Genesis 49:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey 's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

NIV: He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

NASB: He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.

CSB: He ties his donkey to a vine, and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine and his robes in the blood of grapes.

NLT: He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

KJV: Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

NKJV: Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

Each of Jacob's twelve sons will receive a prediction about the fate of their descendants (Genesis 49:1–2). These are given by Jacob on his deathbed (Genesis 48:1). This passage describes the bright future of the people who will come from Judah. Jacob has already declared that Judah's tribe will produce a king who will conquer his enemies and be praised by his brothers (Genesis 49:8–10).

Now Jacob points to a time of great abundance in the future of Judah's people. The king mentioned in the previous verse who will come from the tribe of Judah is very likely a reference to the eternal King, the Messiah Himself (Acts 2:36). Jacob's mention of Judah's descendant riding a donkey fits Zechariah's prophesy that the King of Zion will come "humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus fulfilled this prophesy in what Christians refer to as the triumphal entry on the Sunday prior to His crucifixion (Matthew 21:1–11).

Normally, nobody would tie a donkey to a choice grapevine: the donkey would eat the valuable wine grapes. What Jacob describes is a time when grapes are so abundant that nobody worries about running out. They even wash their clothes in wine—an exaggeration meant to imply that fine wine will be as plentiful as water. This points to the enormous blessings under the rule of the Messiah in a distant era (Revelation 20:4).

Genesis 49:8–12 contains Jacob's blessings and predictions about his fourth son, Judah. In part, this is a Messianic prophecy. The nation of Israel (Genesis 35:10–11) will eventually be ruled by descendants of the tribe of Judah. Ultimately, this will include the earthly reign of the Promised One, Jesus Christ.

Genesis 49 contains Jacob's dying prophetic remarks. In the form of poetry, Jacob pronounces positive and negative "blessings" about each of his 12 sons and the people who will come from them. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are each held to account for their past sins. Judah is described as a lion; the kingly line will come from his people. Joseph and his descendants are lavished with blessings. Once the oracle is completed, Jacob commands his sons to bury him with his fathers in Canaan. Then, the man God named "Israel" (Genesis 35:10–11) dies.

After a life of struggle and controversy, Jacob's family has securely settled in Egypt. Genesis 48 told of Jacob's blessing on Joseph's two oldest sons: Ephraim and Manasseh. In Genesis 49, Jacob gives both positive and negative predictions to each of his sons, in turn. Jacob then commands his sons to bury him in Canaan, then dies. The final chapter of Genesis describes the family's mourning and Joseph's death. The opening verses of Exodus race forward some 400 years, as the nation of Israel falls into harsh slavery under new Egyptian rulers (Exodus 1:8–14).

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.