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Deuteronomy 33:25

25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and your strength last as long as you live.

Deuteronomy 33:25 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:25

Thy shoes [shall be] iron and brass
Either they should have such an abundance of these metals, that they could if they would have made their shoes of them; but that is not usual; though it is said of Empedocles F7 the philosopher, that he wore shoes of brass, which was very singular; and some think that this tribe, because of the abundance of these metals, used to stick their shoes with iron and brass nails at the bottom of them, as country people, soldiers, and travellers in various nations do; but the true sense seems to be, that the land that fell to this tribe, and on which they trod, should yield much iron and brass; as in Carmel, a mountain on the borders of it, brass was taken, as says Hesychius; and Zidon is by Homer F9 said to abound with brass, which belonged to this tribe; and Sarepta, another city in it, had its name from (Pru) , which signifies to melt, from the melting of these metals in it; see ( Deuteronomy 8:9 ) ; though some Jewish writers take the sense to be, that the land of Asher was so strongly fortified as if it had been enclosed with walls of brass and iron, or the gates of its cities were shut up with bolts and bars of iron and brass, as Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe; so the Arabic:

and as thy days, [so shall] thy strength [be];
the same in old age as in youth; which is the sense of the Latin Vulgate version, and all the Targums: such were the vigour and strength of. Moses himself, ( Deuteronomy 34:7 ) ; and so may denote a renewal of youth, like that of eagles; and, in a spiritual sense, a revival of the graces of the Spirit of God, as to the exercise of them, and an increase of spiritual strength, so that the inward man is renewed day by day; and may also denote such a measure of strength given, as is proportioned to the events that daily befall, or to the services and sufferings men are called unto; see ( 1 Corinthians 10:13 ) ( 2 Corinthians 4:16 ) ( 2 Corinthians 12:9 2 Corinthians 12:10 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Laert. in Vit. Empedocl. l. 8. p. 613. Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 32.
F9 Odyss. 15. l. 424.

Deuteronomy 33:25 In-Context

23 He said about Naphtali: Naphtali, enjoying approval, full of the Lord's blessing, take possession to the west and the south.
24 He said about Asher: May Asher be the most blessed of the sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in [olive] oil.
25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and your strength last as long as you live.
26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid on the clouds in His majesty.
27 The God of old is [your] dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, and commands, "Destroy!"
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