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John Trapp Complete Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:17

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.

Ver. 17. His horns are like the horns of unicorns.] Justin Martyr a and some other of the ancients b have strangely racked and wrested this text, to wring out of it the sign of the cross, resembled and represented by the horn of a unicorn. At nihil hic de Christo, nihil de cruce.

He shall push the people together.] As General Joshua, of this tribe, did notably; so that Phoenicians ran away into a far country, and renowned his valour by a monument set up in Africa. Howbeit, Gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis, quam potestatis, as Tertullian saith of Augustus: He is more famous for his piety than for his prowess.

a Advers. Tryph.

b Tertul. Adver. Judaeos, cap. 10. Ambrose, De Benedict. Pat.

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See also Deuteronomy 33:17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Deuteronomy 33:17. _HIS GLORY_ IS LIKE _THE FIRSTLING OF HIS BULLOCK_] This similitude is very obscure. A bullock was the most excellent of animals among the Jews, not only because of its _acce...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Comparing the words of Moses with those of Jacob, it will be seen that the patriarch dwells with emphasis on the severe conflicts which Joseph, i. e., Ephraim and Manasseh, would undergo (compare Gene...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. THE BLESSING OF MOSES Chapter S 32:44-33:29 _ 1. Introduction (Deuteronomy 32:44)_ 2. Jehovah's manifestation (Deuteronomy 33:1) 3. The blessing of Reuben, Judah and Levi (D

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    DEUTERONOMY 33. THE BLESSING OF MOSES. Of this poem (quite unconnected with the context) the following statements may be made: (_a)_ It was composed during the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (786- 74...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HORNS. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Subject), App-6, for Ephraim and Manasseh. UNICORNS. See note on Numbers 23:22. PEOPLE. peoples. EARTH, or land....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Blessing Proper 6  R e" ubén, may he live and not die, Though few be his men....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    For these two hierodules the Heb. is _ḳadesh_(masc.) and _ḳedeshah_(fem.) and means simply _set apari, consecrated_(cp. above, pp. 108 ff.), the former being probably the unsexed man referred to in De...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _VER._ 13-17. _AND OF JOSEPH HE SAID,_ &C.— Whether we consider Joseph with respect to his situation in the land of Canaan, or to the eminent dignity by which his descendants were distinguished, he is...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. BLESSINGS PRONOUNCED UPON THE TWELVE TRIBES (Deuteronomy 33:6-25) It will be noticed that the tribe of Simeon is not mentioned in this list. This was because of their father's anger, cruelty, and d...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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 E...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Read, 'His firstling bullock, majesty is his, and his horns are the horns of the wild ox.' Ephraim is meant, and is compared to a wild ox: see on Numbers 23:22....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BLESSING OF MOSES This chapter contains the last words or 'swan-song' of Moses. Immediately before his death he takes farewell of the people, and blesses each of the tribes in turn, as Jacob had...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    DEUTERONOMY: GOD’S LAW OF LOVE LOVE AND OBEY THE *LORD YOUR GOD DEUTERONOMY _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 33 V1 This is the *blessing that Moses, God’s *prophet, gave to the *Israelites. Moses did this...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEY ARE THE TEN THOUSANDS OF EPHRAIM, AND THEY ARE THE THOUSANDS OF MANASSEH. — Rashi refers this to the ten thousands _slain_ by Joshua, the Ephraimite leader, and the thousands slain by Gideon, who...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    בְּכֹ֨ור שֹׁורֹ֜ו הָדָ֣ר לֹ֗ו וְ קַרְנֵ֤י רְא

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    (B) THE BLESSING OF MOSES Deuteronomy 33:1 Besides the farewell speeches and the farewell song, we have in this chapter yet another closing utterance attributed to Moses. Here, as in the case of the...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE BLESSING OF THE CHOSEN PEOPLE Deuteronomy 33:1 The glorious nature of God is the opening theme here. The reference is to the giving of the Law when, amid fire and the mediation of angels, God des...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here we have the record of the final words of Moses to the nation. They also take the form of a song. Often he had set before the people cursing and blessing His last words were of blessing only. Firs...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Bullock, or cow. Shor, denotes all the species, chap. xv. 19. --- Firstling, is likewise often put for the most excellent. Thus "his beauty, like the finest bullock." The Egyptians had a high esteem f...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The blessing of Joseph is very striking, and deserves the closest attention, from the interest all true believers in CHRIST have in it. It is true, Joseph was separated from his brethren when sold int...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    It is clear that a new division of the statutes and judgments of this book begins with the later verses just read from Deuteronomy 16:1-22. What belonged to the religious life of Israel was closed wit...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    17_His glory is like the firstling. _Translators obscure the meaning by translating the word _firstling _in the nominative case. I have no doubt, however, but that he compares the glory of Joseph to t...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    We have also the blessings of this man of God, pronounced over the people before his death (chap. 33). The blessings of Jacob were more historical regarding the future. Here they are rather relationsh...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    HIS GLORY [IS LIKE] THE FIRSTLING OF HIS BULLOCK,.... Such as were in Bashan, a country possessed by the posterity of Joseph, see Psalms 22:12; and so might be called "his" bullock, or a young bull,...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _His glory is like the firstling of his bullock_ Or the prime and fairest bullock of the herd. For things that excel in their kind are called _firstborn_ in Scripture. The beauty and strength of this...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Maiestie of God. 6 The blessings of the twelue Tribes. 26 The excellency of Israel. 1 AND this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns, of the fierce wild-ox; he would occupy a position of such power as to be able to trample on all his enemie...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE BLESSING OF MOSES. As the aged patriarch Jacob laid his blessing upon his sons in the form of prophecies, so Moses, before being gathered to his people, spoke a prophetic blessing upon the peopl...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BLESSING OF THE TRIBES (vs.1-29) Though Deuteronomy is a book largely of admonition, yet all admonition is finished by the end of Chapter 32:47, and Chapter 33 beautifully closes God's message f...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    6-23 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 la...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THE FIRSTLING OF HIS BULLOCK; in whose countenance there is a kind of awful majesty and comely generosity, as Tully, Aelian, &c. observe. This seems to note the kingdom which Ephraim should obtain in...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    "And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death" It is full of interest and comfort to find that the last words of the lawgiver were words o...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Deuteronomy 33:17 glory H1926 firstborn H1060 bull H7794 horns H7161 horns H7161 ox H7214 Together H3162 push...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    Deuteronomy 33:13 “And of Joseph he said, Blessed of Yahweh be his land, For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, And for the deep that couches beneath, And for the precious things of the...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Moses' blessing upon the tribes. CHARACTERS: God, Moses. CONCLUSION: It is a very desirable thing to have an interest in the prayers of those who are about to depart for heaven. KEY WORD:...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Deuteronomy 33:1. _Moses blessed Israel._ Moses, like Jacob, died distinctly blessing the tribes of Israel, and finished his course in a manner worthy of himself. The tribe of Simeon is here omitted....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land._ JOSEPH The character of Joseph is not often correctly apprehended, although it comes out very distinctly in the picture which Scripture has given...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    DEUTERONOMY—NOTE ON DEUTERONOMY 33:1 There is no mention of Simeon in the list of tribes, perhaps because the tribe was going to be scattered (Genesis 49:7) and absorbed by Judah....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.—Moses now performs the last great act of life and blesses the tribes of Israel. “The blessing opens with a solemn conclusion of the covenant and giving of the law at Sinai, by which th...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION MOSES' BLESSING. Before ascending Mount Nebo, to take a view of the land he was not permitted to cuter and then to die, Moses took farewell of the people he had so long guided and ruled, b...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter thirty-three, Now this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel just before he died. And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir; he shin...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 5:1; 1 Kings 22:11; 2 Chronicles 18:10; Genesis 48:19;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    His glory is like the firstling of his bullock — Or young bull, which is a stately creature, and was therefore formerly used as an emblem of royal majesty. This seems to note the kingdom which Ephraim...

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