Deuteronomy 33:24-25 - Moses' Blessing.

Asher, the prosperous one, as his name implies, was to be rich, and honored, and strong, and peaceful. Blessed with children; rather, blessed among the sons ; i . e . either blessed more than the rest of the sons, or blessed by the sons who were to reap benefit from him. From what follows, the latter explanation seems the one to be preferred. The preposition מִן is constantly used as indicating the source whence anything proceeds, or the agent by whom anything is done . Let him be acceptable to his brethren ; "iis e tetras suae proventibus res optimas suppeditaturus; cf. Genesis 49:20 " (Rosenmüller). This tribe should find itself in so advantageous and luxurious a condition that the ether tribes should have delight and pleasure in it" (Knobel). Others render, "favored among his brethren;" favored, that is, by the Lord more than his brethren (Keil). But the former seems preferable. And let him dip his foot in oil. This points to a land abounding in olives, and generally richly fertile, a fat land and yielding rich dainties, such as Jacob promised to Asher ( Genesis 49:20 ). Thy shoes shall be iron and brass . The word rendered "shoes" ( מִנְעָל ) occurs only here. It is a derivative from נָעַל , to bolt or shut fast, and is to be taken in the sense of a fastness or fortress, a place securely closed: iron and brass shall be thy fortress ; i . e . his dwelling should be strong and impregnable. The rendering" shoes" is from a supposed derivation of the word from נַעַל , a shoe. As thy days, so shall thy strength be ; literally, as thy days , thy rest ; i . e . as long as thou livest, so long shalt thou have rest and quiet. The noun rendered "strength" ( דֹבֵא ) in the Authorized Version. occurs only here, unless it be found in the proper name מֶידְבָא ( Medeba ), and has no Cognate in Hebrew; but the Arabic supplies a root for it in ( deba ), to rest. Furst connects it with זָב , and the Targum with דְּוָא , to flow, and translates by "riches."