*Genesis 49:1-33
On his deathbed, Jacob blesses his sons, predicting their futures and expressing favor for Joseph and Judah.
- Jacob’s Prophetic Blessings:
- As Jacob nears the end of his life, he gathers his sons to offer them prophetic blessings, which also serve as reflections on their personalities and future destinies.
- Reuben, Simeon, and Levi:
- Reuben: Once Jacob’s firstborn, he is admonished for his instability and an incident involving Bilhah, which disqualifies him from the preeminence due to the firstborn.
- Simeon and Levi: Criticized for their cruelty in the massacre of Shechem, Jacob declares that their descendants will be scattered within Israel.
- Judah:
- Judah: Receives the strongest blessing—his brothers will praise him, and he will conquer his enemies. Jacob prophesies that Judah will hold the scepter until “Shiloh” comes, indicating leadership and messianic expectations tied to his lineage. He also uses vivid imagery, like a lion and lush vineyards, to depict Judah’s strength and prosperity.
- Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali:
- Zebulun: Will dwell by the seashore and become a haven for ships.
- Issachar: Compared to a strong donkey, he sees the benefit of the land but will become a servant due to his preference for rest.
- Dan: Described as a judge for his people, like a serpent on the path that bites the horse’s heels.
- Gad: Will be attacked by raiders but will attack them at their heels.
- Asher: His territory will produce rich food and provide delicacies fit for a king.
- Naphtali: Described as a free-running deer who delivers beautiful fawns (or beautiful words).
- Joseph:
- Joseph: Receives the most comprehensive blessing, described as a fruitful vine by a well, whose branches climb over a wall. Despite being attacked and afflicted, he remains strong, assisted by God. Jacob blesses him abundantly, wishing him the blessings of heaven above and the deep, blessings of the breast and womb, and the blessings of his ancestors.
- Benjamin:
- Benjamin: Portrayed as a ravenous wolf, he will devour his prey in the morning and divide the plunder at night.
- Jacob’s Death Instructions:
- After blessing his sons, Jacob instructs them to bury him with his ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, alongside Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah.
- Jacob’s final words complete his instructions regarding his burial, after which he draws up his feet into the bed, breathes his last, and is gathered to his people.
Genesis 49:1-33 teaches us about the impact of our choices and the importance of leaving a meaningful legacy. Jacob blessed his sons, but his words reflected both their past actions and their future paths. This reminds us that our decisions have lasting effects, shaping not only our own lives but also those around us. It encourages us to live with integrity, make wise choices, and strive to leave behind a legacy of faith and goodness. This passage challenges us to think about how we live today and how our actions will be remembered in the future.
Genesis 49:1-33 (WEB)
49:1 Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob.Listen to Israel, your father.3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength,excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.4 Boiling over like water, you shall not excel,because you went up to your father’s bed,then defiled it. He went up to my couch.5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.Their swords are weapons of violence.6 My soul, don’t come into their council.My glory, don’t be united to their assembly;for in their anger they killed men.In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;and their wrath, for it was cruel.I will divide them in Jacob,and scatter them in Israel.8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.Your father’s sons will 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,as a lioness.Who will rouse him up?10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,until he comes to whom it belongs.The obedience of the peoples will be to him.11 Binding his foal to the vine,his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,he has washed his garments in wine,his robes in the blood of grapes.12 His eyes will be red with wine,his teeth white with milk.13 “Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea.He will be for a haven of ships.His border will be on Sidon.14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,lying down between the saddlebags.15 He saw a resting place, that it was good,the land, that it was pleasant.He bows his shoulder to the burden,and becomes a servant doing forced labor.16 “Dan will judge his people,as one of the tribes of Israel.17 Dan will be a serpent on the trail,an adder in the path,that bites the horse’s heels,so that his rider falls backward.18 I have waited for your salvation, LORD.19 “A troop will press on Gad,but he will press on their heel.20 “Asher’s food will be rich.He will produce royal dainties.21 “Naphtali is a doe set free,who bears beautiful fawns.22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,a fruitful vine by a spring.His branches run over the wall.23 The archers have severely grieved him,shot at him, and persecuted him:24 But his bow remained strong.The arms of his hands were made strong,by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,(from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),25 even 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 lies below,blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors,above the boundaries of the ancient hills.They will be on the head of Joseph,on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.In the morning he will devour the prey.At evening he will divide the plunder.”28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his own blessing. 29 He instructed 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 of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial 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 therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.