Parashah Vayechi (and he lived)
Bereshit (Genesis) 47:28-50:26
January 5/6, 2007

 

 

Bereshit (Gen) 47:28-31

28        And Ya’acov (Jacob) lived in the land of Mitzrayim ( Egypt ) seventeen years: so the whole age of Ya’acov was a hundred forty seven years.

29        And the time drew near that Yisrael (Ya’acov) must die: and he called his son Yoseph (Joseph), and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, I ask you to put your hand under my thigh. Deal kindly and truly with me and I ask you please do not bury me in Mitzrayim:

 

The word translated as ‘thigh’ is ‘yarek’ meaning to be soft and was the custom when one swore and oath to another. Perhaps meaning by all my strength and power I will keep this oath I have sworn to consider the #1 definition (outside the thigh, where a sword was worn)

 

#3409  yarek- (from Brown Driver Briggs)

 

the thigh, the side, the loin(s), a base

a) the thigh

1) outside of thigh (where a sword was worn)

2) loins (as the seat of procreative power)

b) the side (flank) (used of a object)

c) a base

 

30        But I will lie with my fathers and you shall carry me out of Mitzrayim and bury me in their burying-place.” And Yoseph said, “I will do as you have said.”

31        And Ya’acov said, “Swear to me.” And Yoseph swore to him. And Yisrael bowed himself upon the bed's head.

 

Ya’acov emphatically wanted Yoseph to swear that he would do as he was asked to do, therefore showing how important it was to him to be buried in his own country rather than on pagan, foreign soil.

CHAPTER 48 
begins by showing Ya’acov very ill and when Yoseph was informed of his condition, he took his two sons, Manassheh (Manasseh) and Ephrayim (Ephraim) and in to see Ya’acov.

1          And it happened that one of his staff told Yoseph, “Look, your father is sick” and he took with him his two sons, Manassheh and Ephrayim.

2          And one told Ya’acov, he said, “Behold, your son Yoseph comes to you” Yisrael strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

3          And Ya’acov said to Yoseph, El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

4          And said to me, “Behold, I will make you fruitful, multiply you and I will make of you a multitude of people; and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.

Here we see Ya’acov accepting Yoseph’s sons as his own. He says they will be his just as Reuven and Shimon are his. This is interesting since Reuven and Shimon are Ya’acov’s sons, not his grandsons. It seems Reuven was replaced because of his immoral act of having sex with his father’s wife. Shimon is described as cruel and fierce in chapter 29:33.

Together with Levi, Shimon undertook to avenge the seduction of their sister Dinah but performed such acts of wanton cruelty and injustice upon the Shechemites* that Ya’acov was fearful of the surrounding people.

Judging from Ya’acov's dying words <49:5-7> and from Jewish traditions, Shimon was artful, fierce, and cruel.

* Number7930  Shikmiy-

Shechemites = "shoulder";

descendants of Shechem

5          And now your two sons, Ephrayim and Manassheh, who were born to you in the land of Mitzrayim before I came to you into Mitzrayim, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

Then we see that Ya’acov says any others you may beget will be yours, they will inherit from you and they will be grandsons to me. I see this as Ya’acov making Yoseph whole from the damage within the family wrought upon him by his brothers.

6          And your issue, which you beget after them, shall be yours and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

All other sons or daughters were to be of the tribe of Manassheh or Ephrayim.

We see Ya’acov remembering the love of his life, Raquel (Rachel) and he speaks of Yoseph’s mother.

7          And as for me, when I came from Padan, Raquel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was yet but a little way to come to Ephrath and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; also called Bethlehem . (Bet Lechem, House of Bread)

Coming back to the present, we are told that Ya’acov can no longer see very well and he asks who the young men with Yoseph are.

8          And Yisrael beheld Yoseph's sons and said, “Who are these?”

9          And Yoseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom Elohiym has given me in this place.” And Yisrael said, “Bring them to me, please and I will bless them.

10        Now the eyes of Yisrael were dim with age so that he could not see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them and embraced them.

11        And Yisrael said to Yoseph, “I had not thought to see your face again but look, Elohiym has shown me also your seed.”

We can see the immense miracle in finding a son who was thought dead and seeing not only him but his children as well.

