Deuteronomy - Remember What God Has Done and Said , Sarah Barry
MOSES' FINAL HOURS--BLESSING ON HIS LIPS
Passage: Deuteronomy 32:48~33:29  
Key verse: 33:27a
Moses to Die on Mount Nebo
48 On that same day the Lord told Moses,(A) 49 “Go up into the Abarim(B) Range to Mount Nebo(C) in Moab, across from Jericho,(D) and view Canaan,(E) the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. 50 There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die(F) and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died(G) on Mount Hor(H) and was gathered to his people. 51 This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh(I) in the Desert of Zin(J) and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.(K) 52 Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance;(L) you will not enter(M) the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”
Moses Blesses the Tribes(N)
33 This is the blessing(O) that Moses the man of God(P) pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:
“The Lord came from Sinai(Q)
and dawned over them from Seir;(R)
he shone forth(S) from Mount Paran.(T)
He came with[a] myriads of holy ones(U)
from the south, from his mountain slopes.[b]
3 Surely it is you who love(V) the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.(W)
At your feet they all bow down,(X)
and from you receive instruction,
4 the law that Moses gave us,(Y)
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.(Z)
5 He was king(AA) over Jeshurun[c](AB)
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
7 And this he said about Judah:(AD)
“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!”
8 About Levi(AE) he said:
“Your Thummim and Urim(AF) belong
to your faithful servant.(AG)
You tested(AH) him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.(AI)
9 He said of his father and mother,(AJ)
‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.(AK)
10 He teaches(AL) your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.(AM)
He offers incense before you(AN)
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.(AO)
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.(AP)
Strike down those who rise against him,
his foes till they rise no more.”
12 About Benjamin(AQ) he said:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,(AR)
for he shields him all day long,(AS)
and the one the Lord loves(AT) rests between his shoulders.(AU)”
13 About Joseph(AV) he said:
“May the Lord bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;(AW)
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains(AX)
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.(AY)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among[e] his brothers.(AZ)
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his horns(BA) are the horns of a wild ox.(BB)
With them he will gore(BC) the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;(BD)
such are the thousands of Manasseh.(BE)”
18 About Zebulun(BF) he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar,(BG) in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain(BH)
and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;(BI)
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,(BJ)
on the treasures hidden in the sand.”
20 About Gad(BK) he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!(BL)
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;(BM)
the leader’s portion was kept for him.(BN)
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,(BO)
and his judgments concerning Israel.”
22 About Dan(BP) he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
springing out of Bashan.”
23 About Naphtali(BQ) he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake.”
24 About Asher(BR) he said:
“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil.(BS)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,(BT)
and your strength will equal your days.(BU)
26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,(BV)
who rides(BW) across the heavens to help you(BX)
and on the clouds(BY) in his majesty.(BZ)
27 The eternal(CA) God is your refuge,(CB)
and underneath are the everlasting(CC) arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,(CD)
saying, ‘Destroy them!’(CE)
28 So Israel will live in safety;(CF)
Jacob will dwell[f] secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.(CG)
29 Blessed are you, Israel!(CH)
Who is like you,(CI)
a people saved by the Lord?(CJ)
He is your shield and helper(CK)
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will tread on their heights.(CL)”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel; also in verse 26.
- Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Jacob’s spring is
Cross references
- Deuteronomy 32:48 : Nu 27:12
- Deuteronomy 32:49 : Nu 27:12
- Deuteronomy 32:49 : S Nu 32:3
