Jesus was the coming shiloh

JESUS WAS THE COMING SHILOH
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from
Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience
of the peoples.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Coming Of Shiloh
Genesis 49:10
J.F. Montgomery
Remarkable agreementofancient interpreters, Jewishas wellas Christian, to
considerthis a prophecy of Messiah. The former of specialvalue, as being
before the event. The Targum of Onkelos renders the passage,"until Messiah
comes, whose is the kingdom." Many others equally distinct. Some have
observedthat the words, "Shiloh shall come," make in Hebrew the same
number as the name "Messiah." AncientChristian writers all take the same
view. The name Shiloh expresses restor peace. Observe how this answers the
need of man. Sin brought the curse of labor (Genesis ill 17-19), and unrest
(Isaiah 57:20, 21), and want of peace. Hence the frequent mention of rest,
which, however, was only typical and temporary (Hebrews 4:8). Hence the

common salutation, "Peacebe unto you." And rest and peace are ours
through the coming of Christ (Matthew 11:28;John 10:28; Romans 8:38).
I. THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL A PREPARATION FOR THE COMING OF
CHRIST, The moral law convincing of sin (Galatians 3:24). The ceremonial
law foreshadowing restoration(Hebrews 10:1).; the prophets declaring God's
purpose, arid the person and work of Christ; the dispersion by the captivity,
bringing the people into contactwith other nations, and thus preparing for a
universal Church; their sufferings and state of subjection after their return,
keeping alive the expectationof "Messiah, the prince."
II. THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD A PREPARATION FOE CHRIST.
The colonizing instinct of the Greeks making their language almostuniversal;
the contactof Greek and Jewishlearning at Alexandria and elsewhere, by
which the heathen language was made capable of expressing Divine truth; the
widespreadpowerand organization of the Romans, by which in so many ways
the fulfillment of prophecy was brought about (Luke 2:1; John 19:36, 37).
III. FOR WHAT SHILOH SHOULD COME. To gatherall nations unto
himself (Isaiah2:2, 3; John 11:52;John 12:32). To redeem mankind, both
Jews and Gentiles (Psalm 49:15;Isaiah35:4-10;John 10:16;Galatians 4:5).
To bear the sins of mankind (Isaiah 35:11, 12;2 Corinthians 5:14; 1 Peter
2:24). To teachhis people the way of life (Deuteronomy18:15; Matthew 11:27;
John 4:25). To reign overhis people (Daniel2:44; Revelation11:15). To give
them victory (Psalm44:5; 1 John 5:4; Revelation12:11).
IV. LESSON OF ENCOURAGEMENT. Why doubt God's acceptance of
thee? or his readiness to help? Mark his desire that all should be saved
(Ezekiel18:82;1 Timothy 2:4). Mark how this is the ruling principle running
through the whole Bible. The work of Christ was no newly devised thing, but
"that which was from the beginning" (1 Peter1:20). All our imperfections, all
our weaknessoffaith is known to God, yet such as we are, he bids us trust in

Christ's work. Judah himself was a very imperfect character. His descendants
not less so. Yet of them the text was spoken. 66 Be not afraid, only believe." -
M.
Biblical Illustrator
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiverfrom betweenhis
feet, until Shiloh come;and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.
Genesis 49:10
A revelation of Christ: —
C. Stanford, D. D.
I. Using the word prophecy in its predictive sense, this is THE LANGUAGE
OF UNQUESTIONABLE PROPHECY.
II. This prophecy contains REVELATION OF CHRIST.
III. This revelation of Christ was connectedwith the announcement of THE
PARTICULAR TIME WHEN HE WAS TO APPEAR.
IV. This announcement is connectedwith a statementshowing IN WHAT
WAY HIS PEOPLE WILL COME TO HIM. It is at once predictive and
descriptive.
V. This statementsuggests aninquiry into THE DESIGN OF CHRIST IN
GATHERING THE PEOPLE TO HIMSELF. In harmony with His title as
"the PeacefulOne," His grand design is to give them rest.

1. Rest, by reconciling them to God.
2. Rest, by effecting the spiritual union of man with man.
3. Rest, by leading us to perfect restin another world.
(C. Stanford, D. D.)
The Shiloh; or, the world's tranquilizer
Homilist.
I. THE FULFILLED PART OF THIS PROPHECYCONCERNING
CHRIST.
1. That Judah should have regalpower.
2. The continuation of this authority up to a certaintime.
3. The fulfilled part of this prophecy shows two things —
(1)Man's power, through God, of foreseeing the future.
(2)God's characteras the Governor of the world.
(a)His faithfulness, strictly adhering to His word through the sweepofages.

(b)His almightiness, so over-ruling the affairs of nations and of generations as
to bring about to the very hour the facts He foretold.
II. THE FULFILLING PART OF THIS PROPHECY. "Unto Him shall the
gathering of the people be."
1. Self-sacrificing kindness attracts men.
2. Marevellousnessattracts men.
3. Promise of goodattracts men.
4. Sublime grandeur attracts men.
(Homilist.)
The promised Shiloh
J. Burns, D. D.
I. THE TITLE OF THE SAVIOUR.
1. A messenger,orone who is sent (John 6:29, 38, 57;John 7:16; 28:9-83).
2. Peace-maker(Ephesians 2:13;Colossians 1:20).

3. Prosperous Saviour.
II. THE APPEARING OF THE MESSIAH.
1. He was to be of the tribe of Judah.
2. He was to come before the rule and authority of the tribe of Judah should
cease.
III. THE WORK OF THE MESSIAH "Unto Him shall the gathering of the
people be." They are gathered —
1. To His cross as the source of salvation.
2. To His cause as His devoted followers.
3. To His Church as the visible friends of His kingdom.
4. To His royal standard as His loyal and obedient subjects.
5. To His glorious kingdom as the trophies of His grace, to shine forth in the
lustre of purity and blessednessforever and ever.Learn:

1. The true characterof the Lord Jesus. He is the promised Shiloh.
2. Have we been brought to a saving experimental knowledge ofHis grace?
3. The full accomplishmentof the text is yet to come.
(J. Burns, D. D.)
The prophecy of Jacobrespecting Shiloh
R. Hall, M. A.
I. It will be proper, first, TO CONSIDER THE PROPHECYAND ITS
FULFILMENT. Until the period at which it was delivered the nation of Israel
was not divided into tribes; but from this period it was always so divided. The
prophecy asserts that the sceptre should not depart from the tribe of Judah
until a personage here denominated Shiloh should appear.
1. What we are to understand by the term "sceptre," as here employed, is the
whole question: whether it relates to regalauthority, as some suppose. This
appears improbable; for, in the first place, the regal sceptre was not specially
placed in the tribe of Judah, and could not be said to depart from that tribe
more than another; secondly, Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, not of Judah;
neither were the Maccabeans ofJudah's tribe. "Sceptre" here denotes a staff
of office; eachtribe had its rod of power, and the meaning is that the
authority of a tribe should remain in Judah until the period specifiedshould
arrive. After the three captivities the ten tribes, which had been separated
from those of Judah and Benjamin in the reign of Rehoboam, were lost and
blended among the nations. But Judah and Benjamin, thenceforward
regardedas one tribe, still possessedits rod of authority, and hence the name
of Jew, derived from Judah, was used to mark the whole nation. Judah
remained as a separate people during the captivity at Babylon.

2. The term "lawgiver" mustbe limited in its interpretation by the term
"sceptre."
3. Concerning the meaning of the term "Shiloh," which occurs only in the
text, various opinions have been proposed; the most probable is that it denotes
the Peace-maker, Jesus Christ, who came (as the angels celebratedHis
nativity) to give "peace onearth"; or, as others think, it may mark Him as
"sent," and thus be taken as the same word with "Siloam," whichthe
evangelistinterprets as "sent";He continually spoke of Himself as one whom
God had "sent."
4. The prophecy proceeds to state that "to Him shall the gathering of the
people be";words which express the dependence of faith, the allegiance of
hope, which would centre in the promised Lord of all. Jesus Christis the bond
of a new societyon earth!
II. BY WAY OF BRIEF IMPROVEMENTOBSERVE —
1. The force of prophecy as an evidence of inspiration. The signand test of
prophecy is its fulfilment, according to the rule laid down by Moses, "ifthe
word does not take place the Lord has not spoken."
2. The dignity of our Lord. He appears as the chief, the central object of
prophecy; the light that illuminates its obscurity.
3. The consolationwhich believers may derive from the characterwhich our
Saviour sustains.

4. Our assembling on this and similar occasions proves the truth of the
prediction; it is a comment on the words, "To Him shall the gathering of the
people be." Why are we not Gentile idolaters? it is because "Shiloh" has
appearedamong us.
5. Observe, as the last thing, the vanity of Jewishhope. The people to whom
He came are still "looking for another":contradicting all prophecy, all
history! But when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, when the times of
the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, the children of Judah shall yet be visited with
the Spirit of grace and supplications; " they shall look on Him whom they
have pierced; and shall mourn for Him as one that mourneth for his first-
born." Let us pray for their national conversion.
(R. Hall, M. A.)
The prophecy respecting Shiloh
T. Wood.
I. WE SHALL ENDEAVOUR TO ASCERTAIN THE GENERALPURPORT
OF THE TERMS, SCEPTRE,LAWGIVER, AND SHILOH. If these words
are satisfactorilydefined, and correctlyapplied, there will be no difficulty
whateverin the discussionof our secondproposition. In our language the
sceptre is a kind of royal staff or baton, which is borne on solemnoccasions by
kings as a tokenof their command and royal authority. In the Word of God it
has evidently the same meaning, and was similarly used in ancient times. With
regard to the word lawgiverit seems to signify legislative, orrather judicial,
authority, and is intended to express the continuance of both civil and
ecclesiasticalpoweruntil the coming of Shiloh. But the remaining term
appears the most important, and demands particular attention. It is the
keystone ofthe prophetic edifice by which we must observe the symmetry, the

magnificence, and the perfection of the whole. Shiloh evidently relates to some
person, and the question is, "Ofwhom speakeththe prophet this?" (Acts
8:34). We hesitate not to reply, he speaks of the Messiah, evenJesus Christ,
the Sonof the living God.
II. To CONSIDER OR PROVE THE EXACT ACCOMPLISHMENT OF
THE PROPHECY. The passageintimates —
1. The departure of the sceptre from the other tribes of Israel.
2. That on Messiah's appearanceJudahshould also give up his pre-eminence.
3. Men are to be gatheredto Christ. It is of little consequencewhatname they
bear in the professing world, what talents they possess, orwith what external
privileges they are favoured unless they are brought to Christ. He is the end of
prophecy, the substance ofancient shadows,(1)Theyshall be gatheredfor
purposes of mercy by the ministration of the gospel.(2)The people are to be
gatheredto Jesus by the agencyofHis own Spirit. "It is the Spirit that
quickeneth" (John 6:63).(3)The people shall be gatheredto Christ in His
Church.(4) The people shall be gatheredto Christ at the lastday for
judgment.
(T. Wood.)
The Shiloh prophecy
J. M. Gibson, D. D.
There are, you perceive, three parts of the blessing, eachtaking up and
repeating the happy name of Judah: "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren

shall praise," &c.;"Judah is a lion's whelp," &c.;and, "The sceptre shallnot
depart from Judah," &c. Let us take these three parts in their order.
I. "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in
the neck of thine enemies:thy father's children shall bow down before thee."
There are here two things the relation of Judah to his brethren in Israel and
his relationto the enemies of Israel. His relation to his brethren in Israelis
expressedin the first and last clauses,"Thouart he whom thy brethren shall
praise" — "thy father's children shall bow down before thee." Now that there
is a generalreference here to the supremacy of Judah among the tribes is
beyond doubt; but I cannot avoid the conclusion, a conclusionwhich has been
strengthenedby a very close examinationof the principal words in this verse,
that a greaterthan Judah is here, even Jesus, whosepraise is sung by all the
true Israelof God, before whom all the children of Abraham according to the
spirit bow down and worship. This is supported by severalconsiderations.
The name "Judah " means "Praise of God," or " Glory to God." And there is,
I cannot help thinking, something more than curiosity in the fact that if
Hebrew equivalents were given for the Greek words in the hymn which was
sung by angels over Bethlehem's plains, when the greatSon of Judah was
born there, a Prince and a Saviour, it might read thus, "Judah in the highest,
on earth Shiloh"; "Gloryto God in the highest, and on earth peace." This
view is still further strengthenedby the fact that the word here rendered
"praise" — "thy brethren shall praise" — is used almost exclusivelyof praise
to God. And if we are right in our view as to the clauses whichrefer to the
relation of Judah to his brethren in Israel, it follows that in that clause which
refers to his relation to the enemies of Israelwe see not only the victories of
Judah overthe nations around him, but the victories of the greatSon of Judah
over His enemies all over the world. We have in fact here the germ of those
numerous prophecies of which the secondPsalmmay be takenas a specimen.
II. "Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up; he
stoopeddown, he couchedas a lion, and as an old lion: who shall rouse him
up?" We have here Judah's supremacyand strength set before us in a lively
figure, the figure of a lion. You observe of course the gradationin the

prophecy: first the young lion rejoicing in his growing strength; then the adult
lion in the full development of his power; and lastly, the old lion reposing in
quiet majesty, satisfiedwith former triumphs, enjoying the fruit of them, but
retaining his terrible strength, so that even the boldest dare not rouse him up.
Here againwe have the basis and explanation of not a little of subsequent
prophecy. We find the Lion of Judah againin Balaam's prophecy (Numbers
24:9; also 23:24). We find it in prophecies where perhaps we little expect it,
e.g., Isaiah29:1, 2, where Ariel, you must remember, is the Hebrew for "Lion
of God." So, too, the lamentation of Ezekiel19. is all founded on this
prophecy. The reference throughout all these is obvious, to the lion strength
and prowess ofthe royal tribe of Judah. But is this all? Perhaps some of you
may be ready to say, "Yes, it is all." Surely it cannot be said that there is any
of the testimony of Jesus in a passagelike that. It certainly seems as unlikely
as any other prophetic passagein the whole Bible. Yet even here, if we take
the Scripture for our guide, comparing Scripture with Scripture, the
testimony of Jesus is not absent. And if you wish proof, follow me to two
passagesfar apart from eachother and from this, and yet evidently related to
eachother and to this. First, let us turn to that chapter about Ariel, "the Lion
of God" (Isaiah29.). Readespeciallyverses 11 and 12, and compare them
with Revelation5:1-5. The Ariel of the Old Testamenthere appears as the
"Lion of the tribe of Judah " in the New. Who is the "Lion of the tribe of
Judah"? No one reading that chapter in Revelationcan hesitate about the
answer. After all it is ,Jesus, the meek and lowly, and yet the greatand
terrible Jesus, the Lamb slain, and also the Lion slaying. He is the "Lion of
the tribe of Judah!" We may not forgetthat there is such a thing as "the
wrath of the Lamb."
III. "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiverfrom between
his feetuntil Shiloh come," &c. Who is Shiloh? Mostclearly He is "the Seedof
the woman." I set aside the translation, "until Judah come Shiloh," i.e., the
place where the tabernacle was setup after the conquestof Canaan;I setit
aside, because thoughgrammatically possible, it is contrary to the scope of the
prophecy, Judah having no more relation to the place long afterwards called
Shiloh than any of the other tribes, and less than Joseph, in whose territory

the place was;because it exhausts the prophecies in the early history of the
tribes of Israel, whereas the patriarch says at the beginning that he is about to
speak of that which shall happen "in the last days";and because the
supremacy of Judah overthe other tribes, and her lion-like conquests, are to
be found after, and not before, the children of Israelcame to Shiloh. Besides,
there is no evidence that any place of the name of Shiloh was known at this
time, and there was certainlyno gathering of the nations (the word in the
Hebrew is not the singular, "people," but the plural, "peoples" or"nations")
to Shiloh. Without any hesitation, then, we adhere to our own translation.
And then the question comes:if Shiloh be the Messiah, as He evidently is,
what is the meaning of the name? The vast majority of interpreters have
always, and do still connectthe word " Shiloh" with that well-knownfamily of
Hebrew words signifying "peace,""rest,"so that "Shiloh" will signify "the
One who brings peace," "the One who gives rest." There is almosteverything
in favour of this interpretation. It connects beautifully with the image of peace
setforth in verses 11 and 12 which follow, and is strongly contrastedwith the
war-like metaphor of that which precedes (ver. 9). It agreeswith the
circumstances under which the name "Shiloh" was given to the place where
the Tabernacle ofGod was setup by the children of Israelafter God had
given them rest from their enemies. Then in 1 Chronicles 5:2, we find, in
explanation of the elder tribes being setaside, these words, "ForJudah
prevailed above his brethren, and from him the chief ruler (or the prince)was
to come," which you may compare with that beautiful passagein Isaiah9:6,
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be
upon His shoulder, and His name shall be calledWonderful, Counsellor, the
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."Then, too, the
name which David gave to his sonSolomon (a name closelyconnectedwith the
name "Shiloh" — it does not appearin English so distinctly as in the
original); in that name we can scarcelyfailto recognize the expectationof
David, that in his just and peacefulreign there would be a type of the reign of
the Prince of Peace — a position which is fully borne out by those Psalms of
the kingdom, of which the well-known72nd Psalmmay be taken as a
specimen. We have already referred to the angeldoxology, "Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace," where the words "Judah" and "Shiloh"
come into a connectionwith eachother very similar to what we find in this

prophecy. Then we cannothelp thinking of such precious words as these of
our Shiloh, "Come unto Me, ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest." "PeaceI leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the
world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid." And not to multiply passages, formany more might be given, do we
not find at the close of the Word of God, in the Book ofRevelation, "the Lion
of the tribe of Judah," and "the Lamb," the one the emblem of strength, and
the other the emblem of gentleness and peace, closebeside eachother, and
referring to the same glorious Saviour? We have already spokenof the "Lion
of the tribe of Judah" — well, the Lamb is the Shiloh of our text. It is, then,
the "Prince of Peace" whosecoming is spokenof here. "And unto Him shall
the gathering of the peoples be." The meaning of this is surely very obvious
now. The Shiloh is the Seedin whom all nations of the earth are to be blessed.
Here is the culmination of the royalty of Judah. The true idea is that the
royalty is never to pass awayfrom Judah, but is to culminate in the
everlasting kingdom of the "Lion of the tribe of Judah," "the Rootof David,"
"King of kings and Lord of lords." The sceptre is not to depart at all. The
kingdom is to be an everlasting kingdom. The royalty of the tribe of Judah
will lastthrough all eternity, because the "Lion of the tribe of Judah," the
"Prince of Peace," the Shiloh of God, in whom that royalty culminates, is "the
same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," "King of kings and Lord of lords " for
evermore! And then began the " gathering of the peoples." It may be
interesting to take a passing glance atthis prophetic gathering, as actually
realized already in history. To begin with, we have an earnestof it in the long
journey of the wise men of the Eastto worship the child Jesus. There we have
the first-fruits of the greatingathering of the long excluded Shemites. Then
againyou remember the Syro-Phoenicianwoman, who, when Jesus came into
the coastsofTyre and Sidon, fell down at His feetand worshipped Him, and
besoughtHim for a blessing for her child. There we see the first-fruits of the
greatingathering of the Hamites. Yet again, you remember how, when Jesus
was at one of the feasts in Jerusalem, there were certain Greeks among them
that came up to worship at the feast, who came to Philip of Bethsaida in
Galilee, earnestlyasking, "Sir, we would see Jesus."There we see the first
fruits of the greatingathering of the sons of Japheth. So ranch for the first
fruits; now for the harvest. And here we find that saying true, "The last shall

be first, and the first last;" for when Shiloh came the very Jews refusedto
gather to Him; that very tribe of Judah from which, according to the
prophecy, He sprung, despisedand rejectedHim; and accordingly, in the just
displeasure of God, they were setaside "until the fulness of the Gentiles be
come in" (Romans 11:25). Thus it is that the very Jews themselves are the last
of all the peoples to gather unto their own Shiloh.
(J. M. Gibson, D. D.)
Shiloh
The dying patriarch was speaking ofhis own son Judah; but while speaking of
Judah he had a specialeye to our Lord, who sprang from the tribe of Judah.
Everything therefore which he says of Judah, the type, he means with regard
to our greaterJudah, the antitype, our Lord Jesus Christ. First, let the title "
Shiloh," and secondly the testimony, "To Him shall the gathering of the
people be," engage ourattention.
I. The title "Shiloh." What an old word it is! What an old world word! I
should not wonder if it was one of Jacob's owncoining. A pet name is often
the product of peculiar love. Tender affectiontakes this kindly turn. Jacob's
name for Jesus was "Shiloh";and it is so long ago since he calledHim Shiloh
that I do not wonder that we have almostforgotten the meaning of it. He knew
it had a wealthof meaning as it came from his lips, and the meaning is there
still; but the well is deep; and those that have studied the learnedlanguages
have found this to be a word of such rare and singular occurrence, thatit is
difficult, with any positive certainty, to define it. Not that they cannot find a
meaning, but that it is possible to find so many meanings of it. Notthat it is
not rich enough, but that there is an embarrassmentof riches. It may be
interpreted in so many different ways. Some maintain that the word "Shiloh"
signifies "sent." Like that word you have in the New Testament, "He said to
them, go to the pool of Siloam, which is, by interpretation, 'Sent,'" you
observe the likeness betweenthe words Siloam and Shiloh. They think that the

