Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:9–12

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.

Footnotes

c 32:10 Literally the pupil
d 32:11 Pinions are the outer parts of a bird’s wings, including the flight feathers.

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.

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

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

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

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