Deuteronomy 32:21

They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, concluding the Song of Moses just before the conquest of Canaan. He warns that their future idolatry will trigger covenant curses and divine intervention.

The words — The verse employs the verbal forms קִנְא֣וּנִי (kin'uni) and אַקְנִיאֵ֣ם (akni'em) from the root קָנָא (H7065), meaning "to provoke jealousy" or "to make jealous." It also uses כִּעֲס֖וּנִי (ki'asuni) from H3707, meaning "to provoke to anger," alongside בְּלֹא־אֵל (be-lo' El, "by that which is not God") and בְּהַבְלֵי הֶ֑ם (be-havlei hem, "by their vanities").

The thread — The clause "I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation" is quoted in Romans 10:19 to explain how Gentile inclusion would function as a divine provocation. The broader theme of idolatry triggering reciprocal divine action connects to the trespass and salvation framework in Romans 11:11.

Why it lands — The text states that human worship of worthless idols directly provokes divine jealousy and anger, prompting God to use foreign nations to provoke Israel in turn. It requires the reader to acknowledge that covenant betrayal carries immediate, mirrored consequences rather than abstract or delayed judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הֵ֚םhemthey קִנְא֣וּנִיkin.'U./nithey have made jealous/ me בְלֹא־ve./lo'-by/ not אֵ֔ל'Ela god כִּעֲס֖וּנִיki.'a.Su./nithey have provoked to anger/ me בְּהַבְלֵיהֶ֑םbe./hav.lei./Hemby/ vanities/ their וַאֲנִי֙va./'a.Niand/ I אַקְנִיאֵ֣ם'ak.ni.'E/mI will make jealous/ them בְּלֹא־be./lo'-by/ not עָ֔ם'Ama people בְּג֥וֹיbe./Goyby/ a nation נָבָ֖לna.Valfoolish אַכְעִיסֵֽם׃'akh.'i.Se/mI will provoke to anger/ them

King James Version

They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Cross-references

Romans 10:19 I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”
Romans 9:25 As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”
Romans 11:11 I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.
1 Kings 16:26 For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.
1 Kings 16:13 This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.
Psalms 78:58 They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.
Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods; they enraged Him with abominations.
Psalms 31:6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols, but in the LORD I trust.
Jonah 2:8 Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.
Jeremiah 14:22 Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.