Introduction

We would like to introduce Genesis 49:10-11 with a reference back to our introductory material, particularly the material entitled "The Four Types of Messianic Prophecy." If the reader is not familiar with that information, he or she should master that material before reading this lesson on Genesis 49:10-11. The reason for this advice lies in the nature of this prophecy; Genesis 49:10-11 is a Blend Prophecy. A Blend Prophecy is a prophecy that contains information about the First Coming of the Messiah as well as the Second Coming of the Messiah. However, no information is provided to describe the interval of time that elapses between the First and Second Comings. To put the phenomenon in different words, the two comings of the Messiah are blended together in such a way that the time interval in between is not readily apparent. Sometimes this phenomenon occurs between verses and sometimes this situation occurs in the middle of a verse, in between phrases.

In the case of Genesis 49:10, the time gap occurs in the middle of the verse, in between two phrases. The first phrase is the statement "until Shiloh comes" (NASB), which refers to the First Coming of the Messiah. That phrase is followed by "and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (NASB), which is a reference to the Second Coming of the Messiah. To date, approximately 2,000 years has elapsed between these two statements, and yet there is no hint of this extremely large time interval in the text.

With that information forming the introduction to our study, we need to move to the Biblical text itself. We will begin with a brief look at the context surrounding the verse in question.

Judah and Messiah

Judah and Messiah

Assembling the Tribes - Genesis 49:1-2

Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel."

Jacob deliberately gathers his sons about his death bed for the purpose of passing on a message to them.

We are clearly told in verse 1 that Jacob will be speaking about those things that will happen in "the last days" or as the New American Standard Bible (NASB) states, "in the days to come." The term "the last days" or "in the days to come" projects Jacob's comments into the far distant future.

In most cases, depending on the context, the phrase "in the last days" refers to the end of the age that we are living in right now and will culminate with the institution of the Messianic Kingdom. Almost all the ancient Jewish commentators take this position as well.¹

Nachmanides, Sforno, and Rambam all concur that Jacob is peering down the conduit of time toward the Messianic era; He is looking toward the institution of the Messianic Kingdom.

In a similar manner the Midrash Rabbah to Genesis states:

... Isaac summoned Esau and wished to reveal the end to him, but the Holy One, blessed be He, hid it from him as it says, And he [Isaac] called Esau his elder son (Gen. XXVII, I). Jacob too wished to reveal the end to his sons, for it says, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days (ib. XLIX, 2).

The Midrash's footnotes adds: When Messiah would come. Proof by analogy, since 'called' is written of both Isaac and Jacob, that both had the same purpose.

Other examples include the Midrash Rabbah Genesis XCIX, Second Version, 5.

AND JACOB CALLED UNTO HIS SONS (XLIX, I). Why did he call them? In order to reveal to them the end [Messianic redemption].

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis XCVIII, 2:

... The rabbis said: he was about to reveal the end [the Messianic redemption] to them, but it was hidden from him. R. Judah said in the name of R. Eleazar b. Abina: To two men was the end revealed, only to be hidden again from them, and they are these: Jacob and Daniel. Daniel: But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book (Dan. XII, 4). Jacob: THAT WHICH SHALL BEFALL YOU IN THE END OF DAYS...

(The Midrash's footnoe here says: Implying that the book - the secret of Messiah's advent - had hitherto been opened to him.)

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan:

Then Jacob called to his sons and said unto them "Purify yourselves of uncleanness, and I will tell you the hidden secrets, the concealed date of the End, ... as soon as the date of the End when the King Messiah was revealed to him, it was immediately concealed from him, and therefore, instead (of revealing the date) he said: "Come," and I will relate to you what will happen to you at the end of days."

(The Targumists see in the Hebrew phrase symyh tyrtaB "at the end of days," a reference to Messiah's arrival. Certainly it is totally nothing more than pure speculation and a classic example of how a verse can be used to support your own beliefs. In this case the Targumist is using the verse to help the traditional Jewish viewpoint that no one should try and calculate the time of Messiah's advent.)

Fragmentary Targum to the Pentateuch:

... For he was revealing to them all that was going to occur at the very end, the time of the Messiah. But as soon as it was revealed to him it became concealed from him. So Jacob arose and blessed them, each according to his deserts.

(The attempted revelation of the date of the advent of the Messiah by Jacob, and its sudden withdrawal are discussed in Genesis Rabbah 98:2.²)

In other words, God is revealing to Jacob the future history of his descendants. The sons of Jacob assemble around his death bed as the representatives of the 12 tribes. They represent the entire Jewish people because the revelation goes far beyond these dozen men. The revelation summarizes the characteristics of the entire Jewish people from Jacob's day until the Messianic Kingdom.

For those who would like to study the idea of the "Last Days" in more detail, here is a list of "Last Days" passages to consider: Isaiah 2:2, Hosea 3:5, John 6:40, Acts 2:17, II Timothy 3:1, II Peter 3:3, Jude 18, Ezekiel 30:2, Joel 1:15, Zechariah 14:7, Joel 2:29, Micah 4:1, II Timothy 3:1, Hebrews 1:2, Numbers 24:14, Joel 2:28, I Timothy 4:1, Hebrews 1:1, James 5:9, I John 2:18, Jeremiah 48:47, and Genesis 49.

Jacob's opening comments are negative. Three of his sons, three tribes, will be disqualified from leadership over Israel. They will be disqualified because of serious character flaws that they could not correct.

Jacob's attention is first directed to his oldest son Reuben in verses 3-4.

 

¹ Scherman and Zlotwitz, Gen. Eds., Artscroll Tanach Series, Bereishis Vol. 6, (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1978), p. 2131
² Huckel, T. The Rabbinic Messiah (Gen. 49:1)., (Philadelphia: Hananeel House, 1998).

Disqualified for Leadership

Reuben for Lack of Self Control¹ - Genesis 49:3-4

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

Reuben was the biological firstborn, and as such should have been Jacob's spiritual heir. According to natural right, he was entitled to the first rank among his brothers, to the leadership of the tribes, and to a double share of the inheritance. Reuben has forfeited, and has lost these privileges.

Reuben's right to a double portion of the inheritance is based on Deuteronomy 21:17

"But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn."

Because the firstborn was the initial child of the father's youth, he was entitled to one additional share of the father's estate. For example, if there were five sons in the family, then the inheritance would be divided into six shares. Two shares would be given to the firstborn and the remaining four shares to the remaining four younger sons. However, it was not Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob's wife Leah, who received the double portion of the inheritance. The double portion was given to Joseph, the firstborn of Jacob's wife Rachel in Genesis 48:21-22.

Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."

The question naturally arises, "What caused this loss, this forfeiture?"

Jacob answers that question in verse 4 by describing Reuben's moral character. He compares Reuben to an uncontrolled, destructive flood pounding through a dry wadi in the Holy Land. Like a churning, gushing torrent of waters, he possessed no moral self control. That lack of self-discipline overflowed its banks one time too many in an incident of moral indiscretion that humiliated his father. The explanation is brief and to the point, "for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it." Jacob's comment is a reference to Genesis 35:22 where Reuben slept with Jacob's concubine, Bilhah. Reuben violated the honor of his father and so lost the leadership in Israel. As a result, his tribe attained no position of influence in the nation. Reuben had birth, dignity, and opportunity, but he had no strength of character.

To quote Rabbi Hertz from the Hertz Pentateuch:

Here Scripture stresses the idea that moral character is a more important factor than hereditary right.²

This transfer of privilege and the reason that prompted it are confirmed in I Chronicles 5:1-2.

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph)

Our personal character growth will determine our rewards in this world. If we are immoral, like Reuben, we will suffer the consequences of immorality as well. Jacob's remarks to Judah are complete.

Jacob now moves on to the next two sons in seniority, Simeon and Levi in verses 5-7.

