Hebrews 11:21 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

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

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.

Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing 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 of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "jacob", "dying", "blessed", "both", "sons", "joseph", and "worshipped". 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 Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau..." into verse 22's "By faith Joseph when he died made...", 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.