Genesis 49

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Gather yourselves' (he'asfu) — the niphal imperative of asaf, 'to gather.' Jacob summons all twelve sons for his final prophetic declaration. This is not merely a deathbed farewell but a prophetic oracle — Jacob speaks as a patriarch-prophet, revealing the destinies of the tribes that will descend from each son.
2. 'In the latter days' (be'acharit hayyamim) — this phrase carries eschatological weight throughout the Hebrew Bible. It denotes not merely 'the future' in a general sense but the far horizon of God's purposes — the culmination of history. The blessings that follow thus operate on multiple levels: they describe the immediate character of each son, foreshadow the tribal destinies in Canaan, and in some cases (especially Judah, v. 10) point to messianic fulfillment.

Translator Notes

1. The parallelism between 'sons of Jacob' and 'Israel your father' is deliberate. They are addressed as sons of Jacob — the human patriarch — yet told to listen to Israel — the covenant name that signifies the one who strove with God and prevailed (32:28). The dual naming underscores that what follows is both a father's personal assessment and a divinely authorized oracle.
2. The double command 'hear... listen' (shim'u... shim'u) emphasizes the gravity of the moment. The second 'listen' (shim'u el) with the preposition el implies not merely hearing but heeding — attentive obedience to what follows.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'My firstborn' (bekhori) — Reuben held the position of highest honor and double inheritance as the firstborn. The terms that follow — 'my might' (kochi), 'beginning of my strength' (reshit oni) — all underscore the extraordinary privilege of the firstborn status. The word oni can mean 'vigor' or 'manly strength,' referring to the father's procreative power. Reuben, as Jacob's first son, represents the full, undimmed strength of his youth.
2. 'Preeminent in dignity, preeminent in power' (yeter se'et veyeter az) — the word yeter means 'excess, preeminence, superiority.' Reuben should have been preeminent in both se'et (exaltation, dignity) and az (strength, power). These are the rightful attributes of the firstborn — but verse 4 will revoke them.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Unstable as water' (pachaz kamayim) — the word pachaz is rare and debated. It conveys recklessness, turbulence, uncontrolled energy — like water that overflows its banks, powerful but uncontained. Reuben's character lacked the restraint necessary for leadership. The simile of water suggests both instability and the inability to maintain a fixed form or purpose.
2. 'You went up to your father's bed' (alita mishkevei avikha) — a reference to Genesis 35:22, where Reuben lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine. This act was both a sexual transgression and a political power-grab — in the ancient Near East, taking a leader's concubine was a claim to his authority (cf. 2 Samuel 16:21-22). Jacob, who said nothing at the time, now pronounces the consequence decades later.
3. 'He went up to my couch' (yetsu'i alah) — the abrupt shift from second person ('you defiled') to third person ('he went up') is striking. Some scholars see Jacob turning away from Reuben in disgust, speaking about him rather than to him. The word yetsu'i ('my couch') makes the violation personal — it was Jacob's own bed that was defiled.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. Simeon and Levi are treated together because they acted together in the massacre at Shechem (chapter 34). Their bond as 'brothers' (achim) here is not simply biological — all twelve are brothers — but characterizes them as partners in violence, co-conspirators in treachery.
2. 'Instruments of violence are their swords' (kelei chamas mekherothehem) — the word mekherothehem is notoriously difficult. The KJV renders 'habitations,' but this is unlikely from the Hebrew. Most scholars connect it to mekherah, 'sword' (possibly a loanword), or derive it from karah, 'to dig' (hence 'schemes' or 'plots'). The rendering 'swords' follows the most widely accepted scholarly interpretation and fits the context of the Shechem slaughter.

