John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 33:21

"And he provided the first part for himself, For there was the lawgiver`s portion reserved; And he came [with] the heads of the people; He executed the righteousness of Jehovah, And his ordinances with Israel." — Deuteronomy 33:21 (ASV)

And he provided the first part for himself.³²² Others translate it not badly as the first-fruits. Jerome’s rendering, pre-eminence (principatum), however, is entirely out of the question. The word beginning (principium), however, is very suitable.

For Moses thus signifies that the Gadites were proactive in seeking a dwelling-place for themselves, because before possession of the land was granted to the people, they asked for the kingdom of Sihon for themselves.

It is afterwards added how they were provident in choosing their dwelling: namely, God suggested to them that Moses was free to assign this portion to them. For it is called the “portion of the lawgiver,” as being that about which Moses could lawfully decide, since he appropriated it to the Gadites not by chance, nor other than by God’s command.

It is also called the hidden portion,³²³ as not having been included by God in His promise. The main point is that although God’s will was not yet revealed regarding this addition to the land, they still obtained it through His secret liberality.

And Moses desires that his decision regarding the Gadites remaining on this side of the Jordan should be confirmed in this way, since disputes might have otherwise arisen, because God’s promise had assigned the boundaries of the whole people on the opposite bank.

Those who explain that Moses was buried there offer a poor exposition. Those also violently distort the words who understand “the lawgiver” to mean the chiefs of the Amorites and interpret “hidden portion” as the ceiled palaces;³²⁴ nor would they have been so extravagant in their notions if the natural meaning I have given had occurred to them.

The other clause of the verse is added as a qualification. Moses shows that this advantageous provision was made for the Gadites on condition that they should accompany the other tribes and not return home until the land of Canaan was at peace and their enemies subdued.

We have already seen that when they sought this location for themselves outside the land, in the kingdom of the Amorites, they were severely rebuked by Moses until they promised to share the war with their brothers until its conclusion.

This is what Moses means by “executing the justice of God, and his judgments with Israel.” This was not only because it was just that they should share the war with their brothers and assist them in obtaining possession of the land, but also because God ordained that His just vengeance should be executed upon those heathen and wicked nations by all of Israel, and had chosen all the tribes generally to be the ministers of His judgment.

As it is said in Psalm 149:7-9, they were charged to execute vengeance upon the heathen, to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written; for it was no common honor to be appointed, as it were, the judges of the ungodly, so as to destroy them all and thus purify the land.

³²² Lat., “And he saw the beginning “And he saw the beginning (principium) for himself,” etc. for himself,” etc. Heb. וירא ראשית

³²³ A. V., “seated;” ., “seated;” marg., “Heb. ceiled.” See ceiled.” See next note..

³²⁴ ספון. Part. pahul, . Part. pahul, ספן, to bide. S. M., (“Pro legislatore) abscondendo.” (“Pro legislatore) abscondendo.” C. learnt from the notes of learnt from the notes of S. M. that Rabbi Salomon expounds this clause, “He saw that in that land the legislator, Moses, would be buried,” and that Aben-Ezra had interpreted . that Rabbi Salomon expounds this clause, “He saw that in that land the legislator, Moses, would be buried,” and that Aben-Ezra had interpreted סהוקק, , great, and and ספון, a house with a dome-like roof, and had then paraphrased the clause, as meaning, “there is the place suitable for the great and noble, who dwell in palaces.” — and had then paraphrased the clause, as meaning, “there is the place suitable for the great and noble, who dwell in palaces.” — W