Deuteronomy 32:8

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
High	עֶלְיוֹן֙ 'el.yOn	H5945	an elevation · adjective, masculine singular absolute
divided	בְּהַנְחֵ֤ל be.han.Chel	H5157	to inherit (as a (figurative) mode of descent) · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive absolute
nations	גּוֹיִ֔ם go.Yim	H1471	a foreign nation · noun, common masculine plural absolute
inheritance	נָחַל nâchal	H5157	to inherit (as a (figurative) mode of descent)
separated	בְּהַפְרִיד֖וֹ be.haf.ri.Do	H6504	to break through · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
sons	בְּנֵ֣י be.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Adam	אָדָ֑ם 'a.Dam	H120	ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species · noun, common masculine singular absolute
set	יַצֵּב֙ ya.Tzev	H5324	to station · verb, hiphil jussive, 3rd person masculine singular
bounds	גְּבֻלֹ֣ת ge.vu.Lot	H1367	a boundary · noun, common feminine plural construct
people	עַמִּ֔ים 'a.Mim	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine plural absolute
number	לְמִסְפַּ֖ר le.mis.Par	H4557	a number · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
children	בְּנֵ֥י be.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵֽל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and…
Genesis 11:8-9 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the m…
Genesis 10:25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.
Genesis 15:18-21 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great ri…
Psalms 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Genesis 10:15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 32:7-14

Moses, having in general represented God to them as their great benefactor, whom they were bound in gratitude to observe and obey, in these verses gives particular instances of God's kindness to them and concern for them. 1. Some instances were ancient, and for proof of them he appeals to the records (Deu 32:7): Remember the days of old; that is, "Keep in remembrance the history of those days, and of the wonderful providences of God concerning the old world, and concerning your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; you will find a constant series of mercies attending them, and how long since things were working towards that which has now come to pass." Note, The authentic histories of ancient…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 32:8

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 (Gen 10:5; Deu 2:5-9; Act 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 great continents of Asia and Africa, and almost within sight of Europe. From this spot as from a common center the report of God's wonderful works, the glad tidings of salvation through the obedience and sufferings of His own eternal Son, might…

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John Gill on Deuteronomy 32:8

When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance,.... In the times of Noah and his sons, in the days of Peleg, who had his name (that is "Division") from thence, Genesis 10:25; "the Most High" is a well known and proper, epithet of God; the dividing of the earth to the several nations of it, and giving to everyone their part and portion to possess and inherit, was the work of God; for though it was done by the sons of Noah, yet by the order, appointment, and direction of the Most High, who rules in heaven and in earth, Genesis 10:32; men might not and did not take what they pleased, or seize on as much as they could, but each had their parcel allotted and portioned out to them, by…

The Church Fathers

This is he who bestows on the Greeks also their philosophy through the inferior angels. For by an ancient and divine ordinance angels are assigned to the different nations. But to be the Lord's portion is the glory of believers.
— Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 7

They say however that, until men become equal in number to the angels, the consummation of the world will not take place. For Moses says: He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.
— Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 5

But what does it profit us to touch briefly upon these matters concerning the angelic spirits, if we do not strive to apply them also to our own advancement through suitable reflection? For since that heavenly city consists of angels and men, to which we believe the human race ascends in such number as equals the elect angels who remained there, as it is written: "He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God," we too ought to draw something from those distinctions of the heavenly citizens for the use of our own way of life, and inflame ourselves with good pursuits toward growth in virtues.
— Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 34

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Moses — Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years…
Predestination — This word is properly used only with reference to God’s plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered “predestinate” is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7;…
Songs — Of Moses (Ex. 15; Num. 21:17; Deut. 32; Rev. 15:3), Deborah (Judg. 5), Hannah (1 Sam. 2), David (2 Sam. 22, and Psalms), Mary (Luke 1:46-55), Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79), the angels (Luke 2:13), Simeon…
Adam · .Progenitor of the human race — .Progenitor of the human race
Dispersion · After building the tower of Babel — After building the tower of Babel
Earth · Early divisions ofGe 10;11; — Early divisions ofGe 10;11;
Predestination · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Psalms · righteousness, and — righteousness, and

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Deuteronomy 32:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 32:7-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 32:8

John Gill on Deuteronomy 32:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Deuteronomy 32:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 32:7-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 32:8

John Gill on Deuteronomy 32:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Deuteronomy 32:1-43

Keil & Delitzsch on Deuteronomy 32:1-43

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Deuteronomy 32:8

Rashi on Deuteronomy 32:8