The fourth poem for my "Twelve Tribes of Israel" series takes a look at the tribe of Judah. This is a particularly interesting study for several reasons. Firstly, we hear the change in Leah's attitude as she gives birth to her fourth son, Judah. Secondly, the tribe of Judah is not only the tribe that King David came from, but it's also the one that Jesus Christ Himself descended from!
The first video covers the Scriptures and the poem section, the second looks at Judah's birth while the third focuses on Jacob's prophetic blessing and my closing thoughts. I pray this poem and study can be a blessing to you. Much love, Lucy x
The Tribe Of Judah
Key Facts
Order of birth- Fourth.
Mother- Leah.
Meaning of name- Praise.
Character details- Suggested selling his brother Joseph for financial profit. Offered himself as a sacrifice to spare his brother Benjamin. Slept with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, thinking she was a prostitute.
Tribe details- Kings of Israel came from this tribe, including King David. The tribe most Jews come from. The tribe that the Messiah came through. Given lots of land and material wealth as an inheritance. Inherited the leadership aspect of the firstborn’s inheritance.
Symbol of tribe- Lion
Relevant Scriptures
Genesis 29:31-34
“When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.”
Genesis 49:1 and 8-12
“And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:"
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.”
JudahThe first video covers the Scriptures and the poem section, the second looks at Judah's birth while the third focuses on Jacob's prophetic blessing and my closing thoughts. I pray this poem and study can be a blessing to you. Much love, Lucy x
The Tribe Of Judah
Key Facts
Order of birth- Fourth.
Mother- Leah.
Meaning of name- Praise.
Character details- Suggested selling his brother Joseph for financial profit. Offered himself as a sacrifice to spare his brother Benjamin. Slept with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, thinking she was a prostitute.
Tribe details- Kings of Israel came from this tribe, including King David. The tribe most Jews come from. The tribe that the Messiah came through. Given lots of land and material wealth as an inheritance. Inherited the leadership aspect of the firstborn’s inheritance.
Symbol of tribe- Lion
Relevant Scriptures
Genesis 29:31-34
“When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.”
Genesis 49:1 and 8-12
“And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:"
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.”
Twelve tribes of Israel from twelve different brothers,
All the sons of Jacob, but from four different mothers.
Leah bore him six of them, while two came from Zilpah.
Rachel bore another two, and two more came from Bilhah.
Judah was the fourth, and he was different from his brothers,
For Leah named him “Praise”; a change compared to all the others.
The first three names revealed a pain that couldn’t be ignored,
Yet Jacob’s cruel neglect pushed Leah closer to the Lord.
Her loveless marriage caused her grief; that’s very clear indeed.
What’s also clear is God stepped in and met her deepest need.
The naming of this son did not reflect her hurt within;
Instead, her heart was full of praise and worship for her King!
Leah learned to look to God, despite life’s dreadful pains;
Her fascinating journey shown within these first four names.
Her sorrow turned to peace and praise upon this path she trod.
Neglected by her spouse, but not neglected by her God.
Her Maker had a purpose and a plan for Leah’s life;
The greatest tribes of Israel came through this unloved wife:
The priestly tribe of Levi had Leah as their mother.
The royal tribe of Judah from this fourth and younger brother.
Yes, Jacob spoke his prophecy, and once again we see,
The theme of “praise” comes in, as other tribes would bow the knee.
Kings would come through Judah, and a Person even higher;
Descending from this tribe, we find our Saviour and Messiah!
Judah’s tribe inherited great wealth and fertile land.
Jacob’s words revealed again the things that God had planned.
Though Judah wasn’t perfect, a fact we can’t erase—
His story shows God’s goodness and His never-ending grace.
Psalm 34:1
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
Insight to Judah
Mother-Leah
At the birth of Leah and Jacob’s fourth son, Judah, we hear a real shift within Leah, as this name means “praise”. Her choice of name really signifies she’s now in a completely different place in her heart and mind compared to the first three births. Through the names of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, we hear their mother saying to her neglectful husband, “Look at me, hear me, attach yourself in love to me. I’ve given you three sons!”
