Genesis 49:8-12

Genesis 49:8-12

[8] Judah,  thou art he whom thy brethren  shall praise:  thy hand  shall be in the neck  of thine enemies;  thy father's  children  shall bow down  before thee. [9] Judah  is a lion's  whelp:  from the prey,  my son,  thou art gone up:  he stooped down,  he couched  as a lion,  and as an old lion;  who shall rouse him up?  [10] 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. [11] Binding  his foal  unto the vine,  and his ass's  colt  unto the choice vine;  he washed  his garments  in wine,  and his clothes  in the blood  of grapes:  [12] His eyes  shall be red  with wine,  and his teeth  white  with milk. 

What does Genesis 49:8-12 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

"Whichever of these interpretations is adopted, ... all at least agree that this line is predicting the rise of the Davidic monarchy and the establishment of the Israelite empire, if not the coming of a greater David. And if the primary reference is to David, traditional Jewish and Christian exegetes would agree that like other Davidic promises it has a greater fulfillment in the Messiah." [1]
Because Reuben, Simeon, and Levi had disqualified themselves, Judah received the leadership of the tribes and the blessing that normally went to the first-born. This is how the leadership of the tribes and the Messianic line fell to Judah. Jacob evidently forgave Judah"s earlier sins because he repented and later sacrificed himself for Jacob"s wellbeing.
Everything after the word "until" ( Genesis 49:10) describes millennial conditions.
"No Judean would tie his ass to a vine [2], for it would be eaten up, of course. Anyone who can be so careless and who can wash his garments in wine, lives in paradisiacal abundance." [3]
"The sense of the imagery is that wine, the symbol of prosperity and blessing, will be so plentiful that even the choicest vines will be put to such everyday use as tethering the animals of burden and vintage wine will be as commonplace as wash water. Genesis 49:12 returns to the picture of the king of Judah. His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. He is a picture of strength and power." [4]
This prophecy is the first of many that follow in the Old Testament that associates bumper crops with the golden age of future blessing.