Translator Notes

1. 'Let my soul not enter their council' (besoddam al-tavo nafshi) — Jacob formally dissociates himself from their violence. The word sod means 'secret counsel' or 'intimate circle.' Jacob refuses any share in their conspiratorial deliberations. The parallel 'my glory' (kevodi) is a poetic synonym for 'my soul' or 'my honor' — Jacob's very being recoils from complicity.
2. 'They killed men' (hargu ish) — though the singular ish ('a man') is used, the reference is to the mass slaughter of the men of Shechem (34:25-26). The singular may be collective, or it may pointedly recall Hamor and Shechem as the primary targets.
3. 'They hamstrung oxen' (iqqeru-shor) — literally 'they uprooted/hamstrung an ox.' This likely refers to the plundering that accompanied the Shechem massacre (34:28-29). Hamstringing cattle — cutting their leg tendons — was an act of wanton destruction, rendering the animals useless. It reveals gratuitous cruelty beyond what any sense of justice could justify.

Translator Notes

1. Jacob curses not Simeon and Levi themselves but their anger (appam) and wrath (evratam). The distinction matters: the men are not cursed, but the violent disposition that drove them is condemned. This contrasts with the curse on Canaan (9:25), which fell on the person.
2. 'I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel' (achalleqem beYa'aqov va'afitsem beYisra'el) — this prophecy was fulfilled in strikingly different ways for the two brothers. Simeon's tribal territory was absorbed into Judah (Joshua 19:1-9), and the tribe eventually disappeared as a distinct entity. Levi received no territorial inheritance but was scattered as priests and Levites throughout Israel (Joshua 21). For Levi, the 'scattering' became a blessing in disguise — they were distributed throughout the land as servants of God. The same curse produced different outcomes depending on how the descendants responded to God's purposes.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Judah, your brothers shall praise you' (Yehudah, attah yodukha achekha) — a wordplay on Judah's name. Yehudah is connected to the verb yadah, 'to praise' or 'to give thanks' (cf. 29:35, where Leah names him). The praise Judah receives from his brothers signals his ascendancy to tribal leadership — a role Reuben forfeited. This is the beginning of the longest and most exalted blessing, marking Judah as the royal tribe.
2. 'Your hand on the neck of your enemies' — an image of military dominance. The neck (oref) is the back of the neck, indicating that enemies are fleeing while Judah's hand seizes them. This foreshadows the military prowess of David's kingdom.
3. 'Your father's sons shall bow down before you' (yishtachavu lekha benei avikha) — this echoes Joseph's dreams (37:7-9) but transfers the ultimate fulfillment to Judah. While Joseph received temporary political preeminence in Egypt, the enduring leadership — kingship — belongs to Judah.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A lion's cub' (gur aryeh) — the lion imagery for Judah became one of the most enduring symbols in biblical tradition. The 'Lion of Judah' appears as a messianic title in Revelation 5:5. The progression from 'cub' (gur) to full 'lion' (aryeh) to 'lioness' (lavi) traces Judah's growth from a young tribe to mature, fearsome power.
2. 'From the prey, my son, you have gone up' (mitteref beni alita) — the lion has made its kill and ascended to its mountain lair, sated and secure. The verb alita ('you have gone up') may also carry theological overtones — ascent, rising to prominence.
3. 'Who dares rouse him?' (mi yeqimennu) — the rhetorical question underscores Judah's inviolable strength. A lion at rest after feeding is supremely dangerous to disturb. No rival tribe — and no enemy nation — should dare to provoke him.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'The scepter shall not depart from Judah' (lo-yasur shevet miYhudah) — the shevet (scepter/staff) is the emblem of royal authority. This is the foundational prophecy of Judah's royal destiny, fulfilled initially in David's kingship and understood messianically throughout Jewish and Christian tradition.
2. 'Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet' (umechoqeq mibbein raglav) — the mechoqeq is the commander's staff or lawgiver's rod. 'Between his feet' indicates the ruler's staff held between the legs while seated — a posture of judicial and royal authority. Some interpret 'between his feet' as 'from among his descendants.'
3. 'Until Shiloh comes' (ad ki-yavo Shiloh) — this is one of the most debated phrases in the entire Hebrew Bible. Major interpretations include: (1) 'Shiloh' as a messianic title, meaning 'the one to whom it belongs' (reading shello, 'that which is his'), supported by Ezekiel 21:27; (2) 'Shiloh' as a proper name for the Messiah; (3) a reference to the city of Shiloh, where the tabernacle was first established; (4) 'until he comes to whom tribute belongs' (reading shay lo, 'tribute to him'); (5) 'until his son comes' (reading shilo). The ancient translations (LXX, Targumim) generally support a messianic reading. The rendering preserves the ambiguity of the Hebrew.
4. 'The obedience of the peoples' (yiqqehat ammim) — the word yiqqehat (or yiqqahah) means 'obedience, submission, gathering.' The plural 'peoples' (ammim) extends the scope beyond Israel — the nations will submit to the one who comes. This universalizing element elevates the prophecy beyond tribal politics to the destiny of all humanity.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The imagery of tying a donkey to a grapevine portrays staggering abundance. No farmer in the ancient world would risk a vine by tethering a browsing donkey to it — unless vines were so plentiful that losing one was inconsequential. Judah's territory will overflow with such agricultural wealth that wine is as common as water.
2. 'The choice vine' (soreqah) — the soreq was the finest variety of grapevine, producing the most prized wine. Even the best vine is treated casually — wealth beyond measure.
3. 'He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes' (kibbes bayyayin levusho uvdam-anavim sutoh) — wine is so abundant it can be used for laundry. The phrase 'blood of grapes' (dam-anavim) is a vivid metaphor for dark red wine. The passage evokes a land of paradisiacal abundance, echoing Eden and anticipating the messianic kingdom.

