Deuteronomy 32:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

According to Daniel 10:13, the boundaries of languages were established in alignment with the number of God's angels. This suggests that God assigned various nations of the world to His angels; one angel oversees one nation while another governs another, so that creation—such as the sun, moon, stars, earth, and sea—might be managed for the benefit of humanity. However, the angels suffered greatly as they were compelled to serve unworthy humans, and their distress deepened upon witnessing how people abandoned their Sovereign's dignity to idolize false gods. The angels grew indignant, realizing that others were being acknowledged as rulers, while the true God received no gratitude.

Since the time of Adam, God established the limits of languages in accordance with the count of the children of Israel. He resolved that the variety of tribes and tongues would match the number of the Israelite descendants who journeyed into Egypt with Jacob, totaling seventy individuals.

Angels are given the responsibility to oversee human matters, in agreement with both the Song of Songs and Deuteronomy: "When the Most High divided the nations and scattered the children of Adam, he set the boundaries of the earth according to the number of the angels of God." These beings are ministering spirits, dispatched for the benefit of those who seek salvation (Hebrews 1:14).

The Holy Scripture further affirms that an angel is assigned to every nation; for the angel who spoke with the prophet Daniel identified both the ruler of Persia and the ruler of the Greeks, as well as Michael, the guardian of the Jews. Additionally, the great prophet Moses declares in his song, "When the Most High divided the languages, because He scattered the children of Adam, He set the boundaries of the languages according to the number of the angels of God." Thus, if one angel is designated to oversee this group and another to oversee that one, and every individual is under the watchful eye of a specific angel, it is evident that angels possess a finite nature.

The hierarchical order of rulers, archangels, and angels alternates in governing the human hierarchies, facilitating the journey towards and transformation in God. This union and communion with Him flows from divine grace to all hierarchies, nurtured through spiritual communication and expressed in sacred rituals. Thus, the study of Theology assigns the role of priesthood over us to the Angels, designating Michael as the prince of the Israelite people (Dan. 10:13, 21), along with other Angels as leaders of various nations.

The highest citizenship is comprised of both angels and humanity, and we believe that the number of individuals from our race who will ascend to this status will match the number of chosen angels remaining there. It is written: ‘The limits of tongues have been set according to the number of the angels of God.’ Therefore, we ought to draw from these distinctions of the supreme citizens to aid our own conversion and ignite within ourselves a desire for the growth of virtues. Since we hold that as many individuals will reach this exalted place as there are angels, it is essential for those who are journeying back to their heavenly homeland to emulate aspects of their angelic counterparts.

When the Most High distributed the inheritances among the nations and scattered the descendants of Adam, they all strayed from the path of the Lord, resembling lost sheep vulnerable to predatory wolves. In this condition, the wicked tempter, the devil, exalted himself among the nations by creating idols and engaging in various deceitful acts, wishing to dominate and control our nations. During this time, we received no prophetic messages, and the Lord remained silent to our generation. However, one day, in His mercy, He descended from the heavens, lifted us who had stumbled, and united us who had wandered off into one fold, which signifies one faith, one baptism, and one confession.

"When the Most High dispersed the languages," declares the initial chronicler of creation, "He established the limits of the nations based on the count of the angels of God" (Deuteronomy 32:8). Indeed, it was during this epoch that it was determined that the Most High alone would reign as "king over all the earth" (Psalms 46:8).