English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 32:40
40For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever,
Deuteronomy 32:40 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
- New International Version (NIV)I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear: As surely as I live forever,
- New King James Version (NKJV)For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, “As I live forever,
- New Living Translation (NLT)Now I raise my hand to heaven and declare, “As surely as I live,
Context of Deuteronomy 32:40
38who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection! 39"'See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, 41if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me. 42I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh— with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the enemy.'
Read all of Deuteronomy 32Deuteronomy 32:40 word by word
כִּֽי־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶל־שָׁמַ֖יִם יָדִ֑י וְאָמַ֕רְתִּי חַ֥י אָנֹכִ֖י לְעֹלָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 32:40
- Genesis 14:22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,
- Exodus 6:8I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.'"
- Numbers 14:28Say to them, 'As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:
- Jeremiah 4:2and if you swear, 'As the Lord lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."
- Hebrews 6:17So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
- Revelation 10:5And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 32:40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40For I lift up my hand to heaven - See concerning oaths and appeals to God in the note on Deuteronomy 6:13; (note).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. 39-43Verses 39-43 This conclusion of the song speaks, 1. Glory to God. No escape can be made from his power. 2. It speaks terror to his enemies. Terror indeed to those who hate him. The wrath of God is here revealed from heaven against them. 3. It speaks comfort to his own people. The song concludes with words of joy. Whatever judgments are brought upon sinners, it shall go well with the people of God.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 40I lift up My hand to heaven: This way of speaking about God as if he had human actions (anthropomorphism; see study notes on 4:34 and 8:2) shows that God is serious about keeping his covenant promises to rescue his people from their enemies. When God makes an oath, he is not relying on any external force in case he fails. Instead, the statement emphasizes that God’s promises are completely reliable, beyond even his character (see Numbers 14:21, 28; Isaiah…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 32:40
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries