Deuteronomy 33
About DeuteronomyWritten by AI
Deuteronomy is mostly a set of farewell speeches. Moses stands with Israel on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan from the promised land, near the end of his life. He retells their story since Sinai, repeats and applies God's law for life in the land, and calls the new generation to renew the covenant. The book has long been credited to Moses, with the account of his death added by another hand. Many scholars think it reached its final form centuries later. Christians hold both views.
At its heart is a call to love God with everything: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.” Again and again Moses says remember, do not forget, and choose life.
Watch for God's care for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the foreigner, and for warnings that Israel will fail and promises that God will not. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy more than almost any other book.
Before you read Deuteronomy 33Written by AI
Before his death Moses blesses the tribes one by one, much as Jacob did in Genesis 49. Some blessings are long, some only a line. The chapter frames them with praise for God, and near the end comes a beloved line about God as His people's dwelling place, with the everlasting arms underneath.
Moses Blesses the Twelve Tribes
This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. He said:
“The LORD came from Sinai
and dawned upon us from Seir;
He shone forth from Mount Paran
and came with myriads of holy ones,
with flaming fire at His right hand.
Surely You love the people;
all the holy ones are in Your hand,
and they sit down at Your feet;
each receives Your words—
the law that Moses gave us,
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
So the LORD became King in Jeshurun
when the leaders of the people gathered,
when the tribes of Israel came together.
Let Reuben live and not die,
nor his men be few.”
And concerning Judah he said:
“O LORD, hear the cry of Judah
and bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause,
but may You be a help against his foes.”
Concerning Levi he said:
“Give Your Thummim to Levi
and Your Urim to Your godly one,
whom You tested at Massah
and contested at the waters of Meribah.
He said of his father and mother,
‘I do not consider them.’
He disregarded his brothers
and did not know his own sons,
for he kept Your word
and maintained Your covenant.
He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob
and Your law to Israel;
he will set incense before You
and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
Bless his substance, O LORD,
and accept the work of his hands.
Smash the loins of those who rise against him,
and of his foes so they can rise no more.”
Concerning Benjamin he said:
“May the beloved of the LORD
rest secure in Him;
God shields him all day long,
and upon His shoulders he rests.”
Concerning Joseph he said:
“May his land be blessed by the LORD
with the precious dew from heaven above
and the deep waters that lie beneath,
with the bountiful harvest from the sun
and the abundant yield of the seasons,
with the best of the ancient mountains
and the bounty of the everlasting hills,
with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it,
and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph
and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.
His majesty is like a firstborn bull,
and his horns are like those of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the nations,
even to the ends of the earth.
Such are the myriads of Ephraim,
and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
Concerning Zebulun he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,
and Issachar, in your tents.
They will call the peoples to a mountain;
there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness.
For they will feast on the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.”
Concerning Gad he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges
the domain of Gad!
He lies down like a lion
and tears off an arm or a head.
He chose the best land for himself,
because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there.
He came with the leaders of the people;
he administered the LORD’s justice
and His ordinances for Israel.”
Concerning Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
leaping out of Bashan.”
Concerning Naphtali he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with favor,
full of the blessing of the LORD;
he shall take possession
of the sea and the south.”
And concerning Asher he said:
“May Asher be the most blessed of sons;
may he be the most favored among his brothers
and dip his foot in oil.
May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze,
and may your strength match your days.”
“There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides the heavens to your aid,
and the clouds in His majesty.
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He drives out the enemy before you,
giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’
So Israel dwells securely;
the fountain of Jacob lives untroubled
in a land of grain and new wine,
where even the heavens drip with dew.
Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD?
He is the shield that protects you,
the sword in which you boast.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you shall trample their high places.”