Deuteronomy 32:35-45

35 Vengeance is mine, and I shall yield (it) to them in time, (so) that the foot of them slide; the day of perdition is nigh, and the times hasten to be present.

36 The Lord shall deem his people, and he shall do mercy in his servants; the people shall see that the hand of (the) fighters is sick, or feeble, and also men (en)closed failed, and the remnant people, or left, be wasted. (The Lord shall judge his people, and he shall do mercy to his servants; for he shall see that the hands of their fighters be feeble, or weak, and that the enclosed men have failed, and that the remnant, that is, the people who were left, now is gone.)

37 And they shall say, Where be their gods, in which they had trust? (And then the Lord shall say, Where be your gods, in which ye had trust?)

38 Of whose sacrifices they ate the fatnesses, and they drank the wine of flowing sacrifices, rise they and help you, and defend they you in (time of) need. (Yea, the gods which ate the fat of your offerings, and which drank the wine of your wine offerings, now let them rise up and help you, and defend they you in your time of need!)

39 See, or understand, ye, that I am God alone, and none other God is except me; I shall slay, and I shall make to live; I shall smite, and I shall make whole; and none is that may deliver from mine hand. (See ye, that is, understand ye, that I am God alone, and there is no other god except me; I shall kill, and I shall make to live; I shall strike down, and I shall make whole; no one can rescue anyone out of my hands.)

40 And I shall raise up mine hand to heaven, and I shall say, I live without end. (And I shall raise up my hand to heaven, and I shall say, As surely as I live forever,)

41 If I shall whet my sword as lightning, and mine hand shall take doom, I shall yield vengeance to mine enemies, and I shall requite to them that hate me. (I shall whet my sword with lightning, and my hand shall make judgement, I shall yield vengeance to my enemies, and I shall requite to them who hate me.)

42 I shall full-fill mine arrows with blood, and my sword shall devour (the) fleshes of the blood of them that be slain, and of the captivity, of the head(s) of (the) enemies made naked. (I shall fill my arrows full of blood, and my sword shall devour the flesh of the blood of them who be killed, and of the captives, yea, the very heads of the enemies.)

43 Folks, praise ye the people of him, for he shall venge the blood of his servants, and he shall yield vengeance to the enemies of them (Nations, praise ye him with his people, for he shall avenge the blood of his servants, and he shall yield vengeance to their enemies); and he shall be merciful to the land of his people.

44 Therefore Moses came, and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people; both he and Joshua, the son of Nun. (And so Moses came, and spoke all the words of this song to the people; both he and Joshua, the son of Nun.)

45 And Moses fulfilled all these words, and spake to all Israel, (And when Moses finished speaking all these words, to all Israel,)

Deuteronomy 32:35-45 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.