Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 49
Overview:
Jacob calls his sons to
Bless them.
(1,2) Reuben,
Simeon,
Levi.
(3-7) Judah.
(8-12) Zebulun,
Issachar,
Dan.
(13-18) Gad,
Asher,
Naphtali.
(19-21) Joseph and
Benjamin.
(22-27) Jacob's
charge respecting his
Burial, His
Death.
(28-33)
1,2 All
Jacob's sons were living. His
Calling them together was
a precept for them to unite in
Love, not to mingle with the
Egyptians; and foretold that they should not be separated, as
Abraham's sons and
Isaac's were, but should all make one people.
We are not to consider this address as the expression of private
feelings of
Affection, resentment, or partiality; but as the
language of the
Holy Ghost, declaring the purpose of
God
respecting the character, circumstances, and situation of the
tribes which descended from the sons of
Jacob, and which may be
traced in their histories.
3-7 Reuben was the
First-born; but
By gross
Sin, he forfeited
the
Birthright. The character of
Reuben is, that he was unstable
as water. Men do not thrive, because they do not fix.
Reuben's
Sin left a lasting infamy upon his family. Let us never do evil,
then we need not fear being told of it.
Simeon and
Levi were
passionate and revengeful. The
Murder of the Shechemites is a
proof of this.
Jacob protested against that barbarous act. Our
soul is our honour;
By its powers we are distinguished from, and
raised above, the beasts that perish. We ought, from our hearts,
to abhor all bloody and mischievous men. Cursed be their
Anger.
Jacob does not
Curse their persons, but their lusts. I will
divide them. The sentence as it respects
Levi was turned into a
blessing. This
Tribe performed an acceptable service in their
zeal against the worshippers of the
Golden Calf, Ex 32. Being
set apart to
God as priests, they were in that character
scattered through the nation of
Israel.
8-12 Judah's name signifies praise.
God was praised for him,
chap. 29:35, praised
By him, and praised in him; therefore his
brethren shall praise him.
Judah should be a strong and
courageous
Tribe.
Judah is compared, not to a lion raging and
ranging, but to a lion enjoying the satisfaction of his power
and success, without creating vexation to others; this is to be
truly great.
Judah should be the royal
Tribe, the
Tribe from
which
Messiah the
Prince should come.
Shiloh, that promised Seed
in whom the
Earth should be blessed, "that peaceable and
prosperous One," or "
Saviour," he shall come of
Judah. Thus
dying
Jacob at a great distance saw
Christ's
Day, and it was his
comfort and support
On his
Death-
Bed. Till
Christ's coming,
Judah possessed authority, but after his
Crucifixion this was
shortened, and according to what
Christ foretold,
Jerusalem was
destroyed, and all the
Poor harassed remnant of Jews were
confounded together. Much which is here said concerning
Judah,
is to be applied to our
Lord Jesus. In him there is plenty of
all which is nourishing and refreshing to the soul, and which
maintains and cheers the Divine
Life in it. He is the true
Vine;
Wine is the appointed symbol of his
Blood, which is
Drink
indeed, as shed for sinners, and applied in
Faith; and all the
blessings of his
Gospel are
Wine and
Milk, without
Money and
without price, to which every thirsty soul is welcome. Isa
55:1.
13-18 Concerning Zebulun: if
Prophecy says, Zebulun shall be a
Haven of
Ships, be sure
Providence will
So plant him.
God
appoints the bounds of our
Habitation. It is our
Wisdom and duty
to accommodate ourselves to our
Lot, and to improve it; if
Zebulun
Dwell at the
Haven of
The Sea, let him be for a
Haven
of
Ships. Concerning
Issachar: he saw that the land was
pleasant, yielding not only pleasant prospects, but pleasant
fruits to recompense his toils. Let us, with an
Eye of
Faith,
see the heavenly
Rest to be good, and that land of promise to be
pleasant; this will make our present services easy.
Dan should,
By art, and policy, and surprise, gain advantages against his
enemies, like a
Serpent biting the heel of the traveller.
