Hebrews 11:21

Hebrews 11:21

By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

a. NLT: It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

  

b. NIV: By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

c. YLT: By faith Jacob dying -- each of the sons of Joseph did bless, and did bow down upon the top of his staff;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: [Prompted] by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in prayer over the top of his staff.

1. “By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph…”

a. [By] faith [Strong: 4102 pístis, pis'-tis; from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.]

b. Jacob [Strong: 2384 Iakṓb, ee-ak-obe'; of Hebrew origin (H3290); Jacob (i.e. Ja`akob), the progenitor of the Israelites:—also an Israelite:—Jacob.]

c. [when he was a] dying [Strong: 599 [Strong: 2384 Iakṓb, ee-ak-obe'; of Hebrew origin (H3290); Jacob (i.e. Ja`akob), the progenitor of the Israelites:—also an Israelite:—Jacob.]

d. blessed [Strong: 2127 eulogeo yoo-log-eh'-o from a compound of 2095 and 3056; to speak well of, i.e. (religiously) to bless (thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper):--bless, praise.]

e. both [Strong: 1538 hekastos hek'-as-tos as if a superlative of hekas (afar); each or every:--any, both, each (one), every (man, one, woman), particularly.]

g. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

h. sons [Strong: 5207 huiós, hwee-os'; apparently a primary word; a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship:—child, foal, son.]

i. [of] Joseph [Strong: 2501 Iōsḗph, ee-o-safe'; of Hebrew origin (H3130); Joseph, the name of seven Israelites:—Joseph.]

1). The account of Jacob blessing both the sons of Joseph is found in Genesis 48.

a). Genesis 48:12-20 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

48:13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

48:15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

48:17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

48:18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

48:19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

2). In this account we have Jacob crossing his hands and placing his right hand on Ephraim, the younger and his left hand upon Manasseh the elder (Genesis 48:13, 14). He did this  “by faith”, which means previous instruction (Romans 10:17). God had previously spoken to Jacob that the younger brother would become the greater of the two (Genesis 48:19).

2. “...and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.”

a. and [Strong: 2532  kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. worshipped [Strong: 4352 proskynéō, pros-koo-neh'-o; from G4314 and a probable derivative of G2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):—worship.]

c. [leaning] upon [Strong: 1909  epí, ep-ee'; a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:—about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, × have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with.]

d. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

e. top [Strong: 206 ákron, ak'-ron; neuter of an adjective probably akin to the base of G188; the extremity:—one end… other, tip, top, uttermost participle]

  

g. [of] his [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

h. staff [Strong: 4464 rhábdos, hrab'-dos; from the base of G4474; a stick or wand (as a cudgel, a cane or a baton of royalty):—rod, sceptre, staff.]