Hebrews 11:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph." Here it would be necessary to set forth all his blessings, so that both his faith and his prophecy might be shown more clearly.

"And he worshiped," it says, "upon the top of his staff." Here the Apostle shows that Jacob not only spoke, but so hoped in the future that he showed it by deed.

Since another king was to arise from Ephraim, he says, "and he worshiped upon the top of his staff." That is, already an old man, he bowed before Joseph, expressing the future worship that would be given him by the whole people.

This was already fulfilled in part when his brothers bowed down to him, but it was to be fulfilled afterward through ten generations.

Joseph's sons were Manasseh and Ephraim. Although Manasseh was the elder and Ephraim the younger, Jacob blessed Ephraim with greater blessings and with the laying on of hands in the form of a cross. He believed so strongly that his blessings would be fulfilled, and that the tribe of Ephraim would rule, that he showed it by deed. For he bowed down to Joseph as a sign of the homage of the whole people. How did he bow? "Upon the top of his staff," that is, leaning on the staff because of old age. Some say that he bowed upon the top of Joseph's staff, signifying through the staff the scepter of kingship, which was to become an object of homage.

"By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped upon the top of his staff." Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

Yet Jacob, foreseeing the distant future by the sense of faith, preferred in blessing Joseph's younger son, Ephraim, over the elder, Manasseh.

After completing his final fatherly blessings for his grandsons and sons, Jacob was weary and ready to descend into the grave, "as ripe grain harvested in season" (Job 5:26).

In gratitude to God and with faith in the saving power of Christ's merits on the cross (Is ch. 53), he worshiped upon the top of his staff (Gen 47:33).

Christ is called by the prophet the Rod from Israel (Num 24:17).

Thus Jacob bowed his head and entrusted his fate beyond the grave to the protection of his greatest descendant, the Messiah, our Savior.

So also Jacob, by faith, blessed each of Joseph's sons. Although they were blessed in the land of Egypt, and only after many years was their blessing finally accomplished in their inheritance, nevertheless he bowed upon the end of his staff. He did so because he believed that his son Joseph would truly bury him in the tombs of his fathers (Gen. 47:29-31; Gen. 48:15).

For he prefigured the royal power of Ephraim and the subjection to him of the ten tribes. Therefore by his own act he foreshadows their homage.

This precious cross was prefigured by the tree of life planted by God in paradise. For just as death entered through a tree (cf. Gen 3), so it was fitting that life and resurrection should be granted through a tree.

Jacob, by worshiping upon the end of Joseph's staff (cf. Gen 47:31), first depicted the cross. By blessing his sons with crossed hands (Gen 48:14), he most clearly traced the sign of the cross (cf. Gen 48:13-15).

The same was prefigured by the rod of Moses, which struck the sea in the form of the cross and saved Israel, while drowning Pharaoh (cf. Ex 14:16 and following).

"By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph," that is, Ephraim and Manasseh.

He asked from God the greater blessing for the younger, Ephraim, and the lesser for the firstborn, Manasseh. He blessed them believing that what he asked from God for them would come to pass.

"And he worshiped upon the top of his staff." Also believing that Joseph would be the father of kings who would come from the tribe of Ephraim, he bowed before Joseph.

He inclined his head upon the top of his own staff, or leaned upon it because of extreme old age.

He bowed, thereby indicating beforehand the worship and subjection of the ten tribes to the kings who would come from him.

He believed this so firmly that by the very deed he prefigured this worship and subjection.

"He bowed upon the top of his staff." Instead of this reading, in the Hebrew text of Gen. 47:31 and in the Vulgate we read: "Israel bowed upon the head of the bed." This worship is directed to God. But bowing upon the top of Joseph's staff expressed Jacob's gratitude for his agreement to bury him in the land of Canaan. At the same time, it served as the fulfillment of Joseph's prophetic words (Gen. 37:9-10). In the Russian translation, instead of "his staff," that is, Joseph's, we read "his own," meaning Jacob's.

Where was Jacob's faith expressed here? This significant bowing of the patriarch Jacob, embraced by the joyful hope of being buried in the promised land of his fathers, was not merely an expression of his tender and grateful feelings toward God. It reached into the distant future, and in the spirit of faith was directed toward the desired person of the promised Messiah. That is, bowing upon the top of his staff, he offered homage across the distance of time as though to the Messiah Himself, toward Whom all the thoughts of the patriarchs were directed.

Isaac also revealed his faith when he blessed his sons. He showed firm faith in the significance of his blessing (Gen 27:33), and then faith in the fulfillment of the promise concerning posterity given to Abraham.

Only with faith in this promise do Isaac's words about the future fate of his sons become understandable (cf. Gen 27:27-29, 37-40).

Jacob also proved his faith in God by making Joseph's sons the founders of two powerful tribes, which were to come into being long afterward.

Moreover, just before this, he had received from Joseph an oath that he would not leave his father's bones in Egypt.