The Meaning of Deuteronomy 33:2 Explained

Deuteronomy 33:2

KJV: And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.

YLT: and he saith: -- 'Jehovah from Sinai hath come, And hath risen from Seir for them; He hath shone from mount Paran, And hath come with myriads of holy ones; At His right hand are springs for them.

Darby: And he said, Jehovah came from Sinai, And rose up from Seir unto them; He shone forth from mount Paran, And he came from the myriads of the sanctuary; From his right hand went forth a law of fire for them.

ASV: And he said, Jehovah came from Sinai, And rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth from mount Paran, And he came from the ten thousands of holy ones: At his right hand was a fiery law for them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said,  The LORD  came  from Sinai,  and rose up  from Seir  unto them; he shined forth  from mount  Paran,  and he came  with ten thousands  of saints:  from his right hand  [went] a fiery  law  for them. 

What does Deuteronomy 33:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 33:1-17 - The Blessing Of The Chosen People
The glorious nature of God is the opening theme here. The reference is to the giving of the Law when, amid fire and the mediation of angels, God descended on Sinai, Psalms 18:7-9; Habakkuk 3:3-4. Oh, that we, too, may sit as pupils in God's school and receive His words, Deuteronomy 33:3.
Though Reuben could not excel, he was not forgotten. Simeon is omitted because of Numbers 25:14. Judah was to receive prosperity in prayer, in work and in war. Some render the benediction thus: "Bring him in safety from his wars!" But our warfare is different, Ephesians 6:12.
Levi receives special blessing. Note r.v. margin: "Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with him whom thou lovest." This is the white diamond-stone flashing with God's "Yes" or dimming with His "No," Revelation 2:17. Exodus 32:26 was never forgotten. See Matthew 25:37. But God forgets our sins, Hebrews 8:12. Benjamin's portion may be yours. The precious things of Joseph's heritage pale to insignificance when contrasted with the riches of God's grace, Ephesians 1:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 33

1  The majesty of God
6  The blessings of the twelve tribes
26  The excellence of Israel

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 33:2 mean?

And he said Yahweh from Sinai came and dawned from Seir on them He shone forth from Mount Paran and He came with ten thousands of holy ones from His right hand - fiery [Came] a fiery law for them
וַיֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֞ה מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מוֹ הוֹפִ֙יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִֽימִינ֕וֹ [אשדת] (אֵ֥שׁ) (דָּ֖ת) לָֽמוֹ

וַיֹּאמַ֗ר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֞ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִסִּינַ֥י  from  Sinai 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִינַי  
Sense: the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown.
בָּא֙  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְזָרַ֤ח  and  dawned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָרַח  
Sense: to rise, come forth, break out, arise, rise up, shine.
מִשֵּׂעִיר֙  from  Seir 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֵׂעִיר 
Sense: patriarch of the Horites, the inhabitants of Edom before the descendants of Esau, the Edomites.
לָ֔מוֹ  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
הוֹפִ֙יעַ֙  He  shone  forth 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָפַע  
Sense: to shine, shine forth or out, cause to shine, send out beams.
מֵהַ֣ר  from  Mount 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
פָּארָ֔ן  Paran 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פָּארָן  
Sense: wilderness area bounded on the north by Palestine, on the west by the wilderness of Etham, on the south by the desert of Sinai, and on the east by the valley of Arabah; the exodus was through this area and probably all 8 stops were in this area.
וְאָתָ֖ה  and  He  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָתָה  
Sense: to come, arrive.
מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת  with  ten  thousands 
Parse: Preposition-m, Number, feminine plural construct
Root: רְבָבָה  
Sense: multitude, myriad, ten thousand.
קֹ֑דֶשׁ  of  holy  ones 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
מִֽימִינ֕וֹ  from  His  right  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
[אשדת]  - 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
(אֵ֥שׁ)  fiery 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
(דָּ֖ת)  [Came]  a  fiery  law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֵשְׁדָּת  
Sense: fiery law, fire of a law, fire was a law (meaning uncertain).
לָֽמוֹ  for  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural