Deuteronomy 33:18

Deuteronomy 33:18 . Rejoice, Zebulun — Thou shalt prosper, and have cause of rejoicing. In thy going out — 1st, To war, as this phrase is often used. 2d, To sea, in the way of traffic, because their portion lay near the sea. And in both respects his course is opposite to that of Issachar, who was a lover of peace and pasturage. He is here joined with Zebulun, both because they were brethren by father and mother too, and because their possessions lay near together. In thy tents — Thou shalt give thyself to the management of land and cattle, living quietly in thy own possessions.

(18) Zebulun . . . and Issachar were united with Judah, in the leading division of Israel in the wilderness. The warlike character of the first of these two, and the more peaceful wisdom of the second, are illustrated by Judges 5:18 and 1Chronicles 12:32-33 . (Comp Jacob’s blessing of Issachar in Genesis 49:14-15 .)

Verses 18, 19. - Zebulun and Issachar, the two last sons of Leah, are taken together by Moses; and Zebulun, though the younger son, is placed first, in accordance with Genesis 49:13 . Success in enterprise, and felicity at home, are assured to both. "Although 'going out' (enterprise, labor) is attributed to Zebulun, and 'remaining in tents' (the comfortable enjoyment of life) to Issachar, in accordance with the delineation of their respective characters in the blessing of Jacob, this is to be attributed to the poetic parallelism of the clauses, and the whole is to be understood as applying to both in the sense suggested by Graf, 'Rejoice, Zebulun and Issachar, in your labor and your rest'" (Keil). They shall call the people unto the mountain; rather, they shall call nations to the mountain , i . e . the mountain of the Lord's inheritance ( Exodus 15:17 ), the place of his sanctuary. Sacrifices of righteousness ; i . e . sacrifices offered according to God's Law, and in a manner and a spirit well pleasing to him ( Psalm 4:6 ; 51:21). They shall suck of the abundance of the seas , etc. The treasures of both sea and land should be theirs. The Targumist Jonathan Ben Uzziel explains this as referring especially to the obtaining of the rich purple dye from the shell of the oyster ( murex Syrius ), and the producing of mirrors and glass vases from the sand. The existence of vitreous sand on the coast of Zebulun is attested both by Strabo (lib. 16. p. 757) and Pliny ('Nat.

Thou shalt prosper; and have cause of rejoicing. In thy going out; either, 1. To war, as this phrase is oft used, as Genesis 14:17 , which was in part verified, Judges 5:18 . Or, 2. To sea, in way of traffic, because their portion lay near the sea. Or both may be joined; and in both respects his course is opposite to that of Issachar, who was a lover of peace and pasturage. See Genesis 49:14,15 . Issachar is here joined with Zebulun, both because they were brethren by father and mother too, and because their possessions lay near together. In thy tents, i.e. thou shalt give thyself to the management of land and cattle, living quietly in thy own possessions, disliking the troubles of war and of merchandise. So the phrase is used Genesis 25:27 Joshua 22:4 Judges 5:24 7:8 .

Zebulun possessed a commodious sea-shore and the fisheries of the Lake of Tiberias: and was therefore to thrive by commerce, and to rejoice in his "going out," i. e., in his mercantile enterprises. Issachar possessed a fertile inland district, and would therefore dwell at home and prosper in agriculture. Both tribes distinguished themselves in the contest with Jabin (compare Judges 5:14-15 , Judges 5:18 ): and of Zebulun it is particularly noted that it produced the officers and tacticians who led and marshalled the host which vanquished Sisera (see Judges 5:14 , and compare 1 Chronicles 12:33 ).

18 . hire of a harlot ] Both of the consecrated and common prostitute, cp. Hosea 9:1 , Micah 1:7 , Isaiah 23:17 f., Ezekiel 16:34 . Mövers ( op. cit. ) shows that in Phoenicia this hire was brought to the temple. wages of a dog ] Heb. meḥîr , wage , Micah 3:11 , elsewhere price or payment , e.g. 2 Samuel 24:24 , 1 Kings 10:28 . Dog, keleb ; the official name of the ḳadesh ; cp. Phoen. inscription from Larnaca in CIS . i. 97, Revelation 22:15 and the Greek κύναιδος ; in Ass. possibly also a general name for priests (above, p. 23, n . 1). See further W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem . 274. house of Jehovah thy God ] In Deut. only here, but cp. E, Exodus 23:19 , J, Exodus 34:26 , Joshua 6:24 , Jdg 19:18 , and frequently in Kings. abomination ] See on Deuteronomy 7:25 . 19, 20 ( 20, 21 ). Of Interest; forbidden on loans to fellow-Israelites, but allowed on loans to foreigners.—In the Sg. address, with brother (not neighbour ) and other of D’s phrases; Deuteronomy 33:19 is parallel to E, Exodus 22:25 (24) and H, Leviticus 25:35-37 , which forbid taking interest from poor Israelites. In these cases it is clear that we have to do with charitable, not commercial, loans, on the latter of which in later days interest was expected ( Matthew 25:27 ). Deuteronomy 33:20 on loans to foreigners deals with commercial loans, see Driver’s note on Exodus 22:25 . It is peculiar to D; there is no reason for regarding it (with Steuern.) as secondary.

It is the proof, with several others, of the extension of Israel’s foreign trade by the time of D. See above on Deuteronomy 15:6 and § 54 of the present writer’s art. ‘Trade, etc.,’ in E.B. Similarly among other Semites. Where poverty prevails and loans are for its relief and there is little trade, no interest is exacted, as among the Arabs (Doughty, Ar. Des. i. 318). In early Babylonian history ‘advances of all sorts were freely made both with and without interest,’ and ‘most of the loans were evidently contracted to meet temporary embarrassment’ (Johns, Bab. and Ass. Laws , etc., 250 f.). But a very complicated system including advances of money and kind by private persons, the temple treasuries and the king’s (cp. Matthew 25:14 ff., Luke 19:12 ff.) with various rates of interest and regulations, gradually developed in Babylonia ( op. cit. ch. xxiii.), and we find a number of prescriptions already in the Code of Ḫammurabi (§§ 48–52, 100–107). 18 And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulún, in thine outgoing, And in thy tents, Issachár! 19 Peoples they call to the mountain (?), There slay they the sacrifices due. For the affluence of seas do they suck And the hidden hoards of the sand. The territory of Zebulun in Joshua 19:10-16 runs seaward or westward , but apparently without reaching the sea.