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In Deuteronomy 32:8-9 states:

When Elyon gave to the nations their allotted inheritances, when he divided the sons of Adam, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of El. 9 YHWH’s portion was his people, Jacob, the lot of his allotted inheritance.

An argument has been made for the separation of Elyon and YHWH since in the text it is apparent that Elyon is giving Israel to YHWH.

The noun nachalah in v. 9 should be translated “inheritance.” YHWH receives Israel as his “inheritance” (nachalah), just as the other sons of El received their nations as their inheritance (nachal, v. 8). With this verb, especially in the Hiphil, the object is always what is being given as an inheritance. Thus, Israel is given to YHWH as his inheritance.6 It would make no sense for Elyon to give himself an inheritance.

Are there any suggestions as to if this is the correct way of reading Deuteronomy 32?

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    There are several different titles/names used in this section of poetry. Why might you suppose these are separate deities, rather than different titles/names? Why might you suppose only these two are separate and not the others?
    – Seth J
    Jul 21, 2016 at 17:48
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    "Are there any suggestions as to if this is the correct way of reading Deuteronomy 32?" You clearly haven't done even the slightest research about Judaism, which is monotheistic. So -1.
    – Double AA
    Jul 21, 2016 at 18:08
  • chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9996#v=8&showrashi=true gives a better translation and shows what Rashi says. Jul 21, 2016 at 20:27

1 Answer 1

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No. You've translated at least one word wrong and left out another.

Here is a standard translation from Artscroll.

8: When the Supreme one gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of man, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. 9: For Hashem's portion is His people; Jacob is the measure of His inheritance.

There is no separation between the two of the many names of God written here any more than anywhere else.

The point is, as explained by Rashi, why is it that by the generation of the dispersal by the tower of Babylon Hashem chose to disperse them to have seventy languages? That is explained in verse 9. Because the number of the family of Jacob who went down to Egypt numbered seventy, and the children of Israel are Hashem's people, His inheritance.

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  • Sorry guys, I'm getting all this information from this article religionatthemargins.com/2011/07/… Jul 21, 2016 at 18:08
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    @JahkuubLanood That is the problem. You need to get information from a valid Jewish site and not one that does not know anything about Judaism. Jul 21, 2016 at 20:25

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