Bible Study: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Who Was Judah?

Judah, Jacob’s fourth son by Leah, figures prominently in the Bible’s unfolding story of God’s redemption. The patriarchal narratives found in Genesis reveal that Judah “was the strongest of his brothers” by demonstrating outstanding leadership in the affairs of his family (1 Chron 5:2).

For example, heeding Judah’s advice, his brothers sold their father’s favored son Joseph into slavery, instead of taking his life (Gen 37:17-28). Also, when a second journey to Egypt for grain became necessary, Judah persuaded Jacob to allow him to take along the young lad Benjamin, personally vouching for his safety
(Gen 43:3-10). In addition, when the cup was discovered in Benjamin’s sack and punishment seemed certain, Judah’s impassioned plea moved Joseph so powerfully that he could no longer conceal his secret (Gen 44:16-34).

The Tribe of Judah

When Judah and his family went down to Egypt to avoid the famine, Judah only had three sons. However, over four hundred years later, when his offspring were counted at the census, Judah’s tribe was the largest, numbering 76,500 (Num 26:22). The great military leader Caleb belonged to the tribe of Judah, and when the land of Canaan was divided for possession, Judah’s territory included fully one third of the Promised Land (Josh 15:20-63).

The tribe of Judah ultimately produced Israel’s greatest monarch, King David who was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Indeed, in a covenant he established with David, God promised to build him a kingdom that would endure forever (2 Sam 7:7-10).

These remnant peoples became known as the "Jews," after the name of their conquered kingdom of Judah.

After David’s son Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel was divided, and the southern kingdom of Judah remained more obedient to God’s Law than its northern counterpart. However, like Israel, Judah eventually experienced God’s judgment when the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem and carried off the survivors to a life of exile. These remnant peoples became known as the "Jews," after the name of their conquered kingdom of Judah.

Prophesy of Messiah

The Bible prophesies that the promised Messiah would come out of the tribe of Judah. For instance,
Gen 49:8-10 describes the rich blessing that Judah received at his father Jacob’s deathbed. Judah is described as a lion, and the scepter of leadership would never depart from his hand. In fact, Mathew’s birth narrative outlines the ancestry of Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father, and confirms that Jesus’ legal ancestry can be traced back through David to Judah (Mat 1:1-16).

It seems fitting that the closing chapter of the Bible, the Book of Revelation honors Judah by putting his name at the top of the list of the 144,000 who received the seal of God (Rev 7:4-8).


What impresses you most about Judah?

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