Genesis 49:27

 Genesis 49:27

Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

a. ASV: Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth: In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at even he shall divide the spoil.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: Benjamin! a wolf teareth; In the morning he eateth prey, And at evening he apportioneth spoil.'  [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.]

c. Classic Amplified:  Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at night dividing the spoil. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: Benjamin is a predatory wolf; in the morning he will devour prey and in the evening he will distribute spoils.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

e. NLT: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening.” [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.]

1. “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf…”

a. Benjamin [Strong: 1144 Binyamiyn bin-yaw-mene' from 1121 and 3225; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory:--Benjamin.]

b. [shall] ravin [Strong: 2963 taraph taw-raf' a primitive root; to pluck off or pull to pieces; causatively to supply with food (as in morsels):--catch, X without doubt, feed, ravin, rend in pieces, X surely, tear (in pieces).]

c. [as a] wolf [Strong: 2061 z'eb zeh-abe' from an unused root meaning to be yellow; a wolf:--wolf.]

2. “...in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.”

a. [in the] morning [Strong: 1242 boqer bo'-ker from 1239; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning:--(+) day, early, morning, morrow.]

b. [he shall] devour [Strong: 398 'akal aw-kal' a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, X quite.]

c. [the] prey [Strong: 5706 `ad ad the same as 5703 in the sense of the aim of an attack; booty:--prey.]

d. [and at] night [Strong: 6153 `ereb eh'-reb from 6150; dusk:--+ day, even(-ing, tide), night.]

e. [he shall] divide [Strong: 2505 chalaq khaw-lak' a primitive root; to be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate:--deal, distribute, divide, flatter, give, (have, im-)part(-ner), take away a portion, receive, separate self, (be) smooth(-er).]

f. [the] spoil [Strong: 7998 shalal shaw-lawl' from 7997; booty:--prey, spoil.]

1). William Varner, Jacob’s Dozen: Compared to a wolf’s predatory activity throughout the day, many ferocious Benjamites are recorded from the earliest to the latest periods of Israelite history: Ehud, the second judge of Israel (Judges 3:12-30). Ehud’s left-handedness, which was a characteristic of Benjamites (Judges 20:15, 16), was a bit ironic since Benjamin means “right-hand son”. Concealing his weapon under his garments on his right thigh (which is probably why it was undetected), Ehud gained entrance to Eglon’s presence, ran the fat king through with his dagger, and escaped undetected. The resulting confusion led to a great Israelite victory over the Moabites and resulted in an 80 year period of peace.

a). The civil war between Israel and the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19-21), during the first two days of battle, 700 left-handed stone slingers and warriors of Benjamin inflicted 40,000 casualties on a much greater force of Israelites (Judges 20:14-25). At the end of the civil war only 600 Benjamite men remained of the whole army of Benjamin (Judges 20:47). 

b). Saul, the first king of Israel. 

c). Saul of Tarsus, a Benjamite wolf who persecuted believers in Christ Jesus.Here are Paul’s own words:

(1) Acts 26:8-11 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

26:9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

26:10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

26:11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

(2) Acts 22:3-5 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

22:5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

(3) Galatians 1:13, 14 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.