words have the same meaning; in which case Shiloh here would mean the
same as Mes-siahthe sent one — and would indicate that Jesus Christ was the
messenger, the sent one of God, and came to us, not at His own instance, and
at His own will, but commissionedby the Most High, authorized and anointed
to that end. Here let us stop a minute. We rejoice to know that, whateverthis
title means, it is quite certain Jesus was sent. It is a very precious thing to
know that we have a Saviour; but often and often it has cheeredmy heart to
think that this dear Saviour who came to save me did not come as an amateur,
unauthorized from the courts of heaven, but He came with the credentials of
the EternalFather, so that, whatever He has done, we may be sure He has
done it in the name of God. Jehovahwill never repudiate that which Jesus has
accomplished. Him hath God sent forth to be a propitiation; He is a mediator
of God's ownsending. Dwell, sweetlydwell, upon this meaning of the word
Shiloh. If it means "sent," there is great sweetnessin it. Others have referred
it to a word, the root of which signifies the Son. Upon such a hypothesis the
name would be strictly appropriate to our Lord. He is the "Sonof God"; He is
the "Sonof Man"; He was the "Son of Judah"; He was the " Sonof David":
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given." Let us linger for a while
upon this gloss — "Until Shiloh," "Until the Son shall come." Be the
annotation right or wrong, Jesus is the Son of God. He that hath come to save
us is Divine. Let us bless Him as the Son — the Son of God, the Son of man. A
third meaning has been given to the word "Shiloh" which rather paraphrases
than translates it. The passage, according to certain critics, would run
something like this: "Until He come to whom it belongs, to whom it is, for
whom it is reserved";or, as Ezekielputs it, "Overturn, until He shall come
whose right it is, and Thou wilt give it Him." It may mean, then, "The sceptre
shall not depart from Judah until He shall come whose that sceptre is." This
meaning is supported by many learnedauthorities, and has its intrinsic value.
The sceptre belongs to Christ. All sceptres belong to Him. He will come by
and by and verify His title to them. Have you not seenthe picture that
represents Nelsonon board a French man-of-war, receiving the swords of the
various captains he has conquered, while there stands an old tar at his side
putting all these swords underneath his arm as they are brought up. I have
often pictured to myself our greatCommander, the only King by Divine right,
coming back to this our earth, and gathering up the sceptres ofthe kings in

sheaves, andputting them on one side, and collecting their crowns;for He
alone shall reign King of kings and Lord of lords. When the last and greatest
of all monarchs shall come a secondtime, "without a sin-offering unto
salvation" — oh, the glory of His triumph! He has a right to reign. If ever
there was a king by nature, and by birth, it is the Son of David; if ever there
was one who would be electedto the monarchy by the suffrages of His
subjects, it is Jesus Christ. Let Him be crownedwith majesty for ever and
ever. To Him the royalty belongs, for Him it is reserved. The interpretation,
however, which has the most support, and which I think has the fairestclaim
to be accordedcorrect, is that which derives the word "Shiloh" from the same
root as the word "Salem." This makes it signify peace. "Until the peace, orthe
peace-bearer, orthe peace-giver,"or, if you like it better, "the rest, or the
rest-maker— shall come." Selectthe word you prefer, it will sufficiently
representthe sense. "Until the peace-bringercome, until the rest-maker
come." His advent bounds the patriarch's expectationand his desire. Oh,
beloved, what a vein of soul-charming reflectionthis opens!Do you know
what rest means? Such "peace,peace," suchperfectpeace as he hath whose
soul is stayed; because he trusteth, as the prophet Isaiah hath it. Here is rest!
Man may well take his rest when he has nothing to do, when it is all done for
him. And that is the gospel. The world's way of salvationis "Do," God's way
of salvationis, "It is all done for you; acceptand believe."
II. Trusting, then, dear friends, that your faith has identified the Shiloh of
Jacob's vision, let us occupythe few minutes that remain to us in considering
the testimony which the patriarch here bears. "Unto Him shall the gathering
of the people be." "Unto Him," as the Hebrew runs, "shallthe gatherings of
the peoples be." So wide the circumference that converges in this glorious
centre. It comprehends all the peoples of the Gentiles as wellas Jews. Of
course it includes the favoured nation, but it also takes in the isles afar off;
yea, all of us, my brethren. "Unto Him shall the gatherings of the peoples be."
What joy this announcement should give us! Do you realize it, that around
Jesus Christ, around His cross, whichis the greatuplifted standard, the
people shall gather? Be assuredof this: Christ is the only centre of true unity
to His people. The true Christendom consists in all that worship God in the

spirit, not having confidence in the flesh. The true Church consists ofall that
believe in the Lord Jesus Christand are quickenedby the Holy Ghost.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
The gathering of the people to Shiloh
M. Simpson, D. D.
It seems to me the old man was sad. One, and another, and another of his sons
passedbefore him, and from their posterity there came no Saviour, no
Messiah. Judahcame, and as his eyes restedupon him, and the visions of the
future opened up, he beheld the tribe growing, becoming conspicuous,
becoming the leaderof the other tribes, and enduring; kings satupon his
throne, and princes were among his posterity; and then he saw Judah,
becoming feeble, carried away; the tribeship crumbling; desolationis about to
come, and just then he saw the star appear — a light shining on Judah — and
he said: "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise";and then cried
out, as if his soul were enraptured with a vision: "The sceptre shallnot depart
from Judah, nor a lawgiverfrom betweenhis feet, until Shiloh come, and unto
Him shall the gathering of the people be." He saw the day of Christ. It was
just as Judah was crumbling to decay; it was just as prince and lawgiverwere
for everpassing from among his posterity; but he had not quite gone until the
light and joy of Israelappeared, and the Prince of Peace,whose rightit was to
take the kingdom, took possession, andthen, instead of Israel being carried
captive into strange lands — instead of his hosts being wastedon the plains of
Babylon and Persia, insteadof being fugitives and strangers among all nations
— he saw a new Israel, a new nation, under a new covenantof promise; and
he cried out: "And unto Him shall the gathering" — not of Judah, nor of
Ephraim, nor of Manasseh, nor of Benjamin, merely, but, "unto Him shall the
gathering of the people be" — all tribes, all nations, all kindreds. The sons of
humanity everywhere shall gather around Him; for He takes in both Jew and
Gentile, Greek and barbarian, bond and free. All shall receive the blessings of

peace. Suchwas the vision that came to Jacob's peacefuldeparting hours.
That we may the better understand this subject, we may refer to the
expressions here used: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah." But there
is another part of this prophecy. When that Shiloh should come, to Him
should the gathering of the people be. Now, how beautifully was this
contrastedwith what Jacobsaw in his vision t He had seenthe scattering of
the ten tribes — their being lost, merged into other nationalities, and he said:
"Are these gone for ever?" He saw Jacobaboutto pass away, and that he was
to be scattered, but as the compensationfor all this, around the Shiloh, the
promised Seed, the One who was to be sent, the Prince of Peace, shouldthe
gathering of the people be. In some particulars, this seemedto be an
enlargementof the promises given to the Jews, and we may trace an apparent
connectionbetweentheir powerand that under the reign of Shiloh. For
instance, the gathering of the people was at Jerusalem. Theycame up three
times in the year to worship before God on Mount Zion. Scattered, there is no
longerthe worship. The temple services have been long since closed. The
people no longercome gathering around Mount Moriah. There is no temple
standing, around which humanity gathers;but there was a cross erected.
Shiloh hung on that cross, and He said: "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all
men unto Me." And now, as the result, do we not see the gathering of
humanity around the Lord Jesus Christ? But while men, here and there, may
remember the name of a Homer, or an Alexander, or a Plato — while their
prowess and intellect may be admired in the schools — how few of the human
race know anything of them 1 But the name of Jesus I At that name every
knee shall bow; to R every tongue shall confess. It is being sung eastand west,
north and south. Men divide on everything else, but they are rallying around
Jesus. He is reigning, King of kings, and Lord of lords. He has establisheda
kingdom which is growing wider and wider every day. Civilization attends the
preaching of the gospel;inventions and arts, and refinement and culture, go
hand in hand with the proclamation of the name of Jesus;and in this respect
humanity is gathering around Him. But the word here interpreted" gathering
"means not merely assembling. Some translate it obedience. "To Him shall
the obedience ofthe people be." The idea, as I take it, embraces both. The
people assemble forinstruction and to obey. It is like the gathering of scholars
in a school. They assemble, but it is for instruction, and it is to obey.

(M. Simpson, D. D.)
Shiloh
W. S. Smith, B. D.
I. THE COMING ONE PREDICTED.
II. THE CHARACTER OF THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM. The name
"Shiloh" means "Peaceable,"or"Peace-givers"or"rest," and is akin to the
name of David's son "Solomon." This name intimates that the King, who is to
come, will give tranquillity to His people.
III. THE COMPLETENESS OF HIS RULE. The Christian religion is but the
unfolding and the fulfilment of the hope of Israel. Do we rejoice in our
knowledge ofJesus as King? Are we trying our best to serve and obey Him?
and to do what we can to bring others under His peace-giving rule?
(W. S. Smith, B. D.)
Shiloh's sceptre spiritual, not political
J. M. Gibson, D. D.
How constantly do we find this blessedassurance interpretedas if it were a
shred of political news, a piece of political prognostication!"The sceptre" is
interpreted as an earthly sceptre, the "lawgiver" suggestsno other or higher
conceptionthan the head of an earthly government, and the gist of the whole
promise is made to be that a certainearthly state, of very small account
among the great kingdoms of the world, shall continue to exist till the coming
of a certain person, and then shall pass away. It might be suggested, by the
way, that on this principle of interpretation we should rather call it a
threatening than a promise. If the coming of the promised Shiloh was to be the

signalfor the passing awayof the very kingdom which was the subject of the
prophecy, then Judah and all true lovers of Christ's kingdom might well pray
that Shiloh should be very long in coming. But let this pass, and look at the
subsequent difficulties in which the political interpretation involves us. We
have first a long period during which there was no political kingdom at all.
Then, shortly after the setting up of the political kingdom, we have it rent in
twain. Later on we find, first, the one part of it, and then the other, utterly
subverted. Then we have hundreds of years, during the greaterpart of which
it can not be said with honestythat there was a political kingdom at all. And
when Shiloh did come, there was no politicalkingdom in Judah to pass away.
These difficulties have been felt to be of such magnitude, that endless
ingenuity have been expended in the attempt to evade or surmount them.
Some have tried to twist history to make it agree with the passage, and others
have tried to twist the passageto make it agree with the history, and neither of
the methods has been found satisfactory;whereas allbecomes simple, natural,
beautiful, and most true, when interpreted, not according to the letter which
killeth, but according to the spirit; when it is freed from those carnal, Jewish
notions which have obscured it, when it is lifted out of the region of politics
into the region of truth, where our Lord's conversationwith Pilate, as
recordedby John, might well leadus to look for the kingdom of the prophetic
word. Then we find a beautiful consistencyboth with the history of truth, and
with the truth of history; with the former, as regards the inner reality, with
the latter, as regards the outer form of the kingdom. First, in regard to the
inner reality. Did not the kingdom in the truth, the kingdom in its essential,
spiritual reality, continue in Judah all the while? "Was not the kingdom of
God among the chosenpeople before either Saul or David was anointed, while
as yet Jehovahwas their only King? Was not the kingdom of God in Judah
still, when her sons and daughters sat"by Babel's streams," andhung their
harps upon the willows, and wept as they remembered Zion? There, in their
remembrance of Zion, have we the evidence that, though the form of the
kingdom had passedawayfor a time, the great reality remained in the
weeping heart of Judah still. Truth to tell, the kingdom had much more nearly
passedaway, while yet the political "sceptre"and "lawgiver" remainedboth
in Judah and in Israel, in those dark days of infidelity and idolatry, when poor
Elijah thought God's kingdom the true theocracy, was reducedto one solitary

individual, till he was assuredby Him, who "seethnot as man seeth," that He
still had left remaining seventhousand loyal men. And was there not in Judah,
through all her captivities and all her sufferings from foreign oppressors, a
true kingdom of God? A very little one indeed at times, and especiallyin the
times which immediately preceded the advent of Shiloh; but small as it was,
was it not there all the while? And when we seek forthe fulfilment of the old
promise as to the continuance of the kingdom till the coming in human form
of the King, we are to seek it, not where so many interpreters of prophecy
have sought it, in the political administration of that infidel and villain,
belonging to Idumea, and not to Judah, who happened to swaya little sceptre,
and give out his little laws under the greatsceptre and mighty law of a foreign
tyrant, but in the lowly loyal lives of the Simeons and Annas of the time, who
had the sceptre and law in their hearts, and who were waiting for the
fulfilment of the kingdom in the coming of Shiloh. The fulfilment of the
kingdom — for there is no evidence that these faithful ones imagined that the
coming of Shiloh was to be the subversion of that kingdom, which, as true
Israelites, they dearly loved, but every evidence that they regardedit as the
firm establishment of Judah's throne, and the beginning of a triumphal
progress which should not ceasetill every knee should bow before the sceptre,
and every tongue confess thatJudah's King was Lord. So much for the
fulfilment of the promise in regardto its inner reality. And now a moment's
glance at the consistencyofthe prophecy with history, so far as form is
concerned. Here we must bear in mind what Principal Fairbairn has so
clearly shownin his work on "Prophecy," that the greatobjectof prophecy
was to support the faith of God's people — a support which would be
especially-neededin times of darkness. Now, if the outward earthly form, in
which the kingdom was for a time embodied, had been predestined to be
abiding; had nothing been anticipated in the process ofhistory which would
look like the passing awayof the kingdom, there would have been no need of
such a specialpromise as that in Genesis 49:10. Onthe other hand, the very
fact that there is such a promise would lead us, a priori, to anticipate that
there would be times, probably long times, when it would seemthat the
sceptre had departed from Judah — times during which it would be necessary
for those who were waiting for the salvation of God, to have some assurance to
rest upon, that, though the form had passedaway, the reality was with them

still. Thus we find that, when once we get rid of these carnal Jewishideas of
the kingdom, we discovernot only an agreementbetweenthe prophecy and
the true spiritual history of the kingdom, but also a correspondence between
the expectations it suggestsconcerning the outward and formal history of the
kingdom and the actualfacts of the ease, as seenin the external history of the
political kingdom of Israel.
(J. M. Gibson, D. D.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(10) The sceptre shallnot depart from Judah.—Heb., a sceptre. The staff,
adorned with carvings, and handed down from father to son, soonbecame the
emblem of authority (see Note on Genesis 38:18). It probably indicates here
tribal rather than royal rank, and means that Judah would continue, until the
time indicated, to be a self-governedand legally-constitutedtribe.
Nor a lawgiverfrom betweenhis feet.—Mostmodern critics translate ruler’s
staff, but “lawgiver” has the support of all the ancient versions, the Targums
paraphrasing it by scribe, and the Syriac in a similar way by expounder—i.e.,
of the law. Ruler’s, staffs has the parallelism in its favour, but the ancient
versions must not be lightly disregarded, and, besides, everywhere else the
word means law-giver(see Deuteronomy33:21; Judges 5:14; Isaiah33:22).
“From betweenhis feet” means, “from among his descendants.”The Targum
of Onkelos renders, “from his children’s children.”
Until Shiloh come.—Manymodern critics translate, “until he come to Shiloh,”
but this is to be rejected, first, as being contrary to all the ancient versions;
and, secondly, as turning sense into nonsense. The town of Shiloh was in the

tribe of Ephraim, and we know of no way in which Judah ever went thither.
The ark was for a time at Shiloh, but the place lostall importance and sank
into utter obscurity after its destruction by the Philistines, long before Judah
took the leading part in the commonwealthof Israel.
Shiloh.—There are severalinterpretations of this word, depending upon
different ways of spelling it. First, Jerome, in the Vulg., translates it, “He who
shall be sent.” He read, therefore, Shalu’ch. which differs from the reading in
the Hebrew text by omitting the yod, and putting the guttural π for h (Heb., π)
as the final letter. We have, secondly, Shiloh, the reading of the present
Hebrew text. This would mean, Peaceful, or Peace-maker, and agreeswith the
title given to the Messiahby Isaiah (Genesis 9:6). But, thirdly, all the versions
excepting the Vulg. read Sheloh. Thus, the LXX. has, “He for whom it is laid
up” (or, according to other MSS., “the things laid up for him.”). With the
former reading, Aquila and Symmachus agree;with the latter, Theodotion,
Epiphanius, and others, showing that Shelohwas the reading in the centuries
immediately after the Nativity of our Lord. The Samaritan transcript of the
Hebrew text into Samaritan letters reads Sheloh, and the translationinto
Aramaic treats the word as a proper name, and renders, “Until Shelohcome.”
Onkelos boldly paraphrases, “Until Messiahcome, whose is the kingdom;”
and, finally, the Syriac has, “Until he come, whose it is.” There is thus
overwhelming evidence in favour of the reading Sheloh, and to this we must
add that Shelohis the reading even of severalHebrew MSS. We may, in fact,
sum up the evidence by saying that the reading Shiloh, even in the Hebrew
text, has only modern authority in its favour, and that all ancient authorities
are in favour of Sheloh;for even Jerome omits the yod, though he changes the
aspirate at the end into a guttural.
Sheloh literally means, Whose it is, and is an Aramaic form, such as that in
Genesis 6:3, where we have observedthat these Aramaisms are a proof either
of extreme antiquity, or of a very late date. We find another in Judges 5:7, in
the song of Deborah, confessedlya very ancientcomposition; and the form is

quite in its place here in the elevatedphraseologyofthis blessing, and in the
mouth of Jacob, who had lived so long in a land where an Aramaic dialectwas
spoken.
Finally, Ezekiel, Ezekiel21:27 (Heb., 32), quotes Jacob’s words, using
howeverthe Hebrew idiom, “Until he come, whose is the right.” And St. Paul
(Galatians 3:19) refers to it in the words, “Until the seedcome to whom it is
promised,” where the latter words seemto be a free rendering of the phrase in
the LXX., “for whom it is laid up.”
The passagehas always beenregardedas Messianic, notmerely by Christians,
but by the Jews, allwhose ancientwriters, including the Talmud, explain the
name Shiloh, or Sheloh, of the Messiah. Butthe Targum of Onkelos would of
itself be a sufficient proof, as we have there not the opinions or knowledge of
one man, but the traditional explanation of the Pentateuch, handed down
orally from the time of Ezra, and committed to writing probably in the first
century of the Christian era. The objectionhas, indeed, been made in modern
times that the patriarchs had no Messianic expectations. With those who
believe in prophecy such an objectioncan have no weight; but independently
of this, the promise made to Abraham, and solemnly confirmed to Jacob, that
in his seedall the kindreds of the earth should be blessed, was pre-eminently
Messianic:as was also the name Jehovah; for that name was the embodiment
of the promise made to Eve, and beginning with her cry of hope that she had
gottenthe Coming One, had become by the time of Enoch the symbol of the
expectationof mankind that God would appearon earth in human nature to
save them.
Unto him shall the gathering of the people be.—The word used here is rare,
and the translation “gathering” was a guess of Rashi. Reallyit means
obedience, as is proved by the one other place where it occurs (Proverbs
30:17). For “people” the Heb. has peoples. NotIsraelonly, “the people,” but

all nations are to obey Him “whose is the kingdom.” This is the rendering of
Onkelos, “andhim shall the peoples obey;” and of the Samaritan Version,
“and at his hand shall the peoples be led.” The LXX., Syriac, and Vulg. agree
in rendering, “and he shall be the expectationof the nations.”
BensonCommentary
Genesis 49:10. The sceptre — The dominion or government, which is
expressedby this word, because it was an ensignof government. It is true, the
word ‫,ׂשבׁש‬ shebet, here used, also signifies a rod, or staff of any kind, and
particularly the rod or staff which belongedto eachtribe, as an ensignof its
authority, whence it is transferred to signify tribe, as being united under one
rod or staff of government. It seems evident, however, from what has been
observedon Genesis 49:8, that dominion, or authority, is also and especially
here intended. But it is asked, How could it be said with propriety, the
dominion, or authority, shall not depart from Judah, when Judah had none?
To this it must be answered, that Jacobhad just foretoldthat his father’s
children should bow down to Judah, and that he, therefore, should have this
authority or dominion. After which, it is predicted that it should not depart
till Shiloh came. Nor a lawgiverfrom betweenhis feet — The word ‫,קקחמ‬
mechokek, here renderedlawgiver, means also ruler, or judge, and the
prophecy certainly implies, not only that, while the other tribes should be
captivated, dispersed, and confounded with eachother, the tribe of Judah
should be kept entire until Christ came;but that rulers and magistrates,
descendedfrom Judah, or called by his name, should succeedeachotherat
leastfor a time, and that both the civil and ecclesiasticalpowershould
continue till Shiloh should come, and then should be taken away, or rather
should devolve on him. Now, as it will readily be acknowledgedthat the
authority remained with Judah till the captivity, so it must be observed, that
even in Babylon, the Jews appearto have been under a kind of internal
government, exercisedby the family of David. “And after their return from
Babylon, Zerubbabel, of David’s race, was their leader; and the tribe of
Judah, and those who were incorporatedwith them, had regular magistrates
and rulers from among themselves, under the kings of Persia and Syria, and

