Deuteronomy 33:9-19

9 They showed greater loyalty to you Than to parents, brothers, or children. They obeyed your commands And were faithful to your covenant.

10 They will teach your people to obey your Law; They will offer sacrifices on your altar.

11 Lord, help their tribe to grow strong; Be pleased with what they do. Crush all their enemies; Let them never rise again."

12 About the tribe of Benjamin he said: "This is the tribe the Lord loves and protects; He guards them all the day long, And he dwells in their midst."

13 About the tribe of Joseph he said: "May the Lord bless their land with rain And with water from under the earth.

14 May their land be blessed with sun-ripened fruit, Rich with the best fruits of each season.

15 May their ancient hills be covered with choice fruit.

16 May their land be filled with all that is good, Blessed by the goodness of the Lord, Who spoke from the burning bush. May these blessings come to the tribe of Joseph, Because he was the leader among his brothers.

17 Joseph has the strength of a bull, The horns of a wild ox. His horns are Manasseh's thousands And Ephraim's ten thousands. With them he gores the nations And pushes them to the ends of the earth."

18 About the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar he said: "May Zebulun be prosperous in their trade on the sea, And may Issachar's wealth increase at home.

19 They invite foreigners to their mountain And offer the right sacrifices there. They get their wealth from the sea And from the sand along the shore."

Deuteronomy 33:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

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, De 33:1-5; then, in particular, each of the tribes distinctly is blessed, Reuben, De 33:6; Judah, De 33:7; Levi, De 33:8-11; Benjamin, De 33:12; Joseph, De 33:13-17; Zebulun and Issachar, De 33:18,19; Gad, De 33:20,21; Dan, De 33:22; Naphtali, De 33:23; Asher, De 33:24,25; 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, De 33:26-29.

Footnotes

• [a]. And he . . . midst; [or] They live under his protection.