Deuteronomy 33:11

11 Lord, bless thou the strength of him, and receive thou the works of his hands; smite thou the backs of his enemies, and they that hate him, rise they not. (Lord, bless thou their strength, and receive thou the works of their hands; strike thou the backs of their enemies, and they who hate them, let them never rise up again.)

Deuteronomy 33:11 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:11

Bless, Lord, his substance
Which lay in tithes, firstfruits 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 army F12, 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 ( Psalms 110:1 Psalms 110:5 Psalms 110:6 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (wlyx) "copiis ejus", Junius & Tremellius; "[vel] exercitibus ejus", Piscator.

Deuteronomy 33:11 In-Context

9 which Levi said to his father and to his mother, I know not you, and to his brethren, I know not them; and knew not his sons. These kept thy speech, and these kept thy covenant; (yea, the Levites said to their fathers and their mothers, We do not know you, and to their brothers, We do not know you; and they did not even know their own sons and daughters. They obeyed thy words, and they kept thy covenant.)
10 O! Jacob, they kept thy dooms, and thy law, O! Israel; they shall put incense in thy strong vengeance, and burnt sacrifice on thine altar. (They shall teach Jacob thy precepts, and Israel thy Law; they shall put incense and burnt offerings upon thy altar.)
11 Lord, bless thou the strength of him, and receive thou the works of his hands; smite thou the backs of his enemies, and they that hate him, rise they not. (Lord, bless thou their strength, and receive thou the works of their hands; strike thou the backs of their enemies, and they who hate them, let them never rise up again.)
12 And he said to Benjamin, The most loved of the Lord shall dwell trustily in him; he shall dwell all day as in a chamber, and he shall rest betwixt the shoulders of the Lord. (And he said of the tribe of Benjamin, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell trustily in him; they shall live all day long like in a secure place, and they shall rest between the shoulders of the Lord.)
13 Also he said to Joseph, His land is of the Lord's blessing; of the apples of heaven, and of the dew, and of water lying beneath; (And he said of the tribe of Joseph, Their land is blessed by the Lord, with precious fruits watered from the heavens above, and from the streams flowing beneath;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.