Deuteronomy 32:17

Deuteronomy 32:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
• New International Version (NIV)They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God— gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.

Context of Deuteronomy 32:17

15The Israelites became rich and fat. They turned against God. They were full of good food, but they turned away from God. He was the one who made them. He was the strong Rock who kept them safe. But they no longer respected him. 16They worshipped foreign gods. So the Lord became angry and jealous. They made idols which he hated. They offered sacrifices to demons, instead of to God. They worshipped new gods which they had not known before. Your ancestors had never respected those gods. 18You forgot about your strong Rock, the God who gave you life. 19When the Lord saw this, he turned away from them. His sons and daughters had made him angry.

Deuteronomy 32:17 word by word

יִזְבְּח֗וּ לַשֵּׁדִים֙ לֹ֣א אֱלֹ֔הַ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א יְדָע֑וּם חֲדָשִׁים֙ מִקָּרֹ֣ב בָּ֔אוּ לֹ֥א שְׂעָר֖וּם אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They sacrificedזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
• unto devilsשֵׁדshêd · demonH7700
• not to Godאֱלֹהַּ'ĕlôahh 'ĕlôahh · godH433
• to godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• whom they knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• not, to newחָדָשׁchâdâsh · newH2319
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• newlyקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
• upבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• whom your fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• fearedשָׂעַרώâ‛ar · to knowH8175

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 32:17

• Leviticus 17:7The people give sacrifices in the fields to worship idols that seem like goats. They must never do this again. This rule is for now and for all time.
• Psalms 106:37They even killed their sons and their daughters as sacrifices for those idols of demons!
• 1 Corinthians 10:20But the people who offer food to idols are worshipping demons. They are not worshipping God when they do that. I do not want you to share in what they do to worship demons.
• 1 Timothy 4:1God's Spirit tells us clearly that, in later times, some people will stop believing the message about Jesus Christ. Instead, they will listen to bad spirits who want people to believe wrong things. They will listen to the message that comes from demons.
• Revelation 9:20But all the people that the fire, the smoke and the sulphur did not kill continued to do bad things. They did not change how they lived. They worshipped things that they had made for themselves. They worshipped demons and idols that they made from gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood. Those idols cannot see anything or hear anything. They cannot walk anywhere. But the people continued to worship them.
• Deuteronomy 32:21They have made me jealous as they serve false gods. They have made me angry as they worship useless idols. So I will make them jealous as I help a useless nation. I will make them angry as I bless a foolish nation.
• Jeremiah 10:15They are useless things that people should laugh at. When the time for their punishment arrives, God will destroy them.
• 1 Corinthians 8:4So think about food that people have offered to idols. You ask, ‘Should Christians eat that food?’ We know that no idol is really alive. We also know that there is only one God.
• 1 Corinthians 10:19So think about food that people offer to idols as a sacrifice. I am not saying that the idols are real gods. The food that people offer to them is not special food.
• Deuteronomy 28:64If that happens, the Lord will send you away to live among many other nations, all over the world. There you will worship other gods. They are gods that people have made from wood and from stone. Neither you nor your ancestors have ever known those gods before.
• Isaiah 44:8My people, do not shake with fear. Long ago I told you about things that would happen. You can tell people the truth about me. You know that I am the only true God. There is no other Rock to keep you safe. There surely is no other God except me.’
• Judges 5:8When the Israelites chose new gods to worship, enemies attacked their cities. No one in Israel was ready to fight. Not one of their 40,000 soldiers had a shield or a spear.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 32:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17They sacrificed unto devils - The original word שדים shedim has been variously understood. The Syriac, Chaldee, Targums of Jerusalem and Jonathan, and the Samaritan, retain the original word: the Vulgate, Septuagint, Arabic, Persic, Coptic, and Anglo-Saxon, have devils or demons. The Septuagint has , they sacrificed to demons: the Vulgate copies the Septuagint: the Arabic has sheeateen, the plural of Sheetan, Satan, by which the rebellious angels appear…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. 15-18Verses 15-18 Here are two instances of the wickedness of Israel, each was apostacy from God. These people were called Jeshurun, "an upright people," so some; "a seeing people," so others: but they soon lost the reputation both of their knowledge and of their righteousness. They indulged their appetites, as if they had nothing to do but to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it. Those who make a god of themselves, and a god of their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17demons: In the ancient Near East, people believed gods protected individuals and places from harm. But, worshiping these pagan gods was actually worshiping evil spirits (compare 1 Corinthians 10:20–21; Revelation 9:20). newly arrived gods: These were false gods that Israel had never before encountered.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. They sacrificed unto devils--(See on Le 17:7).Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 32:17

• Backsliders
• Death
• Demons
• Idolatry
• Instruction
• Psalms
• Quotations and Allusions
• Reproof

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Cease
• Crooked
• Devil
• Drunk
• Esteem
• Faith
• Froward
• Kick

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