Chapter 49:
| Calvin
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Revelation Exodus
Genesis 49
Jacob is here upon his death-bed making his will: what he
said here he could not say when he would, but as the Spirit gave
him utterance, who chose this time that divine strength might be
perfected in this weakness. The twelve sons of Jacob were in their
day men of renown; but the twelve tribes of Israel, which
descended and were denominated from them, were much more
renowned, we find their names upon the gates of the new
Jerusalem, Rev. xxi, 12. In the prospect of which their dying
father saith something remarkable of each son, or of the tribe that
bore his name. Here is,
I. The preface, ver. 1, 2.
II. The prediction concerning each tribe, ver. 3-28.
III. The charge repeated concerning his burial, ver. 29-32.
IV. His death, ver. 33.
Verse 1. Gather yourselves together - Let them all be sent for to see their
father die, and to hear his dying words. "Twas a comfort to Jacob,
now he was dying, to see all his children about him tho' he had
sometimes thought himself bereaved: 'twas of use to them to
attend him in his last moments, that they might learn of him how
to die, as well as how to live; what he said to each, he said in the
hearing of all the rest, for we may profit by the reproofs, counsels
and comforts that are principally intended for others. That I may
tell you that which shall befall you, not your persons but your
posterity, in the latter days - The prediction of which would be of
use to those that come after them, for confirming their faith, and
guiding their way, at their return to Canaan. We cannot tell our
children what shall befall them, or their families, in this world; but
we can tell them from the word of God, what will befall them in
the last day of all, according as they carry themselves in this
world.
Verse
2. Hearken to Israel your father - Let Israel that has prevailed with
God, prevail with you.
Verse
3. Reuben thou art my first-born - Jacob here puts upon him the
ornaments of the birth-right, that he and all his brethren might see
what he had forfeited and in that might see the evil of his sin. As
the first-born he was his father's joy, being the beginning of his
strength. To him belonged the excellency of dignity above his
brethren, and some power over them.
Verse
4. Thou shalt not excel - A being thou shalt have as a tribe, but not
an excellency. No judge, prophet, or prince, are found of that
tribe, nor any person of renown only Dathan and Abiram, who
were noted for their impious rebellion. That tribe, as not aiming to
excel, chose a settlement on the other side Jordan. The character
fastened upon Reuben, for which he is laid under this mark of
infamy, is, that he was unstable as water. His virtue was unstable,
he had not the government of himself, and his own appetites. His
honour consequently was unstable, it vanished into smoke, and
became as water spilt upon the ground. Jacob charges him
particularly with the sin for which he was disgraced, thou wentest
up to thy father's bed - It was forty years ago that he had been
guilty of this sin, yet now it is remembered against him. Reuben's
sin left an indelible mark of infamy upon his family; a wound not
to be healed without a scar.
Verse
5. Simeon and Levi are brethren - Brethren in disposition, but
unlike their father: they were passionate and revengeful, fierce
and wilful; their swords, that should have been only weapons of
defense, were (as the margin reads it) weapons of violence, to do
wrong to others, not to save themselves from wrong.
Verse
6. They slew a man - Shechem himself, and many others; and to
effect that, they digged down a wall, broke the houses to plunder
them, and murder the inhabitants. O my soul, come not thou into
their secret - Hereby he professeth not only his abhorrence of such
practices in general, but his innocency particularly in that matter.
Perhaps he had been suspected as under-hand aiding and abetting;
he therefore solemnly expresseth his detestation of the fact.
Verse
7. Cursed be their anger - Not their persons. We ought always in
the expressions of our zeal carefully to distinguish between the
sinner and the sin, so as not to love or bless the sin for the sake of
the person, nor to hate or curse the person for the sake of the sin. I
will divide them - The Levites were scattered throughout all the
tribes, and Simeon's lot lay not together, and was so strait that
many of that tribe were forced to disperse themselves in quest of
settlements and subsistence. This curse was afterwards turned into
a blessing to the Levites; but the Simeonites, for Zimri's sin, Num.
xxv, 6-14, had it bound on.
Verse
8. Judah's name signifies praise, in allusion to which he saith,
Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise, God was praised for
him, chap. xxix, 35, praised by him, and praised in him; and
therefore his brethren shall praise him. Thy hand shall be in the
neck of thine enemies - This was fulfilled in David, Psalm xviii,
40. Thy father's children shall bow down before thee - Judah was
the law-giver, Psalm lx, 7. That tribe led the van through the
wilderness, and in the conquest of Canaan, Jude i, 2. The
prerogatives of the birth-right which Reuben had forfeited, the
excellency of dignity and power, were thus conferred upon Judah.
Thy brethren shall bow down before thee, and yet shall praise
thee, reckoning themselves happy in having so wise and bold a
commander.
