Genesis 49

Jacob Blesses His Sons and Prophesies about Each One's Future

⁽¹⁾ Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, "Gather around me, and I will tell you what is going to happen to you in the days to come*.

   All of Jacob's sons were alive - including Joseph, who he had thought dead for years, and Benjamin, who, he feared, would die in Egypt.

*days to come: We don't normally think of Jacob as a prophet, but the Holy Spirit showed him the future of his descendants. His discourse is organized according to the birth order of his sons with the respective mother. Leah's six sons come first in the order of their births, except that Zebulun precedes Issachar. Next are the children of the two concubines, the children of Bilhah and Zippah: Dan, Gad, Asher and Naphtali. Finally, are the children of Rachel - Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob curses the oldest three sons, Reuben, Simeon and Levi. The dying words of a man were considered to have powerful effect on the future.

⁽²⁾ "Come and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.

⁽³⁾ "Reuben*, you are my oldest son, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first on the list in rank and honor.

*Reuben, son of Leah (Genesis 29:32), was the first-born but he forfeited the birthright. Reuben would have, as the eldest, taken his place closest to his father, on one side of the bed.

⁽⁴⁾ But you are as unruly as the waves of the sea*, and you will be first no longer**. For you slept with one of my wives***; you dishonored me in my own bed.

*unruly as the waves of the sea means ‘unstable, uncontrolled, frothing over’.

**first no longer: The birthright double portion of the eldest was taken from him and given to Joseph.

***slept with one of my wives (Bilhah): Genesis 35:22. Bilhah was the mother of Dan and Naphtali. Jacob never mentioned it until now. The tribe of Reuben never furnished a leader of any kind for Israel as a whole. The Reubenites were the first tribe to ask for a place to settle, not waiting to cross the Jordan with the others (Numbers 32).

   Reuben had his good points. He had tried to save Joseph and at least saved him from death, although he was not strong enough, even as the oldest, to stand up to his brothers. He was the one who was concerned about Simeon and wanted to go back for him, but he failed to persuade Jacob to let him take Benjamin. It was Judah who was firm and later succeeded.

   God has by-passed the firstborn several times: Seth over Cain, Shem over Japheth, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Judah and Joseph over Reuben, Moses over Aaron, David over all of his brothers.

⁽⁵⁾ "Simeon* and Levi** are two of a kind-- men of violence.

   Simeon and Levi demonstrated their violence when they led their men against Shechem having disabled the inhabitants by convincing them to be circumcised (Genesis 34). They were two of four full brothers to Dinah, but Reuben and Judah did not join with them in their blood vengeance, although later joining in the general destruction of the city. They were merciless.

*Simeon: The tribe of Simeon later combines with Judah as the weaker of the two tribes (Joshua 19.9) is never mentioned after the Exile (except in the list in Revelation 7). The tribe of Simeon started out from Egypt being the third largest tribe (Numbers 1:23), but some 35 years later, at the second wilderness census of Israel, 63% of the tribe perished and they became the smallest tribe (Numbers 26:14).

**Levi: The tribe of Levi, as priests, received no specific allotment of land, only selected cities dispersed throughout Canaan.

⁽⁶⁾ O my soul, stay away from them. May I never be a party to their wicked plans. For in their anger they murdered men*, and they crippled oxen just for sport**.

*murdered men: Killed the Shechemites in chapter 34. Jacob has nothing good to say about Simeon and Levi. It seems that they were violent and cruel all their lives. We saw some of this in the episode concerning Dinah, when they took revenge upon the whole town of Shechem, by killing every man in the town, because their sister Dinah had been seduced (Genesis 34). Also, many commentators think that Simeon was the ringleader in the persecution of Joseph, since Joseph chose Simeon to remain in prison while his brothers returned to Canaan to bring Benjamin to Egypt (see Genesis 42:24).

**just for sport: They tortured the animals before killing them by cutting the tendons in their legs. This may have been another of the "bad reports" that Joseph delivered to Jacob about his brothers.

⁽⁷⁾ Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; cursed be their wrath, for it is cruel. Therefore, I will scatter* their descendants throughout the nation of Israel.

*scatter: What is predicted here is a division of their tribes. Most commentators see here an anticipation of Levi being in every area but not their own. That may be part of it, but not entirely what the curse intended. These tribes for their ruthless cruelty would be eliminated from the power and prestige of leadership.

