Genesis 49:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

NIV: But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

NASB: But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

CSB: Yet his bow remained steady, and his strong arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

NLT: But his bow remained taut, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

KJV: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

NKJV: But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

Jacob's deathbed oracle (Genesis 49:1–2) about his beloved Joseph (Genesis 49:22–23) is more involved than his words about tribes arising from his other sons. He has described Joseph's future offspring as prosperous (Genesis 49:22). Here, he completes a thought begun in the previous verse (Genesis 49:23). Though Joseph has been bitterly attacked in his life—and his descendants will be attacked in the future—Joseph would not be defeated. More specifically, God would protect and deliver Joseph's people.

The metaphor used in both verses evokes a shootout between archers. Jacob describes a severe and bitter attack of arrows shot at Joseph. Instead of being hit, or running and hiding, Jacob describes Joseph's bow as remaining steady and strong. He returns fire with skill. The agility ascribed to Joseph's arms, however, does not come from his own strength. Jacob's oracle reads that Joseph's arms are empowered by the hands of God. In other words, Joseph's strength comes from the Lord.

This reference to skill in battle is proven by Joseph's future descendants. Famous warriors of the Old Testament, including Joshua, Gideon, and Deborah, are members of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. These tribes come from the sons of Joseph adopted by Jacob as his own (Genesis 48:5–6).

In quick succession, this passage uses several names for God. This God who gives Joseph strength is called the "Mighty One of Jacob." a name demonstrating Jacob understood his own strength to come from the Lord, as well. Next Jacob calls God "the Shepherd," as he did in Genesis 48:15: "the God who has been my shepherd all my life long." Then Jacob says this Shepherd is "the Stone of Israel," perhaps referring to God as Israel's unmovable rock, as a foundation. Or, perhaps Jacob was thinking of the God to whom he set up large stones as pillars in worship (Genesis 28:22).

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.