Genesis 49 · Verse 22

Genesis 49:22

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
Genesis 49:22, King James Version

Genesis 49:22 in other translations

BSBJoseph is a fruitful vine— a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.
WEB“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
ASVJoseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a fountain; His branches run over the wall.
YLTJoseph is a fruitful son; A fruitful son by a fountain, Daughters step over the wall;
DARBYJoseph is a fruitful bough; A fruitful bough by a well; His branches shoot over the wall.
BBEJoseph is a young ox, whose steps are turned to the fountain;
WebsterJoseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

What does Genesis 49:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ge 49:19. Gad--This tribe should be often attacked and wasted by hostile powers on their borders (Jud 10:8; Jr 49:1). But they were generally victorious in the close of their wars.

Ge 49:20. Asher--"Blessed." Its allotment was the seacoast between Tyre and Carmel, a district fertile in the production of the finest corn and oil in all Palestine.

Ge 49:21. Naphtali--The best rendering we know is this, "Naphtali is a deer roaming at liberty; he shooteth forth goodly branches," or majestic antlers [Taylor, Scripture Illustrations], and the meaning of the prophecy seems to be that the tribe of Naphtali would be located in a territory so fertile and peaceable, that, feeding on the richest pasture, he would spread out, like a deer, branching antlers.

Ge 49:22-26. Joseph--

22. a fruitful bough, &c.--denotes the extraordinary increase of that tribe (compare Nu 1:33-35; Jos 17:17; De 33:17). The patriarch describes him as attacked by envy, revenge, temptation, ingratitude; yet still, by the grace of God, he triumphed over all opposition, so that he became the sustainer of Israel; and then he proceeds to shower blessings of every kind upon the head of this favorite son. The history of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh shows how fully these blessings were realized.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 The sum of a fruitful vine - This appears to me to refer to Jacob himself, who was blessed with such a numerous posterity that in two hundred and fifteen years after this his own descendants amounted to upwards of 600,000 effective men; and the figures here are intended to point out the continual growth and increase of his posterity. Jacob was a fruitful tree planted by a fountain, which because it was good would yield good fruit; and because it was planted near a fountain, from being continually watered, would be perpetually fruitful. The same is used and applied to Jacob, Deu 33:28 : The Fountain Of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn, and wine, etc. The daughters, בנות banoth, put here for branches, shoot over or run upon the wall - Alluding probably to the case of the vine, which requires to be supported by a wall, trees, etc. Some commentators have understood this literally, and have applied it to the Egyptian women, who were so struck with the beauty of Joseph as to get upon walls, the tops of houses, etc., to see him as he passed by. This is agreeable to the view taken of the subject by the Koran. See Clarke on Gen 39:6 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 49:22-27
The blessing of Joseph is very full. What Jacob says of him, is history as well as prophecy. Jacob reminds him of the difficulties and fiery darts of temptations he had formerly struggled through. His faith did not fail, but through his trials he bore all his burdens with firmness, and did not do anything unbecoming. All our strength for resisting temptations, and bearing afflictions, comes from God; his grace is sufficient. Joseph became the shepherd of Israel, to take care of his father and family; also the stone of Israel, their foundation and strong support. In this, as in many other things, Joseph was a remarkable type of the Good Shepherd, and tried Corner Stone of the whole church of God. Blessings are promised to Joseph's posterity, typical of the vast and everlasting blessings which come upon the spiritual seed of Christ. Jacob blessed all his sons, but especially Joseph, "who was separated from his brethren." Not only separated in Egypt, but, possessing eminent dignity, and more devoted to God. Of Benjamin it is said, He shall ravin as a wolf. Jacob was guided in what he said by the Spirit of prophecy, and not by natural affection; else he would have spoken with more tenderness of his beloved son Benjamin. Concerning him he only foresees and foretells, that his posterity should be a warlike tribe, strong and daring, and that they should enrich themselves with the spoils of their enemies; that they should be active. Blessed Paul was of this tribe, Ro 11:1; Php 3:5; he, in the morning of his day, devoured the prey as a persecutor, but in the evening divided the spoils as a preacher; he shared the blessings of Judah's Lion, and assisted in his victories.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 49:22 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בֵּ֤ןben[is] a son ofH1121
פֹּרָת֙po.Rata fruit-bearerH6509
יוֹסֵ֔ףyo.SefJosephH3130
בֵּ֥ןbena son ofH1121
פֹּרָ֖תpo.Rata fruit-bearerH6509
עֲלֵי\־'a.lei-atH5921
עָ֑יִן'A.yina springH5869
בָּנ֕וֹתba.NotdaughtersH1323
צָעֲדָ֖הtza.'a.Dahshe will climbH6805
עֲלֵי\־'a.lei-overH5921
שֽׁוּר\׃Shura wallH7791

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 49:22

  • Genesis 41:52

    And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

  • Psalms 128:3

    Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

  • Psalms 1:1-3

    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

  • Joshua 16:1-10

    And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth–el, And goeth out from Beth–el to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth, And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Beth–horon the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea. So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. …

  • Joshua 17:14-17

    And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto? And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth–shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:

  • Genesis 46:27

    And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

  • Genesis 30:22-24

    And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.

  • Genesis 48:19-20

    And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

  • Genesis 48:16

    The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

  • Deuteronomy 33:13-17

    And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. …

  • Psalms 128:1

    A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

  • Ezekiel 19:11

    And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a fruitful.
30:22-24; 41:52; 46:27; 48:1,5,16,19,20; Nu 32:1-42; De 33:17
Jos 16:1-10; 17:14-17; Ps 1:1-3; 128:1,3; Eze 19:11
branches. Heb. daughters.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 49:21

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

  • Genesis 49:22

    Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

  • Genesis 49:23

    The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

Read all of Genesis 49

Genesis 49:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ramo fructífero José, ramo fructífero junto á fuente, cuyos vástagos se extienden sobre el muro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Joseph est une branche qui porte du fruit, une branche qui porte du fruit près d’une fontaine; ses rameaux poussent par-dessus la muraille.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sohn eines Fruchtbaumes ist Joseph, Sohn eines Fruchtbaumes am Quell; die Schößlinge treiben über die Mauer.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Filius accrescens Joseph, filius accrescens et decorus aspectu: filiæ discurrerunt super murum.