12        And Yoseph brought them out from between his knees and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13        And Yoseph took them both, Ephrayim in his right hand toward Yisrael's left hand and Manassheh in his left hand toward Yisrael's right hand and brought them near to him.

Once again, we see that which was perceived as propriety redirected. We must regard Ya’acov’s changing of the usual order to be according to YHWH’s will.

14        And Yisrael stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the younger, Ephrayim's head, and his left hand upon Manassheh's head, knowingly guiding his hands; for Manassheh was the firstborn.

15        And he blessed Yoseph, and said, “Elohiym, before whom my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak walked, the Elohiym which fed me all my life long even to this day,

16        The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17        And when Yoseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephrayim, it displeased him and he held up his father's hand, thinking to remove it from Ephrayim's head on to Manassheh's head.

18        And Yoseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand upon his head.

19        And his father refused and said, “I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.”

Remember here that Ya’acov had taken the place of his brother Esau. He bought his brother’s birthright and ‘stole’ by deception, Esau’s blessing.

#3290  Ya` aqob-
Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter";
a son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 12 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel

#6215  `Esav-
Esau = "hairy";
the oldest son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Jacob. He sold the birthright for food when he was hungry and the divine blessing went to Jacob. Esau was the progenitor of the Arab people.

If you are not aware of this background story, I suggest you go and read it.

20        And he blessed them that day, saying, “In you shall Yisrael bless, saying, Elohiym make you as Ephrayim and as Manassheh: and he set Ephrayim before Manassheh.

Thus the future of the tribes was set.

21        And Yisrael said to Yoseph, “Look I am dying: but Elohiym shall be with you and bring you again into the land of your fathers.

22        Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Emoriy with my sword and with my bow.

CHAPTER 49

1          And Ya’acov called to his sons and said, "Gather together so that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days."

2          Gather yourselves together and hear; you sons of Ya’acov and pay heed to Yisrael your father.

3          Reuven, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning of my strength, the time of my excellent dignity and the epitome of my excellent power:

4          Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it: you went up to my couch.

5          Shimon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Commented upon above.

6          O my soul, do not come into their secret; into their assembly, my honor, do not be united with them, for in their anger they slew a man and in their pleasure and self will, they uprooted a bull or an ox (mighty ones).

7          Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Ya’acov and scatter them in Yisrael.

Their places, among the sons of Ya’acov, were forfeited based upon their attributes and actions and they were replaced by Yoseph’s sons (the faithful Yoseph).

8          Yahudah, you are he whom your brethren shall praise: your hand shall be on the nape of your enemy’s neck; your father's children shall bow down before you.

9          Yahudah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, you have gone up: you stooped down, you crouched as a young lion, and as an old lion; who shall dare to rouse you up?

10        The scepter shall not depart from Yahudah, nor shall there cease a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him shall the people gather.

# 7886  Shiyloh-

he whose it is, what belongs to him, tranquility; the meaning is uncertain.

If the meaning of Shiloh is ‘the one who owns tranquility’ then when this one and this time comes, then all the people shall be gathered together and we will no longer need a human king or lawgiver.

11        Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass's colt to the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12        His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

Does this mean that Yahudah and his progeny would have problems with drinking too much? Either wine or milk?

13        Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

Zebulun seems to dwell in safety and for some reason was put ahead of Yissachar. Perhaps others may see a reason why. If so I would be delighted to hear what you see.

14        Yissachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

15        And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

Does the symbolism around Yissachar mean he was strong but put peace first and thus became an indentured servant?

16        Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Yisrael.

17        Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path that bites the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

18        I have waited for your salvation, O YHWH.

Dan is described as an adder in the path (snakes are sometimes not easy to see) and this serpent does not touch the men but bites the horse’s heels, thus he causes a downfall without touching the rider, without confrontation at all. He is an instrument of YHWH’s salvation

19        Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

Gad’s territory was on the eastern side or the Yarden but he and the men of his tribe crossed to help the other tribes to win their battles for their land.  Gad would come back in the same way he had crossed and come back safely…thus over coming.

20        Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

Asher was to have a land of abundance where in was produced the delicacies fit for kings.

21        Naphtali is a hind let loose: he gives good words.

Poetic, tender, beautiful, free and graceful as a deer… that was Naphtali.

22        Yoseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall:

23        The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

24        But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty Elohiym of Ya’acov; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel .)

