Genesis 49: Jacob's last words to his twelve sons
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Jacob calls his twelve sons together and speaks over each one in turn, from Reuben the firstborn to Benjamin: some words are blessings, some are warnings. Judah is promised the scepter, and Joseph receives the longest blessing. Jacob then asks to be buried with his fathers in the cave of Machpelah, and dies.
Who is speaking?
Jacob speaks almost the whole chapter. These are Jacob's words, not God's, so nothing here is gold. In verse 18 he stops to speak to Yahweh. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Jacob 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.
In plain English: Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather around, so I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come (or: in the last days).
The Hebrew words: "In the days to come" is be'acharit hayamim, word for word "in the end of the days".
How it is translated: This Bible says "the latter days" for the same words in other places, such as , and . The King James says "in the last days" here.
What changes: Read as "the last days", Jacob's words may point far ahead, to the end of time. Read as "the days to come", they may simply point to his sons' future. The text does not say which.
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2Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
In plain English: Come together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
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3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
In plain English: Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the first sign of my manhood, first in honor and first in power.
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4Boiling 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.
In plain English: But you are like water boiling over (or: as unstable as water), and you will not keep first place, because you climbed into your father's bed and dishonored it. He climbed onto my couch.
The Hebrew word: "Boiling over" is pachaz, a word found only here in the Bible: froth, like water boiling over. Older Bibles like the King James say "unstable as water".
Good to know: "You went up to your father's bed" looks back to , where Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine.
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5“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
In plain English: Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords (the Hebrew word is uncertain) are weapons of violence.
The Hebrew word: "Swords" is mekerah, a word found only here. Its meaning is not certain. The King James reads it as "habitations" (dwellings).
Good to know: This looks back to , where Simeon and Levi took their swords and killed the men of Shechem.
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6My 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.
In plain English: My soul, do not join their council (or: secret meetings). My glory (or: my inner self), do not be part of their gathering. In their anger they killed men, and for their own pleasure they crippled oxen (or: tore down a wall).
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7Cursed 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.
In plain English: Cursed be their anger, because it was fierce, and their fury, because it was cruel. I will divide them up in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
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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.
In plain English: Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down to you.
Good to know: "Praise" is yadah, which sounds like the name Judah. Leah named him with this word: "This time I will praise Yahweh" ().
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9Judah 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?
In plain English: Judah is a young lion. My son, you have come up from the prey. He crouches and lies down like a lion, like a lioness. Who dares to wake him?
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10The 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.
In plain English: The scepter will not leave Judah, nor the ruler's staff (or: a lawgiver) from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs (or: until Shiloh comes). The peoples will obey him (or: gather to him).
The Hebrew word: Word for word, the Hebrew says "until Shiloh comes" (or "until he comes to Shiloh"). The meaning of shiloh here is not certain.
How it is translated: Bibles read it in several ways: "until Shiloh comes" (King James), as a name or title; "until he comes to whom it belongs" (this Bible), reading it as "which is his"; "until he comes to Shiloh", the town where the Tent of Meeting later stood (); and, in some modern translations, "until tribute comes to him".
What changes: Read as a name or as "he to whom it belongs", the verse looks ahead to a coming ruler from Judah. Read as the town, it points to an event in Israel's later history. Read as tribute, it says the peoples will bring gifts to Judah.
Church tradition: Many churches read this verse as a promise of the Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus, who came from the tribe of Judah (). Genesis 49 does not name him.
Good to know: Some Jewish teachers of old also read this verse about the Messiah, and the ancient Aramaic translation known as Targum Onkelos is often cited as an example. Other Jewish readers take it as the town of Shiloh or as tribute brought to Judah. These are Jacob's words, and the text does not say which reading is meant.
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11Binding 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.
In plain English: He ties his young donkey to the vine, his donkey's colt to the best vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
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12His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
In plain English: His eyes will be red with wine (or: darker than wine), and his teeth white with milk (or: whiter than milk).
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13“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
In plain English: Zebulun will live by the seashore. He will be a harbor for ships, and his border will be at Sidon.
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14“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
In plain English: Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags (or: the sheepfolds).
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15He 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.
In plain English: He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant. So he bent his shoulder to the load and became a servant doing forced labor.
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16“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
In plain English: Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Good to know: "Dan" sounds like the Hebrew word for "judge" (din). Rachel named him with this word: "God has judged me" ().
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17Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.
In plain English: Dan will be a snake on the road, a viper on the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider falls backward.
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18I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.
In plain English: I have waited for your salvation (your rescue), Yahweh.
The Hebrew word: "Salvation" is yeshuah: rescue, help, or victory. This is the first time the word "salvation" appears in this Bible.
How it is translated: In its 76 verses this Bible says "salvation" in 65.
Good to know: Jacob stops in the middle of the blessings and speaks to Yahweh.
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19“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.
In plain English: A band of raiders will attack Gad, but he will attack them at their heels.
Good to know: This verse plays on Gad's name: in Hebrew "band of raiders" is gedud and "attack" is gud, both sounding like "Gad".
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20“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.
In plain English: Asher's food will be rich, and he will provide food fit for a king.
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21“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
In plain English: Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns (or: who speaks beautiful words).
The Hebrew word: "Fawns" here is imre, which usually means "words" or "sayings".
How it is translated: In the 47 verses that use it, this Bible says "words" in 41. This is the only one where it says "fawns".
What changes: Read as "words", the verse says Naphtali speaks beautiful words. The King James also says "words" here.
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22“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
In plain English: Joseph is a fruitful vine (some read: a young wild donkey), a fruitful vine by a spring. Its branches climb over the wall.
The Hebrew words: "Fruitful vine" is ben porat, word for word "son of a fruitful one". "Fruitful" sounds like the name of Joseph's son Ephraim, which explains: "God has made me fruitful".
What changes: Some translations read these words as a picture of a young wild donkey instead of a vine. The Hebrew here is hard, and the text alone does not settle it.
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23The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:
In plain English: Archers attacked him bitterly, shot at him, and kept on hating him.
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24But 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),
In plain English: But his bow stayed steady, and his arms were kept strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From there comes the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel (or: this is by the name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
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25even 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.
In plain English: by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep waters below, and blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
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26The 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.
In plain English: The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of my ancestors (or: of the ancient mountains), reaching to the far edge of the age-old hills. They will rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the one set apart from (or: the prince among) his brothers.
The Hebrew word: "Him who is separated" is nazir: someone set apart. It is the word later used for a Nazirite, a person set apart to God by a vow ().
How it is translated: In its 16 verses this Bible says "Nazirite" or "Nazirites" in 11. Moses uses the same words for Joseph in .
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27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”
In plain English: Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats his prey, and in the evening he shares out the plunder."
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28All 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.
In plain English: All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed each one with his own blessing.
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29He 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,
In plain English: Then he gave them instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
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30in 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.
In plain English: the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought it, with the field, from Ephron the Hittite, as a burial place.
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31There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
In plain English: Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there. Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there, and I buried Leah there.
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32the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.”
In plain English: The field and the cave in it were bought from the sons of Heth."
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33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
In plain English: When Jacob finished giving his sons these instructions, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
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