Bible Commentaries
Deuteronomy 33

Verse 1

33:1 And this [is] the {a} blessing, wherewith 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.

Verse 2

33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten {b} thousands of saints: from his right hand [went] a fiery law for them.

(b) Meaning, infinite angels.

Verse 3

33:3 Yea, he loved the people; {c} all his saints [are] in thy hand: and they sat down at {d} thy feet; [every one] shall receive of thy words.

(c) Hebrew, his saints, that is, the children of Israel.

(d) As thy disciples.

Verse 4

33:4 Moses commanded us a law, [even] the {e} inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

(e) To us and our successors.

Verse 6

33:6 Let {f} Reuben live, and not die; and let [not] 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.

Verse 7

33:7 And this [is the blessing] of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be {g} sufficient for him; and be thou an help [to him] from his enemies.

(g) Signifying, that he would barely obtain Jacob’s promise, Genesis 49:8.

Verse 9

33:9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, {h} I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.

(h) He preferred God’s glory to all natural affection, Exodus 28:30.

Verse 11

33:11 Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite {i} through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

(i) He declares that the ministers of God have many enemies, and therefore need to be prayed for.

Verse 12

33:12 [And] of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall {k} dwell in safety by him; [and the LORD] shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell 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.

Verse 16

33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and [for] the good will of him that dwelt in the {l} bush: let [the blessing] come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him [that was] separated from his brethren.

(l) Which was God appearing to Moses, Exodus 3:2.

Verse 18

33:18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy {m} going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.

(m) In thy prosperous voyages on the sea, Genesis 49:13.

Verse 19

33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for {n} they shall suck [of] the abundance of the seas, and [of] treasures hid in the sand.

(n) The tribe of Zebulun.

Verse 21

33:21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, [in] a portion of the {o} lawgiver, [was he] seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments 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.

Verse 23

33:23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou {p} the west and the south.

(p) Meaning, near the sea.

Verse 25

33:25 Thy shoes [shall be] {q} iron and brass; and as thy days, [so shall] thy strength [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.

Verse 28

33:28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: {r} the fountain of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

(r) Who was plentiful in issue as a fountain.

Verse 29

33:29 Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who [is] the sword of thy excellency! and {s} thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

(s) Your enemies for fear shall lie and pretend to be in subjection.