Genesis 48:1-49:27 Chavurah Shalom 8/24/13

48:1-7 ’s Illness and Josph’s birthright Our parashah begins "after these things." This is after Jacob had moved to Egypt, had his reunion with Joseph, and obtained the oath, the promise that Joseph would not allow his bones to remain in Egypt but be buried at the cave at Machpelah with Avraham and Isaac. How long after? Genesis 47:28 tells us that Jacob lived 17 years in the land of Egypt and reached 147 years of age. Thus, this was basically 17 years later, for just after receiving Joseph's two sons, he called in the rest of the children, blessed them, pulled his feet up into the bed and died, Genesis 49:33. We find Jacob on his death bed, so to speak, in our parashah. He is ill, and this is the first time this word "illness" is used in Scripture. hDlDj (chala) I, be or become sick, weak, diseased, grieved, sorry, et al.--Theological Wordbook of the Old Tes- tament. The point of telling us this is that Jacob is about to die. We have no idea of what this illness might have been. We do know that all the male heirs were to attend the death bed in order to receive a blessing before his death. First comes Joseph with his two sons, and after him all the rest from the oldest to the youngest. When Jacob is told that Joseph had arrived, he gathered his strength and sat up in the bed. While some would relate rising up to a respect to Joseph and to his posi- tion, we can easily relate this to the act of speaking a blessing. Jacob, enfeebled with age, gathered up his strength for a work, which he was about to perform as , the bearer of the grace of the promise.--Keil & Delitzsch. In preparation for this event, he reminisces of his own receiving of the Divine Blessing and the Covenant at Luz, the former name of Bethel, Jacob himself having given this loca- tion the name Bethel, Genesis 35:9-15. Isaac also blessed Jacob before he died, Genesis 28:3-4, a very similar blessing. ;a company of peoples, at Genesis 28:3 ,קְהַל עַמִּים ,We find the phrase q'hal 'amim 48:4; Judges 20:2; Ezekiel 23:24; 32:3; Psalm 107:32. The similar phrase, q'hal a company of nations, occurs only at Genesis 35:11 and Jeremiah ,קְהַל גּוֹיִם ,goyim 50:9. We can eliminate the Jeremiah passage as having no connection to this promise, nor any help in identifying the term. The Judges passage refers to an as- sembly of the people of God, or the tribes of Israel gathered together. The two pas- sages in Ezekiel, like that of Jeremiah, speaks of the enemies of Israel, as a compa- ny of peoples, but with additional adjectives, either gadol, meaning great, or rav,

- 1 - meaning many. The passage in Psalm 107 is more like Judges, in referring to the whole of the tribes of Israel gathered together as one. In our morning drash we looked at Hegg's understanding of the terms. By Divine Appointment, ADONAI would make Jacob into a company of nations, or people. Looking back to the original Covenant Blessing as given to Avraham, we looked at the wording, "and in you all the nations of the earth will be blessed," Genesis 12:3. To this we added the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:6, when the Gentiles would be made "fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the gospel." In this way, Jacob would become the progenitor of a Kehal Goyim, or a Kehal Amim, a company of nations or peo- ples. God would draw people from every nation and family and tongue and graft them into Israel through the Messiah Yeshua. This is God’s eternal plan, that through Israel all the world would know that there is only One God. They are to be a light to the world, a kingdom of priests, a revelation of who God is, what He is like, and what He requires. The Chumash however, has a different take on the matter: Jacob explained why he had made the decision to add Manasseh and Ephraim to the list of tribes. When he had returned to Eretz Yisrael from his twenty years with Laban, he al- ready had eleven sons. At that time God blessed him, saying that a nation and a congregation of nations (35:11) would descend from him, meaning that he would have more children, since each tribe is considered a nation in its own right. The promise of a nation was fulfilled with the birth of Benjamin. The further bless- ing of a congregation of nations, in the plural, intimated that two more sons be- sides Benjamin would descend from him. Since no more sons were born to him after Benjamin, Jacob assumed that one of his existing sons would branch out into two tribes - and he was now about to confer that blessing upon Joseph (Rashi from Pesikta).--p. 297. Thus the Jewish interpretation has to do with each of the tribes being in essence a nation in its own right, and also creates 12 tribes or nations apart from the . Jacob now paraphrases those divine promises (cf. 35:11–11) in order to establish the legal basis for his subsequent actions. As heir to the blessings, Jacob has the right to decide who is to be included in the “community of peoples” that will be known as Israel. Because only he who receives the divine blessing directly can impart it, Joseph, who never received a divine revelation, cannot endow his sons with tribal territory.--JPS Commentary, p. 325.

- 2 - We notice also, that with this blessing about Jacob becoming an assembly of peo- ples, or an assembly of nations, that they were to receive the Land perpetually. Our an eternal possession. Only God ,אֲחֻזַּת עוֹלָם ",Scripture calls it an "achuzzat olam can give an everlasting possession. What Pharaoh had given them, the land of Goshen, may be seen to be part of this promise of God, but only God can make a possession eternal. What man gives is always simply transitory. Jacob proceeds to adopt Yoseph’s two sons as his own in order to be able to bequeath to them a portion of the . This kind of adoption of a grandfather in order to make them a direct heir is well attested in other Ancient Near Eastern literature. This is very formal language. He mentions Ephraim first, and elevates both of them to a status equal to that of Reuben and . This is the first hint at things to come concerning Ephraim. By most accounts the NASB missed it, and the reference in v. 11 is to the young boys being placed upon Jacob’s knees, which was a common expression of adoption in the ANE. Kiel & Delitzsch place the two boys at approximately 20 years of age. The adoption was demonstrated in assuring the identity of the ones being adopted, the placing upon the knees, the embrace and the kiss, and the placing of the hand upon the head along with the verbal blessings spoken over them. The laying on of hands involves the investing of yourself into that which you lay hands on. S’mikkah. As always, the Hebrew way of doing things was visual as well as auditory. The results of this adoption are astounding! The first and most obvious result is that Yoseph received a double blessing as was due to the firstborn by virtue of the fact that his two sons were elevated to equal status to Yoseph and all of his brothers. Deuteronomy 21:17; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2. Additionally, however, we have two children born of an Egyptian mother, gaining equal status with the other sons of Jacob, and co-heirs of the inheritance. They gained this status by divine appointment and not by birth. This then sets the stage for the adoption as sons from among the Gentiles in the times of Yeshua the Messiah and long before the story of Rahab, Ruth, and many others. Israel herself began as a foreigner who was adopted by God – Ezekiel 16:1-5. Yet God adopted Israel as his first born child, Exodus 4:22. Israel's Covenant status therefore is not on the basis of ethnicity, or family heritage, but on the basis of Divine Election. There is only one who is a natural born son – Yeshua the Messiah. Colossians 1:15; Romans 8:29. Paul applies the concept of adoption into the Family of God for all people, based upon a relationship with the

- 3 - natural born Son, Yeshua, Romans 8:15, 23; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5. V. 6 gives reference to the rest of Joseph's children. Only these two were adopted into Jacob's family, and become brothers alongside of Reuben, Simeon, Joseph et al. However, nothing is ever said of these other children, and there is no direct listing of any other children. We are to assume that they are included in the general genealogies of Israel. Jacob gives reference to the death and burial of his favored wife Rachel, near Beit Lechem. In this adoption, Rachel is also elevated, along with Joseph, as he receives the blessing of the firstborn, as he receives a double portion through the elevating of his two sons. In this way, Rachel is favored with her first born son. There are many ways in which Rachel is venerated among Jewish people, and the Chumash noted that to this very day, the tomb of "Mother Rachel" is a place of prayer where come to pray and ease their grieving hearts in times of personal and national need.--p. 298. 48:8-21 The Blessing of Manasseh and Ephraim There is a reversing of the order of status with Yoseph’s two sons. Yoseph had positioned the two boys so that Israel might place his right hand upon the first born, Manassheh, and the left hand upon Ephraim. The right hand is the symbol of power and authority, thus the greater blessing is the one extended through the right hand. But Israel crossed his arms in order to put his right hand upon Ephraim. This is consistent with what has happened throughout the patriarchal narratives: the blessing went to Isaac not Ishmael, to Jacob not Esau, and here to Ephraim not Manasheh. The Covenant blessings come by God’s election and not natural descent, His choice and His grace, and not by birth. Israel could never demand covenant blessings. Ephraim later became the largest of the various tribes. The question and response in vv. 8-9 have given rise to various understandings, not the least of which is to attribute to Jacob the same poor eyesight that plagued Isaac when he blessed Jacob, as per v. 10. There is the possibility that this relates back to that event, particularly with the advent of Jacob switching the blessing to put Ephraim before Manasseh, much like he himself had been put before Esau. However, as we will shortly see, he has no difficulty in determining which child he wished to put forth first in his blessing, and lay his hands on them accordingly. Actually, we have here the second stage of the legal adoptive process, namely, the establishment of the true identity of the candidates for adoption by formal interrogation of the natural father.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 326. The public

- 4 - declaration of their identity was necessary, as in the case of Isaac and Jacob, though he thought he was blessing Esau. Reassured of his grandsons’ identity, Jacob indicates his intention of blessing them. This key word, “blessing,” is used nineteen times in 27:1–28:9 and nine times in chaps. 48–49 out of a total of thirty-seven times in the life of Jacob (chaps. 27–50). Jacob, who was so anxious at his father’s deathbed to acquire blessing for himself, is now just as keen to pass it on to his descendants before he dies.--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 464. kissed. . . embraced. These two verbs appear together again in the Bible only in 29:13 and 33:4, where the embrace precedes the kiss. Here these acts, in reverse order, express not simply a show of affection but the reinforcement of the oral declarations through symbolic physical gestures that have significance in the adoptive process. from his knees. The reference is to Jacob’s knees, on or between which the two boys had been placed—another symbolic gesture that betokens acceptance and legitimation as son and heir.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 327. The Chumash however, noted a where Rashi explains Jacob's questioning the identity of the two sons because Jacob saw that wicked kings would descend from them, Jeroboam and Ahab from Ephraim; Jehu and his sons from Manasseh.--p. 298. In the blessing, Jacob describes God in 3 ways: -The God before whom my fathers Avraham and Isaac walked -The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day -the angel who has redeemed me from all evil The first designation has to do with the established covenant, and God’s command to “walk before Me and be blameless,” Genesis 17:1. That they walked before God means they adhered to the covenant, the covenant was passed from Avraham to Isaac. To "walk before God" is to walk in the constant awareness of His Presence, and with a conscience attuned to His Will. To practice the personal presence of God throughout one's life. The second designation reflects that Jacob followed His Shepherd. Thus as Jacob walked before God or with God, the covenant is being passed to him. God protected him, led him, and fulfilled His promises to him. The image for the deity as a shepherd is common throughout ancient Near Eastern literature and

