When I read Genesis 47:9, I am tempted to call Jacob a whiner. Few and unpleasant indeed! At the time he makes this statement, Jacob is 130 years old.
Jacob left home with nothing and came back with incredible wealth. On the way home, he wrestles with God and gets a new name. He fathers 12 sons, one of them being the one who would be responsible for preparing for the famine that brings Jacob to Egypt. From my perspective, this is quite a list of accomplishments.
Yet, perhaps Jacob is not comparing himself to his peers when he calls his days unpleasant. Perhaps after Peniel, life on this rock looses some of its luster. Perhaps at 130 he is looking forward to his rest and to reestablish the face-to-face interaction with God. Perhaps Jacob at 130 knows something I have yet to learn.
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