Deuteronomy 33 Study Notes

33:12 The blessing of Benjamin also somewhat offsets the last words of Jacob to his sons where he described Benjamin as a wolf who tore his prey (Gn 49:27). Here Benjamin rests on the Lord’s shoulders much as a shepherd might carry his helpless lambs (Nm 11:12; Ru 4:16; Is 40:11; Jn 10:7-18).

33:13-17 Moses’s desire for Joseph (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons) was primarily for agricultural (vv. 13-16) and military (v. 17) success. The allusion to him who appeared in the burning bush is to place Joseph back at the setting of the covenant God made with Israel and all the promises of his abundant grace associated with it (Ex 3:2-4,16-18).

33:18-19 Zebulun and Issachar are linked together as the last two sons of Jacob’s wife Leah (Gn 30:18,20) and as neighboring tribes in the area north of the valley of Jezreel. The mountain is probably Mount Tabor, the only prominent mountain in their territory. The only reference to Tabor as a place of sacrifice occurs in Hs 5:1; by Hosea’s time it was regarded as illegitimate. However, in an earlier time Tabor may have been a place of local worship. Zebulun’s border extended as far west as the Mediterranean Sea, and thus its people could draw from the wealth of the seas and . . . the sand.

33:20-21 Gad had been described by Jacob as a ferocious warrior who, though attacked by others, would strike back with vengeance (Gn 49:19). Moses viewed the tribe of Gad as one that would seek to enlarge its territory, and he blessed anyone who could make that happen. Already in Moses’s day Gad had chosen the fertile land of the northern Transjordan (Nm 32:1-5). Once there, Gad had carved out the largest territory of all the eastern tribes, gaining a ruler’s portion.

33:22 Jacob depicted Dan as a vicious viper that bites horses’ heels, throwing their riders to the ground (Gn 49:16-17). Moses compared him to a young lion, leaping out of Bashan. Besides affirming the aggressive nature of Dan, the geographical reference to Bashan suggests that the tribe of Dan’s occupation of its far northern territory may have originated in Bashan. Dan had been allotted a region near Philistine territory which it was unable to occupy and from which it moved north for more suitable prospects (Jos 19:40-48; Jdg 18:1-29).

33:23 Naphtali settled on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. Jacob said of this son that he “is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns” (Gn 49:21). Because of the fertile and fruitful nature of the lower Galilee region, Naphtali, Moses said, would enjoy divine approval. The spiritual blessing may be seen most fully when Messiah came and spent most of his life and ministry in and about the territory allotted Naphtali.

33:24-25 Jacob promised his son Asher that his “food will be rich, and he will produce royal delicacies” (Gn 49:20). When Moses prayed, May Asher be the most blessed of the sons, he was probably referring also to material blessings, particularly to food supplies. This is clear from the desire of Moses that Asher might dip his foot in olive oil. Asher’s location on the upper Mediterranean coast, the region of the modern city of Haifa, accounted for its access to products of the sea, but the surrounding hills, including Mount Carmel, also yielded vast quantities of olive oil, as is the case to this very day. To “dip the foot in olive oil” is a figure of speech suggesting a luxurious lifestyle.

33:26 Moses concluded the blessing of the tribes by extolling the God of Jeshurun (cp. v. 5; 32:15) as the one who rides the heavens on the clouds in his majesty. This same image occurs in ancient Canaanite poetic texts where Baal is said to ride the clouds, but Moses put to rest the pagan notions of their God by asserting that it is the God of Israel who, in fact, is sovereign (Ps 68:4,33; Hab 3:3-15).

33:27-28 The God of history is the God of the present and of the ages to come, giving Israel security and prosperity. The term for dwelling place is often used of a wild animal’s den or lair (see Jb 37:8; 38:40; Ps 104:22; Sg 4:8; Am 3:4; Nah 2:12).

33:29 In a grand finale, Moses called on Israel to recognize how happy they were—or ought to be. Of all the nations of the earth, the Lord had saved only them in the sense of having called them to be his special possession (7:6; Ex 19:4-6). They enjoyed his protection as their shield and sword, metaphors descriptive of his power and glory (Gn 15:1; Ps 7:10; 18:2; 28:7).