Genesis 49:20
ESV
"Asher 's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.
NIV
"Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
NASB
'As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And he will yield royal delicacies.
CSB
Asher’s food will be rich, and he will produce royal delicacies.
NLT
'Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings.
KJV
Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
NKJV
“Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.
What does Genesis 49:20 mean?
Jacob's prophetic description of each of the tribes that will descend from his twelve sons continues (Genesis 49:1–2), now with Asher. The oracle about Asher is one of the simplest, and possibly the most peaceful, of all Jacob's predictions. Asher was named for Leah's response at his birth to her servant Zilpah: "Happy am I! For women have called me happy" (Genesis 30:12–13).Asher's people seem destined for a happy future. Settled within a fertile strip of land (Joshua 19:24–31), the tribe of Asher will become known for rich foods. Their main interaction with other tribes may have been providing "delicacies" to the people of the land around Israel.
Genesis 49:13–21 records Jacob's deathbed predictions, this time regarding six of his sons: Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. These are relatively brief, and not entirely positive. While Jacob addresses the first four (Genesis 49:3–12) and last two (Genesis 49:22–27) of his sons in birth order, there is no obvious ranking in his comments here. As compared to other tribes, these would play lesser roles in Israel's future.
Genesis 49 contains Jacob's dying prophetic remarks. In the form of poetry, Jacob pronounces positive and negative "blessings" about each of his 12 sons and the people who will come from them. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are each held to account for their past sins. Judah is described as a lion; the kingly line will come from his people. Joseph and his descendants are lavished with blessings. Once the oracle is completed, Jacob commands his sons to bury him with his fathers in Canaan. Then, the man God named "Israel" (Genesis 35:10–11) dies.