Deuteronomy 32:31-41

31 non enim est Deus noster ut deus eorum et inimici nostri sunt iudices
32 de vinea Sodomorum vinea eorum et de suburbanis Gomorrae uva eorum uva fellis et botri amarissimi
33 fel draconum vinum eorum et venenum aspidum insanabile
34 nonne haec condita sunt apud me et signata in thesauris meis
35 mea est ultio et ego retribuam in tempore ut labatur pes eorum iuxta est dies perditionis et adesse festinant tempora
36 iudicabit Dominus populum suum et in servis suis miserebitur videbit quod infirmata sit manus et clausi quoque defecerint residuique consumpti sint
37 et dicet ubi sunt dii eorum in quibus habebant fiduciam
38 de quorum victimis comedebant adipes et bibebant vinum libaminum surgant et opitulentur vobis et in necessitate vos protegant
39 videte quod ego sim solus et non sit alius deus praeter me ego occidam et ego vivere faciam percutiam et ego sanabo et non est qui de manu mea possit eruere
40 levabo ad caelum manum meam et dicam vivo ego in aeternum
41 si acuero ut fulgur gladium meum et arripuerit iudicium manus mea reddam ultionem hostibus meis et his qui oderunt me retribuam

Deuteronomy 32:31-41 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.

The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.