New King James Version
Genesis 49:5
5“Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
Genesis 49:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
- New International Version (NIV)“Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are weapons of violence.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence.
Context of Genesis 49:5
3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. 4Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it— He went up to my couch. “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. 6Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. 7Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.
Read all of Genesis 49Genesis 49:5 word by word
שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 49:5
- Genesis 29:33Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.
- Genesis 34:25Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.
- Genesis 46:10The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
- Proverbs 18:9He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
Commentaries on Genesis 49:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Simeon and Levi are brethren - Not only springing from the same parents, but they have the same kind or disposition, head-strong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel. They have accomplished, etc. - Our margin has it, Their swords are weapons of violence, i. e., Their swords, which they should have used in defense of their persons or the honorable protection of their families, they have employed in the base and dastardly murder of an innocent people. The…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-33Verses 1-33 - Jacob Blesses His Sons 5. מכרה mekêrāh “weapon;” related: כיר kārar or כרה kārāh dig. “Device, design?” related: מכר mākar “sell,” in Arabic “take counsel. Habitation.” 10. מחקק mechoqēq “lawgiver, judge, dispenser of laws.” This word occurs in six other places - Numbers 21:18; Deuteronomy 33:21; Jud. Deuteronomy 5:14; Psalm 60:9; Psalm 108:9; Isaiah 33:22; in five of which it clearly denotes ruler, or judge. The meaning “sceptre” is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-7Verses 3-7 Reuben was the first-born; but by gross sin, he forfeited the birthright. The character of Reuben is, that he was unstable as water. Men do not thrive, because they do not fix. Reuben's sin left a lasting infamy upon his family. Let us never do evil, then we need not fear being told of it. Simeon and Levi were passionate and revengeful. The murder of the Shechemites is a proof of this. Jacob protested against that barbarous act. Our soul is our…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-7Simeon and Levi were violent and lawless. Instead of seeking justice, they allowed their uncontrolled anger to control them and ignored the value of life (34:24–29). I will disperse them: Simeon's land mostly became part of Judah's (Joshua 19:1, 9). Levi was given a more honorable future because the Levites became the priestly tribe (see Exodus 32:25–29). But they did not have their own region (Joshua 21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331. Jacob called unto his sons--It is not to the sayings of the dying saint, so much as of the inspired prophet, that attention is called in this chapter. Under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit he pronounced his prophetic benediction and described the condition of their respective descendants in the last days, or future times. Ge 49:3, 4. Reuben forfeited by his crime the rights and honors of primogeniture. His posterity never made any figure; no…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 49:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 49
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries