Deuteronomy 32:36
in Deuteronomy 32For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For Jehovah will judge his people, And repent himself for his servants; When he seeth that their power is gone, And there is none remaining, shut up or left at large.
KJV
For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 32
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe Lord shall judge his people - He has an absolute right over them as their Creator, and authority to punish them for their rebellions as their Sovereign; yet he will repent himself - he will change his manner of conduct towards them, when he seeth that their power is gone - when they are entirely subjugated by their adversaries, so that their political power is entirely destroyed; and there is none shut up or left - not one strong place untaken, and not one family left, all being carried into captivity, or scattered into strange lands.
This site's exposition
For the LORD will vindicate His people
on Deuteronomy 32:36-38
The turn comes here, when God sees “that their strength is gone”. Verses 37 and 38 then put the question to the gods that had been fed: “Let them rise up and help you”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
None shut up - Either in their strong cities or castles or other hiding places, or in the enemies hands or prisons, whence there might be some hope or possibility of redemption; and none left, as the poor and contemptible people are neglected and usually left by the conquerors in the conquered land, but all seem to be cut off and destroyed.
For the Lord shall judge his people,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2717: “Man's Extremity, God's Opportunity” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE same event may happen alike to all, yet it may have a very different meaning to different individuals. Ungodly men are brought low by affliction or poverty, for sinners have no immunity from suffering. Saints, also, are led into trying circumstances, for the utmost holiness will not preserve any man from trial. But what a difference there is between the downfall of the prosperous sinner and of the man whom God loves! The wicked man who continues in his wickedness, falls forever.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2717: “Man's Extremity, God's Opportunity” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE same event may happen alike to all, yet it may have a very different meaning to different individuals. Ungodly men are brought low by affliction or poverty, for sinners have no immunity from suffering. Saints, also, are led into trying circumstances, for the utmost holiness will not preserve any man from trial. But what a difference there is between the downfall of the prosperous sinner and of the man whom God loves! The wicked man who continues in his wickedness, falls forever. But the righteous man, though he may fall seven times, rises up again, for he shall not fall finally. How dreadful is the language of Jehovah when speaking of the ungodly! "To Me belongs vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." The wicked man who prospers in this world carries his head very high. He is proud and conceited, and he treads the poor under his feet. His career seems to be one of uninterrupted prosperity—higher, and higher, and higher, and yet higher he mounts—he becomes more wealthy and famous and, meanwhile, he also becomes more boastful and more arrogant towards God. He asks, "Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?" He breathes defiance again at the Most High. His heart grows harder and harder, like the heart of Pharaoh. Do you see where he is now? He has climbed to the very mountain's brow. He is rejoicing that he has reached the topmost pinnacle of fame. Who can ever pull him down from that height? Who can even disturb his peace? Wait a while. Tarry but a brief season.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָדִ֤ין | yadin | he will judge | H1777 → | |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַמּ֔וֹ | amo | people his | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עֲבָדָ֖יו | ʾavadav | servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| יִתְנֶחָ֑ם | yitnecham | he will have compassion | H5162 → | |
| כִּ֤י | ki | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִרְאֶה֙ | yireh | he will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָ֣זְלַת | ʾazelat | it has been used up | H235 → | |
| יָ֔ד | yad | hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְאֶ֖פֶס | veefes | and there not | H657 → | 44 times |
| עָצ֥וּר | ʾatzur | [is] shut up | H6113 → | |
| וְעָזֽוּב׃ | veazuv | and freed | H5800 → | 215 times |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יָדִ֤יןhe will judge
yadinH1777 →
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַמּ֔וֹpeople his
amoH5971 →1873 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
עֲבָדָ֖יוservants his
ʾavadavH5650 →799 times
יִתְנֶחָ֑םhe will have compassion
yitnechamH5162 →
כִּ֤יif
kiH3588 →4482 times
יִרְאֶה֙he will see
yirehH7200 →1300 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אָ֣זְלַתit has been used up
ʾazelatH235 →
יָ֔דhand
yadH3027 →1618 times
וְאֶ֖פֶסand there not
veefesH657 →44 times
עָצ֥וּר[is] shut up
ʾatzurH6113 →
וְעָזֽוּב׃and freed
veazuvH5800 →215 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
Psalms 106:45And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.
it leads to
- Psalms 105:8
He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations—
- 2 Kings 13:23
But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been…
- Lamentations 3:32
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
- Psalms 105:8
Through
Judges 2:18Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was…
it leads to
- Joshua 1:5
No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Exodus 2:24
So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Psalms 106:44–45
Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
- 2 Kings 13:22–23
And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.
- Joshua 1:5
Through
1 Kings 14:10Because of all this, behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam: I will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both slave and free, in Israel; I will burn up the house…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 14:26
For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel,
- 2 Kings 14:26
Where this verse is studied
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About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2717: “Man's Extremity, God's Opportunity” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.