God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 33:20
20About the tribe of Gad he said, “Blessed is the one who gives the people of Gad more land. They wait there like a lion. They can tear off an arm or a head.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And of Gad he said, "Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp.
- 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.
Context of Deuteronomy 33:20
18About the tribe of Zebulun he said, “People of Zebulun, enjoy yourselves when you go to war, and you people of Issachar, enjoy yourselves when you stay at home. 19They will invite nations to their mountain, and there they will offer the proper sacrifices. They will be nourished by the abundance from the seas and the treasures hidden in the sand.” About the tribe of Gad he said, “Blessed is the one who gives the people of Gad more land. They wait there like a lion. They can tear off an arm or a head. 21They chose the best land for themselves. Indeed, a commander’s piece of land was reserved for them. They were leaders of the people and did for Israel what the Lord considers fair and honorable.” 22About the tribe of Dan he said, “The people of Dan are a lion cub. Out of Bashan they pounce ⌞on their enemies⌟.”
Read all of Deuteronomy 33Deuteronomy 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 9:26Praise the Lord, the God of Shem! Canaan will be his slave.
- Joshua 13:8The tribes of Reuben and Gad with half of the tribe of Manasseh had received their inheritance east of the Jordan River, since the Lord’s servant Moses had already given it to them.
- 1 Chronicles 4:10Jabez prayed to the God of Israel, “Please bless me and give me more territory. May your power be with me and free me from evil so that I will not be in pain.” God gave him what he prayed for.
- 1 Chronicles 12:8Some men left Gad to join David at the fortified camp in the desert. They were warriors, trained soldiers, able to fight with shields and spears. They looked like lions and were as fast as gazelles on the hills.
- Psalms 18:19He brought me out to a wide-open place. He rescued me because he was pleased with me.
- 1 Chronicles 5:18The descendants of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 soldiers ready to go to war. They were skilled fighters who could carry shields and swords and shoot arrows.
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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries