An Ancient Patriarchal Blessing

Jacob blesses all of his sons in Genesis chapter 49. I want to look at only two of the 12 sons and their blessings.

Jacob said, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise." The name Judah means "praise" in Hebrew. Later on, Caleb, a descendant of Judah, would be given choice land as an inheritance because of his faithfulness (see Joshua 14).

Let's look at some other key phrases in this blessing to Judah.

"Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee" (v. 8). Before Israel was split as two kingdoms in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, Israel dominated against their enemies in battle. The descendants of Judah were the kings in Israel, so the other tribes bowed down to them. With the exception of Saul, who was a Benjamite, the kings in united Israel and the kings in the Southern Kingdom were of Judah.

"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?" (v. 9). Just as the lion is the king of the jungle, the tribe of Judah served a kingly role. But when John the Revelator sees the hosts of heaven weeping because there is none worthy and able to open the book, representing God's plan, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" prevails to open the book. The Lion is Jesus Christ, who is able to carry out the Father's plan (see Revelation 5:5).

"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" (v. 10). Scepters, swords, cups, and crowns are among the kingly paraphernalia. The Davidic line would hold reign down to Christ, who is referred to here as "Shiloh." The footnote tells us, "The Hebrew word shiloh may be a short form of asher-lo, which can be rendered “whose right it is.” A latter-day revelation states, "Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet" (D&C 58:22). Notice how enemies are "subdued under feet" in both verses. During Christ's millennial reign, those on earth will be gathered to Him.

"Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes" (v. 11). A young colt would represent the offspring of his parents. We can become spiritually-begotten sons and daughters of Christ through making and keeping covenants. Jesus referred to Himself as "the true vine" and He referred to his apostles as the branches of the vine (John 15:1-5). His garments were washed in wine, symbolic of blood, during His Atonement, as He bled through every pore. He said in modern times, "I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone" (D&C 76:107).

"His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk" (v. 12). Once again, wine is symbolic of blood, and this relates to the Savior's Atonement. Our Savior chooses to see us through the eyes of His Atonement--after we have been cleansed and sanctified in the blood of the Lamb. Our garments can be washed white like milk through His atoning grace. In the Book of Revelation, someone (perhaps Enoch), rides a white horse, symbolic of victory, as he goes conquering (Revelation 6:2).

In my next post, I will consider the great blessings given to the descendants of Joseph.