Genesis 49:15

Genesis 49:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.

Context of Genesis 49:15

13“Zebulun shall dwell at the seashore; And he shall be a haven (landing place) for ships, And his flank shall be toward Sidon. 14“Issachar is [like] a strong-boned donkey, Crouching down between the sheepfolds. When he saw that the resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear [burdens], And became a servant at forced labor. 16“Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. 17Dan shall be a [venomous] serpent in the way, A fanged snake in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, So that his rider falls backward.

Genesis 49:15 word by word

וַיַּ֤רְא מְנֻחָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב וְאֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ כִּ֣י נָעֵ֑מָה וַיֵּ֤ט שִׁכְמוֹ֙ לִסְבֹּ֔ל וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס־עֹבֵֽד׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that restמְנוּחָהmenûchâh menûchâh · restingH4496
• goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• and the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• pleasantנָעֵםnâ‛êm · be pleasantH5276
• and bowedנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• his shoulderשְׁכֶםshekem · shoulderH7926
• to bearסָבַלsâbal · to bearH5445
• and became a servantעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• unto tributeמַסmas mis · taskworkerH4522

Cross-references for Genesis 49:15

• Joshua 14:15The name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba [city of Arba]; for Arba was the greatest man among the [giant-like] Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.
• Judges 3:11And the land was at rest [from oppression for] forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
• 2 Samuel 7:1When King David lived in his house (palace) and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
• Psalms 81:6“I removed the burden from his shoulder; His hands were freed from the basket.
• Ezekiel 29:18“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army work hard [at My command] against Tyre; every [soldier’s] head became bald and every shoulder was worn and peeled [from carrying loads of dirt and stones for siege works]. Yet he had no wages from Tyre [in proportion to the time and labor expended during the siege], either for himself or his army, for the work that he had done against it [for Me].”
• Matthew 23:4The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].

Commentaries on Genesis 49:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15He saw that rest - The inland portion that was assigned to him between the other tribes. He inclined his shoulder to the load; the Chaldee paraphrase gives this a widely different turn to that given it by most commentators: "He saw his portion that it was good, and the land that it was fruitful; and he shall subdue the provinces of the people, and drive out their inhabitants, and those who are left shall be his servants, and his tributaries." Grotius…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-33Verses 1-33 - Jacob Blesses His Sons 5. מכרה mekêrāh “weapon;” related: כיר kārar or כרה kārāh dig. “Device, design?” related: מכר mākar “sell,” in Arabic “take counsel. Habitation.” 10. מחקק mechoqēq “lawgiver, judge, dispenser of laws.” This word occurs in six other places - Numbers 21:18; Deuteronomy 33:21; Jud. Deuteronomy 5:14; Psalm 60:9; Psalm 108:9; Isaiah 33:22; in five of which it clearly denotes ruler, or judge. The meaning “sceptre” is…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 Concerning Zebulun: if prophecy says, Zebulun shall be a haven of ships, be sure Providence will so plant him. God appoints the bounds of our habitation. It is our wisdom and duty to accommodate ourselves to our lot, and to improve it; if Zebulun dwell at the heaven of the sea, let him be for a haven of ships. Concerning Issachar: he saw that the land was pleasant, yielding not only pleasant prospects, but pleasant fruits to recompense his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15Issachar would become a tribe that had to do hard work for others. Invading armies often controlled Issachar.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331. Jacob called unto his sons--It is not to the sayings of the dying saint, so much as of the inspired prophet, that attention is called in this chapter. Under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit he pronounced his prophetic benediction and described the condition of their respective descendants in the last days, or future times. Ge 49:3, 4. Reuben forfeited by his crime the rights and honors of primogeniture. His posterity never made any figure; no…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 49:15

• Death
• Issachar
• Jacob
• Parents

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Blood
• Devour
• Fierce
• Issachar
• Raven
• Rouse
• Shoot
• Troop
• Unite

Commentaries on Genesis 49

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings