Genesis 49
The Blessing of Jacob
1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you what will happen to you in the future.
Jacob was about to face death. Before he died, he would predict the history of Israel by divine utterance. The rest of the Bible is the fulfillment of Jacob's prophecies.
It is important to note that there is nothing as exact as these recorded prophecies in any known secular or religious history document. The Bible is alone when recording and fulfilling the future with 100% accuracy.
2 “Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.
Jacob called all of his sons to his deathbed to listen to the prophetic history of Israel. The remainder of the Bible is the fulfillment of these prophecies
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.
Reuben was identified as the physical first born of Jacob. Reuben possessed might, strength, dignity, and power. All of these characteristics were those that the firstborn should exhibit.
4You are destructive like water and will not excel, for you got on your father’s bed, then you defiled it – he got on my couch!
Reuben was compared to boiling water. He possessed much energy, passion, and power, but he could not control it. He allowed his passions to get out of control. He had sexual relationships with Jacob’s concubine. He married a Canaanite woman. He had the energy and passion to fulfill his calling as the firstborn, but he could not control it. Therefore, he lost the rights of the firstborn. In the tribal census of Moab, Moses had to pray that the tribe of Reuben would not disappear.
The characteristics of the sons of Jacob would carry into their family lines. The tribe of Reuben never produced anyone of major significance. The tribe never produced one prophet, judge, or king. The tribe was overshadowed by Gad and overrun by the Moabites.
Reuben was the first born. He should have played a major role in Israel’s history. Instead, he would play a very minor role.
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their knives!
Simeon and Levi were sons of Leah and brothers of Dinah. After Dinah was raped, the two brothers took revenge not only on the rapist, but on the entire city of the rapist as well.
6 O my soul, do not come into their council, do not be united to their assembly, my heart, for in their anger they have killed men, and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.
Simeon and Levi not only killed all of the men of Shechem but they also displayed cruelty towards animals. Jehovah was the first and original animal activist. God will take divine revenge upon those who are cruel to animals.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their fury, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel!
When Israel became a nation, neither of these tribes received an allotment of land.
Simeon was absorbed into the land of Judah. The Levites were given 48 Levitical cities which were scattered throughout all of the tribes of Israel. The Levites were to become the teachers of Israel. Since their father slaughtered the cattle, they were to spend their life slaughtering cattle and flocks at the temple sacrifices. However, all of these slaughters pointed to Christ as “the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.”
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.
The first three sons were cursed. Judah was blessed. Judah failed to force his hand upon Joseph. Judah attempted to protect Joseph from his other brothers. Therefore, Judah would be praised by his brothers for forcing his hand upon their enemies. Judah would succeed in war. Judah would lead Jewish armies against the enemies of Israel. All of the anointed kings (except for Saul) would come from Judah.
9You are a lion’s cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; like a lioness – who will rouse him?
The lion is the king of the jungle. The tribe of Judah would become like a lion’s cub, meaning that he would be filled with vigor, honor, courage, and royalty. Judah would kill and consume his prey. Judah would become the lion of Israel in which no one would want to arouse and make angry.
10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him.
The scepter is a sign of royalty. As long as Judah possesses the royal scepter, then their house would rule over Israel. The ruling staff is the authority for a king to make laws.
The Hebrew for “until he comes to whom it belongs” is שִׁילֹה (shiloh). This verse should be translated as “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes to whom it belongs. The nations will obey him (Shiloh)”.
Who is Shiloh? Shiloh means “whose right it is”. Shiloh is the Messiah. The Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah. He will one day possess the eternal throne of David, who will come from the throne of Judah. The Gentiles will also obey Shiloh. Shiloh will reign during the Millennial Kingdom.
Basically, this prophecy stated that the Messiah will come from the line of Judah.The reign of the Messiah will never depart from the line of Judah. Revelation 20 stated six times that this messianic reign of Shiloh would last for 1000 literal years. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Shiloh of this prophecy.
11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his colt to the choicest vine, he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
According to Isaiah 63:1–6 and Revelation 14:17–20 (when the Messiah returns at his Second Coming), He will crush the Gentle nations who come against Israel, just like a farmer stomps on his grapes in a wine press.
12 His eyes will be dark from wine, and his teeth white from milk.
There will be an abundance of agricultural and dairy products during the Millennial Kingdom.
There are eight major points to this prophecy about Judah. First, Judah will be praised by the other tribes. Second, Judah will rule over the other tribes. Third, the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah. Fourth, Judah will have the preeminence among his brothers. Fifth, the brothers will recognize and accept his superiority. Sixth, he will gain victory over his enemies. Seventh, Judah will possess royal authority. Eighth, the line of Judah will administer an eternal kingdom.
Notice that God planned on Israel having a king. Therefore, it was not totally wrong for Israel to ask for a king. Their sin of Israel was in their wrong motivation. Israel also asked at the wrong time. Their timing was off. The result was that the first king was from the tribe of Benjamin instead of the tribe of Judah. Israel suffered for this sin of asking for a king at the wrong time and for the wrong motives.
13 Zebulun will live by the haven of the sea and become a haven for ships; his border will extend to Sidon.
Many skeptics will point out that when Joshua allotted the land to the twelve tribes of Israel, Zebulun was land-locked without a sea. Therefore, these skeptics falsely claim that the Bible was wrong and it is not inerrant. However, Zebulun will be a seaport city during the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, this is not a false prophecy. It is a prophecy which will be fulfilled during the Millennial Kingdom.
14 Issachar is a strong-boned donkey lying down between two saddlebags.
A strong-boned donkey can perform a lot of hard work. However, this donkey is not working. He is laying down and taking a nap between two saddlebags. Issachar will become a strong tribe with great population growth, but he will not be very ambitious. The tribe of Issachar would not perform many great works.