   The punishment for their cruelty is that they will be "scattered in Jacob" and "dispersed in Israel". This prophecy was fulfilled for both tribes, but in a different way for each. The tribe of Simeon was allotted land within the territory of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 19), so they were "scattered in Jacob" in this way. The tribe of Levi was not given its own territory. Instead, the Levites became the priests for the Israelites, and so they were given towns within the territories of each of the other tribes (Joshua 21).

⁽⁸⁾ "Judah*, your brothers will praise** you. You will defeat your enemies. All your relatives will bow before you.

*Judah wasn't a completely exemplary character. He suggested a profit motive in getting rid of Joseph (Genesis 37:26). He did not deal faithfully with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Genesis 38:26), and he had sex with her as a prostitute (Genesis 38:18). But he did shine when he interceded and offered himself as a substitute for Joseph (Genesis 44:18-34). Overall, this blessing is an example of the riches of God’s grace. Jewish tradition says after Judah heard what Jacob had to say to Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, he was afraid because of the evil he did.

**praise: The prophecy, "your brothers will praise you", was partially fulfilled by David and Solomon. However, the kings of Judah were not, by and large, worthy of praise. This prophecy primarily points to Messiah.

⁽⁹⁾ Judah* is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion** he crouches and lies down; like a lioness--who will dare to rouse him?

*Judah: There is a word play here; the name Judah (yÿhudah) sounds in Hebrew like the verb translated praise (yodukha). The wordplay serves to draw attention to the statement as having special significance. Judah should be the royal tribe, the tribe from which Messiah the Prince should come. Jacob at a great distance saw Christ's day.

**lion: Jesus is called the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" in Revelation 5:5.

⁽¹⁰⁾ The scepter* will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs**, the one whom all nations will obey.

*scepter: Hebrew - chaqaq - the symbol of rulership. The rulers of Israel, including the King of Kings, were to come through Judah. Judah did not actually receive the "scepter" of leadership for over 640 years after Jacob's prophecy. Once David became king, however, Judah was the dominant tribe from then on.

**the one to whom it belongs: Or until tribute is brought to him and the peoples obey; traditionally rendered "until Shiloh comes". Refers to Messiah. Shiloh means "sent" or "the one who brings peace". The promised seed (Genesis 3:15) would come through Judah. Isaiah 9:6.

   In 7 A.D., a Roman procurator named Caponius was set up to oversee Israel. He restricted the rights of the Sanhedrin to administer justice. In other words, in 7 A.D., "the scepter" departed from Judah. The reaction to this by the Jews was recorded in the Talmud: "When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them: they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming, 'Woe unto us for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come.'" What they did not realize was that the Messiah had indeed come. Jesus was at that very moment living in Nazareth as a young man.

   King David was the first descendent of Judah to attain the scepter of leadership among the tribes of Israel, and the divine promises were clear that Messiah would be in David’s lineage. That Jesus’ legal father, Joseph, and human mother, Mary, were both in that lineage was shown in the genealogies of Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38, respectively, both of which were written when the genealogical records in the Temple were still intact. No one at that time ever questioned their validity, in spite of intense opposition by the Jews to the claims of Jesus and His disciples. In 70 A.D., the records and the Temple were destroyed, so that no later claimant to the title could ever prove his right to the throne. Messiah had come, and was slain, so the scepter departed from Judah until He comes again.

   “The scepter” was then held by Judah for a thousand years, until Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Jesus’ parents were both of Judah, both of the line of David, with both the legal and spiritual right to David’s throne. But then, just 70 years after His birth, “the scepter” (that is leadership over the twelve tribes) departed from Judah, with the worldwide dispersion of Israel, and no man since has ever held that right. It is still retained by Jesus, and will be reclaimed and exercised when He returns. In the meantime, the prophecy stands as an unchallengeable identification of Jesus as the promised Messiah. Ancient Jewish commentators all recognized “Shiloh” as a name for Messiah. Since the scepter has already departed, Shiloh has already come. When He returns, His people will, indeed, finally be gathered together “unto Him.” - Bible.org: http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1024

⁽¹¹⁾ He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine because his harvest is so plentiful.

⁽¹²⁾ His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

   The rest of the prophecy seems to be referring to the second coming of Chris t.. This is similar to others prophecies in the Bible describing the wrath of God that will come in the end times: Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who is mighty to save!" Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? "I have trodden the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. It is their blood that has stained my clothes. (Isaiah 63:1-3); and also He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13).

⁽¹³⁾ "Zebulun* will settle on the shores of the sea and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to Sidon.

   Jacob now skipped the birth order, moving to the tenth-born and ninth-born sons, but staying with the sons born of Leah.

