Genesis 49:22
New International Version
“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.

New Living Translation
“Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey, the foal of a wild donkey at a spring— one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.

English Standard Version
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.

Berean Standard Bible
Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

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

New King James Version
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.

New American Standard Bible
“Joseph is a fruitful branch, A fruitful branch by a spring; Its branches hang over a wall.

NASB 1995
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.

NASB 1977
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.

Amplified Bible
“Joseph is a fruitful bough (a main branch of the vine), A fruitful bough by a spring (a well, a fountain); Its branches run over the wall [influencing others].

Christian Standard Bible
Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine beside a spring; its branches climb over the wall.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine beside a spring; its branches climb over the wall.

American Standard Version
Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a fountain; His branches run over the wall.

Contemporary English Version
Joseph, you are a fruitful vine growing near a stream and climbing a wall.

English Revised Version
Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a fountain; His branches run over the wall.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"[Joseph] is a fruitful tree, a fruitful tree by a spring, with branches climbing over a wall.

Good News Translation
"Joseph is like a wild donkey by a spring, A wild colt on a hillside.

International Standard Version
"Joseph is descended from a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine planted near springs of water. His branches climb over walls.

Majority Standard Bible
Joseph is a fruitful vine?a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

NET Bible
Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough near a spring whose branches climb over the wall.

New Heart English Bible
Joseph is a fruitful son, a fruitful son by a spring. His branches run over a wall.

Webster's Bible Translation
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

World English Bible
“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Joseph [is] a fruitful son; A fruitful son by a fountain, "" Daughters step over the wall;

Young's Literal Translation
Joseph is a fruitful son; A fruitful son by a fountain, Daughters step over the wall;

Smith's Literal Translation
Joseph a fruitful son, a fruitful son upon a fountain, the daughters mounting over a wall.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold; the daughters run to and fro upon the wall.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and stately to behold; the daughters run back and forth on the wall.

New American Bible
“Joseph is a wild colt, a wild colt by a spring, wild colts on a hillside.

New Revised Standard Version
Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Joseph is a disciplined son, an educated son; a fruitful bough by a spring, whose branches run over the wall.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Yoseph is the son of increase; the son of increase goes up as a spring with a vine supported, going up on the wall:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Joseph is a fruitful vine, A fruitful vine by a fountain; Its branches run over the wall.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Joseph is a son increased; my dearly loved son is increased; my youngest son, turn to me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Blesses His Sons
21Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. 22Joseph is a fruitful vine— a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall. 23The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.…

Cross References
John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

Isaiah 27:6
In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.

Ezekiel 19:10-11
Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundant waters. / It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick branches, conspicuous for its height and for its dense foliage.

Hosea 14:5-7
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon. / His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. / They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Psalm 80:8-11
You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it. / You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. / The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. ...

Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.

Zechariah 8:12
“For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance.

Matthew 7:17-20
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. / A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. / Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ...

John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, / gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

James 3:17-18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. / Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.

Psalm 128:3
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.

Isaiah 32:15-16
until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest. / Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.


Treasury of Scripture

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

a fruitful.

Genesis 30:22-24
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb…

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.

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.

branches.

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Bough Branches Climb Daughters Fountain Fruitful Joseph Ox Run Shoot Spring Step Steps Turned Vine Wall Young
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Bough Branches Climb Daughters Fountain Fruitful Joseph Ox Run Shoot Spring Step Steps Turned Vine Wall Young
Genesis 49
1. Jacob calls his sons to bless them.
3. Their blessing in particular.
29. He charges them about his burial.
33. He dies.














Joseph is a fruitful vine
This phrase symbolizes Joseph's prosperity and success. In biblical times, a vine was often used as a metaphor for abundance and blessing. Joseph's life exemplifies this as he rose from being sold into slavery to becoming a powerful leader in Egypt. His ability to interpret dreams and manage resources during the famine brought prosperity not only to Egypt but also to his own family. This imagery of a fruitful vine also connects to the blessings Jacob bestows upon Joseph, highlighting his role in the preservation and growth of the Israelite people.

a fruitful vine by a spring
The mention of a spring suggests a source of life and sustenance, indicating that Joseph's prosperity is not self-derived but comes from a divine source. Springs in the arid regions of the Near East were vital for survival, symbolizing God's provision and blessing. This can be seen in Joseph's reliance on God throughout his trials and triumphs. The spring also signifies the continuous and abundant nature of the blessings Joseph received, which were not only for his benefit but also for those around him.

whose branches scale the wall
This imagery suggests expansion and influence beyond expected boundaries. Joseph's influence extended beyond his immediate family to the entire nation of Egypt and surrounding regions. The branches scaling the wall can also be seen as a type of Christ, who extends His grace and salvation beyond the confines of Israel to all nations. Additionally, this phrase indicates resilience and the ability to overcome obstacles, as Joseph did throughout his life, maintaining his faith and integrity despite numerous challenges.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joseph
The eleventh son of Jacob and the first son of Rachel. Joseph is a central figure in the latter part of Genesis, known for his rise from slavery to becoming a powerful leader in Egypt.

