# Deuteronomy 33 đ: Moses Blesses the Tribes
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[[-Deuteronomy Overview]] | [[Deuteronomy 32]] | [[Deuteronomy 34]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đ Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#đ§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#âď¸ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#đ Key Principles / đ Life Application]]
> [[#đŹ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#âď¸ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đ Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#đ Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đ Internal Notes]]
## đ Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Introduction to the Blessing of Moses
[[#Verse 01.]]Â This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.Â
[[#Verse 02.]]Â He said:
### A Historical Review
âThe Lord came from Sinai
and revealed himself to Israel from Seir.
He appeared in splendor from Mount Paran,
and came forth with ten thousand holy ones.
With his right hand he gave a fiery law to them.
[[#Verse 03.]]Â Surely he loves the people;
all your holy ones are in your power.
And they sit at your feet,
each receiving your words.
[[#Verse 04.]]Â Moses delivered to us a law,
an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
[[#Verse 05.]] The Lord was king over Jeshurun,
when the leaders of the people assembled,
the tribes of Israel together.
### Blessing on Reuben
[[#Verse 06.]]Â âMay Reuben live and not die,
and may his people multiply.â
### Blessing on Judah
[[#Verse 07.]] And this is the blessing to Judah. He said,
âListen, OÂ Lord, to Judahâs voice,
and bring him to his people.
May his power be great,
and may you help him against his foes.â
### Blessing on Levi
[[#Verse 08.]]Â Of Levi he said:
âYour Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one,
whose authority you challenged at Massah,
and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.
[[#Verse 09.]]Â He said to his father and mother, âI have not seen him,â
and he did not acknowledge his own brothers
or know his own children,
for they kept your word,
and guarded your covenant.
[[#Verse 10.]]Â They will teach Jacob your ordinances
and Israel your law;
they will offer incense as a pleasant odor,
and a whole offering on your altar.
[[#Verse 11.]]Â Bless, OÂ Lord, his goods,
and be pleased with his efforts;
undercut the legs of any who attack him,
and of those who hate him, so that they cannot stand.â
### Blessing on Benjamin
[[#Verse 12.]]Â Of Benjamin he said:
âThe beloved of the Lord will live safely by him;
he protects him all the time,
and the Lord places him on his chest.â
### Blessing on Joseph
[[#Verse 13.]]Â Of Joseph he said:
âMay the Lord bless his land
with the harvest produced by the sky, by the dew,
and by the depths crouching beneath;
[[#Verse 14.]]Â with the harvest produced by the daylight
and by the moonlight;
[[#Verse 15.]] with the best of the ancient mountains
and the harvest produced by the age-old hills;
[[#Verse 16.]]Â with the harvest of the earth and its fullness
and the pleasure of him who resided in the burning bush.
May blessing rest on Josephâs head,
and on the top of the head of the one set apart from his brothers.
[[#Verse 17.]]Â May the firstborn of his bull bring him honor,
and may his horns be those of a wild ox;
with them may he gore all peoples,
all the far reaches of the earth.
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and they are the thousands of Manasseh.â
### Blessing on Zebulun and Issachar
[[#Verse 18.]]Â Of Zebulun he said:
âRejoice, Zebulun, when you go outside,
and Issachar, when you are in your tents.
[[#Verse 19.]]Â They will summon peoples to the mountain,
there they will sacrifice proper sacrifices;
for they will enjoy the abundance of the seas,
and the hidden treasures of the shores.â
### Blessing on Gad
[[#Verse 20.]]Â Of Gad he said:
âBlessed be the one who enlarges Gad.
Like a lioness he will dwell;
he will tear at an armâindeed, a scalp.
[[#Verse 21.]]Â He has selected the best part for himself,
for the portion of the ruler is set aside there;
he came with the leaders of the people,
he obeyed the righteous laws of the Lord
and his ordinances with Israel.â
### Blessing on Dan
[[#Verse 22.]]Â Of Dan he said:
âDan is a lionâs cub;
he will leap forth from Bashan.â
### Blessing on Naphtali
[[#Verse 23.]]Â Of Naphtali he said:
âO Naphtali, overflowing with favor,
and full of the Lordâs blessing,
possess the west and south.â
### Blessing on Asher
[[#Verse 24.]]Â Of Asher he said:
âAsher is blessed with children;
may he be favored by his brothers,
and may he dip his foot in olive oil.
[[#Verse 25.]] The bars of your gates will be made of iron and bronze,
and may you have lifelong strength.â
### General Praise and Blessing
[[#Verse 26.]]Â âThere is no one like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the sky to help you,
on the clouds in majesty.
[[#Verse 27.]]Â The everlasting God is a refuge,
and underneath you are his eternal arms;
he has driven out enemies before you,
and has said, âDestroy!â
[[#Verse 28.]]Â Israel lives in safety,
the fountain of Jacob is quite secure,
in a land of grain and new wine;
indeed, its heavens rain down dew.
[[#Verse 29.]]Â You have joy, Israel! Who is like you?
You are a people delivered by the Lord,
your protective shield
and your exalted sword.
May your enemies cringe before you;
may you trample on their backs.â
## đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
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###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
###### Verse 29.
## đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Simeon is not named in Moses' blessing. Simeon's territory was later absorbed within Judah (Joshua 19:1, 9).
2. Moses is called "the man of God" in 33:1, the first time this title appears in the Bible.
3. Levi is given the Thummim and Urim (33:8), used by the priests to seek God's will.
4. The blessing on Levi recalls the testing at Massah and Meribah (33:8; Exodus 17:7).
5. Joseph is pictured as a firstborn bull with the horns of a wild ox, representing the thousands of Ephraim and Manasseh (33:17).
6. The Lord is described as the One who dwelt in the burning bush (33:16).
7. Israel is again given the poetic name "Jeshurun" (33:5, 26).
8. Dan is called a lion's cub leaping from Bashan (33:22).
9. Gad's blessing recalls how the tribe chose the best land east of the Jordan (33:21; Numbers 32).
10. Moses' blessing parallels Jacob's blessing of his sons in Genesis 49, which also ends a leader's life with words over each tribe.
## đ§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## âď¸ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the One whose everlasting arms hold His people (33:27). As Moses blessed the tribes before his death, Jesus lifted His hands and blessed His disciples before He ascended (Luke 24:50-51).
## đ Key Principles / đ Life Application
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đŹ Discussion Questions
1. Each tribe received its own blessing (33:6-25). How does God give different gifts to different people in the church (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)?
2. Levi was honored for putting loyalty to God above family ties (33:9). What does wholehearted loyalty to God look like today?
3. The eternal God is a refuge, with everlasting arms underneath (33:27). When have you leaned on those arms?
## âď¸ Key Verses to Remember
- đ verse 12: The beloved of the Lord lives securely, sheltered by Him all day long.
- đ verse 27: The eternal God is a refuge, and His everlasting arms are underneath.
- đ verse 29: Israel is blessed, a people delivered by the Lord, their shield and helper.
## đ Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đ [[Genesis 49#Verse 01.|Genesis 49:1-28]] - Jacob blesses his sons.
- đ [[Luke 24#Verse 50.|Luke 24:50-51]] - Jesus blesses His disciples and ascends.
- đ [[Psalm 90#Verse 01.|Psalm 90:1-2]] - Moses' prayer: the Lord is our dwelling place.
- đ [[Psalm 46#Verse 01.|Psalm 46:1]] - God is our refuge and strength.
- đ [[1 Corinthians 12#Verse 04.|1 Corinthians 12:4-7]] - Different gifts from the same Spirit.
## đ Devotional Reflection
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đ Internal Notes