The Meaning of Deuteronomy 33:17 Explained

Deuteronomy 33:17

KJV: 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.

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.

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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 33:1-17 - The Blessing Of The Chosen People
The glorious nature of God is the opening theme here. The reference is to the giving of the Law when, amid fire and the mediation of angels, God descended on Sinai, Psalms 18:7-9; Habakkuk 3:3-4. Oh, that we, too, may sit as pupils in God's school and receive His words, Deuteronomy 33:3.
Though Reuben could not excel, he was not forgotten. Simeon is omitted because of Numbers 25:14. Judah was to receive prosperity in prayer, in work and in war. Some render the benediction thus: "Bring him in safety from his wars!" But our warfare is different, Ephesians 6:12.
Levi receives special blessing. Note r.v. margin: "Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with him whom thou lovest." This is the white diamond-stone flashing with God's "Yes" or dimming with His "No," Revelation 2:17. Exodus 32:26 was never forgotten. See Matthew 25:37. But God forgets our sins, Hebrews 8:12. Benjamin's portion may be yours. The precious things of Joseph's heritage pale to insignificance when contrasted with the riches of God's grace, Ephesians 1:18. [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 33:17 mean?

Firstborn a bull glory [is like] His and the horns of the wild ox his horns [like] with them the peoples He shall push Together to the ends of the earth And they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh -
בְּכ֨וֹר שׁוֹר֜וֹ הָדָ֣ר ל֗וֹ וְקַרְנֵ֤י רְאֵם֙ קַרְנָ֔יו בָּהֶ֗ם עַמִּ֛ים יְנַגַּ֥ח יַחְדָּ֖ו אַפְסֵי־ אָ֑רֶץ וְהֵם֙ רִבְב֣וֹת אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְהֵ֖ם אַלְפֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה ס

בְּכ֨וֹר  Firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
שׁוֹר֜וֹ  a  bull 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
הָדָ֣ר  glory  [is  like] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הָדָר  
Sense: ornament, splendour, honour.
ל֗וֹ  His 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וְקַרְנֵ֤י  and  the  horns 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc
Root: קֶרֶן 
Sense: horn.
רְאֵם֙  of  the  wild  ox 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְאֵם  
Sense: probably the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct.
קַרְנָ֔יו  his  horns  [like] 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶרֶן 
Sense: horn.
בָּהֶ֗ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
עַמִּ֛ים  the  peoples 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יְנַגַּ֥ח  He  shall  push 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַח  
Sense: to push, thrust, gore.
יַחְדָּ֖ו  Together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
אַפְסֵי־  to  the  ends 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֶפֶס 
Sense: ceasing, end, finality.
אָ֑רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְהֵם֙  And  they  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
רִבְב֣וֹת  the  ten  thousands 
Parse: Number, feminine plural construct
Root: רְבָבָה  
Sense: multitude, myriad, ten thousand.
אֶפְרַ֔יִם  of  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
וְהֵ֖ם  and  they  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
אַלְפֵ֥י  the  thousands 
Parse: Number, masculine plural construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
מְנַשֶּֽׁה  of  Manasseh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנַשֶּׁה  
Sense: the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation