Deuteronomy 33 · Verse 23

Deuteronomy 33:23

And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south.
Deuteronomy 33:23, King James Version

Deuteronomy 33:23 in other translations

BSBConcerning Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with favor, full of the blessing of the LORD; he shall take possession of the sea and the south.”
WEBAbout Naphtali he said, “Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of the LORD’s blessing, Possess the west and the south.”
ASVAnd of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full with the blessing of Jehovah, Possess thou the west and the south.
YLTAnd of Naphtali he said: --O Naphtali, satisfied with pleasure, And full of the blessing of Jehovah, West and south possess thou.
DARBYAnd of Naphtali he said, Naphtali, satisfied with favour, And full of the blessing of Jehovah, Possess thou the west and the south.
BBEAnd of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, made glad with grace and full of the blessing of the Lord: the sea and its fishes will be his.
WebsterAnd of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.

What does Deuteronomy 33:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. of Naphtali he said--The pleasant and fertile territory of this tribe lay to "the west," on the borders of lakes Merom and Chinnereth, and to "the south" of the northern Danites.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 O Naphtali, satisfied with favor - Though this may refer to the very great fertility of the country that fell to this tribe, yet certainly something more is intended. Scarcely any of the tribes was more particularly favored by the wondrous mercy and kindness of God, than this and the tribe of Zebulun. The light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shone brightly here, Mat 4:13, Mat 4:15, Mat 4:16. Christ's chief residence was at Capernaum in this tribe, Mat 9:1; Mar 2:1; and this city, through Christ's constant residence, and the mighty miracles he wrought in it, is represented as being exalted unto heaven, Mat 11:23. And it is generally allowed that the apostles were principally of the tribe of Naphtali, who were to possess the west and the south - to dispense the Gospel through all the other tribes. The word ים yam, which we here translate west, literally signifies the sea, and probably refers to the sea of Gennesareth, which was in this tribe.

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…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 33:6-23 →

Deuteronomy 33:23 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.

וּלְנַפְתָּלִ֣יu.le.naf.ta.Liand of NaphtaliH5321
אָמַ֔ר'a.Marhe saidH559
נַפְתָּלִי֙naf.ta.LiNaphtaliH5321
שְׂבַ֣עse.Va'[is] satisfied ofH7649
רָצ֔וֹןra.TzonfavorH7522
וּמָלֵ֖אu.ma.Le'and fullH4392
בִּרְכַּ֣תbir.Kat[the] blessing ofH1293
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
יָ֥םyam[the] westH3220
וְדָר֖וֹםve.da.Romand [the] southH1864
יְרָֽשָׁה\׃\ \סye.Ra.shahtake possession of !H3423

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

Cross references for Deuteronomy 33:23

  • Genesis 49:21

    Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

  • Jeremiah 31:14

    And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

  • Psalms 36:8

    They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

  • Matthew 4:16

    The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

  • Matthew 4:13

    And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

  • Joshua 19:32-39

    The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families. And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan: And then the coast turneth westward to Aznoth–tabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising. And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, …

  • Psalms 90:14

    O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

  • Isaiah 9:1-2

    Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

  • Matthew 11:28

    Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
O.
Ge 49:21; Ps 36:8; 90:14; Isa 9:1,2; Jer 31:14; Mt 4:13,16; 11:28
possess.
Jos 19:32-39

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

Context

  • Deuteronomy 33:22

    And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.

  • Deuteronomy 33:23

    And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south.

  • Deuteronomy 33:24

    And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.

Read all of Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y á Nephtalí dijo: Nephtalí, saciado de benevolencia, y lleno de la bendición de Jehová, posee el occidente y el mediodía.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et de Nephthali il dit: Nephthali, rassasié de faveurs et comblé de la bénédiction de l’ Éternel, possède la mer et le Darôm!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und von Naphtali sprach er: Naphtali, gesättigt mit Huld und voll des Segens Jehovas! Westen und Süden nimm in Besitz!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et Nephthali dixit: Nephthali abundantia perfruetur, et plenus erit benedictionibus Domini: mare et meridiem possidebit.