God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 32:30
30How could one person chase a thousand or two people make ten thousand flee? Their rock used these people to defeat them and the Lord gave them no help.
Deuteronomy 32:30 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?
- New International Version (NIV)How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up?
- English Standard Version (ESV)How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up?
- New King James Version (NKJV)How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the Lord had surrendered them?
Context of Deuteronomy 32:30
28My people have lost their good sense. They are not able to understand. 29If only they were wise enough to understand this and realize what will happen to them! How could one person chase a thousand or two people make ten thousand flee? Their rock used these people to defeat them and the Lord gave them no help. 31Their rock isn’t like our rock. Even our enemies will agree with this. 32Their grapevines come from the vineyards of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous, and their clusters are bitter.
Read all of Deuteronomy 32Deuteronomy 32:30 word by word
אֵיכָ֞ה יִרְדֹּ֤ף אֶחָד֙ אֶ֔לֶף וּשְׁנַ֖יִם יָנִ֣יסוּ רְבָבָ֑ה אִם־לֹא֙ כִּי־צוּרָ֣ם מְכָרָ֔ם וַֽיהוָ֖ה הִסְגִּירָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- How should oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- chaseרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
- a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- and twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- put tenרְבָבָהrebâbâh · myriadH7233
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- to flightנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
- exceptלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- their Rockצוּרtsûr tsûr · rockH6697
- had soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- themכִּיkîy · forH3588
- and the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- had shut them upסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 32:30
- Leviticus 26:8Five of you will chase a hundred of them, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand of them. You will defeat your enemies,
- Joshua 23:10One of you used to chase a thousand. That was because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as he had promised you.
- Judges 7:22The 300 men kept on blowing their rams’ horns, and the Lord caused the whole camp of Midian to fight among themselves. They fled as far as Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, and as far as the bank of the stream at Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
- 1 Samuel 14:15There was panic among the army in the field and all the troops in the military post. The raiding party also trembled ⌞in fear⌟. The earth shook, and there was a panic sent from God.
- 2 Chronicles 24:24The Aramean army had come with a small number of men, but the Lord handed Joash’s large army over to them because Joash’s soldiers had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. So the Arameans carried out ⌞the Lord’s⌟ judgment on Joash.
- Isaiah 30:17One thousand people will flee when one person threatens them, and you will flee when five threaten you. Then you will be left alone like a flagpole on top of a mountain, like a signpost on a hill.
- Judges 2:14So the Lord became angry with the people of Israel. He handed them over to people who robbed them. He also used their enemies around them to defeat them. They could no longer stand up against their enemies.
- Judges 3:8The Lord became angry with the people of Israel. He used King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim to defeat them. So Israel served Cushan Rishathaim for eight years.
- Psalms 44:12You sell your people for almost nothing, and at that price you have gained nothing.
- Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says: Where are your mother’s divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.
- Isaiah 52:3This is what the Lord says: You were sold, but no price was paid. You will be bought back, but without money.
- Matthew 18:25Because he could not pay off the debt, the master ordered him, his wife, his children, and all that he had to be sold to pay off the account.
- Job 11:10If God comes along and imprisons ⌞someone⌟ and then calls a court into session, who can stop him?
- Job 16:11God handed me over to unjust people and threw me into the hands of wicked people.
- Psalms 31:8You have not handed me over to the enemy. You have set my feet in a place where I can move freely.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 32:30
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 30How should one chase a thousand - If therefore they had not forgotten their Rock, God their author and defense, it could not possibly have come to pass that a thousand of them should flee before one of their enemies.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. 30How could one man pursue a thousand: When God allows his people to face destruction, they can be defeated even against great odds. their Rock: This metaphor is used ironically. The very one who should be Israel’s source of strength will leave them because of their own sin and unfaithfulness (see 32:4).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 32:30
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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