Lexical Summary paah: To cleave, break apart, or scatter Original Word: פָאָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance scatter into corners A primitive root; to puff, i.e. Blow away -- scatter into corners. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to cleave in pieces NASB Translation cut them to pieces (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מּאה] verb perhaps (si vera lectio) cleave in pieces (Arabic ( ,  )  cleave, split (head, bowl, etc.); Sabean פעי DHMZMG xxx (1876), 701 f.); — Hiph`il Imperfect1singular suffix אַפְאֵיהֶם Deuteronomy 32:26 I [׳י] will cleave them in pieces (possibly point ׳אֶפ, i.e. Qal; on other views see Dr; read perhaps אֲפִיצֵם ᵐ5 Gr). Topical Lexicon Occurrence and Literary Setting פָאָה appears once, in Moses’ “Song of Witness” (Deuteronomy 32:26). The verse renders God’s contemplated judgment on apostate Israel: “I would have said that I would cut them to pieces and blot out their memory from mankind”. Positioned late in Moses’ life, the song rehearses Israel’s past redemption, present rebellion, and future restoration. The solitary use of פָאָה underscores the severity of the threatened sanction—Israel’s very remembrance could be wafted away like chaff before the wind. The Act of Divine Erasure In Scripture, to “blot out” or “remove remembrance” is the ultimate covenant curse. It is more than physical destruction; it is historical annihilation. Comparable warnings employ other verbs (Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 9:14; Psalm 34:16), but the single use of פָאָה carries a vivid image: the LORD can disperse His people’s reputation as swiftly as breath scatters dust. The unique vocabulary heightens the rhetorical force—Israel’s survival depends entirely on divine mercy. Covenant Context and Thematic Parallels Deuteronomy is covenantal. Blessings follow obedience; curses follow apostasy (Deuteronomy 28). The threat in 32:26 corresponds to the curse of dispersion (Deuteronomy 28:64) and anticipates exile under Assyria and Babylon. Yet the song immediately pivots to mercy: “But I dreaded the taunt of the enemy” (Deuteronomy 32:27). God restrains total erasure to protect His name among the nations (cf. Ezekiel 36:22). Thus פָאָה sits at the intersection of justice and hesed (steadfast love). Historical Relevance for Israel Israel’s later history validates the warning. The northern kingdom fell (2 Kings 17:6), Judah was exiled (2 Chronicles 36:19), yet the people were never erased. Return from exile (Ezra 1:1–4) demonstrates that God’s covenant faithfulness tempers the severity implied in פָאָה. Even in dispersion, Israel’s memory endured, fulfilling the promise of preservation for a remnant (Isaiah 10:20–22). Implications for Biblical Theology 1. Divine Sovereignty: God alone controls national existence. Ministry Applications • Warning against Apostasy: Churches are reminded that complacency can invite severe discipline (Revelation 2:5). New Testament Echoes While פָאָה itself is not used in the New Testament, its concept appears when Jesus warns of branches cast into the fire (John 15:6) and when Revelation depicts names blotted from the book of life (Revelation 3:5). These passages sustain the Old Testament tension: authentic faith perseveres, yet empty profession risks irrevocable loss of memory in God’s eternal record. In sum, פָאָה stands as a solemn monument in Scripture—reminding Israel and the church alike that the God who redeems can, if provoked, erase; yet in covenant mercy He chooses instead to redeem and remember. Forms and Transliterations אַפְאֵיהֶ֑ם אפאיהם ’ap̄’êhem ’ap̄·’ê·hem afeiHemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:26 HEB: אָמַ֖רְתִּי אַפְאֵיהֶ֑ם אַשְׁבִּ֥יתָה מֵאֱנ֖וֹשׁ NAS: I would have said, I will cut them to pieces, I will remove KJV: I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance INT: have said will cut will remove men 1 Occurrence |
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