Deuteronomy 33:24

WEB

Of Asher he said, "Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil.

KJV

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.

Commentary

And of Asher he said,.... The tribe of Asher, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: let Asher be blessed with children; with large numbers, as it appears this tribe was, having in it 53,400 men of war, Num 26:47 . It w as esteemed a great blessing to have many children, Psa 128:3 ; or "above the children"; above or more than the rest of the children of Jacob; see Luk 2:36 ; Jarchi observes, that he had seen, in a book called Siphri, that there was none in all the tribes blessed with children as Asher, but not known how: let him be acceptable to his brethren; either for his excellent bread, and royal dainties, Gen 49:20 ; or for the goodness of his olives and oil, and for the brass and iron found in this tribe, as follows; or, as some say, because of his children, his daughters being very beautiful: and let him dip his foot in oil; have such plenty of it, that if he would he might dip or wash his feet in it; and it was usual not only to anoint the head, but the feet (f) also, with oil, Luk 7:46 . (f) "Vidimus etiam vestigia pedum tingi", Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 3. Vid. Dalecamp. Not. in ib.