John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 33

And this is the blessing. The bitterness of the Song was seasoned,³⁰⁴ as it were, by this mitigation, in which Moses left a testimony regarding God’s future and perpetual grace, as if depositing an inestimable treasure in the hands of the people. For, as God, after the deliverance of His people, and the giving of the Law, renewed the covenant which Jacob had testified to and proclaimed, so Moses was, as it were, their second father, to reaffirm its blessings, so that their memory would never be lost.

To inspire confidence in his benedictions, he begins by magnifying his vocation before he addresses them. For, although the word benediction is equivalent to a prayer for success, yet it must be remembered that Moses does not here pray in the usual way, like a private individual, as fathers are accustomed to offer supplications for their children; rather, in the spirit of prophecy, he sets forth the blessings which were to be expected from God.

This, then, is the reason he extols the dignity and glory of his office as ruler in such lofty terms: namely, so that the twelve tribes of Israel may be thoroughly assured that God is the author of these blessings. For the same reason he calls himself “the man of God”: so that the people may receive what he is about to say as if it proceeded from God, whose undoubted minister he is. Nor is the timing without its weight—“before his death,” or “in his death,”—which adds to the prophecy the force of a testament.

And he said, The Lord came from Sinai.³⁰⁵ In these words he reminds them that he is setting before them a confirmation of the covenant, which God had made with them in this Law, and that it is nothing different from it. This connection was of great efficacy in establishing the certainty of the blessings, provided that the Law was duly honored, for nothing was better adapted to confirm the grace of God than the majesty which was displayed in the promulgation of the Law.

Some, as I believe incorrectly, translate it — God comes to Sinai, whereas Moses rather means that He came from there, when His brightness was made manifest. As an embellishment, the same thing is repeated with respect to Seir and Paran. Since these three words are synonymous, therefore to go forth, to rise up, and to come also represent the same thing: namely, that manifestation of the divine glory which should have inspired awe in the minds of all.

It is as if he had said that his blessings were to be received with the same reverence as that which God had secured for His Law, when His face was conspicuously displayed on Mount Sinai. The Prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:3) has imitated this figure, though with a different object: namely, that the people might confidently rely upon His power, which had formerly been manifested to the fathers in visible brightness.

By ten thousands of sanctity,³⁰⁶ I do not understand, as many do, the faithful, but the angels, by whom God was accompanied as by a royal retinue; for God also commanded the ark to be placed between the Cherubim, in order to show that the heavenly hosts were around Him. So in Isaiah (Isaiah 6:6), the Seraphim surround His throne; and Daniel says that he saw ten thousand times ten thousand (Daniel 7:10); thus designating an infinite multitude, as does Moses also by “ten thousand.” It is probable that both Paul and Stephen derived their statement from this passage that the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a mediator (Galatians 3:19; Acts 7:53); for its authority was greatly confirmed by its having so many witnesses (obsignatores).

The Law is placed at His right hand, not only as a scepter or mark of dignity, but as His power or rule of government; for He did not merely show Himself as a king, but also made known how He would preside over them.³⁰⁷

The Law is called fiery in order to inspire terror and to enforce humility upon them all, although I am not opposed to the opinion that Moses alludes in this epithet to the external signs of fire and flame, of which he spoke in Exodus 20. But, since the word דת (dath) means any statute or edict, some restrict it to the prohibition that no one should approach the mountain more closely. In my opinion, however, there is no doubt that it designates all the doctrine whereby God’s dominion is maintained.

Yea, he loved the people.³⁰⁸ If it is preferred to apply this to the Gentiles, the sentence must be understood in this way: “Although He loves all human beings, still His saints are honored with His special favor, because He watches over their safety.” However, it is more correct to explain it as referring only to the children of Abraham, whom He calls “peoples,” because, on account of the multitude into which they had grown in their several tribes, they might be considered as so many nations. And since the particle אף, aph,³⁰⁹ signifies a continuation of time, like adhuc in Latin, the following meaning will be very satisfactory: that, although the descendants of Abraham were divided into various lineages and might therefore seem to be no longer a single family, nevertheless God still continued to regard them all with affection, and their numbers and divisions did not prevent Him from considering them to be a single body.

In summary, God’s favor toward them was not extinguished, either by the passage of time or the increase of the people, but it was constantly extended to the descendants of Abraham, however far or widely they might be spread.

However, it must be observed that in proof of His love, it is shortly added that they were in the hand of God. From this we infer that, from the time God has embraced us with His favor, He is the sure guardian of our safety, from which also arises the firm assurance of eternal life.

