Deuteronomy 33:8

8 Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, ^[a] whom You tested at Massah ^[b] and contested at the waters of Meribah. ^[c]

Deuteronomy 33:8 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:8

And of Levi he said
That is, Moses said of the tribe of Levi, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:

[let] thy Thummim and thy Urim [be] with thy Holy One;
with Aaron, as the same Targums interpret it, who was of the tribe of Levi, and was a holy good man, a saint of the Lord, as he is called, ( Psalms 106:16 ) ; of the Urim and Thummim, which were with him and with every high priest, (See Gill on Exodus 28:30); and though they were not in use under the second temple, yet had their fulfilment in Christ the antitype of Aaron, who may be chiefly here intended; who is after called the Lord's Holy One, as he is, both as God and man, holy in both his natures, divine and human, and in his life and actions; and with him are the true Urim and Thummim, lights and perfections, the light of nature, grace and glory, and all perfections, both divine and human; (See Gill on Exodus 28:30) ^F9:

whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive at
the waters of Meribah;
which, as it may respect Aaron, may be understood either of the Lord's proving him and contending with him, by suffering the children of Israel to murmur against him and Moses, at the said places; when, according to the three Targums, he stood in the temptation, and was perfect and found faithful; or of Levi, who, with the rest of the tribes, tried him, and strove with him at the same places; though Jarchi says they did not murmur with the rest that murmured: as it may refer to Christ the antitype of Levi, the sense is, that the Urim and Thummim should be with the Holy One, the Messiah, whom thou, O Levi, with the rest of the tribes, tempted and strove with at the places mentioned; for it is expressly said, they tempted the Lord, ( Exodus 17:7 ) ; and which is interpreted of Christ, ( 1 Corinthians 10:9 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 See a Sermon of mine on this text, called "Levi's Urim and Thummim Found with Christ".

Deuteronomy 33:8 In-Context

6 Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

7 And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”

8 Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.

9 He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.

10 He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.

Footnotes

• [a]. DSS and LXX; MT does not include to Levi; literally Let Your Perfections and Your Lights be to Your godly one.
• [b]. Massah means testing; see Exodus 17:7.
• [c]. Meribah means quarreling; see Exodus 17:7.