Deuteronomy 32:27

KJV

Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, [and] lest they should say, Our hand [is] high, and the LORD hath not done all this.

KJV (with Strong's)

Were it not {H3884} that I feared {H1481} the wrath {H3708} of the enemy {H341}, lest their adversaries {H6862} should behave themselves strangely {H5234}, and lest they should say {H559}, Our hand {H3027} is high {H7311}, and the LORD {H3068} hath not done {H6466} all this.

Complete Jewish Bible

but I feared the insolence of their enemy, feared that their foes would mistakenly think, "We ourselves accomplished this; ADONAI had nothing to do with it."

Berean Standard Bible

if I had not dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it was not the LORD who did all this.’”

American Standard Version

Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should judge amiss, Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted, And Jehovah hath not done all this.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 32:27, nestled within the prophetic Song of Moses, unveils a profound divine rationale for God's restraint in judging rebellious Israel. Despite their profound unfaithfulness, God articulates a strategic "fear" – not of weakness, but a deep concern for His own holy name and glory among the surrounding pagan nations. He foresees that if Israel were utterly annihilated, their adversaries would misinterpret the event, attributing Israel's downfall to their own strength and the supposed weakness of Yahweh, rather than recognizing it as God's righteous and sovereign discipline. This verse powerfully underscores God's unwavering commitment to His reputation and His ultimate, meticulous control over all historical outcomes, even amidst human rebellion.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a pivotal moment within the "Song of Moses" (Deuteronomy 32), a majestic and somber prophetic poem delivered by Moses just before his death and Israel's entry into the Promised Land. The song functions as a comprehensive theological narrative, recounting God's steadfast faithfulness to His covenant people despite their persistent rebellion. Following a lament over Israel's spiritual decay and a detailed prophecy of the severe consequences of their disobedience, including famine, plague, and war ([Deuteronomy 32:19-25](/deuteronomy/32-19-25 "Deuteronomy 32:19-25 - God's Lament and Judgment on Israel")), God articulates His internal deliberation. Even in the midst of pronounced judgment, there is a divine restraint, a tempering of the full measure of wrath, driven by a profound concern for His own glory among the ungodly nations, referred to as "the enemy" or "their adversaries." The song ultimately culminates in God's vindication and triumph, emphasizing His unwavering sovereignty over history and nations, even as He deals with His disobedient people.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The ancient Near East was characterized by a polytheistic worldview, where the perceived strength and efficacy of a nation's god were often directly correlated with that nation's military success or failure. If Israel, the chosen people of Yahweh, were to be completely destroyed, the surrounding nations (such as the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and later the Assyrians and Babylonians) would almost certainly interpret this as a sign of Yahweh's weakness or inferiority compared to their own pantheon of deities. This cultural understanding of divine power and national fortune provides the essential backdrop for God's expressed concern. His "fear" in this context is not one of vulnerability or weakness, but rather a strategic, rhetorical expression of His commitment to prevent His name from being blasphemed or His character fundamentally misunderstood by those who did not know Him. God's reputation, as the one true, sovereign God, was paramount, and His actions, even in the execution of judgment, were always intended to uphold His unique power and authority.
* **Key Themes:** Deuteronomy 32:27 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Song of Moses and the broader Deuteronomic narrative. Firstly, it highlights **God's Unwavering Concern for His Glory and Name**. Despite Israel's profound unfaithfulness, God's ultimate motivation is the vindication of His own character and power before all nations, preventing His judgment on Israel from being misconstrued as a sign of His inadequacy or defeat (compare the similar divine concern articulated in [Ezekiel 36:22-23](/zekiel/36-22-23 "Ezekiel 36:22-23 - God's Holy Name Vindicated Among the Nations")). Secondly, it exposes **The Arrogance and Misinterpretation of the Enemy**. God foresees that Israel's adversaries, witnessing their downfall, would attribute it to their own might ("Our hand is high") rather than to God's righteous judgment against His own people, illustrating the universal human tendency to usurp divine credit and boast in self-derived strength. Lastly, the verse underscores **Divine Restraint and Sovereignty in Judgment**. Even in the face of profound apostasy, God's ultimate plan for Israel is not complete annihilation, partly because He maintains sovereign control over how His actions are perceived and how His name is glorified, even by those who oppose Him. This demonstrates that God's justice is always tempered by His overarching purpose to display His glory to the world, a theme consistently echoed throughout the prophetic books where God promises restoration after judgment (e.g., [Isaiah 48:9-11](/isaiah/48-9-11 "Isaiah 48:9-11 - God Acts for His Own Name's Sake")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Feared (Hebrew, _gûwr'_):** While the root literally means "to turn aside," "to sojourn," or "to fear" (as in a strange place), when applied to God in this context, it signifies a deep, strategic concern or a rhetorical apprehension. It is not a fear born of weakness or vulnerability, but rather a divine resolve to prevent a specific, undesirable outcome—namely, the blasphemy of His name by the pagan nations. God's "fear" here is an expression of His profound jealousy for His own glory and His unwavering commitment to His covenant purposes, ensuring that His actions are correctly interpreted as sovereign judgment, not as a sign of His inadequacy or defeat.
* **Behave themselves strangely (Hebrew, _nâkar'_):** This word, derived from the root _nakar_, means "to scrutinize," "to know," or "to be estranged." In the Hiphil stem, as used here, it conveys the sense of acting as a stranger, misinterpreting, or acting presumptuously. The adversaries would not properly discern God's true purpose in judging Israel but would instead attribute Israel's defeat to their own military prowess or the superiority of their false gods, thereby acting as if they were strangers to God's true power and intent, failing to acknowledge His sovereign hand.
* **Hand (Hebrew, _yâd'_):** In the phrase "Our hand is high," _yad_ refers to the physical hand, but it is used idiomatically to signify power, strength, authority, or agency. When the adversaries boast that their "hand is high," it encapsulates their pride and their intent to claim full credit for what was, in reality, God's disciplinary work against His own people. It speaks to human arrogance that attributes divine actions to human agency or fortune, failing to acknowledge God's ultimate sovereignty and the true source of all power.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy":** This opening clause reveals God's internal deliberation and His strategic concern. The "wrath of the enemy" is not a literal threat to God's being, but rather the potential for the enemy's blasphemous misinterpretation of Israel's destruction. God's "fear" is a divine resolve to prevent His name from being dishonored or His character maligned by those who would mock or misunderstand His power and purposes.
* **"lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely":** This specifies the nature of the enemy's misinterpretation. They would act presumptuously, failing to recognize God's hand in Israel's downfall. Instead of discerning divine judgment, they would attribute the events to their own strength or the power of their idols, thereby acting as if they were strangers to God's true power and intent, demonstrating a profound spiritual blindness.
* **"[and] lest they should say, Our hand [is] high":** This clause articulates the specific boast and pride of the adversaries. They would claim that their own power, military might, or the strength of their gods was superior, leading to Israel's defeat. This is a direct challenge to God's sovereignty, as they would arrogantly take credit for an outcome orchestrated by God Himself, demonstrating their self-exaltation.
* **"and the LORD hath not done all this":** This final phrase encapsulates the ultimate blasphemy God seeks to prevent. The adversaries would deny God's agency and sovereignty in the events, attributing Israel's ruin to anything but the direct, disciplinary hand of Yahweh. This denial would diminish His omnipotence, unique status as the one true God, and His absolute control over all historical affairs.

#### Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 32:27 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The most prominent is **Anthropomorphism**, where God is described as "fearing" or having "wrath." This is not to suggest human weakness or emotion in God, but rather to communicate His deep, active concern and strategic resolve in terms understandable to human readers. It emphasizes His commitment to His own glory and the prevention of its desecration. The phrase "Our hand is high" is a powerful **Idiom**, a common expression in the ancient Near East signifying triumph and self-attributed power, effectively highlighting the enemy's arrogance and misplaced pride. The entire Song of Moses, and this verse within it, functions as a **Prophetic Lament and Warning**, weaving together historical recollection with future pronouncements of judgment and restoration, all aimed at instructing Israel and revealing God's immutable character. The structure of the verse, with its "Were it not that..." construction, also functions as a **Rhetorical Hypothetical**, inviting the audience to consider the profound implications of God's restraint and the alternative, more devastating scenario that would unfold if He did not act for His name's sake.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 32:27 profoundly reveals God's unwavering commitment to His own glory and the vindication of His name among the nations. It underscores that even in the exercise of judgment against His own people, God's ultimate purpose is not annihilation but the demonstration of His unique sovereignty. He restrains the full measure of His wrath to prevent His name from being mocked or His power misattributed by those who do not know Him. This divine concern for reputation serves as a powerful reminder that all of history, including the rise and fall of nations, is ultimately orchestrated by God for the display of His power and the exaltation of His name. It challenges human pride, whether of the "enemy" or of His own people, by asserting that all true power and ultimate victory belong to God alone, and that His ways, though sometimes mysterious, are always directed towards His own glory, ensuring that no creature can boast before Him.

* [Ezekiel 36:22-23](/ezekiel/36-22-23 "Ezekiel 36:22-23 - God's Holy Name Vindicated Among the Nations")
* [Isaiah 48:9-11](/isaiah/48-9-11 "Isaiah 48:9-11 - God Acts for His Own Name's Sake")
* [Psalm 115:1](/psalms/115-1 "Psalm 115:1 - Not to Us, But to Your Name Give Glory")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 32:27 offers profound insights for believers today, reminding us that God's glory is the ultimate end of all His actions, and it should likewise be the ultimate aim of our lives. Just as God is concerned for how His name is perceived by the world, so too should we, as His representatives, be acutely mindful of how our conduct reflects upon Him. Our actions, whether in success or failure, in prosperity or adversity, can either honor or dishonor His name in the eyes of a watching world. This verse calls us to profound humility, urging us never to attribute our successes, or the perceived downfalls of others, solely to our own efforts, wisdom, or righteousness. All true power, all ultimate victory, and all genuine spiritual insight belong to God alone, and He is the one who orchestrates all things for His purposes. Furthermore, it encourages us to trust implicitly in God's sovereign plan, even when His ways seem inscrutable or when circumstances appear adverse. What might seem like a setback, a judgment, or a period of difficulty can be part of a larger divine purpose to reveal His glory, refine His people, or bring about a greater good, ultimately ensuring that His name is magnified and His sovereignty unequivocally displayed.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does God's concern for His own glory in this verse challenge my tendency to seek my own glory or recognition in my daily life?**
* **In what specific ways might my actions or attitudes, as a believer, inadvertently cause God's name to be dishonored or misunderstood by those who do not know Him?**
* **When I experience success or witness the struggles of others, do I attribute outcomes solely to human effort or circumstance, or do I seek to discern God's sovereign hand at work in all things?**
* **How can understanding God's "fear" (His strategic concern for His name) deepen my trust in His overarching plan, even when I don't fully comprehend His methods or the reasons for specific trials?**

### FAQ
**Why does God express "fear" of the enemy in this verse? Is God truly afraid?**

Answer: No, God is not truly afraid in the human sense of weakness, vulnerability, or apprehension of harm. The "fear" (Hebrew: _gûwr'_) attributed to God here is an **anthropomorphism**, a figure of speech that describes God in human terms to make His divine concern understandable to humanity. In this context, it signifies God's deep, strategic resolve and His unwavering commitment to prevent His holy name from being blasphemed or fundamentally misunderstood by the pagan nations. If Israel were utterly destroyed, their adversaries would misinterpret it as a sign of Yahweh's weakness or inferiority compared to their own gods, rather than recognizing it as God's righteous judgment against His disobedient people. God's "fear" is thus a divine determination to uphold His own glory and sovereignty, ensuring that His actions are correctly perceived as coming from the one true, all-powerful God, as He declares in [Isaiah 43:10-11](/isaiah/43-10-11 "Isaiah 43:10-11 - No Savior Besides Me").

**What does it mean for the adversaries to "behave themselves strangely" and say, "Our hand is high"?**

Answer: To "behave themselves strangely" (Hebrew: _nâkar'_) means they would act as strangers to the truth, misinterpreting God's actions and acting presumptuously. They would fail to recognize God's sovereign hand in Israel's downfall, attributing the events to their own might. The phrase "Our hand is high" is a powerful **idiom** signifying self-attributed power, victory, or superiority. It means the enemy would proudly claim that their own military strength, wisdom, or the power of their false gods was responsible for Israel's defeat, rather than acknowledging that it was God's disciplinary judgment against His people. This highlights the common human tendency to take credit for divine actions or to misinterpret God's dealings, failing to give Him the glory due His name, as seen in the warnings against pride in [Proverbs 16:18](/proverbs/16-18 "Proverbs 16:18 - Pride Goes Before Destruction").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 32:27, with its profound emphasis on God's concern for His glory among the nations and His strategic restraint in judgment, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While God restrained His judgment on Israel to prevent His name from being profaned by the nations, in Christ, God's glory is not merely preserved but perfectly revealed and supremely vindicated. The cross, which appeared as weakness and ignominious defeat to the "adversaries" of God (both human and demonic), was in fact the ultimate display of God's power and wisdom, confounding the wisdom of the world and bringing to nothing the schemes of those who boasted in their own strength (as articulated in [1 Corinthians 1:18-25](/1_corinthians/1-18-25 "1 Corinthians 1:18-25 - The Wisdom of God in the Cross")). The "enemy" who thought their "hand was high" in orchestrating Christ's crucifixion ultimately served God's sovereign plan to atone for sin and establish His eternal kingdom. Jesus, the true Lamb of God, did not succumb to human or demonic power, but willingly laid down His life in perfect obedience, thereby glorifying God in a way that no human achievement or divine judgment ever could ([John 17:4](/john/17-4 "John 17:4 - Jesus Glorifies the Father")). Through His resurrection and ascension, Christ demonstrated God's absolute sovereignty over sin, death, and all spiritual adversaries, ensuring that no one can ever truly say, "Our hand is high," for all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him alone ([Matthew 28:18](/matthew/28-18 "Matthew 28:18 - All Authority Given to Jesus")). Thus, the divine concern for God's glory expressed in Deuteronomy 32:27 is fully and eternally realized in the triumph of Christ, through whom God's name is exalted above all names ([Philippians 2:9-11](/philippians/2-9-11 "Philippians 2:9-11 - Jesus Exalted Above All Names")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 140:8

¶ Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; [lest] they exalt themselves. Selah.

Numbers 14:15

Now [if] thou shalt kill [all] this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

Numbers 14:16

Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

Exodus 32:12

Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

1 Samuel 12:22

For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Joshua 7:9

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear [of it], and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

Isaiah 37:12

Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, [as] Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which [were] in Telassar?