Rulership UNTIL Messiah

<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+49%3A8-12">49:8-12</a>. In this oracle Jacob predicted a fierce lionlike dominance of Judah over his enemies and over his brothers who would praise him. A wordplay was made here on the name Judah which means “praise” (cf. <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+29%3A35">29:35</a>, niv. marg.). The oracle pivots on the word until (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+49%3A10">49:10b</a>). When the Promised One who will rule the nations appears, the scene will become an earthly paradise. These verses anticipate the kingship in Judah culminating in the reign of Messiah (cf. the tribe of Judah, <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Rev+5%3A5">Rev. 5:5</a>), in which nations will obey Him.

The NASB renders the third line of <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+49%3A10">Genesis 49:10</a>, “Until Shiloh comes.” Many sources, including the Targum (Aram. paraphrase of the OT), see “Shiloh” as a title of the Messiah. However, the Hebrew word šlōh should be rendered “whose it is,” that is, the scepter will not depart from Judah... until He comes whose it (i.e., the scepter) is (or as the niv. puts it, to whom it belongs). Similar words in <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Eze+21%3A27">Ezekiel 21:27</a>, “until He comes to whom it (the crown, <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Eze+21%3A26">Ezek. 21:26</a>) rightfully belongs” were addressed to the last king of Judah.

With the coming of Messiah there will be paradise-like splendor. Kidner says that every line of <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ge+49%3A11-12">Genesis 49:11-12</a> “speaks of exuberant, intoxicating abundance: it is the golden age of the Coming One, whose universal rule was glimpsed in<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Genesis 49:10"> [v.] 10c</a>” (Genesis, p. 219). For Judah, grapevines will be so abundant that they will be used for hitching posts; wine will be as abundant as wash water. In Judah, people’s eyes will be red or bright from wine and their teeth will be white from drinking much milk. These are picturesque ways of describing the suitability of Judah’s territory for vineyards. Such opulence will be evident in the Millennium (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Isa+61%3A6-7">Isa. 61:6-7</a>; <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Isa+65%3A21-25">65:21-25</a>; <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Zec+3%3A10">Zech. 3:10</a>).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.