1And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

2And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.

3Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.

4Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

5And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.

6Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

7And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.

8And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

9Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.

10They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.

11Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

12And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.

13And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,

14And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,

15And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,

16And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and forthe good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

17His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

18And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.

19They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

20And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.

21And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.

22And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.

23And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.

24And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.

25Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

26There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

27The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

28Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall beupon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

29Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

1And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

2And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose vp from Seir vnto them, hee shined foorth from mount Paran, and hee came with ten thousands of Saints: from his Right hand went a fierie Law for them.

3Yea hee loued the people; all his Saints are in thy hand: and they sate downe at thy feete; euery one shall receiue of thy wordes.

4Moses commaunded vs a Law, euen the inheritance of the Congregation of Iacob.

5And hee was King in Iesurun, when the heads of the people, and the Tribes of Israel were gathered together.

6 Let Reuben liue, and not die, and let not his men be few.

7 And this is the blessing of Iudah: and he said, Heare, Lord, the voice of Iudah, and bring him vnto his people: let his hands bee sufficient for him, and bee thou an helpe to him from his enemies.

8 And of Leui hee said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou diddest prooue at Massah, & with whom thou didst striue at the waters of Meribah:

9Who said vnto his father & to his mother, I haue not seene him, neither did hee acknowledge his brethren; nor knew his owne children: for they haue obserued thy word, and kept thy Couenant.

10They shal teach Iacob thy iudgments, and Israel thy Lawe: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice vpon thine Altar.

11Blesse, Lord, his substance, and accept the worke of his handes, smite thorow the loines of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not againe.

12 And of Beniamin he said, The beloued of the Lord shall dwell in safetie by him, and the Lord shall couer him all the day long, and he shall dwell betweene his shoulders.

13 And of Ioseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heauen, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath;

14And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sunne, and for the precious things put forth by the moone,

15And for the chiefe things of the ancient mountaines, and for the precious things of the lasting hils,

16And for the precious things of the earth, and fulnesse thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come vpon the head of Ioseph, and vpon the top of the head of him that was separated frō his brethren.

17His glory is like the firstling of his bullocke, & his hornes are like the hornes of Unicornes: with them he shall push the people together, to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

18 And of Zebulun he said, Reioyce, Zebulun, in thy going out; and Issachar, in thy tents.

19They shall call the people vnto the mountaine, there they shal offer sacrifices of righteousnesse: for they shall sucke of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

20 And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lyon, and teareth the arme with the crowne of the head.

21And he prouided the first part for himselfe, because there, in a portion of the lawgiuer was he seated, and hee came with the heads of the people, he executed the iustice of the Lord, and his iudgments with Israel.

22 And of Dan he said, Dan is a Lyons whelpe: hee shall leape from Bashan.

23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with fauour, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possesse thou the West and the South.

24 And of Asher hee said, let Asher be blessed with children, Let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oile.

25Thy shooes shall bee yron and brasse, and as thy dayes, so shall thy strength bee.

26 There is none like vnto the God of Iesurun, who rideth vpon the heauen in thy helpe, and in his excellencie on the skie.

27The eternall God is thy refuge, and vnderneath are the euerlasting armes: and he shall thrust out the enemie from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them.

28Israel then shall dwell in safetie alone: the fountaine of Iacob shalbe vpon a land of corne and wine, also his heauens shall drop downe deaw.

29Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like vnto thee, O people! saued by the Lord, the shield of thy helpe, and who is the sword of thy excellencie: and thine enemies shal be found liars vnto thee, and thou shalt tread vpon their high places.

 

 

II == Ex 19:18 , 20 ; Ps 68:17 ; Rev 5:11 ; 9:16

 

 

III == Ex 19:5 ; Prov 2:1 ; Hos 11:1 ; Luke 10:39

 

IV == John 1:17 ; 7:19 ; Ps 119:111

V == Judg 9:2 ; 17:6

 

 

 

VII == Gen 49:8 ; Ps 146:5

 

 

 

VIII == Ex 17:7 ; 28:30 ; Num 20:13 ; Deut 8:2-6 , 16 ; Ps 81:7

 

IX == Gen 29:32 ; Ex 32:26-28 ; 1st Chr 17:17 ; Job 37:24 ; Jer 18:18

 

 

X == Ex 30:7-8 ; Lev 1:9 , 13 , 17 ; 10:11 ; Num 16:40

 

XI == 2nd Sam 24:23 ; Ps 20:3 ; Ezek 20:40-41 ; 43:27

 

 

 

 

XIII == Gen 27:28 ; 49:25

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Gen 49:26 ; Hab 3:6

 

XVI == Gen 49:26 ; Ex 3:2 , 4 ; Acts 7:30 , 35

 

 

 

XVII == Gen 48:19 ; Num 23:22 ; 1st Kings 22:11 ; 1st Chr 5:1 ; Ps 44:5 ; 92:10

 

XVIII == Gen 49:13-15

 

XIX == Ps 4:5 ; Isa 2:3

 

 

 

XX == Josh 13:10 ; 1st Chr 12:8

 

XXI == Num 32:16-17 ; Josh 4:12

 

 

 

XXII == Josh 19:47 ; judg 18:27

XXIII == Gen 49:21 ; Josh 19:32

 

XXIV == Gen 49:20 ; Job 29:6

 

 

XXV == Deut 8:9

XXVI == Ex 15:11 ; Ps 68:4 , 33-34

 

 

XXVII == Deut 9:3-5 ; Ps 90:1

 

 

XXVIII == Num 23:9 ; Jer 23:6

 

 

XXIX == 2nd Sam 7:23 ; 22:45

 

1 This is the blessing which Moses, the man of God, pronounced upon the Israelites before he died.

2 He said: "The LORD came from Sinai and dawned on his people from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and advanced from Meribath-kadesh, While at his right hand a fire blazed forth and his wrath devastated the nations.

