XXXIII. MOSES’ LAST BLESSING. (1) MOSES THE MAN OF GOD BLESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. — The title _man of God_ is here used for the first time. Its counterpart is to be found in Deuteronomy 34:5 : “Moses the _servant of Jehovah_ died.” The more any man is a “servant to Jehovah,” the more is he a “... [ Continue Reading ]
(2) “And he said, Jehovah came from Sinai, And dawned upon them from Seir; He shone forth from mount Paran. And there came from the ten thousands of holiness, From His right hand, a fire of law [10] for them.” [10] On this expression see an additional note at the end of the book. The appearance o... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, HE LOVED. — The connection appears to be this — “From His right hand went a fire, a law for them (Israel). Loving the peoples also; (_i.e.,_ all who should hereafter become His people) All His saints are in Thy hand: (the hand of Him who spake on Sinai, and now “speaketh from heaven”) And... [ Continue Reading ]
(4,5) “[Of] the law which Moses commanded us, The inheritance of the congregation of Jacob, When he (Moses) was king in Jeshurun, In the gathering of the heads of the people, The tribes of Israel together.” This fourth verse, from its form, is evidently not what Moses said, but an explanatory par... [ Continue Reading ]
LET REUBEN LIVE, AND NOT DIE. — “‘Live’ in this world.” says Rashi, “and ‘not die’ in the world to come.” That his misdeed should not be remembered (Genesis 35:22). Rashi also notices the juxtaposition of this record with the sentence, “the sons of Jacob were _twelve.”_ Reuben was not cut off, but h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS (he said) OF JUDAH. — The words which follow are a kingly blessing: “Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people.” In other words, when we think of “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” “Thy kingdom come.” Rashi reminds us of the many prayers in Old Testament history which were... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OF LEVI. — Next to Joseph, this tribe has the largest share in Moses’ last words, as we might naturally expect, it being his own tribe. The _character of the priest_ is the principal subject. The blessing may be thus paraphrased: “Let thy Thummim and thy Urim (the chief high-priestly ornaments)... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESS, LORD, HIS SUBSTANCE. — This petition is consistent with the enactment that Levi should have _no land._ But a blessing on his substance means a blessing to the whole land of Israel. _Levi’s substance_ Was _Israel’s tithe._ ACCEPT THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. — The chief “work of his hands” was medi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OF BENJAMIN. — It is generally agreed that this blessing points to the site of the place which Jehovah chose out of all the tribes of Israel, _Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin._ The Hebrew is divided thus: — “Unto Benjamin he said. Beloved of Jehovah! He (Jehovah) will dwell in security upon... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OF JOSEPH HE SAID. — The remark of Rashi is especially applicable here. “Thou wilt find in the case of all the tribes, that the blessing of Moses is drawn from the fountain of the blessing of Jacob.” As the _voice_ of Judah, the _office_ of Levi, and the _situation_ of Benjamin are singled out... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FOR THE PRECIOUS FRUITS. — The “increase of the sun_”_ and “precious things put forth from month to month” (or by night when the moon rules), are next alluded to.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOOD WILL OF HIM THAT DWELT IN THE BUSH — is a blessing peculiar to Moses. It contains an exquisite piece of interpretation. From the fact that Jehovah _revealed Himself_ to Moses in a flame of fire _in a bush,_ the man of God drew the thought that He presented Himself as _dwelling in it;_ and t... [ Continue Reading ]
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 was of the tribe of Manasseh. He expounds nearly the whole of the verse in reference to Joshua and... [ Continue Reading ]
ZEBULUN... AND ISSACHAR were united with Judah, in the leading division of Israel in the wilderness. The warlike character of the first of these two, and the more peaceful wisdom of the second, are illustrated by Judges 5:18 and 1 Chronicles 12:32. (Comp Jacob’s blessing of Issachar in Genesis 49:14... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL CALL THE PEOPLE UNTO THE MOUNTAIN. — Or, _they shall give the mountain-call to the peoples_ — _i.e.,_ they shall call the tribes of Israel to Mount Moriah to offer the sacrifices of righteousness. (See 2 Chronicles 30:11; 2 Chronicles 30:18 for an illustration of this.)... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED BE HE THAT ENLARGETH GAD. — The mountains of Gilead shut him in. He dwelleth as a lion. — See 1 Chronicles 12:8, for eleven Gadites, “whose faces were as the faces of lions.”... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST PART. — The first territory conquered by Moses was distributed between Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. A PORTION OF THE LAWGIVER is interpreted by Rashi as the field of the “burial-place” of the lawgiver. But this can hardly have been in the mind of Moses. HE CAME WITH TH... [ Continue Reading ]
DAN IS A LION’S WHELP. — Jacob compared him to a serpent and an adder. The lion of the tribe of Dan is not like the lion of the tribe of Judah. HE SHALL LEAP FROM BASHAN. — The taking of Laish is probably referred to. It was a sudden, treacherous surprise, like the spring of a lion on his prey (Jud... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ASHER BE BLESSED WITH CHILDREN. — It can be translated “more blessed than all sons.” Rashi quotes an old saying, “You will not find among all the tribes one so blest with children as Asher, and I cannot say why.” LET HIM BE ACCEPTABLE TO HIS BRETHREN, AND... DIP HIS FOOT IN OIL. — The fertility... [ Continue Reading ]
THY SHOES SHALL BE IRON AND BRASS. — Perhaps we should rather read, _thy bars shall be iron and brass._ The word here rendered “shoes” in the Authorised Version does not occur elsewhere. The nearest word to it means “locks” or “fastenings.” It is also uncertain whether the whole sentence belongs to... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NONE LIKE UNTO THE GOD OF JESHURUN. — _Their rock is not as our Rock._ For Jeshurun, see note on Deuteronomy 32:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE. — The word “thy” is not represented in the original. _Mâ’ônah,_ the word for refuge, differs very slightly from the “refuge” of Psalms 90:1, “Lord, thou hast been our _refuge_ in generation and generation,” which are also the words of Moses. The same word is used of th... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL THEN SHALL DWELL IN SAFETY — _i.e._, in confidence and security. “_In His days_ (the days of Messiah) Judah shall be saved, and _Israel shall dwell safely”_ (Jeremiah 23:6), but not until they learn to rest upon “the everlasting arms.”... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE ENEMIES SHALL BE FOUND LIARS UNTO THEE. — See Psalms 66:3 : “Through the greatness of thy power _shall thine enemies_ submit themselves (_i.e., lie_)_ unto thee.”_ The idea is, that the enemies of the conqueror will hasten to throw themselves at his feet, protesting that they were always his f... [ Continue Reading ]