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Selected Verse: Hebrews 11:21 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Heb 11:21	Strong Concordance	By faith [4102] Jacob [2384], when he was a dying [599], blessed [2127] both [1538] the sons [5207] of Joseph [2501]; and [2532] worshipped [4352], leaning upon [1909] the top [206] of his [846] staff [4464].
	King James	By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
both the sons--Greek, "each of the sons" (Gen 47:29; Gen 48:8-20). He knew not Joseph's sons, and could not distinguish them by sight, yet he did distinguish them by faith, transposing his hands intentionally, so as to lay his right hand on the younger, Ephraim, whose posterity was to be greater than that of Manasseh: he also adopted these grandchildren as his own sons, after having transferred the right of primogeniture to Joseph (Gen 48:22). and worshipped--This did not take place in immediate connection with the foregoing, but before it, when Jacob made Joseph swear that he would bury him with his fathers in Canaan, not in Egypt. The assurance that Joseph would do so filled him with pious gratitude to God, which he expressed by raising himself on his bed to an attitude of worship. His faith, as Joseph's (Heb 11:22), consisted in his so confidentially anticipating the fulfilment of God's promise of Canaan to his descendants, as to desire to be buried there as his proper possession. leaning upon the top of his staff-- Gen 47:31, Hebrew and English Version, "upon the bed's head." The Septuagint translates as Paul here. JEROME justly reprobates the notion of modern Rome, that Jacob worshipped the top of Joseph's staff, having on it an image of Joseph's power, to which Jacob bowed in recognition of the future sovereignty of his son's tribe, the father bowing to the son! The Hebrew, as translated in English Version, sets it aside: the bed is alluded to afterwards (Gen 48:2; Gen 49:33), and it is likely that Jacob turned himself in his bed so as to have his face toward the pillow, Isa 38:2 (there were no bedsteads in the East). Paul by adopting the Septuagint version, brings out, under the Spirit, an additional fact, namely, that the aged patriarch used his own (not Joseph's) staff to lean on in worshipping on his bed. The staff, too, was the emblem of his pilgrim state here on his way to his heavenly city (Heb 11:13-14), wherein God had so wonderfully supported him. Gen 32:10, "With my staff I passed over Jordan, and now I am become," &c. (compare Exo 12:11; Mar 6:8). In Kg1 1:47, the same thing is said of David's "bowing on his bed," an act of adoring thanksgiving to God for God's favor to his son before death. He omits the more leading blessing of the twelve sons of Jacob; because "he plucks only the flowers which stand by his way, and leaves the whole meadow full to his readers" [DELITZSCH in ALFORD].

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

both the sons--Greek, "each of the sons" (Gen 47:29; Gen 48:8-20). He knew not Joseph's sons, and could not distinguish them by sight, yet he did distinguish them by faith, transposing his hands intentionally, so as to lay his right hand on the younger, Ephraim, whose posterity was to be greater than that of Manasseh: he also adopted these grandchildren as his own sons, after having transferred the right of primogeniture to Joseph (Gen 48:22).

and worshipped--This did not take place in immediate connection with the foregoing, but before it, when Jacob made Joseph swear that he would bury him with his fathers in Canaan, not in Egypt. The assurance that Joseph would do so filled him with pious gratitude to God, which he expressed by raising himself on his bed to an attitude of worship. His faith, as Joseph's (Heb 11:22), consisted in his so confidentially anticipating the fulfilment of God's promise of Canaan to his descendants, as to desire to be buried there as his proper possession.

leaning upon the top of his staff-- Gen 47:31, Hebrew and English Version, "upon the bed's head." The Septuagint translates as Paul here. JEROME justly reprobates the notion of modern Rome, that Jacob worshipped the top of Joseph's staff, having on it an image of Joseph's power, to which Jacob bowed in recognition of the future sovereignty of his son's tribe, the father bowing to the son! The Hebrew, as translated in English Version, sets it aside: the bed is alluded to afterwards (Gen 48:2; Gen 49:33), and it is likely that Jacob turned himself in his bed so as to have his face toward the pillow, Isa 38:2 (there were no bedsteads in the East). Paul by adopting the Septuagint version, brings out, under the Spirit, an additional fact, namely, that the aged patriarch used his own (not Joseph's) staff to lean on in worshipping on his bed. The staff, too, was the emblem of his pilgrim state here on his way to his heavenly city (Heb 11:13-14), wherein God had so wonderfully supported him. Gen 32:10, "With my staff I passed over Jordan, and now I am become," &c. (compare Exo 12:11; Mar 6:8). In Kg1 1:47, the same thing is said of David's "bowing on his bed," an act of adoring thanksgiving to God for God's favor to his son before death. He omits the more leading blessing of the twelve sons of Jacob; because "he plucks only the flowers which stand by his way, and leaves the whole meadow full to his readers" [DELITZSCH in ALFORD].

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying - Gen 47:31; 48:1-20. That is, when he was about to die. He saw his death near when he pronounced this blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph. And worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff - This is an exact quotation from the Septuagint in Gen 47:31. The English version of that place is, "and Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head," which is a proper translation, in the main, of the word מטּה miTTah. That word, however, with different vowel points - מטּה maTTeh, means a branch, a bough, a rod, a staff, and the translators of the Septuagint have so rendered it. The Masoretic points are of no authority, and either translation, therefore, would be proper. The word rendered "head" in Gen 47:31 - "bed's head" - ראשׁ ro'sh, means properly head, but may there mean the top of anything, and there is no impropriety in applying it to the head or top of a staff. The word rendered in Gen 47:31 as "bowed" - וישׁתחו wayishtachuw - implies properly the idea of "worshipping." It is bowing, or prostration for the purpose of worship or homage. Though the Septuagint and the apostle here have, therefore, given a somewhat different version from that commonly given of the Hebrew, and sustained by the Masoretic pointing, yet it cannot be demonstrated that the version is unauthorized, or that it is not a fair translation of the Hebrew. It has also the probabilities of the case in its favour. Jacob was tenderly affected in view of the goodness of God, and of the assurance that he would be conveyed from Egypt when he died, and buried in the land of his fathers. Deeply impressed with this, nothing was more natural than that the old man should lean reverently forward and incline his head upon the top of his staff, and adore the covenant faithfulness of his God. Such an image is much more natural and probable than that he should "bow upon his bed's head" - a phrase which at best is not very intelligible. If this be the true account, then the apostle does not refer here to what was done when he "blessed the sons of Joseph," but to an act expressive of strong faith in God which had occurred just before. The meaning then is, "By faith when about to die he blessed the sons of Joseph; and by faith also he reverently bowed before God in the belief that when he died his remains would be conveyed to the promised land, and expressed his gratitude in an act of worship, leaning reverently on the top of his staff." The order in which these things are mentioned is of no consequence, and thus the whole difficulty in the case vanishes. Both the acts here referred to were expressive of strong confidence in God.

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
When he died (ἀποθνήσκων) 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 (ἕκαστον εὐλόγησεν) See Gen 48:17-20. 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 (καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ) From the lxx of Gen 47:31. It seems to have been loosely included by our writer among the incidents of Jacob's last hours (ἀποθνήσκων), 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. Kg1 1:47. According to its vowel-points the same Hebrew word signifies either staff or bed. The lxx has chosen the former, and renders by ῥάβδος 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.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Jacob when dying - That is, when near death. Bowing down on the top of his staff - As he sat on the side of his bed. Gen 48:16; Gen 47:31

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Blessed both the sons of Joseph - That is, Ephraim and Manasseh. See the account and the notes. Gen 48:5, etc. Worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff - This subject is particularly considered in the note, See Gen 47:31 (note). 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 48:2, 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 שחה shachah signifies, not only to bow, but also to worship, because acts of adoration were performed by bowing and prostration; and as מטה mittah, a bed, by the change of the vowel points becomes matteh, a staff, hence the Septuagint have translated the passage Και προσεκυνησεν Ισραηλ επι το ακρον της ῥαβδου αυτου· 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 favor 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 επι upon, answering to the Hebrew על al, is wholly suppressed, to make it favor 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, Ethiopic, 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.

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⁴⁷ And moreover the king's [04428] servants [05650] came [0935] to bless [01288] our lord [0113] king [04428] David [01732], saying [0559], God [0430] make the name [08034] of Solomon [08010] better [03190] than thy name [08034], and make [01431] his throne [03678] greater [01431] than thy throne [03678]. And the king [04428] bowed [07812] himself upon the bed [04904].

