Genesis 49:23

23 With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.

Genesis 49:23 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
English Standard Version (ESV)
23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,
New Living Translation (NLT)
23 Archers attacked him savagely; they shot at him and harassed him.
The Message Bible (MSG)
23 The archers with malice attacked, shooting their hate-tipped arrows;
American Standard Version (ASV)
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, And shot at him, and persecute him:
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
23 Archers provoked him, shot at him, and attacked him.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
23 The archers attacked him, shot at him, and were hostile toward him.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
23 Mean people shot arrows at him. They shot at him because they were angry.

Genesis 49:23 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 49:23

The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and
hated him.
] His brethren who grieved him with their ill usage, shot out bitter words against him, and hated him for his dreams, and because his father loved him; and they could not speak peaceably to him, they mocked at him, conspired to kill him, stripped him of his clothes, cast him into a pit, and then sold him; in all which he was a type of Christ, as used by the Jews. His mistress also, and Satan by her, grieved him with her temptations and solicitations to sin, which were as fiery darts shot at him; but being resisted, her impure love was turned into hatred to him, and she shot her lies, calumnies, and reproaches, as so many darts at him; and, as the Targum of Jonathan, the magicians of Egypt, who envied him for his superior knowledge, and perhaps many others in Pharaoh's court, who were displeased at his preferments, might bring accusations to Pharaoh against him, out of hatred to him; and Satan and his principalities and powers, whose temptations are compared to fiery darts, are not to be exempted, which they shoot at and grieve the people of God, who are hated by them. Perhaps reference may be had to the wars of the posterity of Joseph under Joshua, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, with the Canaanites.

Genesis 49:23 In-Context

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.
23 With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.
24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.

Cross References 2

  • 1. 1 Chronicles 10:3
  • 2. S Genesis 27:41; S Genesis 37:24
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