Genesis 49:23. The archers, &c.— Most commentators allow, that by archers here must be understood Joseph's brethren, who hated him and sold him into AEgypt; his mistress, who tempted and falsely accused him; and his master, who put him in prison; but chiefly his brethren, who shot at him the arrows of malice, envy, calumny, and bitter words. read more
Genesis 49:24. But his bow, &c.— In pursuance of the metaphor, which considers his enemies as archers, Joseph himself is represented as armed with a bow, which is said to have abode in strength, to have proved firm; signifying that he sustained all their shocks with unbroken fortitude and resolution, like a tough bow, which, though long employed in battle, neither breaks nor becomes more flexible. The next words seem to justify this exposition: And the arms of his hands were made strong, by... read more
Genesis 49:25. Who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven— Jacob, having mentioned the wonderful effects of GOD's providence towards Joseph himself in the preceding verses, rapidly passes on, without any perceptible stop, to the blessings which the same Providence reserved for his posterity; blessings of heaven; i.e.. a fertile soil, well watered with the rain and dew, and seasonable weather from above: blessings of the deep; i.e.. springs and rivers: metals and minerals too may be meant,... read more
Genesis 49:26. The blessings of thy father, &c.— This verse is variously rendered. The common interpretation given is this; thy father's blessings, or prayers, in thy behalf, are more ample, prevalent, and comprehensive, than the blessings of My progenitors in behalf of Me; and these blessings shall be, or, may they be, upon the head of Joseph, unto the utmost bounds or duration of the everlasting hills; i.e.. may they over-top and out-stretch the everlasting mountains, and prove to him... read more
22. a fruitful bough, c.—denotes the extraordinary increase of that tribe (compare Numbers 1:33-35 Joshua 17:17; Deuteronomy 33:17). The patriarch describes him as attacked by envy, revenge, temptation, ingratitude; yet still, by the grace of God, he triumphed over all opposition, so that he became the sustainer of Israel; and then he proceeds to shower blessings of every kind upon the head of this favorite son. The history of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh shows how fully these blessings... read more
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
Joseph’s blessing was especially abundant. The two tribes that bore his sons’ names would see the fulfillment of it even though during his lifetime Joseph had faced much opposition. Judah received the leadership of the tribes, but Joseph obtained the double portion of the birthright (cf. 1 Chronicles 5:2).Jacob’s names for God in this blessing are noteworthy: "the Mighty One of Jacob" (cf. Isaiah 1:24; et al.), "the Shepherd" (Genesis 48:15), and "the Stone of Israel" (cf. Deuteronomy 32:4;... read more
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
(22) A fruitful bough.—Literally the words are, “Son of a fruitful tree is Joseph; son of a fruitful tree by a fountain: the daughters spread over the wall.” That is, Joseph is like a fruitful tree planted near a fountain of living water, and of which the branches, or suckers, springing from it overtop the wall built round the spring for its protection. This fruitfulness of Joseph was shown by the vast number of his descendants. read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 49:22
Genesis 49:22. Joseph— The four last were the sons of the two handmaids; from whom Jacob passes with a seeming joy to those of his beloved Rachel; and Joseph, whose turn came next, heard his blessing pronounced in the most sublime and endearing terms. This difficult verse is differently interpreted. 1st, Those who vindicate our version say, that Joseph, of whom came two tribes, is here properly compared to a fruitful bough, shooting forth two luxuriant stems or branches: and this bough is said... read more