Deuteronomy 33:4

4 Moses charged us with the law, as a possession for 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, and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran. With him were myriads of holy ones; at his right, a host of his own.
3 Indeed, O favorite among peoples, all his holy ones were in your charge; they marched at your heels, accepted direction from you.
4 Moses charged us with the law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 There arose a king in Jeshurun, when the leaders of the people assembled— the united tribes of Israel.
6 May Reuben live, and not die out, even though his numbers are few.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.