Bible Commentaries

Genesis 48:20. In thee shall Israel bless— i.e.. So eminent and prosperous shall these two tribes be, that it shall become a proverbial form among my posterity, in wishing happiness to others: God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh; a form, we are told, which continues among the Jews to this day; while their blessing to their female children is, God make thee at Sarah and Rebecca. Zedekiah and Ahab are, on the other hand, proposed for execration. See Jeremiah 29:22.

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Genesis 49:1. Called— Jacob, sensible that his last hour drew near, and having made an end of blessing Joseph's two sons, as is related at length in the preceding chapter, now calls all his sons together, that he may take his farewel of them.

That which shall befall you— We have in Scripture many instances of fathers summoning their children, or magistrates the people under their charge, to attend to their last words, ch. Genesis 27:4. 1 Kings 2:1.Joshua 23:0; Joshua 23:0; Joshua 24:0. where the declarations, except in the case of Isaac, are to be regarded rather as prayers for their posterity, or as directions for their conduct, than in the light of prophecies. But, in the remarkable prophecy before us, we have, as it were, an epitome of the history of the most extraordinary nation that ever existed, for near the space of fifteen hundred years. We have facts so remote, and some of them so extraordinary, foretold in it, that, as they are infinitely beyond the penetration of human sagacity, they must be allowed by every fair inquirer, when he sees how exactly they were fulfilled, to have been dictated by the unerring Spirit of GOD.

An opinion prevailed very early in the world, that the soul, when it was near departing from the body, acquired a presaging faculty. Socrates and his disciples seem to have been persuaded of the truth of it, as we are informed by Plato and Xenophon; and Tully relates many instances in proof of it, and cites Homer to that effect. Whether this was a popular notion in Jacob's time, it is not material to inquire: it is highly probable, however, that his sons, who were well acquainted with the intercourse there had been between GOD and their fathers, were persuaded that their parent's voice was to them at that juncture, as the oracles of God, and that they gave credit to it accordingly.

In the last days— In after-times. The phrase הימים באחרית in the end of days, is not used for time which is immediately coming on, but only for a remote future time, as will appear on consulting Numbers 24:14.Deuteronomy 4:30; Deuteronomy 4:30; Deuteronomy 31:29. Daniel 2:28; Daniel 10:14. And as none of Jacob's children, or any of his descendants, till the fourth or fifth generation, possessed the portions assigned them, we may infer from the event, that by these words we are to understand the time which passed from the settling of the Israelites in Canaan to their general dissolution as distinct tribes.

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Genesis 49:2. Gather yourselves together— Jacob received a double blessing, spiritual and temporal, the promise of the land of Canaan, and the promise of the seed in which all the nations of the earth should be blessed; which promises were first made to Abraham, then repeated to Isaac, and afterward confirmed to Jacob; and Jacob, a little before his death, bequeaths the same to his children. The temporal blessing, or inheritance of the land of Canaan, might be shared and divided among all his sons; but the blessed Seed could descend only from one; and Jacob accordingly assigns to each a portion in the promised land, but limits the descent of the Messiah to the tribe of Judah, and at the same time, sketches out the characters and fortunes of all the tribes. Bishop Newton.

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Genesis 49:3. Reuben, &c.— Dr. Durell observes on this prophecy, that in the former part "Jacob dwells on the circumstance of Reuben's primogeniture, and, by the affectionate manner in which he expresses himself, seems to be concerned that his eldest son was to reap no advantage from it; he then, by opposing his great insolence to his great dignity, insinuates that the one proceeded from the other; and after having touched upon his crime in general, in the conclusion he declares that he should in no wise be eminent among his brethren; and that because he had incestuously defiled his father's bed. This is the reason that is given (and it is indeed a very satisfactory one) for Reuben's loss of those privileges which his birth would otherwise have entitled him to."

My might, and the beginning of my strength— These expressions imply one and the same thing, and are sufficiently explained by the word first-born, which immediately precedes. See Deuteronomy 21:17. Psalms 78:51.

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Genesis 49:4. Unstable as water— Thou hast been unstable as the waters, Durell renders it, following the Samaritan reading, which according to his judgment connects better with the preceding verse.

Shalt not excel— The Chaldee paraphrase has it: Thou wast to have had three parts, viz. the birth-right, the kingdom, and the priesthood; but, because thou hast followed thy own will, as water spilled, thou shalt not prosper:" thou art deprived of that dignity which belonged to thee; for to the birth-right belonged, as is generally believed, two shares of the heritage, the priesthood and the kingdom; of all which he was deprived. The right of birth was given to Joseph, (for he had two shares of the inheritance,) Levi had the priesthood, and Judah the kingdom. See ch. 25: Genesis 49:31.

REFLECTIONS.—The dying patriarch assembles his sons, to inform them concerning their posterity. They come at his command, and he enjoins them solemn attention, as to matters in which they were highly interested. Note; (1.) The words of dying parents should deeply affect their children, and be long remembered by them. (2.) Though we cannot prophesy with Jacob, we can from God's word admonish men of what will be the final issue of their conduct in this world. They who do good shall go into life everlasting; and they who do evil into everlasting fire. Reuben, as first-born, is called; his birth-right, his excellence, and superiority are mentioned; but he is solemnly degraded into the lowest place; no judge, prince, or pro phet springs from that tribe; his crime is remembered to his confusion, and his unstable temper marked with indelible reproach. Note; Though sin may be forgiven of God, gross acts of lewdness leave a brand which is never forgotten among men.

