Deuteronomy 32:11,12 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 11, 12. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, &c.— Moses, in this and the following verse, elegantly describes the paternal tenderness of God towards the Israelites: Like an eagle, which stirreth up her nest; for so it is in the original, where, by a figure usual in all languages, the nest is put for that which it contains, namely, for the brood; like an eagle, which excites and animates her young to fly, who fluttereth over them, stirs them on, and, to encourage them, spreadeth abroad her wings to receive them, in case that, attempting to fly, they are unable to keep up; and taketh them upon her wings, receiveth them upon her back, and thus beareth them, sustaining them from time to time, till she hath brought them where she wanted: so God signalized his love to the Israelites, forming them by his continual care, covering them with his cloud, supporting them by his providence, and at length bringing them, weak as they were, into that good land which he had promised to their fathers. See Schultens's Animad. Philol. in loc. Bochart. Hieroz. pars 2: lib. 2 cap. 3. & Voss. de Idolol. lib. 3: cap. 77. Houbigant reads יער iair, here, after the Samaritan, which he says, should be rendered evacuates, or proposes to leave, her nest; elegantly expressing God's raising the Israelites from Egypt, as from a nest. By the clause, there was no strange God with him, is meant, that it was the single and sole power of Jehovah which preserved and protected Israel; so that they could have no motive to revolt from their God to the worship of false deities, as his power had proved itself sufficient to deliver, sustain, and defend them in this greatest crisis of their affairs.