Deuteronomy 33:10
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He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Yet Moses has not done with the children of Israel; he seemed to have taken final leave of them in the close of the foregoing chapter, but still he has something more to say. He had preached them a farewell sermon, a very copious and pathetic discourse. After sermon he had given out a psalm, a long psalm; and now nothing remains but to dismiss them with a blessing; that blessing he pronounces in this chapter in the name of the Lord, and so leaves them. I. He pronounces them all blessed in what God had done for them already, especially in giving them his law (Deu 33:2-5). II. He pronounces a blessing upon each tribe, which is both a prayer for and a prophecy of their felicity. 1. Reuben (Deu 33:6). 2. Judah (Deu 33:7). 3. Levi (Deu 33:8-11). 4. Benjamin (Deu 33:12). 5. Joseph (Deu 33:13-17). 6. Zebulun and Issachar (Deu 33:18, Deu 33:19). 7. Gad (Deu 33:20, Deu 33:21). 8. Dan (Deu 33:22). 9. Naphtali (Deu 33:23). 10. Asher (Deu 33:24, Deu 33:25). III. He pronounces them all in general blessed upon the account of what God would be to them, and do for them if they were obedient (Deu 33:26, etc.).
Open source ↗33:10 They teach your regulations . . . instructions: In addition to carrying out priestly duties such as sacrifices and otherwise assisting at the Tabernacle and the Temple, the Levites had the task of teaching the Torah (31:9-13). • present incense: This ministry was limited to Levitical priests (Num 16:39-40). Later, when King Uzziah entered the Temple to offer incense, he was roundly condemned for his arrogant breach of the priests’ privilege and was afflicted by a skin disease for the rest of his life (2 Chr 26:16-21).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”
Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.
At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.’”
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.
For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.
They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.”
The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall bring all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers.
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”