Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
The words belong to Jacob's dying prophecy, blessing, and testimony, spoken near death with his sons and children gathered around him for his last advice. Before speaking them he had forgiven Simeon and Levi's unfilial conduct and wrongs and loved them to the last with no unforgiving or resentful spirit. He had mourned deeply over the loss of Joseph, had grieved when Simeon was kept in Egypt, and had anxiously desired his children to return safely with Simeon. The stern words did not come from his own natural paternal love and tenderness, which would have uttered only love and tenderness. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon him, angels were around him in his last hours, the power of God's grace shone upon him, and by the spirit of prophecy his mind was lifted above natural feeling to utter inspired truth although painful, laying open past lives and future history to reveal God's purposes. Spoken by inspiration to his sorrowing sons, the utterance is gloomier than his prophetic words to his other sons.
Simeon and Levi are united as brothers in violence and cruelty, with cruelty and violent deeds belonging to their houses, dwelling, and assemblies. It points back to their trickery and deception toward the Shechemites and their fierce, angry, self-willed, revengeful destruction and killing of them, which was grievously sinful even though they had been provoked. It also points to their being the most guilty and especially guilty in what was done to Joseph, in the plot against him and his selling. The verse presents the light in which God views deeds of violence in their true light, showing that God would by no means sanction cruelty or wickedness but will visit sinners for their sins in judgment. In it Jacob rejects their secret plans and assembly and condemns and curses their fierce anger and cruel wrath.
The verse introduces the prophecy and judgment as the consequence of that violence and guilt that they would be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel. Simeon fulfilled this by becoming Israel's smallest tribe, receiving no mention in Moses' final blessing, being allotted only a small portion within Judah's territory, with some of its families later settling beyond the borders of the Holy Land. Levi fulfilled this by receiving no single territorial inheritance but only cities scattered throughout the land. Yet Levi's faithfulness to Jehovah when the other tribes apostatized secured the tribe's service at the sanctuary, turning its curse into a blessing.
The words belong to Jacob's dying prophecy, blessing, and testimony, spoken near death with his sons and children gathered around him for his last advice. Before speaking them he had forgiven Simeon and Levi's unfilial conduct and wrongs and loved them to the last with no unforgiving or resentful spirit. He had mourned deeply over the loss of Joseph, had grieved when Simeon was kept in Egypt, and had anxiously desired his children to return safely with Simeon. The stern words did not come from his own natural paternal love and tenderness, which would have uttered only love and tenderness. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon him, angels were around him in his last hours, the power of God's grace shone upon him, and by the spirit of prophecy his mind was lifted above natural feeling to utter inspired truth although painful, laying open past lives and future history to reveal God's purposes. Spoken by inspiration to his sorrowing sons, the utterance is gloomier than his prophetic words to his other sons.
Simeon and Levi are united as brothers in violence and cruelty, with cruelty and violent deeds belonging to their houses, dwelling, and assemblies. It points back to their trickery and deception toward the Shechemites and their fierce, angry, self-willed, revengeful destruction and killing of them, which was grievously sinful even though they had been provoked. It also points to their being the most guilty and especially guilty in what was done to Joseph, in the plot against him and his selling. The verse presents the light in which God views deeds of violence in their true light, showing that God would by no means sanction cruelty or wickedness but will visit sinners for their sins in judgment. In it Jacob rejects their secret plans and assembly and condemns and curses their fierce anger and cruel wrath.
The verse introduces the prophecy and judgment as the consequence of that violence and guilt that they would be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel. Simeon fulfilled this by becoming Israel's smallest tribe, receiving no mention in Moses' final blessing, being allotted only a small portion within Judah's territory, with some of its families later settling beyond the borders of the Holy Land. Levi fulfilled this by receiving no single territorial inheritance but only cities scattered throughout the land. Yet Levi's faithfulness to Jehovah when the other tribes apostatized secured the tribe's service at the sanctuary, turning its curse into a blessing.