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Deuteronomy 33:23

And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.”
Deuteronomy 33:23 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB About Naphtali he said, “Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of Yahweh’s blessing, Possess the west and the south.”
  • KJV And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
  • BSB Concerning Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with favor, full of the blessing of the LORD; he shall take possession of the sea and the south.”
  • NASB Of Naphtali he said, “Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Take possession of the sea and the south.”
  • NLT Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: “O Naphtali, you are rich in favor and full of the Lord’s blessings; may you possess the west and the south.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Naphtali is satisfied with God's favor and full of His blessing, taking possession of the west and south. The tribe enjoys God's abundant goodness in a rich land.

Overview

Naphtali is described as "satisfied with favor" and "full of Yahweh's blessing," inheriting fertile territory around the Sea of Galilee. This region would later be the very area where Jesus centered much of His ministry (Matt. 4:13-16), fulfilling Isaiah's promise of light to the land of Naphtali. Thus a tribe blessed with God's favor became a place of the dawning of gospel light.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Gen 49:21“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
  • Matt 4:16the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned.”
  • Ps 36:8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures.
  • Jer 31:14I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,” says Yahweh.
  • Matt 4:13Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
  • Ps 90:14Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
  • Josh 19:32–39The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
  • Matt 11:28“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
  • Isa 9:1–2But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Deuteronomy videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Deuteronomy 33:23YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on DeuteronomyMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).

How Deuteronomy 33:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.