- 5 - appears frequently in the Bible. It expresses the idea of God as provider, protector, and guide.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 327. This again, carries the greater connotation of obedience to the Covenant and God's commandments. Yeshua utilized the understanding of this figure, metaphor of the Shepherd when speaking of Himself and His Talmidim, John 10:1-6. Sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd, and they follow Him. They will not hear the voice of another, nor will they follow a stranger. They will follow only their Shepherd. The 3rd designation is suprising, for it identifies the angel. The Hebrew mal’ach, .can also mean messenger, but here in parallelism, blesses the lads as God ,מָלְאָך The Angel is the One with whom he wrestled at Peniel, which means, the Face of God. This is the Angel who had renamed him Israel. Here he realized he had seen God face to face and remained alive. Thus he blesses Yoseph by the God who had come to him as a man, as One whose very being is beyond comprehension. to" ,גָּאַל ,The wording itself reflects Yeshua, for the text uses the word ga'al redeem," from which we get goel, kinsman redeemer. This kinsman redeemer, Israel said, redeemed me from all evil. This is a hint long ago of the role and function of our Redeemer Yeshua HaMashiach. To hand down the name was to hand down the same covenant relationship to God. He invokes upon the two of them one of the standard blessings of this covenant promise, that they may become a multitude of people. In them may my name be recalled. “May my name. . . be perpetuated through Ephraim and Manasseh”; that is, may they ever be part of the Israelite tribal confederation identifying themselves with the history, traditions, and values of their patriarchs. teeming multitudes - Hebrew ve-yidgu, a unique verb apparently formed from dag, “fish,” a symbol of proliferation and multiplicity (cf. Num. 11:22). The two censuses taken in the course of the wilderness wanderings show the populousness of the Joseph tribes. At the beginning of the period, Ephraim and Manasseh jointly numbered 72,700 male adults (Num. 1:32–35). Forty years later, the figure was 85,200 (Num. 26:28–37), exceeding the combined population of Reuben and Simeon. Moses’ farewell address in Deuteronomy 33:17 refers to “the myriads of Ephraim” and “the thousands of Manasseh,” and the huge population posed a special problem for in the allotment of tribal territories recounted in Joshua 17:14–18.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 328. This basic blessing is found in the Complete Artscroll Siddur, as part of the Bedtime Shema. It is simply invoking the blessing of the Covenant upon each

- 6 - family that recites the prayer, including the blessing of abundance like fish. Joseph, opening his eyes at the end of the blessing, notes that Jacob is favoring Ephraim, and seeks to manipulate physically the resting of the hands upon the heads of his sons so that Manasseh might be granted the first born position. Jacob however, insisted he was well aware of what he was doing, and blessed according as he was led to do from the Almighty. Thus he puts the younger forward, and declares that he shall be the greater of the two, meaning more numerous and greater in strength. In fact, it is said of Ephraim that he shall become a melo' ha- literally "fullness of the nations." What this really does is to ,מְלא־הַגּוֹיִם ,goyim transfer the same blessing Jacob received already from God as we discussed above, q'hal goyim, an assembly of nations. The name Ephraim is itself symbolic of fertility. This is the only place the phrase melo' ha-goyim occurs, and is noted that it is difficult to interpret. Therefore it has given rise to excesses of interpretation by some groups, and is a primary source for some of the two house theology. It is dangerous to base a theology upon a single phrase that occurs only once in the Scripture. “May Israel pronounce blessing by you with the words ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” Here Jacob’s prayer echoes the first promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing (cf Comment on 12:2). Similar blessings using the names of Rachel, , and Peres are used in Ruth 4:11–12, and a curse uses Zedekiah’s name in Jer 29:22. Jacob thus clearly predicts that both Joseph’s sons will prove to be outstanding examples of divine blessing.--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 466. It is customary for many Jewish families that the parents bless their sons on the Sabbath eve with the formula we use: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. They were elevated to a unique status in Israel, adopted, made equal to the sons of the patriarch, and recipients of the promises and the covenant. The Chumash noted that whenever such a day arises to bless their children, they will use the text of Jacobs blessing. Targum Yonasan explains that the term alludes to the day when a newborn child is circumcised, and Sephardic communities pronounce Jacob's blessing on such occasions.--p. 301. The counter blessing for the women comes from the Ruth 4:11-12 passage: All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. “Moreover, may your house be

- 7 - like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.” V. 21-22 – Jacob blessed Yoseph with an additional portion of Eretz Yisrael, so that both sons would have equal portions with the other sons of Israel. The wording here is unique, for it literally says one Shechem as more than your brothers. Shechem was the only piece of ground that Jacob actually owned in , and became the burial place of Yoseph. It was also part of the border between Ephraim and Manasseh. Mention of Canaan prompts Jacob to recall that he owns part of the land that he now gives to Joseph. Was this a token of his continuing attachment to Joseph, or also a reminder to his most Egyptianized son where his true home lay? The text leaves us to guess. And it is no easier to identify the “one shoulder” that he mentions here. 33:18–19 reports that Jacob bought a piece of land from the Canaanites near the city of Shechem, while chap. 34 describes Simeon and Levi putting that city to the sword. In that the Hebrew for “one shoulder” is literally “one Shechem,” it is tempting to equate “which I have taken . . . with my sword and bow” with this episode. Historians suggest that this would explain why Joshua was able to hold ceremonies at Shechem (Josh 8:30–35; 24:1–32) without apparently ever having to fight for it. The main problem with this suggestion is Jacob’s disapproval of his sons’ treatment of Shechem and his subsequent flight from that area (34:30–35:5). However, it should be noted that Joseph was later reinterred at Shechem (Josh 24:32), in the land Jacob had bought from the Shechemites. Both Jacob and Joseph died in Egypt, and both were eventually buried in Canaan. It therefore seems likely that this explains the otherwise strange transition between v 21 and v 22, Jacob’s burial.--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 466. Hebrew shekhem 'achad is of uncertain meaning and has generated varied interpretations. The present rendering, "one portion," which is that of the Targums, Peshitta, and Vulgate, has been overwhelmingly accepted by Jewish commentators although devoid of philological support. If correct, it means that Jacob gives Joseph a double share, thus elevating him to the status of first-born. Such a tradition is indeed preserved in 1 Chronicles 5:1–2. Because Hebrew shekhem usually means “shoulder,” it has been assumed that, like its synonym katef in Numbers 34:11 and Joshua 15:8, shekhem can be used in the sense of “shoulder,” that is, “side/slope, of a mountain.” However, this usage too is not otherwise paralleled. Most likely, shekhem must be connected with the city of

