Judah was Leah’s fourth son and, at his birth, she declared, “Now will I praise the Lord, therefore she called his name Judah,” which means “praise” (Gen. 29:35). On this occasion the neglected woman apparently lost sight of her complaint and lifted her heart to God.
The early conduct of Judah was not entirely praiseworthy. There was, for example, the occasion when he cheated his daughter-in-law, Tamar, of the husband he had promised her, and was consequently tricked into an incestuous relationship with her (Gen. 38:26).
He was the instigator of the scheme to sell his brother into slavery in preference to murdering him (Gen. 37:26-28), which might possibly be counted in his favor, although one is hardly better than the other. It was he who persuaded his father to allow Benjamin to accompany his brothers to Egypt at Joseph’s request and offered himself as surety for his safety (Gen. 43:8-14) and he took the lead in acknowledging the faults of himself and his brothers to Joseph and offered himself to him as a substitute for Benjamin (Gen. 44:14-34).
l Chronicles 5:2 states that “Judah prevailed above his brothers and of him came the chief ruler.” His now was the royal tribe. His standard in the wilderness journey bore a lion emblazoned on it. Numerically Judah was the largest tribe (Num. 2:9), and they were the first to set forth, marching before the ark in the wilderness. When Joshua died they were directed to be the leaders (Jud. 1:2). Significantly our Lord was to be described as “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev. 5:5).
Jacob’s blessing of his son accurately forecast the future of the tribe right up to the days of the Messiah. He declared that Judah’s brothers should praise him, whose name was praise, and that his father’s sons should bow down before him. Israel’s united homage would be payable only to the one who was supreme ruler. In fact, David came from this tribe as did his dynasty. Of course, our Lord came of Judah and thus His title to the throne was established.
Not only so, but he would be victorious over his enemies, his hand on the neck of his foes. Clearly this has not been completely fulfilled until David’s greater Son will ride in triumph to victory.
The young lion, says Jacob, full of strength, had seized its prey and feasted on it, then it drags the remainder of the carcass up the mountain to its lair. Majestically, the full-grown lion, like Judah, bent his limbs to seek repose in his den. Like a fierce lioness, angered by a disturbance, Judah was dangerous to arouse. In thus selecting Judah as the ruler, Jacob must have been divinely guided.
He then foretold that the scepter would not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh came. The “scepter” belonged to the head of the family. It was passed down from father to son and became regarded as the symbol of authority (Amos 1:5). The symbolism still applies to the present, and is to be seen in the scepter of the monarch, or the baton of the field marshal.
The responsibility for rule and the teaching of the law resides with Judah until Shiloh comes. There has been some controversy regarding this clause. Some have argued that the reference was to the town of Shiloh, but this was in Ephraim and there is no historical indication that the people of Judah ever visited it, or that the inhabitants of Shiloh ever visited Judah. The word means “peaceful” or possibly “peacemaker” (Isa. 9:6). It was assumed by most Jewish writers to relate to the Messiah. Rabbi Solomon Yizchaki interpreted Shiloh as “King Messiah, whose is the kingdom.” The Syriac version runs, “until he come, whose it is” (Ezek. 21:27; Gal. 3:19).
There can be little doubt that Jacob was referring to a person whom he described as Shiloh. And he disclosed that the peoples would render their homage to him. This prediction went far beyond Israel and implied that the world would recognize the universal supremacy of this great ruler.
There can, of course, be no question as to the identity of the One so described. At the annunciation to Mary, she was told by Gabriel that the Lord God would give to her Babe “the throne of His father David” and that He would “reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Lk. 1:32-33). This was the One of whom the patriarch spoke. There is coming a day when a descendant of David, a member of the tribe of Judah, will once more occupy that throne.
When that One comes, Jacob declared picturesquely that He would bind His foal to the vine (gephen) and his ass’ colt to the choice vine (sorek). The vine is not a tree to which an animal would normally be tethered, but in those days it is implied it will be so strong that it will be used for that purpose. The figure was especially appropriate to Judah, whose territory was noted for its vineyards. The choice vine, or vine of Sorek, related to one which produced purple, stoneless grapes which were very luscious and greatly valued. Even these would be so plentiful and the growth so great that they would be strong enough for animals to be tied to them.
Hyperbolically, Jacob declared that the One who was to come would wash His garments in wine and His clothes in the blood of grapes. Patently, this was not intended literally, but indicative of the abundance of the fruit in that coming day. It would be so plentiful that, symbolically, it would be used as freely as water for the most ordinary purposes.
Again, in typically Eastern language, he said that the eyes of the coming One would be red with wine and His teeth white with milk, the clear evidence of complete enjoyment and of the possession of the full vigor and health of manhood–again a picture of our perfect Lord.
It is interesting that, in addition to those who ruled the nation, the prophets Isaiah (probably) and Daniel were of the tribe of Judah, as were the faithful Caleb who had spied out the land of Canaan (Josh. 14: 7-14) and the gifted Bezaleel who was employed in the work of the tabernacle (Ex. 31:2-5).
In a future day, the One who is to come of Judah’s line will be acknowledged universally as King, but the Christian already bows at His feet and confesses Him to be his Lord. This is not, of course, merely an academic recognition, but the practical submission to the One who is entitled to our all (Mk. 8:34-38).
