Deuteronomy 33:21
in Deuteronomy 33He chose the best land for himself, because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there. He came with the leaders of the people; he administered the LORD’s justice and His ordinances for Israel.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he provided the first part for himself, For there was the lawgiver’s portion reserved; And he came with the heads of the people; He executed the righteousness of Jehovah, And his ordinances with Israel.
KJV
And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel.
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 33
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The first fruits of the conquest made by Israel were assigned to Gad and Reuben by Moses, at their own request. Because ... seated - Render, because there was the leader’s portion reserved, i. e., there was reserved the fitting portion for Gad as a leader in war. And he came ... - i. e., he joined the other leaders to fulfill the commands of God respecting the conquest of Canaan (compare Num 32:17, Num 32:21, Num 32:32; Jos 1:14). Moses regards the promise of the Gadites to do this as already redeemed.
This site's exposition
Blessed is he who enlarges the domain of Gad
on Deuteronomy 33:20-21
Gad asked for land east of the Jordan at Numbers 32:1-5, and choosing “the best land for himself” is commonly read of that request. What follows can be checked, since Joshua 4:12 has the eastern tribes cross armed ahead of the rest and Joshua 22 sends them home afterward.
This site's exposition
he administered the LORD’s justice
Moses speaks of Gad administering the LORD's justice in the past tense, though the crossing still lay ahead. Albert Barnes reads this as Moses counting the promise of Numbers 32:17 as already kept, when Gad came with the leaders of the people.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The first part - The first fruits of the land of promise, the country of Sihon, which was first conquered, which he is said to provide for himself, because he desired and obtained it of Moses.
And he provided a first part for himself,....
This was one of the tribes that was already seated on that side Jordan where Moses now was.
And, when the wars of Canaan were ended, Joshua dismissed them with a blessing, Josh. xxii. Note, It is a blessed and honourable thing to be helpful to our brethren in their affairs, and particularly to assist in executing the justice of the Lord by suppressing that which is provoking to him: it was this that was counted to Phinehas for righteousness.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He provided the first part - That is, he chose for himself a very excellent portion, viz., the land of Sihon and Og, in which this tribe had requested to be settled by the lawgiver, viz., Moses, from whom they requested this portion, Num 32:1-5. He came with the heads of the people - Notwithstanding this portion fell unto them on the east side of Jordan, yet they proceeded with the heads of the people, the chiefs of the other tribes. To execute the justice of the Lord - To extirpate the old inhabitants of the country, according to the decree and purpose of the Lord. See on Numbers 32 (note).
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֤רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| רֵאשִׁית֙ | reshit | [the] choicest | H7225 → | 51 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | for <the> himself | ||
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שָׁ֛ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| חֶלְקַ֥ת | chelkat | [the] portion of | H2513 → | |
| מְחֹקֵ֖ק | mechokek | a commander | H2710 → | |
| סָפ֑וּן | safun | [was] reserved | H5603 → | |
| וַיֵּתֵא֙ | vaiyete' | and he came | H857 → | |
| רָ֣אשֵׁי | rashei | [the] chiefs of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| עָ֔ם | ʾam | [the] people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| צִדְקַ֤ת | tzidkat | [the] righteousness of | H6666 → | 157 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עָשָׂ֔ה | ʾasah | he executed | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו | umishpatav | and judgments his | H4941 → | 422 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיַּ֤רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
רֵאשִׁית֙[the] choicest
reshitH7225 →51 times
ל֔וֹfor <the> himself
lo
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
שָׁ֛םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
חֶלְקַ֥ת[the] portion of
chelkatH2513 →
מְחֹקֵ֖קa commander
mechokekH2710 →
סָפ֑וּן[was] reserved
safunH5603 →
וַיֵּתֵא֙and he came
vaiyete'H857 →
רָ֣אשֵׁי[the] chiefs of
rasheiH7218 →599 times
עָ֔ם[the] people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
צִדְקַ֤ת[the] righteousness of
tzidkatH6666 →157 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עָשָׂ֔הhe executed
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יוand judgments his
umishpatavH4941 →422 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 5:11the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went…
it leads to
- Micah 6:5
My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”
- Judges 5:8
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
- 1 Samuel 12:7
Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers.
- Deuteronomy 22:24
you must take both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death—the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he…
- Lamentations 5:9
We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness.
- Micah 6:5
Through
Joshua 1:14Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for…
it leads to
- Exodus 13:18
So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.
- Deuteronomy 20:8
Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
- Revelation 17:4
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual…
- Exodus 13:18
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.