992 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Bless, Lord, his substance,.... Which lay in tithes, firstfruits, c. for the priests and Levites had no share in the division of the land unless this can be understood of the cities and suburbs which were given them, or of houses and fields devoted, which fell unto them, or rather of their cattle, for the use of which they had suburbs appointed...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[And] of Benjamin he said,.... The tribe of Benjamin, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; which is taken notice of next to Levi, because, as the priesthood was in the tribe of Levi, the temple in which the priests officiated was in the tribe of Benjamin, or near it; and is observed next but one to Judah, and before his elder brother Joseph,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And of Joseph he said,.... The tribe of Joseph, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: blessed of the Lord [be] his land; as the lands inherited by his sons were extremely fruitful, the countries of lead and Bashan by Manasseh, and the fields of Samaria by Ephraim: Jarchi says, "there was not in the inheritance of the tribes a land so full of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And for the precious fruits [brought forth] by the sun,.... Which has a wonderful influence upon many and most of the fruits of the earth, to produce them out of their seeds in it, to bring them forward, to ripen and perfect them, and to make them rich and excellent. Jarchi says, "the land of Joseph lay open to the sun, and it sweetened the fruits...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And for the chief things of the ancient mountains,.... Which were from the beginning of the world, and for which the land, possessed by the children of Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim, were famous; as the mountains of Gilead and Bashan, inherited by the former, and Mount Ephraim, and the mountains of Samaria, by the latter; which produced, besides...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And for the precious things of the earth, and fulness thereof,.... Corn of all sorts produced out of the earth, and grass that grows out of it, and cattle that feed upon it; for all which some part of the land of Joseph, particularly Bashan, was famous; as for the oaks that grew on it, so for the pasturage of it, and the cattle it bred,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
His glory [is like] the firstling of his bullock,.... Such as were in Bashan, a country possessed by the posterity of Joseph, see Psalms 22:12; and so might be called "his" bullock, or a young bull, was reckoned both comely and majestic; so Menis or Mnevis, king of Egypt, preferred a bull above all animals to be worshipped, because the most...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And of Zebulun he said,.... The tribe of Zebulun, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, with whom Issachar is joined, they being brethren, and of the same mother as well as father; though Zebulun the youngest is set before Issachar the older, as in Jacob's blessing, Genesis 49:13; rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; in their going out to sea,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
They shall call the people unto the mountain,.... To the mountain of the house of the sanctuary, as all the three Targums; to the temple built on a mountain, which Moses by a spirit of prophecy foresaw would be, to which the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar would not only come up themselves, though at the more distant parts of the land; but call and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And of Gad he said,.... The tribe of Gad, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: blessed [be] he that enlargeth Gad; that is, the Lord, to whom the praise and glory were to be given, who had appointed to Gad a large inheritance on the other side Jordan, and had settled him in it, and which became larger by the conquest of the Hagarites, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he provided a first part for himself,.... That is, the portion of the land of Sihon and Og, as Jarchi rightly interprets it; which was the beginning or firstfruits of the subduing of the land that was promised; this he looked at, chose, and desired it as his inheritance, Numbers 32:1; because there, [in] a portion of the lawgiver, [was he]...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And of Dan he said,.... Of the tribe of Dan, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: Dan [is] a lion's whelp; or like one for boldness, strength, and courage; and was verified in Samson, who was of this tribe; who, when a young lion roared against him, the Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he tore it to pieces, Judges 14:5; he shall leap from...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And of Naphtali he said,.... The tribe of Naphtali, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: O Naphtali, satisfied with favour; with the favour of men, which to have is a great blessing; and as he gave goodly words to others, he had the good word of others, Genesis 49:21; and with the favour of God, as the next clause shows; which is the greatest...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And of Asher he said,.... The tribe of Asher, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: [let] Asher [be] blessed with children; with large numbers, as it appears this tribe was, having in it 53,400 men of war, Numbers 26:47. It was esteemed a great blessing to have many children, Psalms 128:3; or "above the children"; above or more than the rest...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thy shoes [shall be] iron and brass,.... Either they should have such an abundance of these metals, that they could if they would have made their shoes of them; but that is not usual; though it is said of Empedocles (g) the philosopher, that he wore shoes of brass, which was very singular; and some think that this tribe, because of the abundance...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[There is] none like unto the God of Jeshurun,.... Or Israel, as all the three Targums; for this is one of the names of the people of Israel; [See comments on Deuteronomy 32:15]; and the Lord was their God in a special sense, having chosen, redeemed them, and made a covenant with them; and there is no God like him for the perfections of his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The eternal God [is thy] refuge,.... God is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting; the Ancient of days, before all things, and all time; which is, and was, and is to come: the same is true of Christ, who is the everlasting Father, or Father of eternity, the true God, and eternal life; as appears from his nature, having the whole fulness, all...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Israel then shall dwell in safety alone,.... The Canaanites being thrust out of their land, and Israel put into the possession of it, should dwell in safety, or "confidently" (l); without fear of enemies, though surrounded with them on all hands; and though alone, a separate people, distinct from all others their neighbours round about them; see...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Happy [art] thou, O Israel,.... This is the conclusion of the blessing on Israel summed up in a few words; they having God to be their God, and having so many good things promised them, and in sight of them; being now got through, the wilderness, and on the borders of the land of Canaan; as all such must be happy, whose covenant God is the Lord;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Deuteronomy 34 This chapter informs us of Moses going up to the top of Pisgah, where he was shown the whole land of Canaan, Deuteronomy 34:1; of his death, burial, and age, Deuteronomy 34:5; of Israel's mourning for him, and the time of it, Deuteronomy 34:8; of his successor Joshua, Deuteronomy 34:9; and of the character of Moses,...