Genesis 49.1-50.26

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons / Jacob’s Death and Burial / Joseph Forgives His Brothers / Joseph’s Death

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons: Genesis 49.1-28

Jacob calls his sons and says, “Gather around, that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob; listen to Israel your father” (Gen. 49.1-2). Jacob’s last words to his sons consist of prophetic blessings and curses. These pre-date the bible as old tribal blessings and curses.

Reuben

Curse. Though the first born, “first fruits” of Jacob’s vigor, Reuben is “unstable as water,” and will lose his prestige for having sex with Bilhah on his father’s bed (way back in Genesis 35.22). Israel heard of Reuben’s actions then, but waited until he was on his deathbed to deliver the curse.

Simeon and Levi

Both cursed. The brothers committed a mass murder in the city of Shechem to avenge the rape of Dinah. “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49.7).

Judah

Blessing. Judah is given a grand blessing. He will defeat his enemies and his brothers will bow down to him. He is mighty like a lion. The scepter will not depart from him until he gains tribute. People will be obedient to him. Then something different:

Binding his foal to the vine 

and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

he washes his garments in wine,

and his robe in the blood of grapes;

his eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth whiter than milk.

That is quite a piece of poetry!

Zebulun

Neither curse nor blessing. He will settle by the see and be a haven for ships. He will border Sidon, a Phoenician port.

Isaachar

Curse. Though he is “a strong donkey,” he settles in a pleasant land and becomes a slave.

Dan

Blessing. He will be a judge among the Israelites and as fierce as a snake.

…and then there is an interpolation in the middle of the blessings:

I wait for your salvation, O Lord.

…the blessings continue: 

Gad

Short statement, neither curse nor blessing. He “shall be raided by raiders, but he shall raid at their heels.”

Asher

Short blessing. He will be a culinary masher, providing rich food and royal delicacies.

Naphtali

Short blessing. His speech and/or children will be beautiful: “Naphtali is  does let loose that bears lovely fawns” (alternative: “that gives beautiful words”).

Joseph

Extended blessing. He is a fruitful bough (though he has only two children). He remains strong in the face of battle. His strength in battle comes from God. Well, why don’t I just put down the blessing in its entirety?

Joseph is a fruitful bough,  

a fruitful bough by a spring;

his branches run over the wall. 

The archers fiercely attacked him;

they shot at him and pressed him hard. 

Yet his bow remained taut,

and his arms were made agile

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,

by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 

by the God of your father, who will help you,

by the Almighty who will bless you

with blessings of heaven above,

blessings of the deep that lies beneath,

blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 

The blessings of your father

are stronger than the blessings of the eternal mountains,

the bounties of the everlasting hills;

may they be on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.

Quite an extensive blessing with quite an extensive collection of epithets for God. Joseph is quite set apart from his brothers.

Benjamin

Short statement, neither curse nor blesseing. Poor Ben has to feel pretty badly, receiving a short statement after the grand one that Joseph received. He is a ravenous wolf, devouring pray by morning and dividing the spoil by evening.

The section closes, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, blessing each one of them with a suitable blessing” (Gen. 49.28).

Jacob’s Death and Burial: Genesis 49.29-50.14

Envelope Structure

Envelope structure is a literary device in which text is bracketed by a certain phrase. In this way, a narrative unit is differentiated from what is outside the “envelope.” One appears hear, stretching from Gen. 49.29 to 49.33:

Then he charged them, saying to them, ‘I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors—in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave in the field at Machpelah, near Mamre, in the land of Canaan, in the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried; there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; and there I buried Leah— the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.’ When Jacob ended his charge to his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Notice that the repetition of the phrases charge and gather to [my/his] people. These set off the narrative unit of the description of the burial site.

Aftermath

Joseph weeps over his father and kisses him. Then he has his father’s body prepared in the Egyptian way. Israel is embalmed – a process that takes forty days. The fact that this is allowed – and that the Egyptians wept a total of seventy days over the body, demonstrates tremendous Joseph’s prestige in Egypt. The rest of the narrative only highlights this fact.

Joseph asks and is granted Pharaoh’s permission to bury Israel in Canaan. A huge party follows him with chariots and charioteers. Present are all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of Pharaoh’s household, and the elders of Egypt, as well as all of Israel’s household. Only the children, flocks and herds are left in Goshen.

The party laments Israel seven days at the threshing floor of Atad. When the Canaanites see this, they dub the place Abel—mizraim (mourning/meadow of Egypt). It is likely that this portion comes from a different tradition of Israel’s burial, as Israel is not actually buried here.

Rather, he is buried in the cave of the field at Machpelah, the field that Abraham bought. After this, the party returns to Egypt. 

Joseph Forgives His Brothers: Genesis 50.15-21

Joseph’s brothers are still afraid that Joseph will seek revenge after all these years, so they play one final trick. They tell Joseph that Israel asked on his deathbed that Joseph forgive his brothers’ crime. Joseph then weeps; his brothers still do not understand that he does not seek vengeance. The brothers weep too, fearing for their lives.

Joseph, as usual, chalks it all up to God “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today” (Gen. 50.19-20).

Joseph’s Death: Genesis 50.22-26

Joseph lives one hundred ten years, seeing his great-grandchildren by both of his sons. When he is about to die, Joseph tells his brothers of the divine blessing, that God will bring the Israelites out of the land into the land he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph has the Israelites swear that when God comes, his bones should be carried to the promised land. Until that time, however, he is embalmed and placed in a coffin.

It is remarkable how utterly Egyptian Joseph is. As the black sheep of his family he made a name for himself in Egypt (not entirely his fault), married Egyptian women, and is buried there. He is not brought back immediately to his ancestral homeland. Joseph, so important to the Genesis story, seems more an Egyptian than an Israelite. yet because he maintains his faith in the God Elohim, he is an honorable and just character.

Tomorrow: Genesis recap!