Deuteronomy 33

Chap. XXXIII. Ver. 1—12. Moses blesses the tribes of Israel.—Moses, though not allowed to enter the promised land, was privileged before his death, not only to view that goodly country, but by the spirit of prophecy to foresee and to predict the fate and future circumstances of the several tribes, in which we shall now follow him: comparing, occasionally, his predictions with those of good old Jacob in circumstances very The introduction is very sublime, and places us at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the Lord first appeared in glory; and then successively at Seir, at Paran, and at Meribah Kadesh. St. Stephen tells us that “the Law was given by the disposition of angels,” ((Acts 7:53).) with which “the ten thousands of saints,”

or “holy ones,” seems here naturally to correspond, though in the following clause it appears to be applied to the people of Israel. The Hebrew term for saints signifies, 1st. persons separated for the service of God; and, therefore, 2dly. sanctified, or holy persons; in both which senses it is applicable, and actually applied, both to angels in heaven and saints on earth. To the latter he gave a “fiery law,” or a law from the midst of Sinai’s flame, and which law was as rigid in its enactments, as it was terrible in the form of its delivery. The Law was “given by the hand,” or instrumentality of Moses, but neither was he lawgiver, nor king, in any proper sense of these terms, both re appropriated to Jehovah; as saith the prophet Isaiah, “The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver—our king; he will save us:”

and so the apostle James, “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.” ((Isaiah 33:22). (James 4:12).) Notwithstanding, therefore, the fiery nature of this law, and the flaming glory with which it was accompanied, still “he loved the people.” God showed his love in the gift of a law equally calculated to make his people happy as to make them holy: and we are required to show our love to him, by an obedience both implicit and universal. If the term “King in Jeshurun,” (that is, Israel,) be applied to Moses, it must be in the sense of God’s viceregent, precisely, which he certainly did, “when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together,” as appears to have been the case at this time, while Moses blessed them.

On Reuben, he pronounces the blessing of an extensive population, with which he certainly was favoured. (See note on (Numbers 26:51).) For Judah, he implores an answer to his prayers, which in this case are supposed to be for victory: so the Chaldee here explains it; “Receive, O Lord, the prayer of Judah, when he goeth forth to war.” It may be recollected that Jacob had compared this tribe to “a lion’s whelp;” ((Genesis 49:9).) and it was doubtless for its bravery, as well as numbers, that Judah marched in the front of the army. On this account, also, probably Moses prays, “Bring him to his people!” that is, as the Targum of Jonathan explains it, “Bring him from the battle in peace;” for as his was the post of honour, so was it also the post of danger.

Of Levi he said, “Thy Thummim and thy Urim” (that is, the oracular breast-plate) “be with thy Holy One;” not Aaron the high priest, but the Angel of the Covenant, with whom the people strove at Massah and at Meribah; and in allusion to which the Apostle Paul says, “They tempted Christ, and were destroyed.” ((1 Corinthians 10:8-12).) The following words (ver. 9.) are certainly difficult of interpretation; but they are supposed to refer to the indifference which this tribe showed to all the ties of nature and relationship, whenever those ties interfered with their duty toward God: of which some remarkable instances may be referred to, (Leviticus 21:11-12). (Exodus 32:26-28); and in which particular (as well as many others) the high priest was typical of our Saviour Christ.

((Matthew 12)) And of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the Lord (alluding to Benjamin being his father’s favourite) shall dwell in safety by (or near) him;” under his wing, as it were, and he shall cover him all the day long; and he (Benjamin) shall dwell (or rest) between his shoulders;” i.e. rest upon his bosom. The imagery seems to refer to the care and fondness of his father Jacob, which he was now to receive from his heavenly parent, who had allotted him his portion in the centre of the kingdom, and in the vicinity of the temple. Ver. 13—20. Moses continues the prophetic blessings to the other tribes.—The next tribe, that of Joseph, is a favourite subject for enlargement, as well with Moses as with Jacob. Joseph comprehends the rains and dew from heaven; the springs within the earth; the fruits that the earth produces; the cedars that adorn the mountains, and the ores and precious stones that grow within; but, above all, “the good-will of Him that dwelt in the bush,”

((Exodus 3:4-6).) which is the crowning blessing of the whole. The closing verse of this blessing compares Joseph to the “unicorn,” and its two tribes to its horns, which possess a singular and irresistible strength in driving its enemies before it. Zebulun and Issachar were both situated on the sea-coast; it is therefore promised, that, “they shall suck of the abundance of the sea, and of treasures hid in the sand,” which is most usually explained of their enjoying abundance of fish, which seems, indeed, by the New Testament, to have been the chief food of the fishermen, their descendants. By “treasures hid in the sand,” some, however, understand the murex, a shell-fish, from which the celebrated purple dye was extracted; and others, the vitreous sand of which glass is formed, and which, according to Tacitus, was found on the Jewish coast.

