DEUTERONOMY 33:12

One exercise I find instructive is to take a random verse in the Bible and see what commentators have to say regarding it. The particular verse above is Moses' blessing on the tribe of Benjamin, and it reads:

    “Of Benjamin he said,

    'The beloved of the LORD,

    he dwells in safety by him; he encompasses him all the day long,

    and makes his dwelling between his shoulders.'” (RSV)

A number of commentators note that in calling the tribe “beloved,” Moses is probably alluding back to the fact that Benjamin himself was the beloved youngest son of his father Jacob. And looking in the other direction, Weima points out, “Paul addresses his readers [in I Thessalonians 1:4] with the striking phrase 'loved by God.' As with the noun 'church'..., here too we have an instance of language originally applied to Israel (e.g. Deut. 33:12, [etc]) being reapplied to the Christian church.”

However, when it comes to the rest of Moses' blessing, there is no universal agreement regarding its exact meaning. The controversy mainly concerns the last line and the proper literal meaning behind the figurative term “shoulders.”

I first canvassed a group of older commentaries that are typical of those you can easily find on-line today. These were practically evenly divided between two quite different interpretations. But one point I found interesting was that those who taught Interpretation A usually did not even mention that there was an alternative understanding B, and vice versa. And the few who did happen to do so, promptly shot it down in no uncertain terms.

This school of Bible interpretation, I found out first-hand, actually appeals to those Christians who do not like to be presented with alternative understandings of the Bible. My own personal teaching style has always been an attempt to give all sides of an issue fairly with their pros and cons, and then let the audience judge for themselves which interpretation is the most likely. But after one class I was teaching years ago, two woman in our group came up to me and said that they were disturbed by that approach because it confused them. One of the women told me, “Just tell me what to believe, and I will believe it.” And when I replied, “But what if you later hear another interpretation?” Her reply was, “I will believe you today, and believe them later on.” And this comment was from a college graduate! Apparently, some people would rather be certain in their view than to be correct.

Well, enough of that side issue, but another intriguing trend I noted was that the same two basic understandings of this verse have persisted through the decades, and both are still alive and well today. So what exactly are Interpretations A and B for this passage in Deuteronomy?

View A: This interpretation takes the word “shoulder” to stand for “mountain” and sees the image to be a geographical one. This view actually predates Calvin, who notes it in his commentary. Here are some sample comments from those who espouse this viewpoint:

    Chuck Smith explains that if you look at a map of Benjamin's territory you will see “that it is shaped like shoulders with Jerusalem located right between the shoulders.”

    Clarke's Commentary explains that Benjamin dwelling safety by God refers to “the temple; which is considered as his dwelling place.” Therefore God's “shoulders” refers to the mountains Zion and Moriah.

    Also holding to the opinion that it is God, in his temple, which is located between Benjamin's shoulders (i.e. on its borders) are such classic commentators as Benson, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Matthew Poole, and John Wesley.

    Mayes holds to the geographical view also, but since the temple at Jerusalem was not actually in the territory of Benjamin, only on its borders, he mentions the alternative of a sanctuary within her territory, possibly one in Bethel. As added confirmation that “shoulders” can mean “among the hills,” he cites Numbers 34:11 and Joshua 15:8-11.

Strongly critiquing this interpretation is The Pulpit Commentary which says, “to understand it of Jehovah dwelling on the shoulders of Benjamin, in the sense of having the temple, the place of his rest, is too violent and far-fetched an interpretation to be admitted. The classic OT commentators Keil and Delitzsch agree with this criticism.

View B turns this image around entirely so that it is Benjamin who is resting on the shoulders of God, not vice versa. But even within this basic umbrella of understanding, there are a number of nuances as to what that exactly means. For example:

    Keil and Delitzsch clarify the image by stating that “between the shoulders” is an idiom actually meaning “upon the back.” And Constable says, “Benjamin was to enjoy God's protection continually since God would carry this tribe on his back between his shoulders.”

    On the other hand, Meyers and Meyers say, “Yahweh dwells between the shoulders of Benjamin, presumably in his heart.” In a similar vein, Thompson says that “his dwelling between his shoulders may mean that Benjamin rests between Yahweh's shoulders, i.e. in the place of affection and protection...the picture may be of a child sitting on the shoulders of its parents.”

    But Heck sees in this image the picture of a a shepherd carrying a lamb over his shoulders. R.K. Harrison agrees with that assessment and points to Luke 15:5 for the same idea.

    Several scholars who hold to this general view do not attempt to give a physical picture as to how exactly Benjamin is figuratively carried, in front or in back. Barnes Notes says that “dwell between his shoulders” mean to “be supported by God as a son who is carried by his father (compare Deuteronomy 1:31).”

But whether Benjamin is a lamb or child carried by God on his shoulders, back, or chest, the commentators above are in agreement that the general image is of someone or something resting in peace.

    Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: “Moses paints a picture of 'the beloved of the LORD' as someone who 'rests in safety' and rests between [God's] shoulders. Here is a picture of what rest ultimately involves in the Bible – a relinquishing of human self-assertion and a trust in God.”

    Barker: “In Moses' blessing on the tribe of Benjamin (Deut 33:12), the promise of rest (skn) in safety is paralleled with the promise of the presence of Yahweh.”

Despite the peaceful image seemingly portrayed in this verse, there is a a sub-set of commentators who, although they hold to the interpretation that it is Benjamin resting on God's shoulders rather than the reverse, detect a more warlike imagery here.

    Heck starts out by quoting the earlier blessing on Benjamin by Jacob found in Genesis 49:27. It “describes the ability of Benjamin to devour the prey and divide the plunder...while Deuteronomy 33:12 describes the protection of Benjamin during that work and warfare.”

    Craigie elaborates on this interpretation and concludes, “Thus, the allusion of the third line of the blessing (between his weapons he dwells) points to the fact that it would be in battle that Benjamin would be blessed, made safe between the weapons of the Lord, who was a 'Man of War' (Exod. 15:3).” Note Craigie's interpretation of the key word “shoulders” and his rather strange image of a warrior going into battle while sitting on God's shoulders.

Finally, there are those modern commentators who do not attempt to distinguish between Views A and B.

    A.E. Hill: “Perhaps the most difficult text employing katep [“shoulders”] is the blessing of Moses assuring Benjamin security between the 'shoulders' of God.”

    Cousins: “It is difficult to decide whether this refers to the position of the Temple, situated at Jerusalem in the hills of Benjamin's tribal territory, or to the security of the tribe, seen as carried like a child on Yahweh's back.”

The difference between interpretations A and B persists even in today's devotional literature:

    “He tabernacles between our shoulders, His glory resting in our midst. His presence graciously resting upon the “building” [i.e. the church] He is constructing out of living stones...and inhabiting by His Spirit.” (mymorningmeal.com)

    “When you need rest, sit secure between His shoulders. (dontmomalone.com)

    “The kingdom of God is many marvelous things,...but I am sure that chief among them is resting between God's shoulders, enjoying His love, in the un-self-conscious faith of a child who is convinced Daddy loves her.” (toniawoolover.com)