Deuteronomy 32:8

 Deuteronomy 32:8

When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

 

a. ASV: When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, When he separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: In the Most High causing nations to inherit, In His separating sons of Adam -- He setteth up the borders of the peoples By the number of the sons of Israel.  [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.]

c. Classic Amplified: When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the Israelites.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.  [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.]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: When the Supreme One gave the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of man, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the Children of israel.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

1. “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance…”

a. [When the] Most High [Strong: 5945 'elyown el-yone' from 5927; an elevation, i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme:--(Most, on) high(-er, -est), upper(-most).]

b. divided…their inheritance [Strong: 5157 nachal naw-khal' a primitive root; to inherit (as a (figurative) mode of descent), or (generally) to occupy; causatively, to bequeath, or (generally) distribute, instate:--divide, have ((inheritance)), take as a heritage, (cause to, give to, make to) inherit, (distribute for, divide (for, for an, by), give for, have, leave for, take (for)) inheritance, (have in, cause to, be made to) possess(-ion).]

c. [to the] nations [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.]

2. “...when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel."

a. [when he] separated [Strong: 6504 parad paw-rad' a primitive root; to break through, i.e. spread or separate (oneself):--disperse, divide, be out of joint, part, scatter (abroad), separate (self), sever self, stretch, sunder.]

b. [the] sons [Strong: 1121 ben bane from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

c. [of] Adam [Strong: 120 'adam aw-dawm' from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.]

d. [he] set [Strong: 5324 natsab naw-tsab' a prim root; to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively):--appointed, deputy, erect, establish, X Huzzah (by mistake for a proper name), lay, officer, pillar, present, rear up, set (over, up), settle, sharpen, establish, (make to) stand(-ing, still, up, upright), best state.]

e. [the] bounds [Strong: 1367 gbuwlah gheb-oo-law' or (shortened) gbulah {gheb-oo-law'}; feminine of 1366; a boundary, region:--border, bound, coast, landmark. place.]

f. [of the] 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.]

g. [according to the] number [Strong: 4557 micpar mis-pawr' from 5608; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narration:--+ abundance, account, X all, X few, (in-)finite, (certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, + time.]

h. [of the] children [Strong: 1121 ben bane from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

i. [of] Israel [Strong: 3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale' from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --Israel.]

1). Institute of Creation Research, Days of Praise 9/2/11 This is a key part of the "song of Moses" commanded and given him by God (note Deuteronomy 31:19) as the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land. It is also a key verse in the whole divine plan of God.  It was written about 3,500 years ago, yet even then Moses could speak of the "days of old" and many generations before his time (at least 2,500 years). He also knew about Adam, and that all the people of all those generations had been "sons of Adam." As far as Moses knew by divine revelation, there had been no humans before Adam. He also mentioned the division of the nations (Genesis 10) that occurred before Israel even existed. Yet somehow these nations were 70 in number, the same as "the number of the children of Israel" when they migrated into Egypt (Genesis 46:27). Israel's "Promised Land" was pre-ordained to be approximately in the hub of all the nations of the whole world that would later come from them.  The apostle Paul also referred to these promised "bounds of the people" when he preached to the intellectuals at the cultural center of the world at Athens in his day, stating that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26-27). God does have a purpose for every nation and He "preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed" (Galatians 3:8). HMM