Jacob’s Twelve Sons — Judah
“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise” (Genesis 49:8).
He was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah and his name means “praise.” Judah advised the selling of Joseph rather than killing him (Genesis 37:26-27), and his descendants, the Jews, delivered the Lord into the hands of the Gentiles.
He sinned in the matter of Tamar his daughter-in-law, and was ready to have her punished till it was shown that he also was guilty. Thus is traced the terribly corrupt history of the family of whom came King David and a long line of subsequent kings. The Lord was born of this tribe, and is referred to as “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5).
Though not the eldest son, he took a chief place amongst his brothers, and was even able to persuade his father to let Benjamin be taken to Egypt. When appeals were made to Joseph, Judah was the one who made them. When Jacob blessed his sons it was clearly shown that the tribe of Judah was to be of the royal line of Israel. Jacob declared, “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” (Genesis 49:10).
