Deuteronomy 32 · Verse 11

Deuteronomy 32:11

As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:

Deuteronomy 32:11, King James Version

Deuteronomy 32:11 in other translations

BSB	As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions.
WEB	As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, he spread abroad his wings, he took them, he bore them on his feathers.
ASV	As an eagle that stirreth up her nest, That fluttereth over her young, He spread abroad his wings, he took them, He bare them on his pinions.
YLT	As an eagle waketh up its nest, Over its young ones fluttereth, Spreadeth its wings--taketh them, Beareth them on its pinions; --
DARBY	As the eagle stirreth up its nest, Hovereth over its young, Spreadeth out its wings, Taketh them, beareth them on its feathers,
BBE	As an eagle, teaching her young to make their flight, with her wings outstretched over them, takes them up on her strong feathers:
Webster	As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings;

What does Deuteronomy 32:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

11. As an eagle ... fluttereth over her young--This beautiful and expressive metaphor is founded on the extraordinary care and attachment which the female eagle cherishes for her young. When her newly fledged progeny are sufficiently advanced to soar in their native element, she, in their first attempts at flying, supports them on the tip of her wing, encouraging, directing, and aiding their feeble efforts to longer and sublimer flights. So did God take the most tender and powerful care of His chosen people; He carried them out of Egypt and led them through all the horrors of the wilderness to the promised inheritance.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest - Flutters over her brood to excite them to fly; or, as some think, disturbs her nest to oblige the young ones to leave it; so God by his plagues in Egypt obliged the Israelites, otherwise very reluctant, to leave a place which he appeared by his judgments to have devoted to destruction. Fluttereth over her young - ירחף yeracheph, broodeth over them, communicating to them a portion of her own vital warmth: so did God, by the influences of his Spirit, enlighten, encourage, and strengthen their minds. It is the same word which is used in Gen 1:2. Spreadeth abroad her wings, etc. - In order, not only to teach them how to fly, but to bear them when weary. For to this fact there seems an allusion, it having been generally believed that the eagle, through extraordinary affection for her young, takes them upon her back when they are weary of flying, so that the archers cannot injure them but by piercing the body of the mother. The same figure is used Exo 19:4 (note); in the note. The נשר nesher, which we translate eagle, is supposed by Mr. Bruce to mean the rachama, a bird remarkable for its affection to its young, which it is known actually to bear on its back when they are weary.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:7-14

Moses gives particular instances of God's kindness and concern for them. The eagle's care for her young is a beautiful emblem of Christ's love, who came between Divine justice and our guilty souls, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And by the preached gospel, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, He stirs up and prevails upon sinners to leave Satan's bondage. In ver. #(13-14), are emblems of the…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 32:7-14 →

Deuteronomy 32:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כְּנֶ֙שֶׁר֙ke.Ne.sherlike an eagleH5404

יָעִ֣ירya.'Ir[which] it stirs upH5782

קִנּ֔וֹki.Nonest itsH7064

עַל\־'al-overH5921

גּוֹזָלָ֖יוgo.za.Lavyoung ones itsH1469

יְרַחֵ֑ףye.ra.Chefit hoversH7363

יִפְרֹ֤שׂyif.Rosit spreads outH6566

כְּנָפָיו֙ke.na.Favwings itsH3671

יִקָּחֵ֔הוּyi.ka.Che.huit takes itH3947

יִשָּׂאֵ֖הוּyi.sa.'E.huit carries itH5375

עַל\־'al-onH5921

אֶבְרָתֽוֹ\׃'ev.ra.Topinion itsH84

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 32:11

Exodus 19:4
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
Isaiah 46:4
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Isaiah 63:9
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 31:5
As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
Revelation 12:4
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Hebrews 11:3
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ex 19:4; Isa 31:5; 40:31; 46:4; 63:9; Heb 11:3; Re 12:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Deuteronomy 32:10
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Deuteronomy 32:11
As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
Deuteronomy 32:12
So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

Read all of Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32:11 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Como el águila despierta su nidada, revolotea sobre sus pollos, extiende sus alas, los toma, los lleva sobre sus plumas:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Comme l’aigle éveille son nid, plane au-dessus de ses petits, étend ses ailes, les prend, les porte sur ses plumes,
German Elberfelder 1871	Wie der Adler sein Nest aufstört, über seinen Jungen schwebt, seine Flügel ausbreitet, sie aufnimmt, sie trägt auf seinen Schwingen;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Sicut aquila provocans ad volandum pullos suos, et super eos volitans, expandit alas suas, et assumpsit eum, atque portavit in humeris suis.