And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB He provided the first part for himself, for the lawgiver’s portion reserved was reserved for him. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel.”
- BSB He chose the best land for himself, because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there. He came with the leaders of the people; he administered the LORD’s justice and His ordinances for Israel.”
- NKJV He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the Lord, And His judgments with Israel.”
- NASB “Then he selected the choicest part for himself, For there the ruler’s portion was reserved; And he came with the leaders of the people; He executed the justice of the Lord, And His ordinances with Israel.”
- NLT The people of Gad took the best land for themselves; a leader’s share was assigned to them. When the leaders of the people were assembled, they carried out the Lord’s justice and obeyed his regulations for Israel.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Gad chose a good portion of land and came forward with the leaders to carry out God's righteous judgments for Israel. The tribe is honored for both its inheritance and its faithfulness.
Overview
Gad secured a desirable territory east of the Jordan yet, as promised, went ahead with the other tribes to help conquer Canaan (Num. 32). Its execution of "the righteousness of Yahweh" commends its obedience to God's covenant commitments. The verse models how God's people are to honor their obligations and act justly, reflecting the righteousness God requires and supplies in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Num 32:1–6Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
- Num 32:16–42And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
- Judg 5:2Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
- Judg 5:11They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
- Josh 4:12–13And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
- Josh 22:1–4Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
- Josh 1:14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 33:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.