Binding his foal unto the vine, &c.— In the 8th and 9th verses the pre-eminence and military power of Judah is predicted; in the 10th, the continuance of that power till a certain period; and in these two verses, the fertility of the land which Judah should inherit, and wherein he should exercise this power, is described, under such images as particularly correspond to that part of Judea which fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah. Dr. Durell translates thus: "Tied to the vine is her foal, and the ass's colt to her choice vine; and her garment is washed in wine, and her clothes in the blood of grapes." And he observes, "That the whole expresses but one general sense. To tie asses in vineyards, and to wash clothes in wine, are generally understood to be hyperbolical phrases, denoting such extraordinary abundance, that grapes would hardly be more regarded than grass, or wine than water. To attribute eyes, teeth, and clothes to a country, might seem a great licence; but prosopopoeias are so frequent in the prophets, that they need not be cited to justify Jacob's considering Judah here under that image, or in the light of his virgin daughter."
The vineyards of Engedi, and of Sorek, so famous in Scripture, Song of Solomon 1:14; Song of Solomon 1:17. were in this tribe; and so was the brook of Eshcol, whence the spies brought those extraordinary bunches of grapes, Numbers 13:23-24. That this portion also abounded with good pasture-grounds is probable, from its being the place in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sojourned, who had all numerous herds of cattle. Besides, the vales of Bethlehem and Hebron, one of the vales of Sharon, celebrated for its rich and extensive pastures, is supposed by some to have belonged to Judah. See Univ. Hist. vol. 1: p. 415. 8vo. Josephus observes of Judea in general, that it is a good pasture-country. "The blessing of Jacob," says Dr. Shaw, Travels, p. 366, 367. Which was given to Judah, was not of the same kind with the blessing of Asher, or of Issachar, that his bread should be fat, or his land should be pleasant, but that his eyes should be red with wine, and his teeth should be white with milk;" And he observes, that "the mountains of this country abound with shrubs, and a delicate short grass; both which the cattle are more fond of, than of such plants as are more common to fallow grounds and meadows. Nor was this method of grazing peculiar to this country; inasmuch as it is still practised all over mount Libanus, the Castravan mountains, and Barbary; in all which places, the higher grounds are set apart for this use, and the plains and vallies for tillage. For, besides the good management and oeconomy, there is this further advantage, that the milk of cattle, fed in this manner, is far more rich and delicious, as their flesh is more sweet and nourishing. It may be presumed likewise, that the vine was not neglected, in a soil and exposition so proper for it to thrive in." And he mentions particularly the many tokens which are to be met with "of the ancient vineyards about Jerusalem and Hebron," and "the great quantity of grapes and raisins, which are thence brought daily to the markets of Jerusalem, and sent yearly to Egypt."
Most of the fathers, and many late interpreters, have considered these two verses as prophetical of Christ; because he calls himself a vine, and rode upon an ass, the foal of an ass: and they explain the washing of his garment in wine, of his flesh being covered with blood; which the wine in the sacrament represents. His eyes, say they, were more red than wine at his passion: and the meaning of his teeth are whiter than milk is, that in his mouth was found no guile; or the words signify, in general, the purity of his doctrine.
We here subjoin a brief paraphrase of this blessing. "JUDAH, thy name signifies praise; and accordingly, thou shalt have the praise of all thy brethren. They shall fall prostrate before thee, as before their king and sovereign, and thine enemies shall be forced to submit their necks to thy yoke. Like a young lion shall my son fall upon his prey, and, like an old lion, or a fierce lioness, ready to rush upon it; who shall dare to rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh, the Messiah, come, and the people be gathered unto him. His portion shall abound with such fertile vineyards, fruitful fields, and pasture-grounds, that he shall tie his ass to the vine and palm-tree, and wash his garments in the juice of the grape, and his teeth with the milk of his kine." Note; In a more glorious sense, Jesus is this lion of the tribe of Judah, Head over all, to whom his enemies must bow, and whom his saints adore. He is the Law-giver; to him will the gathering of the people be; and in him are the rivers of wine and milk, every Gospel-blessing, richly and freely dispersed without money and without price.