Deuteronomy 33:20–21 meaning

Moses pronounced blessings on the tribe of Gad.

Moses continues the poem of blessing he pronounced upon Israel that he began in Deuteronomy 33:1. Next, Moses pronounced blessings on the tribe of Gad, son of Jacob by his maidservant Zilpah (Genesis 35:26). He began with a word of praise to the Suzerain God, saying, Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad (v. 20). The word “blessed” (Heb. “bārūḵ”) in this context does not refer to material possessions received by humans. Rather, it refers to praise offered to God for something He has done. Here, Moses called for all to bless the LORD because He is the one who enlarges Gad. This might include reference to the Gadites getting permission from the LORD to settle east of the Jordan River (Numbers 32:28-42).

Human beings bless God by praising Him. Psalm 34 provides a good illustration of the usage of the term since David used it in parallel with the verb “to praise.” David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

Moses then described the tribe of Gad as that which lies down as a lion and tears the arm, also the crown of the head. This is a graphic picture of the Gadites’ warlike, aggressive, and vicious nature. They fought well with the other tribes in the conquest of the Holy Land, and they were good at defending themselves against the other nations east of the Jordan River. Since Gad’s territory flanked the eastern border of Israel, their fierceness would be an important asset that would protect the entire nation (see map of territory in Additonal Resources) .

In the next verse, Moses stated that Gad provided the first part for himself (v. 21). The Gadites, the Reubenites, and the half tribe of Manasseh received their tribal allotments east of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 3:12–17). Since these tribes had an “exceedingly large number of livestock” (Numbers 32:1) and since they thought the eastern side of Jordan would best meet their needs, they asked Moses to allow them to settle there. Moses agreed to grant their request after they vowed to help their fellow Israelites conquer the land of Canaan on the west side of the Jordan River (Numbers 32:1–25).

So, after Israel’s victory over King Sihon of Heshbon (Numbers 21:23-24) and King Og of Bashan (Numbers 21:33-35), Moses distributed ownership of their territories to these tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh. The territory of Gad was the ruler’s portion, by far the best portion of land (see map) .

Receiving the best land of Canaan was the reward for when Gad came with the leaders of the people. This means that Gad occupied a position of leadership among the tribes of Israel during the conquest of the Promised Land. By fighting alongside the other tribes, Gad was said to have executed the justice of the Lord, and His ordinances with Israel. The Gadites fulfilled their obligation and were thus praised for their commitment to the covenantal laws of God. They indeed executed righteousness and lived according to God’s precepts in their land.

Biblical Text

²⁰Of Gad he said,
“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad;
He lies down as a lion,
And tears the arm, also the crown of the head.
²¹“Then he provided the first part for himself,
For there the ruler’s portion was reserved;
And he came with the leaders of the people;
He executed the justice of the Lord,
And His ordinances with Israel.

Check out our other commentaries:

Zephaniah 3:1-7 meaning
Zephaniah pronounces judgment against Judah and her wicked rulers, prophets, and priests. God sent them ample examples of nations being disciplined for evil, but rather......
Hosea 9:7-9 meaning
Hosea tells Israel that the time of judgment has arrived. It has come upon her because she has been hostile toward God’s prophets and has......
Deuteronomy 28:64-68 meaning
Moses then described what life would be like in exile, where they would serve other gods, live in constant fear for their lives, and be......
Amos 5:8-9 meaning
Having called individuals in Israel to seek God so that they may live, Amos portrays the LORD as the sovereign God who controls everything in......
Acts 2:42-47 meaning
The disciples of Jesus devote themselves to learning from the apostles and taking care of one another. They sell property to provide for their fellow......

Additional Resources

Book Theme

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and last book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of the first 4 books and picks up exactly where the book of Numbers ends (with the people on the plain of Moab). Therefore, as we set the context for the book of Deuteronomy, it is important that we briefly summarize the theme of the previous books to see how the story of God unfolds.

