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Deuteronomy Chapter
Thirty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 33
This
chapter relates the blessings Moses pronounced upon the people of Israel a
little before his death; first
in general
on account of their having a law
given them in so glorious a manner
Deuteronomy 33:1;
then
in particular
each of the tribes distinctly is blessed
Reuben
Deuteronomy 33:6;
Judah
Deuteronomy 33:7;
Levi
Deuteronomy 33:8;
Benjamin
Deuteronomy 33:12;
Joseph
Deuteronomy 33:13;
Zebulun and Issachar
Deuteronomy 33:18;
Gad
Deuteronomy 33:20;
Dan
Deuteronomy 33:22;
Naphtali
Deuteronomy 33:23;
Asher
Deuteronomy 33:24;
and the chapter is concluded with some strong intimations of what God was unto
the people of Israel in general
and of what he had done and would do for them;
all which are expressive of their great happiness
Deuteronomy 33:26.
Deuteronomy 33:1 Now this is
the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel
before his death.
YLT
1And this [is] the blessing
[with] which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death
And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed
the children of Israel before his death. Namely
what is related
in the following verses
this being the general title to the chapter: Moses is
called "the man of God"
being raised up of God
and eminently
qualified by him with girls for the work he was called unto
and by whom he was
inspired to say what is after expressed: it is a title given to prophets
1 Samuel 9:6; and
so Onkelos here paraphrases it
"Moses the prophet of the Lord
'and Aben
Ezra observes
that this is said to show that he blessed Israel by a spirit of
prophecy
and which he did a little before his death
when very near it; and
as the same writer says
on the very day of his death.
Deuteronomy 33:2 2 And
he said: “The Lord came from Sinai
And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from
Mount Paran
And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came
a fiery law for them.
YLT
2and he saith: -- `Jehovah
from Sinai hath come
And hath risen from Seir for them; He hath shone from
mount Paran
And hath come [with] myriads of holy ones; At His right hand [are]
springs for them.
And he said
.... What follows
of which
in some things
he was an eye and
ear witness
and in others was inspired by the Spirit of God
to deliver his
mind and will concerning the future case and state of the several tribes
after
he had observed the common benefit and blessing they all enjoyed
by having
such a law given them in the manner it was:
the Lord came from Sinai; there he first appeared
to Moses
and sent him to Egypt
and wrought miracles by him
and delivered his
people Israel from thence
and when they were come to this mount he came down
on it
as Aben Ezra
from Gaon
or he came "to" it; so to Zion
Isaiah 59:20
is
"out of" or "from Zion"
Romans 11:26; here
he appeared and gave the law
and from thence went with Israel through the
wilderness
and conducted them to the land of Canaan:
and rose up from Seir unto them: not to the Edomites
which inhabited Seir
as say Jarchi
and the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
but to the Israelites when they compassed the land of Edom; and the Lord was
with them
and gave them some signal proofs of his power and providence
kindness and goodness
to them; particularly
as some observe
by appointing a
brazen serpent to be erected for the cure those bitten by fiery ones
which was
a type of the glorious Redeemer and Saviour
and this was done on the borders
of Edom
see Numbers 21:4; for
the words here denote some illustrious appearance of the Lord
like that of the
rising sun; so the Targum of Onkelos
"the brightness of his glory from
Seir was shown unto us;'and that of Jonathan
"and the brightness of the
glory of his Shechinah went from Gebal:"
he shined forth from Mount Paran: in which the metaphor of
the sun rising is continued
and as expressive of its increasing light and
splendour: near to this mount was a wilderness of the same name
through which
the children of Israel travelled
and where the Lord appeared to them: here the
cloud rested when they removed from Sinai; here
or near it
the Spirit of the
Lord was given to the seventy elders
and from hence the spies were sent into
the land of Canaan
Numbers 10:12; in
this wilderness Ishmael and his posterity dwelt
Genesis 21:21; but
it was not to them the Lord shone forth here
as say the above Jewish writers
and othersF4Vid. Pirke Eliezer
c. 41. ; but to the Israelites
for
here Moses repeated the law
or delivered to them what is contained in the book
of Deuteronomy
see Deuteronomy 1:1;
beside
in a literal sense
as these mountains were very near one another
as
Saadiah Gaon observes
the great light which shone on Mount Sinai
when the
Lord descended on it
might extend to the other mountains and illuminate them
see Habakkuk 3:3
and he came with ten thousands of saints: or holy
angels
as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan
and so Jarchi; which sense is
confirmed by the authorities of Stephen the protomartyr
and the Apostle Paul
who speak of the law as given by the disposition of angels
they being present
attending and assisting on that solemn occasion
Acts 7:57; see Psalm 68:17; the
appearance of those holy spirits in such great numbers added to the grandeur
and solemnity of the giving of the holy law to the people of Israel
as the
attendance of the same on Christ at his second coming will add to the lustre
and glory of it
Luke 9:26
from his right hand went a fiery law for them: the
Israelites; Aben Ezra thinks the phrase
"his right hand"
is in
connection with the preceding clause; and the sense is
that fire came from the
law
thousands of saints were at the right hand of God to surround Israel
as
the horses of fire and chariots of fire surrounded Elisha; and the meaning of
the last words
"a law for them"
a law which stands or abides
continually; and so the Septuagint version is
"at his right hand angels
with him:'no doubt that law is meant which came from God on Mount Sinai
by the
ministration of angels
into the hand of Moses; called a fiery law
because it
was given out of the midst of the fire
Deuteronomy 5:26;
so the Targum of Onkelos
"the
writing of his right hand out of the midst of fire
the law he gave unto us;'and
because of its effects on the consciences of men
where it pierces and
penetrates like fire
and works a sense of wrath and fiery indignation in them
by reason of the transgressions of it
it being the ministration of
condemnation and death on that account; and
because of its use
it serves as a
lantern to the feet
and a light to the path of good men: this law may include
the judicial and ceremonial laws given at this time; but it chiefly respects
the moral law
and which may be said to come from God
who
as Creator
has a
right to be Governor of his creature
and to enact what laws he pleases
and
from his right hand
in allusion to men's writing with their right hand
this
being written by the finger of God; and because a peculiar gift of his to the Israelites
gifts being given by the right hand of men; and may denote the authority and
power with which this law came enforced
and Christ seems to be the person from
whose right hand it came: see Psalm 68:17.
Deuteronomy 33:3 3 Yes
He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at
Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.
YLT
3Also He [is] loving the
peoples; All His holy ones [are] in thy hand
And they -- they sat down at thy
foot
[Each] He lifteth up at thy words.
