Genesis 49 | Jacob's Final Words: Prophetic Blessings

Jacob blesses his 12 sons from his deathbed

Discover the ancient words that shaped a nation as we journey through Genesis 49, where the patriarch Jacob delivers prophetic blessings with far-reaching impact. On the brink of his final breath, he speaks of futures written in the stars for the tribes descending from his sons, entwining moral judgments with predictions that would echo through history. From Reuben's squandered birthright to the violent legacy of Simeon and Levi, we uncover the rich tapestry of narratives that Jacob's declarations weave. Joined by renowned biblical scholars, we scrutinize the enigmatic "yaboshilo" phrase, debating its connection to messianic prophecy and its fulfillment through the line of Judah—a conversation that intertwines ancient scripture with New Testament revelations, presenting a kaleidoscope of interpretations for your contemplation.

As Jacob's life ebbs away, his last words to his sons crystallize into a vision of the future, imprinting upon the tribes of Benjamin and beyond, presaging conflicts and kings. We honor the complexity of his final moments—the strategic burial instructions that tether him to the promised land and the reflection on a life marred by strife but ultimately redeemed. Our dialogue traverses the emotive landscape of Jacob's narrative, from the depths of family discord to the heights of patriarchal influence, inviting you to witness the close of an epoch and the lasting resonance of Jacob's legacy in the biblical saga.

Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:08

Well as always. Thank you for joining me, as we are now only two chapters away from completing our study of the book of Genesis. In the last episode, we saw that Jacob, nearing death, adopts Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, blessing them and affirming God's covenant promises. He prophesies their future inheritance in Israel and marks the continuation of God's plan through the generations. And that brings us now to chapter 49, which is one of the most difficult chapters in all of Scripture. Now it's not difficult to comprehend what's actually being said. After Jacob adopts Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, he now gathers his 12 sons around him to bless each of them, and so, again, it's not difficult to read the words that he says to them. What makes this chapter so difficult for anyone, including theologians and Bible scholars, is interpreting what Jacob means by the words he uses to bless his sons. He uses several metaphors and analogies. Some of them are vague and sort of shadowy, and there are different possible interpretations put forward to explain them. Now, this chapter is commonly thought of as Jacob blessing his sons, and that is often the title that's used. But what you'll see is that his words are actually more prophecy and moral criticisms than blessings. So what we'll do is read through the chapter and I'll offer some thoughts based on the most common interpretations for each, as well as offer some alternate interpretations for some as well. And so, with those introductory words out of the way, we begin with the first four verses of chapter 49, which read Then Jacob called his sons and said Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, o sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father Reuben. You were my firstborn, my might and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power, unstable as water. You shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed, then you defiled it. He went up to my couch. Now, if you recall from the last episode, jacob is about to die. He's sitting on his bed. He has just blessed Joseph through his two sons, ephraim and Manasseh, and now he's called his other sons and assembled them around his bed and he says to them gather yourselves together that I may tell you what is about to happen to you in the days to come. Now, as he blesses each son and gives his remarks, he is speaking to that son, of course, but he's also speaking prophetically to the distant future, meaning Jacob is speaking to the individual tribes that are personified as his sons. In other words, since each son will become a leader of a tribe of Israel sons. In other words, since each son will become a leader of a tribe of Israel, jacob is also prophesying what will happen to that particular tribe. Now just an observation, but Jacob gathering his sons around him.

Speaker 0: 3:15

It's a striking contrast to how his father, isaac, blessed Jacob himself and Ishmael. If you remember, isaac blessed them behind closed doors, one at a time. I mean, this is what led to Jacob's deceptive scheme to steal Ishmael's blessing. But when he says in the days to come, this phrase in Hebrew simply means in the future, with no precise definition or timeline. But the expression embraces both near future and the distant future. It embraces the entire history of Israel, from the conquest and distribution of the promised land to the ultimate reign of Jesus Christ.

Speaker 0: 3:55

But he begins with Reuben, his firstborn, and he tells him that you are my firstborn, my might and the first fruits. You should have preeminence over your brothers, because the unique position of being the firstborn normally guaranteed rise to a double portion of inheritance as well as leadership. And so for Reuben, that's the good news. But now the bad news leadership. And so for Reuben, that's the good news, but now the bad news, as Jacob continues by saying that he is as unstable as water and shall not have preeminence. And why shall he not have preeminence? Jacob tells us, because you went up into your father's bed and defiled it.

Speaker 0: 4:40

And when Jacob says that Reuben had defiled his bed, that Hebrew word for defiled means to bring disgrace to, to pollute it, and it's used in connection with sexual depravity. Now, what Jacob is referring to is the incestuous act of Reuben, way back in chapter 35, where it tells us that Reuben had sex with Bilhah, who was Jacob's concubine, after Jacob's wife Rachel had died. Now, if you don't remember or you're curious as to why Reuben may have done this, you can refer back to podcast episode 51. But this is even mentioned in 1 Chronicles, chapter 5, where it says that Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Israel. He was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph. And that's exactly what we just read about in the last episode, where Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, ephraim and Manasseh. Again, jacob tells Reuben you shall not have preeminence, and it's remarkable that not even one of the later judges came from the tribe of Reuben. It provided no great captain to the armies of Israel, nor any of the prophets for Israel.

Speaker 0: 5:52

But Jacob moves next to his two sons, simeon and Levi, in verses 5 through 7, where he says Weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their counsel. O my glory, be not joined to their company, for in their anger they killed men and in their wilfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. So Simeon and Levi are strongly condemned for their violent natures.

Speaker 0: 6:28

One observation here is that, since all the other brothers are addressed individually, linking Simeon and Levi together is most likely a reference to their combined attack on the city of Shechem, which is described in chapter 34. And if you remember, this is where they not only avenged the rape of their sister Dina, but massacred the men of the city over it. At the time Jacob was fearful for his family, concerned about a counterattack, and there's no record of him chastising his sons for the attack. But now, after many years, he finally speaks up and renders a moral verdict on their actions and their disregard for human life and a standard of values. And with Reuben being disqualified already by Jacob as inheriting the position of leadership, simeon and Levi would have been the next two in line, but here Jacob passes on them as well. Since they shared the same character traits, they also shared the same condemnation. Now, where it says that they hamstrung oxen, that is a curious phrase for sure, and it refers to crippling a beast by severing the tendons of its hind legs. So it's most likely conveying the idea of senseless brutality. When they were angry, they killed men. When they were pleased, they maimed oxen, the idea being that, whether they were angry or pleased, just on a whim, simeon and Levi had a destructive nature about them with regards to life. As a result of this, jacob says that he will divide them and scatter them in Israel, and this signifies a loss of power, and what we see is that, eventually, simeon's descendants are absorbed into the territory of Judah.

Speaker 0: 8:12

The next five verses deal with Judah, and Jacob says to him Judah, your brother shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's son shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub From the prey. My son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion and as a lioness who dares, rouse him. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Speaker 0: 8:45

And so we see a stark contrast between how Jacob has condemned his other sons compared to how he praises Judah here. Jacob says that his brother shall praise him and his preeminence will be acknowledged, that he possesses lion-like strength. Jacob blesses Judah with the rewards of wisdom, kingship, dominion and prosperity. Now, this doesn't mean he was innocent I mean, just think back to the sins of his youth and his episode with Tamar. But Jacob apparently overlooks or forgives this as a result of Judah's changed character, and this was evidenced by a repentant Judah who later sacrificed himself for Jacob's well-being.

Speaker 0: 9:38

Jacob compares Judah to a lion the lion, one of the largest and strongest carnivores. It poses a threat not just to other animals but also to humans. It has a majestic appearance, fearless, and it has become a symbol of majesty and strength and was a symbol of kingship in the ancient Near East. Remember, jacob is not only speaking to his sons, but he's also speaking prophetically to the tribes that would descend from each son. And it's interesting because we know Jesus came from the tribe of Judah and he's referred to as what? The lion? The lion from where? The lion? From the tribe of Judah. And although we won't get into that here, judah was by far the largest tribe and we know this because of the census taken during the wilderness wanderings. The tribe of Judah even survived the Babylonian destruction and deportation in 586 BC. It made the survival of the Jewish people possible and it's from Judah that the Jews get their name.

