33:1 And this [is] the a blessing, wherewith Moses the man of
God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
(a) This blessing contains not only a simple prayer, but an
assurance of the effect of it.
33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from
Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he
came with ten b thousands of saints: from his right hand
[went] a fiery law for them.
(b) Meaning, infinite angels.
33:3 Yea, he loved the people; c all his saints [are] in thy
hand: and they sat down at d thy feet; [every one] shall
receive of thy words.
(c) Hebrew, his saints, that is, the children of Israel.
(d) As thy disciples.
33:4 Moses commanded us a law, [even] the e inheritance of the
congregation of Jacob.
(e) To us and our successors.
33:6 Let f Reuben live, and not die; and let [not] his men be
few.
(f) Reuben will be one of the tribes of God's people,
though for his sin his honour is diminished, and his
family but small.
33:7 And this [is the blessing] of Judah: and he said, Hear,
LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people:
let his hands be g sufficient for him; and be thou an
help [to him] from his enemies.
(g) Signifying, that he would barely obtain Jacob's
promise, (Ge 49:8).
33:9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, h I have not
seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew
his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept
thy covenant.
(h) He preferred God's glory to all natural affection,
(Ex 28:30).
33:11 Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his
hands: smite i through the loins of them that rise
against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not
again.
(i) He declares that the ministers of God have many
enemies, and therefore need to be prayed for.
33:12 [And] of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall
k dwell in safety by him; [and the LORD] shall cover him
all the day long, and he shall dwell between his
shoulders.
(k) Because the temple would be built in Zion, which was
in the tribe of Benjamin, he shows that God would
dwell with him there.
33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness
thereof, and [for] the good will of him that dwelt in the
l bush: let [the blessing] come upon the head of Joseph,
and upon the top of the head of him [that was] separated
from his brethren.
33:18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy m going
out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
(m) In thy prosperous voyages on the sea, (Ge 49:13).
33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they
shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for n they
shall suck [of] the abundance of the seas, and [of]
treasures hid in the sand.
(n) The tribe of Zebulun.
33:21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there,
[in] a portion of the o lawgiver, [was he] seated; and
he came with the heads of the people, he executed the
justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.
(o) So the portion of the Gadites, and others on this side
of the Jordan was God's, though it was not so known.
33:23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with
favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess
thou p the west and the south.
(p) Meaning, near the sea.
33:25 Thy shoes [shall be] q iron and brass; and as thy days,
[so shall] thy strength [be].
(q) You will be strong or, your country full of metal. It
seems that Simeon is left out, because he was under
Judah, and his portion of his inheritance,
(Jos 19:9).
33:28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: r the fountain
of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his
heavens shall drop down dew.
(r) Who was plentiful in issue as a fountain.
33:29 Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O
people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who
[is] the sword of thy excellency! and s thine enemies
shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon
their high places.
(s) Your enemies for fear shall lie and pretend to be in
subjection.
