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Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
Genesis 49:24 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
  • KJV But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
  • NKJV But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
  • NASB But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
  • NLT But his bow remained taut, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Yet Joseph's strength held firm, upheld by the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd and Stone of Israel.

Overview

Despite the attacks, Joseph remained strong because God strengthened him. The rich titles, Mighty One, Shepherd, and Stone, exalt the Lord as the true source of Joseph's endurance. These names anticipate Christ, the Good Shepherd and the Stone the builders rejected who became the cornerstone (John 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6-7).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 40

  • Ps 132:2how he swore an oath to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
  • Isa 28:16So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.
  • Ps 132:5until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
  • Job 29:20My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
  • Ps 80:1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
  • 2 Tim 4:17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.
  • Ps 18:30As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
  • Isa 1:24Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.
  • Gen 45:11And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’
  • Gen 47:12Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.
  • Ps 44:7For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.
  • Rom 14:4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
  • Deut 32:4He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
  • Ps 118:22The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
  • Eph 2:20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
  • 1 Pet 2:4–8As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,
  • Gen 35:10–11And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.
  • Ps 37:14–15The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
  • Isa 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
  • Gen 45:5And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.
  • Ps 89:1A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the loving devotion of the LORD forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.
  • Josh 1:1–9Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying,
  • Zech 10:12I will strengthen them in the LORD, and in His name they will walk,” declares the LORD.
  • Isa 29:24Then the wayward in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction.”
  • Luke 20:17But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?
  • Josh 24:1–33Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
  • Neh 6:9For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
  • Ps 23:1A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
  • Gen 50:21Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.
  • Exod 3:6Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
  • Num 27:16–18“May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation
  • Ps 28:8The LORD is the strength of His people, a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.
  • Ps 18:32–35It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
  • Gen 45:7God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
  • Deut 34:9Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
  • Col 1:11being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
  • Acts 4:11This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
  • Ps 27:14Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
  • Isa 60:16You will drink the milk of nations and nurse at the breasts of royalty; you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
  • Matt 21:42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Genesis videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Genesis 49:24YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GenesisMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 49:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.