Deuteronomy 33:13

13 About Joseph he said: “May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below;

Deuteronomy 33:13 in Other Translations

KJV
13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
ESV
13 And of Joseph he said, "Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath,
NLT
13 Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph: “May their land be blessed by the LORD with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth;
MSG
13 Joseph: "Blessed by God be his land: The best fresh dew from high heaven, and fountains springing from the depths;
CSB
13 He said about Joseph: May his land be blessed by the Lord with the dew of heaven's bounty and the watery depths that lie beneath;

Deuteronomy 33:13 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:13

And of Joseph he said
The tribe of Joseph, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:

blessed of the Lord [be] his land;
as the lands inherited by his sons were extremely fruitful, the countries of lead and Bashan by Manasseh, and the fields of Samaria by Ephraim: Jarchi says,

``there was not in the inheritance of the tribes a land so full of all good things as the land of Joseph;''

typical of the church of Christ, the antitypical Joseph, which abounds with all good things through him, or of the better country in heaven:

for the precious things of heaven;
that is, the pleasant, precious, and excellent fruits, reproduced by the influence of the heavens, particularly showers of rain which descend from thence; emblems of the grace of God, and Gospel of Christ, which bring spiritual blessings to the sons of men on earth, and make them fruitful in every good word and work: for the dew; which descends also from heaven, and is of unspeakable use to the fruits of the earth, and is sometimes used as an emblem of the favour and goodness of God to his people, ( Hosea 14:5 ) ;

and for the deep that coucheth beneath;
that is, beneath the earth, and breaks out upon it, and waters it, and makes it fruitful, which happiness the land of Joseph had, as well as the rain and dew of heaven: this is to be understood of springs and fountains that flow out of the earth to the enriching of it; and so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the words, and may be applied to Christ and to his Gospel, ( Song of Solomon 4:15 ) ( Isaiah 12:3 ) ( Joel 3:18 ) .

Deuteronomy 33:13 In-Context

11 Bless all his skills, LORD, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Strike down those who rise against him, his foes till they rise no more.”
12 About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
13 About Joseph he said: “May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below;
14 with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Genesis 30:24; Genesis 49:25
  • 2. Genesis 27:28; Psalms 148:7
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