The Meaning of Genesis 49:24 Explained

Genesis 49:24

KJV: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

YLT: And his bow abideth in strength, And strengthened are the arms of his hands By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, Whence is a shepherd, a son of Israel.

Darby: But his bow abideth firm, And the arms of his hands are supple By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:

ASV: But his bow abode in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong, By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But his bow  abode  in strength,  and the arms  of his hands  were made strong  by the hands  of the mighty  [God] of Jacob;  (from thence [is] the shepherd,  the stone  of Israel:  ) 

What does Genesis 49:24 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 49:24 mean?

But remained in strength his bow were tempered the arms of his hands by the hands of the Mighty [God] of Jacob from there [is] the Shepherd the Stone of Israel
וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן֙ קַשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַיָּפֹ֖זּוּ זְרֹעֵ֣י יָדָ֑יו מִידֵי֙ אֲבִ֣יר יַעֲקֹ֔ב מִשָּׁ֥ם רֹעֶ֖ה אֶ֥בֶן יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב  But  remained 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּאֵיתָן֙  in  strength 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵיתָן  
Sense: perpetual, constant, perennial, ever-flowing.
קַשְׁתּ֔וֹ  his  bow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁת  
Sense: bow.
וַיָּפֹ֖זּוּ  were  tempered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּזַז  
Sense: to bound, be agile, be supple.
זְרֹעֵ֣י  the  arms 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: זְרֹועַ  
Sense: arm, forearm, shoulder, strength.
יָדָ֑יו  of  his  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מִידֵי֙  by  the  hands 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֲבִ֣יר  of  the  Mighty  [God] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אָבִיר  
Sense: strong, mighty—used only to describe God.
יַעֲקֹ֔ב  of  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
מִשָּׁ֥ם  from  there  [is] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
רֹעֶ֖ה  the  Shepherd 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
אֶ֥בֶן  the  Stone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.