Deuteronomy 33
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel
33 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 He said,
“The Lord came from Sinai,
and dawned from Se′ir upon us;[a]
he shone forth from Mount Paran,
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
with flaming fire[b] at his right hand.
3 Yea, he loved his people;[c]
all those consecrated to him were in his[d] hand;
so they followed[e] in thy steps,
receiving direction from thee,
4 when Moses commanded us a law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 Thus the Lord became king in Jesh′urun,
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.
6 “Let Reuben live, and not die,
nor let his men be few.”
7 And this he said of Judah:
“Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah,
and bring him in to his people.
With thy hands contend[f] for him,
and be a help against his adversaries.”
8 And of Levi he said,
“Give to Levi[g] thy Thummim,
and thy Urim to thy godly one,
whom thou didst test at Massah,
with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Mer′ibah;
9 who said of his father and mother,
‘I regard them not’;
he disowned his brothers,
and ignored his children.
For they observed thy word,
and kept thy covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob thy ordinances,
and Israel thy law;
they shall put incense before thee,
and whole burnt offering upon thy 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, that they rise not again.”
12 Of Benjamin he said,
“The beloved of the Lord,
he dwells in safety by him;
he encompasses 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 choicest gifts of heaven above,[h]
and of the deep that couches beneath,
14 with the choicest 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 best gifts of the earth and its fulness,
and the favor of him that dwelt in the bush.
Let these come upon the head of Joseph,
and upon the crown of the head of him that is prince among his brothers.
17 His firstling bull has majesty,
and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he shall push the peoples,
all of them, to the ends of the earth;
such are the ten thousands of E′phraim,
and such are the thousands of Manas′seh.”
18 And of Zeb′ulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zeb′ulun, in your going out;
and Is′sachar, in your tents.
19 They shall call peoples to their mountain;
there they offer 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 he who enlarges Gad!
Gad couches like a lion,
he tears the arm, and the crown of the head.
21 He chose the best of the land for himself,
for there a commander’s portion was reserved;
and he came to the heads of the people,
with Israel he executed the commands
and just decrees of the Lord.”
22 And of Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion’s whelp,
that leaps forth from Bashan.”
23 And of Naph′tali he said,
“O Naph′tali, satisfied with favor,
and full of the blessing of the Lord,
possess the lake and the south.”
24 And of Asher he said,
“Blessed above sons be Asher;
let him be the favorite of his brothers,
and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your bars shall be iron and bronze;
and as your days, so shall your strength be.
26 “There is none like God, O Jesh′urun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
and in his majesty through the skies.
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you,
and said, Destroy.
28 So Israel dwelt in safety,
the fountain of Jacob alone,
in a land of grain and wine;
yea, his 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 upon their high places.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Gk Syr Vg: Heb them
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Gk: Heb peoples
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Heb thy
- Deuteronomy 33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Deuteronomy 33:7 Cn: Heb with his hands he contended
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Gk: Heb lacks Give to Levi
- Deuteronomy 33:13 Two Heb Mss and Tg: Heb with the dew
Deuteronomy 33
Expanded Bible
Moses Blesses the People
33 Moses, the man of God, gave this blessing to the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] before he died. 2 He said:
“The Lord came from Mount Sinai
and ·rose like the sun [shone forth] from ·Edom [L Seir; C another name for Edom];
he ·showed his greatness [blazed forth] from Mount Paran.
He came with ·thousands of angels [myriads of holy ones]
·from the southern mountains [or marching at his right hand; Ex. 15:17; Judg. 5:4–5; Ps. 68:7–8, 17–18; Hab. 3:3–7].
3 The Lord surely loves his people
and takes care of all ·those who belong to him [his holy/consecrated ones].
They ·bow down [submit; or followed] at his feet,
and they are taught by him.
4 Moses ·gave us [commanded us with] the ·teachings [laws; instructions]
that ·belong to the people [L are the possession of the assembly] of Jacob.
5 The Lord became king ·of Israel [L in Jeshurun; 32:15]
when the leaders of the people gathered,
when the tribes of Israel came together.
6 “Let the people of Reuben live and not die,
but let ·the people [L his numbers] be few [2 Kin. 10:32–34].”
7 Moses said this about the people of Judah:
“Lord, listen to Judah’s ·prayer [L voice];
bring them back to their people.
They ·defend [contend for] themselves with their hands.
Help them fight their enemies!”
8 Moses said this about the people of Levi:
“Lord, your Thummim and Urim [Ex. 28:30] belong
to ·Levi, whom you love [L your loyal one].
Lord, you tested him at Massah
and argued with him at the waters of Meribah [Ex. 17:1–7].
9 He said about his father and mother,
‘I don’t care about them.’
He did not treat his brothers as favorites
or give special favors to his children,
but he protected your word
and guarded your ·agreement [covenant; treaty; Ex. 32:25–29].
10 He teaches your ·laws [judgments] to the people of Jacob
and your ·teachings [laws; instructions] to the people of Israel.
He ·burns [places] incense before you
and makes whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] on your altar.
11 Lord, ·make them strong [L bless his powers];
be pleased with the work ·they do [L of their hand].
·Defeat those who attack them [L Strike the loins of those who rise against them],
and don’t let ·their enemies [L those who hate them] rise up again.”
12 Moses said this about the people of Benjamin:
“The Lord’s loved ones will lie down in safety,
because ·he [or the Most High] protects them all day long.
The ones he loves rest ·with him [L between his shoulders].”
13 Moses said this about the people of Joseph:
“May the Lord bless their land with ·wonderful [or the best fruits from the] dew from heaven,
·with water from the springs [and from the deeps] below,
14 with the best fruits that the sun brings,
and with the best fruits ·that the moon brings [or of the months].
15 Let the ·old [ancient] mountains give the finest crops,
and let the everlasting hills give the best fruits.
16 Let the ·full earth [L earth and its fullness] give the best fruits,
and let the Lord who lived in ·the burning bush [the thorn bush; or Sinai; Ex. 3:2] be pleased.
May ·these blessings [L they] rest on the head of Joseph,
on the forehead of the ·one who was blessed [L prince] among his brothers.
17 Joseph has the majesty of a firstborn bull;
·he is as strong as [L his horns are the horns of] a wild ox [Ex. 27:2].
He will ·stab [gore] other nations with them,
even those ·nations far away [L at the ends of the earth].
These are the ·ten thousands [myriads] of Ephraim,
and these are the thousands of Manasseh [C tribes named after Joseph’s sons].”
18 Moses said this about the people of Zebulun:
“·Be happy [Rejoice] when you go out, Zebulun,
and ·be happy [rejoice] in your tents, Issachar.
19 They will call the people to the mountain,
and there they will offer the ·right [righteous] sacrifices.
They will ·do well from all that is in [L suck the abundance of] the sea,
and from the treasures hidden in the sand on the shore.”
20 Moses said this about the people of Gad:
“·Praise God who gives Gad more land [L Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad]!
Gad lives there like a lion,
who tears off arms and heads.
21 They chose the best land for themselves.
They received a large share, like that given to an officer.
When the leaders of the people ·gathered [or came],
the people of Gad did what the Lord said was ·right [righteous; just],
and they judged Israel fairly.”
22 Moses said this about the people of Dan:
“Dan is like a lion’s cub,
who ·jumps out of [leaps forth from] Bashan [32:14].”
23 Moses said this about the people of Naphtali:
“Naphtali ·enjoys special kindnesses [is deeply favored],
and they are full of the Lord’s blessings.
·Take as your own [or It possesses] the west and south.”
24 Moses said this about the people of Asher:
“Asher is the most blessed of the sons;
let him be his brothers’ favorite.
Let him ·bathe [dip] his feet in olive oil [C symbolizing comfort and luxury].
25 Your ·gates will have locks of [L bolts/bars are] iron and bronze,
and ·you will be strong as long as you live [L your strength will be like your days].
26 “There is no one like the God of ·Israel [L Jeshurun; 32:15],
who rides through the ·skies [heavens] to help you,
who rides on the clouds in his majesty [Ps. 18:7–15; 68:5–7; Dan. 7:13–14; Nah. 1:3; Matt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7].
27 ·The everlasting God is your place of safety [or He humbles the gods of old],
and ·his arms will hold you up forever [or humbles the ancient powers].
He will force your enemy out ahead of you,
saying, ‘Destroy the enemy!’
28 The people of Israel will ·lie down [reside; dwell] in safety.
Jacob’s ·spring [or abode] is theirs alone.
Theirs is a land full of grain and new wine,
where the ·skies [heavens] drop their dew.
29 Israel, you are blessed!
·No one else [L Who…?] is like you,
because you are a people saved by the Lord.
He is your shield and helper,
your glorious sword.
Your enemies will ·be afraid of you [come cringing to you],
and you will ·walk all over [trample] their ·holy places [L high places; or backs].”
Deuteronomy 33
King James Version
33 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
2 And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
4 Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
7 And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.
8 And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.
11 Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
12 And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together 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, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
20 And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel.
22 And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south.
24 And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 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.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.