What does Jacob tell his sons about their futures, and what burial duty does he leave them?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Jacob gives each son a distinct blessing or warning, including Ruben’s loss after defiling his father’s bed, the scattering of Simeon and Levi, Juda’s sceptre and Joseph’s blessings. He then orders burial with his ancestors in the double cave bought by Abraham and dies after finishing his instructions.

Chapter breakdown

Jacob calls his sons together to hear what will happen to them in the last days. He tells them to listen to Israel, their father. He calls firstborn Ruben his strength and the beginning of his sorrow, excelling in gifts and greater in command. But Ruben is poured out like water and is told not to grow because he went up to his father’s bed and defiled his couch. Challoner explains “strength” by Jacob’s vigor at Ruben’s birth, and “beginning of sorrow” by the cares that come with children. The note says the firstborn had a right to a double portion and command over his brothers, which Ruben lost through sin; being poured out means spilt and lost. A second note calls “Grow thou not” a prophecy rather than a curse. It explains that Ruben’s tribe would lack the usual firstborn privileges: the double portion went to Joseph, rule to Juda and priesthood to Levi.

Jacob calls Simeon and Levi brothers and vessels of wrongdoing who wage war. He refuses to join their counsel or place his glory in their assembly, because in fury they killed a man and in self-will undermined a wall. He curses their stubborn fury and cruel wrath and says, “I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.” Challoner identifies the killed man as Sichem, son of Hemor, with all his people, citing Genesis 34. The note also gives a mystical and prophetic reading about Christ’s death at the hands of priests and scribes whom it describes as their descendants. That interpretation is the note’s, not an additional event narrated in Jacob’s speech.

Jacob tells Juda that his brothers will praise him, his hand will be on his enemies’ necks and his father’s sons will bow to him. He describes Juda as a lion’s young one addressed as “my son,” who has gone up to the prey and rests like a lion and lioness, asking who will rouse him. He says, “The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.” A sceptre is a ruler’s staff. Challoner reads this blessing as foretelling the tribe’s strength and fertile inheritance, and principally the survival of its sceptre and legislative power until about Christ’s coming. The note claims this happened and uses the later loss of Juda’s sceptre in an argument addressed to Jews of its own time that the Messiah has already come. These historical and argumentative claims are attributed to Challoner.

The speech describes tying the foal to the vineyard and the donkey to the vine, addressing “O my son.” He will wash his robe in wine and his garment in the blood of the grape. His eyes are more beautiful than wine and his teeth whiter than milk.

Zabulon will live on the seashore, on the road of ships—the ships’ route—reaching as far as Sidon. Issachar is described as a strong donkey lying between the borders. He sees that rest is good and the land excellent, bows his shoulder to carry and becomes a servant under tribute.

Dan will judge his people like another tribe in Israel. He is pictured as a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, biting the horse’s heels so its rider falls backward. Jacob says, “I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.” Challoner says the judging was fulfilled in Samson of Dan, who began to deliver Israel, and cites Judges 13:5. Because that deliverance was temporary and very imperfect, the note reads Jacob’s verse 18 as longing for another kind of deliverer.

Jacob says, “Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.” Challoner says this seems to allude to Gad’s tribe receiving Galaad, marching armed before the other Israelites to conquer Chanaan, and returning with spoils; the note cites Josue 4 and 12. Its “seems” is a proposed reading of the image. Aser’s bread will be rich, and he will yield delicacies to kings. Nephthali is a hart—a stag—let loose, giving words of beauty.

Joseph is called a growing son, a growing son beautiful to behold; the daughters run to and fro on the wall. Challoner says they do so to see his beauty while his envious brothers turn their darts against him. The speech says those holding darts provoke him, quarrel with him and envy him. His bow rests upon the strong; the bands of his arms and hands are loosed by the mighty one of Jacob. From there he comes forth a pastor and the stone of Israel. Challoner explains the strength as God, who loosed Joseph’s bonds and brought him from prison to become the feeder and ruler of Egypt and the rock and support of Israel.

Jacob says the God of Joseph’s father will help him and the Almighty will bless him with heaven above, the deep beneath, breasts and womb. His father’s blessings are strengthened by those of his fathers until the desire of the everlasting hills comes; may they rest on Joseph’s head and the crown of the Nazarite among his brothers. Challoner explains the added strength as the blessings inherited from Abraham and Isaac. The note says these look toward Christ, the desire of the everlasting hills, longed for as though by all creation. In its mystical reading, the patriarchs and prophets are the hills because of their wisdom and holiness. It explains “Nazarite” as one separated, applying it to Joseph as separated from and more eminent than his brothers; ancient Nazarites were set aside and vowed to God.

Benjamin is a ravenous wolf who eats prey in the morning and divides spoil in the evening. These are the twelve tribes of Israel. Their father speaks these things to them and blesses each with his own proper blessing.

Jacob says he is going to be gathered to his people and orders burial with his fathers in the double cave in Ephron the Hethite’s field, opposite Mambre in Chanaan. Abraham bought the cave together with the field from Ephron as a burial possession. Abraham and his wife Sara were buried there, as were Isaac and his wife Rebecca; Lia also lies buried there. Challoner explains being gathered to his people as dying, following his ancestors who went before him and joining their company in another world.

When Jacob finishes the commands instructing his sons, he draws his feet up onto the bed, dies and is gathered to his people.

The story inside

Jacob’s final words do not give every son the same future. Ruben’s warning names the defiling of his father’s bed; Simeon and Levi’s scattering follows their fury and violence. Juda receives praise, the lion images and the sceptre saying. The other sons receive their own images and descriptions, and Joseph receives an extended blessing invoking God’s help. The chapter calls them the twelve tribes and says each receives his proper blessing. Challoner’s notes explain several images and offer historical or mystical readings, with Gad’s reading explicitly tentative. The final instruction shifts from their futures to a shared duty: bury Jacob with the named ancestors in the purchased double cave. His death follows completion of that charge (Genesis 49:1–32).

Lessons worth keeping

1
Read each son’s words separately. Ruben’s warning names the bed he defiled; Simeon and Levi’s warning names their fury and acts; Juda and Joseph receive different images and promises. The statement that each receives his proper blessing helps preserve the distinctions rather than treating the chapter as one general blessing (49:3–28).
2
The commentary explains more than the speech itself states. Challoner supplies the firstborn privileges, identifies Samson, explains pastor and stone, and gives mystical readings of Juda and Joseph. His Gad note says the image “seems” to allude to later events. Keeping these attributions and that uncertainty lets a reader distinguish the verses from their commentary (notes following 49:3–4, 9, 16, 19, 24, 26).
3
The burial charge is precise. Jacob specifies the double cave and field, seller, purchaser, location and people already buried there. Lia’s presence is stated without naming who buried her. These details define the duty he leaves his sons, while this chapter ends at his death rather than its later fulfillment (49:29–32).

Test your recall

What stated acts lead to the warnings for Ruben, Simeon and Levi, how do Juda’s and Joseph’s blessings differ, and which purchase and family details identify Jacob’s requested burial place?

