Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 33:8
And of Levi he said, [Let] thy Thummim and thy Urim [be] with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
8. The children of the third generation shall enter the congregation ] Jer 36:14 mentions a man under King Jehoiakim called Yehudi, i.e. Jew, whose great-grandfather was called Kushi, i.e. Egyptian, and whose father and grandfather had names derived from the name of Israel’s God.
9 14 (10 15). Of the Holiness of the Camp
In camp Israel shall avoid every evil (Deu 33:9). If a man suffer from pollution he must leave the camp till evening, bathe and then return (Deu 33:10 f.). There shall be a place outside for natural needs, where a man shall cover with earth what comes from him (Deu 33:12 f.); Israel’s God, who walketh the camp, must not see shameful things (Deu 33:14). In the Sg. address, like other laws of War, Deu 20:1-19 f., Deu 21:10-14, and with the same form of opening, and appeal to the same sacred reason.
The reason is D’s own, in his language, but the ideas behind the law were primitive: either, as in the case of the first, sexual uncleanness as a disqualification for service already in practice in Israel (1Sa 21:5, 2Sa 11:11); or, as in the case of the second, the danger of leaving one’s excrement exposed, as though it might be used in magic against one (Frazer, Golden Bough, i. 327 f.; Schwally, Kriegsalterthmer, 61 f., 67). See further note introd. to ch. 20. This law is therefore possibly an earlier one, adapted and partly transformed by D. See below on Deu 33:14. A parallel in P, Num 5:1-4. For Brahminical laws for the same occasions see Beauchamp’s edition of Dubois, Hindu Manners, etc., 2 239 ff.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
8 And of Levi he said:
Give Lev Thy Thummm,
Thine Urm to the man of Thy grace,
Whom Thou didst prove at Probation
And strive with (?) at Waters-of-Strife;
9 Who said of his father and mother,
I do not regard them;
Nor avowed he his brothers,
Nor acknowledged his sons;
But Thine oracles they kept,
And guarded Thy covenant.
10 They deliver Thy judgements to Jacob,
And Thy law to Israel;
They set up smoke in Thy nostrils,
Holocausts up on Thine altar.
11 Bless Thou his service, O Lord,
And accept the work of his hands!
Shatter his opponents’ loins,
And his haters past their opposing.
8. Thy Thummim, etc.] This line is overloaded and has no parallel. Prefix (with LXX) Give Levi, and the result is two parallel lines of 3 + 3 or 3 + 2 as above.
Thummim and Urim ] In inverse order from other records of them in the O.T.: 1Sa 14:41 (LXX); P, Exo 28:30, Lev 8:8; Ezr 2:63, Neh 7:65. They were the two sacred lots used by the priest in giving decisions. See Dri.’s full note, Exod. 313 f.
thy godly one ] Cp. LXX ; Heb. ’ish h a sdka, the man who showed thee esed or true love; or, more probably from the context, to whom thou didst show esed. It is possible to render to the men of him to whom thou, etc., i.e. Levi or Moses or Aaron. The emendation asdka or a sadka, of thy grace, is attractive (Ball).
Whom thou didst prove at Massah, etc.] It is difficult if not impossible to harmonise this couplet with the stories of what happened at Massah = Probation and at M e rbah = Strife as told by JE, Exo 17:1 b7, and JP, Num 20:2-13 (cp. above Deu 6:16, Deu 9:22, Deu 32:51).
For at Massah the people is said to have striven with Moses and to have tempted or proved Jehovah; and at Meribah to have striven with Moses and Aaron for bringing them into the desert and with Jehovah Himself, who gave them water but blamed Moses and Aaron for want of faith. Here on the other hand it is Jehovah who proves, and contends with Levi, the tribe, who are not mentioned in the above narratives. It is possible to argue, however, that what happened at, Massah was God’s proving of Moses by means of a critical situation; and that at Meribah He did in His providence strive or debate with Moses and Aaron by similarly critical circumstances (cp. Psa 81:7); and therefore that this couplet is a possible, if free, interpretation of the above narratives. In that case we may take its relative, whom, and thy godly one of the previous line either as meaning Moses or Aaron or the whole tribe as represented by them. There would remain the discrepancy that while this ‘Blessing’ implies that Levi issued successfully from the proof and strife put upon them by God; P, Num 20:12 f., records the failure of the faith of Moses and Aaron. Calvin seeks to remove this by regarding our couplet as ‘added by way of exception Moses magnifies God’s mercy by this allusion in that He dignified Aaron with so great an honour, notwithstanding his having been overcome with impatience and fallen’; and he quotes the analogy of Christ’s call to Peter to feed His sheep after Peter had thrice denied Him (Joh 21:15-17).
Others explain the couplet as referring to a proof of the tribe Levi not recorded elsewhere (yet cp. Exo 32:26 ff.). Others (e.g. Wellh. Hist. 184, Steuern.) translate for whom (instead of with whom) Thou didst strive whom Thou didst champion, i.e. by giving them the power to bring forth water from the desert rocks. Yet it is also possible to read the vb as a Hiphil, whom Thou causedst to strive or whom Thou broughtest into strife.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thy holy one – i. e., Levi, regarded as the representative of the whole priestly and Levitical stock which sprang from him. The contrast between the tone of this passage and that of Gen 49:5-7 is remarkable. Though the prediction of Jacob respecting the dispersion of this tribe held good, yet it was so overruled as to issue in honor and reward. The recovery of Gods favor is to be traced to the faithfulness with which Moses and Aaron, who came of this tribe, served God in their high offices; and to the zeal and constancy which conspicuous persons of the tribe (e. g. Phinehas, Num 25:11 ff), and the whole tribe itself (compare Exo 32:26), manifested on critical occasions in supporting the leaders of the people. The same reasons led to Levis being selected for the special service of God in the sanctuary (Deu 10:8 ff, and Num 8:5 ff); and for the office of instructing their brethren in the knowledge of the Law. The events at Massah and Meribah, the one occurring at the beginning, the other toward the end, of the forty years wandering, serve to represent the whole series of trials by which God proved and exercised the faith and obedience of this chosen tribe.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Deu 33:8-11
And of Levi he said.
Levi
Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and his name commemorated the desire and hope of his mother, that her husbands heart would be closely joined to her now that she had borne him three sons (Gen 29:34). The Hebrew word from which Levi is derived means to adhere, or to be closely joined. An undesigned prediction lay hid in the name thus given; for Levi was ordained by God to be the official link of union betwixt the whole nation of Israel and its spiritual Head. Through the Levitical priesthood the descendants of Jacob were to be joined unto God in a peculiar covenant; and this fact is distinctly connected with the meaning of Levis name by an inspired utterance recorded in Num 18:2. Yet, during the lifetime of Levi himself, this high spiritual destiny of his tribe could scarcely have been guessed; for this third son of Jacob was joined to his elder brother Simeon in deeds of violence and cruelty that drew upon them a common curse, which in Simeons case, as we have seen, made every blessing of the tribe impossible. The dying patriarch Israel, speaking by the spirit of prophecy, formally disinherited both these men from their natural share in the promised land of Canaan. They were to be divided and scattered (Gen 49:7). And this curse was never recalled in its terms, nor abolished in the case of Levi any more than it was in the case of Simeon; only the wonder working providence of God converted it into an occasion of blessing and honour for the one tribe, whilst leaving it in its original force of a punishment for the other tribe. The exclusion of the Levites from a landed inheritance, and their dispersion amongst the other tribes of Israel, became the highest tokens of the Divine favour towards them, and the means by which they were recognised as the channels of heavenly grace to all the nation. This remarkable change of a curse into a blessing deserves to be studied and remembered by those who are conscious of having brought themselves under the inevitable penalties of past wrong-doing. Those penalties cannot perhaps be recalled, but they can be converted into marvellous opportunities of good in a circle far wider than has been affected by the former evil. And for such a miracle of grace to be accomplished, it is only needful that human repentance and self-consecration should work together with the providence of heaven. (T. G. Rooke, B. A.)
Urim and Thummim
In the blessing of Levi by Moses, the usual order of these two mysterious words is reversed, and Thummim is put before Urim. There is probably a reason for this, namely, to suggest that Levis zeal for the right and perfect way of God, amid the general defection at Horeb, was his real title to the honourable office of interpreting Gods light and Gods truth from His holy oracles. This supreme devotion of himself to right was indeed the sole condition of his blessing and of the Divine election which it declared. (T. G. Rooke, B. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 8. Of Levi he said] Concerning the Urim and Thummim, See Clarke on Ex 28:30.
Thy holy one] Aaron primarily, who was anointed the high priest of God, and whose office was the most holy that man could be invested with. Therefore Aaron was called God’s holy one, and the more especially so as he was the type of the MOST HOLY and blessed Jesus, from whom the Urim – all light and wisdom, and Thummim – all excellence, completion, and perfection, are derived.
Whom thou didst prove, c.] God contended with Aaron as well as with Moses at the waters of Meribah, and excluded him from the promised land because he did not sanctify the Lord before the people.
From the words of St. Paul, 1Co 10:8-12, it is evident that these words, at least in a secondary sense, belong to Christ. He is the Holy One who was tempted by them at Massah, who suffered their manners in the wilderness, who slew 23,000 of the most incorrigible transgressors, and who brought them into the promised land by his deputy, Joshua, whose name and that of Jesus have the same signification.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one; the Thummim and the Urim, which are thine, O Lord, by special institution and consecration; by which he understands the ephod, in which they were put, Exo 28:30, by a synecdoche, and the high priesthood, to which they were appropriated, by a metonymy; and withal the gifts and graces signified by the Urim and Thummim, and necessary for the discharge of that high office, shall be with thy holy one, i.e. with that Levite, that priest, which thou hast consecrated to thyself, and which is holy in a more peculiar manner than all the people were, i.e. the priesthood shall be confined to and continued in Aarons family.
Whom thou didst prove: this seems added by way of anticipation; although thou didst try him, and rebuke him, and shut him out of Canaan for his miscarriage about fetching water out of the rock, yet thou didst not therefore take away the priesthood from him.
At Massah; not at that Massah mentioned Exo 17, which is also called
Meribah, where neither Moses nor Aaron are reproved, nor is Aaron so much as named, but at that other Meribah, Num 20, where this is expressed, which as it is called by one of the names of that place, Exo 17, to wit, Meribah, Num 20, so it may be here called by its other name, Massah; and well may the same names be given to those two places, because the occasion of them was in a great measure one and the same. Though this place may be otherwise rendered, whom thou didst try in trying, or with trial, i.e. whom thou didst exactly and thoroughly try, such repetitions being very frequent and elegant in the Hebrew language. And it may be observed, that in the Hebrew text here are two several prepositions, though the English translation render them both by at, here beth, in or with, and in the next branch al, at, or near, or concerning the waters of Meribah; which may seem to intimate that the former is not the name of the place, as the latter is: why else should they not have been expressed by the same preposition?
With whom thou didst strive, or, contend, i.e. whom thou didst reprove and chastise, as that phrase signifies, Isa 49:25; Jer 2:9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8-10. of Levi he saidTheburden of this blessing is the appointment of the Levites to thedignified and sacred office of the priesthood (Lev 10:11;Deu 22:8; Deu 17:8-11),a reward for their zeal in supporting the cause of God, and theirunsparing severity in chastising even their nearest and dearestrelatives who had participated in the idolatry of the molten calf (Ex32:25-28; compare Mal2:4-6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And of Levi he said,…. That is, Moses said of the tribe of Levi, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
[let] thy Thummim and thy Urim [be] with thy Holy One; with Aaron, as the same Targums interpret it, who was of the tribe of Levi, and was a holy good man, a saint of the Lord, as he is called, Ps 106:16; of the Urim and Thummim, which were with him and with every high priest,
[See comments on Ex 28:30]; and though they were not in use under the second temple, yet had their fulfilment in Christ the antitype of Aaron, who may be chiefly here intended; who is after called the Lord’s Holy One, as he is, both as God and man, holy in both his natures, divine and human, and in his life and actions; and with him are the true Urim and Thummim, lights and perfections, the light of nature, grace and glory, and all perfections, both divine and human;
[See comments on Ex 28:30] i:
whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; which, as it may respect Aaron, may be understood either of the Lord’s proving him and contending with him, by suffering the children of Israel to murmur against him and Moses, at the said places; when, according to the three Targums, he stood in the temptation, and was perfect and found faithful; or of Levi, who, with the rest of the tribes, tried him, and strove with him at the same places; though Jarchi says they did not murmur with the rest that murmured: as it may refer to Christ the antitype of Levi, the sense is, that the Urim and Thummim should be with the Holy One, the Messiah, whom thou, O Levi, with the rest of the tribes, tempted and strove with at the places mentioned; for it is expressly said, they tempted the Lord, Ex 17:7; and which is interpreted of Christ, 1Co 10:9.
i See a Sermon of mine on this text, called “Levi’s Urim and Thummim Found with Christ”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Levi. – Deu 33:8, Deu 33:9. “ Thy right and Thy light is to Thy godly man, whom Thou didst prove in Massah, and didst strive with him at the water of strife; who says to his father and his mother, I see him not; and does not regard his brethren, and does not know his sons: for they observed Thy word, and kept Thy covenant.” This blessing is also addressed to God as a prayer. The Urim and Thummim – that pledge, which the high priest wore upon his breast-plate, that the Lord would always give His people light to preserve His endangered right (vid., Exo 28:29-30), – are here regarded as a prerogative of the whole of the tribe of Levi. Thummim is placed before Urim, to indicate at the outset that Levi had defended the right of the Lord, and that for that very reason the right of the Urim and Thummim had been given to him by the Lord. “Thy holy one” is not Aaron, but Levi the tribe-father, who represents the whole tribe to which the blessing applies; hence in Deu 33:9 and Deu 33:10 the verb passes into the plural. To define more precisely the expression “Thy holy one,” reference is made to the trials at Massah and at the water of strife, on the principle that the Lord humbles His servants before He exalts them, and confirms those that are His by trying and proving them. The proving at Massah refers to the murmuring of the people on account of the want of water at Rephidim ( Exo 17:1-7, as in Deu 6:16 and Deu 9:22), from which the place received the name of Massah and Jeribah; the striving at the water of strife, to the rebellion of the people against Moses and Aaron on account of the want of water at Kadesh (Num 20:1-13). At both places it was primarily the people who strove with Moses and Aaron, and thereby tempted God. For it is evident that even at Massah the people murmured not only against Moses, but against their leaders generally, from the use of the plural verb, “ Give ye us water to drink” (Exo 17:2). This proving of the people, however, was at the same time a proof, to which the Lord subjected the heads and leaders of the nation, for the purpose of trying their faith. And thus also, in Deu 8:2., the whole of the guidance of Israel through the desert is described as a trial and humiliation of the people by the Lord. But in Moses and Aaron, the heads of the tribe of Levi, the whole of the tribe of Levi was proved. The two provings by means of water are selected, as Schultz observes, “ because in their correlation they were the best adapted to represent the beginning and end, and therefore the whole of the temptations.”
Deu 33:9-11 In these temptations Levi had proved itself “a holy one,” although in the latter Moses and Aaron stumbled, since the Levites had risen up in defence of the honour of the Lord and had kept His covenant, even with the denial of father, mother, brethren, and children (Mat 10:37; Mat 19:29). The words, “who says to his father,” etc., relate to the event narrated in Exo 32:26-29, where the Levites draw their swords against the Israelites their brethren, at the command of Moses, after the worship of the golden calf, and execute judgment upon the nation without respect of person. To this we may add Num 25:8, where Phinehas interposes with his sword in defence of the honour of the Lord against the shameless prostitution with the daughters of Moab. On these occasions the Levites manifested the spirit which Moses predicates here of all the tribe. By the interposition at Sinai especially, they devoted themselves with such self-denial to the service of the Lord, that the dignity of the priesthood was conferred upon their tribe in consequence. – In Deu 33:10 and Deu 33:11, Moses celebrates this vocation: “ They will teach Jacob Thy rights, and Israel Thy law; bring incense to Thy nose, and whole-offering upon Thine altar. Bless, Lord, his strength, and let the work of his hands be well-pleasing to Thee: smite his adversaries and his haters upon the hips, that they may not rise! ” The tribe of Levi had received the high and glorious calling to instruct Israel in the rights and commandments of God (Lev 10:11), and to present the sacrifices of the people to the Lord, viz., incense in the holy place, whole-offering in the court. “Whole-offering,” a term applied to the burnt-offering, which is mentioned instar omnium as being the leading sacrifice. The priests alone were actually entrusted with the instruction of the people in the law and the sacrificial worship; but as the rest of the Levites were given them as assistants in their service, this service might very properly be ascribed to the whole tribe; and no greater blessing could be desired for it than that the Lord should give them power to discharge the duties of their office, should accept their service with favour, and make their opponents powerless. The enemies and haters of Levi were not only envious persons, like Korah and his company ( Num 16:1), but all opponents of the priests and Levites. The loins are the seat of strength (Psa 69:24; Job 40:16; Job 31:1; 17). This is the only place in which is used before a finite verb, whereas it often stands before the infinitive (e.g., Gen 27:1; Gen 31:29).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
8 And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; 9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. 11 Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
In blessing the tribe of Levi, Moses expresses himself more at large, not so much because it was his own tribe (for he takes no notice of his relation to it) as because it was God’s tribe. The blessing of Levi has reference.
I. To the high priest, here called God’s holy one (v. 8), because his office was holy, in token of which, Holiness to the Lord was written upon his forehead. 1. He seems to acknowledge that God might justly have displaced Aaron and his seed, for his sin at Meribah, (Exod. xvii. 7), which might be very remarkable, and which God might have an eye to in conferring the priesthood upon him, though no mention is made of it there. All the Chaldee paraphrasts agree that it was a trial in which he was found perfect and faithful, and stood in the trial; therefore not that, Num. xx. 2. He prays that the office of the high priest might ever remain: Let thy thummim and thy urim be with him. It was given him for some eminent piece of service, as appears, Mal. ii. 5. “Lord, let it never be taken from him.” Notwithstanding this blessing, the urim and thummim were lost in the captivity, and never restored under the second temple. But this prayer has its full accomplishment in Jesus Christ, God’s Holy One, and our great high priest, of whom Aaron was a type: with him who had lain in the Father’s bosom from eternity the urim and thummim shall remain; for he is the wonderful and everlasting counsellor. Some translate the thummim and urim appellatively, the rather because the usual order is here inverted, and here only. Thummim signifies integrity, and Urim illumination: Let these be with thy holy one, that is, “Lord, let the high priest ever be both an upright man and an understanding man.” A good prayer to be put up for the ministers of the gospel, that they may have clear heads and honest hearts; light and sincerity make a complete minister.
II. To the inferior priests and Levites, v. 9-11.
1. He commends the zeal of this tribe for God when they sided with Moses (and so with God) against the worshippers of the golden calf (Exod. xxxii. 26, c.), and, being employed in cutting off the ring-leaders in that wickedness, they did it impartially: the best friends they had in the world, though as dear to them as their next relations, they did not spare if they were idolaters. Note, Our regard to God and to his glory ought always to prevail above our regard to any creature whatsoever. And those who not only keep themselves pure from the common iniquities of the times and places in which they live, but, as they are capable, bear testimony against them, and stand up for God against the evil-doers, shall have special marks of honour put upon them. Perhaps Moses may have an eye to the sons of Korah, who refused to join with their father in his gain-saying, Num. xxvi. 11. Also to Phinehas, who executed judgment, and stayed the plague. And indeed the office of the priests and Levites, which engaged their constant attendance, at least in their turns, at God’s altar, laid them under a necessity of being frequently absent from their families, which they could not take such care of, nor make such provision for, as other Israelites might. This was the constant self-denial they submitted to, that they might observe God’s word, and keep the covenant of priesthood. Note, Those that are called to minister in holy things must sit loose to the relations and interests that are dearest to them in this world, and prefer the gratifying of the best friend they have, Act 21:13Act 20:24. Our Lord Jesus knew not his mother and his brethren when they would have taken him off from his work, Matt. xii. 48.
2. He confirms the commission granted to this tribe to minister in holy things, which was the recompence of their zeal and fidelity, v. 10. (1.) They were to deal for God with the people: “They shall teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy laws, both as preachers in thy religious assemblies, reading and expounding the law (Neh 8:7; Neh 8:8), and as judges, determining doubtful and difficult cases that were brought before them,” 2Ch 17:8; 2Ch 17:9. The priests’ lips kept this knowledge for the use of the people, who were to ask the law at their mouth, Mal. ii. 7. Even Haggai, a prophet, consulted the priests in a case of conscience, Hag. ii. 11, c. Note, Preaching is necessary, not only for the first planting of churches, but for the preserving and edifying of churches when they are planted. See Eze 44:23Eze 44:24. (2.) They were to deal for the people with God, in burning incense to the praise and glory of God, and offering sacrifices to make atonement for sin and to obtain the divine favour. This was the work of the priests, but the Levites attended and assisted in it. Those that would have benefit by their incense and offerings must diligently and faithfully observe their instructions.
3. He prays for them, v. 11. (1.) That God would prosper them in their estates, and make that which was allotted them for their maintenance comfortable to them. Bless, Lord, his substance. The provision made for them was very plentiful, and came to them easily, and yet they could have no joy of it unless God blessed it to them; and, since God himself was their portion, a particular blessing might be expected to attend this portion. Bless, Lord, his virtue; so some read it. “Lord, increase thy graces in them, and make them more and more fit for their work.” (2.) That he would accept them in their services: “Accept the work of his hands, both for himself and for the people for whom he ministers.” Acceptance with God is that which we should all aim at, and be ambitious of, in all our devotions, whether men accept us or no (2 Cor. v. 9), and it is the most valuable blessing we can desire either for ourselves or others. (3.) That he would take his part against all his enemies: Smite through the loins of those that rise against him. He supposes that God’s ministers would have many enemies: some would hate their persons for their faithfulness, and would endeavour to do them a mischief; others would envy them their maintenance, and endeavour sacrilegiously to deprive them of it; others would oppose them in the execution of their office and not submit to the sentence of the priests; and some would aim to overthrow the office itself. Now he prays that God would blast all such attempts, and return the mischief upon the heads of the authors. This prayer is a prophecy that God will certainly reckon with those that are enemies to his ministers, and will keep up a ministry in his church to the end of time, in spite of all the designs of the gates of hell against it. Saul rose up against the Lord’s priests (1 Sam. xxii. 18), and this filled the measure of his sin.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 8-11:
Th8 blessing on Levi, like that of Judah, is also in the form of a prayer. In Jacob’s blessing, Simeon and Levi were joined together, see Gen 49:5-7. Moses does not make the connection between the two, possibly because Simeon was to be scattered among his brethren.