15 When he sees a good resting place, and the pleasant land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a slave laborer.
Issachar was given the fertile land of the Valley of Jezreel. However, he refused to fight for it and he ended up in slavery.
16 Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
Samson was a judge from the tribe of Dan.
17 May Dan be a snake beside the road, a viper by the path, that bites the heels of the horse so that its rider falls backward.
This verse does not teach that the Antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan. What it does teach is that the tribe of Dan would become guerrilla fighters who specialize in hit and run attacks.
18 I wait for your deliverance, O Lord.
Dan would be prone to idolatry. Dan wa not listed in the 144,000 Jewish witnesses of Revelation 7. However, he is listed as receiving a portion of land during the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, Dan will accept Jesus as the Messiah at the end of the Great Tribulation and enter into the Millennial Kingdom as a saved nation.
Rabbi interpreted this verse in many ways. Some looked to Samson as being the Messiah (since he was from the tribe of Dan), but he failed. Others look at this as a call for the Messiah. The Hebrew word for deliverance is יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua). Therefore, the verse can be translated as “I wait for you Yeshua Jehovah.”
19 Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels.
Gad would be raided by raiders, but he would eventually raid them. Gad would later choose the territory on the wrong side of the Jordan, outside of the Promised Land. This land placement placed him at the buffer zone of Israel, meaning that he would often take the brunt of most attacks from outside and hostile Gentile nations. The rabbi saw this as a prophecy of Elijah.
20 Asher’s food will be rich, and he will provide delicacies to royalty.
Asher will become both agriculturally and economically rich, because she would produce olive oil trees and delicacies that kings would enjoy. This verse is not talking about motor oil, as some modern prophecy mongers like to claim.
21 Naphtali is a free running doe, he speaks delightful words.
The doe is a young female deer that is left free to run around the mountains. Naphtali would settle her tribes in the mountainous regions of Israel. This tribe would become mountain people and great warriors. The rabbi interpreted the “delightful words” as the future speech of the Messiah.
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough near a spring whose branches climb over the wall.
Literally in Hebrew, Joseph is a double fruit. The land of Joseph would have its own water source, so it would not need to depend on rainfall. The tribe of Joseph would “climb over the wall,” meaning that she will become the largest tribe of all, even bigger than Judah.
23 The archers will attack him, they will shoot at him and oppose him.
The archers were Joseph’s brothers, Potiphar’s wife, and Potiphar himself. The arrows were his brothers selling him into slavery, the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife, and the torture he received from Potiphar.
24 But his bow will remain steady, and his hands will be skillful; because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
The steady bow is the moral and spiritual strength of Joseph. His hands were made skillful and strong by the testings of persecutions that he received. Joseph was able to survive, because the Mighty One of Jacob was protecting him. The Good Shepherd is the Messiah. The Rock is the Messiah, who is the foundation on which Joseph rested.
25 because of the God of your father, who will help you, because of the sovereign God, who will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would bless the tribe of Joseph. He would bless the tribe of Joseph in three ways. First, he would bring them abundant rain. Second, he would bless them with a land filled with natural lakes and rivers. Third, he would increase their population. Since the tribe of Joseph would consist of both Ephraim and Manasseh, then she would become the largest tribe of Israel.
26 The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains or the desirable things of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of the prince of his brothers.
Jacob received greater blessings than Abraham or Isaac. Abraham and Isaac could only give the patriarchal blessings to one child. Jacob was able to pass the patriarchal blessings to twelve different children. Jacob’s superior blessings would now be passed on to Joseph.
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning devouring the prey, and in the evening dividing the plunder.”
The tribe of Benjamin would become a war-like animal who tears his prey in pieces and devours his enemies. Benjamin would become so successful in war that she would be able to share her plunder with other tribes.
Benjamin produced some great warriors of God, such as Ehud, Saul, Jonathan, Mordecai, Esther, and the Apostle Paul. Ehud was a judge who saved Israel. Saul was head and shoulders above any man in Israel. Jonathan was an expert with the bow, a man of godly honor, and the protector and friend of King David. Mordecai stood alone for Jehovah against the antisemitic policies of Haman. Esther's courage saved the nation of Israel from the genocide policies of Haman. The Apostle Paul brought the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing.
These blessings go beyond the sons and into the future of israel.
29 Then he instructed them, “I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
Jacob was not scared of death. He was ready to die and join his fathers in the afterlife. He knew that Jehovah would raise him from the dead so that Jacob could live with his people.
30 It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.
Abraham was promised all of the land of Canaan, but at his death, he only owned enough land to bury his family. In order to keep this land promise, God will have to raise Abraham from the dead and physically give him the land of Israel.
31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah.
Leah, not Rachel, was buried next to Jacob. Leah always wanted to be close to Jacob. She received her desire at death.
32 The field and the cave in it were acquired from the sons of Heth.”
Abraham bought the burial cave and field from the Hittites. The Hittites are known as the lost civilization. For 2000 years, the skeptics claimed that the Hittites did not exist, so skeptics falsely claimed that the Bible must be in error. Then, Hugo Winkler dug up 40 Hittite cities. Skeptics do not make this claim any more. They must at least agree that the Bible is extremely and historically accurate. The 100% accuracy of the Bible along with its 100% prophetical fulfillment prove that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.
33 When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and went to his people.
It seems as though God allowed Jacob to choose the moment of his death. Jacob went to Sheol to be with Abraham and Isaac. Jesus would later tell the Sadducees (who did not believe in the resurrection) that Abraham was still alive, because Jehovah is "the God of the living" and not the God of the dead.