Logos Bible Study

Genesis 49:8–12

The NET BibleOther versions

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49:8Judah,10 your brothers will praise you.

Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies,

your father’s sons will bow down before you.

49:9You are a lion’s cub, Judah,

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He crouches and lies down like a lion;

like a lioness—who will rouse him?

49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,11

until he comes to whom it belongs;12

the nations will obey him.13

49:11Binding his foal to the vine,

and his colt to the choicest vine,

he will wash14 his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

49:12His eyes will be dark from wine,

and his teeth white from milk.15

Read in Logos
Genesis 49:10: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Footnotes

  1. 10 There is a wordplay here; the name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yéhudah) sounds in Hebrew like the verb translated praise (יוֹדוּךָ, yodukha). The wordplay serves to draw attention to the statement as having special significance.
  2. 11 Or perhaps “from his descendants,” taking the expression “from between his feet” as a euphemism referring to the genitals. In this case the phrase refers by metonymy to those who come forth from his genitals, i.e., his descendants.
  3. 12 The Hebrew form שִׁילֹה (shiloh) is a major interpretive problem. There are at least four major options (with many variations and less likely alternatives): (1) Some prefer to leave the text as it is, reading “Shiloh” and understanding it as the place where the ark rested for a while in the time of the Judges. (2) By repointing the text others arrive at the translation “until the [or “his”] ruler comes,” a reference to a Davidic ruler or the Messiah. (3) Another possibility that does not require emendation of the consonantal text, but only repointing, is “until tribute is brought to him” (so , , ), which has the advantage of providing good parallelism with the following line, “the nations will obey him.” (4) The interpretation followed in the present translation, “to whom it [belongs]” (so , , ), is based on the ancient versions. Again, this would refer to the Davidic dynasty or, ultimately, to the Messiah.
  4. 13 “and to him [will be] the obedience of the nations.” For discussion of this verse see J. Blenkinsopp, “The Oracle of Judah and the Messianic Entry,” 80 (1961): 55–64; and E. M. Good, “The ‘Blessing’ on Judah,” 82 (1963): 427–32.
  5. 14 The perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, describing coming events as though they have already taken place.
  6. 15 Some translate these as comparatives, “darker than wine … whiter than milk,” and so a reference to his appearance (so , , ). But if it is in the age of abundance, symbolized by wine and milk, then the dark (i.e., red or perhaps dull) eyes would be from drinking wine, and the white teeth from drinking milk.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

your father’s sons shall bow down before you.

Judah is a lion’s cub;

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He stooped down; he crouched as a lion

and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Binding his foal to the vine

and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

he has washed his garments in wine

and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth whiter than milk.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Judah, your brothers will praise you;

your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.

You are a lion’s cub, Judah;

you return from the prey, my son.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down,

like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until he to whom it belongs shall come

and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

He will tether his donkey to a vine,

his colt to the choicest branch;

he will wash his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes will be darker than wine,

his teeth whiter than milk.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Judah, your brothers will praise you.

Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.

Judah is a young lion—

my son, you return from the kill.

He crouches; he lies down like a lion

or a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

The scepter will not depart from Judah

or the staff from between his feet

until he whose right it is comes

and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.

He ties his donkey to a vine,

and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine.

He washes his clothes in wine

and his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth are whiter than milk.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“Judah, your brothers will praise you.

You will grasp your enemies by the neck.

All your relatives will bow before you.

Judah, my son, is a young lion

that has finished eating its prey.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down;

like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,

until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,

the one whom all nations will honor.

He ties his foal to a grapevine,

the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.

He washes his clothes in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth are whiter than milk.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Judah, as for you, your brothers shall praise you.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.

The sons of your father shall bow down to you.

Judah is a lion’s cub.

From the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness.

Who shall rouse him?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff between his feet,

until Shiloh comes.

And to him shall be the obedience of nations.

Binding his donkey to the vine

and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

he washes his clothing in the wine

and his garment in the blood of grapes.

The eyes are darker than wine,

and the teeth whiter than milk.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise:

Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies;

Thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.

Judah is a lion’s whelp:

From the prey, my son, thou art gone up:

He stooped down, he couched as a lion,

And as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

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.

Binding his foal unto the vine,

And his ass’s colt unto the choice vine;

He washed his garments in wine,

And his clothes in the blood of grapes:

His eyes shall be red with wine,

And his teeth white with milk.

Public Domain