1 Then, before his death, Moses (the man of Elohim) blesses the sons of Israel with the following benediction:
2 [Moses] sings, “ [Back at the Red Sea, YAH's] right hand shot [forth] a fiery Law to [enlighten us,] His People. [Then] YHVH sped us [north] from [Bush] Mountain. He radiated [guiding light] for us [all the way through the] Seir {Rough} [range]. His [radiance broke] forth over mount Paran {Gleam}. [Finally] he [brought us here to the holy land, where we stand flanked by countless] myriads of [His] Holy [angels]. The exact sequence of this verse is a matter of debate.3 [YAH] absolutely loves [his] People. He caresses his holy ones with his [almighty] hands. All [true holy] people sit down at [YAH's] feet. [We] receive [and carry through life] his words [of wisdom]. 4 [I], Moses, [have now] instructed [you], the community of Jacob, in [YAH's] Law. This verse appears to be a later explanatory note or congregational response. Its literal text is: law he-minstructed to·us Moses tenancy assembly-of Jacob5 So YAH is the king over Jeshurun {The-Upright-Nation}. So, heads of the people of the tribes of Israel, gather [yourselves] together [for a coronation-celebration blessing].”6 [Moses continues, “The tribe of] Reuben {Look-a-Son} lives on; [his line] can't die. But [because Reuben laid with his Dad's woman, his lineage] tends toward death, with a huge proportion of doomed [members].” See Gen 49:3-4.7 Then [Moses] gives the [following] blessing to [the tribe of] Judah {Celebrated}. [Moses] prays, “YHVH, [please] hear the voice of Judah. [Unite] Judah with [the other tribes of Israel]. Don't let [the Jews go on] trusting in [their] own self-defense powers. Please help [the Jews pray instead of fighting when their] enemies [attack].” Or: ‘Strengthen Judah's hands.’ Scholars propose that Simeon's tribe was later absorbed into the tribe of Judah; hence Simeon receives no explicit blessing from Moses. | Moses Blesses The Levite Priests | 8 Then [Moses] prays for [the tribe of] Levi {Uniter}: “[YHVH], let your [sacred paranormal decision-making] stones [stay in the hands of] your holy [High Priesthood], even though the [priests] tested you at Massah {Testing-Ground}, [and they] struggled against you at the waters of Meribah {Bickering}. Stones: Thummim and Urim. See Ex.28. Testing: ex17.9 [I pray that the Levites always] deny [nepotistic favors] to their own parents — that the [Levites] refuse to [sell biased verdicts] to their own brothers and sisters or even their own children. [I pray that the Levites always] observe Your word [s], [that they] preserve Your covenant. In Ex 32:27, obeying a command Moses dubiously attributed to YHVH, the Levites killed all who sinned, regardless of family connection.10 [I pray that Hebrew priests] always: teach Jacob's [descendants] your judgments, and [that they direct] Israel [to follow] Your law, [and that] they [keep sending the smoke of sacred] incense [prayers up] to your ‘nose,’ and [that they keep smoke-roasting] flawless [kosher donated food] on your [cooking] altar[s to feed poor people and to provide food for sacred feasts]. Incense symbolizes holy prayer. #3632 kaliyl means ‘perfect and whole’, NOT the horribly translated, sickening: ‘whole burnt offering’. ‘Kaliyl’ can be used like the word ‘kosher’ is used today, meaning ‘top-notch’.11 YHVH, approve [the priests'] powers. Accept the work of [their] hands. When [infidels] rise in hate to attack [true priestly authority], crush the [infidels'] privates, so they never ‘rise’ again. Or the more polite: ‘crush the attackers to the core, so the priests rise once more.’12 Then, [to bless the tribe of] Benjamin {Right-Hand-Son}, [Moses sings], “ YHVH safely-shelters his beloved [child]. [So] keep trusting [YAH]. YHVH spreads his [protection] over his darling all day long. [The faithful] live between [YAH's] wings.” Jerusalem sits as if between the shoulders of two ‘wings of YHVH’. These wing-mountains are in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.
"By him" is not in some texts. | Moses Blesses The Tribe[s] Of Joseph | 13 Then [Moses] prays [for the tribe of] Joseph {Increaser}: “YHVH, bless [Joseph's] land. [Rain] the precious [treasures] of heaven from above [like the dew]. [Bubble up living] waters from [earth's] subterranean canyons. Blessed: Gen 49:25. Or, ‘protect Joseph's people from [Satan,] the monster of the abyss.’14 [Give your servant] precious fruits birthed by the sun, the richest yield the moon can offer. The richest fruit, and the only fruit that matters, is Fruit of the spirit.
Smart farmers plant by observing the moon.15 [Give your servant all the riches of earth,] from the caps of the ancient mountains to the precious treasures [under] the [ever]lasting hills. Echoing Gen 49:26.16 [Above] the precious [treasures] of earth and all that fills it, [I pray that you, Joseph, receive] the delighted-smile of [YHVH], whose [angel talked to me from inside] the [burning] thorn-bush. [All these blessings eternally] rest on Joseph's head. [YAH] crowns the [prophet] his brothers rejected. 5572 cnah (thorn-bush, think "snag") appears here and in ex 3:2. (Nowhere else in scripture.) Compare Gen 49:26.17 [I pray for] honor for [Ephraim, Joseph's] firstborn bull. Ephraim's myriads and Manasseh's thousands [are powerful and dangerous. Like two] horns of a wild ox, they eventually push to the ends of the earth, [herding] together all people-groups [into the kingdom of heaven]. Or, ‘they're so violent they'll gore the world!’ | Moses Blesses Zebulun, Gad, Dan, Naph., Asher | 18 Then, [to bless the tribe of] Zebulun {House}, [Moses] says, “Rejoice, Zebulun, on your voyages [in ships from your territory along the sea]. Meanwhile, Issachar {Reward}, [enjoy lazing around] in your [farm] tents. See Gen 49:13;14-15.19 [The tribes of Zebulun and Issachar become so successful that] they call people [to the] mountain [s] to slaughter [animals for sacred feasts. Zebulun] comes to suck out the wealth of the seas, while [Issachar] draws out secret treasures buried in the sand. Sand treasures = agate, amber, jet, pearls, glass, etc. Issachar's tribe masters the art of glass-making, and gets enormously wealthy from it. Zebulun produces an expensive purple dye from mussels.20 Then, [to bless the tribe of] Gad {Troop}, [Moses] prays, “ [I] kneel to [YAH] who enlarges Gad's [territory]. Gad lives like a daddy-lion who rips-off arms, and scalps [his enemies]. 1Chr 12:9 pictures Gadites as elite warriors with faces like lions. Gad inherits a giant territory east of the Jordan river.21 [The tribe of] Gad grabbed the first good land ‘he’ saw for his [beloved livestock. Gad sweet-talked me, Moses,] the lawgiver, into securing his deed. But then he [got up off] his seat. [He] rushed out [to help] Israel. [He] led the chiefs of [our] nation to do what YHVH declared right. All translations of this obscure verse rely on interpretation. But seen as a re-telling of Num 32, it makes sense. Also see Josh 22.22 To [bless the tribe of] Dan {Judge}, [Moses] says, “Dan [is a] lion's whelp leaping out from [the region of] Bashan {Fruitful}.” Compare Gen 49:16-18, where Judah is the lion (v.9) and Dan the attack serpent (v.17). The chief city of the tribe of Dan is Laish (a poetic name for 'Lion'). Bashan is a fertile region east of Lake Galilee. Dan's settling there is described in Judg 18. The Song Of Songs speaks of lions' dens near Mt. Hermon.23 Then, [to bless the tribe of] Naphtali {Wrestler}, [Moses] says, “Naphtali, sated with favor, full of the blessing of YHVH: possess [the bread-basket of Israel,] the [land] west and south [of Lake Galilee].” 24 Then, [to bless the tribe of Happy] Asher, [Moses] says, “Your children come to delight you. Your brothers respect you. [You become so rich you] bathe [your] feet in [olive] oil! Gen 49:20. Oil is later discovered in Asher's territory. 1Ji17:9, Josh 19:24-28. Galilee was full of olive trees.25 [Under] your shoes [you discover] iron and brass [ore]. Your [lives thrive,] long and strong. The Hebrew is obscure. Could mean: Or, “your bolts securing your wealth will be of iron and bronze, their strength matching your vigor and and long life.” | Lean On YHVH's Everlasting Arms | 26 Yeshurun {Upright-One}, there is no one like [YHVH] the El {Power}. He rides on the heaven[s] to help you, 😇. His Majesty fills the skies! Traditionally, Jeshurun is a pet-name for Israel.27 The eternal Elohim is your refuge, 😇. [His] everlasting arms lie underneath [you. He carries you through the struggles of life. YAH] drives out your haters in front of your [delighted] face[s]. He shouts, “Die, [enemies of the righteous]!”28 [In YAH's care, you, the people who] will rule with El, dwell in solitude and safety, 😇. Jacob's fountains irrigate [your] land ['til it bursts] with grain and wine. [YAH's] heavens trickle night-mist [to water your plants and leave your days filled with sunshine]. 29 You happy [blessed] people will rule with El {Power}! No [nation] compares to you, the people saved by YHVH. [He's] your shield, your rescuer, the sword of your superiority. [YAH] exposes all the lies your enemies tell you, 😇. [So in time they submit to your authority.] You stomp down their high [occult shrines].” | | | | |