Deuteronomy Chapter 33
From The Open Bible Project
33:1 This is the blessing, with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
- (a) This blessing contains not only a simple prayer, but an assurance of the effect of it.
33:2 He said, "Yahweh came from Sinai, And rose from Seir to them. He shone forth from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them.
- (b) Meaning, infinite angels.
33:3 Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet; [Everyone] shall receive of your words.
- (c) Hebrew, his saints, that is, the children of Israel.
- (d) As thy disciples.
33:4 Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
- (e) To us and our successors.
33:5 He was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.
33:6 "Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few."
- (f) Reuben will be one of the tribes of God’s people, though for his sin his honour is diminished, and his family but small.
33:7 This is [the blessing] of Judah: and he said, "Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries."
- (g) Signifying, that he would barely obtain Jacob’s promise, (Genesis 49:8).
33:8 Of Levi he said, "Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you strove at the waters of Meribah;
33:9 who said of his father, and of his mother, 'I have not seen him;' Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he know his own children: For they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.
- (h) He preferred God’s glory to all natural affection, (Exodus 28:30).
33:10 They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.
33:11 Yahweh, bless his substance. Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again."
- (i) He declares that the ministers of God have many enemies, and therefore need to be prayed for.
33:12 Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him. He covers him all the day long. He dwells between his shoulders."
- (k) Because the temple would be built in Zion, which was in the tribe of Benjamin, he shows that God would dwell with him there.
33:13 Of Joseph he said, "His land is blessed by Yahweh, for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath,
33:14 for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things of the growth of the moons,
33:15 for the chief things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
33:16 for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of him who lived in the [9] bush [See Deuteronomy Footnotes 9]. Let [the blessing] come on the head of Joseph, On the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
- (l) Which was God appearing to Moses, (Exodus 3:2).
33:17 The firstborn of his herd, majesty is his. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the peoples all of them, [even] the ends of the earth: They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh."
33:18 Of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.
- (m) In thy prosperous voyages on the sea, (Genesis 49:13).
33:19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand."
- (n) The tribe of Zebulun.
33:20 Of Gad he said, "He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.
33:21 He provided the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver's portion reserved. He came [with] the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel."
- (o) So the portion of the Gadites, and others on this side of the Jordan was God’s, though it was not so known.
33:22 Of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's cub that leaps out of Bashan."
33:23 Of Naphtali he said, "Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of the blessing of Yahweh, Possess the west and the south."
- (p) Meaning, near the sea.
33:24 Of Asher he said, "Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil.
33:25 Your bars shall be iron and brass. As your days, so your strength will be.
- (q) You will be strong or, your country full of metal. It seems that Simeon is left out, because he was under Judah, and his portion of his inheritance, (Joshua 19:9).
33:26 "There is none like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, In his excellency on the skies.
33:27 The eternal God is [your] dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!'
33:28 Israel dwells in safety; the fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine. Yes, his heavens drop down dew.
- (r) Who was plentiful in issue as a fountain.
33:29 You are happy, Israel. Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, the sword of your excellency! Your enemies shall submit themselves to you. You shall tread on their high places."
- (s) Your enemies for fear shall lie and pretend to be in subjection.