2. Jacob
The father of Joseph, who is giving blessings and prophecies to his sons in Genesis 49. Jacob's blessings are both prophetic and reflective of his sons' characters and futures.

3. Egypt
The place where Joseph rose to power and where the Israelites eventually settled during the famine. Egypt serves as a backdrop for Joseph's account of providence and redemption.

4. The Vine
Symbolic imagery used to describe Joseph's prosperity and fruitfulness. In Hebrew, the word for vine is (gefen), which often symbolizes abundance and blessing.

5. The Wall
Represents obstacles or boundaries that Joseph's influence and prosperity overcome. The imagery suggests growth and expansion beyond limitations.
Teaching Points
Fruitfulness in Adversity
Joseph's life exemplifies how God can bring fruitfulness and blessing even in difficult circumstances. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's providence and remain faithful, knowing that He can work through any situation.

Overcoming Obstacles
The imagery of branches climbing over the wall suggests that with God's help, believers can overcome barriers and extend their influence for His glory. This teaches perseverance and faith in God's power to transcend limitations.

Source of Strength
The vine's proximity to a spring indicates a source of nourishment and strength. Believers are reminded to stay connected to God, the ultimate source of spiritual vitality and growth.

Legacy and Influence
Joseph's life left a lasting impact on his family and the nation of Egypt. Christians are encouraged to consider the legacy they are building and how their faithfulness can influence others for generations.(22-26) Joseph.--The blessing of Joseph is, in many particulars, the most remarkable of them all. Jacob throughout it seems struggling with himself, and anxious to bestow more than was in his power. Joseph was his dearest son, the child of his chief and most beloved wife; he was, too, the saviour of Israel's family, and the actual ruler of Egypt; and his father had even bestowed upon him the portion of the firstborn in giving him two tribes, and to the rest but one. Nevertheless, he cannot bestow upon him the sovereignty. In clear terms he had described Judah as the lion, whose lordly strength should give Israel victory and dominion, and the sceptre must remain his until He whose right it is to rule should come. And thus Jacob magnifies again and again, but in obscure terms, his blessing upon Joseph, which, when analyzed, amounts simply to excessive fruitfulness, with no Messianic or spiritual prerogative. Beginning with this, Jacob next dwells upon Joseph's trials, and upon the manliness with which he had borne and overcome them; and then magnifies the blessedness of the earthly lot of his race, won for them by the personal worth of Joseph, with a description of which Jacob ends his words.

(22) A fruitful bough.--Literally the words are, "Son of a fruitful tree is Joseph; son of a fruitful tree by a fountain: the daughters spread over the wall." That is, Joseph is like a fruitful tree planted near a fountain of living water, and of which the branches, or suckers, springing from it overtop the wall built round the spring for its protection. This fruitfulness of Joseph was shown by the vast number of his descendants.

