that behind the attractive
kingdom of peace, there is concealed the destructive dominion of the
lion.

Several interpreters have determined the sense as follows:--The
dominion of Judah should continue until the appearing of Shiloh; but
that then he should lose it.[11] We, on the contrary, conceive the
sense to be this: "That the tribe of Judah should not lose the dominion
until he attain to its highest realization by Shiloh, who should be
descended from him, and to whom all the nations of the earth should
render obedience."

Against this interpretation no difficulty can be raised from the
[Hebrew: ed ki]. It is true that this term has always a reference to
the _terminus ad quem_ only, and includes it; but it is as certain
that, very frequently, a _terminus ad quem_ is mentioned which is not
intended to be the last, but only one of special importance; so that
what lies beyond it is lost sight of. (Compare the author's _Dissert.
on the Genuin. of Daniel_, pp. 55-56.) If [Pg 72] only sceptre and
lawgiver were secured to Judah up to the time of Shiloh's coming, then,
as a matter of course, they were so afterwards. That, previous to the
coming of Shiloh, great dangers would threaten the sceptre of Judah, is
indicated by Jacob, since he lays so much stress upon the sceptre's not
departing until that time. _Hence we expect circumstances that will
almost amount to a departing of the sceptre._

But the positive reason for this interpretation is, that if, according
to the other opinion, Judah were told that the dominion of his tribe
were, at some future period, to cease, this would not be in harmony
with the tone of the remainder of the address to Judah, which is
altogether of a cheerful character. And _then_,--Jacob would, in
that case, not have allowed the Messianic promise to remain in
its indefinite state; from former analogies, we should have been
induced to expect that he would transfer it to one of his sons. And
_finally_,--from the analogy of the other Messianic prophecies, as well
as from history, it seems not to be admissible to contrast the dominion
of Judah with the kingdom of the Messiah. The dominion of Judah does
not by any means _terminate_ in Christ; it rather _centres_ in Him.

We are not expressly told that the Shiloh will be descended from Judah;
but this is supposed to be self-evident, and is not, therefore,
expressly mentioned. If it were otherwise, the Shiloh would not have
been alluded to in connecti