Jacob,
almost spent, and ready to faint, relieves himself with those
words, "I have waited for thy
Salvation, O
Lord!" The
Salvation
he waited for was
Christ, the promised Seed; now that he was
going to be gathered to his people, he breathes after Him to
whom the gathering of the people shall be. He declared plainly
that he sought
Heaven, the better country, Heb 11:13,14. Now
he is going to enjoy the
Salvation, he comforts himself that he
had waited for the
Salvation.
Christ, as our way to
Heaven, is
to be waited
On; and
Heaven, as our
Rest in
Christ, is to be
waited for. It is the comfort of a dying
Saint thus to have
waited for the
Salvation of the
Lord; for then he shall have
what he has been waiting for.
19-21 Concerning
Gad,
Jacob alludes to his name, which
signifies a troop, and foresees the character of that
Tribe. The
cause of
God and his people, though for a time it may seem to be
baffled and run down, will be victorious at last. It represents
the
Christian's conflict.
Grace in the soul is often foiled in
its conflicts; troops of corruption overcome it, but the cause
is
God's, and
Grace will in the
End come off conqueror, yea,
more than conqueror, Ro 8:37.
Asher should be a rich
Tribe.
His inheritance bordered upon
Carmel, which was fruitful to a
Proverb.
Naphtali, is a
Hind let loose. We may consider it as a
description of the character of this
Tribe. Unlike the laborious
Ox and
Ass; desirous of ease and liberty; active, but more noted
for quick despatch than steady labour and perseverance. Like the
suppliant who, with goodly words, craves
Mercy. Let not those of
different tempers and
Gifts censure or envy one another.
22-27 The blessing of
Joseph is very full. What
Jacob says of
him, is history as
Well as
Prophecy.
Jacob reminds him of the
difficulties and fiery darts of temptations he had formerly
struggled through. His
Faith did not fail, but through his
trials he bore all his burdens with firmness, and did not do
anything unbecoming. All our strength for resisting temptations,
and bearing
Afflictions, comes from
God; his
Grace is
sufficient.
Joseph became the
Shepherd of
Israel, to take care
of his
Father and family; also the
Stone of
Israel, their
foundation and strong support. In this, as in many other things,
Joseph was a remarkable
Type of the Good
Shepherd, and tried
Corner Stone of the whole
Church of
God. Blessings are promised
to
Joseph's posterity, typical of the vast and
Everlasting
blessings which come upon the spiritual seed of
Christ.
Jacob
blessed all his sons, but especially
Joseph, "who was separated
from his brethren." Not only separated in
Egypt, but, possessing
eminent dignity, and more devoted to
God. Of
Benjamin it is
said, He shall ravin as a
Wolf.
Jacob was guided in what he said
By the
Spirit of
Prophecy, and not
By natural
Affection; else he
would have spoken with more tenderness of his beloved son
Benjamin. Concerning him he only foresees and foretells, that
his posterity should be a warlike
Tribe, strong and daring, and
that they should enrich themselves with the spoils of their
enemies; that they should be active. Blessed
Paul was of this
Tribe, Ro 11:1; Php 3:5; he, in the morning of his
Day,
devoured the prey as a persecutor, but in the
Evening divided
the spoils as a preacher; he shared the blessings of
Judah's
Lion, and assisted in his victories.
28-33 Jacob blessed every one according to the blessings
God in
after-times intended to bestow upon them. He spoke about his
Burial-place, from a principle of
Faith in the promise of
God,
that
Canaan should be the inheritance of his seed in due time.
When he had finished both his blessing and his charge, and
So
had finished his
Testimony, he addressed himself to his dying
work. He gathered up his feet into the
Bed, not only as one
patiently submitting to the stroke, but as one cheerfully
composing himself to
Rest, now that he was weary. He freely gave
up his
Spirit into the
Hand of
God, the
Father of spirits. If
God's people be our people,
Death will gather us to them. Under
the care of the
Shepherd of
Israel, we shall lack nothing for
body or soul. We shall remain unmoved until our work is
finished; then, breathing out our souls into His hands for whose
Salvation we have waited, we shall depart in peace, and leave a
blessing for our children after us.