Deuteronomy 33:28

Deu 33:28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

Ver. 28. Israel then shall dwell, &c.] {See Trapp on "Num 23:9"}

The fountain of Jacob.] Or as some read it, The eye of Jacob. The same word signifies both an eye and a fountain. He that, with Mary Magdalen, can make his eye a fountain to wash Christ’s feet in, shall be sure to have that fountain of Christ’s blood opened to wash his soul in. {Zec 13:1}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 33:28. Israel shall dwell in safety alone — Either, 1st, In safety, although they be alone, and have no confederates to defend them, but have all the world against them, yet my single protection shall be sufficient for them. Or, 2d, Distinct and separated from all other nations, with whom I will not have them to mingle themselves. The fountain — That is, the posterity of Jacob, which flowed from him as waters from a copious fountain, in great abundance. So the expression is used Psa 68:26. The fountain is here put for the river, or streams which flow from it, as Jacob, or Israel, who is the fountain, is often put for the children of Israel. The Hebrew word, however, which we render fountain, often signifies an eye, and the sense here may be, The eye of Jacob shall look upon a land of corn, &c. Also his heavens shall drop down dew — That is, those heavens, or that air which hangs over his land, shall water it with refreshing dews, and render it fruitful in corn, wine, and other products of a most fertile country. Thus Moses confirms to Jacob’s seed the blessing which Isaac gave to Jacob himself, Gen 27:28.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who was plentiful in issue as a fountain.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the fountain of Jacob--The posterity of Israel shall dwell in a blessed and favored land.

Next: Deuteronomy Chapter 34

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 28. Israel then shall dwell - alone] This people shall not be incorporated with any other people under heaven. A prophecy which continues to be fulfilled to the very letter. Every attempt to unite them with any other people has proved absolutely ineffectual.

The fountain of Jacob] His offspring, shall possess a most fertile land; such was Palestine.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(28) Israel then shall dwell in safety—i.e., in confidence and security. “In His days (the days of Messiah) Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely” (Jer_23:6), but not until they learn to rest upon “the everlasting arms.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. fountain … alone] For fountain, ‘ain, some propose ‘am, people. But the figure is emphatic and natural after the previous line: Israel’s life shall flow unmixed, untainted with that of the expelled peoples.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Happy art thou, O Israel,.... This is the conclusion of the blessing on Israel summed up in a few words; they having God to be their God, and having so many good things promised them, and in sight of them; being now got through, the wilderness, and on the borders of the land of Canaan; as all such must be happy, whose covenant God is the Lord; since they must be beloved of him, chosen by him, and blessed with all spiritual blessings; and in the faith, hope, and view of eternal happiness:

who is like unto thee? for an interest in the favour of God, for a share in the blessings of goodness, for a good God, a good land, and good laws; for wisdom and knowledge, for riches and honour, for holiness and happiness:

O people saved by the Lord; redeemed by him out of Egypt, preserved in the wilderness, saved from many dangers and enemies, and now brought near to the land of Canaan. The Targum of Jonathan is,"saved or redeemed in the name of the word of the Lord:''by whom the spiritual Israel of God are redeemed from all their sins, from the curses of the law, and out of the hand of all their enemies; and are and will be completely saved in soul and body, with an everlasting salvation:

the shield of thy help; that, is, the Lord, by whom they are saved; he is the shield that protects them; the shield of faith and of salvation, which faith lays hold on and makes use of for its defence, and who is the help of his people in all times of trouble:

and who is the sword of thy excellency; to destroy their enemies, and whereby they would be raised to that excellency and glory they were in the land of Canaan:

and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; who threatened what they would do unto them, but were not able: or "shall lie unto thee" (o), be in such dread and fear as to tell lies to save themselves, and pretend to be what they were not, as the Gibeonites did, of whom Jarchi interprets this passage:

and thou shall tread upon their, high places; be possessed of their cities and fortresses, built on an eminence; see Deu 32:13; all the three Targums, and so Jarchi, interpret it of treading on the necks of their kings, which was fulfilled, Jos 10:24.

(o) "mentientur", Montanus, Tigurine version; "mentiuntur", Cocceius.

Next: Deuteronomy Chapter 34

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine - The King James Version does not preserve the symmetry of the clauses. Render it: “Israel shall dwell in safety; alone shall the fountain of Jacob be” (compare Psa 68:26; Isa 48:1); “in a land,” etc.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Alone; either,

1. Though they be alone, and have no confederates to defend them, but have all the world against them, yet my single protection shall be sufficient for them. Or,

2. Distinct and separated from all other nations, with whom I will not have them to mingle themselves. See Num 23:9; Ezr 9:1,2.

The fountain of Jacob, i.e. the posterity of Jacob, which flowed from him its waters from a fountain, in great abundance. Compare Psa 68:26; Isa 48:1. The fountain is here put for the river or streams which flow from it, as Psa 94:10; as the root is put for the branch, 2Ch 22:10; Isa 11:10; Rev 5:5; and as Jacob or Israel, who is the fountain, is oft put for the children of Israel. Or, the eye (for so the Hebrew word oft signifies)

of Jacob, i.e. of the people of Israel; and so the sense is, They who now only hear of the land of promise shall shortly see it, which I am not suffered to do, and shall enjoy it, which is oft signified by seeing, as Psa 4:6; 27:13; 34:12; Ecc 2:1; 3:13.

His heavens, i.e. those heavens or that air which hangs over his land.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. Israel… shall dwell in safety — This verse may be rendered thus:

“And Israel dwells in safety,

The fountain of Jacob apart,

In a land of corn and wine;

Also his heavens drop down dew.”

Alone — Separate from other nations. A peculiar people.

The fountain of Jacob — The patriarch is here referred to as the source from whom all the tribes came. Comp. Psa_68:26.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

he clauses of this verse are parallel to each other; their symmetry will be seen if we render and arrange thus

And Israel dwelleth securely, Alone, the fountain of Jacob, On a land of corn and new wine; His heavens also drop down dew.

The fountain of Jacob is parallel to Israel. Israel is so designated because they came forth from Jacob as waters from a copious source. (In Ezra; cf. Isa_48:1; Psa_68:26)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Alone - Either

1. Tho' they be alone, and have no confederates to defend them, but have all the world against them, yet my single protection shall be sufficient for them. Or,

2. Distinct and separated from all other nations, with whom I will not have them mingle themselves. The fountain - That is, the posterity of Jacob, which flowed from him as waters from a fountain, in great abundance. The fountain is here put for the river or streams which flow from it, as Jacob or Israel who is the fountain is often put for the children of Israel. His heavens - That is, those heavens or that air which hangs over his land.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Israel dwelt ... Jacob's spring was secure

Possible meanings are 1) Moses speaks of the future as if it were the past to emphasize that what he is saying will come true, "Israel will dwell ... Jacob's spring will be secure" or 2) Moses is blessing Israel, "May Israel dwell ... and may Jacob's spring be secure." (See: Predictive Past)

Jacob's spring

Possible meanings are 1) Jacob's home or 2) Jacob's descendants. (See: Metonymy)

let his heavens drop dew

The dew is spoken of as being so much that it is as if it were raining. Possible meanings are 1) Moses is blessing Israel, "may much dew cover the land like rain" or 2) Moses is telling what will happen in the future, "much dew will cover the land like rain." (See: Metaphor)

dew

water that forms on leaves and grass on cool mornings. See how you translated this in Deuteronomy 32:2.

translationWords

Jacob

fountain

grain

wine

heaven

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

בטח בדד [THEREFORE ISRAEL DWELT] IN SAFETY, ALONE — This means, every individual dwelling “each under his vine and under his fig-treeבטח) ״; cf. 1 Kings 5:5 where the words Rashi quotes are preceded by לבטח), separated one from another (בדד, “alone”), because after the enemy was driven out, as stated in the preceding verse, they had no need to come together and to dwell in company on account of the enemy.

עין יעקב — The word עין has the same meaning here as in (Numbers 11:7) “And its appearance (עינו) was as the appearance (עין) of crystal” (i.e., the word עין is used as a term of comparison, “as”, ”like”). The meaning is: And Israel dwelt alone like the blessing with which Jacob blessed them (cf. Targum); not like the בדד which Jeremiah used, (Jeremiah 15:17), viz., “I sat alone (בדד) [because of thy hand, for thou hast filled me with Thy indignation]”, but like the assurance which Jacob gave them, (Genesis 48:20) “And God shall be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 356:6).

יערפו means THEY WILL DRIP.

אף שמיו יערפו טל ALSO HIS HEAVENS SHALL DRIP DEW — Also Isaac’s blessing will be added to Jacob’s blessing: “And God shall give thee of the dew of heaven, etc.” (Genesis 27:28) (cf. Sifrei Devarim 356:7).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.