Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:8–14

⁸When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,

when He divided the sons of man,

He set the boundaries of the peoples

according to the number of the sons of God.^b

⁹But the LORD’s portion is His people,

Jacob His allotted inheritance.

¹⁰He found him in a desert land,

in a barren, howling wilderness;

He surrounded him, He instructed him,

He guarded him as the apple^c of His eye.

¹¹As an eagle stirs up its nest

and hovers over its young,

He spread His wings to catch them

and carried them on His pinions.^d

¹²The LORD alone led him,

and no foreign god was with him.

¹³He made him ride on the heights of the land

and fed him the produce of the field.

He nourished him with honey from the rock

and oil from the flinty crag,

¹⁴with curds from the herd and milk from the flock,

with the fat of lambs,

with rams from Bashan, and goats,

with the choicest grains of wheat.

From the juice of the finest grapes

you drank the wine.

Footnotes

b 32:8 DSS; LXX according to the number of the angels of God; MT according to the number of the sons of Israel
c 32:10 Literally the pupil
d 32:11 Pinions are the outer parts of a bird’s wings, including the flight feathers.

Read all of Deuteronomy 32

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Deuteronomy 32:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When the Most High	עֶלְיוֹן֙	‘el·yō·wn	Adjective - masculine singular	H5945 high
gave the nations	גּוֹיִ֔ם	gō·w·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
their inheritance	בְּהַנְחֵ֤ל	bə·han·ḥêl	Preposition-b; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5157 get or take as a possession
when He divided	בְּהַפְרִיד֖וֹ	bə·hap̄·rî·ḏōw	Preposition-b; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H6504 divide
the sons	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of man	אָדָ֑ם	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
He set	יַצֵּב֙	yaṣ·ṣêḇ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular	H5324 take one's stand, stand
the boundaries	גְּבֻלֹ֣ת	gə·ḇu·lōṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H1367 border, boundary
of the peoples	עַמִּ֔ים	‘am·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5971 people
according to the number	לְמִסְפַּ֖ר	lə·mis·par	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H4557 number, tale
of the sons	בְּנֵ֥י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of God	יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel

Deuteronomy 32:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But	כִּ֛י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the LORD’s	יְהֹוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
portion	חֵ֥לֶק	ḥê·leq	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2506 portion, tract, territory
is His people	עַמּ֑וֹ	‘am·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5971 people
Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֖ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
His allotted	חֶ֥בֶל	ḥe·ḇel	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2256 cord, territory, band
inheritance	נַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃	na·ḥă·lā·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5159 possession, property, inheritance

Deuteronomy 32:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He found him	יִמְצָאֵ֙הוּ֙	yim·ṣā·’ê·hū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
in a desert	מִדְבָּ֔ר	miḏ·bār	Noun - masculine singular	H4057 mouth
land	בְּאֶ֣רֶץ	bə·’e·reṣ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
in a barren	וּבְתֹ֖הוּ	ū·ḇə·ṯō·hū	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H8414 formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness
howling	יְלֵ֣ל	yə·lêl	Noun - masculine singular	H3214 howling
wilderness	יְשִׁמֹ֑ן	yə·ši·mōn	Noun - masculine singular	H3452 waste, wilderness
He surrounded him	יְסֹֽבְבֶ֙נְהוּ֙	yə·sō·ḇə·ḇen·hū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5437 turn about, go around, surround
He instructed him	יְב֣וֹנְנֵ֔הוּ	yə·ḇō·wn·nê·hū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H995 discern
He guarded him	יִצְּרֶ֖נְהוּ	yiṣ·ṣə·ren·hū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5341 watch, guard, keep
as the apple	כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן	kə·’î·šō·wn	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular construct	H380 pupil
of His eye	עֵינֽוֹ׃	‘ê·nōw	Noun - common singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5869 eye

