Judah— Jacob, having disinherited, in part, his three eldest sons, on account of their crimes, comes now to his fourth, who, according to the ancient and established law among nations, had the best right to succeed to what they had forfeited. He takes occasion to observe in the beginning of the discourse which he addresses to him, that as his name implied praise, he, accordingly, should be praised by his brethren; and that, on account of his military exploits, they would honour him as their chief; for that reason he is compared in the next verse to a lion, whom none dared to oppose. The allegory ended, Jacob resumes the subject (Genesis 49:10.) from which he had digressed, explains what those honours should be which he had only mentioned in general, and says expressly, that they should consist in his having the supreme power; which whoever obtained, whether some of his descendants or others, they should continue fixed in the portion assigned him for his inheritance, till the Messiah, whom he should have the honour to reckon among his posterity, should come to establish his universal empire. Indeed, this tribe was highly honoured in early times. It led the van of the armies of Israel, and had the first place in the encampments in the wilderness; see Numbers 2:3 was, after Joshua's death, fixed upon to lead the others to battle, Judges 1:1-2. and produced David, that great captain, who made an entire conquest of his enemies: I have, says he, pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them, neither did I turn again till they were consumed; and presently after he adds, Thou hast also given me the necks ףּער oreph, or rather, the backs of mine enemies, &c. Psalms 18:37; Psalms 18:50.
Thy father's children shall bow down before thee— This is not to be understood, as some have imagined, as if all Judah's posterity were to be particularly honoured in their own persons by their brethren. It is sufficient for the accomplishment of this part of the prophecy, that they all partook of the honours of David, elected from among them, whom all the tribes acknowledged as their lawful sovereign, 2 Samuel 5:1-3. and from whom descended a very long race of kings, and THE MESSIAH himself, whose kingdom is everlasting, to whom all knees bow, Philippians 2:10.; that they had in this portion the temple, the throne, and the metropolis; and that all the tribes were enjoined to go thither to worship at all the solemn festivals, Psalms 122:4. It is in respect of these circumstances that the historian is to be understood, when he says, Judah prevailed above his brethren, for out of him came the chief ruler. See 1 Chronicles 5:2.