Jacob, on his death-bed, blesses his sons. The Blessing of Jacob is actually a prophecy, outlining the destinies of the tribes of Israel, personified by Jacob's twelve sons. Each son is given a portion of the promised land, but Judah is given the the sceptre and the mace, implying future dominion for that particular tribe. Significantly, out of this tribe will come "he to whom it belongs, to whom the peoples shall render obedience" (Gen: 49:10). This verse contains more than a hint of the hope that runs all the way through the Old testament of the coming of the Messiah, sent to save the world by establishing a new relationship between God and humankind.

This prophecy is referring directly to David and his descendants, the most famous of sons of the tribe of Judah, and it thus looks to the Messiah as coming from among them. Jesus was acknowledged "Son of David" and Matthew's account of the genealogy of Jesus traces His ancestry not only to David but also to Perez, the son of Judah, and Tamar.

Matthew, in tracing this history of the ancestry of Jesus, proves true the prophecy of Jacob about Judah. This shows that, through all the vicissitudes of life undergone by the people of God throughout history, God's promise to them that He would be with them always was never broken.