Verses 1–2: As Jacob prepared to die, he left his sons with both blessings and prophecies over their destinies in life.
3–4: Jacob's first born, Reuben, excelled in strength and honor among his brothers and in their household. Reckless as “turbulent waters,” Reuben chose to sleep with his father's wife and forfeited that position. Instead, Jacob dispersed all the blessings of the firstborn, the position of honor and power, among other sons.
5–7: The violence Simeon and Levi displayed against the men of Shechem for raping their sister, Dinah, would haunt them as well. They murdered all the men of that town and slaughtered their animals, moving far beyond justice into destructive, abject hatred (Genesis 34). God subdued this fury by dispersing future generations of their tribe throughout the nations.
8–12: In contrast, Judah demonstrated a heart bent toward goodness (despite his clear imperfections) in his attempt to dissuade his brothers from Joseph’s murder and sacrificial offer to take Benjamin’s place of slavery/captivity in Egypt (Genesis 37 and 44). He showed himself as a man fit for rule, and God gifted his descendants with this position of power in coming generations. They became fierce in battle (v. 9); the kings of Israel came from the line of Judah, as did the Lion of Judah, Christ himself, who would one day claim His rightful title as Lord over all, due the “obedience of the nations” (v. 10).
13: Two hundred years beyond Jacob’s prophecy, the tribe of Zebulun inherited, by lot, land situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee in Canaan. This (with v. 13 literally translated) placed them in the position of “looking toward the sea.” They possessed a view toward both seas, and no doubt benefited from the maritime trading so prevalent in their day, especially from their Phoenician neighbors.*
14–15: Issachar’s tribe proved itself strong in time both for manual labor and for heroic exploits in aide of their fellow Israelites. They seemed to lack the motivation, though, to fight for and maintain their own independence, and preferred to live in the rich inheritance God gave them under servitude and oppression at the hands of foreign armies.**
16–17: The tribe of Dan ended up providing one of Israel’s most notorious judges: Samson (Judges 13:2). However, they also brought idolatry to Israel, and this cost them dearly in their relationship with God and in eventual exile from the Promised Land, along with many other tribes.***
18: This cry of Jacob, mid-chapter, may have resulted from a desire to see his descendants saved from waywardness Dan’s tribe led them into, or a simple desire to see God’s salvation in real time as he neared death’s door.*
19: Although foreign, marauding armies defeated the tribe of Gad in Jeremiah's times and at other points in history, Gad faithfully provided troops to Israel's King David when he needed support, and they eventually saw the defeat over the neighboring Ammonites and Moabites.**
20: Asher’s tribe inherited fertile coastland in Canaan on the Mediterranean Sea, and became a wealthy tribe.***
21: Jacob’s prophecy over Naphtali indicated his tribe would live as a free and favored people who brought forth beautiful, rich songs.****
22–26: Though Joseph's brothers had attacked him at such an early age, God faithfully saw him through slavery and persecution in Egypt, finally raising him to prominence as the second in charge over the entire land. The “Rock of Israel” had indeed helped this “prince among his brothers” (v. 26), who remained faithful in His devotion to God despite all the tragedies he suffered in life.*** In the end, he triumphed victoriously, and served as an example for all who would take up the call in future generations to trust in the goodness of God and follow Him with surrendered lives, only to find, in the end, the irreplaceable fullness of life found in God (Matthew 16:25; Luke 9:23–24). May we do no less!
27: As seen in the examples of Ehud, King Saul, and Paul in Scripture, Benjamin’s descendants became known for their fierceness in character and in war.
28: Jacob spoke a fitting word over the life of each son, and over the lives of future generations in their family lines.
29–33: Jacob instructed his sons to bury him in the land of Canaan, the land of God's promise to him and his descendants. He rested beside his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and God's promise to bless all nations through Jacob was realized most fully in the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, born through the tribe of Judah hundreds of years after Jacob drew his final breath.
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