afterward under the Romans.” The greatcouncil of the Jews, termed“the
Sanhedrim, constitutedchiefly of the tribe of Judah, and the other courts
dependant on it, possessedgreatauthority till the coming of Christ, according
to the concurrent testimony of ancient writers. The tribe of Judah was
likewise preserveddistinct, and could trace back its genealogies without
difficulty.” So that, “in all respects, the sceptre, though gradually enfeebled,
did not depart: nor was the regular exercise oflegislative and judicial
authority, though interrupted, finally suspended till after that event.” —
Scott. Till Shiloh come — It is not perfectly agreedamong the learned what is
the precise meaning of the word. But it is pretty certain, according to its
derivation, it either signifies he that is sent, or, the seed, or, the peaceable and
prosperous one. And that the Messiahis intended, Jews as wellas Christians
generallyacknowledge;the word being expounded of him by all the three
Chaldee paraphrasts, the JewishTalmud, and many of the latter Jews also.
Till he came Judah or Judea possessedconsiderableauthority and power, but
at or about the time of his birth, it became a province of the Roman empire,
and was enrolled and taxed as such, Luke 2:1; and at the time of his death the
Jews themselves expresslyowned, “We have no king but Cesar.”
Hence it is undeniably inferred againstthe Jews, thatour Lord Jesus is “He
that should come,” and that we are to look for no other; for he came exactly at
the time appointed. Unto him shall the gathering of the people be — After he
came, and the sceptre was departed from Judah, the gathering both of Jews
and Gentiles was to him, as to their King and Saviour. The pale of the church
was enlarged, the partition betweenthe Jews and Gentiles broken down, and
the convertedGentiles, along with the convertedJews, became his subjects
and worshippers. He became the “desire of different nations,” Haggai2:7, and
being “lifted up from the earth,” drew myriads unto him, John 12:32, and the
“children of God that were scatteredabroad” met in him as their centre of
unity. This was the case, in a greatdegree, for many centuries, and we are
taught to believe that it shall be the case more and more till the earth shall be
filled with his glory; for of “the increase ofhis government, as well as peace,
shall be no end.” The fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and then
“ungodliness shallbe turned away from Jacob, andall Israelshall be saved.”

And when “he shall come in his glory, all nations shall be gatheredunto him,”
and at last the innumerable multitudes of the redeemed shall be gatheredinto
his everlasting kingdom.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
49:8-12 Judah's name signifies praise. God was praised for him, chap. 29:35,
praised by him, and praised in him; therefore his brethren shall praise him.
Judah should be a strong and courageous tribe. Judah is compared, not to a
lion raging and ranging, but to a lion enjoying the satisfactionofhis power
and success, withoutcreating vexation to others; this is to be truly great.
Judah should be the royal tribe, the tribe from which Messiahthe Prince
should come. Shiloh, that promised Seedin whom the earth should be blessed,
that peaceable andprosperous One, or Saviour, he shall come of Judah. Thus
dying Jacobat a greatdistance saw Christ's day, and it was his comfort and
support on his death-bed. Till Christ's coming, Judah possessedauthority, but
after his crucifixion this was shortened, and according to what Christ foretold,
Jerusalemwas destroyed, and all the poor harassedremnant of Jews were
confounded together. Much which is here saidconcerning Judah, is to be
applied to our Lord Jesus. In him there is plenty of all which is nourishing
and refreshing to the soul, and which maintains and cheers the Divine life in
it. He is the true Vine; wine is the appointed symbol of his blood, which is
drink indeed, as shed for sinners, and applied in faith; and all the blessings of
his gospelare wine and milk, without money and without price, to which
every thirsty soul is welcome. Isa 55:1.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
From his physical force we now pass to his moral supremacy. "The sceptre,"
the staffof authority. "Shallnot depart from Judah." The tribe scepterdid
not leave Judah so long as there was a remnant of the commonwealthof
Israel. Long after the other tribes had lost their individuality, Judah lingered
in existence and in some measure of independence; and from the return his
name supplanted that of Israel or Jacob, as the common designationof the
people. "Northe lawgivenfrom betweenhis feet." This is otherwise rendered,
"nor the judicial staff from betweenhis feet;" and it is argued that this

rendering corresponds bestwith the phrase "betweenhis feet" and with the
parallel clause which precedes. It is not worth while contending for one
againstthe other, as the meaning of both is preciselythe same. But we have
retained the English version, as the term ‫מחקק‬ mechoqēqhas only one clear
meaning; "betweenthe feet" may mean among his descendants orin his tribe;
and the synthetic parallelismof the clauses is satisfiedby the identity of
meaning.
Lawgiveris to be understood as judge, dispenser or administrator of law.
Judah had the forerank among the tribes in the wilderness, and never
altogetherlostit. Nahshonthe sonof Amminadab, the prince of his tribe, was
the ancestorofDavid, who was anointed as the rightful sovereignofall Israel,
and in whom the throne became hereditary. The revolt of the ten tribes
curtailed, but did not abolish the actual sovereigntyof Rehoboamand his
successors, who continued the acknowledgedsovereigns until some time after
the return from the captivity. From that date the whole nation was virtually
absorbedin Judah, and whatevertrace of self-governmentremained belonged
to him until the birth of Jesus, who was the lineal descendantof the royal line
of David and of Judah, and was the Messiah, the anointed of heavento be king
of Zion and of Israel in a far higher sense than before. "Until Shiloh come."
This is otherwise translated, "until he come to Shiloh," the place so called.
This is explained of the time when "the whole assemblyof the children of
Israelwas convenedat Shiloh, and setup the tent of meeting there" Joshua
18:1. We hold by the former translation:
1. BecauseShilohhas not yet been named as a known localityin the land of
promise.
2. Judah did not come to Shiloh in any exclusive sense.

3. His coming thither with his fellows had no bearing whateveron his
supremacy.
4. He did not come to Shiloh as the seatof his government or any part of his
territory; and
5. The real sovereigntyof Judah took place after this convention at Shiloh,
and not before it.
After the rejectionof the secondtranslationon these grounds, the former is
acceptedas the only tenable alternative.
6. Besides,it is the natural rendering of the words.
7. Before the coming of Shiloh, the Prince of Peace, the highest pitch of
Judah's supremacy in its primary form has to be attained.
8. On the coming of Shiloh the last remnant of that supremacy was removed,
only to be replaced by the higher form of pre-eminence which the Prince of
Peace inaugurates.
And unto him be the obedience of the peoples. - "Unto him" means naturally
unto Shiloh. "The obedience" describes the willing submission to the new
form of sovereigntywhich is ushered in by Shiloh. The word is otherwise
rendered "gathering;" but this does not suit the usage in Proverbs 30:17.
"The obedience" intimates that the supremacy of Judah does not ceaseatthe
coming of Shiloh, but only assumes a grander form.

Of the peoples. - Not only the sons of Israel, but all the descendants of Adam
will ultimately bow down to the Prince of Peace.This is the seedof the
woman, who shall bruise the serpent's head, the seedof Abraham, in whom all
the families of the earth shall be blessed, presentednow under the new aspect
of the peacemaker, whomall the nations of the earth shall eventually obey as
the Prince of Peace. He is therefore, now revealedas the Destroyerofthe
works of evil, the Dispenserofthe blessings ofgrace, and the King of peace.
The coming of Shiloh and the obedience ofthe nations to him will covera long
period of time, the close ofwhich will coincide with the limit here setto
Judah's earthly supremacyin its wider and loftier stage. This prediction
therefore, truly penetrates to the latter days.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
10. until Shiloh come—Shiloh—this obscure wordis variously interpreted to
mean "the sent" (Joh 17:3), "the seed" (Isa 11:1), the "peaceable or
prosperous one" (Eph 2:14)—that is, the Messiah(Isa 11:10; Ro 15:12); and
when He should come, "the tribe of Judah should no longerboast either an
independent king or a judge of their own" [Calvin]. The Jews have been for
eighteencenturies without a ruler and without a judge since Shiloh came, and
"to Him the gathering of the people has been."
Matthew Poole's Commentary
The secptre, i.e. the dominion or government, which is oft expressedby this
word, as Numbers 24:17 Psalm45:6 Isaiah14:5 Ezekiel19:11,14 Am 1:5,8 Zec
10:11, because it is an ensign of government, Esther 4:11. So it is a figure
calleda metonomy of the sign, than which nothing more frequent. The sense
is, That superiority or dominion over his brethren, which I said he should
obtain Genesis 49:8 he shall keep;it shall not depart from him. Others, the
tribe, as the word shebetsignifies, 1 Samuel 10:19-21 1 Kings 11:32, &c. So
the sense is this, Whereas the other tribes shall be captivated, dispersed, and
confounded, the tribe of Judah shall be kept entire and distinct until Christ

come. This is a greatand important truth, and a singular demonstration of the
all-disposing providence of God, and of the truth and Divine authority of the
Scriptures; but it seems not to be the meaning of this place,
1. Becauseboth the foregoing and following words do evidently speak of
Judah’s powerand greatness, andparticularly this shebet, or sceptre, is
explained and restrained by the following lawgiver.
2. Becausethis renders the phrase improper and absurd; for the tribe had not
departed from Judah, nor had they ceasedto be a tribe, if the other tribes had
been mixed with them in their land, as indeed they were sometimes. See 2
Chronicles 11:16.
3. Becausethis is not peculiar to the tribe of Judah; for in this sense the tribe
did not depart from Levi, nay, that tribe was keptmore distinct than that of
Judah; thus also the tribe did not depart from Benjamin, as appears from
Ezra 1:5 10:9 Nehemiah11:4. Nay, it is questionable whether in this sense the
tribe departed from any of the other tribes, not only because there is a distinct
mention of the severaltribes, Ezekiel48:1-35, which was written after the
dispersion and supposed confusionof the other tribes, and which speaks ofthe
times after the coming of the Messiah, but also because ofthe greatcare which
the Israelites generallytook in distinguishing, not only their tribes, but their
severalfamilies, in exact genealogies, ofwhich we have many proofs and
instances, as 1 Chronicles 4:33 5:1,7,17 7:7,9,409:1,22 Ezr2:62 8:1,3 Ne
7:5,64. The Jews indeed have another device to avoid the force of this text.
They say shebetsignifies a rod, to wit, a rod of correction, as the word is taken
Proverbs 22:15. And so they say the sense is, The tyrannical sceptre, or the
rod of the oppressor, shall not cease ordepart from Israel till the Messiah
come, who shall save them from all their oppressors and enemies. But this is a
vain and frivolous conceit;for,

1. The following sentence, whichexpounds the former, as it is usual in
Scripture, plainly shows that this shebet, or rod, is such as is proper to the
lawgiver, and therefore is a rod of authority, or a sceptre, which is calledalso
a rod, Ezekiel19:14, and not a rod of affliction.
2. This is contrary to the whole context, wherein there is nothing prophesied
of Judah, but honour, and dominion, and victory, and safety.
3. There was no reasonwhy the rod of affliction should be appropriated to
Judah, which was commonto all the tribes, and came sooner, and fell heavier,
and abode longer upon the other tribes than upon Judah.
4. This interpretation is confuted by the event or history, both because the rod
of correctiondid depart from Judah, and from them more than from the
other tribes, for many generations before the coming of the Messiah;and
because that rod is not removed from them, but hath continued longer and
more dreadfully upon them since the coming of the Messias thanever before;
which one considerationhath been the occasionof the conversionof many
Jews.
5. Howsoeverthe modern Jews pervert this word and text out of enmity to
Christ and Christians, it is certain that the ancient Jews, the LXX., and the
Chaldee Paraphrast, with many others, take the word as we do, as the learned
have proved out of their ownwritings. See my Latin Synopsis.
A lawgiver; so the Hebrew word signifies, as here, so also Numbers 21:18 Deu
33:21 Psalm 60:7 108:8 Isaiah33:22. And the verb from whence this word
comes signifies to make laws, as Proverbs 8:15, &c.;and the Hebrew word
chok, which comes from the same root, constantlysignifies a law or statute.

