King James Version
Deuteronomy 33
29 verses with commentary
Moses' Blessing on Israel
And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.</strong><br><br>The designation <em>ish ha-Elohim</em> ("man of God") appears only here and Psalm 90:1 for Moses in the Pentateuch, emphasizing his unique prophetic authority. This title connects Moses to later prophets (Samuel, Elijah, Elisha) who bore divine authority, yet Moses rema...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXXIII.
MOSES’ LAST BLESSING.
(1) **Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel.**—The title *man of God *is here used for the first time. Its counterpart is to be found in Deuteronomy 34:5 : “Moses the *servant of Jehovah *died.” The more any man is a “servant to Jehovah,” the more is he a “man of Elohim” to his fellow-men. After Moses, Elijah and Elisha are more especially described by t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure--**The seasonable supply of the early and latter rain was one of the principal means by which their land was so uncommonly fruitful.
**thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow--**that is, thou shalt be in such affluent circumstances, as to be capable, out of thy superfluous wealth, to give aid to thy poorer neighbors.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →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 thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. a fiery: Heb. a fire of law
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.</strong><br><br>This magnificent theophany describes Yahweh's covenant procession from Sinai using three geographical markers: Sinai (law-giving), Seir (Edom), and Paran (wilderness). The Hebrew <em>zarach</em>...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2)“And he said, Jehovah came from Sinai,
And dawned upon them from Seir;
He shone forth from mount Paran.
And there came from the ten thousands of holiness,
From His right hand, a fire of law [10] for them.”
[10] On this expression see an additional note at the end of the book.
The appearance of God on Sinai is described as a sunrise. His light rose from Sinai, and the tops of the hills of Seir c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. the head, and not the tail--**an Oriental form of expression, indicating the possession of independent power and great dignity and acknowledged excellence (Is 9:14; 19:15).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.</strong><br><br>The opening <em>af chovev amim</em> ("indeed/yea, he loved the people") declares covenant love (<em>chovev</em> from root <em>chavav</em>, to cherish or love) as foundational to Yahweh's relationship with Israel. This isn't sentimental affection but...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Yea, he loved.**—The connection appears to be this—
“From His right hand went a fire, a law for them (Israel).
Loving the peoples also;
(*i.e., *all who should hereafter become His people)
All His saints are in Thy hand:
(the hand of Him who spake on Sinai, and now “speaketh from heaven”)
And they are seated at Thy feet;
(the feet of the same heavenly Prophet. Comp. Matthew 5:1-2)
Every one ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. the head, and not the tail--**an Oriental form of expression, indicating the possession of independent power and great dignity and acknowledged excellence (Is 9:14; 19:15).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.</strong><br><br>The Hebrew <em>Torah tzivvah-lanu Moshe</em> ("Moses commanded us a law") emphasizes Torah's Mosaic mediation while affirming divine origin (previous verses establish Yahweh as ultimate source). <em>Torah</em> means instruction, teaching, guidance—not merely legal code but comprehensive covenant wi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4,5) “[Of] the law which Moses commanded us,
The inheritance of the congregation of Jacob,
When he (Moses) was king in Jeshurun,
In the gathering of the heads of the people,
The tribes of Israel together.”
This fourth verse, from its form, is evidently not what Moses said, but an explanatory parenthesis, inserted by the writer, who was probably Joshua. Upon “He was king in Jeshurun,” Rashi says, ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-20. But ... if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord--**Curses that were to follow them in the event of disobedience are now enumerated, and they are almost exact counterparts of the blessings which were described in the preceding context as the reward of a faithful adherence to the covenant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.</strong><br><br>The enigmatic pronoun "he" most naturally refers to Yahweh (from context of verses 2-4), establishing divine kingship over Israel. <em>Jeshurun</em> (יְשֻׁרוּן) is a poetic name for Israel appearing only in Deuteronomy (32:15; 33:5, 26) and Isaiah 44:2, derived from <e...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-20. But ... if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord--**Curses that were to follow them in the event of disobedience are now enumerated, and they are almost exact counterparts of the blessings which were described in the preceding context as the reward of a faithful adherence to the covenant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.</strong><br><br>Moses' blessing of Reuben is notably brief and precarious compared to other tribes. The jussive verbs <em>yechi</em> ("let live") and <em>al-yamot</em> ("and not die") suggest existential threat—Reuben's survival is not guaranteed but requires divine intervention. This reflects Jacob's prophecy that Reuben would "not...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Let Reuben live, and not die.**—“‘Live’ in this world.” says Rashi, “and ‘not die’ in the world to come.” That his misdeed should not be remembered (Genesis 35:22). Rashi also notices the juxtaposition of this record with the sentence, “the sons of Jacob were *twelve.” *Reuben was not cut off, but he was disinherited (1Chronicles 5:1), and his father’s blessing had so much in it of disapprov...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-20. But ... if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord--**Curses that were to follow them in the event of disobedience are now enumerated, and they are almost exact counterparts of the blessings which were described in the preceding context as the reward of a faithful adherence to the covenant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →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 sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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 sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.</strong><br><br>Moses' blessing of Judah is prayerful intercession rather than direct prophecy. <em>Shema YHWH qol Yehudah</em> ("Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah") invokes divine attention to Judah'...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And this **(he said)** of Judah.**—The words which follow are a kingly blessing: “Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people.” In other words, when we think of “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” “Thy kingdom come.” Rashi reminds us of the many prayers in Old Testament history which were heard from Judah’s lips. The prayers of David and Solomon; of Asa and Jehoshaphat; of Heze...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-20. But ... if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord--**Curses that were to follow them in the event of disobedience are now enumerated, and they are almost exact counterparts of the blessings which were described in the preceding context as the reward of a faithful adherence to the covenant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;</strong><br><br>Moses blesses Levi extensively (vv. 8-11, longest tribal blessing) due to their priestly role. The <em>Urim ve-Tummim</em> (אוּרִים וְתֻמִּים) were sacred lots kept in the high priest's breastplate for discerning ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **And of Levi.**—Next to Joseph, this tribe has the largest share in Moses’ last words, as we might naturally expect, it being his own tribe. The *character of the priest *is the principal subject. The blessing may be thus paraphrased: “Let thy Thummim and thy Urim (the chief high-priestly ornaments) be ever with some saintly man of thine, like him whom thou (Israel) didst tempt in Massah, and...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-20. But ... if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord--**Curses that were to follow them in the event of disobedience are now enumerated, and they are almost exact counterparts of the blessings which were described in the preceding context as the reward of a faithful adherence to the covenant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →Who said unto his father and to his mother, 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Who said unto his father and to his mother, 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.</strong> Moses blesses the tribe of Levi, highlighting their radical devotion demonstrated during the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:25-29). The Hebrew verb <em>shamar</em> (שָׁמַר, "observed/kept") app...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-20. But ... if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord--**Curses that were to follow them in the event of disobedience are now enumerated, and they are almost exact counterparts of the blessings which were described in the preceding context as the reward of a faithful adherence to the covenant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. They shall teach: or, Let them teach they shall put: or, let them put before: Heb. at thy nose
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.</strong> Moses defines the Levites' dual priestly function: <em>yarah</em> (יָרָה, "teach") and sacrificial mediation. The Hebrew <em>torah</em> (תּוֹרָה, "law/instruction") appears here, linking Levitical teaching ministry to the broader covenant instru...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. pestilence--**some fatal epidemic. There is no reason, however, to think that the plague, which is the great modern scourge of the East, is referred to.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.</strong> Moses petitions divine blessing on Levi's <em>chayil</em> (חַיִל, "substance/wealth/strength")—the tribe's material provision and ministerial effectiveness. Since Levites owned no land (Numbers 18:20), their "subs...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Bless, Lord, his substance.**—This petition is consistent with the enactment that Levi should have *no land. *But a blessing on his substance means a blessing to the whole land of Israel. *Levi’s substance *Was *Israel’s tithe.*
**Accept the work of his hands.**—The chief “work of his hands” was mediatorial for all Israel. The “acceptance” of this work was essential to the welfare of the wh...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. a consumption--**a wasting disorder; but the modern tuberculosis is almost unknown in Asia.
**fever ... inflammation ... extreme burning--**Fever is rendered "burning ague" (Le 26:16), and the others mentioned along with it evidently point to those febrile affections which are of malignant character and great frequency in the East.
**the sword--**rather, "dryness"--the effect on the huma...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.</strong> Moses's shortest tribal blessing honors Benjamin with intimate divine protection. The Hebrew <em>yedid YHWH</em> (יְדִיד יְהוָה, "beloved of the LORD") is striking—the same term appears only in Deuteronomy 33:12 and...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **And of Benjamin.**—It is generally agreed that this blessing points to the site of the place which Jehovah chose out of all the tribes of Israel, *Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin. *The Hebrew is divided thus:—
“Unto Benjamin he said. Beloved of Jehovah!
He (Jehovah) will dwell in security upon him,
Covering him over all the day.
And between his shoulders (mountain slopes) He
hath taken ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. heaven ... brass ... earth ... iron--**strong Oriental figures used to describe the effects of long-continued drought. This want of regular and seasonable rain is allowed by the most intelligent observers to be one great cause of the present sterility of Palestine.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath.</strong> Moses begins Joseph's extensive blessing (verses 13-17), the longest tribal benediction except Judah. The Hebrew <em>mevorakh YHWH artso</em> (מְבֹרַךְ יְהוָה אַרְצוֹ, "blessed of the LORD be his land") emphasizes territorial prosperity as...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **And of Joseph he said.**—The remark of Rashi is especially applicable here. “Thou wilt find in the case of all the tribes, that the blessing of Moses is drawn from the fountain of the blessing of Jacob.”
As the *voice *of Judah, the *office *of Levi, and the *situation *of Benjamin are singled out for notice, so the *land *of Joseph is blessed.
**The deep that coucheth beneath.**—Rashi obse...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. the rain of thy land powder and dust--**an allusion probably to the dreadful effects of tornadoes in the East, which, raising the sands in immense twisted pillars, drive them along with the fury of a tempest. These shifting sands are most destructive to cultivated lands; and in consequence of their encroachments, many once fertile regions of the East are now barren deserts.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, put: Heb. thrust moon: Heb. moons
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon.</strong> Moses continues enumerating Joseph's blessings with cosmic imagery. <em>Meged</em> (מֶגֶד, "precious things") repeats, emphasizing excellence. <em>Tevuoth shemesh</em> (תְּבוּאוֹת שֶׁמֶשׁ, "fruits/produce of the sun") invokes solar blessing on crops—photosynthesis wasn't unders...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **And for the precious fruits.**—The “increase of the sun*” *and “precious things put forth from month to month” (or by night when the moon rules), are next alluded to.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills.</strong> Moses shifts from cyclical blessings (seasons, sun, moon) to geological permanence. <em>Rosh</em> (רֹאשׁ, "chief/head") modifies <em>harerê-qedem</em> (הַרְרֵי־קֶדֶם, "mountains of antiquity"), while <em>meged</em> (מֶגֶד, "precious") again describes <em>giv'ôth ôlâm</em> (גִּבְעוֹ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the 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.</strong> Moses concludes Joseph's blessing with comprehensive scope—<em>meged eretz ûmelôâh</em> (מֶגֶד אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ, "precious things of the earth and ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **The good will of him that dwelt in the bush**—is a blessing peculiar to Moses. It contains an exquisite piece of interpretation. From the fact that Jehovah *revealed Himself *to Moses in a flame of fire *in a bush, *the man of God drew the thought that He presented Himself as *dwelling in it; *and thus he has furnished God’s Church with this comfort for all ages, that His human temple, alth...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27. the botch of Egypt--**a troublesome eruption, marked by red pimples, to which, at the rising of the Nile, the Egyptians are subject.
**emerods--**fistulæ or piles.
**scab--**scurvy.
**itch--**the disease commonly known by that name; but it is far more malignant in the East than is ever witnessed in our part of the world.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. unicorns: Heb. an unicorn
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.</strong> Moses employs powerful zoological imagery. <em>Bekhor shôrô</em> (בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ, "firstling of his bullock") denotes a firstborn ox—pr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.**—Rashi refers this to the ten thousands *slain *by Joshua, the Ephraimite leader, and the thousands slain by Gideon, who was of the tribe of Manasseh. He expounds nearly the whole of the verse in reference to Joshua and the conquest of Canaan. There is an obvious similarity in the song of the Israelitish women a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28. madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart--**They would be bewildered and paralyzed with terror at the extent of their calamities.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.</strong> Moses pairs Zebulun and Issachar, sons of Leah (Genesis 30:18-20), whose territories were adjacent in lower Galilee. The blessing assigns complementary roles: Zebulun's <strong>going out</strong> (<em>betse'thekha</em>, בְּצֵאתֶךָ) contrasts with Issachar's <strong>tents</strong> (<em>be'ohale...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Zebulun . . . and Issachar** were united with Judah, in the leading division of Israel in the wilderness. The warlike character of the first of these two, and the more peaceful wisdom of the second, are illustrated by Judges 5:18 and 1Chronicles 12:32-33. (Comp Jacob’s blessing of Issachar in Genesis 49:14-15.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29-33. thou shalt grope at noonday--**a general description of the painful uncertainty in which they would live. During the Middle Ages the Jews were driven from society into hiding-places which they were afraid to leave, not knowing from what quarter they might be assailed and their children dragged into captivity, from which no friend could rescue, and no money ransom them.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness</strong>—Moses blesses Zebulun and Issachar together, predicting their commercial prosperity through maritime trade. The Hebrew <em>har</em> (mountain) likely refers to Mount Tabor, located at the border of their territories, where pilgrims would gather for worship. <em>Zivchei tzedeq</em> (sac...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **They shall call the people unto the mountain.**—Or, *they shall give the mountain-call to the peoples*—*i.e., *they shall call the tribes of Israel to Mount Moriah to offer the sacrifices of righteousness. (See 2Chronicles 30:11; 2Chronicles 30:18 for an illustration of this.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29-33. thou shalt grope at noonday--**a general description of the painful uncertainty in which they would live. During the Middle Ages the Jews were driven from society into hiding-places which they were afraid to leave, not knowing from what quarter they might be assailed and their children dragged into captivity, from which no friend could rescue, and no money ransom them.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad</strong>—Moses blesses Gad with territorial expansion and military might. <em>Marchiv</em> (enlargeth) comes from the root <em>rachav</em> (to make wide/spacious), indicating God's provision of lebensraum (living space). Gad's Trans-Jordan inheritance was already secured (Numbers 32), but this blessing promises continued expansion.<br><br><strong>He dwellet...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad.**—The mountains of Gilead shut him in.
