By faith, and as one who speaks for God, Jacob looked ahead to Israel’s future in the land and beyond to a greater future still.
At the end of the time of the patriarchs (the early fathers of Israel), he spoke about what would happen to each tribe. He did this as he considered each of his sons, one by one, just as Noah had done earlier (compare 9:25–27).
The character and actions of each ancestor affected the lives of their descendants (Exodus 20:5–6; 34:6–7; Numbers 14:18; Jeremiah 32:18).