1Or voici la bénédiction dont Moïse, homme de Dieu, bénit les enfants d'Israël avant sa mort. 2Il dit donc: YEHOVAH est venu de Sinaï, et s'est levé sur eux de Séir; il a resplendi de la montagne de Paran; il est sorti des myriades de saints; de sa droite sortait pour eux le feu de la loi. 3Oui, il aime les peuples. Tous ses saints sont en ta main. Ils se sont tenus à tes pieds pour recevoir tes paroles. 4Moïse nous a donné la loi, héritage de l'assemblée de Jacob; 5Et il a été roi en Jeshurun (Israël), quand les chefs du peuple s'assemblaient avec les tribus d'Israël. 6Que Ruben vive, et qu'il ne meure point, et que ses hommes soient nombreux! 7Et sur Juda, voici ce que Moïse dit: Écoute, YEHOVAH, la voix de Juda, et ramène-le vers son peuple; que ses mains soient puissantes, et sois-lui en aide contre ses ennemis! 8Il dit aussi, touchant Lévi: Tes Thummim et tes Urim sont à ton pieux serviteur, que tu éprouvas à Massa, avec lequel tu contestas aux eaux de Mériba; 9Qui dit de son père et de sa mère: Je ne l'ai point vu; et qui n'a point reconnu ses frères, ni connu ses enfants. Car ils ont observé tes paroles, et ils garderont ton alliance. 10Ils enseigneront tes ordonnances à Jacob, et ta loi à Israël; ils mettront le parfum sous tes narines, et l'offrande à brûler sur ton autel. 11Ô YEHOVAH, bénis sa force, et agrée l'œuvre de ses mains. Frappe aux reins ceux qui s'élèvent contre lui, et ceux qui le haïssent, dès qu'ils s'élèveront. 12Sur Benjamin il dit: Celui que YEHOVAH aime habitera en sécurité près de lui; il le couvrira tout le jour, et il se tiendra entre ses épaules. 13Et sur Joseph il dit: Son pays est béni par YEHOVAH, du précieux don des cieux, de la rosée, et de l'abîme qui repose en bas; 14Des plus précieux produits du soleil, et des plus précieux fruits des lunes; 15Des meilleures productions des montagnes antiques et des précieuses productions des coteaux éternels; 16De ce qu'il y a de plus précieux sur la terre, et de son abondance. Et que la bienveillance de celui qui apparut dans le buisson vienne sur la tête de Joseph, et sur le front du prince de ses frères. 17Il a la beauté du premier-né de ses taureaux, et ses cornes sont les cornes d'un buffle; avec elles il heurtera tous les peuples ensemble jusqu'aux bouts de la terre; ce sont les myriades d'Éphraïm, ce sont les milliers de Manassé. 18Et de Zabulon il dit: Réjouis-toi, Zabulon, dans ta sortie; et toi, Issacar, dans tes tentes! 19Ils appelleront les peuples à la montagne; là ils offriront des sacrifices de justice; car ils suceront l'abondance des mers et les trésors cachés dans le sable. 20Et de Gad il dit: Béni soit celui qui met Gad au large! Il repose comme un lion, et il déchire bras et tête; 21Il s'est choisi les prémices du pays, parce que là était cachée la portion du législateur; et il est venu avec les chefs du peuple; il a exécuté la justice de YEHOVAH, et ses jugements envers Israël. 22Et sur Dan il dit: Dan est un jeune lion, qui s'élance de Bassan. 23Et de Nephthali il dit: Nephthali, rassasié de faveurs et rempli de la bénédiction de YEHOVAH, possède l'Occident et le Midi! 24Et d'Asser il dit: Qu'Asser soit béni entre les fils; qu'il soit agréable à ses frères, et qu'il baigne son pied dans l'huile! 25Tes verrous seront de fer et d'airain, et ton repos durera autant que tes jours. 26Nul n'est, ô Jeshurun (Israël), semblable au Dieu qui vient à ton aide, porté sur les cieux et sur les nues, dans sa majesté. 27C'est une retraite que le Dieu qui est de tout temps, et que d'être sous ses bras éternels. Il a chassé de devant toi l'ennemi, et il a dit: Extermine! 28Et Israël habitera en sécurité; la source issue de Jacob jaillit à part dans un pays de froment et de moût, et dont les cieux distillent la rosée. 29Oh! que tu es heureux, Israël! Qui est semblable à toi, peuple sauvé par YEHOVAH, le bouclier de ton secours et l'épée par laquelle tu es exalté? Tes ennemis dissimuleront devant toi; et toi, tu fouleras de tes pieds leurs hauts lieux.
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.