Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 32:27
27if I had not feared provocation from the enemy, or feared that these foes might misunderstand and say, ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it wasn’t the Lord who did all this.’”
Deuteronomy 32:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this.
- New International Version (NIV)but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed; the Lord has not done all this.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, "Our hand is triumphant, it was not the Lord who did all this."'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand, Lest they should say, “Our hand is high; And it is not the Lord who has done all this.” ’
Context of Deuteronomy 32:27
25Outside, the sword will take their children, and inside, there will be terror; the young man and the young woman will be killed, the infant and the gray-haired man. 26“I would have said: I will cut them to pieces and blot out the memory of them from mankind, if I had not feared provocation from the enemy, or feared that these foes might misunderstand and say, ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it wasn’t the Lord who did all this.’” 28Israel is a nation lacking sense with no understanding at all. 29If only they were wise, they would comprehend this; they would understand their fate.
Read all of Deuteronomy 32Deuteronomy 32:27 word by word
לוּלֵ֗י כַּ֤עַס אוֹיֵב֙ אָג֔וּר פֶּֽן־יְנַכְּר֖וּ צָרֵ֑ימוֹ פֶּן־יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ יָדֵ֣ינוּ רָ֔מָה וְלֹ֥א יְהוָ֖ה פָּעַ֥ל כָּל־זֹֽאת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Were it notלוּלֵאlûlê' lûlêy · unlessH3884
- that I fearedגּוּרgûr · to dreadH1481
- the wrathכַּ֫עַסka‛as ka‛aώ · vexationH3708
- of the enemyאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
- lest their adversariesצַרtsar tsâr · enemyH6862
- should behave themselves strangelyנָכַרnâkar · to alienateH5234
- lest they should sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Our handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- highרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- and the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath not doneפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 32:27
- 1 Samuel 12:22The Lord will not abandon his people, because of his great name and because he has determined to make you his own people.
- Isaiah 37:28But I know your sitting down, your going out and your coming in, and your raging against me.
- Isaiah 47:7You said, ‘I will be the queen forever.’ You did not take these things to heart or think about their outcome.
- Jeremiah 19:4because they have abandoned me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in it to other gods that they, their ancestors, and the kings of Judah have never known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.
- Lamentations 1:9Her uncleanness stains her skirts. She never considered her end. Her downfall was astonishing; there was no one to comfort her. Lord, look on my affliction, for the enemy boasts.
- Ezekiel 20:13“‘But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my statutes and they rejected my ordinances — the person who does them will live by them. They also completely profaned my Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.
- Zechariah 1:14So the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim: The Lord of Armies says: I am extremely jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
- Exodus 32:12Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and eliminate them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for your people.
- Numbers 14:15If you kill this people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will declare,
- Joshua 7:9When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will you do about your great name?”
- Psalms 115:1Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your faithful love, because of your truth.
- Psalms 140:8Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked; do not let them achieve their goals. Otherwise, they will become proud.Selah
- Isaiah 10:8For he says, “Aren’t all my commanders kings?
- Isaiah 37:10“Say this to King Hezekiah of Judah: ‘Don’t let your God, on whom you rely, deceive you by promising that Jerusalem won’t be handed over to the king of Assyria.
- Isaiah 37:12Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them — Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar?
- Daniel 4:30the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great that I have built to be a royal residence by my vast power and for my majestic glory?”
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 32:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy - Houbigant and others contend that wrath here refers not to the enemy, but to God; and that the passage should be thus translated: "Indignation for the adversary deters me, lest their enemies should be alienated, and say, The strength of our hands, and not of the Lord's, hath done this." Had not God punished them in such a way as proved that his hand and not the hand of man had done it, the heathens would…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-42Verses 1-42 Song of Moses If Deuteronomy 32:1-3 be regarded as the introduction, and Deuteronomy 32:43 as the conclusion, the main contents of the song may be grouped under three heads, namely, (1) Deuteronomy 32:4-18, the faithfulness of God, the faithlessness of Israel; (2) Deuteronomy 32:19-33, the chastisement and the need of its infliction by God; (3) Deuteronomy 32:34-42, God‘s compassion upon the low and humbled state of His people. The Song…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-38Verses 26-38 The idolatry and rebellions of Israel deserved, and the justice of God seemed to demand, that they should be rooted out. But He spared Israel, and continues them still to be living witnesses of the truth of the Bible, and to silence unbelievers. They are preserved for wise and holy purposes and the prophecies give us some idea what those purposes are. The Lord will never disgrace the throne of his glory. It is great wisdom, and will help much…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27if I had not dreaded: God is never terrified or intimidated. This fear is concern that Israel’s enemies would attribute their success to their own efforts rather than to God’s sovereign judgment of his people (see Exodus 32:11–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-431. Give ear, O ye heavens; ... hear, O earth--The magnificence of the exordium, the grandeur of the theme, the frequent and sudden transitions, the elevated strain of the sentiments and language, entitle this song to be ranked amongst the noblest specimens of poetry to be found in the Scriptures.Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 32:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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