Jacob called for his sons

Gather yourselves together

Tell them what shall happen to them in the future

The Expected Standing

Best that Jacob has to offer

Pre-Eminent

The Uno Reverse Card

Unstable as Water

Do not have Pre-eminence

The Reason You slept with my wife - see I Chronicles 5:1

Simeon and Levi ‘Blessed’ together

Out the Gate

weapons of violence are their swords

Nothing to do with them

Killed in Anger (Gen 34:25)

Hamstrung Oxen (shows their anger)

Cursed be their

anger - fierce

wrath - cruel

The Future

Division in Jacob

Scatter them in Israel

Longest in verses with Joseph’s Blessing

Out the Gate Good things

Your brothers shall praise you

Forearm on the neck of your enemies

Respect from his brothers

His rise to position

Growth from cub  

A Lion formidable, the mightiest beast (Prov. 30:30)

A Lion a sign of royalty as well (Rev. 5:5)

Taking prey as defeated enemies

Who dares disturb him as he is ready to attack

Ruler

Scepter shall not depart from him (Judah) - David (2 Sam. 7:8-16, Ps. 89:3-4)

Will possess the rulers staff, commanders mace

Until Tribute comes - David, Messiah, Both?

Peoples/Nations will listen and obey him

Wealth as indicated by wine and grapes

Not in order Leah’s sixth son, 10th overall

Callout out of where they would live, not a blessing or a curse

Not associated with their character

Bony but strong, able bodied, able to bear

Who is resting by their baggage or amongst the sheep (pens, burdens)

The resting place is good and pleasant

So to remain there they became servants to those who were not expelled from the land

A stand-offish tribe, or distant tribe, a tribe that may not look like it belongs, but we know that it does.

Dan will stand for the people in that tribe, just like any other tribe of Israel (Joshua 19:47, Judges 1:34-35)

The snake and viper references speaks to the tribes stature in battle or contending for their land

By the Road or along the way speak to the tribes cunning and caginess. (Judges 18:7,10,27)

Jacob offers a prayer - calls out salvation and will wait on the LORD.

Gad

Living transjordan they will be a group that has to constantly battle

They fight back with mobility and agility, they are able to switch and turn the tides.

Asher

All about the Food

Naphtali

This one is hard (hard to interpret)

Bottom line is there is prosperity with Naphtali.

The Longest in verses with Judah’s

Passage hard to translate

A bough as a branch 

A wild donkey

Joseph will prosper, be fruitful, branches or foal being prosperous, daughters running over fences, 

Attacked, hit, harassed,

Past, personal

We see Joseph’s Response

Bow Unmoved - like a calm sea

Hands made Agile - supple, quick moving

Joseph's response Sourced (Tells us about the LORD)

By the Hand of the Mighty One (Strength and Power)

This Mighty One Shepherds

This Mighty One is a Stone

Joseph’s blessing Sourced by

By the God of Your Father - God who helps

By the Almighty - The God who Blesses

Description of the Blessings

Of Heaven Above (Agricultural)

Of the Deep that crouches beneath (Agricultural)

Of the Breast and the Womb (Family)

The Extent of the Blessings

As Jacob was blessed so shall you

On the head of Joseph

The one who was set apart from His Brothers

Benjamin’s animal is a wolf

Described as ravenous 

Catching Prey

Dealing with the Spoils

Probably referring to the tribes fierceness in battle

Called the ‘twelve tribes of Israel’

They were blessed by their father

The father (Jacob) said it to them

Blessed each one with a blessing suitable to him

Last Command

I am to be gathered to my people

Gives the address

Notes the rights to that lot - Abraham brought it from Ephron as a burying place

Who else is there

Jacob breathes his last