Deuteronomy 32 38

Deuteronomy 32:38 kjv

Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

Deuteronomy 32:38 nkjv

Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge.

Deuteronomy 32:38 niv

the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter!

Deuteronomy 32:38 esv

who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection!

Deuteronomy 32:38 nlt

Where now are those gods,
who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their offerings?
Let those gods arise and help you!
Let them provide you with shelter!

Deuteronomy 32 verses

Deuteronomy 32 38 Meaning

Deuteronomy 32:38, part of the Song of Moses, is a rhetorical question from God, delivered sarcastically to highlight the utter futility of the false gods Israel worshipped. Having offered their finest sacrifices and drink offerings to these idols, God challenges the Israelites to call upon them now in their time of distress. The verse powerfully contrasts the vibrant, demanding rituals offered to powerless idols with their complete inability to provide help or protection when needed. It underscores that only the Lord God, whom Israel forsook, possesses true power and the capacity to deliver.

Deuteronomy 32 38 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 32 is the Song of Moses, a prophetic and instructional poem delivered by Moses just before his death. It serves as a covenant lawsuit against Israel, detailing God's loving care for His people (vv. 7-14), their subsequent apostasy and rebellion against Him by worshipping false gods (vv. 15-18), and God's righteous judgment as a result (vv. 19-35). This judgment would manifest as distress and oppression from their enemies. Verses 36-43 then speak of God's eventual compassion and restoration, confirming His ultimate triumph over all His enemies and the vindication of His people. Verse 38 falls within the section where God exposes the utter impotence and worthlessness of the idols Israel turned to, highlighting that these false deities are incapable of offering any aid when the Lord brings calamity upon His disobedient people. Historically, this anticipates the cycles of idolatry, judgment, and cries for deliverance that characterize Israel's history in the Book of Judges and subsequent monarchies.

Deuteronomy 32 38 Word analysis

• "Which did eat" (אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב... יֹאכֵלוּ - ʾasher ḥēlev... yoḵelû): The verb "eat" (from ʾākal) here implies partaking or consuming. The language ironically personifies the idols as if they consumed the fat of sacrifices, a clear mockery. Pagan deities were thought to derive sustenance or pleasure from offerings, while the true God commands them as expressions of devotion and covenant, not for His need. The emphasis on "fat" signifies the choicest parts, showing the extent of Israel's misguided devotion to these impotent gods.
• "fat of their sacrifices" (חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ - ḥēlev zĕvaḥêhem): Ḥēlev refers to the richest, most valuable portion of an animal. In Mosaic Law, the fat belonged exclusively to God in sacrifices (e.g., Lev 3:16-17). Offering it to pagan deities was a grave insult to the LORD, signifying a profound covenant violation and the misguided channeling of worship meant for God. "Their sacrifices" denotes the rituals offered to the idols.
• "drank the wine" (יִשְׁתּוּ יֵין - yišttû yên): The verb "drank" (from šātâ) again mockingly personifies the idols. Wine was commonly used in drink offerings (nĕseḵ) to various pagan gods across ancient Near Eastern cultures, including Canaanite fertility cults. These libations were believed to please or invoke the deities.
• "of their drink offerings" (נְסִיכָם - nĕsîḵām): Nĕseḵ refers specifically to a "drink offering" or "libation." This practice was prevalent in idol worship and sometimes was an integral part of covenant ratification or worship in the ancient world. Here, it refers to the ritual pouring out of wine or other liquids to foreign gods, reinforcing the idolatrous nature of Israel's apostasy.
• "let them rise up" (יָקוּמוּ - yāqûmû): From the verb qûm, meaning to stand up, rise, or appear. This is a divine challenge or a sarcastic imperative. If these idols truly have power, let them demonstrate it now. It highlights their inability to even move, let alone act, contrasted with the active, interventionist nature of the LORD.
• "and help you" (וְיַעַזְרֻוכֶם - vĕyaʿazrûkhem): From ʿāzar, to help or aid. This is the crucial point of the sarcastic challenge. When God's judgment comes, these idols cannot provide the fundamental need for "help," revealing their emptiness and exposing the vanity of trusting them.
• "and be your protection" (יְהִי עֲלֵיכֶם סִתְרָה - yĕhî ʿălêkhem sitrâ): Sitrâ means a "covering," "shelter," or "protection." The idols cannot shield Israel from harm or divine wrath. This mocks the pagan belief that idols could ward off evil or provide security. The implication is that only the LORD is the true refuge and shelter for His people (e.g., Psa 91:1-2).

Deuteronomy 32 38 Bonus section

The Hebrew word nĕseḵ for "drink offerings" is especially poignant as it is derived from a root often associated with casting metal (like an idol), linking the drink offerings to the very idols themselves—impotent molten images. This verse forms a pivotal rhetorical turn, setting the stage for God's profound self-affirmation in Deut 32:39 ("I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me"). The contrast between the active God and the passive idols could not be sharper. This divine irony serves as a timeless warning against relying on anything other than the Lord for ultimate security and deliverance. It reminds believers that true worship leads to true help, whereas false worship offers only a delusion of peace and power that evaporates in the face of genuine adversity.

Deuteronomy 32 38 Commentary

Deuteronomy 32:38 is a cutting, rhetorical indictment of Israel's idolatry, showcasing the sheer foolishness and spiritual bankruptcy of their choices. After describing how Israel "grew fat and kicked" against their divine benefactor, embracing "new gods" they had never known, God's question serves as a direct challenge to their misplaced loyalties. It underscores that these so-called gods, who supposedly consumed the choicest parts of their offerings, are now nowhere to be found when real trouble arises. This highlights a fundamental distinction between the true, living God and the false gods: the true God acts on behalf of His people, judges sin, and intervenes in history; idols are inanimate objects, incapable of action, power, or deliverance. The verse is a powerful lesson that devotion and lavish offerings poured out to anything other than the Almighty God are ultimately futile, yielding no protection, help, or salvation in times of need. It invites the hearers to confront the ultimate inadequacy of anything relied upon apart from the one true God.