Deuteronomy 33:2

I read an interpretation of Deuteronomy 33 that says it is about Exodus of Israel. It makes full sense but there is a little problem

And he said: "The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them (Deuteronomy 33:2)

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night (Exodus 13:21)

But if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels (Exodus 40:36-38)

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night (Exodus 13:21)

It is meaning of "The Lord came", God himself coming

And the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud (Exodus 24:16)

The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up (Exodus 19:20)

It is meaning of "from Sinai"

And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran (Numbers 13:12)

It is the cloud in in which the Lord was going with them and the cloud settled in Paran. It is meaning "from mount Paran"

Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke to me, and we skirted Mount Seir for many days (Deuteronomy 2:1)

Since the cloud of the Lord was with them all the way, He was there with them at Seir. That's meaning of "from Seir"

Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel (Numbers 10:36)

It is meaning of "ten thousand". It is Israeli army that is described in this chapter. Ten thousand not always literal. It can mean great number

The problem that I have is that according to the narrative, Israelites first came to Sinai, after that to Paran (Numbers 10:12) and after to Seir (Deuteronomy 2:1). Deuteronomy 33:2 mentions Seir before Paran. It doesn't say explicitly that Seir was before Paran. There are no words "before" and "after" there. So I think Deuteronomy 33:2 may mention these events in a non-chronological order

I know one example of non-chronological list of events:

"‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground" (Jeremiah 27:5)

Creation of man is mentioned before beast, although man is created after beast in Genesis 1.

Do you know other examples of non-chronological list of events in the Bible?

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MJ. Smith

bumping in hopes of getting an appropriate response

Rosie Perera

I know one example of non-chronological list of events:

"‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground" (Jeremiah 27:5)

Creation of man is mentioned before beast, although man is created after beast in Genesis 1.

But in Genesis 2, the creation of man (2:7) is listed before the creation of beasts (2:19). The two creation accounts (Gen 1 and Gen 2) are serving different purposes, and an ordered chronology as we think of it today was not the point.

I asked ChatGPT to think of other events in the Bible that are listed out of chronological order, and this was the reply:

Yes, there are several instances in the Bible where events are listed out of chronological order or where there are inconsistencies in the listing of the chronological order of events. This is not uncommon in ancient texts, including the Bible, as the narrative style and objectives of the authors sometimes prioritized thematic or theological points over strict chronological order. Here are a few examples:

The Creation Accounts in Genesis: As you mentioned, Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 present different orders of creation. Genesis 1 describes a sequential creation over six days, with animals created before humans. Genesis 2, however, seems to imply that man was created before the animals.
The Gospels: The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the New Testament offer different chronologies and details of the life of Jesus. For example, the order of certain events in Jesus' ministry, like the cleansing of the temple and the calling of the disciples, varies between the Gospels.
The Kings and Chronicles: The books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles cover much of the same historical period in Israel's history but often in different orders and with varying details. For example, the reigns of certain kings are described differently in terms of duration and events.
The Genealogies: Various genealogies throughout the Bible, like those in Genesis, Matthew, and Luke, sometimes present different sequences or include different names.
The Order of the Plagues in Exodus: Jewish and Christian traditions sometimes list the plagues in Exodus slightly differently, though the textual differences here are more in interpretation than in the text itself.
Paul's Travels in Acts vs. His Epistles: The chronology of Paul's travels as described in the Acts of the Apostles sometimes appears to differ from the chronology suggested in Paul's own letters.

These variations are often subjects of study and discussion among biblical scholars, theologians, and historians. They look at these differences to understand the contexts, purposes, and perspectives of the biblical authors, as well as the oral and textual traditions that shaped the Bible's development.