By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Even though Jacob was physically weak and dying, his faith empowered him to bless Joseph's sons with divine discernment, even crossing his hands to favor the younger. This act wasn't just a sentimental moment; it was a profound expression of trust in God's promises for the future, solidifying his legacy through faith.
By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The writer of Hebrews is weaving together instances of faith from the Old Testament, highlighting how these individuals trusted God even in difficult circumstances. This verse focuses on Jacob's final moments, first describing how he, by faith, blessed Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, distinguishing between them with prophetic insight. It then references an earlier moment where, near death, Jacob swore an oath to Joseph regarding his burial and bowed in worship, an act of profound trust in God's promise of the land, leaning on his staff for support.
Jacob is on his deathbed, but his mind isn't on his own end. He's focused on the next generation and God's promises.
Faith in the Face of the Unknown
Jacob's final act of blessing Joseph's sons isn't just a tender moment; it's a profound display of faith. He blesses Ephraim and Manasseh, even elevating the younger, Ephraim, above the elder. This wasn't based on sight or natural preference, but on a divine insight into God's future plans for them.
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Jacob's final moments involve not just blessing, but a remarkable act of worship. What does this tell us about faith expressed in physical frailty?
The Ultimate Act of Trust
The verse combines two seemingly distinct events: blessing Joseph's sons and an act of worship. The worship, leaning on his staff, is particularly poignant.
Understand the original words
pistei · Greek Noun
A firm conviction, trust, and reliance upon God and His promises, which leads to active obedience even when evidence is not yet visible. It is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.
eulogēsen · Greek Verb
To pronounce a divine favor or to speak well of, often involving the invocation of God's power and future purposes upon a person or object.
proskynēsas · Greek Verb
To show profound reverence, homage, or submission before God, often expressed through bodily posture, acknowledging His lordship and worthiness.
The verse highlights Jacob's faith in God's promises even at the point of death, an act that reverberates through his lineage and points toward the future inheritance of the land of Canaan.
c. 1560 BC
Joseph's Youth and Slavery
Joseph, favored by his father Jacob, is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and ends up in Egypt. This sets the stage for the Israelites' eventual presence in Egypt.
c. 1530 BC
Joseph Rises to Power in Egypt
Through divine insight, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams and becomes the second most powerful ruler in Egypt, saving the nation from famine and establishing his family there.
c. 1470 BC
Jacob and his Family Move to Egypt
Jacob and his entire family, numbering about 70 people, relocate to Egypt during a severe famine, settling in the land of Goshen. This fulfills God's earlier promise to Abraham regarding his descendants sojourning in a foreign land.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Jacob's Final Days in Egypt
Near the end of his life, Jacob is visited by Joseph and his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob blesses them, adopting Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons and prophesying their future.
c. 1406 BC
Jacob's Charge to Joseph
Jacob makes Joseph swear an oath to bury him with his ancestors in the land of Canaan, not in Egypt. This act, described as worship leaning on his staff, signifies his faith in God's promise of the land.
c. 1406 BC
Death of Jacob
Jacob, the patriarch who was renamed Israel, dies at the age of 147. His burial in Canaan becomes a significant event for the people of Israel.
c. 1405 BC
Joseph's Death
Joseph dies at the age of 110, after making the Israelites swear to carry his bones with them when they eventually leave Egypt.
This is the primary narrative account that Hebrews 11:21 alludes to, detailing Jacob's faith-filled blessing of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, distinguishing them as his own.
Genesis 47:31This passage describes Jacob worshipping after receiving Joseph's promise to bury him with his fathers, illustrating his faith in the Promised Land, and is the event likely referenced by the latter part of Hebrews 11:21, despite a slight textual variation.
1 Kings 1:47This verse shows King David, in his old age and near death, worshipping, which provides a parallel to Jacob's worship described in Hebrews 11:21, highlighting a posture of reverence even in extreme weakness.
Hebrews 11:20This verse immediately precedes Hebrews 11:21, discussing Isaac's blessing of Joseph's sons by faith, creating a thematic link between the father and grandfather's faith concerning future generations.
Genesis 49:18Jacob's final words about Joseph immediately before this mention of worship express a similar reliance on God's salvation, linking his overall disposition of faith to this specific act of worship.
ellicottHebrews 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."
(21) Both the sons. —Rather, each of the sons. The separate character of the two blessings is thus brought out ( Genesis 48:14-19 ). (See the last Note.) In the case of the two events mentioned in this verse the order of time is reversed, probably that the blessing of Jacob may immediately follow the similar record of Hebrews 11:20 . And worshipped.—The incid…
wesleyHebrews 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."
11:21 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
Even though Jacob was physically weak and dying, his faith empowered him to bless Joseph's sons with divine discernment, even crossing his hands to favor the younger. This act wasn't just a sentimental moment; it was a profound expression of trust in God's promises for the future, solidifying his legacy through faith.
The writer of Hebrews is weaving together instances of faith from the Old Testament, highlighting how these individuals trusted God even in difficult circumstances. This verse focuses on Jacob's final moments, first describing how he, by faith, blessed Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, distinguishing between them with prophetic insight. It then references an earlier moment where, near death, Jacob swore an oath to Joseph regarding his burial and bowed in worship, an act of profound trust in God's promise of the land, leaning on his staff for support.
The writer of Hebrews is weaving together instances of faith from the Old Testament, highlighting how these individuals trusted God even in difficult circumstances. This verse focuses on Jacob's final moments, first describing how he, by faith, blessed Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, distinguishing between them with prophetic insight. It then references an earlier moment where, near death, Jacob swore an oath to Joseph regarding his burial and bowed in worship, an act of profound trust in God's promise of the land, leaning on his staff for support.
"By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff." — Even though Jacob was physically weak and dying, his faith empowered him to bless Joseph's sons with divine discernment, even crossing his hands to favor the younger. This act wasn't just a sentiment…
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Last reviewed October 2026