Genesis 49:9

Genesis 49:9

Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

a. NLT: Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: A lion's whelp is Judah, For prey, my son, thou hast gone up; He hath bent, he hath crouched as a lion, And as a lioness; who causeth him to arise?  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: Judah, a lion’s cub! With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain]. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, and like a lioness—who dares provoke and rouse him? [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: Juda is a lion's whelp: from the tender plant, my son, thou art gone up, having couched thou liest as a lion, and as a whelp; who shall stir him up?

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: A lion cub is Juda; from the prey, my son, you elevated yourself. He crouches, lies down like a lion, and like an awesome lion, who dares rouse him? [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up…”

a. Judah [Strong: 3063 Yhuwdah yeh-hoo-daw' from 3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory:--Judah.]

b. [is a] lion’s [Strong: 738 'ariy ar-ee' or (prolonged) earyeh {ar-yay'}; from 717 (in the sense of violence); a lion:--(young) lion, + pierce (from the margin).]

c. whelp [Strong: 1482 guwr goor or (shortened) gur {goor}; perhaps from 1481; a cub (as still abiding in the lair), especially of the lion:--whelp, young one.]

d. [from the] prey [Strong: 2964 tereph teh'-ref from 2963; something torn, i.e. a fragment, e.g. a fresh leaf, prey, food:--leaf, meat, prey, spoil.]

e. [my] son [Strong: 1121 ben bane from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

f. [thou art] gone up [Strong: 5927 `alah aw-law' a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.]

2. “...he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?”

a. [he] stooped down [Strong: 3766 kara` kaw-rah' a primitive root; to bend the knee; by implication, to sink, to prostrate:--bow (down, self), bring down (low), cast down, couch, fall, feeble, kneeling, sink, smite (stoop) down, subdue, X very.]

b. [he] couched [Strong: 7257 rabats raw-bats' a primitive root; to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a recumbent animal); be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed:--crouch (down), fall down, make a fold, lay, (cause to, make to) lie (down), make to rest, sit.]

c. [as a] lion [Strong: 738 'ariy ar-ee' or (prolonged) earyeh {ar-yay'}; from 717 (in the sense of violence); a lion:--(young) lion, + pierce (from the margin).]

d. [and as an] old lion [Strong: 3833 labiy' law-bee' or (Ezek. 19:2) lbiyao {leb-ee-yaw'}; irreg. masculine plural lbaviym {leb-aw-eem'}; irreg. feminine plural lbaeowth {leb-aw-oth'}; from an unused root men. to roar; a lion (properly, a lioness as the fiercer (although not a roarer; Compare 738)):--(great, old, stout) lion, lioness, young (lion).]

e. who [Strong: 4310 miy me an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things, who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.]

f. [shall] rouse him up [Strong: 6965 quwm koom a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, - rising).]

1). Three times in this verse Judah is compared to a lion. 

2). William Varner, Jacob’s Dozen: This theme is carried through the Scriptures, even into the New Testament. Revelation 5:5 describes a scene in the throne room of heaven in which the Lion of the tribe of Judah is the main character. This is a Messianic reference to the Lord Jesus Christ who, by descent, was a member of this tribe.