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Deuteronomy 32:21

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32:21They have made me jealous40 with false gods,41

enraging me with their worthless gods;42

so I will make them jealous with a people they do not recognize,43

with a nation slow to learn44 I will enrage them.

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Footnotes

  1. 40 They have made me jealous. The “jealousy” of God is not a spirit of pettiness prompted by his insecurity, but righteous indignation caused by the disloyalty of his people to his covenant grace (see note on the word “God” in ). The jealousy of Israel, however (see next line), will be envy because of God’s lavish attention to another nation. This is an ironic wordplay. See H. Peels, 3:.
  2. 41 Heb “what is not a god,” or a “nondeity.”
  3. 42 Heb “their empty (things).” The Hebrew term used here to refer pejoratively to the false gods is הֶבֶל (hevel, “futile” or “futility”), used frequently in Ecclesiastes (e.g., Eccl 1:1, “Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher, “Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”).
  4. 43 Heb “what is not a people,” or a “nonpeople.” The “nonpeople” (לֹא־עָם, lo’-’am) referred to here are Gentiles who someday would become God’s people in the fullest sense (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:23).
  5. 44 Heb “a foolish nation” (so , , ); “a nation that has no understanding”; “I will provoke their fury by blessing the foolish Gentiles.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

They have made me jealous with what is no god;

they have provoked me to anger with their idols.

So I will make them jealous with those who are no people;

I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

They made me jealous by what is no god

and angered me with their worthless idols.

I will make them envious by those who are not a people;

I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

They have provoked my jealousy

with what is not a god;

they have enraged me with their worthless idols.

So I will provoke their jealousy

with what is not a people;

I will enrage them with a foolish nation.

NLTNew Living Translation

They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God;

they have provoked my anger with their useless idols.

Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people;

I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

They annoyed me with what is not a god;

they provoked me with their idols.

So I will make them jealous with those not a people,

with a foolish nation I will provoke them.

KJV 1900King James Version

They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God;

They have provoked me to anger with their vanities:

And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people;

I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.