Deuteronomy 33:20

20 And ¹of Gad he said, "Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches ²like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp.

Deuteronomy 33:20 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:20

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 5:18-22 ) ;

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 33:20 In-Context

18 And of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents.

19 They shall call peoples to their mountain; there they offer right sacrifices; for they draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand."

20 And of Gad he said, "Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp.

21 He chose the best of the land for himself, for there a commander's portion was reserved; and he came with the heads of the people, with Israel he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments for Israel."

22 And of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's cub that leaps from Bashan."

Cross References

• 1. [Genesis 49:19]
• 2. [1 Chronicles 12:8]