Translator Notes

1. 'His eyes are darker than wine' (chakhlili einayim miyyayin) — the word chakhlili is difficult. It may mean 'dark, sparkling, flashing' — describing eyes that are deep and lustrous, perhaps wine-dark. The preposition min can mean 'from' (red from wine-drinking) or 'more than' (darker than wine). The rendering 'darker than wine' follows the comparative reading, portraying a figure of robust health and vitality rather than drunkenness.
2. 'His teeth whiter than milk' (uleven-shinayim mechalav) — again the min is comparative: whiter than milk. Together with the dark eyes, this paints a portrait of ideal physical beauty and health — a ruler who embodies the abundance of his territory. The land of milk and wine produces a people of striking vitality.

Translator Notes

1. 'By the shore of the sea' (lechof yammim) — Zebulun's territory in the tribal allotment (Joshua 19:10-16) was actually inland, between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean coast, not directly on the seashore. This has led some to see the blessing as describing commercial access to maritime trade rather than literal coastal territory. Others note that tribal boundaries may have shifted from their original allotments.
2. 'A harbor for ships' (lechof oniyyot) — this may indicate that Zebulun's territory served as a commercial corridor, facilitating trade between the coast and the interior. The tribe would profit from maritime commerce even if not literally on the coast.
3. 'Toward Sidon' (al-Tsidon) — Sidon was the great Phoenician port city to the north. Zebulun's border reaching toward it suggests participation in the prosperous Phoenician trading network.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A strong donkey' (chamor garem) — the word garem means 'bony, strong-boned, rawboned.' The donkey was the primary beast of burden in the ancient Near East — not a symbol of stupidity but of patient, enduring strength. Issachar's character is one of great physical capacity.
2. 'Between the sheepfolds' (bein hammishtepetayim) — the word mishpetayim (dual form) is variously translated as 'sheepfolds,' 'saddlebags,' or 'campfires.' The image is of a strong donkey lying down between the pens or resting places — content in its labor, preferring rest in familiar surroundings to the exertion of resistance or ambition.

Translator Notes

1. 'He saw that rest was good' (vayyar menuchah ki tov) — the language echoes creation ('God saw that it was good'). Issachar surveys a fertile, pleasant territory and chooses comfort over liberty. The word menuchah ('rest') is elsewhere a positive concept (Psalm 23:2; Ruth 1:9), but here it becomes a snare — the love of ease leads to servitude.
2. 'He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens and became a forced laborer' (vayyett shikhmo lisbol vayehi lemas-oved) — the tribe of Issachar, seduced by the pleasantness of its fertile land in the Jezreel Valley, would prefer to pay tribute and serve rather than fight for full independence. The term mas-oved ('forced laborer, corvée worker') is the same term used for the Canaanites subjected to Israelite labor gangs (Joshua 16:10; Judges 1:35).

