1 And this is the blessing, H1293 wherewith Moses H4872 the man H376 of God H430 blessed H1288 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 before H6440 his death. H4194
2 And he said, H559 The LORD H3068 came H935 from Sinai, H5514 and rose up H2224 from Seir H8165 unto them; he shined forth H3313 from mount H2022 Paran, H6290 and he came H857 with ten thousands H7233 of saints: H6944 from his right hand H3225 went a fiery H799 H784 law H1881 for them.
3 Yea, H637 he loved H2245 the people; H5971 all his saints H6918 are in thy hand: H3027 and they sat down H8497 at thy feet; H7272 every one shall receive H5375 of thy words. H1703
4 Moses H4872 commanded H6680 us a law, H8451 even the inheritance H4181 of the congregation H6952 of Jacob. H3290
5 And he was king H4428 in Jeshurun, H3484 when the heads H7218 of the people H5971 and the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 were gathered H622 together. H3162
6 Let Reuben H7205 live, H2421 and not die; H4191 and let not his men H4962 be few. H4557
7 And this is the blessing of Judah: H3063 and he said, H559 Hear, H8085 LORD, H3068 the voice H6963 of Judah, H3063 and bring H935 him unto his people: H5971 let his hands H3027 be sufficient H7227 for him; and be thou an help H5828 to him from his enemies. H6862
8 And of Levi H3878 he said, H559 Let thy Thummim H8550 and thy Urim H224 be with thy holy H2623 one, H376 whom thou didst prove H5254 at Massah, H4532 and with whom thou didst strive H7378 at the waters H4325 of Meribah; H4809
9 Who said H559 unto his father H1 and to his mother, H517 I have not seen H7200 him; neither did he acknowledge H5234 his brethren, H251 nor knew H3045 his own children: H1121 for they have observed H8104 thy word, H565 and kept H5341 thy covenant. H1285
10 They shall teach H3384 Jacob H3290 thy judgments, H4941 and Israel H3478 thy law: H8451 they shall put H7760 incense H6988 before H639 thee, and whole burnt sacrifice H3632 upon thine altar. H4196
11 Bless, H1288 LORD, H3068 his substance, H2428 and accept H7521 the work H6467 of his hands: H3027 smite H4272 through the loins H4975 of them that rise H6965 against him, and of them that hate H8130 him, that they rise H6965 not H4480 again. H6965
12 And of Benjamin H1144 he said, H559 The beloved H3039 of the LORD H3068 shall dwell H7931 in safety H983 by him; and the LORD shall cover H2653 him all the day H3117 long, and he shall dwell H7931 between his shoulders. H3802
13 And of Joseph H3130 he said, H559 Blessed H1288 of the LORD H3068 be his land, H776 for the precious things H4022 of heaven, H8064 for the dew, H2919 and for the deep H8415 that coucheth beneath, H7257
14 And for the precious H4022 fruits H8393 brought forth by the sun, H8121 and for the precious things H4022 put forth H1645 by the moon, H3391
15 And for the chief things H7218 of the ancient H6924 mountains, H2042 and for the precious things H4022 of the lasting H5769 hills, H1389
16 And for the precious things H4022 of the earth H776 and fulness H4393 thereof, and for the good will H7522 of him that dwelt H7931 in the bush: H5572 let the blessing come H935 upon the head H7218 of Joseph, H3130 and upon the top of the head H6936 of him that was separated H5139 from his brethren. H251
17 His glory H1926 is like the firstling H1060 of his bullock, H7794 and his horns H7161 are like the horns H7161 of unicorns: H7214 with them he shall push H5055 the people H5971 together H3162 to the ends H657 of the earth: H776 and they are the ten thousands H7233 of Ephraim, H669 and they are the thousands H505 of Manasseh. H4519
18 And of Zebulun H2074 he said, H559 Rejoice, H8055 Zebulun, H2074 in thy going out; H3318 and, Issachar, H3485 in thy tents. H168
19 They shall call H7121 the people H5971 unto the mountain; H2022 there they shall offer H2076 sacrifices H2077 of righteousness: H6664 for they shall suck H3243 of the abundance H8228 of the seas, H3220 and of treasures H8226 hid H2934 in the sand. H2344
20 And of Gad H1410 he said, H559 Blessed H1288 be he that enlargeth H7337 Gad: H1410 he dwelleth H7931 as a lion, H3833 and teareth H2963 the arm H2220 with H637 the crown of the head. H6936
21 And he provided H7200 the first part H7225 for himself, because there, in a portion H2513 of the lawgiver, H2710 was he seated; H5603 and he came H857 with the heads H7218 of the people, H5971 he executed H6213 the justice H6666 of the LORD, H3068 and his judgments H4941 with Israel. H3478
22 And of Dan H1835 he said, H559 Dan H1835 is a lion's H738 whelp: H1482 he shall leap H2187 from Bashan. H1316
23 And of Naphtali H5321 he said, H559 O Naphtali, H5321 satisfied H7649 with favour, H7522 and full H4392 with the blessing H1293 of the LORD: H3068 possess H3423 thou the west H3220 and the south. H1864
24 And of Asher H836 he said, H559 Let Asher H836 be blessed H1288 with children; H1121 let him be acceptable H7521 to his brethren, H251 and let him dip H2881 his foot H7272 in oil. H8081
25 Thy shoes H4515 shall be iron H1270 and brass; H5178 and as thy days, H3117 so shall thy strength H1679 be.
26 There is none like unto the God H410 of Jeshurun, H3484 who rideth H7392 upon the heaven H8064 in thy help, H5828 and in his excellency H1346 on the sky. H7834
27 The eternal H6924 God H430 is thy refuge, H4585 and underneath are the everlasting H5769 arms: H2220 and he shall thrust out H1644 the enemy H341 from before H6440 thee; and shall say, H559 Destroy H8045 them.
28 Israel H3478 then shall dwell H7931 in safety H983 alone: H910 the fountain H5869 of Jacob H3290 shall be upon a land H776 of corn H1715 and wine; H8492 also his heavens H8064 shall drop down H6201 dew. H2919
29 Happy H835 art thou, O Israel: H3478 who is like unto thee, O people H5971 saved H3467 by the LORD, H3068 the shield H4043 of thy help, H5828 and who is the sword H2719 of thy excellency! H1346 and thine enemies H341 shall be found liars H3584 unto thee; and thou shalt tread H1869 upon their high places. H1116
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 33
Commentary on Deuteronomy 33 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 33
De 33:1-28. The Majesty of God.
1. Moses the man of God—This was a common designation of a prophet (1Sa 2:27; 9:6), and it is here applied to Moses, when, like Jacob, he was about to deliver ministerially before his death, a prophetic benediction to Israel.
2-4. The Lord came—Under a beautiful metaphor, borrowed from the dawn and progressive splendor of the sun, the Majesty of God is sublimely described as a divine light which appeared in Sinai and scattered its beams on all the adjoining region in directing Israel's march to Canaan. In these descriptions of a theophania, God is represented as coming from the south, and the allusion is in general to the thunderings and lightnings of Sinai; but other mountains in the same direction are mentioned with it. The location of Seir was on the east of the Ghor; mount Paran was either the chain on the west of the Ghor, or rather the mountains on the southern border of the desert towards the peninsula [Robinson]. (Compare Jud 5:4, 5; Ps 68:7, 8; Hab 3:3).
ten thousands of saints—rendered by some, "with the ten thousand of Kadesh," or perhaps better still, "from Meribah" [Ewald].
a fiery law—so called both because of the thunder and lightning which accompanied its promulgation (Ex 19:16-18; De 4:11), and the fierce, unrelenting curse denounced against the violation of its precepts (2Co 3:7-9). Notwithstanding those awe-inspiring symbols of Majesty that were displayed on Sinai, the law was really given in kindness and love (De 33:3), as a means of promoting both the temporal and eternal welfare of the people. And it was "the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob," not only from the hereditary obligation under which that people were laid to observe it, but from its being the grand distinction, the peculiar privilege of the nation.
