CPCC Bible Study: Genesis 49 - 50

This is a long term, in depth, wide focus study of Genesis. Looking at the history, and the historical impact of the First Book of the Bible, studying the Hebrew as well as modern translations to discuss what it means to us today.
The quote for this chapter:
" " ( , see link below)

1 - 27
Summary: Jacob / Israel blesses his OTHER sons. But first he makes a short dramatic speech about what's coming in 'the last days', and, yes, he uses both of his names himself.

We'll hit the high points in Summary with Discussion:
Reuben, the firstborn, is reminded that he defiled 'his father's couch' (when he had sex with Bilhah, Rachel's maid and Jacob's mistress). So he will not excel. And The Promise isn't his.... seems like we saw somebody else forfeit that earlier. moving on

Simeon and Levi, the second and third sons, are called 'instruments of violence'. And their anger is strong and their wrath cruel, and it will scatter them in Israel. So the promise drops to the fourth son.

Judah is called the "gur" (cub / offspring (also: traveler)) of a lion. And the "shebet" (rod / scepter) shall not depart from Judah, nor the "chaqaq" (decree / laws / inscription) from between his feet.......

Time Out!
what on earth is he talking about?
Jacob doesn't have a scepter (a decorated rod seen as a symbol of power/authority) to give. The Law hasn't been given yet. And Judah's own 'walking stick' was given as collateral to guarantee payment to a harlot.
Jacob is looking both backwards and forwards, which includes the lives of his sons, and way off in the future, something that some commentators seem to intentionally ignore. And his statements here are written hundreds of years after his death, with Jewish myth and legend firmly in hand.
Now, with all of that in mind.... "the scepter" clearly refers to a kingdom. The first ruler of any note of the Tribe of Judah is David. And of course, the one that we're concerned with is the Ultimate Heir to that throne, Christ.
The Law also refers to Christ who said "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets. I am not come to destroy them, but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5 : 17, Geneva Bible, see link below).
time in
So clearly, somebody will come, eventually, who can claim the authority and power that neither Jacob, nor his fathers, nor Judah, has, because the scepter is 'at his feet', he's not holding it.
Jacob's mentioning of Shiloh is usually taken as a direct reference to the Messiah. This is the only use of the term in this form in the OT, and the meaning is somewhat obscure, although it seems to mean "he whose it is", and results in the "yiqhah" (compliance / obedience) of the people when He takes up the scepter.
Verses Eleven and Twelve are extraordinarily complex with multiple images in play at once. Let's quote it from a reasonably good English edition:
"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. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk."
(New Living Translation, see link below)

Note: some translations say "His eyes will be red with wine" (KJV, RSV, ASV), or "His eyes are dull from wine" (NASB) or even worse "His eyes are bloodshot from drinking wine, His teeth white from drinking milk." (Good News Translation), we could discuss whether or not those are blasphemous in context, but we'll skip that See linked page below for a listing of these.

We'll start with those eyes. The first Hebrew word in the sentence "chaklili" describes a dark but sparkling red, such as sunlight reflected off the surface of wine, or a ruby. In Egyptian culture, the eye of Ra, the sun god, was a round reddish orange disc, the sun. So having lived in Egypt for a number of years, Jacob may well have seen that symbol, as would Moses when he was growing up and then dictated the book.
In Revelation chapters one and two, Christ's eyes are described as a flame of fire, which can also be red.
Of course we see the image of Christ on the donkey during the entry into Jerusalem from Matthew 21 and other passages.
On the other hand, you usually do not tie your animal up to a vine. However, if the term is figurative, and we are talking about how entwined the idea of the Prince of Peace, who said He was "the True Vine" (John 15) who rode to town on the donkey, then it works.
When it comes to the laundry imagery, there are several layers of meaning there, most of them can be wrapped up in the symbolism of the Passover and the Last Supper, as well as the passage from Revelation 7 where those from the Tribulation have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb.
As for his teeth being "whiter than milk".... you can work on that one.

Zebulun is going to live by the sea and run a harbor near Sidon. This is a known ancient city on the Mediterranean about halfway between today's Beirut and Tyre.