Thummin and Urim, “righteousness and lights,” see Exo 28:30.
Massah, Meribah, see Exo 17:1-7.
Verse 9 refers to Exo 32:26-29, where the Levites responded to Moses’ challenge to execute the Divine sentence of judgment upon the idolaters. They did not spare any guilty, even if the culprit was a close family member.
Verse 10 refers to God’s choice of Levi to minister before Him in a mediatorial and teaching capacity, because of their zeal in the matter of the golden calf.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
8 And of Levi he said. This qualification, or modification of the harsher sentence of Jacob was introduced not only for the sake of the tribe of Levi, but rather of the whole people. Jacob had said,
“
Simeon and Levi are brethren: instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, my tongue, (313) be not thou united,” (Gen 49:5.)
Assuredly their descendants might have been discouraged, or at least might have been regarded contemptuously, when a patriarch, and the founder of their race, had thus abominated them. God, however, afterwards consecrated this tribe to Himself, so that their sanctity might be communicated to the other tribes; which could not be the case unless their previous opprobrium were removed.
But if any contentious person had objected to this blessing, as if Moses were too much disposed to favor his own tribe, such a suspicion could not justly be harbored against him; first, because he, who now makes such honorable mention of the tribe of Levi, was also the proclaimer of their ignominy; and on many other occasions had not spared his own family, but, whenever it was requisite, had freely inveighed against their vices; and, secondly, he now commends nothing in the Levites except the new dignity, which it had pleased God to confer upon them. On this point, indeed, he ought to have been least of all suspected, inasmuch as he had degraded his own sons, and had exalted the posterity of Aaron alone to the highest place of honor. Now, therefore, he has no other object but that the dignity of the priesthood should not be depreciated on account of the sins of men, and thus their religion itself be despised. For we all know how disposed people are to lay charges against the persons of men which may derogate from the sacredness of their office. Assuredly, if Levi had not been purged from that disgrace which he had incurred, the priesthood would have been altogether deprived of reverence; and thus God’s worship would have been very lightly esteemed. Now, however, when God sanctifies this family to himself, he, as it were, restores it entirely; and hence it is apparent that its punishment was only temporary, since Moses had no intention of retracting what the Spirit had dictated to holy Jacob. Nor does he, indeed, advance anything of himself; but the same Spirit removes the ignominy, which might have disgraced the tribe of Levi, inasmuch as it had only been imposed upon it for a time. We have already seen elsewhere that what Jacob prophesied respecting the dispersion of this family, resulted in its honor; since God posted the Levites in all directions like sentinels, that through their means purity of doctrine might be fostered amongst the whole people. They were, therefore, scattered in such a manner as that their punishment might be productive of benefit. We must, therefore, conclude, that Moses spoke not to gratify his brethren, but made honorable mention of the priesthood, lest those, whom God had chosen as this ministers, should be treated with contempt. And, doubtless, the subsequent grace of their calling should have blotted out the recollection of their previous infamy. Thus Christ, when He would restore Peter to the office of an apostle, cancels his triple denial, by thrice setting him over His sheep. (Joh 21:17.)
The address, which follows, must be applied to God; for some translate it improperly, “The Urim and Thummim shall be with thee,” as if Moses were addressing the tribe of Levi. In order, therefore, to avoid ambiguity, it will be well to translate it of Levi, rather than to Levi; and ל, lamed, is often used in this sense. Thus, with the purpose of increasing the authenticity of the benediction, Moses addresses God Himself, as if citing Him as a witness, or referring his injunctions to God’s tribunal.
Although in Hebrew the words Urim and Thummim (314) are here used, which were principal parts of the sacred Ephod, I have not hesitated to translate them as common nouns: for it is unquestionable that by these symbols were denoted, the knowledge of the Law which is the only light of our souls, and integrity of life. The sum, however, is that the honor of the priesthood was deposited with Aaron, whom he calls the man of God’s clemency, or, the meek. Jerome, as usual, renders it the holy, but improperly; for (315) חסיד, chasid, signifies mild, or humane; and this epithet is constantly applied to the children of God, in order that we may learn to imitate that Father of mercy, who “maketh his sun to rise upon the evil and the good.”
What follows, viz., that God tried him at Massah, I conceive to be added by way of exception; for I have no doubt but that Moses magnifies God’s mercy by this allusion, in that He had dignified Aaron with so great an honor, notwithstanding his having been overcome by impatience, and having fallen. Still it must be remarked that, in reference to the people, the zeal of Aaron is recorded as praiseworthy; as much as to say, that the sin of Aaron flowed from the fountain of virtue, since it was from holy indignation that he fell into the passion of impatience, when he could not endure that the people should rebel against God. Unless perhaps it be preferred to understand these words by way of apostrophe to the people, “Thou didst try, thou didst provoke him to contention, or didst quarrel with him.” But the context will run better, if we understand that God then had a controversy with Aaron; inasmuch as, although overcome by the trial, he still gave no despicable proof of his piety, and from that time forward did not cease to execute his office with sedulity.
(313) A.V., “Mine honour.” See C. on Gen 49:0., C. Soc. Edit., vol. 2, p. 447.
(314) C.’s criticism will be better understood here by giving his version in English:
Deu 33:8
., “But to Levi he said, Thy perfections and splendours were to Thy merciful man, whom Thou didst try in Massah, and madest him to contend at the waters of Meribah.”
(315) A. V. , “Holy one.” It cannot be reasonably said that this word is not used for holy, as well as for merciful. — W.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) And of Levi.Next to Joseph, this tribe has the largest share in Moses last words, as we might naturally expect, it being his own tribe. The character of the priest is the principal subject. The blessing may be thus paraphrased: Let thy Thummim and thy Urim (the chief high-priestly ornaments) be ever with some saintly man of thine, like him whom thou (Israel) didst tempt in Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah (Moses own departed brother Aaron is alluded to, for the people murmured against them both in both places), like him (Eleazar or Phinehas) who said to his father and to his mother, I have not seen him, &c. These are the priests that shall teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy law. The conduct of the tribe of Levi at Sinai is alluded to, when they stood by Moses and slew the idolaters. Who headed them on that occasion we are not told. Eleazar or Phinehas may be intended. The conduct of Phinehas (in Numbers 25) is also a case in point. As Rashi observes, his father and his mother, his brethren and children cannot be taken literally, because the tribe of Levi on the whole was faithful. The fathers, mothers, brethren, and children chiefly belonged to the other tribes.
Let thy Thummim and thy Urim.See Exo. 28:30. Thy Thummim and thy Urim may refer to Israel, or to Levi, or to Jehovah Himself. In the last case, He must be thought to have tried Levi at Massah, and striven with Moses and Aaron at the waters of Meribah. It is not at all easy to distribute the pronouns with certainty in this speech.
If the writer of Deuteronomy was unconscious of any difference between priest and Levite, how is the mention of Urim and Thummim to be explained?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8-11. Of Levi he said This is also addressed to Jehovah as a prayer.
“Thy Thummim and thy Urim,
Thy right and thy light.”
For Thummim and Urim see what is said in Exo 28:30, and Lev 8:8.
Thy holy one Moses and Aaron were the noblest members of the tribe of Levi. With almost unwavering steadfastness they had served Jehovah through the wilderness wandering. Aaron, as high priest, is referred to as the holy one. In Psa 106:16, he is called Jehovah’s holy one. Although Aaron is no longer living when Moses pronounces the benediction on the tribes, he may be considered as the representative of the high priesthood. And in one sense he may be deemed the representative of the tribe.
Massah Comp. Exo 17:1-7.
