Genesis 49:3-7

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords[a] are weapons of violence.
6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

Genesis 49:3-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 49

This chapter contains a prophecy of future things, relating to the twelve sons of Jacob, and to the twelve tribes, as descending from them, and which he delivered to his sons on his death bed, having called them together for that purpose, Ge 49:1,2, he begins with Reuben his firstborn, whose incest he takes notice of, on which account he should not excel, Ge 49:3,4, next Simeon and Levi have a curse denounced on them for their cruelty at Shechem, Ge 49:5,6, but Judah is praised, and good things prophesied of him; and particularly that Shiloh, or the Messiah, should spring from him, the time of whose coming is pointed at, Ge 49:7-12, the predictions concerning Zebulun, Issachar, and Dan, follow, at the close of which Jacob expresses his longing expectation of God's salvation, Ge 49:13-18 and after foretelling what should befall Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, Ge 49:19-21, a large account is given of Joseph, his troubles, his trials, and his blessings, Ge 49:22-26, and Benjamin the youngest son is taken notice of last of all, all the tribes being blessed in their order according to the nature of their blessing, Ge 49:27,28, and the chapter is closed with a charge of Jacob's to his sons to bury him in Canaan, which having delivered, he died, Ge 49:29-33.

Cross References 14

  • 1. S Genesis 29:32; S Genesis 41:51
  • 2. Deuteronomy 21:17; Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36
  • 3. S Genesis 34:19
  • 4. Isaiah 57:20; Jeremiah 49:23
  • 5. S Genesis 29:29; S Genesis 34:5; Genesis 35:22; Deuteronomy 27:20
  • 6. S Genesis 29:33
  • 7. Genesis 29:34
  • 8. S Genesis 34:25; S Proverbs 4:17
  • 9. Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 1:15; Ephesians 5:11
  • 10. S Genesis 34:26
  • 11. Joshua 11:6,9; 2 Samuel 8:4; 1 Chronicles 18:4
  • 12. Genesis 34:7
  • 13. Genesis 34:25
  • 14. Joshua 19:1,9; Joshua 21:1-42

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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