Deuteronomy 32:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
As an eagle	כְּנֶ֙שֶׁר֙	kə·ne·šer	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H5404 griffon-vulture, eagle
stirs up	יָעִ֣יר	yā·‘îr	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5782 rouse oneself, awake
its nest	קִנּ֔וֹ	qin·nōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7064 nest
and hovers	יְרַחֵ֑ף	yə·ra·ḥêp̄	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7363 grow soft, relax
over	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
its young	גּוֹזָלָ֖יו	gō·w·zā·lāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1469 young of birds
He spread	יִפְרֹ֤שׂ	yip̄·rōś	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6566 spread out, spread
His wings	כְּנָפָיו֙	kə·nā·p̄āw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H3671 wing, extremity
to catch them	יִקָּחֵ֔הוּ	yiq·qā·ḥê·hū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H3947 take
carried them	יִשָּׂאֵ֖הוּ	yiś·śā·’ê·hū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5375 lift, take, carry
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
His pinions	אֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃	’eḇ·rā·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H84 pinion

Deuteronomy 32:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
alone	בָּדָ֣ד	bā·ḏāḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H910 isolation, separation
led him	יַנְחֶ֑נּוּ	yan·ḥen·nū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5148 lead, guide
and no	וְאֵ֥ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
foreign	נֵכָֽר׃	nê·ḵār	Noun - masculine singular	H5236 that which is foreign, foreignness
god	אֵ֥ל	’êl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H410 god
with him	עִמּ֖וֹ	‘im·mōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5973 with

Deuteronomy 32:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He made him ride	יַרְכִּבֵ֙הוּ֙	yar·ki·ḇê·hū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H7392 mount and ride, ride
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the heights	בָּמוֹתֵי	bå̄·mō·ṯē	Noun - feminine plural construct	H1116 high place
of the land	אָ֔רֶץ	’ā·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and fed him	וַיֹּאכַ֖ל	way·yō·ḵal	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
the produce	תְּנוּבֹ֣ת	tə·nū·ḇōṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H8570 fruit, produce
of the field	שָׂדָ֑י	śā·ḏāy	Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
He nourished him	וַיֵּנִקֵ֤הֽוּ	way·yê·ni·qê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H3243 suck
with honey	דְבַשׁ֙	ḏə·ḇaš	Noun - masculine singular	H1706 honey
from the rock	מִסֶּ֔לַע	mis·se·la‘	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H5553 crag, cliff
and oil	וְשֶׁ֖מֶן	wə·še·men	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H8081 fat, oil
from the flinty	מֵחַלְמִ֥ישׁ	mê·ḥal·mîš	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2496 flint
crag	צֽוּר׃	ṣūr	Noun - masculine singular	H6697 rock, cliff

Deuteronomy 32:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
with curds	חֶמְאַ֨ת	ḥem·’aṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H2529 curd
from the herd	בָּקָ֜ר	bā·qār	Noun - masculine singular	H1241 cattle, herd, ox
and milk	וַחֲלֵ֣ב	wa·ḥă·lêḇ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2461 milk
from the flock	צֹ֗אן	ṣōn	Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
with	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
the fat	חֵ֨לֶב	ḥê·leḇ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2459 fat
of lambs	כָּרִ֜ים	kā·rîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3733 basket-saddle
with rams	וְאֵילִ֤ים	wə·’ê·lîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H352 ram
from Bashan	בְּנֵֽי־	bə·nê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
and goats	וְעַתּוּדִ֔ים	wə·‘at·tū·ḏîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H6260 he-goat
with	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
the choicest	חֵ֖לֶב	ḥê·leḇ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2459 fat
grains	כִּלְי֣וֹת	kil·yō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H3629 kidneys
of wheat	חִטָּ֑ה	ḥiṭ·ṭāh	Noun - feminine singular	H2406 wheat
From the juice	וְדַם־	wə·ḏam-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1818 blood
of the finest grapes	עֵנָ֖ב	‘ê·nāḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H6025 grape(s)
you drank	תִּשְׁתֶּה־	tiš·teh-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H8354 drink
the wine	חָֽמֶר׃	ḥā·mer	Noun - masculine singular	H2561 wine