Deuteronomy 33:4

4 Moses commanded the law to us, the heritage of the multitude of Jacob. (Yea, the Law which Moses commanded to us, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.)

Deuteronomy 33:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:4

Moses commanded us a law
The law was of God, it came forth from his right hand, ( Deuteronomy 33:2 ) ; it is of his enacting, a declaration of his will, and has his authority stamped upon it, who is the lawgiver, and which lays under obligation to regard it; but it was delivered to Moses, and by him to the children of Israel, on whom he urged obedience to it; and so it is said to come by him, and sometimes is called the law of Moses, see ( John 1:17 ) ( John 7:19 John 7:23 ) ( 8:5 ) ;

[even] the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob;
which either describes the persons who were commanded to keep the law, the tribes of Jacob or congregation of Israel, who were the Lord's people, portion, and inheritance, ( Deuteronomy 32:9 ) ; or the law commanded, which was to be valued, not only as a peculiar treasure, but to be considered a possession, an estate, an inheritance, to be continued among them, and to be transmitted to their posterity, see ( Psalms 119:111 ) ; these are the words of the people of Israel, and therefore are thus prefaced in the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem,

``the children of Israel said, Moses commanded''

they were represented by Moses.

Deuteronomy 33:4 In-Context

2 and said, The Lord came from Sinai, and he rose to us from Seir; he appeared from the hill of Paran, and thousands of saints with him; a law of fire in his right hand. (and he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and he rose up like the sun to us from Seir, or Edom; he appeared from Mount Paran, and thousands of saints, or holy ones, or angels, were with him; a Law of fire was in his right hand.)
3 He loved peoples; all saints be in his hand, and they that nigh to his feet shall take of his doctrine. (He loved the people; all the saints be in the palm of his hand, and they who sit at his feet shall receive his doctrine, or his teaching.)
4 Moses commanded the law to us, the heritage of the multitude of Jacob. (Yea, the Law which Moses commanded to us, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.)
5 And the king shall be at the most rightful, when princes of the people be gathered together with the lineages of Israel. (And then the King was there in Jeshurun, when the leaders of the people were gathered together with the tribes of Israel.)
6 Reuben live, and die not, and be he little in number. (May the tribe of Reuben live, and not die out, but be they few in number.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.