Simeon and Levi for Cruelty ³ - Genesis 49:5-7

Simeon and Levi are brothers - their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and the fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

Reuben was Jacob's firstborn, Simeon was his second-born, and Levi his third-born. Jacob explains to Simeon and Levi that the dignities which Reuben had forfeited should have been theirs as the next in line. However, they too were unworthy of them because of their cruelty.

Simeon and Levi are grouped together because they were the instigators of the bloodshed against the city of Shechem in Genesis 34:25. They were not simply biological brothers. They were also brothers in thought and in action, in counsel and deed, in violence and in cruelty. Jacob protested vehemently against the two sons and their attack on the defenseless city. Here, he gives his final verdict on their action. The two tribes would loose their portion of territory in the land. Simeon eventually became the weakest of all the tribes. Simeon received no separate assignment of territory as an inheritance; he merely received a number of cities within the territory of Judah. Simeon was eventually absorbed into Judah.

Likewise, Levi received no separate inheritance in the land; he received merely a number of cities to dwell in, scattered throughout the possessions of his brothers. However, the scattering of Levi was changed into a blessing because they received the privilege of the priesthood. In Exodus 32:29, the Levites stood committed to the LORD when the rest o the nation worshipped the golden calf. Because of that commitment, they were set apart by the LORD for special use. Eventually, they became the priestly tribe. Scattered as priests throughout the country, they were responsible to teach the nation the Holy Scriptures.

Before we leave this section, please notice a principle that the Jewish commentator Rashi brings out. Rashi observes Jacob's curse in verse 7. He states, "He did not curse them, but their anger."⁴ We often make this statement: "God hates the sin but loves the sinner." As Rashi notes, this is an example of that principle in operation.

The Talmud, Berachos 10A states it this way:

The righteous pray for the destruction of sin, but not of sinners. Let the sinners repent so that they will survive while their sins will no longer exist.

Using a variety of figures of speech, the Bible affirms this lesson over and over again.

Micah 7:19
He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed out transgressions from us.

Isaiah 38:17
Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; it is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

Isaiah 43:25
I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

That is exactly what we want, isn't it? That is exactly why we proclaim the Gospel. We want sinners to repent, have their sins forgiven, and be saved from the wrath of God.

Simeon and Levi suffered discipline for their failings, but they were not excluded from the nation of Israel. God loved them, but not their sin. They were merely put into the background because of their sins, but they did not loose out of their part in the Abrahamic Covenant.

The same is true for us. No genuine believer will ever lose the gift of eternal life that God has given him through trusting Yeshua (Jesus). However, we may be put into the background because of our sins. Our service will be handicapped and our rewards will be diminished. Our personal character growth will determine our rewards in this world. If we are cruel and violent, like Simeon and Levi, we will reap the consequences of cruelty and violence as well.

We now move on to Jacob's fourth son, Judah, in verses 8-9.

 

¹ The Artscroll Tanach Series, Bereishis Vol. 6, pp. 2134-2138; Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 1, pp. 389-390; Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, p.275; Soncino Books of the Bible, "Chumash," pp. 302-303; Pentateuch and Haftorahs, pp. 183-184
² Pentateuch and Haftorahs, p. 184
³ The Artscroll Tanach Series, Vol. 6, pp. 2138-2142; Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 1, pp. 390-392; Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, pp. 275-276; Soncino Books of the Bible, p. 303; Pentateuch and Haftorahs, p. 184
⁴ Silbermann, Rabbi A.M., Chumash With Rashi, Bereshit (Jerusalem, Israel: Feldheim Publishers Ltd., 1994), p. 244

Qualified

Judah - Genesis 49:8-9

Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness - who dares to rouse him?

Judah, the fourth son, was the first to receive a rich and unmixed blessing, the blessing of supremacy and power. Judah's name means "praised."¹ Jacob foretold a future for the tribe of Judah that pictures him as the preeminent son - the prominent tribe. This is a promise of leadership, of victory, and of tribal stability.² In the future history of the tribe, Judah would become all that his name implied; the tribe would be praised. In verse 8, Judah is also described as a victorious warrior. He returns home from battle to be greeted by shouts of praise from his brothers.

These shouts of praise indicate that Judah's leadership and supremacy will be emphasized by his victories over Israel's enemies and by his dominion over his brothers. David's military victories could be summed up in a Psalm he wrote praising God for empowering his triumph in battle. Of the 51 verses that comprise II Samuel 22, verses 38-41 speak very strongly of David's and therefore, Judah's success.

I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and I did not turn back until they were consumed. And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise; and they fell under my feet. For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, and I destroyed those who hated me.

Judah's dominion over his brothers is also revealed by other factors as well. Five characteristics emphasize this supremacy.³ 1) Judah was first in population. When God ordered a census taken of all the men, 20 years old and older, who could go to battle, Judah heads the list at 74,600 (Num. 1:27, 2:4). Forty years later the new generation undergoes another census and Judah still heads the list at 74,500 able-bodied men. 2) Judah was first in marching order. Judah was given the number one position and led the march of Israel (Num. 2:3-4, 10:13-14). 3) Judah was also the first to fight for the Promised Land - Judges 1:1-2.

Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" The Lord said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand."

4) The tribe of Judah was also the first tribe to supply a judge for the nation. Soon after the death of Joshua, Israel finds herself disciplined for sin by Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, for eight years. At the end of the period they call out to God for deliverance. God responds by raising up Othniel from the tribe of Judah, to lead the nation to freedom. 5) Finally, Judah is the first to have royalty permanently reside in the tribe. The first king of Israel was Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. However, he was soon replaced by king David of Judah. After that succession, the unconditional, eternal Davidic Covenant was instituted with David. In that covenant, David is promised an eternal throne, an eternal kingdom and an eternal dynasty (II Sam. 11-16; I Chron. 17:10-14). The fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant is found in the Messianic King, who guarantees the permanence of David's throne, kingdom and dynasty.

The Messianic nature of this prophecy is stressed through a comment on verse 8, found in the Midrash Rabbah.

Midrash Rabbah, Numbers XIIII, 14.
Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise... thy father's sons shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp, etc. (Gen. XLIX, 8 f.). The tribe of Judah - the wise and great among them - possessed a tradition from our father Jacob as to all that would befall the whole tribe until the days of the Messiah. Every one of the tribes similarly possessed such traditions from their father Jacob as to what would happen to them until the days of the Messiah... How do we know the same of King Messiah? Because it is written, He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. (Ps. LXXII, 8). How do we know that He will hold sway on land? Because it is written, All kings shall prostrate themselves before him; all nations shall serve him (Ps. LXXII, 11) and it also says, Behold there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man... and there was given unto him dominion... that all the peoples... should serve him, etc. (Dan. VII, 14); And the stone which smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth (Dan. II, 35)... since the nations brought gifts to Solomon and will in time to come to bring similarly to the King Messiah; as you read, the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts (Ps. LXXII, 10).⁴

The idea of the victorious warrior is extended and enlarged through the image of Judah as a lion in verse 9. There is a progression, a process of development apparent in the lion metaphor. Judah is pictured as a playful, frolicking, fighting, and vigorous young one who develops into a powerful and awesome animal.⁵ Growth and development are part of the picture here. A rhetorical question brings the image to a close, "who dares to rouse him?" No answer is needed, it is too obvious. You do not mess with a mature, healthy lion. Only the most foolish of fools would dare disturb such a dangerous beast.

As a person, Judah was not perfect; he had his flaws. For example, he was partner to selling his brother Joseph into slavery in Genesis 37. He also wronged his daughter-in-law Tamar in Genesis 38.

However, Judah possessed a basic nobility of character that grew in strength as the years passed. This growth in personal character and moral integrity enabled him to overcome the flaws in his personality. Unlike his three older brothers, he overcame his deficiencies. For example, he offered himself to Joseph as a guarantee of Benjamin's safety in Genesis 43. He followed through on that pledge in Genesis 44 by offering to become a slave in Benjamin's place.

For this growth, for this direction of his life, he is commended. This basic nobility of character will mark his tribe for years to come. They will grow to become the single most dominant tribe in the centuries to follow.

Our personal character growth will determine our rewards in this world. If we mature in character, like Judah, we will reap the rewards of character as well.

Turning to the Midrash once again, we see that the rabbis considered verse 9 to be highly Messianic in nature.

Midrash Rabbah, New Version XCVII:
... JUDAH IS A LION'S WHELP (XLIX, 9). R. Hama b. R Hanina said: This alludes to Messiah the son of David who was descended from two tribes, his father being from Judah and his mother from Dan, in connection with both of which 'lion' is written: JUDAH IS A LION'S WHELP; Dan is a lion's whelp (Deut. XXXIII, 22).

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis XCVIII, 7:
... Others explain: From Perez unto Zedekiah, HE STOOPED, HE COUCHED; from Zedekiah until the Messiah, 'He couched, he lay down.' In this world, 'He stooped down, he lay down' in the Messianic era, HE STOOPED DOWN, HE COUCHED; when he had no enemies, HE STOOPED, HE COUCHED; until all his enemies are no more, 'He couched, he lay down.'

(A footnote in the Midrash to the era from Zedekiah to Messiah reads of Judah: In this period he is powerless, until He will actually be redeemed.⁶)

Now Jacob continues his remarks, and as he does, he begins to speak about another of his sons. This son is not one of the 12 gathered about his bed. This is a descendant that will come from the tribe of Judah some 1,700 years in the future.

In verses 10-12, Jacob now begins to describe the Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom. He begins by informing us about the timing of the Kingdom in verse 10.

 

¹ Wood, D.R.W., and Marshall, I.H., The New Bible Dictionary, "Judah" (Electronic Ed., Logos 2.0)
² Wood, D.R.W., The New Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1962)
³ Lapides, Louis. "The Rabbinic and Hebrew Christian Views on Messianic Prophecy Outline," Ariel Ministries.
⁴ Huckel, T., The Rabbinic Messiah, (Gen. 49:8). (Philadelphia: Hananeel House, 1998).
⁵ Van Groningen, Gerard., Messianic Revelation in the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990), p. 171
⁶ Huckel, T., The Rabbinic Messiah, (Gen. 49:9). (Philadelphia: Hananeel House, 1998).

Timing

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.

This verse is an extremely significant Messianic verse.

Quoting from the Artscroll Tenach Commentary, an orthodox Jewish commentary and one of the editors, Rabbi Zlotowitz, makes this remark:

The general consensus [with a few exceptions] of rabbinic interpretation is that this phrase refers to the coming of the Messiah. This passage accordingly constitutes the primary Torah source for the belief that the Messiah will come.¹

...the overwhelming consensus of Rabbinic Commentary interprets this verse to allude to the Messiah.²

According to Rabbi Zlotowitz, this verse is the foundation verse. This is the bedrock verse from which our understanding of the Messiah's coming will grow. At least 13 prominent rabbinic commentators agree that this is a Messianic verse, and to get 13 Jewish people to agree on anything is a miracle in itself.

Rashi says that the verse refers to the Messiah.³ Targum Onkelos renders the verse as referring to the Messiah.⁴ Nachmanides agrees,⁵ as does Rabbi Ashtruc in the commentary Midrashei Torah,⁶ and Gur Aryeh,⁷ and Rabbi Sforno,⁸ and Midrash Tanchuma,⁹ the Jerusalem Targum, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Yalkut,¹⁰ the Talmud,¹¹ and Midrash Rabbah.¹²

It is no wonder that Shlomo Riskin concurs:

...our sages understood that the initial reference to the emergence of a messianic line in Judaism is to be found in the blessing to Judah, who is the progenitor of Boaz, Yishai, and David, model and ancestor of the long-awaited Messiah.¹³

Let us examine such an important verse of Sacred Scripture. We begin with the scepter in verse 10.

The scepter first began as the shepherd's staff. Israel's rulers are also considered to be the shepherd of their people. This may be one of the reasons why God chose David to be Israel's king. David had been a shepherd. As such, he gained a proper understanding of the leadership role. This is also why Yeshua referred to Himself as the "good shepherd."

The scepter is also an emblem of kingship¹⁴ and a symbol of regal command.¹⁵ In the hand of the ruler, it became a symbol of his power.¹⁶ The king held the scepter in his hand while speaking in public assemblies. When he sat upon his throne, he rested it between his feet and inclined it toward himself. This idea is clearly seen in Psalm 60:7 and Psalm 108:8. Both verses read:

Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.

The concept has carried over into our day, into the body of the Messiah. The leaders of a local congregation are considered to be the under-shepherds of the "good shepherd."

At this point, we come to a phrase in verse 10 that has caused the spilling of untold gallons of ink on paper. The phrase is the statement rendered by the NASB, "until Shiloh comes." Five different positions have been generated by this difficult phrase, each with its own supporters. We will not develop all five positions. Suffice it to say, we will look at the position that has the most textual support and that fits the context.

The exact wording of the statement varies between translations. Many English versions render the statement something like this: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes..." This approach makes "Shiloh" a title for the Messiah. As such, Genesis 49:10 became the source for the rabbinic name of the Messiah.¹⁷

For example, Sanhedrin 98a says:

What is the name of the Messiah? They of the school of Rav Shila said, "His name is Shiloh."

Unfortunately, using the word "Shiloh" as if it were a proper name for Messiah obscures the meaning of the phrase.¹⁸

This word "Shiloh" should be taken as a possessive pronoun, not a proper name. This is how the Septuagint translates the verse, as does the Syriac version. This reading is further supported by a comparison with Ezekiel 21:27.¹⁹ In Ezekiel 21:27, a similar phrase and construction is used.

Therefore, the best translation has been done by the New International Version (NIV):

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs...

The point is that Judah's identity and right to rule cannot be lost until someone who has full rights to the scepter comes. Judah's superiority cannot be lost until someone comes who has full claim to the right to rule. Those who reign from the house of Judah will do so in anticipation of the one to whom the kingship truly belong.

Now we need to turn our attention to that little time indicator "until." The prophecy pivots around the word "until."

The scepter (the ruler's staff and Judah's dominance) will not depart "until" after the Messiah appears. This is the real key and significance of the verse. The Messiah will have to come before the tribe of Judah loses its prominence and identity. This establishes a clear time period for the prophecy. The timing of the Messiah's appearance is the most important point.

When did the tribe of Judah lose its prominence and identity? The records of tribal identities were kept and maintained in the Temple. All of these records were lost with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Within a few generations, all the tribes of Israel, with the exception of Levi, had lost their identity. Since the tribe of Judah lost its preeminence and identity in 70 AD, it can clearly be seen that Messiah must have come sometime before 70 AD. It is not possible for the Messiah to come after 70 AD.²⁰

A fascinating comment is found in the book Pugio Fidei by Raymond Martin.²¹

A little more than 40 years before the destruction of the Temple, the power of pronouncing capital sentences was taken away from the Jews. When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them; they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming, "Woe unto us, for the Scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come."²²

The Sanhedrin was wrong. In 30 AD, the Messiah had come, exactly as Genesis 49:10 had predicted. The point is that the ancient Jewish interpretation recognized unmistakably that a time frame for the Messiah's coming is clearly laid out in Genesis 49:10. However, the Jewish people refused to heed the information. The scepter was taken away from Judah at that precise moment so that the Romans would crucify Yeshua. Psalm 22 and Yeshua (Matt. 20:19) both predicted that he would be crucified. Therefore, the scepter was removed from Judah at that precise moment to fulfill God's word.

Verse 10 to this point, brings us to the first coming of the Messiah. This passage can only be speaking of one person. There is only one person in history that lived before 70 AD, who fulfills the requirements of the passage, and who claimed to be the Messiah. That person is Yeshua. Yeshua's earthly career began with His birth in 6 or 7 AD and terminated with His ascension in 30 AD.

