Genesis 49:6
O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
Dying under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Jacob uttered solemn prophetic truth concerning Simeon and Levi far beyond mere paternal feeling. His refusal to join their secret counsel and assembly was not unforgiving resentment, for he loved his sons to the last, but God's lifting of his mind to condemn their sin. Their anger and self-will were shown in deceitfully and cruelly destroying the Shechemites and in leading guilt in selling Joseph, wicked violence which God by no means sanctions and for which He declared He would visit them. They would therefore be divided and scattered in Israel, fulfilled when Simeon dwindled to a small share within Judah and Levi received no inheritance but cities throughout the land, though Levi's later faithfulness turned the curse to blessing. So the verse stands as a warning not to enter the secret plans, assemblies, or intimate fellowships of those who delight in wickedness, know truth without obeying it, or deal dishonestly, lest honor be compromised and the soul be drawn into sharing their spirit and doom.
Setting and Meaning
The verse is Jacob's dying prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi, spoken in his last hours under the Spirit of the Lord with angels around him and the power of grace shining upon him. He was lifted by inspiration above his natural paternal feelings to utter inspired truth.
His refusal to let his soul enter their secret counsel and his honour be united to their assembly was not personal resentment or an unforgiving spirit. He had forgiven his children's unfilial conduct and wicked treatment of Joseph and loved them to the last with no resentful feeling toward them. By his own paternal affection he would in his dying testimony have spoken only love and tenderness, but God by the spirit of prophecy lifted his mind above his natural feelings to speak painful truth.
The anger that slew a man and the self-will that dug down a wall point to their deception of the Shechemites followed by cruel and revengeful destruction of them, and to their leading guilt in the wrong done to Joseph in selling him. Though the Shechemites had wronged them, the brothers' deceit and bloodshed were grievous sins. Jacob's words at the end of his life reveal his lasting horror, grief, and abhorrence of that deed to the end of his life.
The verse reveals God's view that He by no means sanctions cruelty, wickedness, or violence as sinful, and declares that He would visit Simeon and Levi for their sins. It belongs to a gloomy prophecy, darker than Jacob's prophetic words about his other sons.
Judgment Foretold and Fulfilled
Jacob's dying words over Simeon and Levi look far beyond his own lifetime to the future of their descendants. They declare that God would call those deeds of cruelty and violence to account rather than sanction them. That reckoning is expressed as being divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel.
Simeon dwindled to a small tribe with only a limited portion inside Judah's territory and afterward sent out colonies beyond the land. Levi was given no territorial inheritance at all, but only cities set apart here and there throughout Israel. For Levi that scattering was transformed by later faithfulness in sanctuary service, turning the curse into a blessing.
Warning Against Evil Association
Jacob's refusal to enter into secret counsel is a warning not to join the secret counsels, plans, assemblies and gatherings of those who take pleasure in wickedness. It was spoken under the Holy Spirit with foresight of the danger of such fellowship, for those who reject God's Word and Spirit can draw others into great sin. Association with such company is dangerous because it leads away from what is right and compromises honor.
It stands as a danger signal against intimate association with those who know the truth but do not practice it. To join their secret plans or assembly and fellowship with their evil deeds would compromise honor, and Jacob regarded it so and looked with horror on his sons' deeds and refused them. Such intimacy exposes God's people to a corrupting influence, lest their spirit be shared, one become tainted with evil and become a participant in their evil deeds as one's own and share their doom. God has drawn a sharp line of distinction between saint and sinner, converted and unconverted, as distinct as midday and midnight, and His people cannot with safety enter into such intimacy.
The same refusal warns against intimate ties with people who violate God's law in their business dealings, lest their spirit be adopted and their consequences, doom and punishment be shared. One loyal to God and learning from Jesus will not join a secret, deceptive, dishonest or self-seeking alliance nor let personal honor be bound to the schemes of those who act in anger and self-will. That loyalty refuses intrigue and dishonesty and will not sacrifice conscience for money, advantage or status.