32:8 When the Most High 1 gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided up humankind, 2
he set the boundaries of the peoples,
according to the number of the heavenly assembly. 3
A psalm of David.
24:1 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live in it.
24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established 5 it upon the ocean currents. 6
115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, 7
but the earth he has given to mankind. 8
4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;
this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,
so that 14 those who are alive may understand
that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, 15
and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.
He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’
1 tn The Hebrew term עֶליוֹן (’elyon) is an abbreviated form of the divine name El Elyon, frequently translated “God Most High” (so here NCV, CEV) or something similar. This full name (or epithet) occurs only in Gen 14, though the two elements are parallel in Ps 73:11; 107:11; etc. Here it is clear that Elyon has to do with the nations in general whereas in v. 9, by contrast, Yahweh relates specifically to Israel. See T. Fretheim, NIDOTTE 1:400-401. The title depicts God as the sovereign ruler of the world, who is enthroned high above his dominion.
2 tn Heb “the sons of man” (so NASB); or “the sons of Adam” (so KJV).
3 tc Heb “the sons of Israel.” The idea, perhaps, is that Israel was central to Yahweh’s purposes and all other nations were arranged and distributed according to how they related to Israel. See S. R. Driver, Deuteronomy (ICC), 355-56. For the MT יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי (bÿney yisra’el, “sons of Israel”) a Qumran fragment has “sons of God,” while the LXX reads ἀγγέλων θεοῦ (angelwn qeou, “angels of God”), presupposing בְּנֵי אֵל (bÿney ’el) or בְּנֵי אֵלִים (beney ’elim). “Sons of God” is undoubtedly the original reading; the MT and LXX have each interpreted it differently. MT assumes that the expression “sons of God” refers to Israel (cf. Hos. 1:10), while LXX has assumed that the phrase refers to the angelic heavenly assembly (Pss 29:1; 89:6; cf. as well Ps 82). The phrase is also attested in Ugaritic, where it refers to the high god El’s divine assembly. According to the latter view, which is reflected in the translation, the Lord delegated jurisdiction over the nations to his angelic host (cf. Dan. 10:13-21), while reserving for himself Israel, over whom he rules directly. For a defense of the view taken here, see M. S. Heiser, “Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God,” BSac 158 (2001): 52-74.
4 sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.
5 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
6 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
7 tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the
8 tn Heb “to the sons of man.”
9 tn Heb “by my great power and my outstretched arm.” Again “arm” is symbolical for “strength.” Compare the similar expression in 21:5.
10 sn See Dan 4:17 for a similar statement.
11 tn Heb “have given…into the hand of.”
12 sn See the study note on 25:9 for the significance of the application of this term to Nebuchadnezzar.
13 tn Heb “I have given…to him to serve him.” The verb “give” in this syntactical situation is functioning like the Hiphil stem, i.e., as a causative. See Dan 1:9 for parallel usage. For the usage of “serve” meaning “be subject to” compare 2 Sam 22:44 and BDB 713 s.v. עָבַד 3.
14 tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).
15 tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”
16 tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.
17 tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.
18 tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.
19 tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”
20 sn Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity has features that are associated with the mental disorder known as boanthropy, in which the person so afflicted imagines himself to be an ox or a similar animal and behaves accordingly.
21 tn Aram “until.”
22 tn Aram “until.”
23 tc ‡ Before οὐκ (ouk, “[am I] not”) a number of significant witnesses read ἤ (h, “or”; e.g., א C W 085 Ë1,13 33 and most others). Although in later Greek the οι in σοι (oi in soi) – the last word of v. 14 – would have been pronounced like ἤ, since ἤ is lacking in early
24 tn Grk “Is your eye evil because I am good?”