This chapter contains the blessing of Moses on the tribes of Israel before his death. As Jacob did before he died (Genesis 49:1-28 [1] And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. [2] Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. [3] Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: [4] Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. [5] Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. [6] O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. [7] Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. [8] Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. [9] Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? [10] The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. [11] Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: [12] His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk. [13] Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. [14] Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: [15] And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. [16] Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. [17] Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. [18] I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. [19] Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. [20] Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. [21] Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. [22] Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: [23] The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: [24] But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) [25] Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: [26] The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. [27] Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. [28] All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
See All...), so Moses gave a poetic and often prophetic blessing on each of the tribes. The present passage gives an introduction to the blessing and the specific pronouncements upon Reuben, Judah, and Levi.

What Does It Say?

1. And this is the ____________ wherewith Moses the _______ of God blessed the children of Israel.
2. The Lord came from _________, and rose up from _______.
3. Let the hands of Judah be ___________ for him, and be thou a _________ to him from his enemies.
4. Levi did _______ the Holy One at Massah and did ________ with Him at the waters of Meribah.
5. Levi will teach Jacob God’s _____________, and Israel His ________.

What Does It Mean?

1. According to verse two, the Lord came from Sinai “with ten thousands of saints.” Some Bible students say this refers to the children of Israel who met with God at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:18-20 [18] And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. [19] And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. [20] And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
   See All...) and were led by Him through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
   See All...). Others say the saints are the angels mentioned in Psalm 68:17The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
   See All.... Read these passages. Who do you think the saints are? Why?
2. Jeshurun is found three times by this spelling (Deuteronomy 32:15But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
   See All...; Deuteronomy 33:5, 26) and once spelled as Jesurun (Isaiah 44:2Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
   See All...). It means “the upright one” or perhaps, “the righteous nation.” To what does this title refer? What is its significance in the passages where it is found?
3. Moses gives to the tribe of Reuben this short (13 words) and strange blessing: “Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few” (v.6). Why does Moses give such a blessing to Reuben? Read Genesis 49:3-4 [3] Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: [4] Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
   See All...; 1Chronicles 5:1-2 [1] Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. [2] For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)
   See All...; Deuteronomy 11:6And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:
   See All.... Now explain the purpose for this particular blessing.

What Does It Mean to Me?

1. Verse three states, “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.” In what ways do we receive of the words of the Lord? How can we apply this verse to our own lives?
2. Levi is given strange praise. He is praised for observing God’s word and keeping His covenant by saying “unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children” (v.9). What is the meaning of this? How does it apply to the call of Moses for help when he returned to find the children of Israel worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:26-28 [26] Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. [27] And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. [28] And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
   See All...)? How does this teaching compare with the teaching of Christ in Luke 14:26If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
   See All...? How can we apply this to our lives today?

Suggested Memory Verses

Deuteronomy 33:3Yea, 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.
See All...