When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.
Parallel translations
- WEB When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
- KJV And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
- NKJV And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
- NASB When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
- NLT When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.
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
Having blessed his sons, Jacob lies back, breathes his last, and is gathered to his people.
Overview
Jacob dies in peace and faith, his work of blessing complete and his hope fixed on God's promises. 'Gathered to his people' hints at a continuing existence beyond death, joining the covenant fathers. His faith-filled death points forward to the resurrection hope secured in Christ, who has conquered the grave (Hebrews 11:21-22; 2 Timothy 1:10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Gen 49:29Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
- Gen 25:8And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.
- Gen 35:29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
- Heb 11:13–16All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
- Job 30:23Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.
- Heb 11:22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.
- Isa 57:1–2The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, while no one considers that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil.
- Gen 25:17Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.
- Eccl 12:7before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Josh 24:27–29And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”
- Gen 15:5And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
- Gen 49:1Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:
- Heb 12:23in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
- Luke 2:29“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace.
- Gen 49:24–26Yet 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,
- Job 5:26You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.
- Acts 7:15So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.
- Job 14:10But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
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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 49:33 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
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