The Meaning of Genesis 49:21 Explained

Genesis 49:21

KJV: Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

YLT: Naphtali is a hind sent away, Who is giving beauteous young ones.

Darby: Naphtali is a hind let loose; He giveth goodly words.

ASV: Naphtali is a hind let loose: He giveth goodly words.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Naphtali  [is] a hind  let loose:  he giveth  goodly  words. 

What does Genesis 49:21 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 49:21 mean?

Naphtali [is] a deer set free that bears fawns beautiful -
נַפְתָּלִ֖י אַיָּלָ֣ה שְׁלֻחָ֑ה הַנֹּתֵ֖ן אִמְרֵי־ שָֽׁפֶר ס

נַפְתָּלִ֖י  Naphtali  [is] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַפְתָּלִי  
Sense: the 5th son of Jacob and the 2nd by Bilhah the handmaid of Rachel.
אַיָּלָ֣ה  a  deer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַיָּלָה  
Sense: doe, deer, hind.
שְׁלֻחָ֑ה  set  free 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַנֹּתֵ֖ן  that  bears 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אִמְרֵי־  fawns 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֵמֶר 
Sense: utterance, speech, word, saying, promise, command.
שָֽׁפֶר  beautiful 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁפֶר  
Sense: beauty, goodness, goodliness.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation