Deuteronomy27:12

Translation

When you have crossed over JORDAN, these shall stand on MOUNT GERIZIM to bless the people:

SIMEON

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and LEVI,

JUDAH

and ISSACHAR,

and JOSEPH

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and BENJAMIN.

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Paraphrase

When you have crossed the barrier called THE DESCENDER, the leaders of the following tribes shall stand on THE PLACE OF EXTERMINATION to pronounce the covenant blessings on the people:

HEARD [BY GOD],

and ATTACHED [TO GOD],

PRAISE AND CELEBRATION,

and REWARDED [BY GOD],

and THE ONE WHO IS INCREASING,

and SON OF HONOR.

Footnotes

1

You will notice that several of the names include portions of their meaning that are in brackets. This means that I have added something to what the word actually means. Such additions are justified because of the assumptions the Israelites were taught to make. God was involved in every aspect of their lives, so even when it is not stated, it can be assumed that the presence and activity of God are involved. Therefore most of the times the brackets include something about God.

2

Here the name Joseph is used to represent his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. This joining of two tribes into one was done in order to come up with a total of twelve rather than thirteen. Originally there were twelve sons of Jacob, but Joseph did not have a tribe named after him, rather his two sons became heads of tribes. Therefore the number of the tribes was not twelve but thirteen. However, they are always referred to as the twelve tribes of Israel because of the symbolism of the number twelve and because they preferred the symbolism over reality.

3

The meaning of the name Benjamin is “Son of my right hand,” which implies “son of strength, son of honor.”