Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

DEUTERONOMY 32:6KJV
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Deuteronomy 32:6 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 32:6 mean?

Deuteronomy 32:6 expresses a rebuke to the people of Israel, questioning how they could respond to the LORD’s kindness with foolishness and lack of understanding. The verse reminds them that the LORD is their Father who purchased, created, and established them, highlighting their dependence on Him and the seriousness of their ingratitude.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites as part of a song he recites near the end of his life. The context is a warning against forgetting God after all He has done for them—delivering them from Egypt, forming them as a nation, and caring for them. Moses calls them “foolish” and “unwise” for failing to recognize God’s role as their Father and Redeemer.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 32:6

  • “Requite” (גָּמַל, gamal, H1580) means to repay or respond to someone’s actions. Here, it points to the idea of returning evil for good, highlighting the people’s ungrateful response to God’s care.
  • “Foolish” (נָבָל, naval, H5036) carries the sense of moral dullness or spiritual insensitivity, not just a lack of intelligence. Moses is calling out a heart attitude that ignores God’s goodness.
  • “Bought” (קָנָה, qanah, H7069) means to acquire or purchase. This word emphasizes that God has taken ownership of Israel, not just created them, but also redeemed them at a cost.
  • “Established” (כּוּן, kun, H3559) means to make firm or set up securely. This stresses that God didn’t just start Israel as a people, but also gave them stability and a lasting foundation.

Why Deuteronomy 32:6 matters

  • Deuteronomy 32:6 clarifies that Israel’s relationship with God is not just about creation, but also about redemption and ongoing care—God is described as Father, Creator, and Redeemer.
  • The verse warns against spiritual forgetfulness and ingratitude, showing that failing to recognize God’s work is not just a mistake, but a moral failing.
  • This rebuke sets the tone for the rest of Moses’ song, which contrasts God’s faithfulness with Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness, helping readers see the seriousness of turning away from God after receiving His blessings.

Where else these words appear

“foolish” Hebrew H5036 · used in 18 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:21 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.
  • Psalms 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
  • Proverbs 17:21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

“requite” Hebrew H1580 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 21:8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
  • 1 Kings 11:20 And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.
  • Psalms 142:7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

“bought” Hebrew H7069 · used in 76 verses

  • Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
  • Ruth 4:4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
  • Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

“unwise” Hebrew H2450 · used in 133 verses

  • Genesis 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
  • Proverbs 3:35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
  • Ecclesiastes 2:16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.