Deuteronomy 32:34-44

34 Don't I have this stored up, sealed in my vaults?
35 Revenge is my domain, so is punishment-in-kind, at the exact moment their step slips up, because the day of their destruction is just around the corner; their final destiny is speeding on its way!
36 But the LORD will acquit his people, will have compassion on those who serve him, once he sees that their strength is all gone, that both prisoners and free people are wiped out.
37 The Lord will ask, "Where are their gods— the rocks they trusted in—
38 who ate up the fat of their sacrifices, who drank their sacred wine? They should stand up and help you! They should protect you now!
39 Now, look here: I myself, I'm the one; there are no other gods with me. I'm the one who deals death and gives life; I'm the one who wounded, but now I will heal. There's no escaping my hand.
40 But now I'm lifting my hand to heaven— I swear by my own eternity:
41 when I sharpen my blazing sword and my hand grabs hold of justice, I'll pay my enemies back; I'll punish in kind everyone who hates me.
42 I'll make my arrows drink much blood, while my sword devours flesh, the blood of the dead and captured, flowing from the heads of enemy generals."
43 Heavens: Rejoice with God! All you gods: bow down to the Lord! Because he will avenge his children's blood; he will pay back his enemies; he will punish in kind those who hate him; he will cleanse his people's land.
44 So Moses came and recited all the words of this poem in everyone's hearing; Joshua, Nun's son, joined him.

Deuteronomy 32:34-44 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 32

This chapter contains the song mentioned and referred to in the former, the preface to it, De 32:1-3; the character of the divine and illustrious Person it chiefly respects, De 32:4; the ingratitude of the people of the Jews to him, who were a crooked and perverse generation, aggravated by his having bought, made, and established them, De 32:5,6; and which is further aggravated by various instances of divine goodness to them, first in providing and reserving a suitable country for them, at the time of the division of the earth to the sons of men, with the reason of it, De 32:7-9; then by what the Lord did for them in the wilderness, De 32:10-12; after that in the land of Canaan, where they enjoyed plenty of all good things, and in the possession of which they were, when the illustrious Person described appeared among them, De 32:13,14; and then the sin of ingratitude to him, before hinted at, is fully expressed, namely, lightly esteeming the rock of salvation, the Messiah, De 32:15; nor could they stop here, but proceed to more ungodliness, setting up other messiahs and saviours, which were an abomination to the Lord, De 32:16; continuing sacrifices when they should not, which were therefore reckoned no other than sacrifices to demons, and especially the setting up of their new idol, their own righteousness, was highly provoking; and by all this they clearly showed they had forgot the rock, the Saviour, De 32:17,18; wherefore, for the rejection of the Messiah and the, persecution of his followers, they would be abhorred of God, De 32:19; who would show his resentment by the rejection of them, by the calling of the Gentiles, and by bringing the nation of the Romans upon them, De 32:20,21; whereby utter ruin and destruction in all its shapes would be brought upon them, De 32:22-25; and, were it not for the insolence of their adversaries, would be entirely destroyed, being such a foolish and unwise people, which appears by not observing what the enemies of the Messiah themselves allow, that there is no rock like him, whom they despised, De 32:26-31; which enemies are described, and the vengeance reserved for them pointed out, De 32:32-35; and the song closed with promises of grace and mercy to the Lord's people, and wrath and ruin to his and their enemies, on which account all are called upon to rejoice in the latter day, De 32:36-43; and this song being delivered by Moses, the people of Israel are exhorted seriously to attend to it, it being of the utmost importance to them, De 32:44-47; and the chapter is concluded with a relation of Moses being ordered to go up to Mount Nebo and die, with the reason of it, De 32:48-52.

Footnotes 9

  • [a]. Heb uncertain
  • [b]. Heb uncertain
  • [c]. DSS (4QDeutq), LXX; MT nations
  • [d]. DSS (4QDeutq), LXX; MT his people
  • [e]. This line is missing in Heb; it is found in DSS (4QDeutq); LXX him for the Lord
  • [f]. DSS (4QDeutq), LXX; MT his servants
  • [g]. DSS (4QDeutq), LXX; MT lacks this line.
  • [h]. Sam, DSS (4QDeutq), LXX, Vulg; MT his land his people or his land for his people; or, correcting, he will wipe away his people’s tears.
  • [i]. Sam, Syr, Tg Neofiti; MT Hoshea
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