Deuteronomy 32:43-52

43 Rejoice, you nations, over His people,[a] for He will avenge the blood of His servants.[b] He will take vengeance on His adversaries;[c] [d] He will purify His land and His people.[e]
44 Moses came with Joshua[f] son of Nun and recited all the words of this song in the presence of the people.
45 After Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel,
46 he said to them, "Take to heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this law.
47 For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

Moses' Impending Death

48 On that same day the Lord spoke to Moses,
49 "Go up Mount Nebo in the Abarim [range] in the land of Moab, across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan I am giving the Israelites as a possession.
50 Then you will die on the mountain that you go up, and you will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.[g]
51 For [both of] you broke faith with Me among the Israelites at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence.
52 Although you will view the land from a distance, which I am giving the Israelites, you will not go there."[h]

Deuteronomy 32:43-52 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 8

  • [a]. LXX reads Rejoice, you heavens, along with Him, and let all the sons of God worship Him; rejoice, you nations, with His people, and let all the angels of God strengthen themselves in Him; DSS reads Rejoice, you heavens, along with Him, and let all the angels worship Him; Heb 1:6
  • [b]. DSS, LXX read sons
  • [c]. DSS, LXX add and He will recompense those who hate Him; v. 41
  • [d]. Ps 79:10
  • [e]. Syr, Tg; DSS, Sam, LXX, Vg read His people's land
  • [f]. LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads Hoshea; Nm 13:8,16
  • [g]. Nm 20:22-29
  • [h]. Nm 20:2-13
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