Deuteronomy 32:7

7 Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.

Deuteronomy 32:7 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
English Standard Version (ESV)
7 Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.
The Message Bible (MSG)
7 Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots. Ask your parents what it was like before you were born; ask the old-ones, they'll tell you a thing or two.
American Standard Version (ASV)
7 Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations: Ask thy father, and he will show thee; Thine elders, and they will tell thee.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
7 Remember a time long ago. Think about all the past generations. Ask your fathers to remind you, and your leaders to tell you.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
7 Remember the days of old; consider the years long past. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will teach you.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
7 Remember the days of old. Think about what the LORD did through those many years. Ask your father. He will tell you. Ask your elders. They'll explain it to you.

Deuteronomy 32:7 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 32:7

Remember the days of old, consider the years of many
generations
That went before the times of Christ, and the Jews' rejection of him, and observe the instances of divine goodness to them; as in the time of the Maccabees, whom God raised up as deliverers of them, when oppressed by the Syrians and others; and in the time of the Babylonish captivity, how they were delivered out of it; in the times of David and Solomon, when they enjoyed great prosperity; and in the times of the judges, by whom they were often saved out of the hands of their enemies; and in the times of Moses and Joshua, how they were led, by the one out of Egypt and through the wilderness, and by the other into the land of Canaan; and thus might they be led on higher, to the provision and reservation of the good land for them in the times of Noah and his sons, which they are referred to in ( Deuteronomy 32:8 ) : and in all these times, days, years, and generations, they might consider what notices were given of the Messiah, the rock of salvation, rejected by them; not only by the prophets since the captivity of Babylon and in it; but before it by Isaiah and others, and before them by David, and Solomon his son, by Moses and by all the prophets, from the beginning of the world; all which would serve to aggravate their sin in refusing him: Jarchi's note on the passage is,

``"remember"--"consider"--to know what is to come; for it is in his hand (or power) to do you good, and cause you to inherit the days of the Messiah, and the world to come:''

ask thy father, and he will show thee;
either their immediate parents, father for fathers, or such as were their seniors, or rather Abraham, their father, is meant; whom they might inquire of, not by personal application to him, but by consulting the writings of Moses, and observe what is there related of him; how he was called out of Chaldea to go into the land of Canaan, his seed was after to inherit; and how he had an express grant of that land to his posterity, and where they might be shown and see the prophecy delivered to him of their being in Egypt, and coming out from thence; and what he knew of the Messiah, whose day he saw, and rejoiced at, now rejected by them his offspring:

thy elders, and they will tell thee;
not their present elders who rejected the Messiah, but those in ages past; the elders of Israel, who saw the glory of the God of Israel, and were present at the covenant made at Horeb, ( Exodus 24:9 Exodus 24:10 ) ; or rather the sons of Noah, by whom the earth was divided, to which ( Deuteronomy 32:8 ) refers; or the ancient writers, the writers of the Scriptures: Jarchi, by "father", understands the prophets, and by "elders", the wise men: the Targum of Jonathan is,

``read in the books of the law and they will teach you, and in the books of the prophets and they will tell you.''

Deuteronomy 32:7 In-Context

5 They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.
6 Is this the way you repay the LORD, you foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator,who made you and formed you?
7 Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.
8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
9 For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Psalms 44:1; Psalms 74:2; Psalms 77:5; Isaiah 51:9; Isaiah 63:9
  • 2. Deuteronomy 4:32; Job 8:8; Job 20:4; Psalms 78:4; Isaiah 46:9
  • 3. S Exodus 10:2; Job 15:18; Exodus 13:14
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