Translator Notes

1. 'Dan shall judge' (Dan yadin) — another wordplay on a son's name. Dan means 'he judged' (from din, 'to judge'; cf. 30:6). The tribe of Dan, despite being born from Bilhah the maidservant, will exercise judicial authority as a fully legitimate tribe — 'as one of the tribes of Israel.' This assures that Dan's lesser maternal status does not diminish his tribal standing.
2. The most famous 'judge' from Dan was Samson (Judges 13-16), who judged Israel for twenty years. Samson's career — marked by both extraordinary strength and fatal self-indulgence — may be foreshadowed in the serpent imagery of the next verse.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A serpent by the road' (nachash alei-derekh) — the nachash (serpent) recalls the serpent of Eden (3:1). Dan's military strategy will be guerrilla warfare — ambush and surprise rather than frontal assault. The serpent lurks unseen by the roadside and strikes without warning.
2. 'A viper along the path' (shefifon alei-orach) — the shefifon is a horned viper (Cerastes cerastes), a small but deadly snake native to the Sinai and Negev. It buries itself in sand beside paths and strikes at passing animals. The image is of lethal effectiveness from a position of apparent insignificance — Dan is a small tribe but a dangerous one.
3. 'Bites the horse's heels so that its rider falls backward' (hannoshekh iqqevei-sus vayyippol rokhevo achor) — a vivid tactical image: the small serpent brings down a mounted warrior not by confronting him directly but by striking at the horse's vulnerable heels. The mention of 'heels' (aqev) may echo Genesis 3:15, where the serpent strikes the heel of the woman's offspring.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This sudden, startling prayer breaks into the sequence of tribal blessings like a cry from the heart. After the ominous serpent imagery for Dan, Jacob pauses and lifts his eyes to God. The interjection may reflect: (1) Jacob's exhaustion — the dying patriarch needs divine strength to continue; (2) his distress at the dark future glimpsed for Dan (the tribe later associated with idolatry, Judges 18); (3) a reminder that all these prophecies unfold under divine sovereignty, not human power.
2. 'Your salvation' (yeshu'atekha) — the root yasha' ('to save, deliver') is the same root from which the name Yeshua/Joshua/Jesus is formed. Jacob's cry for divine salvation stands as a theological hinge in the oracle — whatever the tribal futures hold, Israel's ultimate hope rests not in any tribe but in the LORD's deliverance.
3. This is the first occurrence of the word yeshu'ah ('salvation') in the Hebrew Bible. Its placement here — in the midst of prophetic blessing, from the lips of a dying patriarch — gives it enormous weight as a programmatic statement of faith.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This verse is a masterpiece of Hebrew wordplay. Three words from the same root g-d-d are stacked together with Gad's own name: Gad gedud yegudennu vehu yagud aqev. The effect is untranslatable — a rapid-fire, percussive sequence of consonance that mimics the back-and-forth of border skirmishing. The rendering attempts to preserve the repetition with 'raiders shall raid... he shall raid.'
2. Gad's territory east of the Jordan was exposed to constant raiding from Ammonites, Moabites, and desert nomads. The tribe lived in a perpetual state of frontier warfare. But the blessing promises resilience: Gad will not merely endure raids but counterattack, pursuing enemies 'at their heels' (aqev) — striking back as they retreat.

