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Deuteronomy 33
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Deuteronomy 33
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
33 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the Israelites before his death.
2 He said, The Lord came from Sinai and beamed upon us from Seir; He flashed forth from Mount Paran, from among ten thousands of holy ones, a flaming fire, a law, at His right hand.
3 Yes, He loves [the tribes] His people; all those consecrated to Him are in Your hand. They followed in Your steps; they [accepted Your word and] received direction from You,
4 When Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 [The Lord] was King in Jeshurun (Israel) when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.
6 Let [the tribe of] Reuben live and not die out, but [a]let his men be few.
7 And this he [Moses] said of Judah: Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people! With his hands he contended for himself; but may You be a help against his enemies.
8 And of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Your Urim [by which the priest sought God’s will for the nation] are for Your pious one [Aaron on behalf of the tribe], whom You tried and proved at Massah, with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;(A)
9 [Aaron] who [b]said of his father and mother, I do not regard them; nor did he acknowledge his brothers or openly recognize his own children. For the priests observed Your word and kept Your covenant [as to their limitations].
10 [The priests] shall teach Jacob Your ordinances and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You and whole burnt offerings upon Your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, [Levi’s] substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, and of those who hate him, that they arise no more.
12 Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord shall [c]dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and makes His dwelling between his shoulders.
13 And of Joseph he said: Blessed by the Lord be his land, with the precious gifts of heaven from the dew and from the deep that couches beneath,
14 With the precious things of the fruits of the sun and with the precious yield of the months,
15 With the chief products of the ancient mountains and with the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness and the favor and goodwill of Him Who dwelt in the bush. Let these blessings come upon the head of Joseph, upon the crown of the head of him who was separate and prince among his brothers.(B)
17 Like a firstling young bull his majesty is, and his horns like the horns of the wild ox; with them he shall push the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
18 And of Zebulun he said: [d]Rejoice, Zebulun, in your interests abroad, and you, Issachar, in your tents [at home].
19 They shall call the people unto Mount [Carmel]; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness, for [e]they shall suck the abundance of the seas and the treasures hid in the sand.
20 And of Gad he said: Blessed is He Who enlarges Gad! Gad lurks like a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.
21 He selected the best land for himself, for there was the leader’s portion reserved; yet he came with the chiefs of the nation, and the righteous will of the Lord he performed, and His ordinances with Israel.(C)
22 Of Dan he said: Dan is a lion’s whelp that leaps forth from Bashan.
23 Of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, [f]satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord, possess the Sea [of Galilee] and [its warm, sunny climate like] the south.
24 Of Asher he said: Blessed above sons is Asher; let him be acceptable to his brothers, and [g]let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your castles and strongholds shall have bars of iron and bronze, and as your day, so shall your strength, your rest and security, be.
26 There is none like God, O Jeshurun [Israel], Who rides through the heavens to your help and in His majestic glory through the skies.
27 The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy!
28 And Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone in a land of grain and new wine; yes, His heavens drop dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel, and blessing is yours! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the Shield of your help, the Sword that exalts you! Your enemies shall come fawning and cringing, and submit feigned obedience to you, and you shall march on their high places.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:6 The earlier Bible translators could not believe that Moses meant to say of Reuben, “let his men be few,” so they put “not” in italics: “let not his men be few.” But Reuben had committed a grave offense (Gen. 49:3, 4) which cancelled his birthright, and God meant exactly what He directed Moses to say, as continuous fulfillment of the prophecy proves. “In Judg. 5:16 the tribe [of Reuben] is scorned for its failure to join the others against the Canaanites, and except for I Chron. 5:3-20 it does not again appear in Israel’s history. Nor does Misha of Moab, ninth century, b.c., name it” (The Cambridge Bible). Furthermore, by a.d. 1951 no Jew was permitted to enter the territory once allotted to the tribe of Reuben. “The whole territory, which is... quite capable of cultivation, is now deserted by its settled inhabitants” (John D. Davis, A Dictionary of the Bible). It was then being restored not by Israelites but by Arabs.
- Deuteronomy 33:9 The law required that the high priest act just as impartially when one of his immediate family died, as if the departed were no kin to him (Lev. 21:10-12). This throws light on Christ’s attitude toward His mother and brothers in Matt. 12:46-50 (see also Heb. 3:1-3; 8:1-6).
- Deuteronomy 33:12 The temple in Jerusalem was located almost between the ridges of the territory of Benjamin, suggesting “between his shoulders” (see also Josh. 15:8). Moses sees it as a symbol of the Lord’s presence covering Benjamin continually.
- Deuteronomy 33:18 Not until 1934 was this prophecy notably in process of fulfillment, when Haifa’s bay became one of the great harbors of the Mediterranean Sea, with commerce affecting the whole world.
- Deuteronomy 33:19 The great oil pipeline path across Palestine was first opened in 1935. Until then this prophecy fell far short of fulfillment. But 3,400 years before, Moses sent out the inspired headlines, “Zebulun... Issachar... shall suck the abundance of the seas, and the treasures hid in the sand.” Our omnipotent God was “declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand” (Isa. 46:10).
- Deuteronomy 33:23 For many centuries much of the territory of upper Naphtali was little more than a miasmic swamp, unfit for man or beast. But when the Jews returned to Palestine, they drained and redeemed the area, and by 1940 it was dotted over with thriving colonies, as Moses had foretold, “satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord.”
- Deuteronomy 33:24 The maps of the territory of Asher sometimes suggest the shape of the sole of a foot, sometimes that of a leg and foot; but in either case the Great International Iraq-Petroleum Enterprise, opened in 1935, crossed the area just at the toe of Asher’s “foot.” Oil brought nearly 1,000 miles across the sands from Mesopotamia began pouring through pipes into the Haifa harbor, a million gallons of oil a day. Jacob had prophesied about Asher, “... his bread shall be fat” (Gen. 49:20 kjv), and here Moses says of Asher, “Let him dip his foot in oil”!
Deuteronomy 33
New International Version
Deuteronomy 33
New International Version
Moses Blesses the Tribes(A)
33 This is the blessing(B) that Moses the man of God(C) pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:
“The Lord came from Sinai(D)
and dawned over them from Seir;(E)
he shone forth(F) from Mount Paran.(G)
He came with[a] myriads of holy ones(H)
from the south, from his mountain slopes.[b]
3 Surely it is you who love(I) the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.(J)
At your feet they all bow down,(K)
and from you receive instruction,
4 the law that Moses gave us,(L)
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.(M)
5 He was king(N) over Jeshurun[c](O)
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
7 And this he said about Judah:(Q)
“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!”
8 About Levi(R) he said:
“Your Thummim and Urim(S) belong
to your faithful servant.(T)
You tested(U) him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.(V)
9 He said of his father and mother,(W)
‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.(X)
10 He teaches(Y) your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.(Z)
He offers incense before you(AA)
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.(AB)
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.(AC)
Strike down those who rise against him,
his foes till they rise no more.”
12 About Benjamin(AD) he said:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,(AE)
for he shields him all day long,(AF)
and the one the Lord loves(AG) rests between his shoulders.(AH)”
13 About Joseph(AI) he said:
“May the Lord bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;(AJ)
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains(AK)
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.(AL)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among[e] his brothers.(AM)
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his horns(AN) are the horns of a wild ox.(AO)
With them he will gore(AP) the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;(AQ)
such are the thousands of Manasseh.(AR)”
18 About Zebulun(AS) he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar,(AT) in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain(AU)
and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;(AV)
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,(AW)
on the treasures hidden in the sand.”
20 About Gad(AX) he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!(AY)
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;(AZ)
the leader’s portion was kept for him.(BA)
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,(BB)
and his judgments concerning Israel.”
22 About Dan(BC) he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
springing out of Bashan.”
23 About Naphtali(BD) he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake.”
24 About Asher(BE) he said:
“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil.(BF)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,(BG)
and your strength will equal your days.(BH)
26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,(BI)
who rides(BJ) across the heavens to help you(BK)
and on the clouds(BL) in his majesty.(BM)
27 The eternal(BN) God is your refuge,(BO)
and underneath are the everlasting(BP) arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,(BQ)
saying, ‘Destroy them!’(BR)
28 So Israel will live in safety;(BS)
Jacob will dwell[f] secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.(BT)
29 Blessed are you, Israel!(BU)
Who is like you,(BV)
a people saved by the Lord?(BW)
He is your shield and helper(BX)
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will tread on their heights.(BY)”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel; also in verse 26.
- Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Jacob’s spring is
Deuteronomy 33
King James Version
Deuteronomy 33
King James Version
33 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
2 And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
4 Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
7 And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.
8 And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.
11 Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
12 And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
20 And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel.
22 And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south.
24 And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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