- Deuteronomy 32:49 : S Nu 22:1
- Deuteronomy 32:49 : S Lev 14:34
- Deuteronomy 32:50 : S Ge 25:8; S Nu 27:13
- Deuteronomy 32:50 : Nu 20:29
- Deuteronomy 32:50 : S Nu 20:22
- Deuteronomy 32:51 : Eze 47:19
- Deuteronomy 32:51 : S Nu 13:21; 20:11-13
- Deuteronomy 32:51 : Nu 27:14
- Deuteronomy 32:52 : Dt 34:1-3
- Deuteronomy 32:52 : S Dt 3:27
- Deuteronomy 33:1 : 33:1-29Ref — Ge 49:1-28
- Deuteronomy 33:1 : S Ge 27:4
- Deuteronomy 33:1 : Jos 14:6; 1Sa 2:27; 9:6; 1Ki 12:22; 13:1; 2Ki 1:9-13; 5:8; Jer 35:4
- Deuteronomy 33:2 : Ex 19:18; Ps 68:8
- Deuteronomy 33:2 : Jos 11:17; Jdg 5:4
- Deuteronomy 33:2 : Ps 50:2; 80:1; 94:1
- Deuteronomy 33:2 : S Nu 10:12
- Deuteronomy 33:2 : Ps 89:7; Da 4:13; 7:10; 8:13; Zec 14:5; Ac 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2; Rev 5:11
- Deuteronomy 33:3 : S Dt 4:37
- Deuteronomy 33:3 : Dt 7:6
- Deuteronomy 33:3 : Lk 10:39; Rev 4:10
- Deuteronomy 33:4 : Dt 4:2; Jn 1:17; 7:19
- Deuteronomy 33:4 : Ps 119:111
- Deuteronomy 33:5 : S Ex 16:8; 1Sa 10:19; Ps 10:16; 149:2
- Deuteronomy 33:5 : S Nu 23:21; S Dt 32:15
- Deuteronomy 33:6 : S Ge 34:5
- Deuteronomy 33:7 : S Ge 49:10
- Deuteronomy 33:8 : S Ge 29:34
- Deuteronomy 33:8 : Ex 28:30
- Deuteronomy 33:8 : Ps 106:16
- Deuteronomy 33:8 : S Nu 14:22
- Deuteronomy 33:8 : S Ex 17:7
- Deuteronomy 33:9 : Ex 32:26-29
- Deuteronomy 33:9 : Ps 61:5; Mal 2:5
- Deuteronomy 33:10 : Ezr 7:10; Ne 8:18; Ps 119:151; Jer 23:22; Mal 2:6
- Deuteronomy 33:10 : S Lev 10:11; Dt 17:8-11; 31:9-13
- Deuteronomy 33:10 : S Ex 30:7; Lev 16:12-13
- Deuteronomy 33:10 : Ps 51:19
- Deuteronomy 33:11 : 2Sa 24:23; Ps 20:3; 51:19
- Deuteronomy 33:12 : S Ge 35:18
- Deuteronomy 33:12 : Dt 4:37-38; 12:10; S 32:8
- Deuteronomy 33:12 : S Ex 19:4
- Deuteronomy 33:12 : Ps 60:5; 127:2; Isa 5:1
- Deuteronomy 33:12 : S Ex 28:12
- Deuteronomy 33:13 : S Ge 30:24
- Deuteronomy 33:13 : Ge 27:28; Ps 148:7
- Deuteronomy 33:15 : Hab 3:6
- Deuteronomy 33:16 : S Ex 3:2
- Deuteronomy 33:16 : S Ge 37:8
- Deuteronomy 33:17 : 1Sa 2:10; 2Sa 22:3; Eze 34:21
- Deuteronomy 33:17 : S Nu 23:22
- Deuteronomy 33:17 : 1Ki 22:11; Ps 44:5
- Deuteronomy 33:17 : S Ge 41:52
- Deuteronomy 33:17 : S Ge 41:51
- Deuteronomy 33:18 : S Ge 30:20
- Deuteronomy 33:18 : S Ge 30:18
- Deuteronomy 33:19 : S Ex 15:17; Ps 48:1; Isa 2:3; 65:11; 66:20; Jer 31:6
- Deuteronomy 33:19 : Ps 4:5; 51:19
- Deuteronomy 33:19 : Isa 18:7; 23:18; 45:14; 60:5, 11; 61:6; Hag 2:7; Zec 14:14
- Deuteronomy 33:20 : Ge 30:11
- Deuteronomy 33:20 : Dt 3:12-17
- Deuteronomy 33:21 : Nu 32:1-5, 31-32
- Deuteronomy 33:21 : S Nu 34:14
- Deuteronomy 33:21 : Jos 22:1-3
- Deuteronomy 33:22 : Ge 49:16; S Nu 1:38
- Deuteronomy 33:23 : S Ge 30:8
- Deuteronomy 33:24 : S Ge 30:13
- Deuteronomy 33:24 : S Ge 49:20; S Dt 32:13
- Deuteronomy 33:25 : Ne 3:3; 7:3; Ps 147:13
- Deuteronomy 33:25 : S Dt 32:47
- Deuteronomy 33:26 : S Dt 32:15
- Deuteronomy 33:26 : Ps 18:10; 68:33
- Deuteronomy 33:26 : S Dt 10:14; S Ps 104:3
- Deuteronomy 33:26 : 2Sa 22:10; Ps 18:9; 68:4; Da 7:13
- Deuteronomy 33:26 : S Ex 15:7
- Deuteronomy 33:27 : Ex 15:18; Isa 40:28; 57:15
- Deuteronomy 33:27 : Ps 9:9; 84:1; 90:1; 91:9
- Deuteronomy 33:27 : S Ge 21:33
- Deuteronomy 33:27 : Ex 34:11; Jos 24:18
- Deuteronomy 33:27 : S Dt 7:2
- Deuteronomy 33:28 : S Ex 33:16; S Lev 25:18; S Dt 32:8; Ps 16:9; Pr 1:33; Isa 14:30
- Deuteronomy 33:28 : ver 13; Ge 27:28
- Deuteronomy 33:29 : Ps 1:1; 32:1-2; 144:15
- Deuteronomy 33:29 : 2Sa 22:45; Ps 18:44; 66:3; 81:15
- Deuteronomy 33:29 : Dt 4:7
- Deuteronomy 33:29 : Ge 15:1; Ex 18:4; Ps 10:14; 18:1; 27:1, 9; 30:10; 54:4; 70:5; 115:9-11; 118:7; Isa 45:24; Hos 13:9; Hab 3:19
- Deuteronomy 33:29 : S Nu 33:52; S Dt 32:13
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. The Lord speaks of Moses' death (32:48-52)
Moses' task was finished. It was time for him to go to be with God. He was not permitted to enter the promised land--but he could look over into it from the heights of Mt. Nebo. God was strict with him because he was a shepherd. A shepherd must honor God among the people at all times (Nu 20:9-13).
2. Moses blesses the tribes (33:1-29)
Moses had a bright vision of God who loved his people and who had escorted them through the desert with his angels. The Lord is King and he rules by his Law. Moses' shepherd's love is poured out in his blessings; he prays for each tribe. [Simeon is missing; there are 2 tribes of Joseph.] He especially remembered how the Levites had defended God's honor at Sinai, even standing against their own loved ones (Ex 32). In verses 26-29, he reminds them that belonging to God is the only real security in this world or the next. There is no one like God and no people like his people.
Prayer: Lord, I trust the security of your everlasting arms; help me to be faithful to you.
One Word: Underneath are the everlasting arms