21. And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel.
The allusion to Gad seems to be built upon his then recent history—leading the movement for locating the two and a half tribes on the East of Jordan and foremost in battle and in victory over the national enemy; prompt also to go over Jordan to execute God’s righteous judgments on the devoted nations of Canaan.
22. And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
Dan is fierce and formidable in war, to which his border locality on the extreme North may have conduced. Jacob touches the same tribal characteristic (Gen. 49: 16, 17).
23. And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord, possess thou the west and the south.
24. And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
Let Asher be blessed above the sons—may be the sense—the favored one among his brethren. May thy castle-bars [not “shoes”] be of iron and brass. But the best authorities on the word “strength” prefer rest [Gesenius], or affluence [Fuerst]. The prayer is that this rest or affluence may be life-long.
26. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
27. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say, Destroy them.