Deuteronomy 32:27
New International Version
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.’”

New Living Translation
But I feared the taunt of Israel’s enemy, who might misunderstand and say, “Our own power has triumphed! The LORD had nothing to do with this!”’

English Standard Version
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.”’

Berean Standard Bible
if I had not dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it was not the LORD who did all this.’”

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.” ’

New American Standard Bible
Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, That their adversaries would misjudge, That they would say, “Our hand is triumphant, And the LORD has not performed all this.”’

NASB 1995
Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, That their adversaries would misjudge, That they would say, “Our hand is triumphant, And the LORD has not done all this."’

NASB 1977
Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misjudge, Lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant, And the LORD has not done all this.”’

Legacy Standard Bible
Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, Lest their adversaries misjudge, Lest they say, “Our hand is triumphant, And Yahweh has not done all this.”’

Amplified Bible
Had I not feared the provocation of the enemy, That their adversaries would misjudge, That they would say, “Our [own] hand has prevailed, And the LORD has not done all this.”’

Christian Standard Bible
if I had not feared provocation from the enemy, or feared that these foes might misunderstand and say, ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it wasn’t the LORD who did all this.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
if I had not feared insult from the enemy, or feared that these foes might misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it wasn’t the LORD who did all this.’”

American Standard Version
Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should judge amiss, Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted, And Jehovah hath not done all this.

Contemporary English Version
But I dreaded the sound of your enemies saying, 'We defeated Israel with no help from the LORD.'"

English Revised Version
Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misdeem, Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted, And the LORD hath not done all this.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But I didn't want their enemies to make me angry. I didn't want their opponents to misunderstand and say, 'We won this victory! It wasn't the LORD who did all this!'"

Good News Translation
But I could not let their enemies boast that they had defeated my people, when it was I myself who had crushed them.'

International Standard Version
if it weren't for dreading the taunting of their enemies— otherwise, their adversary might misinterpret and say, "Our power is great. It isn't the LORD who made all of this happen."'"

Majority Standard Bible
if I had not dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it was not the LORD who did all this.’”

NET Bible
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!"'

New Heart English Bible
were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, 'Our hand is exalted, the LORD has not done all this.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, ‘Our hand is exalted; Yahweh has not done all this.’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If I do not fear the anger of an enemy, "" Lest their adversaries know—Lest they say, Our hand is high, "" And YHWH has not worked all this.

Young's Literal Translation
If not -- the anger of an enemy I fear, Lest their adversaries know -- Lest they say, Our hand is high, And Jehovah hath not wrought all this.

Smith's Literal Translation
Unless I shall fear the enemy's their adversaries shall dissemble, Lest they shall say, Our high hand And not Jehovah did all this.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But for the wrath of the enemies I have deferred it: lest perhaps their enemies might be proud, and should say: Our mighty hand, and not the Lord, hath done all these things.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But because of the wrath of the enemies, I have delayed it. Otherwise, perhaps their enemies would be arrogant and would say: “Our exalted hand, and not the Lord, has done all these things.”

New American Bible
Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, that their foes might misunderstand, And say, “Our own hand won the victory; the LORD had nothing to do with any of it.”

New Revised Standard Version
but I feared provocation by the enemy, for their adversaries might misunderstand and say, “Our hand is triumphant; it was not the LORD who did all this.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Had it not been for the wrath of the enemy, who had become strong, and had it not been for the boasting of the adversary, who would say, It is our hand that has prevailed, and the LORD has not done all this, I would have blotted them out.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Surely it was not the wrath of the enemy that was strong, lest their enemies would be exalted and they would say: “Our hand was exalted and it was not LORD JEHOVAH who did these things.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Were it not that I dreaded the enemy's provocation, Lest their adversaries should misdeem, Lest they should say: Our hand is exalted, And not the LORD hath wrought all this.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Were it not for the wrath of the enemy, lest they should live long, lest their enemies should combine against them; lest they should say, Our own high arm, and not the Lord, has done all these things.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Song of Moses
26I would have said that I would cut them to pieces and blot out their memory from mankind, 27if I had not dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it was not the LORD who did all this.’” 28Israel is a nation devoid of counsel, with no understanding among them.…

Cross References
Romans 2:24
As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Isaiah 48:9-11
For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it, so that you will not be cut off. / See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. / For My own sake, My very own sake, I will act; for how can I let Myself be defamed? I will not yield My glory to another.

Ezekiel 20:9
But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

Ezekiel 36:22-23
Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went. / I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.