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Genesis 49:5. Simeon and Levi are brethren— That is, fellows in wickedness. אחים achim, rendered brethren, is used for persons of the same turn of mind. See Proverbs 18:9; Proverbs 18:24. Jacob intimates that these his sons were not nearer related in blood than in their cruel disposition, which had manifested itself in an act shocking to humanity; on the mention of which, Pro 18:6 he immediately breaks off, declares in an affecting manner that he was not privy to, and testifies his utter abhorrence of it. He comes next to some of the particulars of that infamous day, when these two chiefs, in cold blood, destroyed a whole town, from the principal to the meanest inhabitant, (as is related at length, with all the circumstances of perfidy and inhumanity, ch. 34:) In Pro 18:7 the good old man, roused with indignation at so barbarous a scene, warmly exclaims against the immoderate wrath which had produced such bitter fruits, and takes his leave of them, by assuring them that their punishment, though flow, would certainly overtake them.

Instruments of cruelty, &c.— i.e.. Their swords were instruments of cruelty. They have abused their arms, by cruelly and deceitfully killing the innocent Shechemites. The Hebrew word מכרתיהם mekeroteihem, seems very naturally derived from כרת karet, to cut off as a branch, Isa 18:5 and so to signify instruments of cutting, swords, &c. and to justify the marginal translation of our English Bibles, weapons of violence.

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Genesis 49:6. O my soul, come not thou, &c.— Or, into their secret my soul entered not. But our translation is much more emphatic. Jacob, by this pathetic exclamation, testifies the higher detestation of his sons' barbarity. Their secret, means their wicked designs, which are called their secret, because such designs are commonly carried on with deep secrecy. See Psalms 64:2. He goes on, unto their assembly, Mine honour, be not thou united. Mine honour answers to my soul in the preceding line, and, like it, is frequently used in poetry for the pronoun of the first person, Psalms 16:9. Grotius explains this:—"I have not stained mine honour, or rather, let mine honour never be stained, by joining in their cursed assembly." The sentiment rises: in the former clause Jacob says, that he would not choose to be concerned in their secret designs: here he declares, that, as he valued his honour and self-approbation, he would shun the very place where they were assembled, for fear of catching the infection.

In their anger they slew a man— The singular for the plural; for he means the inhabitants of Shechem, see ch. Genesis 34:25. [slew all the males]; as he means the town of Shechem by the wall, which they are said to have digged down.

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Genesis 49:7. Cursed— The excessive anger and resentment here mentioned may be justly said to have produced cursed effects, and, in consequence, the curse which immediately follows. Job pours this execration not upon their persons, far less upon their posterity, but upon their boisterous passion; as much as to say, let the implacable desire of revenge, which they cherished in so settled and inflexible a manner, and the cruel and bloody issue of that revenge, for ever appear execrable in the eyes of all the world.

I will divide them in Jacob— Jacob, full of the Holy Spirit, speaks here as an oracle of GOD, attributing to himself what belonged to the Supreme Disposer of all things, and what did not come to pass till some generations after. By Jacob and Israel, he here means the land of Canaan and the other countries which were to be divided among his sons. In this division the Simeonites had only some towns and villages given them in the worst part of Judah's lot, Joshua 19:1; Joshua 19:51. which not finding large enough for them, they removed at different times, and formed colonies in different parts, which they conquered from the Idumeans and Amalekites. See 1 Chronicles 4:39; 1 Chronicles 4:43. The Levites had their forty-eight cities dispersed among the twelve tribes in proportion to their extent, Joshua 21:0. These two tribes, therefore, were not only separated from one another, but each from itself, in a great measure, according to Jacob's prediction. Bishop Newton observes from Fagius, that it hath been a constant tradition among the Jews, (which is also confirmed by the Jerusalem Targum,) that the tribe of Simeon were so straitened in their situation and circumstances, that great numbers were necessitated to seek a subsistence among the other tribes, by teaching and instructing their children. As maledictions of this kind are only temporary and conditional, this was, in future time, taken off the tribe of Levi for their zeal against idolaters, their dispersion being turned into a blessing.

We subjoin a paraphrase of these verses: "Simeon or Levi might have succeeded to the right of primogeniture, of which their brother's incest has justly deprived him, had they not proved such instruments of treacherous cruelty. May my soul be for ever preserved from such bloody counsels, and my honour unstained by such horrid guilt! for the fierceness of their anger hurried them to commit murder, and the impetuousness of their fury made them break through all obstacles which opposed them. Cursed be their anger, for it was violent, and their revenge, for it was cruel. This savage and inhuman society, which they contracted for such vile purposes, obliges me to divide their tribes, and, by the spirit of prophecy, to foretel that they shall be disunited, and scattered in Israel."

REFLECTIONS.—Simeon and Levi have still a severer judgment pronounced on them than Reuben. They were men of a bloody disposition, utterly unlike their peaceable father; and the murder of the Shechemites, though a prosperous wickedness, meets now its recompence: since they will not be restrained by their father's advice, they shall lie under his curse. With abhorrence of their deeds, he professes his innocence, and brands their cruel wrath with deepest detestation: though preserved by Providence from being scattered by the enraged Canaanites, yet God will visit them, and scatter them among the tribes. Note; (1.) The best fathers frequently cannot restrain their children from vile deeds. (2.) The greater dissimilarity of children from their parents is often observable; the meekest man has often a most passionate child. (3.) Though wickedness seems to succeed for a time, we may be assured the curse is coming. (4.) We must disdain all fellowship with wicked men and their deeds.

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