Genesis 47:28-31
seventeen <06240> [A.M. 2315. B.C. 1689. seventeen.]
life <02416> [the whole age. Heb. the days of the years of his life.]
die <04191> [must die.]
put <07760> [put.]
show ... kindness <02617 06213> [deal kindly.]
bury .... Egypt <06912 04714> [bury me not.]
Swear ....... do <07650> [Swear.]
Israel bowed <07812 03478> [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 [kai prosekun‚sen Israel epi to akron t‚s rabdou autou,] "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.
