Deuteronomy 32:10
in Deuteronomy 32He found him in a desert land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He found him in a desert land, And in the waste howling wilderness; He compassed him about, he cared for him, He kept him as the apple of his eye.
KJV
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 32
Commentary
2 notes on this verseHe - the Lord, found him - Jacob, in his descendants, in a desert land - the wilderness. He led him about forty years in this wilderness, Deu 8:2, or יסבבנהו yesobebenhu, he compassed him about, i. e., God defended them on all hands, and in all places.
This site's exposition
He found him in a desert land
on Deuteronomy 32:10-12
The eagle stirring her nest is the second use of that image for the exodus, after Exodus 19:4, where God tells Israel he bare them on eagles' wings. Apple of his eye is the pupil, the part of a man that is guarded without any decision to guard it, and Psalm 17:8 and Zechariah 2:8 use the phrase the same way. Verse 12 shuts the door on any partner in the rescue, so sole authorship is settled before the song turns to the charge.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The expression [ He kept him ] as the apple of His eye. Verse. alludes to watchfulness, the verse stating that G-d watched over him as He would shield “His own eye.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִמְצָאֵ֙הוּ֙ | yimtzaehu | he found it | H4672 → | 455 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in a land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִדְבָּ֔ר | midbar | wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| וּבְתֹ֖הוּ | uvetohu | and in a wasteland of | H8414 → | |
| יְלֵ֣ל | yelel | howling of | H3214 → | |
| יְשִׁמֹ֑ן | yeshimon | a desolate place | H3452 → | |
| יְסֹֽבְבֶ֙נְהוּ֙ | yesoevenhu | he surrounded it | H5437 → | 161 times |
| יְב֣וֹנְנֵ֔הוּ | yevonehu | he took care of it | H995 → | 170 times |
| יִצְּרֶ֖נְהוּ | yitzerenhu | he guarded it | H5341 → | |
| כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן | keishon | like [the] pupil of | H380 → | |
| עֵינֽוֹ׃ | eino | eye his | H5869 → | 887 times |
יִמְצָאֵ֙הוּ֙he found it
yimtzaehuH4672 →455 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin a land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
מִדְבָּ֔רwilderness
midbarH4057 →270 times
וּבְתֹ֖הוּand in a wasteland of
uvetohuH8414 →
יְלֵ֣לhowling of
yelelH3214 →
יְשִׁמֹ֑ןa desolate place
yeshimonH3452 →
יְסֹֽבְבֶ֙נְהוּ֙he surrounded it
yesoevenhuH5437 →161 times
יְב֣וֹנְנֵ֔הוּhe took care of it
yevonehuH995 →170 times
יִצְּרֶ֖נְהוּhe guarded it
yitzerenhuH5341 →
כְּאִישׁ֥וֹןlike [the] pupil of
keishonH380 →
עֵינֽוֹ׃eye his
einoH5869 →887 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Zechariah 2:8For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—
it leads to
- Psalms 17:8
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings
- John 15:21–23
But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.
- John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
- Psalms 17:8
Through
Psalms 17:8Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings
it leads to
- Psalms 91:4
He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.
- Psalms 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Proverbs 7:2
Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
- Zechariah 2:8
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—
- Psalms 61:4
Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
- Psalms 91:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.