Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob…

(Hebrews 11:21) By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

This is a reference to the 47th and 48th chapter of Genesis where Jacob blesses Joseph and his two sons. And particularly (Genesis 47:31) And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head. I honestly was just trying to read behind the actual events in Genesis to which the Hebrew writer referred. I was not looking to get into any controversy here. I don’t know how I keep stumbling into these things. As you can see, the New Testament writer says he’s leaning upon the top of his staff while the Old Testament writer says he’s bowed himself upon the bed’s head. So what gives?

Apparently, it’s well understood that Paul (Let’s assume Paul wrote Hebrews) was quoting the Septuagint. What is the Septuagint? It is the Greek translation of the Old Testament that begun sometime in the mid 3rd century before Christ. There’s some history to it, but it was considered complete well after Christ died. So this is an interesting dilemma because we have an apparent discrepancy of the two account; one from the New Testament and the other from the Old Testament. However, the English translations are considered pretty sound.

In other words, if you look at the Hebrew in the Old Testament it definitely says bed’s head. If you look at the Greek in the New Testament it definitely says top of his staff. It’s not a matter then of difference of opinions in translation to English. However it seems to be a matter of the translation work 2000 years ago by the Greeks. Paul was apparently quoting the New Greek Version of the Old Testament available to him at the time. I’ve never encountered anything quite like this.

If you read the commentaries on this, you’ll find different explanations as to why the Septuagint translators came up with the words top of his staff in Greek. So this may be one of those believe whatever you want to believe things. Matt Slick, President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, has a pretty slick view on these verses:

…and then at the head of the bed, he leaned on the top of his staff and worshiped.

In other words, Jacob did both. This of course is nonsense. That is to say that the translators of the Septuagint had some divine extra-knowledge of what went on thousands of years ago. Bologna.

Here’s my take: The Septuagint translators just plain messed up. Jacob’s bed, the Hebrew word ham·miṭ·ṭāh is mentioned two other times in the text: (Genesis 48:2) And Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. (Genesis 49:33) He gathered up his feet into the bed… I don’t think the King James translators put much stock in the Septuagint, saying in the 1611 preface:

So it is evident… that the Seventy were Interpreters, they were not Prophets; they did many things well, as learned men; but yet as men they stumbled and fell, one while through oversight, another while through ignorance, yea, sometimes they may be noted to add to the Original, and sometimes to take from it; which made the Apostles to leave them many times, when they left the Hebrew, and to deliver the sense thereof according to the truth of the word, as the spirit gave them utterance.

The King James translators not only set it straight in their Old Testament, but deliberately chose to not alter Paul’s words in the New Testament and translate them precisely as he said them, even though he was quoting the questionable Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. That is why the King James Bible is considered a great translation. They esteemed accuracy even above clarity. It may on the onset seem unclear as to what Jacob did if you consider both verses, but the translation is definitely accurate.

Now, that being said, I can see why the leaning upon the top of his staff interpretation may have gained ground. The rendering was within reason back in the day. And this is Jacob, the one who said (Genesis 32:10) For with my staff I passed over this Jordan… Jacob was a shepherd. There’s just a lot of good imagery. Anyhow, my deepest apologies that this had nothing to do with the faith of Jacob. But I had a good time none the less.