Deuteronomy 33:26

There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(26) There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun.—Their rock is not as our Rock. For Jeshurun, see note on Deuteronomy 32:15.

Benson Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:26. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun — These are the last words that ever Moses wrote, perhaps the greatest writer that ever lived upon the earth. And this man of God, who had as much reason to know both as ever any mere man had, with his last breath magnifies both the God of Israel, and the Israel of God. Having blessed every particular tribe, he concludes with declaring the happiness of the whole nation, especially in this, that their God was not like the vain and foolish gods of other nations, but that eternal and infinite Being, who is matchless and inimitable in all perfections, and who had undertaken to be their protector, provider, and saviour, notwithstanding and in defiance of all their enemies. Who rideth upon the heavens in, or to, thy help — Who, in sending thee help, rides upon the heavens with the greatest state and magnificence, and makes them subservient to his will, by employing thunder, lightning, hail- stones, and all the artillery of the skies in thy behalf. His riding on the heavens denotes the greatness and glory in which he manifests himself to the upper world, and the use he makes of the influences of heaven and the products of the clouds, in bringing to pass his own counsels in this lower world. All these he manages and directs, as a man doth the horse he rides on. In his excellency on the sky — Or, In his magnificence on the clouds; that is, when he is pleased to display his grandeur and awful majesty in thy behalf, he rides upon the clouds, raises such storms and tempests as demonstrate those parts of nature to be entirely under his power and control.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

33:26-29 None had such a God as Israel. There is no people like the Israel of God. What is here said of the church of Israel is to be applied to the spiritual church. Never were people so well seated and sheltered. Those who make God their habitation, shall have all the comforts and benefits of a habitation in him, Ps 91:1. Never were people so well supported and borne up. How low soever the people of God are at any time brought, everlasting arms are underneath them, to keep the spirit from sinking, from fainting, and their faith from failing. Divine grace is sufficient for them, 2Co 12:9. Never were people so well commanded. Thus believers are more than conquerors over their spiritual enemies, through Christ that loved them. Never were people so well secured and protected. Israel shall dwell in safety alone. All who keep close to God, shall be kept safe by him. Never were people so well provided for. Every true Israelite looks with faith to the better country, the heavenly Canaan, which is filled with better things than corn and wine. Never were people so well helped. If in danger of any harm, or in want of any good, they had an eternal God to go to. Nothing could hurt those whom God helped, nor was it possible the people should perish who were saved by the Lord. Never were people so well armed. Those in whose hearts is the excellency of holiness, are defended by the whole armour of God, Eph 6. Never were people so well assured of victory over their enemies. Thus shall the God of peace tread Satan under the feet of all believers, and shall do it shortly, Ro 16:20. May God help us to seek and to set our affections on the things above; and to turn our souls from earthly perishing objects; that we may not have our lot with Israel's foes in the regions of darkness and despair, but with the Israel of God, in the realms of love and eternal happiness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, There is none like unto God, O Jeshurun! See marginal reference and note.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

26-29. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun—The chapter concludes with a congratulatory address to Israel on their peculiar happiness and privilege in having Jehovah for their God and protector.

who rideth upon the heaven in thy help—an evident allusion to the pillar of cloud and fire, which was both the guide and shelter of Israel.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Upon the heaven, i. e. upon the clouds, to succour thee from thence, by sending thunder and lightning upon thine enemies. See Psalm 18:7 68:34, &c.

In his excellency, or,

in his magnificence, i.e. magnificently, gloriously, and with great majesty as well as power.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun,.... Or Israel, as all the three Targums; for this is one of the names of the people of Israel; See Gill on Deuteronomy 32:15; and the Lord was their God in a special sense, having chosen, redeemed them, and made a covenant with them; and there is no God like him for the perfections of his nature, his purity and holiness, his goodness, wisdom, power, faithfulness, &c. and for the wonderful works of nature, providence, and grace, done by him; and for the blessings of goodness, temporal and spiritual, he bestows on men. The tribes being particularly blessed, the whole body of the people are pronounced happy, and whose happiness is enlarged on in Deuteronomy 33:26,

who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky; which he has the sovereign rule and disposal of, and can and does dispose of all the artillery therein, as illustrious proofs of his glory and excellency, and for the help of his people, and the destruction of their enemies; as when he sent forth hail, thunderings, and lightnings, upon the Egyptians, and frightened them; and cast down hailstones upon the Canaanites, and slew many of them; and when the stars in their course fought against Sisera; see Psalm 68:4 Judges 5:20.

Geneva Study Bible

There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

26. like the God of Jeshurun] So Sam., LXX., Targ., Vulg.; but Heb. reads like the God, O Yeshurun. Parallels to this line are found in J, Exodus 8:10; Exodus 9:14; in the Poem, Exodus 15:11; 2 Samuel 7:22, and above Deuteronomy 4:35; Deuteronomy 4:39, Deuteronomy 32:39.

excellency] Rather loftiness, exaltation. Geddes sees an allusion to the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Of the divine sublimity only here and Psalm 68:34 (35); also there with skies.

skies] Or less probably fine clouds; Geddes: ‘the subtile air.’ The word occurs only in the Second Isaiah, the late Jeremiah 51:9, Job, Proverbs and Psalms, many of which are certainly late.

26–29. The Epilogue

26 None like the God of Yeshurun!—

Riding the heavens to thy help,

And the skies in His loftiness.

27 The Eternal God is thy refuge,

And beneath are the arms everlasting.

He drove out before thee the foe,

And He said, Destroy!

28 So Israel dwelt securely,

Secluded the fount of Jacob,

On a land of corn and wine,

His heavens too dropped with dew.

29 Happy thou Israel! Who is like thee?

A people saved by the Lord.

[He is] the shield of thy help,

And the sword that exalts thee;

Till thy foes come to thee fawning,

But thou on their heights dost march.

This section follows closely on to Deuteronomy 33:2-5, with which it may have been originally one poem.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 26-29. - As Moses commenced by celebrating the glorious majesty of Jehovah when he appeared to establish his covenant with Israel, so he concludes with a reference to God as the eternal Refuge and the saving Help of his people. Verse 26. - There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun. The points and accents direct that this should be read, There is none like God, O Jeshurun; and though all the ancient versions read as does the Authorized Version, the Masoretic punctuation is vindicated here by the following thy help, which shows that Israel is here addressed. Deuteronomy 33:26

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The conclusion of the blessing corresponds to the introduction. As Moses commenced with the glorious fact of the founding of the kingdom of Jehovah in Israel, as the firm foundation of the salvation of His people, so he also concludes with a reference to the Lord their eternal refuge, and with a congratulation of Israel which could find refuge in such a God.

Deuteronomy 33:26-27

"Who is as God, a righteous nation, who rides in heaven to thy help, and in His exaltation upon the clouds. Abiding is the God of olden time, and beneath are everlasting arms: and He drives the enemy before thee, and says, Destroy." The meaning is: No other nation has a God who rules in heaven with almighty power, and is a refuge and help to his people against every foe. Jeshurun is a vocative, and the alteration of כּאל into כּאל, "as the God of Jeshurun," according to the ancient versions, is to be rejected on the simple ground that the expression "in thy help," which follows immediately afterwards, is an address to Israel. Riding upon the heaven and the clouds is a figure used to denote the unlimited omnipotence with which God rules the world out of heaven, and is the helper of His people. "In thy help," i.e., as thy helper. This God is a dwelling to His people. מענה, like the masculine מעון in Psalm 90:1, and Psalm 91:9, signifies "dwelling," - a genuine Mosaic figure, to which, in all probability, the houseless wandering of the people in the desert, which made them feel the full worth of a dwelling, first gave rise. The figure not only implies that God grants protection and a refuge to His people in the storms of life (Psalm 91:1-2, cf. Isaiah 4:6), but also that He supplies His people with everything that can afford a safe abode. "The God of old," i.e., who has proved Himself to be God from the very beginning of the world (vid., Psalm 90:1; Habakkuk 1:12). The expression "underneath" is to be explained from the antithesis to the heaven where God is enthroned above mankind. He who is enthroned in heaven above is also the God who is with His people upon the earth below, and holds and bars them in His arms. "Everlasting arms" are arms whose strength is never exhausted. There is no need to supply "thee" after "underneath;" the expression should rather be left in its general form, "upon the earth beneath." The reference to Israel is obvious from the context. The driving of the enemy before Israel is not to be restricted to the rooting out of the Canaanites, but applies to every enemy of the congregation of the Lord.