1Toto je požehnání, které Boží muž Mojžíš před smrtí proslovil nad Izraelity. 2Řekl: Jahve přišel ze Sinaje, vzešel kvůli nim na obzoru od Seiru, zazářil od hory Paran. Přišel kvůli nim od shromáždění v Kadeši, od jeho jihu až ke Svahům. 3Ty, který miluješ praotce, máš v ruce všechny svaté. Leželi zemdlení u tvých nohou a utíkali pod tvé vedení. 4(Mojžíš nám předepsal zákon.) Jakubovo shromáždění vchází ve své dědictví; 5v Ješurunovi byl král, když se shromáždili náčelníci lidu, když se setkaly kmeny Izraele. 6Ruben ať žije a ať neumírá a ať žije malý počet jeho mužů! 7Hle, toto řekl o Judovi: Slyš, Jahve, Judův hlas a přiveď ho nazpět k jeho lidu. Ať jeho ruce brání jeho právo, přijď mu na pomoc proti jeho nepřátelům. 8O Levim řekl: Dej Levimu svá urim a svá tumim muži, jemuž jsi dal milost, poté co jsi ho zkoušel v Masse, co jsi naň uhodil u vod v Meribě. 9On řekl o svém otci a své matce: „Neviděl jsem ho.“ Své bratry už nezná, ke svým synům se nehlásí. Ano, oni podrželi tvé slovo a zachovávají tvou smlouvu. 10Učí Jakuba tvým zvykům a Izraele tvému Zákonu. Okuřují kadidlem tvé chřípí a kladou na tvůj oltář celopal. 11Požehnej, Jahve, jeho udatnosti a příznivě přijmi dílo jeho rukou. Rozbij bedra jeho protivníků a těch, kdo ho nenávidí, aby neobstáli! 12O Benjaminovi řekl: Jahvův miláček, odpočívá v bezpečí vedle něho. Nejvyšší ho chrání po všechny dny a přebývá mezi jeho stráněmi. 13O Josefovi řekl: Jeho zemi Jahve žehná. Patří mu to nejlepší z nebeské rosy a z podzemní propasti, 14nejlepší z toho, čemu dává růst slunce, z toho, co pučí při každé proměně měsíce, 15prvotiny starobylých pohoří, to nejlepší z někdejších kopců, 16to nejlepší z půdy a z toho, co ona plodí, přízeň toho, jenž obývá keř. Ať roste hojnost vlasů na Josefově hlavě, na lebce posvěceného mezi bratry! 17Býkův prvorozenec, jemu náleží sláva. Jeho rohy jsou rohy buvolí, jimiž bije národy až do nejzazších končin země. Takové jsou Efraimovy desetitisíce, takové jsou Manasesovy tisíce. 18O Zabulonovi řekl: Buď šťastný, Zabulone, při svých výpravách i ty, Izachare, ve svých stanech. 19Na hoře, kam chodí národy vzývat, přinášejí oběti za úspěch, neboť oni si sají hojnost z moří a poklady skryté v písku. 20O Gadovi řekl: Buď požehnán, kdo dává Gadovi dost místa. On odpočívá jako lvice; roztrhal paži, tvář i hlavu. 21Potom si přisvojil prvotiny, tak viděl, že mu je vyhrazen náčelnický podíl. Přišel jako náčelník lidu, poté co naplnil Jahvovu spravedlnost a jeho rozsudky nad Izraelem. 22O Danovi řekl: Dan je mladý lev, jenž se vrhá na Bašan. 23O Neftalim řekl: Neftali, nasycený přízní, zahrnutý Jahvovými požehnáními, přebírá západ a jih. 24O Ašerovi řekl: Požehnaný buď Ašer mezi všemi syny! Ať je štědře obdařen mezi svými bratry a ať si smáčí nohu v oleji. 25Ať jsou tvé závory železné a měděné a ať tvé bezpečí trvá po všechny tvé dny! 26Nikdo se nevyrovná Ješurunovu Bohu, aby ti pomáhal, jezdí na nebesích a na oblacích ve své velebnosti! 27Pradávný Bůh, to je tvé útočiště. Zde na zemi je on tím dávným ramenem, které před tebou zahání nepřítele; to on říká: Znič! 28Izrael přebývá v bezpečí. Jakubův pramen je oddělen pro zemi pšenice a vína; samo nebe tam dává kanout rose. 29Jsi šťasten, Izraeli! Kdo je jako ty, vítězný lide? Jahve je štít, který tě podporuje, meč, který tě vede ke skvělému vítězství. Tví nepřátelé tě budou chtít zkazit, ale ty jim pošlapeš záda.
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 (
1.Sam 2:27;
1.Sam 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
Ri 5:4-
Ri 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 (
2.Mo 19:16-
2.Mo 19:18;
5.Mo 4:11), and the fierce, unrelenting curse denounced against the violation of its precepts (
2.Kor 3:7-9). Notwithstanding those awe-inspiring symbols of Majesty that were displayed on Sinai, the law was really given in kindness and love (
5.Mo 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 (
4.Mo 1:21;
4.Mo 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 (
4.Mo 25:6-
4.Mo 25:14;
4.Mo 1:23;
4.Mo 26:14;
Jos 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 (
3.Mo 10:11;
5.Mo 22:8;
5.Mo 17:8-
5.Mo 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 (
2.Mo 32:25-
2.Mo 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
1.Mo 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
1.Mo 30:11;
1.Mo 49:19). Notwithstanding, they faithfully kept their engagement to join the "heads of the people" [
5.Mo 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 (
1.Sam 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.