Genesis 49:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: 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.

NASB: The scepter will not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

CSB: 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.

NLT: 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.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

Jacob is old and nearing his death (Genesis 48:1). He is pronouncing a prophetic oracle over each of his sons, in turn (Genesis 49:1–2). This passage focuses on the future of his fourth son, Judah and the tribe which will come from him (Genesis 49:8–9).

In a famous statement, Jacob's proclaims that Judah's tribe will not merely produce conquerors, but also kings; in fact, this tribe will be the source of a specific King. A scepter is held by a king as sign of authority. According to Jacob, this symbolic rulership will never leave the tribe of Judah. Each king, in turn holding the ruler's staff, will come from the genealogy of Judah—poetically phrased as "between his feet." This will be echoed by God, through Samuel, who will later say to King David of Judah, "Your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16).

The phrase translated in the ESV as "until tribute comes to him" is much debated by Bible scholars. Some read it as "until he—meaning the scepter—comes to whom it belongs." Others understand the key word to refer to a place called Shiloh: "until Shiloh comes" or "until he comes to Shiloh." Many commentators believe this is referring to the coming of the final King of Israel of the line of David, the Messiah Himself. He will reign forever. In that sense, then, a descendant of the tribe of Judah will rule eternally.

Finally, all people will obey this King. This may refer to the peoples of all the tribes, not just Judah. Or it may refer to the people of the earth during the future reign of Christ Himself, perhaps hinted at in the following verses.

Genesis 49 contains Jacob's dying prophetic remarks. In the form of poetry, Jacob pronounces positive and negative "blessings" about each of his 12 sons and the people who will come from them. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are each held to account for their past sins. Judah is described as a lion; the kingly line will come from his people. Joseph and his descendants are lavished with blessings. Once the oracle is completed, Jacob commands his sons to bury him with his fathers in Canaan. Then, the man God named "Israel" (Genesis 35:10–11) dies.

After a life of struggle and controversy, Jacob's family has securely settled in Egypt. Genesis 48 told of Jacob's blessing on Joseph's two oldest sons: Ephraim and Manasseh. In Genesis 49, Jacob gives both positive and negative predictions to each of his sons, in turn. Jacob then commands his sons to bury him in Canaan, then dies. The final chapter of Genesis describes the family's mourning and Joseph's death. The opening verses of Exodus race forward some 400 years, as the nation of Israel falls into harsh slavery under new Egyptian rulers (Exodus 1:8–14).

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.