Deuteronomy 32:36
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The phrase "when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free" highlights that God's intervention is not due to Israel's strength, but precisely in their absolute weakness and despair. This emphasizes that their salvation comes not from any merit of their own, but from God's sovereign compassion acting when all human hope is extinguished.
For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes at the end of Moses' final song to Israel, a powerful and sweeping review of their history, God's faithfulness, and their persistent disobedience. The song has detailed God's warnings of judgment for their sins, but it shifts dramatically here to speak of God's ultimate faithfulness and compassion for His people, even when they are at their absolute lowest point.
Ever feel like you've hit absolute zero? When all your strength is gone, and there's no one left to turn to? This verse speaks directly to that moment.
The Ultimate Low
Deuteronomy 32:36 describes a moment of profound desperation for God's people. The phrase 'their power is gone' (or 'their hand is gone' in some translations) signifies the complete depletion of their strength and resources. They are utterly helpless.
No One Left Behind
Adding to this hopelessness is the description: 'and there is none remaining, bond or free.' This signifies that everyone is affected. There are no exceptions – no powerful leaders left to rally, no hidden helpers, no one spared. It's total devastation. This isn't just a bad day; it's the absolute end of their own capabilities.
When everything seems lost, and you've reached your limit, what happens next? This verse reveals God's powerful response.
God's Active Intervention
The verse doesn't just describe God seeing Israel's plight; it states what He does. 'For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.'
Ask a follow-up
A Promise Rooted in Relationship
Notice the specific terms used: 'people' and 'servants.' These highlight God's established relationship with Israel. He doesn't act this way towards strangers; He acts for those He has chosen and covenanted with. This compassion and vindication aren't random; they flow from His faithfulness to His own.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel, signifying His self-existence, eternity, and faithfulness to His covenant promises.
din · Hebrew Verb
To act as judge to render justice, uphold the rights of, or execute vengeance on behalf of someone; it implies both defense and deliverance.
nacham · Hebrew Verb
Deep, visceral sympathy or mercy, often compared to the feeling of a parent for a child; it implies a movement of God’s heart that leads to action for His people.
This passage speaks into the direst moments of Israel's history, particularly the Babylonian exile, where their national strength, religious institutions, and very existence seemed to be obliterated. It offers a profound message of hope: even when all human power and refuge are gone, God's faithfulness to His people and His ultimate vindication remain.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus and Covenant at Sinai
God delivers Israel from Egyptian slavery and establishes a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, setting them apart as His people.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, Israel begins the conquest of the Promised Land, fulfilling God's promises to Abraham.
c. 1400-1050 BC
Period of the Judges
A cycle of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance characterizes this era as Israel struggles to remain faithful to God.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy (Saul, David, Solomon)
Israel establishes a monarchy, experiencing periods of strength and spiritual decline, culminating in Solomon's temple.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's reign, the united monarchy splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and marking a severe judgment.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling much of the population, representing a peak of national disaster.
This Psalm echoes the heart of Deuteronomy, stating that the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on them when they are suffering, showing God's faithfulness even when His people are in dire straits.
Isaiah 1:17Similar to Deuteronomy's promise, Isaiah calls for justice and vindication for the oppressed, highlighting God's commitment to defending His people when they are in distress and have lost all their strength.
Jeremiah 30:10-11This passage offers a prophetic promise of restoration and deliverance for Jacob (Israel) when they are in their lowest state, mirroring Deuteronomy's assurance that God will act on behalf of His people when all hope seems lost.
Hebrews 10:30The author of Hebrews quotes Deuteronomy 32:35-36 to emphasize that vengeance belongs to God and that He will ultimately judge and vindicate His people, drawing a direct line from the Old Testament promise to New Testament understanding.
Revelation 18:20In the context of judgment against oppressive systems, Revelation calls for God's people to rejoice because He has judged their oppressor and avenged their blood, a theme that resonates with Deuteronomy's promise of divine vindication.
calvinDeuteronomy 32:1-52: "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth."
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.
Ipsi ad zelum provocaverunt me, in eo quod non est Deus, ad iracundiam me provocaverunt in vanitatibus suis: et ego ad zelum provocabo eos in eo qui non…
pooleDeuteronomy 32:36: "For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left."
For, or, nevertheless , or, but yet , as the particle chi is sometimes used, as Job 5:7 Isaiah 9:1 49:25 . Having spoken of the dreadful calamity which would come upon his people, he now turns his discourse into a more comfortable strain, according to the usual method of the prophets, and here begins to show that after God had…
The phrase "when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free" highlights that God's intervention is not due to Israel's strength, but precisely in their absolute weakness and despair. This emphasizes that their salvation comes not from any merit of their own, but from God's sovereign compassion acting when all human hope is extinguished.
This passage comes at the end of Moses' final song to Israel, a powerful and sweeping review of their history, God's faithfulness, and their persistent disobedience. The song has detailed God's warnings of judgment for their sins, but it shifts dramatically here to speak of God's ultimate faithfulness and compassion for His people, even when they are at their absolute lowest point.
This passage comes at the end of Moses' final song to Israel, a powerful and sweeping review of their history, God's faithfulness, and their persistent disobedience. The song has detailed God's warnings of judgment for their sins, but it shifts dramatically here to speak of God's ultimate faithfulness and compassion for His people, even when they are at their absolute lowest point.
"For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free." — The phrase "when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free" highlights that God's intervention is not due to Israel's strength, but precisely in their absolute weakne…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