He dwelleth as a lion.—See 1Chronicles 12:8, for eleven Gadites, “whose faces were as the faces of lions.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29-33. thou shalt grope at noonday--**a general description of the painful uncertainty in which they would live. During the Middle Ages the Jews were driven from society into hiding-places which they were afraid to leave, not knowing from what quarter they might be assailed and their children dragged into captivity, from which no friend could rescue, and no money ransom them.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the 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. seated: Heb. cieled
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He provided the first part for himself</strong>—Gad chose the Trans-Jordan territory 'first' (<em>reshit</em>), not from selfishness but strategic wisdom. The phrase <em>chelqat mechokek</em> (portion of the lawgiver) is debated: either Gad's territory included Moses's burial place (Deuteronomy 34:6), or it acknowledges their obedience to Mosaic command by fighting west of Jordan before se...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The first part.**—The first territory conquered by Moses was distributed between Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
**A portion of the lawgiver** is interpreted by Rashi as the field of the “burial-place” of the lawgiver. But this can hardly have been in the mind of Moses.
**He came with the heads of the people.**—The Gadites with their companion tribes passed over Jordan to th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29-33. thou shalt grope at noonday--**a general description of the painful uncertainty in which they would live. During the Middle Ages the Jews were driven from society into hiding-places which they were afraid to leave, not knowing from what quarter they might be assailed and their children dragged into captivity, from which no friend could rescue, and no money ransom them.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Dan is a lion's whelp</strong>—Unlike Gad's mature lion (<em>lavi</em>), Dan is <em>gur aryeh</em> (a lion cub), suggesting youthful vigor, agility, and potential rather than established strength. This parallels Jacob's cryptic blessing where Dan is a serpent (Genesis 49:17)—both emphasize surprising, tactical strength despite small size. Dan's territory was initially confined, requiring e...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Dan is a lion’s whelp.**—Jacob compared him to a serpent and an adder. The lion of the tribe of Dan is not like the lion of the tribe of Judah.
**He shall leap from Bashan.**—The taking of Laish is probably referred to. It was a sudden, treacherous surprise, like the spring of a lion on his prey (Judges 18:27-28). The “hill of Bashan” is opposed to God’s hill in Psalm 68:15. The “king of Ba...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29-33. thou shalt grope at noonday--**a general description of the painful uncertainty in which they would live. During the Middle Ages the Jews were driven from society into hiding-places which they were afraid to leave, not knowing from what quarter they might be assailed and their children dragged into captivity, from which no friend could rescue, and no money ransom them.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD</strong>—<em>Seva ratzon umale birkat YHWH</em> combines material and spiritual abundance. <em>Seva</em> (satisfied/satiated) indicates contentment, not merely possession; <em>ratzon</em> (favor/goodwill) suggests both divine pleasure and human harmony. Naphtali's blessing emphasizes shalom—holistic well-being in rel...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Let Asher be blessed with children</strong>—<em>Barukh mibanim Asher</em> (blessed from/among sons) can mean blessed with many sons or blessed/favored among his brothers. Given the context emphasizing fraternal acceptance, the latter seems primary. Asher's demographic prosperity would make him influential and welcome.<br><br><strong>Let him be acceptable to his brethren</strong>—<em>Retzu ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Let Asher be blessed with children.**—It can be translated “more blessed than all sons.” Rashi quotes an old saying, “You will not find among all the tribes one so blest with children as Asher, and I cannot say why.”
**Let him be acceptable to his brethren, and . . . dip his foot in oil**.—The fertility of Asher’s inheritance is probably alluded to. There is no tribe of which so little is r...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35. the Lord shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs--**This is an exact description of elephantiasis, a horrible disease, something like leprosy, which attacks particularly the lower extremities.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. Thy shoes: or, Under thy shoes
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.</strong> Moses pronounces this blessing upon the tribe of Asher in his final prophetic discourse before his death. The Hebrew words for "iron" (<em>barzel</em>, בַּרְזֶל) and "brass" (<em>nechosheth</em>, נְחֹשֶׁת) refer to metals symbolizing strength, durability, and security. The "shoes" (<em>man'al</em>, מִנְע...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Thy shoes shall be iron and brass.**—Perhaps we should rather read, *thy bars shall be iron and brass. *The word here rendered “shoes” in the Authorised Version does not occur elsewhere. The nearest word to it means “locks” or “fastenings.” It is also uncertain whether the whole sentence belongs to the blessing of Asher, or to all Israel. It seems most likely that, as Asher’s territory was ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36. The Lord shall bring thee, and thy king, &c.--**This shows how widespread would be the national calamity; and at the same time how hopeless, when he who should have been their defender shared the captive fate of his subjects.
**there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone--**The Hebrew exiles, with some honorable exceptions, were seduced or compelled into idolatry in the Assyrian ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun</strong>—After blessing individual tribes, Moses concludes with a hymn celebrating Israel's incomparable God. <em>Jeshurun</em> (upright one) is a poetic name for Israel (Deuteronomy 32:15; Isaiah 44:2), emphasizing their covenant identity, not ethnic origin. <em>Ein ka'El Yeshurun</em> establishes monotheistic uniqueness—Israel's God has no peer...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun.**—*Their rock is not as our Rock. *For Jeshurun, see note on Deuteronomy 32:15.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37. And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee, &c.--**The annals of almost every nation, for eighteen hundred years, afford abundant proofs that this has been, as it still is, the case--the very name of Jew being a universally recognized term for extreme degradation and wretchedness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses blesses the tribes, declaring: 'The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.' The imagery combines protection ('refuge,' 'everlasting arms') with offensive action ('thrust out the enemy'). The phrase 'everlasting arms' personifies God's sustaining power as embracing, supporting arms. T...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **The eternal God is thy refuge.**—The word “thy” is not represented in the original. *Mâ’ônah, *the word for refuge, differs very slightly from the “refuge” of Psalm 90:1, “Lord, thou hast been our *refuge *in generation and generation,” which are also the words of Moses. The same word is used of the “habitation of Jehovah” in heaven (Deuteronomy 26:15). Perhaps we ought to connect this clau...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Israel then shall dwell in safety alone</strong>—the culmination of Moses's blessing on Israel (Deuteronomy 33), promising security and distinctiveness. The Hebrew <em>betach badad</em> (בֶּטַח בָּדָד) means 'in security, separate/alone.' <strong>The fountain of Jacob</strong>—the descendants of the patriarch, a nation flowing from one source. <strong>Shall be upon a land of corn and wine<...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Israel then shall dwell in safety**—*i.e.*, in confidence and security. “*In His days *(the days of Messiah) Judah shall be saved, and *Israel shall dwell safely” *(Jeremiah 23:6), but not until they learn to rest upon “the everlasting arms.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →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 thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places. found: or, subdued
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD</strong>—the Hebrew <em>ashrecha</em> (אַשְׁרֶיךָ) means blessed, fortunate, happy. Israel's unique privilege: salvation by Yahweh Himself, not mere human deliverance. <strong>The shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency!</strong>—military metaphors depicting God as both defensive protector and of...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee**.—See Psalm 66:3 : “Through the greatness of thy power *shall thine enemies *submit themselves (*i.e., lie*)* unto thee.” *The idea is, that the enemies of the conqueror will hasten to throw themselves at his feet, protesting that they were always his friends. (Compare Shimei’s repentance on the occasion of David’s return to Jerusalem, 2Samuel 1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 33
Chapter Outline
Encampments of the Israelites.(1-49)
The Canaanites to be destroyed.(50-56)
**Verses 1-49**
This is a brief review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness. It is a memorable history. In their travels towards Canaan they were continually on the remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here no continuing city, and all our r...
Read full commentary →