SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:21
Por la fe, Jacob murindose bendijo a cada uno de los hijos de Jos; y ador estribando sobre la punta de su vara.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 11:21
Verse 21. Blessed both the sons of Joseph] That is, Ephraim and Manasseh. See the account and the notes. Gen. xlviii. 5, &c. Worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff] This subject is particularly considered in the note, See "Gen. xlvii. 31".
It appears, that at the time Joseph visited his father he was very weak, and generally confined to his couch, having at hand his staff; either that with which he usually supported his feeble body, or that which was the ensign of his office, as patriarch or chief of a very numerous family. The ancient chiefs, in all countries, had this staff or scepter continually at hand. See Homer throughout. It is said, Gen. xlviii. 2, that when Joseph came to see his father Jacob, who was then in his last sickness, Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. Still I conceive he had his staff or scepter at hand; and while sitting upon the bed, with his feet on the floor, he supported himself with his staff. When Joseph sware to him that he should be carried up from Egypt, he bowed himself on his bed's head, still supporting himself with his staff, which probably with this last act he laid aside, gathered up his feet, and reclined wholly on his couch. It was therefore indifferent to say that he worshipped or bowed himself on his staff or on his bed's head. But as hj shachah signifies, not only to bow, but also to worship, because acts of adoration were performed by bowing and prostration; and as hfm mittah, a bed, by the change of the vowel points becomes matteh, a staff, hence the Septuagint have translated the passage kai prosekunhsen. israhl epi to akron thv rabdou autou? And Israel bowed or worshipped on the head of his staff. This reading the apostle follows here literatim.
Wretched must that cause be which is obliged to have recourse to what, at best, is an equivocal expression, to prove and support a favourite opinion.
The Romanists allege this in favour of image worship. This is too contemptible to require confutation. To make it speak this language the Rheims version renders the verse thus: By faith Jacob dying, blessed every one of the sons of Joseph, and adored the top of his rod. A pretty object of adoration, indeed, for a dying patriarch! Here the preposition epi upon, answering to the Hebrew l[ al, is wholly suppressed, to make it favour the corrupt reading of the Vulgate. This preposition is found in the Hebrew text, in the Greek version of the Seventy, the printed Greek text of the New Testament, and in every MS. yet discovered of this epistle. It is also found in the Syriac, AEthiopic, Arabic, and Coptic: in which languages the connection necessarily shows that it is not an idle particle: and by no mode of construction can the text be brought to support image worship, any more than it can to support transubstantiation.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying , etc..] Which was the usual time of blessing with the patriarchs; and the reason of it was, that what was said might be more attended to and regarded, and more strongly impressed upon the mind; and this is a proof that it was done in faith by Jacob, when there was no appearance of the fulfilment of these things, and it was not likely that he should see them; and this shows the truth of what the apostle says in ( Hebrews 11:1,13), blessed both the sons of Joseph; whose names were Ephraim and Manasseh; the form of blessing them is recorded in ( Genesis 48:15,16) and which was done in faith, and under the direction and inspiration of the Spirit of God, as appears by his setting Ephraim before Manasseh, ( Genesis 48:13,14,17-19) and when he delivered the blessing he firmly believed it would be fulfilled, though they were then in a strange land: and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff ; not that he worshipped the top of his staff, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, either his own, or Joseph's, or any little image upon the top of it; which would be an instance of idolatry, and not faith, contrary to the scope of the apostle; nor is there any need to interpret this of civil worship and respect paid to Joseph, as a fulfilment of his dream, and with a peculiar regard to Christ, of whom Joseph was a type; whereas, on the contrary, Joseph at this time bowed to his father, as was most natural and proper, ( Genesis 48:12) nor is there any necessity of supposing a different punctuation of ( Genesis 47:31) and that the true reading is not mittah, a bed, but matteh; a staff, contrary to all the Targums f247 , and the Talmud f248 , which read mittah, a bed, seeing it is not that place the apostle cites or refers to; for that was before the blessing of the sons of Joseph, but this was at the same time; and the apostle relates what is nowhere recorded in Genesis, but what he had either from tradition, or immediate revelation; or else he concludes it from the general account in ( Genesis 48:1-12) and the sense is, that Jacob, having blessed the two sons of Joseph, being sat upon his bed, and weak, he leaned upon the top of his staff, and worshipped God, and gave praise and glory to him, that he had lived to see not only his son Joseph, but his seed also, (see Genesis 48:2,11,20).