And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.
Parallel translations
- WEB For Judah prevailed above his brothers, and from him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph’s) —
- KJV For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s:)
- NKJV yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s—
- NASB Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph),
- NLT The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Though the birthright went to Joseph, Judah became the strongest tribe and the source of the ruling prince. It distinguishes the double-portion birthright from the royal line.
Overview
The Chronicler clarifies that two different honors were divided: Joseph received the firstborn's material birthright, while Judah received the leadership and the kingly line. This points directly to David and, beyond him, to the Messiah who would come from Judah (Genesis 49:10). The verse thus highlights God's plan to bring forth the promised Ruler, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Matt 2:6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”
- Mic 5:2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.
- Gen 49:8–10Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
- Ps 60:7Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.
- Heb 7:14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.
- Ps 108:8Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.
- Jer 23:5–6Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Ps 78:68–71But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.
- Rom 8:29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
- 1 Sam 16:10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
- Gen 49:26The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.
- 1 Sam 16:12So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.”
- Gen 35:23The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
- Num 7:12On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah drew near with his offering.
- 1 Sam 16:1Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
- Num 2:3On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard: The leader of the descendants of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab,
- Judg 1:2“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”
- Rev 5:5Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
- Josh 14:6Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me.
- 2 Sam 8:15Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 5:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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