Deuteronomy 32 Footnotes

32:1 Here begins a poetic passage sometimes called the “Song of Moses.”

32:22 The description of anger this intense raises questions in the minds of some as to the nature of God. How can he be a God of love, mercy, and grace and yet pour out his wrath in such harsh and devastating ways? The answer lies in a full understanding of the character of God, central to which is his holiness. For God to tolerate wickedness would contradict his separation from all that is profane, degenerate, and unjust. It would, therefore, cheapen his other attributes, such as dependability and compassion, that are more palatable to the modern mind.

32:26-27 What appears to be a petty and self-serving reaction by the Lord to the taunts and misunderstandings of his enemies must be seen against a human backdrop in which his people Israel take center stage. For God to destroy his covenant nation would open him and Israel to the charge that he was unreliable. It was his people, not he, that would suffer the brunt of ridicule should it appear that he had abandoned them. Out of concern for them the Lord must keep his word.

32:30 This is hyperbole, a deliberate exaggeration designed to show that Israel’s defeat at the hands of much less powerful foes can be explained only as an act of judgment by the Lord because of Israel’s sins. It harks back to the curses of 28:15-68.

32:51 Why did God punish Moses so severely for what seems to be a minor offense, his striking the rock at Meribah (Nm 20:11-12)? That incident can be understood two ways. God told Moses to “speak to the rock” (Nm 20:8); instead, he struck it with Aaron’s rod. Alternatively, the words speak to the rock can be taken to mean “address the rock,” using the rod (the Hb verb dabar can have that sense); but instead of beating it vigorously Moses only tapped it twice. In either case, Moses had been given an awesome responsibility as God’s chosen leader, and his obedience had to be total. Perhaps this incident is background for Jesus’s statement that “from everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Lk 12:48), and James’s admonition, “Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment” (Jms 3:1).