Genesis 49:1-33
GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 49 JACOB BLESSES HIS SONS V1 Then Jacob called his sons. He said to them, ‘Gather yourselves together. I will tell you what shall happen to you in the future.’... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 49 JACOB BLESSES HIS SONS V1 Then Jacob called his sons. He said to them, ‘Gather yourselves together. I will tell you what shall happen to you in the future.’... [ Continue Reading ]
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 late... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You flow as water flows.’ A person cannot lean on water because the water moves. So this means, ‘A person cannot trust you.’ ‘You shall not be first.’ Before this time, Reuben had the right of the oldest son. Jacob said that Reuben would not keep that right. But this verse does not only mean that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They use their swords.’ Simeon and Levi attacked the men in Shechem. (See Genesis 34:25-26.) ‘I do not agree.’ Jacob told them that their deed was wrong. (See Genesis 34:30.)... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I will divide them in Jacob and I will scatter them in Israel.’ This does not refer to Simeon and Levi themselves. It refers to the *tribes of Simeon and Levi. When those *tribes reached their own country, they did not receive land. The *tribe of Simeon shared land with the *tribe of Judah. So God... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Judah’ means Judah himself and it also means the *tribe of Judah. But the verses that follow refer to the *tribe of Judah. Judah was not the oldest son. But Jacob blessed Judah as if he was the oldest son. And the *tribe of Judah later became the most important *tribe.... [ Continue Reading ]
Later, there were many kings in the *tribe of Judah. David and Solomon were two famous ones. Jesus too is a king and he also is a member of the *tribe of Judah.... [ Continue Reading ]
A ‘vine’ is a plant. People make wine out of the fruits of vines. This verse probably means that there would be plenty. If one ties a *donkey to a vine, the *donkey will eat the grapes. (Grapes are the fruits of the vine.) One would only do that if there were plenty of grapes. This verse probably... [ Continue Reading ]
Jacob blessed his first 4 sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah) in the order of their birth. He blessed the other 8 sons in a different order. The order of their birth was this: Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin The *tribe of Zebulun later possessed land in the north p... [ Continue Reading ]
The *tribe of Issachar would have land that was good for farming. They would work hard on their land. V16 ‘Dan shall be a judge for his people. They shall be as the other families in Israel. V17 Dan shall be like a snake on the way. He shall be like a snake that waits by the path. It bites the... [ Continue Reading ]
A small snake can overcome a large horse. So the *tribe of Dan will be a small *tribe but it will be powerful.... [ Continue Reading ]
The *tribe of Gad would have land east of the river Jordan. So robbers might come from the desert in the east. The *tribe would be too small to fight a battle and so they might attack from behind.... [ Continue Reading ]
The *tribe of Asher would have land where crops grow well.... [ Continue Reading ]
The meaning of the *Hebrew language in this verse is not certain. Perhaps it means that the *tribe of Naphtali would be peaceful people. V22 ‘Joseph is like a young wild *donkey. He is like a young *donkey, which is drinking at a pool. He is like a young *donkey by the side of a rock. V23 Those... [ Continue Reading ]
The *tribe of Joseph was usually called the two *tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph’s sons. The meaning of the *Hebrew words in this verse is doubtful. Some people translate it as, ‘Joseph is a branch with fruit, which is near to a pool.’ But this is not likely. People... [ Continue Reading ]
If the translation ‘*donkey’ is right, these verses mean this. Joseph is in a dangerous place. One can shoot a wild *donkey when it is drinking. It cannot hide itself when it is by a rock. So people attack Joseph’s *descendants, but God protects them. He makes the strong arms of the attacker weak.... [ Continue Reading ]
The *Hebrew word for ‘wild dog’ means ‘wolf’. A wolf is a fierce wild dog that hunts in groups. In later times, the *tribe of Benjamin were fierce people. They fought a war against the other *descendants of Israel. (See Judges 20:12-48.) And they were skilful fighters. (See for example 1 Chronicles... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The 12 *tribes of Israel’ means the *descendants of each of Israel’s 12 sons. JACOB DIES V29 Then Jacob *commanded his sons. He said to them, ‘I will soon go to be with my fathers. Bury me in the cave where people buried my fathers. The cave is in the field of Ephron the *Hittite. V30 It is in th... [ Continue Reading ]
Jacob’s real home was the country that was called *Canaan. Egypt was only a temporary home for Jacob’s *descendants. That was important. God had promised to Abraham that his *descendants would live in *Canaan. (See Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:7 and Genesis 17:18.) So Joseph must bury Jac... [ Continue Reading ]
Genesis 23:17-18 tells how Abraham bought the field and the cave. BLESSING ~ a father’s prayer for his sons before the father died. God sometimes showed the father what would happen to the son. And so the blessing said what would happen in the future. The blessing of the oldest son was extra importa... [ Continue Reading ]