CHAP. XXXIII.

In this chapter we have a very sublime description of the majesty of God; the blessings of the twelve tribes; and the excellency of Israel; being the last words of Moses, who dies, like his ancestors, expressing his good wishes for Israel, and leaving behind him a prophetical blessing, which should in due time be fulfilled. The dying words of great and eminent men, often make a deep impression; these were probably left in writing.

1

A

The

ND this [is] the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death, 2 which was a prophecy of what should befall them hereafter. 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. In this verse he celebrates the goodness of 3 God in giving them the law from Sinai. 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. giving of the law, though attended with terror, was a token of his special love to them. They were in his hand, or under his providence and protection; and during their abode at Sinai, they sat at his feet to receive his words, like scholars at their master's feet. They are then reminded by whose hand it was given, and the Jews say, this was the first thing they were to teach ▲ their children. Moses commanded us a law, [even] the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob; Moses commanded us to receive this law, which God hath given, and which was the 5 best inheritance to them and their children. And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people [and] the tribes of Israel were gathered together; Moses was, under God, their supreme ruler and governor. He then proceeds to bless each particular tribe.

6

7

Let Reuben live, and not die; and let [not] his men be few.f

And this [is the blessing] of Judah and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah; that is, hear their prayers: it intimates that much of a devotional spirit should remain among them, and that their prayers should be answered and bring him unto his people, that is, after the captivity; which was accomplished: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help [to him] from his enemies; that is, avenge him of his enemies,

Sefr and Paran were two neighbouring hills that were enlightened with the glory of God, which shone on Sinai; from hence, amidst an host of angels, he delivered the law with his right hand to Moses out of the midst of the fire.

The last not should be left out; though his men be few, it should still exist as a tribe, though not be so numerous as some others.

and let his own strength be sufficient, without the aid of his brethren. Accordingly, this was the most valiant and successful tribe, and continued longest. Nothing is said of Simeon, because he was included in the lot of Judah, Joshua xix. 1. they went together in their expeditions.

And of Levi he said, [Let] thy Thummim and thy Urim [be] with thy holy one; let the breastplate of judgment, (which was the Urim and Thummim,) let light and uprightness be with Aaron and his seed; whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah, whom thou didst severely try and awfully reprove, and shut out of Ca9 naan; 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; in the execution of thy judgments concerning the golden calf, they showed no respect of persons, 10 and adhered to God when none else did so ; therefore They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar; they shall be continued in this honourable employment, 11 shall teach thy law, and offer sacrifices. 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; they will have many enemies, perhaps more, because of their being God's ministers; but thou will bless and prosper them.

12

13

[And] of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by, or before, him; [and the LORD] shall cover him all the day long; the tribe of Benjamin, who is beloved of God, as Benjamin was of his father, shall have his lot near the temple of God, who will protect him from evil; and he shall dwell between his shoulders; that is, God's temple, wherein he dwelt, shall be built on mount Moriah, which was in that tribe.

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; his shall be a fruitful country, 14 enriched with dews, and showers, and springs of water; And for the precious fruits [brought forth] by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, or, as in the margin of our bibles, by the moons; that is, fruits shall be brought forth 15 successively in their several months. And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills; their hills shall bring forth vines, and olives, and 16 figs without, and within shall be full of rich metals. And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and [for] the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; the crown of all was the Shekinah, which appeared to Moses, the good will and VOL. II.

Ee

favour of God, the fountain of all blessings, and who alone can give a relish to all let [the blessing] come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren; let blessings come in a large, plentiful, conspicuous manner, and crown the head of him that was separated from his brethren, but separated to honour and glory in 17 Egypt. 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; he shall enjoy kingly authority, have power and strength to push and destroy his enemies to the ends of the earth, or the land: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh; though the men of Manasseh are now more than the men of Ephraim, in process of time Ephraim shall exceed Manasseh, according to Jacob's prophecy, Gen. Klviii. 19.

1. W

REFLECTIONS.

E have great reason to be thankful that God hath given us his law. Moses leads Israel to celebrate this, as a token of his special kindness. A goodly land was their inheritance, but the divine revelation was the best possession for them and theirs we can leave posterity nothing better than our bibles. Let us bless God for them, as Israel here did for Moses; and maintain a grateful sense of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to teach us. The glorious light of the gospel is the greatest blessing our land can boast of. We have, in this respect, all reason to say, The lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, surely we have a goodly heritage.

