Set to dark modeSet to dark modeDeuteronomy 33 Commentary
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Moses introduces the blessing of the Israelite tribes with a brief historical account of the LORD’s relationship with His covenant people, Israel.
Moses pronounced blessings on the tribe of Reuben.
Moses pronounced blessings on the tribe of Judah.
Moses pronounces blessings on the tribe of Levi.
Moses pronounces blessings on the tribe of Benjamin.
Moses pronounces blessings on the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh).
Moses pronounces blessings on the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar. He asks them to rejoice because the Suzerain God will bless each one in his enterprise.
Moses pronounced blessings on the tribe of Gad.
Moses pronounces blessings on the tribe of Dan.
Moses pronounces blessings on the tribe of Naphtali.
Moses pronounces blessings on the tribe of Asher.
Moses finished his blessings on each tribe of Israel with a blessing on all of them. Moses also exalted the God of Israel, the Protector and Provider of Israel.
Deuteronomy 33 records Moses' final blessings on the tribes of Israel, just prior to his death (Deuteronomy 34:5). They are expressed using poetry (as in Deuteronomy 32:1-43). It was customary for a father to proclaim a blessing on his children just before his death (see Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49). Here Moses, acting like a father having guided and disciplined the Israelites for forty years, now bestowed his blessing just prior to his death.
The chapter contains ten separate blessings for the twelve tribes. Interestingly, the tribe of Simeon is missing from these blessings. It could be that Simeon is omitted because his prophecy given by Jacob was that he would be scattered, and this is a prophetic word for Israel being gathered. In other lists, other tribes are omitted, as in Revelation 7:4-7, where Dan is omitted. Dan is a stumbling block, and could be omitted in Revelation 7 to indicate that there will be no more stumbling blocks in Israel in the last days.
In this list the tribe of Joseph is divided into Ephraim and Manasseh (vv. 13–17). Zebulun and Issachar share the same blessing, making a total of twelve tribes. In the various lists of tribes, there are always twelve, but they are accounted differently. Twelve tribes were allotted land, with Joseph's two sons each being given an allotment, and Levi omitted. In this list, Simeon is omitted, and Joseph's two sons counted. In the Revelation 7 list, Manasseh is included, and Joseph is counted instead of Ephraim, but Dan is omitted.
Deuteronomy 33 can be outlined as follows:
- Introduction to the Tribal Blessings (Deuteronomy 33:1-5)
- The Tribal Blessings (Deuteronomy 33:6-25)
- On Reuben (Deuteronomy 33:6)
- On Judah (Deuteronomy 33:7)
- On Levi (Deuteronomy 33:8-11)
- On Benjamin (Deuteronomy 33:12)
- On Manasseh and Ephraim (Deuteronomy 33:13-17)
- On Zebulun and Issachar (Deuteronomy 33:18-19)
- On Gad (Deuteronomy 33:20-21)
- On Dan (Deuteronomy 33:22)
- On Naphtali (Deuteronomy 33:23)
- On Asher (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)
- Praises to the LORD of Blessings (Deuteronomy 33:26-29)
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