Deuteronomy 32:12
Deuteronomy 32:12 in Multiple Translations
The LORD alone led him, and no foreign god was with him.
So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
Jehovah alone did lead him, And there was no foreign god with him.
So the Lord only was his guide, no other god was with him.
The Lord was the only one who led you; no foreign god was with him.
So the Lord alone led him, and there was no strange god with him.
Jehovah alone doth lead him, And there is no strange god with him.
The LORD alone led him. There was no foreign god with him.
So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him.
The Lord alone was his leader: and there was no strange god with him.
Yahweh was the only one who led them; no other foreign god helped him.
Berean Amplified Bible — Deuteronomy 32:12
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Deuteronomy 32:12 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
יְהוָ֖ה
בָּדָ֣ד
יַנְחֶ֑/נּוּ
וְ/אֵ֥ין
עִמּ֖/וֹ
אֵ֥ל
נֵכָֽר
יְהוָ֖ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
בָּדָ֣ד
bâdâd
H910
isolation
N-ms
יַנְחֶ֑/נּוּ
nâchâh
H5148
to lead
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
וְ/אֵ֥ין
ʼayin
H369
nothing
Conj | Part
עִמּ֖/וֹ
ʻim
H5973
with
Prep | Suff
אֵ֥ל
ʼêl
H410
god
N-ms
נֵכָֽר
nêkâr
H5236
foreign
N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Deuteronomy 32:12
יְהוָ֖ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
בָּדָ֣ד
bâdâd
H910
"isolation"
N-ms
Isolation or separation is the meaning of this Hebrew word. It can describe a place or situation that is alone or desolate. The KJV translates it as alone, desolate, or solitary.
Definition: 1) isolation, withdrawal, separation 1a) an isolated city adv 2) alone 2a) security (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: alone, desolate, only, solitary. See also: Numbers 23:9; Jeremiah 15:17; Psalms 4:9.
יַנְחֶ֑/נּוּ
nâchâh
H5148
"to lead"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
To lead or guide is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also imply transporting people into exile or as colonists. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible, including in Exodus and 1 Kings, to describe leadership and migration.
Definition: 1) to lead, guide 1a) (Qal) to lead, bring 1b) (Hiphil) to lead, guide
Usage: Occurs in 39 OT verses. KJV: bestow, bring, govern, guide, lead (forth), put, straiten. See also: Genesis 24:27; Psalms 31:4; Psalms 5:9.
וְ/אֵ֥ין
ʼayin
H369
"nothing"
Conj | Part
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Definition: 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן). See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 14:27; 1 Kings 15:22.
עִמּ֖/וֹ
ʻim
H5973
"with"
Prep | Suff
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Definition: 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as
Usage: Occurs in 919 OT verses. KJV: accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al). See also: Genesis 3:6; Exodus 21:14; Deuteronomy 29:11.
אֵ֥ל
ʼêl
H410
"god"
N-ms
In the Bible, 'el means strength or power, and is often used to refer to God or false gods. It describes something or someone as mighty or powerful, like the Almighty. This concept is central to understanding the Bible's view of God.
Definition: : god 1) god, god-like one, mighty one 1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes 1b) angels 1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) 1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power Also means: ": power" (el אֵל H0410L)
Usage: Occurs in 235 OT verses. KJV: God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.' See also: Genesis 14:18; Job 33:14; Psalms 5:5.
נֵכָֽר
nêkâr
H5236
"foreign"
N-ms
This word refers to something or someone foreign, including people, gods, or things. It can also describe heathendom or alien ideas. In the KJV, it is translated as alien or strange.
Definition: 1) foreign, alien, foreignness, that which is foreign 1a) foreignness, foreign gods 1b) alien, foreigner 1c) foreign (vanities)
Usage: Occurs in 35 OT verses. KJV: alien, strange ([phrase] -er). See also: Genesis 17:12; Nehemiah 13:30; Psalms 18:45.
Study Notes — Deuteronomy 32:12
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Deuteronomy 32:12 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
- Sermons on Deuteronomy 32:12
Context — The Song of Moses
10He found him in a desert land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.
11As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions.
12The LORD alone led him, and no foreign god was with him.
13He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag, 14with curds from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, with rams from Bashan, and goats, with the choicest grains of wheat. From the juice of the finest grapes you drank the wine.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 78:52–53 | He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness. He led them safely, so they did not fear, but the sea engulfed their enemies. |
| 2 | Isaiah 46:4 | Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you. |
| 3 | Isaiah 44:7–8 | Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place. Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.” |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 1:31 | and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.” |
| 5 | Isaiah 43:11–12 | I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me. I alone decreed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. |
| 6 | Psalms 78:14 | He led them with a cloud by day and with a light of fire all night. |
| 7 | Isaiah 63:9–13 | In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them. Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? |
| 8 | Psalms 136:16 | He led His people through the wilderness. His loving devotion endures forever. |
| 9 | Deuteronomy 32:39 | See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand. |
| 10 | Nehemiah 9:12 | You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel. |
Deuteronomy 32:12 Summary
[This verse means that God was the only one guiding and protecting the Israelites, and He wants to do the same for us today. Just like a parent cares for their child, God cares for us and wants us to trust in Him, as it says in Matthew 6:26 that our heavenly Father feeds the birds and clothes the flowers. We can rely on God to lead us and provide for us, just as He did for the Israelites, and trust in His love and goodness, as seen in Psalm 23:1-4 where it says God is our shepherd and guides us beside still waters.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that the Lord alone led the Israelites?
This means that God was their sole guide and protector, just like He is for believers today, as seen in Psalm 32:8 where it says God will instruct and teach us in the way we should go.
Why is it important that no foreign god was with them?
The presence of foreign gods would have led the Israelites into idolatry and away from the one true God, as warned in Exodus 20:3, which says we should have no other gods before Him.
How does this verse relate to our lives today?
Just as God led the Israelites, He also guides and directs believers today, as promised in Proverbs 3:5-6, where it says we should trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.
What can we learn from the fact that God alone led the Israelites?
This teaches us to rely solely on God for guidance and protection, and to trust in His goodness and love, as expressed in Jeremiah 29:11, which says God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us.
Reflection Questions
- How can I apply the principle of relying solely on God's guidance in my own life?
- What are some 'foreign gods' in my life that might be distracting me from following the one true God?
- In what ways can I trust in God's goodness and love, even when circumstances are difficult?
- How can I cultivate a deeper sense of dependence on God, just as the Israelites did in the wilderness?
Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 32:12
[So] the Lord alone did lead him,.... Out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to the land of Canaan, going before them in a pillar of fire and cloud; though this is not to be understood to the
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 32:12
So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
i.e. When they were shut up in Egypt, as in their nest, whence they durst not venture to fly nor stir, he taught, and encouraged, and enabled them to fly out and flee themselves from that bondage, and brought them into a state of liberty and safety; he dealt tenderly with them, bearing with their infirmities, keeping them from all harms. No strange god with him, to wit, to assist him at that work, or to deliver them. The more unworthy they in giving to idols a share in that worship and service which they owe to God only.
Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
Deuteronomy 32:12 [So] the LORD alone did lead him, and [there was] no strange god with him.Ver. 12. And there was no strange god with him.] Why, then, should any share with him in his service? Be the gods of the heathen good fellows? saith one. The true God will endure no co-rival.
Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
(11, 12) “As an eagle awakeneth her nest, Over her young she broodeth, She spreadeth out her wings, she taketh up each one of them, She beareth him on her pinions: Jehovah alone leadeth him, And a stranger-god is not with Him.” The eagle in Hebrew is masculine. He is one of the creatures that is honoured with a description by the lips of Jehovah Himself in Job 39:27-30. But beautiful as the simile and the description in these places are, they are surpassed in gentleness by our Saviour when He says, “How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not” (Luke 13:34). Fluttereth.—Or, broodeth, is the word in Genesis 1:2, the Spirit of God brooding over the face of the waters. (13, 14) The verbs again are all present. “He maketh him to ride,” &c.,
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
Verse 12. So the Lord alone did lead him] By his power, and by his only, were they brought out of Egypt, and supported in the wilderness. And there was no strange god] They had help from no other quarter. The Egyptian idols were not able to save their own votaries; but God not only saved his people, but destroyed the Egyptians.
Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 32:12
12. did lead him] Still the imperf. for vividness. strange] Not the adj. in Deuteronomy 32:16, but foreign, Deuteronomy 15:3, Deuteronomy 31:16. 13He made him to ride the highlands, And to eat of the fruit of the hills, Suckled him with honey from the crag And oil of the flinty rock, 14Curd of the kine, milk of the flock, With the fatness of lambs and of rams, Bulls of Bashán and he-goats, With the finest flour of the wheat— And the grape’s blood thou drankest in foam!
Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:12
12. So the Lord alone did lead him — Omit so, and read Jehovah alone did lead him. No strange god with him — It was Jehovah who delivered. He is to be served, and he alone.
Sermons on Deuteronomy 32:12
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Alone by Charles E. Cowman | Charles E. Cowman preaches about the journey of walking with God alone, emphasizing the moments of solitude and trust in Him, even when faced with narrow and winding paths. Through |
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The Heavenly Calling - Part 11 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of God as the good shepherd and his relationship with his people. He references various passages from the Bible, including Psalms |
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Is Not This the Carpenter? by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for the church to bend their knees before God and surrender to His will. He encourages the congregation to trust in God's faithfuln |
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How God Provided for the Children of Israel by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses how God provided for the children of Israel during their time in the wilderness. He focuses on the story of Moses striking the rock to |
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The Shepherd of Israel by T. Austin-Sparks | T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the profound relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep, illustrating how Jesus, as the good Shepherd, cares for His flock and offers them eternal |
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Studies in Isaiah - Part 8 by Harry Ironside | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the foolishness of idolatry and contrasts it with the faithfulness and care of God towards Israel. The message emphasizes how God has sustain |
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Old Men Shall Dream Dreams by Carter Conlon | This sermon from Acts chapter 2 emphasizes the power of older individuals to dream divine dreams and speak into the lives of the next generation. It highlights the importance of gr |