Moses Blesses the Tribes

Here is some background information about Moses' blessings on some of the tribes:

• In Deuteronomy 33:7 Moses says of Judah, "Bring him to his people." According to the Kretzmann commentary Judah was a champion of the nation and a leader in wars, so Moses was asking God to always bring the tribe back home safely.
• In the blessing of Levi, Deuteronomy 33:11, Moses asks God to "smite the loins of those who rise up against him." Dictionary.com defines loins as the part of the body between the hips and the lower ribs, "regarded as the seat of physical strength and generative power." Therefore Moses was basically asking God to cripple any effort against Levi.
• In Deuteronomy 33:12 Moses says of Benjamin, "the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders." Here picture a young child carried on his father or mother's back. The territory of Benjamin rested in a valley between two areas of hills.
• Of Asher Moses says in Deuteronomy 33:24, "Most blessed of sons is Asher." This is a play on words because Asher means "happy" or "blessed." "Let him bathe his feet in oil"--the territory of Asher was rich in olives.