Deuteronomy 33:23 kjv
And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
Deuteronomy 33:23 nkjv
And of Naphtali he said: "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south."
Deuteronomy 33:23 niv
About Naphtali he said: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake."
Deuteronomy 33:23 esv
And of Naphtali he said, "O Naphtali, sated with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, possess the lake and the south."
Deuteronomy 33:23 nlt
Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: "O Naphtali, you are rich in favor
and full of the LORD's blessings;
may you possess the west and the south."
Deuteronomy 33 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 30:8 | Then Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister... So she called his name Naphtali." | The tribe's name connects to "wrestling" vs. God's easy favor. |
| Gen 49:21 | "Naphtali is a doe let loose; He uses beautiful words." | Jacob's earlier blessing on Naphtali. |
| Num 2:29 | "The tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan." | Tribal organization and identity. |
| Josh 19:32-39 | "The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali according to their families... Its border was from Heleph... and the coast turns westward..." | Allotment of Naphtali's actual territory, confirming location. |
| Judg 4:6 | "Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh Naphtali..." | Prominent figures from Naphtali leading Israel. |
| 2 Ki 15:29 | In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. | The challenges faced in the promised land. |
| Isa 9:1-2 | Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who was distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali... In Galilee of the Gentiles. | Prophecy of spiritual light in Naphtali's region. |
| Matt 4:13-16 | And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali... that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying... "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light..." | Fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy; Jesus' ministry in Naphtali's territory. |
| Ps 5:12 | "For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield." | Connection between divine favor and blessing. |
| Ps 30:5 | "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life..." | Emphasizes God's enduring favor. |
| Ps 84:11 | "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." | God provides all good things from His favor. |
| Ps 103:2 | "Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits..." | Reflecting on the comprehensive blessings received. |
| Ps 145:16 | "You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing." | God's role in satisfying and filling. |
| Prov 10:22 | "The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it." | The nature of God's true blessing. |
| Phil 4:19 | "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." | God's comprehensive provision, ensuring satisfaction. |
| 2 Cor 9:8 | "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." | Abundant grace and sufficiency from God. |
| Eph 1:3 | "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..." | Spiritual blessings from God as source. |
| 1 Pet 1:4 | "...to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you..." | The enduring nature of spiritual inheritance/possession. |
| Josh 1:3 | "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you..." | God grants physical possession of land. |
| Deut 8:7-9 | "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills..." | Description of the promised land's abundance, enabling blessing. |
| Heb 11:9-10 | "By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." | The nature of inheritance, both earthly and heavenly. |
Deuteronomy 33 verses
Deuteronomy 33 23 Meaning
Deuteronomy 33:23 conveys Moses' prophetic blessing upon the tribe of Naphtali just before his death. It pronounces abundant divine favor and overflowing blessing upon them. This spiritual endowment translates into their earthly inheritance, assuring them prosperous possession of their allotted territory, particularly referring to the fertile regions to their west and south. The verse signifies God's gratuitous provision and fulfillment of promises for His people.
Deuteronomy 33 23 Context
Deuteronomy 33 forms part of Moses' final words and blessings to the tribes of Israel just before his death, as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. This chapter parallels Jacob's blessings in Genesis 49, but offers a renewed perspective under the Mosaic covenant. Each tribe receives a unique prophetic word, highlighting their characteristics, roles, and destiny within the land. Historically, the tribes were about to inherit and possess their designated territories, making the geographical allusions in the blessing highly relevant. This specific verse for Naphtali describes a highly favorable outlook for their portion of the land and their future.
Deuteronomy 33 23 Word analysis
- O Naphtali: (Hebrew: נַפְתָּלִי, Naphtali) – Meaning "my wrestling," related to Rachel's exclamation in Gen 30:8. This blessing contrasts Naphtali's original "struggle" (birth story) with divine peace and abundant provision.
- satisfied: (Hebrew: שָׂבֵעַ, savea') – Implies a state of being completely filled, abundant, or sated. It speaks of not lacking anything, having sufficiency, and being content.
- with favor: (Hebrew: רָצוֹן, ratzon) – Refers to divine approval, delight, goodwill, or acceptance. It denotes God's favorable disposition, unmerited and overflowing. This highlights that their blessing is not due to merit but God's gracious will.
- And full: (Hebrew: מָלֵא, male') – Reinforces the idea of overflowing abundance, completeness, and wholeness. It means being entirely replete.
- of the blessing: (Hebrew: בְּרָכָה, berakah) – A concrete manifestation of God's favor. It encompasses prosperity, fruitfulness, well-being, and every good gift. The source is divine.
- of the LORD: (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHVH) – Refers to God's covenant name, emphasizing that the favor and blessing originate solely from the faithful God of Israel. This directly contrasts with reliance on local Canaanite deities for prosperity.
- Possess: (Hebrew: יְרָשָׁה, yerasha) – To inherit, to take possession of, or to dispossess others. It signifies a secure and rightful claim to territory.
- the west: (Hebrew: יָם, yam) – Literally "sea," referring to the Sea of Galilee, which bordered Naphtali's western frontier. This indicates access to significant water resources and fertile land.
- and the south: (Hebrew: דָּרוֹם, darom) – Refers to the southern regions of Naphtali's allotted territory, specifically indicating rich, fertile agricultural plains that stretched towards the south.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD": This phrase beautifully expresses the gratuitous and comprehensive nature of God's blessing. It highlights both spiritual and material well-being as a result of divine pleasure, not human effort. The divine source ("of the LORD") is crucial, differentiating Israel's God from pagan deities who were believed to control local harvests.
- "Possess the west and the south": This provides the practical, geographical fulfillment of the blessing. Naphtali's territory was historically one of the most fertile parts of the Promised Land, around the Sea of Galilee and extending into rich plains, making this a specific and literal blessing of abundant land. The description likely implies not just the possession of barren land but a land ripe for flourishing.
Deuteronomy 33 23 Bonus section
The mention of "west" and "south" specifically refers to Naphtali's strategically and agriculturally valuable territory. The "west" often refers to the Kinnereth (Sea of Galilee) and its rich surrounding plain, famous for its abundant waters and crops. The "south" portion might refer to the rich plain of Genesaret or other fertile areas within their allocated tribal lands. This blessing served not just as a promise of physical land, but also of God's continuous presence and provision in that land. This focus on "favor" (רָצוֹן, ratzon) being the source of "blessing" (בְּרָכָה, berakah) underlines a consistent biblical theme: all true prosperity originates from God's gracious disposition toward His people.
Deuteronomy 33 23 Commentary
Deuteronomy 33:23 succinctly describes the rich portion awaiting the tribe of Naphtali, attributing it entirely to the gratuitous favor and overflowing blessing of the LORD. Despite the tribe's name being associated with "struggle" (Naphtali, "my wrestling"), the blessing proclaims a state of ultimate satisfaction and fullness, not through their own striving, but through God's abundant goodwill. Their physical inheritance, the fertile lands bordering the Sea of Galilee ("west") and extending southward, serves as a tangible manifestation of this divine favor. This blessing implicitly asserts God's sovereignty over the land's fruitfulness, challenging any local pagan beliefs that attributed agricultural prosperity to false gods. Moreover, this very region, "Galilee of the Gentiles," later became the primary ground for Jesus' ministry (as foretold in Isa 9:1-2), showing a deeper fulfillment where the physical blessing of land translated into the spiritual blessing of light and salvation.