Show answer

Ruben is warned because he defiled his father’s bed. Simeon and Levi are rebuked for violent, cruel anger, and their descendants are to be divided and scattered. Juda’s blessing emphasizes praise, victory, and the ruler’s scepter; Joseph’s emphasizes God’s help, strength through hostility, and abundant blessings. Jacob asks to be buried in Ephron’s double cave near Mambre, bought with its field by Abraham. Abraham and Sara, Isaac and Rebecca, and Lia are identified as buried there.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 5684–5715
Genesis Chapter 49 Jacob’s prophetical blessings of his twelve sons: his death. 49:1. And Jacob called his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days. 49:2. Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to Israel, your father: 49:3. Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow; excelling in gifts, greater in command. My strength, etc.... He calls him his strength, as being born whilst his father was in his full strength and vigour: he calls him the beginning of his sorrow, because cares and sorrows usually come on with the birth of children. Excelling in gifts, etc., because the firstborn had a title to a double portion, and to have the command over his brethren, which Ruben forfeited by his sin; being poured out as water, that is, spilt and lost. 49:4. Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed, and didst defile his couch. Grow thou not.... This was not meant by way of a curse or imprecation; but by way of a prophecy foretelling that the tribe of Ruben should not inherit the pre-eminences usually annexed to the first birthright, viz., the double portion, the being prince or lord over the other brethren, and the priesthood: of which the double portion was given to Joseph, the princely office to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi.
Lines 5716–5729
49:5. Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity waging war. 49:6. Let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their self-will they undermined a wall. Slew a man, ... viz., Sichem the son of Hemor, with all his people, Gen. 34.; mystically and prophetically it alludes to Christ, whom their posterity, viz., the priests and the scribes, put to death. 49:7. Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath, because it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.
Lines 5730–5748
49:8. Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hand shall be on the necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee. 49:9. Juda is a lion’s whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him? A lion’s whelp, etc.... This blessing of Juda foretelleth the strength of his tribe, the fertility of his inheritance; and principally that the sceptre and legislative power should not be utterly taken away from his race till about the time of the coming of Christ: as in effect it never was: which is a demonstration against the modern Jews, that the Messiah is long since come; for the sceptre has long since been utterly taken away from Juda. 49:10. The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.
Lines 5749–5755
49:11. Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape. 49:12. His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
Lines 5756–5764
49:13. Zabulon shall dwell on the seashore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon. 49:14. Issachar shall be a strong ass, lying down between the borders. 49:15. He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.
Lines 5765–5777
49:16. Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel. Dan shall judge, etc.... This was verified in Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan, and began to deliver Israel. Judges 13.5. But as this deliverance was but temporal and very imperfect, the holy patriarch (ver. 18) aspires after another kind of deliverer, saying: I will look for thy salvation, O Lord. 49:17. Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels, that his rider may fall backward. 49:18. I will look for thy salvation, O Lord.
Lines 5778–5791
49:19. Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward. Gad being girded, etc.... It seems to allude to the tribe of Gad; when after they had received for their lot the land of Galaad, they marched in arms before the rest of the Israelites, to the conquest of the land of Chanaan: from whence they afterwards returned loaded with spoils. See Jos. 4. and 12. 49:20. Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings. 49:21. Nephthali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty.
Lines 5792–5809
49:22. Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold: the daughters run to and fro upon the wall; Run to and fro, etc.... To behold his beauty; whilst his envious brethren turned their darts against him, etc. 49:23. But they that held darts, provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him. 49:24. His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel. His bow rested upon the strong, etc.... That is, upon God, who was his strength: who also loosed his bands, and brought him out of prison to be the pastor, that is, the feeder and ruler of Egypt, and the stone, that is, the rock and support of Israel.
Lines 5810–5832
49:25. The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 49:26. The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come: may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren. The blessings of thy father, etc.... That is, thy father’s blessings are made more prevalent and effectual in thy regard, by the additional strength they receive from his inheriting the blessings of his progenitors Abraham and Isaac. The desire of the everlasting hills, etc.... These blessings all looked forward towards Christ, called the desire of the everlasting hills, as being longed for, as it were, by the whole creation. Mystically, the patriarchs and prophets are called the everlasting hills, by reason of the eminence of their wisdom and holiness. The Nazarite.... This word signifies one separated; and agrees to Joseph, as being separated from, and more eminent than, his brethren. As the ancient Nazarites were so called from their being set aside for God, and vowed to him.
Lines 5833–5839
49:27. Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil. 49:28. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one with their proper blessings.
Lines 5840–5854
49:29. And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite, To be gathered to my people.... That is, I am going to die, and so to follow my ancestors that are gone before me, and to join their company in another world. 49:30. Over against Mambre, in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field, of Ephron the Hethite, for a possession to bury in. 49:31. There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca, his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.
Lines 5855–5859
49:32. And when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people.