GEN 49

Genesis 49:10

WEB

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him.

BSB

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

KJV

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Matthew Henry

Verses 8–12

Genesis 49:8–12

Glorious things are here said of Judah. The mention of the crimes of the three elder of his sons had not so put the dying patriarch out of humour but that he had a blessing ready for Judah, to whom blessings belonged. Judah's name signifies praise, in allusion to which he says, Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise, Gen 49:8. God was praised for him (Gen 29:35), praised by him, and praised in him; and therefore his brethren shall praise him. Note, Those that are to God for a praise shall be the praise of their brethren. It is prophesied that, 1. The tribe of Judah should be victorious and successful in war: Thy hand shall be in the neck of thy enemies. This was fulfilled in David, Psa 18:40. 2. It should be superior to the rest of the tribes; not only in itself more numerous and illustrious, but having a dominion over them: Thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah was the lawgiver, Psa 60:7. That tribe led the van through the wilderness, and in the conquest of Canaan, Jdg 1:2. The prerogatives of the birthright which Reuben had forfeited, the excellence of dignity and power, were thus conferred upon Judah. Observe, "Thy brethren shall bow down before thee, and yet shall praise thee, reckoning themselves happy in having so wise and bold a commander." Note, Honour and power are then a blessing to those that have them when they are not grudged and envied, but praised and applauded, and cheerfully submitted to. 3. It should be a strong and courageous tribe, and so qualified for command and conquest: Judah is a lion's whelp, Gen 49:9. The lion is the king of beasts, the terror of the forest when he roars; when he seizes his prey, none can resist him; when he goes up from the prey, none dare pursue him to revenge it. By this it is foretold that the tribe of Judah should become very formidable, and should not only obtain great victories, but should peaceably and quietly enjoy what was obtained by those victories - that they should make war, not for the sake of war, but for the sake of peace. Judah is compared, not to a lion rampant, always tearing, always raging, always ranging; but to a lion couchant, enjoying the satisfaction of his power and success, without creating vexation to others: this is to be truly great. 4. It should be the royal tribe, and the tribe from which Messiah the Prince should come: The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, till Shiloh come, Gen 49:10. Jacob here foresees and foretels, (1.) That the sceptre should come into the tribe of Judah, which was fulfilled in David, on whose family the crown was entailed. (2.) That Shiloh should be of this tribe - his seed, that promised seed, in whom the earth should be blessed: that peaceable and prosperous one, or the Saviour, so others translate it, he shall come of Judah. Thus dying Jacob, at a great distance, saw Christ's day, and it was his comfort and support on his death-bed. (3.) That after the coming of the sceptre into the tribe of Judah it should continue in that tribe, at least a government of their own, till the coming of the Messiah, in whom, as the king of the church, and the great high priest, it was fit that both the priesthood and the royalty should determine. Till the captivity, all along from David's time, the sceptre was in Judah, and subsequently the governors of Judea were of that tribe, or of the Levites that adhered to it (which was equivalent), till Judea became a province of the Roman empire, just at the time of our Saviour's birth, and was at that time taxed as one of the provinces, Luk 2:1. And at the time of his death the Jews expressly owned, We have no king but Caesar. Hence it is undeniably inferred against the Jews that our Lord Jesus is he that should come, and that we are to look for no other; for he came exactly at the time appointed. Many excellent pens have been admirable well employed in explaining and illustrating this famous prophecy of Christ. 5. It should be a very fruitful tribe, especially that it should abound with milk for babes, and wine to make glad the heart of strong men (Gen 49:11, Gen 49:12) - vines so common in the hedge-rows and so strong that they should tie their asses to them, and so fruitful that they should load their asses from them - wine as plentiful as water, so that the men of that tribe should be very healthful and lively, their eyes brisk and sparkling, their teeth white. Much of what is here said concerning Judah is to be applied to our Lord Jesus. (1.) He is the ruler of all his father's children, and the conqueror of all his father's enemies; and he it is that is the praise of all the saints. (2.) He is the lion of the tribe of Judah, as he is called with reference to this prophecy (Rev 5:5), who, having spoiled principalities and powers, went up a conqueror, and couched so as none can stir him up, when he sat down on the right hand of the Father. (3.) To him belongs the sceptre; he is the lawgiver, and to him shall the gathering of the people be, as the desire of all nations (Hag 2:7), who, being lifted up from the earth, should draw all men unto him (Joh 12:32), and in whom the children of God that are scattered abroad should meet as the centre of their unity, Joh 11:52. (4.) In him there is plenty of all that which is nourishing and refreshing to the soul, and which maintains and cheers the divine life in it; in him we may have wine and milk, the riches of Judah's tribe, without money and without price, Isa 55:1.

