Genesis · Catholic Public Domain Version
Genesis 49 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 Then Jacob called his sons, and he said to them: “Gather together, so that I may announce what will happen to you in the last days.
1 Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.
2 Gather together and listen, O sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
3 Reuben, my firstborn, you are my strength and the beginning of my sorrow: first in gifts, greater in authority.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
4 You are being poured out like water, may you not increase. For you climbed onto your father’s bed, and you defiled his resting place.
4 Boiling over like water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
5 The brothers Simeon and Levi: vessels of iniquity waging war.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Let not my soul go by their counsel, nor my glory be within their meeting. For in their fury they killed a man, and in their self-will they undermined a wall.
6 My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
7 Cursed be their fury, because it was obstinate, and their indignation, because it was harsh. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be at the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will reverence you.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion’s young. You have gone up to the prey, my son. While resting, you have lain like a lion. And just like a lioness, who would rouse him?
9 Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?
10 The scepter from Judah and the leader from his thigh will not be taken away, until he who will be sent arrives, and he will be the expectation of Gentiles.
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him.
11 Tying his young colt to the vineyard, and his donkey, O my son, to the vine, he will wash his robe in wine, and his cloak in the blood of the grape.
11 Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
12 His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
13 Zebulun will live at the seashore and by the outpost of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.
13 “Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
14 Issachar will be a strong donkey, reclining between the borders.
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
15 He saw that rest would be good, and that the land was excellent. And so he bent his shoulder to carry, and he became a servant under tribute.
15 He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.
16 Dan will judge his people just like any other tribe in Israel.
16 “Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Let Dan be a snake in the way, a viper in the path, biting the hooves of horses, so that his rider may fall backward.
17 Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.
18 I will wait for your salvation, O Lord.
18 I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.
19 Gad, being girded, will fight before him. And he himself will be girded backward.
19 “A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.
20 Asher: his bread will be fat, and he will provide delicacies to the kings.
20 “Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties.
21 Naphtali is a stag sent forth, offering words of eloquent beauty.
21 “Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
22 Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and stately to behold; the daughters run back and forth on the wall.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23 But those who held darts, provoked him, and they contend with him, and they envied him.
23 The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:
24 His bow sits in strength, and the bands of his arms and hands have been let loose by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there he went forth as a pastor, the stone of Israel.
24 But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
25 The God of your father will be your helper, and the Almighty will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the abyss that lies beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
25 even by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father are strengthened by the blessings of his fathers, until the desire of the hills of eternity shall arrive. May they be at the head of Joseph, and at the summit of the Nazarite, among his brothers.
26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning he will eat the prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoil.”
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. These things their father spoke to them, and he blessed each one with their proper blessings.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his own blessing.
29 And he instructed them, saying: “I am being gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
29 He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought, along with its field, from Ephron the Hittite, as a possession for burial.
30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.
31 There they buried him, with his wife Sarah.” And there Isaac was buried with his wife Rebekah. There also Leah lies preserved.
31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
32 And having finished these commands by which he instructed his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed, and he passed away. And he was gathered to his people.
32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
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 (31)
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
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)