Deuteronomy 32 26

Deuteronomy 32:26 kjv

I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:

Deuteronomy 32:26 nkjv

I would have said, "I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,"

Deuteronomy 32:26 niv

I said I would scatter them and erase their name from human memory,

Deuteronomy 32:26 esv

I would have said, "I will cut them to pieces; I will wipe them from human memory,"

Deuteronomy 32:26 nlt

I would have annihilated them,
wiping out even the memory of them.

Deuteronomy 32 verses

Deuteronomy 32 26 Meaning

Deuteronomy 32:26 portrays a solemn declaration by God, revealing His contemplation of ultimate judgment against Israel due to their deep-seated apostasy and rebellion. The verse describes two severe components of this contemplated judgment: a complete dispersion of the people "into corners," signifying utter fragmentation and lack of refuge, and the eradication of their memory and identity "from among men." This indicates God's righteous anger potentially leading to the wiping out of Israel as a distinct nation and their story from human history. However, as subsequent verses reveal, this considered action is ultimately held back, not due to Israel's merit, but for the sake of God's own glory among the nations, preventing His enemies from misinterpreting His judgment as weakness rather than justice.

Deuteronomy 32 26 Context

Deuteronomy 32 is known as the "Song of Moses," a prophetic poem delivered by Moses just before his death, intended to be a lasting witness to the Israelites regarding God's character and their future. This song serves as both a historical recounting of God's faithfulness and Israel's apostasy, and a powerful warning concerning the severe consequences of breaking their covenant with God. Verses 15-18 describe Israel's wanton rebellion ("Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked"), forgetting God who made them. Verses 19-25 detail God's angered response, stating His withdrawal and bringing upon them various calamities (famine, plague, sword, wild beasts). Deuteronomy 32:26-27 is a critical turning point where God, in the midst of describing the extent of His wrath, considers the ultimate annihilation of Israel's presence and memory but then reins in this severe judgment due to concern for His own holy name and reputation among the heathen nations. Thus, verse 26 expresses the extent of judgment God considered, highlighting the severity of their sin, before revealing His merciful restraint.

Deuteronomy 32 26 Word analysis

• I said (Hebrew: אָמַר - 'amar): Denotes a firm declaration or stated intention by God, indicating a settled resolve or consideration of action. It's not a fleeting thought but a divine contemplation. This emphasizes the gravity of the potential judgment.
• I would scatter them (Hebrew: אֲפִיאֵם - 'apî'ēm from פּוּץ - puwtz): Means "to disperse, to spread abroad, to cast away violently." The prefix implies active dispersion by God. It signifies a forceful, thorough dislodging from their land and their national unity, suggesting complete removal without cohesion.
• into corners (Hebrew: בַּפֵּאוֹת - bappē'ôṯ from פֵּאָה - pe'ah): Literally "into the edges, extremities, or remote parts." It implies a scattering to the very limits of the earth, leaving no concentrated presence or place of gathering. It denotes total, thorough, and widespread disunity, not merely a limited displacement. This signifies that no segment of the nation would remain intact or centralized.
• I would make the remembrance of them to cease (Hebrew: אַשְׁבִּיתָה זִכְרָם - 'ašbītāh zikhrām from שָׁבַת - shabath "to cease, destroy, bring to an end" and זֵכֶר - zeker "remembrance, memory, fame, name"): This phrase expresses a desire for utter obliteration, not just of their physical presence but of their very identity, history, and legacy. Shabath indicates bringing something to a complete end. Zeker goes beyond just memory; it encompasses one's name, fame, reputation, and everything that constitutes one's legacy in human history. To "make remembrance cease" is to remove them from human record and consciousness, as if they never existed as a distinct entity.
• from among men (Hebrew: מֵאָדָם - mē'ādām): Specifies the scope of this erasure. It is not just from God's mind, nor only from their own collective memory, but from the consciousness of humanity itself. This is a global and historical annihilation of their national identity and contribution to the world, erasing their entire narrative from the human story.

Words-group analysis:

• "I said, I would scatter them into corners": This segment reveals God's initial and severe contemplated judgment: to utterly dismantle Israel's national existence and disperse them so widely that they could not regroup or maintain their distinct identity. It speaks to divine wrath considering complete deconstruction.
• "I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men": This indicates an even more profound judgment. Beyond physical scattering, it points to the wiping away of their collective memory and name from human history. It implies that their unique identity, their covenant relationship, and their historical narrative would vanish, an ultimate form of corporate demise.

Deuteronomy 32 26 Bonus section

• This verse operates as a dramatic rhetorical device within the Song of Moses, serving to underscore the extremity of Israel's sin and the severity of God's justified wrath. It’s a statement of what could have happened due to their actions, not what definitively would happen without restraint.
• The language used reflects ancient Near Eastern concepts of conquest, where total defeat often involved not only scattering populations but also attempting to erase the memory of the conquered from historical records, denying them a future and legacy. God here considers imposing this ultimate form of historical judgment.
• The threat of ending "remembrance" speaks profoundly to the biblical emphasis on 'name' and 'legacy' as crucial aspects of identity and continuity. For the Abrahamic covenant, which promised an everlasting name and numerous descendants, the cutting off of remembrance would be the ultimate antithesis and a breaking of the very essence of that promise.
• While God did not execute this ultimate judgment completely, the historical experiences of Israel, particularly the Babylonian exile and the Roman dispersion, mirrored parts of this contemplated scattering, though God always preserved a remnant and a future for His people, thus upholding His covenant in the long term.

Deuteronomy 32 26 Commentary

Deuteronomy 32:26 expresses the zenith of God's considered wrath against His disobedient people, Israel. It reflects a moment where their pervasive rebellion and idolatry reached such a point that God contemplated an act of ultimate divine justice – complete dissolution and erasure. The terms "scatter into corners" denote a global, fragmented dispersion, stripping them of national cohesion. More chillingly, "make the remembrance of them to cease from among men" speaks to the utter eradication of their name, heritage, and story from the human narrative. This would mean that the covenant people, called to be a light to the nations and bear God's name, would cease to be recognized, forgotten by history. This intense consideration of judgment serves to highlight the extreme seriousness of Israel's unfaithfulness and the absolute holiness of God, whose nature demands a just response to such defiance. However, the subsequent verse immediately shows that God, despite this justifiable anger, restrained Himself for the sake of His own glory, lest the gentile nations misinterpret Israel's destruction as divine weakness rather than righteous judgment. Thus, this verse is a stark testament to God's severe justice balanced by His supreme concern for His reputation and ultimate redemptive plan.