Yea
he loved the people
.... The people of
Israel
of which his giving the law to them in such a glorious manner was an
instance
and was a distinguishing blessing which other nations were not
favoured with
see Deuteronomy 4:6;
how much more is the love of God shown to his spiritual Israel and special
people
by giving them his Gospel
the precious truths
promises
and
ordinances of it
and
above all
in giving them his Son to be the Redeemer and
Saviour of them
as revealed therein! these he embraces in his arms and in his
bosom
as the word here signifies; admitting them to great nearness and
familiarity with him
to commune with Father
Son
and Spirit
to a
participation of all the blessings of grace here
and to the enjoyment of glory
hereafter:
all his saints are in thy hand; not the sons
of Levi
who were round about the ark
as Aben Ezra interprets it; rather all
the people of Israel
who were chosen to be an holy people to the Lord above
all people
and who were the care of his providence
protected by his power
and guided with his right hand; and were in a wonderful manner kept and
preserved by him
both at the time of the giving of the law
and in their
passage through the wilderness; it is eminently true of the chosen people of
God
who are given to Christ
and made his care and charge
as all such who are
sanctified and set apart by God the Father are
they are preserved in Christ
Judges 1:1; and
these are sanctified in and by Christ
and by the Spirit of Christ
and so may
be truly called his saints; and they are in the hands of Christ
as dear to him
as his right hand
highly valued by him
held in his right hand; they are in
his possession
are his peculiar people
portion
and inheritance
they are at
his dispose
under his guidance and direction; and are in his custody and under
his protection
and where they are safe from every enemy
and can never be
snatched
taken
or removed from thence; see John 10:28; here
they are put by the Father
as an instance of his love to them
and care of
them
though not without the consent and desire of the Son
and this was done
in eternity
when they were chosen in him:
and they sat down at thy feet; which may respect the
position of the Israelites at the bottom of Mount Sinai
while the law was
giving
which may be said to be the feet of the Lord
he being on the top of
the mount
see Exodus 19:17; all
the Targums interpret it of the feet of the cloud of glory
they pitching their
tents where that rested
Numbers 9:17; some
think it an allusion to scholars sitting at the feet of their masters to
receive instructions from them
see Acts 22:3; so the
disciples and followers of Christ sit at his feet
attending on his word and
ordinances with calmness and serenity of mind
with much spiritual pleasure and
delight
and where they continue and abide; and which may denote their modesty
and humility
their subjection to his ordinances
and readiness to receive his
doctrines
and their perseverance in them
see Mark 5:15; the word
signifies
in the Arabic language
to sit down at a tableF5Hence תכא
"a table"
with the Talmudists. T. Bab.
Beracot
fol. 42. 1. Pesach. fol. 110. 2. Kiddushin
fol. 81. 1.
and so the
word is used in the Arabic version of Matthew 8:11; and
the ancient manner being reclining
the guests might be said to sit at the feet
of each
especially at the feet of the master; so Christ sits at his table
and
his people with him at his feet
Song of Solomon 1:12
everyone shall receive
of thy words; of the words of the law
as the Israelites
who heard them and
promised obedience to them
Exodus 24:7; and
would hear and receive them again
Joshua 8:34; and so
Christ's disciples
everyone of them that hath heard and learned of the Father
and comes to him
and believes in him
receives the words or doctrines given
him by the Father
John 17:8; so as to
understand them
approve of them
love them
believe them
and act according to
them; these they receive into their hearts as well as into their heads
with
all readiness
gladness
and meekness; even everyone of the persons before
described or loved by the Lord
are in the hands of Christ and sitting at his
feet.
Deuteronomy 33:4
4 Moses
commanded a law for us
A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
YLT
4A law hath Moses commanded
us
A possession of the assembly of Jacob.
Moses commanded us a law
.... The law was of God
it came forth from his right hand
Deuteronomy 33:2;
it is of his enacting
a declaration of his will
and has his authority stamped
upon it
who is the lawgiver
and which lays under obligation to regard it; but
it was delivered to Moses
and by him to the children of Israel
on whom he
urged obedience to it; and so it is said to come by him
and sometimes is
called the law of Moses
see John 1:17
even the
inheritance of the congregation of Jacob; which either describes
the persons who were commanded to keep the law
the tribes of Jacob or
congregation of Israel
who were the Lord's people
portion
and inheritance
Deuteronomy 32:9;
or the law commanded
which was to be valued
not only as a peculiar treasure
but to be considered a possession
an estate
an inheritance
to be continued
among them
and to be transmitted to their posterity
see Psalm 119:111;
these are the words of the people of Israel
and therefore are thus prefaced in
the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
"the children of Israel said
Moses
commanded
&c.'they were represented by Moses.
Deuteronomy 33:5 5 And
He was King in Jeshurun
When the leaders of the people were gathered
All the
tribes of Israel together.
YLT
5And he is in Jeshurun king
In the heads of the people gathering together
The tribes of Israel!
And he was king in Jeshurun
.... That is
in Israel
or over the people of Israel
of which name of theirs; see Gill on Deuteronomy 32:15;
either God
as Jarchi; for the government of the Israelites was a theocracy
and their laws were immediately from God
and by him they were guided and
directed in all things; wherefore
when they were so importunate for a change
in their government
and to have a king over them
they are said to reject the
Lord
that he should not reign over them
1 Samuel 8:7; or
Moses
as Aben Ezra on the place
MaimonidesF6In Misn. Shebuot
c.
2. sect. 2.
and othersF7Philo de Vita Mosis
l. 3. p. 681. ; who
under God
had the civil government of the Hebrews; both may be received
God
was the supreme Governor
and Moses the chief magistrate under him:
when the heads of Israel and the tribes of the people were
gathered together; at Mount Sinai
to hear the law there and then given
or to hear
it repeated by Moses
as in this book of Deuteronomy
who were at different times
convened together for that purpose
see Deuteronomy 1:1;
next follow the particular blessings of the several tribes
beginning with
Reuben the firstborn.
Deuteronomy 33:6 6 “Let
Reuben live
and not die
Nor let his men be few.”
YLT
6Let Reuben live
and not
die
And let his men be a number.
Let Reuben live
and not die
.... As a tribe
continue
and not be extinct
though they should not excel
because of the sin of their
progenitor; and it may have a special regard to the preservation of them
of
their families on the other side Jordan
while they passed over it with their
brethren into Canaan
and of them in that expedition to help the other tribes
in the conquest of the country and the settlement of them in it; which Jacob by
a spirit of prophecy foresaw
and in a prayer of faith petitioned for their
safety: all the three Targums refer the words to a future state
as a wish for
them
that they might live and enjoy an eternal life
and not die the death of
the wicked in the world to come; and which they call the second death
and from
whom the Apostle John seems to have borrowed the phrase
Revelation 2:11 Revelation 20:6;
Reuben signifies
"see the Son"; and all that see the Son of God in a
spiritual manner
and believe in him with a true faith
as they live
spiritually now
shall live eternally hereafter
and never die the second or
eternal death; on them that shall have no power
see John 6:40
and let not his men be few; or
"though his men
be few?" as Bishop Patrick chooses to render the words
and as they will
bear
ו
"vau"
being sometimes so used
of
which NoldiusF8Concord. part. Ebr. p. 292. gives instances; and the
number of men in this tribe were but few in comparison of some others; and so
those that see the Son of God and believe in him are but a small number; for
all men have not faith. 2 Thessalonians 3:2
Deuteronomy 33:7 7 And
this he said of Judah: “Hear
Lord
the voice
of Judah
And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for
him
And may You be a help against his enemies.”
YLT
7And this [is] for Judah; and
he saith: -- Hear
O Jehovah
the voice of Judah
And unto his people do Thou
bring him in; His hand hath striven for him
And an help from his adversaries
art Thou.
And this is the blessing of Judah
.... Which
follows; the same supplement of the words is made in the Targums of Jonathan
and Jerusalem; but Aben Ezra thinks it refers to what goes before
that this
the same thing prayed for or prophesied of Reuben
belongs also to Judah
that
he should live and not die; it may be in the wars in which that tribe would be
and was engaged:
and he said
hear
Lord
the voice of Judah; in prayer
as
all the Targums paraphrase it
which was eminently fulfilled in David
Asa
Jehoshaphat
Hezekiah
and other kings
which were of this tribe; who
when in
distress
lifted up their voice in prayer to God
and were heard and delivered
as the Lord's people in all ages are: Judah signifies professing
confessing
praising
&c. this tribe was both a praying and praising people
as all
good men be; they profess the name of the Lord
and their faith in him; they
confess their sins and unworthiness; they praise the Lord for his mercies
temporal and spiritual
and pray to him for what they want; and their voice is
heard with pleasure
and answered: particularly Judah was a type of Christ
who
was of this tribe
and whose voice in prayer for his people has been always
heard:
and bring him unto his people; in peace
often engaged
war
so all the Targums: and as it may refer to Christ his antitype
it may
respect his incarnation
when he came to his own and was not received by them;
and to his resurrection from the dead
when he appeared to his disciples
to
their great joy; and to the ministry of the Gospel among the Gentiles
when to
him was the gathering of the people; and will be further accomplished at the
last day
when he shall return and appear to them that look for him
a second
time
without sin unto salvation:
let his hands be sufficient for him; both to work with
and
provide for themselves all the necessaries of life
and to fight with their
enemies
and defend themselves against them; so Christ's hands have been
sufficient
or he has had a sufficiency of power and strength in his hands
to
combat with and overcome all his and our enemies
to work out the salvation of
his people
and to supply all their wants:
and be thou an help to him from his enemies: which this
tribe often experienced in their wars with their enemies
being very warlike
and courageous
successful and victorious
both before they had kings and in the
several kings of their tribe
as David
Jehoshaphat
and others; and was
remarkably fulfilled in Christ
whose helper the Lord was as man and Mediator
see Isaiah 1:7; no
mention is made of Simeon
because of the affair of Baalpeor
in which that
tribe had a great concern
Numbers 25:1; as
Aben Ezra observes; or because
according to Jacob's prophecy
it was to be
scattered in Israel; though the same is also said of Levi
who yet is here
blessed; rather therefore the reason is
because Simeon had his inheritance in
the midst of the tribe of Judah
and so was blessed in it
see Joshua 19:1; thus
the Targum of Jonathan expresses it here
"and he joined in his portion and
in his blessing
Simeon his brother;'some copies of the Septuagint version
as
that in the king of Spain's Bible
make mention of him at the end of Reuben's
blessing
"and let Simeon be much in number.'
Deuteronomy 33:8 8 And
of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your
holy one
Whom You tested at Massah
And with whom You contended at the waters
of Meribah
YLT
8And of Levi he said: -- Thy
Thummim and thy Urim [are] for thy pious one
Whom Thou hast tried in Massah
Thou dost strive with Him at the waters of Meribah;
And of Levi he said
.... That is
Moses said
of the tribe of Levi
as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
let thy Thummim and thy Urim be
with thy Holy One; with Aaron
as the same Targums interpret it
who was of the
tribe of Levi
and was a holy good man
a saint of the Lord
as he is called
Psalm 106:16; of
the Urim and Thummim
which were with him and with every high priest; see Gill
on Exodus 28:30; and
though they were not in use under the second temple
yet had their fulfilment
in Christ the antitype of Aaron
who may be chiefly here intended; who is after
called the Lord's Holy One
as he is
both as God and man
holy in both his
natures
divine and human
and in his life and actions; and with him are the
true Urim and Thummim
lights and perfections
the light of nature
grace and
glory
and all perfections
both divine and human; See Gill on Exodus 28:30 F9See
a Sermon of mine on this text
called "Levi's Urim and Thummim Found with
Christ". :
whom thou didst prove at Massah
and with whom thou didst
strive at the waters of Meribah; which
as it may respect Aaron
may be
understood either of the Lord's proving him and contending with him
by
suffering the children of Israel to murmur against him and Moses
at the said
places; when
according to the three Targums
he stood in the temptation
and
was perfect and found faithful; or of Levi
who
with the rest of the tribes
tried him
and strove with him at the same places; though Jarchi says they did
not murmur with the rest that murmured: as it may refer to Christ the antitype
of Levi
the sense is
that the Urim and Thummim should be with the Holy One
the Messiah
whom thou
O Levi
with the rest of the tribes
tempted and strove
with at the places mentioned; for it is expressly said
they tempted the Lord
Exodus 17:7; and
which is interpreted of Christ
1 Corinthians 10:9.
Deuteronomy 33:9 9 Who
says of his father and mother
‘I have not seen them’;
Nor did he acknowledge his brothers
Or know his own children;
For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant.
YLT
9Who is saying of his father
and his mother
I have not seen him; And his brethren he hath not discerned
And his sons he hath not known; For they have observed Thy saying
And Thy
covenant they keep.
Who said unto his father and to his mother
I have not seen him
.... Which
some understand of the high priests who were of this tribe
and according to
the law were not to defile themselves
or mourn for a father or mother
Leviticus 21:11; or
rather
as others
of their having no respect to them in judgment
but
determining all causes that came before them according to the law of God
and
the rules of justice and equity
in the most impartial manner
without having
any regard to the nearest relations to them: with this compare what Christ the
antitype of Levi says
in Matthew 12:49
neither did he acknowledge his brethren
nor knew his own children; had no
respect to persons in judgment
though ever so nearly related: many restrain
this to the affair of the golden calf
when the tribe of Levi gathered
together
girded their swords on their thighs
and slew every man his brother
companion
and neighbour
guilty of that idolatry
Exodus 32:26
for they have observed thy word
and kept thy covenant; the law of
God
spoken by him
and had the nature of a covenant with the people of Israel:
this the tribe of Levi observed
not only what respects the worship of God
and
the contrary to it
idolatry
but all other moral and religious duties; Christ
fulfilled the whole law
and did always and all things what pleased the Lord
John 8:29.
Deuteronomy 33:10 10 They
shall teach Jacob Your judgments
And Israel Your law. They shall put incense
before You
And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.
YLT
10They teach Thy judgments to
Jacob
And Thy law to Israel; They put perfume in Thy nose
And whole
burnt-offering on Thine altar.
They shall teach Jacob thy statutes
and Israel thy law
.... The
priests and Levites
being dispersed among each of the tribes
having cities in
them allotted to them
taught the people the laws
statutes
and ordinances of
the Lord
moral
civil
and ceremonial
see Malachi 2:6
they shall put incense before thee; upon the altar of
incense
which none but a priest might do
as the case of Uzziah shows; and
which
the Jews sayF11T. Bab. Yoma
fol. 26. 1.
he might do but
once: the same priest might not offer incense twice; a new priest was always
employed: in this they
were typical of Christ
the only Intercessor who is
always at the golden altar
to offer up the prayers of all saints with his much
incense
Revelation 8:3
and whole burnt offerings upon thine altar; the altar of
burnt offering
typical of Christ
who is both altar
sacrifice
and priest.
