1Y ESTA es la bendición con que Moisés, varón de Dios, bendijo a los hijos de Israel, antes de su muerte. 2Y dijo: Jehová vino de Sinaí, y desde Seir levantóse como el sol para ellos: resplandeció desde el monte Parán, y vino de en medio de diez millares de santos ángeles: a su diestra traía una ley de fuego para ellos. 3Ciertamente él ha amado a nuestras tribus; todos sus santos están en tu mano; y ellos se sentaron a tus pies; cada uno recibió tus palabras. 4(La ley que nos encargó Moisés herencia es de la congregación de Jacob.) 5Y Él era Rey en Jesurún cuando se juntaron las cabezas del pueblo, reunidas en uno las tribus de Israel. 6¡Viva Rubén, y no muera; aunque sean pocos sus hombres! 7Y esta es la bendición de Judá; y dijo: ¡Oiga Jehová la voz de Judá, y hazle venir a su pueblo; basten para él sus mismas manos, y sé tú su auxilio contra sus adversarios! 8Y de Leví dijo: Tu Tumim y tu Urim sean para tu siervo favorecido, a quien probaste en Masa, con quien contendiste junto a las aguas de Meriba; 9el cual dijo de su padre y de su madre: No los he visto: ni a sus hermanos conoció, y de sus mismos hijos no hizo caso: porque guardaron tus dichos, y sobre tu pacto vigilaron. 10Ellos pues enseñarán tus juicios a Jacob, y tu ley a Israel; pondrán incienso delante de ti, y holocaustos sobre tu altar. 11¡Bendice, oh Jehová, su sustancia y mira propicio la obra de sus manos; destroza los lomos de los que se alzan contra él, y de los que le aborrecen, para que no se levanten más! 12De Benjamín dijo: El amado de Jehová habitará junto a Él; Dios le dará su protección todo el día, y entre sus hombros él habitará. 13Y de José dijo: Bendecida de Jehová sea su tierra, en los más preciosos dones de los cielos, en el rocío y en los hondos manantiales que abajo yacen; 14y en los más preciosos productos del sol, y en los más preciosos frutos de las lunas variantes; 15y en lo más rico de las montañas sempiternas, y en los más preciosos tesoros de los collados eternos; 16y en las cosas más preciosas de la tierra y su plenitud: en fin, el favor de Aquel que habitó en la zarza venga sobre la cabeza de José, y sobre la coronilla del nazareo, el separado de entre sus hermanos. 17Como el primogénito de su toro, sea la gloria de él, y sus astas, como astas de uro: con ellas empujará a una las naciones hasta los fines de la tierra: y ellos son los diez millares de Efraín, y ellos son los millares de Manasés. 18Y de Zabulón dijo: Regocíjate, oh Zabulón, en tus salidas marítimas, mas tú, Isacar, en tus tiendas. 19Llamarán las tribus a la montaña: allí ofrecerán sacrificios de justicia; porque chuparán la abundancia de los mares, y los tesoros que esconden las arenas. 20Y de Gad dijo: ¡Bendito aquel que ensancha a Gad! Como leona se acostó, y desgarró a una el brazo con la mollera. 21Y proveyó la primera parte para sí; porque allí le fué guardada la porción solicitada del legislador; y marchó al frente del pueblo: las justicias de Jehová ejecutó, y sus juicios para con Israel. 22Y de Dan dijo: Dan es cachorro de león, que salta desde el Basán. 23Y de Neftalí dijo: ¡Oh Neftalí, saciado de favores, y colmado de la bendición de Jehová, posee tú el mar y el sur! 24Y de Aser dijo: ¡Bendecido con hijos sea Aser, sea él el favorecido de sus hermanos, y bañe en aceite su pie! 25De hierro y de bronce sea su calzado, y según tus días, serán tus fuerzas. 26Ninguno hay como el Dios de Jesurún, el que viene cabalgando sobre los cielos en tu auxilio, y en su majestad sobre las nubes. 27Tu refugio es el Dios de los siglos, y por debajo tienes los brazos sempiternos: y él mismo echa delante de ti el enemigo, y dice: ¡Destruye! 28Mas Israel habita confiado; la fuente de Jacob habitará sola, en una tierra de trigo y de vino; tus cielos también destilarán el rocío. 29¡Dichoso eres, oh Israel! ¡quién como tú, oh pueblo salvado en Jehová, el escudo de tu auxilio, que también es la espada de tu grandeza! Más tus enemigos despavoridos te dirán lisonjas serviles. mientras que tú andarás triunfante sobre sus alturas.
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.