Yoseph has been sorely tried by the events in his life but through the hand of Almighty YHWH, he is victorious.

25        Even by the Elohiym of your father, who shall help you; and by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb:

26        The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Yoseph and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

Yoseph is blessed in every way as Yisrael blesses his sons.

27        Benyamin shall ravin (rend and tear to pieces) as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Benyamin will tear as a wolf on its’ prey but not with his own people for we are told that he would ravin and feed but would share the spoil with his people.

28        All these are the twelve tribes of Yisrael: and this is it what their father spoke unto them, when he blessed them; every one according to his blessing, he blessed them.

29        And he ordered them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people and you must bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30        In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Avraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place.

31        There they buried Avraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Yitzchak and Ribkah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

32        The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.

33        And when Ya’acov had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, died and was gathered to his people.

CHAPTER 50

1          And Yoseph fell upon his father's face, wept upon him and kissed him.

2          And Yoseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Yisrael.

Embalming was a way the Mitzriy dealt with their dead, no so the Hebrews, so we are not sure if embalmed should have been used here or if that was the only way Paro would have allowed the dead body to be transported.

Ya’acov was treated with the respect due a royal Mitzriy and might we some day find him in mummified form in the cave at Machpelah? Interesting thought.

Any input would be appreciated.

 3         And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Mitzriy mourned for him forty days.

4          And when the days of his mourning were past, Yoseph spoke to the house of Paro, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Paro saying,

5          “My father made me swear, saying, Look, I am dying: which I have dug my grave in the land of Canaan , there you shall bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I plead and bury my father, and I will come back to Mitzrayim again.

6          And Paro said, “Go up and bury your father, according as he made you swear.”

7          And Yoseph went up to bury his father and with him went up all the servants of Paro, the elders of his house and all the elders of the land of Mitzrayim ,

8          And all the house of Yoseph, his brethren and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen .

9          And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen and it was a very great company.

10        And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Yarden, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation and he made a public mourning for his father seven days.

Mourning customs included weeping and wailing, sitting in ashes, putting them on the head, dressing in sack-cloth, tearing your clothing to name just a few. I am sure you can find more.

11        And when the inhabitants of the land, the Kena-aniy (Canaanites), saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning to the Mitzriy so they changed the name of it, so it was called Abelmizraim (meadow of Mitzrayim), which is beyond Yarden.

12        And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:

13        For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan , and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Avraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying-place of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

14        And after he had buried his father, Yoseph returned into Mitzrayim, he, his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father.

15        And when Yoseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps, Yoseph will hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did to him.”

16        And they sent a messenger to Yoseph, saying, “Your father did command before he died, saying,

17        ‘So shall you say to Yoseph, Forgive, I pray, the trespass of your brothers and their sin for they did evil to you and now, we plead for you to forgive the trespass of the servants of the Elohiym of your father.”  Yoseph wept when they spoke to him.

I must wonder here if Yoseph wept because he was so happy to have his brothers there with him or if he wept because he saw the same old lies from them. They did not hesitate to tell Yoseph, their father had said forgive them although we see no record of that happening.

18        And his brethren also went and fell down before his face and they said, “Behold, we will be your servants.”

19        And Yoseph said to them, “Do not fear me for am I in the place of Elohiym?”

20        But as for you, you thought evil against me; but Elohiym turned it into good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.

21        Now therefore do not fear, I will nourish you and your little ones. And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Yoseph seems very aware of his brothers’ motives and determines to do only good to them knowing that YHWH was and is in charge and the He would deal with those who did not repent of their evil doings.

22        And Yoseph dwelt in Mitzrayim, he and his father's house. Yoseph lived an hundred and ten years.

23        And Yoseph saw Ephrayim's children of the third generation and the children of Machir, the son of Manassheh were also brought up, upon Yoseph's knees.

24        And Yoseph said to his brothers, I dying and Elohiym will surely visit you and bring you out of this land into the land which he swore to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’acov.

25        And Yoseph took an oath of the children of Yisrael, saying, “Elohiym will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

26        So Yoseph died, being an hundred and ten years old and they embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Mitzrayim.

Here again, we see the mention of embalming a Hebrew. What do you make of it?