Verse
9. Judah is a lion's whelp - The lion is the king of beasts, the terror
of the forest when he roars; when he seizeth his prey, none can
resist him; when he goes up from the prey, none dares pursue him
to revenge it. By this it is foretold that the tribe of Judah should
become very formidable, and should not only obtain great
victories but should peaceably enjoy what was got by those
victories. Judah is compared not to a lion rampant, always raging
but to a lion couching, enjoying the satisfaction of his success,
without creating vexation to others.
Verse
10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come -
Jacob here foretels,
(1.) That the scepter should come into the tribe of Judah, which
was fulfilled in David, on whose family the crown was entailed.
(2.) That Shiloh should be of this tribe; that seed in whom the
earth should be blessed. That peaceable prosperous one, or, the
saviour, so others translate it, shall come of Judah.
(3.) That the scepter should continue in that tribe, till the coming
of the Messiah, in whom as the king of the church, and the great
High-priest, it was fit that both the priesthood and the royalty
should determine. Till the captivity, all along from David's time,
the scepter was in Judah, and from thence governors of that tribe,
or of the Levites that adhered to it, which was equivalent; till
Judea became a province of the Roman empire just at the time of
our saviour's birth, and was at that time taxed as one of the
provinces, Luke ii, 1, and at the time of his death the Jews
expressly owned, We have no king but Caesar. Hence it is
undeniably inferred against the Jews, that our Lord Jesus is be that
should come, and we are to look for no other, for he came exactly
at the time appointed.
(4.) That it should be a fruitful tribe, especially that it should
abound with milk and wine, ver. 11, 12, vines so common, and so
strong, that they should tye their asses to them, and so fruitful,
that they should load their asses from them; wine as plentiful as
water, so that the men of that tribe should be very healthful and
lively, their eyes brisk and sparkling, their teeth white. Much of
that which is here said concerning Judah is to be applied to our
Lord Jesus.
1. He is the ruler of all his Father's children, and the conqueror of
all his Father's enemies, and he it is that is the praise of all the
saints.
2. He is the lion of the tribe of Judah, as he is called with
reference to this, Rev. v, 5, who having spoiled principalities and
powers, went up a conqueror, and couched so as none can stir him
up when he sat down on the right hand of the Father.
3. To him belongs the scepter, he is the lawgiver, and to him shall
the gathering of the people be, as the desire of all nations, Haggai
ii, 7, who being lifted up from the earth should draw all men unto
him, John xii, 32, and in whom the children of God that are
scattered abroad should meet as the center of their unity, John xi,
52.
4. In him there is plenty of all that which is nourishing and
refreshing to the soul, and which maintains and chears the divine
life in it; in him we may have wine and milk, the riches of Judah's
tribe, without money, and without price, Isaiah lv, 1.
Verse
13. Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the sea - This was
fulfilled, when 2 or 300 years after, the land of Canaan was divided by lot, and
the border of Zebulon went up towards the sea, Josh. xix, 11.
Verse
14. Issachar is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens -
The men of that tribe shall be strong and industrious, fit for and
inclined to labour, particularly the toil of husbandry, like the ass
that patiently carries his burden. Issachar submitted to two
burdens, tillage and tribute.
Verse
16. Daniel shall judge his people - Though Daniel was one of the
sons of the concubines, yet he shall be a tribe governed by Judges
of his own as well as other tribes; and shall by art and policy, and
surprise, gain advantages against his enemies, like a serpent
suddenly biting the heel of the traveler.
Verse
18. I have waited for thy salvation, Lord - If he must break off
here, and his breath will not serve him to finish what he intended,
with these words he pours out his soul into the bosom of his God,
and even breaths it out. The pious ejaculations of a warm and
lively devotion, though sometimes they maybe incoherent, yet
they are not impertinent; that may be uttered affectionately, which
doth not come in methodically. It is no absurdity, when we are
speaking to men, to lift up our hearts to God. The salvation he
waited for was, 1st, Christ, the promised seed, whom he had
spoken of, ver. 10, now he was going to be gathered to his people,
he breathes after him to whom the gathering of the people shall
be. 2ndly, Heaven, the better country, which he declared plainly
that he sought, Heb. xi, 13, 14, and continued seeking now he was in Egypt.
Verse
19. Concerning Gad, he alludes to his name, which signifies a
troop, foresees the character of that tribe, that it should be a
warlike tribe; and so we find, 1Ch xii, 8, the Gadites were men of
war fit for the battle. He foresees, that the situation of that tribe on
the other side Jordan would expose it to the incursions of its
neighbours, the Moabites and Ammonites; and that they might not
be proud of their strength and valour, he foretells that the troops
of their enemies should, in many skirmishes, overcome them; yet,
that they might not be discouraged by their defeats, he assures
them, that they should overcome at the last, which was fulfilled,
when in Saul's time and David's the Moabites and Ammonites
were wholly subdued.