3 But all his holy ones were in his hand; they followed at his feet and he bore them up on his pinions.

4 A law he gave to us; he made the community of Jacob his domain,

5 and he became king of his darling. When the chiefs of the people assembled and the tribes of Israel came together.

6 "May Reuben live and not die out, but let his men be few."

7 The following is for Judah. He said: "The LORD hears the cry of Judah; you will bring him to his people. His own hands defend his cause and you will be his help against his foes."

8 Of Levi he said: "To Levi belong your Thummim, to the man of your favor your Urim; For you put him to the test at Massah and you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.

9 He said of his father, 'I regard him not'; his brothers he would not acknowledge, and his own children he refused to recognize. Thus the Levites keep your words, and your covenant they uphold.

10 They promulgate your decisions to Jacob and your law to Israel. They bring the smoke of sacrifice to your nostrils, and burnt offerings to your altar.

11 Bless, O LORD, his possessions and accept the ministry of his hands. Break the backs of his adversaries and of his foes, that they may not rise."

12 Of Benjamin he said: "Benjamin is the beloved of the LORD, who shelters him all the day, while he abides securely at his breast."

13 Of Joseph he said: "Blessed by the LORD is his land with the best of the skies above and of the abyss crouching beneath;

14 With the best of the produce of the year, and the choicest sheaves of the months;

15 With the finest gifts of the age-old mountains and the best from the timeless hills;

16 With the best of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of him who dwells in the bush. These shall come upon the head of Joseph and upon the brow of the prince among his brothers,

17 The majestic bull, his father's first-born, whose horns are those of the wild ox With which to gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth." (These are the myriads of Ephraim, and these the thousands of Manasseh.)

18 Of Zebulun he said: "Rejoice, O Zebulun, in your pursuits, and you, Issachar, in your tents!

19 You who invite the tribes to the mountains where feasts are duly held, Because you suck up the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand."

20 Of Gad he said: "Blessed be he who has made Gad so vast! He lies there like a lion that has seized the arm and head of the prey.

21 He saw that the best should be his when the princely portion was assigned, while the heads of the people were gathered. He carried out the justice of the LORD and his decrees respecting Israel."

22 Of Dan he said: "Dan is a lion's whelp, that springs forth from Bashan!"

23 Of Naphtali he said: "Naphtali is enriched with favors and filled with the blessings of the LORD; The lake and south of it are his possession!"

24 Of Asher he said: "More blessed than the other sons be Asher! May he be the favorite among his brothers, as the oil of his olive trees runs over his feet!

25 May your bolts be of iron and bronze; may your strength endure through all your days!"

26 "There is no god like the God of the darling, who rides the heavens in his power, and rides the skies in his majesty;

27 He spread out the primeval tent; he extended the ancient canopy. He drove the enemy out of your way and the Amorite he destroyed.

28 Israel has dwelt securely, and the fountain of Jacob has been undisturbed In a land of grain and wine, where the heavens drip with dew.

29 How fortunate you are, O Israel! Where else is a nation victorious in the LORD? The LORD is your saving shield, and his sword is your glory. Your enemies fawn upon you, as you stride upon their heights."

v 1-5. At the time the law was given, most of these people had not yet been born and the others were under 20 years of age. As a prelude to the blessing he was to give, Moses reminds them of the awe inspiring mountain which was on fire. The Lord and His angels apparently appeared to come from the north, Seir. The people had said, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do”, so they had truly recognized God as king in Jeshurun (Symbolic name for Israel describing her ideal character.)

 

 

 

 

v 6. People of Reuben fade but live, their land now inhabited by Arabs.

v 7. Judah was the leading and Messianic tribe, but needed God’s help.

 

 

v 8-11. Levi had impartial spiritual leadership and had to put that ahead of family (As Christ did). They will eventually receive blessing and their enemies destroyed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 12. Benjamin, Jacob’s youngest and beloved son stood by Judah producing King Saul and Apostle Paul. The temple is practically on shoulders of Benjamin.

v 13-17. Joseph is promised material blessing and military success through:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 17. Ephraim’s ten thousands (Youngest was placed before the firstborn)
Manasseh’s thousands.

 

v 18,19. Zebulun’s Haifa became a great Mediterranean harbor in 1934.
Issachar’s treasures in the sand refer to the great oil pipeline laid 1935.

 

 

v 20,21. Gad settled good land east of Jordan, but fought valiantly against the Canaanites  and is blessed for doing the Lord’s will.

 

 

 

 

v 22. Dan, power of young lion, but as a sly serpent captured Laish Jud. 18:27.

v 23. Naphtali’s swamps near Sea of Galilee were drained 1940, now colonized.

v 24.25 Asher’s foot shape crossed by great oil pipeline, 1935, taking oil to Haifa. Brass and iron strength encourages us, “As thy days so shall thy strength be”. 

 

 

v 26-29. Simeon is not mentioned in the above blessings and was eventually assimilated by the other tribes, Josh. 19:1-9. Gen. 49:7, Levi and Simeon were to be scattered. Levi in 48 cities, Simeon  became grossly immoral, Num. 25 & many died.
The blessings for all of Israel could have been theirs through obedience, but they will be in the future when they turn to the Lord. Verse 27a is a constant blessing to us.