But the following anecdote will illustrate the former interpretation, which seems the most natural, though it need not exclude the others. “I recollect (says an ingenious writer) an instance in a history of some who fled from persecution to that then wild desert, America. Among many other hardships, they were sometimes in such straits for bread, that the very crusts of their former tables in England would have been a dainty to them. Necessity drove the women and children to the sea-side, to look for a ship expected to bring them provisions: but no ship for many weeks appeared; however, they saw in the sand vast quantities of shell-fish, since called clams, a sort of muscles. It impelled them to taste, and at length they fed almost wholly on them, and to their own astonishment were as cheerful, fat, and lusty, as they had been in England with their fill of the best provisions.

A worthy man, one day after they had all dined on clams without bread, returned God thanks for causing them to ‘suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasure hid in the sand;’ a passage in Deuteronomy, till then unobserved by the company, but which ever after endeared the writings of Moses to them.” Robinson’s Vill. Disc. Gad is compared to a lion, who secured for himself the lands of Sihon and Og, of which he took possession before the tribes passed over Jordan; notwithstanding which he failed not to come over with the heads of the people and assist his brethren. The courage and fierceness of this tribe are particularly celebrated, (1 Chronicles 12:8). Dan is compared to a lion’s whelp, which leaped from Bashan, a well known retreat for lions; and Dan in fact did overleap his boundaries, and procured an accession to his territories.

((Joshua 19:47).) Naphtali is described as rich and contented; Asher as fruitful, both in possessions and posterity: and the last clause, though difficult of interpretation, seems to imply diligence and perseverance, length of days, and vigour of constitution. All which, though in the first instance to be

literally, may be properly and profitably improved with reference to our exertions for God, and the strength which he affords us under such exertions. The concluding verses are no less sublime in diction than the beginning; and the last verse is the language of triumph and exultation. We indeed have a different class of trials and of conflicts; but he who armed Israel for the fight, and gave them the final victory, blessed be his name!

That promised us a More important conquest over sin and Satan, death and the grave. Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXXII. Ver. 2. With ten thousands of saints—Or holy ones. The original words here used are so similar to the proper names Meribah Kadesh, (differing only in two letters, and one of them very similar,) that Dr. Kennicott, and other learned commentators, think it an error in transcribing, especially as Meribah Kadesh is mentioned in the close of the preceding chapter. But the allusions to this event by St. Stephen and St. Paul, above quoted, and some other passages, lead rather to the common reading. See (Hebrews 2:2). Sude 14.—From his right hand.—That is, from the pillar of cloud. Ver. 4. Moses.—Dr. Kennicott thinks this word introduced by the mistake of the transcribers (for which he very plausibly accounts,) but it is dangerous to alter the text merely from conjecture, without the support of MSS. Ver. 6.

Let not his men be few—Here, it may be observed, our translators have introduced the word not in italics, which seems as great a license as rejecting the word Moses in ver. 4. The name of Simeon, we may observe, is not to be found among the tribes, some say, because already greatly diminished; namely, more than 17,000 in forty years. (See note on (Numbers 26:51).) Simeon’s name is, indeed, to be found in several copies of the Septuagint, but was perhaps inserted only to get over the difficulty. The present text is very perplexing; Dr. Clarke says, probably the text anciently stood thus: “Let Reuben live and not die; and let the men of Simeon be few;” which certainly was the fact, though the emendation is very doubtful.

Ver. 8. Thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one.—That is, under his direction. On this mysterious subject we shall offer some inquiry, on (1 Samuel 28:6). Ver. 14. Precious things put forth by the moon.—The ancients seem to have been of opinion, that the moon, as well as the sun, had a considerable influence on vegetation. But many expositors explain this of those vegetables which appeared almost every month in Palestine. So Drs. Clarke and Ver. 16. Upon the head of Joseph.—See (Genesis 49:24). Ver. 18. Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out.—That is, on maritime excursions. —And, Issachar, in thy tents.—Attending cattle. Ver. 19. They shall call the people to the mountains.—That is, being a rattle [raiding] people, they shall call the Gentiles to the worship of Jehovah: isa.

ii. 3 Ver. 21. In a portion of the lawgiver was he seated.—That is, he was seated in a portion pointed out by Moses. See (Numbers 32:1-5). Ver. 23. Possess thou the west and the south.—For west, the Hebrew is yam, the sea: but it does not appear that Naphtali had a shore at the coast of the Mediterranean, or Great Western sea. By the maps, this tribe appears to have been seated between the lake of Semachon on the N. E., and that of Genesareth on the south: consequently in the north of Judea. The Editor can only say with Dr. Wall, “How the word south is to be applied, I know not: it was south from mount Lebanon.” Ver. 24. Dip his foot in oil.—See (Job 30:6). Ver. 25. Thy shoes (Margin, Under thy shoes) shall be iron and brass.

That is, as hardy military men, the soles of their sandals should be of these metals: a metaphorical expression, intimating hardihood and perseverance. Goliath wore greaves of (native) brass, (1 Samuel 17:6). Some refer it to mines within their territory. Ver. 29. Be found liars.—That is, boasters, braggarts, cowards.