Deuteronomy 33:24

24 Finally, he told Asher: "Asher is the most blessed of sons. I pray that he's his brothers' favorite— one who dips his foot in fine oil.

Deuteronomy 33:24 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:24

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, ( Psalms 128:3 Psalms 128:4 ) ; or "above the children"; above or more than the rest of the children of Jacob; see ( Luke 2:36 Luke 2:38 ) ; 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 feet ^F6 also, with oil, ( Luke 7:46 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 "Vidimus etiam vestigia pedum tingi", Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 3. Vid. Dalecamp. Not. in ib.

Deuteronomy 33:24 In-Context

22 Then he told Dan: "Dan is a lion cub. He jumps up from Bashan."

23 Then he told Naphtali: "Naphtali—you are full of favor, overflowing with the LORD's blessing— go possess the west and the south!"

24 Finally, he told Asher: "Asher is the most blessed of sons. I pray that he's his brothers' favorite— one who dips his foot in fine oil.

25 I pray that your dead bolts are iron and copper, and that your strength lasts all your days."

26 Jeshurun! No one compares to God! He rides through heaven to help you, rides majestically through the clouds.