Deuteronomy 33:24-29

24 Also he said to Asher, Asher, be blessed in sons, and please he his brethren; dip he his foot in oil. (And he said of the tribe of Asher, Asher is the most blessed of the tribes; may they be the favourite among their brothers, or their kinsmen, and may they bathe their feet in oil.)
25 Iron and brass (be) the shoe(s) of him; as the day of thy youth, so and thine eld (age). (May thy gates be made out of iron and brass; and thy old age be like the days of thy youth.)
26 None other god is as the God of the most rightful; the rider of heaven is thine helper; clouds run about by the glory of him. (There is no other god like the God of Jeshurun; the Rider of heaven is thy helper, riding upon the clouds in his glory/riding through the clouds in his glory.)
27 His dwelling place is above, and his arms everlasting be beneath; he shall cast out from thy face the enemy, and he shall say to them, Be thou all-broken. (His dwelling place is above, but his everlasting arms be beneath; he shall throw out the enemy from before us, and he shall say to us, Destroy them all!)
28 Israel shall dwell trustily and alone; the eye of Jacob is in the land of wheat, and of wine; and (the) heavens shall be dark with dew. (And then Israel shall live secure and alone; the tribes of Jacob shall be in the land of corn, and of wine; and the skies shall be dark with dew.)
29 Blessed art thou, Israel; thou people that art saved in the Lord, who is like thee? The shield of thine help and the sword of thy glory is thy God; thine enemies shall deny thee, and thou shalt tread their necks. (Blessed art thou, O Israel; who is like thee? the people who art saved by the Lord! Thy God is the shield of thy help, and the sword of thy glory; thy enemies shall beg thee for mercy, but thou shalt tread upon their necks!)

Deuteronomy 33:24-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 33

This chapter relates the blessings Moses pronounced upon the people of Israel a little before his death; first, in general, on account of their having a law given them in so glorious a manner, De 33:1-5; then, in particular, each of the tribes distinctly is blessed, Reuben, De 33:6; Judah, De 33:7; Levi, De 33:8-11; Benjamin, De 33:12; Joseph, De 33:13-17; Zebulun and Issachar, De 33:18,19; Gad, De 33:20,21; Dan, De 33:22; Naphtali, De 33:23; Asher, De 33:24,25; and the chapter is concluded with some strong intimations of what God was unto the people of Israel in general, and of what he had done and would do for them; all which are expressive of their great happiness, De 33:26-29.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.