51 Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of || Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.

52 Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.

CHAP. XXXIII.

1 The majesty of God. 6 The blessings of the twelve tribes. 26 The excellency of Israel.

The majesty of God.

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2 And he said, The LORD came Before 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 + Heb. a fire 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.

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

his death.

advantage to a wise heart. God forewarns one by sickness, another by age, another by his secret instincts, to prepare for their end: if our heart be not now in readiness, we deserve to be surprised. Bp. Hall.

51. Because ye trespassed against me] Death, though it were to Moses an entrance into glory, yet was also a chastisement of his infidelity. How many noble proofs had he given of his courage and strength of faith! How many gracious services had he done to his Master! Yet for one act of distrust he must be gathered to his fathers. All our acts of obedience cannot bear out one sin against God. How vainly shall we hope to make amends to God for our former trespasses by our better behaviour, when Moses hath this one sin laid to his charge, after so many and worthy testimonies of his fidelity! When we have forgotten our sins, yet GOD remembers them; and although not in anger, yet He calls for payment. Alas, what shall become of them, with whom God hath ten thousand times greater quarrels ; who, amongst many millions of sins, have scattered some few acts of formal services! If Moses must die the first death for one fault, how shall they escape the second for sinning always? Bp. Hall.

Chap. XXXIII. ver. 1. And this is the blessing, &c.] As Jacob blessed his children at his departure out of the world, when God had begun to fulfil the promise to Abraham of giving him a numerous offspring: so Moses, having seen them vastly increased, and ready to enter upon the promised land, takes his farewell of them with a blessing pronounced upon the people in general, and upon each tribe in particular. This blessing is in part prophetical, as that of Jacob was, and delivered in the prophetick style; and consequently it is not without some difficulty and obscurity. Bp. Patrick.

As Moses had before composed a song, to celebrate the miraculous passage of the Israelites through the Red sea, so his view in this song seems to have been, to commemorate God's gracious dealings with them since that time. A more proper subject could not have been thought of, in order to awaken their attention, and raise a due sense of gratitude in all Israel, before the several tribes heard, from the mouth of their great Prophet now speaking for the last time, what Providence intended to do farther for each of them. Dr. Durell.

2.- The Lord came from Sinai, &c.] God, like a glorious sun, imparted his beams unto Israel: beginning his course at their first entering into the wilderness, and still "rising up" to them by the proof of his

of law.

goodness, in their passage through the land of Edom: He "shined forth" brightly, as at noonday, to them, when He blessed the elders of Israel with a large portion of his Spirit; and He guarded his people with "ten thousands" of his powerful angels; in whose presence He did, in fire, deliver his law majestically and terribly to Israel. Bp. Hall.

As if he had said, This is the favourite nation, to whom God was pleased with most dreadful solemnity, with the appearance of innumerable hosts of angels, attending the symbols of his Divine presence, to deliver his laws; and take the people into special covenant with Himself at mount Sinai. Whom, by the same cloud of glory, He safely and miraculously conducted through the Arabian desert, the wilderness of Paran, and the borders of Idumea; preserving them, as his peculiar and holy people, and instructing them by his own word and precepts. Pyle.

he came with ten thousands of saints:] Or, "of holy angels." The law, which He gave, as men do when with their "right hands" they deliver their gifts, is called "a fiery law;" because God spake the words thereof "out of the midst of the fire," Deut. v. 22. Bp. Kidder.

3. all his saints are in thy hand:] He hath a special care of the Israelites, that "holy nation," Exod. xix. 6, who sat at his feet, and promised subjection and obedience to him. Bp. Kidder. The change of the person from his to thy is very frequent in the Hebrew language. See particularly Dan. ix. 4. Bp. Patrick.

دو

they sat down at thy feet;] Meaning, they received instruction from thee. To the same effect, St. Paul says, "I was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel,' Acts xxii. 3. If the same mode of sitting prevailed anciently in the East, as now prevails, in respect of master and scholars, the phrase is very descriptive and accurate. For the master is seated on a carpet spread on the ground with his books before him; and around him, at a little distance, beyond his books, sit his scholars in a circle, attending to his instructions. Fragments to Calmet.

4. Moses commanded us a law,] Josephus remarks, that the Greek legislators were modern in comparison of Moses; and that the ancient Greeks were unacquainted with the very term (Nomos) Law. It is not in Homer, the most ancient Greek writer. Calmet.

5.

he was king in Jeshurun,] Many persons are called kings in Scripture, whom we should rather denominate chiefs or leaders. Such is the sense of the word in this passage. Moses was the chief, the leader, the

The blessings of

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a Exod. 28. 30.

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.

8¶ And of Levi he said, a Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at

guide of his people, fulfilling the duties of a "king:" but he was not king in the same sense as David, or Solomon, was afterwards. This remark reconciles Gen. xxxvi. 31, “These kings reigned in Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel :" for Moses, though he was king in an inferior sense, yet did not reign, in the stronger sense, over the children of Israel, their constitution not being monarchical under him. Calmet's Dictionary. Moses was king; that is, under God the supreme ruler and governour of Israel. Bp. Patrick, Dr. Wells. Moses was a prince or governour, he gave laws and ruled the people. Bp. Kidder. Was appointed by God the leader and governour of the Israelites. Pyle, Bp. Hall.

6. Let Reuben live, &c.] Though it was formerly prophesied of this tribe, that, in punishment of the sin of its founder, it should not be so honourable or so numerous as several of the rest, yet shall it continue in some measure to flourish. Pyle. In the last clause of this verse, the word not is wanting in the original. The words may be thus translated exactly: "Let Reuben live and not die, though his men be few:" which seems to be a confirmation of the prophecy of Jacob, Gen. xlix. 4, "that he should not excel," and yet should live and not perish: that is, he should be in some measure a flourishing tribe, though not so numerous as some others. Bp. Patrick.

live, and not die ;] When a thing is intended to be described in a striking manner, it is usual in Hebrew to repeat the same terms, a little varied; or to express the sentiment both affirmatively and negatively, as here and in other places: see Gen. xliii. 8; Ps. cxviii. 7; Isa. xxxviii. 1. Dr. Durell.

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7. And this is the blessing of Judah:] He speaks of Judah next, as that which was to be the royal tribe in time, and the principal tribe in the wars all along after: he therefore says, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah," when he calls for thy help at going out to war before his brethren; "and bring him home unto his people again, safe and victorious. Dr. Wells.

This benediction cannot relate to the time when it was given; for then Judah's "hands" were very "sufficient for him," this being by far the greatest of the twelve tribes; see Numb. i. and xxvi: and there was more reason to put up this petition for several other tribes than for Judah. It is to be referred therefore to the prophecy of Jacob, and to the continuance of the sceptre of Judah, after the destruction of the other tribes. Judah, in Moses's time, consisted of 74,600, reckoning only those of twenty years old, and upwards, Numb. ii. 4. But on the return from Babylon, Judah, with Benjamin, the Levites, and the remnant of Israel, made only 42,360, Ezra ii. 64; and they were in so weak a state, that Sanballat in great scorn said, "What do these feeble Jews?" Neh. iv. 2. Now Moses, in the spirit of prophecy, seeing the desolation of all the tribes; seeing the tribes of the children of Israel carried away

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.

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|| Or, Let them teach,

Or, let them

10 They shall teach Jacob thy &c. judgments, and Israel thy law: || they put incense. shall put incense before thee, and those

by the Assyrians, the people of Judah by the Babylonians; seeing that Judah should return weak, harassed, and scarcely able to maintain himself in his own country, conceives for him this prophetic prayer, "Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people, &c." Bp. Sherlock.

In these benedictions no notice is taken of Simeon. This tribe was, by way of judgment upon Simeon's act of cruelty, mixed and scattered among the rest, having not so distinct and honourable a settlement, as each of them had, according to Jacob's prediction, Gen. xlix. 5. 7. But as the greatest part of their inheritance was amongst the sons of Judah, Josh. xix. 1, it is probable that the tribe of Simeon is here included in that of Judah. Pyle.

8. - Let thy Thummim and thy Urim &c.] Continue in this tribe the high dignity of consulting with Thee, and receiving directions from Thee, by the high priest, concerning the publick safety. Aaron is called "the saint of the Lord," Ps. cvi. 16. Bp. Patrick.

Be gracious to the tribe of Levi, and furnish Thou thy high priest whom Thou hast chosen out of it with those excellent graces, which Thou hast figured in his breastplate, with perfection of knowledge, and sanctity. Thus do Thou bless the son of that thy servant Aaron, whom Thou provedst at Massah, &c. Bp. Hall.

with whom thou didst strive] Whom thou didst punish and chastise, as the Hebrew word signifies, but didst not deprive of the dignity of the priesthood. Bp. Kidder.