⁸ And [2532] commanded [3853] them [846] that [2443] they should take [142] nothing [3367] for [1519] their journey [3598], save [1508] a staff [4464] only [3440]; no [3361] scrip [4082], no [3361] bread [740], no [3361] money [5475] in [1519] their purse [2223]:

¹¹ And thus [03602] shall ye eat [0398] it; with your loins [04975] girded [02296], your shoes [05275] on your feet [07272], and your staff [04731] in your hand [03027]; and ye shall eat [0398] it in haste [02649]: it is the LORD'S [03068] passover [06453].

¹⁰ I am not worthy of the least [06994] of all the mercies [02617], and of all the truth [0571], which thou hast shewed [06213] unto thy servant [05650]; for with my staff [04731] I passed over [05674] this Jordan [03383]; and now I am become two [08147] bands [04264].

¹³ These [3778] all [3956] died [599] in [2596] faith [4102], not [3361] having received [2983] the promises [1860], but [235] having seen [1492] them [846] afar off [4207], and [2532] were persuaded of [3982] them, and [2532] embraced [782] them, and [2532] confessed [3670] that [3754] they were [1526] strangers [3581] and [2532] pilgrims [3927] on [1909] the earth [1093].
¹⁴ For [1063] they that say [3004] such things [5108] declare plainly [1718] that [3754] they seek [1934] a country [3968].

² Then Hezekiah [02396] turned [05437] his face [06440] toward the wall [07023], and prayed [06419] unto the LORD [03068],

³³ And when Jacob [03290] had made an end [03615] of commanding [06680] his sons [01121], he gathered up [0622] his feet [07272] into the bed [04296], and yielded up the ghost [01478], and was gathered [0622] unto his people [05971].

² And one told [05046] Jacob [03290], and said [0559], Behold, thy son [01121] Joseph [03130] cometh [0935] unto thee: and Israel [03478] strengthened [02388] himself, and sat [03427] upon the bed [04296].

³¹ And he said [0559], Swear [07650] unto me. And he sware [07650] unto him. And Israel [03478] bowed [07812] himself upon the bed's [04296] head [07218].

²² By faith [4102] Joseph [2501], when he died [5053], made mention [3421] of [4012] the departing [1841] of the children [5207] of Israel [2474]; and [2532] gave commandment [1781] concerning [4012] his [846] bones [3747].

²² Moreover I have given [05414] to thee one [0259] portion [07926] above thy brethren [0251], which I took [03947] out of the hand [03027] of the Amorite [0567] with my sword [02719] and with my bow [07198].

⁸ And Israel [03478] beheld [07200] Joseph's [03130] sons [01121], and said [0559], Who are these?
⁹ And Joseph [03130] said [0559] unto his father [01], They are my sons [01121], whom God [0430] hath given [05414] me in this place. And he said [0559], Bring them [03947], I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless [01288] them.
¹⁰ Now the eyes [05869] of Israel [03478] were dim [03513] for age [02207], so that he could [03201] not see [07200]. And he brought them near [05066] unto him; and he kissed [05401] them, and embraced [02263] them.
¹¹ And Israel [03478] said [0559] unto Joseph [03130], I had not thought [06419] to see [07200] thy face [06440]: and, lo, God [0430] hath shewed [07200] me also thy seed [02233].
¹² And Joseph [03130] brought them out [03318] from between [05973] his knees [01290], and he bowed [07812] himself with his face [0639] to the earth [0776].
¹³ And Joseph [03130] took [03947] them both [08147], Ephraim [0669] in his right hand [03225] toward Israel's [03478] left hand [08040], and Manasseh [04519] in his left hand [08040] toward Israel's [03478] right hand [03225], and brought them near [05066] unto him.
¹⁴ And Israel [03478] stretched out [07971] his right hand [03225], and laid [07896] it upon Ephraim's [0669] head [07218], who was the younger [06810], and his left hand [08040] upon Manasseh's [04519] head [07218], guiding [07919] his hands [03027] wittingly [07919]; for Manasseh [04519] was the firstborn [01060].
¹⁵ And he blessed [01288] Joseph [03130], and said [0559], God [0430], before [06440] whom my fathers [01] Abraham [085] and Isaac [03327] did walk [01980], the God [0430] which fed [07462] me all my life long [05750] unto this day [03117],
¹⁶ The Angel [04397] which redeemed [01350] me from all evil [07451], bless [01288] the lads [05288]; and let my name [08034] be named [07121] on them, and the name [08034] of my fathers [01] Abraham [085] and Isaac [03327]; and let them grow [01711] into a multitude [07230] in the midst [07130] of the earth [0776].
¹⁷ And when Joseph [03130] saw [07200] that his father [01] laid [07896] his right [03225] hand [03027] upon the head [07218] of Ephraim [0669], it displeased [03415] [05869] him: and he held up [08551] his father's [01] hand [03027], to remove [05493] it from Ephraim's [0669] head [07218] unto Manasseh's [04519] head [07218].
¹⁸ And Joseph [03130] said [0559] unto his father [01], Not so, my father [01]: for this is the firstborn [01060]; put [07760] thy right hand [03225] upon his head [07218].
¹⁹ And his father [01] refused [03985], and said [0559], I know [03045] it, my son [01121], I know [03045] it: he also shall become a people [05971], and he also shall be great [01431]: but truly [0199] his younger [06996] brother [0251] shall be greater [01431] than he, and his seed [02233] shall become a multitude [04393] of nations [01471].
²⁰ And he blessed [01288] them that day [03117], saying [0559], In thee shall Israel [03478] bless [01288], saying [0559], God [0430] make [07760] thee as Ephraim [0669] and as Manasseh [04519]: and he set [07760] Ephraim [0669] before [06440] Manasseh [04519].

