Jacob’s Last Words

¹Jacob called all his sons together and gathered them around his bedside. He said to them, “Let me prophesy to you about your future destinies :[#49:1 The struggle between flesh and spirit had been fierce and protracted in Jacob, but as the end drew near, he ministered from a deep well as the Spirit of Prophecy fell upon him. Jacob became a shaper of destiny for his children as God revealed to him the futures of his sons. His prophecies were based both on their characters and on their actions. He spoke into their destinies and described God’s plan for each one. The prophecies of Gen. 49 also apply to the day in which we live. The rest of the Old Testament and all the New Testament are the development of Gen. 49. These verses require the whole Bible for their understanding. How profound were the prophecies of Jacob!]

²“Come together and listen to me, O sons of Jacob,

Listen to your father Israel.

³“Reuben, my firstborn, you are my strength

and the firstfruits of my manhood.

You are preeminent in pride

and surpassing others in power.

⁴You are unstable—as turbulent as floodwaters;

you will no longer excel,

for you have slept with my concubine

and defiled yourself in your father’s bed!

⁵“Simeon and Levi, you are two of a kind and brothers in crime ,

for your swords have committed violent acts.

⁶O my soul, let me not join in their secret plans.[#49:6 See Ps. 1:1.]

O my heart, never let me be counted in their assembly,

for they killed men in fits of rage,

and for pleasure, they maimed an ox.

⁷Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath so relentless.

I will divide your descendants throughout Jacob’s territory

and scatter them throughout Israel.

⁸“O Judah, your brothers will praise you.[#49:8 Judah eventually became the source of leadership in Israel, the father of the Davidic dynasty, and ancestor of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Even the word “Jew” is derived from the word Yehudi (“Judahite”). In the Spirit, Jacob saw the blessing of honor and power descending upon his son Judah. He would be a strong and courageous leader, with others showing him great honor. Remember, Judah became a changed man and displayed his true character by offering himself as a substitute for Benjamin (see Gen. 44:33–34). The tribe of Judah produced many kings, and some were quite notable in their exploits for God. A conquering, ruling tribe, Judah remained somewhat faithful when the nation divided. Judah was to have the leadership among his brothers. See 1 Chron. 5:2.]

You will conquer your foes in battle,

And your father’s sons will bow down before you.

⁹Judah, my son, you are like a young lion

who has devoured its prey and departed.

Like a lion, he crouches and lies down,

and like a lioness—who dares to awaken him?

¹⁰The scepter of rulership will not be taken from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,

until the Shiloh comes

and takes what is due him,

for the obedience of nations belongs to him.

¹¹He will tether his donkey to the vine

and his purebred colt to the choicest branch.

He will wash his garments in wine

and his robe in the blood of grapes.

¹²His eyes are more exhilarating than wine[#49:12 As translated from the Septuagint. The Hebrew is “red with wine” or “darker than wine.”]

and his teeth whiter than milk.

¹³“Zebulun will settle along the seashore[#49:13 Having spoken of the tribe from which Jesus was born (Judah), Jacob now prophesied about Zebulun, the tribe in whose territory he lived. Jesus began his ministry in the area settled by Zebulun. The people of Zebulun were the first to see this great Light dawning (see Matt. 4:15–16). The disciples of Galilee were like a fleet of ships carrying the light of the gospel to the nations. It was from a mountaintop in Galilee that Jesus sent out his disciples to the nations like ships of mercy (see Matt. 28:16–19). As the disciples went out with the glad tidings, they became havens of refuge and a blessing to many. The descendants of Zebulun were known as merchants dwelling near the sea who traded goods with others. Deborah praised their bravery for rallying to the cause and fighting against Sisera (see Judg. 5:14–18). Elon, one of the mighty deliverers mentioned in Judges, was a valiant man from this tribe (see Judg. 12:11–12). They were men of undivided loyalty to the king ( 1 Chron. 12:33).]

and become a safe harbor for ships,

and his borders will extend to Sidon.

