One of the sons of Jacob, by Zilpah. (Genesis 30:12-13) His name means happy, or blessed; taken from the same word in the root which means blessed. Hence, Jacob, when adying, declared that "the bread of Asher should be fat." (Genesis 49:20) And Moses, when blessing the children of Israel, with his last prophetical benediction, followed up the same in allusion to his name as blessed; "thy shoes (said Moses) shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)
I cannot help remarking upon the name of Asher, that there is in it somewhat of peculiar gracefulness. The noun, which is taken from the root, is never used but in the plural number, blessedness instead of blessed, as in the first word of Psalms 1:1-6. And the Hebrews give a very decided reason for it. They say, that blessedness doth not depend upon a single blessing, but upon all. Hence, in allusion to the Lord Jesus Christ, he is the blessedness, the Asher of his people. So that the opening of that Psalm being plural, should be read with an eye to Christ; blessedness is the man, etc. And of none but Christ could this be said; neither to any other but Him, could the things spoken of in that Psalm refer.