By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Jacob. Worshipping the top of Joseph's rod, or staff of command, or of his sceptre. See Genesis xlvii. Jacob, by bowing to Joseph and his sceptre, acknowledged and reverenced the power of Joseph, whom Pharao called the saviour of the world: and it is probable that Jacob, by the spirit of prophecy, knew Joseph to be a figure of Christ, and his power to be a figure of the spiritual power of the Messias. (Witham)
The apostle here follows the ancient Greek Bible of the seventy interpreters, (which translates in this manner, Genesis xlvii. 31.) and alleges this fact of Jacob, in paying a relative honour and veneration to the top of the rod or sceptre of Joseph, as to a figure of Christ's sceptre and kingdom, as an instance and argument of his faith. But some translators, who are no friends to this relative honour, have corrupted the text, by translating it, he worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff; as if this circumstance of leaning upon his staff were any argument of Jacob's faith...
By Faith, Jacob when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph. Here we ought to set down the blessings entire, in order that both his faith and his prophesying may be made manifest. And worshipped leaning, he says, upon the top of his staff. Here, he means, he not only spoke, but was even so confident about the future things, as to show it also by his act. For inasmuch as another King was about to arise from Ephraim, therefore it is said, And he bowed himself upon the top of his staff. That is, even though he was now an old man, he bowed himself to Joseph, showing the obeisance of the whole people which was to be [directed] to him. And this indeed had already taken place, when his brethren bowed down to him: but it was afterwards to come to pass through the ten tribes. Do you see how he foretold the things which were to be afterwards? Do you see how great faith they had? How they believed concerning the things to come?