In Luke 3, we have a record of His genealogy, His tribal identity. We know what tribe and family Yeshua came from. Yeshua is a descendent of Judah as well as a descendent of the royal family of David. In Luke 1, Yeshua is stated to be the final king of Judah's royal supremacy.

The angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Messiah to Mary. He makes this statement in Luke 1:31-33:

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.

Judah's prominence reaches its greatest glory with the coming of Yeshua. However, we the Jewish people rejected Yeshua as our Messiah/King when He came the first time. Yeshua went back to His heavenly throne until the time when the Jewish people shall call on Him to return. It is at that time, sometime in the future, that He will return to destroy His enemies, save His people, and institute the Messianic Kingdom. Because of this fact of history, we have a time gap between what we have seen so far and the last phrase of the verse.

Please refer to the following diagram. This is how the timing of each phrase breaks down.

"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet," refers to the time period from 1,700 BC to 6-7 BC.

The word "until" brings us to Yeshua's First Coming. His First Coming extended from the years 6 or 7 BC until the year 30 AD. Jacob told us when the Messiah will appear - before 70 AD and that was exactly when Yeshua arrived on the scene.

Please note, as you look at the chart, that the very important word "until" does not mean that Judah will possess the scepter and then loose royal authority when the Messiah comes. Rather, the word "until" speaks of the apex of Judah's rule. It speaks of the enlargement of Judah's rule and the perpetuity of Judah's rule through the Messiah. Judah's rule will reach its greatest glory when the Messiah appears. The first part of verse 10 describes the First Coming segment of this Blend Prophecy.

Then a time gap exists between that phrase and the final phrase of the verse. That time gap is covered by that little connective word "and." That little word "and" covers the time from 30 AD until the return of Yeshua and the institution of the Messianic Kingdom. That little word "and" summarizes approximately 2,000 years.

It is during the Messianic Kingdom that the final phrase of verse 10 will be fulfilled, "the obedience of the nations is His." Not only will Yeshua reign over Israel, but He will, likewise, reign over all the nations of the world as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The last phrase of verse 10 takes us into the Second Coming segment of this Blend Prophecy.

In the words of Rabbi Munk from the Artscroll Tenach Commentary:

Until the Messiah's coming Judah will hold the royal scepter in the midst of his own nation, but the Messiah, the descendent of David will reign over the gathered nations.²³

We have already stated our understanding that the word "Shiloh" would be better rendered "to whom it belongs." Before moving on, it would be appropriate to explain in more detail these two understandings of the verse.

 

¹ Zlotowitz, vol. 6, p. 2152
² Ibid., p. 2153
³ Silbermann, p. 245; Zlotowtiz, vol. 6, p. 2152; Fruchtenbaum, Dr. Arnold G., Messianic Christology (Ariel Ministries, 1998), p. 20
⁴ Ibid.; Ibid.; Frydland, Rachmiel, What the Rabbis Know About the Messiah (Columbus, Ohio: Messianic Publishing Co., a division of Messianic Literature Outreach, 1991), pp. 16-17
⁵ Cohen, p. 305
⁶ Zlotowitz, vol. 6, p. 2152
⁷ Ibid., p. 2150
⁸ Ibid., p. 2153
⁹ Ibid.; Frydland, p. 17
¹⁰ Yellin, Burt, Messiah: A Rabbinic and Scriptural Viewpoint (Denver, CO: Congregation Roeh Israel, 1984), p. 90; Frydland, pp. 16-17
¹¹ Frydland, p. 17
¹² Ibid.; Fruchtenbaum, p.20
¹³ Riskin Shlomo, The International Jerusalem Post, January 12, 2001, "Awaiting the Messiah," p. 39
¹⁴ Hertz, p. 185
¹⁵ Keil and Delitzsch, vol. 1, p. 393
¹⁶ Van Groningen, p. 172
¹⁷ Gaebelein, vol. 2, pp. 279-280
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ Fruchtenbaum, p. 19; Logos 2.0, New Bible Dictionary, article "Shiloh"
²⁰ Fruchtenbaum, pp. 19-20
²¹ Lemann, MM, Jesus Before the Sanhedrin, (Neck City: Giving and Sharing) www.giveshare.org/library/sanhedrin/1.2.html
²² McDowell, Josh, Evidence that Demands a Verdict (San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, Inc., 1972, 1979), pp. 168-169, Other possible sources, J. Tal. Sanhedrin 24 recto, B. Tal. Sanhedrin 4
²³ Zlotowitz, vol. 6, p. 2153-2154

"Shiloh" and "To Whom It Belongs"

The term "Shiloh" is found in NASV and KJV. In contrast, the term "to whom it belongs" is found in the NIV. No matter which position one takes, both of these positions refer to the Messiah.

The first position is that Shiloh is a title of the Messiah. This title denotes "the one who brings peace" or "the rest giver." This understanding is of the opinion that the word "Shiloh" is derived from the Hebrew root Shalah, which means to be safe or secure. Consistent with this meaning, the Messiah as the giver of peace is found in other Messianic passages such as Isaiah 9:6.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

The second position, and the one we hold on to, is that Shiloh is an abbreviation for "until He comes whose it is." This is supported by the Septuagint which translates the phrase "to whom it is laid up for." In a similar manner the Peshitta (Syriac Old Testament) renders the phrase "until he comes whose it is." This rendering is paralleled in Ezekiel 21:27 (E)(21:32 H).

A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it. This also will be no more until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.

The Hebrew term loosely translated "He comes whose right it is" are the words "asher-loh." When explaining that phrase, the Jewish commentary, The Soncino Books of the Bible, refers the reader back to Genesis 49:10 with the comment, "The phrase until he comes whose right it is recalls the Messianic prophecy in Gen. xlix. 10." The reason why the Soncino commentary makes this statement lies in the fact that the two phrases, in the two verses, have a similar construction. The main difference lies in the fact that the Genesis 49:10 text is an abbreviation for the same two Hebrew words, asher-loh. Shiloh is made up of the syllable "sh" which is an abbreviation of asher. Asher is the relative pronoun "who."

The second syllable, "loh," is the preposition "lamed," meaning "to, at, in, in reference to, of, by, etc,"¹ combined with the third person masculine singular pronoun "him." Together these two syllables form the word "Shiloh." Shiloh is an abbreviation that means "to him who it belongs."

To use a modern English illustration of this literary idea, Shiloh would be similar to our abbreviation "ASAP." ASAP is simply an abbreviation of the phrase, "As Soon As Possible." Four words are abbreviated and represented by their first letter. Then the four letters are joined together to form a new word. The new word is a shortened way to express the phrase.

Verse 10 closes with a glimpse of the peace that will dominate the world during the reign of the Messianic king. The Messiah's reign will be characterized by obedience. This will be the means of achieving peace.

The extent of Messianic peace is described in two segments. The first segment was described in verse eight. His peace will extend over the tribes of Israel. Secondly, His peace will extend worldwide. As stated here in verse 10, it will encompass all the nations of the world.

Other sections of Scripture emphasize over and over that the Messiah will rule the Earth with resolute power and authority. The scepter of His authority will be worldwide and unbending.

Psalm 2:8-9
"Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware."

Revelation 2:27
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father.

Revelation 12:5
And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

Revelation 19:15
From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

At this point, Jacob moves on to describe the prosperity associated with the Messianic Kingdom itself. We now get another tiny glimpse, just a glorious peek, at what awaits us in the future.

 

¹ Harris, R. Laird, Archer Gleason L., Wltke, Bruce M, Eds., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, (Chicago, IL: Moody Press) 1980, Logos Electronic Edition.