*Zebulun: This was fulfilled when, in the allotment of land that the tribe of Zebulun received, which bordered the sea of Galilee. The ports of Zebulun were a "harbor" or "haven" for the boats from the sometimes fierce storms that would blow on the sea of Galilee.

Matthew 4:12-16: When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. But instead of going to Nazareth, he went to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy:
"In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River--
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live--
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined."

   The tribe of Zebulun was noted for its faithfulness to David, supplying the largest number of soldiers to David’s army of any single tribe.

⁽¹⁴⁾ "Issachar is a strong beast of burden, resting among the sheepfolds.

⁽¹⁵⁾ When he sees how good the countryside is, how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the task and submit to forced labor.

   Issachar was a large tribe - third in size according to the Numbers 26 census. The land allotted to Issachar was a "pleasant" land. The prophecy seems to indicate that Issachar, seeing how pleasant the land is, and not wanting to be removed from it, would be willing to "submit to forced labor", rather than fight for the land. We may find a subtle indication of the fulfillment of this prophecy in Judges 1, where the battles of some of the tribes are described, as the tribes tried to supplant the Canaanites and take possession of the land God had given them. In Judges 1:27-36, the battles of (among others) Zebulun, Manasseh and Asher are mentioned. However, there is nothing mentioned here about Issachar, even though the territory of Zebulun, Manasseh and Asher surround the territory of Issachar. It is quite possible that the tribe of Issachar "submitted to forced labor" instead of battle for the land.

⁽¹⁶⁾ "Dan* will govern his people like any other tribe in Israel.

*Dan was a troublesome tribe. They introduced idolatry into Israel (Judges 18:30). Jeroboam set up one of his idolatrous golden calves in Dan (1 Kings 12:26-30) and later Dan became a center of idol worship in Israel (Amos 8:14). The Beta Israel, a group of Jews living in Ethiopia which was isolated from Israel until the 19th century, claim to be descendants of the Tribe of Dan, though it is not clear how they got there.

⁽¹⁷⁾ He will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper* along the path, that bites the horse's heels so the rider is thrown off.

*poisonous viper: Some think this refers to the idea that the Antichrist comes from the tribe of Dan (based on Daniel 11:37 and Jeremiah 8:16). Dan is left out of the listing of tribes regarding the 144,000 in Revelation 7:5-8, but was replaced by the tribe of Manasseh. Bu, Dan is the first tribe listed in Ezekiel’s millennial roll call of the tribes (Ezekiel 48). This is a remarkable sign of God’s redemption.

⁽¹⁸⁾ I trust in you for salvation, O LORD!

   The salvation he waited for was Christ, the promised seed, whom he had spoken of in verse 10. The salvation he waited for was also heaven, the better country, which he declared plainly that he sought (Hebrews 11:13-14), and continued seeking, now that he was in Egypt. Now that he is going to enjoy the salvation he comforts himself that he had waited for the salvation. The Hebrew word for salvation is “yeshuwah.” At this point in the prophecy, when Jacob is so near death, he called out for God’s salvation. He called out for Jesus.

⁽¹⁹⁾ "Gad* will be plundered by marauding bands, but he will turn and plunder them.

*Gad: In Hebrew, the name "Gad" sounds like the words translated “raided” and “marauding bands”. Jacob foresees the character of that tribe, that it should be a warlike tribe, and so we find (1 Chronicles 12: 8) that the Gadites were men of war fit for the battle. Gad was Jacob's 7th son, by Zilpah, and was Asher's brother. Elijah was a Gadite (1 Kings 17:1).

⁽²⁰⁾ "Asher will produce rich foods, food fit for kings.

   Asher settled in the Northern part of Israel - Mt. Lebanon to the Mediterranean. The tribe of Asher, in contrast to the other tribes, kept the Passover (2 Chronicles 30:1,10,11). Deuteronomy 33:24: Moses said this about the tribe of Asher: "May Asher be blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his feet in olive oil."

⁽²¹⁾ "Naphtali is a deer let loose, producing magnificent fawns.

   Naphtali was Jacob's 5th son, the 2nd born to him by Rachel's handmaid, Bilhah. He was Dan's full brother. Naphtali has clearly been the surprise among the brothers. He is like a trapped hind which has been let loose, in that he has moved from being merely the quiet one to becoming a teacher of wisdom (see Proverbs 15.26; 16.24). Wisdom teaching was well established in Egypt.

⁽²²⁾ "Joseph* is a fruitful tree a fruitful tree beside a fountain. His branches reach over the wall.