Speaker 0: 10:41

But that brings us now to one of the most controversial passages in all of scripture, the very celebrated but difficult verse 10. Verse 10 says the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Well, first of all, the scepter is a symbol of power and authority and kingship. That's the easy part. But it also says the scepter shall not depart from Judah until tribute comes to him. Now the difficult part what exactly does Jacob mean here? He says the scepter shall not depart from Judah until tribute comes to him. What does he mean by the scepter shall not depart? And when he says until tribute comes to him, who is the him he's referring to? Well, when Jacob says the scepter shall not depart from Judah, there's general agreement that this is simply a way of saying that Judah will always have authority and power, particularly over the other tribes. In fact, it's from Judah, for example, that David would come, who would one day be king of Israel. And again, that's the easier part of this passage. But the verse continues. After stating that the scepter will not depart from Judah, it continues by saying until tribute comes to him. Another way to say this, based on the Hebrew, is until he comes to whom it belongs. Now that gets your attention, because who is the he that's referred to here?

Speaker 0: 12:17

The meaning of the Hebrew phrase that's used here, yaboshilo, is one of the most debated in all of Genesis, and this is evidenced by the fact that there are two or three optional interpretations, and it boils down to the interpretation of that Hebrew phrase, yaboshilo, and exactly what it means. This is the only place in scripture where this phrase is used, and neither the subject of the verb, nor the meaning of Shiloh is clear Now. It is actually pronounced Shiloh, but I will pronounce it Shiloh for the sake of listeners who may be more familiar with it that way. But one option is that the Hebrew actually reads until Shiloh comes. Another option is for the phrase to be interpreted until he comes, to whom tribute belongs. This interpretation is based on amending the spelling of Shiloh to Salo, which means tribute to him. This interpretation is partially based on Ezekiel 21-27, where the almost identical expression is used In Ezekiel, chapter 21,.

Speaker 0: 13:24

God is speaking to Ezekiel telling him of the judgment to befall Israel. And in verse 27, god says I will overturn, overturn, overturn it and it shall be no more until he comes, whose right it is, and I will give it to him Now. The sentence of destruction is emphasized in the Hebrew manner by a threefold iteration. In other words, saying it three times emphasizes the overturning. When God says whose right it is, he's referring to him, whose right it is to wear the crown. And so some interpret the Ezekiel passage in chapter 21 as God saying by several degrees I will utterly overthrow the kingdom of Judah and it shall be no more, it shall never recover its former luster and dignity until he comes, that is, until the Messiah comes to take his kingdom. But regardless of which interpretation is correct, what is clear is that all of them predict the rise of David and the establishment of the Israelite empire, and may even imply the coming of one who is greater than David.

Speaker 0: 14:37

One early tradition that's found in the text from Qumran in the Targums and in rabbinic literature sees Shiloh as a messianic title, reading Until the time King Messiah comes, to whom belongs the kingdom. Even the Septuagint translation reads Until he comes, for whom. It was preserved In Hebrew. All the letters also have a numeric value, and it's been noted that the numerical value of consonants in the phrase Shiloh will come is 358, equal to that of Mashiach, the Hebrew word for Messiah. Now I'm going to mention this just so you're aware of the possibility. But when it says the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Speaker 0: 15:32

There are some who believe that Judah had lost its national sovereignty during the 70-year captivity in Babylon, but even then the leaders had the authority to rule their fellow Israelites according to the Old Testament law. It wasn't until the Romans denied the Sanhedrin the right to use capital punishment, that the scepter was considered to have been departed from. Judah scepter was considered to have been departed from Judah. Josephus actually describes a situation in which the Sanhedrin illegally condemned Amanda Stoning without Roman authority. Augustine Le Mans, in his 1886 book Jesus Before the Sanhedrin, records a statement by Rabbi Aragmon in which he says when the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death which he says, and was living as a young boy in a carpenter's shop down in Nazareth. So in sum, this Old Testament prophetic blessing on Judah is fulfilled in David and his house, and in the New Testament it's interpreted as being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Oh, and by the way, christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah.

Speaker 0: 17:02

In the book of Revelation, the Apocalypse John sees this prophecy consummated when, in Revelation 5.5, he says and one of the elders said to me Weep no more. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. And you know, it's truly amazing and it's also sobering to realize that the scepter of the universe will be held by nail-pierced hands. But we move now to Zebulon in verse 13, where Jacob says Zebulon shall dwell at the shore of the sea, he shall become a haven for ships and his border shall be at Sidon. Now we know that the tribe of Zebulon later contributed, become a haven for ships and his border shall be at Sidon. Now we know that the tribe of Zebulon later contributed the largest army to David, and its soldiers were characterized as experienced and loyal. And where it mentions the shore of the sea, it's most likely referring to the Mediterranean, maybe even the Sea of Galilee, and his border was to be Sidon, which was a port city, and it's also a generalized term for Phoenicia.

Speaker 0: 18:06

In general. Verses 14 and 15 address Issachar and read Issachar is a strong donkey crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant at forced labor. In short, issachar is described as being strong but stubbornly refuses to work, preferring comfort, and so he'll be forced to bend his shoulder to the burden. In fact, there's even a criticism for Issachar, placing its strength in the service of the Canaanites.

Speaker 0: 18:41

The tribe of Issachar apparently plays no significant role in the battles against either the Midianites or the Canaanites. The tribe of Issachar apparently plays no significant role in the battles against either the Midianites or the Canaanites, and whereas the other tribes, even with their flaws and although they did not exterminate the Canaanites, at least subjugated them. But Issachar presumably submits to the Canaanites for peace. Issachar was allotted most of the Jezreel Valley. The main highway from Egypt to Babylon passed through the Jezreel Valley, and so was a very prosperous trade route for any country to try and control. And Jacob sort of reproaches the tribe of Issachar for allowing its material prosperity to make it submissive to Canaanite overlords, and there's an implication that the tribe is simply content to enjoy its safety at the expense of their freedom.

Speaker 0: 19:31

Jacob then moves to Dan in verse 16, where he says Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward. Now, when it says that Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel, even though we already know that each of these sons will be the head of 12 tribes, this is actually the first time the Bible uses the phrase tribes of Israel. But Dan here receives two separate blessings. The first is that he will judge or execute justice to the tribes of Israel. But Dan here receives two separate blessings. The first is that he will judge or execute justice to the tribes of Israel, and he'll actually do this by pleading cases, not condemning. This could also be an allusion to Samson and his exploits against the Philistines, as Samson came from the tribe of Dan. The second is that, although relatively small, came from the tribe of Dan. The second is that, although relatively small, they strike back. They are aggressive, dangerous and they strike unexpectedly, and so the imagery of a serpent or a viper on a road is fitting. It represents the tribe as relatively small and in a vulnerable position, which is exactly as it's depicted in the book of Judges, and again, this too could be an allusion to Samson.

Speaker 0: 20:45

Before he continues to the next son, though, jacob inserts a prayer in verse 18. Jacob petitions God, saying I wait for your salvation, o Lord, and he may be saying this because his blessings and prophecies for the tribes predict fierce hostility against the tribes. Jacob here is calling for divine deliverance, and a prayer like this would only originate in a situation of danger. So again, it could be that Jacob is troubled by the hostility he knows the tribes will face, but could also simply be a personal prayer for strength to finish his blessings on his sons, or even during a moment of physical weakness. Remember, this is Jacob on his deathbed here.

Speaker 0: 21:28

But after this short prayer, jacob continues with his seventh son, gad, in verse 19, saying Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their hills. Now the tribe of Gad had its territory east of the Jordan, and its boundaries are defined in the book of Joshua. This was in the vulnerable Transjordan area. For most of its history, gad was engaged in a series of wars with its neighbors the Ammonites, the Moabites, arameans and Assyrians, and its members gained a reputation and were celebrated as fighting warriors. The blessing predicts that Gad will live a troubled life but will strike back at its enemies. The tribe wasn't big enough to engage in full-scale warfare, so it had to resort to guerrilla raids.

Speaker 0: 22:13

But next up is Jacob's eighth son, asher, in verse 20, where Jacob says Now, saying that his food shall be rich or fat and yield delicacies is a reference to the fertile land that Asher would settle in, which was in western Galilee. This area was famous for its fertility and the name Asher actually means fortune or happiness, and so it was sort of a veiled allusion to prosperity for the tribe. Now, where it mentions that he shall yield royal delicacies. This could be figurative, meaning food fit for a king, or it could be literal, meaning that Asher served the Canaanite kingdoms, throwing in its lot with some of the local city-states, and that's where it derived its prosperity. But again, this is why this chapter is difficult, because we simply aren't privy to a lot of the history and details here.

