Deuteronomy 33 10

Deuteronomy 33:10 kjv

They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.

Deuteronomy 33:10 nkjv

They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.

Deuteronomy 33:10 niv

He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

Deuteronomy 33:10 esv

They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

Deuteronomy 33:10 nlt

They teach your regulations to Jacob;
they give your instructions to Israel.
They present incense before you
and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.

Deuteronomy 33 verses

Deuteronomy 33 10 Meaning

Deuteronomy 33:10 describes the central responsibilities of the Levites within ancient Israel. They were appointed to impart God's divine judgments and comprehensive law to the nation, ensuring His revealed will guided the people. Simultaneously, they were tasked with performing the sacred rituals of worship, offering incense and whole burnt offerings upon God's altar, thereby mediating communion and atonement for the people before the Most High. This verse encapsulates their indispensable dual role as both instructors of truth and facilitators of worship.

Deuteronomy 33 10 Context

Deuteronomy 33:10 is part of Moses' farewell blessing upon the tribes of Israel, delivered just before his death and the nation's entry into the Promised Land. This chapter functions as a prophetic overview of the unique roles and destinies of each tribe under the covenant. Specifically, verses 8-11 are dedicated to the tribe of Levi. Having demonstrated their loyalty to Yahweh at Sinai (Exod 32:26-29) – unlike the other tribes who quickly apostatized with the golden calf – the Levites were chosen by God for dedicated service, replacing the general priestly role previously held by the firstborn sons. This blessing establishes and reiterates their distinctive spiritual duties for generations to come, emphasizing their crucial position as mediators between God and the people.

Deuteronomy 33 10 Word analysis

• They shall teach: From the Hebrew verb yoru (יורו), derived from yarah (ירה), meaning "to throw," "cast," "shoot," which metaphorically translates to "to direct," "to instruct," "to show the way." This highlights the active and direct role of the Levites in imparting God's knowledge, not merely guarding it. Their teaching was an authoritative projection of divine truth.
• Jacob… Israel: These are synonymous terms for the nation of Israel. "Jacob" often emphasizes the ancestral lineage and the formation of the people from their patriarch, while "Israel" (meaning "God strives" or "prince with God") highlights their covenant relationship, their identity as God's chosen nation. Using both underscores that the Levites' instruction was for the entire people, from their foundations to their spiritual identity.
• Your judgments (mishpatim, מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ): Refers to God's just decrees, ordinances, and legal decisions. These are the divine rulings that govern conduct and society, establishing justice, equity, and righteousness within the community. They embody God's moral governance.
• Your law (Torateka, תּוֹרָתֶךָ): From Torah (תּוֹרָה), meaning "instruction" or "teaching." This term encompasses the entirety of divine revelation and instruction, including statutes, commands, principles, and the narrative of God's dealings with His people. It's a broader term than mishpatim, representing the complete body of divine guidance for life.
• They shall put incense (yattiru qetorah, יַטִּירוּ קְטֹרָה): Signifies the offering of fragrant incense on the golden altar in the Tabernacle/Temple (Exod 30:7-8). This ritual act symbolizes worship, ascending prayers, spiritual devotion, and God's acceptance. It represents communion and fellowship with God in a consecrated space.
• before You: Emphasizes that the service is performed in the immediate, holy presence of God, indicating His oversight, reception, and demand for exclusive, pure worship.
• whole burnt offerings (kalil, כָּלִיל): This term literally means "completeness" or "entirety," referring to the olah (עוֹלָה) offering which was entirely consumed by fire on the altar, with no portion returned to the offerer or priest (Leviticus 1). It symbolized total dedication, propitiation, and atonement, indicating complete surrender to God and satisfaction for sin.
• on Your altar: The designated, consecrated place for sacrifice, the brazen altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle/Temple. This specifies the prescribed location and means for approaching God through sacrificial worship.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "They shall teach Jacob Your judgments and Israel Your law": This phrase encapsulates the Levitical tribe's primary intellectual and spiritual vocation: the systematic education of God's covenant people. It highlights their role as the authorized custodians and expounders of divine revelation, ensuring Israel remained obedient and enlightened in God's ways, His righteous statutes, and comprehensive moral instruction. This duty preserved Israel's unique identity as a nation founded on God's truth.
• "They shall put incense before You, and whole burnt offerings on Your altar": This clause defines the Levites' indispensable liturgical and mediatorial role. Through these prescribed ritual actions, they facilitated the corporate worship of Israel, offering atonement for sin and creating an avenue for the people's prayers and devotion to ascend to God. This aspect of their ministry sustained the holiness of the Tabernacle/Temple and maintained the covenant relationship through sacrificial offerings and acts of worship. These two spheres of teaching and worship were intrinsically linked, forming the core of the Levites' divinely appointed service.

Deuteronomy 33 10 Bonus section

The tribe of Levi's appointment to these sacred duties was not hereditary in the usual sense but was consecrated through a defining act of faithfulness during the Golden Calf incident (Exod 32:26-29), where they stood with God against idolatry. This loyalty set them apart from other tribes. This verse underlines the truth that true spiritual leadership in God's eyes is characterized by fidelity to His Word and a commitment to fostering true worship. Their ministry provided stability to Israel, bridging the gap between God's holiness and humanity's sinfulness through prescribed rituals and continuous instruction. In the New Covenant, while the Levitical priesthood is fulfilled in Christ's singular, perfect priesthood (Hebrews 7-10), the principles of teaching God's truth (e.g., Eph 4:11-12, Col 3:16) and offering spiritual worship and prayer (e.g., 1 Pet 2:5, Heb 13:15, Rom 12:1) continue in the Church through believers who are now a "royal priesthood." The incense offering also strongly links to prayer, suggesting that devout, constant prayer from God's people functions as their ascending offering to God in the spiritual realm (Rev 5:8, 8:3-4).

Deuteronomy 33 10 Commentary

Deuteronomy 33:10 outlines the dual, interdependent ministries entrusted to the Levites, vital for maintaining Israel's covenant relationship with God. Their role as "teachers" (represented by "judgments" and "law") signifies their responsibility to convey and interpret God's truth, ensuring that the divine blueprint for living righteously permeated all aspects of Israeli society. This wasn't merely intellectual exercise but practical instruction on how to live under God's righteous rule. Concurrently, their "worship" function (represented by "incense" and "whole burnt offerings") demonstrated their essential role as spiritual intermediaries, leading the nation in atonement and communion with a holy God. The fragrant incense symbolized ascending prayers and God's gracious acceptance, while the whole burnt offering represented total surrender and the complete atoning work required for sin. These twin tasks of instruction and worship ensured that God's people both knew His will and had the means to draw near to Him in purity and devotion, fostering a nation both obedient to truth and vibrant in spiritual life. This Levitical framework foreshadows Christ, the ultimate Teacher and the perfect Sacrifice, who seamlessly fulfilled both roles.

• Example 1 (Instruction): Like a parent diligently teaching their child the family's core values, the Levites were to consistently and thoroughly teach God's "judgments" and "law," ensuring moral clarity.
• Example 2 (Worship): Just as smoke ascends to the sky, the Levites' incense and offerings allowed the prayers and sacrifices of the people to reach God, enabling fellowship.