Deuteronomy 32:34-44

34 "'Is not this laid up in store with me, 1sealed up in my treasuries?
35 2Vengeance is mine, and recompense,[a] 3for the time when their foot shall slip; for 4the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.'
36 For 5the LORD will vindicate[b] his people 6and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, 7bond or free.
37 Then he will say, 8'Where are their gods, 9the rock in which they took refuge,
38 who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection!
39 "'See now that 10I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; 11I kill and I make alive; 12I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
40 For 13I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever,
41 if I 14sharpen my flashing sword[c] and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me.
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and 15my sword shall devour flesh-- with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the 16long-haired heads of the enemy.'
43 17"Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods,[d] for he 18avenges the blood of his children[e] and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him[f] and cleanses[g] his people's land."[h]
44 Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and 19Joshua[i] the son of Nun.

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.

Cross References 19

  • 1. [Job 14:17; Hosea 13:12; Romans 2:5]
  • 2. Psalms 94:1; Isaiah 1:24; Isaiah 59:18; Nahum 1:2; Cited Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30
  • 3. [Psalms 94:18]
  • 4. [2 Peter 2:3]
  • 5. Psalms 135:14; Cited Hebrews 10:30
  • 6. Judges 2:18; Psalms 106:45; [Psalms 90:13]
  • 7. 1 Kings 14:10; 1 Kings 21:21; 2 Kings 9:8; 2 Kings 14:26
  • 8. Judges 10:14; 1 Kings 18:27; Jeremiah 2:28
  • 9. [ver. 31]
  • 10. Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 48:12
  • 11. 1 Samuel 2:6; 2 Kings 5:7
  • 12. Job 5:18; Hosea 6:1
  • 13. See Genesis 14:22
  • 14. Psalms 7:12; Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 34:5; Isaiah 66:16; Ezekiel 21:9, 10
  • 15. Jeremiah 46:10
  • 16. See Psalms 68:21
  • 17. Cited Romans 15:10
  • 18. Revelation 6:10; Revelation 19:2; [2 Kings 9:7; Psalms 79:10]
  • 19. Numbers 13:8, 16

Footnotes 9

  • [a]. Septuagint and I will repay
  • [b]. Septuagint judge
  • [c]. Hebrew the lightning of my sword
  • [d]. Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text Rejoice his people, O nations
  • [e]. Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text servants
  • [f]. Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks He repays those who hate him
  • [g]. Or atones for
  • [h]. Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew his land his people
  • [i]. Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew Hoshea
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.