deuteronomy 33:1-29, triennial vezot haberakhah, “and this is the blessing”

Read Deuteronomy 33:1-29 at Bible Gateway.

the teaching tools of scripture

Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Deu 33:1-6 {s} The giving of the Torah + the blessing on Reuben
Deu 33:7 {p} The blessing on Judah
Deu 33:8-11 {s} The blessing on Levi
Deu 33:12 {s} The blessing on Benjamin
Deu 33:13-17 {s} The blessing on Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh)
Deu 33:18-19 {s} The blessing on Zebulun and Issachar
Deu 33:20-21 {s} The blessing on Gad
Deu 33:22-23 {s} The blessing on Dan and Naphtali
Deu 33:24-29 {s} The blessing on Asher + the excellency of God

Chiastic structure:

1a) Deu 33:1, This is the blessing with which Moses blessed Israel before his death;

1b) Deu 33:2-5, He gave the people He loves His law/ He is King in Jeshurun;

1c) Deu 33:6 {s} The blessing on Reuben;

1d) Deu 33:7 {p} The blessing on Judah;

1e) Deu 33:8-11 {s} The blessing on Levi;

1f) Deu 33:12 {s} The blessing on Benjamin;

central axis) Deu 33:13-17 {s} The blessing on Joseph;

2f) Deu 33:18-19 {s} The blessing on Zebulun and Issachar;

2e) Deu 33:20-21 {s} The blessing on Gad;

2d) Deu 33:22-23 {s} The blessing on Dan and Naphtali;

2c) Deu 33:24-25, The blessing on Asher;

2b) Deu 33:26-28, There is no one like the God of Jeshurun;

2a) Deu 33:29 {s} Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD.

There are two interesting highlights in this structure. The only strong paragraph division follows the blessing on Judah, so that he is set apart from the other brothers. Then the blessing on Joseph forms the central axis. We see again the spotlight on the two tribes, Judah and Joseph, which we first noted in Genesis. These are the two houses, the southern kingdom of Judah, and the northern kingdom of Ephraim (the ten tribes), which separated during the reign of Solomon’s son. They appear throughout the prophets, and Ezekiel prophesies of their reuinification in the last days under a single King (Eze 37:15-17). These are also the two witnesses, who appear throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, bearing witness that YHVH is God, Creator and King.