Deuteronomy 33:20

Deuteronomy 33:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
• New International Version (NIV)About Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain! Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Moses said this about the tribe of Gad: “Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory! Gad is poised there like a lion to tear off an arm or a head.

Context of Deuteronomy 33:20

18And of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents. 19They shall call peoples to their mountain; there they offer right sacrifices; for they draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand." And of Gad he said, "Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp. 21He chose the best of the land for himself, for there a commander's portion was reserved; and he came with the heads of the people, with Israel he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments for Israel." 22And of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's cub that leaps from Bashan."

Deuteronomy 33:20 word by word

וּלְגָ֣ד אָמַ֔ר בָּר֖וּךְ מַרְחִ֣יב גָּ֑ד כְּלָבִ֣יא שָׁכֵ֔ן וְטָרַ֥ף זְר֖וֹעַ אַף־קָדְקֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And of Gadגָּדgâd · GadH1410
• he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• he that enlargethרָחַבrâchab · to enlargeH7337
• he dwellethשָׁכַןshâkan · to dwellH7931
• as a lionלָבִיאlâbîy' lebîyâ' lebâ'îym lebâ'ôth · lionH3833
• and tearethטָרַףţâraph · to tearH2963
• the armזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
• withאַף'aph · alsoH637
• the crown of the headקׇדְקֹדqodqôd · crownH6936

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 33:20

• Genesis 9:26He also said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant.
• Joshua 13:8With the other half of the tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them:
• 1 Chronicles 4:10Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked.
• 1 Chronicles 12:8From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:
• Psalms 18:19He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
• 1 Chronicles 5:18The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 33:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad - As deliverance out of distress is termed enlarging, (see Psalm 4:1;), this may refer to God's deliverance of the tribe of Gad out of that distress mentioned Genesis 49:19, and to the enlargement obtained through means of Jephthah, Judges 11:33, and probably also to the victories obtained by Gad and Reuben over the Hagarites, 1 Chronicles 5:18-20. He dwelleth as a lion - Probably the epithet of lion or lion-like was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20i. e., Blessed be God who shall grant to Gad a spacious territory. Compare the blessing of Shem Genesis 9:26. With the crown - Rather, yea, the crown. The warlike character of this tribe is shown by their leading the van in the long campaigns of Joshua (compare Joshua 4:12-13; Joshua 22:1-4). Compare also 1 Chronicles 5:18-22; 1 Chronicles 12:8 ff, and the acts of Jehu, the Gadite, in 2 Kings 9; 10.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-23Verses 6-23 The order in which the tribes are here blessed, is not the same as is observed elsewhere. The blessing of Judah may refer to the whole tribe in general, or to David as a type of Christ. Moses largely blesses the tribe of Levi. Acceptance with God is what we should all aim at, and desire, in all our devotions, whether men accept us or not, 2Co 5:9. This prayer is a prophecy, that God will keep up a ministry in his church to the end of time. The…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Gad was the older of two sons born to Jacob by Leah’s servant Zilpah (Genesis 30:10–11). His name means “good fortune.” However, the main idea is that the one who helps the tribe gain more land is the truly fortunate one. The tribe of Gad settled east of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2120-21. of Gad he said--Its possessions were larger than they would have been had they lain west of Jordan; and this tribe had the honor of being settled by Moses himself in the first portion of land conquered. In the forest region, south of the Jabbok, "he dwelt as a lion" (compare Ge 30:11; 49:19). Notwithstanding, they faithfully kept their engagement to join the "heads of the people" [De 33:21] in the invasion of Canaan.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 33:20

• Death
• Gad

In the dictionaries

• Gad
• Abundance
• Accept
• Bless
• Blessing
• Couch
• Dip
• Drops
• Eternal
• Simeon, The tribe of

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 33

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings