XLIX. THE BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. (1) THAT WHICH SHALL BEFALL YOU. — This dying song of Jacob has been regarded alike by Jews and Christians as a prophetic hymn spoken by the patriarch under the influence of the Holy Spirit. By many modern commentators, however, it has been placed in David’s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEGINNING OF MY STRENGTH. — In Genesis 35:18, the word _oni_ means “my sorrow,” and it is so translated here by the Vulg., Aquila, and Symmachus. But in this verse Jacob magnifies the prerogatives of the firstborn, and our version is undoubtedly right in deriving _oni_ from a different and not u... [ Continue Reading ]
UNSTABLE. — This translation is shown to be right by the use of the word in Judges 9:4; Zephaniah 3:4, in both which places it is translated _light._ Out of this sense of lightness and frivolity naturally arose the meaning which the word has in Syriac of wantonness. In Arabic it means _boastful,_ an... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMEON AND LEVI ARE BRETHREN. — That is, they are alike in character and disposition. Despising the feeble Reuben, they seem to have been close friends and allies, and probably tried to exercise a tyrannical authority over their younger brethren, Judah being the only one near them in age. THEIR HABI... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR SECRET. — The word _sôd_ used here is literally the little carpet, or cushion, upon which an Oriental sits. Consequently, for two persons to sit upon the same carpet marks a high degree of friendship and familiarity. It would therefore be more exactly translated _alliance,_ or _intimacy._ UNTO... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED... — Jacob condemns Simeon and Levi not because they were angry, but because they vented their anger in a perfidious and violent manner. The next sentence literally is, _And their rage, for it was hard._ The indignation at Joseph’s dreams, told them by him innocently, led them to an act harsh... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAH, THOU ART HE WHOM THY BRETHREN SHALL PRAISE. — Judah had received his name, Praise, because at his birth Leah had praised Jehovah (Genesis 29:35). It is now to have another justification in the noble history of his race, which, taking the foremost place by reason of the disqualification of Reu... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAH IS A LION’S WHELP. — We have seen that the sons of Jacob had each his signet, and that Judah’s was so large as to be worn by him attached to a cord fastened round his neck (Genesis 38:18). Probably his emblem was a lion; that of Zebulun a ship; that of Issachar an ass; that of Dan an adder, an... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SCEPTRE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH. — Heb., _a sceptre._ The staff, adorned with carvings, and handed down from father to son, soon became the emblem of authority (see Note on Genesis 38:18). It probably indicates here tribal rather than royal rank, and means that Judah would continue, until th... [ Continue Reading ]
BINDING HIS FOAL... — Having declared the spiritual prerogative of Judah, the patriarch now foretells that his land would be so rich in vineyards that the traveller would tie his ass to the vine, as the tree abundant everywhere. CHOICE VINE is, literally, _the vine of Sorek,_ a kind much valued, as... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS EYES SHALL BE RED WITH WINE. — The word rendered _red_ occurs only here, and is rendered in the Versions, _bright, sparkling,_ and in the Vulg., _beautiful._ They also give the word rendered in our Version _with_ a comparative force, which seems to be right: “His eyes shall be brighter than wine... [ Continue Reading ]
ZEBULUN... — “Sea” is plural in the Heb., and is rightly so rendered in the Syriac. The territory of the tribe lay upon the inland sea of Gennesaret, but did not extend to the shore of the Mediterranean. We do not know of any literal fulfilment of the prediction, but Moses also speaks of Zebulun and... [ Continue Reading ]
ISSACHAR. — The description of Issachar’s lot is derived partly from the cognizance he had chosen for his signet, and partly from his personal character, He had taken for his symbol the ass — a very noble, active, spirited, and enduring animal in the East. (See Genesis 16:12, where Ishmael is compar... [ Continue Reading ]
A SERVANT UNTO TRIBUTE. — Heb., _task-work._ It means service paid in actual labour, such as was exacted by Solomon of the descendants of the Canaanites (1 Kings 9:21, where the phrase used here is translated “a tribute of bondservice;” and 2 Chronicles 8:8). In the Middle Ages this forced labour —... [ Continue Reading ]
DAN. — In passing on to the sons of the handmaids it was necessary to assure them of an independent rank among their brethren. The four tribes descended from them did always hold an inferior position, but Jacob by his words to Dan prevented their ever becoming subject states. Playing, then, upon the... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE WAITED FOR THY SALVATION, O LORD (JEHOVAH). — Among the many explanations hazarded of this ejaculation the most probable is that given in the _Speaker’s Commentary,_ that the thought of the serpent wounding his prey in the heel carried the mind of the patriarch back to the fall of man, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
GAD. — The word Gad, as we have seen (Genesis 30:11), means _good fortune,_ but Jacob connects it with the root _gâdad,_ “to gather in troops.” Thus, then, “A troop” or “throng of plunderers shall throng upon him, but he shall throng upon their heel.” Settling upon the east of the Jordan he shall be... [ Continue Reading ]
ASHER. — The territory of this tribe, extending along the coast from Mount Carmel to Lebanon, was very productive. Zebulun, the trading tribe, could reach the sea only through their possessions.... [ Continue Reading ]
NAPHTALI. — Gad had been described as moving slowly in war, and allowing himself to be surprised by hordes of plunderers, whom, nevertheless, as soon as he has collected his forces, he repels and pursues with vigour. Naphtali, on the contrary, is light and active, moving rapidly like “a hind let loo... [ Continue Reading ]
A FRUITFUL BOUGH. — Literally the words are, “Son of a fruitful tree is Joseph; son of a fruitful tree by a fountain: the daughters spread over the wall.” That is, Joseph is like a fruitful tree planted near a fountain of living water, and of which the branches, or suckers, springing from it overtop... [ Continue Reading ]
(22-26) JOSEPH. — The blessing of Joseph is, in many particulars, the most remarkable of them all. Jacob throughout it seems struggling with himself, and anxious to bestow more than was in his power. Joseph was his dearest son, the child of his chief and most beloved wife; he was, too, the saviour o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ARCHERS. — Naturally Jacob next describes the sorrows of Joseph’s youth, but in poetical terms, so as not to wound the feelings of his brethren, or rouse up thoughts of vengeance in Joseph’s own mind. Thus be compares him to a warrior, too mighty for his enemies to close with in open conflict, b... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS BOW ABODE IN STRENGTH. — The word for strength is highly poetical. It means that which goes on for ever, like the flowing streams or the eternal hills. In spite of all the machinations of his enemies, the bow of Joseph remained constant and enduring in its might. WERE MADE STRONG. — The Hebrew... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN BY THE GOD OF THY FATHER. — In the Hebrew this follows directly upon the preceding clause: “from the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel; from the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and from the Almighty,” &c. BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN ABOVE are the rains and dew; those of “the deep” beneath are lake... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BLESSINGS OF THY FATHER. — As the passage now stands, it means that the blessings which Jacob bestows upon Joseph are greater than those which he had himself received from his ancestors, Abraham and Isaac. This was scarcely the case, as the chief spiritual blessing was bestowed upon Judah, while... [ Continue Reading ]
BENJAMIN. — With this description of their ancestor agrees the character of his race, which was the most spirited and warlike of all the tribes of Israel. It would be interesting to compare the notices of the several tribes in the subsequent history with Jacob’s blessing of their progenitors, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THE TWELVE TRIBES. — As we have seen in the case of Dan, Jacob had the further object of forming his descendants into twelve separate communities, which were, like the States in America, each to be independent, and have its own tribal government. From this position Levi naturally was exclu... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GATHERED UP HIS FEET INTO THE BED. — This seems to indicate that the events recorded in Genesis 48, 49 all took place at the same time. In Genesis 48:2 we read that Jacob strengthened himself for this great final effort, seating himself upon the bed and placing his feet upon the ground. (See Gene... [ Continue Reading ]