Some render it the scribe, and that either the civil scribe, who belongs to the
ruler; or the ecclesiasticalscribe, the interpreter of the law; and so it signifies,
that both the civil and the ecclesiasticalpowershould continue in Judah till
Christ came, and then should be takenaway, both which the event did verify.
But indeed the Hebrew word for scribe is sopher, not mechokek, whichnever
is so used in Scripture, but always for a lawgiver, as I have showed;and so
Kimchi and Aben Ezra, two late and learned Jews, withothers, expound it.
From betweenhis feet; from his posterity, or from those that come from
betweenhis feet, i.e. that are begottenand born of that tribe. And thus
Kimchi, and the Chaldee Paraphrast, and other ancient Jews, understand this
place. And the truth of this interpretation may appear, by comparing this
with other texts of Scripture, as Deu 28:57, where
the young one is describedto be one that cometh from betweenher (the
woman’s)feet; and Ezekiel16:25, and with those places where the word feet is
used for the secretparts, as Isaiah7:20, the hair of the feet, not properly so
called, for hair seldom grows there; and 2 Kings 18:27 Isaiah 36:12, where the
waterwhich comes from the secretparts is called the water of the feet. And
possibly that phrase of covering the feet, applied to them that easedtheir
bellies, may note so much, because the Jews in that actionwere not to hide
their feet properly so called, but their secretparts, which without due care
might be discoveredupon that occasion.
Shiloh, i.e. the Messias;which we need not stand to prove, because it is so
expounded by all the three Chaldee Paraphrasts, and by the JewishTalmud,
and by divers of the latter Jews themselves.And the word signifies, either a
peace-maker, orsaviour; or, as others, her son, or one that came out of the
woman’s womb, or out of that skin in which the child in the womb is wrapped,
which this word, or one near akin to it, signifies. So it notes that the Messias
should be born of a woman, though without the help of man. Or, as others, the

sent, he who was oft promised and to be sent. And this significationmay seem
to be warrantedby comparing John 9:7, with those places of the New
Testamentin which the Messiasis described by that periphrasis of one sent,
or to be sent, as John 3:34, &c. And the phrase here used is remarkable, till
the Shiloh come, for the Shiloh, or Messiah, oft goethunder the name of him
that was to come, as Matthew 21:9 Luke 7:20 13:35. And hence the kingdom
of the Messiahis calledthe world or kingdom to come, i.e. of him who was to
come, Hebrews 2:5 6:5.
Unto him shall the gathering of the people be; they shall be gatheredtogether,
or united both among themselves, and with the Jews, under him as their
Head. Others, the reverence, obedience,orworship; which comes to the same
thing, for they that are gatheredto him, do also reverence, obey, and worship
him. The Hebrew word is used only here and Proverbs 30:17.
The people, i.e. the Gentiles, as the Jews themselves understandit. And so it is
a plain prophecy of the conversionof the Gentiles by and under the Messiah;
signifying, that whereas the ordinances of God, and means of worship and
salvation, were confined to the Jews before Christ’s coming, Psalm147:19,20,
when the Messiahshouldcome, the pale of the church should be enlarged, the
partition-wall betweenJews andGentiles takendown, and the Gentiles should
worship the true God and the Messias. And this is no more than is foretold
and promised in other prophecies, as we shall see hereafter. The sum of this
verse is, The sceptre or dominion shall be seatedin the tribe of Judah, though
he doth not determine when it shall come thither; but when once it shall come,
it shall not depart from thence till the Messiahcome;and then Judah shall
lose this sceptre and other privileges, and the Gentiles shall come into the
steadof the Jews, andshall embrace that Messiahwhom they shall reject. So
now here is an undeniable argument to prove againstthe Jews thatthe
Messiahis already come, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is he, because he was
to come during the time wherein the sceptre was in the hands of Judah; and
about that time when Jesus Christ came the sceptre was takenawayfrom

Judah and the Jews, andhath now been lost for sixteen hundred years
together. The Jews are mightily perplexed and confounded with this
argument; one evidence whereofis their various and contradictory expositions
of the place, whilst some of them affirm this Shiloh to be Moses,others Saul,
others Jeroboam, others Nebuchadnezzar, which neither need nor deserve
confutation; others David; which, though some of the acutestof the Jewish
doctors assert, is as contemptible as any of the rest, it being ridiculous to say
the sceptre departed from Judah under him by whom it first came into that
tribe, having been till David’s time in other tribes. But the greatdifficulty is,
how this was accomplished;for if the event fully agreeswith this prophecy,
the cause ofthe Jews is lost, and Christ must be ownedas the true Messias.
The sceptre was for a time in other tribes; as in Moses ofthe tribe of Levi; in
divers of the judges, who were of severaltribes; and lastly in the tribe of
Benjamin under Saul; but the sceptre departed from all these. But this is
prophesied as Judah’s privilege, that when once the sceptre or government
came into that tribe, which it did in David’s time, it should not depart from it
till Christ came, and then it should depart. And thus it came to pass.
Concerning the time from David unto the captivity of Babylon there is no
dispute, there being a constantsuccessionofkings in that tribe all that time.
For the time of the Babylonish captivity, wherein there may seemto be more
difficulty, it is to be considered,
1. That the sceptre or government was not lostor departed from Judah, but
only interrupted, and that but for seventy years at most, which in so long a
space oftime as above a thousand years is little to be regarded. As none will
say the kingdom was departed from the house of David, because ofthose
interreigns or interruptions which sometimes fell out in that family. Add to
this, that God hath given them an absolute promise and assuredhope of the
restorationof Judah’s sceptre;so that this was rather a sleepthan the death
of that government.

2. That within these seventy years there were some remainders and beams of
Judah’s sovereigntyin Jehoiachin, 2 Kings 25:27;in Daniel, who was of that
tribe, Daniel2:25 5:13, and of the king’s seed, Daniel1:3; and in the
successive heads orgovernors of the exiles, of whom the Jewishwriters say so
much; and they affirm that they were always of the house of David, and were
more honourable than the governors ofthe Jews whichwere left in the land of
Israel.
3. All that was then left of the sceptre of the Jews was in the tribe of Judah;
nor was the sceptre departed from Judah to any other tribe; and that is the
thing which seems especiallyto be respectedin this prophecy: for Judah is
here comparedwith the rest of the tribes; and it is here signified, that the
powerand dominion which was in Judah, when once it came thither, should
not shift from tribe to tribe, as it had done, but whilst there was any sceptre or
supreme government among the Jews, it should be in that tribe, even till the
coming of the Messias.But if there should happen any total, but temporary
intercision or cessationofthe government among all the tribes, which now
was the case, that was no prejudice to the truth of this promise, nor to the
privilege granted to Judah above the restof the tribes. After the captivity, the
state of the Jews was very various. Sometimes they had governors put in by
the Persianking, as Zorobabel, who was also ofthe tribe of Judah, and, as it is
supposed, nephew of Jehoiachin;and Nehemiah, whom Eusebius affirms to
have been of the tribe of Judah. And though he may seemto be numbered
among the priests, Nehemiah 10:8, yet a diligent reader will find that he is
even there distinguished from them by his title the Tirshatha, Genesis 49:1,
and the word priests, Genesis 49:8, relatethonly to the rest there mentioned
besides him; especiallyif this be compared with Nehemiah9:38, where the
princes (among whom surely Nehemiah was the chief) are distinguished from
the priests. And sometimes the people chose governors, orcaptain-generals, as
the Maccabees,and others. But under all their vicissitudes, after their return
from Babylon, the chief government was evidently and unquestionably seated
in the greatcouncil calledSanhedrim or Synedrium, wherein, though some of
the tribe of Levi were mixed with those of the tribe of Judah, yet because they,
togetherwith other members of that council, had their powerboth from that

tribe by which they were chosen, and in it, and for it, the sceptre did truly
remain in the tribe of Judah; evenas it was rightly called the Roman empire,
when Trajan a Spaniard, or other foreigners, administered it; or as we call it
the kingdom of Poland, when they choosea king of another nation. How great
and venerable the authority of this council was among the Jews, mayeasily be
gathered,
1. From the Divine institution of it, Numbers 11:16, whereby indeed it was at
first to consistof persons indifferently chosenout of all the tribes; but now the
other tribes being banished and dispersedin unknown places, and Benjamin
and Levi being as it were accessionsto the tribe of Judah, and in a sort
incorporatedwith it, it now becomes as it were appropriated to the tribe of
Judah, as acting in its name, and by its authority; and the whole land is called
Judea, and all the people Jews, from the predominancy of that tribe above the
rest.
2. From the greatpowerand privileges anciently granted to it, Deu 17:8, &c.;
2 Chronicles 19:8,11 Psa 122:5.
3. From the testimony of Josephus, and other Jewishwriters, which is most
considerable in this argument, who largely describe and magnify the power
and authority of it; who tell us that the powerof their king was subjectto that
of this council; and therefore one of them addressing his speechto that
council, where also the king himself was present, first salutes the senators, and
after them the king. They affirm also that the power of making waror peace
was vestedin that council, and that Herod was tried for his life by it. If it be
said that the power of this councilwas in a great measure takenaway, which
the Jews confess,John18:31, and that the sceptre of Judea was in the hand of
the Romans, and by them given to Herod, who was no Jew, but an Idumean,
and this before the coming of the Messias, whichis the only remaining
difficulty; to this many things may be said:

