Between the Shoulders
“Jehovah … shall dwell between [Benjamin’s] shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12).
In the blessings given by Moses to the twelve tribes of Israel, a direction is given to Benjamin that is not immediately clear. In Deuteronomy 33:12, Moses tells us where Jehovah will dwell. “And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his [Benjamin’s] shoulders.” What does this expression mean – “between his shoulders”?
Exodus 29:45, 46 also speaks of God dwelling among the Israelites. “I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the L ORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.”
Also Numbers 35:34, “Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.”
The dwelling place of God “out of all your tribes” would be the place where they were to bring their sacrifices, free from idols. This is specified in Deuteronomy 12:2-6.
“Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God. But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks.”
Notice that verse six refers to the location where Israel’s sacrifices should be brought. In Exodus 4O:35 and Joshua 22:29, the tabernacle of the congregation1 becomes the place where Jehovah dwells and where Israel brings its sacrifices. “The glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 4O:35). “God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD … to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle” (Joshua 22:29).
In Deuteronomy 33:12, Jehovah was more specific. He would dwell within the tabernacle of the congregation,1 among the children of Israel, in the promised land – at a specific place. It is at this point that the phrase “between his [Benjamin’s] shoulders” gives the final clue.
JERUSALEM
When the tabernacle of the congregation entered the promised land, it was first in Gilgal which was in the inheritance of the tribe of Manasseh. Then it was moved to Shiloh which was in the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim. Then the Ark of the Covenant and tabernacle were separated. At the time of King David the tabernacle was in Shiloh and the ark was found in Kirjathjearim (1 Samuel 7:2). David would bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:15-17, 2 Chronicles 1:4), Solomon would bring the tabernacle of the congregation to Jerusalem, and the two were united again (1 Kings 8:4, 2 Chronicles 5:5), until the temple was dedicated.
“And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale [Kirjathjearim] of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims” (2 Samuel 6:2).
King David knew the exact location where God would dwell when he brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. He understood that Jerusalem was between the “shoulders” of Benjamin. The word “shoulders” in Deuteronomy 33:12 is Strong’s 38O2 and means shoulder, shoulder-blade, side or slope. This word is found in the description of the boundaries of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. But it is not found in the boundary descriptions of the other tribes.
The boundaries for the tribe of Benjamin are found in Joshua 18:11-2O and for the tribe of Judah in Joshua 15:1-12. In the King James translation of these texts, the word for “shoulders” is translated “side.”
“And so their boundary, on the north border, was from the Jordan, and the boundary goeth up unto the side [38O2] of Jericho on the north and the boundary passeth over from thence towards Luz, to the side [38O2] of Luz … and the boundary goeth down to the uttermost part of the mountain which faceth the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the Vale of Giants, northward, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, unto the side [38O2] of the Jebusite … And passed along toward the side [38O2] over against Arabah … 19 and the boundary passeth along unto the side [38O2] of Beth-hoglah” (Joshua 18:12, 13, 16, 18, 19).
The border between Judah and Benjamin
Why is this word found with the tribe of Judah when Jerusalem was within the boundary of the tribe of Benjamin? Jerusalem is on the common border of Judah and Benjamin. The word “shoulders” is used for the northern common border Judah has with Benjamin.
“And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side [38O2] of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem … And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side [38O2] of mount Jearim … And the border went out unto the side [38O2] of Ekron northward” (Joshua 15:8, 1O, 11).
It is seen in Joshua 15:63 and Judges 1:21 that Judah and Benjamin both lived in Jerusalem with the Jebusites until King David removed the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5:6-8). “As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day” (Joshua 15:63). “And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day” (Judges 1:21).
So as seen in the Book of Psalms, Jerusalem would be the place where Jehovah would dwell with the children of Israel, between the shoulders of Benjamin. “Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalms 135:21).2
– Bro. Rick Evans
(1) Where KJV says, “tabernacle of the congregation,” ASV rightly says, “tent of meeting.” It is the place where God would meet with man.
(2) Please see the related article, by Bro. David Skein, “Miracle at Shiloh,” August 2OO5.