Deuteronomy 33

Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

1 This is the blessing with which Moses *Josh. 14:6;1 Chr. 23:14;2 Chr. 30:16;Ezra 3:2the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. 2 He said,

*[Ex. 19:18,20;Judg. 5:4,5;Ps. 68:7,8;Hab. 3:3] "The Lord came from Sinai

and dawned from Seir upon us;*33:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew them

he shone forth from Mount Paran;

he came *[Ps. 68:17;Dan. 7:10;Acts 7:53;Gal. 3:19;Heb. 2:2;Jude 14;Rev. 5:11]from the ten thousands of holy ones,

with flaming fire*33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain at his right hand.

3 Yes, *ch. 7:7,8;10:15;Hos. 11:1he loved his people,*33:3 Septuagint; Hebrew peoples

*[John 10:27-29;Rom. 8:35,38,39] all his holy ones were in his*33:3 Hebrew your hand;

*[Luke 10:39;Acts 22:3]so they followed*33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain in your steps,

receiving direction from you,

4 when *John 1:17;7:19Moses commanded us a law,

as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

5 Thus the Lord*33:5 Hebrew Thus he*Num. 23:21;[Judg. 8:23;Isa. 33:22] became king in *See ch. 32:15Jeshurun,

when the heads of the people were gathered,

all the tribes of Israel together.

6 *[Gen. 49:3,4]"Let Reuben live, and not die,

but 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 your hands contend*33:7 Probable reading; Hebrew With his hands he contended for him,

and be a help against his adversaries."

8 And *[Gen. 49:5] of Levi he said,

"Give to Levi*33:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks Give to Levi*See Ex. 28:30your Thummim,

and your Urim to your godly one,

*See Ex. 17:7;Num. 20:13whom you tested at Massah,

with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;

9 who said of his father and mother,

‘I regard them not’;

*See Ex. 32:26-29he disowned his brothers

and ignored his children.

For *Mal. 2:4-6they observed your word

and kept your covenant.

10 *ch. 17:9-11;Ezek. 44:23;See Lev. 10:11They shall teach Jacob your rules

and Israel your law;

*Ex. 30:7,8;1 Sam. 2:28they shall put incense before you

and *Ps. 51:19;Ezek. 43:27whole burnt offerings on your altar.

11 Bless, O Lord, his substance,

and *Ezek. 20:40,41;43:27;[Amos 5:22]accept the work of his hands;

crush the loins of his adversaries,

of those who hate him, that they rise not again."

12 *[Gen. 49:27]Of Benjamin he said,

"The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety.

The High God*33:12 Septuagint; Hebrew dwells in safety by him. He surrounds him all day long,

and dwells between his shoulders."

13 And *[Gen. 49:22] of Joseph he said,

*Gen. 49:25"Blessed by the Lord be his land,

with the choicest gifts of heaven *ver. 28;Gen. 27:28above,*33:13 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Targum; Hebrew with the dew

and of the deep that crouches 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 *Gen. 49:26;Hab. 3:6;[Ps. 90:2]the everlasting hills,

16 with the best gifts of the earth and *Ps. 24:1its fullness

and the favor of *Ex. 3:2-4;Acts 7:30,35him who dwells in the bush.

May these rest on the head of Joseph,

on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.

17 *[1 Chr. 5:1] A firstborn bull*33:17 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Samaritan; Masoretic Text His firstborn bull—he has majesty,

and his horns are the horns of a *See Num. 23:22wild ox;

with them *1 Kgs. 22:11;Ps. 44:5;Dan. 8:4he shall gore the peoples,

all of them, to the ends of the earth;

*[Gen. 48:19;Num. 1:33,35]they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,

and they are the thousands of Manasseh."

18 And of Zebulun he said,

*[Gen. 49:13-15]"Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,

and Issachar, in your tents.

19 They shall call peoples *Ex. 15:17;Isa. 2:3to their mountain;

there they offer *Ps. 4:5;51:19right sacrifices;

for they draw from the abundance of the seas

and the hidden treasures of the sand."

20 And *[Gen. 49:19] of Gad he said,

"Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!

Gad crouches *[1 Chr. 12:8]like a lion;

he tears off arm and scalp.

21 *See Num. 32:1-5,16-19He chose the best of the land for himself,

for there a commander’s portion was reserved;

and *Num. 32:31,32;See Josh. 1:12-15;1 Chr. 5:18-22he came with the heads of the people,

with Israel he executed the justice of the Lord,

and his judgments for Israel."

22 And *[Gen. 49:16] of Dan he said,

*[Gen. 49:9] "Dan is a lion’s cub

*[Josh. 19:47;Judg. 18:27]that leaps from Bashan."

23 And *[Gen. 49:21] of Naphtali he said,

"O Naphtali, sated with favor,

and full of the blessing of the Lord,

*See Josh. 19:32-39possess the lake*33:23 Or west and the south."

24 And *[Gen. 49:20] of Asher he said,

"Most blessed of sons be Asher;

let him be the favorite of his brothers,

and let him *[Job 29:6]dip his foot in oil.

25 Your bars shall be iron and bronze,

and as your days, so shall your strength be.

26 *See Ex. 15:11"There is none like God, O *See ch. 32:15Jeshurun,

*Ps. 68:33,34;104:3;Isa. 19:1;Hab. 3:8who rides through the heavens to your help,

through the skies in his majesty.

27 The eternal God is your *Ps. 90:1;91:9dwelling place,*33:27 Or a dwelling place

and underneath are the everlasting arms.*33:27 Revocalization of verse 27 yields He subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old

And he thrust out the enemy before you

and said, ‘Destroy.’

28 So Israel lived in safety,

*[Ps. 68:26;Isa. 48:1] Jacob lived *Num. 23:9alone,*33:28 Hebrew the abode of Jacob was alone

in a land of grain and wine,

whose heavens drop down dew.

29 Happy are you, O Israel! *[2 Sam. 7:23] Who is like you,

a people *Isa. 45:17saved by the Lord,

*Ps. 33:20;115:9-11the shield of your help,

and the sword of your triumph!

Your enemies shall come fawning to you,

and you shall tread upon their backs."