Lexical Summary chaklili: Dark, reddish, sparkling Original Word: חַכְלִיל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance red By reduplication from an unused root apparently meaning to be dark; darkly flashing (only of the eyes); in a good sense, brilliant (as stimulated by wine) -- red. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as Chakilah Definition dull NASB Translation dull (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חַכְלִילִי adjective (dark) dull, from wine, ׳ח עינים מִיָּ֑יִן Genesis 49:12. Topical Lexicon Canonical Occurrence The term appears once, in Genesis 49:12, within Jacob’s blessing over Judah: “His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk”. The word describes the rich hue of Judah’s eyes, employing the color of fermented wine as its point of comparison. Literary Setting Judah’s benediction stands at the literary and theological climax of Genesis. Immediately after announcing that the scepter will not depart from Judah (Genesis 49:10), Jacob paints a portrait of abundance—vines so prolific that the royal colt is tethered to them, garments washed in wine, and eyes and teeth revealing vitality and prosperity. The chromatic pair—wine-dark eyes and milk-white teeth—functions as a poetic merism conveying comprehensive well-being. Color Imagery and Semantic Nuance חַכְלִיל evokes a dark, ruddy, wine-tinted brightness, suggesting sparkling life and healthy vigor rather than mere redness or bloodshot exhaustion. The image signals: • Vitality: the sparkle of eyes refreshed, not dulled. Agricultural and Cultural Background In the ancient Near East, thriving vineyards signified permanent settlement, covenant peace, and divinely granted prosperity (Deuteronomy 8:7-10). By linking Judah’s gaze to wine, Jacob implicitly testifies that Judah’s land allotment—and by extension Judah’s ultimate heir—will overflow with covenant blessings. The milk imagery complements the pastoral side of Israelite life, uniting field and flock in a single oracle of fruitfulness. Theological and Messianic Significance Because Genesis 49:8-12 undergirds later messianic expectation, חַכְלִיל contributes to the portrait of the coming ruler: 1. Abundance for His people: the Messiah dispenses the new-wine blessings anticipated in Isaiah 25:6 and fulfilled at Cana (John 2:1-11). Intertextual Echoes While חַכְלִיל itself is unique, related imagery resonates throughout Scripture: Pastoral and Homiletical Reflections 1. Assurance of Provision: The term invites believers to trust that the King from Judah supplies both daily bread and celebratory wine. Summary חַכְלִיל serves as a richly layered emblem of Judah’s—and ultimately Christ’s—vitality, prosperity, and covenant joy. Its lone appearance in Genesis 49:12 radiates throughout the canon, coloring biblical hope with the deep hue of wine, the brightness of health, and the certainty of messianic blessing. Forms and Transliterations חַכְלִילִ֥י חכלילי chachliLi ḥaḵ·lî·lî ḥaḵlîlîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 49:12 HEB: חַכְלִילִ֥י עֵינַ֖יִם מִיָּ֑יִן NAS: His eyes are dull from wine, KJV: His eyes [shall be] red with wine, INT: are dull his eyes wine 1 Occurrence |
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