Deuteronomy 33 7

Deuteronomy 33:7 kjv

And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.

Deuteronomy 33:7 nkjv

And this he said of Judah: "Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies."

Deuteronomy 33:7 niv

And this he said about Judah: "Hear, LORD, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!"

Deuteronomy 33:7 esv

And this he said of Judah: "Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him in to his people. With your hands contend for him, and be a help against his adversaries."

Deuteronomy 33:7 nlt

Moses said this about the tribe of Judah: "O LORD, hear the cry of Judah
and bring them together as a people.
Give them strength to defend their cause;
help them against their enemies!"

Deuteronomy 33 verses

Deuteronomy 33 7 Meaning

Deuteronomy 33:7 contains Moses' prophetic blessing upon the tribe of Judah, invoking divine favor. It comprises a four-fold petition: a plea for God to Hear Judah's voice in prayer, to bring him safely to his people – perhaps signifying protection and integration during warfare or return from dispersal, to ensure Judah's hands are sufficient for its tasks and challenges, and critically, that God Himself be a help against his adversaries. This blessing foresees Judah's significant role, its inherent capabilities, and its absolute reliance on God for success and survival in a hostile world.

Deuteronomy 33 7 Context

Deuteronomy 33:7 is part of Moses' farewell blessing to the twelve tribes of Israel (Deut 33:1-29), delivered shortly before his death on Mount Nebo. Following the Deuteronomic covenant speeches, these blessings serve as Moses' final prophetic words, affirming God's continued covenant loyalty and envisioning the future roles and prosperity of each tribe in the Promised Land. The blessing for Judah, placed after Reuben, Judah, Levi, and Benjamin, acknowledges its central importance within the Israelite nation, foreshadowing its future prominence, particularly in kingship and the messianic line. Unlike Jacob's more evaluative blessings in Genesis 49, Moses' blessings are primarily prayers for divine favor and prosperity. This specific verse emphasizes Judah's reliance on God for its very existence and success amidst potential conflicts and internal challenges.

Deuteronomy 33 7 Word analysis

• And this he said of Judah: Introduces the specific pronouncement for the tribe of Judah, marking it as a distinct and significant prophecy by Moses. The pronoun "he" refers to Moses, the human conveyor of divine blessings.
• Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah:
  • Hear: From Hebrew Shema (שְׁמַע), a foundational word in Israelite faith meaning to listen attentively, understand, and obey. Here, it is a fervent petition for God's divine ear to be open to Judah's prayers and pleas, particularly in times of distress or warfare.
  • LORD: YHWH (יְהוָה), the covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal and relational involvement with His people, underscoring that the appeal is to the one true God who acts on behalf of His covenant partners.
  • Voice of Judah: qol Yehudah (ק֥וֹל יְהוּדָה). This implies not just Judah's audible cries, but its petitions, its lamentations, its appeals, and its leadership directives being heard and acknowledged by God. It signifies a profound reliance on God for guidance and intervention.
• and bring him to his people: tebîʾēhū ʿamōw (תְבִיאֶ֑נּוּ עַמּ֣וֹ). This phrase carries multiple layers of meaning:
  • Restoration from battle: Could mean returning Judah safely from military expeditions or re-integrating those scattered in warfare back to the fold. This highlights God's protective role in keeping the tribe intact and cohesive.
  • Full integration/unity: Could refer to the assimilation of isolated or splintered factions of Judah within the broader tribal confederation, or more generally, maintaining unity within Israel.
  • Polemics: Potentially an indirect plea against the divisive tendencies of tribalism or against the absorption of Judah into hostile nations, asserting Judah's distinct identity and its divine preservation within Israel.
• let his hands be sufficient for him: yādāyw rab lêlōw (יָדָיו רַב־ל֣וֹ).
  • Hands: Metonymy for Judah's power, strength, efforts, and capacity, especially in warfare or in developing their territory.
  • Sufficient: From Hebrew rab (רַב), meaning "abundant," "ample," "much," or "great." This signifies more than just 'enough,' but a surplus of strength, resourcefulness, or capacity, implying divine enablement for tasks, challenges, and potentially victories. It is a prayer for competence and fruitfulness through God's blessing.
• and may You be a help against his adversaries: wĕʿēzer mitstārāyw tēmôr (וְעֵ֖זֶר מִצָּרָ֥יו תִּהְיֶֽה).
  • Help: ʿēzer (עֵזֶר), divine assistance, implying that while Judah's hands might be sufficient, the ultimate decisive help in dire straits must come from God. It highlights God as the supreme Warrior and Protector.
  • Adversaries: mitstārāyw (מִצָּרָיו), literally "his oppressors" or "those who distress him." This refers to external enemies or internal threats that might arise against Judah, emphasizing the ongoing need for divine protection in a world of conflict. It reinforces the theological understanding that Israel's battles are ultimately God's battles.

Deuteronomy 33 7 Bonus section

Moses' blessing for Judah, while concise, carries immense weight due to Judah's eventual role in sacred history. The repeated emphasis on "his hands" and divine "help" anticipates Judah's robust, often militaristic, future leadership in Israel, yet consistently points to the necessity of God's overarching favor. This blessing implicitly contrasts with periods when Judah, and Israel as a whole, might suffer defeat or exile, reaffirming the call for God's redemptive "bringing back" and "helping against adversaries." It also sets a theological precedent that the most powerful human endeavors are divinely ordained and empowered, not self-sufficient. This prayer would resonate strongly throughout Judah's history, from the era of Judges (where Judah often led the tribes into battle, e.g., Judg 1) through the Davidic monarchy (where God’s help ensured victory, e.g., 2 Sam 8) and into the prophetic expectation of Messiah from Judah’s lineage. The blessing's focus on God hearing Judah also suggests that Judah's prosperity is directly tied to its consistent prayer and alignment with God's will.

Deuteronomy 33 7 Commentary

Moses' blessing for Judah is a deeply significant prophetic prayer, acknowledging its preeminent destiny and seeking divine sustainment for that purpose. It grounds Judah's future success, leadership, and survival not in its own inherent strength alone, but fundamentally in God's attentiveness, protection, and provision. The plea for God to hear Judah's voice foreshadows the tribe's ongoing role in spiritual leadership and its constant recourse to the Divine. The petition to bring him to his people stresses the importance of communal integrity and God's role in gathering and protecting His own, especially those on the front lines. The blessing of sufficient hands speaks to God-given capability and resourcefulness for the practical demands of nation-building and warfare. Crucially, the ultimate appeal for God to be a help against his adversaries underlines the consistent biblical truth that ultimate victory and security for God's people reside solely in His divine intervention, recognizing that no human power is sufficient without His aid. This prophetic prayer looks forward to Judah's line producing the promised Messiah, for whom all these elements – divine listening, safe return, self-sufficiency in ministry, and triumph over all spiritual and temporal enemies – find ultimate fulfillment.