And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir to them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
came from Sinai
Exodus 19:18-20 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly…
Judges 5:4,5 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water…
Habakkuk 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
ten thousands
Psalm 68:7,17 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: …
Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
a fiery law [heb] a fire of law
Deuteronomy 5:22 These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
2 Corinthians 3:7,9 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: …
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
The LORD came from Sinai
Sinai is the mountain where God gave the Law to Moses, symbolizing God's covenant with Israel. This phrase recalls the theophany at Mount Sinai, where God revealed Himself in power and majesty. It emphasizes God's direct involvement with His people and His role as the lawgiver.
and dawned upon us from Seir;
Seir is a mountainous region associated with Edom, south of the Dead Sea. The imagery of "dawning" suggests a new beginning or revelation. This could symbolize God's guidance and presence as Israel journeyed through the wilderness, highlighting His protection and leadership.
He shone forth from Mount Paran
Mount Paran is located in the desert region between Sinai and Canaan. The shining forth indicates God's glory and presence. This phrase may also connect to the wilderness wanderings, where God led Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, demonstrating His constant presence.
and came with myriads of holy ones,
The "myriads of holy ones" likely refer to angels, emphasizing God's majesty and the heavenly host that accompanies Him. This imagery underscores God's supreme authority and the divine support for Israel. It also connects to other biblical passages where God is depicted as the Lord of hosts.
with flaming fire at His right hand.
Flaming fire symbolizes God's holiness, judgment, and power. The right hand is often associated with strength and authority. This imagery reinforces the idea of God's powerful presence and His ability to protect and judge. It also foreshadows the New Testament depiction of Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God, embodying divine authority and power.
Moses, at the close of his life, speaks prophetically over Israel. These are not mere farewell words; they are Spirit-inspired (2 Peter 1:21) and therefore fully trustworthy. Every line anchors Israel’s future—and ours—in God’s historic faithfulness.
• “The LORD came from Sinai” recalls the literal event of Exodus 19 where “the LORD descended on Mount Sinai in fire.”
• God’s self-revelation at Sinai established His covenant, giving the Ten Commandments and confirming Israel as His treasured possession (Exodus 19:5–6).
• By opening with Sinai, Moses roots any hope for blessing in God’s unchanging, covenant-making character (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 12:28–29).
• Seir is Edomite territory east of the Arabah. The picture moves from Sinai to Seir as though the rising sun sweeps across the horizon.
• Just as light grows brighter from dawn to full day (Proverbs 4:18), God’s guidance spread as Israel journeyed by the cloud and fire (Numbers 9:17–23).
• The language shows that God’s presence was not confined to one mountain; He “dawned upon us,” remaining with His people through every camp and march (Deuteronomy 1:30–33).
• Mount Paran lies in the wilderness south of Canaan (Genesis 21:21). After Sinai, Israel spent extended time in this region (Numbers 10:11–12).
• “Shone forth” underscores God’s visible glory: the same pillar of fire that led them (Exodus 13:21) and the glory that later filled Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:10–11).
• The progression—Sinai, Seir, Paran—traces the historical route, proving Scripture’s reliability and showing God’s glory accompanying every step.
• “Myriads” signals uncountable angelic hosts (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 5:11). God never travels alone; His throne room army goes where He goes (Psalm 68:17).
• At Sinai “the chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands” (Psalm 68:17). This image assures Israel that the unseen realm fights for them (2 Kings 6:16–17).
• Believers today stand in similar company: “You have come to…myriads of angels in joyful assembly” (Hebrews 12:22).
• The right hand symbolizes power and favor (Psalm 118:16). The “flaming fire” recalls the fiery law given at Sinai and the purifying presence of God (Deuteronomy 4:24).
• Fire protects the faithful and consumes the foe: pillar of fire for Israel, darkness for Egypt (Exodus 14:20); cloven tongues of fire empowering the church (Acts 2:3).
• God’s righteous judgments proceed from that hand; therefore Israel—and we—can trust His justice (Psalm 89:13–14).
Deuteronomy 33:2 links Israel’s past journey with its promised future, showing a God who literally moved from Sinai through Seir and Paran, surrounded by angelic armies, wielding holy fire. Every phrase certifies His covenant faithfulness, His abiding presence, and His sovereign power to protect, guide, and judge. The same Lord who came then still shines, surrounds His people with heavenly hosts, and upholds us by His mighty right hand.
(2)"And he said, Jehovah came from Sinai,And dawned upon them from Seir;
He shone forth from mount Paran.
And there came from the ten thousands of holiness,
From His right hand, a fire of law [10] for them."
[10] On this expression see an additional note at the end of the book.
The appearance of God on Sinai is described as a sunrise. His light rose from Sinai, and the tops of the hills of Seir caught its rays. The full blaze of light shone on Paran. (Comp. Psalm 1:2 : "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.") He came with ten thousands of saints is a mere mistranslation. The preposition is "from," not "with." If the verb "he came," in the fourth line, is taken to refer to God, we must translate: "He came from ten thousands of saints" (to sinful men). Rashi takes "from" to mean "part of." "There came some of His ten thousands of saints, but not all of them." I believe the true translation is what I have given. The law itself was "ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator" (Galatians 3:19). It is called "the word spoken by angels" in Hebrews 2:2. The language of Daniel 7:10--"A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him"--supplies a complete parallel. The fiery law came from the ten thousands on "His right hand;" or ADDITIONAL NOTE ON Deuteronomy 33:2. "A FIERY LAW." . . .
Verse 2. - 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; Judges 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, 3; Psalm 103:21); and God is represented as dwelling in the midst of them (Psalm 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 םדּת, 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, 19; Esther 2:8, 12; Esther 3:8, 14; Esther 4:11, 15; Ezra 7:12, 21; Ezra 8:36; Daniel 2:9, 13, 15; Daniel 6:5, 9, 13, 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 , 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.