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Deuteronomy Chapter
Thirty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 33
This
chapter relates the blessings Moses pronounced upon the people of Israel a
little before his death; first, in general, on account of their having a law
given them in so glorious a manner, Deuteronomy 33:1;
then, in particular, each of the tribes distinctly is blessed, Reuben, Deuteronomy 33:6;
Judah, Deuteronomy 33:7;
Levi, Deuteronomy 33:8;
Benjamin, Deuteronomy 33:12;
Joseph, Deuteronomy 33:13;
Zebulun and Issachar, Deuteronomy 33:18;
Gad, Deuteronomy 33:20;
Dan, Deuteronomy 33:22;
Naphtali, Deuteronomy 33:23;
Asher, Deuteronomy 33:24;
and the chapter is concluded with some strong intimations of what God was unto
the people of Israel in general, and of what he had done and would do for them;
all which are expressive of their great happiness, Deuteronomy 33:26.
Deuteronomy 33:1 Now this is
the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel
before his death.
YLT
1And this [is] the blessing
[with] which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death,
And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed
the children of Israel before his death. Namely, what is related
in the following verses, this being the general title to the chapter: Moses is
called "the man of God", being raised up of God, and eminently
qualified by him with girls for the work he was called unto, and by whom he was
inspired to say what is after expressed: it is a title given to prophets, 1 Samuel 9:6; and
so Onkelos here paraphrases it,"Moses the prophet of the Lord,'and Aben
Ezra observes, that this is said to show that he blessed Israel by a spirit of
prophecy, and which he did a little before his death, when very near it; and,
as the same writer says, on the very day of his death.
Deuteronomy 33:2 2 And
he said: “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from
Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came
a fiery law for them.
YLT
2and he saith: -- `Jehovah
from Sinai hath come, And hath risen from Seir for them; He hath shone from
mount Paran, And hath come [with] myriads of holy ones; At His right hand [are]
springs for them.
And he said,.... What follows, of which, in some things, he was an eye and
ear witness, and in others was inspired by the Spirit of God, to deliver his
mind and will concerning the future case and state of the several tribes, after
he had observed the common benefit and blessing they all enjoyed, by having
such a law given them in the manner it was:
the Lord came from Sinai; there he first appeared
to Moses, and sent him to Egypt, and wrought miracles by him, and delivered his
people Israel from thence, and when they were come to this mount he came down
on it, as Aben Ezra, from Gaon, or he came "to" it; so to Zion, Isaiah 59:20, is
"out of" or "from Zion", Romans 11:26; here
he appeared and gave the law, and from thence went with Israel through the
wilderness, and conducted them to the land of Canaan:
and rose up from Seir unto them: not to the Edomites
which inhabited Seir, as say Jarchi, and the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem,
but to the Israelites when they compassed the land of Edom; and the Lord was
with them, and gave them some signal proofs of his power and providence,
kindness and goodness, to them; particularly, as some observe, by appointing a
brazen serpent to be erected for the cure those bitten by fiery ones, which was
a type of the glorious Redeemer and Saviour, and this was done on the borders
of Edom, see Numbers 21:4; for
the words here denote some illustrious appearance of the Lord, like that of the
rising sun; so the Targum of Onkelos,"the brightness of his glory from
Seir was shown unto us;'and that of Jonathan,"and the brightness of the
glory of his Shechinah went from Gebal:"
he shined forth from Mount Paran: in which the metaphor of
the sun rising is continued, and as expressive of its increasing light and
splendour: near to this mount was a wilderness of the same name, through which
the children of Israel travelled, and where the Lord appeared to them: here the
cloud rested when they removed from Sinai; here, or near it, the Spirit of the
Lord was given to the seventy elders, and from hence the spies were sent into
the land of Canaan, Numbers 10:12; in
this wilderness Ishmael and his posterity dwelt, Genesis 21:21; but
it was not to them the Lord shone forth here, as say the above Jewish writers,
and othersF4Vid. Pirke Eliezer, c. 41. ; but to the Israelites, for
here Moses repeated the law, or delivered to them what is contained in the book
of Deuteronomy, see Deuteronomy 1:1;
beside, in a literal sense, as these mountains were very near one another, as
Saadiah Gaon observes, the great light which shone on Mount Sinai, when the
Lord descended on it, might extend to the other mountains and illuminate them,
see Habakkuk 3:3,
and he came with ten thousands of saints: or holy
angels, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, and so Jarchi; which sense is
confirmed by the authorities of Stephen the protomartyr, and the Apostle Paul,
who speak of the law as given by the disposition of angels, they being present,
attending and assisting on that solemn occasion, Acts 7:57; see Psalm 68:17; the
appearance of those holy spirits in such great numbers added to the grandeur
and solemnity of the giving of the holy law to the people of Israel, as the
attendance of the same on Christ at his second coming will add to the lustre
and glory of it, Luke 9:26,
from his right hand went a fiery law for them: the
Israelites; Aben Ezra thinks the phrase, "his right hand", is in
connection with the preceding clause; and the sense is, that fire came from the
law, thousands of saints were at the right hand of God to surround Israel, as
the horses of fire and chariots of fire surrounded Elisha; and the meaning of
the last words, "a law for them", a law which stands or abides
continually; and so the Septuagint version is,"at his right hand angels
with him:'no doubt that law is meant which came from God on Mount Sinai, by the
ministration of angels, into the hand of Moses; called a fiery law, because it
was given out of the midst of the fire, Deuteronomy 5:26;
so the Targum of Onkelos,
"the
writing of his right hand out of the midst of fire, the law he gave unto us;'and
because of its effects on the consciences of men, where it pierces and
penetrates like fire, and works a sense of wrath and fiery indignation in them,
by reason of the transgressions of it, it being the ministration of
condemnation and death on that account; and, because of its use, it serves as a
lantern to the feet, and a light to the path of good men: this law may include
the judicial and ceremonial laws given at this time; but it chiefly respects
the moral law, and which may be said to come from God, who, as Creator, has a
right to be Governor of his creature, and to enact what laws he pleases, and
from his right hand, in allusion to men's writing with their right hand, this
being written by the finger of God; and because a peculiar gift of his to the Israelites,
gifts being given by the right hand of men; and may denote the authority and
power with which this law came enforced, and Christ seems to be the person from
whose right hand it came: see Psalm 68:17.
Deuteronomy 33:3 3 Yes,
He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at
Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.
YLT
3Also He [is] loving the
peoples; All His holy ones [are] in thy hand, And they -- they sat down at thy
foot, [Each] He lifteth up at thy words.
Yea, he loved the people,.... The people of
Israel, of which his giving the law to them in such a glorious manner was an
instance, and was a distinguishing blessing which other nations were not
favoured with, see Deuteronomy 4:6;
how much more is the love of God shown to his spiritual Israel and special
people, by giving them his Gospel, the precious truths, promises, and
ordinances of it, and, above all, in giving them his Son to be the Redeemer and
Saviour of them, as revealed therein! these he embraces in his arms and in his
bosom, as the word here signifies; admitting them to great nearness and
familiarity with him, to commune with Father, Son, and Spirit, to a
participation of all the blessings of grace here, and to the enjoyment of glory
hereafter:
all his saints are in thy hand; not the sons
of Levi, who were round about the ark, as Aben Ezra interprets it; rather all
the people of Israel, who were chosen to be an holy people to the Lord above
all people, and who were the care of his providence, protected by his power,
and guided with his right hand; and were in a wonderful manner kept and
preserved by him, both at the time of the giving of the law, and in their
passage through the wilderness; it is eminently true of the chosen people of
God, who are given to Christ, and made his care and charge, as all such who are
sanctified and set apart by God the Father are, they are preserved in Christ, Judges 1:1; and
these are sanctified in and by Christ, and by the Spirit of Christ, and so may
be truly called his saints; and they are in the hands of Christ, as dear to him
as his right hand, highly valued by him, held in his right hand; they are in
his possession, are his peculiar people, portion, and inheritance, they are at
his dispose, under his guidance and direction; and are in his custody and under
his protection, and where they are safe from every enemy, and can never be
snatched, taken, or removed from thence; see John 10:28; here
they are put by the Father, as an instance of his love to them, and care of
them, though not without the consent and desire of the Son, and this was done
in eternity, when they were chosen in him:
and they sat down at thy feet; which may respect the
position of the Israelites at the bottom of Mount Sinai, while the law was
giving, which may be said to be the feet of the Lord, he being on the top of
the mount, see Exodus 19:17; all
the Targums interpret it of the feet of the cloud of glory, they pitching their
tents where that rested, Numbers 9:17; some
think it an allusion to scholars sitting at the feet of their masters to
receive instructions from them, see Acts 22:3; so the
disciples and followers of Christ sit at his feet, attending on his word and
ordinances with calmness and serenity of mind, with much spiritual pleasure and
delight, and where they continue and abide; and which may denote their modesty
and humility, their subjection to his ordinances, and readiness to receive his
doctrines, and their perseverance in them, see Mark 5:15; the word
signifies, in the Arabic language, to sit down at a tableF5Hence תכא, "a table", with the Talmudists. T. Bab.
Beracot, fol. 42. 1. Pesach. fol. 110. 2. Kiddushin, fol. 81. 1. , and so the
word is used in the Arabic version of Matthew 8:11; and
the ancient manner being reclining, the guests might be said to sit at the feet
of each, especially at the feet of the master; so Christ sits at his table, and
his people with him at his feet, Song of Solomon 1:12,
everyone shall receive
of thy words; of the words of the law, as the Israelites, who heard them and
promised obedience to them, Exodus 24:7; and
would hear and receive them again, Joshua 8:34; and so
Christ's disciples, everyone of them that hath heard and learned of the Father,
and comes to him, and believes in him, receives the words or doctrines given
him by the Father, John 17:8; so as to
understand them, approve of them, love them, believe them, and act according to
them; these they receive into their hearts as well as into their heads, with
all readiness, gladness, and meekness; even everyone of the persons before
described or loved by the Lord, are in the hands of Christ and sitting at his
feet.
Deuteronomy 33:4
4 Moses
commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
YLT
4A law hath Moses commanded
us, A possession of the assembly of Jacob.
Moses commanded us a law,.... The law was of God,
it came forth from his right hand, Deuteronomy 33:2;
it is of his enacting, a declaration of his will, and has his authority stamped
upon it, who is the lawgiver, and which lays under obligation to regard it; but
it was delivered to Moses, and by him to the children of Israel, on whom he
urged obedience to it; and so it is said to come by him, and sometimes is
called the law of Moses, see John 1:17,
even the
inheritance of the congregation of Jacob; which either describes
the persons who were commanded to keep the law, the tribes of Jacob or
congregation of Israel, who were the Lord's people, portion, and inheritance, Deuteronomy 32:9;
or the law commanded, which was to be valued, not only as a peculiar treasure,
but to be considered a possession, an estate, an inheritance, to be continued
among them, and to be transmitted to their posterity, see Psalm 119:111;
these are the words of the people of Israel, and therefore are thus prefaced in
the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem,"the children of Israel said, Moses
commanded, &c.'they were represented by Moses.
Deuteronomy 33:5 5 And
He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the
tribes of Israel together.
YLT
5And he is in Jeshurun king,
In the heads of the people gathering together, The tribes of Israel!
And he was king in Jeshurun,.... That is, in Israel,
or over the people of Israel, of which name of theirs; see Gill on Deuteronomy 32:15;
either God, as Jarchi; for the government of the Israelites was a theocracy,
and their laws were immediately from God, and by him they were guided and
directed in all things; wherefore, when they were so importunate for a change
in their government, and to have a king over them, they are said to reject the
Lord, that he should not reign over them, 1 Samuel 8:7; or
Moses, as Aben Ezra on the place, MaimonidesF6In Misn. Shebuot, c.
2. sect. 2. , and othersF7Philo de Vita Mosis, l. 3. p. 681. ; who,
under God, had the civil government of the Hebrews; both may be received, God
was the supreme Governor, and Moses the chief magistrate under him:
when the heads of Israel and the tribes of the people were
gathered together; at Mount Sinai, to hear the law there and then given, or to hear
it repeated by Moses, as in this book of Deuteronomy, who were at different times
convened together for that purpose, see Deuteronomy 1:1;
next follow the particular blessings of the several tribes, beginning with
Reuben the firstborn.
Deuteronomy 33:6 6 “Let
Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”
YLT
6Let Reuben live, and not
die, And let his men be a number.
Let Reuben live, and not die,.... As a tribe, continue
and not be extinct, though they should not excel, because of the sin of their
progenitor; and it may have a special regard to the preservation of them, of
their families on the other side Jordan, while they passed over it with their
brethren into Canaan, and of them in that expedition to help the other tribes
in the conquest of the country and the settlement of them in it; which Jacob by
a spirit of prophecy foresaw, and in a prayer of faith petitioned for their
safety: all the three Targums refer the words to a future state, as a wish for
them, that they might live and enjoy an eternal life, and not die the death of
the wicked in the world to come; and which they call the second death, and from
whom the Apostle John seems to have borrowed the phrase, Revelation 2:11 Revelation 20:6;
Reuben signifies, "see the Son"; and all that see the Son of God in a
spiritual manner, and believe in him with a true faith, as they live
spiritually now, shall live eternally hereafter, and never die the second or
eternal death; on them that shall have no power, see John 6:40,
and let not his men be few; or, "though his men
be few?" as Bishop Patrick chooses to render the words, and as they will
bear, ו, "vau", being sometimes so used, of
which NoldiusF8Concord. part. Ebr. p. 292. gives instances; and the
number of men in this tribe were but few in comparison of some others; and so
those that see the Son of God and believe in him are but a small number; for
all men have not faith. 2 Thessalonians 3:2
Deuteronomy 33:7 7 And
this he said of Judah: “Hear, Lord, the voice
of Judah,
And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for
him, And may You be a help against his enemies.”
