Genesis 49:8
New International Version
“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.

New Living Translation
“Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you.

English Standard Version
“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you.

Berean Standard Bible
Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

King James Bible
Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

New King James Version
“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you.

New American Standard Bible
“As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

NASB 1995
“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

NASB 1977
“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Judah, as for you, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

Amplified Bible
“Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

Christian Standard Bible
Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.

American Standard Version
Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise: Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.

Contemporary English Version
Judah, you will be praised by your brothers; they will bow down to you, as you defeat your enemies.

English Revised Version
Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise: Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"[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.

Good News Translation
"Judah, your brothers will praise you. You hold your enemies by the neck. Your brothers will bow down before you.

International Standard Version
"Your brothers will praise you, Judah. Your hand will be at the throat of your enemies, and your father's children will bow down to you.

Majority Standard Bible
Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

NET Bible
Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father's sons will bow down before you.

New Heart English Bible
Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thy enemies: thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

World English Bible
“Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Judah! Your brothers praise you! Your hand [is] on the neck of your enemies, "" Sons of your father bow themselves to you.

Young's Literal Translation
Judah! thou -- thy brethren praise thee! Thy hand is on the neck of thine enemies, Sons of thy father bow themselves to thee.

Smith's Literal Translation
Judah, thee, thee shall thy brethren praise; thy hand upon the back of thine enemies; thy father's sons shall worship before thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hands shall be on the necks of thy enemies: the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be at the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will reverence you.

New American Bible
“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise —your hand on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you.

New Revised Standard Version
Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Yehuda, to you your brethren shall give praise; your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise; Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Juda, thy brethren have praised thee, and thy hands shall be on the back of thine enemies; thy father's sons shall do thee reverence.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Blesses His Sons
7Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. 8Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you. 9Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?…

Cross References
Revelation 5:5
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Matthew 1:2-3
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. / Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

Hebrews 7:14
For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.

Numbers 24:9
He crouches, he lies down like a lion, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”

1 Chronicles 5:2
And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Psalm 18:40
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I destroyed those who hated me.

Psalm 110:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

1 Samuel 17:51
David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

2 Samuel 22:41
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I destroyed those who hated me.

Psalm 2:8-9
Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession. / You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery.”

John 1:49
“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Luke 3:33
the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,


Treasury of Scripture

Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies; your father's children shall bow down before you.

shall praise.

Genesis 29:35
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Genesis 44:18-34
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh…

Genesis 46:12
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

thy hand.

Numbers 1:27
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

Numbers 10:14
In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

Numbers 26:22
These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.

Hebrews 7:14
For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

Hebrews 10:13
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Revelation 5:5
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

the neck.

Joshua 10:24
And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

2 Samuel 22:41
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

Ezekiel 21:29
Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.

thy father's.

Genesis 27:29
Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Genesis 37:7-10
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf…

Genesis 42:6
And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

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Genesis 49
1. Jacob calls his sons to bless them.
3. Their blessing in particular.
29. He charges them about his burial.
33. He dies.














Judah
The name "Judah" comes from the Hebrew root "yadah," meaning "to praise." Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, is significant in biblical history as the ancestor of King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ. The tribe of Judah became the leading tribe of Israel, symbolizing leadership and praise. This name sets the tone for the blessings and prophecies that follow, indicating Judah's future prominence and the divine favor upon him.

your brothers shall praise you
This phrase signifies the respect and honor that Judah will receive from his siblings. In the context of the twelve tribes of Israel, Judah's leadership and preeminence are foretold. Historically, the tribe of Judah became the most powerful and influential, producing kings and leaders. The Hebrew word for "praise" here is "yadah," reinforcing the idea that Judah's role is divinely ordained and celebrated by his peers.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies
This imagery suggests victory and dominance over adversaries. The "hand on the neck" is a metaphor for subjugation and control, indicating that Judah will triumph over those who oppose him. In a historical context, the tribe of Judah often led Israel in battles and was known for its military prowess. This prophecy foreshadows the strength and leadership that will characterize Judah's descendants, culminating in the reign of King David and the ultimate victory through Christ.

your father’s sons shall bow down to you
This phrase indicates a position of authority and respect within the family and, by extension, the nation of Israel. The act of bowing down is a sign of submission and acknowledgment of leadership. Judah's preeminence is not just among his immediate brothers but extends to the tribes that will descend from them. This prophecy is fulfilled as the tribe of Judah becomes the ruling tribe, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the Davidic line established as the royal lineage. The ultimate fulfillment is seen in the messianic prophecy, where Jesus, from the line of Judah, is recognized as King of Kings.

(8) Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise.--Judah had received his name, Praise, because at his birth Leah had praised Jehovah (Genesis 29:35). It is now to have another justification in the noble history of his race, which, taking the foremost place by reason of the disqualification of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, finally was destined to win freedom and empire for Israel. We have seen that "the excellency of power" ought to have belonged to Reuben; it now falls to Judah's lot, is to be attained by exploits that shall deserve the praise of all the tribes, and is to be exercised over not only the descendants of Leah, but all Jacob's children.