Conditions of the World

He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

The idea being extravagantly expressed is the idea of Judah's prosperity. The pronouns "he" and "his" in verse 11 refer to Judah, as the representative of his tribe, not to the Messiah. As you read this verse, remember that the Kingdom prosperity will not be limited to the tribe of Judah. It will extend beyond Judah to all Israel and beyond Israel to the entire world.

The donkey in biblical thinking is a symbol of peace and well being.¹ In contrast, the horse is a symbol of war. The Messiah will bring to Judah, and to the world, a reign of peace.

Vineyards and wine are symbols of prosperity and blessing.² In the kingdom, valuable commodities will be so abundant that they can be put to common everyday use. The thrust of the imagery is that prosperity and blessing will be so plentiful that even the choicest vines will be put to such ordinary use for tethering animals. One will be able to tie a donkey to the choicest plant and be unconcerned about how much of it he has for lunch. Let him eat freely because choice vines are flourishing everywhere.

Another lavish picture closes verse 11. The picture is that wine will be so plentiful that the people of Judah can wash their clothes in it.

Verse 11 is a one verse summary of the extreme and lavish abundance that will be found in the kingdom. There will be no more famines, no more poverty, and no more war. There will be only an excess of joy and fullness.

The description of the Messianic Kingdom closes in verse 12 by telling the characteristics of the people who inhabit the kingdom period.

 

¹Zlotowitz, vol. 6, p. 2155
²Gaebelein, vol. 2, p. 277

Characteristics of the People

His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

The pronoun "his" refers to Judah and not exclusively to the Messiah.

In verse 12, we come to rather common and unfortunate renderings of the Hebrew. The unfortunate translation is the one used by the King James Version (KJV) and other versions such as the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) version of 1917.

The unfortunate translation used in the KJV printed in 1769 goes like this:

His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

The NASB says:

His eyes are dull from wine and his teeth white from milk.

And the Jewish Publication Society version (1917) states:

His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

Let us allow Rabbi Hertz to deal with these renderings. His comments come from the Hertz Pentateuch:

This rendering is absurd. According to it, Judah's eyes are red from excessive drinking, and Jacob's blessing is that Judah should be a drunkard! The word rendered "red," however, means "sparkling" (Septuagint, Gunkel, Gressman); and the correct translation of the verse is: "his eyes are more sparkling than wine."¹

The phrase compares the eyes of the people to the sparkling appearance of wine. The eyes of the people sparkle the way wine sparkles in the sun light. Their eyes are not bloodshot from drunkenness or dull from an alcoholic stupor.

In addition, we have to ask this question about the final phrase of the verse, "Does drinking milk make your teeth white?" Obviously the answer is no. You do not get white teeth from drinking milk. The correct translation of the final phrase is therefore, as the NIV states it, "his teeth whiter than milk." Again, it is a comparative statement describing a healthy, flashing smile.

What is the point of verse 12? The point of the imagery is strength and health. Everyone living in the Messianic Kingdom will be vigorous and sturdy. Illness, all the way from a cold to cancer, will be a thing of the past. Doctors, nurses, dentists and dental assistants will be out of a job. Hospitals and clinics and convalescent centers will no longer be needed. This will be life during the Messianic Kingdom.

On this glorious note of hope and promise, Jacob's message to Judah comes to its completion.

We will bring our exegesis of the prophecy to a close with a three part summary. Three important implications need to be kept in mind. 1) Messiah will be the final ruler of Judah's royal supremacy. 2) The Messiah must be able to prove his tribal descent from Judah. 3) The Messiah had to come before the 70 AD destruction of the temple when the genealogical records were destroyed.

We have stated in very clear terms that we believe this prophecy portrays and predicts the coming of Israel's glorious Messiah King. Are we accurate in this assessment? Is this just some wild notion that has no basis? Are there other views in the Jewish community that substantiates our position? With these questions in mind we need to move to the next section of our study: Rabbinic Support.

 

¹Hertz, p. 185

Rabbinic Support

There is a rich amount of material in rabbinic literature that supports our contention that this prophecy is Messianic in nature.

Genesis 49:10

Targum Onkelos: He who exercised dominion shall not pass away from the house of Judah, nor the scribe from his children's children forever, until Messiah shall come. Whose is the kingdom, and whom the peoples shall obey.¹

Targum Palestine: Kings shall not cease, nor rulers from the house of Judah, nor sopherim teaching the law from his seed, till the time that King Messiah shall come, who will arise from Judah.²

Fragmentary Targum: King shall not cease from the house of Judah, nor scribes who teach the Torah from his children's children, until the time of the coming of the King Messiah, to whom belongs the Kingdom, and to whom all dominions of the earth shall become subservient.³

Rashi: until Shiloh comes [this refers to] the King Messiah, to whom the kingdom belongs,⁴

Sanhedrin 98b: What is his [the Messiah's] name? - The School of R. Shila said: His name is Shiloh, for it is written, until Shiloh come."⁵

Midrash Mishle: Rav Huna says "The Messiah is called by seven names and they are Yinnon, Tzidqenu ['Our Justice'], Tzemach ['Shoot'], Menahem ['Comforter'], David, Shiloh, Elijah."⁶

Yalkut Shim. Ber.: 'Judah is a young lion.' That is Messiah the Son of David.⁷

Midrash Rabbah: The rulership abideth with the tribe of Judah until the arrival of Shiloh i.e. Messiah.⁸

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis: THE SCEPTRE [STAFF] SHALL NOT DEPRT FROM JUDAH alludes to the Messiah, son of David, who will chastise the State with a staff, as it says, Thou shalt break them with a rod [staff[ of iron (Ps. II, 9).⁹

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis: JUDAH IS A LION'S WHELP (XLIX, 9). R. Hama b. R. Hanina said: This alludes to Messiah the son of David...¹⁰

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis: HE STOOPED, HE COUCHED; from Zedekiah until the Messiah, ...¹¹

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis: UNTIL SHILOH COME. This indicates that all the nations of the world will bring a gift to Messiah the son of David...¹²

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis: UNTIL SHILOH COMETH: this alludes to the royal Messiah. AND UNTO HIM SHALL THE OBEDIENCE (YIKHATH) OF THE PEOPLE BE: he [the Messiah] will come and set on edge (makheh) the teeth of the nations of the world.¹³

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis XCIX, 8-9: ...THE SCEPTRE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH(XLIX, 10): this refers to the throne of kingship - The throne given of God is for ever and ever; a sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom (Ps. XLV, 7). When will that be? - NOR THE RULER'S STAFF FROM BETWEEN HIS FEET: when he comes of whom it is written, The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot (Isa. XXVIII, 3).

(The footnote at the end of that quote reads, 'Which the Midrash refers to the Messianic era. v. supra, XCVII (NV), p. 906.')¹⁴

Midrash Rabbah - Lamentations: The school of R. Shila said: The Messiah's name is 'Shiloh,' as it is stated, Until Shiloh come (Gen. XLIX, 10), where the word is spelt Shlh.¹⁵

Sanhedrin (346): Since the Sanhedrin no longer had jurisdiction over capital offenses (Comp. John 18:31), there is no practical utility in this ruling, which can become effective only in the days of the Messiah.¹⁶

Midrash on Proverbs, Chapter 19, 21: ... Just as in the case of a plant from the moment you plant it, its place is recognizable, so too did God plant kingship in the Tribe of Judah until the Messiah shall sprout forth, as it is said, The scepter shall not depart from Judah, etc. (Gen. 49:10). R. Huna said: The Messiah has been given seven names, and these are: Yinnon, Our righteousness, Shoot comforter, David, Shiloh, Elijah.

Where [in Scripture] is Yinnon? In the verse, His name was Yinnon before the sun (Ps. 72:17). Where [in Scripture] is Our Righteousness? In the verse, And this is the name by which he shall be called: Our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6). Where [in Scripture] is Shoot? In the verse Behold a man called the Shoot, shall shoot out from the place where he is, and he shall build the Temple of the Lord (Zech. 6:12). Where [in Scripture] is Comforter? In the verse, For the Lord has comforted His people, and has taken back His afflicted one (Isa. 49:13). Where [in Scripture] is David? In the verse, He accords great victories to His king, [keeps faith with his anointed, with David] (Ps. 18:51). Where [in Scripture] is Elijah? In the verse, Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you (Mal. 3:23).