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 20-31 - Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, concerning things to come. Things presen are not the best things; no man knoweth love or hatred by having the or wanting them. Jacob lived by faith, and he died by faith, and in faith. Though the grace of faith is of use always through our whol lives, it is especially so when we come to die. Faith has a great wor to do at last, to help the believer to die to the Lord, so as to honou him, by patience, hope, and joy. Joseph was tried by temptations to sin, by persecution for keeping his integrity; and he was tried by honours and power in the court of Pharaoh, yet his faith carried his through. It is a great mercy to be free from wicked laws and edicts but when we are not so, we must use all lawful means for our security In this faith of Moses' parents there was a mixture of unbelief, but God was pleased to overlook it. Faith gives strength against the sinful, slavish fear of men; it sets God before the soul, shows the vanity of the creature, and that all must give way to the will an power of God. The pleasures of sin are, and will be, but short; the must end either in speedy repentance or in speedy ruin. The pleasure of this world are for the most part the pleasures of sin; they ar always so when we cannot enjoy them without deserting God and his people. Suffering is to be chosen rather than sin; there being mor evil in the least sin, than there can be in the greatest suffering God's people are, and always have been, a reproached people. Chris accounts himself reproached in their reproaches; and thus they becom greater riches than the treasures of the richest empire in the world Moses made his choice when ripe for judgment and enjoyment, able to know what he did, and why he did it. It is needful for persons to be seriously religious; to despise the world, when most capable of relishing and enjoying it. Believers may and ought to have respect to the recompence of reward. By faith we may be fully sure of God' providence, and of his gracious and powerful presence with us. Such sight of God will enable believers to keep on to the end, whatever the may meet in the way. It is not owing to our own righteousness, or bes performances, that we are saved from the wrath of God; but to the bloo of Christ, and his imputed righteousness. True faith makes sin bitte to the soul, even while it receives the pardon and atonement. All ou spiritual privileges on earth, should quicken us in our way to heaven The Lord will make even Babylon fall before the faith of his people and when he has some great thing to do for them, he raises up great an strong faith in them. A true believer is desirous, not only to be in covenant with God, but in communion with the people of God; and i willing to fare as they fare. By her works Rahab declared herself to be just. That she was not justified by her works appears plainly; becaus the work she did was faulty in the manner, and not perfectly good therefore it could not be answerable to the perfect justice of righteousness of God.
Greek Textus Receptus
πιστει 4102 ιακωβ 2384 αποθνησκων 599 5723 εκαστον 1538 των 3588 υιων 5207 ιωσηφ 2501 ευλογησεν 2127 5656 και 2532 προσεκυνησεν 4352 5656 επι 1909 το 3588 ακρον 206 της 3588 ραβδου 4464 αυτου 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. When he died (apoqnhskwn). Rend. "when dying." It is quite superfluous to explain this as emphasizing the strength in contrast with the weakness of approaching death; or that, in the birth of Joseph's two sons before Jacob's death, Jacob discerned a monition to adopt them into the direct line of his own sons. The meaning is simply that these events took place in Jacob's last hours.
Blessed each (ekaston euloghsen). See Gen. xlviii. 17-20. Each son received a separate and distinct blessing, although Joseph had expected only one common blessing for both. Jacob's discernment of faith appeared in this, as in the precedence assigned to the younger son.
And worshipped leaning on the top of his staff (kai prosekunhsen epi to akron thv rabdou autou). From the LXX of Gen. xlvii. 31. It seems to have been loosely included by our writer among the incidents of Jacob's last hours (apoqnhskwn), although it belongs to a different part of the narrative. The promise given by Joseph to remove his father's remains to the family sepulchre may have been regarded as preparatory to the blessing, or introduced in order to emphasize the devotional character of the entire proceeding. The words upon the head of his staff are from the LXX; the Hebrew being "Jacob bowed himself upon the head of the bed." Comp. 1 Kings i. 47. According to its vowel-points the same Hebrew word signifies either staff or bed. The LXX has chosen the former, and renders by rJabdov staff. According to the Hebrew, the meaning is that Jacob, having been sitting during the conversation, lay down when it was finished, probably overcome by weakness, and breathing a prayer as he fell back on his pillow. 233
