Deuteronomy 32:21

Deu 32:21 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.

Ver. 21. And I will move them to jealousy.] Thus God delights to retaliate and proportion jealousy to jealousy, provocation to provocation; so frowardness to frowardness, {Psa 18:26} contrariety to contrariety. {Deu 28:18; Deu 28:21, &c.}

With a foolish nation.] With the conversion of the Gentiles, {Rom 10:19} which the good Jews could not easily yield to at first. {Act 11:2-3} And the rest could never endure to hear of it. See 1Th 2:15-16. At this day they solemnly curse the Christians thrice a day in their synagogues, with a Maledic, Domine, Nazarais. They have a saying in their Talmud, Optimus qui inter gentes est, dignus cui caput conteratur tanquam serpenti; The best among the Gentiles is worthy to have his head broke as the serpent had. Yea, they think they may kill any idolater. Therefore Tacitus saith of them, There was Misericordia in promptu apud suos, sed contra omnes alios hostile odium, mercy enough toward their own, but against all others they bare a deadly hatred.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 32:21. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities — By vanities here are meant the fictitious deities of the nations with whose worship the Israelites corrupted themselves: see Jer 8:19; Jer 14:22. I will move them to jealousy, &c. — God here threatens to repay their frequent revolts from him in their own kind, in a way most mortifying to their proud spirits; by causing the very Gentile nations, whom they much despised, not only to become their masters and conquerors, but also to be taken into his covenant, while they themselves were excluded from it. See Mat 21:43-44; Rom 10:19. With those that are not a people — With the heathen nations, who were none of God’s people, who scarce deserved the flame of a people, as being without the knowledge and fear of God, which is the foundation of all true policy and government, and many of them destitute of all government, laws, and order. And yet these people God declares he will take in their stead, receive them, and reject the Israelites, which when it came to pass, how desperately did it provoke the Jews to jealousy! A foolish nation — So the Gentiles were, both in the opinion of the Jews, and in truth and in reality, notwithstanding all their pretences to wisdom, there being nothing more foolish or brutish than the worship of idols.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32:21 roused my jealousy: The Lord was not petulant because of attention paid to false gods. Rather, Israel had broken their covenant with him by worshiping other gods, demonstrating their disdain for him and his sovereignty (see 32:16). • people who are not even a people: God’s purpose for Israel was not just to redeem them, but through them to redeem all nations of the earth. In Israel’s eyes, other peoples were worthless, but through God’s attention to other nations, Israel would be drawn back to obedience (see Hos 1:9; 2:23; Rom 9:25; 10:19).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Which I have not favored, nor given my law unto them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

those which are not a people--that is, not favored with such great and peculiar privileges as the Israelites (or, rather poor, despised heathens). The language points to the future calling of the Gentiles.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 21. They have moved me to jealousy] This verse contains a very pointed promise of the calling of the Gentiles, in consequence of the rejection of the Jews, threatened De 32:19; and to this great event it is applied by St. Paul, Ro 10:19.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(21) “They have made me jealous with a no-god;

They have provoked me with their vanities:

And I will make them jealous with a no-people;

With a foolish nation will I provoke them.”

St. Paul comments on this in Romans 10, as proving that Israel was informed of the calling of the Gentiles, and compares Isa_65:1, “I was found of them that sought me not. I made myself manifest unto those that inquired not after me.”

Rashi quotes, perhaps not quite inappropriately Isa_23:13, and gives this explanation, “A no-people,” i.e., a nation without a name; as it is said, “Behold the land of the Chaldseans: this people was not.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. moved … to jealousy] See on Deu_32:16. Mark the antitheses: no-god (lo’-’el), no-people (lo’-‘am, as hitherto outside the nations known and to be reckoned with, by Israel, as unfit to serve any Divine purpose); and vanities (lit. breaths, or as we should say, bubbles, so in Jer. of the heathen gods, Deu_8:19, etc.) and foolish (nabal, chosen perhaps both because of its probable root-meaning fading, worthless, parallel to vanities, and because it was used in a religious sense, godless, infidel). See Paul’s application of the v. in Rom_10:19.

22 For a fire has flared from my wrath,

And burned to the lowest Shĕ’ól,

It devours earth and her increase,

It flames round the roots of the hills.

23 I will sweep up evils upon them,

Against them exhaust mine arrows.

24 Drained by famine, devoured by fever (?)

And poisonous pestilence (?),

The teeth of brute beasts will I send them,

With venom of things that crawl in the dust.

25 Abroad shall the sword bereave,

And terror be in the chambers—

As well the youth as the maiden,

The suckling and gray-headed man.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For a fire is kindled in mine anger,.... Here begins the account of temporal and corporeal judgments inflicted on the Jews for their disbelief and rejection of the Messiah, their contempt of his Gospel, and ill treatment of his followers; and this here respects the destruction of the land of Judea in general, and the burning of the city and temple of Jerusalem in particular, as the effect of the wrath and anger of God like fire kindled against them:

and shall burn unto the lowest hell; which denotes an entire destruction, like that of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from heaven; which issued in a sulphurous lake, and which sulphureous matter sunk to the bottom of the Dead Sea; and to that destruction is this of the land of Judea compared, Deu 29:23,

and shall consume the earth with her increase: the land of Judea, with the cities and towns in it, and buildings on it, and the fruits of the earth; which were either gathered into their barns and storehouses, or were growing in their fields, and vineyards, and oliveyards; all were destroyed and consumed at or before the destruction of Jerusalem, or quickly after it:

and set on fire the foundations of the mountains; the city of Jerusalem, as Jarchi himself interprets it, whose foundations were by the mountains, according to Psa 125:2; and the temple of Jerusalem particularly was built on Mount Moriah, and that as well as the city was utterly consumed by fire: and it is remarkable that when Julian the apostate attempted to rebuild it, as is related even by an Heathen historian (a), that flames of fire burst out from the foundations, and burnt the workmen; so that he was obliged to desist from his rash undertaking.