- 8 - Shechem, which is so intimately associated with Jacob and Joseph. Jacob bought a parcel of land there (Gen. 33:18f.; Josh. 24:32), the seduction of took place there, and Simeon and Levi massacred its inhabitants (Gen. 34). It was to Shechem that Jacob sent Joseph to visit his brothers (Gen. 37:12,14), and Joseph himself is to be buried in the city (Josh. 24:32). Moreover, Shechem lay within the future territory of Joseph’s two sons near the border between the two tribes Ephraim and Manasseh (Josh. 17:7), and it was to become the most important city in the kingdom of northern Israel (cf. 1 Kings 12:1,25).--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 330. “I give thee one ridge of land above thy brethren” (i.e., above what thy brethren receive, each as a single tribe), “which I take from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow” (i.e., by force of arms). As the perfect is used prophetically, transposing the future to the present as being already accomplished, so the words must also be understood prophetically, as denoting that Jacob would wrest the land from the Amorites, not in his own person, but in that of his posterity....It was to be very different in the future, when the iniquity of the Amorites was full (Gen. 15:16). But Jacob called the inheritance, which Joseph was to have in excess of his brethren, shechem (lit., shoulder, or more properly nape, neck; here figuratively a ridge, or tract of land), as a play upon the word Shechem, because he regarded the piece of land purchased at Shechem as a pledge of the future possession of the whole land. In the piece purchased there, the bones of Joseph were buried, after the conquest of Canaan (Josh. 24:32); and this was understood in future times, as though Jacob had presented the piece of ground to Joseph (vid., John 4:5).--Keil & Delitzsch. 49:1-27 Jacob Blesses His Children After having blessed Ephraim and Manasseh and Yoseph, Jacob summoned all his sons in order to bestow blessings and pronounce prophetically their future. The phrase typically understood as prophetic to mean the end of time can be translated either as "end of days," or "in the latter days." Hebrew be-'acharit ha-yamim, like its Akkadian counterpart ina ah˙rat umeœ, means simply “in the future,” without precise definition. In the Torah the phrase is used in a context of historical time, but in prophetic literature the phrase became a technical term for the “end-time” (eschaton), when the historical process would reach its culmination and God’s grand design for the human race would be fulfilled. Because the later eschatological meaning of the term 'acharit ha-yamim (“the end of days”) is not appropriate to the contents of the poem, rabbinic exegesis

- 9 - has the divine spirit (Shekhinah) departing from Jacob just as he was about to reveal to his sons the secrets of messianic times.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 332. Each tribe was blessed in accordance to their character and ability. Genesis 49 is widely known as “The .” However, as Ibn Ezra recognized long ago, this designation is not strictly accurate because the poems contain material of a very mixed nature. Blessings and curses, censure and praise, geographical and historical observations—all are included. For this reason, a title such as “The Last Words of Jacob” or “The Testament of Jacob” better suits the context.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 331. instead of the normal word ,קָרַָ א ,The Chumash noted the distinct word for call so that Jacob taught that whatever event may happen, it must ,קָרָה ,for happen be understood as a call from God, for nothing is haphazard; everything has a purpose. It is for us to "hear" and seek to understand the call (R' Hirsch).-p. 303. Vv. 3-4 - Reuben – lost his position and authority through the lust of the flesh. He broke what was later the commandment not to uncover your father’s nakedness, Leviticus 18:8; 20:11; Deuteronomy 22:30; 27:20. We find this same sin referenced in the Apostolic Writings at 1 Corinthians 5:1. He should have received the birth right as the first born, and been entitled to the priestood and the kingship. The Midrash from Targum Yonasan interprets: the birthright is given to Yoseph, the kingship to Judah, and the priesthood to Levi.-- Chumash p. 303. Hebrew pachaz, an abstract noun, is unique, although other forms of the same stem exist. In Judges 9:4 and Zephaniah 3:4 the reference is to “reckless” men (Heb. pochazim); in Jeremiah 23:32 the false prophets are said to have led the people astray with “their reckless” (pachazutam) lies. Some light is thrown on the range of meaning by reference to cognate languages: Arabic, “to be haughty, boastful, reckless”; Aramaic and Syriac, “to be wanton, lascivious.” In rabbinic Hebrew the verb is used of rising passion (Ned. 9b, Naz. 4b). Jacob would thus be censuring Reuben for acting in an irresponsible, impetuous manner, casting off all moral restraint, even as a torrent of water rushes wildly headlong. For the image of water applied to character, see Isaiah 57:20: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea / Which cannot rest, / Whose waters toss up mire and mud.”-- JPS Torah Commentary, p. 333. Deuteronomy 21:15–17 mentions that the oldest boy usually received twice as