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis XCIC. 8: ... When will that be? - NOR THE RULER'S STAFF FROM BETWEEN HIS FEET: when he comes of whom it is written, The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot (Isa. XXVIII, 3).

(The footnote at the end of that quote reads, 'Which the Midrash refers to the Messianic era. v. supra, XCVII (NV), p. 906.')¹⁷

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis XCIX, 8-9: ... UNTIL SHILOH COMETH: he to whom kingship belongs (shelo).

(Rather than transliterating into English "Shilo" as though it were a proper name, the Rabbis translated the exact meaning of "Shilo' as "to whom it belongs/pertains.")¹⁸

Targum Jonathan: Kings shall not cease, nor rulers, from the house of Jehuda, nor sopherim teaching the law from his seed, till the time the King, the Meshiah, shall come, the youngest of his sons; and on account of him shall the peoples flow together. How beauteous is the King, and Meshiah who will arise from the house of Jehuda!¹⁹

Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 41a: a little more than forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the power of pronouncing capital sentences was taken away from the Jews.²⁰

Raymond Martin, Pugio Fidei, 872; Leipsic Edition: Rabbi Rachmon says, "When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them; they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming: 'Woe to us, for the scepter has departed from Judah, and the Messiah has not come!'²¹

Shlomo Riskin, The International Jerusalem Post, January 12, 2001, p. 39: The Ba'al Haturim discovers a striking gematriya (arithmetical equivalence) between the phrase "yavo (13) Shilo (345)" ("Shilo comes") and the word "mashiach" (358).

Genesis 49:11

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: How beautiful is the King Messiah who is destined to arise from the house of Judah! He has girded his loins and gone down to battle against his enemies, destroying kings and their power, and there is neither king nor power that can withstand him. He reddens the mountains with the blood of their slain. His garments are saturated with blood, like those of him who presses the grapes.

Fragmentary Targum: How beautiful is he, the King Messiah, who is destined to arise from the house of Judah. He has girded his loins and gone forth to battle against his enemies, slaying kings and rulers, and making the mountains red with the blood of their slain and the hills white with the fat of their mighty ones. His garments are saturated with blood, and he is like the treader of grapes.

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis XCVIII, 9: BINDING HIS FOAL ('IRO) UNTO THE VINE (XLIX, 11). R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and the Rabbis discuss this verse. R. Judah explained it: When a vine has a poor yield, an ass is tied to it, [and this too is the meaning of] AND HIS ASS'S COLT (BENI ATHONO) UNTO THE CHOICE VINE...AND BENI ATHONO UNTO THE CHOICE VINE means: [morally] strong sons (banim ethanim) will spring from him. The Rabbis interpreted: 'I,' [said God], 'am bound to the vine and the choice vine' [Israel]. HIS FOAL AND HIS COLT intimate: when he will come of whom it is written, Lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass (Zech. IX, 9).

(Of the Messiah the footnote here reads: 'It will then be seen how God is knit ('bound') to Israel.')

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis XCVIII, 9: ... HE WASHETH HIS GARMENTS IN WINE, intimates that he [the Messiah] will compose for them words of Torah; AND HIS VESTURE IN THE BLOOD OF GRAPES - that he will restore to them their errors. R. Hanin said: Israel will not require the teaching of the royal Messiah in the future, for it says, Unto Him shall the nationsseek (Isa. XI, 10), but not Israel. If so, for what purpose will the royal Messiah come, and what will he do? He will come to assemble the exile of Israel and to give them [the Gentiles] thirty precepts, as it says, And I said unto them: If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver (Zech. XI, 12).²²

 

In addition to the ancient rabbinic material above, modern Jewish commentaries shed abundant light on the Messianic nature of the passage. The following excerpts concerning Genesis 49:10-11 are from the Artscroll Tenach Commentary.

Genesis 49:10

Torah source for belief in the Messiah

The general consensus (with few exceptions) of Rabbinic interpretation is that this phrase refers to the coming of the Messiah. This passage accordingly constitutes the primary Torah source for the belief that the Messiah will come.

According to the Midrash olyv is a composite of yv wl, a gift to him - a reference to King Messiah to whom all peoples will bring gifts.

Sforno relates the etymology of this word to hlv, the root of hwlv and swlv happiness and peace, depicting the definitive character of the Messiah's mission which will usher in an era of peace and universal harmony.

It is manifestly clear that the Rabbis who interpret the allusion in this passage as referring to the messiah do not imply that the word du, until (the coming of the Messiah) intimates that Judah's sovereignty will end when the Messiah arrives. Rather, the Messiah-who will be a descendant of Judah through the line of David - is perceived as the pinnacle of Judah's sovereignty, one in whom the sovereignty will reach its greatest glory, the culmination of Jacob's blessing to Judah.

Thus the phraseology of the blessing: olyv aby-yk du 'until' Shiloh comes, has the sense of 'peaking' with the coming of the Messiah. The meaning is that the scepter will never depart from Judah, but will be fully realized when Messiah comes.

Until the Messiah's coming Judah will hold the royal scepter in the midst of his own nation, but the Messiah, descendant of David, will reign over the gathered nations.

Genesis 49:11

Sforno follows the interpretation that the allusion in the verse is to the messiah, and perceives in this blessing signs by which he will be recognized: He will be revealed on a donkey as the Prophet (Zechariah 9:9) writes: humble, riding on a donkey; on a donkey foaled by a she-donkey.

R' Hirsch... observes how Jacob visualizes the Messiah, conqueror of Humanity, not on a steed, but on a young donkey. The donkey is the beast of burden that always represents peace, well-being, and national greatness, whereas the steed represents military might. Accordingly, the Jewish conception of royal power is not represented by the number of horses, and it is forbidden for the king to accumulate many horses (Deut. 17:16).

Consequently the future Redeemer of Jewry and humanity appears here in connection with the donkey, symbolizing the twofold vision of peace and material well-being.

This is how the prophet Zechariah visualized the coming of the Messiah: Rejoice greatly O daughter or Zion, shout with joy O daughter of Jerusalem! Look how your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, humbly riding upon a donkey upon the colt of a donkey (9:9).²²

 

We do not hold to the position that Genesis 49:12 pertains to the Messiah (we feel it pertains to the tribe of Judah). Yet, it is worthwhile to point out that some rabbis see Messianic connections even in verse 12, which only serves to emphasize the Messianic nature of genesis 49:10-11 (actually Genesis 49:1-12). Here are two comments from the Targumim.

Genesis 49:12

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: How beautiful are the eyes of the King Messiah, as pure wine! He will not see incestuous practice or the shedding of innocent blood, and his teeth are more pure than milk, for he will not tolerate as food that which is seized by force or taken by robbery.

Fragmentary Targum: How beautiful to behold are they, the eyes of the King Messiah, more so than pure wine, not looking upon incest and the shedding of innocent blood. His teeth are pure, according to the Halakah, refraining from partaking of that which is taken by violence or robbery. His mountains shall be red with vines, his presses with wine. His hills shall be white with abundance of his grain and flocks of his sheep.²⁴

 

Obviously the rabbis who paraphrased the Book of Genesis into Aramaic held to a very allegorical interpretive technique. Their rendering is quite fanciful, but we include it to emphasize how strongly the ancient rabbis took this section of the Torah as Messianic in nature.

It is self-evident that we are not imagining the fact that Genesis 49:10-11 is Messianic in character. Now that we have established that fact, we can ask the question, "Has anyone ever met the qualifications laid out in the passage? Is there anyone who can reasonably fulfill the prediction? The position of HaDavar Messianic Ministries is an unreserved yes. The one who fulfills both the first part of verse 10 as well as the second part of verse 10 and verse 11 is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, Yeshua HaMaschiach.

