Genesis 49:20

49:20 Asher’s ¹  food will be rich, ² 

and he will provide delicacies ³  to royalty.

Deuteronomy 33:24-25

Blessing on Asher

33:24 Of Asher he said:

Asher is blessed with children,

may he be favored by his brothers

and may he dip his foot in olive oil. ⁴ 

33:25 The bars of your gates ⁵  will be made of iron and bronze,

and may you have lifelong strength.

[49:20]  ¹ tc Heb “from Asher,” but the initial mem (מ) of the MT should probably be moved to the end of the preceding verse and taken as a plural ending on “heel.”

[49:20]  ² tn The Hebrew word translated “rich,” when applied to products of the ground, means abundant in quantity and quality.

[49:20]  ³ tn The word translated “delicacies” refers to foods that were delightful, the kind fit for a king.

[33:24]  ⁴ sn Dip his foot in olive oil. This is a metaphor for prosperity, one especially apt in light of the abundance of olive groves in the area settled by Asher. The Hebrew term refers to olive oil, which symbolizes blessing in the OT. See R. Way, NIDOTTE 4:171-73.

[33:25]  ⁵ tn The words “of your gates” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent of “bars.”