9. Who said unto his father &c.] We have in general the most concern for those, of whom we have the most knowledge. Hence, in the sacred books, knowing or owning any person signifies having a regard for him: and denying or disowning any one, the contrary. Thus wicked men are said to "deny God, while they profess to know him," Tit. i. 16, and our Saviour in return will deny them at the great day, saying, "I never knew you, depart from me," Matt. vii. 23; Luke xiii. 25. 27. Thus in the Old Testament, when the children of Levi had suppressed a rebellion of the people against God and their lawful governours, by falling without distinction upon all whom they found engaged in it, Moses describes the heroick behaviour of that tribe in these terms: "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 he observed thy word and kept thy covenant:" that is, they preferred their duty to Heaven and the publick, before the tenderest private regards. So also Job: "Though I were perfect," which he had just been disclaiming, "yet would I not know my soul," Job ix. 21. Were I freer from faults than I am, it should not tempt me to selfpartiality. Abp. Secker.

10. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, &c.] The Levites were not only commissioned to instruct the people in the law of Moses, but were also appointed by that law

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b Gen. 49. 25.

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. 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.

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

14 And for the precious fruits + Heb. thrust brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the + moon,

forth. † Heb.

moons.

to be judges and interpreters of it in civil, as well as in religious cases, Lev. x. 11; Deut. xvii. 8, 9; xix. 17; xxiv. 8. They actually enjoyed this power in its full extent for many centuries, 2 Chron. xxx. 22; xxxi. 2; XXXV. 3. And though they were abridged of it afterwards in some respects, they still had a considerable share of it about the time of the dissolution of their national polity; as appears by many instances in the New Testament, John xviii. 31; Acts xxiii. 3. To "put incense before the Lord" was another part of the priest's office. Dr. Durell.

12. And of Benjamin he said,] He mentions Benjamin next to Levi, because the temple, in which the priests officiated, was partly situated in his lot. Bp. Patrick.

The beloved of the Lord shall dwell &c.] Benjamin, favoured of God, shall have his inheritance in a safe place; namely, about Jerusalem the holy city, and the temple, or place of God's special residence among the Israelites. Compare Josh. xviii. 11. 28. Bp. Kidder. he shall dwell between his shoulders.] That is, The Lord's temple shall be situated in his land. Bp. Kidder. "Between his shoulders," or, by his sides or borders: so the word, translated "shoulders," is used in Numb. xxxiv. 11. And it is plain that the lot of Benjamin touched on that of Judah, at Jerusalem: the temple being included within the limits of Benjamin's tribe. Bp. Patrick, Pyle.

It is with reference to this circumstance, that what Moses here predicts of Benjamin is to be understood: namely, that God's providence would remarkably continue over him until the dissolution of their state; and that He would, for a season, vouchsafe to dwell by his visible representation in the inheritance of Benjamin. Dr. Durell. See the note on Gen. xlix. 27; latter part of the verse.

13. And of Joseph he said, &c.] Joseph's tribe shall have a country fall to its share, most plentifully blest with every thing that can render it fruitful and pleasant: with seasonable rains, dews, and convenient springs of water: with a soil yielding the fattest crops, and fairest fruits. Such will be the ancient and famous hills and valleys of Ephraim, Samaria, and Bashan. Pyle.

Whether we consider Joseph with respect to his situ

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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 sepa- c Gen. 19.26. rated from his brethren.

c

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. 18

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

ation in the land of Canaan, or to the eminent dignity by which his descendants were distinguished, he is here in his proper rank. Moses in blessing him copies after Jacob, Gen. xlix. 22-26. Dr. Durell.

the deep that croucheth beneath,] Springs of water which burst out of the bowels of the earth. Bp. Patrick.

14.-fruits-by the sun,] Whose kindly heat brings them forth and makes them grow to maturity. Bp. Patrick.

put forth by the moon,] And for those precious fruits which are brought forth by the warmth of the sunbeams, and by the kindly moisture of the night, under the influence of the moon. Bp. Hall. Or by this may be meant, what most of the ancient versions understand, what is produced every month, or several times in the year, as grass, and herbs; in opposition to what comes but once in the year, as corn, &c. implied in the fruits of the sun. Dr. Durell.

16.

