Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy
Ver. 22. Basan. As the Jordan rushes with impetuosity (Haydock) from Lais, which was seized by some of this tribe; (Judges xviii.) and as a lion falls on its prey from the mountains of Basan, so shall this tribe give birth to Samson, who was stronger than a lion, (Calmet) and terribly harassed the Philistines, Judges xiv. 5, 14, &c. When the Danites found themselves straitened for room, they sent a colony, (Haydock) which took possession of Lais, and called it after their own name: one of the fountains of the Jordan was in this place, the other was called Jor, (Menochius) though the river may have a more distant and obscure source in the lake of Phiala, whence Josephus says (Haydock) it runs by a subterraneous passage, to a fountain of Dan. As it then takes its course through the promised land, of which it is the principal river, Dan may thus be said to supply waters abundantly for the whole country. (Menochius) --- But the Hebrew and Septuagint have, "he shall leap from Basan," which must be understood of the lion, since the territory of Dan was very remote from that mountain. (Haydock)
Ver. 23. The sea. The lake of Genesareth. (Challoner) --- South. That lake forms the southern extremity of the tribe of Nephthali. (Haydock) --- The Mediterranean, and the countries south of Palestine, are commonly understood in this manner, but they cannot be understood here. (Calmet) --- By means of their neighbours of Tyre and Sidon, (Menochius) and of Zabulon, who lay on the west, (Haydock) they would be supplied with all the luxuries of the sea and of the south. (Menochius)
Ver. 24. Blessed. He alludes to the name of Aser, which has this signification. (Haydock) --- This tribe had been upon the increase in the desert, (Calmet) and now comprised 53,000 warriors. (Haydock) --- The province of Galilee, where Aser dwelt, was one of the most fertile of all Chanaan, and noted for abundance of oil, Genesis xlix. 20. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iii. 2., and ii. 22.) (Calmet) --- Oil. So Job (xxix. 6,) says, When I washed my feet with butter. (Menochius)
Ver. 25. Iron and brass, to denote the warlike disposition of this tribe. Goliah, and the heroes before Troy, wore boots of brass, 1 Kings xvii. 6. (Homer) --- The greatest part of the army of Antiochus had even golden nails in their shoe soles, (Val. Max.) while the Romans contented themselves with iron. (Josephus, Jewish Wars vii. 3.) --- But this custom was not peculiar to the soldiers. People of all descriptions did the like, either for ornament, or to make their sandals last longer. Empedocles wore brass at the bottom of his sandals; (Laert. viii.) and as one of them was thrown out from the top of Mount Etna, it was discovered that he had destroyed himself in that volcano, to make people suppose (Calmet) that he was a god, and had gone up to heaven. (Haydock) --- St. Clement of Alexandria (Pœd. ii.) complains, that some wore such gaudy ornaments in his days. (Calmet) --- This passage is interpreted in a figurative sense by some, as if Aser would trample under his feet and despise the instruments of war, (Jansenius) and would turn those metals to the purposes of agriculture. Others render the Hebrew, "Thy bars shall be of iron and brass, and thy reputation (strength, repose, or sorrow,) shall endure as long as thy life; or May they," &c., in the form of a wish. Moses desires that Aser may be secure against his enemies, as if he had a mind to insinuate, that this tribe would be led captive among the first by Teglathphalasar, 4 Kings xv. 29. Many of the cities of this tribe were strongly fortified. (Josephus) --- If we adopt thy sorrow shall, &c., we must observe, that the neighbourhood of Phœnicians exposed the people to continual incursions, (Calmet) and the king of Assyria at last came to complete their ruin. (Haydock)
Ver. 26. Rightest, (rectissimi.) Hebrew yeshurun, "the beloved," Israel. (Haydock) --- Thither, as messengers. Hebrew, "The clouds are in his elevation," like so many steps to his throne. Who makest the clouds thy chariot, (ascensum tuum) who walkest upon the wings of the winds, Psalm ciii. 3. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "He is the great ornament of the firmament." None is like to him in power and majesty. (Haydock)
Ver. 27. Underneath are the everlasting arms. Though the dwelling of God be above in heaven, his arms are always stretched out to help us here below. (Challoner) --- Hebrew, "The eternal God is thy refuge; or, From eternity is the abode of God, or in fine, the protection of the Lord is before, and his eternal arms underneath;" so that nothing can hurt you. (Calmet)
Ver. 28. Alone, without standing in need of the assistance of any other but God. See Numbers xxiii. 9. (Haydock) --- Some of the ancient Germans would have no communication with any other nation; and they depopulated the country around, to keep all at a distance. (Calmet) --- The Chinese seem to be at present nearly of the same disposition, as well as those who inhabit Japan, &c. --- The eye of Jacob. His posterity, by whom he sees the transactions of the world. (Haydock) --- Hebrew the fountain, is taken in the same sense. The country which his descendants enjoyed, was well watered with springs, Numbers xxiv. 7. --- Dew, it will be so abundant. Chaldean, The heavens will drop down dew, chap. xxxii. 2.
