Genesis 49:8 Commentary and Bible Study

You would think from this commendation that Judah was a holy man who lived a good life, but what we have read of Judah up to this point – he didn't do things as violent and as irregular as Reuben and Simeon and Levi – is that he was a sinner and he had been very immoral. We can assume that he must have repented in a very wholesome and complete way, for there is no mention of his former deeds. He is the fourth son who is going to have the privilege of bearing the seed royal, the Messiah, and continuing the line. ‘Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise.’ The name that Leah gave to her son Judah comes from a word meaning ‘praised’ – she praised God for giving her this son, and he was to be praised by his brothers. Although all the tribes will retain a certain amount of distinctiveness, from the time of the kingdom onwards they will be under one ruler, one leader, and he will come from the tribe of Judah. Of course, ultimately, it was David and Solomon and their descendants, technically all the way to the Messiah. ‘Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies’, which is a picture meaning that the enemies, the attackers, will turn round and flee. It is a figure of speech: to have your hand upon their neck, driving them away. So from Judah will come a great defender of the people of God, and that will make him very acceptable to all the tribes. ‘Thy father's children shall bow down before thee.’ Judah took up the reign of the people of God in due time. We read about it in 2 Samuel: ‘Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. ² Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel’ (2 Samuel 5:1-3). Certainly from that moment, without any further dispute, this prophecy of Jacob concerning Judah was fulfilled.