Deuteronomy 33:21

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.

📖 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 you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them;
• Josh 4:12-13 : 12 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 spoke to them: 13 about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before Yahweh to 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 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: 3 you have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Yahweh your God. 4 Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them: therefore now turn you, and get you to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh 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 you Yahweh.
• Judg 5:11 : 11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Yahweh, [Even] the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh 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 spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to 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 Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and your servants have cattle. 5 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. 6 Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here?
• Num 32:16-42 : 16 They came near to 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 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 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 Moses said to them, If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh. 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; 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 has proceeded out of your mouth. 25 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, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says. 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 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 shall be 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 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do. 32 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. 33 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 the cities of it with [their] borders, even the cities of the land round about. 34 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 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 to the cities which they built. 39 The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. 40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. 41 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the towns of it, and called them Havvoth Jair. 42 Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages of it, and called it Nobah, after his own name.