Translator Notes

1. 'His food shall be rich' (shemenah lachmo) — literally, 'fat is his bread.' The word shemenah (from shemen, 'oil, fat') indicates richness, abundance, and fertility. Asher's tribal territory along the northern coastal plain (modern-day Galilee and the Carmel coast) was renowned for its olive groves and fertile soil.
2. 'Royal delicacies' (ma'adannei-melekh) — Asher's produce will be of such quality that it graces the tables of kings. The word ma'adannim denotes exquisite, luxurious food — not mere sustenance but delicacies. This was fulfilled: Asher's territory produced the finest olive oil in Israel, a product exported throughout the ancient world.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A doe set free' (ayyalah sheluchah) — the ayyalah is a female deer, an image of graceful swiftness and freedom. The word sheluchah ('set free, sent forth') suggests a doe released from confinement — bounding freely across the hills. Naphtali's territory in upper Galilee was mountainous, and the tribe was known for speed and agility in warfare (cf. Judges 4-5, where Naphtali plays a leading role in Deborah's victory).
2. 'Who gives beautiful words' (hannoten imrei-shafer) — this phrase is ambiguous and debated. The word imrei can mean either 'words/sayings' or 'lambs' (from emer, 'lamb'). If 'words,' the meaning is that Naphtali produces eloquent speech — perhaps poetic or prophetic words of beauty. If 'lambs,' the image shifts to a doe that bears beautiful fawns. The rendering follows the 'words' interpretation, which is supported by most ancient versions. Deborah's Song (Judges 5), which celebrates Naphtali's valor, may be an example of these 'beautiful words.'

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A fruitful vine' (ben porat) — literally, 'son of fruitfulness.' The word porat is related to parah ('to be fruitful'), the key verb of blessing throughout Genesis. Joseph embodies the fruitfulness promised to Abraham and Jacob. The phrase 'beside a spring' (alei-ayin) provides the source of this fruitfulness — a vine planted by water never lacks nourishment (cf. Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:8).
2. 'His branches climb over the wall' (banot tsa'adah alei-shur) — literally, 'daughters stride over the wall.' The word banot ('daughters') refers to the vine's tendrils or branches — they are so vigorous that they overflow the enclosing wall. This imagery of irrepressible growth captures Joseph's destiny: his fruitfulness cannot be contained. The 'two tribes' of Ephraim and Manasseh represent this overflow — Joseph received a double portion through his two sons.
3. The entire verse is rich with fertility imagery: vine, spring, climbing branches. Joseph's blessing is rooted in life, growth, and abundance — a fitting tribute to the one who preserved life during the famine.

Translator Notes

1. 'The archers harassed him bitterly' (vaymaratuhu varobbu) — the verb marar means 'to make bitter, to harass, to deal bitterly.' Joseph's life was defined by suffering inflicted by others — his brothers sold him, Potiphar's wife accused him, the cupbearer forgot him. The 'archers' (ba'alei chitstsim, literally 'masters of arrows') represent all who attacked Joseph.
2. 'They shot at him and attacked him' (vayyistemhu ba'alei chitstsim) — the verb satam means 'to bear a grudge, to persecute, to attack.' The imagery shifts from metaphorical (archers) to personal (persecutors). Joseph was a target of sustained, deliberate hostility from multiple directions — yet the next verse reveals his resilience.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'His bow remained firm' (vatteshev be'eitan qashto) — despite the relentless attacks described in v. 23, Joseph's bow (qeshet) — his strength, his capacity to fight back — remained be'eitan ('firm, enduring, steadfast'). The word eitan means 'permanent, strong, ever-flowing' (as in a perennial stream). Joseph's resilience was not self-generated but divinely sustained, as the next phrase reveals.
2. 'By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob' (middei Abir Ya'aqov) — the title Abir ('Mighty One, Bull, Champion') is a rare and powerful divine name. It appears primarily in poetic/prophetic texts (Isaiah 1:24; 49:26; 60:16; Psalm 132:2, 5). It emphasizes God's raw, overwhelming power — the power that upheld Joseph through every trial.
3. 'The Shepherd, the Stone of Israel' (ro'eh, even Yisra'el) — two more divine titles stacked together. God is the Shepherd (ro'eh) who tends and guides His people, and the Stone (even) — the immovable foundation on which Israel rests. These titles will echo throughout Scripture: the LORD as Shepherd (Psalm 23:1; Ezekiel 34:15) and as Stone/Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16).

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'The God of your father' (El avikha) — God is identified relationally, as the God of the patriarchal line. Joseph's blessings flow not from impersonal cosmic forces but from the personal God who entered into covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
2. 'The Almighty' (Shaddai) — the patriarchal divine name (cf. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3). Its use here in Joseph's blessing connects him to the full weight of patriarchal covenant promise.
3. 'Blessings of heaven above... the deep that crouches beneath... the breasts and womb' — Jacob invokes blessings from every dimension of creation. Heaven above sends rain and sunlight; the deep (tehom) beneath provides springs and underground water (the tehom 'crouches' like a living force, recalling the primeval deep of 1:2); the breasts (shadayim) and womb (racham) ensure fertility of both humans and livestock. The near-homophone between Shaddai and shadayim ('breasts') may be an intentional wordplay connecting God's name to His provision of life-giving nourishment.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors' (gavru al-birkhot horai) — Jacob claims that the blessings he pronounces exceed even those he received from Isaac, and Isaac from Abraham. Each generation of blessing has grown, and Joseph receives the fullest measure yet. The verb gavar ('to be strong, prevail') indicates that Jacob's blessing is not merely equal to but greater than what came before.
2. 'The bounty of the everlasting hills' (ta'avat giv'ot olam) — the word ta'avah means 'desire, delight, bounty.' The 'everlasting hills' (giv'ot olam) represent permanence and stability — the most enduring features of the created landscape. Joseph's blessings are measured against them and found equal.
3. 'The one set apart from his brothers' (nezir echav) — the word nazir means 'set apart, consecrated, crowned.' Joseph was literally separated from his brothers (sold into Egypt) and figuratively set apart by God for a unique destiny. The same word is used for the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:2) — one consecrated to God. Joseph's separation, which began as an act of human cruelty, became divine consecration.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A ravenous wolf' (ze'ev yitraf) — the wolf is a predator of relentless ferocity. Unlike the lion (Judah), which is a symbol of royal dignity, the wolf connotes raw, savage efficiency. Benjamin's tribe produced fierce warriors — Ehud the left-handed judge who assassinated the Moabite king (Judges 3:15-30), King Saul and his son Jonathan, and later the apostle Paul (Philippians 3:5).
2. 'In the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil' (babboqer yokhal ad vela'erev yechalleq shalal) — the merism 'morning... evening' means 'all day long' — Benjamin's predatory activity is unceasing. The word ad means 'prey' (that which is seized), while shalal means 'spoil' (the plunder taken after battle). The distinction suggests that Benjamin both hunts and distributes — a warrior who feeds his people through conquest.
3. This is the last of the twelve tribal blessings. Appropriately, the final son — the youngest — receives an image of aggressive vitality, as if Jacob saves a burst of martial energy for his last blessing before turning to his closing instructions.

Translator Notes

1. 'The twelve tribes of Israel' (shivtei Yisra'el sheneim asar) — the narrator steps back to frame what has just occurred. Despite the fact that some 'blessings' were more like judgments (Reuben, Simeon, Levi) and others were ambiguous (Dan, Issachar), the narrator calls the entire oracle a 'blessing.' The word berakhah encompasses the full range — prophetic destiny, whether favorable or unfavorable, spoken under divine authority. Even the negative prophecies are blessings in the sense that they are truthful, authoritative declarations of God's purposes.
2. 'Each with his own blessing' (ish asher kevirkhato) — each son received a distinct, individualized word. There is no one-size-fits-all destiny. The twelve tribes will have different characters, different territories, different histories — yet together they constitute one Israel. Unity does not require uniformity.

