John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 33:23

"And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full with the blessing of Jehovah, Possess thou the west and the south." — Deuteronomy 33:23 (ASV)

And of Naphtali he said. He predicts that God would deal bountifully with these two tribes, for to the first a fertile district would be allotted toward “the west and the south.”

What he declares concerning the tribe of Asher is not free from ambiguity, for he is said to be blessed, מבנים, mibanim, i.e., either with children or above children. If we prefer the former meaning, his prolificness (πολυτεκνία) is celebrated, as if to say, Asher shall be blessed with a numerous progeny. There may, however, be a comparison between this tribe and the others; and this might justly be made to its advantage, because it had a very fertile district allotted to it, abounding in wheat of the best quality, as the blessing of Jacob testifies:

“Out of Asher shall bread be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties” (Genesis 49:20).

He adds that “Asher shall be acceptable to his brethren;” from which we gather that his tribe would be of a placid disposition. Afterwards, he figuratively celebrates the abundance of Asher's oil, iron, and brass. For to “dip his foot in oil” means that he would collect an abundant supply of oil; and “his shoes should be iron and brass” means nothing more than that he would tread upon a soil full of these metals.

It is to be readily inferred from this, as from preceding passages, that the blessings now mentioned are not so much wishes or prayers as prophecies, since without the spirit of prophecy Moses could never have divined what, or what sort of, territory was to be given to the several tribes.

Commentators vary concerning the latter words. Some interpret the word דבא, daba, as old age or grief, as if there were a transposition of the letters,³²⁵ and thus restrict the meaning of the word “days” to youth. Others, however, more correctly suppose that Asher was to be strong and vigorous throughout his entire life.

Since, therefore, years gradually debilitate men, Moses promises the posterity of Asher that their vigor would be retained to the very end of their lives.

³²⁵ דבא, a word whose root does not occur in Hebrew. The , a word whose root does not occur in Hebrew. The LXX., and the Chaldee paraphrast, and the Syriac, are unanimous in rendering it ., and the Chaldee paraphrast, and the Syriac, are unanimous in rendering it strength; but the but the V. has . has old age, and those critics, who maintain this to be its meaning, are driven to suppose that it is formed irregularly from and those critics, who maintain this to be its meaning, are driven to suppose that it is formed irregularly from דאב — — W