YLT
7And this [is] for Judah; and
he saith: -- Hear, O Jehovah, the voice of Judah, And unto his people do Thou
bring him in; His hand hath striven for him, And an help from his adversaries
art Thou.
And this is the blessing of Judah,.... Which
follows; the same supplement of the words is made in the Targums of Jonathan
and Jerusalem; but Aben Ezra thinks it refers to what goes before, that this,
the same thing prayed for or prophesied of Reuben, belongs also to Judah, that
he should live and not die; it may be in the wars in which that tribe would be
and was engaged:
and he said, hear, Lord, the voice of Judah; in prayer, as
all the Targums paraphrase it, which was eminently fulfilled in David, Asa,
Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and other kings, which were of this tribe; who, when in
distress, lifted up their voice in prayer to God, and were heard and delivered,
as the Lord's people in all ages are: Judah signifies professing, confessing,
praising, &c. this tribe was both a praying and praising people, as all
good men be; they profess the name of the Lord, and their faith in him; they
confess their sins and unworthiness; they praise the Lord for his mercies,
temporal and spiritual, and pray to him for what they want; and their voice is
heard with pleasure, and answered: particularly Judah was a type of Christ, who
was of this tribe, and whose voice in prayer for his people has been always
heard:
and bring him unto his people; in peace, often engaged
war, so all the Targums: and as it may refer to Christ his antitype, it may
respect his incarnation, when he came to his own and was not received by them;
and to his resurrection from the dead, when he appeared to his disciples, to
their great joy; and to the ministry of the Gospel among the Gentiles, when to
him was the gathering of the people; and will be further accomplished at the
last day, when he shall return and appear to them that look for him, a second
time, without sin unto salvation:
let his hands be sufficient for him; both to work with, and
provide for themselves all the necessaries of life, and to fight with their
enemies, and defend themselves against them; so Christ's hands have been
sufficient, or he has had a sufficiency of power and strength in his hands, to
combat with and overcome all his and our enemies, to work out the salvation of
his people, and to supply all their wants:
and be thou an help to him from his enemies: which this
tribe often experienced in their wars with their enemies, being very warlike
and courageous, successful and victorious, both before they had kings and in the
several kings of their tribe, as David, Jehoshaphat, and others; and was
remarkably fulfilled in Christ, whose helper the Lord was as man and Mediator,
see Isaiah 1:7; no
mention is made of Simeon, because of the affair of Baalpeor, in which that
tribe had a great concern, Numbers 25:1; as
Aben Ezra observes; or because, according to Jacob's prophecy, it was to be
scattered in Israel; though the same is also said of Levi, who yet is here
blessed; rather therefore the reason is, because Simeon had his inheritance in
the midst of the tribe of Judah, and so was blessed in it, see Joshua 19:1; thus
the Targum of Jonathan expresses it here,"and he joined in his portion and
in his blessing, Simeon his brother;'some copies of the Septuagint version, as
that in the king of Spain's Bible, make mention of him at the end of Reuben's
blessing,"and let Simeon be much in number.'
Deuteronomy 33:8 8 And
of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your
holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters
of Meribah,
YLT
8And of Levi he said: -- Thy
Thummim and thy Urim [are] for thy pious one, Whom Thou hast tried in Massah,
Thou dost strive with Him at the waters of Meribah;
And of Levi he said,.... That is, Moses said
of the tribe of Levi, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
let thy Thummim and thy Urim be
with thy Holy One; with Aaron, as the same Targums interpret it, who was of the
tribe of Levi, and was a holy good man, a saint of the Lord, as he is called, Psalm 106:16; of
the Urim and Thummim, which were with him and with every high priest; see Gill
on Exodus 28:30; and
though they were not in use under the second temple, yet had their fulfilment
in Christ the antitype of Aaron, who may be chiefly here intended; who is after
called the Lord's Holy One, as he is, both as God and man, holy in both his
natures, divine and human, and in his life and actions; and with him are the
true Urim and Thummim, lights and perfections, the light of nature, grace and
glory, and all perfections, both divine and human; See Gill on Exodus 28:30 F9See
a Sermon of mine on this text, called "Levi's Urim and Thummim Found with
Christ". :
whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst
strive at the waters of Meribah; which, as it may respect Aaron, may be
understood either of the Lord's proving him and contending with him, by
suffering the children of Israel to murmur against him and Moses, at the said
places; when, according to the three Targums, he stood in the temptation, and
was perfect and found faithful; or of Levi, who, with the rest of the tribes,
tried him, and strove with him at the same places; though Jarchi says they did
not murmur with the rest that murmured: as it may refer to Christ the antitype
of Levi, the sense is, that the Urim and Thummim should be with the Holy One,
the Messiah, whom thou, O Levi, with the rest of the tribes, tempted and strove
with at the places mentioned; for it is expressly said, they tempted the Lord, Exodus 17:7; and
which is interpreted of Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:9.
Deuteronomy 33:9 9 Who
says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’;
Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children;
For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant.
YLT
9Who is saying of his father
and his mother, I have not seen him; And his brethren he hath not discerned,
And his sons he hath not known; For they have observed Thy saying, And Thy
covenant they keep.
Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him,.... Which
some understand of the high priests who were of this tribe, and according to
the law were not to defile themselves, or mourn for a father or mother, Leviticus 21:11; or
rather, as others, of their having no respect to them in judgment, but
determining all causes that came before them according to the law of God, and
the rules of justice and equity, in the most impartial manner, without having
any regard to the nearest relations to them: with this compare what Christ the
antitype of Levi says, in Matthew 12:49,
neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children; had no
respect to persons in judgment, though ever so nearly related: many restrain
this to the affair of the golden calf, when the tribe of Levi gathered
together, girded their swords on their thighs, and slew every man his brother, companion,
and neighbour, guilty of that idolatry, Exodus 32:26,
for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant; the law of
God, spoken by him, and had the nature of a covenant with the people of Israel:
this the tribe of Levi observed, not only what respects the worship of God, and
the contrary to it, idolatry, but all other moral and religious duties; Christ
fulfilled the whole law, and did always and all things what pleased the Lord, John 8:29.
Deuteronomy 33:10 10 They
shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense
before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.
YLT
10They teach Thy judgments to
Jacob, And Thy law to Israel; They put perfume in Thy nose, And whole
burnt-offering on Thine altar.
They shall teach Jacob thy statutes, and Israel thy law,.... The
priests and Levites, being dispersed among each of the tribes, having cities in
them allotted to them, taught the people the laws, statutes, and ordinances of
the Lord, moral, civil, and ceremonial, see Malachi 2:6,
they shall put incense before thee; upon the altar of
incense, which none but a priest might do, as the case of Uzziah shows; and
which, the Jews sayF11T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 26. 1. , he might do but
once: the same priest might not offer incense twice; a new priest was always
employed: in this they, were typical of Christ, the only Intercessor who is
always at the golden altar, to offer up the prayers of all saints with his much
incense, Revelation 8:3,
and whole burnt offerings upon thine altar; the altar of
burnt offering, typical of Christ, who is both altar, sacrifice, and priest.
Deuteronomy 33:11 11 Bless
his substance, Lord, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who
rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”
YLT
11Bless, O Jehovah, his
strength, And the work of his hands Thou acceptest, Smite the loins of his
withstanders, And of those hating him -- that they rise not!
Bless, Lord, his substance,.... Which lay in tithes,
firstfruits, &c. for the priests and Levites had no share in the division
of the land; unless this can be understood of the cities and suburbs which were
given them, or of houses and fields devoted, which fell unto them, or rather of
their cattle, for the use of which they had suburbs appointed them; for
otherwise in husbandry and merchandise they were not employed: some render it "an
host" or armyF12חילו "copiis
ejus", Junius & Tremellius; "vel exercitibus ejus",
Piscator. , their service being a militia, or warfare, Numbers 4:3; Jarchi
refers this to the Hasmonaeans or Maccabees, which were of this tribe:
and accept the work of his hands; in offering incense and
sacrifices, and all other administrations of the office of priests and Levites;
thus the righteousness and sacrifice of Christ are of a sweet smelling savour,
and very acceptable to God; and all the spiritual sacrifices of the saints who
are priests unto God, as of prayer and praise, are acceptable to him through
Jesus Christ:
smite through the loins of them that rise against him; such as were
the companies of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and in all ages faithful ministers
of the word meet with many enemies, whom they would not be, able to withstand
were not the Lord to appear for them, and protect them from them, and smite
them thoroughly:
and of them that hate them, that they rise not again; destroying
them with an utter destruction, so that they are not able to make any other
efforts upon them; for such who are enemies to the priests of the Lord are
enemies to him, and to true religion, enemies to God and Christ, to the law and
to the Gospel, to the word of God and to the ordinances of it, and therefore to
be severely handled and thoroughly punished: Christ's enemies shall all be
subdued under him; see Psalm 110:1.
Deuteronomy 33:12 12 Of
Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the Lord shall
dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall
dwell between His shoulders.”
YLT
12Of Benjamin he said: -- The
beloved of Jehovah doth tabernacle confidently by him, Covering him over all
the day; Yea, between his shoulders He doth tabernacle.
And of Benjamin he said,.... The tribe
of Benjamin, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; which is taken notice of
next to Levi, because, as the priesthood was in the tribe of Levi, the temple
in which the priests officiated was in the tribe of Benjamin, or near it; and
is observed next but one to Judah, and before his elder brother Joseph, because
his tribe lay between Judah and Joseph, Joshua 18:11; and
Levi having no inheritance in the land:
the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; this is
commonly understood of the tribe of Benjamin, beloved by the Lord, as the head
of the tribe was by his father Jacob; the first king of Israel being of that
tribe, and the temple built in it, or on the edge of it, and its land the most
fat and fertile of the land of Canaan, as JosephusF13Antiqu. l. 5.
c. 1. sect. 22. observes; and may be said to "dwell by him", the
Lord, because the tabernacle of the Lord was so near that tribe, and so to
dwell "in safety" under his protection, and which was the means of
preserving it from apostasy, when ten tribes revolted: though the Messiah may
be intended, the Son of God, and man of God's right hand, the antitype of
Benjamin, the beloved of the Lord, and dear son of his love; his Benjamin, who
is now in human nature exalted at his right hand: and this may denote his
inhabitation in the flesh, and dwelling by or near Benjamin, being born at
Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah, bordering on Benjamin, and frequently had his
abode in Jerusalem, which was in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:28; and
where he was in safety amidst his enemies, they not having power to lay hold on
him until his hour was come:
and the Lord shall cover
him all the day long; for ever, as Jarchi notes, because that, after Jerusalem was
chosen, the divine Majesty dwelt in no other place: this may be understood
either of the Messiah covering Benjamin and protecting him, as he is the covert
of all his Benjamites and beloved ones, from all their enemies, from all evils
and dangers, from all storms and tempests, and everything troublesome and
distressing, see Isaiah 32:2; or the
Lord's covering his beloved One the Messiah; as he did in his infancy, from the
designs of Herod upon his life, and from the attempts of others before his time
was come; he hid him in the shadow of his hand, Isaiah 49:2,
and he shall dwell between his shoulders; either the
Lord shall dwell between the shoulders of Benjamin; the temple in which the
Lord dwelt was built on Mount Moriah, in the tribe of Benjamin, in the highest
part of his land, as Jarchi notes; the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
paraphrase the words,"in his border the Shechinah (or the glory of the
Shechinah of the Lord) shall dwell,'for if the temple was not within the tribe
of Benjamin, yet it was certainly on the borders of it: or Benjamin shall dwell
between the shoulders of the Lord, being bore up and supported by him: Christ
dwells in the hearts of his people, and over them as an head, and they dwell
upon his shoulders, on which the care and government of them lies, Isaiah 9:6; in the
TalmudF14T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 118. 2. this passage is applied to
the days of the Messiah.
Deuteronomy 33:13 13 And
of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the Lord is
his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying
beneath,
YLT
13And of Joseph he said: --
Blessed of Jehovah [is] his land, By precious things of the heavens, By dew,
and by the deep crouching beneath,
And of Joseph he said,.... The tribe of Joseph,
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
blessed of the Lord be his land; as the lands
inherited by his sons were extremely fruitful, the countries of lead and Bashan
by Manasseh, and the fields of Samaria by Ephraim: Jarchi says,"there was
not in the inheritance of the tribes a land so full of all good things as the
land of Joseph;'typical of the church of Christ, the antitypical Joseph, which
abounds with all good things through him, or of the better country in heaven:
for the precious things of heaven; that is, the pleasant,
precious, and excellent fruits, reproduced by the influence of the heavens,
particularly showers of rain which descend from thence; emblems of the grace of
God, and Gospel of Christ, which bring spiritual blessings to the sons of men
on earth, and make them fruitful in every good word and work: for the dew;
which descends also from heaven, and is of unspeakable use to the fruits of the
earth, and is sometimes used as an emblem of the favour and goodness of God to
his people, Hosea 14:5,
and for the deep that coucheth beneath; that is,
beneath the earth, and breaks out upon it, and waters it, and makes it
fruitful, which happiness the land of Joseph had, as well as the rain and dew
of heaven: this is to be understood of springs and fountains that flow out of
the earth to the enriching of it; and so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
paraphrase the words, and may be applied to Christ and to his Gospel, Song of Solomon 4:15.
Deuteronomy 33:14 14 With
the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months,
YLT
14And by precious things --
fruits of the sun, And by precious things -- cast forth by the moons,
And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun,.... Which has
a wonderful influence upon many and most of the fruits of the earth, to produce
them out of their seeds in it, to bring them forward, to ripen and perfect
them, and to make them rich and excellent. Jarchi says,"the land of Joseph
lay open to the sun, and it sweetened the fruits of it;'it improved them, and
made them more valuable; and this is spiritually true of Christ the sun of
righteousness, to whose influence are owing the blessings of grace, redemption,
peace, pardon, and justification, and the graces of the Spirit, faith, hope,
and love, and by what believers are filled with, the fruits of righteousness,
see Malachi 4:2,
and for the precious things put forth by the moon; the fruits
which the moon helps forward by its coolness and moisture; and those the above
Jewish writer says are cucumbers and gourds; and as various creatures are
affected by the moon, it is observed by a naturalistF15Dalecamp. in
Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 41. , that onions, when the moon waxes old, increase,
and flag when it is young; and Pliny saysF16Nat. Hist. l. 18. c. 30.