Translator Notes

1. 'I am about to be gathered to my people' (ani ne'esaf el-ammi) — the phrase 'gathered to his people' is a standard Hebrew idiom for death (cf. 25:8, Abraham; 25:17, Ishmael; 35:29, Isaac). It implies not mere cessation of life but reunion — a joining with the ancestors in the afterlife. The verb asaf ('to gather') echoes the he'asfu ('gather yourselves') of v. 1. Jacob gathered his sons to deliver his oracle; now he will be gathered to his people in death.
2. 'The cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite' — Jacob refers to the cave of Machpelah, purchased by Abraham as a burial site (chapter 23). The specificity of the location — field, owner, ethnic identity — echoes the detailed legal language of the original purchase. Jacob is asserting a legal claim: this land belongs to Abraham's descendants, and burial there is an act of faith in the land promise.

Translator Notes

1. 'The cave of Machpelah' (me'arat sadeh hammakhpelah) — this is the family tomb that anchors the patriarchal claim to Canaan. The name Machpelah may mean 'the double (cave),' perhaps referring to its internal structure. Traditionally identified with the site in Hebron beneath the structure known as the Cave of the Patriarchs (Haram al-Ibrahimi).
2. 'Which Abraham purchased' — Jacob recites the legal history of the property, emphasizing that it was legally acquired (qanh, 'purchased'), not stolen or squatted upon. The purchase by Abraham (chapter 23) was the only piece of the Promised Land the patriarchs ever legally owned — a down payment on the larger promise. Jacob insists on burial there as an act of faith: though he dies in Egypt, his body will rest in the Promised Land.

Translator Notes

1. Jacob lists the three couples already interred in Machpelah: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah — and then, with quiet poignancy, 'there I buried Leah' (shammah qavarti et-Le'ah). The shift to first person singular ('I buried') is deeply personal. Leah, the unloved wife, was buried by Jacob himself in the family tomb. Rachel, the beloved, died on the road and was buried near Bethlehem (35:19-20). In death, Leah received the honor that eluded her in life — burial alongside the patriarchs and matriarchs in the covenant tomb.
2. The repetition of shammah ('there') three times creates a solemn, liturgical rhythm: there... there... there. The cave of Machpelah is the gathering place of the covenant family across generations. Jacob will be the seventh person buried there, completing the patriarchal roster.

Translator Notes

1. 'Purchased from the sons of Heth' (miqneh... me'et benei-Chet) — Jacob concludes his burial instructions by reaffirming the legal provenance of the property. The 'sons of Heth' (Hittites) were the sellers. Jacob's insistence on these legal details reflects the importance of legitimate land ownership in the patriarchal narratives. The tiny parcel at Machpelah is the seed of the entire land promise — legally owned, not merely promised.
2. Jacob's meticulous instructions contrast with his advanced age and failing body. His mind remains sharp even as his body fails; he knows exactly where he wants to be buried and exactly why — and he wants no ambiguity about it.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The death of Jacob is narrated with extraordinary artistry through a triple sequence: (1) 'He finished' (vayekhal) — his life's work of blessing is complete; (2) 'he drew his feet into the bed' (vayyeesof raglav el-hammittah) — a gentle, deliberate physical act, lying down as if choosing to rest; (3) 'he breathed his last and was gathered to his people' (vayyigva vayyeasef el-ammav) — life departs and reunion begins.
2. The verb asaf ('to gather') appears three times in this chapter in connection with Jacob: he tells his sons to 'gather' (he'asfu, v. 1), he 'gathered' his feet (vayyeesof, v. 33), and he was 'gathered' to his people (vayyeasef, v. 33). The wordplay creates a sense of completion — the one who gathered his sons for blessing is now himself gathered into the company of the ancestors.
3. 'He breathed his last' (vayyigva) — the verb gava' means 'to expire, to breathe one's last.' It is a quiet, dignified word for death — no violence, no struggle, simply the cessation of breath. Jacob dies as he lived the last scene of his life: in full possession of his faculties, with deliberate composure, having completed everything God required of him.
4. Notably, the text does not say Jacob 'died' (vayyamot) — that verb is reserved for chapter 50. Here the emphasis is on the peaceful transition: finishing, resting, and being gathered. Jacob's death is an act of completion, not termination.