Deuteronomy 33:11 11 Bless
his substance
Lord
And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who
rise against him
And of those who hate him
that they rise not again.”
YLT
11Bless
O Jehovah
his
strength
And the work of his hands Thou acceptest
Smite the loins of his
withstanders
And of those hating him -- that they rise not!
Bless
Lord
his substance
.... Which lay in tithes
firstfruits
&c. for the priests and Levites had no share in the division
of the land; unless this can be understood of the cities and suburbs which were
given them
or of houses and fields devoted
which fell unto them
or rather of
their cattle
for the use of which they had suburbs appointed them; for
otherwise in husbandry and merchandise they were not employed: some render it "an
host" or armyF12חילו "copiis
ejus"
Junius & Tremellius; "vel exercitibus ejus"
Piscator.
their service being a militia
or warfare
Numbers 4:3; Jarchi
refers this to the Hasmonaeans or Maccabees
which were of this tribe:
and accept the work of his hands; in offering incense and
sacrifices
and all other administrations of the office of priests and Levites;
thus the righteousness and sacrifice of Christ are of a sweet smelling savour
and very acceptable to God; and all the spiritual sacrifices of the saints who
are priests unto God
as of prayer and praise
are acceptable to him through
Jesus Christ:
smite through the loins of them that rise against him; such as were
the companies of Korah
Dathan
and Abiram; and in all ages faithful ministers
of the word meet with many enemies
whom they would not be
able to withstand
were not the Lord to appear for them
and protect them from them
and smite
them thoroughly:
and of them that hate them
that they rise not again; destroying
them with an utter destruction
so that they are not able to make any other
efforts upon them; for such who are enemies to the priests of the Lord are
enemies to him
and to true religion
enemies to God and Christ
to the law and
to the Gospel
to the word of God and to the ordinances of it
and therefore to
be severely handled and thoroughly punished: Christ's enemies shall all be
subdued under him; see Psalm 110:1.
Deuteronomy 33:12 12 Of
Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the Lord shall
dwell in safety by Him
Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall
dwell between His shoulders.”
YLT
12Of Benjamin he said: -- The
beloved of Jehovah doth tabernacle confidently by him
Covering him over all
the day; Yea
between his shoulders He doth tabernacle.
And of Benjamin he said
.... The tribe
of Benjamin
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; which is taken notice of
next to Levi
because
as the priesthood was in the tribe of Levi
the temple
in which the priests officiated was in the tribe of Benjamin
or near it; and
is observed next but one to Judah
and before his elder brother Joseph
because
his tribe lay between Judah and Joseph
Joshua 18:11; and
Levi having no inheritance in the land:
the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; this is
commonly understood of the tribe of Benjamin
beloved by the Lord
as the head
of the tribe was by his father Jacob; the first king of Israel being of that
tribe
and the temple built in it
or on the edge of it
and its land the most
fat and fertile of the land of Canaan
as JosephusF13Antiqu. l. 5.
c. 1. sect. 22. observes; and may be said to "dwell by him"
the
Lord
because the tabernacle of the Lord was so near that tribe
and so to
dwell "in safety" under his protection
and which was the means of
preserving it from apostasy
when ten tribes revolted: though the Messiah may
be intended
the Son of God
and man of God's right hand
the antitype of
Benjamin
the beloved of the Lord
and dear son of his love; his Benjamin
who
is now in human nature exalted at his right hand: and this may denote his
inhabitation in the flesh
and dwelling by or near Benjamin
being born at
Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah
bordering on Benjamin
and frequently had his
abode in Jerusalem
which was in the tribe of Benjamin
Joshua 18:28; and
where he was in safety amidst his enemies
they not having power to lay hold on
him until his hour was come:
and the Lord shall cover
him all the day long; for ever
as Jarchi notes
because that
after Jerusalem was
chosen
the divine Majesty dwelt in no other place: this may be understood
either of the Messiah covering Benjamin and protecting him
as he is the covert
of all his Benjamites and beloved ones
from all their enemies
from all evils
and dangers
from all storms and tempests
and everything troublesome and
distressing
see Isaiah 32:2; or the
Lord's covering his beloved One the Messiah; as he did in his infancy
from the
designs of Herod upon his life
and from the attempts of others before his time
was come; he hid him in the shadow of his hand
Isaiah 49:2
and he shall dwell between his shoulders; either the
Lord shall dwell between the shoulders of Benjamin; the temple in which the
Lord dwelt was built on Mount Moriah
in the tribe of Benjamin
in the highest
part of his land
as Jarchi notes; the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
paraphrase the words
"in his border the Shechinah (or the glory of the
Shechinah of the Lord) shall dwell
'for if the temple was not within the tribe
of Benjamin
yet it was certainly on the borders of it: or Benjamin shall dwell
between the shoulders of the Lord
being bore up and supported by him: Christ
dwells in the hearts of his people
and over them as an head
and they dwell
upon his shoulders
on which the care and government of them lies
Isaiah 9:6; in the
TalmudF14T. Bab. Zebachim
fol. 118. 2. this passage is applied to
the days of the Messiah.
Deuteronomy 33:13 13 And
of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the Lord is
his land
With the precious things of heaven
with the dew
And the deep lying
beneath
YLT
13And of Joseph he said: --
Blessed of Jehovah [is] his land
By precious things of the heavens
By dew
and by the deep crouching beneath
And of Joseph he said
.... The tribe of Joseph
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
blessed of the Lord be his land; as the lands
inherited by his sons were extremely fruitful
the countries of lead and Bashan
by Manasseh
and the fields of Samaria by Ephraim: Jarchi says
"there was
not in the inheritance of the tribes a land so full of all good things as the
land of Joseph;'typical of the church of Christ
the antitypical Joseph
which
abounds with all good things through him
or of the better country in heaven:
for the precious things of heaven; that is
the pleasant
precious
and excellent fruits
reproduced by the influence of the heavens
particularly showers of rain which descend from thence; emblems of the grace of
God
and Gospel of Christ
which bring spiritual blessings to the sons of men
on earth
and make them fruitful in every good word and work: for the dew;
which descends also from heaven
and is of unspeakable use to the fruits of the
earth
and is sometimes used as an emblem of the favour and goodness of God to
his people
Hosea 14:5
and for the deep that coucheth beneath; that is
beneath the earth
and breaks out upon it
and waters it
and makes it
fruitful
which happiness the land of Joseph had
as well as the rain and dew
of heaven: this is to be understood of springs and fountains that flow out of
the earth to the enriching of it; and so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
paraphrase the words
and may be applied to Christ and to his Gospel
Song of Solomon 4:15.
Deuteronomy 33:14 14 With
the precious fruits of the sun
With the precious produce of the months
YLT
14And by precious things --
fruits of the sun
And by precious things -- cast forth by the moons
And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun
.... Which has
a wonderful influence upon many and most of the fruits of the earth
to produce
them out of their seeds in it
to bring them forward
to ripen and perfect
them
and to make them rich and excellent. Jarchi says
"the land of Joseph
lay open to the sun
and it sweetened the fruits of it;'it improved them
and
made them more valuable; and this is spiritually true of Christ the sun of
righteousness
to whose influence are owing the blessings of grace
redemption
peace
pardon
and justification
and the graces of the Spirit
faith
hope
and love
and by what believers are filled with
the fruits of righteousness
see Malachi 4:2
and for the precious things put forth by the moon; the fruits
which the moon helps forward by its coolness and moisture; and those the above
Jewish writer says are cucumbers and gourds; and as various creatures are
affected by the moon
it is observed by a naturalistF15Dalecamp. in
Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 41.
that onions
when the moon waxes old
increase
and flag when it is young; and Pliny saysF16Nat. Hist. l. 18. c. 30.
that at the increase of the moon all sort of corn grows bigger and larger;
but a late learned writerF17Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p.
437. remarks
that though upon the pressure of the moon on the globe many
things depend
as the ebbing and flowing of the sea
epileptic and convulsive
paroxysms
yet it does not appear that this pressure exerts its power on
plants
so as to thrust them forth
and therefore thinks this respects the
ejection or protrusion of monthly fruits; for the word here used is in the
plural number
and signifies "months"; and so Onkelos paraphrases the
words
"it produces precious fruits at the beginning of every month;'or
ripe fruit at the beginning of every month
as the Targums of Jonathan and
Jerusalem; for the spiritual meaning
see Revelation 22:2.
Deuteronomy 33:15 15 With
the best things of the ancient mountains
With the precious things of the
everlasting hills
YLT
15And by chief things -- of
the ancient mountains
And by precious things -- of the age-during heights
And for the chief things of the ancient mountains
.... Which
were from the beginning of the world
and for which the land
possessed by the
children of Joseph
Manasseh
and Ephraim
were famous; as the mountains of
Gilead and Bashan
inherited by the former
and Mount Ephraim
and the
mountains of Samaria
by the latter; which produced
besides great quantities
of grass and corn
also vines
figs
olives
&c.
and for the precious things of the lasting hills; which will
endure as long as the world
the same as before in other words; and which
precious things may be emblems of the spiritual blessings of grace
provided in
an everlasting covenant
and given to Christ for his people before the world
began
or any mountains and hills were formed
and which are as lasting and as immovable
as they are; see Proverbs 8:22
Isaiah 54:10.
Deuteronomy 33:16 16 With
the precious things of the earth and its fullness
And the favor of Him who
dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph
And on
the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’[a]
YLT
16And by precious things --
of earth and its fulness
And the good pleasure Of Him who is dwelling in the
bush
-- Let it come for the head of Joseph
And for the crown of him Who is
separate from his brethren.
And for the precious things of the earth
and fulness thereof
.... Corn of
all sorts produced out of the earth
and grass that grows out of it
and cattle
that feed upon it; for all which some part of the land of Joseph
particularly
Bashan
was famous; as for the oaks that grew on it
so for the pasturage of it
and the cattle it bred
Deuteronomy 32:14;
see Psalm 22:12
and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; the angel of
the Lord
the Word and Son of God
who appeared to Moses in the bush
and made
himself known as the God of Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob; and expressed his good
will to Israel
by sending Moses to deliver them out of their bondage: and the
favour and good will of the same divine Person is here wished for
and which
has appeared in his assumption of human nature
obedience
sufferings
and
death
Luke 2:14. The bush
was an emblem of Israel
and the state they were then in
and of the church of
Christ; of which See Gill on Exodus 3:2; and
where Christ may be said to dwell
as he did among men
when he was made flesh
and does dwell in the midst of his churches
and in the hearts of his people by
faith:
let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph; that is
in
all things
as Onkelos; or all these blessings
as the Targums of Jonathan and
Jerusalem; all before mentioned
let them come openly and visibly
and in great
plenty
upon the posterity of Joseph
who was a type of Christ
the head of the
righteous
on whom all the blessings of grace are
and from whom they descend
to all his spiritual offspring
Proverbs 10:6
and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from
his brethren; when he was sold by them into Egypt; the Targums of Jonathan and
Jerusalem are
"and was shining in the glory of his brethren;'that is
when
he was a ruler in Egypt
and had honour from his brethren there
and was
beautiful and glorious among them
as a Nazarite
as the word here used
signifies
see Lamentations 4:7;
and may he applied to Christ
who was chosen from among the people
and separated
from sinners
and called a Nazarene
Psalm 89:19.
Deuteronomy 33:17 17 His
glory is like a firstborn bull
And his horns like the horns of
the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the
earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim
And they are the
thousands of Manasseh.”
YLT
17His honour [is] a firstling
of his ox
And his horns [are] horns of a reem; By them peoples he doth push
together To the ends of earth; And they [are] the myriads of Ephraim
And they
[are] the thousands of Manasseh.
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock
.... Such as
were in Bashan
a country possessed by the posterity of Joseph
see Psalm 22:12; and so
might be called "his" bullock
or a young bull
was reckoned both
comely and majestic; so Menis or Mnevis
king of Egypt
preferred a bull above
all animals to be worshipped
because the most beautiful of all
as AelianusF23Hist.
Animal. l. 11. c. 10. relates; and Astarte
according to SanchoniathoF24Apud
Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 1. p. 38.
put a bull's head upon her own
as a
sign of royalty or kingly power. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem refer
this to the birthright which belonged to Reuben
and was taken from him
and
given to Joseph
see 1 Chronicles 5:2.
Some will have Joshua intended by the firstling of his bullock
so Jarchi; who
was of the tribe of Ephraim
and so famous for his strength and courage
his
warlike exploits and victories
and the glory
honour
and renown he obtained;
and who was a type of Christ
the first and only begotten Son of God
the
brightness of his Father's glory
and the express image of his person; this is
applied to the Messiah in some ancient Jewish writingsF25Zohar in
Numb. fol. 103. 4. & in Deut. fol. 117. 3. & 118. 3. Bereshit Rabba
fol. 66. 2. :
and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; of the
monoceros or rhinoceros; and as the strength of these creatures
as of others
lies in their horns
these are figures of the power and strength of the tribes
of Ephraim and Manasseh
the sons of Joseph; see Numbers 23:22
with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the
earth; not to the ends of the world
as if the posterity of Joseph
should carry their conquests and spread their dominion over all people to the
ends of the world
as the Targum of Jonathan suggests; but to the ends of the
land of Canaan
which was done by Joshua
when he smote the thirty one kings of
that country. The word "push" is used in allusion to the horns of
creatures
with which they push
drive away from them
or hurt and destroy
those that annoy them:
and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim
and they are
the thousands of Manasseh; though Manasseh was the eldest son of
Joseph
fewer are ascribed to him than to Ephraim the younger
according to
Jacob's prediction
Genesis 48:19. This
has been in a spiritual sense verified in Christ
the antitype of Joseph
the
horn of salvation
who by his great strength has vanquished all his
and the
enemies of his people
and even spoiled principalities and powers.
Deuteronomy 33:18 18 And
of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice
Zebulun
in your going out
And Issachar in your
tents!