- 10 - large a share of his father’s estate as his brothers. But it also forbids a father from transferring the rights of the firstborn by his first wife to the eldest son of a second wife, as Jacob clearly did. This is one of several examples of patriarchal practice conflicting with later legal theory and is a pointer to the antiquity of these traditions. “Profaned my couch” is a striking remark, for to profane means to make something that is holy unholy: it is the reverse of sanctifying. Thus, the law speaks of profaning the sabbath, the sanctuary, the name of God, sacrifices, or the priesthood (Exod 31:14; Lev 21:12; 19:12, 8; 21:9). This comment then implies that Jacob’s marriage bed is also holy (cf Lev 19:29; Heb 13:4).--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 472. Vv. 5-7 - Simeon and Levi – these two are grouped together because they acted together in violence at Shechem when their sister Dinah was violated. God calls for justice, but their actions were not just. Here we find the word Hamas – which means violence. We find similarity in Hamas active in Israel today. The completely lost its importance. In the first Israelite census the tribe numbered 59,300 (Num. 1:23); for unknown reasons, its population was reduced to 22,200 by the end of the wilderness wanderings (Num. 26:14). Neither the (Deut. 33) nor the Song of (Judg. 5) mentions the tribe. From Joshua 19:1 and 1 Chronicles 4:24–43, it is clear that Simeon was largely swallowed up by Judah and remained unsettled until quite late in the monarchy period.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 334. The word rage is mentioned twice and wrath once. It is no wonder that many Jews have concluded that anger itself is a sin. We must be careful to guard against uncontrolled anger, wrath and rage. However, anger in and of itself is not a sin. It is what we do with that anger that most often results in sin. Ephesians 4:25-27; James 1:19-20. Uncontrolled anger gives the Devil, the Adversary, the Serpent of Old an advantage against us. He takes this as an opportunity when we are weak, and easily influenced to do that which under normal circumstances we may well identify as wrong and avoid. Vv. 8-12 - Judah - The slow, almost imperceptible, rise of Judah has already been subtly insinuated into the Joseph story (see Comment to 37:26). Here it receives formal recognition and confirmation. In the wilderness Judah is, by far, the largest tribe: its population increases during the wanderings, as shown by the censuses of Numbers 1:26 and 26:22. The tribe encamps in front of the Tent of

- 11 - Meeting and heads the march (Num. 2:3,9; 10:14). Its chieftain is the first to bring gifts for the Tabernacle (Num. 7:12), and its representative is listed first among those designated to apportion the land (Num. 34:19). your foes- Judah was constantly beset by the on the west, by Amalekites in the Negeb, and by Edomites to the east. Moses, in his farewell blessing, asks for divine help against the foes of Judah (Deut. 33:7). For a long time, Judah was isolated from the northern tribes by Canaanite enclaves and was forced to expand southward. The lion is one of the most frequently mentioned animals in the Bible and is referred to by six different names. Under the influence of this verse, the “” became a favorite motif in Jewish art and acquired messianic associations. have you grown - Hebrew 'aliyta. Compare Ezekiel 19:3: “She raised (Heb. va- ta'al) up one of her cubs, / He became a great beast.” The reference is to the heroic and expansionist campaigns of , as noted by Rashi and Radak. Hebrew 'aliyta may also be taken in its usual sense of “going up,” an image of the lion returning to its mountain lair after stalking and running down its prey.-- JPS Torah Commentary, p. 335. This blessing has long been considered a Messianic prophecy. Targum Onkelos translates v. 10 –"The ruler shall never depart from the House of Judah, nor the scribe from his children’s children for evermore, until Messiah comes, whose is the kingdom, and him shall the nations obey.” Throughout the rabbinic literature the blessing of Judah is interpreted as ultimately being fulfilled in Messiah. The Qumran literature, DSS, also understands this as Messianic. They interpret “shilo” as the “righteous messiah.” Another possible translation of v. 10 is "until he comes to whom it belongs." This is the way the LXX understood it, and is reflected in its translation. We dealt with this a little when we studied Psalm 80 with Dr. Walter Kaiser. Psalm 80:17 focused upon "The Son of Your Right Hand," and "The Son of Man." There we appealed to our present passage concerning the : It would appear that this "Son of Man," and "Man of God's right hand," is a deliverer. He carried in his person the gift of leadership that was assigned to Joseph, or the Rachel side, and not to Judah, on Leah's side, which we find all through the Psalms up to this point.

