Deuteronomy 32:8

Deuteronomy 32:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
• New Living Translation (NLT)When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.

Context of Deuteronomy 32:8

6Do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you? 7“Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you: When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel. 9For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. 10“He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.

Deuteronomy 32:8 word by word

בְּהַנְחֵ֤ל עֶלְיוֹן֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם בְּהַפְרִיד֖וֹ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם יַצֵּב֙ גְּבֻלֹ֣ת עַמִּ֔ים לְמִסְפַּ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When the most Highעֶלְיוֹן‛elyôn · Most HighH5945
• dividedנָחַלnâchal · to inheritH5157
• to the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• when he separatedפָּרַדpârad · to separateH6504
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Adamאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• he setנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• the boundsגְּבוּלָהgebûlâh gebûlâh · borderH1367
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• according to the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 32:8

• Numbers 24:16The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
• Psalms 7:17I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
• Psalms 50:14Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.
• Psalms 82:6I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High.
• Psalms 91:1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
• Psalms 92:8But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.
• Isaiah 14:14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
• Daniel 4:17‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’
• Daniel 5:18O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
• Acts 7:48“However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:
• Genesis 10:25To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.
• Genesis 11:9Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
• Psalms 115:16The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.
• Acts 17:26And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
• Genesis 10:15Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth;
• Genesis 15:18On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 32:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8When the Most High divided to the nations, etc. - Deuteronomy 32:8; and Deuteronomy 32:9, says Dr. Kennicott, give us express authority for believing that the earth was very early divided in consequence of a Divine command, and probably by lot, (see Acts 17:26;); and as Africa is called the land of Ham, ( Psalm 78:51; Psalm 105:23, Psalm 105:27; Psalm 106:22;), probably that country fell to him and to his descendants, at the same time that Europe fell to…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. 7-14Verses 7-14 Moses gives particular instances of God's kindness and concern for them. The eagle's care for her young is a beautiful emblem of Christ's love, who came between Divine justice and our guilty souls, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And by the preached gospel, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, He stirs up and prevails upon sinners to leave Satan's bondage. In ver. #(13-14), are emblems of the conquest believers have over their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8God is sovereign over all nations and cares about them. He has given them their lands for his own reasons (see Psalm 74:17; Acts 17:26). the Most High (Hebrew ‘Elyon): Abraham learned this name for God when he met Melchizedek (Genesis 14:19). This ancient name shows that God rules over all. It describes his universal sovereignty, which means that he has authority over every nation and every part of creation. the boundaries: One sign of God's sovereignty…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-98-9. When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance--In the division of the earth, which Noah is believed to have made by divine direction (Ge 10:5; De 2:5-9; Ac 17:26, 27), Palestine was reserved by the wisdom and goodness of Heaven for the possession of His peculiar people and the display of the most stupendous wonders. The theater was small, but admirably suited for the convenient observation of the human race--at the junction of the two…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 32:8

• Adam
• Death
• Dispersion
• Earth
• Instruction
• Predestination
• Psalms

In the dictionaries

• Adam
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Most High
• Cease
• Crooked
• Drunk
• Esteem

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