Jacob’s Last Testament: Just before his death, Jacob, the patriarch whose name Israel will become the name of the nation that will develop from his children, delivers his last testament, focusing on the destinies of his twelve sons. Since God has appeared to Jacob from time to time, he has the authority to describe the character of each tribe in regard to its future settlement in the promised land. This testament is a complex piece, for it is the composite of three genres: deathbed blessing, farewell address (Josh. 23), and tribal poem (Deut. 33; Sarna, Genesis, p. 331). It makes rich use of paronomasia, alliteration, and metaphors. Several of its lines are obscure because of the antiquity of the language, unusual grammar, and elliptical phrases.

The testament is organized according to the …