SEV Biblia, Chapter 49:5
¶ Simeón y Leví, hermanos: armas de iniquidad sus armas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Genesis 49:5
Verse 5. Simeon 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, &c.] 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 honourable protection of their families, they have employed in the base and dastardly murder of an innocent people.
The Septuagint gives a different turn to this line from our translation, and confirms the translation given above: sunetelesan adikia exairesewv autwn? They have accomplished the iniquity of their purpose; with which the Samaritan Version agrees. In the Samaritan text we read [Samaritan] calu, they have accomplished, instead of the Hebrew ylk keley, weapons or instruments, which reading most critics prefer: and as to µhytrkm mecherotheyhem, translated above their fraudulent purposes, and which our translation on almost no authority renders their habitations, it must either come from the AEthiopic rkm macar, he counselled, devised stratagems, &c., (see Castel,) or from the Arabic macara, he deceived, practiced deceit, plotted, &c., which is nearly of the same import. This gives not only a consistent but evidently the true sense.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 lastin infamy upon his family. Let us never do evil, then we need not fea being told of it. Simeon and Levi were passionate and revengeful. The murder of the Shechemites is a proof of this. Jacob protested agains that barbarous act. Our soul is our honour; by its powers we ar distinguished from, and raised above, the beasts that perish. We ought from our hearts, to abhor all bloody and mischievous men. Cursed by their anger. Jacob does not curse their persons, but their lusts. will divide them. The sentence as it respects Levi was turned into blessing. This tribe performed an acceptable service in their zea against the worshippers of the golden calf, Ex 32. Being set apart to God as priests, they were in that character scattered through the nation of Israel.
Original Hebrew
שׁמעון 8095 ולוי 3878 אחים 251 כלי 3627 חמס 2555 מכרתיהם׃ 4380
