Deuteronomy 33:3

The people, i.e. the tribes of Israel, which are called people, Genesis 48:19 Judges 5:14 Acts 4:27. The sense is, This law, though delivered with fire, and smoke, and thunder, which might seem to portend nothing but hatred and terror, yet in truth it was given to Israel in great love, as being the great mean of their temporal and eternal salvation. And although God shows a general and common kindness to all men, yet he loved this people in a singular and peculiar manner. All his saints; all God's saints or holy ones, i.e. his people, as they are now called, the people of Israel, who are all called holy, Exodus 19:6 Numbers 16:3 Deuteronomy 7:6 Daniel 7:25, Daniel 8:24 12:7, because they all professed to be so, and were obliged to be so, and many of them were such; though some appropriate this to the true saints in Israel. Are in thy hand, or, were in thy hand, i.e. under God's care, to protect, and direct, and govern them, as that phrase signifies, Numbers 4:28, 3 John 10:28,29. These words are spoken to God; and for the change of persons, his and thy, that is most frequent in the Hebrew tongue. See Daniel 9:4. This clause may further note God's kindness to Israel in upholding and preserving them when the fiery law was delivered, which was done with so much dread and terror, that not only the people trembled and were ready to sink under it, Exodus 20:18,19, but even Moses himself did exceedingly fear and quake, Hebrews 12:21. But in this fright God sustained both Moses and the people in or by his hand, whereby he in a manner hid and covered them, that no harm might come to them by this terrible apparition. They sat down at thy feet, like scholars, to receive instructions and counsels from thee. He alludes either,

1. To the manner of disciples among the Jews, who used to sit at their masters feet, Luke 10:39 Acts 22:3. See also Genesis 49:10 2 Kings 4:38. But it is doubtful whether this custom was so ancient as Moses. Or,

2. To the place where the people waited when the law was delivered, which was at the foot of the mount. Shall receive of thy words; the people, easily understood from the foregoing words, did or will receive or submit to thy instructions and commands. This may respect either,

1. The people's promise when they heard the law, that they would hear and do all that was commanded, Deuteronomy 5:27. Or,

2. The people's duty to do so.

3. The people's privilege, that they were admitted to receive so great a privilege as the words and laws of God were.