- 12 - We must go back to the ancient prophetic blessings which Jacob and Moses gave to the tribes of Israel. Jacob, on his deathbed, declared in Genesis 49:10: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Which Shiloh? The city of Shiloh? Ezekiel 21:27 - 'until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.' --Notes on Psalm 80. Now we connect the dots a bit, with the possible translation of "until He comes to whom it belongs." There are actually three possible straightforward translations of this text: Until Shiloh comes; Until He comes to Shiloh; Until He comes to whom it belongs. We then compare this to Ezekiel 21:24-27. In each case One is coming who has the right to rule and to reign. We can connect it to a theological interpre- tation of Shiloh, the place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Mishkan until the Temple was built. Either way it will work. However, the alternate read- ing seems important to me, and connects beautifully with the promise of the com- ing of the Messiah. If this is simply a name, and a personal name rather than a place name, then it This then is the .שָׁלַה ,would be based upon the idea of rest, from the verb shalah One who brings rest, and therefore The Messiah. This is more in keeping with the most ancient Sages of Israel according to Hegg. The picture of Rest, as associated with the Shabbat is then also associated with the Messiah, who brings in the day that is all Shabbat. He washes his garment in wine - This extraordinary figure may be simply another hyperbole for the abundance of wine, or it may poetically relate to the stained garments of those engaged in the manufacture of wine, as mentioned in Isaiah 63:2 ff. Another possibility is that we have here a reference to the fact that prominent Judean families were engaged in the weaving and dyeing industry, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 4:21. In the excavations at modern Tell Beit Mirsim, in the territory of Judah, a major and well-organized dyeing and weaving industry was uncovered. In this case, either “wine” was used as a poetic term for red-colored dye, or wine was actually used as an ingredient of dyestuffs.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 338. The soil of Judah produced the best wine in Canaan, near Hebron and Engedi (Num. 13:23, 24; Song of Sol. 1:14; 2 Chron. 26:10 cf. Joel 1:7ff.), and had excellent pasture land in the desert by Tekoah and Carmel, to the south of Hebron (1 Sam. 25:2; Amos 1:1; 2 Chron. 26:10).--Keil & Delitzsch.

- 13 - The vast productivity under this king is mentioned, to the point of being able to tie a donkey to a single vine, it would be so thick and strong. Hebron is noted for its grapes and the resultant wine. The phrases we find difficult are meant to express sparkling eyes, eyes full of life, and strong, white teeth. Thus this is a picture of that which God promised to Israel, a land that is wonderfully lush and productive. This is pictured to some extent under King David, but ultimately in the Messianic Kingdom. The picture of the donkey and/or the foal is connected to: Zechariah 9:9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This in turn is connected to The Triumphal Entry, Matthew 21:1-9. Since Ezekiel in his words, “till He come to whom the right belongs,” takes up, and is generally admitted, our prophecy “till Shiloh come,” and expands it still further in harmony with the purpose of his announcement, more especially from Ps. 72:1-5, where righteousness and judgment are mentioned as the foundation of the peace which the King’s Son would bring; he not only confirms the correctness of the personal and Messianic explanation of the word Shiloh, but shows that Jacob’s prophecy of the sceptre not passing from Judah till Shiloh came, did not preclude a temporary loss of power. Thus all prophecies, and all the promises of God, in fact, are so fulfilled, as not to preclude the punishment of the shins of the elect, and yet, notwithstanding that punishment, assuredly and completely attain to their ultimate fulfilment.--Keil & Delitzsch. Interestingly, we recognize that when David rose to power as King, that we also recognize him as Prophet and functioning as a Priest at times, performing that which only priests could do. One example is David taking of the Bread of the Presence as he fled from , 1 Samuel 21:4. This same occurrence is also recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In this He brings together that which the Sages felt Reuben had lost. One final thought, concerning the clothing washed in wine. Allusion is made by the JPS Torah Commentary to Isaiah 63:2. However, reading the whole passage, Isaiah 63:1-6 is obviously a reference to a final judgement, and not to the treading of grapes. It is to this that Revelation 14:17-20; 19:11-16 allude. Much like our practice at Pesach with the juice of the grape rehearsing the plagues of Egypt, the picture of wine splattered garments is graphic in the extreme of blood spattered garments of the wine press of the Wrath of God. The depiction here is surely that of Yeshua our Messiah, and the final judge over all the earth.

- 14 - V. 13 - Zebulun - precedes Issachar. The Sages have it that Zebulun is mentioned first for they were blessed with success in commerce so that Issachar had the means to live so they could devote their lives to the study of the Torah. The is described as seafaring merchants. Its territory would be in the Galil, between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean.--Chumash, p. 306. The boundaries of Zebulun are delimited in Joshua 19:10–16, and it is clear that the tribe occupied inland territory, being blocked from the sea and from Phoenicia by the . Apart from this specific problem of Zebulun’s boundaries, there is also the general question of Israel’s littoral and seafaring interests. In the Song of Deborah, in Judges 5:17, is also said to “linger by the ships” and Asher to live “at the seacoast and. . . at his harbors.” Yet seafaring and fishing never played an important role in the economy of the Land of Israel The coast below the Carmel has no bays or natural harbors, and the dune sands in various places meant that roads had to be located at an inconvenient distance from the coastline, a considerable part of which was occupied by the Philistines. Above the Carmel, where several natural harbors existed, the region was largely the preserve of the Phoenicians. The general inland orientation of Israel is demonstrated by Solomon’s desire to build a fleet at Elath on the Red Sea; he was forced to import manpower and technology from Phoenicia, as told in 1 Kings 9:26f. and 10:5, 22. The associations of some tribes with the sea can probably be explained in two ways. It is quite likely that Philistines and Phoenicians employed Israelite labor. Coastal cities of the Near East always featured mixed populations, so that the above-cited verses may refer not to Israelite occupation of the area but, rather, to the presence of considerable numbers of engaged as stevedores, in the servicing of ships, and in commerce (cf. 2 Sam. 24:6–7). Another possibility, complementary to the first, lies in the Israelite exploitation of convenient anchorage sites for very small ships at the points where more important wadis drain into the sea. Excavations at Abu Hawam on Wadi Kishon, at Tell Qasile on the Yarkon, and at Tell Mor on Wadi Lachish have revealed examples of this practice.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 338. Deut 33:19 speaks of Zebulon and Issachar enjoying the affluence of the seas, implying that both tribes profited from seagoing activities. It may be that Zebulon did have an outlet to the sea or that men from this tribe were employed by the Phoenicians in their maritime trade. Or this saying and Deut 33:18–20

