Genesis 49:33, commentary and pictures

Jacob finished commanding his sons in order from Reuben the eldest, declaring the character and prophetic sentence of each according to conduct, and then drew his feet into the bed and died and was gathered to his people. The charge he finished was to bury him with his fathers in the cave in the field of Machpelah before Mamre in Canaan, bought from Ephron the Hittite, where Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah and Leah were buried. The verse closes his dying prophecy, spoken in the prophetic spirit as he lay dying, foretelling in fitting symbols what should befall his sons in future time and the future history of each tribe, including Judah's royalty and the keeping of the sceptre with Judah until Shiloh came. The blessings upon eleven sons do not extend beyond the Israelite nation and the old covenant and were all fulfilled before the first advent, while only the predictions concerning Judah extend beyond to embrace eternity as the continuation of the Abrahamic promises in Shiloh, unto whom shall be the gathering of the peoples. He simply died as his fathers before him died, sharing Adam's fate under the decree that he is dust and shall return to dust, with no immortal soul surviving in unconscious sleep till all the dead awake together to be judged, yet being gathered to his people means more than burial among them and expresses hope of reunion in a better, heavenly country.

Final Charge and Death

The verse marks the end of Jacob's commanding of his sons, in which he spoke to them in order beginning with Reuben as the eldest and declared the character, blessing, and prophetic sentence of each according to conduct. Loss of birthright and preeminence followed heinous sin and cruelty, while priority and eminence followed noble and generous conduct. The charge he finished was to bury him with his fathers in the cave in the field of Machpelah before Mamre in the land of Canaan, the burial possession bought from Ephron the Hittite and the children of Heth where Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah and Leah were buried. Immediately after that charge he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people.

The death recorded here came after seventeen years of living in Egypt, dated to 1689 B.C., seventeen years after Jacob and his family went down to Egypt in 1706 B.C. At that time Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in Goshen, held possessions in the best of the land, and grew and multiplied exceedingly. Through the famine they were nourished by Joseph, with no compulsion to give money, sell stock, or serve as the Egyptians did, proving there were yet no signs of slavery. The verse stands in the closing chapters of Genesis, the Book of Beginnings, and records Jacob's death as part of Israel's journey to Egypt and reception by Joseph and Pharaoh, showing God's care in preserving the progenitors of the Seed. It closes Jacob's prophetic blessing upon his own sons.

His final words as he lay dying were prophetic counsel that looked beyond the sons' personal failures to the consequences for their descendants and Israel's future. The verse belongs to the history of Joseph, which shows that whatever God has intended a person for, God can be safely trusted to bring him to it, for though He may lead him round, He will guide him right.

Prophecy Doctrine and Hope

The verse closes Jacob's dying prophecy over his sons, belonging to the prophetic spirit preserved through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, in which he saw the ministration of angels, Christ the way, and God over all and foretold in fitting symbols the future history of each tribe, including Judah's true royalty and law and the keeping of the sceptre with Judah until Shiloh came when Ephraim was absorbed in Judah. The blessings so closed belong with the promise to the spiritual seed, but those upon eleven sons do not extend beyond the Israelite nation and the old covenant and were all fulfilled before the first advent within the Jewish dispensation, while only the predictions and promises concerning Judah extend beyond to embrace eternity as the continuation of the Abrahamic promises in Shiloh, of the seed of Judah according to the flesh, unto whom shall be the gathering of the peoples, the nations of earth. The statement that he would tell his sons what should befall them in the last days does not necessarily mean the Christian dispensation or the end of the world, but future time in general, and if it means the time of Christ the promises are fulfilled in Judah. The prophecy about Shiloh was spoken shortly before he died after he finished instructing his sons.

Being gathered unto his people simply means Jacob died as his fathers before him died. Those who held otherwise taught that the language means more than being buried among them, expressing hope of reunion with them in a better, heavenly country, and that the account of Jacob's death reflects a faith and hope that Joseph also passed on to Israel alongside his command concerning his bones. His death and gathering proves that Adam's posterity share their father's fate and remain exposed to the same death threatened to Adam for disobedience under the unrepealed decree that he is dust and shall return to dust, alongside Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Abraham and Isaac. He simply died after finishing his charge, with no immortal soul or deathless spirit surviving death, meaning he lived and died and that is all, his condition being unconscious sleep with no consciousness or knowledge, a blank lasting till the heavens be no more when all the dead awake together to be judged and rewarded at the same time.

When one who has learned to serve the Lord and has spent time in school and in teaching others finishes his work, yielding up life is laying off the burden and resting in Jesus. This holds even when death comes suddenly by fever with pain and spasm and unconsciousness. Those who miss him in school and Sabbath-school and farm and village work bow in submission because God knows best.