Deuteronomy 33:19

19 They shall call peoples to the hill, [and] there they shall offer sacrifices of rightfulness; which shall suck the flowing(s) of the sea as milk, and hid treasures of gravel. (They shall call the peoples to the mountain, and there they shall offer the right sacrifices; they shall suck up the wealth of the sea like milk, and they shall dig up hidden treasures out of the gravel.)

Deuteronomy 33:19 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:19

They shall call the people unto the mountain
To the mountain of the house of the sanctuary, as all the three Targums; to the temple built on a mountain, which Moses by a spirit of prophecy foresaw would be, to which the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar would not only come up themselves, though at the more distant parts of the land; but call and urge others, both Israelites and Gentiles, to do the same, partly by their example, and partly by persuasions and arguments; not the tribes of Israel that lay nearest them only, but the Heathens, the Tyrians and Sidonians, on whom they bordered, and the Gentiles in Galilee of the Gentiles, which were neighbours to them; a like instance see in ( Isaiah 2:2 Isaiah 2:3 ) ; and perhaps this may have respect to the times of Christ and his apostles, and to their being in those parts where the Gospel was preached, and many people were called, ( Matthew 4:13-16 ) ;

there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness;
or true sacrifices, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, in opposition to illegitimate ones, which were not according to the law, that had blemishes and defects in them, and to such as were gotten by robbery, or in an unlawful way; and may signify all righteous actions and good works done in faith, and from right principles, though not to be depended upon for a justifying righteousness before God; and all spiritual sacrifices, especially the sacrifices of praise for all blessings, and particularly for the righteousness of Christ; and these are to be offered in the church of God, and upon the altar, which sanctifies every gift, and from whence they come up with acceptance to God:

for they shall suck [of] the abundance of the sea;
get a great deal of riches by trading at sea, and therefore under great obligations to offer sacrifices to the Lord, by whom they were prospered:

and [of] the treasure hid in the sand;
as gold and silver, pearls and corals, and the like, extracted from thence; or riches buried there through shipwrecks; or it may design the great wealth and riches they got by glass made of sand, taken out of the river Belus, which washed the coast of the tribe of Zebulun, as many historians relate F26.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 Strabo. Geograph. l. 16. p. 521. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. Tacit. Hist. l. 5. c. 7.

Deuteronomy 33:19 In-Context

17 As the first engendered of a bull is the fairness of him; the horns of an unicorn be the horns of him; in those he shall winnow folks, till to the terms of [the] earth. These be the multitudes of Ephraim, and these be the thousands of Manasseh. (His fairness is like the first-born of a bull; his horns be like the horns of a wild ox; and with them he shall winnow the nations, unto the ends of the earth. Such shall be the multitudes of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh.)
18 And he said to Zebulun, Zebulun, be thou glad in thy going out, and Issachar, in thy tabernacles. (And he said of the tribes of Zebulun, and of Issachar, Zebulun, be thou prosperous abroad, and Issachar, be thou prosperous in thy tents, or at home.)
19 They shall call peoples to the hill, [and] there they shall offer sacrifices of rightfulness; which shall suck the flowing(s) of the sea as milk, and hid treasures of gravel. (They shall call the peoples to the mountain, and there they shall offer the right sacrifices; they shall suck up the wealth of the sea like milk, and they shall dig up hidden treasures out of the gravel.)
20 And he said to Gad, Gad is blessed in broadness; he rested as a lion, and he took from his adversary the arm and the noll. (And he said of the tribe of Gad, Gad is blessed in their broad places; they rest like a lion, but they tear off the arms and the tops of the heads of their adversaries.)
21 And he saw his princehood, that he was kept a teacher in his part; the which was with (the) princes of the people, and he did the rightfulnesses of the Lord, and his doom with Israel. (And they chose the best land for themselves, a ruler's portion, when the leaders of the people were gathered together; and they did the justice of the Lord, and his laws, or his judgements, with Israel.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.