King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 33:10 Mean?

Deuteronomy 33:10 in the King James Version says “They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice ...” — study this verse from Deuteronomy chapter 33 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. They shall teach: or, Let them teach they shall put: or, let them put before: Heb. at thy nose”

Deuteronomy 33:10 · KJV

Context

And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.

They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. They shall teach: or, Let them teach they shall put: or, let them put before: Heb. at thy nose

Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.

Read Deuteronomy 33 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary

They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Moses defines the Levites' dual priestly function: yarah (יָרָה, "teach") and sacrificial mediation. The Hebrew torah (תּוֹרָה, "law/instruction") appears here, linking Levitical teaching ministry to the broader covenant instruction system.

The teaching function appears first, indicating priority: priests were fundamentally instructors in divine mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט, "judgments/ordinances") before being sacrificers. Malachi 2:7 confirms this: "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts." The collapse of teaching function contributed to Israel's apostasy (Hosea 4:6).

The sacrificial duties—qetoreth (קְטֹרֶת, "incense") and kalil (כָּלִיל, "whole burnt offering")—represent mediation and atonement. Incense symbolized prayers ascending to God (Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8), while whole burnt offerings expressed complete consecration, the entire animal consumed on the altar. Together, teaching and sacrifice formed comprehensive priestly ministry: instructing people in God's ways and mediating their approach to Him. Christ fulfills both roles perfectly as Prophet-Teacher and High Priest-Sacrifice (Hebrews 4:14-5:10).

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Historical & Cultural Context

This verse establishes the Levitical priestly charter that governed Israel's worship from the wilderness period through the Second Temple. The teaching function was exercised through regular instruction at the Tabernacle/Temple, circuits to Levitical cities (2 Chronicles 17:7-9), and legal rulings in disputed cases (Deuteronomy 17:8-13).

The incense offering occurred twice daily in the Holy Place (Exodus 30:7-8), performed exclusively by priests. Zechariah was offering incense when Gabriel announced John the Baptist's birth (Luke 1:8-11). The whole burnt offering (olah) was the most common sacrifice, offered morning and evening as the tamid (continual offering), plus additional offerings for festivals and individual worshipers.

The Levitical system's teaching function suffered periodic collapse, contributing to cycles of apostasy. King Jehoshaphat's revival included sending Levites to teach throughout Judah (2 Chronicles 17:7-9). Ezra's reforms after exile reestablished this teaching ministry (Nehemiah 8:7-9). The New Testament critiques first-century Judaism not for maintaining Levitical functions but for distorting teaching through tradition (Mark 7:13) and losing the sacrificial system's typological meaning, which pointed to Christ's perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-18).

Reflection Questions

How does the priority of teaching before sacrifice challenge modern worship practices that emphasize experience over instruction?
What parallels exist between Levitical teaching ministry and the pastoral/teaching office in the New Testament church?
In what ways has the church sometimes separated teaching from worship, contrary to the integrated Levitical model?
How does Christ fulfill both the teaching and sacrificial aspects of priesthood in His person and work?
What happens to Christian communities when sound teaching is neglected in favor of ritual or emotional experience?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 11 words

יוֹר֤וּ1 of 11

“They shall teach”

H3384

properly, to flow as water (i.e., to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e., to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by

מִשְׁפָּטֶ֙יךָ֙2 of 11

“thy judgments”

H4941

properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind

לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב3 of 11

“Jacob”

H3290

jaakob, the israelitish patriarch

וְתוֹרָֽתְךָ֖4 of 11

“thy law”

H8451

a precept or statute, especially the decalogue or pentateuch

לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל5 of 11

“and Israel”