¹⁴“Issachar is a strong donkey[#49:14 The sons of Issachar were donkeys; they were meant to be burden bearers. A horse loves speed; a donkey is made for carrying burdens. A donkey is focused and sure-footed when it walks on mountain heights. A horse needs blinders or things will easily distract it; but a donkey keeps its attention on the trail ahead. As a donkey can endure weeks of hard conditions with little rest, so true intercessors don’t stop until they get their answer. The men of Issachar were noted in Scripture as those who understood the times and knew what Israel should do ( 1 Chron. 12:32). They represent the intercessor of today.]

lying down between its saddlebags.

¹⁵When he sees that his resting place is good,

and his portion is so pleasant,

then he will bend his shoulder to the burden

and labor for his master.

¹⁶“Dan will provide justice for his people[#49:16 Or “judge.” This is a wordplay on the name Dan. See Gen. 30:6 and footnote.]

as one of the tribes of Israel.

¹⁷Dan will be a snake waiting by the roadside,

like a snake in the grass.

He bites the horse’s heels,

making its rider fall backward.

¹⁸“I wait in hope for your salvation, O Yahweh ![#49:18 Jacob interrupted his prophecy with a prayer. See Ps. 119:166. The Hebrew word for “salvation” is similar to Yeshua , the Hebrew name for Jesus. Jacob, looking to the end of the ages, saw the coming of Jesus! Jesus is the true Judge of all the earth, who alone will provide justice for his people. Where Dan failed, Jesus will succeed in leading us into the salvation of the Lord.]

¹⁹“Gad will be raided by raiders,

but he will raid at their heels and overcome them at last.

²⁰“Asher’s food will be rich,

and he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

²¹“Naphtali is a doe set free,[#49:21 The Hebrew root word for “doe” can be translated “mighty man.” What a wonderful word picture this is. Psalm 22 has in its inscription, “To the tune of ‘The Deer at the Dawning of the Day.’ ” Psalm 22 prophesied the death and resurrection of our Lord. Jesus is the “Doe set free.” In Naphtali, we see Christ not only as the victorious Lion but also as the resurrected Doe skipping on the mountaintops in freedom. He is the Resurrected Doe of the Morning Glory! The name Naphtali means “wrestling.” What freedom we experience when we get up from our “wrestling match” a changed person and run to the mountains with Christ in victory ( Song. 4:6–15). He has paid the price for our freedom; he has loosed us from our sins that we may run with him in resurrection life. We are his beautiful fawns.]

who bestows beauty on his offspring.

²²“Joseph is a fruitful vine,

a fruitful vine growing by a spring,

whose branches run over a wall.

²³Persecutors fiercely attacked him;[#49:23 Or “Warriors [enemies].”]

they pursued him with their bow and arrows.

²⁴But Joseph’s bow remained steady,

because the power of the Mighty One of Jacob strengthened him,

by the name of the loving Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

²⁵The God of your father will help and protect you;

the God who is more than enough will bless you.

He will bless you with the blessings of heaven,

blessings of the deep that lie beneath,

and blessings of the breast and womb.

²⁶The blessings of your father will be greater

than the blessings of the eternal mountains,

surpassing the blessings of my ancestors!

May Joseph’s blessings crown his head

and rest on the brow of the one set apart,

prince among his brothers.

²⁷“Benjamin is a ferocious wolf.[#49:27 Or possibly “Benjamin shall tear a wolf in pieces.” This would mean that Benjamin goes after the “wolf (nature),” tearing it into pieces and turning it into food for the hungry. This is all accomplished in the “morning” of a new day.]

He devours his prey;

in the evening, he divides the spoil.”

²⁸All these men became the twelve tribes of Israel. These were prophetic words their father spoke to them when he blessed them, blessing each son with a parting word appropriate to him.[#49:28 This is the first of many biblical references to the “twelve tribes of Israel.”]

The Death of Jacob

²⁹Afterward, Jacob sat on the side of his bed and instructed his sons with these words: “I am about to join my people in death . Bury me with my ancestors in the cave of the field of Ephron the Hittite—

³⁰the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. My grandfather Abraham purchased that field as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

³¹My grandfather Abraham and my grandmother Sarah are buried there. My father Isaac and my mother Rebekah were buried there also. And it is the place I buried my wife Leah.

³²So, bury me there , in that cave, in the field that was purchased from the Hittites.”

³³When Jacob finished his final words of instruction to his sons, he lifted his feet onto the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.