 

¹ Lapides, Louis, "The Rabbinic and Hebrew Christian Views on Messianic Prophecy Outline," Ariel Ministries.
² "How to Recognize the Messiah," p. 7
³ Huckel, T. The Rabbinic Messiah (Gen. 49:11). (Philadelphia: Hananeel House, 1998).
⁴ "Complete Tanach with Rashi" (Brooklyn: Davka Corporation and Judaica Press, 1999)
⁵ Soncino Classics Collection: "The Soncino Talmud," (Chicago, Davka Corp.)
⁶ Patai, Raphael, The Messiah Texts, (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1979), p. 22
⁷ "How to Recognize the Messiah," p. 7
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Soncino Classics Collection: The Soncino Midrash Rabbah, (Chicago, Davka Corp.)
¹⁰ Ibid., xcvii
¹¹ Ibid., xcviii:7
¹² Ibid., xcvii
¹³ Ibid., xcviii:8
¹⁴ The Rabbinic Messiah (Gen. 49:11).
¹⁵ Ibid., i:51
¹⁶ "How to Recognise the Messiah," p.7
¹⁷ The Rabbinic Messiah (Gen. 49:11).
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ McDowell, Josh, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, (San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, 1972), p.148
²⁰ Ibid., p. 168
²¹ Ibid., p. 169; LeMann, Jesus Before the Sanhedrin, www.giveshare.org/library/sanhedrin/1.2.html
²² The Rabbinic Messiah (Gen. 49:11).
²³Scherman and Zlotowitz, Gen. Eds., Artscroll Tanach Series, Bereishis Volume 6, (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1977), pp. 2152-2157
²⁴The Rabbinic Messiah (Gen. 49:11).

Fulfillment in Yeshua

The New Testament unequivocally points to Yeshua as the ultimate ruler to come from Judah. Genesis 49:10-11 is a literal prophecy with a literal fulfillment. The first quote, Luke 3:33, points out that Yeshua is from the Tribe of Judah.

Luke 3:33
...the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah¹

Luke 1:32-33 points out that Yeshua is the final king of Judah's royal preeminence.

Luke 1:32-33
"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom will have no end."²

Luke 3:31 states that Yeshua is a proven descendant of David.

the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,³

The Brit Chadasha (New Testament) also unashamedly proclaims that Yeshua came before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. More than that, Yeshua actually predicted the destruction of the Temple 40 years before it occurred.

Matthew 24:1-2
Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."⁴

Yeshua is a qualified candidate for Messiah and because of His resurrection He will return to rule the nations with a rod of iron and bring in the blessing of worldwide peace.

Revelation 19:11-16
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."⁵

The record of the New Testament is self-evident. Yeshua is the Messianic King of Genesis 49:10-11. However, only a small percentage, a small remnant, of Jewish people has ever placed their trust in Him. Could we be wrong in our assessment of this prophecy? We will let the reader judge for themselves after reviewing the alternative understandings provided by the rabbis.

 

¹ The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, (La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996).
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.

Jewish Positions or Objections

Shiloh is a geographical location

The first position that we will examine is the understanding that Shiloh is simply a geographical location. This is the position of the Hertz Pentateuch which uses the Jewish Publication Society version of 1917. That version reads, "As long as men come to Shiloh." Support for this position comes from a number of lines of evidence. We will examine each strand of evidence and reply to it.

The first statement of support is the position that the passage is fulfilled in Joshua 18:1, when Israel set up the tabernacle at the town of Shiloh. As the religious center of the nation, Shiloh would be the preeminent destination of all Israel. Men would have to come to Shiloh in order to worship at the Tabernacle in accordance with the Mosaic Law.

The second line of evidence is the contention that Shiloh is always a town in the Bible. Every time it is mentioned, 33 times in the NASB, the word is always a reference to a geographical location. The word Shiloh does not refer to the Messiah, but to a city.

This position is rather shallow and is incorrect for the following reasons. 1) Judah's rulership did not start until long after Judah reached Shiloh. David didn't become king until long after Judah reached Shiloh in Joshua 18:1. 2) Judah's rulership denotes royal power, not just tribal authority. Joshua 18:1 does not mention this. 3) Royal authority resides in Jerusalem, not Shiloh. No king was ever crowned at Shiloh. Israel's first king, Saul, was crowned at Mizpah (I Sam. 10:17 ff). 4) Shiloh was not the place where David was crowned. David was crowned king in Hebron (II Sam. 2:1-4; I Chron. 11:1-3). From then on, his successors were anointed in Jerusalem. 5) Shiloh did not mark the obedience of the people of Judah. This did not happen in Joshua 18:1 but rather in I Chronicles 11:1-3.¹ 6) If all this happened when men came to Shiloh, then where is the prosperity mentioned in verses 11-12?

The passage is fulfilled by Rehoboam and the events of his lifetime

This position is found in the Artscroll Tenach Commentary on Genesis, volume 6, page 2153 (our paraphrase in parentheses).

Another interpretation of the passage is that of Rashbam... (When Solomon's successor becomes king, Judah's sovereignty will end.) Rehoboam, son of Solomon, will come to establish the monarchy at Shiloh - which is near Shechem, as is evident from I Kings 12:1; II Chron. 10:1... It was then that the Ten Tribes seceded and crowned Jeroboam, leaving Rehoboam with only Judah and Benjamin.

The point of Rashbam's position is the idea that these events are fulfilled by Rehoboam and the events of his lifetime. However, the very same paragraph summarizing Rashbam's understanding concludes with this remark by the editor.

Nevertheless, the overwhelming consensus of Rabbinic commentary interprets the verse to allude to the Messiah.²

The Artscroll Tenach Commentary does the refutation for us. Rashbam holds a definite minority opinion. The verses refer to the Messiah. Judah's superiority did not end during the rebellion under Jeroboam. Judah remained the dominant tribe in the Southern Kingdom, swallowing up the tribe of Simeon and outstanding the Northern Kingdom by 136 years. In the first century, the tribe of Judah was identifiable and the Davidic king was anticipated from this tribe.

Shiloh means gift

This is a non-Messianic position expressed in the Midrash and found in the JPS Tanak version of 1985. The Midrash rendition reads:

UNTIL SHILOH COME: This indicates that all the nations of the world will bring a gift to Messiah the son of David, as it says, "In that time shall a present be brought (yubal shay) unto the Lord of hosts (Isa. XVIII, 7)." Transpose "yubal shay' and expound it, and you find that it reads Shiloh.

The footnote in the Soncino Midrash Rabbah explains the rabbinic analysis:

The Hebrew yavoh shiloh is similar to yubal shay, if some letters in the former are transposed. The Midrash renders: Until he cometh to whom the present belongs.

This analysis appears to be the basis for the Tanak rendering:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet; so that tribute shall come to him and the homage of peoples be his.³

The Tanak rendering would have us believe that gifts will be brought to Judah because of the tribe's royal prominence. This position is the result of fanciful rabbinic exegesis that consists of picking out two words in the Hebrew text, rearranging their letters to form a new word or words, then expounding the meaning of the newly created words and declaring that this new meaning is the sense of the text. Hardly a good exegesis, indeed.

Shiloh means peace

Shlomo Riskin brings out Sforno's understanding of the verses.

The commentator Sforno takes the word Shilo as being synonymous with shalom or peace, and writes that it refers to the ultimate peace.⁴

Actually, Riskin's analysis appears to be incomplete. Sforno's summary of the phrase "until Shiloh does come" reads:

The prophecy (of Jacob) that Judah will be ruler and judge only among his brothers will be so until Shiloh comes (i.e., Mashiach)... But when Mashiach appears, and there will be shalom basof, peace at the end,... Those who remain, ... will be obedient to (and subjugated) to Shiloh (Mashiach)...⁵

Actually, Sforno connects the coming of the Messiah with the institution of worldwide peace. When Shiloh (peace) comes so will the Messiah, and vice-versa. This indissoluble link between the two makes the verse Messianic in nature.

