- And Israel bowed:
- As shachah, which primarily signifies to bow, denotes also to worship; and as mittah, a bed, pronounced matteh, is a staff; the LXX have taken the passage in the latter sense, and rendered it και προσεκυνησεν Ισραηλ επι το ακρον της ραβδου αυτου, "and Israel worshipped upon the top of his staff," which is literally copied by the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews. The present reading is, however, supported by the Masoretic pointing and the Targums; and is most probably correct, as it would appear that Jacob was confined to his bed. "And the timeª drew nighª° that Israelª must die:ª° and he calledª° his sonª Joseph,ª and saidª° unto him, If¹ now¹ I have foundª° graceª in thy sight,ª put,ª° I pray thee,¹ thy handª under¹ my thigh,ª and dealª° kindlyª and trulyª with¹ me; buryª° me not,¹ I pray thee,¹ in Egypt:ª" {Gen 47:29} + "And the manª bowed down his head,ª° and worshippedª° the LORD.ª" {Gen 24:26} + "And it came to pass¹ afterª these¹ things,ª that [one] toldª° Joseph,ª Behold,¹ thy fatherª [is] sick:ª° and he tookª° with¹ him¹ his twoª sons,ª¹ Manassehª and Ephraim.ª ... And [one] toldª° Jacob,ª and said,ª° Behold,¹ thy sonª Josephª comethª° unto¹ thee: and Israelª strengthened²° himself,¹ and satª° upon¹ the bed.ª" {Gen 48:1-2} + "And moreover¹ the king'sª servantsª cameª° to blessª°¹ our lordª kingª David,ª saying,ª° Godª make¹ the nameª of Solomonª betterª° than thy name,ª¹ and make²°¹ his throneª greaterª° than thy throne.ª¹ And the kingª bowed²° himself¹ upon¹ the bed.ª" {1Kg 1:47} + "By faithª Jacob,ª when he was a dying,ª° blessedª° bothª the¹ sonsª of Joseph;ª andª worshipped,ª° [leaning] uponª the¹ topª of his²¹ staff.ª" {Hbr 11:21}
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