Deuteronomy 32:21
New International Version
They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Berean Standard Bible
They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.

New American Standard Bible
‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,

NASB 1995
They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,

NASB 1977
‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,

Legacy Standard Bible
They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a wickedly foolish nation,

Amplified Bible
‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Christian Standard Bible
They have provoked my jealousy with what is not a god; they have enraged me with their worthless idols. So I will provoke their jealousy with what is not a people; I will enrage them with a foolish nation.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They have provoked My jealousy with their so-called gods; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will provoke their jealousy with an inferior people; I will enrage them with a foolish nation.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
You worshiped worthless idols, and made me jealous and angry! Now I will send a cruel and worthless nation to make you jealous and angry.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They made him furious because they worshiped foreign gods and angered him because they worshiped worthless idols. So I will use those who are not my people to make them jealous and a nation of godless fools to make them angry.

Good News Translation
With their idols they have made me angry, jealous with their so-called gods, gods that are really not gods. So I will use a so-called nation to make them angry; I will make them jealous with a nation of fools.

International Standard Version
They provoked me to jealousy over non-gods, and to be angry over their vanity. Now I'll provoke them to jealousy over a non-people; and over a foolish nation I'll provoke them to anger.

Majority Standard Bible
They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.

NET Bible
They have made me jealous with false gods, enraging me with their worthless gods; so I will make them jealous with a people they do not recognize, with a nation slow to learn I will enrage them.

New Heart English Bible
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

World English Bible
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They have made Me jealous by [what is] not God, "" They made Me angry by their vanities; And I make them jealous by [what is] not a people, "" I make them angry by a foolish nation.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
They made me jealous with not God; They irritated me with their vanities: And I will make them jealous with not a people; With a foolish nation will I irritate them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They have provoked me with that which was no god, and have angered me with their vanities: and I will provoke them with that which is no people, and will vex them with a foolish nation.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They have provoked me with that which was not God, and they have angered me with their emptiness. And so, I will provoke them with that which is not a people, and I will anger them with a foolish nation.

New American Bible
Since they have incited me with a “no-god,” and provoked me with their empty idols, I will incite them with a “no-people”; with a foolish nation I will provoke them.

New Revised Standard Version
They made me jealous with what is no god, provoked me with their idols. So I will make them jealous with what is no people, provoke them with a foolish nation.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They have provoked me to zealousness with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their idols; so I will move them to jealousy with those that are not my people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Those made me jealous by no god and they angered me with their idols, also I may make them jealous by no people, and I shall anger them by a foolish people.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They have roused Me to jealousy with a no-god; They have provoked Me with their vanities; And I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people; I will provoke them with a vile nation.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Song of Moses
20He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness. 21They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding. 22For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol; it consumes the earth and its produce, and scorches the foundations of the mountains.…

Cross References
Romans 10:19
I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”

Romans 11:11
I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

1 Corinthians 10:22
Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

Isaiah 65:1
“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’

Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’

Hosea 2:23
And I will sow her as My own in the land, and I will have compassion on ‘No Compassion.’ I will say to those called ‘Not My People,’ ‘You are My people,’ and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

1 Peter 2:10
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Jeremiah 2:11
Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.

Jeremiah 7:19
But am I the One they are provoking? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?

1 Kings 16:13
This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.

1 Kings 16:26
For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.

2 Kings 17:15
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

Psalm 78:58
They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.

Psalm 106:29
So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.

Isaiah 55:5
Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory on you.”


Treasury of Scripture

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.

moved me

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

Psalm 78:58
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

with their vanities

1 Samuel 12:21
And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

1 Kings 16:13,26
For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities…

Psalm 31:6
I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

I will

Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

Romans 9:25
As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

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

Jump to Previous
Anger Angered Angry Envious Honour Idols Jealous Jealousy Move Moved Moving Nation Provoke Provoked Rouse Roused Stir Stirred Vanities Vile Worship Worthless Wrath
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Deuteronomy 32
1. Moses' song, which sets forth God's mercy and vengeance
46. He exhorts them to set their hearts upon it
48. God sends him up to mount Nebo to see the land, and to die














They have provoked My jealousy
The Hebrew root for "provoked" is "קָנָא" (qanah), which conveys a deep, passionate emotion akin to the jealousy of a spurned lover. In the context of the covenant relationship between God and Israel, this jealousy is not petty but rather a righteous response to Israel's unfaithfulness. The imagery here is of a God who is deeply invested in His people, desiring their exclusive devotion.

by that which is not God
This phrase underscores the futility and absurdity of idolatry. The Hebrew word for "not" is "לֹא" (lo), emphasizing the absolute negation of divinity in these idols. Historically, Israel was surrounded by nations with a pantheon of gods, yet the true God distinguishes Himself as the only living and active deity. This highlights the spiritual blindness of Israel in turning to powerless entities.

they have enraged Me
The Hebrew word "כָּעַס" (kaas) for "enraged" suggests a deep-seated anger. This is not a capricious wrath but a just response to betrayal. God's anger is a reflection of His holiness and justice, and it serves as a warning to His people about the consequences of their actions.

with their worthless idols
The term "worthless" translates from the Hebrew "הֶבֶל" (hebel), often rendered as "vanity" or "emptiness." This word paints a picture of idols as fleeting and insubstantial, lacking any real power or substance. Archaeological findings of ancient idols reveal them to be mere stone or wood, reinforcing their impotence compared to the living God.

So I will make them jealous
Here, God uses the same emotion of jealousy to discipline His people. The Hebrew "קָנָא" (qanah) reappears, indicating a divine strategy to awaken Israel to their folly by using other nations as instruments of His purpose. This reflects God's sovereignty and His ability to use even those outside the covenant to fulfill His plans.

by those who are not a people
This phrase refers to nations that were not chosen by God as Israel was. The Hebrew "לֹא עַם" (lo am) suggests a people without the covenantal identity and privileges of Israel. Historically, this could refer to Gentile nations whom God would use to provoke Israel to repentance.

I will make them angry
The repetition of the theme of provocation, using the Hebrew "כָּעַס" (kaas), emphasizes the intensity of God's actions. This anger is intended to be redemptive, driving Israel back to their covenant relationship with God.

by a nation without understanding
The Hebrew "גּוֹי נָבָל" (goy naval) describes a nation lacking the wisdom and revelation given to Israel. This is a humbling reminder to Israel of their unique position and the folly of squandering it. It serves as a call to return to the wisdom and understanding found in their relationship with God.

(21)"They have made me jealous with a no-god;

They have provoked me with their vanities:

And I will make them jealous with a no-people;

With a foolish nation will I provoke them."

St. Paul comments on this in Romans 10, as proving that Israel was informed of the calling of the Gentiles, and compares Isaiah 65:1, "I was found of them that sought me not. I made myself manifest unto those that inquired not after me."

Rashi quotes, perhaps not quite inappropriately Isaiah 23:13, and gives this explanation, "A no-people," i.e., a nation without a name; as it is said, "Behold the land of the Chaldseans: this people was not."

Verse 21. - (Cf. Deuteronomy 5:16.) Because they had moved God to jealousy and provoked him to anger by their vanities, their nothingnesses, mere vapors and empty exhalations (הִבְלָים; cf. Jeremiah 10:6; John 2:8; 1 Corinthians 8:4); as they had forsaken him for a no-God, he would send retribution on them by adopting as his a no-people, and giving to a foolish nation, i.e. a nation not before possessed of that true wisdom the beginning of which is the fear of the Lord, the privileges and blessings which Israel had forfeited by their apostasy. By "a no-people" is not to be understood a savage tribe not yet formed into a community, but a people without God, and not recognized by him as in covenant union with him (cf. Romans 10:19; Ephesians 2:12; 1 Peter 2:10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They
הֵ֚ם (hêm)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

have provoked My jealousy
קִנְא֣וּנִי (qin·’ū·nî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Strong's 7065: To be, zealous, jealous, envious

by [that which is] not
בְלֹא־ (ḇə·lō-)
Preposition-b | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

God;
אֵ֔ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

they have enraged Me
כִּעֲס֖וּנִי (ki·‘ă·sū·nî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Strong's 3707: To trouble, to grieve, rage, be indignant

with their worthless idols.
בְּהַבְלֵיהֶ֑ם (bə·haḇ·lê·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

So I
וַאֲנִי֙ (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

will make them jealous
אַקְנִיאֵ֣ם (’aq·nî·’êm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7065: To be, zealous, jealous, envious

by those who are not
בְּלֹא־ (bə·lō-)
Preposition-b | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

a people;
עָ֔ם (‘ām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

I will make them angry
אַכְעִיסֵֽם׃ (’aḵ·‘î·sêm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3707: To trouble, to grieve, rage, be indignant

by a nation
בְּג֥וֹי (bə·ḡō·w)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

without understanding.
נָבָ֖ל (nā·ḇāl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5036: Foolish, senseless


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 32:21 They have moved me to jealousy (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 32:20
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