Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 49:2

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... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 49:1-4

Reuben. As the first-born, Reuben could have anticipated preeminence among his brothers, leadership of the tribes, priesthood within the family, and the double portion of the birthright. However, he forfeited these blessings preferring rather to give free reign to his lust (Genesis 35:22; cf. Esau). The leadership of the tribes therefore went to Judah, the priesthood to Levi eventually (cf. Exodus 32:25-29; Numbers 3:12-13), and the double portion to Joseph. Joseph was the first-born of the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 49:1-28

14. Jacob’s blessing of his sons 49:1-28Having blessed Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7-10) and Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:15-20), Jacob next blessed all 12 of his sons and foretold what would become of each of them and their descendants. He disqualified Reuben, Simeon, and Levi from leadership and gave that blessing to Judah. He granted the double portion to Joseph. This chapter is the last one in Genesis that gives the destinies of the family members of Abraham’s chosen line. It contains... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 49:1-33

Jacob Blesses his Twelve SonsIt is generally considered that in its present form, this chapter gives us indeed the last utterances of the dying patriarch respecting the future of his sons, but with additions and developments of a later date. As it stands we have not the broken utterances of a dying man, but an elaborate piece of work full of word-plays and metaphors (see on Genesis 49:8, Genesis 49:13, Genesis 49:16), and of those parallelisms in the vv. which are the chief feature of Hebrew... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Genesis 49:1-33

Genesis 49:4 The verse which Ruskin once, in a mood of depression, thought was most suitable for his own epitaph. 'The public men of the times which followed the Restoration were by no means deficient in courage or ability; and some kinds of talent appear to have been developed amongst them to a remarkable degree.... Their power of reading things of high import, in signs which to others were invisible or unintelligible, resembled magic. But the curse of Reuben was upon them all: "Unstable as... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:1-33

THE BLESSINGS OF THE TRIBESGenesis 48:1-22; Genesis 49:1-33JACOB’S blessing of his sons marks the close of the patriarchal dispensation. Henceforth the channel of God’s blessing to man does not consist of one person only, but of a people or nation. It is still one seed, as Paul reminds us, a unit that God will bless, but this unit is now no longer a single person-as Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob-but one people, composed of several parts, and yet one whole: equally representative of Christ, as the... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Genesis 49:1-27

CHAPTER 49 Jacob’s Prophecy 1. The call of Jacob: “Gather yourselves together” (Genesis 49:1-2 ) 2. The prophecy concerning his sons (Genesis 49:3-27 ) Reuben (Genesis 49:3-4 ) Simeon and Levi (Genesis 49:5-7 ) Judah (Genesis 49:8-12 ) Zebulun (Genesis 49:13 ) Issachar (Genesis 49:14-15 ) Dan (Genesis 49:16-18 ) Gad (Genesis 49:19 ) Asher (Genesis 49:20 ) Naphtali (Genesis 49:21 ) Joseph and Benjamin (Genesis 49:22-27 ) The last words of Jacob to his sons are often... read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 49:1-33

JACOB'S PROPHECY AS TO THE TWELVE TRIBES (vs.1-28) After a life of many failures and troubles, the last days of Jacob stand out in bright relief. His perception of God's ways became much more clear and commendable as he neared the end of his life. Now at the age of 147 he called for all his sons in order to tell them their future that would reach much further than any of them personally would experience, but applies to each tribe, going on to "the last days" (v.1). For each tribe borrows its... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:1-33

CLOSE OF THE PATRIARCHAL AGE With the history of Joseph, Genesis concludes what is called the patriarchal age. Yet there are two or three facts for consideration before passing to the next book. THE LIFE OF JUDAH For example, Joseph’s history was interrupted almost at the beginning by that of his brother Judah (chap. 38). Judah’s history is shameful, but recorded because it bears upon the genealogy of Jesus, since Tamar, prostitute though she were, became an ancestress of our blessed Lord... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Genesis 49:1-33

The Last Days of Jacob Genesis 47-49 We have seen Jacob a runaway, a stranger, a hireling, and a prince having power with God. His deceptions, his dreams, his prayers, his visions, are now closing; and the sunset is not without gorgeousness and solemnity. Every sunset should make us pray or sing; it should not pass without leaving some sacred impression upon the mind. The dying sun should be a teacher of some lesson, and mystery, and grace of providence. We shall now see Jacob as we have... read more

Group of Brands