Deuteronomy 32:38

which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel, recounting God’s future rhetorical question directed at idolaters about their false gods, immediately followed by Yahweh’s declaration of exclusive control over life, death, and healing.

The words — יֹאכֵ֔לוּ (yo.Khe.lu) = they ate and יָק֙וּמוּ (ya.Ku.mu) = let them arise.

The thread — The motif of mocking false gods’ inability to deliver appears in Judges 10:14, while the denial that God consumes sacrificial meat or blood appears in Psalms 50:13.

Why it lands — It demands the reader acknowledge that idols cannot provide aid or shelter, contrasting their silence with the only God who alone wounds, heals, and delivers.

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

אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich חֵ֤לֶבChe.lev[the] fat of זְבָחֵ֙ימוֹ֙ze.va.Chei./movsacrifices/ their יֹאכֵ֔לוּyo.Khe.luthey ate יִשְׁתּ֖וּyish.Tuthey drank יֵ֣יןyein[the] wine נְסִיכָ֑םne.si.Kha/mdrink-offering/ their יָק֙וּמוּ֙ya.Ku.mulet them arise וְיַעְזְרֻכֶ֔םve./ya'.ze.ru./Khemand/ let them help/ you יְהִ֥יye.Hilet it be עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם'a.lei./Khemover/ you סִתְרָֽה׃sit.Raha shelter

King James Version

Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

Cross-references

Leviticus 21:21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the food offerings to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God.
Judges 10:14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”
Psalms 50:13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Ezekiel 16:18 You took your embroidered garments to cover them, and you set My oil and incense before them.
Hosea 2:8 For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.
Zephaniah 2:11 The LORD will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.