Deuteronomy 33:4

4 Moses gave us these teachings. They belong to the assembly 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 He said, "The LORD came from Sinai. For his people he rose from Seir [like the sun]. He appeared like sunshine from Mount Paran. He came with tens of thousands of holy ones. On his right was a raging fire for them.

3 You certainly love your people. All your holy ones are in your hands. They bow at your feet to receive your instructions.

4 Moses gave us these teachings. They belong to the assembly of Jacob.

5 The LORD was king of Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled together with all the tribes of Israel.

6 "May the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though their people are few in number."