John Calvin Commentary Genesis 49:1

"And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days." — Genesis 49:1 (ASV)

And Jacob called. In the previous chapter, the blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh was related (Genesis 48:1), because, before Jacob was to treat of the state of the whole nation that would spring from him, it was right that these two grandsons should be included among his sons.

Now, as if carried above the heavens, he announces, not as a man, but as from the mouth of God, what will be the condition of them all for a long time to come. It is first important to note that, as he then had thirteen sons, he envisions in each of them the same number of nations or tribes; in this act, the admirable splendor of his faith is evident.

For since he had often heard from the Lord that his offspring would be increased to a multitude of people, this oracle is to him like a sublime mirror, in which he can perceive things deeply hidden from human understanding. Moreover, this is not a simple confession of faith, by which Jacob testifies that he hopes for whatever had been promised him by the Lord; rather, he rises superior to men, as the interpreter and ambassador of God, to regulate the future state of the Church.

Now, since some interpreters perceived this prophecy to be noble and magnificent, they have thought that it would not be adorned with its proper dignity unless they could extract from it certain new mysteries. Thus it has happened that, in striving earnestly to draw out profound allegories, they have departed from the genuine sense of the words and have corrupted, by their own inventions, what is here delivered for the solid edification of the pious.

But so that we do not depreciate the literal sense, as if it did not contain speculations sufficiently profound, let us mark the design of the Holy Spirit. In the first place, the sons of Jacob are informed beforehand of their future fortune, so that they may know themselves to be objects of the special care of God. And, although the whole world is governed by His providence, they, nevertheless, are preferred to other nations, as members of His own household.

It seems apparently a lowly and contemptible thing that a region productive of vines, which would yield an abundance of choice wine, and one rich in pastures, which would supply milk, is promised to the tribe of Judah. But if anyone will consider that the Lord is by this giving an illustrious proof of His own election, in descending, like the father of a family, to the care of food, and also showing, even in small matters, that He is united by the sacred bond of a covenant to the children of Abraham, he will look for no deeper mystery.

Second, the hope of the promised inheritance is again renewed to them. And, therefore, Jacob, as if he would put them in possession of the land by his own hand, explains plainly, and as in an affair actually present, what kind of habitation would belong to each of them.

Can the confirmation of a matter so serious appear contemptible to sensible and prudent readers? It is, however, the principal design of Jacob more correctly to point out from where a king would arise among them, who would bring them complete blessedness. And in this manner he explains what had been promised obscurely concerning the blessed seed.

In these things there is so great weight that the mere consideration of them, if only we were skillful interpreters, should rightly fill us with admiration. But (omitting all things else) an advantage of no common kind consists in this single point: that the mouth of impure and profane men, who freely undermine the credibility of Moses, is shut, so that they no longer dare to contend that he did not speak by divine inspiration.

Let us imagine that Moses does not relate what Jacob had prophesied before, but speaks in his own person. From where, then, could he divine what did not happen until many ages afterwards? Such, for instance, is the prophecy concerning the kingdom of David.

And there is no doubt that God commanded the land to be divided by lot, to prevent any suspicion from arising that Joshua had divided it among the tribes by agreement, and as he had been instructed by his master.

After the Israelites had obtained possession of the land, the division of it was not made by the will of men. How was it that a dwelling near the seashore was given to the tribe of Zebulun, a fruitful plain to the tribe of Asher, and to the others, by lot, what is here recorded, except that the Lord would ratify His oracles by the result, and would show openly that nothing then occurred which He had not, a long time before, declared would take place?

I now return to the words of Moses, in which holy Jacob is introduced, relating what he had been taught by the Holy Spirit concerning events still very remote. But some, with fierce anger, demand, "From where did Moses derive his knowledge of a conversation held in an obscure hut two hundred years before his time?"

I ask in return, before I give an answer: From where did he get his knowledge of the places in the land of Canaan, which he assigns, like a skillful surveyor, to each tribe? If this was knowledge derived from heaven (which must be granted), why will these godless chatterers deny that the things which Jacob predicted were divinely revealed to Moses?

Besides, among many other things which the holy fathers had handed down by tradition, this prediction might then be generally known. How was it that the people, when tyrannically oppressed, implored the assistance of God as their deliverer? How was it that at the simple hearing of a promise previously given, they raised their minds to a good hope, unless some remembrance of the divine adoption still flourished among them?

If there was a general acquaintance with the covenant of the Lord among the people, how impudent it would be to deny that the heavenly servants of God more accurately investigated whatever was important to be known respecting the promised inheritance! For the Lord did not utter oracles by the mouth of Jacob which, after His death, a sudden oblivion would destroy, as if He had breathed I do not know what sounds into the air.

But rather, He delivered instructions common to many ages, so that His posterity might know from what source their redemption, as well as the hereditary title of the land, flowed down to them. We know how reluctantly, and even timidly, Moses undertook the task assigned to him when he was called to deliver his own people, because he was aware that he would have to deal with an unmanageable and rebellious nation.

It was, therefore, necessary that he should come prepared with certain credentials which might give proof of his vocation. And, therefore, he presented these predictions as public documents from the sacred archives of God, so that no one might suppose him to have intruded rashly into his office.

Gather yourselves together. Jacob begins by inviting their attention. For he gravely enters on his subject and claims for himself the authority of a prophet, in order to teach his sons that he is not at all making a private disposition of his household affairs in a will, but that he is expressing in words those oracles which are deposited with him, until the event will follow at the proper time.

He does not command them simply to listen to his wishes, but gathers them into an assembly by a solemn rite, so that they may hear what will occur to them in the course of time. Moreover, I do not doubt that he places this future period of which he speaks in opposition to their exile in Egypt, so that, when their minds were in suspense, they might look forward to that promised state.

Now, from the remarks above, it can be easily inferred that this prophecy includes the whole period from the departure out of Egypt to the reign of Christ: not that Jacob enumerates every event, but that, in the summary of things on which he briefly touches, he arranges a settled order and course until Christ should appear.