Next Week, We will be reading:

Parashah Shemos  (The Names)

Shemot (Exodus) 1:1-6:1

Try to join us

 

For More Information:
 

The twelve tribal heads, sons of Ya’acov/Yisrael   (Jacob in English)

Hebrew

Hebrew pronunciation

 

English

English Pronunciation

 

 

 

 

 

1. Reuwben

Ru’ven

 

Reuben 

Rub’-n

2. Shimyown

Shim-yown’

 

(Simeon)

(Sim’-e-own)

3. Levi             

(Lev’-e)

 

Levi

(Lee-Vi’)

4. Yahudah  

Ya-hu’-dah

 

( Judah )  

(Jude’uh)

5. Yissaskar

Yees-uh-car

 

(Issacar)  

(Iss-uh-car’)

6. Zevuluwn

Zev-u-loon

 

(Zebulun)

(Zeb’-ya-lun)

7. Gad               

(Gawd)

 

Gad

(G-add)

8. Asher       

Aw-Share 

 

Asher

(Ash’-er)

9. Yoseph*

Yo’sef

 

Joseph

Joe-suf’

*Mannasheh

Muh-nah’-sha

 

Manasses

Muh-nass’es

*Ephrayim

Ef-ri’-em

 

Ephraim

Eef’-rum

10. Benyamin

Ben-yah-mean’

 

Benjamin

Benge’-uh-min

11. Dan

Don

 

Dan

Dan

12. Naphtali

Naf-taw-lee’

 

Naphtali

Naf-tuh-lee’

 

 

 

 

 

 

* In the later counting of the tribes, Yoseph and Levi are not counted as a tribal
head but their names are replaced with the names of Yoseph’s two sons,
Manassheh and Ephrayim, thereby maintaining the twelve tribes.

 

 

 Following are the families with the meanings of their names:

(1) 7205  Re'uwben-

Reuben = "behold a son";

2585  Chanowk-

as a proper noun, masculine: Enoch = "dedicated";

5) the oldest son of Reuben

6396  Palluw'-

Pallu or Phallu = "distinguished";

the second son of Reuben, father of Eliab, and progenitor of a family of Israel

2696  Chetsrown-

Hezron = "surrounded by a wall";

3756  Karmiy-

Carmi = "my vineyard";

(2) 8095  Shim` own (shim-one');

Simeon or Shimeon = "heard"

3223  Yemuw'el-

Jemuel = "day of God";

the oldest son of Simeon

3226  Yamiyn-

Jamin = "right hand";

161  'Ohad-

Ohad = "united";

a son of Simeon and a grandson of Jacob

3199  Yakiyn-

Jachin = "He will establish";

6714  Tsochar (tso'-khar);

from the same as 6713; whiteness; Tsochar

KJV-- Zohar. Compare 3328.

7586  Sha'uwl-

Saul or Shaul = "desired";

(3) 3878  Leviy-

Levi = "joined to";

1648  Gereshown or Gereshowm-

Gershon or Gershom = "exile";

the firstborn son of Levi
6955  Qehath-

Kohath = "assembly";

the second of the third sons of Levi and the progenitor of a family in the tribe of Levi

4847  Merariy-

Merari = "bitter";

the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family

(4) 3063  Yehuwdah-

Judah = "praised";

6147  `Er-

Er = "awake";

1) the oldest son of Judah

2) the son of Shelah and grandson of Judah

209  'Ownan-

Onan = "strong";

the second son of Judah , slain by God for not fulfilling the Levitical requirement to sire a child with the wife of a dead, childless brother

7956  Shelah-

Shelah = "a petition";

the youngest son of Judah killed by God for refusing to obey the law for levirate marriage with Tamar

6557  Perets-

Perez or Pharez = "breach";

the twin son with Zarah of Judah by Tamar and ancestor of two families of Judah ,

2226  Zerach-

Zerah or Zarah = "rising";

2538  Chamuwl (khaw-mool');

from 2550; pitied; Chamul, an Israelite:

(5) 3485  Yissaskar (yis-saw-kawr');

(strictly yis-saws-kawr'); from 5375 and 7939; he will bring a reward; Jissaskar, a son of Jacob:

8439  Towla` (to-law');

the same as 8438; worm; Tola, the name of two Israelites:

KJV-- Tola.

