As Jacob is about to die, he gathers his 12 sons to him and predicts the future of what will happen to their families. In poem form!
Why it is important
The predictions are remarkably true and foreshadow the future of Israel as a nation.
It’s not the first poem in the Bible, but it’s by far the longest in Genesis. I don’t know how such a poem came about (did Jacob really freestyle this?), but it is fascinating to me that such a moment is presented to us as a poem.
Each of Jacob’s sons will become a “tribe” in the nation of Israel. Imagine someone proud of being from Texas. Texas is a place, but it’s much more than that to many Texans – it’s a big part of their identity. That’s what a tribe is like in Israel. It’s a place, but it’s like a sub-nationality.
What it is about
Some sons—in other words, some tribes—are going to wind up better than others.
- Reuben: not good (vs. 3-4). He is literally the first son of Jacob but he blew it earlier in life (Gen 35:22) and loses his rightful place.
- Joseph: the golden child (vs. 22-26). His blessing sounds like a song. Also, chapter 48 is a long (non-poetic) story of how Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. You may know that they each become tribes while there is no tribe named Joseph. Thus Joseph gets the double portion that would normally go to a firstborn son (Deut 21:17).
- Simeon and Levi: so-so (vs. 5-7). Jacob says they will be “scattered in Israel,” and so they are, but it works out well for them. Levi, of course, is the tribe of priests and temple servants, and Simeon’s land is inside of Judah’s – so Simeon winds up on the good side when the nation divides.
- And finally (for this summary), Judah: the future (vs. 8-12). Judah needs its own paragraph.
Judah (the person) had his own scandal (Gen 38), and yet he reigns supreme (pun intended) among the sons of Jacob, as the line of (good-ish) kings will later come from Judah. David and Jesus come from the tribe of Judah.
Judah becomes the like the capital district of Israel (it includes Bethlehem and later absorbs Jerusalem). Eventually the rest of Israel splits off and disappears, while Judah carries on.
The prophesies in this poem about Judah are remarkable, especially the implications about the messiah.
- Verse 8, “your father’s sons shall bow down before you” (David’s family leads Israel)
- Verse 9 “Judah is a lion’s cub” (Jesus as a lion)
- Verse 10, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah… and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (reminiscent of Jesus – the government shall be on His shoulders)
- Verse 11 – the “foal” and “donkey’s colt” references bring to mind the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
The text in King James Version
Because poems always sound way better in KJV.
(1) And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
(2) Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
(3) Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
(4) Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
(5) Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
(6) O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
(7) Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
(8) 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.
(9) 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?
(10) 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.
(11) Binding his foal unto the vine, and his [donkey]’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
(12) His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
(13) Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
(14) Issachar is a strong [donkey] couching down between two burdens:
(15) And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
(16) Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
(17) Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
(18) I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
(19) Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
(20) Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
(21) Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
(22) Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
(23) The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
(24) But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
(25) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
(26) The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
(27) Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
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