1 This is the blessing with which MosesyJosh. 14:6; 1 Chr. 23:14; 2 Chr. 30:16; Ezra 3:2 the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.
2 He said,
z[Ex. 19:18, 20; Judg. 5:4, 5; Ps. 68:7, 8; Hab. 3:3] “The Lord came from Sinai
and dawned from Seir upon us;
he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he camea[Ps. 68:17; Dan. 7:10; Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2; Jude 14; Rev. 5:11] from the ten thousands of holy ones,
with flaming fire at his right hand.
3 Yes,bch. 7:7, 8; 10:15; Hos. 11:1 he loved his people,
c[John 10:27-29; Rom. 8:35, 38, 39] all his holy ones were in his hand;
d[Luke 10:39; Acts 22:3] so they followed in your steps,
receiving direction from you,
4 wheneJohn 1:17; 7:19 Moses commanded us a law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 Thus the LordfNum. 23:21; [Judg. 8:23; Isa. 33:22] became king ingSee ch. 32:15 Jeshurun,
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.
6 h[Gen. 49:3, 4] Let Reuben live, and not die,
but let his men be few. ”
7 And this he said of Judah:
“Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah,
and bring him in to his people.
With your hands contend1Probable reading; Hebrew With his hands he contended for him,
and be a help against his adversaries. ”
8 Andi[Gen. 49:5] of Levi he said,
“Give to LevijSee Ex. 28:30 your Thummim,
and your Urim to your godly one,
kSee Ex. 17:7; Num. 20:13 whom you tested at Massah,
with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
9 who said of his father and mother,
‘I regard them not ’;
lSee Ex. 32:26-29 he disowned his brothers
and ignored his children.
FormMal. 2:4-6 they observed your word
and kept your covenant.
10 nch. 17:9-11; Ezek. 44:23; See Lev. 10:11 They shall teach Jacob your rules
and Israel your law;
oEx. 30:7, 8; 1 Sam. 2:28 they shall put incense before you
andpPs. 51:19; Ezek. 43:27 whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance,
andqEzek. 20:40, 41; 43:27; [Amos 5:22] accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
of those who hate him, that they rise not again. ”
12 r[Gen. 49:27] Of Benjamin he said,
“The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety.
The High God surrounds him all day long,
and dwells between his shoulders. ”
13 Ands[Gen. 49:22] of Joseph he said,
tGen. 49:25 “Blessed by the Lord be his land,
with the choicest gifts of heavenuver. 28; Gen. 27:28 above,
and of the deep that crouches beneath,
14 with the choicest fruits of the sun
and the rich yield of the months,
15 with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
and the abundance ofvGen. 49:26; Hab. 3:6; [Ps. 90:2] the everlasting hills,
16 with the best gifts of the earth andwPs. 24:1 its fullness
and the favor ofxEx. 3:2-4; Acts 7:30, 35 him who dwells in the bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.
17 y[1 Chr. 5:1] A firstborn bull —he has majesty,
and his horns are the horns of azSee Num. 23:22 wild ox;
with thema1 Kgs. 22:11; Ps. 44:5; Dan. 8:4 he shall gore the peoples,
all of them, to the ends of the earth;
b[Gen. 48:19; Num. 1:33, 35] they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and they are the thousands of Manasseh. ”
18 And of Zebulun he said,
c[Gen. 49:13-15] “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They shall call peoplesdEx. 15:17; Isa. 2:3 to their mountain;
there they offerePs. 4:5; 51:19 right sacrifices;
for they draw from the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand. ”
20 Andf[Gen. 49:19] of Gad he said,
“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!
Gad crouchesg[1 Chr. 12:8] like a lion;
he tears off arm and scalp.
21 hSee Num. 32:1-5, 16-19 He chose the best of the land for himself,
for there a commander's portion was reserved;
andiNum. 32:31, 32; See Josh. 1:12-15; 1 Chr. 5:18-22 he came with the heads of the people,
with Israel he executed the justice of the Lord,
and his judgments for Israel. ”
22 Andj[Gen. 49:16] of Dan he said,
k[Gen. 49:9] “Dan is a lion's cub
l[Josh. 19:47; Judg. 18:27] that leaps from Bashan. ”
23 Andm[Gen. 49:21] of Naphtali he said,
“O Naphtali, sated with favor,
and full of the blessing of the Lord,
nSee Josh. 19:32-39 possess the lake1Or west and the south. ”
24 Ando[Gen. 49:20] of Asher he said,
“Most blessed of sons be Asher;
let him be the favorite of his brothers,
and let himp[Job 29:6] dip his foot in oil.
25 Your bars shall be iron and bronze,
and as your days, so shall your strength be.
26 qSee Ex. 15:11 There is none like God, OrSee ch. 32:15 Jeshurun,
sPs. 68:33, 34; 104:3; Isa. 19:1; Hab. 3:8 who rides through the heavens to your help,
through the skies in his majesty.
27 The eternal God is yourtPs. 90:1; 91:9 dwelling place,1Or a dwelling place
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, Destroy.
28 So Israel lived in safety,
u[Ps. 68:26; Isa. 48:1] Jacob livedvNum. 23:9 alone,
in a land of grain and wine,
whose heavens drop down dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel!w[2 Sam. 7:23] Who is like you,
a peoplexIsa. 45:17 saved by the Lord,
yPs. 33:20; 115:9-11 the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs. ”