Deuteronomy 33
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel
33 This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:
The Lord came from Sinai,
and dawned from Seir upon us;[a]
he shone forth from Mount Paran.
With him were myriads of holy ones;[b]
at his right, a host of his own.[c]
3 Indeed, O favourite among[d] peoples,
all his holy ones were in your charge;
they marched at your heels,
accepted direction from you.
4 Moses charged us with the law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 There arose a king in Jeshurun,
when the leaders of the people assembled—
the united tribes of Israel.
6 May Reuben live, and not die out,
even though his numbers are few.
7 And this he said of Judah:
O Lord, give heed to Judah,
and bring him to his people;
strengthen his hands for him,[e]
and be a help against his adversaries.
8 And of Levi he said:
Give to Levi[f] your Thummim,
and your Urim to your loyal one,
whom you tested at Massah,
with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah;
9 who said of his father and mother,
‘I regard them not’;
he ignored his kin,
and did not acknowledge his children.
For they observed your word,
and kept your covenant.
10 They teach Jacob your ordinances,
and Israel your law;
they place incense before you,
and whole burnt-offerings on your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance,
and accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
of those that hate him, so that they do not rise again.
12 Of Benjamin he said:
The beloved of the Lord rests in safety—
the High God[g] surrounds him all day long—
the beloved[h] rests between his shoulders.
13 And of Joseph he said:
Blessed by the Lord be his land,
with the choice gifts of heaven above,
and of the deep that lies beneath;
14 with the choice fruits of the sun,
and the rich yield of the months;
15 with the finest produce of the ancient mountains,
and the abundance of the everlasting hills;
16 with the choice gifts of the earth and its fullness,
and the favour of the one who dwells on Sinai.[i]
Let these come on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
17 A firstborn[j] bull—majesty is his!
His horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he gores the peoples,
driving them to[k] the ends of the earth;
such are the myriads of Ephraim,
such the thousands of Manasseh.
18 And of Zebulun he said:
Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out;
and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They call peoples to the mountain;
there they offer the right sacrifices;
for they suck the affluence of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.
20 And of Gad he said:
Blessed be the enlargement of Gad!
Gad lives like a lion;
he tears at arm and scalp.
21 He chose the best for himself,
for there a commander’s allotment was reserved;
he came at the head of the people,
he executed the justice of the Lord,
and his ordinances for Israel.
22 And of Dan he said:
Dan is a lion’s whelp
that leaps forth from Bashan.
23 And of Naphtali he said:
O Naphtali, sated with favour,
full of the blessing of the Lord,
possess the west and the south.
24 And of Asher he said:
Most blessed of sons be Asher;
may he be the favourite of his brothers,
and may he dip his foot in oil.
25 Your bars are iron and bronze;
and as your days, so is your strength.
26 There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
majestic through the skies.
27 He subdues the ancient gods,[l]
shatters[m] the forces of old;[n]
he drove out the enemy before you,
and said, ‘Destroy!’
28 So Israel lives in safety,
untroubled is Jacob’s abode[o]
in a land of grain and wine,
where the heavens drop down dew.
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 triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread on their backs.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Gk Syr Vg Compare Tg: Heb upon them
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Cn Compare Gk Sam Syr Vg: MT He came from Ribeboth-kodesh,
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Cn Compare Gk: meaning of Heb uncertain
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Or O lover of the
- Deuteronomy 33:7 Cn: Heb with his hands he contended
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Q Ms Gk: MT lacks Give to Levi
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Heb above him
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Heb he
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Cn: Heb in the bush
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Q Ms Gk Syr Vg: MT His firstborn
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Cn: Heb the peoples, together
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Or The eternal God is a dwelling-place
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Cn: Heb from underneath
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Or the everlasting arms
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Or fountain
Deuteronomy 33
New King James Version
Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel
33 Now this is (A)the blessing with which Moses (B)the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said:
(C)“The Lord came from Sinai,
And dawned on them from (D)Seir;
He shone forth from (E)Mount Paran,
And He came with (F)ten thousands of saints;
From His right hand
Came a fiery law for them.
3 Yes, (G)He loves the people;
(H)All His saints are in Your hand;
They (I)sit down at Your feet;
Everyone (J)receives Your words.
4 (K)Moses [a]commanded a law for us,
(L)A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
5 And He was (M)King in (N)Jeshurun,
When the leaders of the people were gathered,
All the tribes of Israel together.
