Deuteronomy 32:12
New International Version
The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him.

New Living Translation
The LORD alone guided them; they followed no foreign gods.

English Standard Version
the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him.

Berean Standard Bible
The LORD alone led him, and no foreign god was with him.

King James Bible
So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

New King James Version
So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him.

New American Standard Bible
“The LORD alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him.

NASB 1995
“The LORD alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him.

NASB 1977
“The LORD alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him.

Amplified Bible
“So the LORD alone led him; There was no foreign god with him.

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD alone led him, with no help from a foreign god.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD alone led him, with no help from a foreign god.

American Standard Version
Jehovah alone did lead him, And there was no foreign god with him.

Contemporary English Version
Israel, the LORD led you, and without the aid of a foreign god,

English Revised Version
The LORD alone did lead him, And there was no strange god with him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
so the LORD alone led his people. No foreign god was with him.

Good News Translation
The LORD alone led his people without the help of a foreign god.

International Standard Version
the LORD alone guided him. There was no foreign god with him.

Majority Standard Bible
The LORD alone led him, and no foreign god was with him.

NET Bible
The LORD alone was guiding him, no foreign god was with him.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD alone led him. There was no foreign god with him.

Webster's Bible Translation
So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him.

World English Bible
Yahweh alone led him. There was no foreign god with him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
YHWH alone leads him, "" And there is no strange god with him.

Young's Literal Translation
Jehovah alone doth lead him, And there is no strange god with him.

Smith's Literal Translation
Jehovah alone will lead him, And no strange god with him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord alone was his leader: and there was no strange god with him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The Lord alone was his leader, and there was no strange god with him.

New American Bible
The LORD alone guided them, no foreign god was with them.

New Revised Standard Version
the LORD alone guided him; no foreign god was with him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So the LORD alone did lead Israel, and there was no strange god with him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
LORD JEHOVAH alone led him and there is no strange god with Him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The LORD alone did lead him, And there was no strange god with Him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
the Lord alone led them, there was no strange god with them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Song of Moses
11As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions. 12The LORD alone led him, and no foreign god was with him. 13He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag,…

Cross References
Exodus 19:4
‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

Isaiah 63:9
In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Psalm 78:52-53
He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness. / He led them safely, so they did not fear, but the sea engulfed their enemies.

Hosea 13:4
Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.

Isaiah 46:3-4
“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. / Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.

Psalm 81:10
I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

Isaiah 63:11-14
Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, / who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, / who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? ...

Psalm 105:43
He brought forth His people with rejoicing, His chosen with shouts of joy.

Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.

Psalm 136:16
He led His people through the wilderness. His loving devotion endures forever.

John 10:11-14
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. / The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. / The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep. ...

Matthew 4:10
“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Acts 4:12
Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.


Treasury of Scripture

So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

the Lord

Deuteronomy 1:31
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

Nehemiah 9:12
Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

Psalm 27:11
Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

no strange

Isaiah 43:11,12
I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour…

Isaiah 44:7,8
And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them…

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Alone Led Strange
Deuteronomy 32
1. Moses' song, which sets forth God's mercy and vengeance
46. He exhorts them to set their hearts upon it
48. God sends him up to mount Nebo to see the land, and to die














The LORD alone led him
This phrase emphasizes the exclusive guidance and leadership of God over Israel. In the context of Deuteronomy, Moses is recounting the history of Israel and God's faithfulness. The leadership of the LORD alone signifies that Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was directed solely by God, without reliance on any other deity or power. This reflects the monotheistic belief central to Israel's identity, contrasting with the polytheistic cultures surrounding them. The leadership of God is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, seen in passages like Exodus 13:21-22, where God leads the Israelites with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This divine guidance is a type of Christ, who in the New Testament is described as the Good Shepherd leading His flock (John 10:11).

and no foreign god was with him
This part of the verse underscores the absence of any other gods in Israel's journey and success. It highlights the purity of worship and reliance on Yahweh alone, rejecting the influence of foreign deities. In the ancient Near East, it was common for nations to attribute their victories and prosperity to a pantheon of gods. However, Israel's history and covenant relationship with God demanded exclusive worship and loyalty, as seen in the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). The absence of foreign gods also serves as a reminder of the spiritual battles Israel faced, where they were often tempted to adopt the gods of neighboring nations, leading to periods of idolatry and apostasy. This phrase prophetically points to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ, who is the sole mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5), ensuring that no other spiritual entity shares in the redemption and guidance of His people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is depicted as the sole leader and protector of His people.

2. Israel (Him)
The nation of Israel, represented collectively as "him," whom God led out of Egypt and through the wilderness.

3. Foreign God
Refers to the idols and deities of other nations, which Israel is warned against following.
Teaching Points
Exclusive Leadership of God
God alone is sufficient to lead and guide His people. We must trust in His leadership without turning to other sources for guidance.

Avoiding Idolatry
Just as Israel was warned against foreign gods, Christians must guard against modern forms of idolatry, such as materialism or self-reliance.

God's Faithfulness
Reflect on God's past faithfulness in your life as a source of encouragement and trust for the future.

Dependence on God
Cultivate a daily dependence on God through prayer and scripture, acknowledging Him as the sole source of wisdom and direction.

Community of Believers
Encourage one another in the faith, reminding each other of God's leadership and the dangers of turning to "foreign gods."Verse 12. - The Lord alone did lead him (cf. Exodus 13:21; Exodus 15:13). With him; i.e. along with Jehovah, as aiding him.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

alone
בָּדָ֣ד (bā·ḏāḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 910: Isolation, separation

led him,
יַנְחֶ֑נּוּ (yan·ḥen·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5148: To guide, to transport

and no
וְאֵ֥ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

foreign
נֵכָֽר׃ (nê·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5236: That which is foreign, foreignness

god
אֵ֥ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

[was] with him.
עִמּ֖וֹ (‘im·mōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 32:12 Yahweh alone led him (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 32:11
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