Genesis 49:1-27

Before Jacob died, he gave his *blessing as the father of the family. A father’s *blessing was very important. (See Isaac’s *blessing in Genesis 27:26-40.) God told Jacob what he should say. Therefore, the things that Jacob said were true. And Jacob said things that actually happened many years later.

After this time, Jacob’s *descendants lived in Egypt for 400 years. The *descendants of each of Jacob’s sons became a *tribe. Then they returned to the country that is called *Canaan. And each *tribe obtained land in *Canaan. Many parts of this *blessing refer to those lands.

The names in this chapter sometimes mean Jacob’s sons. And sometimes they mean the *tribes, which were the *descendants of Joseph’s sons. In verses 3-7, the names usually mean the sons. After verse 8 the names mean the *tribes.

Many *Hebrew words in this chapter are difficult to understand. We cannot be sure what they mean. These are likely meanings, but some of these meanings are not certain.

v2 ‘Come near to me and listen, Jacob’s sons.

Listen to Israel your father.

v3 Reuben, you are my oldest son.

You are my strength and you have come out of my strength.

You are very proud and you are very powerful.

v4 But you flow as water flows. You shall not be first,

because you had sex with your father’s extra wife.

You did a very wrong thing. You went into my bed.’