Deuteronomy · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Deuteronomy 33 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And this [is] the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
2 And 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.
2 He said, “Yahweh came from Sinai, and rose from Seir to them. He shone from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them.
3 Yea, 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.
3 Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet. Each receives your words.
4 Moses commanded us a law, [even] the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
4 Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people [and] the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
5 He was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.
6 ¶ Let Reuben live, and not die; and let [not] his men be few.
6 “Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.”
7 ¶ And 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.
7 This is for Judah. He said, “Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries.”
8 ¶ And 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;
8 About Levi he said, “Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.
9 Who 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.
9 He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’ He didn’t acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.
10 They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.
11 Bless, 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.
11 Yahweh, bless his skills. Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again.”
12 ¶ [And] 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.
12 About Benjamin he said, “The beloved of Yahweh will dwell in safety by him. He covers him all day long. He dwells between his shoulders.”
13 ¶ And 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,
13 About Joseph he said, “His land is blessed by Yahweh, for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath,
14 And for the precious fruits [brought forth] by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
14 for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things that the moon can yield,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
15 for the best things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and [for] the 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.
16 for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of him who lived in the bush. Let this come on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers.
17 His 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.
17 Majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he will push all the peoples to the ends of the earth. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 ¶ And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
18 About Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They 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.
19 They will call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they will draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand.”
20 ¶ And 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.
20 About Gad he said, “He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm and the crown of the head.
21 And 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.
21 He provided the first part for himself, for the lawgiver’s portion was reserved for him. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel.”
22 ¶ And of Dan he said, Dan [is] a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
22 About Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps out of Bashan.”
23 ¶ And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
23 About Naphtali he said, “Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of Yahweh’s blessing, Possess the west and the south.”
24 ¶ And 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.
24 About Asher he said, “Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Thy shoes [shall be] iron and brass; and as thy days, [so shall] thy strength [be].
25 Your bars will be iron and bronze. As your days, so your strength will be.
26 ¶ [There is] none like unto the God of Jeshurun, [who] rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
26 “There is no one like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, in his excellency on the skies.
27 The 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].
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’
28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
28 Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine. Yes, his heavens drop down dew.
29 Happy [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.
29 You are happy, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, the sword of your excellency? Your enemies will submit themselves to you. You will tread on their high places.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Joshua 14:6; Psalm 90:1; 2 Timothy 3:17; 2 Peter 1:21; John 14:27
- 2 Habakkuk 3:3; Jude 14; Revelation 5:11; Psalm 68:17; Judges 5:4–5
- 3 Luke 10:39; Malachi 1:2; Deuteronomy 7:6–8; Acts 22:3; Ephesians 2:4–5
- 4 Psalm 119:111; John 7:19; John 1:17; Deuteronomy 9:26–29; Psalm 119:72
- 5 Deuteronomy 32:15; Judges 17:6; Genesis 36:31; Judges 8:22; Exodus 18:19
- 6 Genesis 49:8; Numbers 32:31–32; Joshua 22:1–9; Genesis 49:3–4
- 7 Genesis 49:8–12; Psalm 21:8; Psalm 20:2; Revelation 20:10–15; 1 Corinthians 15:25
- 8 Exodus 17:7; Exodus 28:30; Numbers 20:13; Leviticus 8:8; Psalm 106:16
- 9 Matthew 10:37; Exodus 32:25–29; Jeremiah 18:18; Leviticus 21:11; Luke 14:26
- 10 Psalm 51:19; Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 17:9–11; Exodus 30:7–8; Ezekiel 43:27
- 11 2 Samuel 24:23; Ezekiel 43:27; Ezekiel 20:40–41; Amos 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:8
- 12 2 Chronicles 15:2; Psalm 91:4; Matthew 23:37; Isaiah 37:35; Isaiah 51:16
- 13 Genesis 49:22–26; Micah 5:7; Proverbs 3:20; Genesis 27:28–29; Isaiah 18:4
- 14 Psalm 8:3; Psalm 65:9–13; Leviticus 26:4; Psalm 74:16; Deuteronomy 28:8
- 15 Habakkuk 3:6; Genesis 49:26; James 5:7
- 16 Acts 7:35; Exodus 3:2–4; Psalm 24:1; Genesis 49:26; Psalm 89:11
- 17 Numbers 23:22; 1 Kings 22:11; Psalm 44:5; Genesis 48:19; 1 Chronicles 5:1
- 18 Genesis 49:13–15; Joshua 19:11; Judges 5:14
- 19 Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 60:5; Psalm 4:5; Exodus 15:17; Psalm 50:13–15
- 20 Genesis 49:19; 1 Chronicles 12:8–14; Micah 5:8; Joshua 13:8; 1 Chronicles 12:37–38
- 21 Joshua 4:12–13; Judges 5:2; Numbers 32:1–6; Joshua 22:1–4; Judges 5:11
- 22 Joshua 19:47; Judges 18:27; Judges 16:30; Judges 13:24–25; Judges 15:15
- 23 Genesis 49:21; Jeremiah 31:14; Psalm 36:8; Matthew 4:16; Matthew 4:13
- 24 Genesis 49:20; Job 29:6; Romans 14:18; Proverbs 3:3–4; Psalm 128:6
- 25 Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:13; Psalm 138:3; Colossians 1:11; Isaiah 40:29
- 26 Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 43:11–13; Habakkuk 3:8; Jeremiah 10:6; Psalm 104:3
- 27 Psalm 90:1–2; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 46:1; Isaiah 25:4; Psalm 91:1–2
- 28 Numbers 23:9; Genesis 27:28; Jeremiah 23:6; Exodus 33:16; Revelation 21:27
- 29 Isaiah 45:17; Isaiah 12:2; Psalm 115:9–11; Deuteronomy 4:7–8; 2 Samuel 7:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Of whom Moses also says in Deuteronomy, when blessing Levi, "Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not known thee; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, and he disinherited his own sons: he kept Thy commandments, and observed Thy covenant." But who are they that have left father and mother, and have said adieu to all …
… of idols, but even to stone them; and in Deuteronomy again, admiring these, He saith, "Who said unto his father, and to his mother, I have not seen thee; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, and his own sons he disowned: he kept Thy oracles." And if Paul gives many directions touching parents, commanding us to obey them in all …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… "They mount up to heaven." Moses, blessing the tribe of Joseph, desires for it the fruits and the dews of heaven, of the suns of summer and the conjunctions of the moon, and blessings from the tops of the mountains and from the everlasting hills, in one word, from all which fertilises the earth.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)