6 “Let (O)Reuben live, and not die,
Nor let his men be few.”
7 And this he said of (P)Judah:
“Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people;
(Q)Let his hands be sufficient for him,
And may You be (R)a help against his enemies.”
8 And of (S)Levi he said:
(T)“Let Your [b]Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one,
(U)Whom You tested at Massah,
And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
9 (V)Who says of his father and mother,
‘I have not (W)seen them’;
(X)Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,
Or know his own children;
For (Y)they have observed Your word
And kept Your covenant.
10 (Z)They shall teach Jacob Your judgments,
And Israel Your law.
They shall put incense before You,
(AA)And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.
11 Bless his substance, Lord,
And (AB)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.”
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.”
13 And of Joseph he said:
(AC)“Blessed of the Lord is his land,
With the precious things of heaven, with the (AD)dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun,
With the precious produce of the months,
15 With the best things of (AE)the ancient mountains,
With the precious things (AF)of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of (AG)Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come (AH)‘on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
17 His glory is like a (AI)firstborn bull,
And his horns like the (AJ)horns of the wild ox;
Together with them
(AK)He shall push the peoples
To the ends of the earth;
(AL)They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 And of Zebulun he said:
(AM)“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
And Issachar in your tents!
19 They shall (AN)call the peoples to the mountain;
There (AO)they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness;
For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas
And of treasures hidden in the sand.”
20 And of Gad he said:
“Blessed is he who (AP)enlarges Gad;
He dwells as a lion,
And tears the arm and the crown of his head.
21 (AQ)He provided the first part for himself,
Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there.
(AR)He came with the heads of the people;
He administered the justice of the Lord,
And His judgments with Israel.”
22 And of Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s whelp;
(AS)He shall leap from Bashan.”
23 And of Naphtali he said:
“O Naphtali, (AT)satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
(AU)Possess the west and the south.”
24 And of Asher he said:
(AV)“Asher is most blessed of sons;
Let him be favored by his brothers,
And let him (AW)dip his foot in oil.
25 Your sandals shall be (AX)iron and bronze;
As your days, so shall your strength be.
26 “There is (AY)no one like the God of (AZ)Jeshurun,
(BA)Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
27 The eternal God is your (BB)refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
(BC)He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’
28 Then (BD)Israel shall dwell in safety,
(BE)The fountain of Jacob (BF)alone,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His (BG)heavens shall also drop dew.
29 (BH)Happy are you, O Israel!
(BI)Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
(BJ)The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies (BK)shall submit to you,
And (BL)you shall tread down their [c]high places.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:4 charged us with
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit. Perfections and Your Lights
- Deuteronomy 33:29 Places for pagan worship
Deuteronomy 33
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
33 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the Israelites before his death.
2 He said, The Lord came from Sinai and beamed upon us from Seir; He flashed forth from Mount Paran, from among ten thousands of holy ones, a flaming fire, a law, at His right hand.
3 Yes, He loves [the tribes] His people; all those consecrated to Him are in Your hand. They followed in Your steps; they [accepted Your word and] received direction from You,
4 When Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 [The Lord] was King in Jeshurun (Israel) when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.
6 Let [the tribe of] Reuben live and not die out, but [a]let his men be few.
7 And this he [Moses] said of Judah: Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people! With his hands he contended for himself; but may You be a help against his enemies.
8 And of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Your Urim [by which the priest sought God’s will for the nation] are for Your pious one [Aaron on behalf of the tribe], whom You tried and proved at Massah, with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;(A)
9 [Aaron] who [b]said of his father and mother, I do not regard them; nor did he acknowledge his brothers or openly recognize his own children. For the priests observed Your word and kept Your covenant [as to their limitations].
10 [The priests] shall teach Jacob Your ordinances and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You and whole burnt offerings upon Your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, [Levi’s] substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, and of those who hate him, that they arise no more.
12 Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord shall [c]dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and makes His dwelling between his shoulders.
13 And of Joseph he said: Blessed by the Lord be his land, with the precious gifts of heaven from the dew and from the deep that couches beneath,
14 With the precious things of the fruits of the sun and with the precious yield of the months,
15 With the chief products of the ancient mountains and with the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness and the favor and goodwill of Him Who dwelt in the bush. Let these blessings come upon the head of Joseph, upon the crown of the head of him who was separate and prince among his brothers.(B)
17 Like a firstling young bull his majesty is, and his horns like the horns of the wild ox; with them he shall push the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
18 And of Zebulun he said: [d]Rejoice, Zebulun, in your interests abroad, and you, Issachar, in your tents [at home].
19 They shall call the people unto Mount [Carmel]; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness, for [e]they shall suck the abundance of the seas and the treasures hid in the sand.
20 And of Gad he said: Blessed is He Who enlarges Gad! Gad lurks like a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.
21 He selected the best land for himself, for there was the leader’s portion reserved; yet he came with the chiefs of the nation, and the righteous will of the Lord he performed, and His ordinances with Israel.(C)
22 Of Dan he said: Dan is a lion’s whelp that leaps forth from Bashan.
23 Of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, [f]satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord, possess the Sea [of Galilee] and [its warm, sunny climate like] the south.
24 Of Asher he said: Blessed above sons is Asher; let him be acceptable to his brothers, and [g]let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your castles and strongholds shall have bars of iron and bronze, and as your day, so shall your strength, your rest and security, be.
26 There is none like God, O Jeshurun [Israel], Who rides through the heavens to your help and in His majestic glory through the skies.
27 The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy!
28 And Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone in a land of grain and new wine; yes, His heavens drop dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel, and blessing is yours! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the Shield of your help, the Sword that exalts you! Your enemies shall come fawning and cringing, and submit feigned obedience to you, and you shall march on their high places.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:6 The earlier Bible translators could not believe that Moses meant to say of Reuben, “let his men be few,” so they put “not” in italics: “let not his men be few.” But Reuben had committed a grave offense (Gen. 49:3, 4) which cancelled his birthright, and God meant exactly what He directed Moses to say, as continuous fulfillment of the prophecy proves. “In Judg. 5:16 the tribe [of Reuben] is scorned for its failure to join the others against the Canaanites, and except for I Chron. 5:3-20 it does not again appear in Israel’s history. Nor does Misha of Moab, ninth century, b.c., name it” (The Cambridge Bible). Furthermore, by a.d. 1951 no Jew was permitted to enter the territory once allotted to the tribe of Reuben. “The whole territory, which is... quite capable of cultivation, is now deserted by its settled inhabitants” (John D. Davis, A Dictionary of the Bible). It was then being restored not by Israelites but by Arabs.
- Deuteronomy 33:9 The law required that the high priest act just as impartially when one of his immediate family died, as if the departed were no kin to him (Lev. 21:10-12). This throws light on Christ’s attitude toward His mother and brothers in Matt. 12:46-50 (see also Heb. 3:1-3; 8:1-6).
- Deuteronomy 33:12 The temple in Jerusalem was located almost between the ridges of the territory of Benjamin, suggesting “between his shoulders” (see also Josh. 15:8). Moses sees it as a symbol of the Lord’s presence covering Benjamin continually.
- Deuteronomy 33:18 Not until 1934 was this prophecy notably in process of fulfillment, when Haifa’s bay became one of the great harbors of the Mediterranean Sea, with commerce affecting the whole world.
- Deuteronomy 33:19 The great oil pipeline path across Palestine was first opened in 1935. Until then this prophecy fell far short of fulfillment. But 3,400 years before, Moses sent out the inspired headlines, “Zebulun... Issachar... shall suck the abundance of the seas, and the treasures hid in the sand.” Our omnipotent God was “declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand” (Isa. 46:10).
- Deuteronomy 33:23 For many centuries much of the territory of upper Naphtali was little more than a miasmic swamp, unfit for man or beast. But when the Jews returned to Palestine, they drained and redeemed the area, and by 1940 it was dotted over with thriving colonies, as Moses had foretold, “satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord.”
- Deuteronomy 33:24 The maps of the territory of Asher sometimes suggest the shape of the sole of a foot, sometimes that of a leg and foot; but in either case the Great International Iraq-Petroleum Enterprise, opened in 1935, crossed the area just at the toe of Asher’s “foot.” Oil brought nearly 1,000 miles across the sands from Mesopotamia began pouring through pipes into the Haifa harbor, a million gallons of oil a day. Jacob had prophesied about Asher, “... his bread shall be fat” (Gen. 49:20 kjv), and here Moses says of Asher, “Let him dip his foot in oil”!
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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