100 | Genesis 49:9
9 You are a lion ’ s d cub , Judah ; e you return from the prey , my son .
Like a lion he crouches and lies down , like a lioness — who dares to rouse him ?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah , f nor the ruler ’ s staff from between his feet , a until he to whom it belongs b shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his . g 11 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 . 12 His eyes will be darker than wine , his teeth whiter than milk . c
49:9 d Nu 24:9 ; Eze 19:5 ; Mic 5:8 e Rev 5:5
49:10 f Nu 24:17 , 19 ; Ps 60:7 g Ps 2:9 ; Isa 42:1 , 4
49:13 h Ge 30:20 ; Dt 33:18-19 ; Jos 19:10‐11
49:14 i Ge 30:18
49:16 j Ge 30:6 ; Dt 33:22 ; Jdg 18:26‐27
49:17 k Jdg 18:27 49:18 l Ps 119:166 , 174
49:19 m Ge 30:11 ; Dt 33:20 ; 1Ch 5:18
13 “ Zebulun h will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships ; his border will extend toward Sidon .
14 “ Issachar i is a rawboned d donkey lying down among the sheep pens . e 15 When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land , he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor .
16 “ Dan f j will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel . 17 Dan k will be a snake by the roadside , a viper along the path , that bites the horse ’ s heels so that its rider tumbles backward .
18 “ I look for your deliverance , Lord . l
19 “ Gad g m will be attacked by a band of raiders , but he will attack them at their heels .
a 10 Or from his descendants b 10 Or to whom tribute belongs ; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is
uncertain . c 12 Or will be dull from wine , / his teeth white from milk d 14 Or strong e 14 Or the campfires ; or the saddlebags f 16 Dan here means he provides justice . g 19 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders .
enjoyed with Jacob ’ s family after his transforming encounter with Tamar ( ch . 38 ; see note on 38:25 – 26 ). Judah will receive the praise of his brothers ( see NIV text note on v . 8 ) because his own personal qualities of leadership will permeate his future descendants . In the light of Joseph ’ s associations with royalty , it is unexpected that Jacob links kingship to Judah ’ s future descendants ( see notes on vv . 8 – 10 ). 49:8 – 10 your father ’ s sons will bow down to you . . . the obedience of the nations shall be his . Recalls how Isaac blessed Jacob ( 27:29 ). 49:9 lion . This imagery enhances the royal image . Elsewhere the NT designates Jesus Christ as the “ Lion of the tribe of Judah ” ( Rev 5:5 ), clearly alluding to this verse . 49:10 scepter . . . ruler ’ s staff . A further indication that Jacob anticipates a time when one of Judah ’ s descendants will assume royal office and exercise universal authority . In later history , the Davidic dynasty comes from the tribe of Judah . Matthew ’ s Gospel gives particular attention to how Jesus Christ becomes the heir to the Davidic throne ( Matt 1:1 – 16 ; see Heb 7:14 ). until he to whom it belongs shall come . This translation is one of several suggestions ( see NIV text note ). Another possibility is “ until Shiloh comes .” The mention of Shiloh could foreshadow the time of Samuel when the Israelites take the ark of the covenant from Shiloh ( 1 Sam 4:3 – 4 ) and later when the newly enthroned David transports the ark to Jerusalem ( 2 Sam 6 ). These events associated with Shiloh mark the beginning of the process by which Israel ’ s leadership moves from the tribe of Ephraim to the tribe of Judah ( see Ps 78:59 – 72 ). 49:11 tether his donkey to a vine . This is the first of several lines that point forward to a time when the grape harvest will be exceptionally fruitful . This introduces the expectation that the reign of this king from the tribe of Judah will bring about the transformation of the natural environment , reversing the negative effects on creation that result from humanity ’ s disobedience of God ( cf . Ps 72:16 ; Amos 9:11 – 15 ). 49:13 Zebulun . Mentioning him before Issachar ( v . 14 – 15 ) is unusual since Zebulun was born after Issachar ( 30:17 – 20 ). Jacob ’ s blessing appears to anticipate a future time when Zebulun ’ s territory will border the Mediterranean Sea . While the tribal district of Zebulun lay close to the sea , the border did not always extend to the coast . 49:14 – 15 Jacob likens the tribe of Issachar to a donkey that works hard because it is welltreated and enjoys good provisions . 49:16 – 17 Jacob associates the tribe of Dan with justice , reflecting a wordplay on its name ( see NIV text note on v . 16 ). While providing justice appears to be a positive attribute , describing Dan as a roadside “ snake ” ( v . 17 ) suggests unexpected danger . Evidence of such behavior comes in the unprovoked assault that the tribe of Dan carried out in order to oust the residents of the city of Laish ( Judg 18 ). 49:18 Jacob briefly petitions God , possibly due to the negative characteristics he has attributed to his descendants . Only through divine intervention can there be hope for the future . 49:19 Gad . Jacob ’ s remarks concerning Gad ’ s descendants involve wordplays on his name ( see NIV text note ). The tribal territory of Gad , in the region of Gilead to the east of the Jordan River , made them susceptible to attacks from raiders . Jacob anticipates that the Gadites will skillfully defend themselves .