Cross-references: Gen 49:8 · Gen 29:35 · Ps 18:40 · Ps 60:7 · Judg 1:2 · Gen 49:9 · Gen 49:10 · Luke 2:1 · Gen 49:11 · Gen 49:12 · Rev 5:5 · Hag 2:7 · John 12:32 · John 11:52 · Isa 55:1

Hebrew interlinear

וְל֖וֹveloconjunction + prep + suffix · pronominal · 3rd · masc · sing

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H5493

סוּרçûwr/soor/

v — turn

Derivation: or שׂוּר; (Hosea 9:12), a primitive root;

to turn off (literally or figuratively)

KJV: be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), × grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, × be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.

סוּר

vb — turn aside

סוּר and [שׂוּר] 300 vb. turn aside

Qal

1. turn aside, out of one's course

2. depart

3. of lifeless things = be removed

4. = come to an end

Pô‛lēl he turned aside my ways (my steps)

Hiph.

1. cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away

2. rarer uses

Pô‛lēl be taken away, removed

H7626

שֵׁבֶטshêbeṭ/shay'-bet/

n-m — scion, stick, clan

Derivation: from an unused root probably meaning to branch off;

a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan

KJV: × correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.

שֵׁ֫בֶט

n.m — rod

שֵׁ֫בֶט 189 n.m. 1. rod, staff, club, sceptre. 2. tribe

H3063

יְהוּדָהYᵉhûwdâh/yeh-hoo-daw'/

n-pr-m — Jehudah

Derivation: from 3034; celebrated;

Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory

KJV: Judah.

יְהוּדָה

n.pr.m — Judah

יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah

I. n.pr.m.

1. son of Jacob and Leah

2. tribe descended from Judah

3. nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel

4. Levite, Ezra’s time

5. an overseer of Jerus.

6. Levite musician

7. priest

II. n.pr.terr. land of Judah

H2710

חָקַקchâqaq/khaw-kak'/

v — hack, engrave, be a scribe, enact, cut, prescribe

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to hack, i.e. engrave (Judges 5:14, to be a scribe simply); by implication, to enact (laws being cut in stone or metal tablets in primitive times) or (gen.) prescribe

KJV: appoint, decree, governor, grave, lawgiver, note, pourtray, print, set.

חָקַק

vb — cut in

[חָקַק] vb. cut in, inscribe, decree

Qal

1. cut in

2. cut in or on, upon, engrave, inscribe

3. trace, mark out

4. of a law, engrave, inscribe

Po‛el inscribe (as a law), enact (poet.)

a. prescriber of laws, hence (as sovereign authority in a warlike clan) commander

b. commander’s staff

Pu. that which is decreed

Hoph. inscribed

H996

בֵּיןbêyn/bane/

prep — between, either, or

Derivation: (sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a distinction; but used only as a preposition,

between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or

KJV: among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), + from (the widest), × in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.

בַּ֫יִן

subst — interval

בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between

1. always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

2. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

H7272

רֶגֶלregel/reh'-gel/

n-f — foot, step, pudenda

Derivation: from 7270;

a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda

KJV: × be able to endure, × according as, × after, × coming, × follow, (broken-)foot(-ed, -stool), × great toe, × haunt, × journey, leg, piss, possession, time.

רֶ֫גֶל

n.f — foot

רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot

1. foot

2. three times (feet, paces)

H5704

עַדʻad/ad/

prep — as far, long, much, as, even unto, during, while, until, equally with

Derivation: properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or conjunction; especially with a preposition);

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

KJV: against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ( as) yet.

עַד

prep — as far as

עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while

I. prep.

1. of space

2. Of time

3. Of degree

II. conj.

1. until

2. While

3. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

III. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus

1. of space

2. Of time

3. Of degree

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H935

בּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/

v — go, come

Derivation: a primitive root;

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

KJV: abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.

בּוֹא

vb — come in

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

1. come in

2. come (approach, arrive)

3. go, i.e. walk, associate with

4. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

1. cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

2. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

a. be brought in (of pers. and things)

b. be brought

c. be introduced, put

H7886

שִׁילֹהShîylôh/shee-lo'/

n-pr-m — Shiloh

Derivation: from 7951; tranquil;

Shiloh, an epithet of the Messiah

KJV: Shiloh.

שִׁילֹה

n — Shiloh

שִׁילֹה Gn 49:10, appar. n. he whose it is, or that which belongs to him

H3349

יִקָּהָהyiqqâhâh/yik-kaw-haw'/

n-f — obedience

Derivation: from the same as 3348;

obedience

KJV: gathering, to obey.

יִקְּהָה

n.f — obedience

[יִקְּהָה] n.f. obedience

H5971

עַםʻam/am/

n-m — people, tribe, troops, attendants, flock

Derivation: from 6004;

a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock

KJV: folk, men, nation, people.

עַם

n.[m.] — kinsman

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

עַם

n.m — people

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

1. a people, nation

2. = smaller units

3. = common people

4. people in gen., persons

5. phrases

Bible49 app

Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.

See Bible49