- 15 - may not be envisaging permanent settlement by the seashore at all. Zebulon is said to “live by the seaside,” and the word Nkv “live” is often used of living in tents like bedouin (eg, 9:27; 16:12; 25:18), or is applied to clouds settling on the tabernacle or mountaintops (Exod 24:16; Isa 8:18). Hence, it may well suggest transient residence rather than long-term settlement, which the envisages.--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 479. Vv. 14-15 - Issachar – their inheritance included the Jezreel valley, and extremely fertile area of agricultural production. Thus this language most likely refers to their agricultural blessedness. The Chumash records the traditional Rabbinic interpretation that this reflects Issachar's spiritual role as bearer of the yoke of Torah and cultivator of the spiritual treasures of the people. The Torah Sages toil day and night in their studies without formal rest, but they are spiritually tranquil (Shaarei Aharon).-- p. 307. Translators and commentators vacillate between the translation "lying between the packs," and “pens, sheepfolds” or “borders.” Genesis Rabbah sees this figure of a recumbent ass as a description of Issachar’s tribal territory with Mount Tabor in the middle and the valley of Jezreel and the plain of Akeslo on the borders (cf Aberbach and Grossfeld, Targum Onkelos, 294–95). “To toil as a slave” is the phrase used of the forced labor gangs established by Solomon to undertake public works (1 Kgs 9:21). According to Josh 16:10 (cf Judg 1:28, 30, 33), it was Israel that made the Canaanites serve them in this way, but here Jacob predicts that Issachar will in fact find himself toiling as a slave, presumably to the Canaanites.--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 480. Vv. 16-17 - Dan - the older son of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant. This is the tribe from which came. Dan means judge and provided one of the judges for the land before the time of the Kings. Hebrew yadin, to judge, is a word play on the name Dan, so that “his people” would mean “himself”: The will maintain its independence like any other tribe, despite its tribulations and failures. However, yadin more frequently means “to vindicate,” and the object could refer to all Israel. In this case, the allusion could be to the exploits of Samson against the Philistine oppressors, which, though they are generally more of the nature of personal vengeance, acquire national significance. The unique Hebrew shefifon is probably to be identified with the horned

- 16 - cerastes, which buries itself in the sand, especially in the hollows made by camel’s hoofs, and feeds on rodents and scavenger birds attracted by grains and particles of food left by the Bedouin along caravan routes. It has a venom- injecting spinelike scale above each eye that kills its prey on contact, almost instantaneously. However, its poison is not powerful enough to be fatal to a camel or a horse. It will bite its heel if it crosses its path and cause the beast to rear suddenly and violently, thereby throwing its rider (cf. 5:15). The image may allude to the form of guerrilla warfare to which the tribe of Dan was forced to resort in its struggle for survival against its neighbors during the period of settlement. It could also refer to the fact that Dan, whether in the Shephelah or in its northern relocation, lay alongside important caravan routes and may have engaged in highway robbery.--JPS Torah Commentary, p.340. Rashi, Ramban, and the Targumim all relate the description to Samson and his guerilla like tactics and ambush. V. 18 - The Prayer The Medieval Sages apply this prayer to Samson, begging for the strength by which to pull down the Philistine temple, where it is said that he killed more in his death than he did in his life, Judges 16:28-31. More modern commentators agree that the one praying is Jacob. The prayer itself could be related to Jacob's own feeling of weakness at this point in the blessings, or to Dan and the difficult experiences this tribe would face, or to the various tribes and the difficulties all of them would face in the future. The collocation “look for deliverance” is unique to this passage, though it is found expanded in Isa 59:11, “we look for . . . salvation” (cf Prov 20:22). Both terms are poetic, occurring most frequently in the Psalms and Isaiah.--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 482. This waiting upon ADONAI for deliverance, particularly in Isaiah 59:1-20, is connected to a Messianic expectation. Here there is again a Deliverer to come to Zion, to bring salvation to God's Chosen People. The Apostle Paul also draws from this chapter for the spiritual warfare and the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20. Targums (Jerusalem and Jonathan ) interpret these words as Messianic, but with a special reference to Samson, and paraphrase v. 18 thus: “Not for the deliverance of Gideon, the son of Joash, does my soul wait, for that is temporary; and not for the redemption of Samson, for that is transitory; and not for the redemption of Samson, for that is transitory; but for the redemption of the

- 17 - Messiah, the Son of David, which Thou through Thy word hast promised to bring to Thy people the children of Israel: for this Thy redemption my soul waits."--Keil & Delitzsch. V. 19 - Gad – The older son of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant. He is one of the tribes who crossed over the Yarden to fight for the land for his brothers, but received his portion East of the Yarden. Known as a warrior tribe, and victorious. The saying about Gad is one long pun: four of the six Hebrew words in this gd. It predicts Gad’s frequent involvement in גד verse contain the consonants war, it being a frontier tribe that settled in Transjordan between modern Amman and the river Jordan (Num 32; Josh 13:24–28). But as the second line, “But he ygd] their retreat,” makes plain, they will not lack success (cf Deut יגד] will raid 33:20–21; Judg 11; Mesha Stone, lines 10–13, ANET, 320). Gadites were famed for their military prowess, according to 1 Chr 5:18; 12:8.--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 482. V. 20 - Asher – another son of Zilpah. his land was to be rich and productive in olive groves so that oil would flow like a fountain. The rich produce would be worthy of the royal table and sought after by kings. His inheritance ran north from the Carmel range, a very fertile land. V. 21 - – the last son of Bilhah. He will be swift like a deer. In the war against Sisera, the swift warriors of Naphtali played a significant role in the victory, Judges 4. “The good tidings” would be those brought by Barak, a Naphtalite, to Deborah about his victory over Sisera, Judges 4–5. The hind or gazelle is a simile of a warrior who is skilful and swift in his here is שְׁלֻחָה .(movements (2 Sam. 2:18; 1 Chron. 12:8, cf. Ps. 18:33; Hab. 3:19 neither hunted, nor stretched out or grown slim; but let loose, running freely about (Job 39:5).--Kiel & Delitzsch. The territory of Naphtali is described as going from the south shore of the Sea of Galilee to beyond Lake Huleh in the north. In modern Israel the Huleh Valley became a very important farming community, vital to the new nation. Vv. 22-26 – Joseph - Now he turns to the sons of his beloved Rachel. This blessing was lengthy, longer than the blessing for Judah, and full of praise. He is described as a fruitful bough that grows tall and exceeds the wall of his garden. It breaks out of its confines. His life of faith and integrity bore much fruit for the whole family of Israel. He was preserved and made successful by the blessings of God. Is it any

