Hebrews 11:21 (DRB)

Passage

By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and adored the top of his rod.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:19 Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Whereupon also he received him for a parable.

Hebrews 11:20 By faith also of things to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and adored the top of his rod.

Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the going out of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents: because they saw he was a comely babe, and they feared not the king's edict.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "jacob", "dying", "blessed", "each", "sons", "joseph", and "adored". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "jacob", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "By faith also of things to come..." into verse 22's "By faith Joseph when he was dying...", so "faith" and "jacob" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "faith" and "jacob" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.