The change of person from the third to the second does not obscure the meaning. Since many hypocrites were mixed with the faithful—for the Church of God has always been like a threshing-floor³¹⁰—Moses restricts this special grace of God to those who willingly submit to Him and with pious teachableness embrace this instruction. By this sign, he distinguishes between the true children of God and those spurious or degenerate ones who falsely assume the name.

Where my translation is, “They cleaved to thy feet,” others render the words, “They were struck at thy feet,” but in my judgment, this is a strained interpretation. Others extract from it a useful piece of instruction: that “they were subdued by God’s chastisements, so as to render Him obedience.” But the metaphor is rather taken from disciples who, according to the common usage of the Hebrew language, are said to sit at their master’s feet to attend more diligently. And this is confirmed by the context, for the faithful are said to have attached themselves to God’s feet, so that they might receive of His words, that is, profit by His instruction.

Moses commanded us a law. What he had declared concerning the glory of God and the excellence of the Law, he now applies to himself, since it was his purpose, as I have said, to establish the authority of his own ministry. Therefore, to prove the certainty of his mission, he boasts that he was appointed by God to be the teacher of the people, not for a brief period, but throughout all ages; for by the word “inheritance,” the perpetuity of the Law is signified. He then claims for himself the royal supremacy, not because he had ruled in the manner of kings, but so that the dignity of this high office might add weight to his words. He says that the heads of the people and the tribes were gathered together, with reference to their unhappy disorganization, which was tending to their destruction, as if to say that, under his guidance and by his exertions, the state of the people was re-established.

He begins with Reuben, the first-born, and so far removes or mitigates the ignominy of that condemnation with which he had been branded by his father Jacob, as to stop just short of restoring him to his place of honor. For the holy Patriarch had pronounced a severe sentence, namely, that Reuben should be as unstable as water, and should not excel (Genesis 49:4). Therefore, lest his entire posterity should be discouraged or be rejected by the other tribes, he abates the severity of his disinheritance, as if to pardon the condemned. In short, he assigns to the family of Reuben a place among the sons of Jacob, lest despair should drive them to headlong ruin.

The second clause admits of two contrary meanings. Literally it is, Let him be small in number; and, in fact, this tribe was not one of the more numerous ones. Since, however, it occupied a middle place and surpassed several of the others, some repeat the negative: Let him not die, nor let him be few in number.³¹¹ But it appears more probable that an abatement is made from the rank to which his primogeniture entitled the family of Reuben, and thus that some remainder of dishonor was introduced into the promise of grace. Indeed, not only the tribe of Judah, but also those of Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali, surpassed it in size. Thus, the qualification will be by no means inappropriate: that although Reuben was to be reckoned among the people of God, he still should not altogether recover his dignity.

And this is the blessing of Judah.³¹² Jerome has faithfully given the sense, “This is the blessing,” although it is not actually expressed.

It might at first sight appear inconsistent that some reduction should be made from the splendid and abundant blessings that had been promised to the tribe of Judah. This, however, is by no means the case, for the inviolable decree respecting the supremacy of Judah is not altered in this way; instead, Moses merely reminds them how difficult its accomplishment would be.

Jacob had declared, as if speaking of a peaceful dominion, that his brethren should praise him, that his father’s children should bow down before him; that the scepter should not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet (Genesis 49:8, 10). But, since this dignity lay dormant for a long time, and it was necessary that it should contend with many tedious obstacles before it finally manifested itself, Moses consequently speaks in more limited terms.

Still, he seems to have referred not merely to the earlier period, but also to the various calamities by which the kingdom of David was not only apparently diminished but destroyed; and especially to the melancholy interruption of it that arose from the Babylonian captivity.

The sum is that the prosperity Jacob prophesied was not to be so conspicuous in the tribe of Judah that all things were to be expected to be joyous and successful. Rather, those to whom the supreme power as well as wealth was promised would be exposed to many evils, so that they would be reduced to extremities and be greatly in need of God’s help.

He therefore turns to prayer, and by his example admonishes not only that tribe but the others also, to implore God’s faithfulness in their overwhelming difficulties. This lesson also applies to us, so that we may be more aroused to prayer and supplication the more Satan is urgent for the destruction of Christ’s kingdom.

At the same time, what I have stated must be observed: namely, that the promise remains firm, since it is not in vain that Moses places all the tribes under the dominion of Judah when he petitions that he may be brought unto his people, nor does he promise in vain that God will be at hand to help him, so that he may prevail against his enemies.