(a) Ammian. Marcellin. l. 23. in initio.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Vanities. Septuagint, "idols." (Haydock) --- Nation. The Gentiles were of this description, when they were called to the true faith. This excited the indignation of the Jews, as they would neither enter heaven themselves, nor suffer others to obtain that happiness, Romans i. 19. (Theodoret, q. 41.) "An association bound together by law, constitutes a nation. A multitude which has no laws, or bad ones, is unworthy of the name." (Grotius) --- The Jews looked upon all others with sovereign contempt. (Calmet) --- Now, in their turn, they are despised. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

With those which are not a people, i.e. with the Gentile or heathenish nations, who are none of my people, who scarce deserve the name of a people, as being without yoke, without the knowledge and fear of God, which is the foundation of all true policy and government, and without righteous and necessary laws; and many of them are destitute of all government, and laws, and order, barbarous and rude, and savage, and brutish in their manners. And yet these people I will prefer before you, and take in your stead; receive them, and reject you; which, when it came to pass, how desperately it provoked the Jews to jealousy, may be gathered from Mat 21:43; Act 11:2,3; 22:21-23; 1Th 2:15,16.

A foolish nation; so the Gentiles were both in the opinion of the Jews, and in truth and reality, notwithstanding all their pretences to wisdom, Rom 1:22, there being nothing more foolish or brutish than the worship of idols. See Jer 10:8; 1Co 12:2.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21. In strong terms Moses represents Jehovah as rejecting disobedient Israel, and bringing upon them terrible retribution. Israel is to be punished. Paul, Rom_10:19, quotes this verse to indicate the adoption of the Gentiles. In the Hebrew there is a striking antithesis. They have moved me to jealousy with a no god. I will therefore provoke them to jealousy with a no nation.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

cf. Deu_5:16. Because they had moved God to jealousy and provoked him to anger by their vanities, their nothingnesses, mere vapors and empty exhalations ( cf. Jer_10:6; Joh_2:8; 1Co_8:4) as they had forsaken him for a no-God, he would send retribution on them by adopting as his a no-people, and giving to a foolish nation, i.e. a nation not before possessed of that true wisdom the beginning of which is the fear of the Lord, the privileges and blessings which Israel had forfeited by their apostasy. By "a no-people" is not to be understood a savage tribe not yet formed into a community, but a people without God, and not recognized by him as in covenant union with him. (cf. Rom_10:19; Eph_2:12; 1Pe_2:10)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will move them to jealousy with those that are not a people - With the Heathen nations, who are none of my people, who scarce deserve the name of a people, as being without the knowledge and fear of God, which is the foundation of all true policy and government, and many of them destitute of all government, laws and order. And yet these people I will take in your stead, receive them and reject you; which, when it came to pass how desperately did it provoke the Jews to jealousy? A foolish nation - So the Gentiles were both in the opinion of the Jews and in truth and reality, notwithstanding all their pretenses to wisdom, there being nothing more foolish or brutish than the worship of idols.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Moses speaks a poetic song to the people of Israel. He continues to quote Yahweh's words. (See: Parallelism)

They have made me jealous

Here "me" refers to Yahweh.

what is not god

"what are false gods"

worthless things

You may need to make explicit what the "things" are. AT: "worthless idols" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

those who are not a people

"people who do not belong to one people group"

foolish nation

Translate "foolish" as in Deuteronomy 32:6.

translationWords

jealous

false god

anger

false god

envy

people group

nation

understand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

קנאוני means, they made My anger glow (cf. Rashi on v. 16).

בלא אל means, with something that is not a god.

בלא עם [I WILL MOVE THEM TO JEALOUSY] WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT A PEOPLE — i.e. with a nation that has no reputation, as it states e.g. of the Chaldeans (Isaiah 23:13), “Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, this people was not; [the Assyrians founded it …]”, and of Esau it states (Obadia 1:2) “Thou art greatly despicable”.

בגוי נבל אכעיסם I WILL PROVOKE THEM TO ANGER WITH A DEBASED NATION — these are the “Minim”, the heretics. So indeed, it states, (Psalms 14:1) “The heretic (נבל) hath said in his heart “There is no God” (Sifrei Devarim 320:10; Yevamot 63b).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

THEY HAVE ROUSED ME TO JEALOUSY WITH A NO-GOD — “with something that is not a god.” This is Rashi’s language. And if so, He alludes to the demons mentioned earlier., Verse 17. The correct interpretation is that He is stating: “They have roused Me to jealousy with an untrue god, for there is no G-d save the Eternal, and beside Him there is no savior,” similar to what is stated, Now for long seasons Israel was without the true G-d.

THEY HAVE PROVOKED ME WITH THEIR VANITIES — [their vain belief in] the demons. AND I WILL ROUSE THEM TO JEALOUSY WITH A NO-PEOPLE — the Chaldeans, of whom it is said, Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, this is the people that was not, meaning the people that were not esteemed as a nation, and the Holy One, blessed be He, raised them to subjugate His world through them, as He said, Thou art My maul and weapons of war. I WILL PROVOKE THEM WITH A ‘NAVAL’ (VILE) NATION — with Esau who is vile, and he remembered not the brotherly covenant. He thus alludes to both exiles [by the hands of the Chaldeans, i.e., the Babylonians; and by the Edomites, the Romans].

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.