Genesis 49:28-33

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Yisra'el, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.

29 He charged them, and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of `Efron the Hittite,

30 in the cave that is in the field of Makhpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Kana`an, which Avraham bought with the field from `Efron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place.

31 There they buried Avraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Yitzchak and Rivka, his wife, and there I buried Le'ah:

32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Het."

33 When Ya`akov made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 49:28-33 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.