New English Translation
Deuteronomy 32:27
27But I fear the reaction of their enemies, for their adversaries would misunderstand and say, “Our power is great, and the Lord has not done 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
25The sword will make people childless outside, and terror will do so inside; they will destroy both the young man and the virgin, the infant and the gray-haired man. 26“I said, ‘I want to cut them in pieces. I want to make people forget they ever existed. But I fear the reaction of their enemies, for their adversaries would misunderstand and say, “Our power is great, and the Lord has not done all this!”’ 28They are a nation devoid of wisdom, and there is no understanding among them. 29I wish that they were wise and could understand this, and that they could comprehend what will happen to them.”
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 he wants to uphold his great reputation. The Lord was pleased to make you his own people.
- Isaiah 37:28I know where you live and everything you do and how you rage against me.
- Isaiah 47:7You said, ‘I will rule forever as permanent queen!’ You did not think about these things; you did not consider how it would turn out.
- Jeremiah 19:4I will do so because these people have rejected me and have defiled this place. They have offered sacrifices in it to other gods which neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah knew anything about. They have filled it with the blood of innocent children.
- Lamentations 1:9Her menstrual flow has soiled her clothing; she did not consider the consequences of her sin. Her demise was astonishing, and there was no one to comfort her. She cried, “Look, O Lord, on my affliction because my enemy boasts!” י (Yod)
- Ezekiel 20:13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them.
- Zechariah 1:14Turning to me, the messenger then said, “Cry out that the Lord who rules over all says, ‘I am very much moved for Jerusalem and for Zion.
- Exodus 32:12Why should the Egyptians say, ‘For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.
- Numbers 14:15If you kill this entire people at once, then the nations that have heard of your fame will say,
- Joshua 7:9When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”
- Psalms 115:1Not to us, O Lord, not to us! But to your name bring honor, for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness.
- Psalms 140:8O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way! Do not allow their plan to succeed when they attack! (Selah)
- Isaiah 10:8Indeed, he says: “Are not my officials all kings?
- Isaiah 37:10“Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”
- Isaiah 37:12Were the nations whom my predecessors destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods?
- Daniel 4:30The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”
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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