Genesis 49

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:3

Reuben, thou art my firstborn ,.... Jacob addressed himself to Reuben first, in the presence of his brethren, owned him as his firstborn, as he was, Genesis 29:31 did not cashier him from his family, nor disinherit him, though he had greatly disobliged him, for which the birthright, and the privileges of it, were taken from him, 1 Chronicles 5:1 . my might, and the beginning of my strength ; begotten by him when in his full strength F26 "Nate. meae vires. --------" Virgil. , as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:4

Unstable as water ,.... Which is not to be understood of the levity of his mind, and his disposition to hurt, and the impetuous force of that breaking forth like water, and carrying him into the commission of it; but rather of his fall from his excellency and dignity, like the fall of water from an high place; and of his being vile, mean, and contemptible, useless and unprofitable, like water spilled on the ground; and of his weak and strengthless condition and circumstances, being deprived... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:5

Simeon and Levi are brothers ,.... Not because they were so in a natural sense, being brethren both by father and mother's side, for there were others so besides them; but because they were of like tempers, dispositions, and manners F6 "--------par nobile fratrum Nequitia et nugis pravorum et amore gemellum." Horat. Sermon. l. 2. Satyr. 3. , bold, wrathful, cruel, revengeful, and deceitful, and joined together in their evil counsels and evil actions, and so are joined together in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:6

O my soul, come not thou into their secret ,.... Their cabinet counsels, combinations and conspiracies; this Jacob said, as abhorring the wicked counsel they had took of slaying the Shechemites; and lest any should think he was concerned in it, or connived at it, he expressed a detestation of the fact on his dying bed: the future tense may be put for the past; and so Onkelos renders it, "my soul was not in their secret"; and so the other two Targums paraphrase it, that when they got and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:7

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce ,.... It was sinful anger in the nature of it, and so criminal and detestable; it was strong, fierce, and furious in its operation and effects, and so justly cursed; not their persons, but their passions: and their wrath, for it was cruel ; it issued in the cruel and barbarous slaughter of the inhabitants of Shechem; the same thing as before in other words repeated, to express his great abhorrence of their wrath and rage. Aben Ezra thinks that the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:8

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise ,.... His name signifies praise, and was given him by his mother, her heart being filled with praises to God for him, Genesis 29:35 and is here confirmed by his father on another account, because his brethren should praise him for many excellent virtues in him; and it appears, by instances already observed, that he had great authority, and was highly esteemed among his brethren, as his posterity would be in future times for their courage,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:9

Judah is a lion's whelp ,.... Or as one; the note of similitude being wanting, as Aben Ezra and Ben Melech observe; he was comparable to a young lion for his strength, courage, and generosity; and it may refer to the infant state of this tribe in the times of the judges, who first went up against the Canaanites and overcame them, Judges 1:1 . from the prey, my son, thou art gone up ; alluding to the lion going up to the mountains, where it chiefly resides, after it has found its prey... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:10

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah ,.... Which some understand of the tribe, that Judah should not cease from being a tribe, or that it should continue a distinct tribe until the coming of the Messiah, who was to be of it, and was, and that it might appear he sprung from it; but this was not peculiar to this tribe, for the tribe of Benjamin continued, and so did the tribe of Levi unto the coming of Christ: besides, by Judah is meant the tribe, and to say a tribe shall not depart from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:11

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine ,.... Which may be understood either of the tribe of Judah, and signify that vines should grow in such plenty, and so large and strong, that a man might fasten his ass to one of them, and if it ate and destroyed it, it would give no great concern, since the country abounded with them; or they would be so full of clusters that a man might load an ass from one of them. Some parts of the tribe of Judah were famous for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:12

His eyes shall be red with wine ,.... Signifying, not the intemperance of this tribe, and their immoderate use of wine, and the effect of it on them; but the goodness and generosity of their wine, that if drank plentifully of, and especially to excess, would have such an effect, see Proverbs 23:29 and, as applied to the Messiah, the antitype of Judah, and who was of this tribe, it may denote not so much the beauty of his eyes, as the Targums paraphrase it; as the joy and pleasure that... read more

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