Texts in Conversation
Genesis describes Judah’s enduring scepter and ruler’s staff, imagery rooted in ancient Near Eastern symbols of kingship. Psalm 60 echoes this language by portraying Judah as the divine scepter through which divine authority is exercised.
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Genesis 49:10
Hebrew Bible
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s sons will bow down before you. 9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; like a lioness—who will rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him. 11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his colt to the choicest vine, he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be red from wine, and his teeth white from milk.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Psalm 60:7
Hebrew Bible
5 Deliver by your power and answer me, so that the ones you love may be safe. 6 God has spoken in his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will parcel out Shechem; the Valley of Sukkoth I will measure off. 7 Gilead belongs to me, as does Manasseh. Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my royal scepter. 8 Moab is my washbasin. I will make Edom serve me. I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” 9 Who will lead me into the fortified city? Who will bring me to Edom?
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In Ancient Near Eastern iconography, the ruler’s staff (often with a scepter) is a feature of royalty (e.g., ANEP, nos. 379, 383, 414 [Egyptian]; compare Psalm 45:6; 110:2; Jeremiah 48:17). Against this background Jacob’s blessing of Judah refers to the ruler’s staff and scepter: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet” (Genesis 49:10; compare ANEP, no. 463, for the position between the feet; for the view that “from between his feet” refers to descendants). The hegemony here promised to Judah was realized in David’s kingship, which was to represent Yahweh’s rule, making Judah the divine scepter through which God reigned (Psalm 60:7; 108:8; compare 2 Samuel 7) ..."
Alexander, T. Desmond, and David W. Baker
Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch
(p. 693) InterVarsity Press, 2003
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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