king of Israel, Saul, who started off well but then became consumed by his own pride.
Considerations
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 was indeed fulfilled by Jesus (see Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19). It also offers several aspects about Him and His ministry that we should take note. The first thing we should notice are the peculiarities, here is a king humbly riding on a donkey and he is coming to us! He is making the effort to come to our rescue, He is doing all the work. Next, we see that He is bringing righteousness and salvation. We are saved not because of anything we do or will ever do; we are saved through the righteousness that He provides.
During Jesus’ ministry He often stated, “My time has not yet come,” (see also John 2:4; 7:6). Jesus then arranged for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a specific day, often celebrated by Christians on Palm Sunday. Why that day? In the book of Daniel there is a greatly debated prophecy found in Daniel 9:24-27, referred to most scholars as “Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.” Many have interpreted using date math that the arrival of the “Anointed One” (Hebrew word referring to the Messiah), in verse 25 would have occurred on the very day of Christ’s triumphal entry. Since God’s Word is always precise, this is truly a possibility. This was the day that the people of Israel recognized Jesus as their Savior.
The interpretation of prophecy requires the same discipline of Biblical hermeneutics, plus we must remember Peter’s warning, “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20b) Sadly, this warning is often overlooked as many false teachers gain notoriety through fanciful interpretations. As discovered in the attempt to explain this chapter of Genesis alone, prophecy interpretations can innocently be misleading. Even though the concern for proper interpretation is mostly regarding to yet-future events, we can learn valuable principles of interpretation from fulfilled prophecy. It would be an understatement to say that there are several perspectives and opinions regarding yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy. However, most of the interpretation seem to stem from four primary viewpoints. Here is a quick summary of each:
Futurist
Futurism interprets the prophecies that appear to have not been fulfilled yet in the Bible or history, to be fulfilled at some future date (including those referred to by Jesus and Revelation chapters four through twenty-two). As with each primary interpretation, there are several variations to this viewpoint including the possibility of a rapture (Jesus removing His people before the end), the timing of the rapture (before, during, or after the tribulation), a thousand-year period (known as the Millennium), and the concept of Dispensationalism. This viewpoint favors a more literal interpretation of the text (although still allowing for literary devices such as metaphors and other figures of speech). This method reflects similarly to how fulfilled prophecy was interpreted in the Bible (for example when Daniel read the writings of the prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would only last 70 years, he believed it would be literally 70 years and it was, see Daniel 9:2).
Preterism
A Preterist interprets what might be described by Futurism as an event yet-future, to be something that had already occurred. For example, they believe the events described by Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 to have already occurred when Jerusalem fell in the First Jewish-Roman War (66-73 A.D.). Also note that most Preterists do not believe in a literal 1,000-year period (often referred to as Amillennialism), as this viewpoint favors an allegorical method of interpretation.
Historicist
Historicism interprets events, such as those described in the book of Revelation, to be a series of events that have been unfolding in time, not necessarily at a specific time. Some events would already be fulfilled, while others could still be yet-future. This viewpoint was prominent during the Reformation period as the papal authority was associated with a person identified as the Antichrist. The Reformation founder, Martin Luther, held the Historicist view and wrote extensively on the comparison of the pope to the Antichrist.
Idealism
The idealist interpretation connects the symbolism of prophecy to more general or typical events rather than to any specific event or series of events as expressed in the other three primary viewpoints. Idealism interpretation can also be called symbolic or spiritual, as the events are believed to refer to the on-going struggle between God’s people and those that follow Satan and the world. For example, the Idealist interpretation sees prophecy, like that which is given in the book of Revelation, as being fulfilled continuously throughout history.
Jacob’s Death
49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.
Jacob then concluded his blessing on his sons, now referring to them appropriately and prophetically as “the twelve tribes of Israel.” Undoubtedly most of them had no idea what these blessings were all about. Some of these blessings could possibly be more appropriately called warnings instead of a blessing, but in either case, it is clear that Jacob was speaking prophetically.
49:29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
Jacob gave his sons, essentially the same command that he had earlier given to Joseph (see Genesis 47:29-31), that he wanted to be buried with his father back in the land of Canaan. After giving them this instruction, Jacob mustered all his remaining strength to pull his feet back in bed, possibly to lie down, and then breathed his last breath, dying in the presence of all his sons.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 6349.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 4380.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 2719.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 7626.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 2710.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 7886.
[7] Vermes, G. (1995). The Dead Sea scrolls in English (Revised and extended 4th ed., p. 302). Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
[8] See Appendix 6 - Power, Authority and the Scepter, for more on this subject.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 5895.
[10] Same word given a separate Strong’s number to avoid confusion, see Strong’s Hebrew 5892.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 860.
[12] Strong’s Hebrew 1121.
[13] Strong’s Hebrew 1612.
[14] Strong’s Hebrew 8321.
[15] Strong’s Hebrew 3526.
[16] Strong’s Hebrew 3830.
[17] Strong’s Hebrew 5497.
[18] Strong’s Hebrew 3836.
[19] Strong’s Hebrew 5869.
[20] Strong’s Hebrew 8127.
[21] Strong’s Hebrew 8127.
[22] M’Clintock, J., & Strong, J. (1891). Is′sachar. In Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Vol. 4, p. 700). New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers.
[23] See Considerations after Genesis 3:7.
[24] Strong’s Hebrew 3444.
[25] Strong’s Hebrew 8082.
[26] Strong’s Hebrew 563.
[27] Strong’s Hebrew 559.
[28] M’Clintock, J., & Strong, J. (1894). Naphtali, Tribe Of. In Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Vol. 6, p. 841). New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers.
[29] Strong’s Hebrew 1121 and 6500.
[30] Strong’s Hebrew 5139.
[31] See Considerations under Numbers 6:21.