YLT
18And of Zebulun he said: --
Rejoice
O Zebulun
in thy going out
And
O Issachar
in thy tents;
And of Zebulun he said
.... The tribe of
Zebulun
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
with whom Issachar is
joined
they being brethren
and of the same mother as well as father; though
Zebulun the youngest is set before Issachar the older
as in Jacob's blessing
Genesis 49:13
rejoice
Zebulun
in thy going out; in their going out to
sea
to merchandise
to traffic in foreign parts
it being a maritime tribe
see Genesis 49:13; and
so are called upon to rejoice and be thankful for their safe preservation on
the seas
and success in trade; and to this sense are the paraphrases of
Jonathan and Jerusalem: though Onkelos interprets it of their going out to war
against their enemies
and certain it is that they were also a warlike as well
as a seafaring tribe; see Judges 5:18
and Issachar
in thy tents; being a tribe that
stayed at home
and attended to husbandry
and dwelt in tents
to take care of
and feed their cattle; in doing which they should be prosperous
and have
occasion to rejoice
and be thankful to the Lord: though the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem carry it to a different sense
to their schools
in
which they dwelt: this tribe being
as supposed
a learned tribe
studious
in
the law; which is gathered from 1 Chronicles 12:32.
Deuteronomy 33:19 19 They
shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer
sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of
the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.”
YLT
19Peoples [to] the mountain
they call
There they sacrifice righteous sacrifices; For the abundance of the
seas they suck
And hidden things hidden in the sand.
They shall call the people unto the mountain
.... To the
mountain of the house of the sanctuary
as all the three Targums; to the temple
built on a mountain
which Moses by a spirit of prophecy foresaw would be
to
which the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar would not only come up themselves
though at the more distant parts of the land; but call and urge others
both
Israelites and Gentiles
to do the same
partly by their example
and partly by
persuasions and arguments; not the tribes of Israel that lay nearest them only
but the Heathens
the Tyrians and Sidonians
on whom they bordered
and the
Gentiles in Galilee of the Gentiles
which were neighbours to them; a like
instance see in Isaiah 2:2; and
perhaps this may have respect to the times of Christ and his apostles
and to
their being in those parts where the Gospel was preached
and many people were
called
Matthew 4:13
there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; or true
sacrifices
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
in opposition to
illegitimate ones
which were not according to the law
that had blemishes and
defects in them
and to such as were gotten by robbery
or in an unlawful way;
and may signify all righteous actions and good works done in faith
and from
right principles
though not to be depended upon for a justifying righteousness
before God; and all spiritual sacrifices
especially the sacrifices of praise
for all blessings
and particularly for the righteousness of Christ; and these
are to be offered in the church of God
and upon the altar
which sanctifies
every gift
and from whence they come up with acceptance to God:
for they shall suck of the abundance of the sea; get a great
deal of riches by trading at sea
and therefore under great obligations to
offer sacrifices to the Lord
by whom they were prospered:
and of the treasure hid in the sand; as gold and
silver
pearls and corals
and the like
extracted from thence; or riches
buried there through shipwrecks; or it may design the great wealth and riches
they got by glass made of sand
taken out of the river Belus
which washed the
coast of the tribe of Zebulun
as many historians relateF26Strabo.
Geograph. l. 16. p. 521. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. Tacit. Hist. l. 5. c. 7.
.
Deuteronomy 33:20 20 And
of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion
And
tears the arm and the crown of his head.
YLT
20And of Gad he said: -- Blessed
of the Enlarger [is] Gad
As a lioness he doth tabernacle
And hath torn the
arm -- also the crown!
And of Gad he said
.... The tribe of Gad
as the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem:
blessed be he that enlargeth Gad; that is
the
Lord
to whom the praise and glory were to be given
who had appointed to Gad a
large inheritance on the other side Jordan
and had settled him in it
and
which became larger by the conquest of the Hagarites
and others
1 Chronicles 5:18
he dwelleth as a lion; bold and courageous
secure
and without fear of any of his enemies
though near him
on his
borders
as the Moabites and Ammonites were; of the same spirit and temper were
the men of the tribe of Gad in the times of David
1 Chronicles 12:8
and teareth the arm with the crown of the head
at once
just
as a lion tears its prey; which figurative phrases are expressive of this tribe
conquering and destroying strong and mighty men
signified by the
"arm"
in which the strength of a man lies
and of kings and
governors
pointed at by the "crown of the head"; as the Targums of
Onkelos and Jonathan; which was done in the times of Joshua
when with and
under him they subdued and destroyed the kings and princes of the land of
Canaan.
Deuteronomy 33:21 21 He
provided the first part for himself
Because a lawgiver’s portion was
reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered
the justice of the Lord
And His judgments with Israel.”
YLT
21And he provideth the first
part for himself
For there the portion of the lawgiver is covered
And he
cometh [with] the heads of the people; The righteousness of Jehovah he hath
done
And His judgments with Israel.
And he provided a first part for himself
.... That is
the portion of the land of Sihon and Og
as Jarchi rightly interprets it; which
was the beginning or firstfruits of the subduing of the land that was promised;
this he looked at
chose
and desired it as his inheritance
Numbers 32:1
because there
in a portion of the lawgiver
was he
seated; or in the portion and part of the inheritance of Israel was he
placed by Moses the lawgiver
according to the will of God; or because there
were in it palaces and towers of great personages
lawgivers
kings
and
princes
well covered and strongly fortified; or here he was "hid"
or "protected"
i.e. their families
wives
and children
while they
assisted their brethren in subduing Canaan:
and he came with the heads of the people; either
"to" them
to Moses
Eleazar
and the seventy elders
and the heads
of the tribes of Israel
to ask leave to have his part and portion on the other
side Jordan
or "with" them
as we supply it; came with them over
Jordan armed
to assist in the conquest and subduing of the land of Canaan:
he executed the justice of the Lord
and his judgments with Israel; that is
either he justly and truly fulfilled all his promises and engagements
on
condition of which he was placed on the other side; or he
together with the
rest of the Israelites
executed the righteous judgment of God upon the
Canaanites
in the expulsion and destruction of them.
Deuteronomy 33:22 22 And
of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.”
YLT
22And of Dan he said: -- Dan
[is] a lion's whelp; he doth leap from Bashan.
And of Dan he said
.... Of the tribe of Dan
as the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem:
Dan is a lion's whelp; or like one for
boldness
strength
and courage; and was verified in Samson
who was of this
tribe; who
when a young lion roared against him
the Spirit of the Lord came
on him
and he tore it to pieces
Judges 14:5
he shall leap from Bashan; not Dan
for he was
seated far from that country; but the sense is
he was like to a young lion for
its strength
when it leaps from Bashan
as Aben Ezra rightly explains it.
Bashan was a mountain in which lions haunted
and from whence they might be
said to leap
as they do when they seize on their prey: it may have some
respect to the leap of the Danites from the northwest part of the land of
Israel
where they were settled
but was not sufficient for them
to the
northeast of it
when they went against Leshem
and took it
and called it Dan;
see Joshua 19:47.
Deuteronomy 33:23 23 And
of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali
satisfied with favor
And full of the
blessing of the Lord
Possess the west and the south.”
YLT
23And of Naphtali he said: --
O Naphtali
satisfied with pleasure
And full of the blessing of Jehovah
West
and south possess thou.
