Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33:2

Deu. 33:2. “From His right hand went a fiery Law for them.” The words seem to be something wronged in the translation. The word ‘went’ is not in the original, but is supplied, and if the word ‘proceeded’ or ‘come’ had been supplied, it might more naturally have led us to what Moses had respect, which seems to be God’s writing the Law with His right hand on the two tables of stone, and then delivering them with His right hand thus engraven, to be for the people, as He did the two first tables that were the workmanship of God; and also the other two that Moses had made were delivered of Moses out of God’s hand after He had written the Law on them. But the sense seems to be wronged in the translation more in rendering the words, a “fiery Law for them:” the words in the original are “a fire of Law for them” - i.e., to be for a light to them, or as a fire to enlighten, as the pillar of fire was for a light to them in the night; for “the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is a light.” The same seems to be meant here as is expressed in Isaiah 51:4 - “For a Law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.” This last agrees with the foregoing words, wherein it is said that God “shined from Mount Paran;” and it is more natural to understand it thus, for it is said to be “for them.” It was a light to enlighten them; it is more natural to say it is “for them” than if it were a fire threatening to consume them. And this sense much the best agrees with the following verses, and their evident connection with these words which speak of God’s great love and grace in giving them this Law, and how it was given as an inheritance to them, and with what pleasure and delight they received it: “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. Moses commanded us a Law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.”

Deuteronomy 33:7

Deu. 33:7. So David was brought to his people as their prince after being driven out and banished by Saul, and again after he was driven out by Absalom. Solomon was brought to his people after he was excluded by Adonijah. Christ was brought to His people to be their King after the family of David had long been excluded from the throne by the power of the four monarchies and by other enemies. Christ, after He was thrown away by the Jews, was brought to have a place in the building, and to be the head of the corner. He will be brought to His people again, after He has been long as it were driven away by Antichrist, and he will come to His people at the end of the world for their most complete and eternal salvation, after being driven out by Satan operating on Gog and Magog, and after all the instances of His expulsion and exclusion by all His enemies through all ages of the world.

Deuteronomy 33:8

Deu. 33:8. Here Christ is evidently called Levi’s “holy one.” Aaron, the high priest of that tribe, was Levi’s holy one in some sense; but it was not Aaron but Christ that was tempted at Massah and Meribah. (1 Corinthians 10:9). Moses was of that tribe, and might also be called their holy one; but neither was he the person there tempted, yea, both Moses and Aaron there rather concurred in the temptation (Numbers 20:10-13); and the great antitype of Moses and Aaron, the true High Priest, that was the substance and end of all the ancient sacrifices and offerings, and of all the peculiar ministrations of the high priest of the tribe of Levi, according to Jeremiah 33:17-22. Christ may well be called Levi’s “holy one;” for it is there represented as though the great honour and privilege of Levi, in its having the office of the priesthood, should be upheld and completed in Christ. For all the honour and privilege which there ever was in having the priesthood of their tribe, arose from the relation of that priesthood to Christ, and the glorious things which He should accomplish in His sacrifice and intercession, and the eternal benefits He should procure; and therefore the actually existing and appearing of Christ, the great and true High Priest, and actually accomplishing those glorious things, and procuring those eternal benefits, are the sum and substance and perfection of all the honour and privilege which belonged to their office. And therefore this is properly mentioned in Moses’s blessing of this tribe.

For it shows this privilege above all other things, inasmuch as herein it appears that their priesthood was no vain thing. It was unspeakably valuable, and of infinitely good effect, as it stood in relation to the priesthood of Christ, and should be brought to its glorious and infinitely blessed effect in Him. It was by the Thummim and Urim that the high priest was especially furnished with to enter into the holy of holies, to make atonement and intercession for the people there once a year, and was enabled to teach the people, and reveal the mind and will of God to them. But this typical Thummim and Urim were nothing but as they relate to and were typical of the perfections, merits, light, and glory that were in Christ. In Christ having this perfection, glory, and merit, and this sufficiency to be the light of the world, Levi’s Thummim and Urim were fulfilled, and so honoured and magnified. That spoken of and promised concerning the priests, the Levites, in Jeremiah 33:17-22, is manifestly the chief of all blessings of God’s Covenant with that tribe; as that which was promised in the first place concerning the house of David is the chief thing promised in God’s Covenant with David, which is a thing that much confirms that this is the great thing here intended in Moses’s blessing of this tribe.

