The Song of Moses
Deuteronomy 32:8
Why translations differ here
Sons of Israel, or sons of God? The Hebrew text most Bibles follow says God fixed the nations' borders "according to the number of the children of Israel", while a Dead Sea Scroll and the Septuagint read "sons of God" or "angels of God", which the textual critic Emanuel Tov and the scholars he cites judge the older reading, as do the Göttingen Septuagint and the NRSV and BSB translators.
In 11 translations
- BSB
- When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.DSS; LXX according to the number of the angels of God; MT according to the number of the sons of Israel
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- 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.
- 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.
- LSV
- In the Most High causing nations to inherit, || In His separating sons of Adam—He sets up the borders of the peoples || By the number of the sons of God [[or sons of Israel]].
- 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.
- DBY
- When the Most High assigned to the nations their inheritance, When he separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel.
- DRC
- When the Most High divided the nations: when he separated the sons of Adam, he appointed the bounds of people according to the number of the children of Israel.
- GNV
- When the most hie God deuided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sonnes of Adam, he appoynted the borders of the people, according to the nomber of the children of Israel.
- JPS
- When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.
- LXXE
- When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.
Word by word Hebrew · tap a word
Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Hebrew has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.
Original-language editions
- WLC
- בְּהַנְחֵ֤ל עֶלְיוֹן֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם בְּהַפְרִיד֖וֹ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם יַצֵּב֙ גְּבֻלֹ֣ת עַמִּ֔ים לְמִסְפַּ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
- LXX-Br
- Ὅτε διεμέριζεν ὁ ὕψιστος ἔθνη, ὡς διέσπειρεν υἱοὺς Αδὰμ, ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων Θεοῦ.
Who and where
People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.
In the reference works topics that cite this verse
MosesPredestinationDispersionBoundsSongsMoabPoetryAdamSongAdam in the Old Testament and the Apocrypha
From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).
Cross-references most cited first
- Acts 17:26From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
- Genesis 11:8–9So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place…
- Genesis 10:25Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.
- Daniel 4:17This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the…
- Psalms 115:16The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind.
- Genesis 15:18–21On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites,…
- Psalms 92:8But You, O LORD, are exalted forever!
- Psalms 82:6I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’
- Psalms 91:1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Genesis 10:15And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
- Daniel 5:18As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor.
- Acts 7:48However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
- Isaiah 14:14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
- Psalms 50:14Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
- Psalms 7:17I will thank the LORD for His righteousness and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
- Numbers 24:16the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:
From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).