Deuteronomy 33NKJV
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Deuteronomy33

New King James Version

1Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

2And 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.

3Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.

4Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.

5And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

6“Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”

7And 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.”

8And 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,

9Who 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.

10They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.

11Bless 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.”

12Of 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.”

13And 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,

14With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months,

15With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills,

16With 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.’

17His 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.”

18And of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents!

19They 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.”

20And 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.

21He 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.”

22And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.”

23And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.”

24And 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.

25Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.

26“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds.

27The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’

28Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew.

29Happy 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.”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 33.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The glorious majesty of God. (1–5). The blessings of the twelve tribes. (6–23). Strength to believers. (24, 25). The excellency of Israel. (26–29).

vv1-5

To all his precepts, warnings, and prophecies, Moses added a solemn blessing. He begins with a description of the glorious appearances of God, in giving the law. His law works like fire. If received, it is melting, warming, purifying, and burns up the dross of corruption; if rejected, it hardens, sears, pains, and destroys. The Holy Spirit came down in cloven tongues, as of fire; for the gospel also is a fiery law. The law of God written in the heart, is a certain proof of the love of God shed abroad there: we must reckon His law one of the gifts of his grace.

vv6-23

The order in which the tribes are here blessed, is not the same as is observed elsewhere. The blessing of Judah may refer to the whole tribe in general, or to David as a type of Christ. Moses largely blesses the tribe of Levi. Acceptance with God is what we should all aim at, and desire, in all our devotions, whether men accept us or not, 2Co 5:9. This prayer is a prophecy, that God will keep up a ministry in his church to the end of time. The tribe of Benjamin had their inheritance close to mount Zion. To be situated near the ordinances, is a precious gift from the Lord, a privilege not to be exchanged for any worldly advantage, or indulgence. We should thankfully receive the earthly blessings sent to us, through the successive seasons. But those good gifts which come down from the Father of lights, through the rising of the Sun of righteousness, and the pouring out of his Spirit like the rain which makes fruitful, are infinitely more precious, as the tokens of his special love. The precious things here prayed for, are figures of spiritual blessing in heavenly things by Christ, the gifts, graces, and comforts of the Spirit. When Moses prays for the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush, he refers to the covenant, on which all our hopes of God's favour must be founded. The providence of God appoints men's habitations, and wisely disposes men to different employments for the public good. Whatever our place and business are, it is our wisdom and duty to apply thereto; and it is happiness to be well pleased therewith. We should not only invite others to the service of God, but abound in it. The blessing of Naphtali. The favour of God is the only favour satisfying to the soul. Those are happy indeed, who have the favour of God; and those shall have it, who reckon that in having it they have enough, and desire no more.

vv24-25

All shall be sanctified to true believers; if their way be rough, their feet shall be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. As thy days, so shall thy strength be. The “day” is often in Scripture put for the events of the day; it is a promise that God would graciously and constantly support under trials and troubles, whatever they were. It is a promise sure to all the spiritual seed of Abraham. Have they work allotted? They shall have strength to do it. Have they burdens appointed? They shall have strength, and never be tempted above what they are able to bear.

Key Words

blessingH1293Hebrew

בְּרָכָה: benediction; by implication prosperity

whichH834Hebrew

אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

MosesH4872Hebrew

מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver

manH376Hebrew

אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

GodH430Hebrew

אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

blessedH1288Hebrew

בָרַךְ: to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason)

peopleH1121Hebrew

בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)

IsraelH3478Hebrew

יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

beforeH6440Hebrew

פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)

deathH4194Hebrew

מָוֶת: death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin

Cross References

Deuteronomy 33
v9Exodus 32:25-29thematic

Levi's zeal for God's covenant at the molten calf incident, disregarding family ties.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

v2Habakkuk 3:3thematic

Poetic parallel of God marching in majesty from the southern mountains of Teman/Paran.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v2Judges 5:4thematic

Deborah's song celebrates God's glorious marching forth from Seir and Sinai.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v8Exodus 28:30thematic

The breastplate containing the Urim and Thummim, representing Levi's sacred priestly role.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v13Genesis 49:22-26thematic

Jacob's deathbed blessing of Joseph closely mirrors Moses' language of deep blessings.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v16Exodus 3:2-4allusion

Verbal echo to the 'good will of him that dwelt in the bush' at Sinai.

Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin

v2Galatians 3:19allusion

The law ordained by angels ('saints'/'holy ones') at Sinai.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Hebrews 12:22allusion

Contrasts Sinai's ten thousands of angels with Mount Zion's innumerable company.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v8Numbers 27:21thematic

Urim used for inquiry before the Lord, entrusted to the priestly line.

Supported by JFB

v10Leviticus 10:11thematic

Levites' duty to teach the statutes of Yahweh to the children of Israel.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v18Genesis 49:13-15thematic

Parallels Jacob's prophecy concerning the territories and callings of Zebulun and Issachar.

Supported by John Calvin

v21Numbers 32:33thematic

Moses allocating the first conquered Transjordan portion to Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v28Numbers 23:9thematic

Balaam's prophecy that Israel shall dwell safely alone, unique among nations.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v8Exodus 17:7thematic

The testing of Levi and Israel at Massah and Meribah.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v8Deuteronomy 8:2thematic

Refers to God proving/testing His people in the wilderness.

Supported by JFB

v12Genesis 49:27thematic

Jacob's blessing of Benjamin, highlighting his fierce safety and protection.

Supported by JFB

v20Genesis 49:19thematic

Jacob's prediction of Gad's martial prowess, overcoming raiders.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v23Genesis 49:21thematic

Jacob's brief, favorable blessing of Naphtali as a hind let loose.

Supported by John Calvin

v24Genesis 49:20thematic

Jacob's blessing of Asher, predicting rich, oily bread fit for kings.

Supported by John Calvin

New Testament fulfillment of the promise that strength will match one's days.

Supported by Matthew Henry