Deuteronomy 32:21

 Deuteronomy 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.

a. NLT: 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. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: 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 that are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: They have made Me zealous by 'no-god,' They made Me angry by their vanities; And I make them zealous by 'no-people,' By a foolish nation I make them angry. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: They have moved Me to jealousy with what is not God; they have angered Me with their idols. So I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will anger them with a foolish nation. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: They have provoked me to jealousy with [that which is] not God, they have exasperated me with their idols; and I will provoke them to jealousy with them that are no nation, I will anger them with a nation void of understanding.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: They provoked Me with a non-god, they angered Me with their vanities; so I will provoke them with a non-people, with a vile nation shall I anger them. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities…”

a. They [Strong: 1992 hem haym or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from 1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.]

b. [have moved me to] jealousy [Strong: 7065 qana' kaw-naw' a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) zealous, i.e. (in a bad sense) jealous or envious:--(be) envy(-ious), be (move to, provoke to) jealous(-y), X very, (be) zeal(-ous).]

c. [with that which is] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

d. God [Strong: 410 'el ale shortened from 352; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God (god), X goodly, X great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.]

e. [they have] provoked me to anger [Strong: 3707 ka`ac kaw-as' a primitive root; to trouble; by implication, to grieve, rage, be indignant:--be angry, be grieved, take indignation, provoke (to anger, unto wrath), have sorrow, vex, be wroth.]

f. [with their] vanities [Strong: 1892 hebel heh'bel or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain, vanity.]

1). The LORD tells Moses that since Israel provoked Him to jealousy by worshipping devils and new false gods, that he will respond in kind.

a). Deuteronomy 32:15-17 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

32:16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

2. “...and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.”

a. [and] I [Strong: 589 'aniy an-ee' contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X which, X who.]

b. [will move them to] jealousy [Strong: 7065 qana' kaw-naw' a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) zealous, i.e. (in a bad sense) jealous or envious:--(be) envy(-ious), be (move to, provoke to) jealous(-y), X very, (be) zeal(-ous).]

c. [with those which are] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

d. [a] people [Strong: 5971 `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

e. [I will provoke them to] anger [Strong: 3707 ka`ac kaw-as' a primitive root; to trouble; by implication, to grieve, rage, be indignant:--be angry, be grieved, take indignation, provoke (to anger, unto wrath), have sorrow, vex, be wroth.]

f. [with a] foolish [Strong: 5036 nabal naw-bawl' from 5034; stupid; wicked (especially impious):-- fool(-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.]

g. nation [Strong: 1471 gowy go'-ee rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same root as 1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

1). Moses writes that the LORD says He would provoke Israel to jealousy with a foolish nation, the Gentiles. He quotes this very verse in Romans.

a). Romans 10:19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealously by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

2). The fulfillment of this occurred during Paul’s ministry.

a). Acts 13:44-50 And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 

13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 

13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 

13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many were ordained to eternal life believed. 

13:49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout the region. 

13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

 

(1). envy [Strong: 2205 zelos dzay'-los from 2204; properly, heat, i.e. (figuratively) "zeal" (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband (figuratively, of God), or an enemy, malice):--emulation, envy(-ing), fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal.] [Zodhiates: To be hot, fervent. Used in a good sense but more often used in an evil sense. Vines: “…is always translated “jealously” in the R.V.”]

 

(2). Acts 13:45 New Revised Standard Version: But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealously; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul.

 

(3). We can see this prophecy of the Lords becoming reality in the following passages: Acts 17:5-9; Acts 17:12-13; and Acts 28:17-29.

 

(4). This prophetic event was spoken of in the Law and in the Prophets: See Jeremiah 16:19-21.