Shiloh means womb

This minority position is the understanding of Ibn Ezra. Shlomo Riskin explains:

An even more interesting nuance appears in the commentary of the Ibn Ezra, where he explains Shilo in terms of the word shilya, which means "womb" (see Deut. 28:7). In making the connection, the Ibn Ezra is insisting that the ultimate Messiah-ruler will be naturally born of man and woman. In so interpreting, he is clearly denying the Christological notion of a messiah born by immaculate conception.⁶

This position is not an interpretation of the passage but a polemic against the opinion that the Messiah spoken of in Genesis 49 is none other than Yeshua of Nazareth. Eventhough Ibn Ezra states that the word Shiloh means womb, he actually possesses a Messianic understanding of the verse. However, he does not like who the Messiah is. By the way, Riskin's understanding of the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception appears to be faulty. This Roman Catholic doctrine takes the non-Biblical position that Mary was born without original sin. The WordNet dictionary explains:

The Roman Catholic dogma that God preserved the Virgin Mary from any stain of original sin from the moment she was conceived.⁷

The faulty Immaculate Conception doctrine does not concern the Messiah at all, but rather the human mother of the Messiah. the fact that this doctrine has no Biblical basis is found in Mary's personal evaluation of herself. She makes this statement in Luke 1:47

And my spirit has rejoice in God my Savior.

Mary clearly calls God her "Savior." The only type of people that need a savior are sinners. Mary does not see herself as free from sin. There is no basis for this dogma in the Bible. The testimony of the New Testament is that Yeshua was sinless due to the fact that God was His father and the overshadowing ministry of the Holy Spirit was present at His conception.

Luke 1:35
The angel answered and said to her, "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

The expression "overshadow" is admittedly a mysterious term, as are many terms that describe the supernatural work of God. However, it is this expression that describes that which enabled Mary to conceive the God/man.

Ibn Ezra's understanding is only half-true. The Messiah will have a human mother, but His father will be God. It is interesting to note that while a human mother of the Messiah is mentioned in the Bible and rabbinic literature, a human father of the Messiah never is.

In fact, Rabbi Moses HaDarshan states emphatically that the Messiah will not have a human father. Here is his evaluation of Zechariah 6:12.

The redeemer whom I shall raise up from among you will have no father, as it is written, 'Behold the man whose name is Zemach [branch], and he shall branch up out of his place' (Zech. vi. 12); and so Isaiah says, 'And he came up like a sucker,' etc.⁸

Rabbi Joden agrees with Moses HaDarshan. Rabbi Joden writes this evaluation of a similar comment made by Rabbi Moses HaDarshan:

"Truth shall spring out of the earth." R. Joden, saith he, notes upon this place, that is not said, Truth shall be born, but shall spring out; because the generation and nativity of the Messiah is not to be as other creatures in the world, but shall be begot without carnal copulation; and therefore no one hath mentioned his father, as who must be hid from the knowledge of men till himself shall come and reveal him.⁹

Finally, other rabbinic comments supporting the idea that the Messiah will not have a human father are recorded by Raymond Martin.

Says R. B'rekhyah, the Holy One said to Israel, you have spoken before me, saying, we are orphans and have no father (Lam. v. 3): the redeemer whom I shall raise up out of your midst will have no father also, as it is said, 'Behold the man whose name is the Branch, and he shall branch up out of his place (Zech. vi. 12); and similarly by Isaiah, and he shall come up as a sucker before him.¹⁰

Finally, Lightfoot records this comment supporting the same idea that the Messiah will not have a human father, but rather that His father will be the Holy Spirit.

R. Simeon Be Jochai upon Genesis more plainly; viz. "That the Spirit, by the impulse of a mighty power, shall come forth of the womb, though shut up, that will become a mighty Prince, the King Messiah.¹¹

The rabbinic understanding that the Messiah will have no human father is totally in accord with the testimony of the New Testament in regard to Yeshua of Nazareth.

The passage refers to the tribe of Judah¹²

This position tries to blunt or eliminate the Messianic impact of Genesis 49 by removing the Messianic element as much as possible. In doing so, the statement is made that the passage refers to the tribe of Judah only. Rabbi Hertz's comments on "till Shiloh come" blatantly expose his anti-Jesus prejudice.

"Till Shiloh come." This is the rendering of the Authorized Version, and assumes that Shiloh is a personal name or a Messianic title. Although this assumption finds support in rabbinic literature, it is only a homiletic comment without official and binding authority. Despite the fact that nowhere in Scripture is that term applied to the Messiah, Christian theologians assume that Shiloh is a name of the Founder of Christianity. In this sense, "Till Shiloh come" is a favorite text of Christian missionaries in attempting to convert illiterate Jews or those ignorant of Scripture.¹³

This author has discovered that the last sentence in the above quotation is a typical anti-missionary tactic. The rabbis don't deal with the text, instead they try emotional intimidation. Here, Rabbi Hertz stigmatizes any Jewish person who dares to believe in Yeshua as "ignorant," or "illiterate."

The questions that should be asked of Rabbi Hertz are these, "Are the translators and expositors of Targum Onkelos, Targum Palestine, Midrash Rabbah and Midrash Mishle ignorant illiterate Jews? Is Rashi ignorant and illiterate? Are the rabbis of the Talmud ignorant or illiterate? Are the rabbis who wrote the Artscroll Commentary illiterate Jews and ignorant of Scripture? Are the rabbis that say Genesis 49 constitutes 'the primary Torah source for belief that the Messiah will come' illiterate Jews and ignorant of Scripture?"

Dear readers, the rabbis who take the Messianic position are not ignorant, illiterate Jews and neither are you. Whether you be a Jewish believer or a Gentile believer, to hold that this verse is Messianic does not make you ignorant or illiterate. Don't let yourself be intimidated by comments like these, whether in written form or personally stated to you face to face. You are in good company when you say the verse is Messianic. You are even in better company when you say that it is fulfilled in Yeshua.

In summary, Genesis 49:10-11 teaches us that 1) the Messiah will come from the Tribe of Judah. 2) The Messiah will be the final ruler of Judah's line and the apex of that leadership. 3) The Messiah had to come before 70 AD. 4) The Messiah will bring ultimate blessings to all the earth.

 

¹ Lapides, Louis, "The Rabbinic and Hebrew Christian Views on Messianic Prophecy Outline," Ariel Ministries
² Scherman and Zlotowitz, Gen. Eds., Artscroll Tanach Series," Bereishis Volume 6, (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1977), p. 2153
³ Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures: A new translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the traditional Hebrew text. Title facing t.p.: Torah, Nevi'im, Kethuvim = Torah, Nevi'im, Kethuvim. (Gen 49:10), (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1997, c1985).
⁴ Riskin, Shlomo, The International Jerusalem Post, "Awaiting the Messiah," January 12, 2001, p. 39
⁵ Pelcovitz, Rabbi Raphael, Sforno, Commentary on the Torah, (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1987), p. 234
⁶ Riskin, Shlomo, The International Jerusalem Post, "Awaiting the Messiah," January 12, 2001, p. 39
⁷ WordNet® 2.1, © 2005 Princeton University
⁸ Driver, S.R., Neubauer, A., The Suffering Servant of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters, (Eugene: Wipf ad Stock Publishers, 1877), p. 33
⁹ Lightfoot, John, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, Vol. 4, (Hendrickson, 1859), p. 26
¹⁰ The Suffering Servant of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters, p. 33
¹¹ A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, Vol 4, p. 27
¹² Hertz, Dr. J.H., The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, (London, England: Soncino Press, 1987), p. 184
¹³ Ibid., p. 202