Speaker 0: 23:11

But either way, jacob moves to his son, naphtali, where he says in verse 21, naphtali is a dough let loose that bears beautiful fawns. This is one of those blessings that's difficult to interpret, simply due to a lack of context and the fact that there's just no other elaboration. We do know that does were famous for their beauty and fleetness, and so where Jacob compares him to a doe let loose, it could be an allusion to his freedom, his agility and frequent movements of the tribe. Or it could be an allusion to him being impetuous, doing things suddenly, on the spur of the moment. But that brings us now to Jacob's blessing on Joseph in verses 22 through 26, where he says Joseph is a fruitful bow, a fruitful bow by a spring. His branches run over the wall by the Almighty, who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breast and of the womb. The blessings of your Father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of him, who was set apart from his brothers.

Speaker 0: 24:39

Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, the first by his beloved wife Rachel. But remember, because Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons, ephraim and Manasseh, and gives them equal status with his sons, joseph here actually refers to the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. The two tribes together are also known as the house of Joseph. This prophecy is the longest of all the prophecies, but it begins by comparing Joseph to a fruitful vine, which is most likely a metaphor for fertility, and when it says that his branches run over the wall, it's speaking of the expansion of his territory. But it then mentions that the archers attacked him severely. Now, this is a difficult passage. Nowhere else in scripture is there a mention of archers attacked him severely.

Speaker 0: 25:24

Now, this is a difficult passage. Nowhere else in scripture is there a mention of archers attacking Joseph, and so, unless this is referring to some unrecorded episode in his life, or even attacks on Ephraim and Manasseh, this phrase may be figurative. For example, it could be referring to the Ishmaelites, or to his brothers, or even to Potiphar's wife, all with their resentment and slander toward Joseph, all intended to bring harm to Joseph. And so Joseph had to endure the archers of envy and temptation. And it does seem that one of those truisms in life is that the brightest lights often cast the longest shadows is that the brightest lights often cast the longest shadows. But following this is the idea that Joseph remained steadfast in the face of adversity and drew his strength from God, who championed his cause. Jacob then tells Joseph that the blessings he's giving him exceed the blessings he received from his father.

Speaker 0: 26:20

But that brings us now to the last of Joseph's 12 sons, benjamin, also the son of his beloved wife Rachel, who died giving birth to Benjamin. And Jacob continues in verse 27, saying Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil. This is a much different picture we're painted about Benjamin than in the earlier Joseph story. If you remember, back then Benjamin was younger and Jacob and the other brothers didn't want to let him out of their sight, but here he's now, portrayed as a ravenous wolf. The Hebrew is literally referring to a ravenous wolf that tears its prey, and it says that he divides the plunder, killing more than he could eat. He shares the prey.

Speaker 0: 27:07

Now, the tribe of Benjamin settled along a narrow strip of land that was strategically located so that both the north-south and the east-west roads leading to Transjordan passed through it. As a result, this area became an arena for wars. The Benjaminites had a reputation for bravery and skill in war, and the opposition to the Philistines was centered around this tribe. And Saul, the first king of Israel, came from the tribe of Benjamin, and so the testament of Jacob here reflects this general historical situation. And with that, jacob has now blessed each of his sons, and the narrative now shifts back to focusing on Jacob, where, again, he has been on his deathbed.

Speaker 0: 27:50

And we read his final words before his death in verses 28 through 33, which tell us all these are the 12 tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. Then he commanded 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 the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites, and when Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

Speaker 0: 28:47

And with that Jacob passes away, a man whose amazing life we've been following for many chapters now. He charges his sons with burying him back in his land, the land of his fathers, and he makes sure that he provides them all of the details. So there's no mistake, he gives a precise description of the burial site. But as we say goodbye to Jacob and look back on his life, this pivotal biblical figure experienced an amazing life and adventure. Born into family strife, his journey unfolded through deceit, then exile and finally redemption. He wrestled with God and grappled with his own ideas.