*Joseph: His name means "may he add sons". He was Rachel's first child. As we've reviewed before, he was in over 100 ways a type of Christ. Jacob reminds him of the difficulties and fiery darts of temptations he had formerly struggled through. His faith did not fail, but through his trials he bore all his burdens with firmness, and did not do anything unbecoming. All our strength for resisting temptations, and bearing afflictions, comes from God; his grace is sufficient. Joseph became the shepherd of Israel, to take care of his father and family. Jacob blessed all his sons, but especially Joseph. Joshua, Deborah, Gideon and Jephthah were descendants of Joseph.

⁽²³⁾ He has been attacked by archers, who shot at him and harassed him.

⁽²⁴⁾ But his bow remained strong, and his arms were strengthened by the Mighty One* of Jacob, the Shepherd**, the Rock*** of Israel.

*Mighty One: El Shaddai

**Shepherd: 1st time God is actually called the Shepherd. Psalm 23:1 -The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

***Rock: 1st time God is actually called the Stone or the Rock. Deuteronomy 32:4 - He is the Rock; his work is perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! John 10:11 - I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

   In his words about Joseph, Jacob listed five great titles for God. These titles show that Jacob did come to an understanding of who God is:

• The Mighty God of Jacob


• The Shepherd


• The Rock of Israel


• The God of your father


• The Almighty

   This is much better than when Jacob referred to God as the God of Abraham or the Fear of his father Isaac (Genesis 31:53). Now he knows who God is for himself.

⁽²⁵⁾ May the God of your ancestors help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the earth beneath, and blessings of the breasts and womb.

⁽²⁶⁾ May the blessings of your ancestors be greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains, reaching to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills. These blessings will fall on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers.

⁽²⁷⁾ "Benjamin* is a wolf** that prowls. He devours his enemies in the morning, and in the evening he divides the plunder."

*Benjamin: King Saul, the first king of Israel, was a Benjamite. Paul was of this tribe, Romans 11:1; Philippians 3:5. All of the apostles were Benjamites except Judas Iscariot. Ehud the second judge, Saul the first king, Esther and Mordecai were Benjamites. Benjamin was Jacob's youngest son and his name meant "son of the right hand".

**wolf: To a shepherd, the wolf was a dreaded but awesome sight. He ate in the morning and was himself satisfied and then in the evening he provided extra for his young. Benjamin will be successful in all his efforts, providing for himself and for his children. The picture is not necessarily derogatory. Men liked to be thought of in terms of fierce beasts. This was the tribe with a reputation for fierceness. To see the great extent of this, look at Ehud (Judges 3:15-23), Saul (1 Samuel 9:1, 14:47-52), and Paul (Acts 8:1-3). The cruelty of the tribe in general is seen in Judges 19 and 20.

   The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the next to the smallest (Numbers 1:36-1:37; Psalms 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh and Ephraim on the west of the tabernacle. At the entrance into Canaan it counted 45,600 warriors. It has been inferred by some from the words of Jacob that the figure of a wolf was on the tribal standard. This tribe is mentioned in Epistle to the Romans 11:1 and Philippians 3:5. The inheritance of this tribe lay immediately to the south of that of Ephraim, and was about 26 miles in length and 12 in breadth. Its eastern boundary was the Jordan. Dan intervened between it and the Philistines. Its chief towns are named in Josh. 18:21-28. The history of the tribe contains a sad record of a desolating civil war in which they were engaged with the other eleven tribes; they were almost exterminated (Judges 20:20, 21; 21:10). A close alliance was formed between this tribe and that of Judah in the time of David (2 Samuel 19:16, 17), which continued after his death (1 Kings 11:13; 12:20). After the Exile, these two tribes formed the great body of the Jewish nation (Ezra 1:5; 10:9), and to this day the other ten are referred to as the lost tribes of Israel. The gate of Benjamin, on the north side of Jerusalem, was so called because it led in the direction of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

⁽²⁸⁾ These are the twelve tribes* of Israel, and these are the blessings** with which Jacob*** blessed his twelve sons. Each received a blessing that was appropriate to him.

*twelve tribes of Israel: This is the first use of this full phrase (only used elsewhere in Exodus 24:4; Ezekiel 47:13).

**blessings: Though Reuben, Simeon, and Levi were put under the marks of their father's displeasure, yet he is said to bless them every one according to his blessing; for none of them were rejected as Esau was.

***Jacob: Hebrew Israel.

Image from http://www.ebibleteacher.com

⁽²⁹⁾ Then Jacob told them, "Soon I will die*. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in Ephron's field.

