Deuteronomy 10:4

10:4 The Lord ¹  then wrote on the tablets the same words, ²  the ten commandments, ³  which he ⁴  had spoken to you at the mountain from the middle of the fire at the time of that assembly, and he ⁵  gave them to me.

Deuteronomy 33:21

33:21 He has selected the best part for himself,

for the portion of the ruler ⁶  is set aside ⁷  there;

he came with the leaders ⁸  of the people,

he obeyed the righteous laws of the Lord

and his ordinances with Israel.

[10:4]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ² tn Heb “according to the former writing.” See note on the phrase “the same words” in v. 2.

[10:4]  ³ tn Heb “ten words.” The “Ten Commandments” are known in Hebrew as the “Ten Words,” which in Greek became the “Decalogue.”

[10:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[10:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” earlier in this verse.

[33:21]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term מְחֹקֵק (mÿkhoqeq; Poel participle of חָקַק, khaqaq, “to inscribe”) reflects the idea that the recorder of allotments (the “ruler”) is able to set aside for himself the largest and best. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (NAC), 444-45.

[33:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “covered in” (if from the root סָפַן, safan; cf. HALOT 764-65 s.v. ספן qal).

[33:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “heads” (in the sense of chieftains).