Deuteronomy 33:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 1. And this is the blessing— The word blessing is to be understood according to the custom of those ancient times, when fathers, about to die, blessed their children: whence, whatever fathers spoke to their children, as their last words, was called a blessing, though sometimes cursings were mixed with the blessings: for, as Jacob did not bless all his sons, so neither did Moses bless all the tribes. See Genesis 49:28. Dr. Durell is of opinion, that the words, the man of God, were added after the death of Moses. "Though Moses," says he, "generally speaks of himself in the third person, and the title of man of God is frequently given in Scripture to prophets, yet, as this is the first place where Moses is thus characterised, it looks very much as if these words were added after his death. This phrase is nearly the same as the Arabs use when they speak of Moses, viz. the inspired man, or, the prophet of God; (see Hotting. Speg. Or. c. viii. p. 485. & lib. i. c. 3. p. 8c.) and it is not very unlike our manner of speaking of a great and good man, when deceased, whom we call of blessed, or pious memory. Moses, indeed, was highly deserving of being called the man of God, in whatever sense the words can be taken; yet, his known modesty would hardly have suffered him thus to speak of himself at any time; but more particularly at this juncture, when he knew, by revelation, that he was at the point of death; and might also have known, by the same channel, that his sepulchre would be hidden, with a view that his brethren, always prone to idolatry, might not pay him divine honours. In these circumstances, therefore, it is not probable, that this wise lawgiver should incautiously give a handle to frustrate the designs of Providence, which he would, in some measure, have done if we could suppose him at this time thus magnifying his high office."—For my own part, I cannot help differing from this learned writer, and being of opinion, that there is nothing improper in supposing Moses to give himself this appellation of the man of God, i.e. the prophet of God, when he is about to deliver, at the last moment of his life, one of the most solemn and important prophesies respecting the chosen people of God. The ingenious writer abovementioned observes, that, "as Moses had before composed a long to celebrate the miraculous passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea; so his view in this song seems to have been, to commemorate God's gracious dealings with them since that time." A more proper subject could not have been thought of, in order to awaken their attention, and raise a due sense of gratitude in all Israel, before the several tribes heard from the mouth of their great prophet, now speaking for the last time, what Providence intended to do farther for each of them. In the first three lines of this song, Moses reminds the Israelites of the several places, where God had been pleased to manifest himself in a wonderful manner to them: he afterwards suggests, that God's great love ought to be repaid by them with adoration and obedience; and concludes with setting before them the great and lasting advantages which they had in common, in consequence of the covenant they had entered into with God, who vouchsafed to become their lawgiver, after they had expressly stipulated to elect Him for their king.