Meribah Comp. Num 20:1-13. The reference to these two places favours the idea that a real person is referred to in the expression thy holy one, namely, Jehovah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Deu 33:8-11
And of Levi he said,
Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one,
Whom you proved at Massah,
With whom you strove at the waters of Meribah;
When he comes to Simeon and Levi (compare Gen 49:5), what he has to say specifically concerns Levi predominantly and so Simeon’s name is quietly, and in view of their error, firmly dropped. This was almost certainly deliberate in order to retain the mention of twelve tribes. When listing the tribes of Israel they were always listed as twelve and one was always dropped (because Joseph had divided into Ephraim and Manasseh), for ‘twelve’ was the essential number of the confederacy.
“Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one.” Central to the ministry of the Levites to the people of Israel was that their leader, ‘the Priest’ (the High Priest), dispensed Yahweh’s will through the Urim and Thummim. We could describe these as ‘holy lots’ through which the divine will could be discovered (see Exo 28:30; Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; 1Sa 28:6 and so on). ‘Your godly one’ probably refers to Aaron, although it may signify Moses. Both were of the tribe of Levi. Moses may well have been the first to use Urim and Thummim before they were passed over to Aaron on the establishment of the High Priesthood, although his intimacy with Yahweh had become such (Num 7:89) that there would for him be little necessity for them, except perhaps in smaller matters of judgment.
“Whom you proved at Massah, with whom you strove at the waters of Meribah.” Outwardly this would make ‘your godly one’ Moses for it was with him that they, along with the whole of Israel, strove at Massah and Meribah (Exo 17:1-7), but Aaron was already identified with Moses in the leadership as against the grumbling people (Exo 16:2). Thus ‘your godly one’ could equally be Aaron. And in the light of the fact that the Urim and Thummim are said to be ‘with him’ (that is, with his designated successor) Aaron is probably intended.
The purpose of this description is to bring out why Aaron was separated off as ‘the Priest’ along with his sons. He alone (and presumably his family) had not been involved in rebelling against Yahweh.
Deu 33:9
“Who said of his father, and of his mother,
I have not seen him;
Nor did he acknowledge his brethren,
Nor knew he his own children.”
As Yahweh’s holy ‘Priest’ Aaron was forbidden to enjoy the usual family relationships. He was in some ways separated off from his family. When any of his family died, whether father, mother, brother, sister, son, or whoever, he was not to touch their dead bodies nor even leave the tabernacle while serving there, in the event that they were to die suddenly (Lev 21:11). As God’s supreme representative on behalf of Israel he had to be impervious to all family loyalty. This was proof of Aaron’s dedication and his especially holy position.
Or the picture may have been of Moses whose position meant that he had to keep separate from family loyalties.
Deu 33:10
“For they have observed your word,
And keep your covenant.
They shall teach Jacob your ordinances,
And Israel your law:
They shall put incense before you,
And whole burnt-offering on your altar.”
The ministry of all the sons of Levi, the Levites and the priests, is now described. They were to observe His word and guard His covenant, as they had already done when rallying round Moses in the case of the molten calves (Exo 32:26-29), and as they did now by their tents surrounding the Sanctuary. They were to teach ‘Jacob’ God’s ordinances, and ‘Israel’ His law. They were to offer incense before Yahweh (a right limited of course to the unblemished priests) and whole burnt offerings on His altar. They were to be ‘divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel’ in a way that Jacob did not probably expect when he gave his blessing (Gen 49:7)). The priests and Levites were to be very influential throughout the land in the Judges period, and while some overstepped the mark, in general they held Israel to the faith (Jdg 17:11; Jdg 19:1).
As far as the sanctuary was concerned the Levites as a whole were in the beginning merely transporters of the holy things, with only the priests being actually able to enter the Holy Place and pack up the holy things. So the Levites who were not of the priestly family were very much ‘carriers’. However, it seems that levitical duties did include the passing on of the law and the ordinances of Israel, and the external guardianship and general maintenance of the Sanctuary.
There is regularly in fact a problem of terminology when speaking of ‘the Levites’ as to who exactly are in mind, as the term often referred to ancestry, but also referred to special privilege. Aaron was originally ‘the Levite’ (Exo 4:14) who would be capable of assisting Moses with his oratory. It would seem that possibly even then ‘the Levites’ were seen as having a position, even at that time, where they were noted for oratory and possibly for teaching the pre-Sinai laws and statutes of Israel. As Aaron was of the family of Levi there is no justification for seeing this privilege as going outside that family, but it would explain why they were so suitable later to be teachers of the Law. Alternatively ‘the Levite’ may in his case simply bring out that he was the tribal head.
Thus we have the possibility that when ‘the Levite’ is spoken of later the term is seen as having in mind the priestly family of Aaron the Levite. In Deuteronomy itself distinction is made between ‘the priests, the Levites’ and the other Levites in chapter 18, although it mainly deals with the levitical priests. In the light of the previous records he did not see it as necessary to explain the difference, nor limit the term.
Deu 33:11
“Bless, Yahweh, his substance,
And accept the work of his hands,
Smite through the loins of those who rise up against him,
And of those who hate him,
That they rise not again.”
In the light of this Moses calls for Yahweh’s protection on them. He asks Him to bless the substance of the tribe of Levi, their cities, their fields, and all the tithes and their part in the sacrifices, and to accept from their hands the work that they will do. For if Yahweh does not accept their work, of what use will it be? He also asks that all who rise up against them, and also those who hate them, will be smitten where it most hinders them so that they do not rise again. The Levites were to be under His special protection. This was what made sin against them so heinous. The prayer is that any who opposed them be dealt with by Yahweh, because they could not protect themselves..
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 8-11. And of Levi he said Moses, having finished that part of his prayer which related to Judah, enters rapidly on a new subject, and offers his petitions in behalf of his own tribe. He begins by entreating the Almighty that the sacerdotal office might continue in this tribe, in which he had been pleased to appoint it, notwithstanding that they, together with the rest of Israel, had twice very remarkably displeased him through their disobedience and want of faith. But, as they had manifested a great zeal for the service of the Lord on another remarkable occasion, and had duly punished all offenders without the least respect of persons, he prays that it might still be their province for the future both to administer justice, and to offer sacrifices: and though they were exempted from war, yet, as the time would come when this tribe would produce some of the greatest champions that Israel ever saw, he implores that God would grant them success equal to their valour, and assist them in making an entire conquest of those enemies who would endeavour to reduce the Jewish nation to their yoke. This is Durell’s general account of the prophesy respecting Levi. Houbigant gives a very different turn to it: the passage is certainly extremely difficult. We will first lay before the reader Durell’s version and interpretation of it; and, secondly, that of Houbigant.
I. “Ver. 8. Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be to thy holy one,whom thou didst prove at Massah,and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; 9. Who said to his father,and to his mother, I have not seen you;neither did he acknowledge his brethren,nor know his own children:for they observed thy word,and kept thy covenant:10. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments,and Israel thy laws:they shall put incense before thee,and whole burnt-sacrifice on thine altar:11. Bless, LORD, his forces,and accept the work of his hands:smite through the loins of them that rise against him,and let not his enemies rise up again.” Thy Thummim and thy Urim, ver. 8 are here manifestly used, by a metonymy, for the priesthood; and are properly called God’s, as they were made by his appointment, and were a means of intercourse between him and his people. There is some difficulty in these three verses 8, 9, 10 to ascertain who the general subject of them is, and to whom the pronouns are relative; besides, that there twice occurs in them an enallage of number. In respect of the first of these points, it is generally supposed that the 8th verse relates to Aaron, and to his successors the priests, only; and the 9th and 10th to the rest of the tribes. But there seems to be no ground for such a distinction; for Aaron is not said to have been particularly concerned in the first temptation at Rephidim, Exo 17:2 as he was in the latter here referred to, at Kadesh, Num 20:3-4. On both these occasions, God made a general trial of the faith of his people; and they were all, excepting perhaps Joshua, Caleb, and Eleazar, found guilty: and though this cannot be understood here, as it is generally, of all the Israelites, it may be more applicable to the Levites than to any others, who, as they were God’s more immediate ministers, incurred a proportionably greater condemnation. But how can a whole tribe be called the holy one of the Lord? We answer, With as much propriety, perhaps, as Aaron can: for chasid, does not always signify a complete character of virtue and piety, but is as frequently used for such as were objects of God’s favour, or whose office was sacred; which is as true of the Levites in general as of their first high-priest. But, did not the privilege of using the Urim and Thummim belong to Aaron in particular, and to his line? We grant that it did: but the point in question seems to be, whether these were not rather discriminative of the whole tribe from the rest, than of one part of it from the other. And with regard to the singular number being here used, it is no more than is done in respect to all the other tribes; and therefore I think Levi must be the general subject throughout these verses, whether expressed by the singular or plural, which is indifferent, as the word is a noun of multitude. Secondly, as to the person to whom this discourse is addressed, it cannot be Levi, as Le Clerc says; for, in that case, thy Holy one must be understood either of GOD or of Aaron: if of GOD, though it is true that Levi proved him at the places before mentioned, HE must be the subject of ver. 9 which is absurd; and if understood of Aaron, how did Levi in particular tempt him in Massah and Meribah? Besides, ver. 9 when applied to him only, is false. It is much more reasonable, therefore, to consider all that is said here, as a prayer addressed to God, mentioned in the verse preceding this 8th. For, however divided the learned may be respecting this verse, they must all agree, that the six pronouns in the two verses following relate to God, though his name is at a much greater distance there than here. I read in the 9th verse, I have not seen you; for the Hebrew, followed by our version, cannot surely be the true reading, him having either no antecedent, or such a one as cannot agree with it. The LXX read, I have not seen thee; and the Vulgate and Arabic, I have not seen them; joining thereby both father and mother, which the other version takes separately. Not to see, plainly implies here the same as in the instances referred to; namely, not to acknowledge or regard. See Gen 29:32. 1Ch 17:17. It is said of the Levites, ver. 10. They shall teach thy judgments, &c. The Levites are not only commissioned to instruct the people in the law of Moses, but were also appointed by that very law to be judges and interpreters of it in civil as well as religious cases. Lev 10:11. Deu 17:8-9. They actually enjoyed this power in its full extent for many centuries. 2Ch 30:22; 2Ch 31:2; 2Ch 35:3 and though they were abridged of it afterwards in some respects, they still had a considerable share of it about the time of the dissolution of their national polity. Joh 18:31. Act 23:3; Act 23:35. The other expressions in this verse refer to the duties of the sacerdotal office. The Hebrew word chaiil, rendered substances in our version, ver. 11. I render forces, as it is almost universally used in a military sense for valour or strength, whether in a single person, or a whole army. The distinguished exploits of the Maccabean princes seem to be alluded to in this place. This is the most shining part in the character of this tribe, and it gives a lustre which exceeds that of all the other tribes. It is difficult, I apprehend, to assign a reason, consistent with Moses’s character, why he should pray so ardently for the prosperity of this tribe in particular; and to shew how the two last lines are connected with the two preceding ones of this verse, according to the common interpretation; whereas the sense here given frees Moses from partiality, enlarges his object from a small tribe to a whole nation, and accounts, in some measure, for the enallage of the numbers in this and the foregoing verse. Thus far Durell.
We will now, II. lay before the reader Houbigant’s version and interpretation. “Ver. 8. Thy Thummim and thy Urim is of thy holy one,whom thou didst tempt at the place of temptation,whom thou didst reproach at the waters of contention. 9. He shall say to his father and his mother, I have not seen him;he shall not know his own brethren;he shall not acknowledge for his sons any other than thosewho shall observe thy word, and keep thy covenant.10. These same shall teach Jacob thy judgmentsand Israel thy law.They shall put incense before thee,and whole burnt-offerings on thine altar:11. Bless, O LORD, his strength,and favour the work of his hands:Let him wound the loins of his enemies,and let those who hate him not rise up again.” Upon which passage, this writer observes, that, in the first place, thy holy one cannot be applied to Aaron; which, Durell having approved also, we shall take for granted. Secondly, he observes, that it is impossible to apply to Levi all that is said in this prophesy; for Moses, blessing the twelve tribes, foretels their future state, and the peculiar disposition of each tribe: but it was not the state nor the disposition of the tribe of Levi, for children not to acknowledge their parents; on the contrary, the priests and Levites invited their relations to partake of the sacrifices and tithes, so that the words, who said unto his father, &c. ver. 9 cannot belong to them. Nor would Moses have said, Bless, LORD, his strength or forces; for the sacred history nowhere informs us that the Levites excelled the other Israelites in strength; nor can the strength of war be meant, because the Levites were exempted from war. Neither can it be determined to what work of the Levites we may refer the words favour the works of his hands. Certainly, the victims offered by the Levites and all their ministry is not usually called the work of the hands of the Levites: and then the last of these words, wound the loins of his enemies, &c. cannot be peculiar to the tribe of Levi, which had no enemies but such as were common to all the tribes. These, which are not the least difficulties of this passage, lead the attentive reader, as it were, by the hand, and almost compel him to think that, in this blessing of Levi, the Levitical priesthood is opposed to the future priesthood of the MESSIAH; this being the meaning of Moses’s words: “Thy Thummim and thy Urim is of, or from, thy Holy One, whom thou hast tempted. That perfection and that doctrine which thy priests possess is not thine, that thou mayest either have it from thyself, or impart it to others: it will be the prerogative of thy Holy One; of Him, whom the Lord will not suffer to see corruption; whom thou hast tempted; the same of whom St. Paul says, nor let us tempt Christ; whom Moses tempted, when, hesitatingly, he struck the rock; whom both Aaron and Moses, when Moses said, can we bring water for you from this rock?Who shall say to his father and his mother, I have not seen, i.e. known him; the same who saidwho is my mother? He that doeth the will of my Father, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” In perfect conformity to which, it is said, he will not know any other for his sons, than those who shall keep thy word. In the line, who shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law, the discourse is turned to GOD, as appears from the following verse, Bless, LORD, &c. They who teach the judgments are the same who keep the word, namely, those whom the Holy One will acknowledge as his own; who were to promulge the light of the Gospel, and to offer an acceptable sacrifice to God. His strength was to be blessed by God’s favouring the work of his hands, and wounding the loins of his enemies; those same enemies, of whom it is said, Psa 110:5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 239
THE BLESSING BESTOWED ON THE TRIBE OF LEVI
Deu 33:8-9. And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.
AS the father of his people, Moses desired to bless them before his death; and the pronouncing of this blessing, in which he was endued with a spirit of prophecy, was the last act of his life. The grounds on which the blessing was bestowed on the tribe of Levi, are so peculiar, that they deserve a distinct consideration. There is manifestly a testimony given them of decided approbation: and from this circumstance commentators have been led to regard the whole of what is spoken in the text as of the same import; and to supply from conjecture what is nowhere noticed in the Mosaic history, or rather to contradict altogether what is plainly noticed. The conduct of Levi both at Massah (which was also called Meribah), and, above thirty-eight years afterwards, at another place called Meribah, was exceeding sinful [Note: Compare Exo 17:7 with Num 20:10-13.]. At the latter place in particular, both Moses and Aaron, as well as the people, offended God; and were for that offence doomed to die in the wilderness, and never to enter into the promised land. Hence it might have been supposed that God would punish the tribe of Levi and the house of Aaron by withdrawing from them the peculiar honours he had conferred upon them; but as on one occasion they had signalized themselves by a very exalted act of obedience, he was pleased to record what they had done, and to make it an occasion of continuing in their line the most distinguished testimonies of his regard. This sense accords with the history; to the very terms of which the text seems specifically to refer [Note: Compare the language in Num 20:13 with the text.].
