Logos Bible Study

Deuteronomy 32:10–14

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32:10The Lord16 found him17 in a desolate land,

in an empty wasteland where animals howl.18

He continually guarded him19 and taught him;20

he continually protected him21 like the pupil22 of his eye.

32:11Like an eagle that stirs up23 its nest,

that hovers over its young,

so the Lord24 spread out his wings and took him,25

he lifted him up on his pinions.

32:12The Lord alone was guiding him,26

no foreign god was with him.

32:13He enabled him27 to travel over the high terrain of the land,

and he ate of the produce of the fields.

He provided honey for him from the cliffs,28

and olive oil29 from the hardest of30 rocks,31

32:14butter from the herd

and milk from the flock,

along with the fat of lambs,

rams and goats of Bashan,

along with the best of the kernels of wheat;

and from the juice of grapes you drank wine.

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Footnotes

  1. 16 Heb “he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. 17 The reference is to “his people/Jacob” (cf. v. 9), that is, Israel (using a collective singular). The singular pronouns are replaced by plural ones throughout vv. 10–14 by some English versions as an aid to the modern reader (cf. , , , ).
  3. 18 Heb “in an empty, howling wasteland.” The word “howling” is derived from a verbal root that typically refers to the wailing of mourners. Here it likely refers to the howling of desert animals, or perhaps to the howling wind, in which case one may translate, “in an empty, windy wasteland.”
  4. 19 Heb “was surrounding him.” The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing care during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15–16.
  5. 20 Heb “he gave him understanding.” The form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is a preterite, not an imperfect. As such it simply states the action factually. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15–16.
  6. 21 The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing protection during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15–16.
  7. 22 Heb “the little man.” The term אִישׁוֹן (’ishon) means literally “little man,” perhaps because when one looks into another’s eyes he sees himself reflected there in miniature. See A. Harman, 1:.
  8. 23 The prefixed verbal form is an imperfect, indicating habitual or typical behavior. The parallel verb (cf. “hovers” in the next line) is used in the same manner.
  9. 24 Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. 25 The form of the suffix on this and the following verb forms (cf. “lifted him up”) indicates that the verbs are preterites, not imperfects. As such they simply state the action factually. The use of the preterite here suggests that the preceding verb (cf. “spread out”) is preterite as well.
  11. 26 The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing guidance during the period in view.
  12. 27 The form of the suffix on this verbal form indicates that the verb is a preterite, not an imperfect. As such it simply states the action factually. Note as well the preterites with vav (ו) consecutive that follow in the verse.
  13. 28 Heb “he made him suck honey from the rock.”
  14. 29 Heb “oil,” but this probably refers to olive oil; see note on the word “rock” at the end of this verse.
  15. 30 Heb “flinty.”
  16. 31 Olive oil from rock probably suggests olive trees growing on rocky ledges and yet doing so productively. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (), ; cf. “their olive trees flourished in stony ground.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“He found him in a desert land,

and in the howling waste of the wilderness;

he encircled him, he cared for him,

he kept him as the apple of his eye.

Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,

that flutters over its young,

spreading out its wings, catching them,

bearing them on its pinions,

the Lord alone guided him,

no foreign god was with him.

He made him ride on the high places of the land,

and he ate the produce of the field,

and he suckled him with honey out of the rock,

and oil out of the flinty rock.

Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock,

with fat of lambs,

rams of Bashan and goats,

with the very finest of the wheat—

and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

In a desert land he found him,

in a barren and howling waste.

He shielded him and cared for him;

he guarded him as the apple of his eye,

like an eagle that stirs up its nest

and hovers over its young,

that spreads its wings to catch them

and carries them aloft.

The Lord alone led him;

no foreign god was with him.

He made him ride on the heights of the land

and fed him with the fruit of the fields.

He nourished him with honey from the rock,

and with oil from the flinty crag,

with curds and milk from herd and flock

and with fattened lambs and goats,

with choice rams of Bashan

and the finest kernels of wheat.

You drank the foaming blood of the grape.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He found him in a desolate land,

in a barren, howling wilderness;

he surrounded him, cared for him,

and protected him as the pupil of his eye.

He watches over his nest like an eagle

and hovers over his young;

he spreads his wings, catches him,

and carries him on his feathers.

The Lord alone led him,

with no help from a foreign god.

He made him ride on the heights of the land

and eat the produce of the field.

He nourished him with honey from the rock

and oil from flinty rock,

curds from the herd and milk from the flock,

with the fat of lambs,

rams from Bashan, and goats,

with the choicest grains of wheat;

you drank wine from the finest grapes.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

He found them in a desert land,

in an empty, howling wasteland.

He surrounded them and watched over them;

he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.

Like an eagle that rouses her chicks

and hovers over her young,

so he spread his wings to take them up

and carried them safely on his pinions.

The Lord alone guided them;

they followed no foreign gods.

He let them ride over the highlands

and feast on the crops of the fields.

He nourished them with honey from the rock

and olive oil from the stony ground.

He fed them yogurt from the herd

and milk from the flock,

together with the fat of lambs.

He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats,

together with the choicest wheat.

You drank the finest wine,

made from the juice of grapes.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

He found him in a desert land,

and in a howling, desert wasteland;

he encircled him, he cared for him,

he protected him like the apple of his eye.

As an eagle stirs up its nest,

hovers over its young,

spreads out its wings, takes them,

carries them on its pinions,

so Yahweh alone guided him,

and there was no foreign god accompanying him.

And he set him on the high places of the land,

and he fed him the crops of the field,

and he nursed him with honey from crags,

and with oil from flinty rock,

With curds from the herd,

and with milk from the flock,

with the fat of young rams,

and rams, the offspring of Bashan,

and with goats along with the finest kernels of wheat,

and from the blood of grapes you drank fermented wine.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

As an eagle stirreth up her nest,

Fluttereth over her young,

Spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,

Beareth them on her wings:

So the Lord alone did lead him,

And there was no strange god with him.

He made him ride on the high places of the earth,

That he might eat the increase of the fields;

And he made him to suck honey out of the rock,

And oil out of the flinty rock;

Butter of kine, and milk of sheep,

With fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan,

And goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat;

And thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

Public Domain