Issachar he calls a strong donkey that laid down under his load. He saw what was good in the land, took on a burden, and became a 'band of slaves'.

Dan will be the judge of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake in the path, a "shephiphon" (venomous snake (cerastes / horned adder - unpleasant bite, but not usually deadly to humans)) that bites the heel of the horse, causing the rider to fall.
This is fascinating when you consider that the Tribe of Dan is one that was taken out of the numbering of the tribes because, as a people, they had taken to idolatry, while a remnant of their people who were faithful to GOD moved south and became part of other tribes. See examples at Judges 18 and Revelation 7.
"For your 'yeshuah' (salvation / deliverance / victory) I 'qavah' (wait / hope / etc), YHWH."
We have not seen that Name for GOD since chapter 39. And it does not occur again in Genesis. Also, the word "yeshuah" is the Hebrew name for Jesus. See link below.

Gad, a troop / band shall trample him, but he will triumph.

From Asher will come good food.
No, really, that's what it says.

Naphtali is a freed deer that has beautiful babies.

Joseph is a fruitful vine by a well whose branches climb over the wall.
And "marar" (profound bitterness / anger) "rabab" (shot 'with an arrow') and "satam" (hate with a grudge / oppose) him "baal" (master / owner) of "chets" (arrows).
But remained "ethan" (strong) his "qesheth" (bow) "pazaz" (agile / nimble) in his hands, of the "abir" (Mighty One) of Jacob - there is the "ra'ah" (shepherd / to tend or pasture), the "eben" (stone) of Israel.
Summary: he goes on to say that his God will help him, and the Almighty will bless him from heaven and below, and bless the breasts and the womb. The Jacob admits that the blessings he has received have exceeded the blessings of his ancestors and up to the eternal hills they'll be on Joseph, and on the brow of the "nazir" (consecrated one (the root of Nazirite / Nazarene)) of his brothers.

Benjamin is a hungry wolf, devouring prey and dividing spoils.

28
Summary: These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and these were their father's blessing to them.

29 - 33
"Jacob is gathered to his people"
Summary, of course it can't be that simple with Jacob. He tells them all about the family plot back home, how it was purchased, and who is in it, and that he put Leah in it, and he wants to be buried there. And then he was......

- end 49 -

Chapter 50
1 - 3
Summary: Joseph weeps over Jacob. Then he commands the Egyptians to embalm him. And it took forty days. And there were seventy days of mourning.
The word in the Hebrew for the embalmers is "rapha" (healer / physician) which we think of as rather odd.

4 - 6
Summary: After the days of mourning (and embalming) are over, Joseph asks Pharaoh for permission to take his father up and put him in the cave. And he promises he'll come back. And Pharaoh says "sure, go".

7 - 9
Summary: Everybody who was anybody, except Pharaoh himself, went on the funeral trip. The only ones left in Goshen were the herds and the kids.
Verse nine says it was a gathering "very great". Which is an understatement.

10
Summary: They have another seven days of mourning at the spot near the cave.

11
Summary: the locals rename the spot to reflect its new Egyptian flavor.

12 - 14
Summary: The brothers bury him in the cave, with a restatement of how it came to be the family plot. Then they head back to Egypt.

15 - 21
Summary: Now that the old man is dead the brothers worry that Joseph will pay them back for what they did to him. So, it seems, they decide to lie to him. There is no record in the text of what they said Jacob said to them.
Joseph says it's all good, and lets bygones be bygones.

22 - 26
Summary: Joseph lives to be 110. He sees his great-grandchildren, tells them God will be with them here, and makes them swear to carry his bones back home.
"he was put in a coffin in Egypt."

References and links: Outside links will open in new tab/window.

The Interlinear: Hebrew - English https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/49.htm

- end 50 -
- End Genesis-

References and links: Outside links will open in new tab/window.
The Interlinear: Hebrew - English https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/49.htm

The New Living Translation https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2049&version=NLT

Verse 12, all English translations https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Genesis%2049%3A12

The Geneva Bible https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A16-18&version=GNV

A look at the Eye of Ra in Egyptian mythology https://eztouregypt.com/the-eye-of-ra/

The Genesis Study Index Page

NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.

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