6. Let Reuben live, and not die—Although deprived of the honor and privileges of primogeniture, he was still to hold rank as one of the tribes of Israel. He was more numerous than several other tribes (Nu 1:21; 2:11). Yet gradually he sank into a mere nomadic tribe, which had enough to do merely "to live and not die." Many eminent biblical scholars, resting on the most ancient and approved manuscripts of the Septuagint, consider the latter clause as referring to Simeon; "and Simeon, let his men be few," a reading of the text which is in harmony with other statements of Scripture respecting this tribe (Nu 25:6-14; 1:23; 26:14; Jos 19:1).
7. this is the blessing of Judah—Its general purport points to the great power and independence of Judah, as well as its taking the lead in all military expeditions.
8-10. of Levi he said—The burden of this blessing is the appointment of the Levites to the dignified and sacred office of the priesthood (Le 10:11; De 22:8; 17:8-11), a reward for their zeal in supporting the cause of God, and their unsparing severity in chastising even their nearest and dearest relatives who had participated in the idolatry of the molten calf (Ex 32:25-28; compare Mal 2:4-6).
12. of Benjamin he said—A distinguishing favor was conferred on this tribe in having its portion assigned near the temple of God.
between his shoulders—that is, on his sides or borders. Mount Zion, on which stood the city of Jerusalem, belonged to Judah; but Mount Moriah, the site of the sacred edifice, lay in the confines of Benjamin.
13-17. of Joseph he said—The territory of this tribe, diversified by hill and dale, wood and water, would be rich in all the productions—olives, grapes, figs, &c., which are reared in a mountainous region, as well as in the grain and herbs that grow in the level fields. "The firstling of the bullock and the horns of the unicorn" (rhinoceros), indicate glory and strength, and it is supposed that under these emblems were shadowed forth the triumphs of Joshua and the new kingdom of Jeroboam, both of whom were of Ephraim (compare Ge 48:20).
18, 19. Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out—on commercial enterprises and voyages by sea.
and, Issachar in thy tents—preferring to reside in their maritime towns.
19. shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand—Both tribes should traffic with the Phœnicians in gold and silver, pearl and coral, especially in murex, the shellfish that yielded the famous Tyrian dye, and in glass, which was manufactured from the sand of the river Belus, in their immediate neighborhood.
20, 21. of Gad he said—Its possessions were larger than they would have been had they lain west of Jordan; and this tribe had the honor of being settled by Moses himself in the first portion of land conquered. In the forest region, south of the Jabbok, "he dwelt as a lion" (compare Ge 30:11; 49:19). Notwithstanding, they faithfully kept their engagement to join the "heads of the people" [De 33:21] in the invasion of Canaan.
22. Dan is a lion's whelp—His proper settlement in the south of Canaan being too small, he by a sudden and successful irruption, established a colony in the northern extremity of the land. This might well be described as the leap of a young lion from the hills of Bashan.
23. of Naphtali he said—The pleasant and fertile territory of this tribe lay to "the west," on the borders of lakes Merom and Chinnereth, and to "the south" of the northern Danites.
24, 25. of Asher he said—The condition of this tribe is described as combining all the elements of earthly felicity.
dip his foot in oil—These words allude either to the process of extracting the oil by foot presses, or to his district as particularly fertile and adapted to the culture of the olive.
25. shoes of iron and brass—These shoes suited his rocky coast from Carmel to Sidon. Country people as well as ancient warriors had their lower extremities protected by metallic greaves (1Sa 17:6; Eph 6:15) and iron-soled shoes.
26-29. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun—The chapter concludes with a congratulatory address to Israel on their peculiar happiness and privilege in having Jehovah for their God and protector.
who rideth upon the heaven in thy help—an evident allusion to the pillar of cloud and fire, which was both the guide and shelter of Israel.
28. the fountain of Jacob—The posterity of Israel shall dwell in a blessed and favored land.