“Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about Asher being blessed with good food; it's a profound statement about how God's provision for His people can create a surplus. The "royal dainties" imply not just abundance for their own needs, but the capacity to offer the very best, fit for royalty, a sign of God's favor extending beyond mere sustenance.
“Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Jacob is near death, he calls his twelve sons together to pronounce blessings and prophecies over them, detailing what will happen to their descendants in the future. This final patriarchal address, given with prophetic insight, serves as Jacob's last will and testament, revealing God's sovereign plan for the tribes of Israel. After blessing each son according to his character and lineage, Jacob charges them regarding his burial and then dies.
Jacob's final words to his sons were not just predictions, but divine promises. For Asher, this meant a future filled with more than just sustenance.
Jacob's prophecy for Asher points to a land of exceptional fertility and richness. The phrase 'his bread shall be fat' signifies an abundance of grain, producing food that is not merely sufficient but exceptionally rich and satisfying. This isn't just about basic needs being met; it speaks to a land so blessed that its produce is considered 'royal dainties' – delicacies fit for a king. This points to a prosperity that goes beyond mere survival, touching on luxury and refined enjoyment, highlighting God's generous provision for those He blesses.
The richness promised to Asher wasn't meant to be hoarded. It carried a significance that extended beyond the tribe itself.
The prophecy suggests that the abundance granted to Asher would be so great that its produce could be shared or exported. 'Yield royal dainties' implies that Asher would produce so much that its finest goods would be sought after by rulers, potentially even beyond the borders of Israel. This points to a blessing of self-sufficiency and surplus, allowing Asher to contribute to the wider economy and to the provisions of royalty. It's a picture of a tribe not only blessed to be sustained but also blessed to be a source of provision for others, a hallmark of true divine favor.
Understand the original words
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lechem · Hebrew Noun
Sustenance or provision provided by the earth. In Scripture, abundant food is often viewed as a manifestation of God's blessing and favor upon the land and its inhabitants.
malkuth · Hebrew Adjective
Pertaining to kings or the palace. It connotes high quality, luxury, and items suitable for a monarch’s table, reflecting divine favor and prosperity.
ma'adan · Hebrew Noun
Something pleasing to the senses, especially food. It represents the bounty of God’s blessing, abundance, and the delight of enjoying the fruit of one’s labor.
Jacob's prophecies, given before the Israelites even entered the Promised Land, remarkably foreshadow the eventual prosperity and historical trajectory of each tribe, highlighting the tribe of Asher's destined abundance.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Jacob blesses his sons
Jacob, on his deathbed, gathers his twelve sons to pronounce blessings and prophecies upon them, detailing what would befall them and their descendants in the future.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites under Joshua conquer and divide the Promised Land among the twelve tribes.
c. 1047 BC
United Monarchy Established
The tribe of Judah, as prophesied by Jacob, becomes the royal tribe with the anointing of David as king over all Israel.
931 BC
Kingdom Divides
After the reign of Solomon, the united kingdom splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, with the royal line remaining in Judah.
This passage specifically blesses Asher, promising that he will 'dip his foot in oil' and that his produce will be rich, directly echoing the prophecy of his abundant food and royal delicacies.
Psalm 104:15This psalm speaks of God providing food that 'makes glad the heart of man' and oil that 'makes his face shine,' reflecting the theme of God's provision for sustenance and even luxury, as seen in Asher's blessing.
Proverbs 23:1-3This passage advises caution when dining with a ruler, suggesting that the food offered at such banquets is rich and tempting, aligning with the 'royal dainties' mentioned for Asher, and highlighting the potential allure of such abundance.
1 Kings 4:16This verse describes Solomon's provision system, mentioning a purveyor specifically for the territory of Asher, indicating that the land's produce was indeed rich enough to supply the king's household with fine foods.
calvinGenesis 49:1-33: "And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days."
Omnes istae tribus Israel duodecim. Et hoc est quod loquutus est eis pater eorum, et benedixit eis, unicuique secundum benedictionem suam, benedixit eis.
And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
Et praecepti eis, e…
bensonGenesis 49:20: "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties."
Genesis 49:20 . Out of Asher his bread shall be fat — This implies that it should be a rich tribe, replenished not only with bread for necessity, but with fatness, with dainties, royal dainties, and these exported out of Asher to other tribes, perhaps to other lands. The God of nature has provided for us not only necessaries but dainties, that we might call him a bountiful benefactor; yet, whereas all place…
This verse isn't just about Asher being blessed with good food; it's a profound statement about how God's provision for His people can create a surplus. The "royal dainties" imply not just abundance for their own needs, but the capacity to offer the very best, fit for royalty, a sign of God's favor extending beyond mere sustenance.
As Jacob is near death, he calls his twelve sons together to pronounce blessings and prophecies over them, detailing what will happen to their descendants in the future. This final patriarchal address, given with prophetic insight, serves as Jacob's last will and testament, revealing God's sovereign plan for the tribes of Israel. After blessing each son according to his character and lineage, Jacob charges them regarding his burial and then dies.
As Jacob is near death, he calls his twelve sons together to pronounce blessings and prophecies over them, detailing what will happen to their descendants in the future. This final patriarchal address, given with prophetic insight, serves as Jacob's last will and testament, revealing God's sovereign plan for the tribes of Israel. After blessing each son according to his character and lineage, Jacob charges them regarding his burial and then dies.
"“Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies." — This verse isn't just about Asher being blessed with good food; it's a profound statement about how God's provision for His people can create a surplus. The "royal dainties" imply not just abundance…
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Last reviewed October 2026