Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.
If I weren't worried about what their enemies would think, afraid that their opponents would misunderstand and boast, 'We won by our own power, and the LORD had nothing to do with this.'
God is saying He holds back from completely destroying His people because He doesn't want their enemies to take credit for what only He could do.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from the Song of Moses, a prophetic poem Moses delivered to Israel before his death. God is explaining why He doesn't completely destroy Israel despite their rebellion - He wants to protect His own reputation among the nations. In ancient times, military victories were often seen as proof that one nation's gods were stronger than another's.
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