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“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
    —your hand on the neck of your enemies;
    the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah is a lion’s cub,
    you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches, lies down like a lion,
    like a lioness—who would dare rouse him?(A)
10 The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
    or the mace from between his feet,
Until tribute comes to him,[a]
    and he receives the people’s obedience.

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Footnotes

  1. 49:10 Until tribute comes to him: this translation is based on a slight change in the Hebrew text, which, as it stands, would seem to mean, “until he comes to Shiloh.” A somewhat different reading of the Hebrew text would be, “until he comes to whom it belongs.” This last has been traditionally understood in a messianic sense. In any case, the passage aims at the supremacy of the tribe of Judah and of the Davidic dynasty.

“Judah,[a](A) your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck(B) of your enemies;
    your father’s sons will bow down to you.(C)
You are a lion’s(D) cub,(E) Judah;(F)
    you return from the prey,(G) 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,(H)
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[b]
until he to whom it belongs[c] shall come(I)
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 49:8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  2. Genesis 49:10 Or from his descendants
  3. Genesis 49:10 Or to whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.