Deuteronomy 32:9 kjv
For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
Deuteronomy 32:9 nkjv
For the LORD's portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
Deuteronomy 32:9 niv
For the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
Deuteronomy 32:9 esv
But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
Deuteronomy 32:9 nlt
"For the people of Israel belong to the LORD;
Jacob is his special possession.
Deuteronomy 32 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:5-6 | "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice... you shall be my treasured possession..." | Israel as God's special treasure and kingdom. |
| Lev 20:26 | "You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you..." | God sanctifies Israel for Himself. |
| Num 18:20 | "You shall have no inheritance in their land... I am your portion..." | Lord is the inheritance for the priests. |
| Deut 4:20 | "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace..." | God's deliverance and selection of Israel. |
| Deut 7:6 | "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God... His treasured possession..." | Israel chosen as a special people above all. |
| Deut 9:29 | "But they are your people, your inheritance, whom you brought out..." | Moses appealing to God's possession of Israel. |
| Deut 10:9 | "Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance..." | God is the direct inheritance. |
| 1 Sam 12:22 | "For the sake of his great name the LORD will not forsake his people..." | God's commitment to His people, His inheritance. |
| 2 Sam 7:23 | "And who is like your people Israel, a singular nation on earth whom God went to redeem..." | Israel's uniqueness as God's redeemed. |
| Ps 33:12 | "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen..." | God's specific choice of Israel. |
| Ps 74:2 | "Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed..." | Israel as God's purchased possession. |
| Ps 78:71 | "from tending the ewes with lambs he brought him to be shepherd of Jacob his people, of Israel his inheritance." | David chosen to shepherd God's people/inheritance. |
| Ps 94:14 | "For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his inheritance." | God's eternal faithfulness to Israel. |
| Ps 105:6 | "O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!" | Israel as chosen descendants. |
| Ps 135:4 | "For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession." | Direct parallel emphasizing election. |
| Isa 43:20 | "for I give water in the wilderness... for my chosen people, the people whom I formed..." | God's provision for His specially formed people. |
| Isa 63:19 | "We are yours; you have never ruled over them; they are not called by your name." | Distinction between Israel and other nations. |
| Jer 10:16 | "Jacob is the portion of his inheritance..." | Another direct parallel confirming Israel as God's portion. |
| Zec 2:12 | "And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land..." | Reiteration of Judah as God's portion. |
| Eph 1:11 | "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined..." | Believers (Church) become God's inheritance in Christ. |
| Eph 1:18 | "...the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints..." | God's glorious inheritance is the Church. |
| Tit 2:14 | "...who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession..." | Church as a people for God's own possession. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession..." | NT Church taking on characteristics of OT Israel. |
Deuteronomy 32 verses
Deuteronomy 32 9 Meaning
Deuteronomy 32:9 declares that the nation of Israel is the exclusive possession and cherished inheritance of Yahweh, the Lord. After describing how God established the boundaries and assigned nations, this verse emphatically states that Israel alone holds the special status as God's own designated portion, specifically referencing Jacob as the ancestor and symbol of this divinely allotted people. It highlights a unique and intimate covenant relationship.
Deuteronomy 32 9 Context
Deuteronomy 32:9 is part of the "Song of Moses," delivered by Moses shortly before his death. This prophetic and poetic song serves as a testimony against Israel, recalling God's past faithfulness and warning of the consequences of disobedience, yet also promising ultimate restoration. The immediate context, verse 8, describes God's universal sovereignty in distributing nations and establishing their boundaries. Against this backdrop of divine ordering of all peoples, verse 9 makes a crucial distinction: while other nations were allotted boundaries, Israel was uniquely chosen to be Yahweh's personal share. It underscores God's intimate relationship and special claim over His people, distinguishing them from all other nations of the world.
Deuteronomy 32 9 Word analysis
- For: (Hebrew: kî) Introduces the reason or explanation. It connects this statement to the preceding verse, which details God's division of the nations.
- the LORD's: (Hebrew: YHWH) Refers to the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes the personal, sovereign, and unique God who has made Himself known to His people.
- portion: (Hebrew: ḥēleq) Signifies a share, lot, or inheritance. In the context of land distribution (common in Deuteronomy and Joshua), it implies an assigned part or allotment. Here, it is used metaphorically: Israel is God's specific allocated share. This contrasts with other nations having assigned territorial boundaries.
- is his people: (Hebrew: ʿammō) Underscores the intimate relationship. Israel is not just a land or a possession but "His people," indicating a living, relational connection.
- Jacob: Refers to the patriarch, but functions as a metonymy for the nation of Israel, his descendants. It links the nation's identity and inheritance back to the foundational promise made to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob).
- his allotted: (Hebrew: ḥebel) Literally means "cord," "rope," or "line." It often refers to a measuring line for dividing land, hence a "measured portion," "allotted territory," or "inheritance." This word strongly reinforces the idea of precise, intentional divine designation and ownership. It parallels ḥēleq but adds a nuance of defined boundaries.
- inheritance: (Hebrew: naḥălāh) Means inheritance or possession. This term reinforces God's rightful ownership and enduring claim over Israel. It implies something divinely bestowed and perpetually belonging to the one who inherits it.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- For the LORD's portion is his people: This phrase reveals the fundamental identity of Israel: they are not self-made, but God's deliberate, chosen portion. It reflects God's sovereignty and His elective love.
- Jacob his allotted inheritance: This further defines "his people" by referring to their patriarch, "Jacob," reinforcing their historical and covenantal lineage. "His allotted inheritance" parallels and reinforces "His portion," emphasizing divine decree and ownership with a precise, measured aspect. It paints a picture of Israel as carefully selected and distinctly set apart for God Himself.
Deuteronomy 32 9 Bonus section
The concept of Israel being God's "portion" (ḥēleq) echoes the levitical priests having the Lord as their "portion" (Deut 10:9; Num 18:20). Just as the priests, lacking land, had direct access to God as their inheritance, the nation of Israel is depicted as directly belonging to God, distinguishing them from other nations whose "inheritance" might be their land or specific deities associated with that land. This verse highlights a theological polemic: it subtly undermines the pagan idea of national gods by presenting Yahweh as not just another tribal deity, but the sovereign Most High who not only divides nations but chooses one—Israel—as His direct possession, refuting the notion that Israel merely "picked" Yahweh among other gods.
Deuteronomy 32 9 Commentary
Deuteronomy 32:9 profoundly asserts Yahweh's exclusive ownership and choice of Israel. Following the declaration that God divided humanity and set the boundaries for nations according to the "sons of God" (v.8), this verse stands in stark contrast. While other nations were assigned territorial bounds under the oversight of lesser divine beings (a common interpretation), Israel alone was personally appropriated by the supreme God, Yahweh, as His special inheritance. This makes Israel's relationship with God utterly unique. It is not merely one nation among many under God's general providence, but His direct, personal "portion" and "allotted inheritance." This concept established Israel's unique status, divine protection, and moral accountability to Yahweh alone, setting them apart from the idolatrous practices and polytheistic frameworks of their neighbors. It signifies an election based solely on God's sovereign will and purpose, laying the foundation for Israel's special role in redemptive history.