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the earth and fulness thereof,] "Earth" being here opposed to hills" and "mountains," seems to imply a champaign country; and "the fulness thereof " to signify a most plentiful champaign country. This sense will appear more probable from the event: for besides the great plain near Jordan, which Joseph had in common with some other tribes, and the plain of Sharon near the Mediterranean sea, there seems to have been another great plain near Samaria, which Josephus calls the great plain of Samaria; and near mount Ephraim was the valley of fatness. Dr. Durell.

17. unicorns:] See note on Numb. xxiii. 22. The Jerusalem Targum expounds this verse of the victories gained over the Canaanites by Joshua and Gideon, who were both of this family; to whom, for the same reason, might have been added Jephthah, who distinguished himself signally in the war against the Ammonites. Dr. Durell.

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Bashan.

the twelve tribes.

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.

21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a por† Heb. cieled. tion of a 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.

farms; by which means they might be enabled to offer large burnt offerings at the solemn festivals, and hospitably receive the people, whom they invited to go up with them to Jerusalem. Dr. Durell.

19. They shall call the people unto the mountain;] Here Moses predicts, that the house of God should be set upon a mountain; to which Zebulun should invite the rest of the tribes, by their forwardness and zeal, to go up and worship God at the three great festivals. Bp. Patrick.

they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, &c.] They shall grow rich by importing abundance of commodities, particularly gold, silver, and precious stones, which are dug out of the earth. Dr. Wells, Bp. Patrick. Or, the former clause in this passage may have a particular reference to the produce of the seas, especially the shell-fish, called murex, the use of which is well known in dying of a purple colour: and the latter clause may refer to the art of making glass from sand. Jonathan in his paraphrase thus explains it: "They shall dwell near the sea, and feast on the tunny fish, and catch the chalson, (or murex ;) with the blood of which they will die of a purple colour the threads of their cloths; and from the sand they will make looking-glasses and utensils of glass." It is certain from various authors, that purple was found on the coast of Tyre, adjoining to Zebulun; and that glass was made from the sand of the river Belus, which ran by the border of this tribe. Dr. Durell.

20.

v. 20.

- Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad:] That is, Blessed be God, who hath allotted to him such a large inheritance, which He afterwards further enlarged, 1 Chron. "He dwelleth as a lion;" lives secure and fearless, though encompassed by enemies: "and teareth the arm with the crown of the head;" kills the princes with their kings: for by "arms" are meant men of strength and power; and by "the crown of the head" is properly to be understood the chief commander, ruler, or king. Bp. Patrick.

21. And he provided the first part for himself,] That is, he chose his inheritance with the first on this side Jordan, Numb. xxxii. 1, "in a portion of the lawgiver;" that is, that part of the country, which Moses the lawgiver entered upon, and which he divided, Numb. xxxii.

33.

"And he came, &c." that is, after he had made provision for the safety of his family and cattle, he accompanied the leaders and captains of the people; and assisted them in conquering the land, and destroying the inhabitants, who were justly devoted by God to destruction, Josh. i. 14. Bp. Kidder.

22.

- Dan is a lion's whelp:] The Danites will be

VOL. I.

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.

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.

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

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Or, Under be iron.

thy shoes shall

eminent for stratagems and strength in war; and may be compared with the lions of Bashan, which was celebrated for its breed of very fierce ones, that leap upon their prey with great force and subtilty. This was eminently verified in Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan. Pyle, Bp. Patrick.

23.-possess thou the west and the south.] The tribe of Naphtali lay north and east: yet it was so situated, that by Zebulun, which lay next him, and upon the coast of the Great sea, he could easily be possessed of the commodities of the sea, which we here translate "west:" and lying on the river Jordan, Josh. xix. 33, he had the advantage of enjoying those commodities, which came by that river from the "southern" parts of the land. Bp. Kidder, Pyle.

24. Let Asher be blessed &c.] May the tribe of Asher truly answer the meaning of its name, "Happy," by being blessed with a numerous posterity, and with a plenty of such products of the country where they live, that they may oblige the rest of the neighbouring tribes. God will plant them in a soil, where the choicest oil, and such like good things, shall be in the utmost fulness; and useful metals be dug from the bowels of their hills. Pyle.

let him dip his foot in oil.] This figurative expression is allowed to denote such plenty, that oil would be very little regarded in this tribe; as in Jacob's prophecy, where it is said of Judah, "he washed his garments in wine," it is understood to signify that wine should be as plentiful as water. With respect to this promise it may be observed, not only that Asher's portion was generally fertile in oil, as in corn, wine, &c.; but during a famine of three years and a half, when the Prophet Elijah wanted sustenance, he was directed by the Holy Spirit to go to a poor widow at Sarepta, in whose house he was supplied with bread and oil. Sarepta was a town of this tribe. Dr. Durell.

25. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass;] This verse informs us that shoes clouted, as the old English expression We know is, were used as early as the days of Moses. that the Roman soldiers used brasen or copper soles to their shoes; and clouted shoes, that is, shoes well coated with iron, were anciently part of a soldier's dress in this country, from which, shoes well filled with nails, &c. for strength, are now called clouted. Script. illust. In the East at this day, all the people, both rich and poor, wear iron plates at the heels and toes of their shoes. Calmet.

as thy days, so shall thy strength be.] Thy strength shall bear proportion to thy days. That shall be great; and these shall be many. Bp. Kidder.

2 H

The blessings of the twelve tribes.

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d Jer. 23. 6.

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.

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.

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.

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! Or, shall be and thine enemies || shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

subdued.

CHAP. XXXIV.

1 Moses from mount Nebo vieweth the land. 5 He dieth there. 6 His burial. 7 His age. 8

26. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun,] Moses having made an end of declaring to each tribe some of the particular circumstances, which would distinguish them from the rest, and having prayed for their respective prosperity, now concludes the whole with a general benediction. Dr. Durell.

who rideth upon the heaven in thy help,] Who commandeth in the heavens, as well as in the earth; and sends help and succour to thee from thence by thunder, lightning, and hailstones. Thus had God done, Exod. ix. 23, and thus did He do afterwards, Josh. x. 10, 11. Compare Ps. xviii. 9, 10; lxviii. 33, 34. Bps. Patrick and Kidder. The Supreme Being is frequently described as "riding on the skies, and making the clouds his chariot," in condescension to the gross conceptions of a carnal people, who were unable to consider the attributes of the Lord Jehovah abstractedly. Dr. Durell. 27.— underneath are the everlasting arms :] To support all those with an unwearied power and care, who commit themselves unto Him. Bp. Patrick.

28. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone:] The Israelites were separated from the rest of the world by their peculiar institutions, religious and civil; and they were sufficiently secure under the theocracy without entering into leagues, offensive or defensive, with any power. This seems to be an allusion to Balaam's prophecy, Numb. xxiii. 9. Dr. Durell.

the fountain of Jacob] That is, his posterity; who were derived from him, as a river from a fountain, Isa. xlviii. 1; li. 1. Bp. Patrick. Or, "the fountain" is taken literally, and opposed to "dew:" and the expression implies, that the land of Jacob should be a land of fountains, of corn, &c. according to the description of it, chap. viii. 7, 8. Dr. Durell.

Moses vieweth the land.

to the first, ver. 26: God is there said to have none like Him: so is Israel here: He is superiour to all created beings, because the whole creation obeys Him; the Israelites are superiour to every other nation, because He has saved them: in both places they are represented as being under his particular providence, assisted by Him in conquering their enemies, and admitted by Him into their country. Dr. Durell.

Chap. XXXIV. ver. 1.— unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah,] The mountains Nebo, Pisgah, and Abarim make but one chain of mountains, in the country of Moab, near mount Peor, over against Jericho. Calmet.

Dan,] It has been said, that some names, used in the Pentateuch, were not applied to the places which they describe till after the death of Moses. If the truth of this remark could be proved, we might suppose the modern names to have been substituted by Ezra, or by some Prophet, posterior to Moses, for the information of later times. But the assertion often proceeds from mistake, and from a want of distinction: for instance, the Dan spoken of by Moses, might be different from the place afterwards so named in Judg. xviii. 29. Josephus conceives it to have been a river, one of the sources of the Jordan. Dr. Gray.

3.-the city of palm trees,] Several of the ancient writers describe Jericho and its neighbourhood as abounding with palm trees. Several of these trees still remain there; for there is the convenience they require of being often watered; the climate likewise is warm, and the soil sandy, and such as they delight to grow in. Dr. Shaw.

5. So Moses-died] The account of the death and burial of Moses, and some other seemingly posthumous particulars described in this chapter, have been produced to prove, that it could not have been written by Moses: and in all probability these circumstances may have been inserted by Joshua, to complete the history of this illustrious Prophet; or were afterwards added