Read Genesis 47:28-50:26 at Bible Gateway.
The teaching tools of scripture
Gen 1:1-2:3 and the teaching tools of scripture part one and part two
Gen 1:1-6:8 and finding the topic themes of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions
46:28-47:31 {p} Jacob went down/ Joseph the provider/ Jacob’s request to go back up again
48:1-22 {p} Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
49:1-4 {p} Reuben’s blessing
49:5-7 {p} Simeon and Levi’s blessing
49:8-12 {p} Judah’s blessing
49:13 {p} Zebulun’s blessing
49:14-15 {s} Issachar’s blessing
49:16-17 {s} Dan’s blessing
49:18 {s} “I have waited for your salvation, O YHVH!”
49:19 {s} Gad’s blessing
49:20 {s} Asher’s blessing
49:21 {s} Naphtali’s blessing
49:22-26 {p} Joseph’s blessing
49:27-50:26 {p} Benjamin’s blessing + death, burial of Jacob + death of Joseph
Tony Robinson of Restoration of Torah lists a {p} paragraph marker at the end of Gen 47:27, so that Vayechi would begin, as all the parashiot have, with a new paragraph. The Hebrew Bible in English lists no paragraph marker at the end of 47:27, instead listing the next marker as a {p} at the end of 47:31. Likewise, both the Chumash and the Biblia Hebraica list no paragraph marker at the end of 47:27, but the next marker as a {p} at the end of 47:31, so that the paragraph would be:
46:28-47:31 {p} Jacob went down/ Joseph the provider/ Jacob’s request to go back up again
And carries into the next parashah, annual Vayechi (Gen 47:28-50:26). The Chumash says,
“In the entire Torah scroll, Vayechi is unique in that there is no extra space between it and the preceding parashah, in contrast to the general rule that a sidrah begins on a new line (following a {p} division) or that it is separated from the previous one by at least a nine-letter space (following an {s} division). … The Sages in Toras Kohanim teach that the spaces in the Torah (the Hebrew paragraph divisions) indicate that God paused in order to allow Moses—and later students, as well—to reflect upon the preceding verses.”
To me, this is Torah’s way of showing us that Vayigash and Vayechi are linked together.
Strong themes of the parashah
46:28-47:31 {p} Joseph the provider
48:1-49:13 {px5} Jacob blesses his sons, the sons of Joseph (of Rachel) and of Leah
49:14-26 {sx6+p} Jacob blesses his sons, Issachar (of Leah), Dan (of Bilhah) + prophecy of Yeshua + Gad, Asher (of Zilpah), Naphtali (of Bilhah), and Joseph (of Rachel)
49:27-50:26 {p} Jacob blesses his son Benjamin (of Rachel) + death, burial of Jacob and death of Joseph
Gen 47:28-50:26 Triennial Torah portions
47:28-48:22, triennial vayechi, “And he lived”
49:1-27, triennial vayiqra Yaacov, “Then Jacob summoned”
49:27-50:26, triennial shivtey Yisrael, “The tribes of Israel”
Gen 47:28-50:26 Chiastic structure
Download the fully expanded Gen 47:28-50:267 Vayechi chiasm pdf.
Theme of the parashah
Jacob transfers the birthright and blessing to his sons; Joseph receives the double portion.
Finding Messiah in Vayechi
Additional readings for this parashah
1 Kin 2:1-12 (my notes) | Joh 13:1-19 (my notes)
Studies in Vayechi
Gen 47:28-48:22 Chiastic structure
Gen 48:1-22 Chiastic structure
Gen 49:1-26 Chiastic structure
Gen 49:1-4, Gathering together
Gen 49:5-7, The anger of man
Gen 49:8-12, Until Shiloh comes
Gen 49:13, The haven of rest
Gen 49:14-15, Issachar’s blessing
Gen 49:16-18, The ruler and the shepherd
Gen 49:19, Gad’s blessing
Gen 49:20, Asher’s blessing
Gen 49:21, Naphtali’s blessing
Gen 49:22-26, Joseph’s blessing
Gen 49:27-50:26, Benjamin’s blessing
Gen 47:28-50:26, The Messianic prophecies embedded in the blessing
Gen 48-50, The blessing on Jacob’s sons
Gen 50:20, The saving of many lives
Genesis whole book chiastic structure
Further study off site
Vayechi – Restoration of Torah
Vayechi Torah Pearls – Nehemiah Gordon and Keith Johnson
SCRIPTURE REVEALED SERIES by CHRISTINE MILLER:
THE LAW of LOVE | FINDING MESSIAH in TORAH | GENESIS in CHIASTIC STRUCTURE
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