Seder 43: Genesis 49---Interpreting the Blessings for the Sons of Jacob

The blessings Jacob gave to his sons, recorded in Genesis 49, are a source of endless fascination for readers of the Bible.  They tend to be vague and poetic, lending themselves to multiple interpretations.  It is often possible to find 

For example, we read in Genesis 49:21, "Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns."  The phrase "bears beautiful fawns" could also be rendered "gives beautiful words."

This verse led to a tradition that Naphtali served as Jacob's messenger.  When Jacob wanted a message to be delivered quickly and reliably, he would have Naphtali deliver it.  

In her book Tribal Blueprints, Nechama Price proposes that the tribe of Naphtali went on to be a servant of the other tribes, as Naphtali served Jacob and his brothers.  For example, Barak (Judges 4-5) was from this tribe.  He was not interested in leading the way; indeed, he did not want to go to battle without Deborah.  His tribe joined the battle but did not take a leading role.  

The blessing to Dan begins, "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel" (verse 16).  This is often seen as a reference to Samson, a prominent judge of Israel from the tribe of Dan (Judges 13-16).  

Verse 17 adds, "Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward." Price says the message may be that Dan "will be isolated, angry, and disliked by those around him."  That description certainly fits Samson.  It also seems to be appropriate for the later actions of the tribe of Dan in acting unilaterally to take land in the north (Judges 18).