Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
The verse is Jacob's deathbed call gathering his sorrowing sons around him to hear his final words, blessing, and counsel. As he speaks the Spirit of inspiration rests upon him, so his call is inspired prophecy rather than personal feeling. God by that Spirit lifts his mind above his natural feelings, with angels around him in his last hours and the power of God's grace shining upon him. Under that Spirit he speaks about their past conduct and foretells the character and future history of the tribes descended from them.
He has forgiven his children's wrongs and loves them to the last with no resentful or unforgiving spirit. His own affectionate, paternal feeling would have spoken only love and tenderness, but inspiration leads him to utter truth even when it is painful. His inspired words expose the sins of some sons and present God's view of their deeds of violence, declaring that God would visit them for their sins in judgment. His words concerning Simeon and Levi are gloomy, while his prophetic words concerning his other sons are not as gloomy.
The verse is Jacob's deathbed call gathering his sorrowing sons around him to hear his final words, blessing, and counsel. As he speaks the Spirit of inspiration rests upon him, so his call is inspired prophecy rather than personal feeling. God by that Spirit lifts his mind above his natural feelings, with angels around him in his last hours and the power of God's grace shining upon him. Under that Spirit he speaks about their past conduct and foretells the character and future history of the tribes descended from them.
He has forgiven his children's wrongs and loves them to the last with no resentful or unforgiving spirit. His own affectionate, paternal feeling would have spoken only love and tenderness, but inspiration leads him to utter truth even when it is painful. His inspired words expose the sins of some sons and present God's view of their deeds of violence, declaring that God would visit them for their sins in judgment. His words concerning Simeon and Levi are gloomy, while his prophetic words concerning his other sons are not as gloomy.