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 

Deuteronomy 1:38

1:38 However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, ⁴  will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land. ⁵ 

Deuteronomy 3:28

3:28 Commission ⁶  Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people over and will enable them to inherit the land you will see.”

Deuteronomy 12:10

12:10 When you do go across the Jordan River ⁷  and settle in the land he ⁸  is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety. ⁹ 

Deuteronomy 19:3

19:3 You shall build a roadway and divide into thirds the whole extent ¹⁰  of your land that the Lord your God is providing as your inheritance; anyone who kills another person should flee to the closest of these cities.

Deuteronomy 19:14

Laws Concerning Witnesses

19:14 You must not encroach on your neighbor’s property, ¹¹  which will have been defined ¹²  in the inheritance you will obtain in the land the Lord your God is giving you. ¹³ 

Deuteronomy 21:16

21:16 In the day he divides his inheritance ¹⁴  he must not appoint as firstborn the son of the favorite wife in place of the other ¹⁵  wife’s son who is actually the firstborn.

Deuteronomy 31:7

31:7 Then Moses called out to Joshua ¹⁶  in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the Lord promised to give their ancestors, ¹⁷  and you will enable them to inherit it.

[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.

[1:38]  ⁴ tn Heb “the one who stands before you”; NAB “your aide”; TEV “your helper.”

[1:38]  ⁵ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:28]  ⁷ tn Heb “command”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “charge Joshua.”

[12:10]  ¹⁰ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[12:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.

[12:10]  ¹² tn In the Hebrew text vv. 10-11 are one long, complex sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides this into two sentences.

[19:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “border.”

[19:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “border.” Cf. NRSV “You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker.”

[19:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “which they set off from the beginning.”

[19:14]  ¹⁸ tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess it.” This phrase has been left untranslated to avoid redundancy.

[21:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “when he causes his sons to inherit what is his.”

[21:16]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the hated.”

[31:7]  ²² tn The Hebrew text includes “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:7]  ²³ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 20).