Here, at the birth of Judah, however, Leah’s focus has shifted from Jacob onto her God as she turns to Him in joyful praise. Her worship through Judah’s name suggests a change in her priorities and thinking, as this name doesn’t reflect the pain and longing in her heart but rather reflects her gratitude to God. By all accounts, her status as the unloved wife hadn’t changed, but she was clearly willing and able to worship through her circumstances.
It’s no surprise that Leah’s marriage to Jacob was an unhappy one, as we read in Genesis 29 that it all began with deceit and trickery. Leah must have gone into this marriage knowing that Jacob was in love with her sister, Rachel, and not her, but perhaps she thought this was her last chance to be married and hoped he might grow in his affections for her over time. It could be suggested that it was unfair of Leah to expect Jacob to love her when their union was based on deception, and this is possibly an action that Leah went on to deeply regret in her life.
Perhaps the cultural pressures of the day and prompting from her father, Laban, may have had Leah feeling she didn’t have any other choice in the matter, but whatever her own level of responsibility was in this situation, the Scriptures show us that the Lord, in His grace, demonstrated great kindness towards Leah. He not only gave her children but sons, who were considered to be of higher importance in that culture. He also brought her into a home where she would learn about the one true God, Yahweh, as her marriage to Jacob meant that she was removed from the idol-worship of her father’s house and introduced to the God of redemption.
Most importantly though, through the Lord’s tender care of Leah, her heart was transformed as He turned the ashes of her life into something beautiful. The fact that she could praise God at the birth of her fourth son shows that she had a personal relationship with her Creator and was allowing Him to heal her heart of bitterness.
She may have felt unseen and unwanted within her marriage, but Leah was certainly neither of those things in the eyes of the Lord. Yes, Rachel had greater physical beauty in the world’s eyes, but Leah had an inner beauty that was of precious value to God. Jacob may not have chosen or appreciated Leah, but God clearly did. As I mentioned in my poem, two of the greatest tribes of Israel came through this “lesser-valued” wife
The tribe of Levi, who went on to become the honoured helpers of the priests, had Leah’s blood flowing through their veins, as did the royal tribe of Judah, through whom came the likes of King David and, most importantly, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
It seems that Leah’s true victory came when she was willing to stop looking at her problems and start looking at the Lord. Instead of using her circumstances as an excuse to turn away from God, she allowed them to push her closer to Him. The birth of Judah shows us this woman now has a heart of peace and praise towards the only one who can truly fulfil her in life—her God. What a powerful testimony for her children and for those around her, and Leah will forever be remembered and honoured as the mother of two of the greatest tribes in Israel.
Jacob’s Prophetic Blessing
We know from the Scriptures that Judah wasn’t exactly a man without flaw, as he had his own weaknesses and made many mistakes. We can read about his involvement in the selling of his brother, Joseph, in Genesis 37. It was Judah’s idea not to kill Joseph but instead sell him to the Ishmaelites and make a financial profit. He slightly redeems himself later on in Genesis 44 when he offers himself in the place of his youngest brother, Benjamin, to spare his father the grief of losing another of Rachel’s sons.
We can also read about Judah’s less than exemplary behaviour with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, in Genesis 38, where he mistakes her for a prostitute and manages to get her pregnant. All this to say, Judah, like any other mere mortal, had his strengths and his weaknesses, his successes and failures in life. Jacob’s rich, prophetic blessing, therefore, is a clear example of God’s grace to the undeserving.
Jacob’s first words to Judah in his blessing are,
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.
You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?”
It’s interesting that Jacob mentions “praise” here at the beginning of his blessing, as this is almost like a pun or a nod to Judah’s name, which we know means “praise”. Jacob tells Judah here that his brothers will praise him and their ancestors will bow down to his ancestors. This seems like an odd thing to say to a son who is fourth in line, as this honour would normally fall to the firstborn, who, in this family’s case, is Reuben. As I mentioned in my study of Reuben, however, he lost his firstborn rights due to his fornication and sin with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. As a result, Judah inherits the leadership aspect of the firstborn’s inheritance and a leadership position among his brothers.
This part of the prophecy also refers to something that became far more understandable when King David ascended the throne 640 years later. David was a direct descendant of Judah and was the first in a long line of kings in Judah’s dynasty. When David took the throne, Judah became the dominant tribe and remained dominant in Israel. David’s ascent partially fulfilled this part of the prophecy, but it took 1600 years to complete fully, and we see this take place with the appearance of Judah’s greatest descendant, Jesus Christ.
This takes us onto the next part of Jacob’s blessing where he says,
“The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.”
This is the New King James translation of this verse, but the King James version reads,
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
The word “shiloh” is rooted in the Hebrew word “shalom”, which means “peace”. Jacob is saying here that from the tribe of Judah will come a Man of peace, that Man being the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Jacob’s statement that the sceptre shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come, is referring to the fact that the nation of Israel, through the tribe of Judah, would have rulers and kings and be a self-ruling, autonomous nation for a time. Their right to rule themselves would continue through the kings from the tribe of Judah until the appearance of the Messiah. Only at Christ’s appearing would the sceptre depart, their autonomy would end, and from this point on, the people would bow down and submit to Jesus. He would be the leader to whom all would bow down, the unstoppable Prince of Peace who now holds the sceptre.
In Revelation 5:5, Jesus is actually referred to as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah”, and as I noted at the top of this study, the symbol for this tribe is also the lion. It makes it very clear that Jacob’s prophecy of praise and rule goes far beyond Judah, far beyond King David, and actually speaks of the coming one, the greatest King of all, Jesus Christ.
We know that Israel’s right to self-rule had gone when Jesus came on the scene because just over 20 years before His Crucifixion, the Romans had taken away their right to practice capital punishment. Having this ability was the sign that a nation had power, authority and control, so when the Romans removed this right from Israel, we see Jacob’s words come into play.
In Mark 10:33, Jesus tells His disciples that they are going to Jerusalem, where the Jews will hand Him over to the gentiles to be condemned to death. This shows that by Christ’s time, Israel no longer held the sceptre and had to submit to the authority of Rome.
When this Roman decree went out, however, removing the sceptre from the Jews, they thought that the Scriptures had failed them. They lamented, thinking, “The sceptre has gone, but the Messiah isn’t here!” In reality the Scriptures hadn’t been broken at all, and the Messiah was indeed there.
Jesus was a young boy of about 12 when the decree was given, and this would have been around the time when He was in Jerusalem, listening to the teachers in the temple. Jehovah had come in the form of man and was there in the flesh already. The King of kings and Lord of lords was right there in their midst, and so the prophecy came to pass, just as Jacob said it would.
The last part of Jacob’s prophetic blessing says,
“He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.”
The end of the prophecy is speaking of the beautiful land that will belong to the tribe of Judah and is a description of their material abundance. Judah’s fertile, wine-producing land was in the region south of Jerusalem, and most modern Jews can trace their lineage to this tribe. The name “Jew” is actually derived from the name Judah, and so it can certainly be said that the tribe of Judah holds great significance in the history of Israel.
Closing Thoughts
Thinking back to the emotional journey Leah went on as she delivered her first four sons into the world, it’s clear to see that she went through a difficult and heart-wrenching process. Perhaps in our lives, we too have been victims of situations out of our control. Maybe we’ve made choices that we’ve gone on to regret every day. The encouraging thing we can take from Leah’s story is that the same heart change that the Lord offered to her, He offers to us too.
We can learn from Leah that our difficulties and tribulations can be used by God to bring about Kingdom purposes. When we turn our focus onto God, praise Him through every season of life, and surrender all we have into His hands, the broken things of our lives can be repaired, restored and used mightily for His glory.
A theme we can also see through looking at both Leah’s story and the tribe of Judah is that even though we’re not perfect and make mistakes at times, God is gracious. It’s according to His goodness, not our own, that any of us can be of service to Him. Our merciful, patient, forgiving Saviour is still in the practice of redeeming lives and writing beautiful ends to heartbreaking stories.