And of Naphtali he said
.... The tribe of
Naphtali
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
O Naphtali
satisfied with favour; with the favour of men
which to have is a great blessing; and as he gave goodly words to others
he
had the good word of others
Genesis 49:21; and
with the favour of God
as the next clause shows; which is the greatest
blessing of all
and is special and peculiar
free and sovereign
and the
source of all blessings
temporal and spiritual; and to be full of this
and
satisfied of an interest in it
is the highest of enjoyments; and nothing is of
a more satisfying nature
it is a feast of itself; see Psalm 63:3
and full with the blessing of the Lord; as such must
needs be who are full of and satisfied with the your
good will
and love of
God; for they are filled with all spiritual blessings
with all the blessings
of grace
which spring from his free favour
as pardon of sin
a justifying
righteousness
adoption
sanctifying grace
a right and title to eternal life.
This may have respect to the temporal happiness of this tribe
which had a
remarkable share in the favour and good will of God
and in the blessings of
his goodness. StraboF1Geograph. l. 16. p. 519.
an Heathen writer
speaking of this part of the land of Judea
says it was a happy and fruitful country
bearing all manner of fruit; in this tribe was the fruitful country of
Gennesaret
full of delightful gardens and fields
which lay along by a lake of
that name
frequently mentioned in the New Testament; which country
Josephus
saysF2De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 9. sect. 8.
one may call the ambition
of nature; and the Targum of Jonathan has it
"ye shall be full of the
fruits of the valley of Gennesaret;'and particularly this country was favoured
with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ; see Matthew 4:13
possess thou the west and the south; not the west and south
of the land of Israel; for
according to JosephusF3Antiqu. l. 5. c.
1. sect. 22.
this tribe lay to the east and north of it
just the reverse;
and it is plain from Joshua 19:34; that
it had Asher on the west
and Zebulun on the south; wherefore some understand
this of the commodities this tribe was supplied with
as through the tribe of
Asher on the west
on which those trading cities Tyre and Sidon bordered; and
through Zebulun on the south
which was near the sea
and was given to
navigation and trade: though it should be observed that the word for
"west" signifies the "sea"F4ים
"mare"
Montanus
V. L. Cocceius. ; and intends not the Mediterranean
sea
which this tribe did not reach; but the sea of Tiberias and Gennesaret
as
all the Targums explain it; and BochartF5Heirozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c.
18. col. 898. observes
that the portion of Naphtali reached from the south of
the city of Dan to the sea of Tiberias; so that the south is observed with
respect to Dan last mentioned
and the west or sea to the sea of Tiberias.
Deuteronomy 33:24 24 And
of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by
his brothers
And let him dip his foot in oil.
YLT
24And of Asher he said: --
Blessed with sons [is] Asher
Let him be accepted by his brethren
And dipping
in oil his foot.
And of Asher he said
.... The tribe of Asher
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
let Asher be blessed
with children; with large numbers
as it appears this tribe was
having in it
53
400 men of war
Numbers 26:47. It
was esteemed a great blessing to have many children
Psalm 128:3; or
"above the children"; above or more than the rest of the children of
Jacob; see Luke 2:36; Jarchi
observes
that he had seen
in a book called Siphri
that there was none in all
the tribes blessed with children as Asher
but not known how:
let him be acceptable to his brethren; either for
his excellent bread
and royal dainties
Genesis 49:20; or
for the goodness of his olives and oil
and for the brass and iron found in
this tribe
as follows; or
as some say
because of his children
his daughters
being very beautiful:
and let him dip his foot in oil; have such plenty of it
that if he would he might dip or wash his feet in it; and it was usual not only
to anoint the head
but the feetF6"Vidimus etiam vestigia pedum
tingi"
Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 3. Vid. Dalecamp. Not. in ib. also
with oil
Luke 7:46.
Deuteronomy 33:25 25 Your
sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days
so shall your
strength be.
YLT
25Iron and brass [are] thy
shoes
And as thy days -- thy strength.
Thy shoes shall be iron and brass
.... Either
they should have such an abundance of these metals
that they could if they
would have made their shoes of them; but that is not usual; though it is said
of EmpedoclesF7Laert. in Vit. Empedocl. l. 8. p. 613. Aelian. Var.
Hist. l. 12. c. 32. the philosopher
that he wore shoes of brass
which was
very singular; and some think that this tribe
because of the abundance of
these metals
used to stick their shoes with iron and brass nails at the bottom
of them
as country people
soldiers
and travellers in various nations do; but
the true sense seems to be
that the land that fell to this tribe
and on which
they trod
should yield much iron and brass; as in Carmel
a mountain on the
borders of it
brass was taken
as says Hesychius; and Zidon is by HomerF9Odyss.
15. l. 424. said to abound with brass
which belonged to this tribe; and
Sarepta
another city in it
had its name from צרף
which signifies to melt
from the melting of these metals in it; see Deuteronomy 8:9;
though some Jewish writers take the sense to be
that the land of Asher was so
strongly fortified as if it had been enclosed with walls of brass and iron
or
the gates of its cities were shut up with bolts and bars of iron and brass
as
Jarchi
Kimchi
and Ben Melech observe; so the Arabic:
and as thy days
so shall thy strength be; the same in
old age as in youth; which is the sense of the Latin Vulgate version
and all
the Targums: such were the vigour and strength of. Moses himself
Deuteronomy 34:7;
and so may denote a renewal of youth
like that of eagles; and
in a spiritual
sense
a revival of the graces of the Spirit of God
as to the exercise of
them
and an increase of spiritual strength
so that the inward man is renewed
day by day; and may also denote such a measure of strength given
as is
proportioned to the events that daily befall
or to the services and sufferings
men are called unto; see 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Deuteronomy 33:26 26 “There
is no one like the God of Jeshurun
Who rides the heavens to help
you
And in His excellency on the clouds.
YLT
26There is none like the God
of Jeshurun
Riding the heavens in thy help
And in His excellency the skies.
There is none like unto
the God of Jeshurun
.... Or Israel
as all the three Targums; for this is one of the
names of the people of Israel; See Gill on Deuteronomy 32:15;
and the Lord was their God in a special sense
having chosen
redeemed them
and made a covenant with them; and there is no God like him for the perfections
of his nature
his purity and holiness
his goodness
wisdom
power
faithfulness
&c. and for the wonderful works of nature
providence
and
grace
done by him; and for the blessings of goodness
temporal and spiritual
he bestows on men. The tribes being particularly blessed
the whole body of the
people are pronounced happy
and whose happiness is enlarged on in Deuteronomy 33:26
who rideth upon the heaven in
thy help
and in his excellency on the sky; which he has the
sovereign rule and disposal of
and can and does dispose of all the artillery
therein
as illustrious proofs of his glory and excellency
and for the help of
his people
and the destruction of their enemies; as when he sent forth hail
thunderings
and lightnings
upon the Egyptians
and frightened them; and cast
down hailstones upon the Canaanites
and slew many of them; and when the stars
in their course fought against Sisera; see Psalm 68:4 Judges 5:20.
Deuteronomy 33:27 27 The
eternal God is your refuge
And underneath are the everlasting
arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you
And will say
‘Destroy!’
YLT
27A habitation [is] the
eternal God
And beneath [are] arms age-during. And He casteth out from thy
presence the enemy
and saith
`Destroy!'
