Deuteronomy 32:8

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 

Psalms 7:17

7:17 I will thank the Lord for ⁴  his justice;

I will sing praises to the sovereign Lord! ⁵ 

Psalms 46:4

46:4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, ⁶ 

the special, holy dwelling place of ⁷  the sovereign One. ⁸ 

Psalms 91:1

Psalm 91 ⁹ 

91:1 As for you, the one who lives ¹⁰  in the shelter of the sovereign One, ¹¹ 

and resides in the protective shadow ¹²  of the mighty king ¹³  –

Psalms 91:9

91:9 For you have taken refuge in the Lord,

my shelter, the sovereign One. ¹⁴ 

Psalms 92:8

92:8 But you, O Lord, reign ¹⁵  forever!

Daniel 4:17

4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that ¹⁶  those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, ¹⁷ 

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

Daniel 4:24-25

4:24 this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king. 4:25 You will be driven ¹⁸  from human society, ¹⁹  and you will live ²⁰  with the wild animals. You will be fed ²¹  grass like oxen, ²²  and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before ²³  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.

Daniel 4:34

4:34 But at the end of the appointed time ²⁴  I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up ²⁵  toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me.

I extolled the Most High,

and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever.

For his authority is an everlasting authority,

and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next.

Hosea 7:16

7:16 They turn to Baal; ²⁶ 

they are like an unreliable bow.

Their leaders will fall by the sword

because their prayers to Baal ²⁷  have made me angry.

So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt. ²⁸ 

[32:8]  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.

[32:8]  ² tn Heb “the sons of man” (so NASB); or “the sons of Adam” (so KJV).

[32:8]  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.

[7:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “according to.”

[7:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “[to] the name of the Lord Most High.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case the compound “Lord Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.

[46:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “A river, its channels cause the city of God to be glad.”

[46:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “the holy [place] of the dwelling places of.” The adjective “holy” is used here in a substantival manner and placed in construct with the following noun (see GKC 428 §132.c). Origen’s transliterated text assumes the reading קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness; holy place”), while the LXX assumes a Piel verbal form קִדֵּשׁ (qidesh, “makes holy”) and takes the following form as “his dwelling place.” The plural form מִשְׁכְּנֵי (mishkÿney, “dwelling places of”) is probably a plural of degree, emphasizing the special character of this dwelling place. See GKC 397 §124.b. The form stands as an appositional genitive in relation to the preceding construct noun.

[46:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.

[91:1]  ⁹ sn Psalm 91. In this psalm an individual (perhaps a priest) addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger (vv. 1-13). In vv. 14-16 God himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe.

[91:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[O] one who lives.”

[91:1]  ¹¹ tn Traditionally “the Most High.”

[91:1]  ¹² sn The Lord is compared here to a bird who protects its young under the shadow of its wings (see v. 4).

[91:1]  ¹³ sn The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday; see also Ps 68:14). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the mighty king (sovereign judge) of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness.

[91:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for you, the Lord, my shelter, the Most High, you have made your dwelling place.”

[92:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “[are elevated] on high.”

[4:17]  ¹⁶ tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).

[4:17]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”

[4:25]  ¹⁸ tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.

[4:25]  ¹⁹ tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.

[4:25]  ²⁰ tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.

[4:25]  ²¹ tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”

[4:25]  ²² 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.

[4:25]  ²³ tn Aram “until.”

[4:34]  ²⁴ tn Aram “days.”

[4:34]  ²⁵ tn Aram “lifted up my eyes.”

[7:16]  ²⁶ tc The MT reads the enigmatic יָשׁוּבוּ לֹא עָל (yashuvu lo’ ’al) which is taken variously: “they turn, but not upward” (NASB); “they do not turn to the Most High” (NIV); “they return, but not to the most High” (KJV). The BHS editors suggest יָשׁוּבוּ לַבַּעַל (yashuvu labba’al, “they turn to Baal”; so RSV) or יָשׁוּבוּ לַבְּלִיַּעַל (yashuvu labbÿliyya’al, “they turn to Belial”) which is reflected by the LXX.

[7:16]  ²⁷ tn Heb “because their tongue.” The term “tongue” is used figuratively, as a metonymy of cause (tongue) for the effect (prayers to Baal).

[7:16]  ²⁸ tn Heb “this [will] be for scorn in the land of Egypt”; NIV “they will be ridiculed (NAB shall be mocked) in the land of Egypt.”