Genesis 49:26

26 the blessings of thy father be strengthened, that is, be (made) better than the blessings of his fathers, till the desire of (the) everlasting hills came; blessings be made on the head of Joseph, and in the noll of (the) Nazarite, that is, holy, among his brethren (blessings shall rest on Joseph's head, yea, on the noll of the Nazarite, that is, the one set apart, or the holy one, among his brothers).

Genesis 49:26 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 49:26

The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings
of my progenitors
Jacob's blessings were greater and more numerous, both those which he himself had, and bestowed upon his offspring, than those that Abraham and Isaac had, he having more children than they, and blessings for everyone of them; whereas they each of them had but two, and one of these two were excluded the blessing: and besides, though these blessings were the same in substance bestowed on his progenitors, and by them on him, yet these were more clearly and distinctly given out by him to his posterity, and were nearer their accomplishment:

unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills, they shall be on the
head of Joseph:
that is, continue on him as long as the everlasting hills continue, particularly those of a spiritual kind, for they endure for ever. The word for "bounds" signifies "desire"; and Onkelos paraphrases the words,

``which the princes that were of old desired:''

meaning either the angels who desire to look into heavenly things, or the patriarchs, who were desirous of the coming of the Messiah, and salvation by him; and so the Vulgate Latin version is, "until the desire of the everlasting hills should come"; that is, Christ, who is the desire of all nations, in whom all nations of the earth are to be blessed, and therefore desirable; blessings of all kinds are upon the head of the just, as they were on Joseph, ( Proverbs 10:6 )

and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his
brethren;
who shunned company and conversation with him, and at length sold him into Egypt, where he was parted from them, and remained separate for many years; and when they came to dwell in the land of Egypt, they lived in Goshen, and he at Pharaoh's court, where he was distinguished with peculiar honours, and advanced above them. Of Christ his antitype, see ( Hebrews 7:26 ) .

Genesis 49:26 In-Context

24 His bow sat in the strong (One), the Lord, and the bonds of his arms and his hands were unbound by the hand of the mighty (God) of Jacob; of him a shepherd went out, the stone of Israel. (But his bow stood strong, and the bonds on his arms, and on his hands, were unbound by the power of the mighty God of Jacob; yea, by his Shepherd, by the Rock of Israel.)
25 (The) God of thy father shall be thine helper, and Almighty God shall bless thee, with blessings of (the) heaven(s) from above (with blessings from heaven above), and with blessings of the sea lying beneath, with blessings of teats, and of the womb;
26 the blessings of thy father be strengthened, that is, be (made) better than the blessings of his fathers, till the desire of (the) everlasting hills came; blessings be made on the head of Joseph, and in the noll of (the) Nazarite, that is, holy, among his brethren (blessings shall rest on Joseph's head, yea, on the noll of the Nazarite, that is, the one set apart, or the holy one, among his brothers).
27 Benjamin, a ravishing wolf (a ravenous wolf), shall eat the prey early, and in the eventide he shall part (the) spoils.
28 All these were in [the] twelve kindreds of Israel; their father spake these things to them, and he blessed them all by proper blessings, (All these were the twelve tribes, or the twelve families, of Israel; their father spoke these things to them, and he blessed each of them with their own blessings,)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.