The Meaning of Genesis 49:10 Explained

Genesis 49:10

KJV: The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

YLT: The sceptre turneth not aside from Judah, And a lawgiver from between his feet, Till his Seed come; And his is the obedience of peoples.

Darby: The scepter will not depart from Judah, Nor the lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh come, And to him will be the obedience of peoples.

ASV: The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come: And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The sceptre  shall not depart  from Judah,  nor a lawgiver  from between his feet,  until  Shiloh  come;  and unto him [shall] the gathering  of the people  [be]. 

What does Genesis 49:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 49:1-13 - Jacob Foretells The Future Of His Sons
Once more Joseph visited his father's dying-bed. This was the third time and the last. He stood as one of twelve strong bearded men, gathered around the aged form, whose face was shadowed by death, but aglow with the light of prophecy. How intense their silent awe as they heard their names called one by one, by the old man's trembling voice, speaking with difficulty! The character of each was delineated with unerring insight: the outstanding incidents of their past history enumerated and their future forecasted. The scene was an anticipation of the final judgment, where men shall hear their lives reviewed and the sentence passed. Shiloh means Peace-Giver. What a fragrant name for our Lord! What wonder that He shall gather the nations to His cross and throne! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 49

1  Jacob calls his sons to bless them
3  Their blessing in particular
29  He charges them about his burial
33  He dies

What do the individual words in Genesis 49:10 mean?

not shall depart the scepter from Judah nor the staff from between his feet until that comes - Shiloh and to him [shall be] the obedience of the people
לֹֽא־ יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו עַ֚ד כִּֽי־ יָבֹ֣א [שילה] (שִׁיל֔וֹ) וְל֖וֹ יִקְּהַ֥ת עַמִּֽים

יָס֥וּר  shall  depart 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
שֵׁ֙בֶט֙  the  scepter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה  from  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק  nor  the  staff 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָקַק  
Sense: to cut out, decree, inscribe, set, engrave, portray, govern.
מִבֵּ֣ין  from  between 
Parse: Preposition-m
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
רַגְלָ֑יו  his  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
עַ֚ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יָבֹ֣א  comes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
[שילה]  - 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
(שִׁיל֔וֹ)  Shiloh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁילֹה  
Sense: he whose it is, that which belongs to him, tranquillity.
וְל֖וֹ  and  to  him  [shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
יִקְּהַ֥ת  the  obedience 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יְקָהָה  
Sense: obedience, cleansing, purging.
עַמִּֽים  of  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.