1. That this happened but a few years before the coming of Christ, when
Christ was evenat the doors, and about to come, and therefore might wellbe
said to be come; especiallyin the prophetical style, whereby things are oft said
to be done which are near doing.
2. That the Jewishsenators did long struggle with Herod about the
government, and did not yield it up to him till his last year, when they took an
oath of fealty to him, which was afterChrist was born. Nor indeed was the
sceptre quite gone from them then, for that council still had the power, though
not of life and death, yet of civil and ecclesiasticalmatters. See John18:31. So
that if the sceptre was gone, the
lawgiverremained there still. Nor was their government and commonwealth
quite destroyed until the destruction of Jerusalemby Titus. And therefore
some translate the place thus, and that with greatprobability, The sceptre
shall not depart—until the Shiloh come, and until (which word is repeatedout
of the former member, as it is most usual in the Scripture)
the gathering of the people be to him, i.e. until the Gentiles be convertedand
brought in to Christ. And this interpretation receivethcountenance from
Matthew 24:14, The gospelshallbe preachedin all the world, —and then shall
the end come; not the end of the whole world, as it is evident, but the end of
the commonwealthand government of the Jews, whenthe sceptre and
lawgivershould be wholly takenawayfrom that tribe and people.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,.... Which some understand of the
tribe, that Judah should not cease frombeing a tribe, or that it should
continue a distinct tribe until the coming of the Messiah, who was to be of it,
and was, and that it might appear he sprung from it; but this was not peculiar

to this tribe, for the tribe of Benjamin continued, and so did the tribe of Levi
unto the coming of Christ: besides, by Judah is meant the tribe, and to say a
tribe shall not depart from the tribe, is not only a tautology, but scarcely
sense;it rather signifies dominion, power, and authority, as the sceptre always
does, it being an emblem of it, see Numbers 24:17 and this intends either the
government, which was in the heads and princes of the tribe, which
commencedas soonas it became a tribe, and lastedas long as it remained one,
even unto the times of the Messiah;or kingly powerand government, which
the sceptre is generally thought to be an emblem of, and which first
commencedin David, who was of the tribe of Judah, and continued unto the
Babylonish captivity, when another sort of governors and government took
place, designedin the next clause:
nor a lawgiverfrom betweenhis feet; which may be rendered disjunctively,
"or a lawgiver";any ruler or governor, that has jurisdiction over others,
though under another, as the word is used, Judges 5:14 and the sense is, that
till the Messiahcame there should be in the tribe of Judah, either a king, a
sceptre bearer, as there was unto the captivity; or a governor, though under
others, as there were unto the times of Christ under the Babylonians,
Persians, Grecians, andRomans; such as Gedaliah, Zorobabel, &c. and
particularly the sanhedrim, a court of judicature, the members of which
chiefly consistedofthe tribe of Judah, and the or prince of it, was always of
that tribe, and which retained its power to the latter end of Herod's reign,
when Christ was come;and though it was greatly diminished, it had some
powerremaining, even at the death of Christ, but quickly after had none at
all: and if by the "lawgiver" is meant a scribe or a teacherof the law, as all
the Targums, Aben Ezra, Ben Melech, and others interpret it, who used to sit
at the feetof a ruler, judge, or prince of the sanhedrim; it is notorious there
were of these unto, and in the times of the Messiah:in short, it matters not for
the fulfilment of this prophecy what sortof governors those were afterthe
captivity, nor of what tribe they were;they were in Judah, and their
government was exercisedtherein, and that was in the hands of Judah, and
they and that did not depart from thence till Shiloh came;since those that
were of the other tribes, after the return from the captivity all went by the
name of Judah:

until Shiloh come;which all the three Targums interpret of the Messiah, as do
many of the Jewishwriters, ancient and modern (p); and is the name of the
Messiahin their Talmud (q), and in other writings (r); and well agrees with
him, coming from a root which signifies to be "quiet", "peaceable", and
"prosperous";as he was of a quiet and peaceable disposition, came to make
peace betweenGodand men, and made it by the blood of his cross, andgives
spiritual peace to all his followers, andbrings them at length to everlasting
peace and happiness; having prospered and succeededin the greatwork of
their redemption and salvationhe undertook:
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be; not of the Jews, though
there were greatgatherings of them to hear him preach, and see his miracles;
as there were of all his people to him at his death, and in him as their head
and representative, Ephesians 1:10 but of the Gentiles;upon his death, the
Gospelbeing preachedto all nations, multitudes among them were converted
to Christ, embraced his doctrines, professedhis religion, and abode by him,
see Isaiah11:10 some render it, the obedience of the people (s), from the use of
the word in Proverbs 30:17, which sense agrees withthe former; for those
who are truly gatheredby the ministry of the word yield an obedience to his
doctrines and ordinances;and others read, "the expectationof the people" (t);
the Messiahbeing the desire of all nations, Haggai2:6 this, with what goes
before, clearly shows that the Messiahmust be come, since government in
every sense has departed from Judah for 1900 years or thereabout, and the
Gentiles have embraced the Messiahand his Gospelthe Jews rejected:the
various contradictorysenses they put upon this prophecy show the puzzle and
confusionthey are in about it, and serve to confirm the true sense ofit: some
apply it to the city Shiloh, others to Moses,others to Saul, others to David;
nay, some will have Shiloh to be Jeroboam, or Ahijah the Shilonite, and even
Nebuchadnezzar: there are two senses theyput upon it which deserve the
most notice, the one is, that "Shebet", we render "sceptre",signifies a "rod";
and so it does, but such a rod as is an ensignof government, as it must here,
by what follows, see Ezekiel19:11, but they would have it to signify either a

rod of correction(u), or a staff of support; but what correctionor affliction
has befallen the tribe of Judah peculiar to it? was it not in a flourishing
condition for five hundred years, under the reign of David's family? and when
the restof the tribes were carried captive and never returned, Judah
remained in its own land, and, when carried captive, after seventy years
returned againto it; add to which, that this is a prediction, not of affliction
and distress, that should abide in the tribe of Judah, but of honour and glory
to it: and besides, Judah has had a far greatershare of correctionsince the
coming of the true Messiahthan ever it had before: and what support have
the Jews now, orhave had for many hundred years, being out of their land
(v), destitute of their privileges, living among other nations in disgrace, and
for the most part in poverty and distress? the other sense is this, "the sceptre
and lawgivershall not depart from Judah for ever, when Shiloh comes (w)";
but this is contrary to the accents which separate anddivide the phrase,
"betweenhis feet", from that, "for ever", as this version renders the word;
though never signifies "for ever", absolutelyput, without some antecedent
noun or particle; nor does signify "when", but always "until", when it is
joined with the particle as it is here; besides, this sense makes the prophecy to
pass over some thousands of years before any notice is takenof Judah's
sceptre, which, according to the Jews, it had thousands of years ago, as well as
contradicts a receivednotion of their own, that the Messiah, whenhe comes,
shall not reign for ever, but for a certain time, and even a small time; some
say forty years, some seventy, and others four hundred (x).
(p) Zohar in Gen. fol. 32. 4. & in Exod. fol. 4. 1. & in Numb. fol. 101. 2.
BereshitRabba, fol. 98. sect. 85. 3. Jarchi& BaalHatturim, in loc.
Nachmanidis Disputat. cum Paulo, p. 53. Abarbinel. Mashmiah Jesbuah, fol.
10. 1. R. Abraham Seba, TzerorHammor, fol. 36. 4. & 62. 2.((q) T. Bab.
Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2.((r) Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 2.((s) "obedientia populorum",
Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius,Ainsworth; with which
agree the Targums of Onkelos and Jerusalem, Aben Ezra, Kimchi in Sepher
Shorash. rad. (t) , Sept Theodotion;"expectatio Gentium", V. L. (u) R. Joel
Ben Sueb apud Menasseh, BenIsrael. Conciliatorin Gen. Quaest. 65. sect. 8.

(v) Written about 1750. Ed. (w) Vid. Menasseh, ib. sect. 3.((x) T. Bab.
Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1.
Geneva Study Bible
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiverfrom betweenhis
feet, until {i} Shiloh come;and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
(i) Which is Christ the Messiah, the giver of prosperity who will call the
Gentiles to salvation.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
10. The sceptre]Lit. “rod.” Either a king’s sceptre, or a general’s baton. LXX
ἄρχων = “ruler”; Lat. sceptrum. The rendering of the LXX, which gives a
personalexplanation, is unsupported by any evidence.
the ruler’s staff] R.V. marg., as A.V., a lawgiver. The same word is found in
Numbers 21:18 (“the sceptre,” marg. “the lawgiver”)and Psalm60:7, “Judah
is my sceptre” (marg. “lawgiver”). LXX ἡγούμενος = “leader”;Lat. dux; Syr.
Pesh. “aninterpreter”; Targ. Jerus. “scribe.” The parallelismof the clauses
makes it almostcertain, that we have in this clause “the lawgiver’s staff”
corresponding to “the ruler’s sceptre” in the previous clause.
Whether the “sceptre”and the “staff” are the insignia of national monarchy
or tribal government, has been much debated. The picture of a personbearing
these emblems is most suitable to the Oriental conceptionof a king.

from betweenhis feet] The literal explanation is the simplest and the most
picturesque. The lawgiverseatedonhis throne holds the wand emblematical
of his office betweenhis feet. Another explanation, illustrated by
Deuteronomy 28:57, makes the expressionreferto the descendants of Judah.
So LXX ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ;Lat. de femore ejus.
Until Shiloh come]These are among the most difficult and controverted
words in the book. The alternative renderings in the R.V. text and marg.
representthe different lines of interpretation which have been followed. (1)
“Until Shiloh come.” This rendering was not known until a.d. 1534, whenit
was first suggestedby SebastianMünster, possibly on the strength of a
Talmudic tradition. There is no allusion elsewhere in the O.T. to “Shiloh”
either as a personalname, or as a Messianic title. Except for this passage, the
use of “Shiloh” as indicating a person would be devoid of meaning to the
Hebrew reader. True, the song is full of obscurities. But the improbability of
this late interpretation is so great, that it may be dismissed from
consideration. (2) “Till he come to Shiloh,” i.e. “till he, Judah, comes to
Shiloh.” Shiloh was the resting-place of the Ark, in the centre of the tribe of
Ephraim, e.g. 1 Samuel1:24. It was destroyedby the Philistines, and its
sanctuary desolated;see Jeremiah 7:12-15. The theory, that the prediction in
this verse receivedits fulfilment in Joshua 18:1; Joshua 18:8-10, is difficult to
comprehend. The Davidic monarchy began after the days of Shiloh. The
reference to a place in the tribe of Ephraim is quite unsuitable in this context.
(3) LXX ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀποκείμενα αὐτῷ, until that which is his shall come,
and Old Latin donec veniant quae reposita sunt ei. This rendering gets rid of
the difficulty of a proper name. It assumes that the disputed word represents
a dialect form of Hebrew words meaning “that which to him.” The sense may
then be Messianic. The rule of Judah shall continue until “that which is
reservedfor him,” i.e. the age of perfect prosperity, shall come to him. (4)
“Till he comes whose it is” (so Syr. Pesh.). This is also supported by Targ.
Onk., “Until Messiahcomes,whose is the kingdom”; cf. Symmachus ᾧ
ἀποκεῖται = “he for whom it is reserved.” This rendering may be illustrated
from Ezekiel21:27, “Until he come whose right it is.” This last seems the most

