Deuteronomy 33

This is the next-to-last chapter of Deuteronomy. In chapter 32, Moses teaches a song and hears the LORD's word that he will go up onto Mount Nebo and die there. In this chapter, Moses pronounces his final blessing on the tribes, and the following chapter, chapter 34, records his death.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Introduction. The poem tells how the LORD came from Sinai, Seir, and Mount Paran, gave the law, and that there was a king in Jeshurun.
• Verse 6 A prayer that Reuben may live and not die.
• Verse 7 A petition that the LORD help Judah prevail against its enemies.
• Verses 8–11 Levi holds the Thummim and Urim and will teach the law and offer sacrifices.
• Verse 12 Benjamin will dwell in safety beside the LORD.
• Verses 13–17 A prayer that the blessings of heaven and earth rest on Joseph's land. The passage speaks of the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.
• Verses 18–19 Zebulun and Issachar are blessed.
• Verses 20–21 Gad is likened to a lioness.
• Verse 22 Dan is likened to a lion's whelp of Bashan.
• Verse 23 Naphtali will possess the west and the south.
• Verses 24–25 Asher will dip his foot in oil.
• Verses 26–29 Conclusion. Praise that there is none like the God of Jeshurun.

Key Verses

• Deuteronomy 33:27 "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" — a confession of God as the refuge of His people.
• Deuteronomy 33:29 "Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD" — this verse brings the blessings as a whole to a close with praise to the God who saves.

People and Places

• Moses: The one who pronounces the blessing. In this chapter he is called "the man of God."
• The tribes: Reuben, Judah, Levi (the Levites), Benjamin, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, and Asher appear.
• Jeshurun: A poetic name for Israel, interpreted as meaning "upright one."
• Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, and Mount Paran: Mountains of the southern wilderness celebrated in the poem as places where God appeared.
• Massah and Meribah: The site in the wilderness where the people tested God over water (Exodus 17:7).
• Bashan: A highland region in the north, east of the Jordan River.

Points for Reflection

• The chapter is often compared with Jacob's blessing of the tribes in Genesis 49. In Genesis 49, Levi is told that he will be scattered along with Simeon. In this chapter, Levi is blessed as the tribe entrusted with the Urim and Thummim and charged with teaching the law.
• Simeon does not appear in this chapter. This is commonly explained by the record that Simeon's inheritance lay within the territory of Judah (Joshua 19:1–9).
• Interpreters differ on whether the "king" in verse 5 refers to God or to Moses.
• "Him that dwelt in the bush" in verse 16 refers to the burning bush episode in Exodus 3.
• The Septuagint renders verse 2 with the sense "angels at his right hand." This rendering is sometimes read in connection with the New Testament statements that the law was given through angels (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2).