He fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the SONS of GOD

[tonychanyt]

Just before Moses died, he wrote a song in De 28:

1 Listen, you heavens, and I will speak; hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:

8 When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.

LXX was written in the 3rd century BCE. This aligned with ancient Near Eastern understandings of a divine council, where God assigned authority over nations to these spiritual beings.

English Standard Version:

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.

ESV used the DSS. The manuscript was dated from the 2nd century BCE. The sons of God were angelic beings. Similar to LXX, each nation was backed up by some angelic beings.

New International Version:

When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.

NIV stuck to MT. Masoretic Text was compiled in the 7th CE. This interpretation suggested that the boundaries of the nations were set with consideration for the descendants of Israel. This view emphasized God's special relationship with Israel and His plan for them among the nations.

9 But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.

Taking two verses together, all three variants/translations highlighted God's sovereignty over the nations and His unique relationship with Israel.