Deuteronomy · chapter 33 of 34
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Deuteronomy 33 records the blessing Moses, the man of God, gives the tribes of Israel before he dies. It begins by praising the Lord who came from Sinai and ends with the praise that there is none like the God of Jeshurun. Between the two it blesses each tribe, except Simeon, with words about its character, mission and portion of land.
After the warning song of chapter 32, Deuteronomy 33 brings the other face of Moses' farewell: a blessing. As Jacob had blessed his sons in Genesis 49, Moses now blesses the tribes that will enter the land. It is the last act of Moses, whom the text calls the man of God, before going up Mount Nebo.
The chapter opens with a poetic vision of the Lord, who came from Sinai, shone forth from Seir and Paran, with holy ones at his right hand, and who loves his people. Moses gave them a law, which is the inheritance of the assembly of Jacob, and the Lord was king in Jeshurun when the heads of the people gathered.
Then he blesses the tribes one by one. He prays that Reuben live and not die and that Judah be heard and helped against his enemies. Of Levi, to whom the Urim and Thummim are entrusted, he stresses loyalty: they keep the word of the Lord, teach his rules to Jacob and offer incense and burnt offerings. Benjamin he calls the beloved of the Lord who dwells in safety beside him. For Joseph he wishes the blessing of the land and the best of heaven, with the strength of a firstborn bull and the horns of the wild ox. For Zebulun and Issachar there is rejoicing and the wealth of the sea. Gad is a lion, Dan a lion's cub, Naphtali is sated with favor and Asher is the most blessed of sons, with sandals of iron and bronze and strength as long as his days.
Moses closes with praise: there is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to help his people. The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will thrust out the enemy before them. Israel will dwell in safety in a land of grain and wine. He ends by saying, blessed are you, Israel, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help and the sword of your glory. Your enemies will be subdued, and you will tread on their heights.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Moses is called the man of God when he gives his blessing to Israel before dying. The title speaks of his closeness to the Lord and his authority to speak in his name.
The Levites kept the word of the Lord, will teach his rules to Jacob and his law to Israel, and will offer incense and sacrifices. Their service is teaching and worship, and it rests on the Lord's faithfulness.
Moses says Benjamin, the beloved of the Lord, will dwell in safety beside him, who shields him all day. Security comes not from fortresses but from living near God.
The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath us are his everlasting arms. It is one of the most tender images in the law: the God who thrusts out the enemy holds his people with a strength that does not end.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: The man of God. — Deuteronomy 33:1
Answer: From Sinai, and he shone forth from Seir and Paran. — Deuteronomy 33:2
Answer: That they will keep the word of the Lord, teach his rules to Jacob and offer incense and burnt offerings. — Deuteronomy 33:9-10
Answer: As the beloved of the Lord, who will dwell in safety beside him. — Deuteronomy 33:12
Answer: That he will be the most blessed of sons and will have strength as long as his days. — Deuteronomy 33:24-25
Answer: That he is a dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms. — Deuteronomy 33:27
Moses' blessing teaches that each person and each group has its own character and calling. To Judah, strength for battle. To Levi, teaching. To Benjamin, rest. A healthy church values that diversity and sees it as a gift from God, not a competition. In a small group you can set aside a moment to bless each member with words that recognize what God has placed in him.
The final image of the everlasting arms comforts those who feel weak. Moses, about to die, does not trust his own strength but the God who holds. That same assurance is for the believer at every stage, also in the face of death.
Deuteronomy 33 closes Moses' public life with a blessing and a praise of the incomparable God. The last chapter tells how Moses goes up Mount Nebo, sees the promised land and dies, and how Joshua takes up the task.
The text does not give the reason. Many interpreters think the tribe was absorbed or scattered within the territory of Judah, as seen in Joshua 19. Others see in it the consequences of Jacob's word about Simeon and Levi in Genesis 49. The Bible does not explain it with certainty.
They were objects the high priest carried in the breastpiece to inquire of the Lord's will. The text does not explain how they worked. Here they are mentioned as part of the trust the Lord placed in the tribe of Levi.
Both bless the tribes, but with different words and emphases. Genesis 49 looks at the character and failings of Jacob's sons, while Deuteronomy 33 stresses the blessing the Lord gives each tribe as it enters the land.