Genesis 49:12 kjv
His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
Genesis 49:12 nkjv
His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.
Genesis 49:12 niv
His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.
Genesis 49:12 esv
His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
Genesis 49:12 nlt
His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
Genesis 49 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 49:8-10 | Judah, your brothers will praise you... The scepter will not depart from Judah... till Shiloh comes. | Context of Judah's royal destiny and the Messiah's coming. |
| Num 13:27 | "We went into the land to which you sent us; it is flowing with milk and honey." | Description of the promised land's abundant fertility. |
| Exo 3:8 | "to bring them up out of that land into a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey" | God's promise of an abundant, fertile land. |
| Deut 8:7-9 | "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land... a land of wheat and barley, vines... milk and honey" | Emphasizes the rich agricultural blessings of the promised land. |
| Judg 5:25 | "She brought him curds in a lordly bowl." | Milk as a common and significant sustenance. |
| 1 Sam 17:18 | "take these ten cheeses to the commander... and see how your brothers are." | Milk products as food, even for warriors. |
| Psa 104:15 | "...wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that strengthens man's heart." | Wine symbolizing joy, blessing, and good things from God. |
| Prov 23:29-30 | "Who has woe?... Those who linger over wine." | Contrasting imagery, highlighting Judah's 'red eyes' from abundance not excess. |
| Isa 5:1-7 | My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside... looked for good grapes, but it yielded only bad. | Vineyards and their produce as central to the land's fruitfulness. |
| Isa 60:16 | "You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts." | Metaphor for Judah/Israel's prosperity and influence over nations. |
| Joel 3:18 | "In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk." | Prophetic vision of future eschatological abundance. |
| Amos 9:13-14 | "The mountains will drip with sweet wine... I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel..." | Abundance as a sign of restored divine blessing. |
| Zech 9:17 | "How splendid and beautiful he will be! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women." | Connects grain and new wine to vigor and beauty, from divine blessing. |
| 1 Chr 5:2 | "For Judah became strong among his brothers, and a prince was to be among them, though the birthright belonged to Joseph." | Underlines Judah's ascendancy and importance. |
| Psa 72:16 | "May there be abundance of grain in the earth... may its fruit flourish like Lebanon." | Prophecy of king's reign of abundance, often applied to the Messiah. |
| Song 4:11 | "Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue." | Milk and honey used as imagery for pleasantness and sweetness. |
| Song 5:12 | "His eyes are like doves by springs of water, washed with milk, mounted in settings." | Use of eyes and milky whiteness for poetic description of beauty/health. |
| Lam 4:7 | "Her nobles were brighter than snow, whiter than milk." | Describes purity/health; inverse for eyes becoming dark/emaciated in hardship. |
| Matt 2:6 | "'From you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, will come a ruler...'" | Fulfillment of Judah's prophetic royal lineage in Christ. |
| Rev 5:5 | "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed." | Directly links Jesus to Judah's lion imagery and victory. |
| Rev 19:15 | "He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." | Symbolic use of wine/grapes related to Christ's judgment and power. |
Genesis 49 verses
Genesis 49 12 Meaning
Genesis 49:12 is a prophetic declaration concerning the tribe of Judah, part of Jacob's final blessings upon his sons. The verse poetically depicts Judah's future condition as one of extraordinary prosperity and abundance, particularly in vineyards and flocks. "His eyes are red with wine" portrays a land so rich in vineyards that wine is excessively available, perhaps even staining the eyes through constant contact or reflecting a healthy, vibrant appearance indicative of a diet rich in fine produce. "And his teeth white with milk" signifies abundant sustenance, particularly a plentiful supply of dairy products, leading to healthy, strong teeth and generally symbolizing robust well-being and fertile lands. Together, these imageries paint a picture of unrivaled opulence, health, and a life free from want, fitting for the tribe from whom the kingship and the Messiah would ultimately descend.
Genesis 49 12 Context
Genesis 49:12 is a key verse within Jacob's final prophetic blessings upon his twelve sons, delivered on his deathbed. These pronouncements serve not merely as paternal farewells but as divine predictions regarding the future destinies, characteristics, and territorial allocations of their respective tribes within the land of Canaan. The prophecies move from Jacob's eldest to youngest sons, and specifically for Judah (verses 8-12), the blessing highlights his supremacy, strength, leadership, and a future intertwined with the scepter and the coming of Shiloh (a significant messianic reference). The immediate verses leading up to verse 12 portray Judah as a powerful lion and acknowledge his future dominion. Verse 12 thus extends this picture of Judah's prominence, emphasizing the material prosperity and superabundance that would characterize his tribe, reinforcing the idea of a kingdom rich in natural resources, befitting the lineage from which Israel's kings and the ultimate King (Messiah) would emerge. Historically, this prophecy sets the stage for Judah's eventual leadership among the tribes, David's kingdom, and the ultimate line of Christ.
Genesis 49 12 Word analysis
- His eyes: The Hebrew term is עֵינָיו (`‘ênāyw`), meaning "his eyes." In Hebrew thought, eyes can denote perception, state of being, or physical appearance. Here, it refers to the physical appearance of the tribe or its inhabitants, reflecting their condition.
- are red / will be darker: The Hebrew is חַכְלִילִי (`chakhliyli`). This is a crucial term. It stems from a root meaning "to be dark-red," "sparkling," or "glowing." It refers to a deep, dark red color. The interpretations vary between "dark red from wine" (implying staining or a flushed appearance from immense wine consumption or handling, indicative of vast abundance) or "dark red like wine" (descriptive of a healthy, vibrant, wine-colored glow associated with a land of rich vineyards). Both point to unparalleled prosperity concerning wine production.
- with wine: The Hebrew is מִיַּיִן (`miyyayin`), literally "from wine." This indicates the source or the effect. `Yayin` (wine) is often a symbol of joy, celebration, and material blessing, particularly associated with a fruitful land. The abundance suggested here speaks of overflowing vats and a land soaked in the blessing of the grape harvest.
- and his teeth: The Hebrew is וְשִׁנָּיו (`weshinnāyw`), "and his teeth." Teeth symbolize health, strength, and ability to consume. They are essential for sustenance.
- white with milk: The Hebrew is מֵחָלָב (`mêḥālāḇ`), literally "from milk." `Ḥālāv` (milk) is a primary symbol of nourishment, purity, and agricultural prosperity (as in "a land flowing with milk and honey"). Teeth being white from milk suggests not only physical health and cleanliness (absence of disease/famine) but also an unfailing and abundant supply of dairy products, implying lush pastures and thriving livestock.
- His eyes are red with wine, and his teeth white with milk: This phrase employs strong poetic parallelism and hyperbole, common in Hebrew prophetic and poetic literature. The two clauses reinforce each other, depicting an overwhelming picture of affluence and good health within the tribe of Judah. It implies that Judah's portion of land would be so fertile that its people would be surrounded by and literally nourished by the best of the land's produce. It moves beyond simple sustenance to luxurious abundance, where such fine products are not just available but are defining features of the people's life. This is not about individual excess but communal prosperity and a flourishing ecosystem.
Genesis 49 12 Bonus section
The imagery in Genesis 49:12 draws parallels to the prosperity described in passages like Deuteronomy 33, specifically Moses' blessings to the tribes. For instance, the blessing for Zebulun speaks of "treading out wine" (Deut 33:19), indicating their involvement with vineyards. The focus on specific agricultural products (wine and milk) reinforces the idea that Judah's blessings are tied directly to the fertility and productivity of the promised land itself, showing God's provision for His chosen people within their inheritance. This divine enablement would physically manifest as health and vibrancy for the people. In Christian tradition, this prosperity of Judah points forward to the spiritual abundance brought by Jesus Christ, who is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5), and whose reign brings forth an unending supply of spiritual nourishment, "living water" (John 4:10), and joy (John 15:11).
Genesis 49 12 Commentary
Genesis 49:12 profoundly expresses the remarkable blessing bestowed upon the tribe of Judah. It presents a vivid, hyper-literal picture of agricultural opulence and physical vitality. The "red eyes with wine" speak of an astonishing yield from vineyards, possibly signifying so much wine that it becomes an almost pervasive element in their existence, reflective of unmatched joy and material richness. The phrase should be understood as prosperity and flourishing, rather than personal indulgence or inebriation. Likewise, "teeth white with milk" symbolizes an unending supply of nourishing dairy products, guaranteeing robust health and demonstrating the exceptional fertility of their pasturage. Taken together, these images project an ideal state of affairs: a land bountiful beyond measure, producing its finest commodities in superabundance, leading to a people characterized by strength, health, and a comfortable existence. This abundance would mark Judah as a tribe highly favored, underscoring its pivotal role as the royal tribe and the lineage of the Messiah, who brings ultimate blessings. This prosperity ensures Judah's preeminence and stability, creating an environment ripe for the scepter's endurance as prophesied in previous verses.