He provided the first part for himself, for the lawgiver’s portion reserved was reserved for him. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel.”
Parallel Translations
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He provided the first part for himself, for the lawgiver’s portion reserved was reserved for him. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel.”
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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.
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And he chose a first part for himself, for there a portion of a ruler was reserved; and there came the heads of the people, he executed the righteousness of the LORD, and His ordinances with Israel.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Deuteronomy 33:21 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Numbers 32:1-6 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock. Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.” They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.” Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?
- Numbers 32:16-42 They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones; but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have all received their inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.” Moses said to them: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war, and every one of your armed men will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh until he has driven out his enemies from before him, and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be clear of obligation to Yahweh and to Israel. Then this land shall be your possession before Yahweh. “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.” The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall be there in the cities of Gilead; but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.” So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel. Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle before Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.” Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan; the land, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land. The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities and folds for sheep. The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built. The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair. Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
- Joshua 1:14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall live in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them
- Joshua 4:12-13 The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them. About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before Yahweh to battle, to the plains of Jericho.
- Joshua 22:1-4 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of Yahweh your God. Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan.
- Judges 5:2 “Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh!
- Judges 5:11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse Yahweh’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then Yahweh’s people went down to the gates.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain So the portion of the Gadites, and others on…
So the portion of the Gadites, and others on this side Jordan was God’s, though it was not so known.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Deu 33:21 And he provided the first part for…
Deu 33:21 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.
Ver. 21. In a portion of the lawgiver.] That portion that Moses the lawgiver assigned him on the other side Jordan. {Num 32:33}
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He executed the justice of the Lord,] viz., Upon the Canaanites; which is so noble an act that even the good angels refuse not to be executioners of God’s judgments upon obstinate malefactors.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The first part; the first-fruits of the Land of…
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 so obtained it of Moses, Num 32.
A portion of the lawgiver, i.e. of Moses, whose portion this is called, either because this part of the land beyond Jordan was the only part of the land which Moses was permitted to enter upon; or because it was given to him by Moses; whereas the portions beyond Jordan were given to the several tribes by Joshua, according to the direction of the lot.
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Was he seated, Heb. hid or protected; for their wives and children were secured in their cities, whilst many of their men went over to the war in Canaan.
He came with the heads of the people, i.e. he went, or he will go, (the preter tense being put for the future, after the manner of the prophets,) to wit, to the war in Canaan, with the princes, or captains, or rulers of the people of Israel, i.e. under their command and conduct, as indeed they did; or with the first of the people; or, in the front of the people, as the Syriac renders it; for this tribe and their brethren, whose lot fell beyond Jordan, were to march, and did march, into Canaan before their brethren, as it is expressed, Jos 1:14. And the Hebrew word rosch oft signifies the beginning or first of a thing.
He executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel, i.e. he did or will execute the just judgment of God against the Canaanites, as the rest of the Israelites did; he will join in the war against them, as he promised to do, Num 32:27, and actually did, Jos 1:14.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And of Dan he said,.... Of the tribe of…
And of Dan he said,.... Of the tribe of Dan, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem:
Dan is a lion's whelp; or like one for boldness, strength, and courage; and was verified in Samson, who was of this tribe; who, when a young lion roared against him, the Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he tore it to pieces, Jdg 14:5,
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he shall leap from Bashan; not Dan, for he was seated far from that country; but the sense is, he was like to a young lion for its strength, when it leaps from Bashan, as Aben Ezra rightly explains it. Bashan was a mountain in which lions haunted, and from whence they might be said to leap, as they do when they seize on their prey: it may have some respect to the leap of the Danites from the northwest part of the land of Israel, where they were settled, but was not sufficient for them, to the northeast of it, when they went against Leshem, and took it, and called it Dan; see Jos 19:47.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The first part - The first fruits of the…
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. Of the law-giver - Of Moses, whose portion this is called, either because this part of the land beyond Jordan was the only part of the land which Moses was permitted to enter upon: or because it was given him by Moses, whereas the portions beyond Jordan were given to the several tribes by Joshua according to the direction of the lot. Seated - Hebrew. hid or protected: for their wives and children were secured in their cities, while many of their men went over to the war in Canaan. He came - He went, or he will go, to the war in Canaan, with the princes, or captains, or rulers of the people of Israel, that is, under their command and conduct, as indeed they did; or with the first of the people; or, in the front of the people, as the Syriack renders it; for this tribe and their brethren whose lot fell beyond Jordan, were to march into Canaan before their brethren. He executed - The just judgment of God against the Canaanites, as the rest of the Israelites did.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 21. He provided the first part] That is,…
Verse 21. 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, Nu 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.
