Deuteronomy 33:21

KJV1611 – Modern English

And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, he was settled; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments 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

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  He chose the best for himself, for there the lawgiver's portion was reserved; he came with the leaders of the people. He carried out the righteousness of the Lord and His judgments for Israel.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he provid 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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  He sawe his begynnynge, that a parte of the teachers were hyd there ad come with the heedes of the people, and executed the righteousnes of the Lorde and his iudgementes with Israel.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And he sawe his begynnynge, that ye heape of the teachers laye hydd there, and came with the rulers of the people, and executed the righteousnesse of the LORDE, and his iudgment on Israel.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And hee looked to himselfe at the beginning, because there was a portion of the Lawe-giuer hid: yet hee shall come with the heades of the people, to execute the iustice of the Lord, and his iudgements with Israel.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  He loked to hym selfe at the beginning, because there was a portion of the lawgeuer hid, & he came with the heades of the people, and executed the ryghteousnesse of the Lorde, and his iudgementes with Israel.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He provided the first part for himself, For there was the lawgiver's portion reserved; He came [with] the heads of the people; He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And he provideth the first part for himself, For there the portion of the lawgiver is covered, And he cometh `with' the heads of the people; The righteousness of Jehovah he hath done, And His judgments with Israel.

• 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.

• 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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  He kept for himself the first part, for his was the ruler's right: he put in force the righteousness of the Lord, and his decisions for Israel.

• World English Bible (2000)

  He provided the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver's portion reserved. He came [with] the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  He has selected the best part for himself, for the portion of the ruler is set aside there; he came with the leaders of the people, he obeyed the righteous laws of the LORD and his ordinances with Israel.

Referenced Verses

• Josh 1:14 : 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them,
• Josh 4:12-13 : 12 And the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them: 13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for battle.
• Josh 22:1-4 : 1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 And said to them, You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 3 You have not left your brethren these many days up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; therefore now return and go back to your tents, and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
• Judg 5:2 : 2 Praise the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
• Judg 5:11 : 11 Those who are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of His villages in Israel; then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
• Num 32:1-6 : 1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great number of cattle; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, they realized that the place was suitable for cattle. 2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, 3 Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 The country which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land suitable for cattle, and your servants have cattle. 5 Therefore, they said, if we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession, and do not bring us over the Jordan. 6 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?
• Num 32:16-42 : 16 And they came near to him and said, We will build sheep pens here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones, 17 But we ourselves will go ready and armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our houses until every man among the children of Israel has received his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan or beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. 20 And Moses said to them, If you will do this thing, if you will go armed before the LORD to war, 21 And will all of you go armed over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22 And the land is subdued before the LORD: then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep; and do what you have said. 25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, will be there in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord says. 28 So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, 29 And Moses said to them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed for battle, before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you 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 the LORD has said to your servants, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. 33 And Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to half the 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, with the cities thereof in the borders, even the cities of the country round about. 34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer, 35 And Atroth Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, 36 And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities: and folds for sheep. 37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, 38 And Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names to the cities which they built. 39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite who was there. 40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt there. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its surrounding villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.