Deuteronomy 33:12

Deu. 33:12. i.e., Benjamin, being the beloved of the Lord, shall dwell in safety by the Lord. Paul the great Apostle was of this tribe, who perhaps was above all mere men the beloved of the Lord. Ibid. Which seems to allude to a custom of parents carrying their children on their backs or between their shoulders, agreeable to the custom of the Indians here in America. The same thing seems to be alluded to again in Isaiah 49:22, and perhaps also in the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:5.

Deuteronomy 33:18-19

Deu. 33:18, 19. This seems to have respect to the calling of the Gentiles by the preaching of the Apostles, who were of Galilee, and probably chiefly of the tribe of Zebulon, which was that part of Galilee, and probably chiefly of the tribe of Zebulon, which was that part of Galilee where Christ was chiefly conversant. It is evident the mountain here meant is the mountain of the House of the Lord, the place of offering sacrifice; and the event referred to by their calling the people to the mountain seems to be that prophesied of, Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 27:13. The great trumpet shall be blown, and the offering sacrifices of righteousness, etc., is the same with that spoken of, Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 60:20; and this seeking the abundance of the sea and treasures hid in the sand, seems to have reference to what is foretold in Isaiah 60:5; Isaiah 60:9; Isaiah 60:16; Isaiah 66:12. The success of the Apostles was chiefly in gathering the people that dwelt in the sea, or beyond the sea, called in prophecy the islands of the sea; and therefore as they were fishermen before their calling, and gathered the fulness of the sea for their food, so Christ, when He called them, told them He would make them “fishers of men” to gather the multitudes of men, that were, as it were, the inhabitants of the sea.

Deuteronomy 33:26

Deu. 33:26. The universe is the chariot in which God rides and makes progress towards the last end of all things on the wheels of His providence; and the place of the chariot on which God has His seat is the highest heavens, as in Psalms 68:33, and also verse 4; the pavement of the chariot, above which God’s throne is, is the firmament or the sky, as Ezekiel 1:25; Ezekiel 1:26. Therefore this verse signifies as much as that God governs the whole world for the good of His Church; the wheels of the chariot of the universe move for them, and the progress that God makes therein on His throne above the firmament, the pavement of His chariot, is for them, and every event in the universe is in subserviency to their help and benefit. - Corol. Hence it was meet that Christ, when He came to be invested with the government of the universe, as Head over all things to the Church, to govern the motions of this chariot, and make progress on it for their help and salvation, should ascend into the highest heavens above its pavement, to sit on the throne of this chariot; and therefore in Psa. 68, which is on the subject of Christ’s ascension, mention is made once and again of God’s riding on the heavens, as in verses 4 and 33. The underpart of the wheel of a chariot seems to run backward, but it is not so; the whole machine is constantly moving forward towards the journey’s end. So when the Church of God is brought low in the world, it is like that part of the wheel that is brought next the ground. The course of things seems to be backward and away from the proposed and promised end; but it is a mistake, God is still constantly making progress towards the Church’s promised glory.

Deuteronomy 33:29

Deu. 33:29. “Thine enemies,” etc. i.e., liars in their boastings and menaces; [“and thou shalt tread,” etc.] - i.e., their fortresses built upon high rocks and steep places - that is, thou shalt conquer and take their strongest places, and take possession of them. God is said to be a high place (Psalms 9:9; Psalms 46:7), - i.e., a fortress or refuge.