Genesis 49:15

13 Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

14 Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

16 Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.
KJV
And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
WEB
He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.
ASV
And he saw a resting-place that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant under taskwork.
DARBY
And he saw the rest that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he bowed his shoulder to bear, And was a tributary servant.
BLB
And he saw rest, that [its was] good, and the land, that [it was] pleasant, and he extended his shoulder to bear [a burden], and he became a servant at forced labor.
ÅB
Og han så at hvilen var god, og at landet var fagert; da bøyde han sin rygg under byrden og ble en ufri slave.
OTB
Da han så at hvileplassen var god og at landet var vakkert, bøyde han skulderen for å bære byrder og ble en tjener til tvangsarbeid.
B1930
Og han så at hvilen var god, og at landet var fagert; da bøide han sin rygg under byrden og blev en ufri træl.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 2 Samuel 7:1

    After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

    Read in context
  • Joshua 14:15

    (Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.

    Read in context
  • Ezekiel 29:18

    “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre. Every head was made bald and every shoulder made raw. But he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the labor they expended on it.

    Read in context
  • Judges 3:11

    So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

    Read in context
  • Matthew 23:4

    They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 81:6

    “I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

    Read in context