Genesis 49:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.

NIV: Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.

NASB: May my soul not enter into their council; May my glory not be united with their assembly; For in their anger they killed men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

CSB: May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For in their anger they kill men, and on a whim they hamstring oxen.

NLT: May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport.

KJV: O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

NKJV: Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.

Genesis 49 is an oracle—a prophecy—given by Jacob on his deathbed. In it, he describes aspects of what will become of each of his sons and their descendants in the future (Genesis 49:1–2).

In the previous verse, Jacob began a condemnation of his second- and third-born sons: Simeon and Levi. This criticism is directly tied to their violence (Genesis 49:5). Though he doesn't mention it by name, Jacob seems to be describing how Simeon and Levi led their brothers in the massacre of all the men of Shechem (Genesis 34:13–15, 24–29). This was in retaliation for the rape of their sister, Dinah, by the son of Shechem's leader. Jacob condemns them for pursuing a bloody and brutal revenge, going far beyond the crime that was committed. More than just punishing the guilty man, or his subjects, Levi and Simeon killed other men and looted the town.

This verse also contains a reference to these brothers deliberately crippling animals. Scripture is unclear as to when Simeon and Levi might have done this. It might have been during the incident with Shechem, or a pattern of animal abuse. Either way, Jacob holds it up as another example of their stubborn, unnecessary acts of rage.

As with Reuben (Genesis 35:22; 49:3–4), Scripture does not mention what—if any—immediate consequences were suffered by the sons in the aftermath of their crimes. Even if steps were taken, long-term effects are now being felt. Jacob goes so far as to say he shuns these sons; he doesn't want to be with them. Worse, Jacob doesn't want his own glory to be associated with them.

Simeon and Levi lose their good standing in Israel's inner circle. Sins of anger and violence often lead to loss of meaningful relationships. For the peoples to come—the descendants of Simeon and Levi—it will lead to loss of standing, as well. Simeon's tribe will practically dissolve (Joshua 19:1). Levi will become tied to the priesthood (Numbers 3:6), which also means a lack of land for their tribe (Deuteronomy 18:1–2).

Genesis 49:1–7 begins Jacob's prophetic remarks about his sons, beginning with Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. These are in the context of a family "blessing," though not all the predictions are positive. The main blessing has already been bestowed on the two oldest sons of Joseph (Genesis 48:5–6). Here, the three oldest sons of Jacob are punished for their prior sins. Reuben loses his firstborn rights. Jacob predicts that Levi and Simeon will be largely absorbed into the other tribes.

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.