In the words before us there are two things particularly to be noticed;
1.
The commendation of Levi
The act for which they were commended was truly laudable
[When the people throughout the camp of Israel were worshipping the golden calf, Moses, filled with indignation, called the Levites to him, and bade them gird on swords and slay the ringleaders in idolatry throughout the whole camp: and this order they executed immediately, without any respect of persons whatever: they spared not either their nearest relatives or their dearest friends; but slew of the people three thousand men [Note: Exo 32:25-29.].
This would be thought by many to be a savage act, and to deserve censure rather than praise: but it must be remembered, that God was, if I may so speak, their earthly Governor (they lived under a theocracy); and; that they acted in obedience to their supreme Magistrate: nor could cruelty be imputed to them any more than to any person who executes the laws amongst ourselves. They were justified in what they did, precisely as Phinehas was justified in destroying Zimri and Cozbi. The law itself required, that, if their nearest relative only enticed them to idolatry, even where there was no overt act committed, they should instantly give information against him, and with their own hands put him to death [Note: Deu 13:6-10.]. But here was the overt act visible to all; and the civil magistrate was present to sanction their conduct: and therefore they were bound to obey the order given them, and to execute the laws with impartial severity. Hence their conduct is marked in our text as an act of obedience to God, and a vindication of the quarrel of his covenant [Note: Lev 26:25 with the text.].]
Nor is it by any means unconnected with our duty as Christians
[Certainly we have nothing to do with the judgment of zeal, nor any right to take the execution of the laws into our own hands. But we should be zealous for the honour of God; and we ought, in subserviency to the laws, to exert ourselves for the suppression of open impiety and profaneness. More particularly are we bound to serve God ourselves, and to account all personal sacrifices as unworthy of a thought in comparison of our duty to him. Our Lord tells us, not only that if we love father or mother more than him, we are not worthy of him; but that we must hate father and mother, yea, and our own lives also, if we would be his disciples [Note: Mat 10:37 and Luk 14:26.]. Of course this must not be understood positively; (for the Gospel inspires nothing but love, and that even to our bitterest enemies:) but it must be taken comparatively; and be explained as intimating, that we should be so firm and decided in our obedience to him as to be altogether unmoved by the affection or menaces of our dearest friends, or even by the apprehensions of the most cruel death. Our Lord himself has set us an example in this respect: for, when some persons told him that his mother and his brethren were standing without, and desirous to speak with him, he replied, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, the same is my brother and sister and mother [Note: Mat 12:47-50.]. Thus must love to the Creator be the predominant affection in our hearts; and all inferior considerations must be subordinated to his glory.]
From the commendation given them we proceed to notice,
II.
Their reward
This may be considered as of two kinds;
1.
Official honour
[The Urim and Thummim were in some way united to the breast-plate of the high-priest; and by means of them he was enabled to discover the mind and will of God when he went in before the Lord to consult him on any particular occasion. What they were, and how they answered the purpose for which they were made, we are not informed: and therefore it is in vain to waste time in conjectures. Suffice it to say, that the high-priest who wore them was authorized to consult God in all public matters, and enabled to discover his mind and will [Note: Exo 28:29-30.]. Now Moses prays, and indeed prophetically declares, that this high honour should descend to the posterity of Aaron: and that the service of the tabernacle should continue to be administered by the tribe of Levi [Note: Deu 33:11-12.]. This was a most exalted privilege; and, above a thousand years afterwards, it was expressly declared to have been given as a reward of the obedience before referred to [Note: Mal 2:5.]. What a glorious testimony was this, that God will suffer nothing that we do for him to pass unnoticed even here: much less shall it go unrewarded in a future world. Truly them that honour God, God will honour; and every one that will serve him shall receive an abundant recompence of reward ]
2.
Personal benefit
[The official honour was conferred on the posterity of those whose conduct was approved. But do we suppose that the immediate agents were overlooked, and that no blessing was bestowed on them? We can have no doubt but that they also had a recompence in their own bosoms. The import of the words Urim and Thummim is, Illuminations and Perfections: and these are the special benefits which God will confer on all his faithful servants. There is indeed a manifest connexion between the work and the reward. The work in this present instance was a vigorous maintenance of Gods honour, with an utter disregard of every consideration in comparison of it: and where that is, there will be a clear insight into the divine will, and a growing conformity to the divine image. Where internal rectitude is wanting, the mind will be obscured, and the feet will stumble: but where the single eye is, there will the whole body be full of light, and the conversation be regulated agreeably to the commands of God. Light in the mind, and holiness in the life, are mutually influential on each other: each will languish or be advanced, according as the other flourishes or decays: illumination and perfection will be the portion of the decided Christian: but darkness and inconsistency will be the fruit of a temporizing and timid conduct.]
To prevent misapprehension or misconduct, we shall subjoin a word,
1.
Of caution
[Let not any one imagine that religion countenances a fiery zeal on any occasion whatever. The conduct of the Levites has not been proposed for imitation under the gospel dispensation, any further than is necessary for the maintaining of steadfastness in our allegiance to God. We are not to wage war, except against our spiritual enemies: and even then the weapons of our warfare must not be carnal, but spiritual. In all the opposition which it may be necessary to make to our earthly friends or relatives, we must maintain a holy meekness and patience, not attempting to oppose evil by evil, but to overcome evil with good. The civil magistrate indeed may use the sword, and ought to be a terror to evil-doers; and all Christians should be ready to aid him in the suppression of iniquity: but in all private and personal concerns our only armour must be that which God himself has provided for us [Note: Eph 6:11-17.], and we must overcome our enemies by the blood of the Lamb [Note: Rev 12:11.].]
2.
Of direction
[Let a concern for Gods honour and your own spiritual advancement be paramount to all other considerations whatever. You must not account even life itself dear to you, so that you may but finish your course with joy. It must never be a question with you, whether you will perform any particular duty, however difficult it may be, or whatever self-denial it may require: your mind must be made up to follow the Lord fully, and to observe the commandments of God without preferring one before another, and doing nothing by partiality. This is the way to entail the blessing of God upon your souls, and to grow both in knowledge and in grace. But you must not attempt these things in your own strength: in order that you may be enabled to act thus, you must pray to the God of peace to sanctify you wholly, and to make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ: to whom be glory for ever and ever: Amen [Note: 1Th 5:23; Heb 13:20-21.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Moses dwells much upon the tribe of Levi, But it is remarkable, that though he himself was of that tribe, yet he never once mentions his relationship. It is precious to remark the humility of Moses. And yet more so, when we connect with it the grace of the LORD in him, from whom that humility originated. The prayer of Moses for the blessing of Levi in the priesthood is striking. The Urim and the Thummim, signified lights and perfections, qualities eminently necessary to be joined to the priesthood. But where among the sons of Levi, must we look for them? With thee only, blessed JESUS, who art indeed the holy one, and the only holy one of JEHOVAH: can we find these things, and with thee, they are forever. The waters of Meribah, and Massah, were monuments of the fallibility of human priesthood. Perhaps the period alluded to, of Levi’s faithfulness, was as related. Exo 32:27-28 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 33:8 And of Levi he said, [Let] thy Thummim and thy Urim [be] with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
Ver. 8. Let thy Thummin and thy Urim. ] Sincerity of life and soundness of doctrine. See Trapp on “ Exo 28:30 “ There is great cause that ministers, of all men, should be much prayed for.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Deu 33:8-11
8Of Levi he said,
Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man,
Whom You proved at Massah,
With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;
9Who said of his father and his mother,
‘I did not consider them’;
And he did not acknowledge his brothers,
Nor did he regard his own sons,
For they observed Your word,
And kept Your covenant.
10They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob,
And Your law to Israel.
They shall put incense before You,
And whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11O Lord, bless his substance,
And accept the work of his hands;
Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him,
And those who hate him, so that they will not rise again.
Deu 33:8-11 In the Qumran literature, scrolls found in caves northwest of the Dead Sea, Deu 18:18 and Num 24:15-17, which are definite Messianic prophecies, are linked with this passage. They thought that the Messiah was related to the Levites (cf. Psa 110:4-7; Zechariah 3-4).
This blessing includes not only the past faithful acts of Aaron (cf. Psa 106:16), but also of Moses (cf. last two lines of Deu 33:8 and Exo 17:1-7).
Deu 33:8 Your Thummim and Your Urim These two items (BDB 1070 and 22) were (1) a mechanical way (i.e., lots) or (2) a visible light which denoted a prophecy to know the will of YHWH. Apparently they were kept by the High Priest in a pouch behind the breast plate (cf. Exo 28:30; Lev 8:8; 1Sa 14:37-42; 1Sa 23:9-12). Exactly what they were and how they worked has been lost (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 329-331).
Your godly man This may refer to Aaron or Moses or the descendant of the High Priest, but the historical reference mentioned refers to Moses.
Massah. . .Meribah Read Exo 17:7. However, the rebellion at this location did not mention Levi or the priests in any way. The exact connection is uncertain.
Apparently YHWH tested both Israel and her leadership during the wilderness wandering period to see if they really trusted Him and His care and guidance (cf. Exo 17:7).
1. proved/test – BDB 650, KB 702, Piel PERFECT
2. strive/contend – BDB 936, KB 1224, Qal IMPERFECT
Notice that YHWH regularly tests (BDB 650) the motives and commitment of those who claim to know and trust Him:
1. Abraham – Genesis 22
2. Israel – Exo 15:25; Exo 16:4; Exo 20:20; Deu 8:2; Deu 8:16; Deu 13:3 Jdg 2:22; Jdg 3:1; Jdg 3:4
3. Moses – Deu 33:8
4. Hezekiah – 2Ch 32:31
5. Jesus was also tested – Matthew 4; Luke 4
This same word is used often for humans testing God, which is always seen in a negative light!
Deu 33:9 This refers to the passage in Exodus 32, where Israel became involved in idolatry in the making and worshiping (i.e., sexual orgy) of the golden calf. At this point Moses ordered the faithful Levites (his own tribe) to kill many of their fellow Israelites in judgment (cf. Deu 32:25-29).
By this action, even against their own family, they are honored for:
1. they observed Your word – BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal PERFECT, cf. Deu 29:9
2. they kept Your covenant – BDB 665, KB 718, Qal IMPERFECT, cf. Psa 25:10; Psa 78:7; Psa 119:2; Psa 119:22; Psa 119:33-34; Psa 119:56; Psa 119:69; Psa 119:100; Psa 119:115; Psa 119:129; Psa 119:145
Deu 33:10 teach. . .put incense. . .and whole burnt offerings These are the duties of the Levitical priests:
1. teaching – BDB 434, KB 436, Hiphil IMPERFECT, cf. Deu 31:9-13, which includes judging, cf. Deu 17:9-10
2. duties at the tabernacle/temple
Deu 33:11 This short verse has four VERBS and two PARTICIPLES:
1. bless – BDB 138, KB 159, Piel IMPERATIVE, cf. Deu 33:1; Deu 33:13; Deu 33:20; Deu 33:24; Deu 28:3(twice),4,5,6(twice),8,12,19; Deu 30:16. This is what YHWH wants to do!
2. accept – BDB 953, KB 1280, Qal IMPERFECT. This is a sacrificial term, cf. Lev 1:4; Lev 7:18; Lev 19:7; Lev 22:23; Lev 22:25; Lev 22:27, which can also mean enjoy, Lev 26:34 (twice)
3. shatter – BDB 563, KB 571, Qal IMPERATIVE, used of YHWH in Deu 32:39, here of their enemies (cf. #4, #5, and #6)
4. those who rise up – BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE, used of adversaries
a. to God, Exo 15:7
b. to Israel, Exo 32:25; Psa 109:28
c. to one’s neighbor, Deu 19:11
5. those who hate him – BDB 971, KB 1338, Piel PARTICIPLE, often in the Psalms for enemies, cf. Psa 18:40; Psa 44:7; Psa 44:10; Psa 55:12; Psa 68:1; Psa 89:23
6. rise again (negated) – same root as #4, but here a Qal IMPERFECT. This could refer to the other Israelites who attacked Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership during the wilderness wandering period.
NASB, NKJV
NRSVbless his substance
TEVhelp their tribe to grow strong
NJBbless his worthiness
This term (BDB 298) can have several connotations:
1. its basic meaning is capacity or power
2. strength
3. ability, skills
4. worthiness
5. accomplishments
6. possessions
Shatter the loins This is literally break the thigh (i.e., the largest muscle in the body used as a symbol for the whole person). This is a Hebrew metaphor for making someone powerless. It is even possible that it has the connotation of stopping procreation, thereby, no future generations.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Thummim . . . TJrim. See note on Exo 28:30. Num 26:55.
Thy holy one = Thy man (‘ish, App-14.) of loving-kindness, or gracious One = the High Priest who was of the tribe of Levi. See note on Exo 3:5.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Thummim
(See Scofield “Exo 28:30”) .
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Let thy: Exo 28:30, Exo 28:36, Lev 8:8, Num 27:21, 1Sa 28:6, Ezr 2:63, Neh 7:65
with thy: Lev 21:7, Num 16:5, 2Ch 23:6, Ezr 8:28, Psa 16:10, Psa 106:16, Heb 7:26, Rev 3:7
prove at: Deu 8:2, Deu 8:3, Deu 8:16, Exo 17:7, Num 20:13, Psa 81:7
Reciprocal: Gen 29:34 – was Gen 46:11 – Levi Exo 32:27 – slay every man Num 3:6 – General Num 35:8 – possession Jos 21:3 – unto the Levites Jdg 3:4 – to prove Jer 31:14 – satiate Eze 44:16 – keep Eze 47:19 – strife Mal 2:5 – covenant Mat 21:33 – husbandmen Joh 6:6 – prove
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 33:8. Of Levi he said Said to God in prayer. Let thy Thummim, &c. That is, the Thummim and Urim which are thine, O Lord, by special institution and consecration, (understanding thereby the ephod, in which they were put, the high-priesthood to which they were appropriated, and withal the gifts and graces signified by them, and necessary for the discharge of that high office,) be with thy holy one That is, with that priest whom thou hast consecrated to thyself, and who is holy in a more peculiar manner than the people are. He means let the family of Aaron perpetually retain the priesthood, and be endued with that uprightness in the discharge of their duty and that light and knowledge in divine things which are signified by the Thummim and Urim. Notwithstanding this blessing, the Urim and Thummim were lost in the captivity, and never restored under the second temple. But they have their full accomplishment in Jesus Christ, Gods Holy One, and our great High-Priest, of whom Aaron was but a type. With him, who had lain in the Fathers bosom from eternity, the Urim and Thummim shall ever remain, for he is the wonderful and everlasting Counsellor. Whom thou didst prove at Massah That is, try and rebuke, but yet didst not take away the priesthood from him. With whom thou didst strive Whom thou didst reprove and chastise. Le Clerc, however, refers these words to the people. Whom thou, O Israel, didst prove or tempt at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive, &c. Which happened twice. See Exo 17:2, and Num 20:2. In both these places, it appears that Aaron was tempted, and tried, and strove against, by the people no less than Moses.