“Gather together and listen, sons of Jacob; Yes, listen to Israel your father.
Parallel translations
- WEB Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
- KJV Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
- BSB Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
- NKJV “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father.
- NLT “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.
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
Jacob summons his sons to assemble and listen to their father Israel.
Overview
The repeated call to gather and hear underscores the solemn, authoritative weight of what follows. Using both his names, Jacob and Israel, links his personal fatherhood to his covenant identity as the nation's head. The summons to 'listen' models the response God's people are always called to give to His revealed word (Proverbs 4:1).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 34:11Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
- Prov 23:22Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
- Prov 5:1My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding:
- Prov 7:1My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
- Prov 6:20My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
- Prov 23:26My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
- Prov 7:24Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
- Prov 8:32“Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
- Prov 1:8–9My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:
- Prov 4:1–4Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 49:2 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.