SEV Biblia, Chapter 33:25
Hierro y bronce serán tus cerraduras, y como tus días será tu fortaleza.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 33:25
Verse 25. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass] Some suppose this may refer to the iron and copper mines in their territory; but it is more likely that it relates to their warlike disposition, as we know that greaves, boots, shoes, &c., of iron, brass, and tin, were used by ancient warriors. Goliath had greaves of brass on his legs, 1 Sam. xvii. 6; and the brazen-booted Greeks, calkoknhmidev acaioi, is one of the epithets given by Homer to his heroes; see Iliad. lib. viii., ver. 41. And as thy days, so shall thy strength be.] If we take this clause as it appears here, we have at once an easy sense; and the saying, I have no doubt, has comforted the souls of multitudes. The meaning is obvious: "Whatever thy trials or difficulties may be, I shall always give thee grace to support thee under and bring thee through them." The original is only two words, the latter of which has been translated in a great variety of ways, űabd űymykw ucheyameycha dobecha. Of the first term there can be no doubt, it literally means, and as thy days; the second word, abd dobe, occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible: the Septuagint have rendered it by iscuv, strength, and most of the versions have followed them; but others have rendered it affliction, old age, fame, weakness, &c., &c. It would be almost endless to follow interpreters through their conjectures concerning its meaning. It is allowed among learned men, that where a word occurs not as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, its root may be legitimately sought in the Arabic. He who controverts this position knows little of the ground on which he stands. In this language the root is found; daba signifies he rested, was quiet. This gives a very good sense, and a very appropriate one; for as the borders of this tribe lay on the vicinity of the Phoenicians, it was naturally to be expected that they should be constantly exposed to irruptions, pillage, &c.; but God, to give them confidence in his protection, says, According to thy days-all circumstances and vicissitudes, so shall thy REST be-while faithful to thy God no evil shall touch thee; thy days shall increase, and thy quiet be lengthened out.
This is an unfailing promise of God: "I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon me, because he trusteth in me;" therefore "trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength;" Isa. xxvi. 4. Some derive it from dabi, he abounded in riches; the interpretation then would be, As thy days increase, so shall thy riches.
This makes a very good sense also. See Rosenmuller.
Moses, having now finished what God gave him to predict concerning the twelve tribes, and what he was led in the fullness of his heart to pray for in their behalf, addresses all the tribes collectively under the names Jeshurun and Israel; and in an ode of astonishing energy and elegance describes this wondrous people, and their still more wonderful privileges. The reader will observe that, though the latter part of this chapter appears in the form of prose in our Bibles, yet it is written in hemistichs or short metrical lines in the original, which is the form in which all the Hebrew poetry is written; and as in other cases, so in this, it would contribute much to the easy understanding of the author's meaning, were the translation produced in lines corresponding to those of the original.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 25. Thy shoes [shall be] iron and brass , etc.] Either they should have such an abundance of these metals, that they could if they would have made their shoes of them; but that is not usual; though it is said of Empedocles the philosopher, that he wore shoes of brass, which was very singular; and some think that this tribe, because of the abundance of these metals, used to stick their shoes with iron and brass nails at the bottom of them, as country people, soldiers, and travellers in various nations do; but the true sense seems to be, that the land that fell to this tribe, and on which they trod, should yield much iron and brass; as in Carmel, a mountain on the borders of it, brass was taken, as says Hesychius; and Zidon is by Homer said to abound with brass, which belonged to this tribe; and Sarepta, another city in it, had its name from Prx , which signifies to melt, from the melting of these metals in it; (see Deuteronomy 8:9); though some Jewish writers take the sense to be, that the land of Asher was so strongly fortified as if it had been enclosed with walls of brass and iron, or the gates of its cities were shut up with bolts and bars of iron and brass, as Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe; so the Arabic: and as thy days, [so shall] thy strength [be] ; the same in old age as in youth; which is the sense of the Latin Vulgate version, and all the Targums: such were the vigour and strength of. Moses himself, ( Deuteronomy 34:7); and so may denote a renewal of youth, like that of eagles; and, in a spiritual sense, a revival of the graces of the Spirit of God, as to the exercise of them, and an increase of spiritual strength, so that the inward man is renewed day by day; and may also denote such a measure of strength given, as is proportioned to the events that daily befall, or to the services and sufferings men are called unto; (see 1 Corinthians 10:13 2 Corinthians 4:16 12:9,10).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 24, 25 - All shall be sanctified to true believers; if their way be rough, their feet shall be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. As the days, so shall thy strength be. The "day" is often in Scripture put for the events of the day; it is a promise that God would graciously an constantly support under trials and troubles, whatever they were. It is a promise sure to all the spiritual seed of Abraham. Have they wor allotted? They shall have strength to do it. Have they burden appointed? They shall have strength, and never be tempted above what they are able to bear.
Original Hebrew
ברזל 1270 ונחשׁת 5178 מנעלך 4515 וכימיך 3117 דבאך׃ 1679