Verses 22-26. - Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall - literally, son of a fruit tree, Joseph; son o/a fruit tree at the well; daughters run (each one of them: vide Gesenius, 'Grammar,' § 146, 4) over the wall. The structure of the clauses, the order of the words, the repetition of the thoughts, supply a glimpse into the fond emotion with which the aged prophet approached the blessing of his beloved son Joseph. Under the image of a fruit tree, probably a vine, as in Psalm 80, planted by a well, whence it draws forth necessary moisture, and, sending forth its young twigs or offshoots over the supporting walls, he pictures the fruitfulness and prosperity which should afterwards attend the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, as the twofold representative of Joseph, with perhaps a backward glance at the service which Joseph had performed in Egypt by gathering up and dispensing the produce of the land for the salvation of his family and people. The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him - literally, they provoked him, and shot at, and laid snares for him, masters of arrows, though Kalisch translates וָרֹבוּ, and they assembled in multitudes, which yields a sense sufficiently clear. It is sometimes alleged (Keil, Lange, 'Speaker's Commentary') that the words contain no allusion to the personal history of Joseph, but solely to the later fortunes of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh; but even if they do point to the subsequent hostilities which Joseph's descendants should incur (Joshua 17:16-18; Judges 12:4-6), it is almost morally certain that the image of the shooting archers which he selects to depict their adversaries was suggested to his mind by the early lot of his beloved son (Calvin, Rosenmüller, Kalisch, Gerlach, Murphy, and others). But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. Notwithstanding the multitudinous and fierce assaults which had been made on Joseph, he had risen superior to his adversaries; his bow had continued firm and unbroken (cf. 1 Samuel 2:4; Job 12:19; Job 33:19), and his arms had been rendered active and flexible - neither ἐξελύθη τὰ νεῦρα βραχιόνων χειρὸς αὐτῶν, (LXX.), dissoluta sunt vincula brachiorum et manuum (Vulgate), as if Joseph s enemies were the subjects referred to; nor, "Therefore gold was placed upon his arms (Onkelos, Raehi, and others), referring to the gift of Pharaoh's ring - by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, i.e. God, who had proved himself to be Jacob's Mighty One by the powerful protection vouchsafed to his servant The title here ascribed to God occurs afterwards in Isaiah 1:24. From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel. If the clause is parenthetical, it may signify either that from the time of Joseph's exaltation he became the shepherd (who sustained) and the stone of (i.e. the rock which supported) Israel (Oleaster); or that from God, the Mighty One of Jacob, Joseph received strength to become the shepherd and stone of Israel (Pererius, Ainsworth, Lawson, Patrick, and others), in which capacity he served as a prefiguration of the Good Shepherd who was also to become the Rock or Foundation of his Church (Calvin, Pererius, Candiish, etc.); but if the clause is rather co-ordinate with that which precedes and that which follows, as the introductory particle מִן appears to suggest, then the words "shepherd and stone of Israel" will apply to God, and the sentiment will be that the hands of Joseph were made strong from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from there (i.e. from there where is, or from him who is) the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel (Keil, Kalisch, Murphy, Gerlach, Lange, et alii). Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee (literally, from the (led of thy father, and he shall help thee, i.e. who shall help thee); and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee - literally, and with (sc. the aid of) the Almighty, and he shall bless thee. It is unnecessary to change וְאֵת. into וְאֵל (LXX., Vulgate, Samaritan, Syriac, Ewald), or to insert מִן before אֵת, as thus, מֵאֵת (Knobel, Rosenmüller, Kalisch), since אֵת may be understood here, as in Genesis 4:1; Genesis 5:24, in the sense of helpful communion (Keil) - with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. "From the God of Jacob, and by the help of the Almighty, should the rain and dew of heaven (Genesis 27:28), and fountains and brooks which spring from the great deep or the abyss of the earth, pour their fertilizing waters over Joseph's land, so that everything that had womb and breast should become pregnant, bring forth and suckle" (Keil). The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. The meaning is, according to this rendering, which some adopt (the Targums, Vulgate, Syriac, Saadias, Rosenmüller, Lange, Murphy, et alii), that the blessings which Jacob pronounced upon Joseph surpassed those which he himself had received from Abraham and Isaac, either as far as the primary mountains towered above the earth (Keil, Murphy), or, while exceeding the benedictions of his ancestors, those now delivered by himself would last while the hills endured (Rosenmüller, 'Speaker's Commentary'). But the words may be otherwise rendered: "The blessings of thy father prevail over, are mightier than the blessings of the mountains of eternity, the delight, or glory, or loveliness of the hills of eternity (LXX., Dathe, Michaelis, Gesenius, Bohlen, Kalisch, Gerlach, and others); and in favor of this may be adduced the beautiful parallelism between the last two clauses, which the received translation overlooks. They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren - literally, of him, the separated (from nazar, to separate) from his brethren (Onkelos, Rashi, Rosenmüller, Keil, and others), though by some different renderings are preferred, as, e.g., the crowned among his brethren (LXX. Syriac, Targum of Jerusalem, Kimchi, Kalisch, Gerlach), taking nazir to signify he who wears the nezer, or royal diadem.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Joseph
יוֹסֵ֔ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

is a fruitful
פֹּרָת֙ (pō·rāṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6509: To bear fruit, be fruitful

vine,
בֵּ֤ן (bên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

a fruitful
פֹּרָ֖ת (pō·rāṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6509: To bear fruit, be fruitful

vine
בֵּ֥ן (bên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

by
עֲלֵי־ (‘ă·lê-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

a spring,
עָ֑יִן (‘ā·yin)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

whose branches
בָּנ֕וֹת (bā·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1323: A daughter

scale
צָעֲדָ֖ה (ṣā·‘ă·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6805: To pace, step regularly, to mount, to march, to hurl

the wall.
שֽׁוּר׃ (šūr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7791: A wall


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OT Law: Genesis 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful vine a fruitful (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 49:21
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