Genesis

Genesis 49:8–12

⁸Judah,^b 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?

¹⁰The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the staff from between his feet,^c

until Shiloh^d comes

and the allegiance of the nations is his.

¹¹He ties his donkey to the vine,

his colt to the choicest branch.

He washes his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

¹²His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth are whiter than milk.

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Judah	יְהוּדָ֗ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
your brothers	אַחֶ֔יךָ	’a·ḥe·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
shall praise you	יוֹד֣וּךָ	yō·w·ḏū·ḵā	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; second person masculine singular	H3034 throw, cast
Your hand	יָדְךָ֖	yā·ḏə·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3027 hand
shall be on the necks	בְּעֹ֣רֶף	bə·‘ō·rep̄	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6203 back of neck, neck
of your enemies	אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ	’ō·yə·ḇe·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H341 be hostile to
your father’s	אָבִֽיךָ׃	’ā·ḇî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1 father
sons	בְּנֵ֥י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
shall bow down	יִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ	yiš·ta·ḥăw·wū	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7812 bow down
to you	לְךָ֖	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Judah	יְהוּדָ֔ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
is a young	גּ֤וּר	gūr	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1482 whelp, young
lion	אַרְיֵה֙	’ar·yêh	Noun - masculine singular	H738 lion
my son	בְּנִ֣י	bə·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1121 son
you return	עָלִ֑יתָ	‘ā·lî·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
from the prey	מִטֶּ֖רֶף	miṭ·ṭe·rep̄	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H2964 prey, food; leaf
Like a lion	כְּאַרְיֵ֛ה	kə·’ar·yêh	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H738 lion
he crouches	כָּרַ֨ע	kā·ra‘	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3766 bow down
lies down	רָבַ֧ץ	rā·ḇaṣ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7257 stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out
like a lioness	וּכְלָבִ֖יא	ū·ḵə·lā·ḇî	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H3833 lioness
who	מִ֥י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
dares to rouse him	יְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃	yə·qî·men·nū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The scepter	שֵׁ֙בֶט֙	šê·ḇeṭ	Noun - masculine singular	H7626 rod, staff, club, sceptre
will not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
depart	יָס֥וּר	yā·sūr	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5493 turn aside
from Judah	מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה	mî·hū·ḏāh	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
nor the staff	וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק	ū·mə·ḥō·qêq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H2710 cut in, inscribe, decree
from between	מִבֵּ֣ין	mib·bên	Preposition-m	H996 interval, space between
his feet	רַגְלָ֑יו	raḡ·lāw	Noun - feminine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H7272 foot
until	עַ֚ד	‘aḏ	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
Shiloh	שִׁילֹה	šī·lōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7886 Shiloh
comes	יָבֹ֣א	yā·ḇō	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and the allegiance	יִקְּהַ֥ת	yiq·qə·haṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3349 obedience
of the nations	עַמִּֽים׃	‘am·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5971 people
is his	וְל֖וֹ	wə·lōw	Conjunctive waw; Preposition; third person masculine singular

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He ties	אֹסְרִ֤י	’ō·sə·rî	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H631 tie, bind, imprison
his donkey	עִירֹה	ʿī·rōh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5895 male ass
to the vine	לַגֶּ֙פֶן֙	lag·ge·p̄en	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - common singular	H1612 vine
his colt	בְּנִ֣י	bə·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
to the choicest branch	וְלַשֹּׂרֵקָ֖ה	wə·laś·śō·rê·qāh	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H8321 vine
He washes	כִּבֵּ֤ס	kib·bês	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3526 (tread), wash
his garments	לְבֻשׁ֔וֹ	lə·ḇu·šōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3830 garment, clothing, raiment
in wine	בַּיַּ֙יִן֙	bay·ya·yin	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
his robes	סוּתֹה׃	sū·ṯōh	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5497 vesture
in the blood	וּבְדַם־	ū·ḇə·ḏam-	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1818 blood
of grapes	עֲנָבִ֖ים	‘ă·nā·ḇîm	Noun - masculine plural	H6025 grape(s)

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
His eyes	עֵינַ֖יִם	‘ê·na·yim	Noun - cd	H5869 eye
are darker	חַכְלִילִ֥י	ḥaḵ·lî·lî	Adjective - masculine singular construct	H2447 (dark) dull
than wine	מִיָּ֑יִן	mî·yā·yin	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
and his teeth	שִׁנַּ֖יִם	šin·na·yim	Noun - cd	H8127 tooth, ivory
are whiter	וּלְבֶן־	ū·lə·ḇen-	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular construct	H3836 white
than milk	מֵחָלָֽב׃פ	mê·ḥā·lāḇ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H2461 milk