, that at the increase of the moon all sort of corn grows bigger and larger;
but a late learned writerF17Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p.
437. remarks, that though upon the pressure of the moon on the globe many
things depend, as the ebbing and flowing of the sea, epileptic and convulsive
paroxysms, yet it does not appear that this pressure exerts its power on
plants, so as to thrust them forth, and therefore thinks this respects the
ejection or protrusion of monthly fruits; for the word here used is in the
plural number, and signifies "months"; and so Onkelos paraphrases the
words,"it produces precious fruits at the beginning of every month;'or
ripe fruit at the beginning of every month, as the Targums of Jonathan and
Jerusalem; for the spiritual meaning, see Revelation 22:2.
Deuteronomy 33:15 15 With
the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the
everlasting hills,
YLT
15And by chief things -- of
the ancient mountains, And by precious things -- of the age-during heights,
And for the chief things of the ancient mountains,.... Which
were from the beginning of the world, and for which the land, possessed by the
children of Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim, were famous; as the mountains of
Gilead and Bashan, inherited by the former, and Mount Ephraim, and the
mountains of Samaria, by the latter; which produced, besides great quantities
of grass and corn, also vines, figs, olives, &c.
and for the precious things of the lasting hills; which will
endure as long as the world, the same as before in other words; and which
precious things may be emblems of the spiritual blessings of grace, provided in
an everlasting covenant, and given to Christ for his people before the world
began, or any mountains and hills were formed, and which are as lasting and as immovable
as they are; see Proverbs 8:22, Isaiah 54:10.
Deuteronomy 33:16 16 With
the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who
dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on
the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’[a]
YLT
16And by precious things --
of earth and its fulness, And the good pleasure Of Him who is dwelling in the
bush, -- Let it come for the head of Joseph, And for the crown of him Who is
separate from his brethren.
And for the precious things of the earth, and fulness thereof,.... Corn of
all sorts produced out of the earth, and grass that grows out of it, and cattle
that feed upon it; for all which some part of the land of Joseph, particularly
Bashan, was famous; as for the oaks that grew on it, so for the pasturage of it,
and the cattle it bred, Deuteronomy 32:14;
see Psalm 22:12,
and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; the angel of
the Lord, the Word and Son of God, who appeared to Moses in the bush, and made
himself known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and expressed his good
will to Israel, by sending Moses to deliver them out of their bondage: and the
favour and good will of the same divine Person is here wished for, and which
has appeared in his assumption of human nature, obedience, sufferings, and
death, Luke 2:14. The bush
was an emblem of Israel, and the state they were then in, and of the church of
Christ; of which See Gill on Exodus 3:2; and
where Christ may be said to dwell, as he did among men, when he was made flesh,
and does dwell in the midst of his churches, and in the hearts of his people by
faith:
let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph; that is, in
all things, as Onkelos; or all these blessings, as the Targums of Jonathan and
Jerusalem; all before mentioned, let them come openly and visibly, and in great
plenty, upon the posterity of Joseph, who was a type of Christ, the head of the
righteous, on whom all the blessings of grace are, and from whom they descend
to all his spiritual offspring, Proverbs 10:6,
and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from
his brethren; when he was sold by them into Egypt; the Targums of Jonathan and
Jerusalem are,"and was shining in the glory of his brethren;'that is, when
he was a ruler in Egypt, and had honour from his brethren there, and was
beautiful and glorious among them, as a Nazarite, as the word here used
signifies, see Lamentations 4:7;
and may he applied to Christ, who was chosen from among the people, and separated
from sinners, and called a Nazarene, Psalm 89:19.
Deuteronomy 33:17 17 His
glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of
the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the
earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the
thousands of Manasseh.”
YLT
17His honour [is] a firstling
of his ox, And his horns [are] horns of a reem; By them peoples he doth push
together To the ends of earth; And they [are] the myriads of Ephraim, And they
[are] the thousands of Manasseh.
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock,.... Such as
were in Bashan, a country possessed by the posterity of Joseph, see Psalm 22:12; and so
might be called "his" bullock, or a young bull, was reckoned both
comely and majestic; so Menis or Mnevis, king of Egypt, preferred a bull above
all animals to be worshipped, because the most beautiful of all, as AelianusF23Hist.
Animal. l. 11. c. 10. relates; and Astarte, according to SanchoniathoF24Apud
Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 1. p. 38. , put a bull's head upon her own, as a
sign of royalty or kingly power. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem refer
this to the birthright which belonged to Reuben, and was taken from him, and
given to Joseph, see 1 Chronicles 5:2.
Some will have Joshua intended by the firstling of his bullock, so Jarchi; who
was of the tribe of Ephraim, and so famous for his strength and courage, his
warlike exploits and victories, and the glory, honour, and renown he obtained;
and who was a type of Christ, the first and only begotten Son of God, the
brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person; this is
applied to the Messiah in some ancient Jewish writingsF25Zohar in
Numb. fol. 103. 4. & in Deut. fol. 117. 3. & 118. 3. Bereshit Rabba,
fol. 66. 2. :
and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; of the
monoceros or rhinoceros; and as the strength of these creatures, as of others,
lies in their horns, these are figures of the power and strength of the tribes
of Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph; see Numbers 23:22,
with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the
earth; not to the ends of the world, as if the posterity of Joseph
should carry their conquests and spread their dominion over all people to the
ends of the world, as the Targum of Jonathan suggests; but to the ends of the
land of Canaan, which was done by Joshua, when he smote the thirty one kings of
that country. The word "push" is used in allusion to the horns of
creatures, with which they push, drive away from them, or hurt and destroy
those that annoy them:
and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are
the thousands of Manasseh; though Manasseh was the eldest son of
Joseph, fewer are ascribed to him than to Ephraim the younger, according to
Jacob's prediction, Genesis 48:19. This
has been in a spiritual sense verified in Christ, the antitype of Joseph, the
horn of salvation, who by his great strength has vanquished all his, and the
enemies of his people, and even spoiled principalities and powers.
Deuteronomy 33:18 18 And
of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your
tents!
YLT
18And of Zebulun he said: --
Rejoice, O Zebulun, in thy going out, And, O Issachar, in thy tents;
And of Zebulun he said,.... The tribe of
Zebulun, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, with whom Issachar is
joined, they being brethren, and of the same mother as well as father; though
Zebulun the youngest is set before Issachar the older, as in Jacob's blessing, Genesis 49:13,
rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; in their going out to
sea, to merchandise, to traffic in foreign parts, it being a maritime tribe,
see Genesis 49:13; and
so are called upon to rejoice and be thankful for their safe preservation on
the seas, and success in trade; and to this sense are the paraphrases of
Jonathan and Jerusalem: though Onkelos interprets it of their going out to war
against their enemies, and certain it is that they were also a warlike as well
as a seafaring tribe; see Judges 5:18,
and Issachar, in thy tents; being a tribe that
stayed at home, and attended to husbandry, and dwelt in tents, to take care of
and feed their cattle; in doing which they should be prosperous, and have
occasion to rejoice, and be thankful to the Lord: though the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem carry it to a different sense, to their schools, in
which they dwelt: this tribe being, as supposed, a learned tribe, studious, in
the law; which is gathered from 1 Chronicles 12:32.
Deuteronomy 33:19 19 They
shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer
sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of
the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.”
YLT
19Peoples [to] the mountain
they call, There they sacrifice righteous sacrifices; For the abundance of the
seas they suck, And hidden things hidden in the sand.
They shall call the people unto the mountain,.... To the
mountain of the house of the sanctuary, as all the three Targums; to the temple
built on a mountain, which Moses by a spirit of prophecy foresaw would be, to
which the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar would not only come up themselves,
though at the more distant parts of the land; but call and urge others, both
Israelites and Gentiles, to do the same, partly by their example, and partly by
persuasions and arguments; not the tribes of Israel that lay nearest them only,
but the Heathens, the Tyrians and Sidonians, on whom they bordered, and the
Gentiles in Galilee of the Gentiles, which were neighbours to them; a like
instance see in Isaiah 2:2; and
perhaps this may have respect to the times of Christ and his apostles, and to
their being in those parts where the Gospel was preached, and many people were
called, Matthew 4:13,
there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; or true
sacrifices, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, in opposition to
illegitimate ones, which were not according to the law, that had blemishes and
defects in them, and to such as were gotten by robbery, or in an unlawful way;
and may signify all righteous actions and good works done in faith, and from
right principles, though not to be depended upon for a justifying righteousness
before God; and all spiritual sacrifices, especially the sacrifices of praise
for all blessings, and particularly for the righteousness of Christ; and these
are to be offered in the church of God, and upon the altar, which sanctifies
every gift, and from whence they come up with acceptance to God:
for they shall suck of the abundance of the sea; get a great
deal of riches by trading at sea, and therefore under great obligations to
offer sacrifices to the Lord, by whom they were prospered:
and of the treasure hid in the sand; as gold and
silver, pearls and corals, and the like, extracted from thence; or riches
buried there through shipwrecks; or it may design the great wealth and riches
they got by glass made of sand, taken out of the river Belus, which washed the
coast of the tribe of Zebulun, as many historians relateF26Strabo.
Geograph. l. 16. p. 521. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. Tacit. Hist. l. 5. c. 7.
.
Deuteronomy 33:20 20 And
of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And
tears the arm and the crown of his head.
YLT
20And of Gad he said: -- Blessed
of the Enlarger [is] Gad, As a lioness he doth tabernacle, And hath torn the
arm -- also the crown!
And of Gad he said,.... The tribe of Gad, as the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem:
blessed be he that enlargeth Gad; that is, the
Lord, to whom the praise and glory were to be given, who had appointed to Gad a
large inheritance on the other side Jordan, and had settled him in it, and
which became larger by the conquest of the Hagarites, and others, 1 Chronicles 5:18,
he dwelleth as a lion; bold and courageous,
secure, and without fear of any of his enemies, though near him, on his
borders, as the Moabites and Ammonites were; of the same spirit and temper were
the men of the tribe of Gad in the times of David, 1 Chronicles 12:8,
and teareth the arm with the crown of the head, at once, just
as a lion tears its prey; which figurative phrases are expressive of this tribe
conquering and destroying strong and mighty men, signified by the
"arm", in which the strength of a man lies, and of kings and
governors, pointed at by the "crown of the head"; as the Targums of
Onkelos and Jonathan; which was done in the times of Joshua, when with and
under him they subdued and destroyed the kings and princes of the land of
Canaan.
Deuteronomy 33:21 21 He
provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was
reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered
the justice of the Lord, And His judgments with Israel.”
YLT
21And he provideth the first
part for himself, For there the portion of the lawgiver is covered, And he
cometh [with] the heads of the people; The righteousness of Jehovah he hath
done, And His judgments with Israel.
And he provided a first part for himself,.... That is,
the portion of the land of Sihon and Og, as Jarchi rightly interprets it; which
was the beginning or firstfruits of the subduing of the land that was promised;
this he looked at, chose, and desired it as his inheritance, Numbers 32:1,
because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he
seated; or in the portion and part of the inheritance of Israel was he
placed by Moses the lawgiver, according to the will of God; or because there
were in it palaces and towers of great personages, lawgivers, kings, and
princes, well covered and strongly fortified; or here he was "hid",
or "protected", i.e. their families, wives, and children, while they
assisted their brethren in subduing Canaan:
and he came with the heads of the people; either
"to" them, to Moses, Eleazar, and the seventy elders, and the heads
of the tribes of Israel, to ask leave to have his part and portion on the other
side Jordan, or "with" them, as we supply it; came with them over
Jordan armed, to assist in the conquest and subduing of the land of Canaan:
he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel; that is,
either he justly and truly fulfilled all his promises and engagements, on
condition of which he was placed on the other side; or he, together with the
rest of the Israelites, executed the righteous judgment of God upon the
Canaanites, in the expulsion and destruction of them.
Deuteronomy 33:22 22 And
of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.”
YLT
22And of Dan he said: -- Dan
[is] a lion's whelp; he doth leap from Bashan.
And of Dan he said,.... Of the tribe of Dan, as the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem:
Dan is a lion's whelp; or like one for
boldness, strength, and courage; and was verified in Samson, who was of this
tribe; who, when a young lion roared against him, the Spirit of the Lord came
on him, and he tore it to pieces, Judges 14:5,
he shall leap from Bashan; not Dan, for he was
seated far from that country; but the sense is, he was like to a young lion for
its strength, when it leaps from Bashan, as Aben Ezra rightly explains it.
Bashan was a mountain in which lions haunted, and from whence they might be
said to leap, as they do when they seize on their prey: it may have some
respect to the leap of the Danites from the northwest part of the land of
Israel, where they were settled, but was not sufficient for them, to the
northeast of it, when they went against Leshem, and took it, and called it Dan;
see Joshua 19:47.
Deuteronomy 33:23 23 And
of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the
blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.”
YLT
23And of Naphtali he said: --
O Naphtali, satisfied with pleasure, And full of the blessing of Jehovah, West
and south possess thou.
And of Naphtali he said,.... The tribe of
Naphtali, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
O Naphtali, satisfied with favour; with the favour of men,
which to have is a great blessing; and as he gave goodly words to others, he
had the good word of others, Genesis 49:21; and
with the favour of God, as the next clause shows; which is the greatest
blessing of all, and is special and peculiar, free and sovereign, and the
source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; and to be full of this, and
satisfied of an interest in it, is the highest of enjoyments; and nothing is of
a more satisfying nature, it is a feast of itself; see Psalm 63:3,
and full with the blessing of the Lord; as such must
needs be who are full of and satisfied with the your, good will, and love of
God; for they are filled with all spiritual blessings, with all the blessings
of grace, which spring from his free favour, as pardon of sin, a justifying
righteousness, adoption, sanctifying grace, a right and title to eternal life.
This may have respect to the temporal happiness of this tribe, which had a
remarkable share in the favour and good will of God, and in the blessings of
his goodness. StraboF1Geograph. l. 16. p. 519. , an Heathen writer,
speaking of this part of the land of Judea, says it was a happy and fruitful country,
bearing all manner of fruit; in this tribe was the fruitful country of
Gennesaret, full of delightful gardens and fields, which lay along by a lake of
that name, frequently mentioned in the New Testament; which country, Josephus
saysF2De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 9. sect. 8. , one may call the ambition
of nature; and the Targum of Jonathan has it,"ye shall be full of the
fruits of the valley of Gennesaret;'and particularly this country was favoured
with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ; see Matthew 4:13,
possess thou the west and the south; not the west and south
of the land of Israel; for, according to JosephusF3Antiqu. l. 5. c.
1. sect. 22. , this tribe lay to the east and north of it, just the reverse;
and it is plain from Joshua 19:34; that
it had Asher on the west, and Zebulun on the south; wherefore some understand
this of the commodities this tribe was supplied with, as through the tribe of
Asher on the west, on which those trading cities Tyre and Sidon bordered; and
through Zebulun on the south, which was near the sea, and was given to
navigation and trade: though it should be observed that the word for
"west" signifies the "sea"F4ים
"mare", Montanus, V. L. Cocceius. ; and intends not the Mediterranean
sea, which this tribe did not reach; but the sea of Tiberias and Gennesaret, as
all the Targums explain it; and BochartF5Heirozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c.
18. col. 898. observes, that the portion of Naphtali reached from the south of
the city of Dan to the sea of Tiberias; so that the south is observed with
respect to Dan last mentioned, and the west or sea to the sea of Tiberias.
Deuteronomy 33:24 24 And
of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by
his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil.
YLT
24And of Asher he said: --
Blessed with sons [is] Asher, Let him be accepted by his brethren, And dipping
in oil his foot.
And of Asher he said,.... The tribe of Asher,
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
let Asher be blessed
with children; with large numbers, as it appears this tribe was, having in it
53,400 men of war, Numbers 26:47. It
was esteemed a great blessing to have many children, Psalm 128:3; or
"above the children"; above or more than the rest of the children of
Jacob; see Luke 2:36; Jarchi
observes, that he had seen, in a book called Siphri, that there was none in all
the tribes blessed with children as Asher, but not known how:
let him be acceptable to his brethren; either for
his excellent bread, and royal dainties, Genesis 49:20; or
for the goodness of his olives and oil, and for the brass and iron found in
this tribe, as follows; or, as some say, because of his children, his daughters
being very beautiful:
and let him dip his foot in oil; have such plenty of it,
that if he would he might dip or wash his feet in it; and it was usual not only
to anoint the head, but the feetF6"Vidimus etiam vestigia pedum
tingi", Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 3. Vid. Dalecamp. Not. in ib. also,
with oil, Luke 7:46.
Deuteronomy 33:25 25 Your
sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your
strength be.
YLT
25Iron and brass [are] thy
shoes, And as thy days -- thy strength.
Thy shoes shall be iron and brass,.... Either
they should have such an abundance of these metals, that they could if they
would have made their shoes of them; but that is not usual; though it is said
of EmpedoclesF7Laert. in Vit. Empedocl. l. 8. p. 613. Aelian. Var.
Hist. l. 12. c. 32. the philosopher, that he wore shoes of brass, which was
very singular; and some think that this tribe, because of the abundance of
these metals, used to stick their shoes with iron and brass nails at the bottom
of them, as country people, soldiers, and travellers in various nations do; but
the true sense seems to be, that the land that fell to this tribe, and on which
they trod, should yield much iron and brass; as in Carmel, a mountain on the
borders of it, brass was taken, as says Hesychius; and Zidon is by HomerF9Odyss.
15. l. 424. said to abound with brass, which belonged to this tribe; and
Sarepta, another city in it, had its name from צרף,
which signifies to melt, from the melting of these metals in it; see Deuteronomy 8:9;
though some Jewish writers take the sense to be, that the land of Asher was so
strongly fortified as if it had been enclosed with walls of brass and iron, or
the gates of its cities were shut up with bolts and bars of iron and brass, as
Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe; so the Arabic:
and as thy days, so shall thy strength be; the same in
old age as in youth; which is the sense of the Latin Vulgate version, and all
the Targums: such were the vigour and strength of. Moses himself, Deuteronomy 34:7;
and so may denote a renewal of youth, like that of eagles; and, in a spiritual
sense, a revival of the graces of the Spirit of God, as to the exercise of
them, and an increase of spiritual strength, so that the inward man is renewed
day by day; and may also denote such a measure of strength given, as is
proportioned to the events that daily befall, or to the services and sufferings
men are called unto; see 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Deuteronomy 33:26 26 “There
is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help
you, And in His excellency on the clouds.
YLT
26There is none like the God
of Jeshurun, Riding the heavens in thy help, And in His excellency the skies.
There is none like unto
the God of Jeshurun,.... Or Israel, as all the three Targums; for this is one of the
names of the people of Israel; See Gill on Deuteronomy 32:15;
and the Lord was their God in a special sense, having chosen, redeemed them,
and made a covenant with them; and there is no God like him for the perfections
of his nature, his purity and holiness, his goodness, wisdom, power,
faithfulness, &c. and for the wonderful works of nature, providence, and
grace, done by him; and for the blessings of goodness, temporal and spiritual,
he bestows on men. The tribes being particularly blessed, the whole body of the
people are pronounced happy, and whose happiness is enlarged on in Deuteronomy 33:26,
who rideth upon the heaven in
thy help, and in his excellency on the sky; which he has the
sovereign rule and disposal of, and can and does dispose of all the artillery
therein, as illustrious proofs of his glory and excellency, and for the help of
his people, and the destruction of their enemies; as when he sent forth hail,
thunderings, and lightnings, upon the Egyptians, and frightened them; and cast
down hailstones upon the Canaanites, and slew many of them; and when the stars
in their course fought against Sisera; see Psalm 68:4 Judges 5:20.
Deuteronomy 33:27 27 The
eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting
arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’
YLT
27A habitation [is] the
eternal God, And beneath [are] arms age-during. And He casteth out from thy
presence the enemy, and saith, `Destroy!'
The eternal God is thy refuge,.... God is
eternal, from everlasting to everlasting; the Ancient of days, before all
things, and all time; which is, and was, and is to come: the same is true of
Christ, who is the everlasting Father, or Father of eternity, the true God, and
eternal life; as appears from his nature, having the whole fulness, all the
perfections of deity in him; from his office, as Mediator, in which he was set
up from everlasting; from his concern in eternal election, in the everlasting
covenant, and in the creation of all things out of nothing: and he is the
refuge of his people, the antitype of the cities of refuge, to whom sinners,
under a sense of sin, flee for refuge; and where they are safe from avenging
justice, the wrath of God, the condemnation of the law, everlasting ruin and
destruction, or the second death; or their "mansion", or
"dwelling place"F11מענה
"habitaculum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius. ; which
he has been in all generations, as Moses also says, Psalm 90:1. Such is
Christ to his people, who dwelt secretly in him from everlasting, being chosen
in him, and given to him; and openly in conversion, where they dwell as in a
strong hold, safely, quietly, comfortably, and pleasantly:
and underneath are the everlasting arms; that is, of
God, which are the support of his people, and their protection, safety, and
security; such as the arms of his everlasting love, which encircle them, and
compass them about as a shield; his everlasting covenant, which is immovable,
and in which they ever remain; eternal redemption and salvation, wrought out by
Christ, which secures them from destruction; and everlasting power, by which
they are kept and preserved as in a garrison; and everlasting consolation,
which flows from all this: and so the arms of Christ, or his almighty power,
are under the world, to uphold it in being; and under his church, to support
it, on whose shoulders the government of it is; and under particular believers,
whom he carries in his arms, embraces in his bosom, bears them up under all
their afflictions and temptations, trials and exercises; nor will he ever
suffer them to drop out of his arms, or to be plucked from thence:
and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; the
Canaanites out of the land of Canaan, to make room for Israel, which he was
just about to do, and quickly did. In like manner Christ thrusts out Satan and
the spiritual enemies of his people, whom to dispossess is a work of mighty
power; and not only so, but gives orders to destroy them, and does destroy
them, and makes his people more than conquerors over them:
and shall say, destroy them; the Canaanites: to do
which the people of Israel had an order from the Lord, Deuteronomy 7:1.
Deuteronomy 33:28 28 Then
Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain
and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew.
YLT
28And Israel doth tabernacle
[in] confidence alone; The eye of Jacob [is] unto a land of corn and wine; Also
His heavens drop down dew.
Israel then shall dwell in safety alone,.... The
Canaanites being thrust out of their land, and Israel put into the possession
of it, should dwell in safety, or "confidently"F12בטח "confidenter", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus,
Vatablus; "secure", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius. ;
without fear of enemies, though surrounded with them on all hands; and though
alone, a separate people, distinct from all others their neighbours round about
them; see Numbers 23:9. So
the spiritual Israel dwell in the eternal God, their mansion, or dwelling
place; in Christ, their rock; and in a strong city, the church, where they are
in the utmost safety. God is all around them; Christ is their refuge, strong
hold, and tower; the Holy Spirit in the midst of them is mighty; angels are
their guardians, and the church their strong city, whose walls and bulwarks are
salvation: here they dwell confidently and securely; though they have sometimes
their fears, they have no just reason for them; and when faith is in exercise,
are free from them, casting all their care on the Lord, and having confidence
in him; where they are alone, not solitary; all the three divine Persons dwell
with them, and also angels and saints their fellow citizens; but independent of
others, having large provisions in Christ, in the covenant, and in the house of
God; and are a separate and distinct people now, and will be to all eternity;
See Gill on Numbers 23:9,
the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; that is, the
Israelites that spring from Jacob, as streams of water from a fountain; see Isaiah 48:1; these
shall be or dwell upon the land of Canaan, a land abounding with corn and wine,
and all good things, Deuteronomy 8:7; or
"in" or "by the fountain of Jacob"F13"Fonte
Jabakobi", Junius & Tremellius, "apud fontem Jacobi",
Cocceius. ; in a well watered land, there they should dwell. So the spiritual
Israel of God dwell in and by Christ, the fountain of gardens, the well of
living waters, of life and salvation, in whom all fulness of grace dwells for
their supply: or "the eye of Jacob"F14עין
יעקב "oculus Jahakob", V. L. Tigurine
version, Pagninus, Montanus, Munster. is or shall be on a land, &c. that
is, the Israelites had their eye on the good land of Canaan, and would quickly
not only be in sight, but in possession of it. Every true Israelite has a
spiritual eye, which is the eve of faith, the evidence of things not seen,
which looks to and upon that better country, the land afar off, heaven and
eternal happiness, and expects and waits for the full, enjoyment of it:
also his heavens shall drop down dew: the heavens
over the land of Canaan should drop down dew upon it, and make it fruitful to
bring forth corn and wine, which was Jacob's blessing, Genesis 27:28. Thus
the Lord in the heavens drops down the dew of grace, and the blessings of it,
upon his people, which make them revive as the corn, and grow as the vine; and
Christ's heavenly ministers drop the dew of Gospel doctrine upon them, to the
great refreshment of them, Deuteronomy 32:3.
Deuteronomy 33:29 29 Happy
are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your
enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.”
YLT
29O thy happiness, O Israel!
who is like thee? A people saved by Jehovah, The shield of thy help, And He who
[is] the sword of thine excellency: And thine enemies are subdued for thee, And
thou on their high places dost tread.'
Happy art thou, O Israel,.... This is the
conclusion of the blessing on Israel summed up in a few words; they having God
to be their God, and having so many good things promised them, and in sight of
them; being now got through, the wilderness, and on the borders of the land of
Canaan; as all such must be happy, whose covenant God is the Lord; since they
must be beloved of him, chosen by him, and blessed with all spiritual
blessings; and in the faith, hope, and view of eternal happiness:
who is like unto thee? for an interest in the
favour of God, for a share in the blessings of goodness, for a good God, a good
land, and good laws; for wisdom and knowledge, for riches and honour, for
holiness and happiness:
O people saved by the Lord; redeemed by him out of
Egypt, preserved in the wilderness, saved from many dangers and enemies, and
now brought near to the land of Canaan. The Targum of Jonathan is,"saved
or redeemed in the name of the word of the Lord:'by whom the spiritual Israel
of God are redeemed from all their sins, from the curses of the law, and out of
the hand of all their enemies; and are and will be completely saved in soul and
body, with an everlasting salvation:
the shield of thy help; that, is, the Lord, by
whom they are saved; he is the shield that protects them; the shield of faith
and of salvation, which faith lays hold on and makes use of for its defence,
and who is the help of his people in all times of trouble:
and who is the sword of thy excellency; to destroy
their enemies, and whereby they would be raised to that excellency and glory
they were in the land of Canaan:
and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; who
threatened what they would do unto them, but were not able: or "shall lie
unto thee"F15יכחשו
"mentientur", Montanus, Tigurine version; "mentiuntur",
Cocceius. , be in such dread and fear as to tell lies to save themselves, and
pretend to be what they were not, as the Gibeonites did, of whom Jarchi
interprets this passage:
and thou shall tread upon their, high places; be possessed
of their cities and fortresses, built on an eminence; see Deuteronomy 32:13;
all the three Targums, and so Jarchi, interpret it of treading on the necks of
their kings, which was fulfilled, Joshua 10:24.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)