King James Version

Deuteronomy 32:30

How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?

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Hebrew

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אֵיכָ֞הeykhahhowאֵיךְparticle, interrogative — “how”H349how? or how!; also wherehow, what.יִרְדֹּ֤ףyirdofchaseרָדַףverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “chase”, an unfinished actionH7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).אֶחָד֙echadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,אֶ֔לֶףelefthousandאֶלֶףadjective, cardinal, both genders, singular, absolute — “thousand”, the ordinary formH505hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousandthousand.וּשְׁנַ֖יִםushenayimand twoשְׁנַיִםconjunction, adjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, absolute — “and two”, the ordinary formH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.יָנִ֣יסוּyanisvawayנוּסverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “away”, an unfinished actionH5127to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)[idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard.רְבָבָ֑הrevavahmanyרְבָבָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “many”, the ordinary formH7233abundance (in number), i.e. (specifically) a myriad (whether definite or indefinite)many, million, [idiom] multiply, ten thousand.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…לֹא֙lono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…צוּרָ֣םtsuramedgeצוּרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6697properly, a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder; figuratively, a refuge; also an edge (as precipitous)edge, [idiom] (mighty) God (one), rock, [idiom] sharp, stone, [idiom] strength, [idiom] strong. See also H1049 (בֵּית צוּר).מְכָרָ֔םmekharamsellמָכַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “sell”, a completed actionH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).וַֽיהוָ֖הvayhvahand Jehovahיְהֹוָהconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).הִסְגִּירָֽםhisgiramshutסָגַרverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “shut”, a completed actionH5462to shut up; figuratively, to surrenderclose up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose, [idiom] pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, [idiom] straitly.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had given them over and the LORD had delivered them up?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

How should one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Except their Rock had sold them, And Jehovah had delivered them up?

Young’s Literal Translation

How doth one pursue a thousand, And two cause a myriad to flee! If not — that their rock hath sold them, And Jehovah hath shut them up?

World English Bible

How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and Yahweh had delivered them up?

Darby Translation

How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Were it not that their Rock had sold them, And Jehovah had delivered them up?

Douay-Rheims

How should one pursue after a thousand, and two chase ten thousand? Was it not, because their God had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had given them over and the LORD had delivered them up?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

How should one pursue a thousand, and two rout tens of thousands, if God had not sold them, and the Lord delivered them up?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Πῶς διώξεται εἷς χιλίους, καὶ δύο μετακινήσουσι μυριάδας, εἰ μὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπέδοτο αὐτοὺς, καὶ Κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτούς;