Deuteronomy 33:10

Authorized King James Version

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

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
יוֹר֤וּ
They shall teach
properly, to flow as water (i.e., to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e., to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by
#2
מִשְׁפָּטֶ֙יךָ֙
thy judgments
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind
#3
לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב
Jacob
jaakob, the israelitish patriarch
#4
וְתוֹרָֽתְךָ֖
thy law
a precept or statute, especially the decalogue or pentateuch
#5
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
and Israel
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
#6
יָשִׂ֤ימוּ
they shall put
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
#7
קְטוֹרָה֙
incense
perfume
#8
בְּאַפֶּ֔ךָ
before
properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
#9
וְכָלִ֖יל
thee and whole burnt sacrifice
complete; as noun, the whole (specifically, a sacrifice entirely consumed); as adverb, fully
#10
עַֽל
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
#11
מִזְבְּחֶֽךָ׃
upon thine altar
an altar

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 revelation 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 Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.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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