The eternal God is thy refuge
.... God is
eternal
from everlasting to everlasting; the Ancient of days
before all
things
and all time; which is
and was
and is to come: the same is true of
Christ
who is the everlasting Father
or Father of eternity
the true God
and
eternal life; as appears from his nature
having the whole fulness
all the
perfections of deity in him; from his office
as Mediator
in which he was set
up from everlasting; from his concern in eternal election
in the everlasting
covenant
and in the creation of all things out of nothing: and he is the
refuge of his people
the antitype of the cities of refuge
to whom sinners
under a sense of sin
flee for refuge; and where they are safe from avenging
justice
the wrath of God
the condemnation of the law
everlasting ruin and
destruction
or the second death; or their "mansion"
or
"dwelling place"F11מענה
"habitaculum"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Piscator
Cocceius. ; which
he has been in all generations
as Moses also says
Psalm 90:1. Such is
Christ to his people
who dwelt secretly in him from everlasting
being chosen
in him
and given to him; and openly in conversion
where they dwell as in a
strong hold
safely
quietly
comfortably
and pleasantly:
and underneath are the everlasting arms; that is
of
God
which are the support of his people
and their protection
safety
and
security; such as the arms of his everlasting love
which encircle them
and
compass them about as a shield; his everlasting covenant
which is immovable
and in which they ever remain; eternal redemption and salvation
wrought out by
Christ
which secures them from destruction; and everlasting power
by which
they are kept and preserved as in a garrison; and everlasting consolation
which flows from all this: and so the arms of Christ
or his almighty power
are under the world
to uphold it in being; and under his church
to support
it
on whose shoulders the government of it is; and under particular believers
whom he carries in his arms
embraces in his bosom
bears them up under all
their afflictions and temptations
trials and exercises; nor will he ever
suffer them to drop out of his arms
or to be plucked from thence:
and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; the
Canaanites out of the land of Canaan
to make room for Israel
which he was
just about to do
and quickly did. In like manner Christ thrusts out Satan and
the spiritual enemies of his people
whom to dispossess is a work of mighty
power; and not only so
but gives orders to destroy them
and does destroy
them
and makes his people more than conquerors over them:
and shall say
destroy them; the Canaanites: to do
which the people of Israel had an order from the Lord
Deuteronomy 7:1.
Deuteronomy 33:28 28 Then
Israel shall dwell in safety
The fountain of Jacob alone
In a land of grain
and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew.
YLT
28And Israel doth tabernacle
[in] confidence alone; The eye of Jacob [is] unto a land of corn and wine; Also
His heavens drop down dew.
Israel then shall dwell in safety alone
.... The
Canaanites being thrust out of their land
and Israel put into the possession
of it
should dwell in safety
or "confidently"F12בטח "confidenter"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus; "secure"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius. ;
without fear of enemies
though surrounded with them on all hands; and though
alone
a separate people
distinct from all others their neighbours round about
them; see Numbers 23:9. So
the spiritual Israel dwell in the eternal God
their mansion
or dwelling
place; in Christ
their rock; and in a strong city
the church
where they are
in the utmost safety. God is all around them; Christ is their refuge
strong
hold
and tower; the Holy Spirit in the midst of them is mighty; angels are
their guardians
and the church their strong city
whose walls and bulwarks are
salvation: here they dwell confidently and securely; though they have sometimes
their fears
they have no just reason for them; and when faith is in exercise
are free from them
casting all their care on the Lord
and having confidence
in him; where they are alone
not solitary; all the three divine Persons dwell
with them
and also angels and saints their fellow citizens; but independent of
others
having large provisions in Christ
in the covenant
and in the house of
God; and are a separate and distinct people now
and will be to all eternity;
See Gill on Numbers 23:9
the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; that is
the
Israelites that spring from Jacob
as streams of water from a fountain; see Isaiah 48:1; these
shall be or dwell upon the land of Canaan
a land abounding with corn and wine
and all good things
Deuteronomy 8:7; or
"in" or "by the fountain of Jacob"F13"Fonte
Jabakobi"
Junius & Tremellius
"apud fontem Jacobi"
Cocceius. ; in a well watered land
there they should dwell. So the spiritual
Israel of God dwell in and by Christ
the fountain of gardens
the well of
living waters
of life and salvation
in whom all fulness of grace dwells for
their supply: or "the eye of Jacob"F14עין
יעקב "oculus Jahakob"
V. L. Tigurine
version
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster. is or shall be on a land
&c. that
is
the Israelites had their eye on the good land of Canaan
and would quickly
not only be in sight
but in possession of it. Every true Israelite has a
spiritual eye
which is the eve of faith
the evidence of things not seen
which looks to and upon that better country
the land afar off
heaven and
eternal happiness
and expects and waits for the full
enjoyment of it:
also his heavens shall drop down dew: the heavens
over the land of Canaan should drop down dew upon it
and make it fruitful to
bring forth corn and wine
which was Jacob's blessing
Genesis 27:28. Thus
the Lord in the heavens drops down the dew of grace
and the blessings of it
upon his people
which make them revive as the corn
and grow as the vine; and
Christ's heavenly ministers drop the dew of Gospel doctrine upon them
to the
great refreshment of them
Deuteronomy 32:3.
Deuteronomy 33:29 29 Happy
are you
O Israel! Who is like you
a people saved by the Lord
The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your
enemies shall submit to you
And you shall tread down their high places.”
YLT
29O thy happiness
O Israel!
who is like thee? A people saved by Jehovah
The shield of thy help
And He who
[is] the sword of thine excellency: And thine enemies are subdued for thee
And
thou on their high places dost tread.'
Happy art thou
O Israel
.... This is the
conclusion of the blessing on Israel summed up in a few words; they having God
to be their God
and having so many good things promised them
and in sight of
them; being now got through
the wilderness
and on the borders of the land of
Canaan; as all such must be happy
whose covenant God is the Lord; since they
must be beloved of him
chosen by him
and blessed with all spiritual
blessings; and in the faith
hope
and view of eternal happiness:
who is like unto thee? for an interest in the
favour of God
for a share in the blessings of goodness
for a good God
a good
land
and good laws; for wisdom and knowledge
for riches and honour
for
holiness and happiness:
O people saved by the Lord; redeemed by him out of
Egypt
preserved in the wilderness
saved from many dangers and enemies
and
now brought near to the land of Canaan. The Targum of Jonathan is
"saved
or redeemed in the name of the word of the Lord:'by whom the spiritual Israel
of God are redeemed from all their sins
from the curses of the law
and out of
the hand of all their enemies; and are and will be completely saved in soul and
body
with an everlasting salvation:
the shield of thy help; that
is
the Lord
by
whom they are saved; he is the shield that protects them; the shield of faith
and of salvation
which faith lays hold on and makes use of for its defence
and who is the help of his people in all times of trouble:
and who is the sword of thy excellency; to destroy
their enemies
and whereby they would be raised to that excellency and glory
they were in the land of Canaan:
and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; who
threatened what they would do unto them
but were not able: or "shall lie
unto thee"F15יכחשו
"mentientur"
Montanus
Tigurine version; "mentiuntur"
Cocceius.
be in such dread and fear as to tell lies to save themselves
and
pretend to be what they were not
as the Gibeonites did
of whom Jarchi
interprets this passage:
and thou shall tread upon their
high places; be possessed
of their cities and fortresses
built on an eminence; see Deuteronomy 32:13;
all the three Targums
and so Jarchi
interpret it of treading on the necks of
their kings
which was fulfilled
Joshua 10:24.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)