Jacob and his family were journeying from Bethel to Ephrath or Bethlehem, when his beloved wife, Rachel, gave birth to her second son. She was greatly distressed in labor and died after giving birth to the child. To commemorate the suffering she had experienced in travail, she called the child Benoni, which means “the son of my sorrow.” But Jacob, obviously not wishing to have a constant reminder of his wife’s suffering and death, changed the name to Benjamin, which means “the son of my right hand,” clearly hoping that his son would become a strength and comfort to him (Gen. 35:16-18). This was his twelfth son and the only one born in the Promised Land.
After the disappearance of Joseph, Jacob’s affection apparently centered on his youngest son. It was only natural also that Joseph should have pressed his other half-brothers to bring Benjamin, his only full brother, with them if they returned to Egypt for more corn (Gen. 42:34). It is equally natural that Jacob proved extremely reluctant to allow Benjamin to accompany his brothers to Egypt (v. 38).
When the old father came to the blessing for his youngest son, he described with remarkable insight the character that Benjamin would develop. “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil” (Gen. 49:27). Benjamin indeed became the most warlike of all the tribes of Israel, and Jacob, with prophetic discernment, patently foresaw what would happen. He compared his son, who had been such a comfort to him in his declining years, to a ravening wolf, fierce and relentless, with no regard for any but the prey on which he had set his intentions. Like a wolf he would pursue and mercilessly drag down his prey, devouring it in the morning and dragging off the remains of the carcass to his lair to share with his progeny in the evening–dividing the spoil at night. Wild and turbulent, the tribe consistently demonstrated their boldness in conflict and their utter ruthlessness in pursuit of their purpose.
Deborah made mention of them after the defeat of Sisera (Jud. 5:14), in which they had evidently played their full part. Later they defied the whole of the tribes of Israel with an army one fifteenth the size of that of the remainder of the nation and slew 40,000 men, although subsequently themselves suffering the loss of 25,000 (Jud. 20:14-35). Their ability was aptly described on that occasion–they had 700 lefthanded men who “could sling stones at a hairsbreadth and not miss.” These were warriors to be feared (1 Chron. 8:40; 2 Chron. 14:8).
King Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin but, in David’s hour of need, 3,000 of Saul’s kindred joined David at Hebron (1 Chron. 12:29). Earlier, when some had come to join him, David, doubtful of their object, met them with the query as to their intentions, and received the glowing reply, “Yours are we, David, and on your side, son of Jesse, Peace, peace be to you and peace to your helpers, for your God is with you” (1 Chron. 12:18). Many since that day have taken up the same cry to declare their unreserved allegiance to their Master and Lord.
Two of David’s chief men, Abiezer and Joash, were of this tribe, and they and some of their fellows were ambidextrous (1 Chron. 12:1-3), a valuable asset in warfare. It is interesting that Saul of Tarsus was of this tribe (Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5), as were also Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai (Est. 2:5).
One of the darkest periods in the history of the Benjaminites was that described in the closing chapters of the Book of Judges. A stranger, on his way home with his concubine, lodged the night in Gibeah, but hospitality was abused, for a crowd of men seized his concubine and raped her all night and left her dead on the doorstep. The tribes of Israel demanded that the Benjaminites should deliver up the criminals to be punished for their dastardly crime, but the tribe refused to do so or even apparently to disclose their identity. Their intention was clearly to cover up the incident in the hope that it would be forgotten. But the hosts of Israel had gathered to deal with the wrong and the Benjaminites went out to fight them. The ultimate outcome was that the males of Benjamin were slain, their cattle destroyed and their cities set on fire (Jud. 20:48). The whole tribe suffered for their attempt to protect a few of their number.
It is a fallacy to think that sin can be covered up and forgotten. The Saviour said, “There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid that shall not be known” (Mt. 10:26). Our God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. How many Christians are conscious of evil in their thoughts and lives; yet, instead of confessing the sin and seeking cleansing from Christ, they refuse to consider their condition and attempt to cover it even from their own view. The Benjaminites paid a bitter price for doing so.
Jacob portrayed the rapacity and merciless ruthlessness which were later to become apparent in the character of his son’s descendants, but Moses gave an entirely different picture of the tribe. “Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long and he shall dwell between his shoulders” (Deut. 33:12).
Patently there must have been a change of character or of relationship to God. Moses portrayed Benjamin as the object of God’s delight and, therefore, under His special protection. He would dwell in safety in the presence of Jehovah and his security would be permanent. He who had tried to cover up crime and the criminal, would now be covered by Jehovah. He would be sheltered from trouble, storm and tempest, covered all the day long by the Eternal.
So intimate would be his relationship with God that his dwelling-place would be in the strength of the Almighty–between the shoulders of Jehovah. Although Moses used hyperbolic language, the lawgiver’s words were clear. For this tribe there was to be complete safety and security because they were beloved of God.
Cannot the Christian rejoice in the same fact? Because of his relationship with Christ, he is completely secure. The storms of life may assail him, but no one can disturb his security. He is sheltered between the shoulders of his Master.
It is perhaps significant that Bethel, where God appeared to Jacob (Gen. 28:19) was in Benjamin’s territory, although this was also a center of the calf worship in Jeroboam’s day (1 Ki. 12:32).
In the millennial age, the tribe of Benjamin will receive an allocation of the restored land equally with the other tribes (Ezek. 48:23), so that the tribe will be completely restored to divine favor. Even earlier God’s care for Benjamin will have been evidenced, for the tribe will be among those sealed for protection in the Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:8).
The names given to this son have often been applied by expositors to our Lord Jesus. They certainly can be applied to Him. His mother, Mary, saw only as far as the cross and was pierced through with sorrow. But the Father saw beyond to the glory and has given Him the place of honor at His right hand (Heb. 1) until His enemies are conquered, every one!