Genesis 49:4-14

4 (but) thou art shed out as water; wax thou not, for thou ascendedest on the bed of thy father, and defouledest his bed.

5 Simeon and Levi, brethren, fighting vessels of wickedness; (Simeon and Levi truly be brothers, and they use their bodies for fighting, and for wickedness;)

6 my soul come not into the counsel of them, and my glory be not in the congregation of them; for in their strong vengeance, they killed a man, and in their [own] will, they undermined the wall (for in their anger, they have killed some men, and to make sport, they have wounded some oxen);

7 cursed be the strong vengeance of them, for it is obstinate, and the indignation of them, for it is hard; I shall part them in Jacob (I shall divide them in Jacob), and I shall scatter them in Israel.

8 Judah, thy brethren shall praise thee, thine hands shall be in the nolls of thine enemies; the sons of thy father shall worship thee. (Judah, thy brothers shall praise thee, thy hands shall be upon the necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow before thee.)

9 Judah, the whelp of a lion; my son, thou hast gone up to the prey; thou restedest, and hast lain as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall raise him? (thou hast rested, and hast lain like a lion, and a lioness, and now who shall dare rouse thee?)

10 The sceptre shall not be taken away from Judah, and a duke (out) of his hip (nor a ruler from between his hips, or out of his loins), till he come that shall be sent, and he shall be the abiding of heathen men;

11 and he shall tie his colt at the vinery, and his she-ass at the vine; O! my son, he shall wash his stole in wine, and his mantle in the blood of the grape;

12 (yea,) his eyes be fairer than wine, and his teeth be whiter than milk.

13 Zebulun shall dwell in the brink of the sea, and in the standing of ships; and he shall stretch till to Sidon. (Zebulun shall live at the edge of the sea, and his shore shall be a haven for ships; and he shall reach as far as Sidon.)

14 Issachar, a strong ass, lying betwixt [the] terms, (Issachar, like a strong donkey, lying between two burdens,)

Genesis 49:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 49

This chapter contains a prophecy of future things, relating to the twelve sons of Jacob, and to the twelve tribes, as descending from them, and which he delivered to his sons on his death bed, having called them together for that purpose, Ge 49:1,2, he begins with Reuben his firstborn, whose incest he takes notice of, on which account he should not excel, Ge 49:3,4, next Simeon and Levi have a curse denounced on them for their cruelty at Shechem, Ge 49:5,6, but Judah is praised, and good things prophesied of him; and particularly that Shiloh, or the Messiah, should spring from him, the time of whose coming is pointed at, Ge 49:7-12, the predictions concerning Zebulun, Issachar, and Dan, follow, at the close of which Jacob expresses his longing expectation of God's salvation, Ge 49:13-18 and after foretelling what should befall Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, Ge 49:19-21, a large account is given of Joseph, his troubles, his trials, and his blessings, Ge 49:22-26, and Benjamin the youngest son is taken notice of last of all, all the tribes being blessed in their order according to the nature of their blessing, Ge 49:27,28, and the chapter is closed with a charge of Jacob's to his sons to bury him in Canaan, which having delivered, he died, Ge 49:29-33.