The Meaning of Deuteronomy 33:29 Explained

Deuteronomy 33:29

KJV: Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

YLT: O thy happiness, O Israel! who is like thee? A people saved by Jehovah, The shield of thy help, And He who is the sword of thine excellency: And thine enemies are subdued for thee, And thou on their high places dost tread.'

Darby: Happy art thou, Israel! Who is like unto thee, a people saved by Jehovah, The shield of thy help, And the sword of thine excellency? And thine enemies shall come cringing to thee; And thou shalt tread upon their high places.

ASV: Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like unto thee, a people saved by Jehovah, The shield of thy help, And the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall submit themselves unto thee; And thou shalt tread upon their high places.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Happy  [art] thou, O Israel:  who [is] like unto thee, O people  saved  by the LORD,  the shield  of thy help,  and who [is] the sword  of thy excellency!  and thine enemies  shall be found liars  unto thee; and thou shalt tread  upon their high places. 

What does Deuteronomy 33:29 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 33:18-29 - Israel's Happy Future Promised
Zebulun and Issachar, sons of Leah, were neighbors in Canaan, and, being on the seaboard, became wealthy by commerce. The calling of the peoples may refer to the Gentile proselytes who were influenced by these tribes, 1 Kings 5:1-6; Mark 7:26.
The blessing of the other tribes is suggested by their position in Canaan: Gad, the leader of the west; Dan standing on the southern frontier, like a lion at bay; Naphtali, possessing the sea of Galilee, see r.v. margin; Asher on the northwest, with mountain, barriers against invasion. "Iron and brass!"
Let your soul dwell in the timeless, changeless, tireless God. There is none like Him. He will ride through heaven to help you, will thrust out the enemies that resist your progress, will be your fountain and dew, your corn and wine, and will place beneath you arms as tender as they are loving. However low you fall, they will always be underneath. As your day, so your strength! [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 33

1  The majesty of God
6  The blessings of the twelve tribes
26  The excellence of Israel

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 33:29 mean?

Blessed [are] you Israel who [is] like you a people saved by Yahweh the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty and shall submit Your enemies to you and you on their high places shall tread down -
אַשְׁרֶ֨יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל מִ֣י כָמ֗וֹךָ עַ֚ם נוֹשַׁ֣ע בַּֽיהוָ֔ה מָגֵ֣ן עֶזְרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲשֶׁר־ חֶ֖רֶב ! גַּאֲוָתֶ֑ךָ וְיִכָּֽחֲשׁ֤וּ אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ לָ֔ךְ וְאַתָּ֖ה עַל־ בָּמוֹתֵ֥ימוֹ תִדְרֹֽךְ ס

אַשְׁרֶ֨יךָ  Blessed  [are]  you 
Parse: Interjection, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶשֶׁר 
Sense: happiness, blessedness.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מִ֣י  who  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
כָמ֗וֹךָ  like  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
עַ֚ם  a  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
נוֹשַׁ֣ע  saved 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
בַּֽיהוָ֔ה  by  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מָגֵ֣ן  the  shield 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: מָגֵן 
Sense: shield, buckler.
עֶזְרֶ֔ךָ  of  your  help 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֵזֶר  
Sense: help, succour.
חֶ֖רֶב  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
! גַּאֲוָתֶ֑ךָ  of  your  majesty 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: גַּאֲוָה  
Sense: pride, majesty, a rising up.
וְיִכָּֽחֲשׁ֤וּ  and  shall  submit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּחַשׁ  
Sense: to deceive, lie, fail, grow lean, be disappointing, be untrue, be insufficient, be found liars, belie, deny, dissemble, deal falsely.
אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙  Your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
לָ֔ךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וְאַתָּ֖ה  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בָּמוֹתֵ֥ימוֹ  their  high  places 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
תִדְרֹֽךְ  shall  tread  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּרַךְ  
Sense: to tread, bend, lead, march.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation