Deuteronomy 33 · Verse 17

Deuteronomy 33:17

His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Deuteronomy 33:17, King James Version

Deuteronomy 33:17 in other translations

BSB	His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
WEB	Majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he will push all the peoples to the ends of the earth. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh.”
ASV	The firstling of his herd, majesty is his; And his horns are the horns of the wild-ox: With them he shall push the peoples all of them, even the ends of the earth: And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.
YLT	His honour is a firstling of his ox, And his horns are horns of a reem; By them peoples he doth push together To the ends of earth; And they are the myriads of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.
DARBY	His majesty is as the firstling of his ox; And his horns are as the horns of a buffalo. With them shall he push the peoples Together to the ends of the earth. These are the myriads of Ephraim, And these are the thousands of Manasseh.
BBE	He is a young ox, glory is his; his horns are the horns of the mountain ox, with which all peoples will be wounded, even to the ends of the earth: they are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.
Webster	His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

What does Deuteronomy 33:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 33:13-17

13-17. of Joseph he said--The territory of this tribe, diversified by hill and dale, wood and water, would be rich in all the productions--olives, grapes, figs, &c., which are reared in a mountainous region, as well as in the grain and herbs that grow in the level fields. "The firstling of the bullock and the horns of the unicorn" (rhinoceros), indicate glory and strength, and it is supposed that under these emblems…

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Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock - This similitude is very obscure. A bullock was the most excellent of animals among the Jews, not only because of its acceptableness in sacrifice to God, but because of its great usefulness in agriculture. There is something peculiarly noble and dignified in the appearance of the ox, and his greatest ornament are his fine horns; these the inspired penman has particularly in view, as the following clause proves; and it is well known that in Scriptural language horns are the emblem of strength, glory, and sovereignty; Psa 75:5, Psa 75:10; Psa 89:17, Psa 89:24; Psa 112:9; Dan 8:3, etc.; Luk 1:69; Rev 17:3, etc. His horns are like the horns of unicorns - ראם reem, which we translate unicorn, from the μονοκερως monokeros of the Septuagint, signifies, according to Bochart, the mountain goat; and according to others, the rhinoceros, a very large quadruped with one great horn on his nose, from which circumstance his name is derived. See the notes on Num 23:22; Num 24:8. Reem is in the singular number, and because the horns of a unicorn, a one-horned animal, would have appeared absurd, our translators, with an unfaithfulness not common to them, put the word in the plural number. To the ends of the earth - Of the land of Canaan, for Joshua with his armies conquered all this land, and drove the ancient inhabitants out before him. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, etc. - That is, The horns signify the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh. Jacob prophesied, Gen 48:19, that the younger should be greater than the elder; so here Tens of thousands are given to Ephraim, and only thousands to Manasseh. See the census, Num 1:33-35 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 33:6-23

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…

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Deuteronomy 33:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בְּכ֨וֹרbe.Khor[the] firstborn ofH1060

שׁוֹר֜וֹsho.Roox hisH7794

הָדָ֣רha.DarsplendorH1926

ל֗וֹlo[belongs] to <the> him

וְקַרְנֵ֤יve.kar.Neiand [are the] horns ofH7161

רְאֵם֙re.'Ema wild oxH7214

קַרְנָ֔יוkar.Navhorns hisH7161

בָּהֶ֗םba.Hemwith <the> them

עַמִּ֛ים'a.MimpeoplesH5971

יְנַגַּ֥חye.na.Gachhe will goreH5055

יַחְדָּ֖וyach.DavtogetherH3162

אַפְסֵי\־'af.sei-[the] ends ofH657

אָ֑רֶץ'A.retz[the] earthH776

וְהֵם֙ve.Hemand theyH1992

רִבְב֣וֹתri.Vot[are] [the] ten thousands ofH7233

אֶפְרַ֔יִם'ef.Ra.yimEphraimH669

וְהֵ֖םve.Hemand theyH1992

אַלְפֵ֥י'al.Fei[are] [the] thousands ofH505

מְנַשֶּֽׁה\׃\ \סme.na.ShehManassehH4519

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 33:17

Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
1 Kings 22:11
And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
Psalms 44:5
Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
Genesis 48:19
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
1 Chronicles 5:1
Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
Psalms 92:10
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Numbers 24:8
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
Psalms 29:6
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
Hosea 7:1
When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
Psalms 22:21
Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Hosea 6:4
O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
Job 39:9-10
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the firstling.
1Ch 5:1
his horns.
Nu 23:22; 24:8; Job 39:9,10; Ps 22:21; 29:6; 92:10; Isa 34:7
unicorns. Heb. an unicorn. he shall push.
1Ki 22:11; 2Ch 18:10; Ps 44:5
the ten thousands.
Ge 48:19; Nu 26:34,37; Ho 5:3; 6:4; 7:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Deuteronomy 33:16
And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
Deuteronomy 33:17
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
Deuteronomy 33:18
And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.

Read all of Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33:17 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El es aventajado como el primogénito de su toro, y sus cuernos, cuernos de unicornio: con ellos acorneará los pueblos juntos hasta los fines de la tierra: y estos son los diez millares de Ephraim, y estos los millares de Manasés.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Sa magnificence est comme le premier-né de son taureau, et ses cornes sont des cornes de buffle. Avec elles, il poussera les peuples ensemble jusqu’aux bouts de la terre. Ce sont les myriades d’Éphraïm, et ce sont les milliers de Manassé.
German Elberfelder 1871	Sein ist die Majestät des Erstgeborenen seines Stieres; und Hörner des Büffels sind seine Hörner. Mit ihnen wird er die Völker niederstoßen allzumal bis an die Enden der Erde. Und das sind die Zehntausende Ephraims, und das die Tausende Manasses.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Quasi primogeniti tauri pulchritudo ejus, cornua rhinocerotis cornua illius: in ipsis ventilabit gentes usque ad terminos terræ. Hæ sunt multitudines Ephraim: et hæc millia Manasse.