²⁹ And the time [03117] drew nigh [07126] that Israel [03478] must die [04191]: and he called [07121] his son [01121] Joseph [03130], and said [0559] unto him, If now I have found [04672] grace [02580] in thy sight [05869], put [07760], I pray thee, thy hand [03027] under my thigh [03409], and deal [06213] kindly [02617] and truly [0571] with me; bury [06912] me not, I pray thee, in Egypt [04714]:

³¹ And he said [0559], Swear [07650] unto me. And he sware [07650] unto him. And Israel [03478] bowed [07812] himself upon the bed's [04296] head [07218].

¹⁷ And when Joseph [03130] saw [07200] that his father [01] laid [07896] his right [03225] hand [03027] upon the head [07218] of Ephraim [0669], it displeased [03415] [05869] him: and he held up [08551] his father's [01] hand [03027], to remove [05493] it from Ephraim's [0669] head [07218] unto Manasseh's [04519] head [07218].
¹⁸ And Joseph [03130] said [0559] unto his father [01], Not so, my father [01]: for this is the firstborn [01060]; put [07760] thy right hand [03225] upon his head [07218].
¹⁹ And his father [01] refused [03985], and said [0559], I know [03045] it, my son [01121], I know [03045] it: he also shall become a people [05971], and he also shall be great [01431]: but truly [0199] his younger [06996] brother [0251] shall be greater [01431] than he, and his seed [02233] shall become a multitude [04393] of nations [01471].
²⁰ And he blessed [01288] them that day [03117], saying [0559], In thee shall Israel [03478] bless [01288], saying [0559], God [0430] make [07760] thee as Ephraim [0669] and as Manasseh [04519]: and he set [07760] Ephraim [0669] before [06440] Manasseh [04519].

³¹ And he said [0559], Swear [07650] unto me. And he sware [07650] unto him. And Israel [03478] bowed [07812] himself upon the bed's [04296] head [07218].

¹⁶ The Angel [04397] which redeemed [01350] me from all evil [07451], bless [01288] the lads [05288]; and let my name [08034] be named [07121] on them, and the name [08034] of my fathers [01] Abraham [085] and Isaac [03327]; and let them grow [01711] into a multitude [07230] in the midst [07130] of the earth [0776].

³¹ And he said [0559], Swear [07650] unto me. And he sware [07650] unto him. And Israel [03478] bowed [07812] himself upon the bed's [04296] head [07218].

⁵ And now thy two [08147] sons [01121], Ephraim [0669] and Manasseh [04519], which were born [03205] unto thee in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] before [05704] I came [0935] unto thee into Egypt [04714], are mine; as Reuben [07205] and Simeon [08095], they shall be mine.