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 as 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. To him will the obedience of the peoples be. 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 in the way, an adder in the path, That bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. 18 I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh. 19 "A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel. 20 "Asher's food will be rich. He will yield 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 persecute 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 your 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 spoil." 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 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 made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
Jacob, about to die, calls his sons together that he may bless them, or give prophetic declarations concerning their posterity, Genesis 49:1, Genesis 49:2. Prophetic declaration concerning Reuben, Genesis 49:3, Genesis 49:4. Concerning Simeon and Levi, Genesis 49:5-7; concerning Judah, Genesis 49:8-12; concerning Zebulun, Genesis 49:13; concerning Issachar, Genesis 49:14, Genesis 49:15; concerning Daniel, Genesis 49:16-18; concerning Gad, Genesis 49:19; concerning Asher, Genesis 49:20; concerning Naphtali, Genesis 49:21; concerning Joseph, Genesis 49:22-26; concerning Benjamin, Genesis 49:27. Summary concerning the twelve tribes, Genesis 49:28. Jacob gives directions concerning his being buried in the cave of Machpelah, Genesis 49:29-32. Jacob dies, Genesis 49:33.
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 49
This chapter contains a prophecy of future things, relating to the twelve sons of Jacob, and to the twelve tribes, as descending from them, and which he delivered to his sons on his death bed, having called them together for that purpose, Genesis 49:1, he begins with Reuben his firstborn, whose incest he takes notice of, on which account he should not excel, Genesis 49:3, next Simeon and Levi have a curse denounced on them for their cruelty at Shechem, Genesis 49:5, but Judah is praised, and good things prophesied of him; and particularly that Shiloh, or the Messiah, should spring from him, the time of whose coming is pointed at, Genesis 49:7, the predictions concerning Zebulun, Issachar, and Daniel, follow, at the close of which Jacob expresses his longing expectation of God's salvation, Genesis 49:13 and after foretelling what should befall Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, Genesis 49:19, a large account is given of Joseph, his troubles, his trials, and his blessings, Genesis 49:22, and Benjamin the youngest son is taken notice of last of all, all the tribes being blessed in their order according to the nature of their blessing, Genesis 49:27, and the chapter is closed with a charge of Jacob's to his sons to bury him in Canaan, which having delivered, he died, Genesis 49:29.
(Genesis 49:1, Genesis 49:2) Jacob calls his sons to bless them.
(Genesis 49:3-7) Reuben, Simeon, Levi.
(Genesis 49:8-12) Judah.
(Genesis 49:13-18) Zebulun, Issachar, Daniel.
(Genesis 49:19-21) Gad, Asher, Naphtali.
(Genesis 49:22-27) Joseph and Benjamin.
(Genesis 49:28-33) Jacob's charge respecting his burial, his death.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.