6312  Puw'ah or Puvvah-

Puah or Pua or Phuvah = "splendid";

3102  Yowb-

Job = "persecuted";

the third son of Issachar; also called `Jashub'

8110  Shimrown-

Shimron = "watch-height";

(6) 2074  Zebuwluwn or Zebuluwn or Zebuwlun-

Zebulun = "exalted";

5624  Cered-

Sered = "fear";

the first son of Zebulun

356  'Eylown or (shortened) 'Elown or Eylon-

Elon = "terebinth, mighty";

3177  Yachle'el-

Jahleel = "God waits";

the third of the 3 sons of Zebulun;

 

3812  Le'ah-
Leah = "weary";

Dinah 1783  Diynah-
Dinah = "judgment";
daughter of Jacob by Leah, full sister of Simeon and Levi

(7) 1410  Gad-

Gad = "troop";

6837  Tsiphyown-

Ziphion = "lookout";

2291  Chaggiy-

Haggi = "festive";

6837  Tsiphyown-

Ziphion = "lookout";

2291  Chaggiy-

Haggi = "festive";

7764  Shuwniy-

Shuni = "fortunate";

675  'Etsbown or 'Etsbon-

Ezbon = "hasting to discern: I will be enlargement";

6179  `Eriy-

Eri = "watchful";

722  'Arowdiy-

Arodi or Arodites = "I shall subdue; I shall roam";

(8) 836  'Asher-

Asher = "happy";

3232  Yimnah-

as a proper noun, masculine: Imna or Imnah or Jimnah = "right hand";

3438  Yishvah-

Ishuai or Isuah = "he will resemble";

the second son of Asher

3440  Yishviy-

Ishui or Ishuai or Isui or Jesui = "he resembles me";

1283  Beriy` ah-

Beriah = "with a friend";

8294  Serach-

Serah = "the prince breathed";

the daughter of Asher; see also `Sarah'

1283  Beriy` ah-

Beriah = "with a friend";

2268  Cheber-

Heber = "comrade";

4439  Malkiy'el-

Malchiel = "my king is God";  

(9) 3130  Yowceph-
Joseph = "Jehovah (Yahweh) has added";

(9a) 4519  Menashsheh-

Manasseh = "causing to forget";

(9b) 669  'Ephrayim-

Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful";

(10) 1144  Binyamiyn- Benjamin = "son of the right hand";
1106  Bela`-

Bela = "destruction";

1071  Beker-

Becher = "young camel";

788  'Ashbel-

Ashbel = "a man in God: a man of Baal: fire of Bel: I will make a path";

1617  Gera '-

Gera = "a grain";

5283  Na` aman-

Naaman = "pleasantness";

278  'Echiy-

Ehi = "my brother";

7220  Ro'sh-

Rosh = "head";

4649  Muppiym-

Muppim = "serpent";

2650  Chuppiym-

Huppim = "protected";

714  `Ard-

Ard = "I shall subdue";

 (11) 1835  Dan-

Dan = "a judge";

1) the 5th son of Jacob, the 1st of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid

2) the tribe descended from Dan, the son of Jacob

as a proper noun, location:

3) a city in Dan, the most northern landmark of Palestine

Dan’s son: Hushi
2366  Chuwshiym or Chushiym or Chushim-

Hushim = "who makes haste";
as a proper noun, feminine:

1) one of the two wives of Shaharaim

as a proper noun, masculine:

2) the sons of Aher, a Benjamite

3) descendants of Dan

(12) 5321  Naphtaliy-

Naphtali = "wrestling";

as a proper noun, masculine:

1) the fifth son of Jacob and the second by Bilhah the handmaid of Rachel

2) the tribe descended from Naphtali the son of Jacob

as a proper noun, location:

3) the territory assigned to the tribe of Naphtali

And the sons of Naphtali;

Jahzeel, 3183  Yachtse'el-

Jahzeel = "God divides";

the first of the 4 sons of Naphtali and the founder of the family of Jahzeelites

 Guni, 1476  Guwniy-

Guni = "my defender (?)";1)

a son of Naphtali and founder of the family of Gunites

2) a descendant of Gad
Jezer, 3337  Yetser-

Jezer = "forming";

the third son of Naphtali and the founder of the family of Jezerites
 Shillem.  8006  Shillem-

Shillem = "repaid";

a son of Naphtali

 

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