1Dies ist der Segen, mit dem Mosche, der Mann Gottes, die Söhne Jissraels segnete vor seinem Sterben. 2Er sprach: ER, vom Ssinai kam er heran, erglänzte vom Sseďr ihnen, aufstrahlte vom Berge Paran, trat hervor von Heiligtumsmengen, ihrer sind die Abhänge ihm zur Rechten. 3Der du Völker am Busen wohl hegst, des einen Heilige sind alle in deiner Hand, sie sinds, die zu Füßen dir lehnten, aus deinen Anreden trägt es davon 4Weisung: »Mosche entbots uns«. Erbgut: Jaakobs Gesamtschaft. 5Es ward in Jeschurun ein König, da sich scharten die Häupter des Volks, in eins Jissraels Zweige: 6Ruben lebe, nimmer sterbe er, doch bleiben gezählt seine Leute. 7Und dies für Jehuda, er sprach: Höre, DU, Jehudas Stimme, laß ihn kommen zu seinem Volk, seine Hände sind ihm genug, bist du nur Hilfe gegen seine Dränger! 8Und für Lewi sprach er: Deine Schlichtenden und deine Lichtenden für die Mannschaft des dir Holden, den du prüftest bei Prüfe, auszanktest ihn ob der Wasser von Gezänke, - 9sie die sprach von ihrem Vater, ihrer Mutter: Ich habe sie nicht gesehn, die ihre Brüder nicht anerkannte, die von ihren Söhnen nichts wissen wollte. Ja, sie wahrten deinen Spruch, nun bewachen sie deinen Bund. 10Weisen sollen sie deine Rechtsgeheiße Jaakob, deine Weisung Jissrael, Räucherduft bringen in deine Nase, Ganzopfer auf deine Schlachtstatt. 11Segne, DU, sein Vermögen, gnade dein Tun seiner Hände, zerschmettre die Lenden der ihm Widerstehenden, seine Hasser, daß sie nicht aufstehn! 12Und für Binjamin sprach er: Als SEIN Freund möge er in Sicherheit wohnen bei ihm, der alltag bei ihm Gemach aufschlägt und wohnt zwischen seinen Schultern. 13Und für Jossef sprach er: Gesegnet IHM sein Land, vom Kleinod des Himmels, vom Tau, vom Flutwirbel, der drunten lagert, 14vom Kleinod der Einkunft des Sonnenlaufs, vom Kleinod des Triebes der Monde, 15vom Kerngut urzeitlicher Berge, vom Kleinod ewiger Hügel, 16vom Kleinod der Erde und ihrer Fülle, und Gnade des, der einwohnte dem Dornbusch - das möge kommen auf Jossefs Haupt, den Scheitel des Geweihten unter seinen Brüdern. 17Sein Stiererstling ist seine Pracht, seine Hörner sind Wisents Hörner, niederstößt er Völker mit ihnen, zusammen die Enden der Erde, - das sind die Mengen Efrajims, das sind die Tausende Mnasches! 18Und für Sbulun sprach er: Freue, Sbulun, dich deiner Fahrten, Jissachar, deiner Zelte! 19Sie berufen Volksbrüder zum Berg. dort schlachten sie Schlachtmahle wahrhaft. Denn sie saugen der Meere Überfluß und Gespartes, Verwahrtes des Sands. 20Und für Gad sprach er: Gesegnet, der Gad weitet! Wie ein Leu nahm er Wohnung, riß Arm, ja Schädel an sich. 21Er ersah sich das Vorderstück, ja, dort ist, vom Richtstab zugeteilt, ein Aufgespartes: schreiten darf nun er zuvorderst dem Volk. Bewährung tat er vor IHM, seine Rechtsgeheiße bei Jissrael. 22Und für Dan sprach er: Dan, ein Löwenjunges, hervorsaust er aus dem Baschan. 23Und für Naftali sprach er: Naftali ist satt an Begnadung, SEINES Segens voll, Meer und Mittag ererbe er. 24Und für Ascher sprach er: Gesegnet vor Söhnen Ascher, er sei in Gnaden bei seinen Brüdern, tauchend in Öl seinen Fuß. 25Eisen und Erz sei an deinen Verschlagen, und gleich deinen Tagen sei dein Behagen. 26Keiner gleicht, Jeschurun, dem Gottherrn, der die Himmel befährt zu Hilfe dir, in seiner Hoheit die Lüfte. 27Schirmburg ist der Gott des Ursprungs, ringsunten er ewige Arme. Er vertrieb dir vorm Antlitz den Feind, er sprach: Vertilge! 28Sicher wohnte Jissrael ein, einsam der Quell Jaakobs, in ein Land von Korn und Most, auch träufelt sein Himmel Tau. 29Glückzu, Jissrael, dir! Wer ist dir gleich, Volk, das befreit ward durch IHN, den Schild deiner Hilfe, ihn, der das Schwert deiner Hoheit ist! Deine Feinde schrumpfen vor dir, du aber, über ihre Koppen nimmst du den Weg.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE MAJESTY OF GOD. (Deu. 33:1-28)
Moses the man of God--This was a common designation of a prophet (
1Sam 2:27;
1Sam 9:6), and it is here applied to Moses, when, like Jacob, he was about to deliver ministerially before his death, a prophetic benediction to Israel.
2 The Lord came--Under a beautiful metaphor, borrowed from the dawn and progressive splendor of the sun, the Majesty of God is sublimely described as a divine light which appeared in Sinai and scattered its beams on all the adjoining region in directing Israel's march to Canaan. In these descriptions of a theophania, God is represented as coming from the south, and the allusion is in general to the thunderings and lightnings of Sinai; but other mountains in the same direction are mentioned with it. The location of Seir was on the east of the Ghor; mount Paran was either the chain on the west of the Ghor, or rather the mountains on the southern border of the desert towards the peninsula [ROBINSON]. (Compare
Judg 5:4-
Judg 5:5;
Ps 68:7-
Ps 68:8;
Hab 3:3).
ten thousands of saints--rendered by some, "with the ten thousand of Kadesh," or perhaps better still, "from Meribah" [EWALD].
a fiery law--so called both because of the thunder and lightning which accompanied its promulgation (
Exod 19:16-
Exod 19:18;
Deut 4:11), and the fierce, unrelenting curse denounced against the violation of its precepts (
2Cor 3:7-9). Notwithstanding those awe-inspiring symbols of Majesty that were displayed on Sinai, the law was really given in kindness and love (
Deut 33:3), as a means of promoting both the temporal and eternal welfare of the people. And it was "the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob," not only from the hereditary obligation under which that people were laid to observe it, but from its being the grand distinction, the peculiar privilege of the nation.
6 Let Reuben live, and not die--Although deprived of the honor and privileges of primogeniture, he was still to hold rank as one of the tribes of Israel. He was more numerous than several other tribes (
Num 1:21;
Num 2:11). Yet gradually he sank into a mere nomadic tribe, which had enough to do merely "to live and not die." Many eminent biblical scholars, resting on the most ancient and approved manuscripts of the Septuagint, consider the latter clause as referring to Simeon; "and Simeon, let his men be few," a reading of the text which is in harmony with other statements of Scripture respecting this tribe (
Num 25:6-
Num 25:14;
Num 1:23;
Num 26:14;
Josh 19:1).
7 this is the blessing of Judah--Its general purport points to the great power and independence of Judah, as well as its taking the lead in all military expeditions.
8 of Levi he said--The burden of this blessing is the appointment of the Levites to the dignified and sacred office of the priesthood (
Lev 10:11;
Deut 22:8;
Deut 17:8-
Deut 17:11), a reward for their zeal in supporting the cause of God, and their unsparing severity in chastising even their nearest and dearest relatives who had participated in the idolatry of the molten calf (
Exod 32:25-
Exod 32:28; compare
Mal 2:4-
Mal 2:6).
12 of Benjamin he said--A distinguishing favor was conferred on this tribe in having its portion assigned near the temple of God.
between his shoulders--that is, on his sides or borders. Mount Zion, on which stood the city of Jerusalem, belonged to Judah; but Mount Moriah, the site of the sacred edifice, lay in the confines of Benjamin.
13 of Joseph he said--The territory of this tribe, diversified by hill and dale, wood and water, would be rich in all the productions--olives, grapes, figs, &c., which are reared in a mountainous region, as well as in the grain and herbs that grow in the level fields. "The firstling of the bullock and the horns of the unicorn" (rhinoceros), indicate glory and strength, and it is supposed that under these emblems were shadowed forth the triumphs of Joshua and the new kingdom of Jeroboam, both of whom were of Ephraim (compare
Gen 48:20).
18 Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out--on commercial enterprises and voyages by sea.
and, Issachar in thy tents--preferring to reside in their maritime towns.
19 shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand--Both tribes should traffic with the Phśnicians in gold and silver, pearl and coral, especially in murex, the shellfish that yielded the famous Tyrian dye, and in glass, which was manufactured from the sand of the river Belus, in their immediate neighborhood.
20 of Gad he said--Its possessions were larger than they would have been had they lain west of Jordan; and this tribe had the honor of being settled by Moses himself in the first portion of land conquered. In the forest region, south of the Jabbok, "he dwelt as a lion" (compare
Gen 30:11;
Gen 49:19). Notwithstanding, they faithfully kept their engagement to join the "heads of the people" [
Deut 33:21] in the invasion of Canaan.
22 Dan is a lion's whelp--His proper settlement in the south of Canaan being too small, he by a sudden and successful irruption, established a colony in the northern extremity of the land. This might well be described as the leap of a young lion from the hills of Bashan.
23 of Naphtali he said--The pleasant and fertile territory of this tribe lay to "the west," on the borders of lakes Merom and Chinnereth, and to "the south" of the northern Danites.
24 of Asher he said--The condition of this tribe is described as combining all the elements of earthly felicity.
dip his foot in oil--These words allude either to the process of extracting the oil by foot presses, or to his district as particularly fertile and adapted to the culture of the olive.
25 shoes of iron and brass--These shoes suited his rocky coast from Carmel to Sidon. Country people as well as ancient warriors had their lower extremities protected by metallic greaves (
1Sam 17:6;
Eph 6:15) and iron-soled shoes.
26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun--The chapter concludes with a congratulatory address to Israel on their peculiar happiness and privilege in having Jehovah for their God and protector.
who rideth upon the heaven in thy help--an evident allusion to the pillar of cloud and fire, which was both the guide and shelter of Israel.
28 the fountain of Jacob--The posterity of Israel shall dwell in a blessed and favored land.