The Meaning of Genesis 49:27 Explained

Genesis 49:27

KJV: Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

YLT: Benjamin! a wolf teareth; In the morning he eateth prey, And at evening he apportioneth spoil.'

Darby: Benjamin as a wolf will he tear to pieces; In the morning he will devour the prey, And in the evening he will divide the booty.

ASV: Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth: In the morning she shall devour the prey, And at even he shall divide the spoil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Benjamin  shall ravin  [as] a wolf:  in the morning  he shall devour  the prey,  and at night  he shall divide  the spoil. 

What does Genesis 49:27 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Benjamin produced many warriors in Israel"s history (e.g, Ehud, Saul, Jonathan, et al.) and demonstrated a warlike character among the tribes ( Judges 5:14; Judges 20:16; 1 Chronicles 8:40; ch12; 2 Chronicles 14:8; 2 Chronicles 17:17; et al.).

Context Summary

Genesis 49:13-27 - Joseph Specially Blessed
The position of Zebulun and the following tribes in the land of promise is accurately foretold. Compare the allotments of Joshua 18:1-28. Notice the exclamation of the dying man in Genesis 49:18. Such a spirit of waiting cannot be disappointed. See Isaiah 26:8-9. Joseph's blessing is pre-eminently beautiful: Fruitful! This is mentioned twice, reminding us of John 15:8. But fruitfulness is only possible where there is the wall for separation, and the well for communion. When these are present, the branches droop over the wall with clusters of blessings to a thirsty world. Let us seek divine strength and ask that the mighty hands of the God of Jacob may be placed under our own poor weak hands! See Psalms 141:1. The separated life is the crowned life. To the heart of the dying man came the memory of his native land and its mountains. What mountains are to a country, God is to His people! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 49

1  Jacob calls his sons to bless them
3  Their blessing in particular
29  He charges them about his burial
33  He dies

What do the individual words in Genesis 49:27 mean?

Benjamin is a wolf ravenous in the morning he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil
בִּנְיָמִין֙ זְאֵ֣ב יִטְרָ֔ף בַּבֹּ֖קֶר יֹ֣אכַל עַ֑ד וְלָעֶ֖רֶב יְחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁלָֽל

בִּנְיָמִין֙  Benjamin  is 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
זְאֵ֣ב  a  wolf 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זְאֵב  
Sense: wolf.
יִטְרָ֔ף  ravenous 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָרַף  
Sense: to tear, rend, pluck.
בַּבֹּ֖קֶר  in  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
יֹ֣אכַל  he  shall  devour 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
עַ֑ד  the  prey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַד  
Sense: booty, prey.
וְלָעֶ֖רֶב  and  at  night 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
יְחַלֵּ֥ק  he  shall  divide 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַק 
Sense: to divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign.
שָׁלָֽל  the  spoil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.