Isaiah 37:28-29
But I know your sitting down, your going out and coming in, and your raging against Me. / Because your rage and arrogance against Me have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth; I will send you back the way you came.’

Psalm 106:8
Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.

Isaiah 10:5-19
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. / I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets. / But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations. ...

2 Kings 19:28
Because your rage and arrogance against Me have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth; I will send you back the way you came.’

Isaiah 37:26-29
Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it; in days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, that you should crush fortified cities into piles of rubble. / Therefore their inhabitants, devoid of power, are dismayed and ashamed. They are like plants in the field, tender green shoots, grass on the rooftops, scorched before it is grown. / But I know your sitting down, your going out and coming in, and your raging against Me. ...

Exodus 32:12
Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people.

Numbers 14:13-16
But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them. / And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. / If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ...

Joshua 7:9
When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”

1 Samuel 12:22
Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

2 Samuel 7:23
And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself? You performed great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt.

1 Kings 8:41-43
And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your name— / for they will hear of Your great name and mighty hand and outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, / then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name.


Treasury of Scripture

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 has not done all this.

lest their

1 Samuel 12:22
For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Isaiah 37:28,29,35
But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me…

Isaiah 47:7
And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

they should

Exodus 32:12
Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

Numbers 14:15,16
Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, …

Joshua 7:9
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

Our hand, etc.

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Deuteronomy 32
1. Moses' song, which sets forth God's mercy and vengeance
46. He exhorts them to set their hearts upon it
48. God sends him up to mount Nebo to see the land, and to die














if I had not dreaded
The phrase "if I had not dreaded" reflects a hypothetical situation where God considers the potential consequences of His actions. The Hebrew root for "dreaded" is "yagor," which conveys a sense of fear or apprehension. This highlights God's concern for His reputation among the nations. In a historical context, this reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of divine honor and the importance of God's name being revered among all peoples.

the taunt of the enemy
"Taunt" in Hebrew is "ka'as," which can mean a provocation or insult. The "enemy" here refers to the surrounding nations that opposed Israel. This phrase underscores the reality of spiritual warfare and the constant challenge of maintaining faithfulness amidst opposition. Theologically, it reminds believers of the importance of God's glory being upheld, even in the face of mockery or scorn from those who do not understand His ways.

lest their adversaries misunderstand
The word "misunderstand" comes from the Hebrew "nakar," meaning to misinterpret or fail to recognize. This phrase suggests a concern that the enemies might misinterpret God's actions as weakness or inability. Historically, this reflects the cultural context where military victories were often attributed to the power of one's deity. For believers, it serves as a reminder that God's actions are always purposeful and that His ways, though sometimes mysterious, are ultimately for His glory and our good.

and say, ‘Our own hand has prevailed
This phrase captures the pride and self-reliance of the nations, who might claim victory by their own strength. The Hebrew word for "prevailed" is "gabar," meaning to be strong or mighty. This reflects a common human tendency to attribute success to personal effort rather than divine intervention. In a spiritual sense, it warns against the sin of pride and the importance of acknowledging God's sovereignty in all achievements.

it was not the LORD who did this.’
This final phrase emphasizes the potential denial of God's hand in the affairs of men. The Hebrew name for "LORD" here is "Yahweh," the covenant name of God, which signifies His eternal presence and faithfulness. This statement serves as a caution against the secular worldview that dismisses divine involvement in the world. For believers, it is a call to recognize and proclaim God's active role in history and in personal life, ensuring that He receives the glory due His name.

(27) Behave themselves strangely.--Possibly, misunderstand it, or take note of it (as a strange thing).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
if I had not
לוּלֵ֗י (lū·lê)
Conjunction
Strong's 3884: If not, unless

dreaded
אָג֔וּר (’ā·ḡūr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility

the taunt
כַּ֤עַס (ka·‘as)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3708: Vexation, anger

of the enemy,
אוֹיֵב֙ (’ō·w·yêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

lest
פֶּן־ (pen-)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

their adversaries
צָרֵ֑ימוֹ (ṣā·rê·mōw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6862: Narrow, a tight place, a pebble, an opponent

misunderstand
יְנַכְּר֖וּ (yə·nak·kə·rū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5234: To regard, recognize

and say:
יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ (yō·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Our own hand
יָדֵ֣ינוּ (yā·ḏê·nū)
Noun - fdc | first person common plural
Strong's 3027: A hand

has prevailed;
רָ֔מָה (rā·māh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

it was not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

who did
פָּעַ֥ל (pā·‘al)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6466: To do, make, to practise

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

this.’
זֹֽאת׃ (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 32:27 Were it not that I feared (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 32:26
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