Deuteronomy 33:2 - Moses' Blessing.

And he said. Here begin the words of Moses. He commences by depicting the majesty of Jehovah as he appeared to Israel when he came to make the covenant with them and give them his Law. The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them, etc. Seir is the mountain land of Edom to the cast of Sinai. Mount Paran is probably the range of lofty hills which form the southern boundary of the Promised Land to the north of the desert of Et-Tih. These places are not mentioned as scenes of different manifestations of the Divine glory, but as indicating the extent to which the one manifestation given at Sinai reached. The light of the Divine glory that rested on Sinai was reflected also from the mountains of Seir and Paran (cf. Hebrews 3:3 ; 5:4 ). He came with ten thousands of saints ; rather, he came from ten thousands of holy ones ; literally, out from myriads of holiness ; i . e . "from his celestial seat, where myriads of angels surround his throne" (Rosenmüller). The rendering "with," though that of the Targum, LXX ; and Vulgate, cannot be retained; nor does Scripture represent God as attended by angels when he comes forth to manifest his glory to men. They are represented as surrounding his throne in heaven ( 1 Kings 22:19 ; Job 1:6 ; Daniel 7:10 ), as his servants awaiting his behest, and his host that do his pleasure ( Genesis 28:12 ; Genesis 32:2 , Genesis 32:3 ; Psalms 103:21 ); and God is represented as dwelling in the midst of them ( Psalms 68:17 ). Hence he is represented here as coming forth from among them to manifest himself to his people. A fiery law . There is a various reading here; instead of אֵשׁ מדּת , fire of law, many codices have אשׁדת in one word, and this is supported by the Samaritan text and other authorities, and is accepted by most critics and interpreters. It is a fatal objection to the textual reading that דַּת is not a Semitic word, but one of Persian origin, brought by the Jews from Babylonia, and found only in the post-exilian books ( Esther 1:8 , Esther 1:19 ; Esther 2:8 , Esther 2:12 ; Esther 3:8 , Esther 3:14 ; Esther 4:11 , Esther 4:15 ; Ezra 7:12 , Ezra 7:21 ; Ezra 8:36 ; Daniel 2:9 , Daniel 2:13 , Daniel 2:15 ; Daniel 6:5 , Daniel 6:9 , Daniel 6:13 , Daniel 6:16 ); and in them as applied to the Law of God only by heathens. It is, therefore, altogether improbable that this word should be found in any Hebrew writing anterior to the Captivity. Besides, what is the sense of אֵשׁ דַּת , supposing דת to mean "law?" The words cannot be rendered, as in the Authorized Version, by "fiery law;" they can only be rendered by "a fire, a law," or "a fire of law," and What either of these may mean it is not easy to see. The ancient versions vary here very considerably: LXX ; ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ ἄγγελοι μετ αὐτοῦ : Vulgate, fin dextera ejus ignea lex ; Targum of Onkelos, "Written by his right hand, from the midst of the fire, a law gave he to us;" Syriac, "With myriads of his saints at his right hand. He gave to them, and also caused all peoples to love them." The best Hebrew manuscripts have אשׁדת as one word. The Masoretic note is, "The Chatiph is one word, and the K ' ri two." The word אשׁדת is best explained as a compound of אֵשׁ , fire, and שׁדא , an Aramaic word signifying to throw or dart; the Syriac, see Syriac word, or the Hebrew יָדָה , having the same signification, so that the meaning is "fire-dartings:" from his right hand went rays of fire like arrows shot forth (cf. Habakkuk 3:4 ; Exodus 19:16 ). To them ; i . e . to the Israelites, to whom this manifestation was vouchsafed.