2. The favour and good will of God, is the best blessing we can ask for our friends. Moses prayed for many blessings uponJoseph, but this was the last and the chief; it is the source of all blessings; it sweetens all others, and secures the soul from evil. At the bush God renewed his covenant; let us recommend our children, servants, friends, and acquaintance, to the good will of God, as our covenant God; and instead of being solicitous for a blessing out of the corn floor or wine press, or from worldly pros perity, let us pray, that his good will may be with them for time and eternity.

CHAP. XXXIII. 18, to the end.

A continuation of the blessing of the twelve tribes, and the excel,

18

A

lency of Israel.

ND of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents. These two were born of the same mother, and their posterity were neighbours. Zeb. ulun shall have cause to rejoice in his success in trade at home and abroad, and Issachar in his tents, in the country employ19 ments of tillage, and feeding cattle. 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; though they had different employments, yet both should be serviceable to promote the interest of God and religion. They should have great success at sea, and great treasures on the land; and should give cheer. fully to support God's worship; inviting strangers to his temple, by their commerce and their exhortations, and offering sacrifices of righteousness there.

20

22

231

24

And of Gad he said, Blessed [be] he that enlargeth Gad blessed be God, who bestows so large a portion upon him; he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head; he dwells amidst all his enemies fearless as a lion, and tears to pieces their arm and their head, their armies and princes. And he provided the first part for himself, because there, [in] a portion of the lawgiver, [was he] seated; he first moved to be settled on the other side Jordan, and Moses, by God's permission, allowed him to do so; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judg ments with Israel; he came forth to war with the princes and captains, to execute God's judgments on the Canaanites. Moses speaks of this as already done, from an assurance that they would do so.

And of Dan he said, Dan [is] a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan; he is strong and valiant, and shall surprise his enemies, as a lion leaps on his prey from Bashan, a place that was noted for them. See Judges xiv. 5.

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, a rich, fruitful country, where Christ resided much.

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 ofl; thou shalt have a numerous issue, be of a kind, affable temper, and have a country so abounding in olives, that 95 thou shalt wash thy feet in oil. Thy shoes [shall be] iron and brass, or, under thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy

days, [so shall] thy strength [be ;] thy country shall abound in rich mines of iron and brass, and thou shalt grow stronger and stronger all thy days; thine age shall be as thy youth.

He then concludes the whole with a general account of their 26 happiness, as the people of God. [There is] none of the gods like unto the God of Jeshurun, [who] rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky; he appears for the help of his people in the highest magnificence and glory, in 27 the heavens and on the earth, and with infinite power. The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting arms; he is the eternal and unchangeable God; in him they may always find safety and comfort, and always will do so, if they commit themselves to him: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy [them ;] he shall give thee power to thrust out the Canaanites, and a com28 mission to destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone, separated from other people, without alliance with them, or dependence upon them: the fountain of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew; the posterity of Jacob, who flowed from him as water from a fountain, shall dwell in a fruitful country, enriched with the dews and showers of heaven. Happy [art] thou, O Israel : but being unable to express their happiness, he breaks out into admiration of it: who[is] like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who [is] the sword of thy excellency! a shield to defend thee, a sword to destroy thine enemies and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places; they shall submit, and firetend friendship through fear; and thou shalt destroy their idol temples and all their strong holds. Thus ended the song, and all that Moses spoke or wrote.

REFLECTIONS.

1. LET us learn from the various particulars of these bless ings, to acknowledge the agency and wisdom of God in the different circumstances of states and kingdoms; in their various products, as well as in the different tempers of the inhabitants. Some are settled in a fruitful soil; others have rich mines, which generally are most barren above; some, like Zebu, lun, are merchants at sea, and are exposed to perils by water, that they may bring abundance from abroad. Others dwell on the land, they live at home, and are engaged in some honourable and useful employment. The different genius and inclinations of men must be ascribed to God, as well as their pursuits and differ, ent occupations. Let us acknowledge God in this, who fixes, the bounds of our habitation ; and glorify him with our substance, be