Verse
20. Concerning Asher, he foretells, That it should be a rich tribe,
replenished not only with bread for necessity, but with fatness,
with dainties, royal dainties, and these exported out of Asher, to
other tribes, perhaps to other lands. The God of nature has
provided for us not only necessaries but dainties, that we might
call him a bountiful benefactor; yet, whereas all places are
competently furnished with necessaries, only some places afford
dainties. Corn is more common than spices. Were the supports of
luxury as universal as the supports of life, the world would be
worse than it is, and that needs not.
Verse
21. Naphtali is a hind let loose - Those of this tribe were, as the
loosen'd hind, zealous for their liberty, and yet affable and
courteous, their language refined, and they complaisant, giving
goodly words. Among God's Israel there is to be found a great
variety of dispositions, yet all contributing to the beauty and
strength of the body. He closes with the blessings of his best
beloved sons, Joseph and Benjamin, with these he will breathe his
last.
Verse
22. Joseph is a fruitful bough, or young tree, for God had made
him fruitful in the land of his affliction, as branches of a vine, or
other spreading plant, running over the wall.
Verse
23. The archer have sorely grieved him - Tho' he now lived at
ease and in honour, Jacob minds him of the difficulties he had
formerly waded through. He had many enemies here called
archers, being skilful to do mischief; they hated him, they shot
their poisonous darts at him. His brethren were spiteful towards
him, mocked him, stripped him, sold him, thought they had been
the death of him. His mistress sorely grieved him, and shot at him,
when she solicited his chastity; and then shot at him by her false
accusations.
Verse
24. But his bow abode in strength - His faith did not fail; he kept
his ground, and came off conqueror. The arms of his hands were
made strong - That is, his other graces did their part, his wisdom,
courage, patience, which are better than weapons of war: By the
hands of the mighty God - Who was therefore able to strengthen
him; and the God of Jacob, a God in covenant with him. From
thence, from this strange method of Providence, he became the
shepherd and stone, the feeder and supporter of Israel, Jacob and
his family. Herein Joseph was a type of Christ: He was shot at and
hated, but born up under his sufferings, and was afterwards
advanced to be the shepherd and stone: and of the church in
general, hell shoots its arrows against her, but heaven protects and
strengthens her.
Verse
25. Even by the God of thy father Jacob, who shall help thee - Our
experiences of God's power and goodness in strengthning us
hitherto, are encouragements still to hope for help from him. He
that has helped us, will. And by the Almighty, who shall bless
thee; and he only blesseth indeed. Observe the blessings conferred
on Joseph; First, Various and abundant blessings. Blessings of
heaven above, rain in its season, and fair weather in its season;
blessings of the deep that lies under this earth, or with
subterraneous mines and springs. Blessings of the womb and the
breasts are given when children are safely born and comfortably
nursed. Secondly, Eminent and transcendent blessings, which
prevail above the blessings of my progenitors - His father Isaac
had but one blessing, and when he had given that to Jacob, he was
at a loss for a blessing to bestow upon Esau; but Jacob had a
blessing for each of his twelve sons, and now at the latter end, a
copious one for Joseph. Thirdly, Durable and extensive blessings:
unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills - Including all the
products of the most fruitful hills, and lasting as long as they last.
Of these blessings it is here said they shall be, so it is a promise;
or, let them be, so it is a prayer, on the head of Joseph, to which
let them be as a crown to adorn it, and a helmet to protect it.
Verse
27. Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf - It is plain, Jacob was guided
in what he said by a spirit of prophecy, and not by natural
affection, else he would have spoken with more tenderness of his
beloved son Benjamin, concerning whom he only foretells, that
his posterity should be a warlike tribe, strong and daring, and that
they should enrich themselves with the spoil of their enemies, that
they should be active in the world, and a tribe as much feared by
their neighbours as any other; in the morning he shall devour the
prey which he seized and divided over night.
Verse
29. I am to be gathered unto my people - Though death separate
us from our children, and our people in this world, it gathers us to
our fathers, and to our people in the other world. Perhaps Jacob
useth this expression concerning death, as a reason why his sons
should bury him in Canaan, for (saith he) I am to be gathered unto
my people, my soul must be gone to the spirits of just men made
perfect, and therefore bury me with my fathers Abraham and
Isaac, and their wives.
Verse
33. And when Jacob had made an end of commanding of his sons
- He addressed himself to his dying work. He put himself into a
posture for dying; having sat upon the bed-side to bless his sons,
the spirit of prophecy bringing fresh oil to his expiring lamp,
when that work was done, he gathered up his feet into the bed,
that he might lie along, not only as one patiently submitting to the
stroke, but as one chearfully composing himself to rest. He then
freely resigned his spirits into the hand of God, the father of spirit;
he yielded up the ghost; and his separated soul went to the
assembly of the souls of the faithful, who after they are delivered
from the burden of the flesh are in joy and felicity; he was
gathered to his people.
Chapter 49:
| Calvin
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Revelation Exodus
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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