Genesis describes God’s plan to bless the Israelites and the world through one man named Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). Exodus focuses on God’s loving act by which He rescued the Israelites from Egypt in order to have a covenant relationship with them. Once the children of Israel are redeemed, Leviticus instructs them to live a holy life that reflects the life of their covenant redeemer (cf. Lev. 19). Since the first generation of the Israelites failed to obey God wholeheartedly, the book of Numbers displays a strong contrast between God’s faithfulness and the nation’s failure. That is why the book of Deuteronomy reiterates and expands on the covenant to a new generation of Israelites poised to enter and conquer the Promised Land. The message of the book is centered around two key terms: love and loyalty (Deut. 6:4-5).

Outline of Deuteronomy:

I. Introduction: Moses will explain the law (1:1 – 5)
II. Moses’ First Sermon – a Recounting of the LORD’s Faithfulness (1:6 – 4:43)
III. Introduction to Second Sermon on expositing the Law (4:44 – 49)
IV. Moses’ Second Sermon – an Exposition of the Law Given at Mt. Sinai (5:1 – 26:19)
V. Script for Covenant Renewal Ceremony Once they enter the land (27:1 – 29:1)
VI. Moses’ Third Sermon – a Call to Obedience (29:2 – 30:20)
VII. The Last Acts of Moses (31:1 – 34:12)

Chapter Context

Deuteronomy 33 records Moses’ final blessings on the tribes of Israel, just prior to his death (Deuteronomy 34:5). They are expressed using poetry (as in Deuteronomy 32:1-43). It was customary for a father to proclaim a blessing on his children just before his death (see Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49). Here Moses, acting like a father having guided and disciplined the Israelites for forty years, now bestowed his blessing just prior to his death.

The chapter contains ten separate blessings for the twelve tribes. Interestingly, the tribe of Simeon is missing from these blessings. It could be that Simeon is omitted because his prophecy given by Jacob was that he would be scattered, and this is a prophetic word for Israel being gathered. In other lists, other tribes are omitted, as in Revelation 7:4-7, where Dan is omitted. Dan is a stumbling block, and could be omitted in Revelation 7 to indicate that there will be no more stumbling blocks in Israel in the last days.

In this list the tribe of Joseph is divided into Ephraim and Manasseh (vv. 13–17). Zebulun and Issachar share the same blessing, making a total of twelve tribes. In the various lists of tribes, there are always twelve, but they are accounted differently. Twelve tribes were allotted land, with Joseph’s two sons each being given an allotment, and Levi omitted. In this list, Simeon is omitted, and Joseph’s two sons counted. In the Revelation 7 list, Manasseh is included, and Joseph is counted instead of Ephraim, but Dan is omitted.

Deuteronomy 33 can be outlined as follows:

Introduction to the Tribal Blessings (Deuteronomy 33:1-5)
The Tribal Blessings (Deuteronomy 33:6-25)
- On Reuben (Deuteronomy 33:6)
- On Judah (Deuteronomy 33:7)
- On Levi (Deuteronomy 33:8-11)
- On Benjamin (Deuteronomy 33:12)
- On Manasseh and Ephraim (Deuteronomy 33:13-17)
- On Zebulun and Issachar (Deuteronomy 33:18-19)
- On Gad (Deuteronomy 33:20-21)
- On Dan (Deuteronomy 33:22)
- On Naphtali (Deuteronomy 33:23)
- On Asher (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)
Praises to the LORD of Blessings (Deuteronomy 33:26-29)

Deuteronomy 33:20–21 meaning

Check out our other commentaries:

Zephaniah 3:1-7 meaning

Hosea 9:7-9 meaning

Deuteronomy 28:64-68 meaning

Amos 5:8-9 meaning

Acts 2:42-47 meaning

Additional Resources

Book Theme

Chapter Context

Maps and Charts

Videos

The Bible Project - Deuteronomy Summary

Download Commentary