1 And Jacob called his sons, and said to them, 2 Assemble yourselves, that I may tell you What shall happen to you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear me, sons of Jacob; Hear Israel, hear your father. 3 Reuben, thou [art] my firstborn, Thou my strength, and the first of my children, Hard to be endured, [hard and] self-willed. 4 Thou wast insolent like water, burst not forth with violence, For thou wentest up to the bed of thy father; Then thou defiledst the couch, whereupon thou wentest up. 5 Simeon and Levi, brethren, Accomplished the injustice of their cutting off. 6 Let not my soul come into their counsel, And let not mine inward parts contend in their conspiracy, For in their wrath they slew men, And in their passion they houghed a bull. 7 Cursed be their wrath, for it was willful, And their anger, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel. 8 Judah, thy brethren have praised thee, And thy hands shall be on the back of thine enemies; Thy father’s sons shall do thee reverence. 9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: From the tender plant, my son, thou art gone up, Having couched thou liest as a lion, And as a whelp; who shall stir him up? 10 A ruler shall not fail from Judah, Nor a prince from his loins, Until there come the things stored up for him; And he is the expectation of nations. 11 Binding his foal to the vine, And the foal of his ass to the branch [of it], He shall wash his robe in wine, And his garment in the blood of the grape. 12 His eyes shall be more cheering than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk. 13 Zebulun shall dwell on the coast, And he [shall be] by a haven of ships, And shall extend to Sidon. 14 Issachar has desired that which is good; Resting between the inheritances. 15 And having seen the resting place that it was good, And the land that it was fertile, He subjected his shoulder to labor, And became a husbandman. 16 Dan shall judge his people, As one tribe too in Israel. 17 And let Dan be a serpent in the way, Besetting the path, Biting the heel of the horse (And the rider shall fall backward), 18 Waiting for the salvation of the Lord. 19 Gad, a plundering troop shall plunder him; But he shall plunder him, [pursuing him] closely. 20 Asher, his bread [shall be] fat; And he shall yield dainties to princes. 21 Naphtali is a spreading stem, Bestowing beauty on its fruit. 22 Joseph is a son increased; My dearly loved son is increased; My youngest son, Turn to me. 23 Against whom men taking evil counsel reproached [him], And the archers pressed hard upon him. 24 But their bow and arrows were mightily consumed, And the sinews of their arms were slackened By the hand of the mighty one of Jacob; Thence is he that strengthened Israel From the God of thy father; 25 And my God helped thee, And he blessed thee with the blessing of heaven from above, And the blessing of the earth possessing all things, Because of the blessing of the breasts and of the womb, 26 The blessings of thy father and thy mother— It has prevailed above the blessing of the lasting mountains, And beyond the blessings of the everlasting hills; They shall be upon the head of Joseph, And upon the head of the brothers of whom he took the lead. 27 Benjamin, as a ravening wolf, Shall eat still in the morning, And at evening he gives food. 28 All these [are] the twelve sons of Jacob; and their father spoke these words to them, and he blessed them; he blessed each of them according to his blessing. 29 And he said to them, I am added to my people; ye shall bury me with my fathers in the cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the double cave which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the cave which Abraham bought of Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a sepulcher. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac, and Rebekah his wife; there they buried Leah; 32 in the portion of the field, and of the cave that was in it, [purchased] of the sons of Heth. 33 And Jacob ceased giving charges to his sons; and having lifted up his feet on the bed, he died, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Genesis 49 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Asher
Second son of Zilpah, whose name means 'happy' or 'blessed.'
Cited in the guide: Genesis 30:12–13; 49:20
Benjamin
Jacob's youngest, born as Rachel died giving him life.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 35:16–24; 49:27
Dan
First son of Bilhah, whose name means 'he has judged.'
Cited in the guide: Genesis 30:1–6; 49:16–18
Gad
First son of Zilpah, whose name speaks of good fortune.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 30:9–11; 49:19
Issachar
A son of Leah, likened to a strong donkey bearing its burden.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 30:14–18; 49:14–15
Jacob
He wrestled with God through the night and rose as Israel, father of twelve tribes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–35; 46–49
Joseph
Betrayed and enslaved, he rose to rule Egypt and saved his family from famine.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 37; 39–50
Judah
The lion of the tribes, from whom kings and the Messiah would come.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 29:35; 38; 49:8–12
Naphtali
Second son of Bilhah, likened to a doe set free.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 30:7–8; 49:21
Reuben
Jacob's firstborn, who forfeited his standing by a grave offense.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 29:32; 35:22; 49:3–4
Simeon
A son of Leah whose fierce anger drew his father's rebuke.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 29:33; 34; 49:5–7
Zebulun
The last son of Leah, foretold to dwell by the seashore.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 30:19–20; 49:13
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 24:14; Jeremiah 23:20; Daniel 10:14; Deuteronomy 4:30; Revelation 4:1
- 2 Psalm 34:11; Proverbs 6:20; Proverbs 5:1; Proverbs 23:22; Proverbs 7:24
- 3 Psalm 78:51; Deuteronomy 21:17; Psalm 105:36; Genesis 29:32; 1 Chronicles 2:1
- 4 Genesis 35:22; 1 Chronicles 5:1; Deuteronomy 27:20; Deuteronomy 33:6; 1 Corinthians 5:1
- 5 Genesis 34:25–31; Genesis 29:33–34; Genesis 46:10–11; Proverbs 18:9
- 6 Genesis 34:30; Psalm 26:9; Psalm 16:9; Psalm 26:4–5; Psalm 64:2
- 7 1 Chronicles 4:24–31; Joshua 19:1–9; 1 Chronicles 6:65; 2 Samuel 13:15; Proverbs 26:24–25
- 8 Genesis 27:29; 1 Chronicles 5:2; Hebrews 7:14; Deuteronomy 33:7; Genesis 29:35
- 9 Numbers 24:9; Revelation 5:5; Numbers 23:24; Micah 5:8; Hosea 5:14
- 10 Numbers 24:17; Luke 1:32–33; Psalm 60:7; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 33:22
- 11 Isaiah 63:1–3; Revelation 7:14; Joel 3:18; 1 Kings 4:20; 1 Kings 4:25
- 13 Deuteronomy 33:18–19; Joshua 19:10–16; Genesis 30:20
- 14 1 Chronicles 12:32; Genesis 30:18; Deuteronomy 33:18; Joshua 19:17–23; Judges 5:15–16
- 15 2 Samuel 7:1; Joshua 14:15; Ezekiel 29:18; Judges 3:11; Matthew 23:4
- 16 Deuteronomy 33:22; Genesis 30:6; Judges 13:2; Judges 18:26–27; Numbers 10:25
- 17 Judges 18:22–31; 1 Chronicles 12:35; Judges 14:1–15
- 18 Psalm 119:174; Isaiah 25:9; Psalm 119:166; Micah 7:7; Psalm 130:5
- 19 1 Chronicles 5:11–22; Deuteronomy 33:20–21; Genesis 30:11; 1 Chronicles 3:18–22; 1 Chronicles 5:26
- 20 Deuteronomy 33:24–25; Genesis 30:13; Joshua 19:24–31; Genesis 46:17
- 21 Deuteronomy 33:23; Genesis 30:8; Joshua 19:32–39; Judges 4:10; Judges 5:18
- 22 Genesis 41:52; Psalm 128:3; Psalm 1:1–3; Joshua 16:1–10; Joshua 17:14–17
- 23 Genesis 37:24; Psalm 118:13; Psalm 64:3; Genesis 37:28; Genesis 37:4
- 24 Psalm 132:2; Psalm 132:5; Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 80:1; Job 29:20
- 25 Genesis 35:11; Genesis 28:13; Philippians 4:19; Deuteronomy 33:13–17; Deuteronomy 8:17
- 26 Deuteronomy 33:15–16; Habakkuk 3:6; Numbers 6:2; Isaiah 66:5; Genesis 27:39–40
- 27 Judges 20:21; Judges 20:25; Numbers 23:24; Ezekiel 22:27; Genesis 35:18
- 28 Esther 8:11; Revelation 7:4; Ezekiel 39:8–10; Numbers 23:24; 1 Kings 18:31
- 29 Genesis 47:30; Genesis 50:13; Genesis 15:15; Genesis 25:8–17; 2 Samuel 19:37
- 30 Genesis 23:16–18; Genesis 23:8–9; Genesis 23:20
- 31 Genesis 35:29; Genesis 25:9; Genesis 23:16–20; Acts 7:16; Genesis 47:30
- 32 Genesis 23:17–20
- 33 Genesis 49:29; Genesis 25:8; Genesis 35:29; Joshua 24:27–29; Hebrews 12:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until He come for whom it is reserved; and He shall be the desire of the nations, binding His foal to the vine, washing His robe in the blood of the grape." It is yours to make accurate inquiry, and ascertain up to whose time the Jews …
Salvation, indeed, as follows: "I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord." And then again, Saviour: "Behold my God, my Saviour, I will put my trust in Him." But as bringing salvation, thus: "God hath made known His salvation (salutare) in the sight of the heathen." For He is indeed Saviour, as being the Son and Word of God; but …
Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's foal to the choice vine; he shall wash his robe in wine, and his clothes in the blood of the grape: his eyes are red with wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk." I have expounded these words in disputing against Faustus the Manichæan; and I think it is enough …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… law of prophecy, that in many cases much that is spoken of one set of persons is fulfilled in another; of which kind is that which is said touching Simeon and Levi, "I will divide them," saith He, "in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel." And yet not in themselves did this come to pass, but in their descendants; and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… thy brethren praise, and afterwards, not to quote the whole, A prince shall not fail out of Judah, nor a ruler from his loins, until He come, for whom it is reserved; and He is the expectation, not of the Jews but of the Gentiles.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)