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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 Num. xxxii.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Deu 33:21. He provideth the first part for himself…
Deu 33:21. He provideth the first part for himself — The first-fruits of the land of promise, the country of Sion, which was first conquered, and which he is said to provide for himself, because he asked and obtained it of Moses, and was the first who viewed his portion in the promised land. There, in a portion of the lawgiver, &c. — This is obscurely expressed, but the meaning seems to be, he was there settled in a portion or settlement allotted him by Moses the Jewish legislator himself, whereas the portions beyond Jordan were given to the several tribes by Joshua, according to the direction of the lot. Or perhaps this part of the land is termed a portion of the lawgiver, because, lying beyond Jordan, it was the only part which Moses was permitted to enter upon. Was he seated — Hebrew, ספון, sapun, covered, or protected: for their wives and children were secured in their cities, while many of the men went over to the war in Canaan. He came with the heads of the people, &c. — Or with the princes, captains, or rulers of the people; that is, under their command and conduct. Or, as ראשׁי, roshee, may be understood, with the first, or in the front of the people, as the Syriac renders it; for this tribe and their brethren, whose lot fell beyond Jordan, were to march into Canaan before their brethren. Thus, again, he speaks, in the prophetic style, of a thing as already done, because he foresaw it would be done. He executed the justice of the Lord — Or his just judgment against the Canaanites, as the rest of the Israelites did.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The first fruits of the conquest made by Israel…
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.
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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.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain He saw, &c. The pre-eminence of the tribe of…
He saw, &c. The pre-eminence of the tribe of Gad, to which this alludes, was their having the lawgiver, Moses, buried in their borders; though the particular place was not known. (Challoner) --- Protestants, "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," &c. Septuagint, "And he saw his first-fruits," (the first conquered country of Sehon and of Og,) because there the land of the princes was divided, the leaders of the people being assembled, or who were assembled with the leaders. (Haydock) --- Gad and the two other tribes petitioned for that part of the country, and obtained their request of Moses, Numbers xxxii. 27. --- Israel. This is generally understood of Moses; but it may be explained of the tribe of Gad, which complied with the conditions imposed on him, and on his brethren, by the Lord, when he allotted the land of Galaad to them, chap. iii. 18. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "he executed the justice of the Lord," &c. Septuagint, "the Lord did justice and his judgment with Israel," approving his choice. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 21. He provided the first part for himself —…
21. He provided the first part for himself — He chose the firstfruits for himself. The land on the east of the Jordan, the firstfruits of the conquest, was apportioned to Gad and Reuben. Comp. Numbers 32.
Because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated — For these was the leader’s portion reserved; kept as an appropriate reward for so brave and successful a leader.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 21. vow] Heb. nadar, as the parallel nazar shows,…
21. vow] Heb. nadar, as the parallel nazar shows, means originally ‘to dedicate.’ The term and the idea are found in practically all the Semitic languages.
be slack] Lit. be behind, delay. To pay, lit. to fulfil.
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sin in thee] Cp. Deu_15:9.
21. provided] Lit. saw but = saw to.
first part] Or the best, Heb. reshîth. See above, Deu_33:15; and on Deu_18:4.
For there, etc.] Both the text of this line and the beginning of the next—kî sham ḥelḳath meḥoḳeḳ saphun (so far confirmed by Sam.) wayyeth—and the meaning, for there the lot of a ruler was laid up, and he came, etc., are very uncertain. The line is an odd one and may well be a gloss upon the preceding line.
If the Heb. text be accepted, the meaning is that although Gad had received his large and princely territory E. of Jordan yet he came with (Sam. associated himself with) the heads of the people to the conquest of W. Palestine, loyal to the righteous purpose of God, and executed His judgements on its peoples (Exo_23:31 ff.). Possible emendations are ḥelḳoh meḥuḳḳaḳ, and his lot was ordained (Giesebrecht); hullekah ḥelḳath meḥoḳḳeh (cp. LXX ἐμερίσθη γῆ ἀρχόντων), a ruler’s lot was allotted. The last word saphun, reserved or laid up, overloads the line and is by some ingeniously taken with wayyeth’ of the next line as an inversion of wayyith-assephun and there gathered themselves the heads of the peoples, LXX συνηγμένων ἄμα ἀρχηγοῖς λαῶν; and the line is taken as a gloss, or as the repetition by a scribe’s error of the line in Deu_33:5. On the whole v. see Numbers 32.
21–23 (22–24). Of Vows. A vow once made shall be paid without delay. God requires it, neglect is a sin (Deu_33:21). To forbear to vow is no sin, but every uttered promise of this kind must be observed (Deu_33:22 f.).—In the Sg., somewhat redundant, and probably expanded (see on Deu_33:23). Why it stands here is not evident; Steuern. draws attention to the presence of vow in Deu_33:18 (19) as apparently the reason. D has already stated that vows are to be paid at the one altar (Deu_12:6; Deu_12:11; Deu_12:17; Deu_12:26). There is no parallel in E, but one in P, Num_30:2 (3) with some identical phrases, the context of which deals with women’s vows in an elaborate fashion.
For the development of the casuistry thus begun see Mishna, ‘Nedarîm.’ In ancient times the vow was regarded as an essential part of religion (also in mediaeval Christianity) and was usually associated with prayer, cp. the Greek εὐχή, often conditionally on the prayer being granted. It might be a vow that the vower would devote himself to a god’s service, e.g. Jacob, Gen_28:20-22; Absalom, 2Sa_15:7 f.; or the dedication of a child, Hannah, 1Sa_1:11, or of other living thing, Jdg_11:30 (Jephthah), Mal_1:14, Leviticus 27, or houses or land, id. Cp. Psa_22:25 (26), Psa_50:14, Psa_61:8 (9), Psa_65:1 (2), Psa_66:13, Psa_76:11 (12), Psa_116:14; Psa_116:18; Job_22:27, Ecc_5:4 f. (based on our law). All these show that vows were a religious duty, that they were frequently and lightly made, and but indifferently performed. Cp. Mar_7:10 f., Mat_15:4 ff. For the Babylonians see Johns, op. cit. 137, Code of Ḫammurabi, § 181; and for the Arabs W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem. 314 f., 462 ff.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (21) The first part.—The first territory conquered by Moses…
(21) The first part.—The first territory conquered by Moses was distributed between Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
A portion of the lawgiver is interpreted by Rashi as the field of the “burial-place” of the lawgiver. But this can hardly have been in the mind of Moses.
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He came with the heads of the people.—The Gadites with their companion tribes passed over Jordan to the conquest of Canaan by Moses’ order.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Ver. 21 refers to Gad"s obtaining an inheritance for…
Ver. 21 refers to Gad"s obtaining an inheritance for himself from Moses beyond Jordan. And he provided the first part for himself; literally, and he saw for himself (i.e. chose) the first, i.e. either the most excellent part or the firstfruits of the conquest. Because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; rather, for there the portion of the leader was reserved. The word rendered t, lawgiver," or "leader" (qqejom), signifies primarily one who ordains or appoints, and is used in both the above senses (Exo_33:22; Jud_1:5:14) it is here applied to Gad, becausethat tribe displayed such promptitude and energy at the head of the tribes in the conquest of the land, that it might be regarded as their leader. An entirely different view of the passage has been taken by some, who by the mechokek understand Moses as the lawgiver, and his portion as the place of his grave, which was concealed, but was within the inheritance of Gad. But it is a fatal objection to this view that not only is the word rendered "portion" (tqlj) nowhere used of a grave, but the grave of Moses on Mount Nebo was in the territory of Reuben, not in that of Gad. Gesenius renders, "The portion of (assigned by) the lawgiver was preserved." But this does not tally with the immediately preceding statement, that Gad chose his portion for himself; at any rate, it could not be because of this that he chose it. Gad chose for himself a portion on the east of Jordan, and the portion he had chosen was sacredly kept for him, though he went with his brethren to the conquest of Canaan. And he came with the heads of the people ; i.e. his place of marching was with the leaders; his place was at the head of the tribes. (cf. Num_32:17, Num_32:21, Num_32:32, and Jos_1:14 Jos_4:12) He executed the justice of the Lord, etc.; i.e. he did what God required of him, obeying his commands, and thereby fulfilling all righteousness (cf. Mat_3:15; Php_3:6) With Israel; in the fellowship of Israel.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
Moses continues to bless the tribes of Israel; the blessings are short poems. He continues to describe the tribe of Gad as one man, which he began to do in Deuteronomy 33:20. (See: Parallelism)
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the leader's portion
This means a larger piece of land that a leader normally took.
He came with the heads of the people
"They met with all the leaders of the Israelites"
He carried out the justice of Yahweh and his decrees with Israel
"They obeyed all that Yahweh had commanded the Israelites"
translationWords
head
just
decree
Israel
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 33:21 the best land: Gad chose this territory prior…
33:21 the best land: Gad chose this territory prior to the conquest. It was the famously rich and productive land of Bashan (Num 32:1-5). The commendation of Gad for carrying out the Lord’s justice and obeying his regulations probably refers to the tribe’s faithfulness in assisting the western tribes in their conquest of Canaan (Josh 22:1-3).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.