Hebrews 11 21

Hebrews 11:21 kjv

By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:21 nkjv

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:21 niv

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:21 esv

By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.

Hebrews 11:21 nlt

It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

Hebrews 11 verses

Hebrews 11 21 Meaning

Hebrews 11:21 declares that by faith, Jacob, in his dying moments, performed two significant acts. Firstly, he imparted a divine blessing to each of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, acknowledging their future and God’s covenant with his descendants. Secondly, he worshipped God, demonstrating deep reverence and adoration even in physical weakness, leaning upon the top of his staff. This verse encapsulates a life of faith culminating in a final act of spiritual authority and devotion, reflecting Jacob’s steadfast reliance on God's promises even when facing death.

Hebrews 11 21 Context

Hebrews 11 is renowned as the "faith hall of fame," chronicling exemplary figures from the Old Testament who lived by faith, often facing trials, long delays, or death without seeing the complete fulfillment of God's promises. Jacob is placed among these heroes as his life culminates in a demonstration of enduring faith. Specifically, verse 21 highlights Jacob's actions just before his death, as recorded in Genesis chapters 47 and 48.

The historical and cultural context involves the profound significance of a dying patriarch's blessing. Such blessings were seen as divinely ordained pronouncements, shaping the destiny and inheritance of future generations. Jacob's actions, particularly in preferring Ephraim over Manasseh, underscore God’s sovereignty, demonstrating that His ways and choices often transcend human logic or seniority. The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament used by the author of Hebrews, is crucial here. While the Hebrew text of Gen 47:31 reads "bowed himself on the head of his bed," the LXX renders it as "bowed himself upon the top of his staff," which is what Hebrews quotes directly. This change highlights Jacob’s pilgrimage and his enduring dependence on God through all his life's journeys, symbolizing his weakness yet spiritual strength.

Hebrews 11 21 Word analysis

• By faith (Greek: Pistei, Πίστει): An instrumental dative, signifying that faith was the means or instrument through which Jacob performed his actions. It underscores the active nature of his reliance on God's unseen promises and the reality of a future beyond his physical end. This is the governing theme of Hebrews 11.
• Jacob (Greek: Iakōb, Ἰακὼβ): The patriarch whose life was marked by both struggles and profound encounters with God. His faith, though at times faltering, ultimately rested in God’s faithfulness, making his final acts exemplary.
• when he was dying (Greek: apothnēskōn, ἀποθνήσκων): A present participle, emphasizing the very moment of his physical demise. It highlights that Jacob’s faith was active and powerful even at his weakest and last moments, when the invisible spiritual realities became most prominent.
• blessed (Greek: eulogēsen, εὐλόγησεν): Implies not merely wishing well, but a divine bestowal of favor and a prophetic pronouncement with lasting spiritual implications, especially within the patriarchal context.
• each of the sons of Joseph (Greek: hekateron tōn huiōn Iōsēph, ἑκάτερον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰωσὴφ): Specifically Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 48). Jacob effectively adopted them, giving them tribal status equal to his own sons. This act cemented Joseph’s double inheritance within Israel.
• and worshiped (Greek: kai prosekuēsen, καὶ προσεκύνησεν): Denotes an act of humble adoration, profound reverence, and bowing down, typically prostration, signifying complete submission to God. This elevates the blessing from a mere family tradition to a spiritual act of devotion.
• leaning on the top of his staff (Greek: epi to akron tēs rhabdou autou, ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ):
  • Staff (rhabdou, ῥάβδου): A symbol of support, guidance, authority, and pilgrimage (Gen 32:10: "with my staff I crossed this Jordan"). For the aged Jacob, it literally represented physical support.
  • The phrase leaning on the top of his staff directly references the Septuagint's translation of Gen 47:31, which differs from the Hebrew Masoretic Text ("head of his bed"). The author of Hebrews, quoting the LXX, transforms a bed-bound gesture into a public act of worship, associating Jacob’s final act with his long life of journeying with God, demonstrating that his lifelong reliance on God continued to his very last breath, in a posture of adoration. This imagery is highly significant.

Hebrews 11 21 Bonus section

The deliberate use of the Septuagint (LXX) translation for Gen 47:31 by the author of Hebrews holds significant theological weight. By changing "head of his bed" to "top of his staff," the author likely sought to emphasize Jacob's spiritual posture of a lifelong pilgrim and his dependence on God, rather than merely a gesture confined to his dying bed. The staff imagery aligns perfectly with the theme of the faithful journeying toward a heavenly city, as developed throughout Hebrews 11. It paints Jacob as not just receiving a blessing on his deathbed but actively engaging in worship and prophetic declaration, using even the symbols of his life's long journey as aids to his faith and adoration. This slight textual variation used by the inspired author provides a powerful visual of a faith that remains active and expressive, embodying spiritual strength even in utmost physical weakness.

Hebrews 11 21 Commentary

Hebrews 11:21 provides a profound glimpse into Jacob’s unwavering faith at the twilight of his life. Despite his physical weakness and approaching death, Jacob acted with authority, confident in God’s future promises. His blessing of Joseph's sons was a specific act of faith, recognizing that God's plan and blessing (particularly upon Ephraim over Manasseh) transcended conventional human order or seniority, as detailed in Gen 48. This decision underlined God’s sovereign choice, echoing divine patterns seen throughout salvation history.

More strikingly, the verse adds that Jacob "worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff." This particular detail, drawn from the Septuagint translation of Genesis, enriches the narrative by connecting Jacob’s dying act to his life-long pilgrimage. The staff, representing his long journey, his physical dependence, and perhaps even a shepherd’s rod of guidance, became an object of support during an act of humble, deep spiritual reverence. It highlights that Jacob’s faith was not just intellectual assent but expressed itself in tangible acts of spiritual submission and adoration, even when physically feeble. His final posture underscored his absolute reliance on God, a fitting culmination to a life of seeking and finding God's promises amidst struggles and blessings. Jacob’s faith empowered him to impart future realities to his descendants and to worship the Lord of the covenant, solidifying his place as a hero of faith.

• Practical Usage Examples:
  • Like Jacob, believers are called to maintain their faith and devotion, especially in challenging or final stages of life.
  • Recognize that true worship is not limited by physical ability or circumstances.
  • Understand that God's blessings and plans often defy human logic or expectations.