Deuteronomy 10:22

Authorized King James Version

Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
בְּשִׁבְעִ֣ים
with threescore and ten
seventy
#2
נֶ֔פֶשׁ
persons
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
#3
יָֽרְד֥וּ
went down
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
#4
אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ
H1
Thy fathers
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
#5
מִצְרָ֑יְמָה
into Egypt
mitsrajim, i.e., upper and lower egypt
#6
וְעַתָּ֗ה
at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletive
#7
שָֽׂמְךָ֙
hath made
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
#8
יְהוָ֣ה
and now the LORD
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
#9
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ
thy God
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
#10
כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֥י
thee as the stars
a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a prince
#11
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם
of heaven
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
#12
לָרֹֽב׃
for multitude
abundance (in any respect)

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine sovereignty contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

This passage must be understood within the political and social structures of the biblical period. The author writes to address believers seeking to understand God's will and purposes, making the emphasis on salvation particularly relevant. Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.

Questions for Reflection

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