Bible Verses About Patriarchal Government: Blessing and cursing their children

he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

He also declared: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the servant of Shem.

May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth— an abundance of grain and new wine.

May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”

Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:

Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch, and defiled it.

Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.

May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.

Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

I await Your salvation, O LORD.

Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.

Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.

Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.