The Meaning of Genesis 49:15 Explained

Genesis 49:15

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.

YLT: And he seeth rest that it is good, And the land that it is pleasant, And he inclineth his shoulder to bear, And is to tribute a servant.

Darby: And he saw the rest that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And was a tributary servant.

ASV: And he saw a resting-place that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant under taskwork.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 49:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 49:13-27 - Joseph Specially Blessed
The position of Zebulun and the following tribes in the land of promise is accurately foretold. Compare the allotments of Joshua 18:1-28. Notice the exclamation of the dying man in Genesis 49:18. Such a spirit of waiting cannot be disappointed. See Isaiah 26:8-9. Joseph's blessing is pre-eminently beautiful: Fruitful! This is mentioned twice, reminding us of John 15:8. But fruitfulness is only possible where there is the wall for separation, and the well for communion. When these are present, the branches droop over the wall with clusters of blessings to a thirsty world. Let us seek divine strength and ask that the mighty hands of the God of Jacob may be placed under our own poor weak hands! See Psalms 141:1. The separated life is the crowned life. To the heart of the dying man came the memory of his native land and its mountains. What mountains are to a country, God is to His people! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 49

1  Jacob calls his sons to bless them
3  Their blessing in particular
29  He charges them about his burial
33  He dies

What do the individual words in Genesis 49:15 mean?

And He saw rest [was] that good and the land [was] pleasant and He bowed his shoulder to bear [a burden] and became a band of slaves -
וַיַּ֤רְא מְנֻחָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב וְאֶת־ הָאָ֖רֶץ נָעֵ֑מָה וַיֵּ֤ט שִׁכְמוֹ֙ לִסְבֹּ֔ל וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס־ עֹבֵֽד ס

וַיַּ֤רְא  And  He  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
מְנֻחָה֙  rest  [was] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְנוּחָה 
Sense: resting place, rest.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
ט֔וֹב  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
הָאָ֖רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נָעֵ֑מָה  [was]  pleasant 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָעֵם  
Sense: (Qal) to be pleasant, be beautiful, be sweet, be delightful, be lovely.
וַיֵּ֤ט  and  He  bowed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
שִׁכְמוֹ֙  his  shoulder 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם  
Sense: shoulder, back.
לִסְבֹּ֔ל  to  bear  [a  burden] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סָבַל  
Sense: to bear, bear a load, drag oneself along.
וַיְהִ֖י  and  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְמַס־  a  band 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַס  
Sense: gang or body of forced labourers, task-workers, labour band or gang, forced service, task-work, serfdom, tributary, tribute, levy, taskmasters, discomfited.
עֹבֵֽד  of  slaves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation