Genesis 49:4

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Genesis 49:4

Unstable as water. Figure of speech Simile. Compare Numbers 16:1 , Numbers 16:2 ; Numbers 32:1 . water . . . thou. Figure of speech Ellipsis here ( App-6 . b). The word "unstable" = to flow down, and requires the Ellipsis to be filled up thus: "Flowing down as water [passes away, so] thou shalt not excel". What thus would pass away is set forth in Genesis 49:3 , and so it came to pass (1 Chronicles 5:1 ). read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 49:4

"Boiling over as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; Then defilest thou it: he went up to my couch.""Boiling over as water ..." This rendition is based upon the Symmachus and the LXX;[9] and is probably better rendered in the New English Bible which has "turbulent as a flood." Recklessness, and wantonness,[10] lust, frivolity and insolent pride[11] are all said to be included in the meaning. The reference, of course, is to the incest which... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 49:4

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... 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

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Genesis 49:4

(4) 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, another side of feebleness. With this sense the comparison with water well agrees; for it is its nature to seek a dull level, and while yielding to every impression to retain none. The other meaning... 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

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