probable interpretation. Like many other passages in the song, the clause is
obscure and oracular. No proper name is given1[60]
[60] The suggestionthat “Shelah,” Judah’s third son (Genesis 38:5), is
intended obscurely to indicate the future hope, is most improbable.
. The objection, that in such early days the Messianic hope did not exist, is a
petitio principii. If this rendering be correct, the Messianic hope is here
indicated in its earliestand simplest form, although its primary application
may be to the dynasty of David. Many scholars, in perplexity as to the right
meaning of the words, are of opinion that there is some corruption of the
original Hebrew text, and that the restorationof the true text cannotbe
expected. There have been many emendations proposed, e.g. môsh’lôh, “his
ruler” (Giesebrecht). Lat. qui mittendus est follows anotherreading (?).
the obedience ofthe peoples]The domination over foreignnations was to be
the signof Judah’s ideal sovereignty. LXX προσδοκία, Lat. expectatio, have
missed the meaning.
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament
Reuben, my first-born thou, my might and first-fruit of my strength; pre-
eminence in dignity and pre-eminence in power. - As the first-born, the first
sprout of the full virile power of Jacob, Reuben, according to natural right,
was entitled to the first rank among his brethren, the leadership of the tribes,
and a double share of the inheritance (Genesis 27:29;Deuteronomy 21:17).
(‫:ׁשאׂש‬ elevation, the dignity of the chieftainship; ‫,זע‬ the earlier mode of
pronouncing ‫,זע‬ the authority of the first-born.) But Reuben had forfeited this
prerogative. "Effervescencelike water - thou shalt have no preference;for
thou didst ascendthy father's marriage-bed: then hast thou desecrated;my
couchhas he ascended." ‫:זחז‬lit., the boiling over of water, figuratively, the
excitement of lust; hence the verb is used in Judges 9:4; Zephaniah 3:4, for

frivolity and insolent pride. With this predicate Jacobdescribes the moral
characterof Reuben; and the noun is strongerthan the verb ‫תחזׂש‬ of the
Samaritan, and ‫אׂשרעׂש‬ or ‫ארׂשעׂש‬ efferbuisti, aestuastiofthe Sam. Vers.,
ἐξύβρισας of the lxx, and ὑπερζέσας of Symm. ‫רתׂשר‬ is to be explained by ‫:רׂשי‬
have no pre-eminence. His crime was, lying with Bilhah, his father's
concubine (Genesis 35:22). ‫חלּלר‬ is used absolutely: desecratedhastthou, sc.,
what should have been sacredto thee (cf. Leviticus 18:8). From this
wickednessthe injured father turns awaywith indignation, and passes to the
third person as he repeats the words, "my couchhe has ascended." Bythe
withdrawal of the rank belonging to the first-born, Reuben lost the leadership
in Israel; so that his tribe attained to no position of influence in the nation
(compare the blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy33:6). The leadership was
transferred to Judah, the double portion to Joseph(1 Chronicles 5:1-2), by
which, so far as the inheritance was concerned, the first-born of the beloved
Racheltook the place of the first-born of the slighted Leah; not, however,
according to the subjective will of the father, which is condemned in
Deuteronomy 21:15., but according to the leading of God, by which Joseph
had been raisedabove his brethren, but without the chieftainship being
accordedto him.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
ALBERT BARNES
Genesis 49:10

From his physical force we now pass to his moral supremacy. “The sceptre,”
the staffof authority. “Shallnot depart from Judah.” The tribe scepterdid
not leave Judah so long as there was a remnant of the commonwealthof
Israel. Long after the other tribes had lost their individuality, Judah lingered
in existence and in some measure of independence; and from the return his
name supplanted that of Israel or Jacob, as the common designationof the
people. “Northe lawgivenfrom betweenhis feet.” This is otherwise rendered,
“nor the judicial staff from betweenhis feet;” and it is argued that this
rendering corresponds bestwith the phrase “betweenhis feet” and with the
parallel clause which precedes. It is not worth while contending for one
againstthe other, as the meaning of both is preciselythe same. But we have
retained the English version, as the term ‫מחקק‬ mechoqēqhas only one clear
meaning; “betweenthe feet” may mean among his descendants orin his tribe;
and the synthetic parallelismof the clauses is satisfiedby the identity of
meaning.
Lawgiveris to be understood as judge, dispenser or administrator of law.
Judah had the forerank among the tribes in the wilderness, and never
altogetherlostit. Nahshonthe sonof Amminadab, the prince of his tribe, was
the ancestorofDavid, who was anointed as the rightful sovereignofall Israel,
and in whom the throne became hereditary. The revolt of the ten tribes
curtailed, but did not abolish the actual sovereigntyof Rehoboamand his
successors, who continued the acknowledgedsovereigns until some time after
the return from the captivity. From that date the whole nation was virtually
absorbedin Judah, and whatevertrace of self-governmentremained belonged
to him until the birth of Jesus, who was the lineal descendantof the royal line
of David and of Judah, and was the Messiah, the anointed of heavento be king
of Zion and of Israel in a far higher sense than before. “Until Shiloh come.”
This is otherwise translated, “until he come to Shiloh,” the place so called.
This is explained of the time when “the whole assemblyof the children of

Israelwas convenedat Shiloh, and setup the tent of meeting there” Joshua
18:1. We hold by the former translation:
1. BecauseShilohhas not yet been named as a known localityin the land of
promise.
2. Judah did not come to Shiloh in any exclusive sense.
3. His coming thither with his fellows had no bearing whateveron his
supremacy.
4. He did not come to Shiloh as the seatof his government or any part of his
territory; and
5. The real sovereigntyof Judah took place after this convention at Shiloh,
and not before it.
After the rejectionof the secondtranslationon these grounds, the former is
acceptedas the only tenable alternative.
6. Besides,it is the natural rendering of the words.
7. Before the coming of Shiloh, the Prince of Peace, the highest pitch of
Judah‘s supremacy in its primary form has to be attained.

8. On the coming of Shiloh the last remnant of that supremacy was removed,
only to be replaced by the higher form of pre-eminence which the Prince of
Peace inaugurates.
And unto him be the obedience ofthe peoples. - “Unto him” means naturally
unto Shiloh. “The obedience” describes the willing submission to the new
form of sovereigntywhich is ushered in by Shiloh. The word is otherwise
rendered “gathering;” but this does not suit the usage in Proverbs 30:17. “The
obedience” intimates that the supremacyof Judah does not ceaseatthe
coming of Shiloh, but only assumes a grander form.
Of the peoples. - Not only the sons of Israel, but all the descendants of Adam
will ultimately bow down to the Prince of Peace.This is the seedof the
woman, who shall bruise the serpent‘s head, the seedof Abraham, in whom
all the families of the earth shall be blessed, presentednow under the new
aspectof the peacemaker, whomall the nations of the earth shall eventually
obey as the Prince of Peace. He is therefore, now revealedas the Destroyerof
the works ofevil, the Dispenserof the blessings of grace, and the King of
peace. The coming of Shiloh and the obedience ofthe nations to him will cover
a long period of time, the close ofwhich will coincide with the limit here setto
Judah‘s earthly supremacy in its wider and loftier stage. This prediction
therefore, truly penetrates to the latter days.
JOSEPHBENSON
Verse 10
Genesis 49:10. The sceptre — The dominion or government, which is
expressedby this word, because it was an ensignof government. It is true, the

word ‫,ׂשבׁש‬ shebet, here used, also signifies a rod, or staff of any kind, and
particularly the rod or staff which belongedto eachtribe, as an ensignof its
authority, whence it is transferred to signify tribe, as being united under one
rod or staff of government. It seems evident, however, from what has been
observedon Genesis 49:8, that dominion, or authority, is also and especially
here intended. But it is asked, How could it be said with propriety, the
dominion, or authority, shall not depart from Judah, when Judah had none?
To this it must be answered, that Jacobhad just foretoldthat his father’s
children should bow down to Judah, and that he, therefore, should have this
authority or dominion. After which, it is predicted that it should not depart
till Shiloh came. Nor a lawgiverfrom betweenhis feet — The word ‫,קקחמ‬
mechokek, here renderedlawgiver, means also ruler, or judge, and the
prophecy certainly implies, not only that, while the other tribes should be
captivated, dispersed, and confounded with eachother, the tribe of Judah
should be kept entire until Christ came;but that rulers and magistrates,
descendedfrom Judah, or called by his name, should succeedeachotherat
leastfor a time, and that both the civil and ecclesiasticalpowershould
continue till Shiloh should come, and then should be taken away, or rather
should devolve on him. Now, as it will readily be acknowledgedthat the
authority remained with Judah till the captivity, so it must be observed, that
even in Babylon, the Jews appearto have been under a kind of internal
government, exercisedby the family of David. “And after their return from
Babylon, Zerubbabel, of David’s race, was their leader; and the tribe of
Judah, and those who were incorporatedwith them, had regular magistrates
and rulers from among themselves, under the kings of Persia and Syria, and
afterward under the Romans.” The greatcouncil of the Jews, termed“the
Sanhedrim, constitutedchiefly of the tribe of Judah, and the other courts
dependant on it, possessedgreatauthority till the coming of Christ, according
to the concurrent testimony of ancient writers. The tribe of Judah was
likewise preserveddistinct, and could trace back its genealogies without
difficulty.” So that, “in all respects, the sceptre, though gradually enfeebled,
did not depart: nor was the regular exercise oflegislative and judicial
authority, though interrupted, finally suspended till after that event.” —
Scott. Till Shiloh come — It is not perfectly agreedamong the learned what is
the precise meaning of the word. But it is pretty certain, according to its

derivation, it either signifies he that is sent, or, the seed, or, the peaceable and
prosperous one. And that the Messiahis intended, Jews as wellas Christians
generallyacknowledge;the word being expounded of him by all the three
Chaldee paraphrasts, the JewishTalmud, and many of the latter Jews also.
Till he came Judah or Judea possessedconsiderableauthority and power, but
at or about the time of his birth, it became a province of the Roman empire,
and was enrolled and taxed as such, Luke 2:1; and at the time of his death the
Jews themselves expresslyowned, “We have no king but Cesar.”
Hence it is undeniably inferred againstthe Jews, thatour Lord Jesus is “He
that should come,” and that we are to look for no other; for he came exactlyat
the time appointed. Unto him shall the gathering of the people be — After he
came, and the sceptre was departed from Judah, the gathering both of Jews
and Gentiles was to him, as to their King and Saviour. The pale of the church
was enlarged, the partition betweenthe Jews and Gentiles broken down, and
the convertedGentiles, along with the convertedJews, became his subjects
and worshippers. He became the “desire of different nations,” Haggai2:7, and
being “lifted up from the earth,” drew myriads unto him, John 12:32, and the
“children of God that were scatteredabroad” met in him as their centre of
unity. This was the case, in a greatdegree, for many centuries, and we are
taught to believe that it shall be the case more and more till the earth shall be
filled with his glory; for of “the increase ofhis government, as well as peace,
shall be no end.” The fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and then
“ungodliness shallbe turned away from Jacob, andall Israelshall be saved.”
And when “he shall come in his glory, all nations shall be gatheredunto him,”
and at last the innumerable multitudes of the redeemed shall be gatheredinto
his everlasting kingdom.
Adam Clarke Commentary
Verse 10

Jesus was the coming shiloh

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