When Jacob "blessed" his sons in Genesis 49, why does he seem to curse some of them? What kind of blessing is it to say "you will no longer excel"? Granted, the curses were meted out according to deeds, but the Bible does, ironically, state that "this is what their father said to them when he *blessed* them, giving each the *blessing* appropriate to him" (italics added). I'm curious about the original meaning of "blessing" and "blessed" -- perhaps the original word was not as restrictive?
Asked by SEL
(179 rep)
Sep 17, 2014, 12:08 AM
Last activity: Sep 17, 2014, 04:02 AM
Last activity: Sep 17, 2014, 04:02 AM