Deuteronomy32

Moses' song in Deuteronomy 32 begins by extolling God's perfect character as the Rock and His faithful care for Israel, whom He chose and nourished. However, Israel, described as Jeshurun, grew rebellious, forsaking God for idols, thus provoking divine wrath and judgment. Despite the impending punishments, God declares His ultimate sovereignty and promises future vengeance on His enemies while showing mercy to His people. The chapter concludes with Moses being commanded to ascend Mount Nebo to view the promised land before his death, as he is forbidden to enter due to past transgression.

Invocation and Introduction to the Song

1
"Hear, oh heavens, as I speak! Listen, earth, to the words from my mouth! ​
2
May my teaching fall like rain. May my speech condense like dew, like light rain on blades of grass, or showers on growing plants. ​
3
"For I will proclaim the name of ADONAI. Come, declare the greatness of our God!
4
The Rock! His work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A trustworthy God who does no wrong, he is righteous and straight. ​

Israel’s Corruption and Ingratitude

5
"He is not corrupt; the defect is in his children, a crooked and perverted generation. ​
6
You foolish people, so lacking in wisdom, is this how you repay ADONAI? He is your father, who made you his! It was he who formed and prepared you!
7
"Remember how the old days were; think of the years through all the ages. Ask your father -he will tell you; your leaders too -they will inform you.
8
"When 'Elyon gave each nation its heritage, when he divided the human race, he assigned the boundaries of peoples according to Isra'el's population; ​
9
but ADONAI's share was his own people, Ya'akov his allotted heritage.
10
"He found his people in desert country, in a howling, wasted wilderness. He protected him and cared for him, guarded him like the pupil of his eye, ​
11
like an eagle that stirs up her nest, hovers over her young, spreads out her wings, takes them and carries them as she flies. ​
12
"ADONAI alone led his people; no alien god was with him.
13
He made them ride on the heights of the earth. They ate the produce of the fields. He had them suck honey from the rocks and olive oil from the crags,
14
curds from the cows and milk from the sheep, with lamb fat, rams from Bashan and goats, with the finest wheat flour; and you drank sparkling wine from the blood of grapes.

Jeshurun Rebels Against the Rock

15
"But Yeshurun grew fat and kicked (you grew fat, thick, gross!). He abandoned God his Maker; he scorned the Rock, his salvation. ​
16
They roused him to jealousy with alien gods, provoked him with abominations.
17
They sacrificed to demons, non-gods, gods that they had never known, new gods that had come up lately, which your ancestors had not feared. ​
18
You ignored the Rock who fathered you, you forgot God, who gave you birth.

God Declares Judgment

19
"ADONAI saw and was filled with scorn at his sons' and daughters' provocation. ​
20
He said, 'I will hide my face from them and see what will become of them; for they are a perverse generation, untrustworthy children.
21
They aroused my jealousy with a non-god and provoked me with their vanities; I will arouse their jealousy with a non-people and provoke them with a vile nation. ​
22
"'For my anger has been fired up. It burns to the depths of Sh'ol, devouring the earth and its crops, kindling the very roots of the hills. ​
23
I will heap disasters on them and use up all my arrows against them.
24
"'Fatigued by hunger, they will be consumed by fever and bitter defeat; I will send them the fangs of wild beasts, and the poison of reptiles crawling in the dust.
25
Outside, the sword makes parents childless; inside, there is panic, as young men and girls alike are slain, sucklings and graybeards together.

God’s Mercy and the Enemy’s Folly

26
"'I considered putting an end to them, erasing their memory from the human race; ​
27
but I feared the insolence of their enemy, feared that their foes would mistakenly think, "We ourselves accomplished this; ADONAI had nothing to do with it."
28
"'They are a nation without common sense, utterly lacking in discernment.
29
If they were wise they could figure it out and understand their destiny.
30
After all, how can one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to rout, unless their Rock sells them to their enemies, unless ADONAI hands them over? ​
31
For our enemies have no rock like our Rock -even they can see that! ​
32
"'Rather, their vine is from the vine of S'dom, from the fields of 'Amora -their grapes are poisonous, their clusters are bitter;
33
their wine is snake poison, the cruel venom of vipers.

The Lord’s Vengeance and Sovereignty

34
"'Isn't this hidden with me, sealed in my storehouses? ​
35
Vengeance and payback are mine for the time when their foot slips; for the day of their calamity is coming soon, their doom is rushing upon them.' ​
36
"Yes, ADONAI will judge his people, taking pity on his servants, when he sees that their strength is gone, that no one is left, slave or free. ​
37
Then he will ask, 'Where are their gods, the rock in whom they trusted?
38
Who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let him get up and help you, let him protect you!
39
See now that I, yes, I, am he; and there is no god beside me. I put to death, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; no one saves anyone from my hand! ​
40
"'For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, "As surely as I am alive forever,
41
if I sharpen my flashing sword and set my hand to judgment, I will render vengeance to my foes, repay those who hate me.
42
I will make my arrows drunk with blood, my sword will devour flesh the blood of the slain and the captives, flesh from the wild-haired heads of the enemy."'
43
"Sing out, you nations, about his people! For he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will render vengeance to his adversaries and make atonement for the land of his people." ​

Exhortation and Moses’ Final Charge

44
Moshe came and proclaimed all the words of this song in the hearing of the people and of Hoshea the son of Nun. ​
45
When he had finished speaking all these words to all Isra'el,
46
he said to them, "Take to heart all the words of my testimony against you today, so that you can use them in charging your children to be careful to obey all the words of this Torah.
47
For this is not a trivial matter for you; on the contrary, it is your life! Through it you will live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to possess." ​

The Lord Instructs Moses to Die

48
That same day ADONAI said to Moshe, ​
49
"Go up into the 'Avarim Range, to Mount N'vo, in the land of Mo'av across from Yericho; and look out over the land of Kena'an, which I am giving the people of Isra'el as a possession.
50
On the mountain you are ascending you will die and be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.
51
The reason for this is that both of you broke faith with me there among the people of Isra'el at the M'rivat-Kadesh Spring, in the Tzin Desert; you failed to demonstrate my holiness there among the people of Isra'el. ​
52
So you will see the land from a distance, but you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Isra'el."

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 32

Verse 1

Moses calls upon the heavens and the earth to act as witnesses to the declarations of the covenant, a common motif in ancient Near Eastern treaty documents.

Verse 2

This verse uses powerful nature metaphors (rain, dew) to describe the life-giving and refreshing nature of divine instruction (doctrine), contrasting it sharply with the harshness of the wilderness.

Verse 4

The title 'He is the Rock' (Hebrew: *Tsur*) is a central theme of this song, emphasizing God’s reliability, permanence, justice, and faithfulness, contrasting Him with the fleeting nature of idols.

Verse 5

The phrase 'their spot is not the spot of his children' signifies that Israel's moral corruption has led to a fundamental theological estrangement, behaving in a manner inconsistent with God’s people.

Verse 8

This verse provides a crucial theological statement: while God dispersed all nations, He set their boundaries specifically in relation to the future inheritance of Israel, underscoring Israel's unique status as God's chosen portion.

Verse 10

This passage describes God's tender care for Israel in the wilderness, using imagery of intimate guidance, instruction, and protection ('kept him as the apple of his eye').

Verse 11

The metaphor of the eagle illustrates God’s diligent, protective, and training role, teaching Israel how to rely on Him and eventually carry them safely to their destination.

Verse 15

'Jeshurun' (meaning 'the upright one') is a poetic and ironic name for Israel. This verse describes the danger of prosperity leading to arrogance and apostasy, where the people 'waxed fat, and kicked' against their Deliverer.

Verse 17

The objects of Israel’s worship are identified as 'devils' (*shedim*), highlighting the demonic nature underlying the worship of foreign gods, who were 'new gods' whom the ancestors did not acknowledge.

Verse 19

God’s response to Israel’s apostasy is deep displeasure and 'abhorrence.' This is not mere anger, but a profound rejection of the covenant relationship due to the people’s provocation.

Verse 21

God promises reciprocal judgment: just as Israel provoked God with 'no-gods' (idols), God will provoke Israel using a 'no-people' (a foolish, insignificant, or Gentile nation) to execute judgment.

Verse 22

The judgment is described as a catastrophic fire reaching the foundations of the earth and the 'lowest hell' (*Sheol*), emphasizing the depth and totality of God’s wrath.

Verse 26

God reveals His internal deliberation. He considers utter annihilation but holds back out of concern that Israel's enemies would arrogantly claim victory for themselves rather than attributing the judgment to Yahweh.

Verse 30

This rhetorical question emphasizes that Israel’s military success or failure is entirely dependent on God. Their future defeats will prove that God Himself 'sold them' into the enemy's hands.

Verse 31

Even the enemies of Israel concede the superiority of Yahweh ('our Rock') compared to their own deities, confirming the justice of God’s actions.

Verse 34

God asserts that He keeps a meticulous record of all human actions, implying that judgment is stored up and will be delivered precisely when He deems fit.

Verse 35

This foundational verse, quoted in Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30, establishes that vengeance belongs exclusively to the sovereign God, assuring Israel that their oppressors will inevitably suffer recompense.

Verse 36

The judgment serves a redemptive purpose; God will 'repent himself' (show compassion) for His servants when they are completely helpless and their power is exhausted, leading to final vindication.

Verse 39

This is a profound declaration of absolute monotheism and omnipotence: Yahweh alone is God. He possesses the exclusive power over life, death, wounding, and healing, demonstrating His unmatched sovereignty.

Verse 43

This call for the nations (Gentiles) to rejoice with Israel anticipates the universal scope of God's final redemption, where He will avenge His people and show mercy to His land.

Verse 44

This verse marks the transition from the Song itself to its delivery and application. Hoshea (Joshua) is mentioned alongside Moses, highlighting his role as the immediate successor and witness to the Law.

Verse 47

Moses powerfully stresses that the Law is not a trivial matter but 'your life.' Obedience to these commands is the means by which Israel will secure and prolong their existence in the promised land.

Verse 48

The final section of the chapter shifts to God's direct command concerning Moses' fate, separating the leader from the people before they enter Canaan.

Verse 51

God explicitly recalls the sin at Meribah-Kadesh (Numbers 20:10-13), where Moses failed to 'sanctify' God by striking the rock rather than speaking to it, resulting in the penalty of not entering the land.

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