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Deuteronomy 31:12,28,29
Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger thatis within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: …

Deuteronomy 33:1-29
And thisis the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death…

Psalm 25:14
The secret of the LORDis with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

last days.

Numbers 24:14
And now, behold, I go unto my people: cometherefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

Deuteronomy 4:30
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee,even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

Deuteronomy 31:29
For I know that after my death ye will utterly corruptyourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

and said, “Gather around
The instruction to "gather around" indicates the importance of the message Jacob is about to deliver. It suggests a solemn assembly, where the sons are to be attentive and respectful. This gathering is not just a family meeting but a prophetic declaration that will shape the destiny of the tribes of Israel. The act of gathering also reflects the unity and collective identity of the family, which is crucial for the future nation of Israel.

so that I can tell you what will happen to you
Jacob is about to deliver a prophetic message concerning the future of his sons. This phrase indicates that the message is not merely a blessing but a revelation of future events. The prophetic nature of Jacob's words is significant, as it aligns with the biblical theme of God revealing His plans through chosen individuals. This prophecy will have both immediate and long-term implications for the tribes of Israel.

in the days to come:
The phrase "in the days to come" suggests a future-oriented prophecy, extending beyond the immediate context to the unfolding history of Israel. This can be seen as a foreshadowing of the Messianic age and the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The phrase also connects to other prophetic scriptures that speak of the "last days" or future times, emphasizing the continuity of God's plan throughout biblical history.

- Jacob, aware that his earthly journey is ending (Genesis 47:29–31), summons every son, not only Joseph or the favored few.

- The call shows paternal authority and covenant continuity, echoing Abraham’s earlier summons of Isaac (Genesis 24:2–4).

- Similar death-bed gatherings appear when Moses assembles Israel inDeuteronomy 31:28; the moment signals that God’s promises are about to be handed to the next generation.

- Spoken words carry binding force; Isaac’s blessing over Jacob could not be reversed (Genesis 27:33).

- Scripture stresses that life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), so Jacob’s speech will shape history.

- The Spirit often moves prophets to speak in decisive moments (2 Samuel 23:1–2); here Jacob functions as both father and prophet.

- Unity is required to receive the message together, preventing jealousy or misinterpretation (compareActs 1:14, the disciples in one place).

- The phrase creates a courtroom-like setting; witnesses must be present, just as Joshua later summons the tribes at Shechem (Joshua 24:1).

- It underscores family identity: though the brothers have varied futures, they share one origin and one destiny (Ephesians 4:4–6).

- Jacob’s intent is disclosure, not secrecy. Revelation is a gift; “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

- The father’s role is didactic—teaching and warning—mirroring God’s desire to make His ways known (Psalm 103:7).

- The coming words will be both blessing and chastening, reflectingHebrews 12:5–11, where discipline and promise coexist.

- This is direct prophecy, not pious wish-casting. Similar predictive detail appears inGenesis 15:13–14 regarding Israel’s slavery and exodus.

- Each son’s future ties to his character and past actions: Reuben’s instability, Levi and Simeon’s violence, Judah’s leadership (Genesis 49:3–12).

- God’s sovereignty steers tribal destinies, yet moral choices remain meaningful (Deuteronomy 30:19).

- The phrase points beyond immediate years to the unfolding centuries, stretching to the messianic age (Genesis 49:10;Numbers 24:14–17).

- It parallels “latter days” language used by Balaam and later prophets likeIsaiah 2:2, indicating both near and distant fulfillment.

- Israel can face uncertain horizons with confidence because God already occupies the future (Isaiah 46:10).

Genesis 49:1 records Jacob’s deliberate, Spirit-led gathering of his twelve sons to receive prophetic revelation about their individual and collective futures. Each phrase underscores family unity, the weight of spoken blessing, and God’s sovereign control over history, assuring readers that the same Lord who charted Israel’s path holds the future with equal precision today.

THE BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES.

(1)That which shall befall you.--This dying song of Jacob has been regarded alike by Jews and Christians as a prophetic hymn spoken by the patriarch under the influence of the Holy Spirit. By many modern commentators, however, it has been placed in David's time, and even ascribed to Nathan, partly on the ground that it is too spirited to have been the composition of one lying in the last decrepitude of old age, but chiefly because, in the description given of Judah, it is supposed to refer to the elevation of David to the royal dignity. But if it was thus written by a member of David's court, we should reasonably expect an exact knowledge of the state of things in David's time. For this, in fact, is the argument upon which these critics depend, that the internal evidence shows that it belongs to David's reign. Now, so far is this from being true, that not only is the whole exceedingly general, containing scarcely more than faint and dim hopes and anticipations, but, except in the matter of Judah's pre-eminence, there is no knowledge whatsoever of the arrangements of David's time. Thus, for instance, there is no word about Levi's priestly functions, and his dispersion in Israel is described as a punishment, and put upon exactly the same level as that of Simeon It is said in answer that it was David who established the priesthood, and set the Levites apart for their duties. If so, this was the very reason why Nathan, a seer of his court, should have put into Jacob's mouth some allusion to so important an event, in order to justify so strong a proceeding as the depriving of a tribe of its lands and political importance, the seizure of towns in every other tribe for the abode of its members, and the bestowal upon them of priestly functions. If however David, by an act of despotic power, was able to effect so violent a subversion of all tribal rights, it is strange that no reference is ever made to it: and, moreover, both the Pentateuch and the Books of Joshua (Joshua 3:3;Joshua 8:33, &c), of Judges (Judges 17:9-13), and of Samuel (1Samuel 2:13;1Samuel 2:27-28;1Samuel 6:15, &c.) must be of a date so modern as for all remembrance of David's act to have passed away, and for the national traditions to have created for themselves a setting modelled upon a state of things that never existed, and which was contradictory to the most glorious age of the nation's history. But national traditions precede the historical period of a people's annals, and from the time of David careful records of all events in Judah and Israel were kept, and the history of Judah and Israel was one of the chief subjects of instruction given to the youth of the nation in the prophetic schools. But let us take another instance. At the settlement of the tribes in Canaan, it was Asher and not Zebulun to which the sea-coast upon the north fell by lot; south of Asher was the half-tribe of Manasseh, and south of this was Dan. (Comp.Judges 5:17.) Zebulun was an inland tribe, and did not "dwell at the haven of the sea." It is unnecessary to continue this examination, but generally we may affirm that the sole argument for Jacob's blessing having been written in historic times is the position given to Judah. Everything besides negatives this view; and we may reasonably ascribe the high rank of Judah to the fact that after the setting aside of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, he became the firstborn. . . .