Hebrews 11:21
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)
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It's easy to gloss over the detail about Jacob bowing over his staff, but this wasn't just a physical prop; it symbolized his entire journey of faith and pilgrimage. The author uses this image to show Jacob worshiping God not out of weakness, but out of deep gratitude for promises about future inheritance, even as he faced his own end.
As Jacob’s life nears its end, he blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, discerning their future by faith and even passing over the elder. The text then shifts to an earlier moment when, after securing Joseph's promise to bury him with his fathers, Jacob worships, leaning on his staff, a profound act of faith in God's promises regarding the land.
Jacob's final moments weren't about regret or looking back. He focused on the future, specifically on his grandchildren. How can we, like Jacob, bless the next generation with faith?
The writer of Hebrews highlights Jacob's act of blessing Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. This wasn't just a sentimental gesture; it was an act of faith.
A Faith-Filled Future
Jacob, though physically weak and near death, prophetically declared the future of these two grandsons. He intentionally placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, signifying that the younger would become greater. This act, detailed in Genesis 48, defied natural sight and expectation. It was a declaration of faith in God’s promise that the lineage through Joseph would be significant and blessed.
Faith's Discernment
Even though Jacob couldn't see clearly due to his age, his faith allowed him to 'see' God’s plan. He knew God's covenant promises would be fulfilled through this line. This teaches us that faith isn't just believing despite circumstances, but actively discerning God’s will and future promises within them.
Jacob's final moments included a profound act of worship. Discover how this act, even with its textual variations, reveals a deep hope rooted in God's promises.
The verse concludes with Jacob 'worshipping, leaning upon the top of his staff.' This imagery, though debated in its exact interpretation, powerfully conveys a spirit of devotion and hope.
A Legacy of Hope
Scholars note that the original Hebrew in Genesis 47:31 likely refers to Jacob bowing his head 'upon the head of the bed' after receiving Joseph's oath to bury him in the Promised Land. However, the writer of Hebrews, following the Greek translation (LXX), mentions him leaning on his 'staff.' Whether a staff or a bed, the essence is the same: a frail, dying man expressing profound worship.
Faith's Foundation
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 draws from two pivotal moments near the end of Jacob's life: his charge to Joseph regarding his burial in Canaan, and his prophetic blessing of Joseph's sons. Both acts, though separated in time, reveal Jacob's unwavering faith in God's promises for his descendants and the land, even as he faced death.
c. 1700-1600 BC
Jacob's Family Moves to Egypt
Jacob and his entire family relocate to Egypt, settling in the land of Goshen, due to a severe famine and the divine providence that placed Joseph in a position of power.
c. 1600 BC— this verse
Joseph's Oath to Jacob
As Jacob is near death, he makes Joseph swear an oath to bury him with his fathers in the land of Canaan, not in Egypt. Jacob then bows in worship towards the head of his bed (or staff, according to some translations) in thankful affirmation of this promise.
c. 1600 BC
Jacob Blesses Joseph's Sons
Shortly before his death, Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, adopting them as his own heirs and prophetically placing the younger, Ephraim, above the elder, Manasseh.
c. 1600 BC
Jacob's Death and Blessing of Other Sons
Jacob dies and is mourned in Egypt. He also delivers prophetic blessings to his own twelve sons, foretelling the future of their tribes.
This passage is the direct source for Jacob blessing Joseph's sons, detailing how Jacob treated Ephraim and Manasseh as his own and gave the younger, Ephraim, the primary blessing, demonstrating faith in God's future promises for his descendants.
Genesis 47:31This passage describes Jacob bowing in worship after receiving Joseph's oath to bury him with his fathers, highlighting how even in weakness, Jacob's focus was on faith in God's promise of the land of Canaan.
1 Kings 1:47This verse shows King David, in his old age and near death, worshipping God, mirroring Jacob's act of devotion in his final moments and illustrating a consistent pattern of faithful worship during life's end.
Hebrews 11:20This verse, immediately preceding Hebrews 11:21, describes Jacob blessing Joseph by faith concerning future things. Hebrews 11:21 continues this theme by detailing another instance of Jacob's faith-filled actions at the end of his life.
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
It's easy to gloss over the detail about Jacob bowing over his staff, but this wasn't just a physical prop; it symbolized his entire journey of faith and pilgrimage. The author uses this image to show Jacob worshiping God not out of weakness, but out of deep gratitude for promises about future inheritance, even as he faced his own end.
As Jacob’s life nears its end, he blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, discerning their future by faith and even passing over the elder. The text then shifts to an earlier moment when, after securing Joseph's promise to bury him with his fathers, Jacob worships, leaning on his staff, a profound act of faith in God's promises regarding the land.
As Jacob’s life nears its end, he blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, discerning their future by faith and even passing over the elder. The text then shifts to an earlier moment when, after securing Joseph's promise to bury him with his fathers, Jacob worships, leaning on his staff, a profound act of faith in God's promises regarding the land.
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This worship was an expression of thankfulness and faith. Jacob was assured that he, along with his ancestors, would rest in the land God had promised. His leaning, whether on a staff (a symbol of pilgrimage and support) or his bed, signifies his physical weakness but spiritual strength, finding his ultimate support and hope in God's covenant promises for the future.
c. 1600 BC
Joseph's Death
Joseph eventually dies in Egypt, after a long and influential life. Before his death, he also makes his brothers swear to carry his bones out of Egypt when God brings them back to the Promised Land.
"By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff." — It's easy to gloss over the detail about Jacob bowing over his staff, but this wasn't just a physical prop; it symbolized his entire journey of faith and pilgrimage. The author uses this image to sho…
