Deuteronomy 32:9

32:9 For the Lord’s allotment is his people,

Jacob is his special possession. ¹ 

Deuteronomy 18:2

18:2 They ²  will have no inheritance in the midst of their fellow Israelites; ³  the Lord alone is their inheritance, just as he had told them.

Deuteronomy 10:9

10:9 Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance ⁴  among his brothers; ⁵  the Lord is his inheritance just as the Lord your God told him.

[32:9]  ¹ tc Heb “the portion of his inheritance.” The LXX and Smr add “Israel” and BHS suggests the reconstruction: “The Lord’s allotment is Jacob, the portion of his inheritance is Israel” (cf. NAB). While providing good parallelism, it destroys a fine chiastic structure: “allotment” (a), “his people” (b), “Jacob (b’), and “inheritance” (a’).

[18:2]  ² tn Heb “he” (and throughout the verse).

[18:2]  ³ tn Heb “brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. NASB “their countrymen”; NRSV “the other members of the community.”

[10:9]  ³ sn Levi has no allotment or inheritance. As the priestly tribe, Levi would have no land allotment except for forty-eight towns set apart for their use (Num 35:1-8; Josh 21:1-42). But theirs was a far greater inheritance, for the Lord himself was their apportionment, that is, service to him would be their full-time and lifelong privilege (Num 18:20-24; Deut 18:2; Josh 13:33).

[10:9]  ⁴ tn That is, among the other Israelite tribes.