Deuteronomy 33:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Naphtali is overflowing with grace and enriched by the blessings of the Lord. This tribe symbolizes those who have reached completion through the mercy of Immanuel, the delight of the Father in heaven. The inheritance in the west signifies Christ. The prophet proclaims, "Sing... To Him that ascended into the west, the Lord is His name" (Psalm 67:5). Likewise, the inheritance in the south also represents Christ, who allocates the homes of the saints within His kingdom.

Neffalim declares the richness found both on the land and in the waters, as his tribe resided close to the sea, specifically to the south of Galilee. The prophet and the evangelist proclaimed: 'The land of Zebulun and the territory of Naphtali, and those who live along the seaside, the language of Galilee; the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light' (Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:15-16). The phrase "satiety of the pleasant ones" is rendered by Simmachus as "satiety of the favourable," conveying the same essence, as the favourable are those who are pleasing.