Deuteronomy 33
Big idea: Moses blesses the tribes one by one, and the pattern is inheritance rather than character — Judah brought home to his people, Levi teaching Jacob God's ordinances, Joseph blessed with the precious things of the heavens and the deep, Zebulun rejoicing in his going out and Issachar in his tents. But the blessing's real weight is in its frame. It opens with Yahweh coming from Sinai with a fiery law at his right hand, and it closes with two sentences that have outlived every tribe named between them: the eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. You are happy, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh?
Chapter 33 ends with Israel blessed and happy. Chapter 34 has the man who blessed them climb a mountain alone.
33:1–11 — A fiery law at his right hand
This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. He said: Yahweh came from Sinai and rose from Seir to them; he shone from Mount Paran, and came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them. Yes, he loves the people; all his saints are in your hand; they sat down at your feet, each receiving your words. Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. He was king in Jeshurun when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. Let Reuben live and not die, nor let his men be few. This is for Judah: Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah; bring him in to his people; with his hands he contended for himself, and you shall be a help against his adversaries. About Levi he said: Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah. He said of his father and mother, I have not seen him; he didn't acknowledge his brothers, nor know his own children — for they have observed your word and keep your covenant. They shall teach Jacob your ordinances and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offering on your altar. Yahweh, bless his skills; accept the work of his hands.
1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 He said, “Yahweh came from Sinai, and rose from Seir to them. He shone from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them. 3 Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet. Each receives your words. 4 Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. 5 He was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. 6 “Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.” 7 This is for Judah. He said, “Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries.” 8 About Levi he said, “Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah. 9 He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’ He didn’t acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for they have observed your word, and keep your covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar. 11 Yahweh, bless his skills. Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again.”
33:12–25 — The precious things of the everlasting hills
About Benjamin: the beloved of Yahweh will dwell in safety by him; he covers him all day long, and he dwells between his shoulders. About Joseph: his land is blessed by Yahweh for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath, for the precious things of the fruits of the sun and what the moon can yield, for the best things of the ancient mountains and the precious things of the everlasting hills, for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, and the good will of him who lived in the bush. Let this come on the head of Joseph — majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd; his horns are the horns of the wild ox, the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh. About Zebulun: rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents. They will call the peoples to the mountain and offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they will draw out the abundance of the seas. About Gad: he who enlarges Gad is blessed; he dwells as a lioness. He provided the first part for himself, and came with the heads of the people. About Dan: Dan is a lion's cub that leaps out of Bashan. About Naphtali: satisfied with favor, full of Yahweh's blessing, possess the west and the south. About Asher: blessed with children; let him dip his foot in oil. Your bars will be iron and bronze; as your days, so your strength will be.
12 About Benjamin he said, “The beloved of Yahweh will dwell in safety by him. He covers him all day long. He dwells between his shoulders.” 13 About Joseph he said, “His land is blessed by Yahweh, for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath, 14 for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things that the moon can yield, 15 for the best things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16 for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of him who lived in the bush. Let this come on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers. 17 Majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he will push all the peoples to the ends of the earth. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh.” 18 About Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents. 19 They will call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they will draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand.” 20 About Gad he said, “He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm and the crown of the head. 21 He provided the first part for himself, for the lawgiver’s portion was reserved for him. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel.” 22 About Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps out of Bashan.” 23 About Naphtali he said, “Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of Yahweh’s blessing, Possess the west and the south.” 24 About Asher he said, “Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil. 25 Your bars will be iron and bronze. As your days, so your strength will be.
33:26–29 — Underneath are the everlasting arms
There is no one like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, in his excellency on the skies. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you and said, Destroy! Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, in a land of grain and new wine; yes, his heavens drop down dew. You are happy, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help and the sword of your excellency? Your enemies will submit themselves to you, and you will tread on their high places.
26 “There is no one like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, in his excellency on the skies. 27 The eternal God is your dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’ 28 Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine. Yes, his heavens drop down dew. 29 You are happy, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, the sword of your excellency? Your enemies will submit themselves to you. You will tread on their high places.”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).