Jacob offered a blessing to each of his 12 sons in Genesis 49. Because Jacob (renamed Israel) received these blessings from the living God, we know they came true.
According to gotquestions.org, Jacob’s blessings and predictions provide evidence of God’s supernatural power to foretell the future of His people and to reveal it to whom He desires. I have listed its responses to each blessing in italic.
Do these blessings have applications today? I offer a suggestion or two in standard type.
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.
He was the firstborn, but he gave up his birthright by an evil action. The birthright then moved to Joseph, who received a double portion as the oldest son of Jacob’s wife Rachel.
With leadership comes responsibility. There are consequences for our actions – good or bad.
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers —
their swords 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.
These two brothers were mentioned together as being violent. Their land would be divided. This did occur later, as Simeon was given only a few cities in Israel, and the Levites were the priestly tribe that received no land inheritance.
The story of their violence is one of revenge. This is not God’s plan for our lives.
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness — who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11 He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.
Judah was like a lion and would be a leader of the other tribes. His tribe would later produce a line of kings, beginning with King David and, much later, Jesus Christ.
The fourth son would lead the rest. God rewards faithfulness, even if it doesn’t come from a position of honor.
13 Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.
This son would later be given the land between the Mediterranean Sea and Sea of Galilee. Zebulun will also have land that extends to the sea in the future Millennial Kingdom (Ezekiel 48:1–8, 23–27).
Everyone has a role to play in God’s kingdom. Zebulun served “by the seashore” and on the water. People flock to seashores. God needs His people there.
14 Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labor.
Verses 14–15 state Issachar’s land would be agricultural. True to the prophecy, his tribe later inherited the rich farmland of the Valley of Jezreel in Galilee.
God also needs witnesses in agricultural and rural areas. These people work hard. God honors that.
16 Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.
18 I look for your deliverance, Lord.
Verses 16–18 note Dan would become a judge in Israel. Samson, one of the greatest judges, came from this tribe. Yet many of Dan’s leaders worshiped idols (as in Judges 18) and brought God’s judgment.
Our country – and all nations, for that matter – need judges who understand God’s laws of justice and righteousness. Nations fall apart, and people suffer, when injustice is allowed to thrive.
19 Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.
Verse 19 simply notes Gad would be effective in military struggles. It is difficult to link this to any direct fulfillment due to the brevity of the prophecy. Some have seen a fulfillment of this prediction in the great number of troops who served King David from the tribe of Gad (1 Chronicles 12).
A strong military can help keep peace, and bring justice where peace does not reign – if God’s justice is the goal.
20 Asher’s food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
Verse 20 states Asher would enjoy good soil. Asher’s tribe later inherited the very fertile land of Carmel along the seacoast.
Farming is an honorable profession. We should not take our food sources for granted.
21 Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.
Verse 21 mentions that the other tribes would admire him. The meaning of this prophecy is unclear, though it may indicate his tribe would have an easier life than the other tribes.
We should not compare our fortunes to that of others. Some have an easier life than we do, many do not. Those of us who live in the United States generally have a higher standard of living than most of the world’s people do. Again, we should not take this for granted.
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.
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
Joseph received many blessings in verses 22–26, including a double portion. His two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, each became the founder of a tribe of Israel.
Joseph understood injustice, yet remained faithful to the living God. He and his descendants were rewarded abundantly for this.
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.
Jacob’s youngest son would be a warrior, producing many of Israel’s military leaders, such as Ehud, Saul, and Jonathan. His tribe would be known for its warring characteristics (Judges 5:14; 20:16; 1 Chronicles 8:40).
When war is done in the proper context, it furthers the kingdom of God. Saul, in particular, often ignored God and fought battles for his own glory. Saul’s line did not last; David, and not his son Jonathan, followed him as Israel’s king. Our passions need the discipline of God’s justice and mercy to succeed.
the liberal conservative 