Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.

Genesis 49:1-10

The men of God back in the day had a connection to the Almighty and they were able to pronounce future events before blessing their children, especially when old and near death. We enter chapter 49 in today's reading, and we see Jacob (who is Israel) calling his sons together to speak to them and tell them what their futures hold.

This reading is a bit longer than most that I make because it is hard to cut off a father who is disgusted with his elder sons for having sold their brother into bondage, and the oldest for having defiled his father's bedroom. This is a speech of sorts that seems to go into a blessing when he gets to his son Judah (after whom the "Jews" get their name). Somehow, the "Y" sound was replaced with a "J" as seen in the names Yeshua that changed to Jesus and now, Yehuda which changes to Judah in translation.

As I mentioned above, Reuben is called as unstable as water and told he will not be a leader for having "defiled" his father's bed. Simeon and Levi are called violent and he curses their anger and cruel wrath. "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" is what the text states and at this, I must guess that he is repeating what he has heard from the Everlasting Creator himself.

Then he comes to speak of Yehuda, saying that his brothers will praise him and his hand will be on the neck of his enemies. Quite the opposite of the sentiments spoken about the first two. "Who dares to approach a lion..." Those are the words spoken of the next leader, I think. The last paragraph of today's passage confirms that Yehuda is he!

It is strange that several bible texts that I looked at fail to close quotes in the texts. I am leaving it that way so as not to edit the word of YHVH which is prohibited.

One note about the language, see the word "violence" in the passage below. It occurs as the second to last word of verse five in the Hebrew text. In Hebrew, it is pronounced Hamas. That is who Israel is fighting. The name of the organization is called "violence" The word is not mentioned much in Genesis, which is called B'resheet in Hebrew, but I thought I would mention it because I saw the parallel when I read it.

Today's reading

English

49 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

“Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel your father.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,
pre-eminent in dignity and pre-eminent in power.

Unstable as water, you shall not have pre-eminence,
because you went up to your father's bed;
then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!

“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
weapons of violence are their swords.

Let my soul come not into their council;
O my glory, be not joined to their company.
For in their anger they killed men,
and in their wilfulness they hamstrung oxen.

Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
and scatter them in Israel.

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons shall bow down before you.

Judah is a lion's cub;
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

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Hebrew

The story continues next week as the
other boys get theirs...

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Shabbat Shalom