- 18 - wonder that this would be the longest blessing? After all, he was the favored son! Typically translated as a "fruitful bough," the literal Hebrew is "Son of a fruit tree!" “Son of a fruit-tree is Joseph, son of a fruit-tree at the well, daughters run over the wall.” Joseph is compared to the branch of a fruit-tree planted by a well (Ps. 1:3), which sends it shoots over the wall, and by which, according to Ps. 80, we are probably to understand a vine.--Kiel & Delitzsch. The following language is that of warfare or persecution, describing a conflict with many foes. Out of this conflict, he remains strong and agile. It may therefore be better to accept the view of traditional Jewish commentators, who see this remark as an allusion to the oppositon Joseph faced throughout his career, eg, from his brothers, the Ishmaelites, Potiphar’s wife, the royal cupbearer, and others. Slander is often likened to arrows (Jer 9:2 [3], 7 [8]; Prov 25:18; 26:18–19). It tells how the attacks on Joseph failed because of divine assistance. Here Jacob, the man preoccupied with acquiring blessing from his earliest days, now reflects on his success. “The blessings of your father surpass the blessings of the eternal mountains, the bounty of the everlasting hills.” The green mountain tops of Carmel, Hermon, or Lebanon in a land where other vegetation dries up in summer were an image of God-given life and prosperity (Cant 7:6 [5]; Isa 2:13; 35:2). “Bounty,” lit “desirable thing” (cf 3:6). Now this abundant blessing is bestowed on Joseph, here described as “the prince among his brothers.”--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 486. The names of God used are powerful and informative: 1-The Mighty One of Jacob, speaking of His Omnipotence 2-the Shepherd, emphasizing the leadership of God over His people and Yoseph’s faithful following of His leading 3-the Rock of Israel or Stone of Israel: the usual Hebrew word tzur means “fortress built upon the rocky heights” is not used, rather we find the term ‘even, and may foreshadow the “Rock” from which Israel drank in the wilderness, 1 Corinthians 10:4, or perhaps the Stone of Stumbling, Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; Daniel 2:34-35, 45; Matthew 21:42-44; Luke 20:17-18. There are very many passages hinging on this concept of the Stone. 4-the God of your father, the One who was in covenant with Avraham, Isaac and Jacob

- 19 - 5-Shaddai – the God who brings children, the Almighty God. El Shaddai refers to the all sufficient one in Hebrew thought, and is the name associated with the promise to the Matriarchs and Patriarchs of children. I found it utterly amazing that no one connected this to Messiah Yeshua. Hegg had previously identified much of the suffering of Joseph with the suffering of the Messiah. Everything in this blessing correlates to the life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The attacks from His Own People, their inability to dissuade Him, and their ultimate putting Him to death can be seen in this description. The help that Joseph had noted, "you intended it for evil, but God intended it for good," can equally be said about Yeshua's ministry, from the attacks while He was alive, to the crucifixion, to the resurrection and ascension. While most commentators relate the singular ongoing beauty and greenery of the mountains of Carmel, Hermon and Lebanon, I think more of the heights of Mount Moriah, the "everlasting hills." The surpassing blessings of all of the patriarchs, upon the crown of the head of the nazir of his brothers. This word nazir, or Nazirite, here translated variously as "elect of the brothers," "distinguished among the brothers," or "prince among the brothers." In each case we again can see beyond the role of Joseph, alluding once again back to Psalm 80, to see an allusion to the Redeemer, Messiah Ben Yoseph. In particular, the concepts of Stone and Shepherd, both used extensively of our Messiah in other passages, are lined up that way in the Apostolic Writings. Isaiah 8:11-14; Psalm 118:22-23; Matthew 21:42-44 to name a very few of the many occurrences of "Stone." V. 27 - Benjamin – a wolf devouring the prey. Both Saul, the first King, and Mordecai, the protector of the people were known for their fierceness. The martial qualities of this small tribe are indeed well attested. The first judge- savior of Israel from Moabite oppression was Ehud the Benjaminite, mentioned in Judges 3:15, and the army of the tribe took part in the war of Deborah (Judg. 5:14). In a civil war, it is said to have mustered twenty-six thousand men armed with swords and seven hundred crack slingers and to have fought back savagely against the combined forces of the other tribes, so Judges 20:15,16, 21,25. It provided skilled archers, men “valiant in battle,” says 1 Chronicles 8:40 and 12:2, and two of David’s heroes came from this tribe, according to 2 Samuel 23:27,29.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 345.

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