Verses 8-12. - Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise - literally, Judah thou, will praise thee thy brethren, the word יְהוּדָה being a palpable play on יודוך (cf. Genesis 29:35). Leah praised Jehovah for his birth, and his brethren should extol him for his nobility of character, which even in his acts of sin could not be entirely obscured (Genesis 37:26; Genesis 38:26), and certainly in his later days (Genesis 43:8; Genesis 44:18-34) shone out with undiminished luster. Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies (i.e. putting his foes to flight, Judah should grasp them by the neck, a prediction remarkably accomplished in the victories of David and Solomon); thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Fulfilled in the elevation of the house of Judah to the throne, which owned as its subjects not simply Judah's mother's children, i.e. the tribes descended from Leah, but also his father's, i.e. all the tribes of Israel Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched down as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? By a bold and striking figure Judah is compared to a young lion, ripening into its full strength and ferocity, roaming through the forests in search of prey, repairing to his mountain den (ἐκ βλάστοῦ ἀνέβης, LXX.) when his booty has been devoured, and there in quiet majesty, full of dignified repose, lying down or crouching in his lair, and calmly resisting all attempts to disturb his leonine serenity. The effect of the picture is also heightened by the alternative image of a lioness, which is particularly fierce in defending its cubs, and which no one would venture to assail when so employed. The use of such figures to describe a strong and invincible hero is by no means infrequent in Scripture (vide Psalm 7:3; Psalm 57:5; Isaiah 5:29; Ezekiel 19:2-9). The scepter shall not depart from Judah, - literally, a scepter (i.e. an emblem of regal command, hence dominion or sovereignty; ἅρχων, LXX., Theodotion; ἐξουσία, Symmachus) shall not depart from Judah - nor a lawgiver from between his feet - literally, and a legislator (sc. shall not depart)from between his feet; מְחֹקֵק, the poel part of חָקַק, to cut, to cut into, hence to decree, to ordain, having the sense of one who decrees; hence leader, as in Judges 5:44, dux (Vulgate), ἠγούμενος (LXX.), or lawgiver, as m Deuteronomy 33:21 and Isaiah 33:22 (Calvin, Dathius, Ainsworth, Rosenmüller, Murphy, Wordsworth, 'Speaker's Commentary'). In view, however, of what appears the requirement of the parallelism, מְחֹקֵק is regarded as not the person, but the thing, that determines or rules, and hence as equivalent to the ruler's staff, or marshal's baton (Gesenius, Furst, Keil, Lange, Bleek, Tuch, Kalisch, and others), in support of which is claimed the phrase "from between his feet," which is supposed to point to the Oriental custom, as depicted on the monuments, of monarchs, when sitting upon their thrones, resting their staves between their feet (cf. Agamemnon, 'Iliad,' 2:46, 101; Layard s 'Nineveh and Babylon,' p. 195). But the words may likewise signify "from among his descendants," "from among his children's children" (Onkelos), ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ (LXX.). Until Shiloh come. This difficult clause has been very variously rendered. 1. Taking Shiloh as the name of a place, viz., Shiloh in Ephraim (Joshua 18:1, 8, 9, 10; Joshua 19:51; Judges 18:31; 1 Samuel 1:3, 9, 24; 1 Samuel 2:14, etc.), the sense has been explained as meaning that the leadership of Judah over the other tribes of Israel should not cease until he came to Shiloh (Rabbi Lipmann, Teller, Eichhorn, Bleek, Furst, Tuch, Delitzsch). But though וַיָּבלֺא שִׁלה, and they came to Shiloh, a similar phrase, is found in 1 Samuel 4:12, yet against this interpretation maybe urged

(1) the improbability of so obscure a locality, whose existence at the time is also problematical, being mentioned by Jacob, Zidon, the only other name occurring in the prophecy, having been, even before the days of Jacob, a city of renown (Genesis 10:19); and

(2) the inaccuracy of the historical statement which would thus be made, since the supremacy of Judah was in no way affected, and certainly not diminished, by the setting up of the tabernacle in Shiloh; to obviate which objection Kalisch proposes to read סא עַד כִּי "even if," or "even when," and to understand the prediction as intimating that even though a new empire should be established at Shiloh, as was eventually done, Judah should not forfeit her royal name and prerogative - only this sense of עַד כִּי is not clearly recognized by the best grammarians (Gesenius, Furst), and is not successfully supported by the passages referred to (Genesis 28:15; Psalm 110:1; Psalm 112:8), in every one of which the received rendering "until" is distinctly preferable.

2. Regarding Shiloh as an abstract noun, from שָׁלָה to be safe, like גִּלה from גָּלָה, the import of the prophecy has been expressed as asserting that the scepter should not depart from Judah, either until he (Judah) should attain to rest (Hofmann, Kurtz), or until tranquility should come, i.e. until Judah s enemies should be subdued (Gesenius), an interpretation which Rosenmüller properly characterises as "languidum et paine frigidum." Hence - . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Judah,
יְהוּדָ֗ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

your brothers
אַחֶ֔יךָ (’a·ḥe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

shall praise you.
יוֹד֣וּךָ (yō·w·ḏū·ḵā)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3034: To throw, at, away, to revere, worship, to bemoan

Your hand
יָדְךָ֖ (yā·ḏə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

shall be on the necks
בְּעֹ֣רֶף (bə·‘ō·rep̄)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6203: The nape, back of the neck, the back

of your enemies;
אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ (’ō·yə·ḇe·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

your father’s
אָבִֽיךָ׃ (’ā·ḇî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

sons
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

shall bow down
יִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ‪‬ (yiš·ta·ḥăw·wū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

to you.
לְךָ֖ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Law: Genesis 49:8 Judah your brothers will praise you (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 49:7
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