Genesis 49:33

And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons,.... Had given all the proper directions and instructions concerning his interment in the land of Canaan: he gathered up his feet into the bed;

Commanding his sons, to wit, concerning the place of his burial. Whilst he was employed in that most solemn and religious work of blessing his children in the name and by the Spirit of God, he used as reverent a posture as his infirm body would permit, and therefore is supposed to sit upon his bedside with his feet hanging downwards. And when he had finished that great work, and wearied himself with so long speech delivered with a most raised and affected mind, he composed himself to rest, and waited for the comfortable approach of his death, which speedily followed it.

Genesis 49:33 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.Ver. 33. He gathered up his feet.] He quietly composed himself, as it were, to sleep in Jesus. He had stretched out himself before, saith Musculus, as well as he could, for reverence to the word of God, which he delivered, &c. And was gathered unto his people.] To "the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven." In Jerusalem, records were kept of the names of all the citizens. So is it in heaven, where Jacob is now a denizen.

(33) He gathered up his feet into the bed.—This seems to indicate that the events recorded in Genesis 48, 49 all took place at the same time. In Genesis 48:2 we read that Jacob strengthened himself for this great final effort, seating himself upon the bed and placing his feet upon the ground. (See Genesis 49:12.) And now that all was over, wearied with what must have sorely exercised both his feelings and his physical powers, he gathered himself together upon the bed, and probably soon afterwards peaceably passed away to his eternal rest.

Verse 33. He gathered up his feet into the bed] It is very probable that while delivering these prophetic blessings Jacob sat upon the side of his bed, leaning upon his staff; and having finished, he lifted up his feet into the bed, stretched himself upon it, and expired! And was gathered unto his people.] The testimony that this place bears to the immortality of the soul, and to its existence separate from the body, should not be lightly regarded. In the same moment in which Jacob is said to have gathered up his feet into the bed, and to have expired, it is added, and was gathered unto his people. It is certain that his body was not then gathered to his people, nor till seven weeks after; and it is not likely that a circumstance, so distant in point both of time and place, would have been thus anticipated, and associated with facts that took place in that moment. I cannot help therefore considering this an additional evidence for the immateriality of the soul, and that it was intended by the Holy Spirit to convey this grand and consolatory sentiment, that when a holy man ceases to live among his fellows, his soul becomes an inhabitant of another world, and is joined to the spirits of just men made perfect. 1. IT has been conjectured (See Clarke on Genesis 37:9) that the eleven stars that bowed down to Joseph might probably refer to the signs of the Zodiac, which were very anciently known in Egypt, and are supposed to have had their origin in Chaldea. On this supposition Joseph's eleven brethren answered to eleven of these signs, and himself to the twelfth. General Vallancy has endeavoured, in his Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, vol. vi., part. ii., p. 343, to trace out the analogy between the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve signs of the Zodiac, which Dr. Hales (Analysis, vol. ii., p. 165) has altered a little, and placed in a form in which it becomes more generally applicable. As this scheme is curious, many readers who may not have the opportunity of consulting the above works will be pleased to find it here. That there is an allusion to the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and probably to their ancient asterisms, may be readily credited; but how far the peculiar characteristics of the sons of Jacob were expressed by the animals in the Zodiac, is a widely different question. 1. RUBEN - "Unstable (rather pouring out) as waters" - the sign AQUARIUS, represented as a man pouring out waters from an urn. 2. SIMEON and LEVI - "The united brethren" the sign GEMINI or the Twins. 3. JUDAH - "The strong lion" - the sign LEO. 4. ASHER - "His bread shall be fat" - the sign VIRGO or the Virgin, generally represented as holding a full ear of corn. 5. ISSACHAR - "A strong ass" or ox, both used in husbandry - the sign TAURUS or the Bull. 6. and 7.

33. gathered up his feet] Jacob now lay down; he had been sitting. See Genesis 48:2 (E). yielded up the ghost] Cf. Genesis 25:8 (P). The phrase is an English one. The Hebrew has simply “and expired.” LXX ἐξέλιπε; Lat. obiit. unto his people] See note on Genesis 25:8. The present passage shews clearly that “to be gathered unto one’s people” is not burial in the ancestral place of sepulture (for the account of Jacob’s burial seventy days later comes in the next chapter); but the soul’s departure to the gathering-place of the deceased members of the family, i.e. Sheτl.

33. Gathered up his feet into the bed — While uttering his prophecy he had strengthened himself and sat upon his bed, (comp. Genesis 48:2;) now he replaces his feet on the bed, and calmly breathes out his life.