Deuteronomy 33:12
in Deuteronomy 33Concerning Benjamin he said: “May the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him; God shields him all day long, and upon His shoulders he rests.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of Jehovah shall dwell in safety by him; He covereth him all the day long, And he dwelleth between his shoulders.
KJV
And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 33
Commentary
8 notes on this verseOf Benjamin - the beloved of the Lord - Alluding to his being particularly beloved of his father Jacob, Gen 49:27, etc. Shall dwell in safety by him - That is, by the Lord, whose temple, which is considered as his dwelling-place, was in the tribe of Benjamin, for a part of Jerusalem belonged to this tribe.
This site's exposition
May the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him
Benjamin is the only tribe called “beloved” in the chapter, and the shielding lasts “all day long”. Readers from early times tie the verse to the sanctuary, since Joshua 18:28 lists Jerusalem among Benjamin's cities, on the border with Judah.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 23 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Finally, there is the ecstatic taste of sweet contemplation. It is written: "Of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand sealed." Benjamin, "the son of the right hand, the son of pain," in giving birth to whom Rachel died, and yet, Benjamin, "the best beloved of …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Shall dwell in safety by him - Shall have his lot nigh to God's temple, which was both a singular comfort and safeguard to him. Shall cover - Shall protect that tribe continually while they cleave to him. He - The Lord shall dwell, that is, his temple shall be placed, between his shoulders, that is, in his portion, or between his border's as the word shoulder is often used.
And of Benjamin he said,....
Benjamin is here called the beloved of the Lord, and the father of this tribe was Jacob's beloved son, the son of his right hand. Note, Those are blessed indeed that are beloved of the Lord.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
of Benjamin he said--A distinguishing favor was conferred on this tribe in having its portion assigned near the temple of God. between his shoulders--that is, on his sides or borders.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He shall dwell between his shoulders - i. e., be supported by God as a son who is carried by his father (compare Deu 1:31). Benjamin was especially beloved of his father Gen 35:18; Gen 44:20; Moses now promises no less love to him from God Himself.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
He called Benjamin the beloved of the Eternal, saying: “Benjamin, who is the beloved of G-d, will dwell in his land in safety relying on G-d and G-d will shelter him always and cause His Divine Presence to rest in his land.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
BLESS, ETERNAL, ‘CHEILO’ — that they be a great chayil (army). And the meaning thereof is that they should increase and not decrease when they enter the Holiness, similar in meaning to the verse, Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites. 186 Numbers:18.
“ Meged is an expression for dainty food and sweets. ‘UMIMEGED’ OF THE FRUITS OF THE SUN — for Joseph’s land was exposed to the sun and it sweetened the fruit. ‘GERESH YERACHIM’ (THE YIELD OF THE MOONS).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְבִנְיָמִ֣ן | levinyamin | of Benjamin | H1144 → | |
| אָמַ֔ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְדִ֣יד | yedid | [the] beloved [one] of | H3039 → | |
| יְהֹוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן | yishkon | he dwells | H7931 → | 129 times |
| לָבֶ֖טַח | lavetach | to security | H983 → | 42 times |
| עָלָ֑יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חֹפֵ֤ף | chofef | [who] covers | H2653 → | |
| עָלָיו֙ | ʾalav | over him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיּ֔וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וּבֵ֥ין | uvein | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| כְּתֵיפָ֖יו | keteifav | shoulders his | H3802 → | |
| שָׁכֵֽן׃ ס | shakhen | he dwells | H7931 → | 129 times |
לְבִנְיָמִ֣ןof Benjamin
levinyaminH1144 →
אָמַ֔רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְדִ֣יד[the] beloved [one] of
yedidH3039 →
יְהֹוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
יִשְׁכֹּ֥ןhe dwells
yishkonH7931 →129 times
לָבֶ֖טַחto security
lavetachH983 →42 times
עָלָ֑יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
חֹפֵ֤ף[who] covers
chofefH2653 →
עָלָיו֙over him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיּ֔וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וּבֵ֥יןand between
uveinH996 →407 times
כְּתֵיפָ֖יוshoulders his
keteifavH3802 →
שָׁכֵֽן׃ סhe dwells
shakhenH7931 →129 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 91:4He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.
it leads to
- Psalms 17:8
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 61:4
Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
- Psalms 57:1
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed.
- Deuteronomy 32:11
As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions.
- Isaiah 43:1–2
Now this is what the LORD says— He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your…
- Psalms 17:8
Through
2 Chronicles 15:2So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him,…
it leads to
- James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments…
- 2 Chronicles 15:4
But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.
- James 4:8
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 23; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.