Ver. 29. Deny thee. Break their word and most solemn treaties. Hebrew, "shall lie unto thee," which will afford thee a just reason to seize their effects. (Haydock) --- Some translate, "the efforts of thy enemies shall be frustrated." --- Necks. Thus Josue ordered the five kings to be treated, (Josue x. 24,) and Tamerlane used Bajazet as a footstool, when he had to mount his horse. (Calmet) --- This fierce Tartarian conqueror, the enemy of the Christian name, humbled the pride of the Turkish emperor, by confining him in a cage of iron, A.D. 1403. (Haydock)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
Moses, before his death, blesseth the tribes of Israel.
1 This is the blessing wherewith the man of God, Moses, blessed the children of Israel, before his death.
2 And he said: The Lord came from Sinai, and from Seir he rose up to us: he hath appeared from Mount Pharan, and with him thousands of saints. In his right hand a fiery law.
3 He hath loved the people, *all the saints are in his hand: and they that approach to his feet, shall receive of his doctrine.
4 Moses commanded us a law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.
5 He shall be king with the most right, the princes of the people being assembled with the tribes of Israel.
6 Let Ruben live, and not die, and be he small in number.
7 This is the blessing of Juda. Hear, O Lord, the voice of Juda, and bring him in unto his people: his hands shall fight for him, and he shall be his helper against his enemies.
8 To Levi also he said: Thy perfection and thy doctrine be to thy holy man, whom thou hast proved in the temptation, and judged at the waters of contradiction:
9 *Who hath said to his father, and to his mother: I do not know you; and to his brethren: I know you not: and their own children they have not known. These have kept thy word, and observed thy covenant,
10 Thy judgments, O Jacob, and thy law, O Israel: they shall put incense in thy wrath, and holocaust upon thy altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his strength, and receive the works of his hands. Strike the backs of his enemies, and let not them that hate him rise.
12 And to Benjamin he said: The best beloved of the Lord shall dwell confidently in him: as in a bride-chamber shall he abide all the day long, and between his shoulders shall he rest.
13 To Joseph also he said: Of the blessing of the Lord be his land, of the fruits of heaven and of the dew, and of the deep that lieth beneath.
14 Of the fruits brought forth by the sun and by the moon:
15 Of the tops of the ancient mountains, of the fruits of the everlasting hills:
16 And of the fruits of the earth, and of the fulness thereof. The blessing of him *that appeared in the bush, come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite, among his brethren.
17 His beauty as of the firstling of a bullock, his horns as the horns of a rhinoceros: with them shall he push the nations even to the ends of the earth. These are the multitudes of Ephraim, and these the thousands of Manasses.
18 And to Zabulon he said: Rejoice, O Zabulon, in thy going out: and Issachar, in thy tabernacles.
19 They shall call the people to the mountain: there shall they sacrifice the victims of justice. Who shall suck as milk the abundance of the sea, and the hidden treasures of the sands.
20 And to Gad he said: Blessed be Gad in his breadth: he hath rested as a lion, and hath seized upon the arm and the top of the head.
21 And he saw his pre-eminence, that in his portion the teacher was laid up: who was with the princes of the people, and did the justices of the Lord, and his judgment with Israel.
22 To Dan also he said: Dan is a young lion, he shall flow plentifully from Basan.
23 And to Nephthali he said: Nephthali shall enjoy abundance, and shall be full of the blessings of the Lord: he shall possess the sea and the south.
24 To Aser also he said: Let Aser be blessed with children, let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 His shoe shall be iron and brass. As the days of thy youth, so also shall thy old age be.
26 There is no other god like the God of the rightest: he that is mounted upon the heaven, is thy helper. By his magnificence the clouds run hither and thither.
27 His dwelling is above, and underneath are the everlasting arms: he shall cast out the enemy from before thee, and shall say: Be thou brought to nought.
28 Israel shall dwell in safety, and alone. The eye of Jacob in a land of corn and wine, and the heavens shall be misty with dew.
29 Blessed art thou, Israel: who is like to thee, O people, that art saved by the Lord? the shield of thy help, and the sword of thy glory: thy enemies shall deny thee, and thou shalt tread upon their necks.
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*
3: Wisdom iii. 1. and v. 5.
9: Exodus xxxii. 27.; Leviticus x. 5.
16: Exodus iii. 2.