*die: Literally, will be gathered unto my people. Though Jacob is now in Egypt, he knew he was not an Egyptian. He was a son of the promise, an heir of God’s covenant with Abraham, and he will be buried in the land promised to Abraham by covenant.

⁽³⁰⁾ This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a permanent burial place.

Genesis 47:27-31; 48:21-22.

   Egypt was filled with magnificent tombs, and because of the respect Jacob had he could have been buried like a Pharaoh. But he wanted to be buried in an obscure cave in Canaan, because Canaan was the land of promise.

⁽³¹⁾ There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah.

⁽³²⁾ It is the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites."

   He was afraid that his sons, after 17 years in Egypt, had forgotten Canaan, and even the burying-place of their ancestors there. Notice that Jacob gave very specific instructions to his sons for his burial. He didn't just say, "Bury me in the promised land." He told them exactly where. Jacob did not want just an empty promise from his sons. It was very important to Jacob to be buried with his forefathers Abraham and Isaac. God is called, many times, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And so, it is fitting that these three patriarchs be buried together. After Jacob's death, these three belonged to the past, and yet, their burial together in the promised land pointed very much to the future. God had directly promised each of them--Abraham (see Genesis 15:18), Isaac (see Genesis 26:3), and Jacob (see Genesis 28:13)--that their descendants would be given the promised land. And so, Jacob's desire to be buried in the promised land can be seen as Jacob staking a continued claim to the promised land.

⁽³³⁾ Then when Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he lay back in the bed, breathed his last, and died*.

*died: Literally, was gathered unto his people - at the age of 147. Jacob is aware now that death is close. He will now join those who have gone before, and he longs to be buried with them. The phrase will be gathered unto my people did not refer to the burial of Jacob's body, but the afterlife of his soul. At this point, Jacob had not been buried. However, as soon as he died, he was gathered to his people. And so, even those in Old Testament times knew that there is an afterlife.

   When he had finished both his blessing and his charge, and so had finished his testimony, he addressed himself to his dying work. He freely gave up his spirit into the hand of God, the Father of spirits. Jacob dies calmly and at peace. There is no thought of his gray hairs going with sorrow to the grave for in the end all has worked out happily, and he is content.

   Hebrews 11:13-16: All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had meant the country they came from, they would have found a way to go back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them.

Ephesians 1:3-8 (Our blessings): How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

   One of the questions that should arise for us at this point is, when we are confronted by thoughts of our own death, are we more inclined to believe the things that Jacob believed, or are we inclined to face death in the way the Egyptians did? Are we seeking ways to attach ourselves to this world, leaving behind monuments, with the hope that one day mankind will have evolved to something greater? Are we seeking to answer the fact of our own death by relying upon what this world has to offer, or do we long for God's presence as citizens of heaven? Are we acting in a way that betrays our confidence in God?

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On-Line Sources:

• BibleGateway: www.biblegateway.com


• Bible.org: "The Purpose of Prophecy" - http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=127


• Chuck Missler: www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/missler_chuck


• Crosswalk: http://bible.crosswalk.com
  
• Enduring Word: http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/0149.htm


• Genesis Commentary: www.geocities.com/genesiscommentary


• GraceThruFaith.com: http://www.gracethrufaith.com/the-bible-thru-the-eyes-of-its-writers/jacobs-story-part-6---genesis-4750


• Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible: www.ccel.org/h/henry/mhc2/MHC00000.HTM


• Net Bible: http://www.bible.org/netbible/index.htm


• Scripture Studies - Genesis 49 - Israel Prophesies Concerning His Sons - II: http://www.scripturestudies.com/Vol6/F2/f2_ot.html


• Scripture Studies - Genesis 49 - Israel Prophesies Concerning His Sons - III: http://www.scripturestudies.com/Vol6/F3/f3_ot.html


• Scripture Studies - Genesis 49 - The Death and Burial of Jacob: http://www.scripturestudies.com/Vol6/F4/f4_ot.html


• Theologywebsite - "Passing the Blessing" by Kent Berghuis : http://www.theologywebsite.com/sermon/ot/gen49.shtmll


• "THEY DESIRE A BETTER COUNTRY" by Steve Zeisler http://www.pbc.org/library/files/html/4050.html of the Peninsula Bible Church


• Wikipedia: www.wikipedia.org

Off-Line Sources:

• American Heritage^® Dictionary fourth Edition - 2003


• "New International Biblical Commentary - Genesis" – John E. Hartley – Hendrickson Publishers


• "New Living Translation" – Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.


• "The Genesis Record" – Henry M. Morris – Baker Book House