Sforno on Genesis 49:24/ספורנו על בראשית מ״ט:כ״ד

1ותשב באיתן קשתו. The reply to such accusations was given by Pharaoh himself when he challenged his servants with the words: “where else can we find such an individual endowed with the spirit of G’d?” (41,39) As a result, Joseph did not have to use his own ammunition. In other words, he could keep his arrows in his quiver, unused.

2ויפוזו זרעי ידיו, his arms were immeasurably strengthened when Pharaoh transferred his ring with the Royal seal to him.

3מידי אביר יעקב, however, the real salvation emanated from the G’d Who had proven Himself by doing the same for Yaakov. It is He Who enables Yaakov’s descendants to survive among the hostile nations, so that in the end only they will survive. The very name “Yaakov” suggests that in the end there will be only he. In the meantime, He is the One Who kept you alive and saved you from the slanderers who took aim at you.

4משם, from then on the

5רועה אבן ישראל, He will continue to act as the Shepherd of Israel preserving His people who will endure like אבן, a stone. It does not matter whether this stone is intrinsically precious or not, being a “stone” it will endure. The enduring nature of a stone is best illustrated in Daniel 2,34: “As you watched, a stone was hewn forth without hands and struck the image on its feet of iron and earthenware and crumbled them.” [Daniel telling the king who had forgotten his dream which he had dreamt. The stone in the dream represented Israel, the image, the nations of the world. Ed.] The reason Israel would survive is because they keep their faith with G’d and man. Sanhedrin 104 explains that the reason why Jews, even when defeated, exiled, etc.’ rose to high positions in their host country was because the rulers valued their loyalty.