Genesis 49:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,

NIV: With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.

NASB: The archers provoked him, And shot at him and were hostile toward him;

CSB: The archers attacked him, shot at him, and were hostile toward him.

NLT: Archers attacked him savagely; they shot at him and harassed him.

KJV: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

NKJV: The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.

The future of the tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:10–11), each descended from a son of Jacob (Genesis 49:1–2), is being foretold. After prophesying over ten of his sons, Jacob comes to the children of his dearest wife, Rachel. This begins with Joseph. This most favored son (Genesis 37:3) was referred to as a fruitful bough by a spring (Genesis 49:22). Now Jacob shifts to emphasize Joseph's ability to defend himself from attack.

These comments express truth on several different levels. Joseph himself was bitterly attacked during his lifetime. He was mocked and eventually sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:18–36). He was falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar's wife and wrongly imprisoned for years (Genesis 39:11–20). He was forgotten and abandoned by Pharaoh's cupbearer (Genesis 40:23). In all these cases, Joseph continued to "fight back" by trusting God to provide for him.

Jacob's oracle also seems to be pointing forward: to the time when two tribes descended from Joseph will be attacked by Israel's enemies. Many of the Old Testament's renowned warriors, such as Gideon, Joshua, and Deborah, will come from the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim.

Genesis 49:22–27 includes Jacob's final prophetic remarks about his sons. The last two mentioned are his youngest, the only naturally born children of his favorite wife, Rachel. Joseph's sons were already inserted into the family blessing (Genesis 48:5–6). This is the most overtly positive of Jacob's predictions. Benjamin, however, is predicted to become a notably violent tribe.

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.