Deuteronomy 32:26-27

His Verdict Is Withdrawn For The Sake of His Name (Deuteronomy 32:26).

Yahweh is now seen as hesitating at the thought of destroying His people completely. Not because they do not deserve it but lest their enemies think that they have defeated them rather than it being due to His activity.

Deuteronomy 32:26

“I said, I would cut them in pieces,

I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men,

Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy,

Lest their adversaries should judge amiss,

Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted,

And Yahweh has not done all this.”

He had determined to destroy them, to cut them in pieces, to so deal with them that they vanished for ever from people's memories. The only thing that prevented Him was that their enemies would take the credit for themselves. Instead of recognising that it was Yahweh's work they would claim that they had done it themselves, and would preen themselves (compare Deuteronomy 9:28). They would put it down to their own doing.