Cursed 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jacob’s prophecy here isn't just a prediction of judgment, but a profound observation: he curses their anger and wrath, not their persons, highlighting that the way emotions are expressed can invite divine condemnation. Furthermore, he declares he will divide them, implying his prophetic words carry divine authority that shapes their future, even their scattering as tribes.
Cursed 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jacob is speaking his final words to his sons, not as a father settling earthly affairs, but as a prophet revealing their future destinies. He pronounces judgment on Simeon and Levi for their cruel and wrathful massacre of the men of Shechem, foretelling their division and scattering among the tribes of Israel as a consequence of their violent actions. This condemnation sets the stage for the subsequent blessings and prophecies for the other sons.
Jacob's words are sharp and unforgiving. He doesn't just condemn an action; he curses the very emotion behind it.
Jacob's curse on Simeon and Levi's anger isn't just about the specific violent act they committed in Shechem. It's a profound statement about the destructive power of uncontrolled anger.
The Fierce and Cruel Edge
When anger isn't checked by reason, compassion, or a fear of God, it doesn't just burn; it devastates. It can lead individuals and even entire groups to commit acts they later regret, but whose consequences linger.
This isn't about never feeling anger, but about the profound danger of letting that anger become fierce and cruel in its expression.
Jacob’s prophecy isn't just a commentary on the past; it's a pronouncement of future division and scattering for the tribes of Simeon and Levi.
The curse Jacob pronounces isn't just about their character; it foretells a specific destiny for the tribes that would descend from Simeon and Levi.
Ask a follow-up
Jacob's Pronouncement
This division and scattering served as a perpetual reminder of their ancestors' fierce and cruel actions. It meant they would never form a strong, independent political power, a direct result of their past violence.
Understand the original words
arar · Hebrew Verb/Adjective
A divine or human pronouncement of judgment or the imposition of a state of separation from the blessing of God. It signifies the invocation of ruin or divine displeasure.
Ya‘aqov · Hebrew Proper Noun
The name given to the patriarch Jacob, often used to refer to the community of his descendants as the covenant people of God.
Yisra’el · Hebrew Proper Noun
The name given to Jacob by God, representing the national and covenantal identity of the people of God chosen by Him.
Jacob's prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi is a stark reminder that God's justice addresses violence and cruelty, even when carried out by His chosen people. The "division" and "scattering" were not just physical displacements but also a loss of tribal unity and political significance, a consequence of their fierce and cruel wrath.
c. 1750 BC
Jacob's Family Moves to Egypt
Jacob and his entire family, numbering about 70 people, move to Egypt at the invitation of Joseph, who had risen to power there. They settle in the land of Goshen, a fertile region in the Nile Delta.
c. 1750 BC - 1450 BC
Growth and Enslavement of Israelites in Egypt
Over several centuries, the descendants of Jacob multiply into a large population. A new dynasty in Egypt, perhaps the Hyksos or later pharaohs, begins to view them with suspicion and fear, leading to their enslavement and oppression.
c. 1450 BC— this verse
Jacob's Death and Final Prophecies
As Jacob is dying in Egypt, he gathers his twelve sons to pronounce blessings and prophecies upon them, foretelling the future of their tribes. This is a pivotal moment where the destiny of the twelve tribes is divinely outlined.
c. 1450 BC
The Tribe of Simeon and Levi's Violent Act
The brothers Simeon and Levi brutally massacre the men of Shechem after their sister Dinah is defiled. This act of cruel vengeance earns them Jacob's severe condemnation.
c. 1406 BC
The Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites begin their military campaigns to conquer the land of Canaan, eventually dividing it among the ten tribes who received tribal territories.
c. 1400 BC - 1000 BC
Tribal Settlements and Dispersal
The tribes of Simeon and Levi are settled. Levi receives no contiguous territory but is given 48 cities scattered throughout the other tribes. Simeon's territory is small, located within Judah's inheritance, and many within the tribe later disperse or migrate.
This passage describes how the descendants of Simeon, who were scattered and faced pressure from other peoples, eventually conquered some territory in the land of their ancestors, Edom, echoing the scattering prophesied by Jacob.
Joshua 19:1-9This passage details the inheritance allotted to the tribe of Simeon, showing it was not a consolidated territory but rather towns within the inheritance of Judah, demonstrating the fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy of division and scattering.
Exodus 32:26-29During the incident with the golden calf, the Levites showed fierce loyalty to God, distinguishing themselves from the other tribes and demonstrating the prophetic nature of Jacob's words, which, though stemming from a curse for cruelty, was ultimately redeemed in a righteous zeal for God.
Jeremiah 1:10This verse shows a similar prophetic declaration where Jeremiah is appointed to 'root out and to pull down,' highlighting how God uses prophets to foretell the dismantling and scattering of nations or tribes as a consequence of their actions.
calvinGenesis 49:1-33: "And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days."
Omnes istae tribus Israel duodecim. Et hoc est quod loquutus est eis pater eorum, et benedixit eis, unicuique secundum benedictionem suam, benedixit eis.
And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
Et praecepti eis, e…
gillGenesis 49:7: "Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel."
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce,.... It was sinful anger in the nature of it, and so criminal and detestable; it was strong, fierce, and furious in its operation and effects, and so justly cursed; not their persons, but their passions: and their wrath, for it was cruel; it issued in the cruel and barbarous slaughter of the inhabitants of…
Jacob’s prophecy here isn't just a prediction of judgment, but a profound observation: he curses their anger and wrath, not their persons, highlighting that the way emotions are expressed can invite divine condemnation. Furthermore, he declares he will divide them, implying his prophetic words carry divine authority that shapes their future, even their scattering as tribes.
Jacob is speaking his final words to his sons, not as a father settling earthly affairs, but as a prophet revealing their future destinies. He pronounces judgment on Simeon and Levi for their cruel and wrathful massacre of the men of Shechem, foretelling their division and scattering among the tribes of Israel as a consequence of their violent actions. This condemnation sets the stage for the subsequent blessings and prophecies for the other sons.
Jacob is speaking his final words to his sons, not as a father settling earthly affairs, but as a prophet revealing their future destinies. He pronounces judgment on Simeon and Levi for their cruel and wrathful massacre of the men of Shechem, foretelling their division and scattering among the tribes of Israel as a consequence of their violent actions. This condemnation sets the stage for the subsequent blessings and prophecies for the other sons.
"Cursed 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." — Jacob’s prophecy here isn't just a prediction of judgment, but a profound observation: he curses their anger and wrath, not their persons, highlighting that the way emotions are expressed can i…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026