Deuteronomy 33

Just before he dies, Moses blesses the tribes of Israel, much as Jacob once blessed his twelve sons. He begins and ends by praising the LORD, who came at Sinai as King and who protects and saves His people. In between, each tribe receives a word fitted to its future, and Simeon is not named.

Deuteronomy 33:1

Moses’ last act is to bless. After forty years of leading, rebuking and teaching, he leaves the people with a gift of good words. He is called the man of God, someone who spoke for the LORD and belonged to Him.

BSA: blessing (“a gift from God, bringing prosperity and praise”): A blessing here is a real gift that God gives, not just kind wishes from Moses.

Hebrew: אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים (ish ha-Elohim, H376) — “man of God.” This was a title for a prophet, someone who stood close to God and spoke His message. It is used of Moses only here and in Psalm 90’s heading.

See also: Genesis 49:28.

Deuteronomy 33:2

Moses looks back to the LORD’s arrival at Sinai. God is pictured like the sunrise breaking over the desert mountains to the south and east. He comes with countless holy ones, His angelic host, and with fire at His side. Israel’s story begins with God showing up.

BSA: dawned (“shone forth, rose up”): God’s coming is like sunrise, light spreading over the land.

Hebrew: קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, H6944) — “holiness, what is set apart.” The phrase ‘myriads of holy ones’ pictures a vast company set apart for God. ‘Myriad’ means ten thousand, so the number is huge.

See also: Judges 5:4-5; Psalm 68:17.

Deuteronomy 33:3

Even in the terror of Sinai, God’s heart toward His people was love. His holy ones are in His hand, safe in His keeping. Like a student, they sit at His feet and take in His words. The picture is of tenderness together with awe.

BSA: love (“cherish, hold dear”): The word is warm and personal, meaning to hold someone close and treasure them. words (“messages, divine utterances”): What Israel receives is God’s own speech, not human opinion.

Hebrew: חֹבֵב (chovev, H2245) — “cherishing, loving tenderly.” This is a rare word for love, found only here in the Hebrew Bible. It suggests holding something close to the chest.

See also: Luke 10:39.

Deuteronomy 33:4

The law Moses gave is not a burden to be endured. It is Israel’s treasured possession, an inheritance for the whole assembly of Jacob. God’s instruction is a gift that belongs to His people and is handed down to them.

BSA: law (“instruction, divine guidance”): The Hebrew word for law means teaching, the guidance a father gives his children.

Deuteronomy 33:5

When the tribes gathered at Sinai and accepted the covenant, the LORD became their King. Israel was to be a people under direct rule from heaven. Moses calls them Jeshurun, a name that means the upright one, as a reminder of what they are called to be.

BSA: King (“the Sovereign, reigning Monarch”): Israel’s life together is built on the LORD’s rule, and every tribal blessing rests on that.

Hebrew: יְשֻׁרוּן (Yeshurun, H3484) — “upright one.” This is a poetic and affectionate name for Israel, drawn from the word for upright. It names the people by the character God wanted for them.

See also: Exodus 19:5-6.

Deuteronomy 33:6

Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son, but he lost his place through sin. Moses asks that his tribe not die out and not shrink to nothing. It is a short, humble prayer for survival, a mercy given to a tribe with a troubled past.

BSA: live (“have life, be revived”): The prayer is for the tribe’s life to go on and be renewed, not just for bare survival.

See also: Genesis 49:3-4.

Deuteronomy 33:7

Judah is the tribe that would lead in battle and later give Israel her kings. Moses prays that the LORD would hear Judah’s cry and bring him safely back to his people. Judah fights with his own hands, but he needs God’s help against his enemies.

BSA: hear (“listen and obey”): To hear here means to listen and then act, so Moses is asking God to answer.

See also: Genesis 49:8-10.

Deuteronomy 33:8

Levi is the priestly tribe. The Urim and Thummim were sacred objects kept with the high priest’s breastpiece, used to learn God’s will. They are given to Levi because the tribe stood the test at Massah and Meribah, where Israel quarreled with God over water.

BSA: tested (“proved, examined”): Levi’s loyalty was examined and proved true, as metal is proved in fire. Thummim (“sacred stones for revelation”): They were a means of seeking God’s guidance, which shows that Levi’s work is tied to knowing His mind.

See also: Exodus 28:30; Exodus 17:7.

Deuteronomy 33:9

This looks back to the golden calf, when the Levites put loyalty to the LORD above family ties and stood with Him. Their obedience cost them dearly. They are praised because they guarded God’s word and covenant, even when it meant setting kinship aside.

BSA: kept (“obeyed, watched over”): To keep God’s word means to guard it like a watchman and to obey it.

Hebrew: שָׁמְרוּ (shamru, H8104) — “they kept, guarded.” The word means to watch over something carefully, as a guard watches a gate. Levi treated God’s word as something entrusted to them.

See also: Exodus 32:26-29.

Deuteronomy 33:10

Levi has two jobs: to teach and to offer. They teach God’s rulings and law to all Israel, and they serve at the altar with incense and whole burnt offerings. The people learn God’s ways from them and approach Him through them.

BSA: teach (“instruct, guide”): Teaching is a priestly duty, so the Levites guide the people in how to live as well as how to worship.

See also: Leviticus 10:11.

Deuteronomy 33:11

Moses asks that God bless Levi’s resources and be pleased with their service. He also asks that those who oppose the tribe be struck down. It is a prayer that those who serve God would be supported and protected.

BSA: accept (“be pleased with”): He asks for more than approval of the task. He asks that God take delight in what Levi does.

Deuteronomy 33:12

Benjamin is called the beloved of the LORD. He can rest without fear, covered by God all day long and carried on God’s shoulders like a child. The tribe’s land was small and exposed, and Jerusalem’s temple hill lay close to its border.

BSA: beloved (“cherished, loved one”): Benjamin is held dear by God, and his safety rests on that love. shoulders (“a place of rest”): God’s shoulders are pictured as a resting place, a picture of being carried.

Hebrew: יְדִיד (yedid, H3039) — “beloved, dear one.” This is a tender word for someone deeply loved. It is related to the name David.

Deuteronomy 33:13-14

Joseph’s descendants, Ephraim and Manasseh, receive the longest blessing of all, and it is about rich land. Dew from above and springs from below, sun and the months of the year all combine to bring abundant harvests. All good crops come as gifts from God.

BSA: precious (“excellent, of high value”): The dew and water are treasures, because in a dry land they mean life.

Deuteronomy 33:15-16

The blessing grows to include ancient mountains, everlasting hills and every good thing the land holds. Above all it includes the favor of the God who appeared in the burning bush. The best gift is God’s goodwill, and Joseph, set apart from his brothers, is crowned with it.

BSA: favor (“good will, acceptance”): More than any harvest, Joseph is given God’s own approval and nearness.

See also: Exodus 3:2-4; Genesis 49:26.

Deuteronomy 33:17

Joseph’s strength is pictured as a young bull with the horns of a wild ox, a powerful animal. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would push against enemy nations. Ephraim, with its tens of thousands, is named first and is the larger of the two.

BSA: firstborn (“preeminent, supreme”): Joseph’s honor is that of the one who stands first in rank, a place that Jacob’s blessing had given him.

See also: Genesis 48:17-20.

Deuteronomy 33:18-19

Zebulun and Issachar are paired. Zebulun goes out to trade and travel and Issachar stays at home, and both are told to rejoice. Together they call the peoples to worship and gain wealth from the sea and the sand. Their blessing is meant to reach beyond themselves.

BSA: Rejoice (“to be glad, celebrate”): Whether tribes go or stay, their daily work is to be a cause for gladness. hidden (“concealed, secret”): God has stored up treasures in the sea and sand that people will have to seek out.

See also: Genesis 49:13-15.

Deuteronomy 33:20-21

Gad settled early on the east side of the Jordan, in good land. He is pictured as a lion, strong in battle. Yet he also marched ahead with the other tribes to help conquer the west. Moses praises him for keeping his promise to fight alongside his brothers.

BSA: enlarges (“expands, increases”): The blessing is on whoever widens Gad’s territory, since God is the one who gives room to grow.

See also: Numbers 32:16-17.

Deuteronomy 33:22

Dan is compared to a young lion springing from Bashan, a fertile highland east of the Jordan. The picture is of speed, bold strength and a surprise leap. It is a short blessing for a small tribe.

BSA: leaping (“to spring forward, to pounce”): The picture is of sudden, powerful movement, as a lion jumps on its prey.

Deuteronomy 33:23

Naphtali is overflowing with God’s favor and blessing. His land lies in the north, by the Sea of Galilee and the upper Jordan, and he is promised that the lake and the land running south will be his. His blessing is satisfaction and plenty.

BSA: favor (“acceptance, delight”): Naphtali’s fullness begins with God’s delight in him, not with the land itself.

Deuteronomy 33:24-25

Asher’s blessing is about richness and safety. To dip a foot in oil means to live in a land of plenty, since olive oil was a mark of wealth. His gates are to be strong, and his strength is to last as long as he lives.

BSA: dip (“immerse, bathe”): Oil is so plentiful for Asher that he could bathe his foot in it.

See also: Genesis 49:20.

Deuteronomy 33:26

Moses now turns from the tribes to the God who blesses them. No one is like Him. He rides across the heavens and the clouds to help His people, and the sky itself is His chariot. His power is always used for the good of Israel.

BSA: rides (“mounts, sits upon”): God mounts the skies as a king mounts his chariot, with all authority and speed.

See also: Psalm 68:4.

Deuteronomy 33:27

This is among the most comforting lines in the Bible. The eternal God is a home for His people, and beneath them are His everlasting arms to catch them if they fall. He also clears the enemy from their path.

BSA: dwelling place (“habitation, refuge”): God is not just a helper from outside. He is the place where His people live and are safe.

Hebrew: זְרֹעֹת (zero’ot, H2220) — “arms.” The word is used for an arm of strength and rescue. Set beside ’everlasting’, it means God’s help never wears out or gives way.

See also: Psalm 90:1.

Deuteronomy 33:28

With God as their refuge, Israel can live without fear in a land rich in grain and new wine, where even the night sky seems to drip with dew. Jacob is called a fountain, the spring from which a whole people flows.

BSA: securely (“in safety, without fear, in confidence”): Israel’s safety is a settled confidence that comes from trusting God, not mere luck.

Hebrew: בֶּטַח (betach, H983) — “safety, trust.” The word means safety, and it also carries the sense of confident trust in another.

See also: Numbers 23:9.

Deuteronomy 33:29

Moses ends with wonder. Israel is blessed because the LORD saved them, and no other nation can say the same. God is both their shield and their sword. They need not trust their own strength, and their enemies will shrink before them.

BSA: saved (“rescued, delivered”): Israel’s whole story, from Egypt onward, is one of being rescued by God.

Hebrew: אַשְׁרֶיךָ (ashreka, H835) — “happy are you, blessed are you.” This is the same word that opens Psalm 1. It names the deep happiness of those whom God has favored.

See also: Psalm 33:20.