Genesis 47-49

Genesis 47‑49  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 8
3. We have reference to God Almighty appearing in Canaan, but all through here it is God, the One Sovereign, not man. In the great body of Joseph's history, we see His hand, not His name, only in millennial hope, after Dan, Jehovah comes in.
4. All Israel is to be K'hal-ammim, an assembly of nations.
19. Ephraim is to be m'lo-haggoyim, fullness of nations; the last a large word, but not, I apprehend, a number of different nations, and it hardly seems to be a " multitude of nations." Is not that the meaning of it? Is not this " fulfilling " or " fullness of the nations " something else? See Septuagint v. 4 sunagogas ethnon and v. 19 plethos ethnon and compare with Rom. 11:1212Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? (Romans 11:12) ploutos ethnon.
At any rate not " a multitude of nations "; see Isa. 31:44For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. (Isaiah 31:4), " all the shepherds together," I suppose. The multitude of nations shall be to Ephraim, not to Manasseh. I am disposed to believe it is the mass of Israel's tribes, but the whole body of the peoples of Israel was counted to Ephraim.
Note it is haggoyim (the nations).
NOTE.—It is not the Jews but Israel all through.
Chapter 49
Here we have, after all, the whole history of Israel clearly set out, besides the history of particular tribes when important.
3-7. First Reuben, Simeon, Levi—Israel according to the flesh—heir according to nature; it has failed, it is scattered for its violence and cruelty.
8-12. Then Judah is the place of royalty; here the coming of Shiloh, and this part of the special history is noticed.
13. Zebulun—they mix with the Gentiles.
14, 15. Issachar—they bow down to them and serve.
16-18. Daniel—seemingly lost, shall still judge His people; but in Daniel the apostasy is brought out, then the remnant wait for Jehovah for salvation.
19. Thereupon we have pne—Gad—heretofore overcome, at the last overcomer himself.
20. Asher—abundance and blessing are there.
21. Naphtali—liberty and good words.
22-26. Joseph—full millennial blessing.
27. Benjamin—full millennial power.