Deuteronomy 33:21

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיַּ֤רְא רֵאשִׁית֙ ל֔וֹ כִּי־שָׁ֛ם חֶלְקַ֥ת מְחֹקֵ֖ק סָפ֑וּן וַיֵּתֵא֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם צִדְקַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס

Transliteration

And-wayyarʾ rēʾšît to-him for-there ḥelqat məḥōqēq sāpûn and-wayyētēʾ rāʾšê ʿām ṣidqat YHWH ʿāśāh and-mišpāṭâw with-Yiśrāʾēl

Grammar Details

• *wa-yarʾ*: conjunction + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he saw
• *rēʾšît*: noun, feminine singular - first/beginning/best part
• *lô*: preposition + 3rd masculine singular suffix - for himself
• *kî-šām*: conjunction + adverb - for there
• *ḥelqat*: noun, feminine singular construct - portion of
• *məḥōqēq*: poel participle, masculine singular - lawgiver
• *sāpûn*: qal passive participle, masculine singular - hidden/reserved
• *wa-yētēʾ*: conjunction + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he came
• *rāʾšê*: noun, masculine plural construct - heads of
• *ʿām*: noun, masculine singular - people
• *ṣidqat*: noun, feminine singular construct - righteousness of
• *YHWH*: proper noun - LORD/Yahweh
• *ʿāśāh*: qal perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he did/made
• *û-mišpāṭâw*: conjunction + noun, masculine plural + 3rd masculine singular suffix - and his judgments
• *ʿim-Yiśrāʾēl*: preposition + proper noun - with Israel

Word Meanings

• *rēʾšît*: first/beginning/best part/first fruits
• *ḥelqat*: portion/allotment/territory
• *məḥōqēq*: lawgiver/commander/ruler's staff
• *sāpûn*: hidden/reserved/stored
• *ṣidqâ*: righteousness/justice/righteous act

Referenced Verses

• Josh 1:14 : 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them;
• Josh 4:12-13 : 12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: 13 about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before Jehovah unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
• Josh 22:1-4 : 1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, and have hearkened unto my voice in all that I commanded you: 3 ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Jehovah your God. 4 And now Jehovah your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he spake unto them: therefore now turn ye, and get you unto your tents, unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond the Jordan.
• Judg 5:2 : 2 For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah.
• Judg 5:11 : 11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, [Even] the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.
• Num 32:1-6 : 1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; 2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, 3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land which Jehovah smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and thy servants have cattle. 5 And they said, If we have found favor in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan. 6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to the war, and shall ye sit here?
• Num 32:16-42 : 16 And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: 17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. 20 And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will arm yourselves to go before Jehovah to the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Jehovah, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before Jehovah; then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless towards Jehovah, and towards Israel; and this land shall be unto you for a possession before Jehovah. 23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against Jehovah; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth. 25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but thy servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before Jehovah to battle, as my lord saith. 28 So Moses gave charge concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man that is armed to battle, before Jehovah, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: 30 but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As Jehovah hath said unto thy servants, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance [shall remain] with us beyond the Jordan. 33 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto 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 the cities thereof with [their] borders, even the cities of the land round about. 34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 35 and Atrothshophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, 36 and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, 38 and Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Sibmah: and they gave other names unto the cities which they builded. 39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites that were therein. 40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the towns thereof, and called them Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.