Deuteronomy 33 - Introduction
_MOSES, BLESSING THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, FORETELS THE FUTURE STATE OF EACH TRIBE, AND CONGRATULATES ISRAEL IN HAVING THE LORD FOR THEIR DEFENCE._ _Before Christ 1451._... [ Continue Reading ]
_MOSES, BLESSING THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, FORETELS THE FUTURE STATE OF EACH TRIBE, AND CONGRATULATES ISRAEL IN HAVING THE LORD FOR THEIR DEFENCE._ _Before Christ 1451._... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _AND THIS IS THE BLESSING_— The word _blessing_ is to be understood according to the custom of those ancient times, when fathers, about to die, blessed their children: whence, whatever fathers spoke to their children, as their last words, was called a _blessing,_ though sometimes cursings... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 2. _THE LORD CAME FROM SINAI_— Moses endeavours, in the first place, to make the Israelites sensible of that most signal benefit which God had bestowed upon them, in assuming them to be his peculiar people: as if he had said, "Israel is the favourite nation to whom God was pleased, with most... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 3. _YEA, HE LOVED THE PEOPLE_— Durell, in agreement with Houbigant, after the Samaritan, renders this verse thus; O loving Father of the people! All the saints are at thy hand; They shall fall down at thy feet; They shall receive of thy words. _All the saints_ seem to mean, the most righteo... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 4. _MOSES COMMANDED US A LAW,_ &C.— He commanded as a law, To be the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 5. _AND HE WAS KING IN JESHURUN,_ &C.— DURELL. Dr. Kennicott endeavours to shew the great inconsistency of making Moses the speaker of the passage as it stands in our version. Aware of this difficulty, Jonathan, and the author of the Jerusalem Targum, put these words in the mouth of the chil... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 6. _LET REUBEN,_ &C.— Moses speaks immediately of Reuben, without prefacing, as he does of the other tribes before their respective parts; the reason of which I imagine to be, that the ode we have thus far examined was sung by a company of Israelites, to whom Moses taught it: for, as he enter... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 7. _AND THIS IS THE BLESSING OF JUDAH_— This is more properly rendered by Houbigant and Durell, _and this he said of Judah;_ the word _blessing_ not being in the original, or in any other version than ours and the Vulgate. Durell renders the rest of the verse thus: Hear Lord, the voice of Jud... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 8-11. _AND OF LEVI HE SAID_— Moses, having finished that part of his prayer which related to Judah, enters rapidly on a new subject, and offers his petitions in behalf of his own tribe. He begins by entreating the Almighty that the sacerdotal office might continue in this tribe, in which he h... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 12. _AND OF BENJAMIN HE SAID_— After an account had been given of the priesthood, and of the general duties of the Levites, the place where those duties were to be exercised comes properly to be next considered. The first and second temple were, doubtless, built in a portion to which Benjamin... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 here in his proper rank. Moses, in blessing him, copies after Jacob: he promises him the choicest t... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 18, 19. _AND OF ZEBULUN HE SAID_— Hitherto some probable reason might be assigned for the order in which the six tribes last mentioned were placed; but now we seem quite in the dark in that which respects the six following ones. None of the commentators that I have seen have attempted a solut... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 20, 21. _AND OF GAD HE SAID_— This warlike tribe, having applied to Moses for the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and obtained it, is not improperly compared by him to a _lion_ resting after he is satiated with his prey. Moses seems indirectly to commend their prudence in having chosen... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 22. _AND OF DAN HE SAID_— Moses seems here to prophesy, that part of this tribe, too closely confined within the bounds of the portion originally assigned them, would attack, like _lions,_ the secure inhabitants of a place, of whose situation he gives them a general idea; and thereby intimate... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 23. _AND OF NAPHTALI HE SAID_— Jacob appears to have promised the Naphtalites a delightful country, under the image of a fine spreading tree. And here Moses predicts, in clear terms, that their portion would answer to that figurative description, and withal points out where it would be situat... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 24, 25. _AND OF ASHER HE SAID_— Moses prophesies, that the Asherites would be numerous; and wishes that there might always be a perfect harmony between them and the rest of the Israelites. He tells them, that their country should be very fruitful, particularly in _oil._ He intimates, that the... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 25. _THY SHOES SHALL BE IRON AND BRASS,_ &C.— Or, _Thy bolts shall be iron and brass, and thou shalt have peace all thy days._ Le Cene. See Calmet, and 1 Kings 4:13. See commentary on Deuteronomy 33:24... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 26-29. _THERE IS NONE LIKE UNTO THE GOD OF JESHURUN_— Moses, having made an end of declaring to each tribe some of the particular circumstances which would distinguish them from the rest, and having prayed for their respective prosperity, as far as the holy spirit suffered him, now concludes... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 28. _ISRAEL THEN SHALL DWELL IN SAFETY ALONE_— The word בדד _badad,_ signifies _to live alone,_ and I suppose its signification may be extended to living separate. The Israelites were separated from the rest of the world by their peculiar institutions, religious and civil; and they were suffi... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 29. _HAPPY ART THOU, O ISRAEL!_— See ver. 26, &c. GOD is there said to have none like Him; so is Israel here: HE is superior to all created beings, because they obey Him: _they_ are superior to other nations, because he has saved them: in both places they are represented as being under his pa... [ Continue Reading ]