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Deuteronomy 33:2, NRSVA

He said: The Lord came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran. With him were myriads of holy ones; at his right, a host of his own.

Why did the author pick those three locations, in this context of Deuteronomy?

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3 Answers 3

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The choice of the three locations in Deuteronomy 33:2—Sinai, Seir, and Paran—is rich with symbolism and theological significance in the context of God's covenant with Israel. Each location carries particular meaning, both in terms of Israel's journey through the wilderness and in relation to divine revelation:

Sinai: Mount Sinai is where the Law (Torah) was given to Moses, marking the formal covenant between God and Israel. Here, Yahweh is revealed as the lawgiver, establishing a special relationship with His people. The mention of Sinai evokes the foundational moment of this covenant, where Israel received the commandments and entered into a unique bond with God.

Seir: Seir, the land of the Edomites (descendants of Esau), symbolizes the neighboring territories around Israel. Its mention may allude to God’s movement in favor of Israel not just at Sinai but also amidst surrounding nations, demonstrating that He is not confined by territorial borders. He reigns over all lands, and His light shines even in the regions of Edom.

Paran: Mount Paran is located in the desert south of Canaan, near the Sinai Peninsula. It is associated with Israel's journey after the Exodus from Egypt, marking their passage through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Like Seir, Paran lies along the route to Canaan, reinforcing the idea of God’s continued presence as He guides His people through various regions.

The selection of these three locations suggests a geographical progression, from God's revelation at Mount Sinai (in the south) toward the Promised Land, passing through neighboring territories. This portrays Yahweh as the God who not only reveals Himself at Sinai but also accompanies and protects Israel throughout their journey, illuminating their path through the desert and leading them toward Canaan.

Theological Interpretation These locations are associated with the manifestation of God's power and presence throughout Israel's journey. The references to "dawning" from Seir and "shining" from Paran are metaphorical, representing God’s light shining upon Israel, preparing them for their mission in Canaan. As Yahweh reveals Himself through miracles and guidance, His light radiates from Sinai and continues to guide His people.

Historical and Religious Perspective Some scholars suggest that the mention of Seir and Paran may also harken back to an earlier period when Yahweh was associated with deities worshiped in mountainous regions like Seir and Paran. However, in the context of Deuteronomy, Yahweh is portrayed as the supreme God who commands and dominates over all these regions, unifying Israel’s worship under Him.

Connection with Other Biblical Passages This movement of Yahweh mirrors what is seen in Judges 5:4-5 and Habakkuk 3:3, where God is described as coming from mountainous regions with majesty and power. Additionally, Matthew 24:27 echoes this image, where the coming of the Son of Man is likened to lightning flashing from the east to the west, reflecting the idea that God’s glory is visible across the world, not confined to a single place.

Thus, the choice of these three locations in Deuteronomy 33:2 reflects both Israel’s historical journey and God’s universal and continuous manifestation, shining from Sinai, through Seir and Paran, toward the Promised Land.

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Grammar notes on Deut 33:2

The sentence in Hebrew contained in Deut 33:2 contains seven prepositions whose function here shapes the meaning of the entire verse. Let me translate this verse literally highlighting the prepositions:

And he said:

  • Yahweh from Sinai came
  • and dawned from Seir on them
  • [He] shone forth from Mount Paran
  • and came from 10,000 of saints

from His right [hand] a fiery law on them

Just two prepositions are used here: "min" = "from"; and "l" = "on".

Now, notice that Yahweh is described as coming from *four locations in this dawn-like metaphor of the giving of the law:

  • came from Sinai
  • dawned from Seir
  • shone from Mt Paran
  • from 10,000 saints

This appears to depict a mountainous region forming an approximate line from Sinai in the southern end to Seir in the north end. Further, Yahweh is depicting as originating from myriads of "saints/holy ones" and delivering the fiery law from God's right hand (an allusion to the finger of God Deut 9:10, Ex 31:18?)

Therefore, what can we conclude about the typically terse language of this verse near the conclusion of Deuteronomy = "Book of the Law" (Deut 31:26)?

The formal giving of the law that created the Israelite covenant (Deut 4:13) appears to be likened to the dawn of new era with Yahweh's revelation that shone upon the promised land as He rose above the eastern mountains stretching from Seir through Paran down to Sinai.

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  • Seir and Paran are directly east and west from each other entering Canaan from the south, like Ebal and Gerizim. From Sinai, looking through the valley between Seir and Paran looking northwest, like 'sights' on a gun, points to Zion. Jehovah has created sights with Zion as the 'target', looking from Sinai. The sun rising from the east shines on the eastern side of Seir first (left) from the shadows of the west Paran side. Holy one's at his right are blessings (Paran) as opposed to cursings (Seir) which the dawn is illuminating. It's a diamond, not a straight line IMO. He is revealing Zion.
    – Biff
    Commented Oct 23 at 1:36
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A simple explanation is that God, symbolized as light, "shone forth" from the eastern mountains of Seir (in the land of Edom) to the western regions of Sinai. However, there is another more subtle interpretation based on scholarship of the history of religions. For this we turn to other related passages as well as the one quoted in the OP.

  • Deut 33:2: Yhwh came from Sinai, and rose up unto us from Seir; he shined forth from mount Paran.

  • Judg 5:4–5: Yhwh, when you went out of Seir, when you marched forth from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped; yea, the clouds dropped water. The mountains quaked before the presence of Yhwh, the one of Sinai; from before Yhwh, the God of Israel.

  • Hab 3:3: God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran.

Some scholars believe Yahweh was originally worshiped by the people of these regions as a storm deity, or by people of Canaan and Midian as a god of metallurgy. His worship spread from the metal workers of Midian to Edom, and then back through the Israelites to Sinai and Canaan. Be that as it may, the Israelites adopted this deity and made him their tribal and national God. Daniel McClellan suggests:

An Edomite deity from around the Arabah was brought north to the central highlands around the end of the thirteenth century. At some point a federation or coalition of tribes dedicated to this deity coalesced, perhaps as described in the Song of Deborah in Judges 5, and developed into a state.

The OP speaks of "the context of Deuteronomy." Another way of dealing with the westward movement of Yahweh is hinted at in Dt. chapter 32, where the Lord is said (apparently) to have been assigned the people of Jacob as his inheritance by "the Most High."

The Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. 9 For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. 10 In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, 11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.

Some scholars take this to be a reference to an earlier time, wheh Yahweh was thought to be one of a number of deities, each assigned by the Most High God to a certain people. In this scenario, God "shone forth" from mountainous lands east of the Jordan to Sinai through God's people, the Israelites. But for those who find this explanation unacceptable, the simple idea that Yahweh's light came from the east to the west should suffice. One even finds echoes of this theme in the New Testament:

  • Matthew 24:27 - For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

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