Dip His Foot in Oil

- Deu 33:24 -

And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Deut. 33: 24

“Dip his foot in oil” is an Eastern idiom which means “Let him become very prosperous.”

In biblical days oil was used as a medium of exchange. And it was still used as such in the Near East until World War II. Oil may also mean butter. In the East a man with plenty of olive oil or butter is considered wealthy.

Easterners, when describing a rich man, say, “He bathes in oil and milk.” Olive oil and butter are exchanged for dry goods, wheat, silver, and gold. In the parable of the unjust servant, oil was loaned just as one would loan silver and gold [Luke 16:6].

The land of Asher was fertile and good for grazing. Olives also are plentiful in northern Palestine and Lebanon.